After feeling burned out, the author said she quit her job at 21. Now, she spends her days focused on joy, not work. Courtesy of Catherine Work. I've chosen a lifestyle focused on time freedom over early retirement My partner and I keep our monthly expenses under $2,000. Prioritizing health and low stress is part of our long-term financial plan. My weeks are planned around which cafés I'll visit, long lunch breaks, spending time in nature, painting, and going to the spa. I schedule my work around that — not my life around my work. I rejected both hustle culture and the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement in favor of a solution that lets me work as little as possible so I can have everyday joys. Working 40-hour workweeks to retire in my 70s and then maybe traveling sounded like I was delaying my life. Working longer hours, investing heavily in a market that can be unpredictable, and maintaining a very frugal lifestyle so I could retire at 40 didn't sound like a good idea to me either. Instead, my slow-FIRE lifestyle means my life is designed around time freedom instead of full financial independence. I chose a middle path after experiencing burnout and seeing others struggle Growing up, I saw both my parents work long, stressful weeks (and often weekends), and health and happiness didn't seem to be prioritized. I followed suit and tried putting in 70-hour weeks in my mid-20s (working two jobs while pursuing my graduate degree), and while I made a lot of money, I didn't have time to spend it. At 26, I had burned out. I quit my full-time job and found remote work that let me clock a few hours a week while traveling the world. I'm now a freelance writer and researcher. Every job I take, I prioritize freedom over other benefits. The author met her partner a year after she quit her job. Now they both prioritize living life in the now. Courtesy of Catherine Work. A year later, I met my now partner, another remote worker who wanted to travel. This lifestyle evolved from our values: prioritizing adventure, learning, and health, not status. After seeing young friends get diagnosed with terminal illnesses and recognizing the instability of geopolitics and economics, we decided on a middle path: being financially responsible while living our lives in the present. I see working less as an investment in my long-term health Health is really important to my partner and me, and I believe our decision to work less will save us money as we get older. We regularly get 9 hours of sleep, do at least 2 hours of exercise, and eat healthy meals (ones we have time to make) every day. I'm hoping our daily habits and our overall lower-stress lifestyle lead to fewer medical bills in the future. I see prioritizing our time in this way as preventive medicine. We keep our monthly expenses low while still enjoying life As an American, when I see salaries posted at $100,000 ayear, I sometimes wonder if I'm setting myself up for disaster by not chasing a better-paying full-time job. In reality, so much of the world doesn't make this much, and I spend much less than the average American. For example, this month I'm spending $150 on my portion of the rent (which includes utilities and a weekly house cleaner), $15 on the gym, $8 on a phone plan, about $100 on groceries and eating out, $200 on activities and weekend trips, and $50 for weekly massages. My partner pays about the same, minus the spa. Most months, our bills as a couple don't go above $2,000. We also save money by being childfree, not drinking alcohol or smoking, and being vegetarians. These choices weren't motivated by money, but they certainly help. I don't feel any of our lifestyle decisions were solely driven by finances — they were driven by our values of sustainability and freedom, so what may feel like a sacrifice to some feels like a natural decision to us. We save by not buying a lot of material items, owning a house, or making convenience purchases. The author said that being child-free, not drinking or smoking, and following a vegetarian diet makes her lifestyle easier to achieve. Courtesy of Catherine Work. Working less has given me a life I didn't know was possible I recognize this lifestyle was partly born of the unpredictable job market and a sense of an unpredictable future, but choosing to prioritize my free time has made me feel I can regain some control. I decided that not working a full-time job (at least for now) is the kindest thing I can do for myself: both mentally and physically. I don't have a fancy job title, a high salary, a retirement fund that would let me stop working at 40, or a closet full of designer clothes. But I can say I'm spending hours every day being happy, and that's a middle path I didn't know existed until I challenged my assumptions about what a good life could look like. Read the original article on Business Insider

