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☆ The Man Who Turned the World on to the Genius of Fungi
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Jennifer Kahn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Plants managed to leave water and grow on land only because of their collaboration with fungi, which acted as their root systems for millions of years. Even today, roughly 90 percent of plants and nearly all the world’s trees depend on fungi, which supply crucial minerals by breaking down rock and other substances. They can also be a scourge, eradicating forests — Dutch elm disease and chestnut blight are fungi — and killing humans. Without fungi, matter wouldn’t decay; the planet would be buried under layers of dead and unrotted trees and vegetation. But where “Fantastic Fungi” fell decidedly into the old-school, ’shroom-head camp, Sheldrake’s book is more embracing and more optimistic.

Persons: it’s, Sheldrake, twining, Suzanne Simard, ’ shroom, Iris Van Herpen, bodices Organizations: Adidas, HBO Locations: Ikea

☆ Apple may soon show off its biggest and riskiest new hardware product in years
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Next week, Apple may unveil its most ambitious new hardware product in years, but it’s in a product category that is anything but a proven winner. The highly-anticipated release of an AR/VR headset would be Apple’s biggest hardware product launch since the debut of the Apple Watch in 2015. “So it is great timing for that market.”An uncertain marketFor now, the overall headset market remains small. There were 8.8 million AR/VR headsets shipped globally last year, according to data from market research firm IDC. Unlike almost any other company, however, Apple can create demand for an experimental new product or category.

Persons: ”, Ramon, –, Tim Cook, Cook, “, Siri, Eric Abbruzzese, Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, Abbruzzese, don’t, ” Abbruzzese Organizations: CNN, Apple, Apple Watch, VR, IDC, Washington Post, GQ, Ikea, Bloomberg, ABI Research, Facebook, Street, Meta, Google

☆ A filmmaker used AI to create an IKEA-like catalog full of bomb shelter furnishings. It's mesmerizing — and dystopian.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

He used AI platform Midjourney to create a catalog of bomb shelter furnishings in the style of an Ikea catalog. He's generated more than 24,000 images using Midjourney; Ikea, of course, wasn't involved. He prompted the tool to create images of bomb shelter furnishings and the results look like they're straight out of an Ikea catalog. For creatives like Filkovic, AI tools could ultimately serve as a breakthrough for bringing abstract concepts to fruition. Take a closer look at the images that AI-powered Midjourney generated for Filkovic's bomb shelter series:

Persons: Filip, Philatz, wasn't, Filkovic, Pope Francis, Donald Trump, He's, Wes Anderson, Midjourney, it's Organizations: Ikea, Facebook Locations: Croatia

STOCKHOLM, June 1 (Reuters) - IKEA stores owner Ingka group has announced the official start of work on its delayed first store in New Zealand, which it predicts will be followed by other outlets as the Asia-Pacific region recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and macro-economic shocks. Head of Retail at Ingka group Tolga Oncu told Reuters preliminary opening dates were often subject to change. Asked about possible stores in other parts of New Zealand, Oncu said he did not expect the one in Auckland to be enough. "So one can expect that IKEA in the long term is going to continue to look for opportunities to expand in New Zealand," he said. Globally, there are more than 450 IKEA stores, most of which are owned by the Ingka group.

Persons: Oncu, Ingka, Marie, Lucy Craymer, Barbara Lewis Organizations: IKEA, Reuters, Marie Mannes, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, New Zealand, Asia, Pacific, Auckland , New, Auckland, Europe, Australia, Stockholm, Wellington

☆ IKEA Looks to Speed Up E-Commerce With Software Acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Trefor Moss | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/ikea-looks-to-speed-up-e-commerce-with-software-acquisition-6942d376

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Russian clothing brands plug gap left by Western rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Roman Churikov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] People line up to enter an H&M store, which was reopened to sell the remaining stock before the company exits the Russian market, in Moscow, Russia August 2, 2022. Spain's Inditex (ITX.MC) has sold some of its more than 500 Russian stores to a UAE-based buyer. Gloria Jeans, once a re-seller of Levi's jeans, has taken over Swedish retailer H&M's central Moscow store. Russians have developed solutions with small-scale imports and online sellers helping to keep foreign brands alive, but some things remain difficult to find. Shopper Irina Nikulina said she did not miss foreign brands too much, except when needing something simple, like a reasonably priced white t-shirt.

