Allison Bullen's Blog

In reply to Paula Bieler: A Wondrous Pen. Blog post found here:  https://blogs.ubc.ca/paulabieler/2013/11/17/a-wondrous-pen/

Livescribe has invented an amazingly innovative pen. The Pulse Smartpen transforms your handwritten notes and audio recordings into interactive Flash videos, called pencasts that can then be added on to any website. The pen has a built-in speaker and microphone to record audio and a camera that captures everything you write and draw. Once the pen records all your notes, you then hook the device up to your computer via USB and transfer the files. The pencasts can be shared on blogs, websites, Facebook and you can even save your notes as a PDF file or export them into an audio file!

Like Paula, I prefer to handwrite my notes, however they can be a hassle to keep organized. Typing them up afterwards on my computer is a sure way to know I won’t lose them, although it can be time costly. The Pulse Smartpen would be great because I would be able to handwrite my notes, but then have them on my computer without having to take the time to type them up! However, I have to agree with Paula that spending $150 for a pen is not realistic for many people. Hopefully as this product becomes more popular, affordable prices will follow shortly after. The Pulse Smartpen could definitely be in the future of many students!

In reply to Nicole Godler: Customers Outraged with Lululemon’s Offensive Comments. Blog post found here: https://blogs.ubc.ca/nicolegodler/2013/11/13/customers-outraged-with-lululemons-offensive-comments/

Back in March, Lululemon was faced with a recall of their yoga pants due to the material being too sheer. The athletic branded company is once again in the hot seat due to a comment made by the chairman and co-founder of Lululemon, Chip Wilson. Wilson was attempting to address recent reports of issues with the company’s yoga pants; customers were complaining that the pants were too sheer and easily pilled. Wilson responded by blaming the pants’ problems on the women’s bodies, explaining that it’s all about the rubbing through the thighs and how much pressure on the pants there is. This of course created lots of outrage from consumers.

Like Nicole mentioned this isn’t the first time a company has prioritized a certain group of customers, with a certain “look”. Abercombie and Fitch and Hollister are definitely both guilty of it. Although I don’t agree with Wilson’s statement, I have to agree with Nicole when she says “their clothing and value proposition is too strong to be greatly damaged by this situation.” Lululemon has to big a customer basis to lose massive amounts of consumers over this. In handling the controversy in the correct manner, the company will easily recover.

As the obesity epidemic in North America continues to expand, restaurants are gradually tinkering with their menus to reduce salt and sugar. Stan Frankenthaler, executive chef at Dunkin’ Brands Group has been using a “stepped approach” to cutting salt and sugar, he says, “restaurants are wanting to do it a little bit behind the scenes because there’s a belief that something labeled healthy won’t taste as good.”

Chefs and executives from 25 food companies have formed the Healthy Menus R&D Collaborative, whose goal is to make their menus healthier and keep non-profit organizations like, the Institute of Medicine, lobbying the government for more regulation in the restaurant industry.

While it is admirable that the food companies are slowly changing the amount of salt and sugar in their food it is questionable whether this would have happened without the outcry from the non profit health groups who monitor the food served to the public and lobby the government for change. However, many consumers don’t want the new improved food, Chef Cordova from Au Bon Pain describes a 480 calorie cinnamon roll that was introduced to replace their 550 calorie roll and explains they had numerous emails complaining about the new roll. Chef Cordova said, “sometimes it’s a sin to take sugar away.” North Americans have become accustomed to unhealthy food and it may be an uphill battle to change their eating habits.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-14/2014-outlook-fast-food-chains-inch-toward-healthiness#r=hpt-ls