While writing my previous blog post on 3d printing, I chanced upon a TED blog post that discussed its implications in food production. Despite the extremely high-cost that is currently required to 3d-print food, $330,000 for the world’s first lab-grown beefburger. I believe if this technology is perfected, it could revolutionize the food industry.

The blog discussed the implications 3d printed meat would have on vegetarians and on religious dietary rules. Due to my parents being freethinkers, I never had to deal with religious restrictions on my diet. Therefore i always found it interesting when my Hindu and Muslim friends abstained from certain meats. Would 3d printing circumvent their religious restrictions? And if so this could open a whole market for food producers in for example India where the country’s culture is deeply rooted in religion.

In this blog, the discussions were focused mainly on the opinions of vegetarians. Many considered that 3d printed meat which left animals unharmed were a much better option than factory farming and i agree with them. While i personally will not be giving up meat anytime soon, i feel that the living conditions suffered by animals in factory farming are absolutely horrific. Hopefully, 3d printing will one day be the solution to animal abuse in factory farming.

http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-animals-and-factory-farms

http://blog.ted.com/2013/09/19/would-you-eat-3d-printed-meat-7-vegetarians-and-vegans-reflect/

In regards to Susana’s blog post on Facebook advertising on users’ posts. I agree with the fact that this will be a great opportunity for companies to accurately market to their targeted audience. The amount of data collected by Facebook probably makes it the best market research tool ever created. Advertising on posts may prove to be a valuable option for young start up firms that do not have much public recognition. As word of mouth is the most influential method of marketing, having a user’s comment act as an advertisement for their product will definitely help them gain market recognition. Especially, since these advertisements, using Facebook’s customer data, will only target likely consumers. Thus their success rate is amplified.

On the other hand, as a Facebook user myself. Having the knowledge that Facebook can edit your comments for marketing purposes is relatively unnerving. While this may feel like an invasion of privacy, I can not substitute away from Facebook due to the importance it plays in my social interactions. Many users, like me, will probably feel outraged by Facebook’s usage of their information and still continue to use Facebook as it an integral part of our daily lives.

Facebook Reasserts Posts Can Be Used to Advertise

3d printing technology has been improving at a rapid pace. While the technology has been out for quite sometime, only recently has 3d printing progressed from just printing plastic to being able to print complex structures, metals and even organic materials. Researchers have even began printing human organs and the idea of “printing” skin to increase recovery rates of wounded patients could soon be reality. The possibilities for this technology is endless and with it becoming more accessible to the general public, we are quickly approaching the realm thought to only exist within science fiction.

But what does 3d printing mean for us today? Well companies such as Rolls-Royce have recently began plans to integrate 3d printing into their production process. Instead of waiting for parts to arrive, Rolls-Royce have to decided to print their own parts for their passenger jet engines. They believe 3d printing will not only cut down production time by months but also remove costs incurred from storage. Should their implementations work, other manufacturing companies will quickly follow suit to reap the economic profits earned by lower costs. With lower costs, consumers can enjoy lower prices and thus raise their standard of living.

How does 3D printing work?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2507517/Rolls-Royce-says-soon-use-3D-printing-make-parts-passenger-jet-engines.html

Snapchat, the latest craze amongst teenagers, is a smart phone application which allows users to send customizable photos and videos called “snaps” to each other. These Snaps then automatically delete themselves after an allocated period of time. With its ease of access and user friendly interface, Snapchat has replaced the conventional MMS (multimedia messaging service) message.

Due Snapchat’s undeniable popularity, major companies have started to take notice of them. In particular, Facebook, the social networking giant, has moved to acquire Snapchat with an acquisition bid of $3 billion dollars. This would have been Facebook’s largest ever purchase had Snapchat not rejected their offer.

$3 billion dollars is not an easy sum for anyone to reject. But to do so meant that Snapchat envisions themselves being valued even higher in the future. For a company that has yet to generate any revenue aside from capital investment, Snapchat’s founders have chosen the riskier path to riches.

Even with the knowledge that a firm’s true value may come from unseen assets, It was hard to image that a free smart phone application which has zero revenue streams could be immediately valued at $3 billion dollars. However, looking at Twitter which recently opened at $44.90 per share, thus valuing the company around $24.9 billion. We are able to put Snapchat’s potential into perspective and get a better sensing of how much it could really be worth in the end.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24935361

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-07/twitter-raises-1-82-billion-pricier-value-than-facebook.html

In response to James’s blog, i feel that cigarette manufacturers should not have to bear the responsibility for their customers health. I recognize that they see a demand for a product and strive to satisfy that demand. The guilt they have to bear being in that industry is a great enough burden. I believe the responsibility lies with the consumers and with their peers. In life, no matter how hard things may seem, you will always a choice regarding your actions.

The article mentioned in James’s blog talked about the development of e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes were found to be healthier than conventional cigarettes and beneficial in helping smokers cut down or quiting. However, I view e-cigarettes as a double-edged sword, I believe e-cigarettes could become a gateway mechanism for adolescents. Already I see friends whom would never try a real cigarette, experiment with e-cigarettes. Therefore while there is great potential for good for e-cigarettes, I believe that it should be properly regulated and not so readily accessible to adolescents.

Lets Make the Switch.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24914473

Freshness burger, a national burger chain in Japan, faced an unusual challenge. Its classic burger, the largest burger on their menu, had the lowest sales amongst female customers. With the help of the advertising company, Dentsu Tokyo Inc, Freshness burger dug out the root of the problem and found that the low sales were linked to a particular perception of beauty in Japan. The “Ochobo” or small mouthed women were perceived to be elegant and attractive in Japanese culture. Therefore, taking a large bite out of the classic burger was viewed to be unattractive thus deterring Japanese women from purchasing them.

