PC sales certainly werent going gangbusters in 2024: They only grew a paltry 1% over 2023.According to new figures from IDC, vendors shipped 262.7 million PCs in 2024. But things did pick up a bit in Q4 2024: Shipments grew 1.8% over the prior year, reaching 68.9 million.While all this may seem like a modest gain, it still represents progress in a time of economic instability, fear of inflation, geopolitical tensions, and the upcoming US regime change.1% growth is actually a pretty good thing in the PC industry right now, Ryan Reith, group vice president, IDCs Worldwide Device Trackers, told Computerworld. Thats what we expected for the year, and actually, the market is shifting back to some recovery.The year of refresh2025 will likely see bigger numbers. IDG expects 4.3% growth in total PC shipments in the coming year. This will largely be due to commercial refreshes that occur even in the toughest of macro-economic times, Reith pointed out. Typically, medium-to-large sized companies update their PCs at least every three to four years.The commercial refresh usually is pretty resilient because, certainly in developed markets, a lot of medium to large enterprises want to stay ahead, said Reith.Indeed, Microsoft has declared 2025 the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh, as the tech giant is ending feature and security support for Windows 10 PCs beginning October 14.However, many factors remain uncertain, including fears of inflation, ongoing geopolitical disputes, and big changes expected with the impending Trump administration. The Consumer Technology Association, for one, estimates that Trumps proposed steep tariffs on imports ranging from 10 to 20% for most countries and climbing as high as 100% from China could increase laptop and tablet prices by as much as 68%.What about AI PCs?There has been a ton of hype around AI PCs, as they are set to fundamentally change the way people interact with devices. For instance, built-in AI can perform certain tasks such as information retrieval, while more advanced AI agents can even take autonomous action, leading to significant productivity gains.Gartner, for instance, has projected that AI PCs will account for 43% of all PCs in 2025. The firms analysts estimate that worldwide shipments of AI PCs will total 114 million units this year, representing an increase of more than 165% over 2024. Further, the firm predicts that by 2026, AI laptops will be the only choice of laptop available to large enterprises (compared to less than 5% availability in 2023).Big tech is certainly betting on this trend. Microsoft, for its part, introduced Copilot+ PCs in May, and Nvidia introduced its AI PC Project Digits this week at CES. Qualcomm and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) have unveiled their own AI processors and Dell is working on AI hardware, too.This is a huge leap of technology, from every aspect of software down to the hardware and everything in between, said Reith. This is going to be a fundamental change, in a positive way, in the industry.More advanced PCs that can do more than other PCs (and humans, too) might eventually translate to less hardware shipped, he noted. However, it will be a net positive. Theres going to be a lot of revenue gains from that, from the software side, cloud side, everything else.Not so fastStill, Reith noted, the industry has gotten a little ahead of itself when it comes to AI PCs. While they someday will become the norm all modern laptops and desktops, after all, contain some sort of AI thats more of a long-term trend.This is notably because budgets are constrained across the board, said Reith. It doesnt matter if youre a tech company, healthcare, whatever. When AI comes up, its, Look, how much extra is that going to cost? Its all about the dollar.Also, while theyre innovating at an impressive clip, big tech companies havent really lived up to the hype, he pointed out. Industry watchers, for instance, thought Microsoft would deliver more around Copilot+, providing concrete use cases through its partnerships and illustrating how enterprises can get returns on their investments.Microsoft didnt deliver, but it didnt fall on its face, said Reith. Even if you under-deliver a little bit in a time when budgets are constrained, it puts a bigger spotlight on, Hey, maybe we can wait a little bit.There are still very, very good PCs out thereIT decision makers dont need to feel rushed to purchase AI PCs, Reith noted. Dont rule out PCs the next level down, he advised; there are still really, really good products from PC vendors that run Intels Meteor Lake processors (introduced in 2023) or AMD chips, among others.So dont feel like youre buying down, said Reith. We have a lot of very, very good PCs; theyre just not the ones that are the latest and greatest and cost 50% more.Also, he pointed out, while Microsoft is sunsetting Windows 10, enterprises still have access to an affordable service support extension. Its a very, very attractive option, especially right now, if youve got good hardware.The AI PC buzz is realRecognizing the dampening of interest (at least for now) in AI PCs, suppliers like Lenovo, HP, Dell, and others are already adjusting and shifting their focus to PCs the next level down in their portfolio, said Reith.Its going to pick up, theyve kind of paused a little bit on the supply side, he said. However, theyre not going to slow down the innovation. In fact, theyre innovating like crazy.Ultimately, the buzz is real, he said. I think everyone got a little over their heads on the immediate opportunity. Its just going to be a little bit more prolonged.

