2+ week, 4+ day ago (596+ words) Finding the best digital camera in an age of high-tech devices may not seem necessary to some, but there's a reason these tools still exist and remain popular. Even though many people have cameras and video cameras on our phones, the right digital camera is still a worthy investment, offering clearer, better overall pictures and a lot more versatility. While there are several great cameras at a range of price points, the Sony a7 III Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera is worth considering, especially with its superior sensor, video recording abilities and future-proof tech hardware that will last for years to come. A camera's sensor size will determine how much light it can let in, as well as things like the overall depth of field and levels of detail. While smaller sensors make the image look closer in the viewfinder, larger sensors…...

2+ week, 6+ hour ago (306+ words) By SHAWN CHEN, AP Technology Writer There's a lot of slop to sift through as we get closer to the holidays, many interests to appeal to and a whole bunch of deals-that-aren't-deals flashing before our screens. So here's a guide " and some sales " to help you get started on your gift shopping journey. The Nintendo Switch 2 was the biggest and most anticipated console launch of 2025, and if history is any indication, it will be increasingly harder to find as Christmas approaches. But for the gamers in your life " both young and adult " this is the gift to get. What about AI? The iPhone 17 doesn't make as many leaps into the technology as its predecessor, but the new iOS and processer prepares the phone for any advancements that may come in 2026. The iPhone 17 retails at $800. But the price of a fold…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (928+ words) The first major cold spell of the season plunged parts of the southeastern U.S. into record-low temperatures Tuesday, delivering a shock for 18 million people under a freeze warning across Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Meanwhile, several inches of snow blanketed areas along the eastern Great Lakes as the blast of cold air moved through. The direct shot of Arctic air affecting the eastern two-thirds of the country migrated east " and far southeast " from the Northern Plains, which was hit with gusty chills and snow over the weekend. For much of the Southeast on Tuesday, that meant an abrupt transition into wintry temperatures after reaching well into the 70s and 80s (21 to 27 Celsius) in recent days. Some daily records were "absolutely shattered," said meteorologist Scott Kleebauer, including a low of 28 degrees Fahrenheit (-2 Celsius) at the airport in Jacksonville, Florida, on Tuesday morning. That broke the…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (489+ words) WILLIAMSBURG " A California-based solar company has proposed bringing two solar facilities to land surrounding the city's reservoir. So far, city leaders don't seem receptive to the idea. Representatives from solar company Cenergy Power appeared before Williamsburg City Council at a work session Monday to go over a proposal to build a 19.8-megawatt solar farm and an 8-megawatt storage facility on 162.19 acres near Waller Mill Reservoir. It would require clearing 122 acres of land that, according to the grassroots group Conserve York County, is dedicated to resource conservation. Over the summer, Dominion Energy began seeking proposals for solar energy production on surplus land to take advantage of a tax credit enabled by the Trump administration's Big Beautiful Bill. Cenergy approached the city, but the only land the city has available for such a project is property in York County, according to City…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (567+ words) WILLIAMSBURG " A California-based solar company has proposed bringing two solar facilities to land surrounding the city's reservoir. So far, city leaders don't seem receptive to the idea. Representatives from solar company Cenergy Power appeared before Williamsburg City Council at a work session Monday to go over a proposal to build a 19.8-megawatt solar farm and an 8-megawatt storage facility on 162.19 acres near Waller Mill Reservoir. It would require clearing 122 acres of land that, according to the grassroots group Conserve York County, is dedicated to resource conservation. Over the summer, Dominion Energy began seeking proposals for solar energy production on surplus land to take advantage of a tax credit enabled by the Trump administration's Big Beautiful Bill. Cenergy approached the city, but the only land the city has available for such a project is property in York County, according to City…...

6+ day, 3+ hour ago (405+ words) Most of a bird's power production for flight occurs in the breast muscles. This mass of meat " pectoralis muscle for the powerful downstroke on top of the supracoracoideus muscle for the upstroke " is the subject of much attention at Thanksgiving. Domestic turkeys have been bred to have disproportionately large breast muscles " so large, sadly, that their legs are not equipped to support them and they spend much time lying down. Male domestic turkeys are so lopsided that many commercial breeds can't mount females for normal breeding, and artificial insemination is required. But all birds, not just those selectively bred for our table, have outsized breast muscles. These flight muscles may comprise as much as 25% of their weight, whereas in humans, the comparable pectoralis muscles are closer to 1% of our weight. Not only are turkey breasts large, but the flesh is…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (269+ words) Environmentalists in Virginia Beach are lobbying for the city to include a fee on single-use plastic bags in order to encourage more reusable bag use in the city. Specifically, Lynnhaven River Now is advocating for a $0.05 fee per plastic bag. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the average American uses about 365 bags per year. This means that after implementation, a Virginia Beach resident who never brought a reusable bag to the store would spend an extra $18.25 each year, if they used the average amount of bags. Besides plastic bottles, plastic bags are the most common item found at litter clean-ups, Mason said. Unlike other kinds of plastic waste, plastic bags often sink, which can create issues when trying to remove them from the environment. "So if you go to canals around Virginia Beach, retention ponds or different areas where…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (765+ words) Spot, the four-legged robot from Boston Dynamics Inc., is perhaps best known for its viral dance routines to songs like "Uptown Funk." But beyond its playful antics, Spot's ability to climb stairs and open doors signals a potentially controversial role as a policing tool. Five years after its commercial debut, the 75-pound, German Shepherd-sized robot is increasingly being deployed by local law enforcement to handle armed standoffs, hostage rescues and hazardous materials incidents " situations where sending in a human or a real dog could be life-threatening. More than 60 bomb squads and SWAT teams in the US and Canada are now using Spot, according to previously unreported data shared by Boston Dynamics with Bloomberg News. Robots in particular have been finding a home among law enforcement agencies. ICE, or US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, recently spent around $78,000 on a robot from…...

1+ week, 14+ hour ago (864+ words) Is artificial intelligence coming for your job? Peninsula experts representing health care, maritime and higher education shared their views on the use of AI in their fields and how it will evolve. "Yeah, AI is going to take your job," Newport News Shipbuilding Chief Technology Officer Brian Fields said. "But it also may change your job path to a more meaningful role or help you be more effective." Fields, Riverside Health Chief Nursing Information Officer Meg Atkins and Old Dominion University Senior Associate Vice President for Digital Innovation Chrysoula Malogianni took part Thursday in a panel discussion for the Virginia Peninsula Chamber's "Harnessing AI for Hampton Roads' Future" program at the Holiday Inn near City Center at Oyster Point. They addressed guarding against security issues, maintaining data accuracy, advocating for data literacy and preparing workforces for changing roles or jobs…...

48+ min ago (890+ words) No distractions: He doesn't follow sports on TV, never opens social media and, when he's really flowing, sends even the important calls to voicemail. Morgan Gendel's best work requires silence. "All I do," he said, "is walk around thinking of stuff." He's a professional " a career "idea man" " who's made his money by making things up. Gendel, paid to provide plots and new twists to blocked and bogged down TV writers in his 30s, became a Hollywood showrunner in his 40s. In his 60s, he thought up and patented a way to build low-cost, low-weight structures that could be used on NASA missions to the moon or Mars. And that latest idea is garnering attention. Now a 72-year-old adjunct professor of screenwriting at Old Dominion University, Gendel is building prototypes of his patented design for aerospace shelters on campus, with help from the…...