business

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11 Times Companies Bowed to Customer Outcry

The customer is always right, as these 11 companies learned the hard way.... READ ON

Article

The Wu-Tang Marketing Plan

by Jo... READ ON

Big Question

Why Are Legal Pads Yellow?

Legal pad image via ShutterstockThe legal pad got its start with Thomas Holley in 1888. Holley was 24 and working at a paper mill in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Every day, he and his co-workers threw out a lot of scrap pieces, called sortings, left over from cutting paper into the right sized sheets. He knew there had to be a use for them and eventually hit on the idea of cutting the sortings to the same size and binding them into small notepads. Since the paper was essentially trash to the mill, they... READ ON

Big Question

Why Do Drive-Up ATMs Have Braille on the Buttons?

This question was submitted by reader Lindsey. It also may have been part of a Starburst advertising campaign in the... READ ON

Article

Will Yelp Put Restaurant Chains Out of Business?

Finding great local restaurants can be a challenge. There seem to be a dozen mediocre, even bad restaurants, for every good one. That's why chains have gotten so popular in the last few decades. They may not be as good as some independent local places, but you can rely on them to carry the same food with the same level of quality. But Yelp is managing to shake things up a bit with thousands of new user reviews appearing every day, the site is pushing more and more people to try new independent... READ ON

Big Question

Where Do Historical Reenactors Get Their Gear?

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. With all eyes on America’s historic battlegrounds, it’s going to be a big year for sutlers, too.Sutlers, historically, were civilian merchants who sold supplies to armies in the field and in their camps. They often followed marching soldiers across long distances, selling merchandise out of the back of a wagon. We still have merchants like this today—the defense contractors who supply the military with state-of-the-art... READ ON

Article

Netflix Splits DVD & Streaming Businesses

Something pretty remarkable happened this morning: I, and zillions of other Netflix subscribers, received an email from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. Now, I'm not exactly pals with the guy, but I'm a fan of his company, as I watch movies that come in little red envelopes and stream on my TV and stuff. The email (also posted as a blog entry, linked above) was a mea culpa from Hastings, apologizing for "arrogance" and a failure to "communicate" about the recent Netflix pricing changes, in which the company... READ ON

Article

The Story Behind the Giant Inflatable Union Rat

© Bob Krist/CORBIS ??If you're from a town with a strong union presence, you know that if new commercial construction happens without union labor, protests often follow. Burly guys in work boots and union shirts will take to the streets to wave signs, pass out flyers, and draw attention to whatever business has offended them. Sometimes they'll bring a special guest—a giant inflatable rat with sharp, menacing buckteeth and claws, beady red eyes and a belly scattered with festering blemishes and... READ ON

Article

What Makes Super Glue So Super?

Harry W. Coover receives from the National Medal of Science in the East Room of the White House, November 17, 2010. © Olivier Douliery/Pool/Corbis Super Glue inventor Dr. Harry Coover died Saturday at his home in Kingsport, Tennessee. He was 94. Matt Soniak looks back at Coover's famous adhesive. A Sticky Situation In 1942, American scientists at Kodak Laboratories were looking for materials to make extra-clear plastic gun sights for infantry rifles. Harry Coover and Fred Joyner stumbled upon a few... READ ON

Article

Inside the Surprisingly Delicious World of Cat Food Taste Testing

Cat food is serious business. Taking underutilized and low-value raw materials like animal byproducts and turning them into high-value foods can be, not surprisingly, very lucrative. Along with other pet foods, cat food makes up a hefty portion of the international prepared foods market. The crowns of the cat food kings are heavy, though. Their products have to be palatable and nutritious for cats, as well as convenient and economic for the owner. Accomplishing that first part isn’t easy when many of... READ ON