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This Is Why You Should Never, Ever Pour Grease Down the Drain

An expert explains why pouring cooking grease down the drain could lead to something terrible for your pipes -- "fatbergs" https://www.cnet.com/how-to/this-is-why-you-should-never-ever-pour-grease-down-the-drain/#ftag=CADf328eec

4d | cnet.com
Android phone makers dropped the ball on Qi2 in 2024

Android phones have been the first to feature a bunch of notable standards. They were the first to support 4G, 5G, USB-C (way back in 2015 no less) and

4d | Engadget
Still Shopping Today? IRS Warns of Holiday Season Gift Card Scams and Other Fraud

Christmas Eve might be the very last day to buy your Christmas gifts, but you should still heed warnings from the IRS over rampant year-end scams. https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/still-shopping-today-irs-warns-of-holiday-season-gift-card-scams-and-other-fraud/#ftag=CADf328eec

4d | cnet.com
Pumping Iron Could Be the Key to Aging Gracefully

Learn all of the ways that weightlifting can reverse the effects of aging and how to get started safely. https://www.cnet.com/health/fitness/pumping-iron-could-be-the-key-to-aging-gracefully/#ftag=CADf328eec

4d | cnet.com
 Scarlett Johansson: ChatGPT stirred controversy with "her" voice in 2024

AI toppled the voice assistant this year, bringing advanced conversational AI to desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

https://www.laptopmag.com/ai/scarlett-johansson-chatgpt-advanced-voice-mode

 Two new health features could turn your AirPods into the next Apple Watch

First, the AirPods Pro gained a nifty hearing aid feature. Next, it could be heart rate monitoring or temperature sensing.

https://www.laptopmag.com/headphones/airpods-earbuds/airpods-health-tracking-features-coming-soon

10 things I’d never, ever do as an IT professional
 Nvidia App performance issue gets 'fixed' with release 11.0.1 — but all it has done is turn off Game Filters by default

The Nvidia App has been updated with a new release, from version 10.0.x to 11.0.1. The significant change here is that users should not experience the disappointing gaming performance loss (up to 15%) witnessed by those who installed prior releases.

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpu-drivers/nvidia-app-performance-issue-gets-fixed-with-release-11

 Raspberry Pi Pico streams real-time video to Nintendo's Game boy Color

Game Boy Color gets some limited video streaming capabilities thanks to Raspberry Pi Pico and a custom, open source software solution.

https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/nintendo/raspberry-pi-pico-streams-real-time-video-to-nintendos-game-boy-color

Flying taxi maker Lillium lays off 1,000 workers and ceases operations

Lilium, a company working on flying taxis that can take off and land vertically, has ceased operations. As TechCrunch notes, German media Gründerszene was the first publication to repor

4d | Engadget
Russia bans crypto mining in multiple regions, citing energy concerns

The Russian government has banned crypto mining in ten regions for a period of six years, according to reporting by the state-owned news agency Tass. Russia has cited the industry’s high power consumption rates as the primary reason behind the ban. Crypto is particularly power-hungry, as mining operations already account for

4d | Engadget
You should keep a developer’s journal

A developer’s journal is a place to define the problem you’re solving and record what you tried and what worked. https://stackoverflow.blog/2024/12/24/you-should-keep-a-developer-s-journal/

 Everything leaving Netflix in January 2025

In January 2025, 27 movies and shows are being chopping from Netflix. Here's the full list of everything leaving Netflix this month.

https://www.techradar.com/streaming/netflix/everything-leaving-netflix-in-january-2025

 Windows Central Tech Awards 2024 — Ranking the top PCs, tools, accessories, and software innovations of the year

2024 was an exciting year in tech. From AI innovations to handheld gaming PCs, 2025 looks set to be even more exciting. Here are the top tech innovations of 2024.

https://www.windowscentral.com/accessories/windows-central-tech-awards-2024

 Sam Altman predicts superintelligence will trigger a 10x surge in AI breakthroughs — each year as revolutionary as a decade

Sam Altman says superintelligence is "a few thousand days away," potentially prompting a 10x increase in the rate of scientific discovery with "surprisingly little" impact on the deep fundamental human drives.

