Interesting Bits

Lee Kaufman, Who Cleaned Her Way to Late-Life Stardom, Dies at 99 – The New York Times

by dldamore

Lee Kaufman, Who Cleaned Her Way to Late-Life Stardom, Dies at 99 – The New York Times:

They were the pioneers in an advertising strategy for Swiffer built on ordinary people, rather than actors, and the public responded with adoration and a click count that soared into the millions.

A three-minute spot intended for the internet was produced and got such a response that it was carved up into shorter segments for social media and television commercials; a string of other Swiffer ads using ordinary people followed. The Kaufmans’ eureka moments in the bits were genuine enough — the couple said later that they’d been unaware of Swiffer products before the filming.

“The bottom line is, don’t die young,” she said. “There are too many things that can happen.”

Moved a Wi-Fi router? That could mess with an iPhone’s location | Macworld

by dldamore

Moved a Wi-Fi router? That could mess with an iPhone’s location | Macworld:

These signal captures are paired with millions—or maybe billions—of Wi-Fi “snapshots” taken every day by iPhones, iPads, and Macs that help flesh out the picture. Your devices are constantly scanning for nearby Wi-Fi networks, even when connected to an active Wi-Fi router or hotspot. Those scans contain signal strength information and bolster Apple’s database.

*Interesting read. Data can be collected and put to use in ways you hadn’t thought of.

Looking for a Way to Soup Up Your Car? Go Electric. – The New York Times

by dldamore

Looking for a Way to Soup Up Your Car? Go Electric. – The New York Times:

“People are going to get so used to the idea of the E.V. grin.”

With a grant from Foundry10, Mr. McCue’s next class project was an 800-volt electric dragster called Shock and Awe that at 166 miles per hour held the speed record for a car with doors until Ford’s electric Mustang Cobra 1400 beat it in 2020.

When the automobile era began more than a century ago, most cars were powered by lead iron batteries or steam, not gas. “As gas cars became more reliable and less cantankerous, when gas cars became more convenient to drive, they took over,” said Leslie Kendall, historian and curator at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. “It’s happening in reverse now.”

*Interesting read.

Ask Ariely: On Gifting Gratitude and Requesting Reply – Dan Ariely

by dldamore

Ask Ariely: On Gifting Gratitude and Requesting Reply – Dan Ariely:

I gave them a pull down menu with options that ranged from “drop everything and answer me now” to “by the end of the day” to “by the end of the week,” to “by the end of the month,” and I also added an option I was most curious about, which was “no response necessary.” It was surprising to me how many emails were in the “no response necessary” category (about 20%) and more surprising how few emails were in the “drop everything and answer me now” category (about 2%).

*Interesting idea. This test gave insights one may not know about. 

Amazon Pharmacy Ad As Seen On The New York Times Website

by dldamore

 

Interesting Amazon Pharmacy ad as seen on the New York Times website.

 

Wonder how big of a push they are making? Pharmacy is a huge market. Will have to explore how they are doing differentiation and going above and beyond what other retail vendors are providing to consumers. 

 

This ad was a full width browser ad on a desktop computer. Haven’t watched the video embedded in the ad yet.

Amazon Pharamacy Ad as seen on the New York Times Website

 

 

Opinion | The Unvaccinated May Not Be Who You Think – The New York Times

by dldamore

Opinion | The Unvaccinated May Not Be Who You Think – The New York Times:

It’s easy to say that all these people should have been more informed or sought advice from a medical provider, except that many have no health care provider. As of 2015, one quarter of the population in the United States had no primary health care provider to turn to for trusted advice.

*”one quarter of the population in the United States had no primary health care provider” This is a real problem. People need to engage their friends and family. Ask them if they have a PCP (Primary Care Physician), offer a few reasons it’s a smart thing to have one. We as a society can help our friends and family become healthier and more informed. My thinking it that having a PCP would move the needle on preventable illnesses and those where early treatment would make a meaningful difference. 

Should You Get a Microbiome Test? – The New York Times

by dldamore

Should You Get a Microbiome Test? – The New York Times:

There’s no doubt the microbiome plays an important role in our overall health, converting the food we eat into a range of compounds that have benefits throughout our body. The microbes in our gut produce a variety of vitamins; synthesize hormones like serotonin, which influences metabolic health and mood; and ferment the fiber that we eat, turning it into short chain fatty acids that can lower inflammation. The composition of our microbiomes is shaped by our genetics, our environment and the foods, drugs and beverages we consume.

*The Microbiome is an area to watch and learn about. So unknown, with potentially huge implications to health.