For 10 years, I obsessed over finding a 70s-era corduroy car coat like the one Wynona Ryder wears in the first season of Stranger Things. Not a vintage inspired fashion version, but an American classic turned velvety with wear. That meant thrifting at resale shops.
Always on the lookout, I never scored because the outerwear selection in my size (large) was bleak. But today I am thrifting in the age of Ozempic, when women jettison entire wardrobes as an act of reinvention after dramatic weight loss, often monetizing through consignment and resale. As a result of all the larger sizes flowing into stores, I finally possess my unicorn: a heritage LL Bean corduroy coat as soft as cashmere in the groovy retro color of faded citron, all for the price of a burger at my neighborhood pub.
Where once I had trouble finding my size, the popularity of GLP-1 drugs produces almost too many possibilities. Winter has always been my wardrobe low point: black, black, and, for a little fun, maybe some charcoal gray. But now my closet looks like I am in the wrong house. Color! Texture! Print! Thanks to Ozempic, selections are vast and wildly diverse, and prices are low.
A thrifting bonanza
I am not on the consignment hunt for couture; I am shopping for solid regular women brands that are still in good shape even as resale items because they arent fast fashion. Although Ive never been a blazer wearer, I now have two: bouclé wool in deep sienna and a tuxedo-style smoking jacket with green velvet lapels and buttons. Each great closet addition cost me less than two bowls of pho.
Women arent selling off wardrobes because their clothing is out of style. The use of GLP-1 drugs can radically shift sizing so that even beloved items have to go, and Im far from the only one taking advantage of this quality thrifting bonanza.
According to data from online resale marketplace ThredUp, the annual Capital One Shopping report, and spending behavior analysts Consumer Edge, the 2025 U.S. secondhand market is worth an estimated $56 billion (up 14.3% from 2024) and visits to resale stores were up 39.5% in 2025 (compared to Q2 2019), with an 80% rise in thrift and consignment spending among GLP-1 users.
There are many reasons people frequent resale shops, from the economical to the environmental. Approximately one-third of clothing and apparel items purchased in the U.S. over the past year were secondhand, saving manufacturing resources and carbon emissions.
A renewed sense of discovery
But to me the best part of thrift shopping is cultural. Frequenting resale shops can provide that lovely convivial experience we once had when our shopping companions were friends, not phones. Im often surrounded by other shoppers inspired and excited by the prospect of what we might find and open to the unexpected. Because the nature of resale makes the clothing one-of-a-kind, theres a sense of discovery and camaraderie with shared conversations about a garments value and discussions about fit even among strangers.
With expanded size range and diversity of brands, todays resale stores are more like independent boutiques, which are harder and harder to find due to the financial hardships based in fluctuating consumer habits. These old-school stores were vision-led, with gut-sense merchants assembling intentional collections from many different brands, often with an artisanal vibe. Their small inventories were always percolating, bubbling up something new, in contrast to brand-led stores offering mass-produced clothing under the same label: racks of algorithmic-driven styles that may work conceptually in the boardroom, but not so much in the dressing room.
How to pick your spot
Because people tend to sell quantities of clothing close to home, the best way to thrift in the age of Ozempic is to pick a shop in an area where women are likely to wear the brands you want to find and go there regularly.
My usual spot is on a cobblestone-lined street in a village-like neighborhood a short train ride away from the center of the city where I liveonce called a railroad suburb. Look for a well-lit, well-organized store where the clothing is neatly hanging on uniform hangers.
If you do become a regular and see the same garments week after week, move onthat store isnt getting enough traffic to keep things interesting. Because you dont have to settle. Closet upheavals due to GLP-1 drugs are plentiful, giving us lots of options. So, experiment until you find your own resale sweet spot, then start building the wardrobe youve always wanted: Their loss is your gain.
Never before has the CMO position been more complexor more essential to driving business results. The mark of success for any chief marketing officer is their impact on the long-term trajectory of a beloved brand.
So, what does that look like in a year as chaotic as 2025, where there’s been on-again, off-again tariffs, massive holding company mergers, and the continued rise of AI across the board?
I reached out to CMOs from Hinge, McDonalds, Crayola, State Farm, and Kraft Heinz, five marketing leaders operating at the top of their game, navigating the chaos, and getting results. We talked about what lessons theyve learned from the past year, issues theyll be facing in the coming year, and what they expect to be the biggest shift marketers and brands can expect in 2026.
Here’s what they had to say…
What was your most important lesson or insight of 2025?
Invest in listening and learning! Remarkable strategy and creative work are always grounded in true insight and original ideas. Hearing your core audience, and their needs, must be central to how you do the work. Knowing which audiences are the most important to center, and learn from, is also important. Having a diverse, empowered team is a short cut here, for sure. At Hinge, our employee base mimics our user base. That is a powerful advantage. Hinge CMO (now CEO) Jackie Jantos
The pace of change is overwhelming for everyone (both our fans and our teams). Our most important job is to maintain human connections and be a place of joy for our fans.Morgan Flatley, McDonalds Global Chief Marketing Officer & Head of New Business Ventures
The best brand moments can’t always be planned. They come from teams that stay agile, take smart swings and can move in real time. Our decision to release our Batman vs. Bateman spot in March was carefully considered. We couldve launched it anywhere, but the alignment with college basketballwhere our brand is strong and the audience overlap is realmade the story land bigger. We kept our Super Bowl-level tactics across the entire campaignincluding cross-channel build-up and sneak previews, fan giveaways, top-tier talent, and it became one of March Madness top-performing campaigns. It’s important to build the muscle to move with audiences, show up with authenticity and add value in real time. State Farm CMO Kristyn Cook
2025 has been a whirlwind. Consumers and companies across the world have seen a lot of challenges and uncertainty. In these moments, I have learned it is more important than ever to focus on what is within your control. Focusing on brand superiority, the role our brands need to play in their respective categories and the joy they bring to consumers. It is not the time to sit back; it is the time to focus, invest in brands, and execute flawlessly. Kraft Heinz chief growth officer Diana Frost
“The most important lesson this year, again, is that brands cant just show up in culture, they need to create and contribute to it in ways that feel authentic and connect people. For Crayola, that meant adopting a more expansive brand narrative that reinforces our deep cultural roots and underscores our purpose: championing creativity as a lifelong skill. Its not only about products, experiences, and content that bring creativity to life, its about being recognized as an advocate for creativity as essential to growth and wellbeing.” Crayola CMO Victoria Lozano
How did the role of marketing change the most in 2025?
