DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Disney, Challenged Elsewhere, Plans to Spend $60 Billion on Parks and Cruises
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Brooks Barnes | More About Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Disney’s theme parks will generate an estimated $10 billion in profit this year, up from $2.2 billion a decade ago. Disney’s overseas parks — aside from Tokyo Disney Resort, which it receives royalties from but does not own — have sometimes struggled to turn a profit. That amount is double what Disney spent on parks and the cruise line over the past decade, which was itself a period of greatly increased investment. Disney has also poured money into its Paris and Hong Kong parks, with themed expansions tied to “Frozen” and other Disney films scheduled to open soon. Three more ocean liners are on the way, bringing the Disney fleet to eight ships, and Disney is nearing completion of a new port on a Bahamian island.

Persons: Robert A, Iger, Ron DeSantis, Disney, ” Organizations: Walt Disney, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disney Cruise, Disney, Shanghai Disney Resort, Guardians, Galaxy Locations: Anaheim , Calif, Orlando, Fla, Tokyo, Shanghai, Paris, Hong Kong

☆ Audi exec says lower tax on imported EVs will help test India market
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Hritam Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) is unveiled during its launch in Mumbai, India, August 18, 2023. Reuters reported last month that the Indian government is working on a new EV policy that would slash import taxes for automakers that commit to some local manufacturing. Audi is trying to catch up with its peers, BMW (BMWG.DE) and Mercedes (MBGn.DE), in the transition to electric. Currently, the company's India arm only makes internal combustion engines locally, which is used in its petrol cars. After four models launched last month, six out of 16 models in Audi India's offerings are electric cars, which are entirely imported and sold in the country priced between $136,000 and $234,000.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Balbir Singh Dhillon, Dhillon, Piyush Goyal, Hritam Mukherjee, Maju Samuel Organizations: Audi, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, BMW, Mercedes, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Bengaluru

☆ Once upon a time, the 'Disney adult' was ridiculed. Now, kidless millennials and Gen Z-ers with money to burn are packing into the parks — here's how Disney is winning them over.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Newlyweds Natalie and Brett Schwartz exchanged vows at Walt Disney World in Orlando this summer. "Our approach was to shine a light on the beautiful tapestry of people that come to Walt Disney World," Trejo said. Francis Dominic, the former parks worker turned influencer, has also been tapped to promote Disney parks and films. It's a difficult tightrope to navigate, but it could define the future of Disney parks. Are you a Disney parks or Walt Disney Co. insider?

Persons: Sarah Rachul, I'm, Rachul, Orlando —, —, Molly May, Francis Dominic, Dominic, who's, Taylor, Ron DeSantis —, Japan pavilion's Takumi, Jonathan de Araujo, it's, Tara Goldstein, Ann van Oostendorp, Disney, Van Oostendorp, Natalie Schwartz, Brett, Schwartz, Sierra Keller's, Keller, Natalie, Brett Schwartz, Jason Petrina, he's, Disney's, He's, They're, Petrina, Mickey, Chris Evans, Zoe Saldaña, What's, Wan Kenobi, Emperor Palpatine, she'd, welling, haven't, Neph Trejo, Walt, " Trejo, It's, Halle Bailey, Kent Phillips, Gaston, Jeremy Singh, I'd, Singh couldn't, he'd, Singh, they're, Patrick Dougall, Mark Eades, Eades, we've, Amanda Krause, Reed Alexander Organizations: Walt Disney, Epcot, Disney Vacation, Disney, Mouse, Disneyland, Disney Parks, Walt Disney Co, Florida Gov, Universal, Guardians, Galaxy, University of Tampa, Disney World, Honeymooners, Star Wars, Marvel, Magic, Cafe Orleans, Disney World's Hollywood Studios, Hollywood Studios, Star, Gucci, Dooney, Animal, Dole, Walt Disney World's, ABC, Getty, Management, Disney Imagineer, Disneyland Alumni Locations: Ohio, Disney, Orlando , Florida, Anaheim , California, Italy, China, Tuscany, Orlando, Florida, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo, Japan, Epcot, California, Anaheim, Belle Terrace, Hollywood

☆ Mercedes-Benz's $100,000 electric SUV is an awesome Tesla rival — but its blob-like looks aren't for everyone
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I drove Mercedes-Benz's new electric SUV: the EQE SUV. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.

