Da me less gasolina

Volvo's going 100% verde. [The Hustle]( Thur, Jul 6 Volvo is e-volvo-ing Your mom’s old diesel-powered beast of a Volvo is about to be even more of a windswept relic. In a [statement]( released yesterday, the 90-year-old company said that by 2019, 100% of its new models will be hybrids or battery-powered vehicles -- and by 2024, it will phase out all of its gas-powered vehicles. The move makes them the first traditional car company to fully commit to a future without internal combustion engines. Banking on the future As the market currently stands, Volvo’s decision may seem a little risky. Of 17.55m total car sales in the US last year, only [159k]( were electric -- more than half of which were in California. Add in hybrid cars, and that’s less than 2% of all auto purchases. In contrast, SUV and pickup sales saw a big uptick as gas prices dipped in 2016. But, while EV sales are small, they have been on the rise: last year, they [jumped]( by 37% in the US and 41% globally (especially in China, where Volvo’s owner, Geely Automobile Holdings, is based). Following Tesla’s lead Volvo’s announcement comes on the eve of Tesla’s [Model 3]( unveiling (expected to be Friday). On the manufacturing side, Tesla has struggled a bit. The company has reported production issues in [5 of its last 7]( quarters -- and in the 1st half of 2017, it made only 47.1k vehicles, largely due to a “shortfall” of [new battery packs](. Despite these issues, the company recently surpassed Ford and General Motors in [stock market value]( indicating that investors are sold on the future of electric. Volvo hopes they can sidestep some of these pitfalls with an established infrastructure and a devoted following as they race into this new frontier -- sans diesel. [One giant leap for van-kind]( Ya win some, ya lose some Facebook’s been embroiled in some big legal conflicts of late, and they haven’t all been comin’ up in favor of Zuck… Big L: Deutschland Last week, Germany passed a [polarizing law]( that decrees social media companies like Facebook and Twitter must remove racist or slanderous comments within 24 hours, or face fines of up to $57m. On the one hand, great! On the other hand, terrible… Propagating hate speech is bad, but internet censorship is a slippery slope. [Digital rights activists]( argue that Germany’s strict regulations encroach on free speech on the internet -- but, as Justice Minister Heiko Maas argues, “Freedom of expression ends where criminal law begins.” How does FB feel about all this? Well, according to a spokesperson, the law “will not improve…this important societal problem.” Don’t expect them to go down without a fight. Big W: your data A judge has ruled that it’s up to users to [protect their browsing data]( from the prying eyes of Big Blue -- even after they log out of the platform. The plaintiffs alleged that FB used “like” buttons on 3rd-party sites to track users’ browsing history and allow them to serve up custom ads in said users’ news feeds. “Well, duh.” -- Judge Edward Davila. Davila dismissed the case, stating that “Facebook’s intrusion could have been easily blocked” via incognito mode, or Facebook’s own [opt-out user settings](. So, long story short: FB’s watching you. And if you don’t like it, you kin giiiiiiiit out. [I thought this was America]( Ticketmaster is saying audio-s to QR codes The days of waiting in line at a concert venue while the doofus in front of you fumbles around for his QR code ticket may soon be over. Earlier this week, Ticketmaster announced it will be launching a passive ticketing system that checks people into events using [ultrasonic audio]( transmitted from your smartphone. It’s kind of like a dog whistle for the doorman at the club. So, how’s it work? Ticketmaster will be partnering with Cincinnati-based [Lisnr]( a “data-over-audio” company that has spent years working on tech that uses “smart tones” to transmit info between devices. When you walk into a venue, all you have to do is take out your smartphone. If you’ve purchased a ticket, your phone will emit an audio signal between 18.75 and 19.2kHZ -- a frequency that is inaudible to 90% of people (you can see if you’re among the unlucky 10% [here](. A [scanner]( at the door detects the sound, and also verifies your identity (the tech is linked to your account and your mobile device), giving Ticketmaster broader control over ticket fraud. I’m a data girl in a data world The tech’s already been implemented at a few venues, but it’ll probably take about 4 years before the full roll-out is complete. Aside from giving you the ability to waltz into a venue without a screenshot or a piece of paper, Ticketmaster’s new system could eventually [allow you]( to purchase things like merch, drinks, and food using the tones in lieu of a credit card. [Beep beep beep]( Vantiv pays up U.S. credit card payments firm Vantiv put down plastic for a $10B