Technologies

Big Tech at COP26: Here’s who attended the climate talks and what roles they played

If you blinked, you could’ve easily missed them. But all the biggest US tech companies were in attendance at the UN climate summit last week.

These days, when the world’s most important and powerful people gather to talk about matters of global consequence, executives from the world’s most powerful tech companies are usually in the room.

Discussions about Climate change are no exception. From power-hungry data centers to planet-spanning supply chains, tech can be a carbon-intensive business if not run correctly. And as the effects of the climate crisis — fires, floods, hurricanes and droughts — are being more keenly felt, technology companies have been increasingly vocal in the conversation about how to tackle the climate crisis.

Beyond making commitments to reducing their own carbon footprints, this means showing up at events like COP26, the UN climate summit, which took place in Glasgow, Scotland, the first two weeks of November.

Though world leaders and energy company execs took the most vocal roles at COP26, many of the biggest US tech companies also attended the summit, even though their levels of visibility varied.

Here’s what they were up to.

The Bezos in the room

By far the most visible tech figurehead at COP26 was former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos — perhaps to his detriment. His presence at the UN summit got a mixed reception.

During his brief trip to Glasgow (he attended the two-week-long summit for somewhere between one to two days) Bezos announced that through his climate foundation, the Bezos Earth Fund, he’d donate an additional $2 billion toward landscape restoration and food systems transformation after being inspired to take care of the Earth after seeing it from the edge of space.

This made headlines but failed to impress climate activists, many of whom seemed deeply frustrated by the way Bezos engaged with the summit. It wasn’t so much his presence at COP26 that bothered them, but the fact that he used it as a PR opportunity rather than as a chance to listen to the voices of those most affected by the crisis, they said.

«These kinds of people, they shouldn’t be here giving speeches, they should be here and being targeted as responsible for these changes,»said Txai Surui, a 24-year-old Indigenous activist from Rondônia in Brazil.

«Why does he have more voice than young people that are suffering, or will suffer the consequences of the climate crisis?» asked Nicki Becker, a climate activist from Argentina. «Of course he has to be included in the conversation because he needs to first change his lifestyle.»

She added that billionaires and other top 1% earners like Bezos are most responsible for the climate crisis, so it’s hypocritical for them to turn up with purported solutions without making any effort to change their ways (Bezos flew in and out of Glasgow on his private jet).

Throughout the marches and climate protests that took place over the course of the summit, multiple people were carrying signs bearing variations on the words «We’re burning the wrong Amazon.»

The other billionaire

Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates had a quieter presence at the summit than Bezos, attracting less criticism (even though he, too, appeared to fly in and out on a private jet).

Gates addressed world leaders, updating them on the progress of his climate initiative Breakthrough Energy Ventures and calling on them to come together to start a «green industrial revolution.»

He said he was spending his three days at the summit trying to encourage people to scale clean technology. «If we’re going to avoid the worst effects of a climate disaster, it’s not enough to invent zero-carbon alternatives — we need to make sure they’re affordable and accessible enough for people all over the world to use them,» he said.

He also urged rich- and middle-income countries to do more to help the areas that’ve done the least to cause climate change but are most affected by it.

It’s not clear, though, whether Gates spent any time at the summit talking with people from these areas. A criticism of many white, male leaders at the summit has been that they spent too much time talking and not enough time listening — especially to young black and Indigenous women who are leaders in the climate justice movement.

«Everybody brings us a different perspective on this,» Microsoft Chief Environmental Officer Lucas Joppa said in an interview, commenting on the role tech figureheads could play at COP. «Some of these individuals, they’ve grown businesses from nothing not just to global scale,» but to a scale that the world’s never seen before. «That is exactly what the world needs to do in its transition, when you look at renewable energy penetration in the markets, for instance.»

Behind the scenes

Ahead of the summit Apple, Facebook, Google and other companies announced new pledges to further improve their own sustainability credentials. But at the event they kept a fairly low profile.

Apple’s VP of Sustainability Lisa Jackson, posted on Twitter about attending COP26 and meeting with US President Joe Biden while there. At the summit Apple and Amazon signed on to the World Economic Forum’s First Movers Coalition, which aims to scale up emerging technologies essential to transitioning the globe’s economy to net-zero carbon by 2050.

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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in a statement that joining the Coalition would «help further accelerate our efforts to decarbonize our operations through real business change and innovation.» (Jassy didn’t attend COP, but other execs from the company did.)

In an interview, Facebook Director of Global Sustainability Edward Palmieri said his role at the summit was to ensure the company was engaging in the right partnerships and coalitions to tackle the climate crisis.

«Our foundational work on sustainability, if it has taught us anything it’s that we not only have to take care of our own house and make sure that we’re in order from a sustainability perspective, but that global solutions are going to take us all working together to kind of get it done,» he said.

