‘Mind-reading’ headphones track user’s brain signals

Jedi mind tricks: Neurable is creating mind-reading headphones. The sensors pick up tiny electrical impulses from your skull, which you can view in an app to see how intensely you’re focusing. Telepathy might be next. In one of their gamified exercises, the more you focus, the faster you make a rocket accelerate.

Tags: headphones, Neurable, sensors, telepathy


✈️ Get back in line: American Airlines is considering new boarding tech that sounds a really loud beep when you try to cut the line and board without your group. It’s being tested now in Albuquerque, Tucson and Washington, D.C. I’ll spare you a plane joke (it won’t take off), but if you need a laugh, watch George Carlin talk about the boarding process. So funny.

$1 million

How much a North Carolina man won on a scratch-off lottery ticket. The best part is he bought it with a $20 bill he found in the parking lot of the store. He’s taking home $429,007 after taxes. I found a $20 bill in the Costco parking lot and I thought, “What would Jesus do?” So I turned it into wine.

Burned by the bot: Redditors are fuming at loved ones turning to ChatGPT mid-argument. One 25-year-old says his girlfriend consults the bot and returns with a perfectly structured argument, dissecting his every word. When he opens up about his feelings, ChatGPT calls him “insecure” and says he lacks the “emotional bandwidth” for the conversation.

New pain at the pump: When you swipe a credit card at a gas station, it usually checks for a $1 balance, lets you fill up, then charges the full amount. Thieves have caught on. They can use practically any stolen card to rack up hundreds of dollars in free gas. To not get taken, use Apple Pay, Google Pay or the gas station’s app.

Snow White loves taking photos; someday, her prints will come: Disney is replacing its expensive focus groups with AI. Imagine facial analysis tech that watches your face when you exit a ride or see a character — every smile, smirk or exhale. Spoiler: Everyone paying to get in isn’t exactly happy about it.

🍏 I told ya this would happen: Apple’s snazzy new iMac comes in seven colors (I love the pink!), and it’s powered by the M4 chip. The base model’s RAM is doubled to 16GB, plus it’s got a 12MP webcam and USB-C charging ports. For $200 extra, add nano-texture glass to the screen to reduce reflections. Preorders start at $1,299 and ship by Nov. 8. Psst, last year’s models are on sale.

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Think twice before snapping a ballot selfie: It might be illegal. Just ask Justin Timberlake, who posted a voting pic on Instagram in 2016, then deleted it after people in the comments schooled him on Tennessee law. Check your state here. Better yet, take a photo with your “I voted!” sticker instead.

🇨🇳 Communist China tapping phones: The FBI and CISA confirmed Chinese hackers have breached multiple U.S. telecom providers to tap specific Americans’ phone calls. Details are slim, but I’m sure it’s why Verizon, AT&T and others were down. PSA: If you’re running for office, use a burner phone.

10 most affordable cities 

In the U.S. are primarily in the South and Midwest. McAllen, Texas, takes the top spot, with home prices averaging $275,000 (paywall link). Rounding out the top three: Wichita, Kansas, and Little Rock, Arkansas.

$3 million

The value found within a bitcoin wallet that was unlocked after 11 years. Its owner had forgotten his password and contacted an ethical hacker to regain control of his crypto. Good thing, too — when he lost access to his wallet originally, its contents were only worth $3,000 to $4,000.