Northern Ireland is a beautiful place to visit, but I see a lot of tourists making the same first-time mistakes. Lorna Wallace For the past decade, I've visited Northern Ireland every year with my Northern Irish partner. It's a beautiful and underrated country, but first-time visitors often make some mistakes. I'd suggest learning about the Troubles before visiting, and choosing less-crowded historical sites. Northern Ireland is just a short trip across the sea from my home country, Scotland, but it wasn't until I got into a relationship with a Northern Irish man that I finally visited. Three months into our relationship, we ventured over so that I could meet his family. Since it was my first time visiting, we also saw some of Northern Ireland's most popular hot spots, from the Dark Hedges to Titanic Belfast. That was a decade ago, and since then I've been a frequent visitor, usually going multiple times a year. I often see first-time tourists making the same mistakes — from paying to see the Giant's Causeway to not having a basic knowledge of the Troubles. There's more to Northern Ireland than the 'Game of Thrones' filming locations One of my favorite spots to visit is Dunluce Castle. Lorna Wallace I'm a fan of HBO's "Game of Thrones," so I've visited a few of the Northern Irish filming locations — including Ballintoy Harbour, which starred as the Iron Islands, and the Dark Hedges, which is part of the Kingsroad. Visiting these sites might be worth it for major "Game of Thrones" fans, but for most people, I would caution against making them the center of an itinerary. Not only do they sometimes not live up to expectations — in the show, the Dark Hedges look otherworldly; in reality, I've found them to be overcrowded — but I think there are more interesting places to prioritize. Not far from the Dark Hedges is one of my favorite places to visit: Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. This 66-foot bridge connects a small island, once used for fishing, to the mainland. Other nearby places I recommend include Dunluce Castle, the ruins of which are perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean, and Bushmills Distillery, where people can learn about the whiskey-making process (and try a sample!). Many people think there's a fee to visit the Giant's Causeway There are ways to visit the Giant's Causeway without paying for parking at the visitor center. Lorna Wallace The Giant's Causeway is one of Northern Ireland's most popular attractions — and for good reason. Located on the north coast, the Causeway is made up of about 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns, or pieces of hardened lava. It looks like a landscape pulled from legend. I've heard a lot of tourists assume that they have to pay around 16 pounds (or about $21) to see the Causeway, but the ticket actually just covers parking and entry to the visitor center — neither of which is strictly necessary. Exploring the mystical-looking stones themselves is completely free. The easiest way to skip the parking fee is to go in the evening once the visitor center is shut (it'll also be far less busy!). There aren't lights down by the sea, so I wouldn't recommend doing this in the winter, but Northern Ireland has long, light summer nights. Another lesser-known way to snag parking is to stay or eat at the Causeway Hotel, which is next to the visitor center. Of course, a meal or stay at the hotel costs more than the Causeway's parking fee, but if you need accommodation or a meal anyway, it's a great choice. The food is always delicious. Some visitors don't have a basic understanding of the Troubles Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (often just called Ireland) share an island, but they're separate countries with a complicated history. In Northern Ireland, the last 30 years of the 20th century were dominated by the Troubles — the scars of which are still felt today. In the simplest terms, the Troubles marked a period of violence between Protestants, who wanted Northern Ireland to remain in the UK, and Catholics, who wanted the country to join Ireland. Belfast offers walking tours that provide some more context about the conflict, but knowing some basics before your trip can help you be a more respectful tourist. Although the conflict is over, Northern Ireland is still covered in flags and murals that declare a neighborhood or town's political allegiance. I don't recommend bringing this still-sensitive history up to any locals, though. Tourists sometimes assume Titanic Belfast is about the movie The Titanic Belfast is a great spot for history buffs. Lorna Wallace Titanic Belfast is a museum dedicated to the famous ocean liner that sank in the Atlantic in 1912. While exploring the exhibits, I overheard a few people express confusion about the museum's lack of information about James Cameron's "Titanic". There is a gallery about popular culture related to the ship — and, of course, it includes the blockbuster movie — but it's far from the museum's focus. I'd say Titanic Belfast is geared more toward history lovers, rather than film buffs. That said, lovers of the movie will still likely find Titanic Belfast fascinating. The museum stands at the head of the slipway where the Titanic was built, giving a sense of just how huge the ship was. There's also lots of interesting information about what life was like on board. Read the original article on Business Insider

The Xteink X3 is a delightfully tiny, MagSafe-compatible e-ink reader that attaches to the back of your phone like a Pop Socket.

Why reasoning models dramatically increase token usage, latency, and infrastructure costs in production systems The post Inference Scaling (Test-Time Compute): Why Reasoning Models Raise Your Compute Bill appeared first on Towards Data Science.

Chavie Lieber / Wall Street Journal: How Amazon's expansion into fashion helped Jeff Bezos enter fashion's inner circle, as he and Lauren Sánchez Bezos become underwriters for this year's Met Gala  —  The Amazon founder and Lauren Sánchez Bezos have become front-row fixtures through business expansion and charitable giving

The author took her son to the F1 races. Courtesy of the author My dad and my son bond over watching F1 races whenever they're together. My dad invited my son to the Miami Grand Prix for his 8th birthday. I prepared by getting noise-canceling headphones for everyone. I always joke that my dad really wanted a son, but instead he had me, an only daughter. He made me a huge sports fan. Like him, I love soccer, and we also bonded over watching F1 races. When my son was born, my dad was over the moon about having an eventual buddy for all his sports adventures. He got my son really into racing, and they watched the F1 together every Sunday. The author really enjoyed her first F1 experience. Courtesy of the author When my son turned eight, he asked to go to a race with my dad and me. We took him this weekend to the F1 race in Miami, and it was an unforgettable experience, for many reasons. Getting to the race was straightforward I was nervous about the logistics of arriving at the circuit in Miami. It was actually pretty straightforward, and we made it right as the parking lots opened at 9:30 a.m. Getting in was also easy because we were so early. Doors opened at 10 a.m., and we headed straight to our seats to watch the F2 race to warm up for the excitement. The hats were all over $100 at the F1 race. Courtesy of the author My son wanted some merch as a souvenir, but all the hats were $100 or more, so we skipped — I had purchased last year's caps from eBay for $15 prior the race. One that was designed especially for the race sold out before the end of the day. Prices were high, but not as much as in other sports I recently went to see Inter Miami, and I was shocked by the prices of food and beer. At the race, prices were also inflated, but not as high as at the soccer match. For comparison, a beer at Nu Stadium was $20, while at the F1 race, they were $13. The lines for food were outrageous, and I waited almost an hour for an arepa and some tequeños, which came to $57 after I added a beer. It was worth the wait, because everything was delicious. Food at an F1 race. Courtesy of the author To keep my son going throughout the day, I was very lax about ice cream; he could get as much as he wanted. He got two small cups of Dippin' Dots, which cost $7 each, which wasn't as expensive as the same ice cream in an Orlando amusement park the week prior, which came out to $15. The heat was too much to handle I'm not a newbie when it comes to heat. I'm from Argentina, grew up in Brazil, and lived in Miami for a year. I always joke that I'm a lizard because I love lying in the sun for hours doing nothing. That said, the temps at the autodrome reached 99 degrees. Even in the shade, it was impossible not to sweat. My son started getting sleepy despite having a portable fan and about 35 bottles of cold water. By the end of the day, he was lying on me while waiting for the races to begin. It was a pretty long day — we were at the autodrome from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The author's son got sleepy in the afternoon. Courtesy of the author I took my son to walk around the autodrome and explore different areas, while my dad, who is 81, rested in our shaded seats. If we were to go again, I'd skip the early entrance and arrive closer to noon for the main events, making the day shorter and more manageable for both my dad and my son. Next time I'm bringing a bag I read online that only see-through bags were allowed. I tried to buy one on Amazon, but it wouldn't arrive on time. Still, I packed as many things as I could in my pockets. The author brought ear protection. Courtesy of the author The absolute musts were portable fans and ear protection for everyone. I purchased McLaren-branded Loops ahead of time — my son's favorite F1 team — and they really came in handy. With the ear protection, you could still hear the roars of the engines every time they went past us. Without them, it was incredibly loud. The exit was an absolute disaster While we had so much fun cheering for Franco Colapinto (my fave driver) and Oscar Piastri (my son's fave), leaving the autodrome was absolute chaos. We took a small van back to our parking lot, which was not that far from the autodrome. On the way in, it took us maybe five minutes to get from our car to the race. On the way out, it took us over an hour, and we didn't even make it to the parking lot. View from the author's seat. Courtesy of the author The van didn't have AC, and eventually the driver asked everyone to get out and walk over because every road leading to the parking lot was gridlocked. Having paid $75 for parking, the end of the day made it feel like it wasn't worth the price. All in all, my son was so excited to see the race cars in real life. He is already asking when we are going to another race. And my dad was beaming with pride just at the sound of that. Read the original article on Business Insider

