Cached Check

Good morning.

Google’s apparently following Apple and others’ leads and becoming the next big tech firm to move into finance.

Specifically, to offer checking accounts to consumers through Project “Cache,” whereby the company will partner with banks and credit unions to offer the new services.

What’s in it for Google? More consumer information and insight, particularly around personal finances. ‘Cause nothing could ever go wrong there.

To whit: The FT is reporting that popular health websites in the UK are sharing sensitive user data with dozens of companies including Google and Facebook (including medical symptoms and diagnoses). This info would presumably be protected under GDPR, but you should probably talk to your family doctor first.

More digital money stuff…Facebook has dropped Libra but added “Facebook Pay,” which will allow users to shop, donate to causes, send money to friends, etc on Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. Don’t ask for change.

Today’s funding fun: DoorDash is raising $100M from T. Rowe Price Group and others to bring it to a $13B valuation. And digital freight marketplace Convoy, which matches truckers with cargo shippers, has raised a $400M Series D at a $2.75B valuation.

10-4, Billy Big Rigger!

Rain, Shine, Sleet, Snow, or AI

Uncle Sam’s getting into the AI game, specifically with the U.S Postal Service.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, USPS is testing self-driving trucks on a more than 1,000-mile mail run between Phoenix and Dallas.

It’s a two-week pilot, and will use rigs supplied by autonomous trucking firm TuSimple to haul trailers on five round trips between distribution centers.

“The roughly 22-hour trip along three interstate highways is normally serviced by outside trucking companies that use two-driver teams to comply with federal regulations limiting drivers’ hours behind the wheel.”

Pretty simple equation. No humans, low cost, and no hours-of-service restrictions for AI Driver Dude.

So, dude (and dudettes), dissuade your kids from becoming truck drivers. There’s literally going to be no future for them.

Scooting Across the Bay

First, an editorial caveat: I’ve been hit twice by folks traveling on scooters while riding my bike near and around Ladybird Lake in Austin.

Fortunately, both times I was able to pop back up, and I won’t let my own personal negative experiences cover my judgment.

Like the 2000-ish problem we had with broadband and the so-called “last mile,” I think scooters (and free-ranging rental bikes) have a real opportunity to help alleviate congestion in major city centers like San Francisco and New York.

But only if there are some rules.

The Verge is now reporting that after more than two months of waiting, San Francisco has announced that only two scooper companies will be allowed to return to that city: Scoot and Skip. 

According to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), both companies will be allowed to operate a maximum of 625 scooters each for six months starting in October. After that, Scoot and Skip may be allowed to increase that number to 2,500 scooters each.

I find it interesting that The Verge notes other big scooter players Bird and Lime may have been done in by their decision to just drop their scooter’s streets without permission.

Sometimes it’s not better to ask for forgiveness later, and when it comes to keeping city streets safe, permission is probably going to continue to be the better option.

AOS and IBM Developing Logistics and Transportation Solution Using IBM Blockchain, Watson IoT

IBM and AOS — a Colombian company specializing in providing business solutions — today announced they are collaborating to create a solution to enhance efficiency in the logistics and transport industry throughout the country, built on IBM Blockchain and Watson IoT on the IBM Cloud.

Traditionally, supply chain transactions are completed manually, creating delays and a higher risk for recording error, which can cause differences between what was recorded and what was actually loaded.

By digitizing this process using blockchain and IoT, the relevant information is captured directly from the sensors placed on the trucks, and entered onto the blockchain, creating a single, shared repository that all authorized participants can access and which can only be altered with consensus from all parties.

With the solution, once the truck leaves the distribution point, an automatic message is sent to the customer, informing them about the load, weight and estimated time of arrival. If part of the delivery is returned, the invoicing can be automated depending on the actual load delivered.

Also, through the sensors located on the trucks, an information repository is generated using IoT and blockchain, which tracks all the exchanges, stops and transactions made by each truck and its respective load, from the distribution point to the final customer. This heightened level of transparency can help increase accountability between shippers and their customers, promoting the flow of business.

The new solution also integrates Watson IoT, designed to monitor what is happening with the trucks. For example, the solution captures the input and output weight to define available capacityas well as in which silo and which person will carry the load; and that data is also correlated to external information, such as weather, humidity, temperature and driver’s data, to estimate delivery time to customers.

You can learn more about IBM Blockchain solutions here.

The Weather Company Introduces New Solutions Designed to Help Freight and Logistic Companies

If you happen to be in the freight business, you know that weather-related delays cost cargo companies big bucks. $8.7B a year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

To help address these inefficiences, The Weather Company, an IBM Business, has introduced its new Operations Dashboard for Ground Transportation.

This new solution is designed to help optimize workforce productivity and route selection for freight and logistics companies. The comprehensive, customizable dashboard includes key information on weather and road conditions, including precipitation, wind, fog, ice and pooling water.

The dashboard also integrates real-time traffic flow and incident data, and flags safety hazards.

“By providing freight and logistics companies with a single view of critical weather and traffic information, we are providing them with the ability to make proactive decisions that can reduce inefficiencies and potentially keep their drivers out of harm’s way,” said Mark Gildersleeve, vice president and head of business solutions, The Weather Company. “We understand that weather can be disruptive, but with the right insight companies can be prepared to make proactive decisions.”

 

The Weather Company, an IBM Business, introduced new operations dashboard to help freight and logistic companies improve operational efficiency.  (Credit: The Weather Company, an IBM Business)

The Operations Dashboard for Ground Transportation is designed to provide input across the trucking and fleet organizations. As part of the solution:

• Dispatchers will have access to a comprehensive dashboard of the network of vehicles and locations, with a view of relevant weather, traffic, and safety information on each route.
• Distribution Center Executives will have access to a dashboard-level view of weather and traffic that impacts the safety of relevant personnel and facility operations.
• Drivers will receive live, location-based alerts for current locations and upcoming locations based on current trajectory. Drivers will also have the ability to check weather and traffic while planning the day’s travel and during breaks.

Additionally, dispatchers can set up individualized alerts of approaching hazards that are delivered via API to an in-cab or mobile device.

This alerting capability can track a driver’s trajectory and send alerts based on approaching weather. With weather updates as frequently every five minutes and down to a 500-meter resolution, drivers will be equipped to make more informed decisions from the road.

To learn more, visit https://business.weather.com/industry-solutions/ground-transportation.