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/sam-altman-predicts-superintelligence-will-trigger-a-10x-surge-in-technological-breakthroughs

How to fix kinked and broken cables in no time
Engadget's Games of the Year 2024

This year may not have been as jam packed as 2023 was for gaming, but there were still plenty of amazing new releases. Whether you love a good indie or a big-budget production, this year had you covered. All you needed to do was look a bit deeper than you might have in 2023.

4d | Engadget
Engadget's Balatro of the year 2024

No game this year captured the imagination of the Engadget crew quite like Balatro did, and when it came time for each staff member to pitch their favorite games of 2024, everyone – and I mean everyone – wanted to write about Balatro. In the end, rather than forcing everyone to fight for the chance to write about their love of the game, we instead decided to

4d | Engadget
45 years ago, the Walkman changed how we listen to music

Back in 1979, Sony cofounder Masaru Ibuka was looking for a way to listen to classical music on long-haul flights. In response, his company’s engineers dreamed up the Walkman, ordering 30,000 units for an initial production run. Forty-five years later, Sony has sold over 400 million Walkmans and incited a revolution in music technology. 

While there are still Walkmans for sale, most use iPhones and Androids to tune in nowadays. Sony Walkman sound engineer Sato Hiroaki, who joined t

I'm a Money Expert With $10k in Credit Card Debt. Here's How I'm Paying It Off

Commentary: Despite our best intentions, unexpected setbacks can lead to us relying on credit cards. Here's how to course-correct quickly. https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/im-a-money-expert-with-10k-in-credit-card-debt-heres-how-im-paying-it-off/#ftag=CADf328eec

4d | cnet.com
Don't Let Dinner Table Syndrome Ruin Your Holidays: Tips to Make Your Guests Feel Welcome

Dinner table syndrome can make those with hearing loss feel left out of conversations. Follow these tips to cope and make your guests feel included this holiday season. https://www.cnet.com/health/medical/dont-let-dinner-table-syndrome-dampen-your-holiday-gatherings/#ftag=CADf328eec

4d | cnet.com
You Only Really Need These 4 Kitchen Knives

Whether you're buying your first kitchen tools or upgrading, focus on just a few blades. https://www.cnet.com/how-to/you-only-really-need-these-4-kitchen-knives/#ftag=CADf328eec

4d | cnet.com
 This controller is literally faster than anything created by Xbox and it's almost $100 off — the perfect gift for any gamer!

For less than a standard Xbox controller, the Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma has fully remappable buttons and 40% faster latency than any current controller made by Xbox.

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/this-controller-is-literally-faster-than-anything-created-by-xbox

My first Thunderbolt 5 experience has been a huge bust
This powerful Samsung Galaxy Book4 360 is $450 off
The Morning After: Nissan and Honda plan to merge

Honda and Nissan have officially confirmed the rumors that they're pursuing a merger. Both would still operate under their brands but with a new joint holding company as parent. If Nissan-controlled Mitsubishi a

4d | Engadget
Hyundai will offer its EV customers free NACS adapters starting next year

Hyundai is offering select EV buyers a free CCS to NACS (North American Charging Standard) adapter so that they can charge current models at Tesla's Supercharger stations. That will allow owners to charge CCS-port Hyundai models at Tesla's 20,000 strong Supercharger network, once shipping starts in Q1 2025. 

Hyundai is offering the free adapter to owners of 2024 and earlier Kona Electric, Ioniq

4d | Engadget
All American Airlines flights in the US  are currently grounded

If you're traveling for the holidays today, I hope you're not flying on American Airlines. As of this morning, the airline said on X that all of its flights were currently grounded, with no current time table for when flights will resume.

4d | Engadget
The greatest keyboard never sold

Even as the latest phones and wearables tout speech recognition with unprecedented accuracy and spatial computing products flirt with replacing tablets and laptops, physical keyboards remain beloved for their efficiency. Earlier this year, for example, sci-fi novelist Robert J. Sawyer created a comprehensive archive of files that enables modern PCs to run WordStar 7, the DOS program’s final version. He favors the once-dominant word processo