What's on Your Mind?

Amazon sales surged 14% during the fourth quarter, helped by strong holiday spending and a better-than-expected growth in its prominent cloud computing unit. But shares fell 11% in after hours trading on Thursday as investors appeared to be spooked by the Seattle-based tech company’s plans to increase capital spending by nearly 60% to $200 billion from last year’s $128 billion as it sees opportunities in artificial intelligence, robots, semiconductors and satellites. The company’s fourth-quarter profits also were slightly below analysts’ projections. Wall Street analysts were expecting capital spending to rise to around $147 billion this year, according to FactSet. Ama…

Design culture loves the fantasy of “blue sky” thinking. No constraints. No limits. Pure imagination. It sounds liberating, but it often produces design that only works in ideal conditions for an ideal user who does not exist. Blue sky leads to paper design—“great” ideas that never come to market. The truth is simple: Constraints fuel creativity. The most valuable constraint is the human one. When designers embrace real limits like limited dexterity, low lighting, fatigue, mobility restrictions, sensory sensitivities, small living spaces, and tight budgets, they stop designing for abstraction. They start designing for reality. That is where innovation becomes inev…

Over the years, I’ve written and spoken extensively about my belief that design has the power to change the world. I find daily inspiration in the many individuals and organizations leaning away from design as pure aesthetics and embracing design as a powerful tool for promoting the wellbeing of both people and the planet. I refer to wellbeing as holistic health. It includes holistic health of the people: end users—those using the products, and makers—suppliers, producers, and manufacturers. Also, of the planet, because no design is isolated; it is always dependent on and embedded in systems. Our choices have far-reaching impact. Upstream decisions about a design’s ma…

Noah Winter brags he’s been to way more Super Bowls than Tom Brady. Brady competed in 10 — more than any other player. But Winter will be part of the Super Bowl spectacle for his 30th straight year this year, not in uniform but as the guy in charge of the celebratory confetti after the game ends. Winter’s company, Artistry in Motion, also makes confetti for rock concerts, movies, political conventions and the Olympics. But the annual blizzard of color falling onto the field at the end of each Super Bowl is probably what he’s best known for. It certainly is what he’s most likely to get asked about at dinner parties. “It’s become an iconic moment,” Winter marvels, sitting…

The logic behind electric vehicles benefiting public health has long been solid: More EVs means fewer internal combustion engines on the road, and a reduction in harmful tailpipe emissions. But now researchers have confirmed, to the greatest extent yet, that this is indeed what’s actually happening on the ground. What’s more, they found that even relatively small upticks in EV adoption can have a measurably positive impact on a community. Whereas previous work has largely been based on modeling, a study published this month in the journal Lancet Planetary Health used satellites to measure actual emissions. The study, conducted between 2019 and 2023, focused on Califo…

The European Union on Friday accused TikTok of breaching the bloc’s digital rules with “addictive design” features that lead to compulsive use by children, in preliminary charges that strike at the heart of the popular video sharing app’s operating model. EU regulators said their two-year investigation found that TikTok hasn’t done enough to assess how features such as autoplay and infinite scroll could harm the physical and mental health of users, including minors and “vulnerable adults.” The European Commission said it believes TikTok should change the “basic design” of its service. The commission is the EU’s executive arm and enforcer of the 27-nation bloc’s Digital …

Just because you’re an ultra-talented global celebrity doesn’t mean you’re a shoo-in for an amazing gig. In fact, even stars have to apply to jobs, just like the rest of us. Just ask Charlie Puth, who’ll be singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl LX Sunday night. It shows how humility fuels success for even someone at the top of their game—in this case, a dream opportunity for one of pop’s biggest stars on entertainment’s biggest stage. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, the “We Don’t Talk Anymore” singer spoke frankly last month about how he applied and auditioned to sing the national anthem, and how he’s elated for the gig. He shared that perfor…

Valentine’s Day is just a week away, and is one of the most popular holidays for consuming chocolates. But according to two notices from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), buyers of select M&M products are at risk of adverse health consequences due to undeclared allergens. Here’s what you need to know. What’s happened? On January 26, Beacon Promotions Inc initiated a voluntary recall of some of its M&M products. Beacon Promotions, based in Minnesota, sells third-party products featuring its clients’ logos and branding. Businesses use promotional product companies like Beacon to produce everything from tote bags to chocolate with their logos, which…