Marketers have a lot to contribute across the whole business. They should influence growth and business strategy, product development, and guide organizational culture. Hinges goal is to get daters off the app and into great dates. Delivering on this deeply human mission requires deep and nuanced understanding of core audiences and their relationship needsand a lot of imagination around which challenges we can take on, and how we can be in service of people. This is where marketings contribution can be profound. Hinge CMO (now CEO) Jackie Jantos
Marketing is central to our business growth, and this year we made some big bets that paid off. Take a look at Minecraft, where we brought together two iconic worlds that invited fans of all ages to play, eat, and build together. We proved that when we combine genuine passion for an idea, the power of our brand voice, and a killer fan truth, we can do incredible things for the business. This partnership increased traffic to our restaurants, fan excitement across nearly 100 markets, and success for the movie at the box office, too.
Weve also gotten much better as a system in sharing and scaling great ideas. Campaigns like The Grinch Meal and Menu Heist are examples of how fan-centered ideas can cross borders while adapting to local nuances and flavors. Often, the most powerful brand asset you have is your product. Morgan Flatley, McDonalds Global Chief Marketing Officer & Head of New Business Ventures
Every company is exploring how AI can sharpen their marketing. While AI is boosting the scientific side of marketing, the true strength comes from balancing science with artinstinct, human connection, and, most importantly, creativity. Creativity remains the ultimate differentiator for brandsit’s the force multiplier that enables everything else. If your creativity doesnt grab attention or stop the scroll, none of it matters. State Farm CMO Kristyn Cook
What will be the biggest difference between 2025 and 2026?
Getting people off the app and into great dates remains core to everything we do at Hinge. When daters have better outcomes their trust in Hinge grows, as does our businessorganically. But many emerging tools and technologies arent built with long-term user outcomes in mind. In 2026, well see an even sharper divide between brands that use technology guided by a set of valuesthat put peoples needs and wellbeing firstand those that dont. And young people will notice and care. Purposeful technology will increasingly become a differentiator. Hinge CMO (now CEO) Jackie Jantos
While the pace of change feels faster than ever, the fundamentals wont shift as much as we think they will. Technology and media are evolving, but the power of storytelling, killer creativity, and human connection remain constant. I read a striking thing at the start of this year: that TV is the most popular device for watching YouTube on, more than a cellphone or desktop. So, when people talk about the ‘death of TV,’ its not the death of watching things on a TV, in your living room, often with friends and family. Its just where that content came from and how it was served to you. Thats an important distinction. Our job is to navigate through the change, while not forgetting whats most important and meaningful to our brand and or fans.Morgan Flatley, McDonalds Global Chief Marketing Officer & Head of New Business Ventures
It is my belief that 2026 will have a lot of continued themes from 2025. That said, the pace of AI-powered marketing will continue to accelerate. AI-powered marketing will allow marketers to have a faster path than ever before to insights and analytics, brand co-pilots, innovation, content and recipe formulation. That said, it will never replace human curiosity, connection, and brand authenticity. Marketers require the ability to balance AI scale with human credibility.Kraft Heinz chief growth officer Diana Frost
What will be the most significant shift or issue for marketers in 2026?
Were entering a moment where technology and AI can meaningfully add value, but can also convincingly mimic empathy and smooth the friction that actually helps us grow as humans. That creates a new responsibility and accountability for marketers. Human relationships are complex, imperfect, and deeply important, and the products and messages we introduce into the world shape how people connect.
So the key question for marketers in 2026 will be: Who is our work truly serving? What are we contributing to culture and community? To stay relevant and build trust, brands will need to build with intention and continuously design for more positive human connection.Hinge CMO (now CEO) Jackie Jantos
Building the foundation with Gen Alpha. The entire brand economy has been focused on Gen Z. Were looking at whats next; how we earn a place in the world of our future customers so when theyre ready, we already feel familiar and trusted. They aren’t ‘younger Gen Z.’ Gen Z grew up digital, and Gen Alpha is growing up algorithmic. They expect content to know them, adapt to them and evolve with them in real time. We are doing our homework nowstudying how they stream, the platforms they are native to and how they want to engage with brands.
