From metal water bottles to sustainable comforters, green-minded companies have created a wealth of options for today’s eco-friendly consumers. But while many of these products are good for the environment, they’re often too expensive to make a big impact on the marketplace. For instance, a startup named LARQ sells a stainless-steel water bottle with an ultraviolet light in the cap that purifies any water poured through it. Although this product is meant to serve as an alternative to $2 plastic Continue reading
On Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook stepped onto a big stage at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, to make some important announcements. Events like these are meant to remind Apple fans of the times when late founder Steve Jobs stepped on the same stage to reveal world-changing products like the iPhone and iPad. Unlike on those occasions, however, Cook didn’t unveil any new or updated gadgets at Monday’s event. Instead, celebrities like Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah Winfrey Continue reading
On Wednesday, the Walt Disney Company purchased all of the film and TV assets owned by the historic movie studio 21st Century Fox for $71.3 billion. Along with taking hold of successful film franchises like the Alien movies and Marvel’s X-Men, Disney also now controls the rights to TV shows like The Simpsons, This Is Us, and Modern Family. All told, the entertainment giant has gained thousands of new titles to join its other legendary properties such Continue reading
Since about the turn of the 20th century, elaborate fashion shows have helped some of the most successful style companies build lasting brands. After all, designers aren’t just displaying their wares when they send models down the runway in expensive outfits. By showcasing lines of high-end clothes that not everyone can afford, companies construct brand identities centered around luxury and opulence. So while Ralph Lauren or Michael Kors won’t sell many of their most expensive garments, the sophistication and taste Continue reading
For years fashionable firms have depended on Instagram to showcase their goods to the social network’s more than 1 billion monthly users. Along with helping companies develop into stylish brands, the photo-sharing platform also serves as a key source of traffic to online stores. For instance, a designer can post a photo of a new dress and attach a link where customers can go to purchase it.
Now Instagram plans to take that concept to the next level by allowing Continue reading
On Tuesday we looked at how countries around the world responded to the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. Initial investigations showed similarities between this disaster and the crash of a Lion Air flight five months ago, which also involved a Boeing 737 Max 8 model jetliner. As a result, China and Indonesia almost immediately pulled the aircraft from use while countries like the U.K., India, and Egypt quickly followed suit. But not every country joined the international Continue reading
On Sunday Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after take off, killing all 157 people on board. Although the cause of this tragedy will be under investigation for some time, many in the aviation industry were quick to blame the disaster on the model of aircraft used for the flight: the Boeing 737 Max 8. After all, this marks the second time within five months that this type of jetliner has crashed soon after taking off. In October a Lion Continue reading
According to a recent Pew Research Center study, approximately 29 percent of Americans said that they don’t use cash for any purchases during a typical week. Instead, they depend on credit and debit cards as well as mobile payment apps like Apple Pay. These increasingly cashless consumers are becoming so common that some companies have stopped accepting paper and coin money for the sake of efficiency. For instance, in 2016 the salad chain Sweetgreen announced it was going cashless in Continue reading