One of Palmieri’s focuses at the event was learning more water stewardship, so Facebook is able to meet its goal of restoring more water than it consumes by 2030. Water plays a huge role in cooling and maintaining the right level of humidity in Facebook’s global data centers, but the company says it recognizes water is also a shared community resource that needs to be restored so it doesn’t become polluted or scarce.

Microsoft also came to the summit hoping to learn as well as contribute, said Joppa. He was spending a portion of his time in Glasgow learning more about carbon removal and carbon accounting.

«The carbon removal markets today are wildly oversubscribed, and we need to fix that for the world and for Microsoft to meet its own goals,» he said. «We need much more common kinds of standards and definitions around the way we do accounting.»

Playing to the crowd

Microsoft was one of COP26’s principal sponsors, so as well as having its logo everywhere, it also had a stand in the «Green Zone» (the part of the summit open to the public). At its booth, it welcomed school children and other attendees to explore the company’s different initiatives as it works toward its goal of becoming carbon negative by 2030. The space also provided a platform for smaller companies to showcase their climate tech. These included NCX, a company Microsoft has invested in that uses aerial imagery and AI to survey forests.

Financing these companies is important, said Joppa, but so is giving them exposure to clients and customers via Microsoft’s platform. «How you all kind of hold hands and lift each other up is to actually help people become aware of all the solutions that are out there,» he said.

Other tech companies also focused their COP26 efforts on trying to use their reach to broaden access to the summit.

Google used its Arts and Culture project to take people from all over the world inside the Green Zone. Meanwhile, Facebook livestreamed conversations about climate science from a small booth within the UN pavilion at the summit.

Public awareness has been growing around COP for several years, and Facebook’s platforms can be harnessed to make and keep conversations around what happens at the UN climate summits on a global level, said Palmieri.

Instagram, in particular, has been a crucial platform for young climate activists from all over the world to engage their audiences and educate them about the climate crisis. During COP26, Emma Watson used her own Instagram presence to introduce her followers to many of these activists, who as well as doing vital work in their own communities, form a loosely grouped online activist network.

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But one thing Palmieri hopes to see happen is ensuring that information flows in both directions.

«What’s really important, and that I’m hoping our platform will be able to do more and more of, is to bring some of the experiences of climate change from certain parts of the world that maybe are less represented to decision makers and communities that are wealthier and have more of a voice,» he said.

Technologies

San Diego Comic-Con Draws a Line: No AI Art Allowed at 2026 Event

The long-running fan convention is banning AI-created works from its popular art show.

Like Sarah Connor in The Terminator, San Diego Comic-Con is fighting back against AI. The prestigious, long-running pop culture convention has banned all artwork created by artificial intelligence from the 2026 Comic-Con art show. Rules posted on the Comic-Con website now state that AI-generated art won’t be shown in any form.

«Material created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) either partially or wholly, is not allowed in the art show. If there are questions, the Art Show Coordinator will be the sole judge of acceptability,» the website reads.

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A representative for San Diego Comic-Con did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the past, the convention allowed participants to display AI artwork, provided it was clearly marked as such and wasn’t sold. But now, those artists can’t even bring it through the door. The rule change is a response to artist-led pushback, according to a 404 Media report. San Diego Comic-Con is one of the world’s most famous pop culture conventions, uniting comics, movies, television, gaming, cosplay and collectibles.

Jim Zub, writer for the Conan the Barbarian and Dungeons and Dragons comic book series, told CNET he supports Comic-Con’s decision and hopes other conventions will follow their lead.

«Hundreds of thousands of people attend San Diego Comic-Con each year, and the excitement that generates isn’t because they’re eager to meet a computer spitting out homogenized slop,» Zub said.

Zub, who’s also an artist, is scheduled to appear at Comic-Con in 2026.

Entertaining AI

The use of generative AI in comic book and pop culture art has generated controversy in recent years as AI programs have become more skilled at imitating creators.

A central focus of the 2023 actor’s strike involved backlash against the use of AI in movies and television. The issue has continued to roil Hollywood, as actors, special effects designers, and other film workers see the technology as a threat, while some movie studios view AI as a way to reduce production costs.

Netflix has already begun using AI-generated imagery in at least one series, Argentine sci-fi show El Eternauta. CEO Ted Sarandos praised the technology during a 2025 earnings call.

«We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper,» Sarandos said at the time.

AI is also an issue in the video game industry, with publishers facing swift backlash whenever fans discover AI was used in a game. The Indie Game Awards rescinded two awards for the hit RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, after they found out that AI-made placeholder assets were included when the game launched. The game developer quickly patched the assets out.

While the movie and video game industries appear to have mixed views on using AI, Comic-Con has taken a firm stance, at least for now.

