David Lidsky's Blog, page 71

Housing market ‘red flare’: Moody’s chief economist sees home price declines spreading

Mark Zandi: ‘The housing downturn to date has been mostly about the depressed existing home sales. New home sales, housing completions, and house prices have held up well—that’s about to change.’

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A new generation of magazines is getting kids to put down their phones

In a world of smartphones and screen time, parents are willing to pay for high quality magazines for kids. It’s reviving a once dead industry.

On a recent Saturday afternoon, I noticed an unusual silence from my 9-year-old’s room. I was surprised to find she wasn’t taking advantage of her allotted two hours of screen time; instead, she was curled up on her chair reading a magazine.

Forget chatbots. Physical and embodied AI are now coming for your job

Physical AI and Embodied AI, which allow bots to understand and navigate the real world—are powering the robot revolution.

Amazon recently announced that it had deployed its one-millionth robot across its workforce since rolling out its first bot in 2012. The figure is astounding from a sheer numbers perspective, especially considering that we’re talking about just one company. The one million bot number is all the more striking, though, since it took Amazon merely about a dozen years to achieve. It took the company nearly 30 years to build its current workforce of 1.5 million humans.

Your ‘freedom number’ might be smaller than you think

How much money do you need to pursue the career you want?

You dream of quitting a toxic job, pivoting to a new career, or starting your own business. But there’s a financial reality to such a move: can you afford to earn less? 

How the Golden State Valkyries became the WNBA’s breakout expansion team

Valkyries president Jess Smith shares how the new WNBA team broke season ticket records, built a loyal fan base, and leveraged Caitlin Clark’s impact—all in its first year.

The week of the WNBA All-Star Game, Jess Smith, president of the Golden State Valkyries, shares how the team has quickly built a brand identity in its first year in the league—breaking season ticket records, surpassing expectations on and off the court, and setting a template for future expansion teams. Smith digs into the business impact of “Caitlin-mania,” how sports is a reflection of wider trends in society, and critical lessons learned in a career that spans the MLB, NHL, Major League Soccer, the National Women’s Soccer League—and now the WNBA.

The peat ban is coming. Will your favorite dram disappear with it?

The risk of a peat ban is real—and the clock is ticking for the world’s smoky spirits.

The climate crisis upends life in countless ways large and small, including potentially ending one beloved 1,000-year-old tradition.

Netflix slipped something new into your favorite show

A building collapsed on Netflix. The real shock is how the creative team made it happen.

For the first time, a hit Netflix show used something unusual to craft a final scene: AI.  

Astronomer CEO’s viral Coldplay moment reminds us: We’re all being watched all the time

Does the most viral moment of 2025 prove that we’ve become too comfortable living in a surveillance state?

Convenience stores often have signs that read “Smile, you’re on camera” to discourage all who enter from engaging in transgressive behavior. Perhaps those signs should go everywhere now.

‘Who did this guy become?’ This creator quit his job and lost his TikTok audience

Connor Hubbard built a massive following by documenting corporate life. But after quitting his job to become a full-time influencer, fans say he’s no longer relatable.

If you’ve built an audience around documenting your 9-to-5 online, what happens after you hand in your notice?

That bargain e-bike you bought online? It might burn your house down

A new recall warns that thousands of cheap e-bikes sold online could catch fire without warning.

If you bought an e-bike on Amazon for a price that seemed too good to be true, there’s a fair chance you might’ve been right. A federal consumer watchdog just issued a recall for about 24,000 e-bikes in the sub-$1,000 price range, all of which were sold at popular retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Sears, and Wayfair.