MacworldI sit in front of a Mac all day (like you probably do), so I rely on notifications a lot, especially to communicate with co-workers, friends, and family. The problem Ive been having, however, is that the Messages app often fakes me out with phantom unread messages, leaving me frustrated and confused.Heres what happens: The Messages icon in the Dock shows a red 1 badge, indicating that theres a new message. But when I open Messages, theres nothing new, and worse, the badge wont go away. So I go back to work for a while, pull up the Dock, see the badge (again), and think I have a new message (again). The badge usually goes away when I restart my Mac, but thats not something I like to do all that often.At first, I found the way to get rid of the badge accidentally. After it popped up again, I accidentally right-clicked on the app icon in the Dock (with two fingers on the trackpad, right-click or Control-click on a mouse), which opened up the pop-up options menu. under the New Message option at the top of the menu was a tally of my messages with a notification that one was unread. I clicked it, and a blank conversation appeared that was apparently tricking the app into thinking I had an unread message. I deleted it and the badge disappeared.FoundryBut then that fix stopped working. So I had to resort to another fix that isnt so convenient, but it does work. It involves syncing Messages with iCloud. HEres what to do:Open System Settings and click on your Apple Account at the very top of the left column.In the main window, click on iCloud.Click on Messages.Click on Sync Now.FoundryThis performs a Message sync with iCloud and it should clear up the phantom badge. Its not really a fix for my problemtheres clearly a bug in Messages on my Mac thats causing thisbut until an update fixes it, I can at least clear the phantom badge and get back to work.Today I Learned is a Macworld column that spotlights lesser-known but useful tips and tricks for Apple users. If you have any ideas for future columns, send an email to michael_simon@idg.com.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro Founder Ricardo Scofidio Dies At 89html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"American architect and Diller Scofidio + Renfro partner Ricardo Scofidio has passed away at the age of 89. Scofidio founder the New York-based firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) with her partner Elizabeth Diller in 1981.Scofidio, who led the firm with Elizabeth Diller, Charles Renfro and Benjamin Gilmartin, was known for his high-profile and large-scale projects, including the High Line and The Shed arts center projects.Announced on DS+R's Instagram account, the firm said that "it is with great sadness that we announce DS+R founder Ricardo Scofidio has passed away peacefully on March 6, 2025 at the age of 89."DS+R's High Line in New York completed in 2014. Image Iwan Baan"He was surrounded by his family, including his partner in life and work, Elizabeth Diller. Ric had a profound impact on our architectural practice, establishing the studio with a mission to make space on his own terms.""The firms partners and principals, many of whom have collaborated with him for decades, will extend his architectural legacy in the work we will continue to perform every day," the firm added."A memorial service to celebrate Rics life is being planned and will be announced in the coming weeks," said the statement.Ricardo's interdisciplinary work has brought him recognition on TIME's "100 Most Influential People" list and the first architecture-related MacArthur Foundation fellowship.Evening view of The Shed, from 30th Street. Photo Iwan Baan. Courtesy The ShedHe was in charge of designing the Blur Building, a fog-made pavilion on Lake Neuchtel for the 2002 Swiss Expo, the High Line, an adaptive reuse of an old, industrial rail infrastructure into a 1.5-mile public park, and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York and The Broad in Los Angeles.Many of the studio's independent projects were led by Ricardo Scofidio, such as Musings on a Glass Box for the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in Paris, Tourisms: suitCase Studies, an exploration of American tourist attractions at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and Soft Sell, a video installation in an abandoned porn theater in Times Square.The Broad Museum on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. Image Iwan BaanAt The Cooper Union School of Architecture, he held the title of Professor Emeritus.Scofidio went on to study architecture at the Cooper Union School of Architecture, then in 1960, while GSAPP was still known as The Columbia School of Architecture, he graduated from Columbia with a Bachelor of Architecture. In 1965, he started teaching at the Cooper Union.Although DS+R is most recognized for its cultural projects that have been completed all over the world, the office actually calls itself a "interdisciplinary" studio because of the wide range of projects it has worked on in the areas of print, digital media, architecture, installations, art, multi-media performance, and urban design.Lincoln Center in New York completed in 2010. The studio redesigned public spaces of the building, including the Central Plaza, the North Plaza, the conversion of 65th Street from a service corridor into a new central spine, the transformation of three blocks of Lincoln Centers frontage at Columbus Avenue and eventually, Damrosch Park. Image courtesy of DS+RProjects by DS+R do not adhere to a certain architectural