David Lidsky's Blog, page 243

Amazon secretly tracked Californian consumers via cellphones, lawsuit alleges

Amazon collected an enormous amount of timestamped geolocation data about where consumers live, work, shop, and visit, revealing sensitive information such as religious affiliations, sexual orientations, and health concerns.

Amazon.com was sued on Wednesday by consumers who accused the retailing giant of secretly tracking their movements through their cellphones, and selling data it collects.

RFK Jr. confirmation hearing: Kennedy was grilled on his abortion flip-flop. Here’s what he said

President Trump’s highly controversial pick to head the HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced a series of tough questions from skeptical congressional Democrats, including Senator Bernie Sanders.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced pushback on his views on abortion (and other issues) during his confirmation hearing for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Wednesday with the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.

This group is playing ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ to help L.A. fire victims, and you can join in

The ‘Freaky Thursday’ adventure will be live-streamed and allow fans to help shape the story. The event has an ambitious goal of raising $180,000.

The devastating California wildfires have led to a number of benefit events, from concerts to comedy shows, with the intention to fundraise for wildfire recovery efforts. 

Legoland Florida to lay off 234 performers and entertainment workers

Three-quarters of the Legoland workers cited for layoffs were performers, and another fifth also was involved in the entertainment side of the theme park.

Legoland Florida plans to lay off 234 workers, primarily performers, in an effort to be more competitive in central Florida’s thriving theme park market, company officials said.

‘What’s more motivating than a punch card?’ TikTok has a new hack for keeping New Year’s resolutions

Social media users are embracing a system of loyalty card-like rewards thanks to one creator’s viral Galentine’s Day activity.

“What’s more motivating than a punch card?” That’s the simple idea behind a recent so-called punch party that creator @emiliamariehome hosted with friends.

App fatigue is real—rethink apps beyond subscriptions

App users want different models to use and pay for apps. Smart app makers will offer them.

Launched 16 years ago with only 500 apps, Apple’s App Store revolutionized how we interact with our devices. As of 2023, the App Store had nearly 1.8 million apps, spanning categories like gaming, fitness, productivity, social media, and much more. The phrase “There’s an app for that” has never been more true.

How to meet the unique healthcare needs of rural America

We need to think creatively when expanding the workforce, to attract and retain diverse students.

Rural residents face unique challenges and barriers when it comes to accessing high-quality healthcare. Many rural areas do not have a hospital or medical center nearby, forcing residents to drive hours to the nearest doctor or healthcare clinic. This delays—and in some cases prevents—rural residents from receiving care quickly, efficiently and safely. Due in part to these barriers, rural patients take advantage of preventive care less often than their urban counterparts and face higher health risks, such as cancer, chronic respiratory disease, heart disease, stroke, and unintentional injuries.

How to drive social change in a polarized post-election era

Business leaders should bridge the divide through collaboration.

Recently, Donald Trump was once again inaugurated as President of the United States, and the start of what I anticipate will be a pivotal year for our nation. And while it’s increasingly difficult to know exactly what to expect, there is one thing I believe has become incredibly clear over the past year: The most important issues facing our country won’t be solved with more incessant bickering and polarization.

DeepSeek has called into question Big AI’s trillion-dollar assumption

It’s no wonder that some Nvidia investors are questioning their faith in unlimited demand for the most powerful AI chips.

Recently, Chinese startup DeepSeek created state-of-the art AI models using far less computing power and capital than anyone thought possible. It then showed its work in published research papers and by allowing its models to explain the reasoning process that led to this answer or that. It also scored at or near the top in a range of benchmark tests, besting OpenAI models in several skill areas. The surprising work seems to have let some of the air out of the AI industry’s main assumption—that the best way to make models smarter is by giving them more computing power, so that the AI lab with the most Nvidia chips will have the best models and shortest route to artificial general intelligence (AGI—which refers to AI that’s better than humans at most tasks). 

How the Empire State Building Observatory became No. 1

Four lessons any sector can adopt to deepen customer connections.

The Empire State Building is nobody’s idea of a hidden gem. The 1,472-foot Art Deco landmark of stone and steel dominates the streetscape and world view of New York City—and all of pop culture. From King Kong’s battle with biplanes to the annual ESB Run-Up to its iconic 86th Floor Observatory, the “World’s Most Famous Building” is both myth and monolith.