September 6, 2016

YunHoLeeLast week we shared a video about how food companies label some items as “natural” even though they’re no healthier than their non-natural counterparts. While that term may soon come under regulation, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently banned another marketing buzzword from use on commercial products. As of last Friday, “antibacterial” soaps are no longer allowed on U.S. store shelves after manufacturers failed to prove they were safer or cleaner than regular products.

“Consumers may think antibacterial washes Continue reading

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August 31, 2016

RichardUntenDroneA few years ago Amazon announced a plan to start their own drone-based delivery service, allowing customers to receive goods just hours after ordering. At the time the idea seemed almost too futuristic to be true. After all, the image of dozens of robots circulating the sky and dropping off packages sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. According to the company, however, the plan for Amazon Prime Air remains on track and may even become a reality Continue reading

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August 26, 2016

IgorMaynaudCigaretteFrance is home to more than 13 million smokers, which includes one-third of teenagers and a quarter of adults. For years the nation’s health ministry has attempted to reduce this enormous number by spearheading initiatives that target the consumer appeal of cigarettes. For instance, the French government has long followed European Union laws requiring tobacco companies to cover 65 percent of their packaging with health warnings. In May, however, lawmakers took this concept a step further by passing “neutral packaging” Continue reading

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August 22, 2016

WomenDressedForAWedding_MMIn 2012, MIT student Amrita Saigal chose to tackle a largely unaddressed health issue for a project in her product design class. She hoped to create a low-cost method to distribute clean, reliable sanitary pads for women across India. The subject of feminine hygiene remains largely taboo on the subcontinent with studies showing that 88 percent of menstruating women are forced to use crude homemade remedies like rags or newspapers. Saigal’s idea centered on a sanitary pad machine that would Continue reading

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August 12, 2016

Mobile games like Pokemon Go and Clash of Clans have become revenue-generating machines despite being free to download in any app store. So how do these games manage to make money without a set price point? This fascinating video from Vox provides the answer by taking a close look at the optional purchases that drive profits for these apps.

 

Questions:

  1. Is it ethical for freemium gamemakers to earn the bulk of their money from Continue reading
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August 10, 2016

For the last few months Americans have been confronted with a peculiar dilemma at the cash register: to swipe or not to swipe? That is the question as shoppers and businesses across the country struggle to adapt to the credit card industry’s transition to chip technology. While 75 percent of cards are currently chip-enabled, only one-quarter of American merchants have the equipment to read them. The frustration continues even after upgrading as customers endure long waits for payments to Continue reading

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August 9, 2016

As the U.S. craft beer market has grown over the years, breweries that were once seen as upstarts to larger rivals are now becoming established institutions themselves. But while this is great news for many thirsty Americans, the beer boom has not been as kind to local water supplies. In this video, Bloomberg takes a look at how California’s Half Moon Brewing Company is experimenting with a sustainable system that uses Continue reading

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August 2, 2016

With credit cards commonplace and mobile payments steadily growing in popularity, Americans just don’t spend cash the way they used to. For instance, the salad-selling chain Sweetgreen claims that cash payments accounted for 40 percent of all transactions when they opened nine years ago. Now, fewer than 10 percent of the company’s sales are completed with cash. In January Sweetgreen eliminated cash transactions at a few locations to see if the change would upset customers. Complaints ended up being scarce Continue reading

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July 26, 2016

As anybody with a social media presence knows well, Pokémon Go’s massive popularity has only grown since it landed in American app stores earlier this month. On July 22 the augmented reality game launched in Asia, racking up ten million downloads in Japan on a single day. Still, not everything about the app’s Asian expansion was ideal: Pokémon Go remains banned in China, by far the region’s most lucrative market.

And that’s not the only bad news currently confronting the Continue reading

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July 22, 2016

Chances are that if you hear the word “Hershey” the first thing that comes to mind is “chocolate.” Last year the Pennsylvania-based company earned $7 billion in revenue from selling the sweet treat in all kinds of varieties. But as consumer tastes change to healthier options, Hershey’s candy sales have started to dwindle for the first time in 10 years. In order to prevent any further losses, the company wants to hop on the recent protein craze with new items Continue reading

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