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☆ Go Ahead, Judge This Book by Its Cover. There’s Nothing Inside.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Anna Kodé | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The tomes are all “rescue books,” ones that would otherwise be discarded or recycled for paper pulp, said Charles Roberts, the president of Books by the Foot’s parent company, Wonder Book. There are other, sometimes counterintuitive, uses for fake tomes as well. Instead, perforated aluminum plates emblazoned with images of books can be found, primarily on the upper shelves of the atrium. Tina Ramchandani, an interior designer in New York, said that her firm has used fake books in both commercial and residential settings. For a dressing room in a members-only club in New Jersey, “where nobody was really going to read the books, but where there were bookshelves, we got all fake books,” Ms. Ramchandani said.

☆ The best of Milan Design Week 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Marianna Cerini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Milan CNN —The design world’s largest annual fair enjoyed a return to full pre-pandemic form with its 2023 showcase, transforming the city of Milan with hundreds of exhibitions, site-specific installations, pop-ups and public projects. Almost everywhere, the focus was on sustainable design, circular economy, material innovation and artistry combining craft with innovation. Some of the most interesting ideas were those that looked at waste – literally – to rethink what design can do when it uses what is already there. Shown in various stages of decomposition, the chair challenged viewers to approach products with the end of their lifecycle in mind. Top image: One of two bags design legend Gaetano Pesce created for Bottega Veneta’s Milan Design Week installation.

☆ Wayfair’s Way Day Sale: What to Buy, According to Expert Shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

By Buy Side StaffWayfair’s Way Day Sale is happening now, which means tons of furniture, decor, cookware and more home essentials are deeply discounted. All-Season ComforterIf you’re ready to upgrade your comforter, these two are part of the Way Day sale. Right now the light grey color is down to $700, well below the $1,250 price we’ve tracked in the past. And during Way Day the white version is marked down to $124, nearly 40% less than it was during Wayfair’s last big sale. Large, understated mirrorA strategically placed mirror is a great way to make your space feel larger, and this Ivy Bronx model is a great way to do so without drawing attention to the mirror itself thanks to the simple frame.

☆ Chris Sacca's Lowercarbon Capital just invested $20 million in Woodoo, a startup making wooden alternatives to steel, cement, and glass, after seeing this pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Woodoo is a biotech startup creating alternatives to leather, glass, cement, and steel using wood. We got a peek inside the 8-slide pitch deck it used to raise from Chris Sacca's Lowercarbon Capital. Now his company, a biotech converting wood into alternatives for emissions-intensive materials such as concrete and steel, has just secured $31 million. Boitouzet is set on becoming the go-to option for building materials, having already seen traction in the luxury goods market. Woodoo's materials are currently more expensive than conventional but costs will come down when the company reaches scale, Boitouzet said.

☆ Big copper deals to take centerstage in Santiago as demand heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Lundin Mining Corp (LUN.TO) is paying nearly $1 billion for control of Chile's Caserones copper mine despite ongoing political uncertainty in the country. "The green transformation theme remains a strong tailwind for copper, the king of green metals," Saxo Bank strategist Ole Hansen told Reuters. Global copper demand expected to reach 53 million tonnes annually by 2053 - more than double current levels - but supply is still expected to fall short, according an S&P Global (SPGI.N) study. And Hudbay Minerals Inc (HBM.TO) last week said it would pay $439 million for rival Copper Mountain Mining Corp (CMMC.TO). Neighboring Peru, the world's second-largest copper producer, also expects to boost production this year.

☆ China's Xpeng aims to cut costs with new vehicle manufacturing platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] He Xiaopeng, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of XPeng Motors attends a news conference ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show, in Shanghai, China April 16, 2023. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, April 16 (Reuters) - China's electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng (9868.HK) unveiled on Sunday a new platform it developed in-house for making vehicles, which it said will reduce the development and manufacturing costs for its company's upcoming models. He said that these cost reductions would give Xpeng an edge against its rivals in an increasingly competitive market. Xpeng will build its G6 SUV, which will debut at the Shanghai auto show starting on Tuesday, as the first model to be built on the SEPA 2.0, according to the company. Xpeng's rival Tesla (TSLA.O) uses massive casting machines, also known as gigapresses, to make large single pieces of vehicle underbodies.