Platforms like Twitch and the streamers leading the conversation are shaping Gen Alphas taste. Community is very important niche fandoms, creator-led ecosystems, gaming environments will all matter more than broad channel reach. We need to build trust early on with moments and experiences they truly want, and create a world where content is hyper-personal, participatory, and always evolving. State Farm CMO Kristyn Cook
“Marketing is evolving from omni-channel storytelling to connected ecosystems in an AI-mediated world. But in a world of big data and advanced language models, the most powerful insights still come from real, human experiences. What scales isnt the broadest messageits the most authentic one. Listening to customers matters more than ever; the role of influencer content to drive preference is growing. In a landscape chasing ‘perfect’ information, creativity, empathy, and humanity arent just nice-to-havestheyre what set brands apart. The future of marketing isnt about chasing every channel. Its about the small, personal observationsthe little details about how people actually live and behaveand creating connected experiences that feel seamless, even when the ecosystem isnt. Consumers expect brands to meet them in these micro-moments with relevance and purpose, not noise.”Crayola CMO Victoria Lozano
Our role as marketers is to understand consumer behavior and use those insights to move people to engage with our brands. It is an art and science and there are key skills and capabilities required to do that now and in the future. As marketers, creativity and innovation are critical in this moment. AI supercharges conventional wisdom; creative problem solvers are the present and future of marketing. It has never been more important to be data proficient. We have more data than ever at our fingertips but using it to power insights and execution is key. How consumers discover, connect and transact with brands continues to evolve. Those who can best understand and breakthrough in the new consumer journey will win. Kraft Heinz chief growth officer Diana Frost
Theres something incredibly compelling about a brand-new year. A fresh start beckons, with each day untroubled by your past decisions. Whatever mistakes you made in 2025 are old news. They were sooo last year. Youre a new person now with new priorities, new habits, and new strategies. Its in this spirit of new-leaf-turning-over that nearly a third of American adultsand almost half of 18- to 29-year-oldsdecide to make New Years resolutions for the coming year.
Unfortunately, making resolutions doesnt work. Baylor College of Medicine reported in January 2024 that 88% of people who make resolutions abandon them within two weeks.
That doesnt mean change or improvement is impossible. It just means were going about it wrong each year on January 1 by declaring, This year will be different!
If youd like to improve your finances, your health, your relationships, or any other aspect of your life in 2026, try some anti-resolution strategies for making the year greatsince your resolutions probably wont live to see Groundhog Day.
Why resolutions dont work
Before choosing the best anti-resolution strategy for 2026, its a good idea to understand the psychological reasons why resolutions just dont work.
One of the problems has to do with the fresh start the new calendar year offers to us. We are anticipating a “new year, new you” moment for ourselves, which often leads to unrealistic and overambitious goals. We love to tell ourselves the story that we could go from broke and couch potato on December 31 to frugal and running 5Ks on January 1 through willpower alone. This story doesnt give us room for struggle, frustration, or failure.
Additionally, a New Years resolution is an external motivation. That decision to change comes about because the calendar is changing and not because of an internal push to change. This means that when the external motivation has disappearedat about the same time Planet Fitness has stopped airing New Years membership deals 24/7weve usually moved on, too.
Finally, we often make resolutions that require us to give something up. Financial resolutions ask you to deprive yourself of luxuries or conveniences, like streaming services or DoorDash when youve had a rough day. Health resolutions expect you to live without ice cream or fried foods indefinitely. While the intention behind these deprivation resolutions is goodsaving money or improving your cholesterol levelsyou cant expect to white-knuckle your way through these losses for an entire year.
Humans are wired to be loss-averse, which means the pain of giving up things we like feels more intense than the pleasure we enjoy when we receive the same treats.
Unresolved in 2026
Looking at the start of a brand-new year makes me want to harness the excitement and enthusiasm of starting over with brand-new behavior. But Ive learned over the years that I need actual strategies that will help me change my habits if I want to make lasting improvements to different areas of my life.
The strategies that work tend to have these things in common:
The changes are bite-size. Rather than changing your entire life, you should focus on little habits you can adopt one day at a time.
You leave room for imperfection. Pobodys nerfect! And you will not pick up your new habit without mistakes, setbacks, and failures. Plan for them.
You want to make the change. We often make resolutions that dont really reflect our actual wants or motivations. But change happens only when we want it to.
The change adds something to your life. Rather than making you feel deprived, habit change should offer some kind of benefit that you can name.
Here are the anti-resolution strategies that will make 2026 your best year ever.
2026 Bingo
In December 2024, instead of setting resolutions, I created a “2025 Bingo” board, after seeing several individuals on social media posting about the trend. For this gamified goal-setting exercise, come up with 25 different aspirations you would like to achieve in 2026 and fill a 5-square-by-5-square poster board with them.
Setting your 2026 intentions this way offers a number of benefits. First, it allows you to keep thinking about your goals throughout the year. For example, I ran a 5K in October of 2025, filling in that square of my bingo board very late in the year. Had I simply resolved to run a 5K in January, I would certainly have forgotten about it by fall.
[Photo: Emily Guy Birkin]
In addition, by giving yourself 25 spaces, you have room for audacious, silly, unrealistic, and embarrassing goals. While some of my goals were entirely within my control, such as running the race, going to the theater, and visiting a new state, there were other goals that I only had some control over, such as my goal for a certain level of income and my long-term goal to get a Wikipedia page. (Did I mention you can put embarrassing goals on here?)
If you decide to create a “2026 Bingo” card, consider giving yourself a free space in the middle, and aim for five in a row by the end of the year. Whether or not you make it, youll set yourself up to think about what you want and how you can get itand you’ll have some fun with it.
Set monthly resolutions
Part of what makes a New Years resolution so daunting is the fact that youre trying to make a change that will last for the entirety of 2026. But committing to a change for a single month is much more doableand it can lead to long-lasting behavior change.
For example, studies show that people who take part in the annual Dry January sobriety challenge do not return to their former drinking habits after the month ends. Additionally, they tend to make long-term changes to their drinking habits and see sustained health benefits after takng part in just one Dry January challenge.
Start thinking about what you would like to tackle each month. Perhaps you might focus on paying down debt in January. February could be when you focus on your taxes. March might be about getting your retirement planning started.
Another benefit of this strategy is that you dont have to decide all at once what your resolution will be for each month. As the year progresses, you can make new resolutions for each month as you reach them. And even though your focus may change from one month to the next, you can feel confident that youll reap benefits from each months focus long after it ends.
