Added 20 February, 2014
The University of Michigan has been in the forefront of driverless car technology for some time now. Last year we wrote about an electronic system that was being tested in the city of Ann Arbor that allows cars to communicate with each other. Now the university is enhancing its intricate communication net so that autonomous vehicles can move...
Added 20 February, 2014
Brick and mortar stores like Sears in the US and Harvey Nichols in England are fighting back against Internet shops by letting customers purchase on the Web then pick up the same-day from their stores. They are counting on people's desire for instant gratification to prop up sales. Now Starbucks is taking a page from this business model with a...
Added 20 February, 2014
The isle of Eigg in the west of Scotland is home to about 100 permanent residents. By most accounts, it's a pretty nice place. It's people are committed to keeping it that way with sustainable strategies that aim to create all of their electricity from renewable sources. In order to be one of the first in the world to do so, they better hurry,...
Added 18 February, 2014
Green and eco trends are some of the most enduring of this decade, touching almost every part of our lives. We've already written about small distillers like Fair Quinoa Vodka that are incorporating trendy, sustainable, organic ingredients. Now, Bacardi, the world’s largest rum distiller has announced it will obtain 100 percent of the...
Added 18 February, 2014
Every few years we've heard alarm bells going off in Britain about the loss of an institution: the cherished pub. Statistics show that, over the last 20 years, the country has lost about 20 percent of their pubs. And the closures are accelerating. At least 7000 have called it quits since 2008 alone. Now the losses have become so grave that...
Added 18 February, 2014
OK, this is weird. There has been a lot of talk about wearable computing lately, which for most industry-watchers has meant things like watches that double as phones and bracelets that monitor your heartbeat. Now a maker of electronic cigarettes is jumping on the "smart" trend by incorporating phone and audio functions into the e-smokes themselves...
Added 16 February, 2014
Hollywood actors know that sequels are generally awful. But they also know that they are some of the most profitable films to make. When the original is a hit, it's likely that the sequel will be too, making that genre too lucrative to pass up for actors and producers alike. The publishing industry works on the same model that film studios do:...
Added 16 February, 2014
In many ways, trends are self-fulfilling prophesies. When one large company makes a move in response to consumer demand, others often follow. In the past few months we have seen several major food brands rework their ingredients to make their offerings healthier. Kraft Foods just said they will eliminate preservatives from their American cheese...
Added 14 February, 2014
Trend gurus like us have been speaking about the coming of mobile payments for a few years now. The promise is a future in which credit cards are obsolete. When you want to pay for something, just pull out your mobile device and click an app. Several major companies are fighting to own this space, including Apple, Google and various credit card...
Added 13 February, 2014
They say that in the 1950s, businessmen (and they were all men) used to have three-martini lunches. What they don't tell you, however, is that each one of those drinks was far smaller than they are served today. Portion size of cocktails has grown commensurate with the portion size of food, which is why many people today are fatter and drink more...