The Daily Valet. - 2/25/21, Thursday

✔️ This Is Getting Better and Better

February 25, 2021

Thursday, February 25th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Is it Friday yet?

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Vaccine News Keeps Getting Better

A single-dose shot, a real-world test and vaccinated people aren’t transmitting

Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine offers strong protection against severe COVID-19, according to an analysis released Wednesday by U.S. regulators that sets the stage for a final decision on a new and easier-to-use shot to help tame the pandemic.

According to the Associated Press, the long-anticipated shot could offer a third vaccine option and help speed vaccinations by requiring just one dose instead of two. Plus, it doesn't require any special refrigeration. On Friday, a panel of advisers to the FDA will meet to evaluate the vaccine and make a recommendation about whether it should be given the green light.

Of course, over the course of the pandemic, the coronavirus has begun to change. Variants first seen in South Africa and Brazil, where the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was tested, mutated in ways that help them evade the immune response prompted by vaccines developed against the original form of the virus.

Which is why Moderna has made doses of a new vaccine designed to better protect people against new strains of COVID-19. The Wall Street Journal reports that human testing for that will start in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, a real-world test of Pfizer’s vaccine in more than half a million people confirms that it’s very effective at preventing serious illness or death—even after one dose and with newer variants of the virus. Even more encouraging? It appears that vaccinated people aren ’t spreading COVID-19 to others, which should reduce the number of new cases dramatically.

Need some help locating a vaccine for yourself or a loved one? The CDC is backing the test of a centralized online portal where the public can search for nearby vaccination locations with doses on hand.

↦ Go Figure: A high-end medical provider let ineligible (yet wealthy and powerful) people skip the COVID-19 vaccine line.

E-Scooters Are Getting Smarter

Makers embrace AI to cut down on pedestrian collisions

I don't know if you've ever been grazed by a speeding scooter on the sidewalk, but it's not a pleasant experience. People don't always make the best choices when they're behind those tiny handlebars.

And all evidence points to a surge in shared micromobility after the pandemic. Berg Insight, a market research firm, predicts that there will be 4.6 million shared e-scooters in operation worldwide by 2024, up from 774,000 a year ago.

What's more, a majority of riders end up getting injured while riding on a sidewalk, even in places where it was prohibited. To help sort out this lawless scooting, operators are utilizing cutting-edge AI technology, GPS tracking and geofencing to inject some manners into riders—no doubt soothing tensions between riders, pedestrians and drivers.

Swedish operator Voi, which has more than 6 million registered scooter riders across 50 European cities, is testing a system of cameras and sensors to scan for potential danger and react accordingly. According to CNN Business, other e-scooter firms are deploying similar systems and safety measures to keep everyone safe and on their way.

↦ Get Your Own: Whether it's for commuting or fun (or a bit of both), CNET has found the best e-scooters for your money.

This Is the Golden Age of Free Stuff

The pandemic has inspired a cleanout of American homes

Call it the Great Decluttering. Not since Marie Kondo first streamed into our homes have Americans been so motivated to edit the junk out of their homes. Which means there's a lot of good stuff being tossed out. And then picked up by strangers.

Looking through other people's trash and dragging away used objects isn’t new. But it's since been rebranded, according to Curbed. “Stooping,” or more recently, “trash stalking,” has become so widespread since the start of the pandemic, that several Instagram accounts devoted to it have attracted thousands of followers and transformed what used to be a niche activity into a phenomenon.

Another major driver, simply put, is boredom. Stooping has given people a creative outlet as well as an opportunity to get out of the house. “I have a lot of people who used to think that going through trash was disgusting but who now see the value,” one picker told the New York Times.

And when you can't, or won't throw it to the curb, there are professionals that can help. The Washington Post reports that a range of services, from junk haulers and dumpster rentals to professional organizers, have seen a surge in business, helping people get rid of everything they're hoping to donate.

Are You Ready for Another Streamer?

Here’s why people are talking about Paramount+

There's no getting around it: There are a lot of streaming options these days. Too many? Perhaps. If there was a streaming show people were talking about, it was either on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Maybe Hulu. But now? There's a barrage of new platforms, as media companies scramble for positioning in the post-cable universe.

The latest is Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access), coming to bribe you with the highly-anticipated Halo TV show, more Star Trek series, a Rugrats revival, a return for Reno 911!, and, of course, the long-awaited Frasier revival project.

The service's premium tier is set to launch March 4 and will cost $10 per month. It will offer some key features that will not be included in its ad-supported tier (launching in June). Those features will include more sports and local CBS broadcast news coverage, as well as CBS Live TV. It won't be totally free of ads, though. According to Gizmodo, the premium tier “will offer commercial-free on demand viewing but the linear feed will still have commercials.”

The 108-year old studio is overhauling the way it releases the movies it makes for the streaming age as well. Similar to the strategy adopted by HBO Max and Warner Bros., Paramount+ announced Wednesday that its two biggest films of the year, Mission: Impossible 7 and A Quiet Place Part 2, will be available to stream just 45 days after their theatrical release dates.

↦ Dig Deeper: The Verge has compiled everything you need to know about the transition from CBS All Access to Paramount+.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

A new Paris flagship store

Better protein options

This literary rock star

A Car Slot Machine

It's 11 stories tall and dispenses used cars

Why bother with slot machines at a casino, when used car shopping site Carvana now has a giant vending machine in Las Vegas that accepts tokens for a car?

The mechanical glass building—Carvana's 28th car vending machine in the U.S.—lights up at dusk to show off the more than two dozen cars that are stacked up and brought down to ground level with a special car elevator.

Customers buy and finance a vehicle through Carvana’s online marketplace, but then are given an oversized commemorative coin to put in the slot machine. You pull a lever and your car is retrieved and lowered down to you. There's no extra fee with the vending machine pickup option.

According to Mashable, Carvana’s goal when in launched in 2012 was to disrupt the auto sales industry by offering a buy-from-home experience, similar to how consumers purchase goods on Amazon or any other major online retailer. And just like Amazon, there is a home delivery option available. Especially for buyers who don't have a vending machine located nearby.