Description: Pickup trucks lined a stretch of gravel road where 150 farmers mingled between 7-foot tall cornstalks and shimmering soybeans to see which of their wealthy brethren would bid on a swath of Iowa’s richest cropland. This was a farm — table-flat and 314 acres — so coveted that it drew three times the usual… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Part 1 Business in a Global Environment
The future of rechargeable batteries
Description: Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory are developing car and smartphone batteries that can hold 50 percent more energy. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Oct 10, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/10/10/t-lithium-battery-volt.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: How do you think the development of this new technology will change the transportation and communications industries? Which other industries are likely… Read more »
The Car From Google That Drives Itself
Description: See one of Google’s self-driving cars, which the Internet giant has been developing since 2009. While the self-driving technology won’t be available for years, the company hopes such vehicles will revolutionize the way humans get around. (Photo & Video: Google) Source: Marketwatch.com – video report Date: Oct 11, 2012 Link: http://on.wsj.com/SUMHjd Questions for Discussions:… Read more »
Wendy’s pigtails get first touch-up since 1983
Description: Wendy’s pigtails are getting a tweak. For the first time since 1983, the Dublin, Ohio-based fast food company is updating its logo in a move intended to signal its ongoing transformation into a higher-end hamburger chain. Source: Associated Press.com Date: Oct 10, 2012 Link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g8uawEIZKt2w65ro5heDLksmNt3w?docId=f0c8fed2bfeb4355b00563fa9cf68060 Questions for Discussions: Do you think these changes will… Read more »
Travel Apps Lead Industries in Usage Growth
Description: Travel companies are digging deeper into mobile app development as they aim to connect with consumers at all points during the travel journey. That means providing mobile services that support everything travelers are doing during their excursions, from planning to booking to sharing their experiences. Source: eMarketer.com Date: Oct 11, 2012 Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1009408&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4#jseAGHdmyeEv8qbu.99 Questions… Read more »
For Some Drivers, an Electric Motorcycle Could Be the Best of Both Worlds
Description: Zipping around on a motorcycle can be fun, but being in a downpour or an accident on one is not. Driving a car is safer and more comfortable, but traffic and parking can be annoying. What if you got rid of the bad parts of both? Source: NYTimes.com Date: Oct 10, 2012 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/technology/start-ups/for-some-drivers-electric-motorcycle-could-be-the-best-of-both-worlds.html?ref=business… Read more »
3D printing buttons, jewelry and shoes
Description: 3D printers are becoming more powerful and more mainstream, with a retail store opening up to sell them. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Oct 03, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/innovation/2012/10/03/3d-printing-buttons-jewelry-shoes.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Why do you think this technology would be appealing to customers? What consumer and small business applications do you think this technology… Read more »
Beware: Recruiters are Watching You Online
Description: Employers in Asia are increasingly using social media to screen job candidates. Martin Cerullo of Alexander Mann Solutions explains why people should think twice before posting content on their Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter accounts. Source: Marketwatch.com – video report Date: Oct 05, 2012 Link: http://on.wsj.com/RFwTOG Questions for Discussions: Summarize the issues related to the… Read more »
Glut of Solar Panels Poses a New Threat to China
Description: China in recent years established global dominance in renewable energy, its solar panel and wind turbine factories forcing many foreign rivals out of business and its policy makers hailed by environmentalists around the world as visionaries. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Oct 04, 2012 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/business/global/glut-of-solar-panels-is-a-new-test-for-china.html?_r=2&ref=business& Questions for Discussions: What happened to China’s solar panel industry?… Read more »
Consumer Electronics Purchase Path Upended
Description: Many consumer electronics retailers and manufacturers are struggling. A new eMarketer report, “Consumer Electronics: The Path to Purchase, Reinvented,†finds that their traditional products face significant disruption from the ascent of smartphones and tablets, both of which provide a number of the functions that several different older devices once did. Source: eMarketer.com Date: Oct… Read more »
