More like POS

December 10, 2024

More like POS: Half of all videos tagged with “PCOS” on TikTok and Instagram include false info about polycystic ovary syndrome. Debunked claims include everything from birth control causing the hormone condition to a keto diet curing it. Those vids get a ton of views, given one in every 10 women has PCOS. Talk to your doctor, not a social media influencer.

Tags: Health, Instagram, medical advice, social media, TikTok, videos

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8 ways your phone is tracking you - That you can stop now

You understand that your phone knows where you’re located. This is how GPS works, how Find My sees your location and why you get local ads on Facebook and Google. Like other data on your phone, that location data is a hot commodity for internet marketers.

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Biggest hack in US history: How to encrypt your communications

I’ve been talking about it for weeks, and now it’s all over the news: Communist Chinese hackers infiltrated telecommunications giants like AT&T and Verizon and wormed their way into government surveillance systems. The massive breach was detected over a month ago, but it’s been going on for over a year.

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Will we need teachers in the future?

Across 266 school districts, K-12 students are testing a new AI tutor. Khan Academy’s Khanmigo runs on OpenAI’s tech. helps answer students’ questions, flags other AI-generated answers and creates lesson plans for teachers in seconds. FYI, “Conmigo,” means “with me” in Spanish.

$120,000

The price of living on a Virgin Voyages cruise ship for a year. The new all-you-can-sail pass covers two guests, laundry services, speedy Wi-Fi, priority boarding and a balcony cabin. Hey, it’s about the same as an assisted-living facility, just sayin’.

Reel-y impressive tech

Amazon is dropping six new AI models. Reel turns simple text prompts into short videos. Here’s a little snippet. I’m impressed! For now, three text-generation models are live for certain developers. The rest drop for me and you to try early next year.

Share via email - Most-streamed songs and artists globally on Spotify (2024)

Share on Facebook - Most-streamed songs and artists globally on Spotify (2024)

Share on LinkedIn - Most-streamed songs and artists globally on Spotify (2024)

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Spotify: Most-streamed songs and artists globally, 2024

I’m pretty darn proud of myself — I know all but one of these artists.

$100-plus

Potential per-hour rates for a professional back-scratcher. It’s not just scratching someone’s back; you play with their hair, too. One pro scratcher quit her six-figure job to open a spa. Now, she’s making even more money.

8 extra months

For pancreatic cancer patients given high doses of vitamin C. Researchers added 75 grams to late-stage patients’ IVs alongside chemo treatments, and it doubled the time the patients lived. A larger trial needs to be done, but isn’t this amazing? I wish we knew this when my mom was going through chemo for pancreatic cancer. 😢

$295,000,000

List price for a mansion on the market in Naples, Florida. The most expensive property for sale in the U.S. has six bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, two guest houses, a yacht berth … and a 95% chance of flooding within the next 30 years. The nine-acre compound has Gulf waters on three sides, and the city’s been hit by five hurricanes over the last two years.

9,000,000 tulips

Planted for the “Wicked” movie. The movie’s director wanted real flowers in the scene for “Over the Rainbow,” not CGI. The flowers were grown on 500 acres at Belmont Farms in Norfolk, England. Only an American could’ve written “The Wizard of Oz;” anywhere else, he’d be “The Wizard of 28g.”