Week in Review for the Week of 2/25/19
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| Week in Review for the Week of 2/25/19 | |
| Number | 765 |
| Broadcast Date | MARCH 2, 2019 |
| Episode Length | 5:10 |
| Hosts | Rich Stroffolino |
Lyft files IPO documents with the SEC, Microsoft announces the HoloLens 2, and Spotify launches in India.
Headlines
- Lyft officially filed IPO documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission Friday. Lyft started as a college carpooling service called Zimride in 2007, and now claims a 39 percent market share in the US, with 18.6 million “Active Riders” and over 1.1 million drivers.
- Microsoft announced the HoloLens 2 with a 53-degree field of view and eye tracking. It also adds 3D mapping of the hands so you can grab objects to adjust them rather than tapping on a virtual control. Microsoft also moved the integrated computer to the back of the headset to make it less front-heavy. The price is now $3500 down from $5,000 for the first generation and it can be bundled with Dynamics 365 Remote Assist. Microsoft will also work with third parties for specialized hardware for certain industries, an example being a hard hat made with Trimble.
- Huawei announced a foldable phone called the Mate X. It has an 8-inch wraparound OLED display that is 11mm thick when folded. It is capable of 5G, has a 4,500mAh battery split into two parts and runs on Huawei's Kirin 980 processor. When folded it works as a dual screen smart phone with a 6.6-inch main display and 6.4-inch rear display. It does not have a rear camera when unfolded. The Mate X with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage will sell for €2,299 starting in the middle of this year.
- Pandora announced Stories, a new marketing tool for artists on the service. Stories allows artists to build playlists combined with voice tracks to build narrative and insight around the selections. Stories is rolling out to Pandora’s Artist Marketing Platform, but artists will need to submit a form before getting access, with all Stories being reviewed by Pandora before publishing. Stories at launch include playlists from John Legend, Perry Farrell, and Lauren Alaina, with announced stories coming from 2 Chainz and Rob Thomas. Stories will be available to both free and paid Pandora users.
- Spotify launched in India on Android, iOS and the Web with premium plans priced at Rs 119 (US$1.67) per month. Free tier users in India can play any song on demand while most countries limit the free tier to shuffle. Some major artists like Ed Sheeran appear to be missing as Spotify is negotiating distribution contracts with Warner Brothers in India. Spotify faces competition from established music services from Apple, Google, Airtel Wynk and JioSaavn.
- FedEx announced it will use short range delivery robots between its offices in Memphis as a trial towards wider use for FedEx delivery. The autonomous SameDayBot can move at up to 10 miles per hour and can climb steps and curbs. A screen on the back indicate to pedestrians things like turns and stops. FedEx says it is in talks with AutoZone, Lowe’s, Pizza Hut, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart for possible use of the robot.
- Amazon announced Project Zero to help eliminatie counterfeit products from its site. Once approved, a Project Zero brand can directly flag and remove counterfeit listings of their products on their own. Previously, brands had to submit a request to Amazon and wait through an evaluation process. Project Zero is invite-only for now with brands now able to join a waitlist. The company will also be requiring that Project Zero users undergo required training, and Amazon plans to monitor user activity.
- The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration issued new rules around lithium ion batteries. Specifically, the new interim final rule bans lithium ion cells and batteries in the cargo area of passenger airplanes. The rule also sets new guidance for lithium ion batteries that travel on cargo-carrying planes, that they should not exceed a state of being 30 percent charged. The rule won’t affect current rules allowing electronic devices in the passenger cabin of planes, this only reiterates guidance in place by the U.N. authority under U.S. regulation. So if you're traveling, smartphones, tablets, and laptops are to be kept in carry-on baggage. If they're packed in checked baggage, they should be turned completely off and packed to be protected from damage.
- 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.
Links
| Preceded by: "Tesla Sales Go Online Only" |
Week in Review for the Week of 2/25/19 |
Followed by: "Huawei Planning to Sue the US Government" |