Discount online trading platform Robinhood blows past rivals
Robinhood, the online trading platform that offers no charge trading, and no minimum account balances, has smoked its online rivals, facilitating more revenue trades in June than E-Trade and Charles Schwab combined. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: Free is a very attractive business model for consumers and one that is most always rapidly embraced. Robinhood shattered the brokerage industry practice of charging dollars for what cost pennies, and offers trades for nothing. The company makes money from the interest of its customers’s deposits, and evidently consumers have been doing a great deal of trading while sheltering in place. Like so many industries, the Internet has stripped the fat profits from stock brokerage. Robinhood appears not to be profitable, but is valued at $8.6 billion. Like Uber and Lyft, the company has shattered the old ways of doing business, but is it sustainable?
TCL expands Roku powered line of smart TVs
CNET says TCL smart TVs are the best value for the money and they feature the very user friendly Roku interface built in. Its new 6-series line of TVs includes mini-LED technology, making for an even better picture at a mid-level price. CNET
dis-rup-shun: During the pandemic, sales of smart TVs have increased, especially of TVs bigger than 65 inches. Right now, there is a good chance you are somewhere in the near, mid, or post cord cutting stage, and asking yourself which path to cutting cable you will take. Roku is a strong alternative to turn all of your TVs, dumb and smart, into smart streaming receivers. TCL makes it easy by adding Roku to a high quality picture.
Walmart reaches out to Instacart to battle Amazon
Walmart has reached a partnership with Instacart for same day grocery delivery in an effort to challenge Amazon Fresh and Amazon Prime Now with Whole Foods. The service will first be piloted in four markets in California and Oklahoma. CBNC
dis-rup-shun: The pandemic has been a rocket booster for Amazon’s delivery business for all products. It was in the right place, with the right services, at the right time. Walmart, always a couple of steps behind in the online business, is trying to catch up by offering a rival same-day grocery delivery service. Once again, consumers are the winners and hopefully many of the out of work restaurant workers can get in on the food delivery business as an employment alternative.
Lucid electric car trounces Tesla’s range
The Lucid Air electric luxury sedan, to begin production in September, has a range of over five hundred miles in independent tests — beating Tesla to the 500 mile benchmark. CNET
dis-rup-shun: Think about it. You may well be driving, right now, your last gasoline combustion engine vehicle. If not your last, it is likely to be your second to last. Soon you may be driving a beautiful new luxury electric car from a manufacturer you have never heard of. And that electric car will rarely need the same kinds of service that your current car does, so you can start saying goodbye to your friendly mechanic, the attendant at the corner gas and go, and your lube shop. Do it yourself lawn equipment is already well into the switch to electric, and motorcycles, boats, jet skis and ATVs will follow. Think of the fresh air and peace and quiet.