☆ Inside the Rise and Fall of Kittyhawk, Larry Page's Failed Flying Car Company
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Hugh Langley | Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Killing off projects had become something of a tradition at Kittyhawk, the secretive flying-car startup launched by the Google cofounder Larry Page. Larry Page has used his Google money to found a series of flying car companies with one common goal: "to free the world of traffic." "When Bloomberg did their original exposé, that's when urban air mobility became a thing," a former Kittyhawk employee recalled. Everyone thought: If Larry Page is in this space, there must be something here." Interpreting "Larry-isms" or "learning to speak Larry" were essential skills for any Kittyhawk employee who wanted to retain their sanity.

☆ EU's Dombrovskis sees some progress on steel, battery minerals talks with U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dombrovskis, the EU's top trade official, told reporters that he could not provide any details on timing for reaching a U.S.-EU deal after Washington and Tokyo's quick agreement in late March. "We're making some progress, but also we're seeing that those are not easy discussions," Dombrovskis said of the minerals talks, adding that the EU was pursuing its own competing subsidies for clean energy technologies. That deal included new U.S. import quotas for specific duty-free volumes of EU steel and launched talks on a global arrangement to combat "dirty" metals production aimed at excluding Chinese capacity. Dombrovskis said, however, that the key parameters from the EU side was that the agreement would have to result in "complete withdrawal" of U.S. tariffs on EU metals as well as the quota arrangement. Creation of a green metals club would also need to be compliant with World Trade Organization rules, he added.

☆ How Electrifying Everything Became a Key Climate Solution
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Nadja Popovich | Brad Plumer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

Water heating Air conditioning Space heating Refrigeration Washing and dry. Refrigeration Air conditioning 16% electric Water heating 99% Refrigeration Air conditioning Residential Cooking Space heating Refrigeration Other 96% Lighting and electronics Lighting and elec. Cooking 2021 Current Electricity Use Electricity as percent of total energy consumed in 2021 36% Water heating Space heating Washing and dry. Cooking 2050 Net Zero Pathway Electricity as percent of total energy consumed in a high-electrification scenario Water heating Space heating 63% Washing and dry. Air conditioning Refrigeration Other Air conditioning Water heating 99% Refrigeration Space heating 96% Other Lighting and electronics Lighting and elec.

☆ The Price of Bitcoin Mining and More: The Week in Reporter Reads
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Winter Storm Uri had knocked out power plants across Texas, leaving tens of thousands of homes in icy darkness. Their operations can create costs — including higher electricity bills and enormous carbon pollution — for everyone around them, most of whom have nothing to do with Bitcoin. Until June 2021, most Bitcoin mining was in China. Then it drove out Bitcoin operations, at least for a time, citing their power use among other reasons. The United States quickly became the industry’s global leader.

☆ 19 Unique Gifts for Women Who Have Everything
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

“There’s something a little decadent about wearing a matching cashmere set when you’re traveling by plane, for example,” Deyette notes. Note: The earrings can also be purchased as singles if you or your recipient like to mix and match. Constructed of 100% Australian sheepskin upper and footbed, they feel incredibly luxe and confer the benefit of breathable, moisture-wicking materials. “I love lighting this candle when I take a bath or just want to relax with a good book,” she says. It comes with a 72-ounce pitcher and an ice-crushing blade, as well as two single-serve blender cups for beverages on the go.

☆ Apple to use only recycled cobalt in batteries by 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 13 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) said on Thursday it would use only recycled cobalt in batteries by 2025 as a part of its efforts to make all its products carbon neutral by the end of the decade. Magnets in Apple devices will use recycled rare earth elements, and in-house designed printed circuit boards will use recycled tin soldering and gold plating, the company said. Apple is pushing to become carbon neutral through its entire supply chain and the life cycle of every product by 2030. A quarter of all cobalt used in Apple products came from recycled material in 2022, up from 13% a year earlier, Apple said. It now sources over two-thirds of all aluminum, nearly three-quarters of all rare earths, and more than 95% of all tungsten in its products from recycled material.

