The Technology That Gets You to Pay More & The Good News About Envy

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Do you want to hear about visionaries creating a better world? People working in conservation, exploration, science and tech, alongside storytellers imagining and creating a better future. I'm Alex Honnold, professional rock climber and founder of the Honnold Foundation, bringing you season six of Planet Visionaries. This season, I speak to guests like National Geographic photographer Tom Pechak, and Anna Rathmann, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute USA, in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. Watch Planet Visionaries on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Mike Carruthers (0:32)

Today, on Something You Should Know, when you report a spam text, does it do any good? Then, many businesses today are using surveillance pricing or personalized pricing to charge you more money.

Lindsay Owens (0:46)

Yeah, companies tend to hem and haw and clutch their pearls a little bit when they're accused of this. Oh, we're not using personalized pricing. We're just doing routine pricing experiments. For many Americans, that's the distinction without a difference. We didn't sign up to be lab rats in a pricing experiment.

Mike Carruthers (1:04)

Also, why does some food taste better the next day?

And envy. It's considered a sin by some, but everyone feels envy.

Stacy Kim (1:13)

I think everyone has to compare themselves with other people to figure out where they are. And when you compare, you naturally find ways where you might fall short or you might be lacking in some ways. And then the envy happens.

Mike Carruthers (1:27)

All this today on Something You Should Know.

There's probably no better endorsement for a company than this. I keep buying their stuff. That's exactly what's happening with me and Quince. It started with their clothes. I've bought sweaters, polos, pants, jeans, shoes, a belt. And Quince has become one of the first places I look when I need something new to wear. And my wife and son buy from Quince too, all the time.

What keeps bringing us back is the quality and the price. Quince uses premium materials like 100% Mongolian cashmere, organic cotton, merino wool. Their cashmere sweaters start at just $60.

And with colder weather coming, they have down jackets and classic wool outerwear as well.

Quince prices everything 50% to 80% less than similar brands by working directly with ethical factories and cutting out the middlemen. And it's not just clothes. They have bedding, bath, kitchen essentials and furniture. We even have Quince pillows. So this isn't one of those endorsements where I try something once because they sent it to me. We shop at Quince and I absolutely recommend you try it. Find your next fall favorites at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers or go to quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. And when Quince asks where you heard about them, please let them know it was Something You Should Know. It's the best way to support our show.

Stacy Kim (3:08)

Something You Should Know.

Mike Carruthers (3:09)

Fascinating intel.

SPEAKER_5 (3:11)

The world's top experts.

Mike Carruthers (3:13)

And practical advice you can use in your life. Today, Something You Should Know with Mike Carruthers.

You know, when you go to delete a spam text you got, and it asks you, do you want to report it as spam?

And I've always wondered, well, like, who do you report it to? Where does that go? Well, that's what we're going to explore as we begin this episode. I'm Mike Carruthers. Welcome to Something You Should Know.

So when a spam text arrives, your phone may give you the option to delete and report junk, or delete and report spam. And you might reasonably wonder, report it to who? Is anybody actually listening? Well, turns out that button isn't just there to make you feel better. When you hit report spam, the report really does go somewhere. Depending on your phone and the messaging service you use, information about the sender and message can be sent to Apple or Google or your wireless carrier. Those reports help them identify spam patterns and improve the system that blocks similar messages from reaching other people. Wireless carriers use spam reports to fine-tune filters and blocking systems so that similar messages can be identified before reaching other phones. The Federal Trade Commission specifically recommends using your phone's report spam feature or forwarding suspicious text to 7726, which spells spam on a telephone keyboard, because it helps your carrier spot and block similar messages. So when that obviously bogus text arrives about, you know, there's a problem with your package or your bank account, don't just delete it. Hit report spam. You won't necessarily help bring down an international scam operation, but combined with everyone else's reports, it helps the system keep the next one from getting through. And that is something you should know.