Dentsu Tokyo and Freshness burger sort out a way to work around this cultural convention. Their answer was called the Liberation wrapper. This wrapper, which doubles as a face mask with picture of a lady with a small dainty mouth printed on it, allowed Japanese women to enjoy their large burgers while maintaining their elegant bearing. This idea may seem ridiculous to people from other cultures. However, the fact that sales of classic burgers to female customers rocketed up by 213% from the previous month, proves that this campaign was a stroke of marketing brilliance. The Liberation Wrapper is a perfect example of brilliant marketing research, understanding of their targeted audience and catering to their targeted audience’s needs.

http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-freshness-burger-liberation-wrapper-2013-11

FlyKly’s Smart Wheel is an all-in-one pedal assist device that makes cycling effortless. The Smart Wheel is powered with a 250w motor that brings riders up to a top speed of 20 miles per hour and allows you to get to any destination without breaking a sweat. This invention is an all-in-one device as it also acts as a remote lock for your bicycle, turns into a GPS tracking device and even recharges your smartphone. Smart Wheel can be used with any bicycle model, making it very practical and very accessible to those interested in purchasing.

I believe FlyKly’s Smart Wheel is a truly innovative product, it takes upon minor inconveniences one could have of riding a bicycle and turns it into relaxing experience. The team at FlyKly believes in shifting away from our car-oriented society into one of utilitarian bicycle culture. From an entrepreneurial stand point, FlyKly has done many things right. They have found a common problem in everyday life, engineered a brilliant idea to fix that problem and made it both profitable and plausible with the least amount cost (Kickstarter). The Smart Wheel is deigned to be efficient, elegant and affordable therefore I expect to see great success for FlyKly when the Smart Wheel comes out in May, 2014.

http://www.flykly.com/

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/this-allinone-smart-wheel-locks-tracks-and-powers-your-bike-it-can-even-recharge-your-phone-too-8935308.html

Boyan Slat, 19, has invented a method of cleaning up the ocean in just 5 years. The project, which is called the Marine Litter Extraction, consists of a series of stationary floating booms and processing platforms which will trap and remove plastic rubbish from the ocean while leaving the marine lifeforms unharmed. Boyan Slat estimates that his self-sustaining invention, which runs on solar power and ocean currents, is likely to make $500 million a year from selling the plastic rubbish collected. He believes the total amount earned in 5 years will be more then the cost of the project and therefore be profitable.

I believe Boyan Slat’s project will be very successful if he targets investors with large amounts of money and have strong holding power due to the fact that the investors will only see their profits after 5 years. The Marine Litter Extraction project, should it succeed, will be the first in the market and will have a dominant position for years to come. As mankind has yet to find a efficient method of recycling, plastic garbage will continue to pollute the oceans. With this in mind, Boyan Slat’s invention will continue to provide returns for investors for years to come. Donate to The Ocean Cleanup Foundation!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2415889/Boyan-Slat-19-claims-invention-clean-worlds-oceans-just-years.html

http://www.boyanslat.com/

This article is about investment manager Terrence Bedford who was found guilty of running a fraudulent trading scheme that cost investors $5-million. Terrence Bedford ran Hamilton-based Greyhawk Equity Partners LP and as we learned in class, succumbed to corruption due to the fact that he could easily bend the rules to his favor.

Mr Bedford faces to a 2 year jail sentence for his crimes as the court feels the need “to send a strong message of deterrence to those who try to exploit investors.” My question is that will a 2 year jail sentence really differ men in power from corruption? Oddly enough in the case of Josh Pillault, a 19year old teenager, who was jailed for making sarcastic threats on an online game. Josh Pillault was sentenced up to 8 years in jail and has currently spent a total of 9 months behind bars.

I simply cannot understand how a sarcastic remark was deemed a more severe crime than financial fraud. When comparing the 2 cases, hypothetically speaking, I would still be inclined to commit financial fraud seeing as the rewards greatly outweigh the risks. I believe that financial fraud should have a much heavier punishment if we really want to curb corruption.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/investment-manager-gets-two-year-prison-term-for-fraud/article14400214/

http://dailycaller.com/2013/07/02/second-teen-spends-months-in-jail-for-video-game-threat/

According to international brand consulting firm Interbrand, Apple has finally surpassed Coca-Cola as the World’s Number 1 brand. And with the record breaking sales of Apple’s latest addition to the family, the iPhone 5s. It is no surprise that Apple has finally taken the number 1 spot.

Apple’s success comes from not only having elegant, innovative and user-friendly designs but also from its brilliant marketing plan. Apple’s “Think different” campaign strikes a particular cord with me as i believe that being different takes a lot more courage than simply fitting in. For our tech savvy generation with our social media and networking sites, we are continuously peering into the lives of others while at the same time desperately trying to define ourselves. With a whole generation hung up on individualistic expression and self discovery, Apple’s “Think different” is the perfect value proposition.

To be different is what calls out to the youths of today and Apple has been doing that since day 1. A testament to their success is their ever growing loyal customer base in America. However, although the article says that Apple’s position is relatively secured at number 1, I believe that the Android’s dominance in China’s market will pose a huge threat to Apple in the coming years. If Apple gets complacent and doesn’t continue weakening the Android’s dominance in China’s market, they may very well be blindsided by Google in the near future.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/apple-surpasses-coke-as-world-s-best-brand-1.1873259