9 great reads from CNET this week

As if technology terms weren’t already inscrutable enough, now we have to deal with “nonfungible.” Or, since tech speak thrives on abbreviations: NFT, short for “nonfungible tokens.” They’re a hot commodity right now, so it’s time for us all to dig a little deeper.

A good starting point is Rich Nieva’s look at NFTs, and specifically how they’ve caught on in the art world. Just this week, Christie’s auctioned off as an NFT a digital work by the artist Beeple for $69.3 million. Yep, real money. And the technology has implications much more broadly across entertainment and media, from Kings of Leon to a clip of LeBron James to the very first tweet ever.

That story is among the many 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:

The blockchain-backed technology gives artists a way to take ownership and collect compensation for digital works.

My first dose of the Pfizer vaccine came with mixed feelings.

Microsoft’s AR headset still feels like a taste of a future yet to come — and reminds me what the future still needs to do.

A world away from its iconic motorcycles, Harley’s new sub-brand delivers fun, premium e-bikes.

Commentary: The future is full of QR codes and hand sanitizers. But life, in at least one country, feels strangely normal.

On March 11, 2011, the worst nuclear disaster in history hit like a bomb. Even now, robots are just getting close enough to see how bad it really is.

A spicy condiment connected me with friends during a year of isolation. Come aboard my chili crisp time machine.

Sure, 007 drives some pretty sweet cars, but he and his enemies also fly high in awesome aircraft.

Advocates say digital vaccine passports could create a bright future for post-pandemic travel, but others worry about privacy, inequality and coronavirus variants.