Finally Jay-z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne tour hits Canada in Montreal and Toronto. For all their fans, they said the concert is worth every penny and Jay-z and Kanye’s latest album, Watch the Throne probably is one of most successful albums of the year.

It may not be a brand new phenomenon in the market that seeing two best rappers are doing one album together. It also happened in last season’s NBA, Toronto Raptor’s top player Chris Bosh and Cleveland Cavaliers’ superstar Lebron James both joined team Miaim Heat which already has another championship player Dwyane Wade. Many assert that this is not going to work. But the fact is the team made through the play-off to finals. It proves the formula of superstars works well. Most importantly, the owners of team made more profit than ever.

In other areas of markets, company like Apple has the same winning formula. They do not produce everything for their product. Instead, Apple collaborates with company like Nike to provide a Nike+ service and Hitachi to produce the Hard disk for MacBooks.

All in all, we all know the magic of teamwork or so-called specialization. In today’s world, it seems to be even more powerful.

Word count: 202

By browsing my comm 101 105 peer blogs, there is one blog posted by Micah, caught my eye and left me wondering. In the blog, he uses Toms shoes as an example to explore the real value of social enterprise.

Social entrepreneurship is a non-profit organization in definition. Their main goal should be emphasized its humanitarian efforts. But for some companies out there, it seems social entrepreneurship becomes one of marketing strategies. Consumers will usually “contribute” more when they think the shopping is a way to help others. And it is the consumer behaviour which sellers want.

Strictly speaking, Toms shoes cannot set itself in the social enterprise section basing on it is not a non-profit organization. What they are doing is contributing a percent of revenue to social benefits. But on the hand, this action also brings them more revenue. Is it a properly and ethical way for every enterprise to copy, or it should be considered as a marketing strategy?

Citation: Kwok, Micah. November 21, 2011. the use of “social” enterprise to help achieve financial gains.  https://blogs.ubc.ca/mckwok/2011/11/21/blog-10-the-use-of-social-enterprise-to-help-achieve-financial-gains/ 

Word count: 181

Sad news for basketball fans all over the world, until today the National Basketball Players Association still fails to reach a deal with the NBA owners. That means the 2011-2012 season will remain lockout and it is already no way to have an entire season this year.

The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history. And it also seems to be the most serious one in the NBA history. The owners of NBA teams officially began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. According to the report from owner, 22 teams in the NBA (which has a totally 30 teams) were losing money. They have to redivide the revenue sharing and restructure the salary cap in order to bring the maximum profits. Because of the hugh gap between owners and player, the negotiation still did not make any progress since the first lockout on July 1, 2011.

There is none we can blame to in this lockout. Both owners and player want to maximize their benefits. It is the way everyone does their business.

All in all, the only thing we can say is this is not only about basketball, mostly it is also about business.

Word count: 201

In the annual black friday promotional sales time, each side tried to hold on as long as possible. Buyers hold off on spending, trying to get a better deal. They believe that the price will come down after all.

For retailers’ part, they wait as long as possible before cutting prices. They try to stoke anxiety with talk about how they’re keeping inventories low and how the best things will be gone of shoppers don’t hit the stores now. Wait too long and you’ll be stuck with unpopular colours and obscure sizes.

From the previous experience, it indicates that if the consumers wait long enough, retailers will buckle. And beside a very few “must-have” items, I think buyers always can find something else to give. At the same time, retailers may sell a lot of merchandise in the big sales, but they may end up sacrificing profits as well. So it is not a sure thing that this annual sales will give retailers more benefits.

In conclusion, it seems like shoppers take more advantage from the shopping.

Word count: 190

Citation:

Photo http://smartcanucks.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/black_friday_crowds-500×316.jpg

MarketWatch, Nov. 22, 2011, 11:50 a.m. EST. In holiday shopping, consumers win again. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/consumers-win-again-2011-11-22?dist=afterbell

According the news article on smh.com.au, governments of the world’s richest have given up on forging a new treaty on climate change to take effect this decade. Ahead of critical talks starting in Durban, South Africa, next week, most of the world’s leading economies now privately admit no new global climate agreement will be reached before 2016. Even if an agreement were reached, it would not come into force until 2020.

The eight-year delay is the worst contemplated by governments during 20 years of negotiations, and comes despite intensifying warnings from scientists and economists about the dangers of delaying action.

After the Copenhagen climate talks in 2009 ended amid scenes of chaos, governments pledged to try to sign a new treaty in 2012, which marks the expiry of the current provisions of the Kyoto Protocol, the only legally binding international agreement to limit emissions.

Britain, the European Union, Japan and the United States are all opting to put off an agreement and the United Nations also appears to accept this.

In Australia, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet has conceded there would not be a major breakthrough at Durban and said Australia would not support a deal that was not ”environmentally effective”. Australia and Norway have made a joint submission to the UN calling for a timetable for a strong deal by 2015.

The good news is since the failure to reach an agreement, efforts have focused on the steps being taken by individual countries.

(Word count: 239)

Based on the site of Mobile Phone Statistic, 4,239,956 people are having a cell phone conversation at any given second in the world and the total wireless revenues for cell phone usage in 2009 were $152.6 million. What is even more astonishing is the fact that cell phone usage has increased in the US from 34 million to 203 million in the last ten years. The creation of cell-phones has revolutionized our world. It has become a widely accepted behaviour norm.

