TV commercials

May 21, 2024

How many minutes of ads are shown per hour of traditional TV? Is it … A.) 8 minutes, B.) 10 minutes, C.) 12 minutes or D.) 14 minutes?

The answer: C.) 12 minutes of ads per hour is the average on regular cable or broadcast TV. Fewer than I thought, but more than the ad-supported tiers of streaming services like Hulu (8 minutes) or Amazon Prime (3.5 minutes). What do you call it when you’re angry about watching ads? Mad‑ison Avenue. Ba‑dum‑tss.

Tags: advertisements (ads), Amazon, Amazon Prime, cable, Hulu, services, streaming, streaming services

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The buggiest apps of 2024

When I saw this, I knew I had to share it with you. Researchers over at Electronics Hub did the thankless work of going through 400 of the most-used apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and thousands of user reviews — all to find the buggiest, most frustrating-to-use apps.

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Dead end: A man turned his terminally ill father into a chatbot. After recording hours of his life story, it answers him in Dad’s voice. Would you want your family members to do this for you? If not, talk to them or add a line to your estate documents.

21% less likely

You’ll experience osteoarthritis if you ride a bike instead of walking. Life is wheelie good, because this healthy habit can significantly reduce knee pain and even help you live longer … and not be two‑tired.

30% decrease

In software development jobs out there. That’s compared to pre-pandemic numbers (paywall link). Tech companies have slowed hiring way down, and now AI jobs are what’s in demand. Tell anyone in college or looking for a new career.

🌪️ Going out for a spin: Travelers are shelling out big bucks to chase dangerous storms in “Tornado Alley,” which stretches through the central U.S. and into the Canadian Prairies. For $2,000 to $4,500 per trip, tour guides bring folks as close as safely possible to hail the size of baseballs and winds that can sweep you off your feet. Yes, you’ve got to sign a waiver.

Human voice notes are the rage: Ah, the sweet spot between texting and calling (paywall link). Voice notes mean less screen time, and they’re easier than typing and keep your communication personal without the phone call commitment. Just hit the mic icon in your messaging app and start talking. And if your friend likes to ramble, listen at double speed.

I don’t want to taco ’bout it: OpenAI removed the sultry Scarlett Johansson GPT‑4o voice, saying they don’t want to “deliberately mimic” a celebrity’s voice. All it took was her hiring lawyers (paywall link) after she said “no” to CEO Sam Altman’s offer to voice his AI.

Another health care data breach: WebTPA provides admin services to health benefit plans and insurance companies. Hackers stole the names, contact details, birth and death dates, Social Security numbers and insurance info of 2.4 million people in April 2023. Yes, it happened over a year ago and we’re just hearing about it now. The company’s CEO basically said, “It’s no big deal.” Yeah, not for you.

1,600% increase

In power costs in Texas. Things are bigger in Texas, but that’s nuts. Hotter temperatures are sending energy prices soaring (paywall link). Here’s how to lower your bills.

🚨 Selfie scam warning: Criminals are combing social media for selfies, and older adults are the main targets. Why? They use your selfies to open fake accounts or access existing ones that use facial biometric tech, all so they can steal your money. Safety checklist: Enable multifactor authentication and keep your social media profiles private.