Calculator app has been around in macOS forever. Here's how to use its four modes in macOS Sequoia.macOS's Calculator app.Apple's Calculator app lives in the /Applications folder at the root of your Startup Disk. One of the simplest of all the macOS apps, it was also one of the first utilities shipped with Mac OS X when it was released in 2000.In fact, the original Mac also shipped with a very simple Calculator app as a desk accessory. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Google is partnering with The Linux Foundation to launch an initiative meant to fund open development and enhance projects in the Chromium ecosystem, according to an announcement on Thursday. The fund, called Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers, is billed as a neutral space to support Chromium projects.Google launched Chromium alongside its Chrome web browser in 2008. Its the open-source infrastructure that powers Chrome and many other browsers built on it, including Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Brave.In addition to Google, there are already several notable companies on board with the initiative, including Meta, Microsoft, and Opera. Microsoft said joining will help provide clear and open governance that directs funds towards community-driven needs.Googles contributions to Chromium. Image: GoogleGoogle also highlighted the more than 100,000 commits it made to Chromium last year, as well as its efforts to invest heavily into the open-source project:Google also continues to invest heavily in the shared infrastructure of the Open Source project to keep the lights on, including having thousands of servers endlessly running millions of tests, responding to hundreds of incoming bugs per day, ensuring the important ones get fixed, and constantly investing in code health to keep the whole project maintainable.The creation of the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers initiative comes months after the US Department of Justice demanded that Google sell Chrome as part of its proposed remedies following the ruling that Google is a monopolist. In response, Google proposed eliminating exclusive deals that make Google the default search engine on web browsers like Safari and Mozilla for three years. Even if Google is attempting to show the DOJ how much it contributes to Chromium, the creation of the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers suggests the open-source project would still have backing without the companys involvement.

Following the arrival of the first Thunderbolt 5 cables last July and the first Thunderbolt 5 dock last September, it might finally be time to start upgrading your external storage to take advantage of the increased performance. Its been a slow rollout for Thunderbolt 5 hardware following its official reveal in September 2023, but companies like Seagate, OWC, and Sabrent finally have SSDs en route supporting the new standard.Seagate announced its new Thunderbolt 5 LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 external drive at CES this week. The company says it will be available sometime this month in a 2TB version for $399.99 and a 4TB version for $599.99. Theyll offer read and write speeds of 6,700MB/s and 5,300MB/s, respectively. Image: SeagateLike previous LaCie rugged drives, the new SSD comes in a rubber enclosure in blue, black, and orange color options, helping it survive drops from heights of up to three meters. Its also waterproof with an IP68 rating, so it can survive a complete dunking to depths of one meter. Image: SabrentThere are a few other choices that have been announced, too, though with varying levels of availability. Sabrent, for example, was actually one of the first companies to announce a Thunderbolt 5 SSD last August, but the SSD isnt out yet. The Rocket XTRM 5 comes in a silicone sleeve for extra protection from falls, and the company says it can reach read and write speeds of 6,000MB/s and 5,000MB/s, respectively. Its expected to be available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities but is still listed as only being available for preorder through Sabrents website. Image: OWCOWC announced its Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 SSD last September. The company says the external drive is water-resistant, dust-resistant, and crushproof, and offers read speeds of over 6,000MB/s. When it was announced, OWC said the Envoy Ultra would be available in a 2TB version for $399.99 and a 4TB version for $599.99, with shipping starting in late October. The first shipments of the drives sold out, but its still available for preorder through OWCs website with an expected ship date of mid-January 2025.If youd rather take a DIY approach, several Thunderbolt 5-compatible SSD enclosures have also been announced over the past few months.However, despite the promised performance improvements, and the yearlong wait for hardware to finally materialize, upgrading your setup to Thunderbolt 5 might still have a few speed bumps. Thats what Mark Hachman, the senior editor of PCWorld, discovered when trying to get a Maingear ML-17 laptop, Kensingtons Thunderbolt 5 dock, OWCs Envoy Ultra SSD, and Acers Nitro XV5 displays to play nice. The setup was plagued by laggy performance and slow transfer speeds.It all still felt not quite ready for primetime, Hachman found. When you buy (or test) bleeding-edge hardware, sometimes youre the one that ends up with the cuts, Hachman said.

