My father in law was just talking to us at the weekend about the same thing happening to him recently. I can't remember what it was he said he was interested in but within a few hours adverts for it were showing up on his phone. Nothing you can put your finger on other than coincidence but we're all so suspicious about 'big data', the methods used to collect it and the often dubious uses to which its put these days that even genuine coincidence is seen as targeted.

We were at Sammy Miller's motorcycle museum this afternoon (well worth a visit if you've not been!). They have a large collection of bikes from the 19- teens, 20's 30's etc, many of which came with 'features' as std that would never be allowed these days - carbide lighting, exposed moving engine parts, open chains, gears etc but back then people bought them because that was how things were. Little by little, either through legal requirement or manufacturing refinement, they've gradually been 'safety sanitised'. I suspect we're probably living through the carbide lighting era of the internet, a time when pretty much anything goes. Back then it was 'rider beware' if your tyres blew out. These days it's 'user beware' if your bank account is emptied out (or your DNA profile is sold on or Siri et al report your conversations to advertisers).