By Robert Wildner

Advertisers are starting to invest more in finding quality users for their apps – those who will either make purchases or engage with the app long enough to consume ads.

General Motors’ OnStar service is extending its cooperation with Parkopedia, a service that helps consumers find the nearest available parking spots, through the OnStar mobile app.

By Marc Biel

Ninety percent of Facebook’s active daily users access Facebook through mobile, making it an ideal platform to capture new app users.

Napean LLC has sold its Mobile Marketer and Mobile Commerce Daily publications, but retained the events business comprising conferences, webinars, podcasts and awards, founder Mickey Alam Khan announced today.

Until she was in her 30s, Vivian Howard was ashamed of being from rural North Carolina, and the food she grew up eating felt embarrassing. Thankfully, a number of influential cooks, critics and restaurants ushered in a revival of Southern food — and Howard is among them. She’s a chef, restaurateur, writer and Peabody award-winning television host. Her new series, Somewhere South , began last month on PBS. Each of the six episodes explores a single dish, and how those foods reflect the history, evolution and people of the region.

Many people are finding social distancing difficult or lonely. Those challenges can become compounded for people recovering from substance abuse disorders. In fact, the coronavirus pandemic and resulting quarantine conditions have been identified as a “relapse trigger.” And it has become a dangerous reality for those who struggle with sobriety. The Georgia Council on Substance Abuse estimates that some 800,000 Georgians are in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.

Among the small businesses shuttered by shelter-in-place orders are two of Georgia’s historic art-house theaters. How are these independent cinemas surviving, and innovating, now that their screens have gone dark? Christopher Escobar, owner of Atlanta’s Plaza Theatre and executive director of the Atlanta Film Society, said that business had already been slowing down for about two weeks prior to their closing. And Pamela Kohn, executive director of Ciné in Athens, said their decision to shut down the theater was difficult, but necessary.

These five oldies but goodies from the On Second Thought archive cover topics from rocket science to recipe books. Check out these stories to start your week out with some good news. What are some of your favorite On Second Thought segments? Leave us a message on our Facebook group or our Twitter page . 1) “ From Ma Rainey To Otis Redding, The Musical Roots That Gave Georgia Its Sound ” Last September, we were joined by musical scholars, Joycelyn Wilson, Lance Ledbetter, and Jamie Weatherford to discuss the history of music in Georgia. From Outkast to James Brown, and from Brenda Lee to Jason Aldean, Georgia has produced some of the most respected minds in blues, country, soul, rock, and dozens of other genres. 2) “ Primatologist Frans De Waal Explores What Humans Can Learn From Animal Emotions ” April 2019 saw Atlanta-based author and primatologist Frans de Waal discuss his book Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions . His work explores how primates and other animals experience emotions

For many lucky enough to still have a job, getting dressed and made-up is a vestige of normalcy in a world that feels upended. For others, gray roots, shaggy beards and chipped nails are the last thing to worry about. But what has this unprecedented period behind closed doors revealed about our self-care and priorities? And what will happen to the beauty market when it’s all over? On Second Thought e xplores these questions, which are particularly pertinent now that Gov. Brian Kemp has given the green light for barbershops and hair and nail salons to re-open. The closure of schools, restaurants and hotels has wreaked havoc on the nation’s food culture, from one end of the supply chain to the other. Jon Jackson, founder of Comfort Farms in Milledgeville, joined On Second Thought to share what they’re dealing with, as well as how he got into farming in the first place. We also learn about StagVets , of which he’s executive director, and how it helps veterans dealing with PTSD.

Another cog in the supply chain disrupted by the pandemic: diapers. And as struggling families with young children face more challenges to making ends meet, one local group has stepped up to help. Just over five years ago, Jamie Lackey was a social worker, nonprofit professional and mother, when she noticed gaps in services for families in need, particularly when it came to baby supplies. Financial assistance programs like SNAP, for example, don’t allow for purchasing diapers and other essentials.

“The Squad” gets a lot of media attention, but they are just one part of the record number of women elected to Congress in 2018. In fact, it was the most diverse freshman class ever elected: the first Muslim women representatives ever, the first Native women, the first two Latina members from Texas, two black women from New England, and the two youngest members ever elected to the House of Representatives.

Self-isolation and quarantine have recalibrated our habits, routines, and what we present to the world. For many lucky enough to still have a job, getting dressed and made up is a vestige of normalcy in a world that feels upended. But for others, gray roots, shaggy beards and chipped nails are the last thing to worry about. What has this unprecedented period behind closed doors revealed about the motivations behind our self-care? And what will happen to the beauty market when self-isolation is over — especially given that Gov. Brian Kemp recently gave the greenlight for barbershops and hair and nail salons to re-open?

