Tag: Business

Uber and Flywheel Riding Toward a New Partnership

Posted on by scott.hodges

Flywheel Technologies and Uber are putting the final touches on a partnership agreement to fully transform transportation in San Francisco.

While the cooperation is similar to an agreement Uber penned with taxi companies in New York City, it is a noteworthy shift from years of ferocious battling between the two transportation groups. Uber, which is headquartered in San Francisco, was once sued by a local taxi company in federal court for rapacious pricing schemes. Some taxi drivers have expressed concern that the partnership would mean lower earnings and make it harder for taxi riders to afford a drive. Uber and other companies that rely on gig workers (i.e. Lyft and DoorDash) supported California’s Proposition 22. The bill gave the workers limited benefits but also made it impossible for them to be considered full employees of these companies. The measure passed in 2020, even though most voters opposed it; a judge dismissed it in 2021. This partnership expands Uber’s driver pool substantially. The app’s driver base shrunk rapidly during the height of the pandemic, and many drivers voiced discontent with their low earnings. Rising gas prices have also pushed many drivers away. According to the Municipal Transportation Agency, taxi drivers will benefit too, by leveraging Uber’s ridership toward the city’s taxis.

The agreement, part of Uber’s long-term strategy to increase taxi representation on its app, will allow Uber passengers in San Francisco to hail a cab virtually. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s board of directors still has to approve the pilot, and Jeffrey Tumlin, the city’s director of transportation needs to authorize it, but the partnership is slated to begin as early as May 2022.

Google Buys Mandiant

Posted on by scott.hodges

Global tech giant Google has announced its acquisition of Mandiant, the cybersecurity company. In a $5.4 billion deal, Google will expand its services to provide businesses with strategic planning assistance for and in response to cyberattacks.

Google Mandiant

The purchase comes as Google tries to distinguish itself and its cloud computing platforms from those offered by Amazon and Microsoft.

Organizations around the world are facing unprecedented cybersecurity challenges as the sophistication and severity of attacks that were previously used to target major governments are now being used to target companies in every industry.

Thomas Kurian, chief executive of Google Cloud

Based in Virginia, Mandiant has over 2,300 employees, making it Google’s second-biggest purchase ever. The biggest was Google’s 2011 buy of Motorola for $12.5 billion.

Something’s Brewing at Starbucks

Posted on by scott.hodges

Employees at four Starbucks stores in New York City have petitioned to unionize through the National Labor Relations Board. This development follows months of efforts to unionize at three Buffalo Starbucks locations, two of which have already successfully established unions. The NYC Starbucks employees have requested to hold a vote on March 3.

In letters to Starbucks president and CEO Kevin Johnson, workers from the four stores expressed concerns about deteriorating work conditions during the pandemic and unfair salaries. The employees have received support from more than 70 New York elected officials, including City Council members and U.S. representatives, according to the New York Times. A signed letter read: “New York City is a union town and union-busting has no place here. We believe that these organizing efforts will ultimately lead to a stronger and more sustainable future for Starbucks, the workers, and our city and state.”

Although Starbucks has claimed not to be anti-union, just last week the company fired seven Memphis employees who tried for form a union claiming they had violated company policies. A few years earlier, two Philadelphia workers trying to unionize were also fired.

Mid-America’s Economy is Strong, if Slowing

Posted on by scott.hodges

Creighton University’s Mid-America Business Conditions Index, a premier economic barometer for the region of states between Minnesota and Oklahoma, shows a recent slight drop. Nevertheless, it remained above neutral growth for the 20th consecutive month. Employment in the region dropped to 43.6, its weakest since June 2020, the third consecutive decline in the monthly index.

“Creighton’s monthly survey results indicate the region is adding manufacturing activity at a positive pace, but with much weaker job numbers for the month. In terms of supply chain disruptions and bottlenecks for the first half of 2022, approximately one-third of supply managers expect delays to worsen with only 12% anticipating improvements. Despite healthy growth over the past year, compared to its pre-pandemic level, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data indicate that the region has lost 16,000 manufacturing jobs, or 1.1%,”

Dr. Ernie Goss, the study director

Barbie and Balmain Pair Up for Couture NFT Project

Posted on by scott.hodges

Barbie, the quintessential American toy by Mattel, announced a partnership with French fashion powerhouse Balmain.

This collaboration is surprising on many levels. First, there is no actual doll involved. Second, the collection is a mix of real fashion and NFTs.

The collection includes 50 adult garments inspired by the iconic Barbie doll. Avatars of diverse racial backgrounds model the clothes, and three NFTs of unique looks are being sold at auction.  Barbie is extending its efforts into the realm of virtual collectibles as each NFT includes a doll-sized physical design. The entire collection and the NFT designs are unisex: there is no more Barbie and Ken, just high-end fashion for all.

Mattel also has a partnership with Gucci to create Hot Wheels Collectibles.