Five years ago, a retired police officer spotted a 7-year-old girl walking alone in her New Jersey neighborhood. The stranger stopped her, questioned her about where she lived and whether she was alone, then called the police. When officers arrived, the girl gave them her address which was just a few blocks away. They walked her home and met her parents. But instead of leaving, the officer demanded ID. When the parents refused, arguing they’d done nothing wrong by letting their daughter go for a walk in the neighborhood, the officer called for backup and threatened to take their daughter into protective custody. The father tried to comfort his crying daughter. Police…

If you’re looking for a good reason to stop staring at screens this weekend, we’ve got you. This weekend, there’s an exciting astronomical event taking to the skies. The 2026 Planet Parade, an extraordinary event where six planets will be visible all at once, just for a moment, is coming. If you’re a seasoned skywatcher, you might remember that in 2025, there was a Planet Parade, too. Last February, seven planets, including Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, all lined up just after sunset. This year, only six planets—because Mars is taking a raincheck—will make an appearance. And, according to astronomers, the show will be just as quick as…

Cellphones are everywhere—including, until recently, in schools. Since 2023, 29 states, including New York, Vermont, Florida, and Texas, have passed laws that require K-12 public schools to enforce bans or strict limits on students using their cellphones on campus. Another 10 states have passed other measures that require local school districts to take some kind of action on cellphone usage. Approximately 77% of public schools now forbid students from having their phones out during class—an increase from the 66% of schools that forbade students from using phones at school in 2015. Schools across the country are finding different ways to enforce no-phone po…

Move over, figure skating and ice hockey: There’s a new Olympic sport taking to the slopes in Milano Cortina. The sport—called ski mountaineering, or, colloquially, “skimo”—is the first entirely new sport at the Winter Olympics since 2002. As its name suggests, skimo combines elements of both skiing and mountaineering, requiring competitors to climb their way up a mountain slope before descending back down. It’s a more rugged take on the winter sport genre that involves rougher terrain than a cross-country or alpine ski course, requires athletes to change their own gear mid-race, and balances both technical skill and endurance. A total of 36 athletes will be comp…

On Thursday, OpenAI released GPT-5.3-Codex, a new model that extends its Codex coding agent beyond writing and reviewing code to performing a much wider range of work tasks. The release comes as competition continues to heat up among AI companies vying for market share in the AI-powered coding tools space. OpenAI says GPT-5.3 combines the coding performance of GPT-5.2-Codex with the reasoning and professional-knowledge capabilities of GPT-5.2, while running 25% faster. This allows GPT-5.3-Codex to handle long-running tasks that involve research, tool use such as web search or database calls, and complex execution and planning across both general work tasks and softwar…

HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry, a gay hockey romance TV series based on the Game Changers book series by Rachel Reid, is the breakout hit no one saw coming. With almost no promotion, it quickly became one of the most talked-about streaming TV shows in the U.S. after HBO Max purchased the rights from Canada’s Crave network this November, turning its two co-stars, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, into overnight celebrities. What’s unique about Heated Rivalry is just how fast its popularity has spread, and how devoted its massive fan base is. From the week it debuted, to its season finale six episodes later, its viewership grew from 30 million to 324 million streaming minut…

A federal jury in Arizona has ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million in a lawsuit brought by a passenger who said was sexually assaulted by one of the ridesharing app’s drivers. The case marks the first time that Uber has been found liable for the safety of its drivers in a sexual assault case. The plaintiff, Oklahoma resident Jaylynn Dean, sued Uber in 2023. Dean alleged that an Uber driver sexually assaulted her that November during a late ride to a hotel in Tempe, Arizona. Dean’s legal team argued that Uber avoided extra safety measures like more extensive background checks and in-ride cameras because while those steps could protect riders from sexual assault, they might…

The Olympics are best known as a moment for the world’s most elite athletes to demonstrate their physical prowess on the world stage. But, for a handful of apparel brands, the Games are also one of the most coveted advertising moments of the year. This year, teams at the Milan Cortina Games will be outfitted in plenty of the usual activewear suspects, including Adidas, Nike, and Asics. Team USA will once again appear in preppy, ultra-Americana-inspired looks designed by Ralph Lauren, which has exclusively partnered with the team since 2008. The terms of this deal are unclear, but it’s likely an intensely expensive (and lucrative) undertaking for Ralph Lauren that…

