David Lidsky's Blog, page 347

This 10-second tweak will bring new life to any browser

Chrome, Firefox, Edge, even Opera or Safari—Tabliss offers an instant experience-enhancing refresh.

When it comes to most home screens—on your phone, your computer, you name it—you’ve got endless-seeming options for customizing and taking control.

Wealthier Americans are driving retail spending

Lower-income consumers, by contrast, have been disproportionately squeezed by higher-priced rent, groceries, and other necessities, leaving them less able to spend on discretionary items.

It’s a trend that has surprised many: Why, despite being squeezed by high prices, have Americans kept spending at retail stores and restaurants at a robust pace?

Miss having a dedicated work phone? Here’s how to configure your iPhone to separate business from personal use

Many Gen Xers, boomers, and older millennials pine for the days when they had separate work and home phones. (And more balanced lives.) With this iPhone hack, it’s still possible.

Smartphones have enabled us to attend to work from nearly anywhere. But their productivity power also frequently encroaches on our personal lives—making it too easy to reply to business emails or Slack messages when we should be focused on dinner with the fam. Likewise, when we want to get work done, our smartphones can become distraction machines riddled with social media notifications and DMs.

20 “Big” Words That Can Make You Sound Smarter

Expanding your vocabulary can help you get the right reaction from people—if you do it right. Plus 20 big words and how to use them.

Why say “that’s an anomaly,” when you can just say “that’s odd”? Maybe it’s because you’re trying to look more intelligent. A study by the education platform Preply, found that nearly three in five people have used complex vocabulary to appear smarter. Often, it’s to make a good impression. The survey found that seven in 10 said they had used complex vocabulary to impress someone in a professional setting, most often their boss and colleagues.

What killed Kmart and other pressing questions as the retail chain closes its last full-size store

Once ubiquitous across the American landscape, the brand is sunsetting its physical presence at a time when more and more retail brands are feeling its pain.

Attention, Kmart shoppers: This is your last call for blue light specials. The iconic chain’s last American mainland superstore, located in Bridgehampton, New York, is closing its doors on Sunday, October 20.

‘I’m probably not your candidate’: Iowa GOP hopeful tells voter in candid Ring camera exchange over women’s rights

A surprising moment of honesty caught on a home camera raises questions about modern politics—and the role of tech in shaping election narratives.

A Ring camera recently caught a bit of a head-tilting moment when Heather Stephenson, a Republican candidate for the Iowa House, was out canvassing in her area.

Biden administration races to approve clean energy projects before the election

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian said Biden is ‘sprinting to the finish’ and delivering on promises to promote clean energy and slow climate change.

The Biden administration is shelling out billions of dollars for clean energy and approving major offshore wind projects as officials race to secure major climate initiatives before President Joe Biden’s term comes to an end.

Donald Trump is losing on TikTok

The Republican nominee faces far more criticism on the social platform than his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

TikTok’s influence has become undeniable in the 2024 presidential election, with both camps leaning full force into the idea that if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. But that plan hasn’t worked out so well for Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Netflix shares are up, but some analysts are concerned about the streamer

Netflix shares surge, but its stock is expensive while its advertising initiative and its pricing ability may be stalled.

This story originally appeared in The Technology Letter and is republished here with permission.

Amazon AWS CEO says quit if you don’t want to return to office

The policy has upset many of Amazon’s employees who say it wastes time with additional commuting and the benefits of working from the office are not supported by independent data.

One of Amazon’s top executives defended the new, controversial 5-day-per-week in-office policy on Thursday, saying those who do not support it can leave for another company.