Business
The 2022 iPhone SE. “There is a profound thoughtfulness and longevity to this design. Like an all-time great athlete, years past their prime, but still pulling their weight on the team, contributing something essential. This is backward compatibility Apple-style — not technical compatibility, but experiencecompatibility. The iPhone SE is the comfort iPhone”
‘Extremely awkward’: Bob Chapek and Bob Iger had a falling out, they rarely talk — and the rift looms over Disney’s future. I remember when Jobs passed away and Cook took over as the CEO, many thought it would mean a bleak future for Apple. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a consequence, even though I personally admire Iger and remain positively cautious about Chapek, what happened to Apple might be repeated for Disney. Yes, Chapek may not be a people’s leader and his promotion of Kareem puts too much power in the hands of his confidante. Yet, even some of his skeptics admit that Chapek is a skilled and determined operator. Perhaps, that’s what Disney needs. We’ll see at the end of FY2024.
Two-Minute Battery Changes Propel India’s Shift to E-Scooters. “Sagyarani, a 38-year-old e-shuttle driver for MetroRide, pulls up to one of startup Sun Mobility’s 14 automated orange-and-black booths, taps her authentication key to open a vacant compartment, inserts a drained battery and pulls out a fully powered pack. That means more hours on the road transporting commuters to metro stations, MetroRide’s main business. Another bonus: it costs just 50 rupees (67 cents) to swap out a single fully discharged battery, which is about half the price of 1 liter (¼ gallon) of gasoline. Swapping in India will be mainly used by the nation’s 1.5 million electric rickshaws that make up 83% of total EV sales. Because swappable batteries deliver a shorter range, they’re a better fit for the low-speed vehicles as opposed to sedans and SUVs, which need high-power batteries to deliver greater distance“
European Lawmakers Reach Deal on Sweeping New Digital-Competition Law. “Widely known as the DMA, the legislation could affect many corners of the tech world. It is aimed broadly at limiting the ability of the biggest tech companies from taking advantage of their powerful presence in digital markets—including the app ecosystem, online shopping and online advertising. Provisions in the text, if agreed upon, would allow developers to make their apps available to iPhone users without going through Apple Inc.’s App Store and could limit how sites such as Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Amazon.com Inc. can rank their own products and services ahead of those offered by smaller competitors in search results.”
Other stuff I found interesting
A truly great site on iconic food packaging
An excellent profile of Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS). It’s utterly unthinkable to see how much power a man can have over a country in this day and age. Until you look at the rulers of Saudi Arabia. What is frightening is that some said that when, not if, he becomes a king, Crown Prince MBS will look like an angel.
Inside the Fight Over the Future of New York City’s Outdoor Dining. When I was in New York a few months ago, I was fascinated by the outdoor dining scenes of the city. Industry, entrepreneurship and authenticity. The Open Restaurants program has saved more than 100,000 jobs since June 2020. Evidence of how outdoor dining contributes economically to the city. Personally, I loved to visit some of those restaurants. However, there are downsides. The city can look messy and dirty, and the restaurant outdoor settings take up invaluable parking space that is already in far greater demand than supply can handle.
Stats
The U.S. online grocery market hit $8.7 billion for February
New car total sales are expected to hit 3,228,000 units in Q1 2022, according to J.D Power
The average price for an Oscar commercial is about $1.71 million
Minh Quang Duong 