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It’s a new heyday for gas thanks to data centers

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It’s a new heyday for gas thanks to data centers

The US is now leading a global surge in new gas power plants being built in large part to satisfy growing energy demand for data centers. And more gas means more planet-heating pollution.

Gas-fired power generation in development globally rose by 31 percent in 2025. Almost a quarter of that added capacity is slated for the US, which has surpassed China with the biggest increase of any country. More than a third of that growth in the US is expected to directly power data centers, according to a recent analysis by the nonprofit Global Energy Monitor (GEM).

More gas means more planet-heating pollution

The rush to install more powerful hardware into expanding data centers used for generative AI has led to forecasts of skyrocketing power demand. There’s still a lot of uncertainty about whether AI will become as ingrained in everyday life as tech companies might like, and many proposed data centers could fall flat. Even so, plans to build out more gas plants in the name of AI are stalling efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources.

“There is a risk that this capacity could lock in future emissions and become stranded assets if anticipated electricity demand from AI never materializes,” Jenny Martos, project manager for GEM’s Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, said in a press release.

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Already, 2026 is shaping up to be a record-smashing year for gas. If all of this year’s proposed projects cross the finish line, it would be an even bigger jump in added capacity than the record set in 2002. That’s pretty remarkable considering the 2000s ushered in America’s so-called “shale gas revolution,” when fracking suddenly unleashed previously hard-to-reach reserves. Gas is now a cheaper power source than coal and creates less carbon pollution when burned. But gas production releases methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide even though it doesn’t persist in the atmosphere for as long.

Image: Global Energy Monitor

Ramping up electricity generation from gas is also a sharp pivot away from global climate goals. A decade ago, nearly every country on Earth — including its two biggest greenhouse gas polluters, China and the US — signed a historic deal in Paris to limit global warming. The only way to achieve the most ambitious goals set out in the Paris agreement would be to replace fossil fuels with less-polluting alternatives like renewable energy and slash greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by around 2050.

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Godzilla Minus Zero stomps through New York in first teaser trailer

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Godzilla Minus Zero stomps through New York in first teaser trailer

*insert Godzilla screeching sound* Here’s the very first look at the next big kaiju feature. Godzilla Minus Zero will continue the story of 2023’s Godzilla Minus One, which returned the franchise to the more grounded tone established in the original film, and while the new teaser trailer doesn’t show a whole lot, it suggests some big things for the series.

Minus Zero is set in 1949, two years after the first movie, “and continues the story of the Shikishima family as they face an all-new calamity,” according to the official logline. Apparently that includes shifting the setting from Tokyo to New York, as we see Godzilla right next to the Statue of Liberty. Stars Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe will be reprising their roles, while director Takashi Yamazaki — who is also making a giant robot movie called Grandgear — will once again be helming the film. Toho also says that Minus Zero will be the first Japanese movie filmed for IMAX.

It’s a busy time for the world’s most famous kaiju, who will also be appearing in the next entry in Legendary’s monsterverse with Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, and is currently featured in the Apple TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Godzilla Minus Zero, meanwhile, hits theaters on November 6th.

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Why your home Wi-Fi needs more than just a strong password

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Why your home Wi-Fi needs more than just a strong password

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

If you’ve locked down your home Wi-Fi with a strong password, you’re already ahead of the game. But here’s the reality: a password alone isn’t enough to keep your online activity private.

Most people think of Wi-Fi security as simply keeping strangers off their network. And while that matters, it’s only part of the picture. Even with a secure password, your internet activity can still be visible to others in ways you might not expect.

A Wi-Fi password keeps people out, but it does not hide what happens inside your connection.

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DO YOU NEED A VPN AT HOME? HERE ARE 10 REASONS YOU DO

A strong Wi-Fi password can keep intruders off your network, but it does not stop others from seeing what you do online. A VPN adds encryption and helps protect your privacy. (trumzz/Getty Images)

Who can still see your data?

When you connect to the internet at home, your internet service provider (ISP) can see a surprising amount of what you do online. That can include the websites you visit, how long you spend on them and sometimes even more detailed activity.

In some cases, that data can be:

  • Logged and stored
  • Shared with third parties
  • Used to build advertising profiles

And it’s not just your ISP. Websites, apps, big tech companies, governments and data brokers are constantly collecting information about your behavior, often without you realizing it. Think of it this way: your password locks the front door, but once your data leaves your house, it can still be exposed along the way. That’s where a VPN comes in.

