PN88's Profile

Very interesting article! I agree with your idea of capitalizing on their bunny brand. It still has a lot of value and recall, and it can be a great candidate for the re positioning of “sexy” vs “slutty”. What also scares me is the idea of consumers wanting everything free – especially if its on the internet, and the availability of people willing to give it to them. As we move more towards digitization and services over the internet, do companies have to seriously reconsider their operating and revenue generating models to adapt to this trend?

I love airbnb. As a traveler, I much rather stay in an airbnb than a hotel. However, in many airbnbs that I have stayed in, my hosts tell me to tell their neighbors that I am a visiting friend. This raises security concerns for me. How is airbnb ensuring security of travelers and more importantly – hosts or their neighbors. Simply a phone verification or photo ID verification may not be enough. Yes – people write reviews, but what about BEFORE that process? How do you make sure that someone who has approached you digitally is actually who they say they are.. and if they are safe to bring to your home?

I have conflicting views on this. I agree that this is a revolutionary technology, and could benefit a lot of people – especially with its remote operating capabilities. I imagine this being a boon in India, where qualified surgeons could operate on people in more remote areas. However, I would be concerned on the sensitivity of these machines and how surgeons train on them. Surgeons who are great with their hands but not with their machine operating capabilities – do we loose out on them? I do think however that this technology should be worked upon and improved to give benefits in the long run

There is an app for everything nowadays – from throwing a virtual paper ball into a basket… to finding a partner. As this becomes a part of regular life for us, Echo brings on something completely different. It takes us past the virtual tasks siri does to actual physical tasks like turning lights on. I think this technology is here to stay, and no matter how much initial flack it gets about privacy, it is on its way to becoming a part of future regular life.

Reading this article immediately reminds me of the extremely manual (and extremely painful) processes in the Indian government. Though they too have started digitizing, they have a long way to go. I agree with the above comments that it would help for the information sharing to be both ways. Maybe health spending could be one of them?

such an interesting article. As someone who loves their wine, this was particularly troubling! It is interesting, however, to note how technology is being used in what I had always imagined a very traditional industry.

Another article that people would be interested in reading – which frankly is pretty “out there” (pun unintended) – was posted in the guardian on 21 Sep, 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/22/the-red-planet-china-sends-vines-into-space-in-quest-for-perfect-wine

it talks about how Chinese scientists are trying to mutate vines in outer space in a quest to make them more suited to grow in the harsher climates on earth. Next phase in “climate adapted” wine production maybe?

This is a nice article that puts both sides of the climate perspective out there. On one hand, BJ depends on agriculture to sustain some of its flavors, but on the other hand, the effects of climate change actually drive sales. In situations like this, I always wonder: are the CSR activities these companies are into truly a reflection of their beliefs? Or are they buffers to safeguard against potential claims from third parties of their adverse effect on the environment?

Yes, these diseases are an increasing concern, especially because of the way they spread. e.g. dengue through mosquito bites. India also saw a doubling up of cases of dengue from 2014 to 2015 and the worst hit city was Delhi with over 1800 cases of the fever. A lot of these cases result in death of the individual because of improper care. One form of prevention is curbing the spread and mating of mosquitos, which is something the Indian authorities are working on extensively. In a way this is in line with helping reduce water wastage as mosquitos breed in high stagnant water.

Very well written. In addition, as oil companies face these regulations and threats, many have put their expansion plans on hold. Many have also stalled future projects. As a result, the entire food chain is being disrupted. EPC companies and heavy equipment manufacturers are also in a state of crisis as the orders are going down. With extremely few projects coming up, manufacturers also have to shift their focus towards equipment for alternative plants.

Great article! Climate change is definitely real. And while I had read a few articles about the Maldives, you have done an excellent job of conveying the urgency of the situation.
The Maldives are also experiencing a high degree of coral bleaching, which is essentially a sign of the death of reefs that comes from warming waters, pollutants and other environmental problems. Since coral reefs are a key attraction and driver for tourism in the Maldives, the government fears that people will stop coming if the reefs are in danger and is thus more sensitive to the issue. Needless to say, tourists are one of the key drivers of the local economy.