2019年4月9日
Google just beat Amazon to launching one of the first ever drone delivery services
A startup named Wing owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet has just secured approval for one of the first ever drone delivery services. The company confirmed the move in a blog on Tuesday after it secured approval from Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) following a successful trial.
Other firms have claimed to have launched the world’s first commercial drone delivery service. This includes Flytrex, which launched a service in Iceland in 2017 in partnership with AHA, the country’s biggest online retailer. Wing has been piloting the Canberra project for around 18 months, completing 3,000 deliveries.
Wing allows users to place orders through an app. Delivery is then made by drone within minutes. Popular delivery items include fresh food, coffee, ice cream, and medicine. The trial completed without a safety incident, but it was not without drawbacks. “With the windows closed, even with double glazing, you can hear the drones." One local said. Wing is also targeting Europe. The company has been piloting its devices in Helsinki, Finland, since December last year.
Zoom could be valued at $8 billion in upcoming IPO
Video conferencing company Zoom could be valued as high as $US8.25 billion following its upcoming initial public offering, giving it a major lift from its last private valuation of just $US1 billion. Zoom set its IPO price range at $US28 to $US32 per share in an updated filing on Monday. Also, Zoom disclosed a $US100 million private placement from Salesforce at the IPO price.
Zoom’s pricing for its IPO – which is led by Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse – comes on the end of a rough week for Lyft.
Theresa May begs EU leaders for Brexit delay
Theresa May will head to Paris and Berlin on Tuesday and plead with senior European leaders to grant Britain another delay to Brexit, as her party begins preparations to fight the upcoming European Parliament elections. The prime minister will ask for not to block her request for a delay until June 30.
However, a leaked memo suggests European leaders will reject May’s request for a short delay unless she passes a Brexit deal in the UK parliament this week. EU leaders could instead back a plan to extend Brexit by either 9 months or a year, meaning that Britain could still be an EU member almost four years after British people voted to leave.
May’s dash to Europe comes as the Conservative party officially begins its preparations for the upcoming European Parliament elections. May’s deputy David Lidington also laid a legal order on Monday to allow the elections to go ahead.
The rush to secure support for a new Brexit delay comes as talks with the opposition Labour party falter. Expectations that May would concede that Britain could stay in the Customs Union. In meetings with Conservative backbenchers and ministers yesterday she insisted that Britain would retain an independent trade policy. A large number of Labour MPs back holding a second EU referendum, which the prime minister has repeatedly ruled out.
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