How a VPN adds real privacy

A virtual private network (VPN) creates a secure, encrypted tunnel between your device and the internet. That means your data is scrambled before it leaves your home network, making it much harder for anyone to see what you’re doing online. 

In addition, connecting to a VPN server gives you a new IP address, so your online activity can’t be easily traced back to you. This makes it harder for advertisers, social networks and scammers to construct behavioral profiles, which can be used to target you with things like phishing attacks.

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With a VPN:

  • Your browsing activity is hidden from your ISP
  • Your IP address is masked, making tracking more difficult
  • Your connection is encrypted, even on everyday home Wi-Fi

SPRING CLEAN YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT: WHY RETIREES ARE SCAM TARGETS

Even on protected home Wi-Fi, your ISP and other companies may still see parts of your online activity. (Liudmila Chernetska/Getty Images)

Many VPN services are popular for their speed, simplicity and overall feature sets. This becomes even more important if you ever use public Wi-Fi, where your data is far more exposed.

What does this mean in practice?

For starters, most VPN services are easy to use. They offer apps for nearly every device imaginable, including options that work directly with routers. These apps are straightforward to set up and configure.

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Once running, a single click or tap is all it takes to change your virtual location, mask your IP address and encrypt your connection. High-speed servers mean they don’t fall into the trap of slowing you down. In many cases, using a VPN can even provide more consistent, reliable speeds.

With a more anonymous IP address, your ISP is also less able to throttle (cap) your connection speeds, as some providers do.

Setting up a VPN on your router protects every device in your home automatically, including smart TVs, gaming consoles and other connected devices.

Many VPN providers now go beyond basic protection and offer additional privacy tools. These can include password managers, email protection, identity monitoring and even private AI tools designed to keep your data more secure.

In short, it’s no longer just about securing your connection. It’s about protecting your entire digital footprint.

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A smarter way to protect your home network

Your home Wi-Fi is the gateway to everything you do: online banking, shopping, working and staying connected. Relying on just a password is like locking your door but leaving the curtains wide open.

Adding a VPN gives you an extra layer of privacy that works quietly in the background while enhancing every corner of your digital life.

It’s about being prepared, sure. But it’s also about peace of mind.

5 SIMPLE TECH TIPS TO IMPROVE DIGITAL PRIVACY

A secure password protects your router, but not necessarily your digital footprint. Using a VPN can help keep your browsing, IP address and home network more private. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

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Ways to protect your privacy beyond a password

  • Use a VPN on your home network and public Wi-Fi
  • Enable automatic updates on all your devices
  • Use strong, unique passwords and consider a password manager
  • Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever possible
  • Limit app permissions and review privacy settings regularly

For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaways

A strong password is a smart first step, but it only protects who gets onto your network, not what happens to your data after it leaves. Your internet activity still passes through systems designed to track, analyze and sometimes profit from it. Adding a VPN shifts the balance back in your favor by encrypting your connection and limiting how much others can see. It is a simple upgrade that turns basic security into real privacy, without changing how you use the internet day to day.

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Where should we draw the line between staying connected and staying private? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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A sleek, wearable airbag for cyclists is nearly here

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A sleek, wearable airbag for cyclists is nearly here

What you’re looking at is a new airbag system integrated directly into a “race-ready” skinsuit, not bolted on like other solutions. It was developed for road cyclists by Van Rysel, with the help of airbag technology specialist In&motion. It’s currently being tested on pro riders ahead of a general consumer release sometime “within the next two years.”

Its development comes after the UCI, pro cycling’s governing body, put out a call in February seeking gear that could help protect riders traveling faster than ever.

The current version is in final validation ahead of potential race deployment. It has a total weight of about 700 grams (500 grams for the airbag components), making it significantly lighter than airbag systems worn in MotoGP, says Van Rysel. And like the proven MotoGP solutions, Van Rysel’s Airbag deploys in just 60 milliseconds after its impact-detection algorithm senses that something has gone horribly wrong.

The skinsuit is design to be aerodynamic and to dissipate heat, with abrasion-resistant materials used to help reduce the risk of road rash and other surface-level skin injuries. The Airbag deploys to protect areas of the upper body not covered by a helmet, including the central core, cervical zone, and spinal line. More extensive protection will be explored in the future.

“Behind every race number, there’s a human being and sadly it is still widely accepted that a rider can lose everything in a fraction of a second due to a crash,” says Van Rysel product manager Jocelyn Bar. “What helmets represented 20 years ago, we think Airbag can represent today, but now, we’re looking beyond the head, we need to protect as much of the body as we can.”

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