Thank your own personal deitypossibly Numen, not to be confused with Newmanit's Friday! Let's put this week out of its misery with some cheap games worth spending your next two days with. Personally, I'd gravitate to Ori: The Collection, Hollow Knight, Untitled Goose Game, and a sub-five-buck Brtal Legend. Why the latter? Because it is the greatest and best game in the world ...tribute.In retro news, the system-selling Rogue Squadron turns 26 today, and I absolutely smashed at launch. Being one of the first titles to utilise the Expansion Pak, which added a whopping 4MB of extra RAM (!!!), it delivered a star war far, far, and away better than the previous N64 title holder, Shadows of the Empire. It's also been 28 years since Square released Tobal No. 1, a cult-hit 3D fighter featuring a robot who could un-life himself by flicking his own switch off. I still couldn't tell you what for.Shoelacing Imperial Walkers with a Snowspeederstill timelessly satisfying as of my 2025 replay. This Day in Gaming Aussie birthdays for notable games.- Tobal No. 1 (PS) 1997. eBay- The Pinball of the Dead (GBA) 2003. eBay- Choplifter HD (PC,PS3,X360) 2012.- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (N64) 1999. Get- Anarchy Reigns (PS3,X360) 2013. eBay- Pokmon: Typing Adventure (DS) 2013. eBayTable of ContentsNice Savings for Nintendo SwitchXenoblade Chronicles XXenoblade Chronicles X is a massive RPG and the satisfying loop of combat and customization makes exploring the vast world of Mira a fun and rewarding experience. 8.2/10, Great.FC 25 (-62%) - A$34Spyro Reignited Tril. (-60%) - A$27.98Ori: The Collection (-33%) - A$47The Sinking City (-88%) - A$8.88Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (-75%) - A$17.48Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (-15%) - A$68Expiring Recent DealsIt Takes Two (-43%) - A$34Mario & Luigi: Brothership (-15%) - A$68Prince Of Persia: TLC (-43%) - A$28.89The Messenger (-80%) - A$6Wolfenstein II: TNC (-85%) - A$8.24Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.Switch Console PricesHow much to Switch it up?Switch OLED + Mario Wonder: $539 $499 | Switch Original: $499 $448 | Switch OLED Black: $539 $479 | Switch OLED White: $539 $479 | Switch Lite: $329 $299 | Switch Lite Hyrule: $339 $299See itBack to topPurchase Cheap for PCHollow KnightHollow Knight is a Metroidvania with a well of content to discover thats as deep as its labyrinthine caves. The world of Hallownest is compelling, rich, and 9/10 amazing.BioShock 2 Rem. (-100%) - FREE w/PrimeSkyDrift Infinity (-100%) - FREE w/PrimeSpirit Mancer (-100%) - FREE w/PrimeUntitled Goose Game (-65%) - A$10.49SteelSeries Rival 3 (-25%) - A$59Expiring Recent DealsElite Dangerous (-79%) - A$6.20Monster Hunter Wilds (-18%) - A$104.95Civ VII (-12%) - A$105.55Helldivers 2 (-23%) - A$49.85Logitech G502 X PLUS (-40%) - A$178 Or just get a Steam Wallet CardPC Hardware PricesSlay your pile of shame.Official launch in NovSteam Deck 256GB LCD: $649 | Steam Deck 512GB OLED: $899 | Steam Deck 1TB OLED: $1,049See it at SteamBack to topExciting Bargains for XboxOne Piece OdysseyThe power of One Pieces story, world, art, and characters does a lot of the heavy lifting in making One Piece Odyssey a joy to play. Odyssey nails the most important parts: The heart, humor, and soul of One Piece.Brtal Legend (-75%) - A$4.98 [X/S Back compat]Gotham Knights (-86%) - A$15Dragon Age: The Veilguard (-44%) - A$79Red Dead Redemption II (-60%) - A$24Hogwarts Legacy (-64%) - A$36 [XO]Expiring Recent DealsMonster Hunter Wilds (-17%) - A$99CoD: BLOPS 6 (-20%) - A$89Undisputed (-37%) - A$57Metal Gear Solid: Master Col. (-41%) - A$50.39Or just invest in an Xbox Card.Xbox