☆ A 31-year-old woman started her own trucking business with no money and made $1.4 million one year later. Here's how she did it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Brittany Traylor said she didn't need much capital to start her own trucking company in 2021. Through brokerage and dispatching, her business generated $1.4 million in revenue last year. In January 2021, she established her trucking brokerage and dispatching company, Traylor Transpo. Here's how Traylor built a million-dollar trucking company in a year. Yet Traylor encourages anyone interested in starting a trucking business not to be dissuaded by the market.

☆ A gaming historian talked to us about the last 2 decades of the industry. Here's what he's seen change.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Dell Technologies | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

From the beginning, said Goyanes — an official Alienware brand historian — "our founders were gamers" who "took insights from gamers very, very seriously." Yet when Goyanes began working for Alienware, social media was in its infancy. But mostly, he stresses, gamers today are a diverse community. "What you can do with lighting, I think it's certainly the best thing we've ever released on a gaming laptop in our entire history," Goyanes said. Learn more about the new Alienware x16 Gaming Laptop.

That's why it's difficult to recommend casual iPad users to spend $270 more for the iPad Air series. Still, the 2022 iPad Air is our mid-range pick for the best iPad. Conversely, the 2022 iPad Air is the value champion for power iPad users. Deal Apple iPad Air (2022) With its powerful processor and mid-level pricing, the 2022 iPad Air is a little overkill for running simple, popular apps and video streaming. Get the 256GB iPad Air, or the base 64GB iPad Air if you don't need the storage.

☆ Biden administration pushes to revitalize coal communities with clean energy projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Biden administration is channeling hundreds of millions of dollars from recent legislation into its efforts to turn coal communities into clean energy hubs, the White House said Tuesday. The effort includes $450 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that the Department of Energy will allocate to an array of new clean energy demonstration projects on former mine lands. Many of the initiatives are made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Chips and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. The administration touted the potential benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act, a bill passed by Democrats to spur clean energy investments last year. The Biden administration said the working group has funneled over $14.1 billion in federal investments into the select communities.

☆ Northvolt, a $12 billion startup founded by an ex-Tesla VP, thinks crushing and shredding old batteries is the way to make electric vehicles truly sustainable
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

NorthvoltHow Northvolt's process worksNorthvolt's recycling process, which was dreamed up in 2018 and planned and tested in the following years, involves crushing, shredding, and filtering dismantled batteries. Northvolt is left with a black powder called black mass, which contains nickel, manganese, cobalt, and lithium. Once Northvolt's latest venture, Revolt Ett, is up and running at full capacity, it's expected to recycle 125,000 tons of battery materials each year. Cylindrical cells; shredded pieces of steel, copper, aluminium, plastic, and black mass from mechanical recycling; black mass; and a mix of nickel, manganese, and cobalt sulfates. The Hydrovolt pilot runs Northvolt's recycling process up to the black-mass stage.

Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 7 Pro: ScreensThe Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro have very different screens. Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 7 Pro: Performance and smart featuresThe Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro run on the same processor, which helps run the same set of smart features that Google’s Pixel phones are known for. Antonio Villas-Boas/InsiderPixel 7 vs. Pixel 7 Pro: Battery life and chargingThe Pixel 7 surprisingly showed a better result than the bigger Pixel 7 Pro in our battery test. Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 7 Pro: PriceThe Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro differ pretty dramatically in price, with a steep $300 delta between each model's storage options. Pixel 7 Pixel 7 Pro 128GB $599 $899 256GB $699 $999 512GB N/A $1,099Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 7 Pro: Which should you buy?

☆ Why skinny soda cans are everywhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Drink manufacturers are aiming to distinguish their products on crowded shelves and save money on shipping and packaging with skinny cans, say analysts and drink makers. The can, presented at New York’s Fashion Week, had the tagline: “The New Skinny.” It was widely criticized as offensive and the National Eating Disorders Association said the company’s comments were both “thoughtless and irresponsible.”White Claw's skinny white cans have brought along copycats. Red Bull was one of the first brands to popularize slim cans, and White Claw saw success with its hard seltzer in thin white cans. skinny cans on store shelves, warehouse pallets and trucks than wider cans, said Dave Fedewa, a partner at McKinsey who consults for retail and consumer packaged goods companies. But the key, Fedewa said, is that skinny cans catch the eye: “It’s funny how much growth that can drive in retail.”

