As we all know, Nocturne is a delicate cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk produced locally at Andante Dairy in Petaluma, California. This pyramid-shaped cheese has a moist and velvety exterior and firm interior. When young it is less firm and becomes creamy and soft as it ages. Like this newsletter, the cheese goes well with almost all wines. A nocturne, meanwhile, is a musical composition inspired by, or evocative of, the night, and should suit your blessedly relaxed mood this morning after a much-needed weekend. Chopin wrote a bunch of 'em, but I particularly recommend number 48, in C minor. Tell the people what they need to know, Frederic! Bonsoir! —Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor P.S. We've got insta footage of Volkswagen's new emergency assist feature to save people who've fallen asleep at the wheel. |
|
|
"Technology is churning so quickly that it's difficult to keep up." — Dr. Guy Diedrich |
|
|
1. Stock Market Closes Its Best Week in a Year |
Wall Street gave investors a reason to smile last week, with the best five-day run since early November 2023. The S&P and the Dow were both up almost 5% since Monday and the NASDAQ was up close to 6%. The Dow hit 44,000 for the first time, ever—or about 50% higher than it was when Donald Trump left office in 2021. Tesla was up 28% for the week, and European stocks fell as investors braced themselves for protectionist trade policies from a new Trump administration.
Consumer sentiment in the U.S. is also on the rise, showing optimism for the fourth consecutive month and reaching a six-month high last week. Markets were also buoyed by the Federal Reserve's second interest rate cut and have priced in expectations of another cut this year as the central bank aims to support the U.S. job market and continue to bring down inflation. The so-called "Trump Bump" in markets also reflects an expectation of lower taxes and deregulation under his imminent presidency. #NotFinancialAdvice Read More |
|
|
2. P.F. Chang's Enters the Fast-Casual Space |
P.F. Chang's, with 300 locations worldwide, is venturing into the fast-casual dining scene with its latest concept, Pagoda. CEO Eduardo Luz sat down with Cheddar to discuss how the new concept aligns with his brand's commitment to quality and customer experience.
Named after the tiered Asian tower, Pagoda aims to deliver a sacred (?) fast-casual experience where customers can build their own bowls or plates in just a few minutes. Luz believes this concept will extend the brand's culinary and hospitality expertise to a new segment of the market: People with less money to spend who are in more of a rush, but who still want high-quality, made-from-scratch food, and the ability to customize it.
The P.F. Chang's brand is "about elevating every dining experience, even a quick lunch," he said, highlighting the existing "express lunch" option in its regular bistros as an example of adapting to different occasions, while staying true to P.F. Chang's core values. "We believe that we can extend the best of our culinary and hospitality capabilities and ethos towards a fast-casual occasion," he said. Read More |
|
|
| Volkswagen's new Emergency Assist feature could be a game changer in the game of saving lives.
If the system detects no steering input for 20 seconds, it sends a reminder for the driver to re-engage. If there's still no response, the car activates small jolts through the brakes and seatbelt to alert the driver. If that doesn't work, Emergency Assist completely takes over, pulling the car to the side, turning on hazard lights, and honking the horn. If you hit a truck in the first 19 seconds, of course, then you're all out of luck. |
|
|
3. Sony Reports Healthy Profits on Strong Sales |
Sony has reported a significant uptick in its financial health: Profits rose 69% in Q3 from a year earlier on the back of strong sales of its image sensors, games, music and network services. Quarterly profit was ¥338.5 billion ($2.2 billion), up from ¥200 billion in the year-earlier period, while consolidated quarterly sales edged up 3% year-on-year to ¥2.9 trillion ($19 billion). During the latest quarter, 3.8 million PlayStation 5 game consoles were sold globally, and demand for the games remains strong.
The company's first product was an electric rice cooker in 1946. The name "Sony" was chosen in the 1950s when the firm expanded internationally, to combine the Latin word for sound and "sonny," a common slang term for young lads in America at the time. Since then, they've invented transistor radios, the Walkman, bought CBS Records and Columbia Pictures, and of course, created the PlayStation. They also fought their corner for Betamax videotapes before losing out to JVC's rival VHS format. Now they're the world's largest manufacturer of image sensors, which tend to go into the cameras in mobile phones. They're also the world's largest player in the TV market for screens above 55 inches, a.k.a. real televisions for real men who watch real sports and stuff.
Arigato, Sony, for all that innovation! Read More |
|
|
4. You Might Need a Digital Detox |
"Technology is churning so quickly that it's difficult to keep up," observed Dr. Guy Diedrich from Cisco, joining us from the Digital Wellbeing Forum in Italy.
His company, which makes the very technology products up with which it is hard to keep, has launched a "digital wellness hub," aiming to gather data on how individuals interact with the digital world. I'm sure Cisco's shareholders will be delighted with this, no matter what he finds, and that in no way would they suppress any inconvenient research that could threaten to undermine their interests.
Dr. Diedrich believes the new data will be "incredibly useful" for understanding the impact of technology on our lives. "It's not just the morally correct thing to do," he said. "It is also an economically prudent thing to do."
If only somebody else had thought of doing this earlier. Read More |
|
|
5. No, Bruce! Australia Plans a Social Media Ban for Children Under 16 |
Speaking of digital detoxes, Australia is considering implementing a social media ban for children under the age of 16 as part of its efforts to safeguard young internet users.
The primary reason for the ban is that since all Australian children are named Bruce, having a social media account with thousands of friends also named Bruce has the potential to drive millions of Australian children insane.
The proposal is motivated by concerns over the impact of social media on children's mental health and safety. The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony "Bruce" Albanese, is looking into the use of age-restriction technologies to enforce the ban. It has support from 140 Australian and international academics, all named Bruce, and reflects the country's proactive stance on regulating the digital environment to create a safer online space for its youngest citizens.
Too bad they can't protect those kids from getting too much sun and/or shark attacks. Read More |
|
|
| So, What Do You Think of Cheddar?
|
We want to hear from you! From shows to site to this very newsletter, we'd love some feedback. |
|
|
|