The author lives in the suburbs of Southern California with three kids, but walks whenever she can. Courtesy of Jillian Pretzel I'm a mom of three young kids, and we live in Southern California. I used to live in New York City and really miss walking everywhere. Though it may be easier to load them in the minivan, I prefer to walk whenever possible. I joke that the hardest part of having three young kids is getting them all into and out of the car. "If I start loading them up now, I'll be at your house in two hours," I recently joked with my mom, who lives 10 minutes away. But all kidding aside: It takes a long time to get my 5, 3, and 1-year-old in and out of the minivan. Plus, it's physically demanding. No one is stronger than a toddler who doesn't want to be buckled in. Part of the struggle comes from the fact that I used to live in New York City, and I loved the walkability. I'd walk to stores, to the movies, to restaurants, and more. Now, I live in Southern California, where driving is way more common. Sure, people walk dogs and go for jogs, but in the suburbs, where everything is so spread out, walking to get somewhere is so inconvenient. Or is it? Recently, I started putting my kids in the stroller and walking (almost) everywhere. It's one of the best things I've done. I've gotten in shape, gotten my kids outdoors, and best of all, we've made some good memories together. It was hard to find a home with walkability At the end of last year, I started seriously looking for a new home. With three kids, I needed something bigger. But beyond size, my top must-have was walkability. I wanted to take my kids on walks to stores, the movies, restaurants, and more — just like I could in New York. As it turns out, it was a tall order. Most cities across the country zone for residential and commercial buildings, keeping homes in one area, shops in another. In fact, the largest US city without zoning laws is Houston, TX. (Yes, even NYC has zoning laws, though they're different from the rules found in a typical suburb.) Zoning can be great: these laws mean most homeowners don't need to worry about getting a noisy, smelly, potentially hazardous factory moving in next door. But it also means a lot of homes are miles from the closest shopping center. Sure, some homes here in the 'burbs are closer to shops than others. But even proximity doesn't mean walkability. I toured a handful of houses that were less than a mile or so from great shops and restaurants, but walking to them would mean going up and down a big hill or walking on the side of a busy street with no sidewalk. Maybe I could handle the trek by myself, but with three kids in tow? It wouldn't be the pleasant family stroll I'd imagined. Eventually, I found the perfect home right between two shopping centers. I was delighted to find the necessities: a movie theater, Target, Starbucks, and various restaurants all within a mile. We were home. Walking has perks I didn't expect While my main motivation for finding a home based on walkability was to spend less time getting in the car, I was pleasantly surprised by the other perks of leaving the minivan at home. For one thing, in the months since moving, I've gotten in great shape. Not to brag, but pushing a heavy double stroller while carrying a 20-pound baby on my chest has done wonders for my legs and rear end. It's good exercise for the kids, too. My 5-year-old will bring her scooter, and switch off riding, walking, and relaxing in the stroller. My 3-year-old will bring her tricycle sometimes, too. It's good for them to get out, and even if we're going to McDonald's to get some fries, at least the commute feels healthy. And at night, they sleep well. But my favorite perk has been one I hadn't anticipated. We're getting more quality time together than ever. When driving, I need to focus on the road. We're all strapped in, facing forward. To entertain myself, I'll put on a podcast or the radio. It's not exactly "together time." When we're walking, my older two spend the whole time chatting with me or each other. Luckily, my kids like, or at least tolerate, "hoofin' it." Sometimes they get tired, especially if we go to multiple stores. Once, all three kids melted down on our way back from Target, and we had to sit on a shady bench, snacking on the groceries we just purchased, before we could keep going. But generally, they get excited about our walks. Of course, we still use the car a lot. We can't walk to my mom's house, and both swim and ballet classes are too far. Plus, I decided not to switch my oldest to a new preschool midyear, so until the end of the school year, we're driving a half hour to our old neighborhood every weekday. But we're looking forward to walking to her new, closer school in the fall. Lately, we've been walking to the donut shop every weekend. One Saturday, when we came outside, we saw our new neighbor friends across the street, a family with two young kids, getting in their car. They were setting out for donuts, too. We shared a laugh about driving such a short route, and I smiled as I pulled my wagon past their house. We beat them there. Read the original article on Business Insider