Find your 2026 mantra
You may have seen people talk about choosing a word for the year (often in the same corners of the internet where you might find people with unironic “Live, Laugh, Love” decor). The idea behind a word for the year is to choose a guiding ideasuch as abundance, grace, or explorationthat you will use to focus your mindset for the year.
Health writer Tara Parker-Pope describes these as nudge words and says choosing one will nudge you toward positive change whenever you think of it.
But rather than a single word, you may find it even more helpful to adopt a phrase for the year that embodies the change you want to make. For example, if you are hoping to pay off debt, the mantra “Slow and steady wins the race” could be a regular reminder to keep making payments whenever you can.
Alternatively, the phrase “Progress, not perfection” could be a good mantra for someone who puts off contributing to their retirement account for fear of making suboptimal investment decisions.
And someone who is trying to save up for a down payment might adopt the mantra “Any amount of money I can set aside today is better than none.” Because even saving a couple of bucks consistently will add up over time.
Plan for all of 2026, not just January
New Years resolutions may feel good on January 1, but they dont last. Not only do we make unrealistic and ambitious plans for ourselves with traditional resolutions, but we are also trying to make changes based on external motivation. No wonder the vast majority of resolutions fail before February.
To make changes that will really stick in 2026, your strategy needs to rely on bite-size changes that dont require perfection and that add something beneficial to your life.
Creating a 2026 bingo card allows you to choose 25 goalsfrom the sublime to the ridiculousand will keep you invested in your goals all year long. Setting monthly resolutionssimilar to the annual Dry January sobriety challengemakes it less intimidating to adopt new habits while reaping the long-term rewards. And choosing a mantra for 2026 can help nudge you to make the positive changes you want to see in your life.
Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter.
During its earnings call on Wednesday, executives at Lennara giant homebuilder with a market capitalization of $27 billionsaid the federal government is working on a plan to help alleviate strained housing affordability.
Lennar executives said federal officials are actively engaging with homebuilders and industry groups to better understand constraintsand to avoid policies that could unintentionally damage supply. While no specific program was outlined, management suggested it would be surprising if no meaningful action emerged in 2026, given current discussions.
Here’s what Stuart Miller, co-CEO of Lennar, said on its December 17, 2025, earnings call:
I think the crystal ball around government activity is really complicated, but I can tell you that a number of homebuilders have gone in to see critical officials within the [federal] government. We have received a lot of attention. There’s a lot of thought process going on. You’ve seen trial balloons put out around various types of programs. What’s interesting is that the government has been very tuned in to the industry to make sure that they’re not walking into unintended consequences. So whatever is done, that it be constructed properly, is important. And to your question of you know, do I think that something will come out in 2026? I’d be surprised if something isn’t done. I think affordability is very much on the table. It’s a political issue right now, and I think across the country, you’re hearing the drumbeat of that being a primary focal point, and politically it’s important that someone pick up the mantle and do something to address it, rather than just throw money at it. So it’ll be interesting, and we’ll have to sit back and wait and see what comes out.
This week, Americas second-largest homebuilder, Lennar, reported additional gross margin compression in the past quarter, as it had to spend more on incentives to maintain sales volume amid the soft housing market environment.
To maintain sales in this softer market, Lennar spent an average of 14% of the final sales price on incentivessuch as mortgage rate buydownsin Q4 2025, up from 10% in Q4 2024. In normal times, Lennars sales incentive rate is around 5% to 6%.
On its typical sale, Lennar spent $62,837 on incentives last quarter, according to ResiClubs analysis published on December 18.
Whats interesting is that Lennar appeared to suggest to analysts on December 17 that whatever the federal government is cooking up could be enough to improve housing market conditions and reduce Lennars currently elevated incentive spending/improve margins.
According to Miller:
The strategy is: Let us [Lennar] build the volume that the country and the consumers need. Let’s make it affordable at this time where affordability is so strained, and let’s find ways to make ourselves more efficient, and let’s expect that something is going to come through the governmental ranks to support that affordability and enable the market to enter the housing market, and the reduction in incentives is going to flow through to our margin.
What kind of action does Lennar think the federal government could take that would be meaningful enough to reduce incentive spending and expand margins?
Lennar didnt say.
Back on November 8, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte and President Donald Trump announced that the administration was exploring a 50-year mortgage option to help lower some homebuyers monthly payments. Within minutes of the announcement, a sizable backlash erupted on social media, and Pulte began walking back the idea.
Amid that 50-year mortgage backlash, Pulte also floated the idea of portable mortgages. It remains unclear what he meant by portable (for example, an expansion of assumable mortgages?), whether such a policy would be legal, or how seriously the idea was being considered.
The Trump administration previously discussed the idea of Freedom Citiesselling off more federal land that could be used to build housing and new communities.
The tech industry has endured another turbulent year, buffeted by the continued rise of artificial intelligence and the economic threats posed by President Donald Trumps tariffs. Even the most prominent companies encountered challenges they never imagined theyd have to face. As 2025 comes to a close, here are Apple’s biggest wins and greatest failures of the year.
Apples biggest wins of 2025
iPhone 17 series
Without a doubt, Apples biggest win of 2025 is the iPhone 17 series, which includes the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Myriad reports suggest that iPhone 17 series sales have exceeded both Apples and investors expectations.
Apple redesigned the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro this year, giving the former a much-improved display, a vastly better camera system, and longer battery life. The Pro versions got an all-new unibody design, the best cameras in an iPhone ever, and up to 39 hours of battery life.
While these improvements are mainly iterative, they ticked the boxes that consumers care most about in their phones: camera and battery life. And those consumers have rewarded Apple for it. iPhone 17 sales have surged in the U.S. and, more importantly, in China, the worlds largest smartphone market after the USA. Apples iPhone sales were a key factor in the recovery of the company’s stock, after it got hammered earlier this year due to its possible exposure to Trumps tariffs.
