80 Gbps speeds

In the next USB cable standard. USB4 2.0 offers double the transfer speeds and charging power of the USB4. They’re coming to Japan in December, and we should see them here in the U.S. once Big Tech companies update their gear to be compatible. Bring on the super-duper-fast charging!

Tags: cables, charging cables, USB 2.0, USB4


Total game changer: Google’s NotebookLM AI is going viral. Audio Overviews turns written content into a conversational podcast style between two bots. Really, it sounds like humans. There’s a natural cadence with filler words like “uh” and “oh.” Try it: Sign in to your Google Account, go to the NotebookLM website, upload a doc or link, and hit Generate. Prepare to be shocked — I was.

🍗 Costco’s rotisserie chicken is making people sick: The new plastic bag might be breeding bacteria. It’s more likely the chicken is being left at room temperature for too long. Pro tip: As soon as you get home, pop the chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate it.

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Update your PC now: The Windows 11 2024 update (24H2) brings improvements to the Start Menu, File Explorer and Power Settings. Several features and apps are going away, including WordPad, Paint 3D, Tips and Cortana. To update, head to Settings > Windows Update.

🚨 Comcast and Truist Bank data breach: Both used Financial Business and Consumer Solutions (FBCS) to collect unpaid debts on their behalf. Around 7.4 million FBCS customers had their full name, SSN, DOB, driver’s license number or ID card, and other personal data breached. You know the drill — freeze your credit and watch out for phishing scams, texts and phone calls.

👻 Life’s a stitch, then you dye: An Ohio woman is going viral on TikTok after finding a rug buried in her lawn. Soon after her discovery, strange things started happening to her, like her laptop screen shattering and her belongings getting moved randomly. She thinks the spooky events might be caused by her next-door neighbor, who died the day she bought the house. The internet, of course, is convinced there’s a body inside the rug. Nope — the cops came out with two cadaver dogs, and it was just a rug.

Plane crazy: Microsoft’s new Copilot Vision will “see what you see” if you’re using the Edge browser. The AI answers questions, summarizes content or tells you what to do. It’ll be entirely optional (you’ll need to opt in to use it), with a visual indicator when it’s on. It’s probably best if you turn it off, though, for those, you know, potentially embarrassing moments.

Born to be root, not reboot: That’s total geek humor. Stealthy malware has been infecting Linux systems since 2021. It secretly mines crypto and turns computers into spambots, hiding as common system processes. Extra sneaky: It stops when someone logs in. Telltale sign: Constantly high CPU usage. Make sure CVE-2023-33246 is patched.

No more Mr. Dice guy: Sports betting apps are now using AI to limit how much you can wager, especially if you show signs of being methodical or good at betting. The workarounds: Bet using someone else’s account or pretend to be a gambling addict. One guy with a knack for winning set up a bot to log into his account daily between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. to make it seem like he’s obsessed.

You have no expectation of privacy in public: Students, parents and activists are pushing the U.S. Department of Education to ban facial recognition in public schools. The system lets anyone with access watch the kids, analyze their facial expressions and even monitor bathroom trips. I just hope the data is locked down.

🐶 Don’t fall for it: Fake animal rescue videos are the new way scammers are making money on social media. They show kittens, puppies or monkeys in horrible situations. In reality, it’s these sickos putting the animals in danger. The accounts look like genuine organizations asking for legit donations. Report these posts to stop the engagement.