language; instead, they incorporate flexibility, complexity, new materiality, a new media interface, and a strong emphasis on public space.The most well-known projects designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro include the High Line Park in New York, which was created by converting the former industrial rail infrastructure into a 1.5-mile public park; the Broad Art Museum in Los Angeles, which was completed in 2015 with the intention of urbanizing the structure for people arriving straight from the street; and the renovation of Lincoln Center's half-century-old performing arts campus.The firm has won multiple accolades, including the 2009 Royal Academy Architecture Prize. In the same year, Scofidio and Diller were recognized among Time's Worlds Most Influential People.The top image in the article: Ricardo Scofidio Geordie Wood.> via DS+R

Liu Jiakun Wins The 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prizehtml PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Chinese architect Liu Jiakun has been named as the recipient of the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the prestigious award that is regarded internationally as architectures highest honor.The jury praised the Chengdu-based architect for "imagining and constructing new worlds, free from any aesthetic or stylistic constraint" and "evaluating the specific characteristics and requirements of each project differently."Liu is the founder of Jiakun Architects, which was founded in 1999, and the 54th Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. He lives and works in Chengdu, China, where he was born."Architecture should abstract, distill and make visible the inherent qualities of local people""Architecture should reveal somethingit should abstract, distill and make visible the inherent qualities of local people," said Liu Jiakun, the 2025 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize."It has the power to shape human behavior and create atmospheres, offering a sense of serenity and poetry, evoking compassion and mercy, and cultivating a sense of shared community, expressed Liu.Over the course of his four-decade career, Liu has completed over thirty projects in China, including civic areas, commercial buildings, academic and cultural institutions, and urban planning.Other noteworthy works are the Chengdu High-Tech Zone Tianfu Software Park Communication Center in Chengdu, China (2010), Songyang Culture Neighborhood in Lishui, China (2020), Lodging Center of China International Practice Exhibition of Architecture in Nanjing, China (2012), Museum of Clocks, Jianchuan Museum Cluster, Chengdu, China (2007), and Design Department on new campus, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in Chongqing, China (2006).West Village, Chengdu, Peoples Republic of China, 2015. Image courtesy of Qian Shen Photography"He evaluates the specific characteristics and requirements of each project differently"According to the Pritzker Architecture Prize announcement, Liu provides inspiring architecture that honors the lives of common people by fusing seemingly contradictory ideas, such as utopia versus everyday life, history versus modernity, and collectivism versus individuality. By balancing cultural, historical, emotional, and social aspects, he maintains the transcendent force of the built environment and uses architecture to create community, evoke compassion, and uplift the human spirit."Through an outstanding body of work of deep coherence and constant quality, Liu Jiakun imagines and constructs new worlds, free from any aesthetic or stylistic constraint. Instead of a style, he has developed a strategy that never relies on a recurring method but rather on evaluating the specific characteristics and requirements of each project differently," stated the 2025 Jury Citation, in part."That is to say, Liu Jiakun takes present realities and handles them to the point of offering sometimes a whole new scenario of daily life.""Beyond knowledge and techniques, common sense and wisdom are the most powerful tools he adds to the designers toolbox, added in the 2025 Jury Citation.Liu establishes a beneficial relationship between open space and density by constructing public spaces in densely populated cities where the luxury of space is mostly lacking. He innovates the function of public spaces to fulfill the range of requirements for a varied society by combining multiple typologies into a single project. In contrast to the grid of recognizable mid- and high-rise structures, West Village in Chengdu, China, 2015 is a five-story project that covers one entire block.An alternative approach to optimizing space is shown by the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Department of Sculpture in Chongqing, China, 2004, where top floors expand outward to increase the square footage of a limited footprint."Cities tend to segregate functions, but Liu Jiakun takes the opposite approach and sustains a delicate balance to integrate all dimensions of the urban life," commented Alejandro Aravena, Chair of the Jury and 2016 Pritzker Prize Laureate."He continues, In a world that tends to create endless dull peripheries, he has found a way to build places that are a building, infrastructure, landscape and public space at the same time. His work may offer impactful clues on how to confront the challenges of urbanization, in an era of rapidly growing cities," Aravena added.Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum, Chengdu, Peoples Republic of China, 2002. Image courtesy of Bi KejianThrough contemporary reinterpretations of traditional Chinese architecture, Liu chronicles time and provides people with a sense of familiarity while exhibiting a respect for culture, history, and nature throughout his works.The window walls of the Lancui Pavilion of Egret Gulf Wetland (Chengdu, China, 2013) and the flat eaves of the Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick (Suzhou, China, 2016) both reinterpret the shape of pavilions that date back many millennia. The Novartis (Shanghai) Block-C6's tiered balconies (Shanghai, China, 2014) resemble towers that symbolize many dynasties.Modeled after a traditional Chinese garden, the Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum (Chengdu, China, 2002) features Buddhist sculptures and relics, balancing old stones and water to mirror the surrounding natural environment. Buildings like The Renovation of Tianbao Cave District of Erlang Town (Luzhou, China, 2021), which is tucked away in the verdant cliffside landscape of Tianbao Mountain, both emerge and dissolve within their surroundings because they are based on the idea that humans and nature have a reciprocal relationship.Native bamboo groves are planted in new locations, floors and ceilings are created with apertures to allow existing trees to continue, and bricks are cemented upended to allow grasses to thrive through the core holes. All of his works incorporate both local and wild flora.The Renovation of Tianbao Cave District of Erlang Town, Luzhou, Peoples Republic of China, 2021. Image courtesy of Arch-Exist"His honest architecture presents the sincerity of textural materials"The announcement stated that his honest architecture showcases the sincerity of textured materials and processes, showcasing flaws that hold up throughout time rather than degrade. He dislikes manufactured goods, favoring traditional crafts made for and by the community, and frequently using locally sourced raw materials that support the environment and economy.Instead of being polished, the Department of Sculpture building displays the wavy features of genuine Chongqing sand plastering artistry. By repurposing debris from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and fortifying it with regional wheat fiber and cement, he revitalizes materialsand spiritsto create fortified bricks that are more durable and cost-effective than the original. The Novartis building, the Shuijingfang Museum (Chengdu, China, 2013), and West Village, his greatest piece, are all filled with "Rebirth Bricks." The disaster also produced his smallest piece to date, Hu Huishan Memorial (Chengdu, China, 2009), which is a permanent cement relief tent that was displayed for the collective memory of a grieving nation as well as for a 15-year-old girl in the wake of the damage."Liu Jiakun uplifts through the process and purpose of architecture""Liu Jiakun uplifts through the process and purpose of architecture, fostering emotional connections that unite communities," remarked Tom Pritzker, Chairman of The Hyatt Foundation, which sponsors the award."There is a wisdom in his architecture, philosophically looking beyond the surface to reveal that history, materials and nature are symbiotic," Pritzker added.Read the full Jury Citation for the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Laureate Liu Jiakun:Jury citationThe Pritzker Architecture Prize is conferred in acknowledgment of those qualities of talent, vision, and commitment, which have persistently produced significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.In a global context where architecture is struggling to find adequate responses to fast evolving social and environmental challenges, Liu Jiakun has provided convincing answers that also celebrate the everyday lives of people as well as their communal and spiritual identities.Through an outstanding body of work of deep coherence and constant quality, Liu Jiakun imagines and constructs new worlds, free from any aesthetic or stylistic constraint. Instead of a style, he has developed a strategy that never relies on a recurring method but rather on evaluating the specific characteristics and requirements of each project differently. That is to say, Liu Jiakun takes present realities and handles them to the point of offering a whole new scenario of daily life. Beyond knowledge and technique, he adds common sense and wisdom to the designers toolbox.The built environment is often being pulled in opposite directions. While density appears to be a more sustainable solution for people to live together, the scarcity of space usually implies a poor quality of life. Liu Jiakun rethinks the fundamentals of density through cohabitation, crafting an intelligent solution that balances the opposite forces at play. Through transformative projects like the West Village in Chengdu, he reshapes the paradigm of public spaces and of community life. He invents new independent, shared ways of living together in which density does not represent the opposite of an open system. He also enables adaptation, expansion and replicability. Liu Jiakun enhances and welcomes the life that inhabitants bring to his projects, creating an architecture activated by its publics.In Liu Jiakuns work, identity is as much about the individual as it is about the collective sense of belonging to a place. He revisits the Chinese tradition as a springboard for innovation devoid of nostalgia or ambiguity. For him, identity refers to a countrys history, the traces of its cities and the relics of its communities. At the same time, he integrates the local and global