#shutl

meow album 'YUME' 2025.1 Release

2025年1月にアルバム『YUME』をインターネットレーベル・Local Visionsよりリリースいたします。

また、同月の10日から19日まで開催予定ののミヤオウ ソロ・エキシビション『YUME EXPO』では、18日にライブイベント 'On Site' が開催される予定です。

イベント 'On Site' の詳しい情報は以下のリンクにてご覧いただけたら幸いです。

There are a variety of services at retailers’ disposal to help them get products to customers faster. Deliv, for instance, partners with malls, while retailers like Amazon are taking on the logistical work themselves.  But now, Uber may be trying to grab a piece of the same-day delivery pie. Last week, Retail TouchPoints reported that Uber was testing a same-day delivery service with up to 400 retailers and brands, including Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus and Tiffany’s. In April 2014, the company introduced UberRUSH, which is a bicycle courier service, throughout New York City. Currently, UberRUSH drivers and couriers take merchant orders through a separate app than the one they use to receive consumer orders. Eventually, Uber drivers will be able to take both human passengers and Uber Merchant orders at the same time through an intelligent routing system.  But how will this shake up the same-day delivery space? The RTP editorial team shares their thoughts:  Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief: I think it's a smart idea to try to take advantage of a service already in place. I definitely have questions about monitoring quality of the delivery time and customer interactions. My brother actually drives for Uber and here are his thoughts on this: “That certainly makes sense as an extension to what they already do. Personally I don't think I'd want to be a food delivery driver because that means you have to find a way to park downtown and leave your car to pick up the food. I've also heard about delivery services that work like UPS or Fedex (with trucks) but the trucks are "rented" by drivers (just like taxis are rented) and those drivers are like us -- self-employed. I think you get paid by the package just like we get paid by the trip. I don't know what those services are called but I guess it's cheaper for the retailers because drivers like me are cheaper than UPS or Fedex drivers.” Alicia Fiorletta, Senior Editor: To Debbie’s point, I think it’s a great way to test or take advantage of a new trend (same-day delivery), without having to develop an in-house solution or process. However, I think there are some risks involved that need to be verified and communicated on both the brand side as well as the consumer side. For example: What happens if a package gets lost or damaged during the delivery process? Would Uber be held accountable? Or because Uber drivers are basically working for themselves, is it basically a lost cause and the consumer has to deal with it themselves? Or, is the retailer held accountable? It’s still early days, so there’s not a lot of details out there, but I find it surprising that high-end luxury brands like Tiffany’s haven’t thought about this side of the equation, especially since any person on the street can essentially become an Uber driver. Rob Fee, Managing Editor: I'm not 100% sold on this idea for retailers because it requires them to put too much faith in Uber and its drivers. Think about this, anybody making a delivery immediately becomes a brand representative to consumers, so any negative interactions would likely reflect more on the retailers than Uber. Are retailers ready to place their brand's reputation in the hands of drivers they might never see again? I'm not so sure. For me, a better solution is to simply offer the service themselves.

Kim Zimmermann, Senior Managing Editor: I think it makes sense for Uber drivers as a way to earn some extra cash, especially in markets where same-day delivery from companies like Amazon might not be otherwise feasible. Uber has gotten a bad rep for sketchy drivers, so I would think the retailers would want to be cautious about that, but all said, it would put some heat on Amazon, especially during the holidays. 

Glenn Taylor, Associate Editor: If anything, it will stir more competition around companies like Deliv, Shutl and Instacart to put out top-flight service, which is always a good thing. The popularity of Uber as a brand will certainly help them here, but I don't think their entrance into the market is necessarily going to change the profile of same-day retail delivery. The retailers themselves still have to be comfortable enough with the process for it to truly take off, and many just haven't dedicated the resources to consider it a feasible option yet.

Brian Anderson, Associate Editor: Still curious to see how Uber drivers will be able to pick up in-store items for shoppers who purchase products online, primarily due to the security measures some retailers have for these services. For example, I know that Walmart customers who make a purchase online with intent to pick it up in-store have to show the confirmation email they received, along with a photo ID, to the store associate. Success would require a lot of brand partnerships, but with Uber's popularity, only time will tell if the new delivery service will take off.

