9 great reads from CNET this week – CNET [CNET]

In the Arctic, and across the Northern Hemisphere, it’s wintertime, and for many people that means cold and ice are a daily reality — a way of life, even. But the old certainties are giving way to new anomalies: Climate change has brought warming temperatures to the Arctic faster than to the rest of the world, and inhabitants of those climes are having to adapt in real time.

Often, they’re turning to technology to help keep alive their cultural practices and methods of subsistence living, from whaling to reindeer herding. For instance, some are creating maps by using a handheld GPS device and a piece of gear that does  electromagnetic induction to measure ice thickness. They’re also showing that there’s no fundamental disconnect between maintaining a traditional way of life and being early adopters of new tech

Our Road Trip 2020 story on life in the Arctic is just one of the in-depth features and thought-provoking commentaries that appeared on CNET this week. So here you go, these are the stories you don’t want to miss:

On the frontlines of climate change, communities are using tech to keep tradition alive

Arctic Indigenous communities are fighting to preserve their culture in the face of the climate crisis.

Apple in 2021: The iPhone takes over everything

The tech giant, like the rest of us, will have to contend with COVID-19. But that’s only half the story.

Sony’s PS5 controller is the most magical part of the next-gen console

The creator of Astro’s Playroom discusses how Sony introduced innovation into the new DualSense controller.

Big Tech in 2021: Washington is ready to lay down the law

From antitrust lawsuits to a potential privacy law that puts limits on free speech protections, Silicon Valley will face calls for more regulation in the coming year.

The parallel universe where coronavirus doesn’t exist derailed our pandemic response

Commentary: In 2020, misinformation and conspiracy theories were just as difficult to defeat as the coronavirus itself.

With Wonder Woman 1984, movie releases will never be the same again

It took a pandemic to get films streaming the same day they hit theaters.

2020 forced us all to live online: How my virtual year played out

Commentary: Some things about going full-time virtual worked, others didn’t. But we’re never going back to the way things were.

Quantum computer makers like their odds for big progress

Error correction could make these revolutionary machines more practical sooner than expected.

Battle to rein in Facebook, Twitter and TikTok to heat up in 2021

Social networks face lawsuits and calls for regulation in the new year.