Persons: Mercedes, Tim Levin, I'm, anyone's, Elon Musk's, Tesla, iX, fanny, that's Organizations: Mercedes, Service, Benz, Subaru, BMW, Tesla's, EV Locations: Wall, Silicon, Stuttgart, Elon

☆ The Cybertrucks that never came to be: This newly shared photo of Elon Musk shows early, more curvy designs for Tesla's truck in the background
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walter Isaacson shared a photo that provides a rare peek at Tesla's early Cybertruck designs. Walter Isaacson shared a photo that appeared to have some previously unseen Cybertruck details in the background. Isaacson shared a photo with some early designs ideas for the Cybertruck in the background. Even a scaled back early design of the Cybertruck looks out of place next to a Ford pickup truck. Walter Isaacson on TwitterOther pictures on the board appear to be more reminiscent of Tesla's current design for the electric pickup truck.

Persons: Walter Isaacson, Tesla, Elon Musk's, Tesla's Cybertruck, Franz von Holzhausen, Elon Musk, Isaacson, CNBC's, Musk, James Bond's Lotus, Ridley Scott's, Saxon Organizations: Twitter, Silverado, DeLorean Locations: Ford, Texas

☆ Audi names Volkswagen strategy chief Doellner as new CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, June 29 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) Audi named the German group's strategy chief as its new CEO on Thursday, as the luxury carmaker seeks to catch up with rivals in the dash towards electrification, including in China, the world's top car market. Gernot Doellner, who replaces Markus Duesmann, will become CEO with effect from September, Audi said, after the luxury automaker's supervisory board passed a resolution on Thursday. Doellner is a Volkswagen Group veteran who joined the company as a doctoral student in 1993 and rose through the ranks to become head of product development at Porsche. He headed up the Panamera series from 2011 to 2018 and became head of product strategy at Volkswagen AG in 2021. "Audi is a fantastic company with a rich history," Doellner said, adding: "I look forward to shaping the company's future together with the entire team at Audi."

Persons: Gernot Doellner, Markus Duesmann, Doellner, Oliver Blume's, Bentley, Peter Bosch, Christina Amann, Jan Schwartz, Ilona Wissenbach, Christoph Steitz, Victoria Waldersee, Tom Sims, Emma Rumney, Hans Seidenstuecker Organizations: Audi, Volkswagen Group, Porsche, Volkswagen AG, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Benz, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, China

☆ Audi chief sets sights on China in electric car catch-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Cristina Amann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"And we are also looking more intensively at how this is done in China," Duesmann said. "In 2030, the BEV share of the premium car market should already be between 60 and 70%, depending on the region," Duesmann said. That shift could happen even sooner in China, but Audi's sales performance in the world's biggest car market has fallen short of expectations. The new Q6 e-tron has been delayed by behind-schedule software development. Hoping to offset any disappointment in China, Duesmann said the carmaker wanted to strengthen its business in North America, tapping into a strong U.S. car market and Washington's generous subsidies programme.

Persons: Markus Duesmann, Duesmann, BEV, Christina Amann, Rachel More, Madeline Chambers, Mark Potter Organizations: Audi, Reuters, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Benz, VW, Thomson Locations: INGOLSTADT, Germany, China, North America, U.S, Mexico, Tennessee

In this article DIS Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTIt's been 17 years since my last trip to Disney World. But if you're an infrequent visitor, traveling with young kids or uninterested in diving into the world of Disney blogs, buying access to shorter lines is your best bet. You may be on vacation, but a trip to Disney World is no time for a digital detox. Jonathan Alder called VIP tours at Disney World "the greatest thing." Buy the bandsMagicBands are part of the ever-growing list of formerly free items that are now chargeable at Disney World.

Persons: Rafael Henrique, —, Peter Pan, Jonathan Alder Organizations: Disney, CNBC, Lightning, Jonathan's

☆ Binance plans to swap 750 million of token pairs to ensure liquidity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 12 (Reuters) - Binance said in a tweet on Monday it would swap 750 million tether-tron token pairs for tether-ether in an attempt to maintain the stablecoin's liquidity. The move comes amid renewed regulatory scrutiny at the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange and will help cushion some of the fallout from recent blows, including Binance being sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The swap, set to start after 12 p.m. UTC on Monday, will be held directly with the tether team, the tweet said. Tron is the ninth largest cryptocurrency with a $6.3 billion market value, while ether is the largest after bitcoin, with its $210 billion market capitalization. A month later the U.S. arm of Binance said it would remove digital asset token tron from its trading platform.