Persons: Maxim, Spain's, Anton, Antonina, Oleg Klimov, Gloria Jeans, Ksenia Zhdanova, Zhdanova, Irina Nikulina, Tatiana Vakhonina, Roman Churikov, Lev Sergeev, Alexander Reshetnikov, Alexander Paramoshin, Alexander Marrow, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Russia's, Shopping, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, Ukraine, UAE, Zara, Soviet Union, Kazakhstan

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are ripped, tech workers work less than 4 hours per day, and tech's Texas real-estate invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

OpenAI, the company that created the chatbot, won't share the books it used to train ChatGPT. But a group of researchers discovered a method of quizzing the chatbot to figure out which books it has read. Many tech workers are only productive for four hours per day. In an anonymous poll, nearly 45% of tech workers said they spent four hours (or less) on "focused work." Only around 25% said they worked eight or more hours per day.

Persons: I'm, Siu, Hannah Towey, Robyn Phelps, Moby Dick, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, Adam, Matthew Busch, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Zuck, Bezos, Peek, Austin Evans, Evans, Mercedes, Diamond Naga Siu, Alistair Barr, Nathan Rennolds Organizations: American, Pacific Islander Heritage, Ikea, The Washington, Getty, NASA, US Air Force, Pacific Command, Pentagon Locations: Sweden, California, Swedish, EVs, . Texas, scrawny, San Diego, San Francisco, London

☆ This Swedish startup wants to be the Ikea of EVs with tiny, flat-pack cars that cost $11,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Swedish startup Luvly is working on tiny electric cars for urban environments. The Luvly O, its first car, will cost around $10,700 and offer 60 miles of range. Luvly plans to flat-pack car parts and ship them to "microfactories" near where customers live. The Swedish startup is looking to sell customers on tiny urban EVs that are kinder to the planet and contribute less to congestion than buzzy models like, say, a Ford F-150 Lightning or Tesla Model Y. The idea is to flat-pack each car's parts — much like an Ikea Malm, Kallax, or Billy — and then assemble them at "microfactories" close to customers, cutting down on shipping emissions and costs.

☆ Store closures are hitting San Francisco as office vacancies and fears of crime are on the rise. Here's the full list of retailers pulling out of the city's downtown neighborhood.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Alex Bitter | Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Nineteen retailers have left San Francisco's Union Square area since 2020. The area has lost 17 retailers since 2020, The San Francisco Standard reported last month. Stores that have closed in downtown San Francisco over the last few years include:Most retailers haven't referenced crime specifically as their public rationale for closing. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, which owns the mall where Nordstrom is located, said that the department store's closure "underscores the deteriorating situation in downtown San Francisco," according to Bloomberg. Do you work in downtown San Francisco or have a story to share about store closures?

☆ A YouTuber ditched his Tesla for a Mercedes EQS. It came down to quality issues.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Austin Evans said he decided to sell his Tesla Model Y over a variety of small build defects. Evans replaced the Tesla with a Mercedes EQS, which he said feels like a private jet. Tech YouTuber Austin Evans sold his family's 2021 Tesla Model Y because he was fed up with a myriad of quality concerns. In the video, Evans also provided a sneak peek at his new family car, a Mercedes EQS SUV. Evans is one of many Tesla owners to describe quality control issues with the EVs, including issues with panel alignment on the car, paint jobs, and leaks in the cabin.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Say goodbye to the US car market as we know it, TikTok will pay for AR filters, and YouTubers share how they make money
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I'm taking a few days off to watch my best friend graduate with their PhD. (Don't worry, my colleagues in London will be bringing you your daily dose of tech news while I'm away.) Pharmacy startup TruePill is searching for its panacea. Employees told to "drink the Kool-Aid" at Larry Page's startup. Current and former employees told Insider about the recent turmoil.

☆ Ikea is redefining its customer experience — starting with raves
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Marcus Engman, Ikea's creative director, said the raves signal Ikea's strategy to attract customers. Two spectacular raves — one of which got shut down by the police, an Ikea spokesperson told Fast Company. As for Ikea, Engman said there are creative ways to maximize Ikea's space to improve its bottom line. "There are techniques that we use in entertainment that are not used at all in retail," Engman told Fast Company. Engman told Fast Company that Ikea's growth efforts — including raves — may be a way to expand its brand.