dimensions with unprecedented results. In his subtle, memorable museums, Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick or the Shuijingfang Museum in Chengdu, he creates new architecture that is at once a historical record, a piece of infrastructure, a landscape, and a remarkable public space. In the Hu Huishan Memorial in Chengdu, he understands that identity is a matter of both collective and personal memory, brilliantly elevating the individual perspective to a foundational element of place-making in order to revive a communal dimension.Liu Jiakun also seeks a level of technology that is neither high nor low but rather the appropriate one based on local wisdom as well as materials and craftsmanship available. Since his early projects, he has broken the current architectural language to introduce the qualities of simplicity, deriving from the resources at disposal. His sincerity in the use of materials lets them speak for what they are, as their integrity does not require mediation or maintenance. It also enables them to age without fear of deterioration because the collective memory is held within them.To such available cultural and social resources, Liu Jiakun adds nature creating new landscapes within the landscape. From the West Village to the Renovation of Tianbao Cave District of Erlang Town in Luzhou, to the Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum in Chengdu, the built and natural environments co-exist in a reciprocal relation and in line with the most ancient Chinese philosophy and tradition.For embracing rather than resisting the dystopia/utopia dualism and showing us how architecture can mediate between reality and idealism, for elevating local solutions into universal visions, and for developing a language that describes a socially and environmentally just world, Liu Jiakun is named the 2025 Pritzker Prize Laureate.This spring, Liu Jiakun will be celebrated in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and this fall, a virtual ceremony film will be released worldwide. The public is welcome to attend the 2025 Laureate Lecture and Panel Discussion in person or virtually in May.Last year, Japanese architect and social advocate Riken Yamamoto has been named as the recipient of the 2024 Pritzker Architecture Prize.The top image in the article: Liu Jiakun, photo courtesy of The Hyatt Foundation/The Pritzker Architecture Prize.> via Pritzker Architecture Prize

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Image: Nintendo LifeWe are back with another edition of Box Art Brawl and things are about to get puzzley.Before we dive into this week's match-up, however, let's take a look at what went down last time when we put the NES' Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom under the microscope. Despite what we thought were two pretty sweet covers, it was the Western design that took a commanding win, snatching up 82% of the vote and leaving Japan in the dust with the remaining 18%. Yikes.This time, to celebrate its recent arrival on NSO, we're taking a look at Mario's Picross on the Game Boy. Originally released in 1995, this puzzler threw Nintendo's prized plumber into the world on nonogram puzzles and the results are... well, it's a Picross game... with a little bit of Mario heck, that's two of this writer's favourite things, so what's there to complain about!Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube798kWatch on YouTube There are three covers to choose between this week, with a rogue split between two European variants. So, let's dive in. Mario and Donkey Kong are hereBe sure to cast your votes in the poll below; but first, let's check out the box art designs themselves.North America / Europe #1Image: Nintendo / Launch BoxThe design shared by North America and select parts of Europe (including the UK) is a pretty trippy one. Mario's disembodied facial features float against a purple/orange background, while brightly-coloured squares trickle down the image. We particularly like how one of these squares sits atop the 'i' in 'Mario' as if it's a dot - now there's some attention to detail.Europe #2Image: Nintendo / Launch BoxThe European design that you would have found in the Netherlands, France and Germany takes a very different approach. This one has an inquisitive Mario in the same explorer's outfit that he dons in the top corner of the screen for each Picross puzzle. The numbers circling his head certainly hint at some of the puzzling that the game will demand of you, but maybe it sets things up to be a little more adventure-based? Hey, whatever sells.JapanImage: Nintendo / Moby GamesJapan's design really emphasises the 'Mario' of Mario's Picross. Aside from its grey border, this one is entirely consumed by a giant, zoomed-in image of Mario's face. Is it a little too zoomed-in? Maybe. But there's no doubting who the star of the game is.Which region got the best Mario's Picross box art? (86 votes)North America / Europe #133%Europe #253%Japan14%Thanks for voting! We'll see you next time for another round of Box Art Brawl.Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesPoll: What's The Best Xenoblade Game? Rate Your Favourite For Our Upcoming RankingIncluding all ports and DLCRandom: The "Grail" Of Sonic Merch Pops Up On eBay With Insane Price TagThat's a lotta RingsPoll: What Switch Game Could You Not Live Without?Desert Island DekusOpinion: Against All Odds - Why Does RPG RNG Hate Me?Drop it like it's not

