Amy's Profile

Great and exciting read. I was concerned though about the price. Does the device need to be this costly? And if so wouldn’t it mean that not all patients will be able to benefit but only a selected few that are deemed “critical”? In which case it might make it less appealing for the many of the 350k patients suffering from CHF.

I think what is more interesting for Venmo is actually the amount of data gathered. Given the mandatory “what’s it’s for?” field, users have to explain every transaction. This provides valuable information, at little to no cost (vs. a traditional bank) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aran-khanna/venmo-money_b_8418130.html.This data would prove valuable in tailoring the P2P platform to better cater to consumer needs. On the flip side, there are serious security concerns as the app has very low security standard compared to Paypal for instance
http://lifehacker.com/which-online-money-transfer-service-is-the-most-secure-1688912343/1688958375

Very much agree with your suggestion to have the Dash be programmed to items of choice but I di believe that Amazon is getting perhaps some kind of royalties from the CPG companies which would be taken away if the product becomes generic. Given the limited advantage to the consumer (vs the 1 click buy button or the Amazon devices) I do not see how the Dash would wonder why Delta did not partner weith SITA instead of making such a large investment. Granted the cost is lower than the recovery prices you quoted but perhaps the funds could have been used to get a more revolutionary technology?

Interesting topic. I would be curious to see how to integrate the system in markets that have yet to adopt ETC. It seems to me that the whole system is highly reliant on an important amount of bandwidth. In areas where broadband is not yet a cheap commodity would this business model be viable. I also question the job loss but understand that the efficiency gains are quite massive. Perhaps there could be a program to reintegrate that lost labor force into jobs such as device sales and car registration. This could help avoid wrong address issues for billing and collection purposes.

Given the significant potential for growth in e-health, this is a great move for the Company. I am unsure though how quickly UA can move its apparel inventory to ensure the technology stays relevant. If not, the Company could incur strong margin pressure and large losses. As you mentioned, Nike’s Fuelband was somewhat of a failed attempt, challenged by devices such as the Apple Watch. Similarly, FitBit’s stock price also took a hit when FitBit released their new smartwatch. Given the competition in the smart wearables business, UA would have to keep innovating to stay ahead of the curve, which is likely to be very cost heavy. I would be curious to see if the Company can afford to take on such high growth target

Great blog post! It is always interesting to me when we look at meat alternatives but I also struggle with the concept. Shouldn’t we instead find ways to adapt to the climate issues related to cattle instead of trying to eliminate meat consumption? I must admit however that it is a great addition (vs full alternative) that will help decrease meat consumption. Also, is this really a way to adapt to climate change or more an opportunity to make profit off a cause?

Thank you for the insight. I commend Phillips move into LED lighting but also wonder whether it is enough. Also do you know if this means that they will start retiring the higher consumption bulbs or is this more a way to increase sales and cater to a larger audience?

This is a great initiative and I really see the impact that technology can have on the “BOP”. I am however wondering how accurate is the data collected. In many African countries, data collection can be skewed, or inexistent. Perhaps an effort to gather accurate data will make the efforts a lot more impactful. Also, although I see the need to introduce imaging and sensor data, do you think that there is the right telecom infrastructure to transfer the data to the farmers? In general, farming areas lack access to broadband which is why many companies have prioritized SMS based platform. The ideas you suggested would work a lot better with broadband access which proves challenging in the targeted areas.

Great article! One point I wanted to challenge is your suggestion regarding less dairy consumption because of the methane released by cows. Although I see your point, it is worth pointing out that cows are part of the natural cycle and for many farmers, are a “healthy” way to clean up arable land. Also, to many farmers, dairy consumption is the source of nutrients needed to stay healthy given the lack of healthy food alternatives. What I am getting at is that the benefits might outlay the negatives, although this is just a thought as I do not have exact figures to confirm my logic.

Great article Dimitris. When we think of Climate Change, very often we only see it through the lens of negative externalities. I wonder however wether the positive effects are not temporary. In reality, one could think that increased competition will lead to increased traffic hence further climate deterioration. Would that not have a Long Term negative effect on the ships carrying capacity? Also increased traffic can increase over reliance on O&G which has negative effect in other sectors?