Console PricesHow many bucks for a 'Box? Series X: $799 $729 | Series S Black: $549 $545 | Series S White:$499 $471 | Series S Starter: N/ASee itBack to topPure Scores for PlayStationLike a Dragon: Pirate YakuzaIts the spin-off that I think should be rated Arrrr. Embark on an over-the-top, modern-day pirate adventure with an ex-yakuza, now pirate captain & his crew. Engage in combat on land and sea in the hunt for lost memories and treasure.WRC 5 eSports Ed. (-95%) - A$0.69Split Fiction (-16%) - A$59Stellar Blade (-25%) - A$93.71WRC 10 (-85%) - A$12.74Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (-23%) - A$88Spidey Miles Morales (-42%) - A$54.95Silent Hill 2 (-27%) - A$88Expiring Recent DealsCrisis Core: FF7 Reunion (-22%) - A$66.34Top Spin (-66%) - A$34F1 24 (-46%) - A$59.95CoD: BLOPS 6 (-20%) - A$88Granblue Fantasy: Relink (-45%) - A$47PS+ Monthly FreebiesYours to keep from Jan 7 with this subscriptionSuicide Squad: KTJL [PS5]NFS Hot Pursuit Remastered [PS4]The Stanley Parable: Ultra [PS4/5]Or purchase a PS Store Card.What you'll pay to 'Station.PS5 Slim Disc:$799 $759 | PS5 Slim Digital:679 $678 | PS VR2: $899 | PS VR2 + Horizon: $899 | PS5 Pro $1,199 | PS Portal: $329See itBack to topLegit LEGO DealsMario Yoshis' ForestA perfectly egg-xcellent addition to any sprawling Super Mario landscape.City: Steamroller (-33%) - A$10Technic: Mercedes-AMG F1 (-25%) - A$226Ferrari F40 (-20%) - A$31.99Expiring Recent DealsAnimal Crossing: Dodo Airlines (-45%) - A$33Technic: Mercedes-Benz G 500 (-38%) - A$249Architecture: London (-27%) - A$43.95Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

You can pay for TSA PreCheckto keep your shoes on when walking through airport security, but what about the rest of us who don't particularly enjoy the indignity of shuffling our socks or -- eek! -- bare soles across a floor that's had thousands of other shoes and feet scrape across it. Read more: These Are the Official 2025 Best of CES Winners, Awarded by CNET GroupIn order to speed up the process and decrease the ick factor, the Transportation Security Administration is atCES 2025 in Las Vegasshowing offnew tech that would let you keep your shoes onwhile scanning footwear for prohibited items. Watch this: I Made Things Weird Trying TSA's New Shoe Scanner Machine 03:53 The premise is simple: You step onto the platform, placing each foot in a marked area. Millimeter-wave technology scans your shoe and sends data to a computer. When CNET's Bridget Carey spotted the technology being demonstrated, she knew she had to shake things up and see how the TSA's new tech would respond."Let's make it interesting," Carey said. "Maybe I should put something in my shoe and see what happens on the scanner machine."Carey tucked a variety of small objects, including a dental floss pick, gummy worm, mustard packet and plastic knife, inside her shoe before stepping up on the TSA's scanning platform. CES 2025: Amazing Futuristic Tech Concepts to Look Forward To See all photos Shoes have been an issue at the airport for over two decades. In December 2001, Richard Reid tried to blow up an American Airlines flight with homemade bombs he'dhidden in his shoes. He was subdued after struggling to light the fuse, and no one was injured, but in 2006, the TSA began requiring passengers toremove their shoeswhile going through security.Brian Lewis of the Department of Homeland Security told Carey that if the new shoe tech is deployed at airports, the checkpoint officers themselves won't actually review the images.Read more:Nike's Prototype Shoes Squeezed and Heated Our Weary Feet at CES 2025. Here's What They Feel Like"Everything would be run by automated detection