This week, Jenny and Greg Swan put their living room (and their personal data) on the line in the name of science. Meet Telly—a free 55-inch TV that comes with a mandatory second screen running ads 24/7. The catch? If you unplug it, move it, or refuse to connect it to WiFi, you get charged $1,000. Welcome to the future, where even your TV is tracking you.
🤝 Free Isn’t Free
Social media already monetizes our every move, but what happens when your television starts doing the same? Jenny and Greg break down the trade-offs of a free device that doubles as a consumer behavior experiment.
📢 The Ads Are… Not Great
From gas station job postings to medical scooters, the Telly’s ad targeting is chaotic at best. If you’re going to force ads into our home, at least make them relevant, right?
đź‘€ The Bigger Question: Is This Our Future?
What happens when this model expands? A free fridge that won’t open until you watch an oat milk ad? A free Tesla that plays insurance commercials at red lights? Where’s the line between an acceptable value exchange and full-on surveillance capitalism?
Jenny’s biggest complaint? The TV is too small for football. Greg’s biggest takeaway? This is just the beginning. Would you take a free TV in exchange for your data?
Hit play to hear the full breakdown, and if you’re going to SXSW next month, let’s meet up! We’ve got stickers (which, we promise, do not serve you ads).
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