Latest news with #TQ
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Resort to host Wit platform
Queenstown will host Asia-Pacific's leading travel technology, media and events platform next year. Announced by Technology Queenstown (TQ) founder Roger Sharp during a host-tech panel session at KingPin on Wednesday night, Web in Travel (Wit) will be held for the first time in the resort next July, marking a milestone for the Queenstown Lakes district, which aims to become a technology innovation hub. The one-day event will be held in partnership with TQ, a not-for-profit organisation founded by Mr Sharp last year, and regional investment bank North Ridge Partners. Wit founder Siew Hoon said they had "long had our sights set on Oceania". "After the success of Wit Australia in 2011, we're excited to return with Wit Queenstown ... our mission has always been to spark innovation in travel tech, from Singapore to Tokyo, Seoul, Cape Town and Dubai. "We're excited to collaborate with Technology Queenstown to build a unique edition that marries Wit insights with local strategic vision and talent." Technology Queenstown is spearheading efforts to diversify the Queenstown Lakes economy, of which tourism and hospitality account for more than 60%, by developing a world-class tech sector. It aims to build $1 billion in annual tech sector GDP in the district over the next 20 years, moving technology from less than 2% to more than 15% of GDP. Mr Sharp, who also chairs global travel business Web Travel Group, said bringing Wit to town was "a cornerstone of our strategy". Ms Hoon said because the Wakatipu attracted more than three million visitors a year, it offered a "unique southern hemisphere testing ground" for innovations that could enhance travel experiences. These would be showcased to travel operators, tech companies, destination marketing organisations, tourism boards, investors and global travel tech brands' senior executives attending Wit Queenstown. TQ chief executive Sarah Russell said through a "strategic blueprint", strong corporate support and plans to launch a university campus, they were "building the foundation" of economic diversification through tech in the Wakatipu. "Travel tech is the first cluster we're backing and Wit is central to making that happen." On Monday, the University of Otago announced it had partnered with California-headquartered company Palo Alto Networks to co-design and deliver cybersecurity education programmes in Queenstown. To start in the next year, it was the first partnership of its kind in the university's history, it said. Otago vice-chancellor Grant Robertson said it solidified the university's commitment to supporting the Queenstown Lakes region to become an "international technology centre".
WIRED
25-02-2025
- Automotive
- WIRED
Trek's Latest Commuter Electric Bike Has a High-End Mountain Bike Motor
For years, I've had Trek's everyday commuter, the FX+ 2, as the top pick in our list of the Best Electric Bikes. If you're new to bikes, $2,500 is a reasonable price for a reliable, everyday commuter that you can expect someone competent to assemble and repair for you. I was stoked to hear that Trek was updating the FX+ series, but I was a bit thrown by the move to the TQ HPR50 motor, which has a smooth pin ring drive—a more expensive drivetrain system that we first saw on Trek's high-end mountain bikes. The new FX+ 7S is silent and more powerful, but it does raise the price quite a bit. Still, as someone who spent $5,000 on their own everyday commuter, $4,000 is within a reasonable commuter price point. And it's less trouble than getting a motorcycle license. What's App Several days ago, I parked the FX+ 7 in front of my parents' house. My dad came outside and shouted, 'What a beautiful bike!' It is, just like its predecessor! I tested the small-size frame, which fit my 5'2" self perfectly. (It's a step-through, so even if you're shorter it should work.) The frame is aluminum, and all the cables are routed internally, so it has a very clean look to it. Photograph: Adrienne So One of the upgrades from the FX+ 2 is that now the bike has a built-in TQ LED display that's built into the down tube. It's bright and easy to read, and you can scroll through it to see different stats like battery percentage, how much time you have left to ride (approximately), and what cardinal direction you're facing (handy!). If you don't want to use the display, you can also connect your bike to your phone via the Trek Central app (iOS, Android). There's a Quad Lock on the ergonomic handlebars so you can use your phone as a display. I didn't get a Quad Lock case (I should have), but I did like the app a lot. There are several tabs, the first of which is your bike dashboard, a map and navigation, your ride history, and finally settings, which allows you to tinker with all of these things. Screenshots courtesy of Adrienne So
