April 5, 2017

Since YouTube’s founding, the video sYoutube-mobileharing site has prided itself on being a platform that anyone can use to express themselves. This concept catapulted the site to instant success and led to a $1.65 billion buyout from Google in 2006. Along with becoming one of the search engine giant’s most lucrative advertising outlets, YouTube is also the most valuable video platform on the Internet by far.

Despite this lofty status, though, major advertisers like AT&T, Lyft and Johnson & Continue reading

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April 3, 2017

The looping animated icons known as GIFs have provided websites with a unique visual element since the dawn of the Internet. Of course, today’s GIFs do far more than just attract eyes to otherwise dull sites. People use them constantly in social media and text message conversations to express emotions that are difficult to convey with words. And as this video shows, companies like Giphy think that these moving images will soon turn into major money makers for content creators Continue reading

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March 31, 2017

HannaKarpEven before the days of iTunes and Spotify, musicians depended heavily on the money they earned from touring to supplement their album sales. And while streaming services have recently provided a big boost of revenue for the industry, the vast majority of musicians still don’t make enough money from their recordings to earn a living. As a result, performing live is often the best option for musicians who want to see a monetary reward for their efforts.

Of course, touring Continue reading

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March 27, 2017

peasapWhether you’re on a long road trip or just heading home from work, chances are that you won’t want to pick up dinner from a gas station. After all, the nation’s fueling stops are better known for roller-grilled hot dogs and unhealthy snacks rather than fine dining. But with many American eaters on the hunt for fresh and convenient options, gas stations around the country have started meeting this demand by bringing restaurants on site.

For instance, in Leesburg, Virginia, Continue reading

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March 17, 2017

PolinaMarinovaFor many modern consumers, the origin of their food is just as important as its nutrition stats. That’s why high-end grocery stores like Whole Foods often specify which farms their meat and vegetables come from, sometimes even including detailed stories about their staff and methods. Still, even this attention to detail isn’t enough for some discerning eaters. In order to ensure they know exactly where their food comes from, these consumers can pool their resources together to purchase a cow Continue reading

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March 16, 2017

CostasParisFor centuries, ships used wind-catching sails to travel all over the world. Then the steam engine arrived during the industrial age and changed maritime transportation forever. Of course, the massive engines in today’s vessels rely on petroleum for power, presenting a number of potential problems. Along with environmental issues, big tankers also cost a fortune to fuel. For instance, the Danish shipping firm Maersk Group spends $2.1 billion per year on fuel costs.

To reduce this enormous expense, the company Continue reading

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March 3, 2017

NOAA-PhotoLibraryFrom tsunamis to earthquakes to hurricanes, each year natural disasters strike all across the world and leave devastation in their wake. In the immediate aftermath of these catastrophes, ensuring people’s safety is the number one priority. As a community starts to recover from a disaster, however, their thoughts turn towards rebuilding and returning to normalcy. Still, this isn’t such an easy task to accomplish. Natural disasters can destroy infrastructure and buildings that take millions of dollars and months of time Continue reading

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March 2, 2017

Supply chain management is an incredibly complex process involving dozens of companies stretched across thousands of miles. This video takes a look at the shipping firm Flexport and how they simplify “freight forwarding” for businesses transporting goods from China to the U.S.

Questions:

 

  1. How does Flexport improve the process of freight forwarding?
  2. Why is international supply chain management so complicated?

 

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February 24, 2017

OakLabsAs e-commerce companies like Amazon become more and more popular, traditional retailers have scrambled to find ways to bring people back into stores. Along with placing scannable QR codes by items, brick and mortar outlets have also tried large internet kiosks that allow customers to browse their online stores. Despite retailers’ best efforts, though, these attempts at modernizing haven’t caught on with consumers. After all, who would walk into a place just to check its online store?

The startup Oak Continue reading

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February 17, 2017

RonaldSarayudejIn the old days of air travel, passengers who were lucky enough to watch a movie during their flight did so on a big screen that the whole cabin could see. Then as technology improved many airlines installed screens into the backs of seats, providing travelers with a personal entertainment center. Shortly after this development, though, smartphones and tablets started to become commonplace. “Virtually everyone is connected at all times on the ground today,” said Jon Cobin, COO of in-air Continue reading

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