Liquid Glass
After the iPhone, Apples next most important product is iOS, the operating system that powers its handsets. This year, Apple made the rare move of completely revamping the look of that operating system with the introduction of the Liquid Glass design language in iOS 26. It was the first time the company had radically changed iOS’s look since 2013.
While iOS 26s Liquid Glass faced early criticism, as most visual overhauls do, Apple has continued to tweak the look and feel of the new design language. As a result, much of the online furor over the changes seems to have died down. More importantly, iOS 26’s new design gives Apples smartphone software a distinct look that immediately distinguishes it from Android. In the end, the softwares ability to mimic the way light bands and warps through glass has brought a level of fun and playfulness to Apples flagship product not seen since the days of Steve Jobs.
Apples simplified branding
The final big win for Apple in 2025 is not a product or feature, but a branding strategy. As Apples product lineup has grown in recent years, its product names have become confusing, particularly when it comes to software and services. But this year, Apple decided to simplify things.
Previously, Apple’s operating systems were branded with different version numbers (iOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, etc). Now they’re named after the upcoming year: iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26. This streamlined naming structure makes it easy for users to determine whether their device is running the latest software.
And Apple didnt stop there. The company also mercifully decided to drop the overused plus sign from its streaming services name, too.
Apples greatest failures of 2025
iPhone Air
While the iPhone 17 series may have been full of iterative updates this year (which consumers seem to have loved), Apple swung for the fences with another 2025 iPhone: the all-new iPhone Air. At just 5.6 millimeters, it is Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever. Yet multiple reports say that there has been hardly any demand for the companys newest smartphone.
The main problems with the iPhone Air seem to be its subpar camera system and relatively short battery life. As the success of the iPhone 17 series teaches us, those are the two things customers care about most. Demand for the new device is so weak that Apple has reportedly cut production by more than 80%. Still, Apple may have already gotten what it really wanted: proof of concept that it could make an iPhone so thin that it could join two together to create the first dual-screen iPhone foldable.
Apple Intelligence
2025 may have been a year of continued artificial intelligence progression across the tech industry, but Apples AI system, Apple Intelligence, hardly added any new AI featuresnot worthwhile ones, anyway. The company added some useful Live Translation features, but other than that, it mainly just enhanced Apple Intelligence with gimmicks that other AI systems have long been capable of, such as on-screen image recognition and new AI slop filters.
Those hoping to see a revamped Siri that could compete with the likes of OpenAIs ChatGPT and Googles Gemini will have to wait until 2026or later. Yet I question how much consumers care about Apple lagging in the AI space, given that they can already run nearly any third-party AI app on their iPhone. Still, the lack of innovative AI advancements is a bad look for the company, which is otherwise the de facto innovation leader in the industry.
Apple Vision Pro M5
One area in which Applehas undoubtedly innovated in recent years is augmented reality, thanks to its groundbreaking Apple Vision Pro headset. In 2025, Apple announced the successor to the original Vision Pro, updated with the M5 Apple Silicon chip, which enables higher resolution and other display enhancements.
Yet Apple didnt address the myriad other issues with the technologically impressive device, notably its heavy weight and eye-watering $3,499 price point. Because of this, the headset remains a niche product that is unappealing or financially out of reach to the average user.
Have you ever tried quickly looking something up on Wikipediajust because youre curious or maybe for workonly to, a half an hour later, wonder why youre reading about the history of the European Space Agency?
In my opinion, Wikipedia is one of the last good websites on the internet. Outside of the occasional fundraiser, there are no ads, no dark patterns, and no clickbaitits just information. Which leaves no doubt in my mind that falling into a Wikipedia rabbit hole is healthier than scrolling on social media.
Even so, it can be addictive, and links are the reason why. Every Wikipedia article is jam packed with links to other Wikipedia articles, which is exactly why you end up down rabbit holes. Often, though, you dont understand how you wound up where you didso what if you could visualize exactly that?
This tip originally appeared in the free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. Get the next issue in your inbox and get ready to discover all sorts of awesome tech treasures!
Your new digital cork board
To create a visualization of how you got from point A to point B on Wikipedia, head to Wikiboard.
Wikiboard creates a mind mapwhich allows you to see how various concepts are connectedas you browse Wikipedia.
You can start browsing immediately.
To get started, open Wikiboard and enter your search termit will pull up the corresponding Wikipedia page.
The first article you select opens in its own box on Wikiboard, and as you browse, the site creates new boxes for every link you click, drawing lines from one article to another as they open.
Once your board is created, you can scroll and zoom as much as you like. You can also rearrange the boxes and add sticky notes, allowing you to organize and add a bit of context to everything as you browse.
~wikiboard.pngThis isn’t your father’s Wikipedia.~
One note: Wikiboard is currently only for larger screens, so you wont be able to use it on your phone.
This could be a useful research tool, enabling you to see how concepts relate to each other as youre learning. You can even save separate boards in your browser so you to come back to them later.
And while I could spin this as purely a research tool, its also just plain fun. Theres something amazing about visualizing your Wikipedia rabbit holes.
Next time you feel like going on a deep dive, give Wikiboard a go. Going back and seeing the steps you took on your Wikipedia rabbit hole is endless entertaining, and can teach you a lot about your interests as well.
You can open Wikiboard in your browser on any desktop-sized device.
Wikiboard is free to use. You can opt to make a donation to support the developer if you like, but its not required.
You dont need to create an account to use Wikiboard, and the site has no ads.
Treat yourself to all sorts of brain-boosting goodies like this with the free Cool Tools newsletterstarting with an instant introduction to an incredible audio app thatll tune up your days in truly delightful ways.
