Verizon’s latest push in connected cars will include more than just Wifi.
“The connected vehicle ecosystem is so much more than that,” Andrés Irlando, CEO of Verizon Connect, told Cheddar. “What we do is essentially help customers to optimize their connection to their vehicles and their mobile resources more generally.”
The telecom giant invested $5 billion to launch “Verizon Connect” for consumers and companies on Tuesday. It’s a merger of three fleet management and mobile software brands, Telematics, Fleetmatics, and Telogis, which together will provide logistics and data analytics.
Irlando said the technology has already helped clients boost safety and productivity. He pointed to one customer in particular, online grocer FreshDirect.
“To improve driver behavior, they’re able to track speeding, harsh braking, harsh turns, seatbelt usage,” he said. “We provide solutions that are focused on safety and security, so think about solutions like automatic crash notifications.”
Meta's announcement that COO Sheryl Sandberg will be stepping down from her role after 14 years with the company has left investors wondering about the tech giant's future. Doug Astrop, a managing partner at Exponential Investment Partners (an investor in Meta), joined Cheddar News to discuss what the personnel change to Javier Olivan means for investors and the future of the Meta. "They are bringing somebody up who's been there a long time, who has been the chief revenue officer, and so I don't think it means major changes," he said. "but symbolically it's important and significant."
Pinky Cole, founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan ATL, is helping college grads start new businesses. She is providing Clark Atlanta University grads with LLCs. Cole joins Cheddar News to discuss giving grads a financial boost and the success of her vegan food chain.
According to a survey, 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Amit Paley, CEO and Executive Director of The Trevor Project, joins Cheddar Pride to address LGBTQ youth mental health.
Reepher is a Salt Lake City-based company that offers a prepaid legal defense plan for cannabis DUIs. CEO and co-founder Justin Kahn joined Cheddar News to break down the business model, explaining how lawful users may be in trouble when being pulled over by police. "The reason is because cannabis users have THC and cannabis cannabinoids in their system regardless of the last time that they consumed," he said. "Any regular cannabis user is at risk, or they're one mistake away from having an interaction with a police officer that could lead them to be suspected of being under the influence of cannabis."
Elon Musk is demanding his Tesla employees to return to the office full time, a minimum of at least 40 hours a week. The CEO also took a shot at other companies who have some form of work-from-home status. The ultimatum comes at a tumultuous time for Musk with the reveal of a sexual misconduct scandal and his attempted Twitter purchase.
