The desire to collect information on customers is not new for Target or any other large retailer, of course. For decades, Target has collected vast amounts of data on every person who regularly walks into one of its stores.

Most shoppers don't buy everything they need at one store.

Actually, attorneys say, copying a purchased CD for even one friend violates the federal copyright code most of the time.

Way back in 2000, the EPA was poised, and, in fact, had drafted a rule, to specially regulate pollution - water pollution and other types of pollution - from power plants, but the energy industry pushed back pretty significantly.

There are systems called zero discharge emission systems that would prevent any pollution from making it into the water or the air.

Bank of America is the story of some of the most ambitious, aggressive bank builders on the face of the planet.

In 1688, Edward Lloyd opened a coffeehouse on London's seafront popular among underwriters, men in powdered wigs with mathematical minds and steely constitutions who offered to compensate owners if their boats were lost at sea.

For Aristotle, habits reigned supreme. The behaviors that occur unthinkingly are the evidence of our truest selves.

The specific steps for changing a specific habit differ from person to person and habit to habit, but the steps - the formula - is essentially the same, and once you learn it, you can do amazing things.

Consumer habits are key to understanding how to launch a product.

The discovery of the habit loop is important because it reveals a basic truth: When a habit emerges, the brain stops fully participating in decision making. It stops working so hard, or diverts focus to other tasks.

You're much better off creating positive rewards, complimenting people for acting correctly, rather than punishing them when they act incorrectly.

We love to receive praise, but usually we're not certain what message, precisely, we should take from it. On the other hand, when someone points out our flaws, we realize immediately that something needs to change.

Some of the tactics that are used by Foxconn and other companies throughout China is, if you are late, if you violate one of the small rules, some of the punishment is that you have to copy down quotations from the chairman of Foxconn: you have to write out confessions explaining why you were late and promising never to do it again.

Forty percent of all electronics sold are assembled by Foxconn.

Foxconn is hugely important, not only in China - it's the largest employer in China - Foxconn is important around the world.

There are supply chains that exist in China and Asia now which the U.S. simply can't replicate.

Conditions in Chinese factories are harsh. They're much harsher than they are in, for instance, the United States or any Western nation.

Most people probably don't even know what toothpaste they buy; they just recognize the box on the shelf.

Often in companies, you'll see tensions between sales and marketing. Sales people will want to give discounts to clients because they often get paid a commission based on how much they sell. So they're always pushing to give discounts because that will increase sales. Marketing, however, is judged by overall profitability.

When most individuals or most companies are talking about trying to create healthy habits, the key is to identify which habit or habits seem most important.

Someone will write a resolution that says, 'I want to exercise more,' or 'I want to lose 15 pounds' - which is great, that's a great goal to have - but every study tells us that if you pose things in abstract, goal-related terms, it's much less likely that you will accomplish it than if you structure it as an actual activity.

I think there's a lot of people who right now are worried that people are going down frivolous paths, like inventing new social networks or new games, instead of inventing the cures for cancer or fundamental technologies that will change the world.

Patents are being used to wage war in the digital world, and as a result, patents have become a toll gate on the road of innovation.