Recommended Published March 16, 2025 6:00am EDT close Home robot automates household chores like Roisie of 'The Jetsons' Robots are inching closer to being helpers in our homes. Remember Rosie from "The Jetsons?"For those too young, Rosie was a futuristic robot helper in a classic cartoon. Now, the idea of having such a robot in our homes feels like it's inching closer to reality with the unveiling of NEO Gamma.Developed by the artificial intelligence company 1X, this isn't your clunky, metallic automaton. NEO Gamma is designed to be a helpful, almost human-like assistant.GET EXPERT SECURITY ALERTS, MUST-KNOW TECH TIPS AND THE LATEST DIGITAL TRENDS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.SIGN UP FOR KURTS THE CYBERGUY REPORT NOW NEO Gamma humanoid robot (1X)Not just a robot, but a companionStanding at 65 inches tall,NEO Gamma features AI-driven conversation, human-like movements and the ability to manipulate objects with impressive dexterity. Imagine waking up to freshly brewed coffee prepared by your own robot. Or picture NEO Gamma helping you hang pictures, doing laundry while you meditate or even expertly serving wine during dinner. This robot aims to blend seamlessly into your life, offering assistance without being intrusive.WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? NEO Gamma humanoid robot serving coffee (1X)What makes this humanoid robot so special?Human-like design: 1X has gone the extra mile to make NEO Gamma feel less like a machine. It walks with a natural gait, swings its arms and can even squat to pick things up. To soften its appearance, it sports a "Knit Suit," a 3D-printed nylon covering that hides the metallic frame and prevents bumps.AI-powered interaction: NEO Gamma isn't just programmed to perform tasks. It's designed to understand and respond to you. It features emotive "earrings" that light up when it's listening and an in-house language model that enables natural conversations.Observational learning: This robot learns by watching. It can observe how you perform tasks and then mimic those actions.Quiet and considerate: With a reduced noise level, NEO Gamma operates as quietly as a humming refrigerator. It also knows when to give you space, relaxing in another room after a job well done. NEO Gamma humanoid robot (1X)The tech behind the helpNEO Gamma's movements are controlled at a frequency of 100 Hz, learned through reinforcement learning from human motion capture data. This allows it to move with a range of motion similar to a human. The robot can also recognize and handle objects, even in new environments. It has four microphones with echo cancellation for clear audio and three speakers for voice interaction and sound effects.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE NEO Gamma humanoid robot cleaning windows (1X)The competition and the challengesThe company 1X isn't alone in vying for a spot in the future of home robotics.Tesla's Optimus andFigure's AI-powered humanoid are also in the race. However, the path to a truly useful and affordable home robot is filled with engineering challenges. NEO Gamma humanoid robot helping with picture hanging (1X)Is NEO Gamma ready for your home?While 1X aims to get NEO into customers' homes as quickly as possible, there's no firm release date. NEO Gamma humanoid robot accepting groceries (1X)Kurt's key takeawaysThe idea of a robot helper like NEO Gamma is exciting, and it's hard not to think about how such a device could change our lives. Whether NEO Gamma or another robot achieves this first, it feels like we're on the cusp of a new era. Will we look back on videos of these early models with nostalgia, or will the robots of the future have something else in store for us? Only time will tell.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPWhen NEO Gamma (or a robot like it) becomes available, would you want one in your home? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/ContactFor more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading toCyberguy.com/NewsletterAsk Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to coverFollow Kurt on his social channelsAnswers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

designer491/Getty ImagesThe older I get, the more and more I wonder what Scrooge McDuck did for a living.I don't remember him going to the "office" not one time. Clearly, Scrooge knew what he was doing, so if I needed a business idea, I'd copy his strategy. Also: Why you should ignore 99% of AI tools - and which four I use every dayBut if you don't have a rich cartoon uncle to copy and are searching for a new business idea, you're in the right place. In today's article, I'll share with you: How to find amazing business ideasHow to validate themHow to get startedYou are in for a treat today, so get comfortable! I'm about to share the good stuff I never share publicly, so one day, you can dive headfirst into your pile of gold like Uncle Scrooge. Quick introIf you're new to my work, my name is Lester, but feel free to call me Les I'm a founder with a successful exit, currently serving as the executive chairman of a group of e-commerce brands. But I'm an award-winning performance marketer at my core, and spotting trends is my thing. To stay ahead in the competitive e-commerce space, my team and I built internal tools and processes to spot trends faster than anyone else. We operate more like a data company than a traditional e-commerce brand. So, finding ideas is literally my job. LOL Also: AI isn't the next big thing - here's what isIf you're into data-driven business and marketing strategies, check out my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I share what's working