Industries

By Brian Zhao  (Image: creative common license) Has Apple fallen from grace? Despite Apple’s fanbase being notoriously loyal, the iPhone 14 Plus model has greatly underperformed in terms of its sales numbers as compared to its much higher expectations. In October 2022, The Information reported that Apple has currently paused production of the iPhone 14 Plus despite it only being on sale for less than two weeks due to having to reassess demand for the smartphone. Specifically, Apple’s supply chain partners have cut iPhone 14 Plus production by 40% according to Digitimes. So, why hasn’t the iPhone 14 Plus been…

By Brian Zhao  (Image: creative common license) Almost all patients prescribed Adderall as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment have recently reported that it is notably harder for them to find proper treatment. Consequently, this community of disaffected individuals is experiencing anxiety when finding medication, serious withdrawal symptoms, and mental health flare-ups from the lack of accessibility to the ADHD drug.  On October 12, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first reported the shortage of amphetamine mixed salts, the drug used to treat ADHD. Adderall is one of many brand names of amphetamine mixed salts. In September, 80 percent…

By Ilana Drake This article is originally published by YR.media and is republished by Vanderbilt Business Review. A recruiting platform for students recently held a money management conference that enabled college students and recent graduates to build effective resumes; become more marketable to potential employers; and how to shine during interviews. Hive — which connects diverse students to companies they are partnered with such as Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Disney and Accenture — held the Money Management Institute Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The platform, which started in October 2020, assists students with making a resume through their step-by-step process and connects…

By Iris An 01 What is Bilibili and What Happened to it  Bilibili (BILI), nicknamed B Site, is a Chinese video sharing website famous for the quote “powered by love” 用爱发电 and the danmu (弹幕) system, a form of video comments where scrolling user/viewer messages are posted on top of the video in real time.  Since the mid-2010s, Bilibili has expanded to a broader audience from its original niche market of animation, comics, and games (ACG). With monthly active users (MAU) surpassing 300 million, Bilibili has become one of the most popular Chinese streaming platforms with videos including documentaries, variety…

By Lexi Blakes Mid-January, Netflix announced it would be raising prices on subscriptions in the U.S and Canada. Netflix offers 3 different plans that can accommodate a variety of television viewers, and all plans have become more expensive in recent months. Currently, the standard subscription price rose to $15.50 per month from $14, the 4K plan rose to $20 per month from $18, and the basic plan (without HD) rose to $10 from $9. Needless to say, customers are upset.  Netflix promised to roll out the new subscription prices gradually for customers who were subscribers prior to the announcement, but…

By: Sebastian Marrero Workers in an automobile factory in Beijing, China. China’s economy has historically been an ambitious one. Traditionally focused on  low-value-added, low-wage textiles and clothing manufacturing, China has in recent decades asserted itself as a burgeoning superpower in the global economy. Industries such as semiconductors, information technology, and robotics have seen enormous growth in recent decades due to policies geared towards mixing government planning with elements of private enterprise. Beginning in the early 1980s, ambitious economic reformers like Deng Xiaoping laid a mixed economy foundation that allowed small to medium-sized enterprises to perform robust R&D, onboard foreign talent,…

By: Edward Ding December 18, 2020 was a particularly bad day for SMIC, China’s largest semiconductor manufacturer. The U.S. government blacklisted dozens of Chinese companies, including SMIC, and effectively restricted their purchase of advanced U.S. technology. SMIC, already behind foreign competitors in terms of chip technology, found its plans for catch-up innovation further complicated; its production processes were and continue to be significantly reliant on American tools, equipment, and components. The blacklist’s detrimental effect has yet to fade, but SMIC is likely turning to a different, domestically-oriented path to the technological frontier. Semiconductors, also known as chips, are an essential…

By: Ke Tang The discussion of how technology can revolutionize the financial system is a heated topic. There is an increasing number of financial institutions starting to integrate their offerings and services with technology such as blockchain. As fintech (financial technology) and digitalization of the financial services industry are developing, fintech startups are facing more capital financing demand. SPACs provide a viable way for fintech startups to go public and acquire the funds necessary for expansion. The relatively easier operation and shorter timeline make fintech SPACs heated in 2021. Two key trends of fintech are consolidation and digitalization, which is…