SCENTMATIC’s AI System “KAORIUM” Debuts at Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Nangang for HOLA Pop-Up Store
SCENTMATIC Inc. has launched its AI‑driven olfaction platform KAORIUM at the HOLA Fragrance Pop‑up Store in Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Nangang, Taipei, operating from April 1 to June 30, 2026. The deployment follows a pilot that placed KAORIUM in five HOLA flagship locations in August 2025. The system uses machine‑learning algorithms to analyze shopper cues and dispense personalized scents in real time. The rollout underscores a shift toward sensory AI as a differentiator in brick‑and‑mortar retail.
Inside the Mind and Investment Playbook of StripMallGuy (Repost)
In this episode of the Crexie podcast, host Shanti Ryle chats with Don Tepman, founder of Town Center Capital and the social media persona "Strip Mall Guy," about his unconventional path into commercial real‑estate investing, from a commission‑only broker role...
Belzona Appoints Bosna Petroleum Company as Exclusive Distributor for Libya
Belzona, a global supplier of repair composites and protective coatings, has appointed Bosna Petroleum Company (BPC) as its exclusive distributor in Libya. BPC, which began using Belzona systems in 2023, now holds stock of the products, enabling faster delivery to...
Australia’s 2025 Extreme Weather Insured Losses Climb to AUD $4.8bn: ICA
The Insurance Council of Australia reports that insured losses from extreme weather surged to AUD 4.8 billion (≈US$3.2 billion) in 2025, a 727% jump from the prior year. Claims exploded to 294,000 – six times 2024 – with Queensland alone responsible for over...
Kooiman Supplies Camera-Guided Hoeing Machine Farming GT
Dutch firm Kooiman Mechanisation has begun supplying the Farming GT, a camera‑guided hoeing machine from German maker Farming Revolution. The system leverages a database of over 100 crops to differentiate crops from weeds, using GNSS RTK and real‑time camera correction...
Xi and MBS Phone Call
On April 20, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic partnership. The leaders reviewed existing cooperation, emphasized mutual respect, and discussed regional security,...
‘SNL UK’ Storms Past 86M Views On Social Media, But TV Viewing Drops By A Third
Sky’s UK adaptation of Saturday Night Live has amassed more than 86 million views across YouTube, Instagram Reels, X and TikTok in its first month, driven by viral clips such as Tina Fey’s monologue and the “Last Supper” sketch. While online engagement...
The Seeds of Tropical Fodder Grass Development
Bajra–Napier Hybrids (BNH) combine pearl millet and Napier grass to deliver 200–300 tonnes of green fodder per hectare, far exceeding typical tropical forages. Their high biomass, perennial growth and 8–14% crude protein make them a premium feed for smallholder dairy systems....
Algeria 5G Performance: Mobilis, Djezzy, Ooredoo Compete on Speed, Reliability and Market Share
Algeria’s three major operators—Mobilis, Djezzy and Ooredoo—launched commercial 5G services in late 2025, leveraging 3.5 GHz mid‑band spectrum. The rollout lifted the national average download speed from 23.6 Mbps to 40.9 Mbps by December 2025, with city‑level peaks exceeding 100 Mbps in Algiers. Market...
Todd Babiak on the Gold Coast’s Place Brand, Resident Listening and Stewardship Over Promotion
Todd Babiak, CEO of Brand Gold Coast, explains how the city‑owned agency chose to listen to residents before launching any marketing campaign. By assembling a cross‑sectional research panel, the team uncovered misconceptions and a strong "say‑yes" culture that fuels rapid...
Iran Tankers Go Dark to Sail Past US Blockade Laden with Crude
Iranian VLCCs Hero II and Hedy, each capable of carrying about 4 million barrels, slipped past the U.S.‑declared blockade in the Arabian Sea on April 20. Satellite‑based data from Vortexa shows the two ships were part of a larger flotilla that moved roughly...
