The Best of Both Worlds: Online And Physical Retail ...

Electronics retailer Best Buy has posted online sales exceeding $1 billion for three consecutive quarters, exemplifying an economy that continues to gravitate toward the Internet. At the same time, online-only retailers have been investing in short-term physical locations to sell their wares. What does this two-way trend mean for the future of retail? Over the [...]

Electronics retailer Best Buy has posted online sales exceeding $1 billion for three consecutive quarters, exemplifying an economy that continues to gravitate toward the Internet. At the same time, online-only retailers have been investing in short-term physical locations to sell their wares. What does this two-way trend mean for the future of retail? Over the last few decades, there has been a large-scale shift in the economy. Consumers no longer need to travel to get the goods they need. Now...
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Oracle Takes on Amazon in Cloud Computing

American technology company Oracle has been in fierce competition with Amazon over dominance of the market for cloud-based products. They’re upping their game with regard to remote computing and storage technology, introducing advanced artificial intelligence and improved efficiency to their platform. It’s never easy for anyone to defeat the ecommerce giant in direct competition, but [...]

 

American technology company Oracle has been in fierce competition with Amazon over dominance of the market for cloud-based products. They’re upping their game with regard to remote computing and storage technology, introducing advanced artificial intelligence and improved efficiency to their platform. It’s never easy for anyone to defeat the ecommerce giant in direct competition, but with enigmatic CEO Larry Ellison at the helm, Oracle is poised to put up a serious fight. Cloud computing, at its most basic level, is...
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Net Neutrality and Online Business

Net neutrality has been making headlines for several years. As the debate continues to rage over what exactly a “free Internet” means large cable companies attempt to resist regulation by the Federal Communications Committee (FCC). Consumers and business owners alike need to be made aware of what net neutrality is and the potential effects of [...]

 

Net neutrality has been making headlines for several years. As the debate continues to rage over what exactly a “free Internet” means large cable companies attempt to resist regulation by the Federal Communications Committee (FCC). Consumers and business owners alike need to be made aware of what net neutrality is and the potential effects of its repeal. Most of us take the Internet for granted. I wake up in the morning, groggily make my way to my desk, and start...
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The Dirt on Conventional vs. Organic Farming

Americans continue to embrace and encourage organic farming. It’s important to understand exactly what organic farming means, what the benefits are, and if there are reasonable counterpoints from supporters of conventional techniques. According to the Organic Trade Association’s 2017 Organic Industry Survey, popularity of organic food is continuing its upward trend. In the United States, [...]

Americans continue to embrace and encourage organic farming. It’s important to understand exactly what organic farming means, what the benefits are, and if there are reasonable counterpoints from supporters of conventional techniques. According to the Organic Trade Association’s 2017 Organic Industry Survey, popularity of organic food is continuing its upward trend. In the United States, total sales hit $47 billion in 2016, representing a $3.3 billion increase equaling 8% growth from the previous year. These figures far outpace the food...
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Augmented Reality and Online Shopping

Starting as a gimmick with games and other apps, augmented reality will soon allow consumers to visualize products with their smartphones before they make a purchase. While the technology is still in its relative infancy, it stands to quickly become an ecommerce trend. You look around your room and see a familiar scene. The bed [...]

Starting as a gimmick with games and other apps, augmented reality will soon allow consumers to visualize products with their smartphones before they make a purchase. While the technology is still in its relative infancy, it stands to quickly become an ecommerce trend. You look around your room and see a familiar scene. The bed in which you dream of faraway lands; the desk, at which you pore over ponderous tomes; the chair, upon which is draped your favorite fuzzy...
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Welcome to the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Ecommerce continues to act as an upsetting force throughout the industrial world, prompting rapid advances in technology and the way we conduct business. The most recent upheaval a merger between nationwide drugstore chain CVS and Aetna, one of America’s largest healthcare providers. As other corporations like Amazon and UPS change the status quo in their [...]

Ecommerce continues to act as an upsetting force throughout the industrial world, prompting rapid advances in technology and the way we conduct business. The most recent upheaval a merger between nationwide drugstore chain CVS and Aetna, one of America’s largest healthcare providers. As other corporations like Amazon and UPS change the status quo in their respective industries, they’re shaking the very foundations of our economy. The 1800s, the early 1900s, and post-1980s each represent a turning point for technology in...
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Google Loonacy: How Tech Companies Are Restoring A R...

