Could Your LEGO Creation Be the Toymaker's Next Big Kit?
LEGO's "Women of NASA" set became the best-selling toy on Amazon in just 24 hours after its release. And while the company takes pride in creating gender-neutral action figures, brand relations director Michael McNally says he was happy to release this a-typical collection.
The LEGO set was created by Maia Weinstock, a deputy news editor at MIT and a self-proclaimed supporter of women, something she proved with this project.
“Women of NASA” celebrates women who have played critical roles in STEM educations and in the history of the United States’ space program.
But this is not the only successful playset crowdsourced by LEGO. Another fan idea and best-seller includes a “Big Bang Theory” living room set.
Enthusiasts can submit an idea to the LEGO Ideas website and gather support. Submissions will be reviewed by LEGO, and can ultimately result in a new product.
“What’s awesome...is that we get ideas that probably we didn’t have on our own,” McNally told Cheddar in an interview. “Then we can access the support, because if they get 10,000 votes from the fan community then we review them as a possible LEGO set.”
The holidays are approaching and McNally says Lego hopes to restock shelves with the now sold-out “Women of Nasa” playset. This is also the company’s best season he said.
The toy industry as a whole has been growing steadily in the past three years, with sales rising 16 percent from 2013 to 2016, according to market research firm NPD Group. The company said sales hit $20.4 billion last year.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
With a merger this big, creators, studios, and theaters all face uncertain futures. Here’s what experts are worried about and what good could come from it.
With disengagement rising and hybrid work shifting, 'Everybody Matters' author Bob Chapman explains why treating people well could define the future of work.
We sat down with Ali Furman, U.S. Consumer Markets Industry Leader at consulting firm PwC to ask what trends she garnered from the initial data this year.