Amazon in Pact with Bayer’s TGRA for Carbon Credit Offtake From Sustainable Rice Project
Amazon has signed a long‑term off‑take agreement with Bayer‑owned TGRA to purchase over 685,000 metric tons of CO₂‑equivalent carbon credits from a sustainable rice‑farming program in India. The initiative will work with more than 13,000 smallholder farmers across 35,000 hectares,...
Unlocking $22bn in Grocery: Why Collaboration Is Now the only Path Forward
Australia and New Zealand’s grocery sector faces rising cost‑of‑living pressure, supply‑chain volatility and margin compression. A new white paper estimates up to $22 billion AUD (≈$14.5 billion USD) is trapped in inefficiencies such as out‑of‑stocks, waste and inventory misalignment, representing 6‑11% of...
MarTech Interview with Max Groth, CEO at Decentriq
Decentriq CEO Maximilian Groth warns that most marketers build martech stacks around internal preferences rather than the customer, leading to fragmented data and poor experiences. He stresses that reliance on third‑party data is eroding, making first‑party data the new foundation...
Maximalism Isn’t Dead: Why 90s Minimalism Is Just the New Base Layer
Fashion’s decade‑long obsession with maximalist excess is giving way to a 1990s‑inspired minimalism that emphasizes clean lines, neutral tones, and timeless basics. Brands such as Beginning Boutique are rebalancing dopamine‑driven dressing with capsule‑worthy staples that can serve as a versatile...
How AI Will Transform The Legal Business Model
Olivier Chaduteau, founder of the AI‑native Day Two consultancy, explains how embedding artificial intelligence has dramatically lifted his firm’s revenue compared with the pre‑AI Day One model. He outlines three adoption phases—initial skepticism, superficial licensing, and the current Phase 3 where...
Valeo Deepens Google Cloud AI Deal at Cloud Next
Valeo, a leading automotive Tier 1 supplier, is rolling out Google Cloud’s Gemini for Workspace to all 100,000 employees worldwide, extending a partnership that began in 2008. The deployment follows a broader launch of Gemini Code Assist, which the company says...
Singapore’s Balakrishnan Warns Hormuz Just a ‘Dry Run’ if US, China Clash
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan warned that the recent Strait of Hormuz disruption is merely a "dry run" for a larger superpower showdown, which he believes would play out in the Pacific. He emphasized that any US‑China conflict would threaten...
Roche’s Fenebrutinib Cuts Relapses in MS Amid Safety Concerns
Roche’s investigational BTK inhibitor fenebrutinib achieved 51.1% and 58.5% reductions in annualised relapse rates versus teriflunomide in the Phase III FENhance 1 and 2 trials for relapsing multiple sclerosis, while also cutting MRI lesion activity. The drug showed encouraging trends in disability‑progression measures...
Channel Seven’s Spotlight Digging for Dirt on Clean Energy Ignores Fundamental Facts and Basic Journalistic Standards | Temperature Check
Channel Seven’s prime‑time Spotlight program aired a 50‑minute exposé linking Australia’s renewable‑energy and battery‑storage expansion to “blood cobalt” from artisanal mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The report omitted critical context: the U.S. Geological Survey shows only about 10%...
Turning Data From Space Into Action for Earth
The European Space Agency’s FutureEO programme is turning Copernicus satellite data into actionable early‑warning tools for climate‑driven threats. In East Africa, an ESA‑VITO system now alerts officials every ten days, slashing Ethiopia’s insecticide use from over 1.1 million L to roughly 6,000 L...
World’s First Commercial Fusion Plant Planned for Virginia by Developer Commonwealth
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) is moving toward building the world’s first commercial fusion power plant in Virginia, targeting a 400‑megawatt capacity and a construction start as early as 2026 with electricity generation in the early 2030s. The company has secured...
Innoviz Launches 1 Km Long-Range LiDAR Sensor
Innoviz Technologies unveiled the InnovizTwo Ultra Long‑Range (ULR) LiDAR, capable of detecting objects up to 1 km away for automotive applications. The sensor, built on the same production line as the existing InnovizTwo, has already been shipped to select customers for...
