As far as I am concerned, Alex was right when he said this innovative solution to the common problem of a bloated wallet is little-known. I’d never heard of it nor had anyone in my household, yet it is an obvious progression in our increasingly computerized world.

I initially wondered about the Coin’s future. Why have a separate electronic device for this task, when the overarching trend seems to be to hand over all digital tasks to our smartphones? That was shortsighted on my part as the Coin, while a computer, still functions as a card would, as explained by this commercial. Users select the card they wish to use from a menu on the Coin, and then swipe as they would any other card. So the Coin would not be made obsolete with the next generation iPhone.

I agree with Alex’s sentiment that people will be skeptical of the Coin’s security. The linked advertisement did little to pacify those fears, merely stating that the Coin has sense when your phone is near. As credit card theft has major implications and is at the forefront of public consciousness, Coin might have been better off giving more detail into this aspect of its product. And what happens if you forget your phone, or your phone’s battery runs out? Does the Coin still function? Catering to an American market, the coin utilizes swipe technology instead of chip. In Canada and Europe, we are told chip cards have increased security—how does the Coin address this?

It will be fascinating to see where the Coin and similar technology take in the next few years!

Debenhams, a UK fashion company, has recently released plus size mannequins, an extension of the company’s efforts to promote non-traditional models. This isn’t the first time the company has been in the news for this reason: its April 2013 ad campaign featured women of all walks of life, including amputees, plus size women and older women. In fact, the company credits itself as being “the first high street retailer in the UK to promote its latest fashion collections by using models in a diverse variety of ages, sizes and looks.” Catering to all women increases Debenham’s market size, brings it publicity and engenders an positive affective response in many people—all of which should help increase its consumer base and thus its revenues.

Why then, aren’t all companies following in Debenham’s footsteps? Perhaps these companies prioritize exclusivity, as demonstrated by Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mark Jeffries’ statement: “A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.” Which came under scrutiny last spring.

Or perhaps they are just slow to change their ways—as Mingchi asks in her blog on the pasta company Barilla’s derogatory comments toward gay people, “Is it more important for a company to stay true to its own values, offensive as they are in the eyes of many groups, or should they focus on gaining the approval of the general public?” It seems Abercrombie & Fitch have decided to add plus sizes in an effort to quell the backlash against them. Will the rest of the fashion industry eventually follow suit? Or will companies offering plus sizes forever be in the minority?