algorithm," Lewis said. "So the officer would get a red light or a green light, essentially saying, are the shoes good to go, or do we need to do further inspection?"The machines are looking for a variety of things, Lewis said, including shoes that have been tampered with, specific material properties and other issues. CES 2025: Best Product Overall, Plus 28 More Must-See Gadgets (and Counting) See all photos The technology relays the image in slices, essentially building up the photo of the shoes on the computer screen, layer by layer. One demo shoe had a metal letter "F" hidden inside, and Lewis showed Carey how the metal letter slowly materialized as the image slices piled up. A scan takes only about a second, and the image is displayed almost immediately.Gummy worm detection needs some workCarey's object-filled shoes showed up weirdly on the scan, as would be expected. Lewis was able to point out the condiment packet and the outline of the plastic knife."I'm not sure I see the gummy worm, so we may need to do some additional development to be able to detect those effectively," he said. CES 2025 Proves It's Still Deeply Weird With These Bonkers Gadgets See all photos When the machine rescanned her shoes without the objects, she was good to go."As we're moving towards trying to get to a more seamless travel experience, we know that something the traveling public would like [is to] no longer have to take their shoes off," Lewis said. "So bringing this technology to passengers is something that we think they'll be really excited about."The scanner is still a prototype, and data from the CES demonstration will be collected and used for further development.For more from CES, check out the best TVs we sawand the most innovative things you can actually order now.

It's all happening.Following a GameStop database leak revealing 'Switch 2' accessory SKUs yesterday, a similar situation has now supposedly played out with French retailer 'Fnac'.The retailer's website reportedly features multiple placeholder listings for the Switch "successor". It's believed these could be different bundles offered by the retailer. Apart from this, there's also at least one item of software listed for the 'Switch 2'. This appears to be a game by Take-Two:Read the full article on nintendolife.com

As wildfires rage for the third consecutive day through parts of Los Angeles, now including the Hollywood Hills, several neighborhoods have been forced to evacuate for safety purposes. But on Thursday afternoon, a wildfire evacuation alert was mistakenly sent to the smartphone of every resident in Los Angeles County, a region with more than 9 million people.An evacuation order for residents near the Kenneth Fire currently burning in West Hills was mistakenly issued Countywide, wrote LA Countys official account in a post on X. This alert was only intended for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills.Several Los Angeles residents posted on social media that they received the push notification right around 4pm PT, despite being in areas that were quite far from any active fire. The emergency alert interrupted a live broadcast on Fox LA, confusing the meteorologist on air.The smartphone push notification was issued countywide due to a technical error, according to LA county supervisor Janice Hahn, noting in a post on X that a correction will be sent shortly.Smartphone makers allow government officials to send emergency push notifications to users based on their location, a feature thats particularly important for California residents when wildfires are occurring. However, errors like this can unnecessarily cause panic in an already stressful situation.