acquisition of the British payments company Worldpay yesterday, [outbidding JPMorgan]( in the process. Because as it turns out, it’s not just brick and mortar retailers feeling the heat from Amazon… Their payment processors are taking a hit too A whopping 50% of [Vantiv’s revenue]( comes from large chains that are struggling to keep up with e-commerce. This Worldpay deal is just one of many investments the company has made in the past 12 months to reinforce its customer base and expand its global footprint. Worldpay processes about [41% of all UK transactions]( giving Vantiv much-needed exposure to small businesses in a space where startups like Stripe and Square are closing in on big banks’ business. Plus, Worldpay’s investors will now hold a 41% stake in the combined company. Not too shabby. [Say “big banks business” 3x fast]( We hold these tweets to be self-evident It’s incredibly easy to offend people on the internet. Case-in-point: NPR’s recent show of Independence Day patriotism, wherein they tweeted a [100+ post diatribe]( calling for the people to abolish tyranny “and to institute new Government.” Except they weren’t trying to incite a revolution… They were just tweeting the Declaration of Independence … in its entirety … one 140-character post at a time. Unfortunately, people who tuned in partway through this manifesto saw some [pretty inflammatory]( out-of-context snippets about a “totally unworthy Head of a civilized nation.” Naturally, these folks jumped to some conclusions about NPR’s view of the current Head of State and accused the news outlet of peddling a [liberal agenda](. What they didn’t realize was that the remarks referred to King George III, not Donald Trump. But apparently, one of the defining documents of democracy is a little too much for our current democracy to handle. [King George… riiiiight…]( things you should... SKIP: The annoying security lines with TSA Pre, $85 You’ve heard about this, you love the idea of breezing through security (and keeping your shoes on), and yet you still haven’t done it. A 10-minute appointment and 85$ makes flying infinitely more pleasant -- for five years! [WRITE THAT CHECK FOR PRECHECK →]( BROWSE: The internet better, with Snippets, 60 seconds Wish you could take our witticisms with you all over the web? Now you can with our new Chrome extension that takes all the stuff we can’t fit into the email and breaks it into bite-sized news nuggets. [SNIPPET AND CLICK IT →]( WEAR: Comfortable bottle openers, $55 If July 4th has taught us anything, it’s that you should never go without a good pair of sandals or an ice cold beer. Reef solves both problems by making some of the comfiest summer footwear, with hidden bottle openers in the soles for when you’re in a pinch. [THE REAL MAN-DALS →]( PRE-ORDER: A GPS anti-theft bike handlebar, $161 We haven’t been this excited for a Kickstarter campaign in awhile. While we can’t say we’ve tried the Sherlock device yet, the logic is rock-solid: install a GPS into the handlebar of your bike that’s discreet and permanently lodged for tracking. A big deal for those of us with heavy bike investments. [GRAB LIFE BY THE HANDLEBARS →]( BUY: an OTIS custom night guard and get relief from teeth grinding, $149 If your jaw feels like you spent the night sawing logs with your teeth, chances are you’re gnawing your chompers to a nub in your sleep. Lucky for you, OTIS’ direct-to-consumer approach lets you skip the doctor’s visits and get the same quality night guards at 70% off the dentist price. Use the link below to buy, or find OTIS on Kickstarter and get hooked up with zero tax and shipping fees, plus free gifts. [SICK OF THE OLD GRIND →]( This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by The only mattress Michael Phelps trusts When you’re the most decorated athlete of all time, a good night’s sleep is a career-defining asset. That’s why the swimming G.O.A.T uses the best -- [Leesa’s 3-layer foam](. Here’s how it works: Foundational support foam. Every mattress needs good support, so your back doesn’t feel like it’s been on a flimsy fold out mattress. Memory foam. A [mattress must-have](. It conforms to your body, so your mattress fits perfectly to your body. Breathable top layer. Made of Avena® cooling foam, this stops you from getting that sticky “hot” feeling at night. You probably definitely can’t swim like Phelps, but you can sleep like him. Use the code [THEHUSTLE]( and get a [Leesa mattress]( for $100 off. [SUBSCRIBE]( [JOBS]( [ADVERTISE]( [EVENTS]( Lindsey Quinn WRITER Kamran Rosen WRITER Lucinda Tung STATE SECRETS KEEPER John "I'll scalp my tickets" Havel BACKSEAT EDITOR You opted in by signing up, attending an event, or through divine intervention. [771 CLEMENTINA STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, UNITED STATES]( • [415.506.7210](tel:+1-415-506-7210) Never wanna hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](