I snapped a picture in front of the welcome sign at Berkshire's meeting this year. Theron Mohamed/Business Insider I flew to Omaha for Berkshire Hathaway's first shareholder meeting with Greg Abel as CEO. Several attendees cast doubt on the annual gathering's future without Warren Buffett hosting it. Many said the meeting has lost some appeal now that Buffett and Charlie Munger are no longer onstage. I flew to Omaha this week to attend the first Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting in six decades not led by Warren Buffett as CEO. My conversations with more than 20 shareholders, analysts, and executives pointed to an uncertain future for the iconic gathering now that Buffett has stepped out of the spotlight. Berkshire's annual bash has been dubbed "Woodstock for Capitalists" because it attracts tens of thousands of people from across the world to Buffett's hometown of Omaha for a weekend of shopping, learning, networking, and more. Buffett, 95, rocked the business world during last year's meeting when he unexpectedly announced he would retire at the end of the year. His hand-picked successor and the head of Berkshire's non-insurance operations, Greg Abel, took over as CEO on New Year's Day 2026. Ajay Sharma, 42, a graduate research assistant at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, moonlights as a ride-share worker. While driving me to my hotel on Thursday night, he told me what it was like during last year's meeting. "For a part-time Uber driver, it was like Christmas coming," he said in a follow-up email. "I made double the hourly money I usually make," he continued. "I picked up people from hotels 12 miles away from the city center, as all the hotels were full, and there were no places in the restaurants." Buffett's decision this year to sit in the audience during the weekend's main event, an hourslong Q&A session, and have Abel host it instead, led many to expect a smaller turnout this year. Sharma said a prospective decline in attendance was a "real concern," as "everyone in the city" benefits from the meeting's "huge economic impact." I spoke to Alston Li, an 18-year-old college student who'd driven up from Houston to attend the Berkshire meeting for the first time, on Friday outside an investor conference in the Hilton Omaha. Li said he sensed a "pessimistic" energy in the city, as "the legendary people are passing away" and Buffett could follow soon. Buffett's business partner, Charlie Munger, died at age 99 in late 2023. College student Alston Li drove from Houston to Omaha for the meeting. Theron Mohamed/Business Insider I asked Dan Sheridan, the CEO of Berkshire-owned Brooks Running, whether the meeting could remain such a draw once Buffett is gone. "I don't know," he told me on the floor of the CHI Health Center's exhibit hall, where dozens of Berkshire subsidiaries were selling their wares. "That's the truth. I think it can." Sheridan said the gathering is more than an opportunity to see Buffett or Abel in person; it serves as an annual "reunion" for many shareholders. "There's something unique and special about that that I think could live on," he said. Jeremy Padawer, the president of Squishmallows-maker Jazwares, told me that many "do not appreciate what community means" to some people, pointing to the intense passion and tight bonds that connect certain fandoms. He said there's a "very similar vibe to a show like this" where, for Berkshire acolytes, "this is their universe." It's unclear how many fewer attendees there were this year. David Kass, a finance professor at the University of Maryland and longtime Berkshire blogger, wrote on X that it "was about 25,000, down from 40,000 last year. " Tillman Versch, 40, from Germany, is an unofficial tour guide for the Berkshire meeting who organizes book signings and other events throughout the weekend. I spoke to him at a downtown bar called the Upstream Brewing Company on the night before the meeting. Versch told me he'd seen a 50% to 70% drop in online traffic for his online meeting guide. He attributed that in part to Abel having a fraction of the public profile and YouTube presence that Buffett has. He told me that fewer people made the trip to Omaha this year because they weren't willing to fork out as much money to see Abel talk instead of Buffett, who he described as the "Taylor Swift of investing." Versch also said that violent protests, political tensions, and changes to visa requirements may have also curbed travel to Omaha this year. Moreover, he said that demand had been "pulled forward" in recent years because people wanted to see Buffett and Munger before it was too late. On Saturday, the central arena of the CHI Health Center felt significantly less full than it was last year, the 60th anniversary of Buffett's takeover of Berkshire. Jay Williams, 40, a real estate investor from Florida, told me during a break in the meeting that she'd deliberately slept in that morning as she knew the arena wouldn't be as packed as in previous years. She recalled that in 2023, "people were sitting in the aisles" because many suspected it would be Munger's last meeting as he was approaching 100. Jay Williams said she was enjoying the less crowded meeting. Theron Mohamed/Business Insider Despite the smaller turnout, Williams said: "I feel the energy is the same, the networking is still there." During this year's meeting, Buffett invited Tim Cook to take a bow and then sat for a surprise interview backstage, which was broadcast to the audience. Abel dug into several Berkshire subsidiaries, including the BNSF Railway, and fielded questions about AI, fossil fuels, his more hands-on management style, and other topics. After the Q&A, I caught up with Bill Hughes, 41, a financial advisor from Oklahoma, as he browsed the displays in Oriental Trading's booth. He told me there were "definitely fewer people here" than last year, when an "absolutely insane" number of people descended on Omaha to see Buffett because they feared after Munger's death it "might be their last chance." "So I don't think it's so much Greg," he said. "I think it's just that it's not Warren and it's not Charlie." Hughes predicted attendance would "build back up" in future years. He suggested that reintroducing the funny videos featured in past meetings, extending shopping hours, and hotels cutting prices could help. I later spoke to Brett Gardner, the author of "Buffett's Early Investments," at the Hilton Omaha across the street from the CHI Health Center. Brett Gardner, the author of "Buffett's Early Investments." Theron Mohamed/Business Insider Gardner said that Abel came across well onstage and was funnier than he's been in the past, but it might not be enough to sustain the meeting in the long term. "I unfortunately think that when Buffett passes, the meeting's going to get much smaller, maybe a couple thousand people," he said, adding that he'd be "very surprised" if it could fill a stadium a decade after Buffett's gone. Read the original article on Business Insider