Persons: Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Zhao, Justin Sun, Mehnaz Yasmin, Medha Singh Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, U.S ., SEC, U.S, Binance, Tron Foundation, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ EVs to avoid if you want to dodge battery replacements that can cost up to $20,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

EV battery replacements could cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000, according to Recurrent. One of the biggest concerns that prospective electric-car buyers have is if they'll ever have to make a costly battery replacement. Excluding major recalls for the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV and Hyundai Kona Electric, of the EVs studied by battery health reporting firm Recurrent, only 1.5% have received battery replacements. Including the two well-known EV battery pack recalls raises that percentage of battery replacements to 6.5%, according to Recurrent, or 975 of the 15,000. Automakers have a variety of EV battery warranties to assuage fears about potential replacements.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRipple buys Swiss startup, and Justin Sun addresses SEC charges against him: CNBC Crypto WorldCNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what's ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today's show, Tron founder Justin Sun addresses the recent SEC charges against him and explains whether he plans to buy assets of distressed crypto companies.

☆ The Metaverse, Zuckerber's Tech Obession, Is Officially Dead. ChatGPT Killed It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ed Zitron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The Metaverse, the once-buzzy technology that promised to allow users to hang out awkwardly in a disorientating video-game-like world, has died after being abandoned by the business world. After a much-heralded debut, the Metaverse became the obsession of the tech world and a quick hack to win over Wall Street investors. Once the tech industry turned to a new, more promising trend — generative AI — the fate of the Metaverse was sealed. But the short life and ignominious death of the Metaverse offers a glaring indictment of the tech industry that birthed it. Roblox, an online game platform that has existed since 2004, rode the Metaverse hype wave to an initial public offering and a $41 billion valuation.

☆ VW to fire top executives at software unit Cariad, source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Jan Schwartz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The unit - set up under former VW group CEO Herbert Diess -has exceeded its budget and failed to meet goals, contributing to Diess' departure and replacement by Oliver Blume last September. A VW spokesperson said the German company was analysing Cariad and its projects. A number of decisions have been made, but no decisions on personnel, the spokesperson said, adding that Cariad and vehicle software development remained integral to Volkswagen's group strategy. The problems at Cariad have delayed work on important new vehicle models Porsche e-Macan and Audi Q6 e-tron. The planned launch of company-wide structural car software, initially designed to enable the fourth of five levels of autonomous driving from 2026, has been postponed by two years.

☆ Auto giants are setting their sights on a new growth market for EVs: India
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

When it comes to electric cars, however, the country is playing a game of catch up. During a recent interview with CNBC's Charlotte Reed, Thierry Koskas accepted that the market in India was "just starting." Citroën India, which launched the fully electric ë-C3 in Feb. 2023, is not alone when it comes to making a move in India's nascent electric car sector. According to the IEA, Tata was responsible for more than 85% of battery electric vehicle sales within India last year. Other Indian firms jostling for position in the sector include Mahindra and Mahindra and Ola Electric.

☆ Why Tesla keeps making the Model S and X even as sales dwindle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Production ramped up slowly, but by 2017, Tesla was selling more than 100,000 a year of the Model S and its SUV sibling, the Model X. Similarly, pricing for the Model X SUV starts at about $98,000 but the smaller Model Y starts at just $47,000. Still, much like the S-class for Mercedes-Benz, the Model S remains Tesla’s flagship model, representing the brand. In fact, within its competitive class, the Tesla Model S and X are good sellers. By this point in their long lives, the Tesla Model S and X have become a stream of fairly steady profits, said Cox.

☆ Binance.US to delist digital asset tokens TRON, Spell
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE, April 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. arm of cryptocurrency exchange Binance said it will remove digital asset tokens TRON and Spell from its trading platform, sending the prices of both down sharply on Wednesday. The TRON token fell nearly 5% against the U.S. dollar after the announcement, which was posted on Twitter and the Binance.US website, while the much smaller Spell token fell more than 5%, based on data from CoinMarketCap. Justin Sun, founder of the TRON token, told Reuters in a text message that the impact would be "relatively small". "Binance.US trading volume is less than $1 million per day. TRX's current trading volume is $400 million," said Sun, using the token's ticker symbol.

☆ Why fans say trips to Disney World are now 'incredibly complicated' to pull off
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

But some travelers aren't thrilled about what it takes to pull off a trip to Walt Disney World these days. He said he goes to Disney World about "once a month." They will leave thinking food at Disney World is a "cheeseburger and a hot dog … which could not be farther from the truth," he said. Walt Disney World comprises four theme parks, two water parks and dozens of themed hotels, plus a shopping and entertainment area called Disney Springs. He called Disney World an "amazing spa destination" and said Disney Springs, formerly known as Downtown Disney, has shopping, live music and fantastic restaurants.

