PLUS: Product placements, Docs' new AI, and a poll about cheese.
A fierce debate took place in The Hustle's Slack channel yesterday over whether people eat string cheese by peeling it or by biting directly into it. We have our thoughts, but we also want to hear yours. Let us know how you eat string cheese in this 10-second poll.
In today's email:
Keyboard shortcuts: Where did Ctrl+Alt+Del come from?
Chart: 2021's biggest movies for product placements.
AI writing: Helpful, but don't rely on it to work for you.
Around the web: A glowing mine, global license plates, social media tips, and more cool internet finds.
🎧 On the go? Listen to today's podcast to hear about what Netflix plans to do now that it's losing subscribers, an unlucky moment for Lucky Charms' $300m operation, and more.
The big idea
Where do keyboard shortcuts come from?
If you're reading this, chances are you've used a keyboard shortcut. Ctrl+C, perhaps?
For years, Macs and PCs have offered shortcuts (AKA hotkeys) to help users execute various functions.
If you've ever wondered where the heck they come from, WSJ's Dalvin Brown tracked down a legend in the keyboard shortcut game to get the scoop.
The 1st keyboard shortcuts…
… were created at Xerox in the 1970s, and include functions like cut, copy, and paste.
But the crown jewel of shortcuts, Control-Alt-Delete, was created in the early 1980s by David Bradley, an IBM engineer.
Bradley said it only took 5 minutes to dream up the iconic combination, which became a hit among IBM employees, then got programmed into the company's original PC.
Beyond Control-Alt-Delete…
… Brown found keyboard shortcuts tend to follow similar origin stories — starting with either a problem that needs solving, or a function that needs to be easier to execute.
The challenge for engineers is threefold:
Make shortcuts easy to remember
Ensure they make sense with existing keyboards
Develop combinations that don't trigger other shortcuts
They also need to factor in how frequently a shortcut will be used. Shortcuts that are used more often tend to include simpler key combinations (e.g., copy and paste), while those that are less frequent tend to include more keys (e.g., force-quitting an app).
Modern apps are ushering in a new era of shortcuts
One of the biggest trends in productivity software is using shortcuts. Companies like Notion, Superhuman, and Figma have created their own shortcuts to help users save time by ditching the mouse.
If you're looking to start using your keyboard more effectively, Use The Keyboard is a website that lists shortcuts from a range of popular apps and websites.
If you're more of a DIYer, you can always take your keyboard into your own hands — both Mac OS and Windows allow users to create their own shortcuts.
SNIPPETS
Market movers: Netflix shares closed down 35% after the company reported it lost 200k subscribers in Q1 2022. Alternatively, Tesla shares rose ~5% in after-hours trading after the company reported it grew revenues 81% YoY.
Pikachu's new partner: The Pokemon Company International agreed to acquire Millennium Print Group, the company's longtime printing partner. The companies will continue to run separately.
Deal and dump: Just Eat, the owner of Grubhub, is considering selling the restaurant delivery app after buying it for $7.3B last year. Grubhub orders were down 5% in Q1 2022.
Thumbs up: Zoom introduced gesture recognition to its desktop app. The feature can recognize when users give a thumbs up or raise their hand, and automatically flash the correlating emoji in the app.
Don't do this:The Hustle sat down with the founder of a failed legal startup and rounded up 4 key mistakes and lessons learned to save you the trouble. You're welcome.
Victoria's Secret named actor Darren Barnet of "Never Have I Ever" as its 1st male brand ambassador. He'll be promoting Pink's Gender Free collection, a gender-neutral clothing line. #ecommerce-retail
#ecommerce-retail
This is cool: Wildbook is an open-source platform that combines wildlife photos and AI to aid conservation efforts. Over one month, it analyzed 17m images. #clean-energy
#clean-energy
Amazon posted a job opening for someone to make a "magical and useful" AR/VR product. Could this be Amazon's foray into the metaverse? #emerging-tech
#emerging-tech
ICYMI: Let our social media manager Nicole Phillip explain how AriZona iced tea hasn't raised its prices in 30 years. #hustle-picks
The odd thing about seeing a movie is that, in a way, you're paying to see a bunch of ads.
Entertainment research firm Concave Brand Tracking recently identified every brand appearance and mention in the 50 most-watched movies of 2021. (Side note: that sounds like a fantastic job. Anyway…)
Across these films, 1.2k+ brands were highlighted, generating $2.7B in ad value, with the top 10 films accounting for ~55% of all value. More stats:
Ford was in 39 of these movies, but Dell saw the most screen time.
Nike had $94m worth of airtime, just from Space Jam: A New Legacy.
In some cases, brands pay for product placements. For example, Heineken reportedly dropped $45m on this 7-second swig in Skyfall.
In most, they're mutual relationships: Films save money on props, and companies get exposure. Think, Reese's in E.T.
Learn more: Our own Zachary Crockett previously reported on the economics of movie product placements.
Free Resource
6 post-pandemic social media trends
How's your relationship with social media?
In 2020 and 2021, social media users averaged 140+ minutes per day doing what they do for the dopamines. We know the vibes.
Take Google Docs' new "assistive writing" feature, which makes suggestions as you write (e.g., switching from passive to active voice or deleting repetitive words). This makes your writing more accessible, which is great.
It may also suggest more inclusive language, while flagging words that could be deemed inappropriate.
That's cool, in theory…
… but many users have found the suggestions to be, well, a little weird.
Motherboardtested out several text excerpts. While the tool suggested more gender-inclusive phrasing (e.g., "policemen" to "police officers"), it also flagged the word "Motherboard."
And while it suggested "property owner" in lieu of "landlord," it didn't flag anything in a slur-laden interview with ex-KKK leader David Duke.
Context is key
Numerous startups are banking on AI to help us write, and it often does a great job.
But AI learns from people and can pick up their biases. A study by The Allen Institute for AI (AI2) found that AI language tools "are prone to generating racist, sexist, or otherwise toxic language" for that reason.
AI also lacks context. When Facebook sent its human moderators home amid the pandemic, its automated system mistakenly removed numerous posts. YouTube warned its systems would likely do the same.
A Google spokesperson told Motherboard that while its tech is evolving, it may never have a "complete solution to identifying and mitigating all unwanted word associations and biases."
The takeaway? Bots are helpful. But you still have to do the work.
BTW: If you're looking to use more inclusive language in your writing, here's a guide.
AROUND THE WEB
🐺 On this day: In 753 B.C., twins Romulus and Remus founded Rome on the site where, as orphans, they'd been nursed by a she-wolf until being rescued by a passing shepherd — well, at least according to legend.
🚗 That's cool: This website showcases license plates from around the world.
✍️ Take notes: Our social media sage, Nicole Phillip, spoke about social's impact on journalism and tips for making great organic and live content. Listen to the podcast episode here.
🍓 How to: Experts explain how you can start composting at home.
🌟 That's interesting: Under UV light, the hyalite in this North Carolina mine glows a vibrant green, which you can see if you go on a Black Light Mine Tour.
