'My heart was gone': Second person to receive a titanium heart shares experience
💖 IRL Tony Stark: A 35-year-old man just became the second person with a titanium heart transplant. With severe heart failure and fluid in his lungs, doctors used a magnet-powered artificial heart as a last resort. The result? Normal circulation, blood flow and blood pressure. The only downside is he says it feels a little “heavier.” This could be the solution to the organ shortage.
💖 IRL Tony Stark: A 35-year-old man just became the second person with a titanium heart transplant. With severe heart failure and fluid in his lungs, doctors used a magnet-powered artificial heart as a last resort. The result? Normal circulation, blood flow and blood pressure. The only downside is he says it feels a little “heavier.” This is one great way to deal with organ shortage.
The “hams” are there when all else fails: After Hurricane Helene knocked out power and cell service across North Carolina, tens of thousands were left without a way to communicate. Amateur radio operators turned their hobby into a lifeline, helping families send messages, request medicine, find out when stores reopened and even share a “happy birthday.” You bet they’re going to be busy dealing with Hurricane Milton.
MoneyGram data breach: Over 150 million customers were exposed. We’re talking names, addresses, IDs, bank account numbers, the whole nine yards. How’d they do it? Someone pretended to work there and got in. If you’re affected, expect to get a notice offering two years of free identity protection and credit monitoring services.
💦 Hackers targeted the largest water company in the U.S.: American Water, serving 14 million people in 14 states, shut down certain systems and paused operations when they realized hackers were inside. No word yet on what the hackers were doing in there. I’m sure they were thirsty for corporate secrets and how to take them down. This is why I keep gallons of water at home, just in case.
Buttons are back: After nearly two decades of touchscreens, companies are going back to buttons, knobs and sliders. They’re in cars, appliances and personal electronics. Even the iPhone 16 has an “action button.” It turns out we like the feel of physical controls, and, bonus, they’re safer (paywall link). A volume knob is a lot less distracting than a car’s touchscreen.
Don’t buy one: After about two years of use, Apple’s M1 iMacs reportedly get dark horizontal lines across the screens. The issue appears to be hardware-related, and unless you have AppleCare+ coverage, repairs run up to $700. FYI, the M3 iMac (2023) is rumored to have this problem, too.
🏐 Youth clubs and school sports teams are using AI: Tools like Balltime take game footage to track players’ movements and record stats like serve speed, jump height and error rates. With scholarships and sponsorships on the line, parents are shelling out big for these services. If you have kids playing sports, look into this.
I couldn’t imagine: An 18-year-old driving a 2022 Honda Pilot got stuck on autopilot going 113 mph with his mom following him in another car. He tried everything to slow or stop the car, including putting it in neutral, braking and even pulling the emergency brake. Nothing worked. The solution? A responding police officer had the teen hit the back of his patrol car so the vehicle would stop. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.
Dental scams are spreading on social media: Dentists usually charge $1,000 to $2,000 per tooth for veneers, but unlicensed practitioners calling themselves “veneer techs” offer a full set of fancy chompers for around $5,000. Surprise, their work can lead to nerve damage and tooth loss. Always check a dentist’s license before you open wide and say, “Ahhhh.”