The author enjoys traveling with her son. Courtesy of Nicole Findlay I love traveling with my 9-year-old son. It gives us a break from our routine at home, and we also get to see each other in a new way. He sees sides of my personality he doesn't get to see at home. At home, my little family is predictable. We wake up early, walk our dog every afternoon, and eat pizza on Friday nights. I know all of my 9-year-old's moods and habits, but travel breaks routine — and sometimes, that's where the real magic is. Years ago, on a trip to Lake Tahoe, I realized that traveling with my son is the best way to get to know him. Recently, though, I've realized it's also a great way for him to get to know me. At home, I nag my little guy to pick up dirty clothes, eat his vegetables, and I probably say "one minute" too many times while I'm at my computer trying to finish an assignment. Vacation mom, on the other hand, eats chocolate for breakfast, pretends to be a shark in the pool, and has plenty of time to linger in gift shops. On vacation, my son gets to see who I am outside the daily grind. Travel creates space we don't have at home. When we have time to explore and just play without the usual interruptions, my son gets a peek at who I was as a kid. These small travel habits help us learn about each other on every trip. We don't overbook When I'm visiting somewhere new, it's tempting to want to do ALL the things. When I'm with my son, we don't. Sure, I research before we go and roughly plan an itinerary, but we don't overbook. There's something special about stumbling upon new things together. I've learned that when we plan too much, even if it's things I know he'll enjoy, it can sometimes feel too reminiscent of the hustle and bustle of home. When we build relaxation into the itinerary, like beach days and pool time, it gives us a chance to create our own fun together. The author says that she's learned not to overpack their itinerary. Courtesy of Nicole Findlay We talk to locals When we travel, like most people, we end up in conversations with locals. I get to see how my son interacts with new people in new situations, and vice versa. In our day-to-day routine, we often mix with the same people — teachers, friends, and family — so this is a side of him I don't always witness. On vacation, my son also gets to see me in a different light. On one particular afternoon in Oahu, a waiter noticed my son's drawing pad and struck up a conversation about art. He shared his cool, artistic background, recommended a specific brush pen, and then gave my son a few of his own stunning sketches to take home. Travel makes the best memories, and moments like this really stick. They can even go so far as to shape how we see the world. We make our meals an event I love dining out with my family. Without the distractions of our dog barking at the neighbors, a messy kitchen, and an ever-growing to-do list, time feels like it slows down, just a little, and we get the chance to really talk. On a recent trip to Salt Lake City, my son and I visited the mountain city's museums, explored pretty gardens, and even hiked at Snowbird, a ski resort that trades snow for wildflowers in the summer. But the most memorable part of our trip was eating wood-fired pizzas on a patio surrounded by cool street art. Sitting across from him, sans my husband or a kid's color-me-in menu that usually occupies him until the food arrives, I chatted with my little conversationalist. I learned about all his favorite parts of our vacation and a few things he didn't like so much. He asked more questions than usual, probably because he wasn't coloring, and we chatted well after our pizzas were long-gone. Anthony Bourdain famously noted that you learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together. I've always believed this, but I didn't realize it equally applied to children. My son is still young, and there's so much more to learn about him and who he will grow up to be. I just hope he'll always want to travel with me. Read the original article on Business Insider