As a consultancy owner, I’ve been experimenting heavily with the headline AI applications for the better part of two years now. Our teams have tested it across dozens of products and use cases. Some experiments worked immediately. Others failed at first but succeeded six months later when the models improved. Some we’re still figuring out. The results keep evolving. A lot of leaders are obsessing over AI strategies right now. Detailed roadmaps, implementation plans, and resource allocation. I get it. Leadership wants clarity, stakeholders want commitments, and everyone wants to know the plan. But here’s the issue. Technology is moving way faster than tradition…

Big Tech is on a spending spree, forecast to drop a staggering $650 billion on artificial intelligence (AI) in 2026 alone—and that’s just for Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon. The companies are ramping up their investment in an increasingly competitive, high-stakes arms race, pouring hundreds of billions into massive data centers and semiconductors, in hopes of establishing a long-term strategic advantage in their quest to dominate the future of technology. With all four reporting earnings within the last week, Wall Street’s reaction may be an indication that investors are increasingly worried about the large spend, and relative payoffs, from the AI investments. …

Kristin Cabot, the HR exec at the center of last year’s Coldplay kiss cam scandal, is headlining a crisis communications conference happening later this year. Cabot will be seated on the panel “Taking back the narrative” at the PRWeek Crisis Comms Conference in Washington, D.C., on April 16, where individual tickets start at $875 per person. “While attending a Coldplay concert in July and unwittingly appearing on the kiss-cam for a few seconds, Kristin Cabot’s life blew up in an instant,” the description of the keynote presentation reads. “From the outside, it was an amusing, if unflattering meme; but for her, everything changed that day. It continues: “Cabo…

Why does uncertainty make us less rational with money? And who should we trust for financial advice online? Vivian Tu, financial educator and CEO of Your Rich BFF, breaks down today’s personal finance risks and opportunities, from “lifestyle inflation” and the most common money mistakes smart people make to how Gen Z is navigating 2026 volatility and a shifting job market. This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company Bob Safian. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today’s top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subs…

If I had a dollar for every time a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum has been charged with fraud, I’d have $5. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it has happened five times. By now, the Forbes “curse” has been well documented, from Charlie Javice’s JPMorgan fiasco (who was on the Under 30 list in 2019) to crypto poster boy Sam Bankman-Fried perpetrating one of the biggest financial frauds in history (he appeared on the list in 2021). This week, another honoree has been hit with federal charges. Gökçe Güven, the 26-year-old founder and CEO of fintech startup Kalder, faces 52 years in prison after being charged with fraud, accused of cheating investors out of millions. …

Inc.com columnist Alison Green answers questions about workplace and management issues—everything from how to deal with a micromanaging boss to how to talk to someone on your team about body odor. A reader asks: I manage a team of four. One of my staff members, Jeff, asked to go to a conference that was about a five-hour drive away. I approved the request as the conference would be good for his professional development. Three other staff members from our closely connected teams were also going. Jeff registered for the conference. A couple of weeks later, he asked me about booking a flight to it. I was surprised by this, as the conference was a reasonable drivi…

At the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the iconic cauldron of the Games is putting on a daily show just like its athletes. This year, for the first time ever, there are two cauldrons lit simultaneously at different locations. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s geometric drawings, both cauldrons expand and contract, respond to music, and emit their own light—and one will put on hourly performances for viewers throughout the Games. The tradition of the Olympic flame and cauldron dates back 100 years or more. Historically, the Games are opened with a relay ceremony wherein torch bearers bring the flame to the cauldron, which remains lit until the closing ceremony.…

The notion of instant on-the-go translation is nothing new for most of us, thanks to the now-ubiquitous Google Translate service. But a scrappy Google competitor thinks it can do better. ➜ This month, a company called Kagi​ is officially launching its ​Kagi Translate app for both Android​ and iOS. 💡 The app mirrors most of the same features Google Translate offers, with a few interesting new touches and one key point of distinction: It is all about protecting your privacy—with no ads, no trackers, and no data being monetized or repurposed in any way. Oh—and it’s free, too. ⌚ You’ll need all of two minutes to take it out for a test-drive. Psst: If y…