When the Swatch was born four decades ago, the plastic timepiece breathed new life into the staid Swiss watch industry, which was struggling to compete with cheap quartz models from Asia. By the early 1990s, Swatch sales soared to about 20 million a year as consumers snapped up the colorful designs that married Swiss-made precision with an affordable fun factor. That boost provided financial cover for the slow-motion comeback of struggling high-end manufacturers (Blancpain,

Chloe Dykstra’s seven Razor scooters have entertained her throughout the pandemic. During lockdown, she also occupied herself building a Lego typewriter. Now she’s eyeing a Sea-Monkeys Aquarium pet hatching kit. Although the toys were designed for kids, that doesn’t bother Dykstra, a 33-year-old writer and producer in Los Angeles. “Sometimes taking care of yourself looks like going back to childhood a little bit,” she says.

A cohort of shoppers like Dykstra—dubbed “kidults” by toy industry insiders—have helped US toy sales surge 37% over two years, to $28.6 billion in 2021, according to data tracker

Turbocharging fast fashion’s business model has turned Shein into the face of the industry and one of the world’s top startups. But as

In a stunning crime spree, a pair allegedly stole millions of dollars in watches, bags, and other luxury items from celebrities, the fabulously wealthy, and even friends. Their trial begins on Aug. 25.

As grocery prices soar, food inflation is hitting people of color much more than other groups.

Almost 40% of Native American, 32% of Black and 30% of Latino people reported having serious problems affording food, according to a study conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with Harvard and NPR. Meanwhile, 21% of White adults said the same.

Armstrong’s message led to some resignations, and tons of media coverage ahead of Coinbase’s public stock listing. Detractors, including former Twitter CEO

The Rhine River is set to become virtually impassable at a key waypoint in Germany, as shallow water chokes off shipments of energy products and other industrial commodities along one of Europe’s most important waterways.

The marker at Kaub, west of Frankfurt, is

For fans of professional sports, the insistent overtures from the crypto industry have become almost impossible to miss: The names of exchanges and blockchain companies are emblazoned on team jerseys, plastered on stadiums, and beckoning from halftime TV commercials. They’re talked up by prominent players who enjoy lucrative endorsement deals.

This nascent band of businesses has moved aggressively since last year to match the advertising muscle of beer brands, carmakers, telecom service providers, and other stalwart sports sponsors.

Abortion-rights activists are warning of the consequences of weak digital privacy protections in a post-Dobbs landscape. Even before the decision, law enforcement had been honing tactics that could now be used against people seeking an abortion in states where it’s banned—or beyond.

Academics have found that searches for

The clear-cut through the forest in Mexico’s southeast is long (the section shown above will be 121 kilometers, about 75 miles), 40 meters (131 feet) wide, and as straight as modern engineering can make it. It’s the right of way for a train—the Maya Train, or Tren Maya, which will run for 1,554 kilometers and connect five states in the Yucatán Peninsula. This is arguably President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s most ambitious infrastructure project, and he’s vowed, repeatedly, to have it ready by the end of next year.

Like many successful products that come from Silicon Valley startups, Dall-E became a phenomenon during a testing period when it was available to only a relatively small group. The hype built with online chatter from early adopters, who documented the highlights on Twitter and Reddit, giving the broader world a taste of what was to come.