David Lidsky's Blog, page 262

These 3 types of workers contribute to toxic drama. Here’s how leaders can reframe for positive change

By translating pervasive discontent into constructive action, leaders can dismantle the drama and turn it into a virtuous circle of positive, productive energy. 

Passionate John Lennon devotees may ardently visualize a utopian future, wistfully slipping the surly bonds of reality to imagine a perfect world of people living life in peace. It is indeed a glorious vision. But at some point, we need to open our eyes and come back down to earth. 

How to watch Blue Origin test launch its first orbital rocket over the Atlantic ocean tonight: Livestream

If successful, the launch of its New Glenn rocket will put Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin in greater competition with fellow billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, will finally launch its first orbital-class rocket on Sunday, January 12, from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Meet the startup pioneering AI-to-AI commerce—and why it matters

Nevermined’s solution to machine-driven transactions could mark the first self-sustaining micro-economy without human participation.

AI using AI to pay for AI? It could soon become a reality. 

When and how to invest in your career

From getting the necessary education to dressing for the job you want, investing in your career can put a serious dent in your finances. Here’s how to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.

When I was growing up, my otherwise frugal father leased a new car every three years. He claimed that, as a financial planner, his clients expected him to look successful, which meant driving a nice, late-model car. He reasoned that nobody would take investment advice from a financial planner who drove a 14-year-old Datsun Bluebird. His message to me was clear: Invest in your career.

CES was a giant exercise in AI gaslighting

There was plenty of shouting about AI at the tech world’s mega trade show, but not a lot of substance.

For a reporter covering CES, the booth for Samsung Display can seem like a pure distillation of what the tech trade show is all about.

It doesn’t matter what L.A.’s fire budget was—no city is prepared for climate change

Dealing with disasters is a key part of city planning—but so is climate mitigation and resiliency.

As multiple wildfires rage across Los Angeles, causing unprecedented levels of destruction, the city’s budget has come under scrutiny. It’s an example of misinformation that has spread during the crisis—and a sign of the increasingly complicated calculations cities will have to make to address the realities of climate change. 

Southern California’s water crisis is fueling fires. These maps show just how dry the region is

On January 8, 2025, the soil moisture content, as measured down to about 40 inches, was in the bottom 2% historically for that day in the L.A. area.

Dry conditions across Southern California set the stage for a series of deadly wind-driven wildfires that burned thousands of homes and other structures in the Los Angeles area in early January 2025.

Weirdcore 2.0’s freaky aesthetic is taking over your feed

A new generation of video artists is creating strange, sometimes absurd, often disturbing imagery using artificial intelligence—and it’s flooding social media.

The sun is bright. A caucasian grandma sits on the grass. She smiles at the camera. Caresses two small dogs. It’s a peaceful summer day. Three seconds later, your brain notices something is off. Her face morphs slowly. Her mouth twitches. Suddenly, the dogs turn into reptiles—yellow Komodo dragons, maybe. One has two heads. They open their mouths wide. Granny starts picking their scales. And then she starts to eat them.

Midlife wasn’t always a crisis

In classical Western literature, the middle of life is represented as a time to live and die magnificently.

In the acknowledgments of her 2024 novel All Fours, Miranda July explains that she was inspired by a series of conversations about “physical and emotional midlife changes” with several women close to her.

4 ways Apple should upgrade its privacy and security game in 2025

Apple’s products are the most secure in the world. And yet, it still could do better. Here’s how.

Every year, Apple adds additional privacy features that make its products the most secure in the world. Most recently, in iOS 18, Apple added the ability to limit Contacts access to only the select connections you choose. The company also developed its new Apple Intelligence AI system with privacy at its core.