Nov 08, 2024

You Can't Get Ridder Him

A Swedish cheese maker living in Norway named Sven Fenelius invented Ridder cheese, as we all know. Made of cow's milk, the semi-soft cheese has a creamy, pliable texture and a washed, orange, sticky rind. Its buttery sweet, slightly nutty flavor is quite refreshing, but the question is: Does it remind you of anyone?

You Need2Know all this today:

CHEESE OUT!

—Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor

P.S. We've got footage of a new Nvidia feature that mimics eye contact on Zoom calls, even if you're looking elsewhere. It's useful if you're completely checked out but need to appear engaged and, we have to note, it comes along at the perfect time.

Quote of the Day

"Not permitted under the law." — Jay Powell

Read the story

1. Trump Transition Begins as Harris Concedes

That's right, Trump is transitioning. Yes, transitioning. That's a word with a meaning, isn't it? He's transitioning. To the presidency.

With the Don poised for a return to the White House, a complete overhaul from President Joe Biden's administration is anticipated. The president-elect has 75 days to form a new team by Inauguration Day on January 20. A crucial task is the nomination of around 4,000 political appointees, with about 1,200 requiring Senate confirmation, although this process might be smoother with the Senate under Republican control.

Noteworthy possible appointments include Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health initiatives and Elon Musk for federal cost-cutting. Trump has urged Kennedy to "go wild on health." Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, told NPR: "We are not going to take vaccines away from anybody." He would, however, like to remove fluoride from drinking water.

Trump has also started receiving intelligence briefings again, which will at least give him something fresh to talk about with Vladimir Putin on the satellite phone. Read More

2. Nintendo Confirms You Can Play Old Games on the Switch 2

In far more important news, Nintendo has announced that the successor to Switch, imaginatively referred to as the "Switch 2," will be backward compatible with old Nintendo Switch games. That means players can feel secure in purchasing Switch games right at this very minute with the knowledge that they will also work on the next-generation console.

The confirmation came after a Corporate Management Policy Briefing, which sounds exciting and was shared on Twitter. The briefing, detailed in a 59-page document on Nintendo's website, also shares the company's strong sales figures for the Nintendo Switch family, totaling 146 million units. Services like Nintendo Switch Online, including music and other features, will also be carried over to the new Switch 2. Read More

From @cheddar

Nvidia's "Eye Contact" feature lets you fake eye contact in video calls.

Part of the free Nvidia Broadcast app, it uses simulated eyes to match your natural eye color, blink with you, and always look at the camera—even when you're looking away.

Follow @cheddar on Instagram!

3. Move Over, Moo Deng: Haggis Is the Hippo Diva Now!

The Edinburgh Zoo has introduced a new animal to the public, a baby pygmy hippo named Haggis, born October 30, sparking a playful rivalry with Moo Deng, a similarly adorable pygmy hippo that became a viral hit in Thailand two months ago.

Both named after regional meat dishes, Haggis and Moo Deng share more than just their endangered species status; they've both captured the Internet's heart. Despite some initial competitive banter, Edinburgh Zoo later emphasized that the world has enough room to celebrate both pygmy hippo "divas."

I, meanwhile, think there's only room on the Internet for one pygmy hippo diva, so it's baby pygmy hippo death-match time, I'm afraid, and my money is on the Scot. Read More

4. Slash! Slash! The Fed Cut Interest Rates Again

The Federal Reserve reduced interest rates yesterday by another quarter percentage point, in response to a job market showing signs of easing and inflation progressing steadily toward the 2% target set by the central bank.

Fed officials observed that economic activities continue to expand at a solid pace, although the pace of monthly job gains has slowed, indicating a broader softening in labor market conditions. Despite these adjustments, the employment rate remains robust, balancing the risks to both the job market and inflation levels.

Markets had a muted reaction to the rate cut, with minor adjustments in Treasury yields and a slightly stronger dollar by the day's close. Futures markets are already anticipating possibly another rate adjustment at the Fed's final meeting of the year in December.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, originally appointed by Donald Trump, said he has no intention of leaving his post before his term expires in May 2026, even though Trump has mused on firing or demoting him, of late.

"Not permitted under the law," Powell said when asked if he believed the president could remove him or other Fed personnel from their positions before their term expires. Then again, quite a few things aren't permitted under the law, and they happen anyway. Read More

5. Is ChatGPT Now Chat.com?

OpenAI has expanded its portfolio by acquiring the premium domain name Chat.com. Visitors to Chat.com are redirected to OpenAI's ChatGPT, as part of the company's continuous efforts to enhance its AI-powered offerings.

Chat.com was initially registered in September 1996. Last year it caught headlines when Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of HubSpot, purchased it for $15.5 million, marking one of the most significant domain sales publicly reported to date. Shah sold it to OpenAI for OpenAI shares under a deal which doubtless made him fabulously rich on paper although nobody has disclosed the terms.

If you go to "fabulously good looking man dot com," you get a picture of me, obviously. And I'm not selling that kind of ego boost to anybody for less than $8,999.95. Read More