Tesla Sales Go Online Only
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| Tesla Sales Go Online Only | |
| Number | 764 |
| Broadcast Date | MARCH 1, 2019 |
| Episode Length | 4:48 |
| Hosts | Rich Stroffolino |
Tesla to sell vehicles online only, YouTube disables comments for all videos featuring minors, and Dell EMC reports its first earnings since going public again.
Headlines
- Tesla announced that going forward, all vehicle sales will be made online. During a media call, CEO Elon Musk stated some retail locations would be turned into informational and showroom locations, but that many would close, resulting in an unspecified reduction in retail headcount. The move was evidently made for cost savings, resulting in an average reduction in vehicle cost by 6%, and allowing Tesla to sell a version of the Model 3 at its promised $35,000 price point. New Tesla customers will be able to drive a vehicle for up to a week and 1,000 miles, and still get a full refund if unsatisfied with a purchase.
- YouTube announced it will disable comments on all videos featuring minors. YouTube previously disabled comments on millions of videos in order to prevent communication between pedophiles. A small number of creators that closely moderate comments and demonstrate a low risk of predatory comments will be allowed to keep them open on videos with minors in them. YouTube also says it improved its comment classifier that can identify and remove predatory comments on any video automatically.
- News broke at MWC that Disney and the Japanese carrier Docomo will launch a steaming service later this month. No pricing has been announced, but the service would include content from Walt Disney Studios, Marvel Studios, Pixar and Lucasfilm. Competing Japanese carriers KDDi and SoftBank both have partnerships with Netflix to offer zero-rating and complimentary subscriptions, respectively. This is not Docomo's first partnership with Disney, as the carrier has offered Disney Mobile handsets over the last several years.
- A new cybersecurity law was passed by unanimous vote by Thailand's parliament. The law would allow the government to search and seize data and equipment in national emergencies, opening the door to internet monitoring and private data access without a court order. The law would be enforced by the National Cybersecurity Committee, which is headed by the prime minister and does not include any industry or civic representation. The Asia Internet Coalition issued a statement criticizing the law for an "ambiguously defined scope, vague language and lack of safeguards."
- The New York Times reports its sources say WhatsApp will launch a cryptocurrency, pegged to multiple fiat currencies, that would let users send cash across international borders. WhatsApp has supposedly approached cryptocurrency exchanges about listing the currency. Telegram and Signal are also reportedly working on cryptocurrencies as well.
- Twitter confirmed it is developing a Hide Tweet feature after code for it was spotted by security researcher Jane Manchun Wong. The feature would allow users to hide Twitter replies in conversations they started. Replies would still be viewable through a menu option.
- Reddit is testing letting users tip real money to posters. Reddit users can choose $3, $5, $10 or enter a custom amount. A Reddit admin said 78.5% of the money will go to the tipped user, 18.5% to Reddit and 3% to Stripe. A Reddit spokesman warned, "Only a small percent of experiments get implemented.” The test only works with one Reddit user, known for adding the WWE themed line to the end of posts "...in 1998 when the undertaker threw mankind off hеll in a cell, and plummeted sixteen feet through an announcer's table."
- Dell EMC reported Q4 earnings, it's first since going public again back in December. The company reported a net loss of $287 million on revenue of $23.84 billion. Analysts had expected a loss of $45 million on revenue of $23.83 billion. Dell EMC didn't report earnings per share or outstanding shares due to mid-quarter share changes in the process of going public. Personal computing revenue grew 4% on the year, driven by 9% growth in commercial PCs, off-setting a 4% decline on the consumer side. VMware revenue jumped 17% to $2.6 billion. The company also disclosed it has paid down $14.6 billion of the $67 billion used to purchase EMC back in 2016.
- A quick check of Strategy Analytics estimates for the wearables market shows Samsung and Fitbit quadrupled the number of smartwatches shipped in Q4 2018 vs the previous year. Apple grew by 1.4 million units over the previous year too but its marketshare dropped 15%. Apple still shipped 9.2 million units to number two Samsung's 2.4 million and Fitbit's 2.3 million. The overall smartwatch market grew 56%.
- Amazon announced it is discontinuing its Dash Buttons globally. The company plans to support ordering through existing Dash buttons as long as they're still in use. So I guess, if you like them, don't stop using them.
Links
| Preceded by: "Amazon Day Launches for US Prime Members" |
Tesla Sales Go Online Only |
Followed by: "Week in Review for the Week of 2/25/19" |