Role playing tabletop and board games.gettyIn 2024, Hasbro.com reported that Dungeons & Dragons celebrated its 50th anniversary and reached over 50 million fans worldwide. Utilizing D&D, as well as other tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), is becoming a popular trend for colleges and universities to promote student mental health. In August of 2024, eight schools launched the National Learning Network for Supportive Gaming Communities. These schools include Dallas College, Georgia Southern University, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Southern Indiana, Ringling College of Art and Design, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Texas Christian University (I serve as the director of the counseling center TCU, which was the host site of the learning network). The goal of this network is for each school to launch Support Gaming Communities (SGC), which are small groups that promote the positive benefits of TTRPGs to students. As of date, the schools are proving three important things about TTRPGs.TTRPGs Are Popular Among College StudentsJoe LeConte is the lead trainer of the national learning network. Hes a Substance Use and Recovery Counselor/Peer Support Coordinator at TCU and is regarded as a leading expert in the use of TTRPGs in higher education. When asked why TTRPGs are so appealing to students, Joe LeConte responded, There's a lot of popular media including Critical Role, Dimension 20 and a bunch of television shows including Stranger Things and Community, which have really popularized role-playing games like Dungeons and DragonsThis appeal is evident for the schools in the national learning network. Cara Guziak, a senior staff therapist and the groups & workshops coordinator at UTD reported, the response from faculty, staff, and students to our initial interest survey has been overwhelming and exciting, with more than 75 people responding within the first few hours to our campus-wide email! Kristie Postorino, the Director of Counseling at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology proclaimed for the year that, this was the most successful, recurring group our counseling center has offered at our small school.TTRPGs Are Effective In Promoting Mental HealthAccording to Joe LeConte, TTRPGs are instrumental in promoting positive aspects of mental health. He stated, Similar to the way an actor can inhabit a role, an TTRPG player can give themselves a break from their daily lives and take on the role of an epic hero, a powerful sorcerer, a swashbuckler or any other character they can imagine. I believe there is relaxation and empowerment in that imaginative exercise.Other experts have also found TTRPGs to be effective in this regard. Dr. Anthony Bean, a renowned psychologist for Geek Therapy who has numerous publications and presentations related to gaming, states that TTRPGs can benefit students in ways such as enhancing their social skills and teamwork, supporting identity exploration and growth, reducing stress through play and escapism, and promoting problem-solving and cognitive flexibility. Dr. Bean initially helped trained TCU staff in providing positive gaming experiences to students, and he commented, Tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons provide a structured environment for students to collaboratively solve problems and build relationships. These games encourage players to communicate effectively, negotiate, and work as a team, skills that are directly transferable to their academic and social lives.MORE FOR YOUIn addition to promoting positive skills, the SGCs have helped students reduce loneliness and social isolation. As Kristie Postorino described for her campus, we have all been aware of how difficult it can be for students to find their people/community in college, the demonstrated link between loneliness and increased psychological distress among college students, and the overall loneliness epidemic that Surgeon General Vivek Murphy has prioritized. Offering SGCs seemed like a fun way to approach this serious concern, particularly for students who might not utilize traditional counseling center services.Cara Guziak echoed this sentiment for UTD, At the Student Counseling Center, we have first-hand experience with the growing levels of isolation and loneliness in our student population. Our students are actively looking for ways to create meaningful connections in ways that single-event outreaches and individual services don't satisfy. This concept of SGCs appealed to us as a means to facilitate that connection while remaining available as a source of support.TTRPGs Are Enjoyable For Staff To FacilitateKristie Postorino summarized her enjoyment in facilitating TTRPGs for students, All and all, this was a fantastic experience and one I will definitely incorporate annually it was one of the most fun and rewarding experiences I have had as a clinician. There are plans to expand the learning network to other schools next year, and Joe LeConte voiced bigger ambitions, I believe that it can be very helpful to students, in university settings, high school settings, elementary school and even into older age such as managed living care facilities. Im inspired by what we have done already, but Im really inspired for the future because this idea is growing so quickly. I want to see what other people come up with.

