1) Mercedes-Benz gets into the E-Scooter segment with
a new launch planned for early 2020
E-scooters have only
been allowed on German roads since June, and it is already hard to conceive of
a traffic scene without them. These agile, electrically powered scooters are
the perfect way to cover short distances quickly and without harming the environment.
The new E-Scooter in the Mercedes-Benz EQ brand family was developed in
cooperation with the scooter specialist micro and is specifically designed for
the first or last mile, making it the perfect companion for those wanting
flexible mobility solutions. Co-branded with micro, the Mercedes star and the
EQ logo appears on the handlebar stem as a trademark for Electric Intelligence.
2) Experiment with genetically modified mosquitoes
produces unexpected results
An experimental
trial to reduce the number of mosquitoes in a Brazilian town by releasing
genetically modified mosquitoes have not gone as planned. Traces of the mutated
insects have been detected in the natural population of mosquitoes, which was
never supposed to happen.
3) Australia Is Using New Technology to Catch Drivers
on Phones
The government
intends to roll out 45 Mobile Phone Detection Cameras across the state by
December. In fact, each unit contains two cameras. One camera photographs a
car’s registration plate and a second high-set lens looks down through the
windscreen and can see what drivers are doing with their hands.
The units use
artificial intelligence to exclude drivers who are not touching their phones.
Photos that show suspected illegal behaviour are referred for verification by
human eyes before an infringement notice is sent to the vehicle’s registered
owner along with a 344 Australian dollar ($232) fine.
4) "Invert. Always Invert." ~ Charlie Munger
The Stoics believed
that by imagining the worst-case scenario ahead of time, they could overcome
their fears of negative experiences and make better plans to prevent them.
While most people were focused on how they could achieve success, the Stoics
also considered how they would manage failure. What would things look like if
everything went wrong tomorrow? And what does this tell us about how we should
prepare today?
Avoiding mistakes is
an under-appreciated way to improve. In most jobs, you can enjoy some degree of
success simply by being proactive and reliable—even if you are not particularly
smart, fast, or talented in a given area. Sometimes it is more important to
consider why people fail in life than why they succeed.
You can learn just
as much from identifying what doesn't work as you can from spotting what does.
What are the mistakes, errors, and flubs that you want to avoid? Inversion is
not about finding good advice, but rather about finding anti-advice. It teaches
you what to avoid.
5) Is SoftBank nearing the end?
In what may turn out
to be a reckoning for Son, Wall Street has started running from companies
backed by SoftBank and its Vision Fund. The chief executive of WeWork stepped
down this week after a botched initial public offering. Uber’s stock has fallen
nearly 30% from its IPO price in May. And shares in Slack, which provides a
workplace messaging service, have tumbled more than 40% from their first day of
trading in June.
SoftBank’s critics
said its investments have poisoned the ecosystem for young companies by
encouraging founders to take excessive risks with little regard for building
businesses that can last through the ups and downs of the economy. They are
hoping the WeWork debacle will force investors to be more sceptical about
fast-growing companies. Even Son has acknowledged that the businesses his
company invests in need to become financially sustainable more quickly.
softbank is a great example of how venture capital is driving insane valuations on companies which in most instance would be in losses. the only objectuve of these companies is to build valuations for a strong exit and not really growing shareholder value....lets see how long it lasts...
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