Minimum Wage

Wagamama and TGI Friday’s are to be fined after it was found they do not pay their employees the National Minimum Wage:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43332875

 

Think of the implications and consequences for this… bad PR may affect sales.

 

Lego have made too many bricks!

Lego profits down for the first time in 13 years due to having an excess amount of stock.

 

Basically they have overproduced too many Lego bricks and have had to reduce their prices to clear their stock.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43298897

Amazon are watching!

Amazon have been granted two patents for wearable tech to be able to help check and guide workers using wristbands. However many people are viewing this an Orwellian surveillance scheme.

 

https://www.truthdig.com/videos/new-amazon-system-track-workers-raises-surveillance-concerns-video/

 

Frederick Winslow Taylor would no doubt approve!

Ryanair to close Glasgow Airport base

Not good news for Glasgow Airport.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-43209126

 

300 jobs expected to go. 11 flights being moved to Edinburgh from Glasgow. Troubling times. Brexit and high Air Passenger Duty to blame. Mind you, last time I checked, Edinburgh was still in Scotland too.

KFC

Remarkable situation at KFC. Surprised they didn’t have assurances in place from their new supplier. McDonald’s et al must be making a few extra sales due to this.

Flying Cars are here to stay?

The Kitty Hawk Flying Car:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-39607947

 

Plastic waste used to build roads

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39693091

Aerotropolis

 

 

The circular runway idea made me think of an idea that has been going around for a while:

 

Aerotropolis.

 

This is the cool idea that a city should be laid out and planned around its airport. I suppose it is great for new cities that will be built in the Middle East or in the Great Plains of the United States, but the big question is what happens when the city grows and the airport becomes too small for the sprawling metropolis out with its boundaries?

 

Circular Runways?

Perhaps not as crazy an idea as it sounds:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39284294

 

 

Netflix Profits

Netflix risky change of model from merely owning content to creating original programming has paid off:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38672837

 

New Silk Route

China to London by Train:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-38659170

 

So it is at last happening… even if just for freight. But I do think the time will come we will be able to travel all the way from London to Beijing by High Speed Rail.

 

CBI warn over Brexit

CBI demand ‘barrier free’ trade with the EU, post-Brexit:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/38386548

 

 

Tesco v Unilever: A consequence of Brexit that might hit home?

Tesco and Unilever lock horns over Brexit:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37639518

 

Arnold Palmer and the Marketing of Golf

The story of Arnold Palmer and his college friend Mark McCormack and how it changed golf:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37472934

 

Monsanto to be bought by Bayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37361556

 

German chemical firm Bayer are to buy US crop maker Monsanto for $66 billion.

Taxi of the Future

I have been saying this will happen!

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37106570

 

Anti-Drone Technology

An innovative way to prevent drones from flying into restricted airspace:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36425879

 

McDonald's Production Chain

Vlogger Doug Armstrong investigates the production process at McDonald’s to find out about the quality of their beef:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8VBYnByPds

 

Apple and the iPhone trademark in China

Don’t know how I missed such a big story:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36200481

 

Most incredible sandwich ever!

 

My incredible BBQ sandwich at Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen. #Awesome

 

 

Good Luck!

Good luck to all the pupils in their SQA exams

 

Most expensive object on Earth?

Mind boggling!

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-36160368

 

China and Driverless Cars

China and Driverless Cars:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36136590

 

Not so silent running

A novel idea fro a Kickstarter firm to kill two birds with one stone: keeping fit and charging your iPhone:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35810137

 

Driverless Trucks UK Trial

In the news: driverless trucks will be allowed on British roads.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35820873

 

As well as concerns about safety, this obviously will have long term implications for people employed as drivers, and if successful could be the beginning of the end for bus drivers and taxi drivers too. But will paying customers ever trust a driverless coach or taxi enough to get on? Well I have been on driverless metro trains abroad… though to be fair I probably didn’t realise it until after my journey had been completed!

 

We could be entering a legal minefield as well with the question of who is to be held accountable if something goes wrong not yet decided. Is it the company who provides the service or the software manufacturer?

 

Interesting times ahead.

 

Again with regards to PESTEC, think of all the external factors that will come in to play in the future of automated vehicles.

Seaworld ending Orca breeding

It has taken a while, but SeaWorld are to end its controversial Orca breeding

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35829477

 

SeaWorld has come under a lot of pressure from protesters and the media after the documentary Blackfish.

 

The EU Referendum

All the information you need about the #EURef

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32810887

 

PESTEC - Impact of Legislation

Firm goes bust due to 5p carrier bag law

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-35694164

 

Kidzania

Inside the crazy world of Kidzania…

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35531022

 

Where children work and have fun.

Edinburgh to London in 25 minutes?

A more localised version of the Hyperloop?

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-35384238