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| It's Thursday, not to mention it's officially summer as of two days ago. It's Brett Molina ready with your next round of tech headlines. |
| A group of senators recently sent a letter to the head of the U.S. Commerce Department seeking support for a universal device charging standard. Basically, in the words of The Highlander, "there can be only one" charging cable for your smartphone, tablet or other gadgets. |
| If this sounds familiar, it's because the European Union just approved new rules that require a universal charging solution for all portable devices, even iPhones with their proprietary Lightning connector. |
| Why do senators want this? They say having a universal charger saves money and reduces electronic waste. |
| For me, and potentially many of you reading, it might eliminate one bane of a tech-loving existence: the cable drawer. |
| Maybe it's not a drawer. Perhaps you were smart enough to stuff them into a bag, or stash them in a more organized way. For me, it's a drawer containing a tangled mass of USB, microUSB, USB-C, Lightning and other miscellaneous ways to keep devices running. |
| And it's not just the cords that come with every device. Inevitably, you're going to misplace a cord, buy a new one, then find the original (because that's how this always works). Into the cord drawer you go. |
| One cable to rule them all? Yes, please. |
| Readers, please tell me whether I'm the only one with a cord drawer problem or you've experienced this, too. Tell me about it on Twitter. If I get enough responses, I'll share some next week. |
What else happened in tech? |
| I hear dead people. Amazon showed off a feature for Alexa which allowed the digital assistant to mimic the voice of another person, including a deceased loved one. In a demo, a smart speaker reads a story to a child in the voice of their grandmother. |
| Online harassment still high on social platforms. A survey found nearly two-thirds of women, people of color, Jews and others from marginalized communities reported being harassed online because of their identity. |
| Facebook ads. The social media giant reached a deal with the Justice Department to end discriminatory housing ads. |
Thursday's tech tip |
| You can treat yourself to some fun tech without having to wreck your budget. USA TODAY columnist Marc Saltzman details how you can get the most bang for your buck with these devices. |
| Happy start to summer, readers! See you next week. |
| Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23. |
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