David Lidsky's Blog, page 269

Marketing for cybersecurity tech is often fear-based. Here’s how that backfires

Over time, this can breed apathy and resentment. Users might disengage, believing that no matter what they do, they’ll always be at risk.

You have likely seen multiple ads for products and services designed to make you more secure online. When you turn on your television, see online ads, or even when you get in-app notifications, you are likely to encounter cybersecurity technology marketed as the ultimate solution and the last line of defense against digital threats.

Builders have the most unsold inventory since 2009. Here’s what it means for the housing market

The number of unsold completed new single-family homes in October 2024 hit the highest level since August 2009.

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter.

4 tips on handling the unexpected expenses for your school-age kids

Between orthodonture, sports fees, and outgrowing their shoes, your kids are giving your bank account a hernia. Here’s how to keep both your finances and your school-age children happy, healthy, and thriving.

The median annual cost of raising a child is $22,850 across all states, according to Smart Asset. If your kids have outgrown daycare, you might assume the overwhelmingly expensive parenting years are behind you. But even though you are no longer spending the equivalent of a mortgage payment on childcare every month, that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for off-the-hook child-related expenses.

Why Virgin Media O2 designed its new London headquarters to unapologetically embrace DEI

As many companies pull back on diversity, equity, and inclusion, Virgin Media 02 doubled down on making its workplace more welcoming to everyone.

While corporations from Lowe’s to Harley-Davidson abandon their once-vaunted efforts at improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their human relations, one company has dedicated itself so heavily to these efforts that it’s physically designed DEI into its new office.

New rules to get the tax credit for cleaner hydrogen could send billions to producers

Long-awaited final rules for a tax credit that will send billions of dollars to producers of cleaner hydrogen have been released.

The Biden administration released long-awaited final rules Friday for a tax credit that will send billions of dollars to producers of cleaner hydrogen.

How Big Tech became the world’s most powerful ‘religion’ and why we need to become agnostic

A Humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT says tech has achieved a religiosity that threatens to make us the servant worshipers of a dangerous Big Tech agenda.

Greg Epstein is the Humanist chaplain at Harvard University and at MIT, where he advises students, faculty, and staff members on ethical and existential concerns from a humanist perspective. He has served for over 20 years in elected and appointed interfaith leadership roles as an advisor for the non-religious. He himself is an atheist, agnostic, Humanist.

3 hidden reasons you keep running out of iCloud storage

And three easy ways to free up some more space.

Apple gives every iCloud user 5GB of free storage space. This storage space can be used for anything—from backing up your iPhone online to saving documents in the cloud to syncing photos across devices. If you need more space, you can upgrade to iCloud+ to get anywhere from 50GB of storage for just 99 cents a month to 12TB for $59.99.

Apple’s Siri settlement feeds the ‘eavesdropping iPhone’ narrative

The tech giant agreed to pay $95 million to a group of plaintiffs claiming that Siri listened into their conversations to target ads.

Apple, which has built its brand on data privacy, settled a class action suit this week in which the plaintiffs claimed their iPhones’ Siri voice assistant listened in on their conversations for the purpose of targeting them with ads.

X down: U.S. Steel stock falls 7% after President Joe Biden blocks takeover by Japanese giant Nippon Steel

The acquisition was controversial as some argued foreign ownership over one of America’s largest steel producers posed a threat to national security.

U.S. Steel (NYSE: X) stock was down more than 5% in midday trading Friday, after President Joe Biden blocked a nearly $15 billion takeover bid by Japan’s Nippon Steel (NISTF), arguing foreign ownership over one of America’s largest steel producers posed a threat to national security.

Dating Wrapped: TikTok users are crunching the numbers on their dating life

It seems love really is a numbers game. 

If Spotify Wrapped left you underwhelmed this year, TikTok’s “Dating Wrapped” trend is here to spice things up.