«Artists, writers, actors and other creatives gather and celebrate the popular arts in person because the people part of the equation is what matters most,» Zub said.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Jan. 24

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 24.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s a long one, as per usual on Saturday. 1-Down made me awfully hungry! Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Snow day vehicle
Answer: PLOW

5A clue: Steam room alternative
Answer: SAUNA

6A clue: Show on which Jon Hamm had his breakout role
Answer: MADMEN

7A clue: Subject of negotiations with a 3-year-old
Answer: BEDTIME

8A clue: Respected veteran, in slang
Answer: OLDHEAD

9A clue: Gain back, as trust
Answer: REEARN

10A clue: Spooky
Answer: EERIE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Noodle dish garnished with lime wedges and crushed peanuts
Answer: PADTHAI

2D clue: Singing candlestick in «Beauty and the Beast»
Answer: LUMIERE

3D clue: ___ band
Answer: ONEMAN

4D clue: Decreased in size, as the moon
Answer: WANED

5D clue: More blue
Answer: SADDER

6D clue: Chaotic fight
Answer: MELEE

7D clue: Total snoozefest
Answer: BORE

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Technologies

iPhone 17 Pro Max Specs vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: The Best Top-Tier Phones, Compared

The top premium phones from Apple and Samsung have the best specs, cameras, battery life and more among their lineups.

Apple’s full iPhone 17 lineup offers great phones that meet different needs, but one that rises above the rest for specs and sheer size: the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The company’s priciest top-tier iOS handset goes toe-to-toe with the top Android phones, and at the top of that list is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, that company’s highest-end conventional phone.

Both phones live up to their names, with nearly 7-inch screens, advanced cameras and the most powerful specs to date. While they have a lot in common, they follow slightly different approaches for assembling the most premium phone on the market.

Here’s how the iPhone 17 Pro Max specs match up to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Looking to order the iPhone 17 Pro Max? Check out our deals guide to learn if you can get it free and other great offers.

Want to buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra? Find out which carriers and retailers have the best deals on Samsung’s slim phone.

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iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra price comparison

iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB of storage): $1,199
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (256GB of storage): $1,299

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is $100 cheaper than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which has been the same price gap between these phones in prior years. Samsung’s phone does have a notable hardware extra with its S Pen stylus (stored within the handset), but it’s also far more likely to go on sale than Apple’s big handset, assuming prior years’ trends continue.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra design and displays

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Heat-dispersing focus. This year’s Pro Max reverts to an aluminum frame and introduces a vapor chamber to better vent heat.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Best screen yet. The display’s new anti-reflective coating on the Ultra may be its best feature.

These are the biggest and densest phones beyond foldables, so they stack up pretty well, at least on the outside.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch OLED display, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 6.8-inch screen (both have 1-120Hz variable refresh rates). In Jan. 2025, when the Ultra was released, CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland called it «the best I’ve seen» on a phone, thanks to its new antireflective coating that makes the phone more usable under direct light, along with 2,600-nit top brightness. For its part, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is easier to see in daylight with its 3,000-nit maximum brightness (up from 2,000 nits in last year’s iPhones).

Thanks to its titanium frame, Samsung’s phone is slightly lighter at 218 grams and potentially more durable than the aluminum frame on Apple’s premium phone (which is heavier at 233 grams).

But interestingly enough, it seems Apple reverted from the titanium frame on the iPhone 16 Pro Max back to aluminum in its new top-tier phone in favor of better thermal regulation. To handle heat even better, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a vapor chamber filled with deionized water sitting over the CPU and other chips to disperse heat away from the silicon. The S25 Ultra has its own vapor chamber (40% larger than its predecessor’s, Samsung said).

The S25 Ultra also has the advantage of its own stylus that tucks into a dedicated slot on the phone’s underside. Unfortunately, it’s not as smart as the S Pen of previous S-series Ultra models. Samsung removed the remote Bluetooth controls, which the company said were only used by barely 1% of Ultra owners, but it’s still disappointing to see tech revert.

Like all iPhones since last year’s models, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a Camera Control button on its right side. This button launches the Camera app, allows you to take photos and tweaks settings while shooting. The button can also activate Visual Intelligence, which lets you do a Google image search or prompt ChatGPT using what the camera is pointed at.

Comparing iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra cameras

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Nearly all cameras are now sharper. Everything but the main camera got a megapixel upgrade.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Better ultrawide camera. The 50-megapixel ultrawide captures more light and detail.