[1/4] Twitter, X Corp., and Tesla CEO Elon Musk poses with French President Emmanuel Macron prior to their talks, Monday, May 15, 2023 at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France. Some 200 business leaders attending the event in Versailles close to Paris have so far made commitments to invest a combined 13 billion euros ($14 billion), the most since Macron first held the summit in 2018, his office said. Musk, who also lunched with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, said he was confident Tesla would make "significant investments" in France in the future, without giving a timetable. "No announcement today but I am very impressed with President Macron and the French government and how welcoming they are," he told reporters. Morgan Stanley plans to increase headcount in France by 200 by 2025, bringing total staff in the country to 500.

PARIS, May 14 (Reuters) - France is poised to win record foreign investment pledges when President Emmanuel Macron receives global business leaders, including Tesla's Elon Musk, on Monday at the annual Choose France summit in Versailles. Executives attending the event in Versailles close to Paris have so far made commitments to invest a combined 13 billion euros ($14 billion), the most since Macron first held the summit in 2018. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla (TSLA.O), met Macron at his official residence the Elysee Palace. France previously tried to convince Musk to build a European gigafactory in the country, but he chose Germany, his only European gigafactory so far. PALATIAL BACKDROPOver the last five years, Macron has invited top CEOs to the opulent Versailles Palace to try to secure billions in foreign investments.

☆ Macron eyes record 13 bln euros in investments at Versailles summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, May 14 (Reuters) - France is set to win record foreign investment pledges when President Emmanuel Macron rolls out the red carpet for global CEOs on Monday at the annual 'Choose France' summit in Versailles, his office said on Sunday. Executives attending the event have made commitments to invest a combined 13 billion euros ($14 billion), the most since Macron started hosting the summit in 2018 in the former royal palace outside Paris. Over the past five years, Macron has invited top CEOs to the glamorous setting of Versailles Palace in hope of securing billions in foreign investments he says justifies his pro-business reform drive. Ikea has plans to invest 906 million euros by 2026 while Pfizer aims has budgeted 500 million euros to expand in France over the same period followed by British rival GSK with 400 million euros, Macron's office said. ($1 = 0.9084 euros)Reporting by Leigh Thomas Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 5 ways Russia's been sidestepping Western sanctions and keeping its economy alive, from switching to the Chinese yuan and dabbling in ghost trades
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A fleet of aging oil tankers that do not turn on their tracking signals is suspected of secretly transporting sanctioned Russian oil globally. Russia has also put together a "shadow fleet" of more than 100 oil tankers to skirt the sanctions, the FT reported in December. By August, such gray market sales reached nearly $6.5 billion, said Denis Manturov, the Russian trade and industry minister, according to an Interfax report. Russian oil is still getting into Western countries, thanks to intermediaries. Western nations that banned Russian oil have collectively imported nearly $46 billion worth of Russian oil products, according to a study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, or CREA, published in April.

☆ Bethenny Frankel still had Ikea furniture while shooting 'Real Housewives of New York': 'I never spent a dime'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In a recent TikTok post, the 52-year-old spoke about how she was militant about not spending money she didn't have. Frankel earned just $7,250 for her star-making turn on the first season of "The Real Housewives of New York." "My apartment was furnished by Ikea when I was on the 'Housewives of New York,'" she said. In the years following her "Housewives" debut, Frankel started and sold her Skinnygirl Cocktails brand for a reported $100 million. "I was always terrified, because you don't spend money you don't f---ing have."

☆ After ChatGPT, AI startups are poised to boom. See 16 pitch decks used by founders in generative AI, health, and enterprise.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

See 16 pitch decks used by AI founders using the tech in everything from health to fintech. V7Generative AI, media, and designSupernormal, a generative AI startup that automates meeting notes, just raised $10 million. This AI startup helps Big Tech firms compress videos while maintaining quality. These 3 founders are using AI to analyze patients' biological profiles and recommend drugs. This AI startup helps firms like TrueLayer and CurrencyCloud meet their revenue targets.