Fossil Fuels Do Not Guarantee Energy Security: COP31 Presidency
At the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, COP31 president‑designate Murat Kurum warned that reliance on fossil fuels no longer guarantees energy security and called for an accelerated shift to diversified renewable systems. He highlighted Turkey’s decade‑long success, citing a three‑fold...
Innovid Announces General Availability of Hypermode, Cutting Social Campaign Setup Time by Up to 80%
Innovid has launched the general availability of Hypermode, a high‑precision execution layer for social advertising that now supports Meta, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat and TikTok. The platform claims to cut campaign‑setup time by up to 80%, delivering up to six‑fold faster...
Japan Is Becoming the Hinge of Indo-Pacific Deterrence
Japan is emerging as the central hub of Indo‑Pacific deterrence, highlighted by its first live‑fire participation in the Philippines‑led Balikatan exercises and a new frigate co‑production deal with Australia. Recent joint maritime drills involving the United States, Australia, and the...
The 2026 Facebook Reach Checklist for Affiliates
Facebook’s 2026 algorithm overhaul turns the platform into an AI‑driven discovery engine that heavily favors short‑form video, private shares and native affiliate tags while penalising link‑heavy posts. Meta Verified subscribers can retain link reach, but non‑paying creators see their distribution...
Seagrass Boutique Hospitality to Open Hunter and Barrel Steakhouse in Canberra
Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group is set to open its fifth Hunter and Barrel steakhouse on 8 May, marking the brand’s first entry into Canberra. The new Scotts Street venue will showcase Australian‑sourced meats, including grass‑fed Wagyu and a 1.1 kg Tomahawk, prepared over...
Tırsan Taps ZF SUMS Suite for UNECE R156 Compliance
Turkish trailer maker Tırsan has signed a deal with ZF to implement its Software Update Management System (SUMS) Service Suite, specifically the Scalar software manager, to comply with the upcoming UNECE R156 regulation. The regulation, effective July 7, 2026, transfers...
Nordex Supply Chain More Resilient to Iran Conflict than Past Disruptions, Says CEO
Nordex, the German wind‑turbine manufacturer, says its supply chain is now more resilient to the Iran conflict than to earlier geopolitical shocks. CEO José Luis Blanco explained that lessons from past disruptions prompted a redesign of sourcing, logistics and inventory buffers. So...
DSV, United Airlines, Microsoft and Phillips 66 Ink Sustainable Aviation Fuel Deal
Global logistics firm DSV has struck a partnership with United Airlines, Microsoft and Phillips 66 to secure up to 41.6 million liters of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The deal, certified by ISCC and tracked via the SAFc Registry, is expected to cut...
The IPO Buzz: Yesway (YSWY) Prices Upsized IPO at $20 – Low End – & Stock Opens at $22
Yesway (YSWY) priced its IPO at the low end of the $20‑$23 range, setting the price at $20 per share and upsizing the offering to 14 million shares, which raised roughly $280 million. The stock opened at $22, climbed to $22.60 intraday,...
Bad Sleep Drives Depression and Insulin Resistance, Not Just Symptom
One of the most expensive mistakes in health is treating bad sleep as a side effect. Very often, it is part of the mechanism. A new study on depression and insulin resistance caught my attention. Link at the end. I will walk...
Bentley Confirms First Electric Model Reveal in 2026
British luxury automaker Bentley Motors announced that its first fully electric vehicle will be revealed in 2026, coinciding with the release of its fourth annual Sustainability Report. The report shows the company achieved its lowest fleet CO2 emissions in 2025...
TSMC Q1 Earnings Call: What It Means for SMH>
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company posted a record Q1 2026 revenue of $35.9 billion, a 40.6% year‑over‑year jump, while gross margin rose to 66.2% and net income surged 58.3%. Advanced 3‑nm and 5‑nm nodes generated 61% of the quarter’s sales, underscoring deep...
