This is a photo of a diver from Jolyn’s website. Jolyn creates swimsuits designed for athletes.
FIRST THING:
Three coincidences happened over the weekend within one hour.
I was talking to our guests about Jolyn swimsuits after my friend asked about the Jolyn stickers on my Hydroflask.
I explained that when my daughter was in high school, Jolyn hit the scene in Southern California. Jolyn was immediately popular because the suits don’t come off in the ocean or swimming in the pool — yet they added some fashion flair. My daughter said their stickers were popular with her age group. Swimmers put the stickers on their water bottles, placed at the end of their lanes during swim practice. That was great advertising for Jolyn.
The minute that conversation was over, I was pinged a Jolyn ad on my iphone.
(My stickers on my Hydroflask came from birthday swimsuits from daughter. I asked her to order suits with their biggest behind coverage possible. I love my Jolyns.)
Next, my friend was baking my husband a belated birthday cake. We were all four talking about his age (which I won’t disclose.) Ping. My iphone sent me an article on how to celebrate a birthday of that particular age.
The final iphone thing was after I pointed out these two coincidences. The friend’s hubby said, “They are listening to your conversations. You need to turn off certain things on you iphone.”
Ping. Article popped up, “What Apple doesn’t want you to turn off.”
Those three things happened within one hour.
Coincidence? Or Not? What are your thoughts?
SECOND THING:
A text I received from my son. He introduced me to Wordle over a year ago and taught me his formula.
I texted this back at him:
Notice they are identical except my squares are black. It’s not a coincidence. If you want to know the formula, I’ll let you know.
THIRD THING:
This is a potato I discovered this weekend. I wanted to share it with Mama Lava from Mama Lava’s Back Porch.
This month she is posting 28 days of love that include uplifting messages, scripture and hearts she has found in nature. I wanted to post this potato on her blog, but WP wouldn’t let me place an image in her comments.
Do you know how to place images in comments? If so, please share.
What are your thoughts about my things posted above?
I do think our devices are listening, so I run open-source Linux software on my phone because the creepy coincidences bothered me.
While I don’t swim myself, it’s awesome that you’ve found such a great swimsuit brand! When I was 11, I humiliatingly lost my suit while boogie boarding in the Pacific. I have no been a large body for water since.
I don’t know anything about open-source Linux software, but it sounds like you have found a solution to the creepy listening issue. My friend who was visiting lost her top while we were boogie boarding at San Onofre a few decades ago. With the Jolyn suits, that would never happen.
Open-source basically means anyone can go read to code and understand what permissions the phone has, and alter the code. I don’t have a clue, but trust that more tech savvy folks have. Jolyn suits sound like such a great option.
Interesting. I’ve heard the term open-source but never knew what it meant. Jolyn found a problem and solved it. They started selling suits at swim meets, but are now online.
I’ve wondered many times if my iPhone is listening into my conversations. I talk about something obscure and *boom* I start getting ads for it. Seems suspicious to me. I turn off the phone whenever I go to a doctor’s office, just in case.
There’s formula for winning at Wordle? Well I’ll be.
I might know how to add an image into a comment, but I’m not sure. I don’t like to do fancy things like that in comments, I’m a wordy girl.
It does seem more than coincidence that the ads pop up for things we talk about. I can understand searching for something on my laptop and the ads popping up. But talking? Yes, my son came up with a Wordle cheat. He uses “starter words” that use all vowels and y, plus the most common consonants.
This is both creepy and informative. Henceforth I will set an intention to be much more “phone-aware” during conversations that I would not wish to see show up elsewhere. It’s one reason why I don’t want Alexis lurking around in the living room! I’d love the Wordle formula. I always open with the same three words that incorporate every vowel, and go from there if I can’t get it from the first one or two.
Yes, it is creepy, isn’t it? Our guests said to go into settings and turn off the microphone for starters. I won’t have Alexis in the house either. I also use my son’s three words to start Wordle.