On September 20th, Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria a mere two weeks after a brush with another hurricane, Irma. Recovery efforts in the ravaged U.S. territory have been lackluster, and many are still without power, water, or communication. Surprisingly, some of the most innovative and enthusiastic support has come from non-traditional sources -- [...]

 

On September 20th, Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria a mere two weeks after a brush with another hurricane, Irma. Recovery efforts in the ravaged U.S. territory have been lackluster, and many are still without power, water, or communication. Surprisingly, some of the most innovative and enthusiastic support has come from non-traditional sources — American tech companies. At the time of writing, roughly a month after the storms, aid workers and citizens alike are still putting the pieces back...
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The Rise of Voice Shopping

Voice recognition has been around for decades, but it wasn’t until Apple introduced Siri in 2011 along with its iPhone 4s that voice assistants entered the marketplace. The release of competitive technology from Google and Microsoft in the years following solidified that voice-activated tech was here to stay. The assistants -- ever-present on phones, computers, [...]

Voice recognition has been around for decades, but it wasn’t until Apple introduced Siri in 2011 along with its iPhone 4s that voice assistants entered the marketplace. The release of competitive technology from Google and Microsoft in the years following solidified that voice-activated tech was here to stay. The assistants — ever-present on phones, computers, and tablets — helped give directions, send messages, and search the web without major innovation until 2015 when the Amazon Echo was released to all customers...
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Under The Cap: How Induction Sealing Works

Induction sealing technology is a widespread packaging technique, used in industries from pharmaceuticals to food production. There’s an interesting process behind those little foil seals on the necks of bottles, and some even more interesting history. Let’s take a look. It was 1982 in Chicago, and a string of inexplicable deaths had the city on [...]

Induction sealing technology is a widespread packaging technique, used in industries from pharmaceuticals to food production. There’s an interesting process behind those little foil seals on the necks of bottles, and some even more interesting history. Let’s take a look. It was 1982 in Chicago, and a string of inexplicable deaths had the city on edge. There were seven victims in total, including a 12-year-old girl and several members of her family. After an investigation, it was discovered that all...
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New Compressible Beverage Carton Shrinks As You Drink

K-Bis Studio, a Polish company, has recently filed a patent for a beverage carton that neatly compresses down as you use it, reducing volume for recycling and keeping the contents fresh. Let’s take a look at how it works and its potential for change in the packaging industry. As members of the logistics sector, we’re [...]

K-Bis Studio, a Polish company, has recently filed a patent for a beverage carton that neatly compresses down as you use it, reducing volume for recycling and keeping the contents fresh. Let’s take a look at how it works and its potential for change in the packaging industry. As members of the logistics sector, we’re well acquainted with the need to efficiently fit as many items as possible into a limited space while innovating daily to improve how we perform...
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What is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency has become a hot topic over the course of the past few years, with some hailing it as the future of money. However, many of us don’t really understand what it is or how it works. Let’s break down where it came from, why it’s useful, and where the trends seem to be headed. [...]

Cryptocurrency has become a hot topic over the course of the past few years, with some hailing it as the future of money. However, many of us don’t really understand what it is or how it works. Let’s break down where it came from, why it’s useful, and where the trends seem to be headed. Digital money has been around longer than you might think, taking a variety of forms. In fact, even the money in your bank account is...
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Strength in Unity: An Overview of Hybrid Packaging M...

For millennia, humans have been combining elements and materials together to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. It’s no different in the packaging industry, where hybrid packaging and multi-layered materials are found nearly everywhere. Homer’s Iliad is the earliest description of the Chimera, a terrifying mythical beast. In the epic poem, it’s described as [...]

 

For millennia, humans have been combining elements and materials together to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. It’s no different in the packaging industry, where hybrid packaging and multi-layered materials are found nearly everywhere. Homer’s Iliad is the earliest description of the Chimera, a terrifying mythical beast. In the epic poem, it’s described as “a thing of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle, and snorting out the breath of the terrible flame...
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