When two real estate agents visited a multimillion-dollar house just off Santa Cruz’s West Cliff Drive being put up for sale by relatives of the deceased owner, they found something in the garage that was almost as valuable as the house itself: a 1963 Ferrari 250GT Lusso. A Carmel-based car broker said that only 350 of these cars were ever made and likely just half of those remain in existence. The cars can sell for upward of $1.5 million.
Business & Technology
Posted inArts & Entertainment
A brave new world: Sandy Skees shares how businesses can succeed with a new generation of consumers
Business consultant Sandy Skees has written a new book titled “Purposeful Brands,” in which she argues that brands that put sustainability and diversity on the top of their priorities will be better off in the bottom line as well. She sees a new generation of consumers and workers poised to permanently change how the landscape looks for companies and brand managers.
Posted inEnvironment
Here’s how California’s electric cars can feed the grid and help avoid brownouts
Through bidirectional charging, owners of electric cars can sell energy to the grid or use it to power their homes. But will the technology, which is costly, become widespread?
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Joby gets clearer timeline for when federal regulators will open skies to air taxis
The Federal Aviation Administration says electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft could be in commercial use by 2028, with some limited operations as early as 2025. Santa Cruz County native JoeBen Bevirt, founder of eVTOL industry leader Joby, has pushed for that earlier timeline to get his vision for an Uber-like air taxi service off the ground.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
From topography to typography: How a graphic designer’s love of Aptos inspired the next ubiquitous commercial typeface
Steven Matteson’s font Aptos, named for an area of Santa Cruz County he came to appreciate deeply as an escape during a stint over the hill, will be the default for the hundreds of millions who use Microsoft products such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. “This is kind of like a holy grail situation for people in my line of work,” the 58-year-old says.
Posted inAptos
Aptos, Microsoft’s new default font, chosen for the community’s ‘widely ranging landscape and climate’
Aptos is a sans serif font, which is designed to be easily readable and features letters that are simpler, with fewer flourishes. Microsoft said Steve Matteson designed the typeface “with a slight humanist touch.”
Posted inBusiness & Technology
San Francisco’s historic Anchor Brewing shuts down, citing ‘sluggish’ business
The beer institution was losing around $10 million per year since COVID-19 “significantly affected” its business, according to parent company Sapporo Holdings Ltd.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
New wave of vintage clothing stores helping drive a retail renaissance in downtown Santa Cruz
In the past 12 months, six new vintage stores have opened in Santa Cruz, contributing to a rebound of foot traffic downtown after pandemic lockdowns. Analysts say Santa Cruz’s vintage boom is being driven by younger shoppers and their increasing appetite for unique, environmentally sustainable second-hand clothing over mass-produced new items.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
SFO in half an hour? Where will Joby’s takeoff end up taking us?
“Helicopter,” “air taxi,” “peopled drone” or “eVTOL,” Joby’s potential revolution opens a world of possibilities. Will it solve some of the more pressing problems of urban life or create a world in which some people live like the Jetsons while others are still Flintstones?
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County finds itself on front lines of statewide battle over fast food franchisor liability bill
No on AB 1228, a coalition opposing a California bill that would make fast food franchisors liable for labor violations at their franchise locations, is running a heavy campaign in Santa Cruz. But proponents of the Fast Food Franchisor Responsibility Act say the bill would benefit franchise owners and workers.