For many, playing with Lego bricks was just a fun childhood hobby. But for some, it became a way of life. And an even luckier few were able to gain TV fame doing what they love.
Amy Corbett, senior design manager at The LEGO Group, has become one of the faces of Fox’s new reality competition show Lego Masters.
Each week teams face off in complex challenges that test their building abilities. Winners head home with more than just bragging rights -- they can win cash prizes, the Lego trophy and the grand title of Lego Masters.
“I think with every week we have a different challenge. We want to push our builders to the limit to see who really is the best,” Corbett told Cheddar.
LEGO Group was founded in 1932 and has managed to stay relevant in a technology-savvy toy world. Corbett says one reason is because the company is constantly trying to take a fresh look at how people are playing. “We always try to re-invent. Look what’s happening in the world, what kids are interested in, and re-invent the play experience around the bricks. That keeps it fresh.”
The company does offer some product lines with augmented realities that combine physical and digital play, however the design manager says there is still a need for non-technology based toys. “We also see that the more technology there is, the more parents want their kids to step away from technology and have less screen time,” she said.
Corbett, who played with LEGOs as a kid with her brother, says the company’s new products connect with her more. “Definitely some of the products we have now, I feel like resonate with me much more and I would have loved to have them as a child.”
The basic concept is timeless, though, she said.
“The thing that makes it really magic is that they all fit together and we can almost re-imagine it in the way we put the bricks together,” Corbett said.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
