Jul 23, 2024

Gouda Returns on the Stock Market Yesterday!

Airlines continued to face delays on Monday, three days after StrikeOut—that's CrowdStrike's rebranded name, courtesy of N2K reader Laurie K. who suggested it—caused the Blue Screen of Death to take over the world's departure boards.

Delta continued to struggle more than most, causing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to dress down the CEO over the airline's more than 5,500 canceled flights. Southwest, meanwhile, which still runs on a Commodore 64 Windows 3.1, has been fine, prompting luddites everywhere to continue resisting so-called "helpful software updates" with a wry chuckle. You don't get me that easy, man.

The stock market also ticked up yesterday as investors continued to process Joe Biden's decision to step out of the presidential race. (We say "as" because we don't want to causally link the two events, but maybe!) Big tech firms also rallied following their worst week in months. And we have plenty more cheddlines today:

We've also got cool video on Instagram of Canvastique3D, a digital productivity tool, offering real-time previews of handmade designs on 3D models.

Havarti an excellent day,

—Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor

1. Delta Attracts Extra Scrutiny in Ongoing Tech Turbulence

While other airline carriers quickly bounced back on Monday from last week's ~~StrikeOut~~ CrowdStrike crash, Delta's lost weekend stretched into Monday like one of Don Draper's. Next thing you know it, all of Delta's airplanes will be growing beards and showing up on the tarmac wonky at 11 a.m., reeking of Scotch.

All this drew Transportation Secretary Pete "I'd make a good Veep but that's not why I'm doing this" Buttigieg's scrutiny. Buttigieg, who served in the military because he loves freedom just as much as any peace-loving American, and yes, he is gay, and it's 2024 and that shouldn't matter in swing states, but politically, maybe it does, more than it should, particularly if you're running with a woman of color at the top of the ticket, but where were we, again?

Ah, yes. That's right. Pete—just Pete, because we don't want to misspell his last name—was moved by hundreds of complaints, and called Delta's CEO on Monday, pointing out that the airline is bound to uphold consumer rights by providing accommodation, meals, and swift refunds to the stranded souls. This guy, though. What an understanding he has for the concerns of everyday Americans. I, personally, believe we're ready for him. And for that refund on our cancelled flight to southern Spain. Watch Now

2. Wall Street Ticks Higher as Big Tech Recovers From Worst Week in Months

Stocks saw a rise on Monday, recovering from their most significant downturn since April late last week. The S&P 500 increased by 1.1% in the afternoon, ending a three-day drop and marking its first gain since reaching a record high last Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite saw a 1.7% uplift, buoyed by gains from big tech companies like AI pioneer Nvidia, which surged by 4.8%.

The recovery comes after the tech giants faced criticism for their high valuations following rapid growth, which had significantly contributed to Wall Street's record streak. This week also promises more corporate earnings reports, with such patriotic names as Coca-Cola, Ford, and American Airlines set to announce their results. Not to mention Tesla and Alphabet, who get their own entire section of this 'sletter, down there, below.

CrowdStrike's / StrikeOut's / Oops's shares suffered a substantial further drop after already losing value last Friday, they're down 30% over the past five days. We're asking: How long until the CEO must go? What do you think? Read More

From @cheddar

🎨🤯 Future of design: where real fabrics meet 3D previews.

Canvastique3D, a digital productivity tool, offers real-time previews of handmade designs on 3D models.

Partnering with Illumetry and its XR display, Canvastique3D is taking design to a whole new level. Real fabrics and vivid colors are seamlessly merged with 3D previews that bring designs to life in the tangible world.

Follow @cheddar on Instagram!

3. Olympic Marketing Deal Hopes to Meet Young Fans Where They Are — on Roblox

The Olympic Games is vaulting further into the digital era by partnering with the massively popular gaming platform Roblox to court the more than 77 million daily users aged between 11 and 26 who hang out online there. For context, that's more than the entire population of France (but not quite as big as Germany's).

