Classic banner ads

February 28, 2024

Here’s something to get nostalgic about — the first banner ad on a website appeared in 1994. Was it for … A.) AOL, B.) Apple, C.) AT&T or D.) Intel?

The answer: C.) AT&T. It famously created the first-ever banner ad for HotWired, an offshoot of Wired magazine and the first commercial digital magazine. The banner’s tagline was, “Have you ever clicked your mouse right HERE? You will!” (Amazingly, people did, though that didn’t last long. Today, banner ads have about a .1% clickthrough rate!)

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Add your credit card: Netflix wants you to ditch Apple’s App Store for payments ASAP. It’s updated its help site with a big ol’ warning: Change how you pay or risk losing your binge fix by the next billing cycle. No surprise, since Apple wants a cut.

$30M in Series A funding 

That’s how much the photo-sharing app Lapse just raised. The app adds “developing” time to pics, only letting you see and share them after one to three hours. No edits allowed. Gen Z is feelin’ the old-school delayed gratification. I’ll sell you my old DSLR for less than $30 million!

Use Google’s Phone app? Audiomojis, a feature in the latest beta, lets you send sounds like drumrolls, applause or even a poop noise (yes, really) directly in calls. Why? I can’t say. (Ba-dum-tss.)

Blast off: SpaceX’s Starlink direct-to-cellular service is expected to launch by Aug. 31. T-Mobile users could text via space, no phone mods needed. They’re aiming for 840 satellites in the next six months and voice and data service by 2025. For folks in remote areas, this could change everything.

Love meets credit: The new dating app SCORE plays Cupid … if Cupid was also into personal finance. If your credit score is 675 or above, you’re in. The Federal Reserve’s findings say those good credit scores tend to stick together. One way to dodge golddiggers, I guess?

50% of record buyers don’t have a turntable to play an LP on

What’s the deal? Seems superfans are buying them as keepsakes — the highest sellers are Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and Olivia Rodrigo. Fair enough, but get a hi-fi!

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

LoanDepot hack dirty details: A ransomware attack last month (that we’re just hearing about) left open the sensitive data of nearly 17 million customers. It’s not just emails, either — Social Security numbers, birthdates, bank account details, everything you need to fill out a loan. Use LoanDepot? Freeze your credit, like, now.

5,575 tigers in the wild

That’s up from an all-time low of 3,200 in 2010. Habitat destruction is the tiger’s main threat, so NASA and Google Earth have teamed up to help scientists track “tiger conservation landscapes.” I think that’s gr-r-reat!

Come say hi! I stream the Kim Komando Today podcast live at 10:30 a.m. Pacific (1:30 p.m. Eastern) on weekdays. Pop over to YouTube, Rumble or Facebook and drop a comment. I read them during the show.

Meet the Galaxy Ring: Samsung’s latest at MWC 2024 is a chunky yet light accessory that monitors sleep, heart rate and other stats, along with personalized advice to boost your health. It’s starting as Galaxy-exclusive. For iOS and other Android users, you’ll have to wait.

$30M in Series A funding&nbsp;

50% of record buyers don’t have a turntable to play an LP on

5,575 tigers in the wild

$30M in Series A funding