Apple continues to redefine technology with the development of new products and software. Apple is hoping to help redefine the relationship between fashion and functionality with the new Apple Watch, and some of the potential innovations are surprising.

One of the most surprising roles that the Apple Watch could play is a key role in the energy efficiency movement. Apple has already unveiled HomeKit, an app that can control the energy usage of items in the house such as lights, and televisions. BMW has already developed an app that can check the charge of a BMW electric vehicle and unlock the vehicle remotely. Other third party companies are developing similar apps.

BMW i app http://www.bmw.nl/nl/modellen/bmw-i/i3/showroom/connectiviteit.html

In her blog, Yee Ting Fok (https://blogs.ubc.ca/tinafok818/) mentioned that one of the reasons that electric cars were becoming so prevalent was the development of more efficient battery storage. Tesla has been a forerunner in developing efficient batteries that have the potential to not only power a car, but also to eventually power a home. Brendan Lancaster (https://blogs.ubc.ca/blancaster/) discussed the advantages of Tesla becoming open sourced and the fast progress that will result. As companies such as Tesla develop efficient energy storage, energy from renewable energy sources will be able to be accessed when necessary and saved when unnecessary.

With the development of the Apple Watch and massively powerful batteries from companies such as Tesla, consumers should eventually be able to control a home energy storage device from a small display on their wrist. Through acting as an accessible control interface for third party devices, the Apple Watch will help facilitate the proliferation of renewable energy.

Resources:

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/09/28/the-apple-watch-could-change-how-you-use-energy.aspx

The global economy is constantly becoming more intertwined as huge companies from one nation buy out companies from other nations. Through these interactions, suddenly the workers and managers in one country and their incomes are interconnected with workers and in a completely different nation. One example of this situation is the Volkswagon group. Volkswagon, a German company, owns the British company Bentley, the Italian company Lamborghini, and a handful of other companies such as Audi and Bugatti. Recently the Russian beverage giant Oasis purchased the American Pabst Brewing Co. for upwards of $700 Million.

Photo Credit: http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Politics/pages-2/Obamas-beer-choice-blasted-by-GOP-Scrape-TV-The-World-on-your-side.html

Pabst Brewing Co. is well known for its Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. This beer is marketed as being an authentic and iconic American beer. Pabst’s Blue Ribbon’s marketing strategy has been extremely successful recently. The company was purchased in 2010 by Dean Metropoulos for around $250 million and is being sold 4 years later for a markup of greater than 180%.

While many are disappointed that a brand so inherently American is being sold to a Russian company, this purchase demonstrates the dramatic improvement in global economic interactions over the past few decades. Russia, which was part of a gigantic command economy only 25 years ago, now is the headquarters of companies such as Oasis that state that they are exited about working with a brand that “represents individualism, egalitarianism and freedom of expression – all the things that make this country (The United States) great.” Hopefully the success of companies such as Oasis is able to help inspire the leaders of Russia to develop an economy that fosters the development and growth of new businesses.

Source: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/09/18/pabst-is-said-to-near-a-sale/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/northern-gateway-and-trans-mountain-how-two-pipeline-projects-compare/article16087416/

This article discusses the impact of the proposed construction of the Northern Gateway pipeline and the proposed expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, both traveling from Alberta to the west coast of Canada in British Columbia. These pipelines would be extremely influential in increasing Canadian resources in foreign markets and would give a boost to Canada’s economy.

Many people, such as economist Milton Friedman, would argue that the only duty a business has is its duty to its shareholders. In this particular case the duty of the business would be to build the pipeline, leading to the expansion of the business and presumably the satisfaction of shareholders.

A business, however, has much more to consider than just its shareholders. A business has to consider all of its stakeholders including its customers, suppliers, employers, and community. The actions that a business takes, affects all of these parties. Through building the pipelines that reach to the coast of British Columbia, once absent oil tanker traffic and the potential for oil spills will plague areas such as Vancouver and the surrounding islands. In order to make an ethical decision, the oil companies must consider the desires of the communities of cities such as Vancouver as well as Native groups like the Haida Gwaii who have adamantly expressed opposition to the plan.

The construction of the pipeline would not only be an ethical mistake by harming the environment and the affected communities, but would also hurt the companies by damaging precious goodwill.

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