In the news … February 19, 2019

We’re all second-screening. Here’s how you’re doing it wrong

Second-screening — watching TV while also looking at your phone, tablet or laptop — is probably the most widely adopted destructive behavior of the decade. We keep hearing that it’s bad for us; we keep doing it regardless. It’s the smoking of the 2010s.

MASHABLE

THE WIRED GUIDE TO YOUR PERSONAL DATA (AND WHO IS USING IT)

ON THE INTERNET, the personal data users give away for free is transformed into a precious commodity. The puppy photos people upload train machines to be smarter. The questions they ask Google uncover humanity’s deepest prejudices. And their location histories tell investors which stores attract the most shoppers. Even seemingly benign activities, like staying in and watching a movie, generate mountains of information, treasure to be scooped up later by businesses of all kinds.

WIRED

Emoji are showing up in court cases exponentially, and courts aren’t prepared

Bay Area prosecutors were trying to prove that a man arrested during a prostitution sting was guilty of pimping charges, and among the evidence was a series of Instagram DMs he’d allegedly sent to a woman. One read: “Teamwork make the dream work” with high heels and money bag emoji placed at the end. Prosecutors said the message implied a working relationship between the two of them. The defendant said it could mean he was trying to strike up a romantic relationship. Who was right?

THE VERGE

2 Tips For Building A Successful Podcast

A few weeks ago, I shared 11 podcasts we learned from in 2018. To continue the conversation, I asked a few of the podcasters featured to share their strategies on creating and promoting their content. To measure success, many podcasters, including WaitWhat (the team behind Masters of Scale), follow two key metrics:

FORBES