A video to help you understand social audio. Audio-only social-media venues are all the rage right now. How does it all work and what’s there to listen to? WSJ’s Joanna Stern went inside Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces to talk to the people there to find out. Photo illustration: Kenny Wassus for The Wall Street Journal
Category Archives: Analysis
Analysis: Rise Of 7-Eleven Convenience Stores
7-Eleven, home of the 64-ounce Double Gulp and the Pina Colada Slurpee, has helped revolutionize the way we shop at convenience stores. In March 2019, the 90-year-old brand launched its first Evolution Store. Featuring fresh food options and specialty alcohol, the new store concept is aimed at a new generation of consumers. And with consumer behavior changing due to Covid-19, the convenience store industry could be on the verge of a profound change.
Africa: ‘An Economic History Of Egypt’ (Video)
The Egyptian Economy was the only one in the Middle East North Africa region to avoid a recession in 2020. Being a good reflection of the economic rollercoaster Egypt routinely finds itself on. One driven by inflation rates of up to 30% a year, a halving of its currency and a painful IMF bailout in 2016. But how did Egypt’s Economy find itself in this situation? What impacts did Five Year Plans, spending nearly 20% of GDP on the military and widespread nationalisation have on its economy? Why is Egypt the world’s largest importer of wheat? And perhaps most importantly, what has its post 2011 revolution delivered?
Egypt, a country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East, dates to the time of the pharaohs. Millennia-old monuments sit along the fertile Nile River Valley, including Giza’s colossal Pyramids and Great Sphinx as well as Luxor’s hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings tombs. The capital, Cairo, is home to Ottoman landmarks like Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian Museum, a trove of antiquities.
Defense: ‘Future Of The Aircraft Carrier’ (Video)
Expensive, massive and lethal, the aircraft carrier has been the cornerstone of American security for close to a century, but with advances in missile design, will it remain on top? Aircraft carriers are expensive. The latest carrier in the U.S. Navy, part of what’s called the Ford class, costs $12.8 billion per ship, and that’s before the cost of fixing new technology, aircraft flying off the deck and the cost of operating the carrier in the high seas for months at a time. The U.S. has more active aircraft carriers than every other country in the world combined. The U.S. Navy currently has ten Nimitz-class carriers, one Ford-class carrier and nine amphibious assault ships, which are smaller and focus on helicopters and short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft. A Nimitz-class carrier can carry a mix of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E-2D Hawkeye surveillance aircraft and an assortment of other support aircraft and helicopters. The carrier fighter of the future is the F-35C. But to field the new aircraft, most U.S. carriers will need to be upgraded.
Inside Views: ‘The Money Behind Professional Poker Players’ (Video)
Poker is a game of extreme variance. Professional poker players can go stretches without winning or placing at a level that earns any cash. The wins, however, can make up for the droughts with players earning thousands to millions of dollars depending on the game or tournament entered. Considering poker is an inconsistent sport, players look to offset the risk involved. This is done through staking, where an “investor” will pay a player’s way through tournaments for a piece of the action.
Aviation: The Challenges Ahead For Electric Planes
It’s been a tough 12 months for the airline industry, hit hard by the Covid-19 #pandemic. But there are also ongoing concerns about the environmental impact of air travel. Could electric planes be a way forward? They are already being trialled in Slovenia and fully #electric, commercial flights could be ready to take off in just 10 years’ time. Our colleagues from France 2 report, with FRANCE 24’s James Vasina.
Analysis: Can ‘Restoration Hardware – RH’ Become A Global Luxury Brand?
COVID-19 has dealt a harsh blow to countless retailers, many of which were already struggling. However, RH, formerly Restoration Hardware, is doing rather well. The company’s stock price had cratered in March 2020 and struggled in early April, as forced lockdowns endangered retail. But by December 2020, shares had rebounded and risen more than 110 percent since the beginning of the year. RH is now ambitiously trying to turn it into a global luxury brand providing an array of services.
Electric Vehicles: ‘The EV Charging Problem’ (Video)
A Tesla Supercharger is a 480-volt direct currentfast-charging technology built by American vehicle manufacturer Tesla, Inc. for their all-electric cars. The Supercharger network was introduced on September 24, 2012 with six Supercharger stations.[1] As of December 31, 2020, Tesla operates over 23,277 Superchargers in over 2,564 stations worldwide[2] (an average of 9 chargers per station). There are 1,101 stations in North America, 592 in Europe, and 498 in the Asia/Pacific region.[3] Supercharger stalls have a connector to supply electrical power at maximums of 72 kW, 150 kW or 250 kW.[4]
The original V1 and V2 Tesla supercharging stations charge with up to 150 kW of power distributed between two cars with a maximum of 150[21][22] kW per car, depending on the version.[23][14][24] They take about 20 minutes to charge to 50%, 40 minutes to charge to 80%, and 75 minutes to 100% on the original 85 kWh Model S. The charging stations provide high-power direct-current (DC) charging power directly to the battery, bypassing the internal charging power supply.[25]
In September 2017, Tesla announced the availability of urban Superchargers. The urban Superchargers are more compact than the standard Supercharger stalls, and will be primarily deployed in urban areas such as mall parking lots and garages. Compared to the standard Superchargers, urban Superchargers have a maximum power delivery of 72 kW. Instead of 150 kW distributed between two vehicles at a Supercharger A/B stall pair, each Urban Supercharger stall provides dedicated 72 kW capacity.[26]
A few of the Tesla supercharging stations use solar panels to offset energy use and provide shade.[27] Tesla plans to install additional solar power generation at Superchargers.
Analysis: ‘How Could A Digital Health Passport Work?’ (WSJ Video)
Airports in Paris and Singapore as well as airlines including United and JetBlue are experimenting with apps that verify travelers are Covid-free before boarding. WSJ visits an airport in Rome to see how a digital health passport works. Photo credit: AOKpass
Analysis: ‘Can Air Flights Go Green?’ (Video)
Covid-19 has caused the worst crisis in aviation’s history. Is this the industry’s moment for a green reset—and which technologies offer the best hope?
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