Students across Canada are exposed to artificial intelligence (AI) whether through search engines, writing assistants, automated recommendation systems or social media. That everyday exposure raises a first, fundamental question: What should students should learn about AI? This goal is often described as AI literacy, which combines conceptual understanding with responsible use and critical judgment about AI. A second, more practical, question is: Where should learning about AI sit in the curriculum? Since education is a provincial responsibility, Canada has no single approach. Teaching AI literacy in schools builds on what provinces already require students to learn about digital technologies. How provinces do this determines how much time students get, what can be assessed and how teachers must be prepared. In practice, these different curriculum models, plus the supports to ensure teachers can effectively teach them, will shape whether AI education becomes a set of tips for using apps — or a form of digital citizenship grounded in concepts, ethics and critical thinking. What AI literacy implies for schools Several provinces and educator associations have or are developing frameworks pertaining to AI in K-12 education. Several organizations have proposed similar frameworks that specify the concepts and competencies students should develop, or that guide what meaningful AI education would require in schools. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization sees AI literacy spanning technical understanding and ethical awareness, and names a vision of students as AI co-creators and responsible citizens. A U.S.-based framework, AI4K12, outlines what students should learn about AI across grade levels, and identifies five “big ideas” about AI: perception, representation and reasoning, learning, natural interaction and societal impact. AI frameworks guide what meaningful AI education might look like in schools. (Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency/EDUimages), CC BY-NC The U.S.-based International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) proposes standards that engage students as empowered learners, computational thinkers, innovative designers and digital citizens. Digital learning in provincial curricula Across Canada, provinces integrate digital learning through different models — but note that these models are ideal types. Several provinces combine them. Each model can support AI literacy, but each creates different conditions for time, assessment and teacher preparation. 1. A dedicated subject or domain, where digital skills or computer science have their own courses. In many systems, teachers have been specifically trained for the subject. This configuration typically supports clearer sequencing across grades and more consistent assessment. For example, between kindergarten to Grade 9, British Columbia teaches technological learning within applied design, skills and technologies curriculum, with Grade 8 requiring the equivalent of a full-year course that schools can deliver through modules. Newfoundland and Labrador frames technology education as a hands-on area that can include programming and controlling physical devices through two dedicated courses about computer science in Grades 9 and 10. Ontario’s computer studies curriculum creates dedicated course space for learning computing concepts. Ontario also illustrates how systems can shift emphasis over time: coding and digital competencies can be embedded within compulsory subjects, while a separate computer studies curriculum expands opportunities for sustained progression. A dedicated subject provides protected classroom time to teach related core ideas (for example, data, algorithms and modelling) and to assess learning beyond using tools, while still making possible cross-curriculum learning. It also creates clearer conditions for implementing ambitious AI literacy frameworks such as AIK12 and UNESCO’s guidance. This is because a teacher trained to translate specialized concepts for non-specialists leads instruction and can support sustained, project-based learning. However, in many provinces, this “dedicated subject” exposure remains intermittent across K–12, often concentrated in a small number of courses, or sometimes a single year-long course with limited weekly time. This constrains cumulative progression and makes outcomes sensitive to local staffing capacity and teacher qualification. 2. Digital learning embedded in existing subjects. In New Brunswick, digital learning in Grades 6 to 8 is organized through the Middle Block, where Technology is one learning area among others. Teachers must address digital learning alongside a much wider set of practical and developmental goals, rather than teaching it as a fully separate subject with protected time. How AI-related professional development will help teachers depends partly on learning expectations relevant to their work. (Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency/ EDUimages), CC BY-NC This approach can make learning more connected to real problems and other learning. But it can also limit how much time can be devoted to AI-related concepts, and whether this learning is effective, when many other objectives must be covered within the same program structure. The trade-off is generally capacity: teachers are asked to carry new conceptual content without necessarily having time, training or materials. 3. A “transversal” framework, where competencies that underpin digital technology are meant to be integrated across subjects. For example, Manitoba teaches literacy with information communication technology (ICT) across curriculum, related to thinking critically and creatively about information and about communication, “as citizens of the global community, while using ICT safely, responsibly and ethically.” Alberta’s information and communication technology program of studies states that it is “not intended to stand alone” but should be infused within core courses. Québec has a province-wide digital competency framework describing 12 dimensions of confident, critical and creative uses of digital technology. When competencies related to digital learning are integrated across subjects, every student can be reached, not only those who choose electives. However, without clear accountability tying underlying competencies to particular digital media uses, this approach can potentially yield uneven learning experiences from school to school. Every teacher must also receive sufficient professional development on the subject. What ‘AI-ready’ could mean Each model requires different policy supports. Dedicated subjects need staffing and teacher preparation pipelines. Embedded approaches need sustained professional learning and realistic expectations for non-specialist teachers. Transversal frameworks need clear markers for student progression and assessment strategies, otherwise implementation depends on local enthusiasm. For many provinces, the path forward is likely not choosing one model, but combining the strengths of all three. The path forward for teaching AI literacy is likely combining the strengths of different curricular models. (Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency/EDUimages), CC BY-NC This requires grounding in foundational knowledge of AI, as well as developing both discipline-specific and transdisciplinary competencies. UNESCO’s AI competency framework for teachers makes a similar point: governments should anchor AI learning in curriculum policy, build collaboratively with educators and invest in teacher preparation and resources. Canada’s provincial diversity creates conditions for comparative analysis. If researchers study student learning associated with different models, this could help identify which policy arrangements, supports and implementation strategies are associated with stronger and more equitable forms of AI education. Comparison may become even more salient with the OECD’s planned PISA 2029 media and artificial intelligence literacy assessment, which will be designed to examine whether students have had opportunities to learn to engage critically and responsibly with digital and AI systems. Hugo G. Lapierre receives funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQSC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and IVADO. Normand Roy receives funding from Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ), le ministère de l'Éducation du Québec (MÉQ), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Patrick Charland receives funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQSC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and UNESCO.

