Archives: August 2009

Diebold's Mobile Banking Plans for the U.S.

Posted by: Michael Arndt on August 31

From Venessa Wong, who joined BusinessWeek's Innovation+Design team in June. Companies such as Nokia have been cashing in on mobile banking in emerging markets including India, Brazil, and South Africa....

Ikea Changes Its Font: Futura Is Now in the Past

Posted by: Damian Joseph on August 28

After 50 years of using Futura, Ikea is switching to the ubiquitous typeface Verdana. The Ikea catalogue is the third most printed book in the world, behind the Bible and...

"Innovation" Grants in Education

Posted by: Damian Joseph on August 26

The U.S. Dept. of Education is getting ready to launch its $650 million i3 "Investing in Innovation" contest. The money will be carved up and grants will go to school...

Nokia's Netbook: Destined to be Niche

Posted by: Damian Joseph on August 25

News came out yesterday that Nokia (NOK) will be entering the crowded netbook market. For those who aren't familiar with the product, a netbook is a small laptop that can...

Microsoft bets on making "dumb" phones smarter

Posted by: Reena Jana on August 24

Microsoft today announced a new phone app service—not for smartphones, but instead for the world’s cheapest and low-tech handsets. Called OneApp, the software was developed by Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential Group,...

Competition: Design a T-shirt Fit For a CEO

Posted by: Helen Walters on August 20

Here in Manhattan, temperatures have finally reached the million degree mark (approx). It leads to some interesting summer fashions, as employees attempt to be comfortable yet decent and tourists attempt...

Can Tech Rescue America's Big Cities?

Posted by: Michael Arndt on August 19

Many times being big and diverse with business is a good thing for a city. It buffers the local economy from industry-specific slowdowns, and it gives people more options for...

HP and Dr. Dre to Take on Music Quality

Posted by: Damian Joseph on August 13

If you've been following this blog lately, you'd have come across two posts, here and here, regarding the issue of sound quality in popular music. And to be clear, this...

Symphony Services: Orchestrating Innovation

Posted by: Michael Arndt on August 12

This is a guest blog by Venessa Wong, who joined BusinessWeek’s Innovation+Design team in June. I’ve recently had several conversations about outcome-based outsourcing for product development with Gordon Brooks, president...

Jonathan Ive on the ethical implications of Apple's business

Posted by: Helen Walters on August 11

There's been quite a flurry of excitement in the online media-sphere of late, after entrepreneur, CEO, some time journalist (and BusinessWeek columnist) Jason Calacanis published The Case Against Apple—in Five...

McDonald's Top Chef Names His Top Chefs

Posted by: Michael Arndt on August 11

I got to hang out in the kitchen with Dan Coudreaut, director of culinary innovation for McDonald's. Dressed in his chef's jacket and working at an industrial cook top, he...

Innovation Lessons from Alessi

Posted by: Reena Jana on August 10

Recently I met with Matteo Alessi, Trade Marketing and International Development Director at Alessi, the maker of beautiful and functional housewares. He was in New York to unveil his (family's)...

Interscope/Geffen/A&M to Address Music Quality?

Posted by: Damian Joseph on August 05

I had an interesting chat with Ted Mico, VP of Digital at Interscope / Geffen / A&M Records (EPA: VIV) recently. It was prompted by this piece I wrote, charging...

The Next Hot Entrepreneurs: Science PhDs

Posted by: Reena Jana on August 05

Biotech is the industry that is attracting the most venture capital dollars, according to the latest stats from the National Venture Capital Association. So wouldn't it make sense that science...

Inside the Secret Overlap Conference

Posted by: Michael Arndt on August 03

This is a guest blog by Venessa Wong, who joined BusinessWeek’s Innovation+Design team in June. Here's the problem in trying to get a group of hybrid thinkers together: standard industry...