☆ It's really hard for foreign companies to break up with Russia — and there are 3 main reasons why
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

One year after Russia invaded Ukraine, just 520 firms have fully exited Russia, per a Yale study. Quite simply, it's just not that straightforward for a company to get out of Russia right now — and there are three main reasons why. Companies have been trying to exit Russia in an orderly fashionMany companies were quick to announce their intent to leave the Russian market after it invaded Ukraine. Thus, companies that want to exit Russia are pressed to find buyers for their Russian operations who would continue running the business under a different brand. Multinational companies face operation challenges in their exitsBecause many foreign companies operating in Russia are multinationals, shutting operations in the country can have a domino effect on their businesses elsewhere.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best premium smartphones on the market. FAQsWill a Galaxy S22 Ultra case fit a S23 Ultra? No, Galaxy S22 Ultra cases will not properly fit the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra are very similar in size, but the S23 is just slightly bigger — it's 0.03 inches taller, and 0.07 inches wider. Like most premium smartphones, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is made out of some pretty strong materials.

☆ The Lamborghini Revuelto is a 1,001 horsepower hybrid supercar flagship
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Lamborghini Revuelto is a plug-in hybrid and, while it still has a V12 gasoline engine, it also has three electric motors. The new V12 engine is also slightly lighter – by 37.5 pounds – than the engine in the Aventador supercar it’s replacing. Lamborghini has not yet announced the price of the Revuelto but all these new plug-in hybrid models will cost significantly more than the models they replace, Winkelmann said. Still, the sharing of parts and production lines will do little to offset the increased cost of the shift to plugin hybrid power, he said. Given current battery technology, an electric Lamborghini supercar just isn’t possible, Winkelmann has said, because the batteries are simply too heavy.

☆ Europe’s Big Polluters Win Carbon-Credit Windfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Shane Shifflett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Some of Europe’s largest polluters are earning windfalls from the sale of carbon credits. Their profits are an unintended consequence of generous subsidies that make up a crucial element of the region’s carbon market. A Spanish oil and gas company, a Romanian aluminum producer and two Finnish industrial businesses together sold nearly €120 million—equivalent to more than $129 million—of credits last year, according to an analysis of company disclosures. A wave of additional sales potentially worth tens of millions of euros are expected to be disclosed in the coming months.

☆ In Ghana, Kamala Harris 'excited about the future of Africa'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. Vice President, Kamala Harris, arrives at the Kotoka International Airport as she begins her trip to Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia, in Accra, Ghana, March 26, 2023. Vice President Kamala Harris was greeted by schoolchildren, dancers and drummers as she arrived Sunday in Ghana for the start of a weeklong visit to Africa intended to deepen U.S. relationships amid global competition over the continent's future. "What an honor it is to be here in Ghana and on the continent of Africa," Harris said. Harris is the highest-profile member of President Joe Biden's administration to visit Africa this year. In the evening, they will attend a state banquet with the Ghanaian president and first lady.

Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS) The Apple Watch Series 8 now features a temperature sensor, car crash detection, and low-power mode, making it an even more powerful fitness tracker slash smartwatch. While the original Fitbit Sense had a small touch-sensitive haptic button on the left-hand side of the watch, Fitbit added a physical button to the Fitbit Sense 2, which is easier to operate, especially during workouts. Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Fitbit Sense 2: Smartwatch performanceThe Fitbit Sense 2 was clearly built with health and wellness in mind but beyond that, its smartwatch capabilities are limited. Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Fitbit Sense 2: Battery lifeAntonio Villas-Boas/Rick Stella/InsiderOne of the main reasons you'd want the Fitbit Sense 2 over the Series 8 is its battery life. The Apple Watch Series 8 costs $100 more than the Fitbit Sense 2 but you get a more full-featured smartwatch.

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