Ryan Garrido runs a business and travels the world as a digital nomad. Courtesy of Ryan Garrido Ryan Garrido runs a dropshipping business while living abroad to reduce costs. His savings on daily expenses helped him get his business off the ground. He said it's worth it, but accepts that there are tradeoffs to living abroad as a business owner. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ryan Garrido, the owner of Dropshipping High Ticket, a dropshipping business that he runs while traveling the world. Garrido, 37, started his company while living overseas. The following has been edited for length and clarity. I think the definition of an entrepreneur is someone who takes risks. In America, you might be thinking, "OK, I have enough to break even. I can pay my rent, I can pay my bills, I can pay for groceries, my gas, and I'll have $20 left over." But what business are you going to do with $20? When you have excess funds, you can take risks, and I think that's the common issue with people living in America. There's no room to take risks because there are no additional funds. Had I tried to have a business in the States, the cost of living might have kept me from taking the leap. So the fact that I was able to not have my daily costs be such a burden — my cost of living is 10% or 20% of my income at this point in Thailand, it's very minimal — allows me to fully invest in the company, to scale up more advertising, and just to do it in the first place. You also broaden your horizon dramatically when living abroad because you start to see other cultures and how they do things versus how we do things. I got into dropshipping while traveling the world Before I moved abroad, I had a sales job in the US — I was doing B2B sales and door-to-door sales in DC. I was recruiting and had a team of guys that I was managing. Then I discovered meditation and wanted to study it full-time, so I left the country to go study full-time in South Korea. A friend of mine was traveling all over the world, doing speaking events and posting them on Facebook. I messaged him one day and asked what he was doing. He said he did high-ticket dropshipping, and he had a course. I think it was $1,000 at the time, so I bought his course in 2019 and have been running my store since then. Dropshipping is a business model where you have a website, and when the customer places an order from you, you go to the manufacturer, give the order details to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer ships directly to the customer. High-ticket dropshipping is items over $700; expensive stuff like saunas, jacuzzis, hot tubs, the list goes on. I live abroad because the better cost of living helps me invest in my business I've been in Thailand since December 2025, so I've only been here for four months. I kind of just pop in and stay in a country for one to three months a year. I make those decisions probably about a month early. I have no roots, so it's easy to go wherever the wind blows whenever I get an itch. When you bounce around, Thailand is convenient because all the flights are there, and a lot of people are there. Garrido has been in Thailand for about four months. primeimages/Getty Images There are two other major perks in Thailand. One is the currency exchange. I'm earning in US dollars and spending in Thai Baht, so the buying power locally far surpasses what you could get in America for that same dollar. The other is just the general cost of living and quality of life. The cost of living is way less, so you can get more with much less spending. About 14 years ago, I was living in McLean, Virginia. I had a one-bedroom, and I was spending $1,970 a month in rent. In Thailand, I pay about $1,700 a month, but I'm staying in a two-bedroom hotel suite, about 800 square feet. Every day they clean, there's a gym here, a pool, and all that good stuff. Convenience is off the chain here. Whatever you want, you can have it delivered by bike in 20 minutes. There are pros and cons to starting a business abroad, but it was the right decision for me It takes everything to run a business. It takes your full mental focus, your ability, your full effort, everything. I live a pretty good life in Bangkok right now, but if I were in the early stages when you're trying to get funding, in my case, I could go all the way down to spending only $100 a week — I'd still be able to live in a studio and it wouldn't be the end of the world. The first time I came here in 2018, my monthly rent was $400. So now that I have X amount of money to invest in the business, the huge amount of savings here gives you the ability to take a risk. Garrido started his business while already overseas. Courtesy of Ryan Garrido When you start, you have operating costs. Shopify might be $40 a month, you have other software that could be $80 a month, plus you have to invest in advertising. So when you get started, you have to put $500 to $1,000 into advertising to start generating revenue. So all in, you're looking at about $2,500. I wouldn't have had that available had my rent not been $400. So I had the liquidity available to take that chance. To be fair, if I were in America, I could utilize banks better. I could have gone to the bank, gotten a loan, or gotten credit cards. It's easier when you're there in person rather than being abroad — any guy off the street could access $100,000 in funding with a reasonable credit score. Average Americans don't know they have access to this amazing credit market that no other country in the world has access to. When someone wants to be a digital nomad and thinks, "Well, I want to take advantage of this arbitrage opportunity where my cost of living is less, and I could earn dollars and spend them in other currencies," they should do a lot of research. Don't just jump into it. Get all your ducks in a row. Running a business abroad isn't always easy. Even getting mail can sometimes be an issue. Your business addresses, your personal addresses, where your driver's license needs to be renewed, that kind of thing can all get complicated. There are pros and cons everywhere. There is no one-size-fits-all. But for me, it's worth it. Read the original article on Business Insider

Jené Luciani-Sena and her mother live under one roof. Adrianna Newell for BI "She will never go for that," I told my husband in 2023 when he suggested that my then-68-year-old mom sell the Hudson, New York, home she had lived in for 45 years and move an hour north to live with us. After my stepdad died in 2020, she seemed to have a new lease on life. After all, she had been his caretaker for 25 years. She was spending time with friends, redecorating her house, and she seemed to be enjoying life. Until one day, something changed. Her normally upbeat demeanor turned sad. She suddenly struggled to get out of bed. Some days, she didn't leave the house. The house's original structure is home to two generations. Adrianna Newell for BI She was over an hour away from me and her four grandkids, so I took a drive up to my childhood home in Hudson — a small two-bedroom ranch-style house intended to be a "starter home." During that visit, I had one mission: to convince my mom it was time to pack up her belongings and leave her old life behind to start a new one with us. To my surprise, I barely got the words out before she exclaimed, "Yes, let's do it, I'm ready!" We already lived in a large house My immediate family is a big, blended one with three teens, one pre-teen, two dogs, and two cats. Even before my mom moved in, we lived in a large house to accommodate all of us. The living room is a place for all generations. Adrianna Newell for BI Our 2,700-square-foot house was formerly owned by my husband's uncle, who built the large center-hall colonial-style home 15 years ago. He gifted us the house, which sits on 2.5 acres. Over the next decade, the large house and estate provided plenty of space for our kids to spread out across three upstairs bedrooms. It has four bedrooms in total, plus a den that could double as a bedroom if needed. The author cooks in her kitchen. Adrianna Newell for BI But most importantly, in 2023, when it was time for my mom to move in nearly a decade later, we still had the land to expand. My mom decided to build an addition to our house My mom's house was in Hudson, which has become a desirable vacation spot for affluent people who can easily drive or take Amtrak up from New York City, sending home values in the area skyrocketing. While her 1,200-square-foot home was small and only mildly updated, she sold it for $300,000 in cash. The author loves having her mother live under the same roof. Adrianna Newell for BI Mom decided to use the profits from selling her home to build a house for herself on our estate. But first, she moved into our guest bedroom as construction on her new home began. We ran into construction issues almost immediately. Even though we live atop a mountain with neighboring horse farms and more animals than people, we were subject to town regulations that prohibited us from building a separate structure for my mom. We discussed all the alternative options. One was that Mom would live permanently in the main house with us. We decided against that. She's a pretty independent woman, and she's used to having her own space. We wanted to give her a respite from the daily chaos our home can bring. The author's mother has her own bedroom. Adrianna Newell for BI We all agreed on the best course of action almost immediately: to build an addition onto our existing home. While we knew this was the more expensive and difficult path, we were excited about the value it would add to the house as a whole. We began construction of a 900-square-foot addition on our property that met all the town's requirements, and hired a local contractor. We ran into some roadblocks, including the need for Mom to have her own garage to store her car. I had to appear before the zoning board to plead our case, since we already had a three-car garage and they needed to know why we wanted to build another one. The floor plan, not drawn to scale, shows the addition built onto the existing house via the garage. BI The entire process took a year from start to finish, with the addition being completed in March of 2024. She ended up spending around $200,000. My mom now has her own space that she loves — and we all benefit My mother moved into her "side" of the house about a year ago. Her living area is a short walk through our existing garage, and a new mud room on her side. The author's mother has her own living room Adrianna Newell for BI The kids love having "Nema" around all the time; Mom joins us for meals. I love having an extra person to help with housework, such as grocery shopping and the occasional laundry, and shuttling kids to and from various events and practices — not to mention a built-in babysitter for our little guy, who's now 10. She lovingly refers to him as her "sidekick," and I think it's really special and rare that he gets to spend so much time with his elder family member. Our two youngest sleep over occasionally on her pullout couch, and they consider it a special treat to stay at Nema's. The author and her mother love their multigenerational house. Adrianna Newell for BI On top of the benefits of having my mom under my roof, our house has also increased in value by about $75,000. Unfortunately, the flip side is that our property taxes also went up slightly, and school taxes went up by almost $2,000. Still, our multigenerational house has been worth it, not only to give mom the forever home she deserves, but also to hopefully pass this home — and all its amazing memories — down to our children one day. This essay is part of The New American Home, a series that examines multigenerational houses. Read more. Read the original article on Business Insider