A recent Danish study states that “Mobile Phones Don’t Raise Risk of Brain Cancer.” Personally, this statement seems to be reliable. Exposure to ionizing radiation, such as from  radiation therapy, is known to increase the risk of cancer. However, although many studies have examined the potential health effects of non-ionizing radiation from radar, microwave ovens, and other sources, there is currently no consistent evidence that non-ionizing radiation increases cancer risk.

A study showed that when people used a cell phone for 50 minutes, brain tissues on the same side of the head as the phone’s antenna metabolized more glucose than did tissues on the opposite side of the brain. The researchers noted that the results are preliminary, and possible health outcomes from this increase in glucose metabolism are still unknown.

(Word count: 207)

Citation:

Choi, Eleanore. Mobile Phones Don’t Raise Risk of Brain Cancer? I arguable disagree October 30th, 2011. https://blogs.ubc.ca/eleanorechang/2011/10/30/mobile-phones-dont-raise-risk-of-brain-cancer-i-arguably-disagree/

Pacific leaders gathered for an annual summit in Hawaii on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 to work together to keep world growth on track, President Barack Obama plans to serve a model for a trans-pacific free trade zone.

President Barack Obama pointed out they have confident that they can do it. There are still plenty if details to work out. They’ve directed teams to finalize this agreement in the coming year.

As an impact of the trade zone, it can serve as a model for the region and for other trade pacts, increasing U.S. exports and helping to create jobs, a top priority, in the fastest growing region in the world. Some of Work by Obama and other leaders is also aimed at fostering freer trade and closer cooperation to help fend off recession as Europe struggles to resolve its debt crisis.

Obama and other leaders pledges to work toward eliminating tariffs and other barriers trade and investment, facilitating trade and other business, harmonizing regulatory standard, aiding small and, medium-size companies and contributing to development and poverty relief.

Citation: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/11/12/pacific_rim_leaders_mull_ways_to_boost_trade/

As the most important service from BlackBerry, the mail services had been cut off recently across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The breakdown may have seriously influence on their sells. Most people didn’t switch from BlackBerry to iPhone is because the push mail service assist them a lot in their work. Maintaining the good running of mail services should be one of the major work that RIM should focus.

LONDON — The maker of BlackBerry said Monday that email services have been restored on many of its smartphones, after an unexplained glitch cut off Internet and messaging services for large numbers of users across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

However, Research in Motion Ltd. ( RIMM – news – people ) said that some customers may continue to experience delays with instant messaging and browsing services.

The problems first appeared to crop up at about 1000 GMT (6 a.m. EDT). RIM did not give an explanation for the glitch, but some telecommunications companies in the Middle East and Europe laid the blame at the Canadian company’s door.

Khaled Hegazy, Vodafone ( VOD – news – people ) Egypt’s spokesman, said “there is a problem with the servers in Canada which is affecting service” in the region.

Citation: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/10/10/technology-mobile-telecommunications-blackberry-problems_8727046.html

For some iPad Facebook lover, the waiting is finally over. Most people don’t like to visit Facebook page through the browser if they have a iPhone or iPad.

After months of breathless speculation, Facebook rolled out the long-awaited app Monday. It’savailable free from the Apple App Store, has bigger photos and lets you play games on the go.

Apple and Facebook had been in negotiations over the app for months.

So much for predictions. Bloggers had assured us that the iPad app would be unveiled at Apple’s iPhone 5 event last week. Of course, Apple did not unveil the iPhone 5 then either. (It was the 4S.)

The iPad app could be a boon for Apple. None of the tablets running Google’s Android software have a tailor-made Facebook app.

For Facebook the benefits are obvious: An iPad app will help keep people tethered to Facebook.

Facebook also added support for social games on mobile versions of its social networking service. And that’s clearly a win for Zynga.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/10/facebook-ipad-app.html

HTC’s first smartphone with Beats Audio has been announced: the Sensation XE.

The new 3G smartphone will run Google’s Android operating system with the HTC Sense user interface and feature a 4.3-inch touch screen, a 1.5-gigahertz dual core processor, an HDMI port and an 8-megapixel camera capable of shooting 1080p video.

All of those specs are pretty high-end, but the Sensation XE does have one lower-rung spec — just 4 gigabytes of on-board storage. However, the Sensation XE will be sold with either an 8-gigabyte or 16-gigabyte microSD card, which can be used to store music, photos and video.

Music, of course, is likely to be a point of interest for anyone awaiting an HTC phone with Beats Audio.

In August, HTC invested $300 million in Beats by Dr. Dre, the audio technology company that produces high-priced headphones marketed around the name of Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, the legendary hip-hop record producer and rapper.

On that name, Beats Audio has become a feature in HP laptops and the killed-off TouchPad tablet, Chrysler sedans and now HTC phones.

So what is Beats by Dr. Dre actually contributing to the new phone? Well, at least a set of headphones.

The Sensation XE will include an exclusive pair of Beats by Dr. Dre in-ear headphones that feature an in-line remote control “allowing you to pause, play or skip through tracks and answer/end calls while the phone is in your pocket,” HTC said.

The first Beats Audio HTC phone will ship in Europe and Asia later this month, but the Korean smartphone and tablet maker hasn’t yet said when the Sensation XE will hit store shelves in the U.S.

Word count: 273

Citation:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/09/htcs-first-beats-audio-phone-the-sensation-xe.html