Thankfully I don’t have an iphone and also thankfully I don’t use my phone as my main device for anything. It sits turned off way over on a shelf by my purse. If it’s doing anything on its own that likely means it’s trying to read articles for itself on how to cope with users who neglect their phones… 😉
My Wordle strategy uses a specific set of words, no real order though. I don’t care enough about the game like I did when it was new so if I get stuck I will look at the hints honestly. It’s just a game after all and if I can’t get the answer it’s not a big deal.
My phone is always sitting near me and it’s on. I’ll have to be more like you and turn it off. I’m not actually using it, so its just spying on me. I enjoy Wordle, but only get excited about it if I get a word in two or three.
Wowza…and yah. I’m with Julia. Creepy. 😲
No kidding. I turned off microphone in settings and the coincidences stopped. 😊
Whoa…about to do the same. 😔
Also under Privacy and Security, scroll down near the end to Analytics & Improvement and Apple Advertising. Turn those off, too.
Thanks for that…another creepy coincidence. I was JUST looking at my phone trying to figure out if turning off the microphone will take away the speakerphone function. Oy. You’re like an Elizabeth ‘help desk’. 😜
I’m happy I could help!
That potato is amazing! I’ve never seen one in a heart-shape before. Thank so much you for sharing, my thoughtful friend! And I think I need to look into Jolyn bathing suits. Thank you for that that! Did your friend tell you how to stop your iPhone from listening? Sometimes I look over at Alexa and see her glowing as if I had asked her something… but I hadn’t and she doesn’t say anything. I think she’s listening. It freaks me out a little, but then I don’t think I have anything to hide either. And if I’m going to have to endure ads, pertinent ones might be more helpful than random ones. What do you think?
I’m so happy you enjoyed my heart-shaped potato. My friend had a knife over it and I said “Stop! I need a photo.” We don’t have Alexa in the house and I’m sure she is listening. My friend said to turn off microphone in settings, but there are probably some apps on our phones that we have no control over.
I have friends who worked for Google, lets just say ignorance is bliss.
It is! I have a friend whose son-in-law works for Google in CO. I don’t think I want to ask him anything.
I have been using Duck Duck Go as a search engine/browser for years because of the obvious.
I do too. Also got a VPN.
I’ve been considering a VPN as well. In part because the ISP (Comcast) is spying on me, on all their customers and selling it to scumbags,
Ugh!
Who is your VPN. I’ve been looking at Proton. They are based on Switzerland so safe from the US Govt prying eyes.
I’m using Express VPN. I heard an ad for it and looked it up. I didn’t do any research.
Whoa — that conversation thing is so creepy! I love the potato. Now that hthe potato is in your media files, can you take the link to the picture and post it in Mama Lava’s comments?
That’s a good idea with the potato in Mama Lava’s comments. Or she can take a screen shot if she wants to use it.
I had a potato almost exactly like that one.
Wow!
I love the heart potato!
I don’t know how to add a picture to a comment. 😒
Thanks. Mama Lava saw the photo here. So that’s good.
I don’t get pings from my phone, but that does sound very creepy!
I’m so glad it has stopped! Turning several things off seems to have worked.
What a unique potato! Love that. You certainly did have some coincidences.
It is more than scary, the coincidences. I don’t have anything to hide, but I don’t like a spy in the house.
I’m pretty sure my devices are listening to me too. I’d love to know how to turn it off. I can’t imagine bringing an Alexa or Google listening device into my home like so many people have.
I have a Wordle “system” that seems to work pretty well too. I can usually get it in three… sometimes four. The worst is when the letters you have right could be part of a bunch of different words.
I agree with you on Wordle. I hate the rhyming words the most. I would never let Alexa into my home. I turned off microphone under settings. Then I went to privacy and security and turned off analytics and improvements plus Apple ads. I haven’t had the same coincidences since doing that. But our house guest said there may be some apps that still listen.
There are no coincidences….add eeerie music because I don’t know how to add in comments….
X File music.
👍👍👍
I would love to know your wordle formula 😉😊
I have three starter words. Earnt, coils and dumpy. They have all vowels, y and common consonants. Sometimes I only need to use the first word or first to. That’s it 😎