On this week’s return to our archives, On Second Thought is presenting some of our favorite arts and media stories. From movies to “Mobituaries,” motivate your Monday with some memorable pieces from yesteryear. 1) First, She Got Oprah's Attention. Now, She's On Netflix. What Will Kyanna Simone Simpson Do Next? Decatur native and University of Georgia graduate Kyanna Simone Simpson has seen a meteoric rise in the last few years. She stars in Netflix’s Chambers , as well as Ma (2019) alongside Octavia Spencer, the CW’s Black Lightning , and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017), a HBO biopic. Her career caught the attention of Oprah Winfrey, who cast Simone Simpson in her own biopic. She joined On Second Thought and reflected on media representation and her own experiences in the industry. 2) Pat Mitchell On 'Becoming A Dangerous Woman' — And The Importance Telling Their Stories Pat Mitchell is a massive name in the news industry — as president of CNN Productions and the first

Artists and arts organizations were quick to adapt to coronavirus. Museum tours, operas, Broadway shows, author talks, home concerts and classes for kids sprung up online shortly after closures were announced. But as the dust begins to settle on our new normal, many worry about the long-term economic impact and outlook for the artists, performers and independent organizations essential to the cultural ecosystem. Doug Shipman , president and CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center, joined On Second Thought to talk about how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the arts world now – economically, culturally, and artistically – and how that might change as things open back up.

For nearly 15 years, National Medal of the Arts award-winning poet and author Julia Alvarez has focused on writing picture books and novels for children. But earlier this year, she published her first novel for adults in more than a decade, called Afterlife . The protagonist, Antonia Vega, is a woman in her late 60s reckoning with isolation and her new identity after her husband’s sudden death. In a world upended by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and wrestling with its own kind of communal grief, the themes of the novel resonate in ways that Alvarez never could have predicted.

Artists and arts organizations were quick to adapt to quarantine and coronavirus. Museum tours, operas, Broadway shows, author talks, home concerts and classes for kids sprung up online shortly after closures were announced. But as the dust begins to settle on our new normal, many worry about the long-term economic impact and outlook for the artists, performers and independent organizations essential to the cultural ecosystem.

Billy Bragg is many things: a poet, punk rocker, folk musician, and singer-songwriter. He’s also an activist, music historian, and best-selling author. In the words of another poet, he contains multitudes. Bragg’s newest work, The Three Dimensions of Freedom , is a slim volume that makes a weighty argument. It’s a pamphlet in the tradition of Thomas Paine, whose influential polemics helped spark the American Revolution, and later got him convicted of sedition.

Some dream researchers have seen a 35% uptick in dream recall since the start of the pandemic. And when people process traumatic events — like a terrorist attack, or widespread health crisis — scientists have noticed that people's dreams start to follow similar themes and patterns. We want to know: How have your dreams changed since the start of the pandemic? Call and leave us a voicemail at 404-500-9457 with your wildest, craziest COVID-19 dreams, and share your reflections on how dreaming as a whole may have shifted for you during the pandemic.

Compared to the lockdowns and shuttered businesses in countries across the world, Sweden is an outlier. Swedish officials have advised citizens to work from home and avoid travel, but most schools and businesses have remained open. This relaxed approach aims to minimize impact on the economy, and slow the spread of the virus through what is known as “herd immunity.” Now, as the U.S. weighs further spreading the disease against the impact of a tanked economy, some Americans — particularly conservatives — are looking toward Sweden’s model as an option. On Second Thought unpacks the merits, risks and strategy behind Sweden’s approach, and what has become a political talking point here in the U.S.

In addition to changing many aspects of our waking lives, coronavirus has also shifted how we dream. Institutions around the world have been collecting examples of dreams since the outset of the pandemic, and some researchers found a 35% increase in dream recall since lockdown. On Second Thought sat down with Harvard University Assistant Professor Deirdre Barrett to learn more about the impact of COVID-19 on our dreaming minds. Barrett has analyzed dreams of World War II soldiers, 9/11 first responders, and Kuwaitis under Iraqi occupation. Since March, she’s collected details on more than 7,000 dreams to study how people are responding to coronavirus in their dreams.

In our last episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talked about how to influence behavior using rewards first, then examples, and finally verbal direction. However, things aren’t that simple when it comes to building teams and motivating groups, especially in the workplace. In this follow-up edition, they...

Most people feel in over their heads when they first enter a challenging situation or even a new job. And, while conventional wisdom suggests those with trepidations about trying new things should “fake it ’til they make it,” it may not always be the best course of action. In this edition of Two Guys on...

The high reliance on painkillers by the medical community has become an increasingly controversial topic.  For patients, that reliance can easily transform a treatment into an addiction. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the relationship between pain and the brain. And they touch...

A traumatic event in life is like a scratch on a record. Every time the record player, or your mind, runs over the scratch, it skips. This skipping record thought pattern is called rumination. Until we’re able to fill the scratch, it will keep skipping. So how do we fill the scratch, move on and...

“Hey, you know, you’re really good at that.” That feels good to hear, doesn’t it? Praise always feels good to hear, but not all praise motivates us to try new things, challenge ourselves, or deal with failure. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss how...

