David Lidsky's Blog, page 271

‘For $80, you can pretend you got a Birkin’: Why TikTok is obsessed with Walmart’s Hermès handbag knockoff

The $78 handbag has taken the internet by storm in recent weeks, offering an affordable dupe to one of the most exclusive luxury items in the world.

You might not have unwrapped a Hermès Birkin this holiday season, but what about a Walmart “Wirkin”? 

Apple denies wrongdoing but settles to pay $95 million cash (about $20 per class member) in Siri privacy suit

The $95 million is about nine hours of profit for Apple.

Apple agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a proposed class action lawsuit claiming that its voice-activated Siri assistant violated users’ privacy.

January 9 is a national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter: What’s closed for the holiday, including stock markets and post offices

President Biden has issued an executive order to honor former President Carter, who died at the age of 100. Here’s what that means for businesses and employees.

U.S. stock markets, federal offices, and the post office will remain closed next Thursday, January 9, to honor former President Jimmy Carter, the country’s 39th president, who died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 100.

Are you Real ID compliant for your next flight? Here’s the easiest way to find out as the enforcement deadline nears

After years of delay, the post-9/11 law that requires a new standard of identification for air travel will finally kick in. Here’s what flyers need to know.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is finally getting real about Real ID enforcement.

Welcome to the world, Generation Beta. Would you like a new name?

It’s easy to coin generational nicknames, but it’s much harder to get them to stick.

Welcome to the world, “Generation Beta.” Newborn babies in 2025 are members of a brand new generation, but already, some are calling for a new name.

Predicting what 2025 will mean for AI

We spoke with dozens of experts about what to expect in the year ahead. Here’s what they said. 

Welcome to AI Decoded, Fast Company’s weekly newsletter that breaks down the most important news in the world of AI. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every week here.

25 experts predict how AI will change business and life in 2025

Expect to see the rise of AI agents and multimodal models, along with an end to “AI theater.”

The so-called AI boom has been going on for more than two years now, and 2024 saw a real acceleration in both the development and the application of the technology. Expectations are high that AI will move beyond just generating text and images and morph into agents that can complete complex tasks on behalf of users. But that’s just one of many directions in which AI might move in 2025. We asked a variety of AI experts and other stakeholders a simple question: “In what ways do you think AI will have changed personal, business, or digital life by this time next year?” Here’s what 25 of them said. (The quotes have been edited for clarity and length.)

I’m a techie, but I’ve fallen for paper notes again

How I’m using paper notes as a supplement to my digital note-taking.

Usually I type my initial thoughts for these columns on a computer, but this week I wrote them in a paper notebook instead.

U.S. prepares for deepest winter cold in over a decade

With over 70% of the population set to face freezing temperatures, authorities urge preparedness as the cold front extends through next week.

A large portion of the U.S. is about to get hit with some frigid temperatures, which experts are calling the first polar vortex of 2025. Around two-thirds of the country will experience the coldest cold snaps so far this winter, with temperatures reaching dangerously low points. 

Norovirus outbreaks this season outpace pre-pandemic levels

Health officials say 91 outbreaks were reported in early December, outstripping seasonal norms since 2012.

Norovirus outbreaks have sharply increased across the United States and aboard cruise ships, with nearly 900 people sickened on vessels in December alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).