Description: The digital world has had a deep impact on media such as movies, television, music and magazines. But for some reason, the much-maligned paper advertising flyer seems to be doing just fine. “Customers love their flyers,” said retail executive David Thorpe in a recent Globe and Mail. Apparently 98% of Canadians examine a flyer at least… Read more »
Monthly Archives: September 2015
Debits left, Credits right; Debits left, Credits right
Description: Teachers often repeat that just as the students learn from them, they often learn things from the students. This is often true, it seems, when it comes to technology, where our students often have the jump on their professors in knowing the latest and greatest of those tools. This week, I experienced this when… Read more »
VW in trouble
Description: Much of the business news this week was dominated by the discovery of Volkswagen’s attempt to rig the test of emission standards. The story continued to spread throughout the week. VW’s stock price dropped. The VW president resigned. Some have even discussed the impact on Germany as a national brand repesenting engineering excellence. Source:… Read more »
What’s app doc?
Description: You could call it social media for physicians, or as the Globe and Mail called it, Instagram for doctors. But for a patient in rural Louisiana, Figure 1 Inc, a Canadian startup, could be called a leg saver. By sharing images on Figure 1, doctors were able to spot that the ulcer on the… Read more »
The state of Canadians’ finances
Description: With interest rates so low for so long, consumers in Canada have been loading up on debt. Debt to disposable income rates in Canada hit close to 165% this year, indicating consumers are adding to their debt loads faster than incomes are rising. At least part of the problem can be attributed to a… Read more »
Paper? What paper?
Description: Can it still be called a newspaper if you don’t print it on paper anymore? Well, La Presse, a French language newspaper with a history of over 130 years in publication, will be switching to a digital version only (with the exception of Saturdays) beginning in 2016. Over the last 10 years, the… Read more »
Lazaridis donates big to WLU
Description: Wilfred Laurier University of Waterloo, Ontario has named its business school after Blackberry co-founder Mike Lazaridis. Mr. Lazaridis has had a long association with the University of Waterloo, but he has made a pledge of $20 million to Laurier for funding an institute offering technology management skills. The government of Ontario has joined in… Read more »
Cage free please!
Description: McDonald’s uses about 120 million eggs each year in Canada and about 2 billion in the United States. The restaurant chain has announced that intends to shift its procurement to cage-free eggs, though it may take as long as ten years for the company to reach the goal. Cage-free eggs command a premium in… Read more »
Last friend standing at Blackberry
Description: This past week, Dan Dodge, the last member of the current Blackberry executive team with close ties to the pioneering Mike Lazaridis, announced he was leaving the company. Dodge was known to be a science and tech lover, just like Blackberry co-founder Mike Lazaridis. It will be interesting to see how Dodge’s departure impacts… Read more »