Planning to hit the road this holiday season? Or maybe just thinking about an extended drive of some sort for sometime in the new year?
The next time youve got a driving adventure ahead of you, todays Cool Tools discovery is exactly the new virtual companion you need. Its a truly cool app I encountered recently that enhances your standard navigation setup and offers some really smart extras thatll make whatever trip youre taking infinitely more interestingand enjoyable.
Lemme show ya what its all about.
This tip originally appeared in the free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. Get the next issue in your inbox and get ready to discover all sorts of awesome tech treasures!
Next-level navigation
So, weve all got our standard navigation go-tobe it Google Maps, Waze, or (maybe?) even (gasp!) Apple Maps (hiccough).
But in addition to those basic getting-you-where-you-need-to-go basics is an opportunity to inject some extra entertainment into your journey along the way.
And thats precisely what an app called Roadtrippers is all about.
Roadtrippers is a service that helps you find worthwhile stops and sights along whatever route youre taking. Whether youre looking for parks and monuments, activities and experiences, or even just especially interesting or commendable hotels and restaurants, its a spiffy supplement to your standard mapping setup and a welcome way to enhance an adventure.
Depending on the nature of your trip and how deeply you want to explore your options, youll need anywhere from three to 15 minutes to poke around a route and unearth something useful.
To start, either pull up the Roadtrippers website in any browser youre using or grab the official Android app or iOS app for a phone or tabletand then:
Click inside the Starting point field within the Create a route box on the web or tap the Start planning your trip field in the mobile app.
Fill in where youre starting and where youre going. You can use a specific address, if you want, or just stick to a broad city name for either piece of the puzzle.
At some point along the way, Roadtrippers will prompt you to sign in or create a free account. You can either use an email address or follow the options to sign in via Google, Apple, or Facebook, if youd like.
Make sure you pick the Quick Launch option, then click or tap through to get your trip a-goin.
Roadtrippers may prompt you to upgrade to a free trial of a premium plan somewhere in this process, but you can just X out of that prompt and continue with the free version. It has plenty of info to keep you busy.
Once you see the map view, just tap any icon along the route to look at it more closely and optionally add it into your trip.
Roadtrippers surfaces interesting spots all along your route.
Be sure to zoom in to specific parts of the route, toousing either the standard two-finger pinching gesture on mobile or the plus and minus icons (or, alternatively, a mouse scroll wheel) on desktopto reveal even more detail and specific suggestions for different parts of your drive.
The more you zoom in, the more possibilities you’ll see.
You can also click or tap the Explore tab to browse through the available suggestions. There, you can filter by the specific type of attraction, as well as its distance from your route, and also choose to sort by popularity, distance, rating, or number of reviews.
The “Explore” tab is a fantastic way to filter and find the exact types of attractions you want.
And, once more, anytime you find something interesting, you can add it directly onto your route with a single click or tap.
Anything you discover can be added into an trip with a quick click or tap.
Now, a note: Sooner or later, youll almost certainly encounter limitations and additional nudges to upgrade to a paid subscription. Those plans do offer some intriguing extras, and if you use Roadtrippers enough over the long haul, they might be worthwhile to considerif youre so inspired.
BUT, you realy can make the most of the app and its drive-enhancing intelligence even with just the free base version. Keep in mind:
Even though Roadtrippers wont let you add more than three total destinations to any trip youre planning, you can still use it to look along a route and find interesting placesthen simply add em into your plans in Google Maps or whatever regular navigation app youre already using.
While Roadtrippers allows for only a single saved trip at a time in its free level, you can easily delete any trip youve already planned and then reset that limitation so you can start again.
And if you really get into the Roadtrippers thing and want to go all in with one of its premium plan options, you can find coupon codes thatll bring the cost down by a good amount right on the Roadtrippers website.
Whether you end up taking one of the premium plans out for a test-drive or just stickin with the simpler free version, Roadtrippers is a tremendous resource to add into your trip-planning toolbox.
All thats left is to plan out the perfect road trip playlist and secure some salty snacks.
Roadtrippers is available on the web or in native apps for both Android and iOS.
Its free to use, at its base level, with optional subscriptions that lift limitations and unlock extra features. Those range from $36 to $60 a year, though coupon codes can lower those costs considerably.
The site does require you to create an account to do much, but promises not to send you any upsells or other marketing info if you opt out of those options. And it doesnt share or sell any information.
Treat yourself to all sorts of brain-boosting goodies like this with the free Cool Tools newsletterstarting with an instant introduction to an incredible audio app thatll tune up your days in truly delightful ways.
In the Star Trek universe, the audience occasionally gets a glimpse inside schools on the planet Vulcan. Young children stand alone in pods surrounded by 360-degree digital screens. Adults wander among the pods but do not talk to the students. Instead, each child interacts only with a sophisticated artificial intelligence, which peppers them with questions about everything from mathematics to philosophy.
This is not the reality in todays classrooms on Earth. For many technology leaders building modern AI, however, a vision of AI-driven personalized learning holds considerable appeal. Outspoken venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, for example, imagines that the AI tutor will be by each childs side every step of their development.
Years ago, I studied computer science and interned in Silicon Valley. Later, as a public school teacher, I was often the first to bring technology into my classroom. I was dazzled by the promise of a digital future in education.
Now, as a social scientist who studies how people learn, I believe K-12 schools need to question predominant visions of AI for education.
Individualized learning has its place. But decades of educational research are also clear that learning is a social endeavor at its core. Classrooms that privilege personalized AI chatbots overlook that fact.
School districts under pressure
Generative AI is coming to K-12 classrooms. Some of the largest school districts in the country, such as Houston and Miami, have signed expensive contracts to bring AI to thousands of students. Amid declining enrollment, perhaps AI offers a way for districts to both cut costs and seem cutting edge.