Writer’s block! That phrase might induce panic and a recollection of a familiar experience. It’s a very common phenomenon. So what is it? When in the beginning stages of undertaking a new writing project, a writer might find themselves blocked – stuck in front of a blank page or screen with no thoughts coming to...

It seems that people today carry with them the constant mantra, “I’m so busy.” And as it can be tough to juggle work, kids, and life in general, a lot of that feeling of being overwhelmed may be our own fault. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markaman and Dr....

Have you ever told someone, “Hey, I read that book!” then continued with a guilty, “…well, I listened to the audio version.” It’s time to wash that guilt right out of your soul, because in this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke, talk about how our brains process...

For many of us, Thanksgiving means spending time with our families, carrying out traditions that we’ve practiced for years. While it can be very stressful, messy, and challenging to spend time with family members you don’t see very often, it can also be a beautiful time of recentering. Traditions serve a psychological function. By repeating...

When thinking about how we present ourselves, say at a job interview, we might think that the more good stuff we tell our prospective employer the better. However, that’s not really the case. Our best assets can be overshadowed by the average of all we present. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head,...

This is too good to leave on the cutting room floor. Dr. Art Markman explains new research on how dogs read human facial expressions and what it could tell us about how they think.

It might seem odd that when we have so much entertainment at our fingertips every day that anyone still treks out to see live theatre. However, as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss in this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, psychologically we may get more from a visit to our local...

Tearing something down is quick, easy, and very gratifying. What is more time-consuming and difficult is creating, building, and constructing. However, as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, the reasons why we are more likely to criticize than create aren’t just about effort.

It seems that people today carry with them the constant mantra “I’m so busy.” It can be tough to juggle work, kids, and life in general, but a lot of that feeling of being overwhelmed may be our own fault. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markaman and Dr. Bob...

Dr. Art Markman offers some advice on how to talk to your children about the Austin bombings.

In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology behind both sides of America’s ongoing debate about firearms and gun control.

Understanding what we want to make public and what we want to keep private might seem like an easy choice. However, as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head when it comes to life online, our brains aren’t quite equipped to navigate the complexity of...

Humans may take the card we swipe for granted at the grocery store when we buy food. We might look at our bank balance and not even think of how unique it is that we can translate those little numbers into experiences and things. It’s merely one of the benefits of having big brains. In...

The idea that money doesn’t make you happy is easy to get behind if you have it, but if you don’t it’s a hard one to buy into (pun intended). Yet the correlation to money and happiness is more complicated then one might think. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art...

This week, the Two Guys On Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke, will toss around the topic of jerks – and provide some insightful, doctor prescribed strategies for handling difficult people in our lives.

Say a store you love changes hands and you aren’t too fond of the new place. So why do you continue to go back to the store when you know it’s not the same? Turns out a lot of psychology goes into the decision-making process around this dilemma. On this edition of Two Guys on...

“Hey, you know, you’re really good at that.” That feels good to hear, doesn’t it? Praise always feels good to hear, but not all praise motivates us to try new things, challenge ourselves or deal with failure. In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss how...

Can you remember what it was like for you to learn your native language?  Probably not, but why is that? As humans, we begin learning to speak our native language during the earliest stages of our lives, in infancy.  Most people don’t have many accessible memories from this period of development. How do we do...

When and why do we take risks? What goes into the process of remaking yourself at any age or stage of life? What is the role of grief when we talk about reinvention? These are some of the questions we discussed with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke at a recent Views and Brews...

We might fancy ourselves as responsible, socially conscious people, but when new technologies such as communal scooters are introduced into our environments all that can easily fly out the window. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of scooter culture in Austin.

Why is it hard to have just one of those delicious slices of pound cake over the holidays? Well, it turns out it has less to do with the creamy butter and more to do with the way our brains react to those sweet white grains of sugar. In this edition of Two Guys on...

Is greed good?  Is greed a human instinct?  Why are some people inclined to hoard? For some individuals, greed and selfishness are much more commonly displayed than generosity. So, it might be fair to say greed feels more natural for some. On the other hand, most might say they favor unselfishness. In this installment of...

For many of us, Thanksgiving means spending time with our families, carrying out traditions that we’ve practiced for years. While it can be very stressful, messy, and challenging to spend time with family members you don’t see very often, it can also be a beautiful time of re-centering. Traditions serve a psychological function. By repeating...

Happy 2019! It’s that time of the year when we resolve to drink less, exercise more, save money, etc. It may feel really good to intend to do “better” in the new year, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke  explain in this 2015 edition of Two Guys on Your Head, real change takes planning and hard work.

In the heat of the moment, revenge can be an appealing idea to consider but often it has devastating results with fleeting satisfaction. Revenge narratives permeate popular media and we dislike when a wrongdoer goes unpunished, so why don’t we actually decide to carry out justice ourselves? On this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr....