David Lidsky's Blog, page 2788
February 17, 2016
Shonda Rhimes: "Playing With My Children Likely Saved My Career"
In a moving new TED talk, the TV titan reveals that her workaholic tendencies nearly undermined her—and it took her kids to save her.
In a new TED talk, Shonda Rhimes admits what many parents won't: She doesn't like to play. As the creator behind some of the most popular shows on television including Grey's Anatomy and Scandal, Rhimes brings about 70 hours and $350 million worth of programming to the world each season. She is arguably one of the most powerful and influential women in TV, and she has no qualms admitting that she loves her work. She is her work. Taking time away from work to play or recharge was never of any interest to her. As she said on the TED stage, "I work a lot, very hard, and I love it. When I'm hard at work, when I'm deep in it, there is no other feeling."
Tim Cook Opposes Court Order That Apple Must Help FBI Unlock iPhone
How a law enforcement request to one of the world's biggest tech companies highlights one of the most important issues of our time.
Last week FBI Director James Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the encryption found on smartphones like the iPhone was "overwhelmingly affecting" law enforcement investigations and operations. Case in point: Comey revealed that because of the encryption built into the OS on the phone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, the FBI had still not been able to unlock his phone to search for critical clues in the case. On December 2, 2015, Farook and his wife opened fire at an event for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health in a domestic terror attack that killed 14 and seriously wounded over 20 others. Both Farook and his wife were killed in a shootout with police, leaving only their personal items—including their smartphones—as clues to their motives and possible connections with other terrorist organizations or plots.
FertilityIQ Aims To Alleviate "Total Hell" of Finding A Fertility Doctor
FertilityIQ founders Deborah and Jake Anderson-Bialis started the company to help other couples in their shoes.
About 12% of women in the U.S. have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term. It's a common and highly expensive problem, with studies finding that patients starting fertility treatment should expect to pay at least $5,000 in out-of-pocket costs.
If You Want Life Insurance, Think Twice Before Getting A Genetic Test
As genetic testing explodes, health insurers are banned from denying coverage based on results. The same doesn't apply for life insurance.
Jennifer Marie* should be an ideal candidate for life insurance: She's 36, gainfully employed, and has no current medical issues.
What BuzzFeed's Dao Nguyen Knows About Data, Intuition, And The Future Of Media
To understand what makes BuzzFeed tick, you need to know how Dao Nguyen thinks about data.
As the publisher in charge of BuzzFeed, which has annual revenue in the hundreds of millions of dollars, you might expect Dao Nguyen to be getting the best tables at fancy restaurants in order to land advertising deals with chief marketing officers. Instead, Nguyen meets me at a Le Pain Quotidien cafe wearing a grey fleece with the Dow Jones logo on it. She's every bit the down-to-earth geek who you'd expect to be building BuzzFeed's technology and data infrastructure.
The Ultimate Guide To Saying No To Things You Don't Want To Do
Many of us say yes to things that we don't want to do simply because we don't know how to say no. Problem solved.
No. Not happening. Not on your life. Not now. Not ever.
February 16, 2016
Google Ideas Think Tank To Become Tech Incubator Called Jigsaw
Google Ideas is transitioning into Jigsaw, a tech incubator that will use technology to solve geopolitical challenges.
Google Ideas, a think tank started by Google in 2010, is morphing into Jigsaw, a tech incubator that will take on geopolitical challenges. The new name appears to follow the same format as other Google offshoots under the Alphabet umbrella, like Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences) and X (previously known as Google X).
With the assistance of engineers, research scientists, and project managers, Jigsaw will build on the mission set forth by Google Ideas, which seeks to examine and solve "global issues at the intersection of technology and international security." Jared Cohen, who has been at the helm of Google Ideas since its inception, will continue on as the president of Jigsaw.
Report: Amazon Is Launching Its Own Fashion Brand
The e-commerce giant is seeking fashion industry types for its upcoming clothing line, according to job postings spotted by WWD.
Amazon, which carries upwards of 30 million items in its fashion division, may be on the verge of launching the private-label clothing brand we heard rumors of late last year. According to WWD, the e-commerce retailer has posted a series of job listings that point to a forthcoming clothing line.
The Future Of How You Watch TV Could Change This Week
Behind an FCC proposal to lower cable equipment fees is a fight for control of television involving Google, pay-TV services, and Hollywood.
Cable and satellite TV companies are not popular, consistently ranking near the bottom of customer satisfaction studies. One of the reasons is that Americans spend nearly $20 billion per year to rent set-top boxes from pay-TV providers, according to a recent Senate report. So when a proposal to open up competition against the oft-reviled set-top boxes was issued by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler on January 27, the cable providers didn't receive many sympathy notes.
Do Any Of The 2016 Presidential Candidates Understand What Small Business Owners Need?
In a new survey, small business owners say the candidates are not addressing key health care and tax issues that directly affect them.
The vast majority of U.S. businesses are small businesses—and many of the people who own and operate them believe the candidates in the 2016 presidential campaign are ignoring them.
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