Pressure is also coming from both industry and the federal government. Tech companies have spent billions of dollars building generative AI and see a potential market in public schools. Republican and Democratic administrations have been enthusiastic about AIs potential for education.
Decades ago, educators promoted the benefits of One Laptop per Child. Today, it seems we may be on the cusp of one chatbot per child. What does educational research tell us about what this model could mean for childrens learning and well-being?
Learning is a social process
During much of the 20th century, learning was understood mainly as a matter of individual cognition. In contrast, the latest science on learning paints a more multidimensional picture.
Scientists now understand that seemingly individual processessuch as building new knowledgeare actually deeply rooted in social interactions with the world around us.
Neuroscience research has shown that even from a young age, peoples social relationships influence which of our genes turn on and off. This matters because gene expression affects how our brains develop and our capacity to learn.
In classrooms, this suggests that opportunities for social interactionfor instance, children listening to their classmates ideas and haggling over what is true and whycan support brain health and academic learning.
Research in the social sciences has long since proved the value of high-quality classroom discourse. For example, in a well-cited 1991 study involving over 1,000 middle school students across more than 50 English classrooms, researchers Martin Nystrand and Adam Gamoran found that children performed significantly better in classes exhibiting more uptake, more authenticity of questions, more contiguity of reading, and more discussion time.
In short, research tells us that rich learning happens when students have opportunities to interact with other people in meaningful ways.
AI in classrooms lacks research evidence
What does all of this mean for AI in education?
Introducing any new technology into a classroom, especially one as alien as generative AI, is a major change. It seems reasonable that high-stakes decisions should be based on solid research evidence.
But theres one problem: The studies that school leaders need just arent there yet. No one really knows how generative AI in K-12 classrooms will affect childrens learning and social development.
Current research on generative AIs impact on student learning is limited, inconclusive, and tends to focus on older studentsnot K-12 children. Studies of AI use thus far have tended to focus on either learning outcomes or individual cognitive activity.
Although standardized test scores and critical thinking skills matter, they represent a small piece of the educational experience. It is also important to understand generative AIs real-life impact on students.
For example: How does it feel to learn from a chatbot, day after day? What is the longer-term impact on childrens mental health? How does AI use affect childrens relationships with each other and with their teachers? What kinds of relationships might children form with the chatbots themselves? What will AI mean for educational inequities related to social forces such as race and disability?
More broadly, I think now is the time to ask: What is the purpose of K-12 education? What do we, as a society, actually want children to learn?
Of course, every child should learn how to write essays and do basic arithmetic. But beyond academic outcomes, I believe schools can also teach students how to become thoughtful citizens in their communities.
To prepare young people to grapple with complex societal issues, the National Academy of Education has called for classrooms where students learn to engage in civic discourse across subject areas. That kind of learning happens best through messy discussions with people who dont think alike.
To be clear, not everything in a classroom needs to involve discussions among classmates. And research does indicate that individualized instruction can also enhance social forms of learning.
So I dont want to rule out the possibility that classroom-based generative AI might augment learning or the quality of students social interactions. However, the tech industrys deep investments in individualized forms of AIas well as the disappointing history of technology in classroomsshould give schools pause.
Good teaching blends social and individual processes. My concern about personalized AI tutors is how they might crowd out already infrequent opportunities for social interaction, further isolating children in classrooms.
Center childrens learning and development
Education is a relational enterprise. Technology may play a role, but as students spend more and more class time on laptops and tablets, I dont think screens should displace the human-to-human interactions at the heart of education.
I see the beneficial application of any new technology in the classroomAI or otherwiseas a way to build upon the social fabric of human learning. At its best, it facilitates, rather than impedes, childrens development as people. As schools consider how and whether to use generative AI, the years of research on how children learn offer a way to move forward.
Niral Shah is an associate professor of learning sciences & human development at the University of Washington.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
In todays corporate landscape, optics often precede outcomes, especially in technology-led transformations. Announcements of new platforms, AI-powered strategies, or digital-first pledges frequently come long before the underlying infrastructure to support them. That was Teds reality as the chief growth officer at a global bank when his CEO unveiled a high-profile AI-Powered Growth Strategy positioned as a bold leap forward.
The announcement made headlines and thrilled investors, but behind the scenes, the organization wasnt prepared. Ted was given a skeletal team of two direct reports, a patchwork of third-party tools, and the mandate to partner with five global banking divisions serving more than 500 employees. He was expected to turn the AI vision into reality with little structural support.
This tension is commonand survivable. Leaders who maintain credibility dont scrap such pledges or decry them. Instead, they manage the gap between promise and proof. A well-intentioned CEO may launch an initiative to signal innovation, but when systems or skills lag, ambition can outpace execution.
WeJenny, as an executive adviser and learning & development expert, and Kathryn, as an executive coach and keynote speakerhave identified five strategies to help executive teams navigate these moments with integrity and strategic foresight, especially when the initiative is more symbolic than substantive in its early stages.
1. Balance bold aspiration with candid honesty
In the early stages of transformation, perception often outpaces progress. Stakeholders want visible proof that change is real. McKinsey found that 70% of digital transformations fail to meet their intended outcomes because senior executives either overpromise or disengage when early wins dont materialize.
Those charged with execution must balance bold aspiration with candid honesty, communicating both the vision (Heres where were heading) and gap (Heres what it will take to get there) to maintain trust and momentum.
Behind the scenes, Ted allocated 20% of the budget to data cleanup and capability-building, unseen but essential work such as strengthening data quality and governance, building the pipelines and quality controls that support mission-critical AI, and elevating the organizations baseline AI literacy. Within a year, three pilots validated the transformation narrative and quieted early skeptics. Edelmans Trust Barometer shows that stakeholders extend grace when leaders communicate with clarity and consistency, not performative certainty. Credibility, not charisma, sustains momentum through uncertainty.
