fidget-spinnerIn the proud tradition of pet rocks and Beanie Babies, fidget spinners have recently become the hottest fad product on the market. These tiny toys feature three prongs that whirl around a ball-bearing equipped center, creating something that looks like a little ceiling fan that spins in your hand. Some even sport multi-colored lights so you can dazzle all your jealous friends. They’re available to purchase almost everywhere and have become ubiquitous in schools across the country, much to the Continue reading

Continue reading...

In the early days of China’s tech industry, most companies simply took the concepts developed by successful American startups and created Chinese versions of them. For instance, rather than Google, most of the country uses the domestically owned search engine Baidu. But after years of imitation, Chinese apps like the all-encompassing WeChat could change the way that people use the Internet all over the world.

Questions:

 

  1. Why haven’t American tech companies like Facebook and Google been able to succeed Continue reading
Continue reading...

chevroletFor the past few years, Chevrolet has ran a series of ads that feature “real people, not actors” staring in awe as they look at and listen to facts about Chevy cars. These televised focus groups are filmed on sets outfitted with enormous doors and spinning elevators that reveal the vehicles in grand fashion. All the while a friendly host tells the onlookers about how many J.D. Power awards Chevy has won along with other details about the brand. Whenever Continue reading

Continue reading...

virus-attackLast Friday hackers launched a massive cyberattack that targeted hundreds of thousands of users and organizations in more than 150 countries. Using a “ransomware” virus called WannaCry, the malware infected computer systems by locking users out of their files and demanding money to set them free. Regardless of whether the user paid up or not, though, the virus was easily able to spread to other computers linked within the same network. Eventually one lucky researcher discovered a “kill switch” in Continue reading

Continue reading...

musical-festivalFor many attendees of today’s big music festivals, enjoying an interesting atmosphere is often just as important as watching what’s happening on stage. After all, these events don’t happen in a vacuum: festivals like Coachella are endlessly documented through Instagram and other social media platforms. From the fancy food trucks to famous people casually milling about the crowd, music festivals offer no shortage of material to liven up anyone’s feed.

Last weekend’s Fyre Festival promised to be the most Instagrammable Continue reading

Continue reading...

April 27, 2017


bankers-regulatorsThe 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform act stands as one of the most complicated pieces of legislation ever devised. The law includes more than 22,000 pages of rules, which is equivalent to about 15 copies of Tolstoy’s epic novel
War and Peace. These guidelines tell banks how much money they must set aside, how they can advertise, what sort of investments they can make, and many other stipulations and requirements.

As you can imagine, keeping track of all those regulations Continue reading

Continue reading...

April 21, 2017

orange-juiceLast year, the startup Juicero surprised many in the tech world by becoming one of the industry’s most talked about gadget companies. Venture capitalists invested more than $120 million in the enterprise based on the promise of its $400 Internet-enabled juicing machine. Working sort of like a Keurig coffee maker, the device uses single-serving packets of chopped fruits and vegetables to make cold-pressed juice. Just insert a packet, press a button, and out comes a refreshing beverage without any fuss. Continue reading

Continue reading...

April 18, 2017

ibmIn the 1980s IBM was one of the first companies to make remote work a priority for its employees. Starting with “remote terminals” installed in staffers’ houses, by 2009 40 percent of the tech company’s 386,000 employees worked from home. In the process, IBM reduced office space by 78 million square feet and started saving $100 million in annual costs. Other companies took IBM’s lead and began to follow the remote trend as well. In fact, 25 percent of American Continue reading

Continue reading...

April 14, 2017

This week United Airlines angered millions when a video surfaced of a man being brutally dragged off of an overbooked flight. People not only felt horrified at the violence of the incident, but they also questioned why the company needed to overbook flights in the first place. As this video shows, though, the answer is not so easy.

Questions:

 

  1. Should airlines be allowed to overbook flights?
  2. What risks do airlines face if they do not overbook a flight?
Continue reading...

April 13, 2017

travel-troublesThis week United Airlines has faced a surge in public anger following the release of a video that showed a passenger being dragged off of an overbooked flight. Along with its plummeting reputation, the company’s stock price has also experienced quite a bit of turbulence since the incident. At its worst point United shares fell 6.3 percent, reducing the the airline’s market value by $1.4 billion. United’s CEO has repeatedly apologized for the way the company handled the situation Continue reading

Continue reading...