in the world of business, along with marketing insights and trends I'm seeing. But that's enough about me. I have to tell you my secrets for finding winning ideas. How to find the best business ideasBefore I jump into the details, let me discuss the mindset required when looking for business ideas. To sum it up in a few words: You need to be inquisitive, the kind of person who gets excited about discovering new things, a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, if you will.You also need to have an imagination. Imagination helps you connect ideas others miss, giving you a huge advantage.And, of course, patience.Finding great business ideas is one of those things where you need to enjoy the journey. Now that we've got that out of the way, here's exactly how you do it: My secret to finding great ideasFirst, decide exactly who you want to serve. It could be doctors, lawyers, moms, any group you like. After that, join their online communities on Facebook, Reddit, or TikTokand find out what challenges they face. Once you've found the group, you only need to listen and observe. I guarantee they'll be mad about something and tell you the solution they wish existed. Reddit is my favorite place for finding ideas because it provides authentic, unfiltered data that is not impacted by algorithms. Now, here's where the patience kicks in. Your new business idea won't just sit on the homepage waiting for you. You may have to spend some time looking. That's why choosing who you want to serve is so important. Of course, you could use AI deep-search tools, but there's something valuable about hanging out in these communities yourself. I'm not anti-AI, but context matters a lot. Experiencing the "pain" firsthand gives you insight that AI can't replicate. I don't want AI to interpret that context for me. Outside of manual research, here's a fantastic tool that can help:gummysearch.com.It has a free plan that lets you quickly find relevant communities. Gummy helps you uncover hot discussions, people asking for advice or resources, pain points, frustrations, and, most importantly, top content (more on that later).Don't think "business idea," think "who can I help?" and the idea will follow, feel me? How to validate business ideasThis is when the rubber meets the road. The moment you decide if your idea is worth your blood, sweat, and tears. So, how do you validate a good idea? It depends. At this stage, you need to decide what you want. Also: Want to make money from Facebook stories? Here's how you canDo you want a billion-dollar lifestyle? Private jet, yacht, mansion, all that fun stuff? Or do you want something that'll help pay rent or buy groceries? There's no wrong answer; you can do whatever you want, but knowing beforehand is important. This matters because part of the validation process is figuring out your TAM (Total Addressable Market). Your TAM is basically how many people might buy your solution. There's a lot to unpack here, but let me give you a quick crash course. Please don't make the rookie mistake of thinking, "All I need is X percent to make Y dollars." This is called the top-down approach, and it's not the best way to see where you stand. That's not how it works. Instead, you need to calculate your TAM bottom-up. First, start with the cost of the product or service. Then you need to realistically figure out how many of your Ideal Customers will make a purchase, multiply those numbers together, and that's your TAM. Example: You sell a product for $20 per month.You realistically think 1,000 people will buy it.Your TAM is $20,000 per month.Understanding this is critical to figuring out if your idea can realistically meet your goals. Now that we've got that out of the way, here are a few tips to validate your ideas. First, you need to solve a real problem. A good way to think about this is being a painkiller, not a vitamin.Talk directly to your prospects. You want to hear their pain firsthand because that's how you'll know if they'll spend money.Make sure the problem you're solving has real urgency.For example, now isn't the time to launch a Blackberry accessory business. That ship has sailed. You want momentum pushing you forward, not something you have to force uphill. Trust me on this. Ask yourself if you have the skills to pull it off. Early in a project, I like to know that I can handle just about anything the business needs. This way, I clearly understand what I'm getting myself into.Look at whether your idea can generate recurring revenue. Getting customers is hard enough already, so you don't want them to buy once and disappear.Test quickly. Don't waste months or years on something nobody wants. Launch something simple to test demand within days or weeks.Finally, ask yourself, do you actually want this? I'm not a fan of doing things just for money. I'm a fan of doing what you love for money. Write that down. It matters. Simply put, living life on your terms should always be the goal. Your next stepsI mentioned it's critical to use a tool like Gummysearch to see exactly what content your prospects engage with. Start by going to Gummysearch and typing keywords related to your business idea. Look closely at popular discussions, trending posts, or common complaints. This helps you quickly identify topics your audience genuinely cares about. Next, see if solutions already exist. Search for competitors or similar products on Google, Reddit, or social media. Please pay attention to what they're doing right and wrong. Don't worry if solutions already exist. Competition is a good sign because