☆ Store closures are hitting Downtown San Francisco as office vacancies and fears of crime are on the rise. Here's the full list of retailers pulling out of the city's downtown neighborhood.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Nineteen retailers have left San Francisco's Union Square area since 2020. The latest departures include Nordstrom and Office Depot, The San Francisco Standard reported. Stores that have closed in downtown San Francisco over the last few years include:Most retailers haven't referenced crime specifically as their public rationale for closing. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, which owns the mall where Nordstrom is located, said that the department store's closure "underscores the deteriorating situation in downtown San Francisco," according to Bloomberg. Do you work in Downtown San Francisco or have a story to share about store closures?

☆ There's a cheat code out there to help businesses cut supply-chain emissions — but hardly anyone uses it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

That's because they'll travel on different models of ships and likely at different speeds — maybe even with different fuel. The toy giant Hasbro, for example, has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 — with a 40% reduction by 2030. Eventually, they'll have to wade into their supply chains — where 90% of most companies' emissions come from — and transportation is a key element. When companies look closer, they often find they're producing fewer emissions than they think, and identifying places to reduce gets even easier. Saving money equals reduction," Eric Rempel, the chief innovation officer of Redwood Logistics, said.

☆ The Shining Promise and Dashed Dreams of China’s Live Shopping Craze
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Vivian Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Now nearly half of China’s one billion internet users have tried it, even as it remains largely unfamiliar in the West. To Americans, it may be reminiscent of television shopping — but interactive and, as a result, far more compelling. For viewers, the appeal is not only convenience, but also the feeling of being catered to. Global brands from Ikea to Louis Vuitton have paid China’s influencers to stream their products. But much of the appeal of this line of business is that anyone can do it: Farmers, factory workers and retirees have joined the frenzy.

☆ Climate-Disclosure Rules Are Coming. Here’s How Companies Are Adapting.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

International jurisdictions and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are expected to finalize rules by this summer that will require public companies to report their greenhouse-gas emissions. Direct suppliers are known as tier 1 with that number increasing the deeper you go down the supply chain. Partnerships with suppliers: Large companies are working with small suppliers to overcome hurdles to accessing renewable power supplies, a relatively straightforward way to cut emissions. In October, it said its first group was five companies, including Amy’s Kitchen Inc., Levi Strauss & Co. and J.M. Targets for lower-emission alternatives: Nestlé SA is paying a premium to farmers in its supply chain that cut emissions by following regenerative farming practices.

☆ Retailers to tackle sustainability at key conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

They will discuss the challenges facing their businesses as inflation causes consumers in Europe and elsewhere to reduce spending. The European Commission is drawing up new rules on textile waste that will make companies responsible for managing the waste their products create. Decathlon, the world's biggest sporting goods retailer, sells repair services, spare parts and tools for people to repair their own bicycles, tents, and kayaks. Retailers are working with local authorities ahead of an EU law that will require member states to separately collect textile waste by Jan. 1, 2025. Firms including Decathlon, Mango, Inditex, and IKEA recently created an association in Spain for the management of textile waste.

☆ Ikea is spending over $2 billion to open 8 new US stores, with an eye on locations in the South, plus 9 design centers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The furniture retailer will open eight new stores and nine smaller locations over three years. Ikea's expansion comes as other big-box retailers are cutting jobs or closing stores. The Swedish furniture retailer announced plans to open eight new stores and nine new "plan-and-order points," smaller locations where customers can design kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms and select furnishings. Ikea will also upgrade its existing US stores and add 900 customer pick-up locations nationwide as part of a three-year plan. The investment comes at a time when other big-box retailers, including Bed Bath & Beyond and Walmart, are closing locations across the country.

☆ IKEA Makes Biggest Ever Investment in U.S. With 17 New Stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Trefor Moss | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Isopix/Zuma PressIKEA is making its largest-ever investment in new American stores, betting on strong U.S. demand for its flat-pack furniture. Ingka Holding BV, the biggest owner and operator of IKEA stores, said Thursday it would spend 2 billion euros, the equivalent of $2.19 billion, opening 17 new U.S. locations over the next three years. The investment will also be used to bolster its fulfillment network to improve its delivery services, the company said.

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