Business
Amtrak’s Subtle, Surprising Success. Amtrak is one of those businesses that I would love to see succeed. It has the monopoly on rail and its success would benefit the public tremendously. Personally, I’d love love love to be able to take a train ride from Omaha to Kansas so that I’d not have to drive for 3-3.5 hours. While Amtrak has improved lately, it’s far from realizing its potential and this clip shows why.
How Apple and India Built an Alternative iPhone Production Hub. Apple succeeded in China because it invested in the country, the chain of local suppliers and local workers. Apple engineers were embedded into the production from the start and the company splurged billions of dollars into necessary equipment. It is doing the same thing here with India. The push into India is happening at the best of times. The relationship between China and the US has been rocky in the past years. President Trump slapped tariffs on Chinese exports and China retaliated. Apple has deftly navigated this political tumult, but it’s certainly a major long-term risk. India is the much needed alternative and it is an extra benefit that India has an enormous consumer market to tap into.
How Brands Sneak In Cheaper Ingredients to Protect Their Profit Margins. Skimpflation is not new as companies try to sneak in cheaper (usually less healthy) ingredients to protect margin, especially amidst inflation. I never knew that chocolate and peanuts are two of the most difficult tastes for companies to replicate with chemicals and cheaper ingredients.
The King of Feedback. An article on how Burger King is trying to turn its fortune around, behind its President, Tom Curtis. The stunt in which he disclosed his phone number (it’s not his personal cell) so that customers could call and give feedback is interesting. It collects real data and makes customers feel heard, regardless of whether their concern is addressed or they get compensation that they seek for.
China-Free Batteries Made From Salt Are Finally Here. “U.S. startups are finally delivering something researchers have been working on for decades: a battery in which rare, hard-to-get elements are replaced with the same stuff found in ordinary table salt. This tech has the potential to help every country on earth break its dependence on China for batteries, and the critical minerals that go into them. “Most sodium-based batteries are now made in China, and represent less than 1% of all batteries delivered this year. In the U.S., a number of startups have begun producing small numbers of such batteries, and are racing to scale up production. One industrial giant—General Motors—is in the process of designing its own sodium-based batteries to tailor them to different applications before moving to mass production. Sodium batteries’ competitive edge for stationary storage applications such as data-center backup power systems (in place of diesel generators) and power grids (in place of natural-gas “peaker” plants) lies in part in their less-intensive cooling needs.”
Other Stuff I Find Interesting And So May You
‘Southern Squeeze’ Grips US Cities Once Known for Affordability. In rapidly growing cities in the South, living costs have grown substantially faster than pay, making it difficult for local citizens to cope. In this day and age, I believe that it’s more important than ever to remain flexible enough to respond to the uncertainty as well as adaptive enough to keep upskilling ourselves and changing jobs, if necessary, to stay in sync with the rising living costs.
Inside the Secretive Boards Deciding Trans Troops’ Fate. A little known process used to determine whether transgender soldiers can continue to serve in the Army. I get that people have different levels of acceptance for transgender folks. Personally, I think anyone who wants to be of a different gender than the one they were born with has every right to it. However, I’d not feel comfortable if a trans guy stood next to me in a men bathroom or if a trans woman used the same bathroom as my wife. The issue at play, discussed in this article, is different. The process is behind closed doors without transcripts or media, not transparent. It’s humiliating, not understanding. It’s discriminatory, not inclusive. How is it fair that the subject of a hearing can’t attend it? Why does a subject have to turn off camera? This reminds me of a quote in Game of Thrones: “the man who passes the sentence, should swing the sword”
Four simple rules behind Japan’s most liveable cities. These four rules have one thing in common: prioritize humans and put the humanity over everything else.
Why NFL Stadiums Aren’t Built for the World Cup. I thought a stadium was a stadium and as long as it is in a good condition that it can host different sports. Apparently, it’s much more nuanced in how NFL stadiums are not the most suitable for soccer.
Simon Willison on Technical Blogging. “My number one tip for blogging is to lower your standards! Aim to hit publish while you are still actively unhappy with what you have written, because the only alternative is a huge folder full of drafts and never publishing anything at all. Nobody will ever know how perfect the thing you intended to write would have been. The flaws you see in your writing are invisible to everyone else.” Word!
Stats
An average date costs nearly $200. Not a good sign when developed countries are struggling with fertility rates.
Americans are paying about 31% more for groceries than they were before the pandemic
Minh Quang Duong 
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