Long Lu's Profile

This post actually solves a myth that has been in my mind for a few years: how google generates the time estimate to travel from point A to point B. I think it is very smart to use Google Map users’ location based data to generate useful information for all the travelers. It is a good example to show that how an industry leader can take advantage of its position to make positive impact on user experience and further consolidate its leading position. Next time when I use google map, I will keep in mind that I’m also helping thousands (if not millions) of travelers.

Very informative article with great pictures! For a long time I considered farming industry as not related to hi-tech and this article has proved me wrong. I think it is a great idea to build in these information and planning tools in combines because it helps to solve the problem that farmers may not have the expertise in optimizing their work and that they may not have access to information from buyers. I’m wondering if John Deere has expansion plan overseas, especially in developing countries. I think at least in Rural China many farmers are still using manpower to farm. It would be great if they could take advantage of these equipments to improve their productivity.

The first reaction after I read the first half of this article is privacy concerns. Personally I don’t mind being tracked in a department store but I guess that many people do not hold the same opinion. Especially Euclid is able to track the customers no matter whether they are connected to WIFI or not. If customers feel that they will lose privacy once they step into the store, they will be less likely to shop in that place I suppose. Therefore, even though it is tempting to generate data about customer behaviors, a shop must be very careful when thinking about using Euclid.

Totally agree with your comment. I took a course about Open Innovation a few years ago and I believe that Quirky’s failure is inevitable given its business model. Crowd sourcing is a fancy idea and it is true that brilliant ideas could be generated during the process. The problem is that without a clear direction, the product developed may not appeal to the majority of customers. On top of that, developing hardware is a stringent process and one cannot expect to build a good hardware without clear direction from the top. Therefore, as much as I appreciate Quirky’s brave attempt, I think a company cannot solely depend on crowd sourcing.

Very impressive business with disruptive innovation. Personally I have been living abroad for a few years and the healthcare systems in different countries always create confusion to me. On the one hand it is not very easy to see a doctor when I discover symptoms. Normally I will have to go through a tedious appointment system. On the other hand going to clinic and seeing a doctor there is usually not a great experience. Therefore, I am very impressed by Teladoc’s business model and I wish that it would scale up quickly.

Good to know that rail transportation can actually contribute to climate change. When I was in China, railway is always my preferred transportation method when I commuted between Beijing and Shanghai. Not because sustainability issue but because the high-speed train offered more leg space and was also pretty fast. However in US I realize that Amtrak does not meet my expectation mainly because its speed. It takes more than three hours to travel between New York City and Boston. In contrast, traveling between Beijing and Nanjing takes almost the same time but the distance doubles (800+ km). Therefore, I think it would be great if Amtrak could partner with high-speed train provider and offer more efficient transportation service. During the same time they could also make more contribution to mitigating climate change.

It is not surprising to read that climate change has a huge impact on coffee industry. This is clearly an example of externalities arose from carbon emission and climate change. So far Keurig Green Mountain’s solution to climate change is still a bit passive: mitigate the impact of climate change through adaption. Therefore, I call for a more comprehensive mechanism through which the parties that are actually responsible for the climate change should pay for the externalities they create. Carbon tax could one of the solutions and governments should be more involved in designing the rules that reduce the impact of climate change.

I love this super informative article, as I had no idea how much water it consumes to produce beer and the fact that climate change has impacts on the taste of beer. Clearly people will not simply stop drinking alcohol but I think there are a least two things that we can do to drink sustainably. First we should definitely consider drinking beer from the breweries who signed the Beer Climate Declaration. Hopefully this will create some pressure for producers to consider their social responsibilities more seriously. Second we may also drink responsibly. Now this is not only good to yourself and your family, but also to the Earth!

Although I am not a big fan of Evain, I truly admire its branding strategy that makes consumers willing to pay for something that is readily available for free. This article is very well written and highlights the fact that packaged goods industry actually creates a significant carbon footprint. I agree that there are more things the company can do to reduce its impact on climate change, yet the most important thing is still to educate consumers to resist the temptation of purchasing bottled water and think about the environment before check out.

Electric airplanes also interest me, but I am a little bit concerned about its feasibility. As mentioned in the article, electrically powered aircraft are only a feasible model for small aircraft over short distances. Then how to justify the huge upfront cost associated with developing this small sized model? Also the infrastructure at airport may also limit its application. That being said, I am still impressed by Airbus’s commitment to sustainability and I genuinely wish that it would produce more and more planes that are fuel efficient.

It is great to hear that Statoil is embracing a low carbon future. It might sound strange that an oil and gas major likes the idea of “putting tax on carbon”, but in reality it also drives the company’s strategic decisions. For example, it may consider entering into carbon trading and build expertise in this area. It may also consider change the structure of its portfolio, for example divesting old oil fields in north sea and exploring for more gas fields. By doing so, Statoil will be able to better cope with changes in climate change and its own low carbon initiatives.