An Olympic "Obby" (that's short for obstacle course in Roblox lingo, which obviously I knew without looking it up because I am down with the kids) is among interactive features designed to draw interest. Your children will also be able to interact with their favorite U.S. athletes on Roblox (U.S. breakdancer Sunny Choi is on there, no word on dressage team "chef" Christine Traurig), and revel in the highlights from the Paris Games while ignoring your pleas to come into the living room and watch some damned television with their parents like a healthy American family.

Breakdancers will be immortalized in animated "Emotes" showcasing their signature dance moves. Your kids will be able to watch some of them for free and others, they'll be able to nag you to purchase for them, with proceeds benefiting the athletes directly. This is basically a digital, sped-up, athletic version of the time they put the Power Rangers toys in the aisles at Toys'R'Us. Except Roblox employs 2,400 people and is still in thriving business. Unlike Toys'R'Defunct. Sad. Read More

You Need 2 Know About This Box!

Meet the Sunset Box, a quarterly subscription service sending home, wellness, and travel goodies straight to your doorstep, curated by editors at mag Sunset, the Western-lifestyle magazine that just so happens to be a sister company of ours.

Since you clearly have good taste (you're an N2K subscriber, after all), we think you'll love this box. Use code CHEDDAR15 for 15% off your subscription.

Gimme the Box!

Note: Sadly does not contain any cheese.

4. How Much Did Tesla and Alphabet Earn in Q2, a Lot or a LOT? We'll Find Out Today!

Alphabet and Tesla rose by at least 2.7% yesterday ahead of their earnings reports due today. These giants' financial performances carry significant weight—alongside five other tech titans, the two firms have fueled approximately 60% of the S&P 500's gains this year, so their financial health matters. Robust results from both could potentially mitigate the recent tech sell-off, pushing market indices upward. Any disappointment could do the opposite.

So. How are they doing? Alphabet's anticipated resilience in advertising is forecasted to showcase a robust 12.9% year-over-year revenue leap to $84.2 billion, as digital ad spending rebounds from the pandemic. Alphabet's advancements in AI and cloud computing also stand out as critical areas of investor focus. Meanwhile, Tesla is facing a series of challenges, marked by a rare slump in deliveries for two successive quarters and a projected sharp 41% decline in earnings per share for the second quarter. These have inevitably dented profit margins despite aggressive pricing strategies to boost sales. Market watchers are keenly awaiting insights from CEO Elon Musk on future delivery forecasts, the progression of full self-driving technology, and upcoming model launches. Watch Now

5. The Top Travel Destinations in 2024

When I was younger, my criteria for a great vacation were pretty straightforward. These days I'm glad to say they're far more sophisticated. And I'm not alone. It turns out "experiences" are what everyone wants now, when they go somewhere to relax. And Travel + Leisure news Director Paul Brady has the skinny on the best destinations recommended by more than 200,000 readers in the magazine's annual survey. The best city in the U.S., for the 12th year running, it turns out, is Charleston, South Carolina.

"It's a fabulous destination, and our readers consistently rank it at number one, not only because of the warm Southern hospitality on offer and the fabulous hotels but also the rich history, the walkability, and then the culinary scene," he said. "And there's one thing that's true about Charleston is that every time you go, there seems to be another hot restaurant to check out."

Santa Fe, Savannah, Honolulu, and New Orleans round out the top five in the U.S., with outdoor activities, walkability, fantastic hotels and great food scenes. They're also easy to get to with good airline connections. Top international destination this year is San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, a beautiful colonial city in the mountains. It's moved up from number five last year to number one this year.

"Its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of how wonderfully preserved those buildings are," Paul said. "And again, it's a place with not just history and not just great places to stay, but so much to offer culinarily." There are also hot springs, hot air ballooning, horseback riding, and more. "So, you can have a multifaceted vacation in one destination."

In other words? It all beats going to Magaluf in southern Spain for the "experience" of drinking several pints of Stella Artois every afternoon and "dancing" to Speed Garage music while snogging half the population of Southeast London. Or so I've heard. Watch Now