Nike cuts ties to Livestrong

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/nike-cuts-ties-to-livestrong/article12188544/#dashboard/follows/


Nike Inc, the world renowned sporting apparel company is cutting all ties to the Livestrong charity which it helped create for athlete Lance Armstrong in 1997. Nike helped raise nearly 100 million for the charity and brought world wide attention to the Livestrong charity, formally known as the Lance Armstrong foundation. This started when Lance Armstrong confessed to be the ring leader in a massive doping scandal in the Tour de France. Nike cut all personal sponsorships with Lance and the separation from the Livstrong foundation is just the final step in getting as far away as possible from the doping scandal. The Livestrong foundation is also attempting to rid itself of the doping scandal by kicking Lance Armstrong off of the board of directors. The Livestrong foundation says it is still in good financial position and is extremely grateful to Nike for all their help.

I think that while Nike should be rather upset about the doping scandal and the loss of a major sponsorship with Lance Armstrong. The way that they handled the scandal was very well done with minimal press and fast action. The Livestrong foundation also did similarly well and while they will get some bad press in the short term, in the long term I believe that they will remain as one of the top cancer foundations.

Brazil to auction big oil find

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/latin-american-business/brazil-to-auction-biggest-ever-oil-find-in-october/article12095835/#dashboard/follows/

An oil platform in Rio de Janeiro

A plan to auction off the exploring and production rights to it's biggest oil find to date. The auction is set to be held in Brazil's capital, Brasilia, in the coming October. It holds between 26 billion and 42 billion barrels of oil. Brazil's government hopes to gain a large share of the oil produced as opposed to how governments did it previously. Previously, when governments auctioned off oil they asked for a small royalty. A separate auction for natural gas prospects is scheduled for the coming November.

This article was interesting to read because I am always reminded and amazed by the large amounts of oil that exists in South America. The media always puts emphasis on the abundance of oil in the middle east but there is actually a massive amount of oil in South America which is evident from this article and others.

Canada fails to act on the Artic

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/globe-politics-insider/in-the-arctic-canada-is-all-bark-and-no-bite/article12136811/#dashboard/follows/


America's Polar Star, a massive ice breaker ship, is planning on crunching through the ice up north this summer. This only serves as a reminder to Canada that they are far away from actually enforcing them selves in the arctic. Ottawa has stated numerous times that they are serious about pursuing a future in the Arctic, however they have backed down many times from doing so. While that happened the Americans and the Russians poured resources in the Arctic and Russia now has an impressive fleet of nuclear powered ice breakers; America has also started creating a fleet of ice breakers. Canada will have to act soon or otherwise lose the Arctic.

In my opinion the race for the Arctic should be higher up on Ottawa's priority list. We have one meager ice breaker which is almost 50 years old and pales in comparison to the Americans' recently refurbished ice breaker and the Russians' nuclear powered ice breakers. The Arctic could prove and has proven to be a valuable resource.

Netflix rearms for a Canadian onslaught

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/us-business/netflix-rearms-for-a-canadian-onslaught/article11922959/#dashboard/follows/


The battle for online TV streaming is over for now, and Netflix reigned victor. However many cable providers in Canada prepare for a counter attack as many companies prepare to launch their own online viewing websites. Rogers believes that all major broadcasters are planning on rolling out a Netflix competitor, themselves included. However Netflix has a few tricks up there sleeve in order to retain and gain customers such as: the Netflix original series House of Cards and Hemlock Grove, which were widely successful, as well they have expressed there determination in gaining online broadcasting rights and plan on bidding viciously for them.

In my opinion the war for online TV and movies was already won. Netflix has already made a name for itself in the US and this translates over to Canada. The unique original shows on Netflix will keep me hooked and many others. I also think it is a hollow victory for Netflix as they won the battle for an extremly difficult service to remain competitive in. I'm not talking about the other competitors trying to constantly cut a piece of the online streaming pie, but the free streaming sites which still excist and are very prominent. It is very difficult to compete with the free content that is available online. Therefor I look forward to see how Netflix plans on competing.

Toys "R" Us is making a play for brain games

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/why-toys-r-us-is-making-a-play-for-brain-games/article12213315/#dashboard/follows/


Toys "R" Us Canada is planning to launch a new store which will contain only educational or "learning" products in an attempt to capitalize on the fasting growing segment of the toy market. Toys "R" Us' specialty store, "Wonderlab", is set to open on Saturday in North Vancouver. The Wonderlab's shelves are set to carry anything from preschool learning tools to building blocks and far as electronic learning tools. This new expansion puts pressure on the smaller companies who already occupy the market such as Mastermind Toys. Mastermind Toys has recently expanded out of Ontario with a store in Calgary, which is set to open next month.

In my opinion this was a smart move on Toys "R" Us' part because it is evident, without even doing any research, that parents are wanting there kids to have more educational toys and kids are starting to enjoy these toys more and more. As a kid I always loved going to Mastermind because the things you can buy there are much more interesting than a Hot Wheels track which breaks within the first 20 minutes after you open it. If Toys "R" Us can replicate the Mastermind mentality in there new stores then I think they will be very successful.

Apple hint's at 'game changers'

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/business-technology/apple-ceo-hints-at-game-changer-devices-pans-google-glass/article12220605/#dashboard/follows/


Apple's CEO, Tim Cook is looking into the future with apple, he hints at plans for more wearable computers. The Google created that category last year with the reveal of the Google Glass. However, Tim Cook is not impressed by Google's revolutionary new product which amazed millions with it's ability to integrate real life with someone's online life. Cook hinted towards the fact that Apple is working on creating a  wearable computer in the form of a wrist-watch. Recently Apple has been under fire due to their failure with the new Apple Maps and last quarter they reported their first profit decline in nearly a decade. Tim Cook said that Apple fans and investors should feel confident about the future because Apple has a couple more tricks up it's sleeve.

In my opinion Apple is showing the first signs of slowing down since the Iphone and the Ipod made Apple a household name. When Apple slows down they will certainly be trampled by the charging Google as they are attempting to revolutionize how we use social media. I recently switched from using an Iphone to using an Android phone because of the Slip up with the Apple maps. Certainly I'm not the only one.

Twitter pumps up the security after a series of high profile hacks

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/digital-culture/twitter-releases-new-security-feature-after-high-profile-hacks/article12065455/#dashboard/follows/


Twitter is an incredibly large social networking interface which gives the user the ability to interact with millions of people with simple click of a keyboard from nearly anywhere in the world. Many high profile individuals and companies have Twitter accounts to provide daily information to their fans/followers. Recently, however, some of these high profile "Tweeters" have been hacked which is forcing Twitter to increase the security. Twitter now offers the ability (you can change it in the settings page on your Twitter account) to require a 6 digit verification pin which is sent to your phone, before you log in. This stops hackers because the hacker would not only have to brute force your password but must also brute-force your 6 digit log in pin.

In my opinion this was a smart move by Twitter. Due to the mass use by the general population, Twitter has become the go-to source for information on certain high-profile companies or individuals. While this could pose to be a inconvenience for some, the added security is more than worth it for those whose Twitter accounts can not risk being compromised. I don't personally use Twitter, and I wouldn't even use the added feature if I did, but I know some people who are very happy with the newly added security feature.