Try this: Balance vision with transparency. Use confident yet realistic language, such as Were learning in real time or This is a multi-year capability build.
2. Map Whats Performative vs. Whats Possible
Not every element of a high-visibility initiative will yield immediate results. The key is distinguishing symbolic actions that signal intent from those that build lasting capability.
Theresa, chief digital officer at a consumer goods firm, launched a public digital transformation week with town halls and press coverage. She brought in her AI agency partners and major retail customers to show alignment and signal momentum, partnership, and focus. The event created attention, but she knew the real work would happen out of sight.
She used a short-horizon/long-horizon approach. The short horizon created urgency and rallied stakeholders, while the longer horizon anchored on execution. She reassigned 30% of her team to integrate legacy systems, clean priority datasets, and run joint sprints with her AI partners. That groundwork created a technical foundation strong enough to support advanced modeling. Within nine months, they delivered a demand-forecasting model that reduced inventory outages by 18%, transforming a performative launch into measurable operational value.
When mapping an initiative, clarify two horizons:
Short horizon (06 months): What signals matter? (e.g., visible executive sponsorship, internal messaging, external storytelling)
Mid / long horizon (624+ months): What structural enablers must be built? (e.g., data platforms, technology partnerships, governance, skills)
Visibility matters, but only when its paired with substance.
Try this: Separate the symbolic from the structural. Create a two-horizon map to test balance: Which actions build momentum? and Which build capability? Then ensure both are visible.
3. Leverage Visibility as Currency
When a high-profile initiative captures attention, use that spotlight to build political capital and secure future resources. Leaders who link early symbolic wins to longer-term learning sustain engagement and trust.
Julie, a chief marketing officer we advised, leveraged her companys Digital Reinvention campaign to secure additional funding for employee upskilling, positioning it as the bridge between aspiration and execution.
Try this: Treat visibility not as validation, but as leverage. Ask, What can this attention buy us: credibility, talent, or momentum? That perspective turns optics from vanity to value.
4. Build Small Wins that Prove Real Value
Symbolic gestures lose power without substance. Once the spotlight fades, stakeholders want proof. Anchor your narrative in small, visible wins: projects, pilots, or behaviors that validate early promises.
Start with pilots that address real pain points: automate a reporting process, improve data access for a critical team, or integrate AI into a single workflow. For Ted, that meant delivering credible proof pointsan AI-powered lead scoring model that lifted conversion rates by 12%, a unified customer insights dashboard, and a monthly What Were Learning series to build internal momentum.
Small, visible progress converts skepticism into trust and gradually shifts perception from Its all optics to Its starting to work.
Try this: Start small, but make progress visible. Choose one pilot that solves a visible pain point within 90 days. Publicize lessons learned, not just the result, to show that momentum is real, even if imperfect.
5. Reframe the Narrative: From Optics to Opportunity
The best leaders dont deny the optics, they reframe them as stepping stones to a larger transformation.
Gary, a nonprofit CEO we coached, introduced his first AI pilot as symbolic but necessary. It wasnt yet transformative, but it sparked a mindset shift: leaders began talking about data ethics, digital fluency, and decision-making transparency. As he put it, The project wasnt about the tool. It was about changing how we think.
Reframing is essential. Deloitte and BCG both show that real value emerges when strategy, technology, and human systems align. Symbolic gestures only matter if they lead to lasting capability and behavior change.
When leaders treat optics as openings rather than distractions, they turn visibility into belief. Stakeholders who see learning, transparency, and follow-through extend trust, and grant the runway needed for real transformation.
Try this: Name the signal and the shift. Say, This initiative signals where were headed. Then ask, What new conversations or capabilities did this open up?
In complex transformations, optics are not the enemy. Theyre a catalyst for belief. What matters is how leaders use those moments to align teams, secure investment, and guide the narrative from promise to proof.
Integrity isnt about rejecting optics; its about ensuring they serve a larger purpose. The most effective leaders turn visibility into accountability and symbolic beginnings into lasting systems.
UnitedHealth Group has laid off dozens of remote employees in healthcare technology and services marketing from its Optum unit, who were given two weeks notice in November, sources told Health Payer Specialist.
Fast Company has reached out to UnitedHealth for confirmation.
Those employees were based in “multiple states on the East coast and in the Midwest,” according to that report, and are among UnitedHealth’s roughly 400,000 employees across the U.S. (It is the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest healthcare insurer.)
The healthcare giant is just the latest company in a string of industries to announce layoffs, which have hit almost every sector of the American economy in 2025. The layoffs come amid fierce criticism of the company’s healthcare and insurance practices.
UnitedHealth Group and UnitedHealthcare have received backlash and widespread criticism over consumer allegations of costly insurance, overbilling, denial of necessary care, and patient privacy violations, among other complaints. (UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder in December 2024 was met with little sympathy by some Americans, as Fast Company previously reported.)
On Friday, the company released the first round of results of an independent audit of its business, saying it was committed “to setting a new standard of transparency for the health care marketplace,” and vowing to make improvements through “23 action plans”with 65% to be completed by the end of 2025, and all 100% by the end of the first quarter of next year in March 2026.
Those include: enhancing policy governance and maintenance, strengthening processes for ongoing monitoring and tracking progress of corrective actions, enhancing risk, and optimizing manufacturer discount processes.
“We hope that you see these assessments as a commitment to setting a new standard of transparency for the health care marketplace, as we believe that you and every person who engages with our health system deserves to understand how we go about our work,” CEO Steve Hemsley said in the statement.