A terrible situation Heres what we know, and what we dont, about the awful Palisades wildfire "I think weve got more questions than answers at this point." Eric Berger Jan 9, 2025 5:31 pm | 91 SkySat (including near-infrared) image of the Palisades Fire on January 8, 2025. Credit: Planet SkySat (including near-infrared) image of the Palisades Fire on January 8, 2025. Credit: Planet Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreMore than 130,000 residents in Southern California face the catastrophic loss of property, and possibly life, as a series of wildfires have brought devastation to the region this week.The most notable fire developed late Monday or early Tuesday in the Santa Monica Mountains, to the north of Los Angeles, and quickly spread to threaten the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. This fire has already become the most destructive fire in the history of the Los Angeles region, and by some estimates, it may become the costliest wildfire of all time, anywhere in the world.Several additional wildfires have broken out in the vicinity of Los Angeles, and firefighters there have struggled to contain the multiple outbreaks, including the ongoing Palisades fire. To date, more than 2,000 structures have been burned and that total will assuredly increase. Ongoing, on-the-ground coverage is available from the Los Angeles Times, which has removed its paywall around fire-related news for now.Disasters such as these wildfiresespecially ones affecting affluent areas of the second-most populous city of the United Statescapture public attention and drive debate. Some of this debate is honest, and some is dishonest. In this post, we will attempt to shed some light on what is known and what is not about these particular wildfires.Caused by nature and humansMost natural disasters occurring today are a combination of natural and human-caused factors; the former because nature has always produced dramatic and damaging events, and the latter because humans continue to build houses and develop vulnerable areas, as well as climate change, which has loaded the dice in terms of the frequency and severity of natural disasters.Let's start with the meteorology. The Palisades wildfire and other nearby conflagrations were well-predicted days in advance. After a typically arid summer and fall, the Los Angeles area has also had a dry winter so far. December, January, February, and March are usually the wettest months in the region by far. More than 80 percent of Los Angeles' rain comes during these colder months. But this year, during December, the region received, on average, less than one-tenth of an inch of rainfall. Normal totals are on the order of 2.5 inches in December.So, the foliage in the area was already very dry, effectively extending the region's wildfire season. Then, strong Santa Ana winds were predicted for this week due, in part, to the extreme cold observed in the eastern United States and high pressure over the Great Basin region of the country. "Red flag" winds were forecast locally, which indicates that winds could combine with dry grounds to spread wildfires efficiently. The direct cause of the Palisades fire is yet unknown.Wildfires during the winter months in California are not a normal occurrence, but they are not unprecedented either. Scientists, however, generally agree that a warmer planet is extending wildfire seasons such as those observed in California."Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States during the last two decades," the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concludes. "Wildfires require the alignment of a number of factors, including temperature, humidity, and the lack of moisture in fuels, such as trees, shrubs, grasses, and forest debris. All these factors have strong direct or indirect ties to climate variability and climate change."Descent into political gamesmanshipInevitably, of course, such disasters become political. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has taken considerable flack for being out of the country this week as part of a delegation to celebrate the inauguration of Ghana President John Mahama. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the citys utility, has also been criticized for the lack of water pressure available at fire hydrants to fight the fire."The chronic under-investment in the city of Los Angeles in our public infrastructure and our public safety partners was evident and on full display over the last 24 hours," LA City Councilmember Traci Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, said Wednesday during a news conference. "I am extremely concerned about this. Im already working with my team to take a closer look at this, and I think weve got more questions than answers at this point."That's an important point to make. Regarding the early stages of natural disasters, we often have many more questions than answers. Undoubtedly, there were failings among the public officials and institutions that worsened the fire. Evacuations certainly could be handled much better. Climate change is likely a factor contributing to the background conditions that amplified the fire spreading. In heated times such as these, when trying to discern the truth, it is probably worth questioning the motivations of those who are most certain about their convictions.For now, the focus should be on helping the many families who have had to evacuate their homes or, even worse, lost them. The fires are yet raging, and additional strong winds are forecast in a few days' time.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 91 Comments