Warren Buffett is the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. Johannes EISELE / AFP via Getty Images Warren Buffett was a trailblazer in using media to build a business, Sahil Bloom says. The wealth guru said Buffett's letters and annual meeting helped to grow his and Berkshire's brands. Bloom spoke to Business Insider about meeting Buffett and why the shareholder gathering is special. Warren Buffett is a media master, and Berkshire Hathaway's shareholder weekend is one of a kind, says influencer and investor Sahil Bloom. The author of "The 5 Types of Wealth" and writer of "The Curiosity Chronicle" newsletter spoke to Business Insider's Theron Mohamed in Buffett's hometown of Omaha on Friday, ahead of Berkshire's annual meeting. Berkshire is "in many ways a media company," the wealth guru said, pointing to Berkshire's yearly gathering and Buffett's famous shareholder letters as an "incredible example of building a brand around media." Buffett built his brand in part by breaking down complex financial subjects, making them accessible to everyone, Bloom said. The investor has an "insane capacity to aggregate data and information and spit a very clear story out on the other side," he added. The perception of Buffett as someone "you could have a drink with or have a steak with definitely is part of the deal" too, he said. Bloom, who has 1.1 million X followers, recalled meeting Buffett for the first time in 2019 and being so starstruck that he couldn't speak. But the Berkshire chairman was "so disarming in his demeanor," asking Bloom questions such as where he had dinner the previous night, that he quickly put Bloom at ease. The billionaire was "so kind and open and generous with his time," Bloom said. He shared two key lessons he's taken from studying Buffett: the value of constant learning, and the importance of saying "no" to things outside one's circle of competence. Author Sahil Bloom spoke to Business Insider in Omaha. Theron Mohamed/Business Insider Bloom said he's intrigued to see how Greg Abel, who succeeded Buffett as Berkshire's CEO at the start of this year, stewards the media side of the company. He noted that Abel and Berkshire's insurance chief, Ajit Jain, lack the "theatrical flavor" and witty camaraderie that Buffett had with his late business partner, Charlie Munger. However, Bloom noted that he's spent some time with Abel and found him to be "extremely kind and very present" during conversations, and said he has a "lot of confidence" in his leadership. Bloom also reflected on the unique appeal of the Berkshire meeting and whether it will continue in the post-Buffett era. "It's a high density of really smart people that come here for this very short window of time, and you're in a place where there's not a whole lot else to do other than meet people," he said. Looking around the lobby of the Hilton Omaha, he said there were likely people managing tens, if not hundreds, of billions of dollars under one roof. "That's hard to replace," he said. "I hope it continues for that reason." Read the original article on Business Insider

David Keohane / Financial Times: Nintendo's share price has fallen by ~45% since August 2025, as rising memory chip costs drive investor concerns over profit margins for the Switch 2  —  Higher memory chip costs fuel fears of price rise for Switch 2 and cast shadow over console's success  —  The latest Super Mario movie released …

Why most AI projects fail, what the cloud era teaches us, and what the whole AI shift means for your job

Ben Cohen / Wall Street Journal: A profile of BlackBerry's QNX division, whose operating system controls safety features in 275M cars and accounts for half of BlackBerry's revenue  —  John Wall has spent nearly his entire career working for the same company.  And when he tells people where he works, nobody has any clue what he's talking about.

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NIST: An evaluation by NIST's CAISI says DeepSeek V4 Pro lags behind leading US AI models by about eight months and is the most capable Chinese AI model to date  —  In April 2026, the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) evaluated the open-weight AI model DeepSeek V4 Pro ("DeepSeek V4").

Rachyl Jones / Semafor: A slew of top Boston Dynamics execs have left the Hyundai-owned company in recent months, as sources say it faces pressure to speed the delivery of humanoids  —  In recent months, a slew of top executives at Boston Dynamics have left the company, which Hyundai bought a majority stake in back in 2021.