☆ These electric vehicles need their batteries replaced most often
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

EV battery replacements could cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000, according to Recurrent. Recurrent studied how common it was for early EV models' batteries to be replaced. Including the two well-known EV battery pack recalls raises that percentage of battery replacements to 6.5%, according to Recurrent, or 975 of the 15,000. The Tesla Model 3 had one of the lower rates of battery replacement. David Zalubowski/APWhy does the likelihood of battery replacement matter?

☆ The CFTC's suit against Binance marks a deepening crackdown on the crypto industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

All this comes just days after the SEC charged a spate of high-profile individuals for fraud and crypto market manipulation. That comes months after the total crypto market value saw about $2 trillion erased in a brutal plunge in token prices. The SEC also warned that the platforms investors use to get involved in crypto aren't quite airtight, in the regulator's view. In other news:FILE PHOTO: A participant stands near a logo of World Bank at the International Monetary Fund - World Bank Annual Meeting 2018 in Nusa Dua Reuters2. The World Bank just warned that this could be the start of a "lost decade" for global economic growth.

☆ The US is bleeding tech workers to other countries — it needs to move fast or risk falling behind.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US is losing tech workers to other countries. And so, many tech workers are opting to move and work there instead of the US. Plus, many of these countries are making their immigration systems easier for tech workers. My teammates Emilia David and Paayal Zaveri break down how the US is on the brink of losing an entire generation of tech workers. And it showed that Boomers and Gen Z both love many of the same cars, including the Toyota RAV4.

☆ The Fed hiked rates further but Wall Street is already pointing to tighter conditions on the ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jason Ma | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Between fighting inflation or the bank crisis, the Federal Reserve leaned toward the former. Wednesday's move comes despite the bank crisis, which previously led investors to price in a series of Fed rate cuts starting this summer. Indeed, Wall Street has started pointing to the facts on the ground when it comes to financial conditions. The banks are still tightening credit conditions and … non-bank lenders are as well," he told Bloomberg TV hours before the Fed meeting. Billionaire investor Mark Mobius says he is "very, very skeptical" of investing in bank stocks.

EV made up almost 12% of all car sales in Singapore last year, up from almost 4% in 2021, according to the Land Transport Authority. Still, EVs represented just 1% of cars on the road, a Reuters analysis of ownership data found. In Singapore, a small island with an extensive public transport system, only about 12 cars are owned per 100 people. Over the past decade, the number of Ferraris (RACE.MI) in Singapore has grown by 67% and Lamborghinis by 38%. ($1 = 1.3264 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Xinghui Kok; additional reporting by Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Lindsay Lohan attends/performs during a photocall for "Speed The Plow" at Playhouse Theatre on September 30, 2014 in London, England. The Securities and Exchange Commission has unveiled fraud and unregistered securities charges against crypto founder and Grenadian diplomat Justin Sun, alongside separate violations against the celebrity backers of his Tronix and BitTorrent crypto assets, which included Jake Paul, Lindsay Lohan and Soulja Boy. The unregistered offer and sale charges, on the other hand, are similar to charges the SEC has unveiled against other crypto offerings and exchanges, including Genesis, Gemini and Do Kwon's Terraform Labs. “This case demonstrates again the high risk investors face when crypto asset securities are offered and sold without proper disclosure,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. Tron and his backers' alleged behavior was part of an "age-old playbook to mislead and harm investors," SEC enforcement chief Gurbir Grewal said in a statement.

☆ The SEC charges Tron founder Justin Sun and 8 celebrities including Lindsay Lohan and Jake Paul in crypto lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The SEC sued Tron founder Justin Sun in a lawsuit involving Tronix and BitTorrent crypto tokens. It also charged eight celebrities with promoting the tokens without disclosing they were paid. Eight celebrities including the actress Lindsay Lohan, YouTuber Jake Paul, and singer Akon were also charged. The SEC said the celebrities it charged promoted crypto assets without making it clear they were being paid. Insider did not immediately receive comment from the charged celebrities it contacted ahead of publication.

☆ Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and other celebrities charged $400,000 for violating crypto rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday charged Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and several other celebrities with failing to disclose that they were paid to promote crypto. The celebrities agreed to pay $400,000, including fines, and return what they were paid for the promotion. For their violations, Lohan agreed to pay $30,000 in fines in addition to the $10,000 she earned for the promotion. Paul agreed to pay $75,000 in fines on top of the $25,000 he earned. “At the same time, Sun paid celebrities with millions of social media followers to tout the unregistered offerings, while specifically directing that they not disclose their compensation.”

Search resuls for: "TRON"

25 mentions found