it means people spend money to solve your target problem. From there, think like a media company first. Create content around the problem you are solving. Share helpful tips, insights, or simple solutions in places where your audience hangs out online. This builds trust, reduces customer acquisition costs, and ensures people stick around longer. Finally, just start. Launch a simple version of your solution quickly. Avoid being reckless, but don't get stuck overthinking, either. Remember to test early and often, and don't take it personally if things don't immediately work out. Just adjust your approach and keep moving forward. My two centsFinding good ideas is an art, but you can get the hang of it with some practice. Just remember to stay curious, use your imagination, and be patient. I could have given you a generic list of ideas, but that does not serve you. This is one of those times where I need to teach you how to fish rather than give you the fish. The main thing to remember is to get clear on your goal first and let that guide everything else. Always focus on solving a real problem. The deeper you dig into the problem and the people facing it, the more ideas will start coming to you. By the way, Want more data-driven marketing insights and actionable business ideas like this? Sign up for my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. Hope this helps. I'm rooting for you. Featured

Apples new security update comes with a catch.AFP via Getty ImagesTiming really is everything. Apple has just confirmed one of iPhones longest awaited security upgrades, plugging a major weakness and expected to come with iOS 19 this fall. This should be good news for millions of users. But dont get too excited. In reality the timing could not be worse, and thats very bad news for users.Apple has confirmed that its finally extending iMessage encryption to include chats between iPhones and Android users kind of. Whats actually happening is the mobile standards setter (GSMA) is updating its RCS protocol and both Apple and Google have confirmed theyll adopt this. It brings a raft of improvements to messaging, but the headline is cross-platform end-to-end encryption coming to RCS.When the FBI and Americas cyber defense agency warned iPhone and Android users to stop texting after Chinese hackers were caught marauding through U.S. networks, their advice was simple only use fully encrypted messaging. The hackers were pulling metadata and even some content. Encryption is your friend. we were all told.Yet just a few weeks later, were talking about encryption for very different reasons. The U.K. is reportedly ensconced in private talks with U.S. officials after its secret/not secret demands (under appeal) for Apple to build a backdoor into everyones data. Meanwhile, France (rejected for now) and Sweden are pushing for legislation to access secure messaging, ahead of the lingering risk that the entire European Union does the same. This is much wider than just messaging, it impacts the core iPhone proposition itself.And before my American readers reach for the popcorn, assuming all this is far from home, the FBI has confirmed that it wants the same, lawful access, and the proposed STOP CSAM bill would, per EFFs warning, endanger encrypted messages.Upgrading iPhones to securely message Androids is still a game-changer. It will be the first time we have had fully secure stock messaging between platforms. Its also a huge technical milestone, the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers, says GSMA.And while on the surface it doesnt add anything WhatsApp and other over-the-tops dont already provide, in reality it should be the final expansion of fully secured messaging across the mainstream. This is especially important in the U.S., where iMessage and texting more generally remains a holdout to the likes of WhatsApp.Its also significant because for Apple in particular, it changes the major reason why iMessage has been a walled garden differentiator, notwithstanding regulatory pressure for this to change in the U.S. and Europe. Not only does RCS 3.0 finally secure content, it also adds a range of other features that should make it as usable as iMessage.But there are genuinely dark clouds on the horizon. The encryption battleground is now an emergency for us all, EFF warns, and as privacy advocate Naomi Brockwell puts it, we need privacy, not because our actions are questionable, but because your intentions are. That perfectly sums it up.There are two parallel issues. First, messaging itself under pressure from legislators to access dark content by any means possible, or to push platforms to regulate meaning theyd have to do the same. And second, with encrypted backups under pressure, the cloud-based architectures deployed to sync messages cross device, to restore content to new devices, and to backup content also enables lawful access via those backups. This is the implication from Apples decision to remove encrypted iCloud backups in the U.K., and while Google was quick to confirm its own encryption, it has not denied receiving a similar backdoor mandate from the U.K. government.And so while Apples upgrade is still very welcome and certainly addresses the transmission security weaknesses in SMS and current RCS that was highlighted by Salt Typhoon, its not the unambiguous privacy victory it should have been. The landscape has suddenly changed and it may already be too late to deliver whats been promised.

Chetan Nayak recently made a breakthrough after devoting his career to a new type of supercomputer.