If you're searching for the future of transportation, look up. Transportation startup Skyryse just completed an end-to-end autonomous helicopter flight, where the pilot never had to touch the controls.
"This is a really large step toward realizing a transportation system in the sky that can one day move us away from the cars and the crumbling infrastructure that is throughout our cities," explained Mark Groden, the company's founder and CEO.
While the helicopter, called Luna, isn't to be overlooked, it isn't the main attraction as far as Skyryse is concerned. That distinction belongs to the Skyryse Flight Stack technology, which the company hopes will revolutionize short-distance air travel. The sector is flooded right now, with as many as 130 companies looking for a piece of the pie, including big names like Uber involved. Skyryse isn't looking to beat them, but assist them.
"What we're focused on is building the technology that will lead to this transportation system," said Groden.
Reliable, widely-used short-distance air travel has seemed like something of a pipe dream until now, but Groden is quick to point out the first automated flight actually took place decades ago, when the Lockheed-1011 safely crossed the Atlantic. The idea of automated air travel isn't a new one, and the CEO believes it will expedite the process of making it a reality.
"The pragmatic approach we're taking, following existing paths that the FAA is already very keen to work with us on, will allow us to realize this in single-digit years, and far sooner than I think a lot of people expect," he said.
The UK-based augmented reality startup, Dent Reality, raised the equivalent of $3.4 million USD in its most recent funding round. Dent Reality has created an AR app for smartphones that helps shoppers navigate retail locations by providing a layout of a store's aisles, while showing where to find specific items. The company works mainly with grocery stores but aims to integrate its tech with all types of physical spaces. Dent Reality CEO Andrew Hart joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
As the electric vehicle sector continues to heat up, one company could be poised to knock Tesla from its top spot. Many analysts have issued buy ratings and raised their price targets for EV-maker Rivian, and say that the company's push into under-developed areas like electric SUVs, pickups, and delivery trucks could give it the right competitive edge to push Tesla from the number one spot. Dan Ives, Managing Director of Equity Research at Wedbush Securities, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss Rivian's potential market domination, why their business plan sets them up for success, and more.
Cheddar's Chloe Aiello joined "Closing Bell" to break down the progress of the SAFE Banking Act in Congress as cannabis businesses operators struggle to find financial institutions that will service them. Banks face steep federal penalties, including the risk of losing a bank charter, if found to be servicing marijuana businesses even if their state has legalized operations. Aiello reported that while there was some bipartisan support for the measure in the Senate, the bill faces some opposition from conservatives with "longstanding concerns" about cannabis and progressives who prefer a more comprehensive approach to reform.
Not everything is as it seems in the supermarket. From name brands under different labels, to confusing store layouts, supermarkets employ a variety of tactics to keep you spending. Including selling products with surprising ingredients. This episode of Who Knew? unveils the secrets of our supermarkets.
The world is amidst a skyscraper boom. In 2018, 146 buildings over 650 feet were constructed. That’s more than the total amount of skyscrapers constructed between 1979 and 1999. And all this construction is transforming our cities.
Amazon and online shopping have forever changed how we shop. While I love that I can order almost anything I need with the click of the mouse, this transition from in- person retail is shuttering MUCH of the brick and mortar landscape. But in what’s been deemed the “retail apocalypse” some brick and mortar stores are actually thriving.
From talking animals, to celebrity endorsements, to commercials that pull at your heart strings, agencies are always looking for new ways to connect with you. So it’s no surprise that trends come and go. But what might surprise you is how quickly trends change. In fact, most changes can be pinpointed to a single moment.
Over the decades American pastimes have come and gone. From the soda fountain, to carhop diners, to roller rinks. These former staples of American life have slowly faded into the void. And today, it looks like the time has come for a few other beloved businesses.
The streaming wars could be peaking as platforms vie for a shrinking pool of new subscribers and services like Disney+ recalibrate their outlooks as the rate of new memberships slows. Jana Arbanas, the U.S. telecom, media, and technology sector leader at Deloitte, joined Cheddar to discuss the 2022 outlook for streaming platforms, expecting more than 150 million people to cancel subscriptions adding to the global churn trend. "People are signing up for a service for a very specific piece of original, compelling content, watching that, perhaps, season of content, dropping that service, and then re-upping the service again when the next season comes out," Arbanas noted.
Chris Woodfolk, Corporate Citizenship Partner, LendingTree, joins Cheddar News to discuss how charitable giving is making a comeback from the pandemic and tips to donate on a budget.