From the outside, not much looks different with either phone’s array of cameras compared to their predecessors, though the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s rear camera bump has been extended across the width of the phone. But the big changes are packed inside that «plateau,» as Apple calls it, with improvements to nearly all of its cameras.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 48-megapixel main and ultrawide cameras are largely untouched, but the telephoto camera is now also 48 megapixels (up from 12 megapixels in last year’s Pro Max). All three are «dual fusion» cameras that can zoom in twice at 12-megapixel resolution using sensor cropping. This effectively means the telephoto can go to the equivalent of 8x optical zoom, or up to 40x digital (up from 25x).

There’s the big upgrade for selfie lovers: The front-facing camera is now 18 megapixels (up from 12 megapixels in last year’s model), which is nice but less important than the larger sensor behind the lens. It’s square in shape, which allows users to switch between taking selfies in either horizontal or vertical orientation without rotating their phone. It also enables Center Stage, the video chat feature that first debuted on iPad Pro and Mac devices, which keeps the focus on the user even if they move around and can adjust the orientation if more people enter the frame.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra retains its four rear camera setup, fronted by an impressive 200-megapixel main shooter. But it’s the 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (up from 12 megapixels in the S24 Ultra) that delighted CNET reviewer Holland, who felt the larger sensor afforded crisper shots with more light in both very wide and close-up macro shots. The phone also has a 10-megapixel 3x optical zoom paired with a 50-megapixel 5x optical zoom for different levels of telephoto shots, topping out at 100x «Space Zoom.»

Both phones have dueling AI-assisted tools for video. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the Audio Mix feature introduced in its predecessor that isolates desired audio sources (like subjects talking) and cancels other ambient noise. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has its own tool, Audio Eraser, which trims away wind, music, street noise or other disturbances. As a last difference, the Galaxy S25 Ultra can shoot footage in 8K while the iPhone 17 Pro Max tops out at 4K video.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra specs compared

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Better specs, bigger battery. The Pro Max gets a new chip, better performance and longer battery life.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Great performance. The S25 Ultra boasts better performance than any other phone we’d tested.

Both phones are at the absolute top of their lineups and are in the running for the most powerful phone on the market anywhere in the world. Unsurprisingly, they’re pretty competitive in terms of specs and performance, with each edging out the other in specific ways.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max packs a new A19 Pro chip that, combined with the improved heat management, results in 40% better sustained performance compared to last year’s Pro Max, Apple said during the new phone’s launch presentation. Apple has continued not to state how much RAM the phone packs (conventional wisdom suggests at least 8GB to run AI features).

The iPhone 17 Pro Max comes with configuration tiers for 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and the new 2TB option. That max storage pushes the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s overall price to around $2,000. Apple also doesn’t release exact battery capacity, but did suggest the Pro Max has an even bigger one this year.

In CNET’s battery tests, the iPhone 17 Pro Max scored better than any phone we’ve tested, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It has a top wired charging speed of 40 watts or wireless at 30 watts, and built-in MagSafe magnetic attachment capability.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra packs a Samsung-customized Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12GB of RAM, both of which enable more on-device AI that runs smoother than the hybrid and cloud AI tools used in prior Galaxy Ultra models. In benchmark tests, the Galaxy S25 Ultra outperformed other leading smartphones, including the OnePlus 13 and last year’s iPhone 16 Pro, but we’ll have to wait for our tests on the iPhone 17 Pro Max to truly compare both. Samsung’s premium phone has 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage options.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 5,000-mAh battery, 45-watt maximum wired charging and Qi2 wireless charging up to 15 watts, though it doesn’t support magnetic attachments (unless you get a case with built-in magnets).

Of course, both phones have their own suites of generative AI technology. Apple didn’t introduce any new features this year, relying on the Apple Intelligence suite of assistive tech that debuted with last year’s iPhone 16 series. Samsung’s phone has its own suite of Galaxy AI features, like answering requests with info from apps and Google’s Circle to Search feature that can now recognize audio in videos and social media posts (or even tunes you hum yourself, supposedly).

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	6.9-inch OLED; 2,868×1,320 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate
Pixel density	460ppi	501ppi
Dimensions (inches)	6.43 x 3.07 x 0.34 in	6.41 x 3.06 x 0.32 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm	162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm
Weight	233g (8.22 ounces)	218g (7.69 ounces)
Mobile software	iOS 26	Android 15
Camera	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide) 48-megapixel (4x, 8x telephoto)	200-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	18-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	8K
Processor	Apple A19 Pro	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
RAM/storage	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB	12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery	Up to 39 hours video playback; up to 35 hours video playback (streamed).	5,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. ProRes Raw video recording. Genlock video support. 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range. IP68 resistance. Colors: silver, cosmic orange, deep blue. Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger.	Titanium frame, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cover glass; ultrawideband
US price off-contract	$1,199 (256GB)	$1,300 (256GB)
UK price	£1,199 (256GB)	£1,249 (256GB)
Australia price	AU$2,199 (256GB)	AU$2,149 (256GB)