Welcome to the weekly round-up of all the bits and bobs we’ve found in the internet’s pockets this week. Before we launch into a froth of educated excitement though, a quick reminder. We’re inching ever closer to launching Quib.ly and we’d love for you to share the link www.quib.ly with any parents or professionals that might enjoy what we’re doing. It’s very easy to request an invitation, and once inside, we won’t lock the doors and sharpen knives in a frightening fashion at you, we’ll just let you potter about, try it out and see if it’s for you – with no obligation to stay. Though of course, we really hope you will. 

And after that short commercial break, it’s on with proceedings.

Internet addiction is genetic... and women are more prone to it

All those stereotypes of overgrown teenage boys in their thirties, looking like Comic Book Guy, living in their parents’ basement playing World of Warcraft and yelling at each other on gaming forums might be a bit off piste. In fact, it’s more likely to be women addicted to internet use and it’s down to simple genes. According to researchers at the University of Bonn, a mutation of the gene CHRNA4 results in a higher prevalence of internet addiction. And by internet addiction, they mean ‘all [the addict’s] thoughts revolve around the internet during the day, and they feel their well-being is severely impacted if they have to go without it.’ We’re just off to get a quick genetic check-up, taking three internet enabled devices with us for the journey... 

Cnet.com has more.

And while we’re on the subject of too much internet use...

Your sleep problems could be down to smartphone and tablet use

You know the scene. It’s gone midnight, your pyjamas are annoying you... in the distance you can hear the sound of revellers enjoying a pre-kids night out... back in your bed, the person next to you is contentedly snoring away like a drunk bear while your bed covers seem weirdly itchy and your pillow is as flat as a wet plaice. Frustrated, you reach for your phone to look up another 80s actor on Wikipedia (last night’s was Bob Costanzo, the guy in Total Recall that made us think Danny Devito was in Total Recall) and angrily will yourself to go to sleep, which you don’t. 

And there lies the problem. Two hours or more of using backlit devices suppresses melatonin. So says Mariana Figueiro, director of the Lighting Research Center that carried out the research. So what? Well, ‘stimulating the human circadian system to this level may affect sleep in those using the devices prior to bedtime’, she explained. Oh rats. It’s really quite obvious, but if you want to sleep better, switch your smartphone for a Kindle in the run up to bedtime. 

There’s going to be a Lego movie

Repeat, there’s going to be a Lego movie. What more needs to be said? 

Online shopping is getting local

There are a number of ways your family’s shopping could be morphing in coming years but they all revolve around choice, speed and delivery. 

Amazon is coming to a corner shop near you as it beefs up trials on the ‘Click & Collection’ service in the UK. Shoppers will have the option to send their brown packages to 5,000 local shops, instead of playing roulette with being at home for delivery and finding the small ‘sorry you were out’ card of doom. A similar move has already paid off in the US, where Amazon customers can pick up goods from 7-Eleven stores. The increased flexibility adds to the existing, and slightly confusing, ‘Amazon Locker’ programme. 

For a real blend of choice, online tools and human connection, there’s Instacart. Currently Silicon Valley-only, the iPhone app allows users to shop for local groceries direct from their phones and get their stuff delivered in either one or three hours’ time, any time between 10am and 9pm. 

And what is this fresh magic that helps milk and granola appear with a puff of metaphorical smoke? Good old fashioned local humans, doing the shopping and delivering it. Eric Johnson from allthingsd recently tried it and found it a touch on the expensive side. 

There isn’t a huge list of retailers currently signed up for the UK’s Shutl but it’s a definite step in the right direction. The web service allows online shoppers to receive their orders within 90 minutes of purchase, or within an hour slot on a specified day. And the little touch of allowing customers to watch their deliveries ‘shutling towards them’ on a GPS map totally appeals to the same kind of the brain that enjoys staring at the Domino's pizza tracker. In other words: all brains. Right?