Merck Reports the US FDA Approval of Idvynso for Virologically Suppressed HIV-1 Infection
Merck’s Idvynso, a once‑daily tablet combining 100 mg doravirine with 0.25 mg islatravir, received FDA approval as a switch regimen for virologically suppressed HIV‑1 adults. The approval rests on two Phase III trials—Trial 052 (n=513) and Trial 051 (n=551)—which demonstrated comparable viral suppression to existing...
New BMW 7 Series Leaked; Gets Revised Styling and More Screens
BMW’s next‑generation 7 Series was leaked, revealing subtle exterior tweaks such as larger, sleeker taillights and a reworked rear bumper. Inside, the cabin gains an extra front‑passenger display and a refreshed steering wheel, expanding the digital cockpit. Two powertrain options...
Recall: Austral Herbs – Certified Organic Garlic Powder
Greenstorm Foods has issued a recall of its Austral Herbs Certified Organic Garlic Powder after discovering undeclared peanut allergens in the product. The recall covers multiple package sizes—from 250 g up to 10 kg—with a best‑before date of December 8 2028. The affected items...
Shell Faces New Climate Lawsuit Over Oil & Gas Drilling, Emissions
Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) has filed a new lawsuit against Shell, demanding the energy giant stop developing new oil and gas fields and progressively cut emissions between 2030 and 2050. The case builds on a 2021 Dutch court...
Hard Fizz Launches Vodka-Based Flavours as RTD Sales Surge
Hard Fizz, a Gold Coast‑based beverage brand, is adding two vodka‑based RTD flavors—Vodka Lime and Soda and Vodka Watermelon—to its lineup. The vodka category has grown 12.7% nationally over the past year, while Hard Fizz’s seltzer portfolio posted 4% growth despite a 10.7% sector...
Hyperion Lands Manufacturing Contract for Modular 3D-Printed Tiny Home
Hyperion Systems secured a contract with Little Castles Small Homes to produce a modular tiny home using recycled polymer feedstock and advanced additive manufacturing. The company will 3D‑print the core structure in about 48 hours at its Henderson facility, after...
Eskom to Decide Fate of Older Coal Stations by September
Eskom announced it will decide by the end of September whether to shut down, repower or repurpose five of South Africa’s oldest coal‑fired stations—Camden, Grootvlei, Hendrina, Arnot and Kriel. The decision depends on securing roughly 6 GW of new generation from...
South Korea Patents Method to Turn Wood Fibre Into Plastic Bottles
South Korea’s National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS) has patented a ketone‑based solvent that extracts more than 90% of 5‑hydroxymethylfurfural (5‑HMF) from wood fibers. The continuous‑flow method replaces traditional batch extraction, cutting both cost and waste while preserving the compound...
Oscar Health Turns Health Insurance Into Consumer Marketplace
Airbnb for healthcare?? Oscar Health has an interesting history. They were the first health insurance company to give clients a health tracker. If they proved through data that they lived an active life, they received benefits and rewards. As healthcare is the...
Japan Unveils ARCHAX, Giant Piloted Industrial Robot
Meet ARCHAX: Japan’s Giant Piloted #Robot Designed for Real Industrial Use by @CyberRobooo #Robotics #RPA #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/1P07UMoea8
Ocean Outdoor UK Redefines the DOOH Attention Model with Ocean® Portal
Ocean Outdoor UK has launched Ocean® Portal, a freestanding half‑cube digital out‑of‑home (DOOH) format at London’s Battersea Power Station. The 4.5 m × 3 m structure houses five high‑definition LED screens, LiDAR‑based motion tracking, mixed‑reality rendering and Unreal/Unity engines to create walk‑in, interactive experiences....
Musk's $60B Cursor Deal Validates AI Coding; Kilo Emerges
Elonmusk paying $60B for cursor just validated the entire ai coding category. Kilo is the open source play for what comes next. built for autonomy. built to last.
Shape‑shifting Drone Conquers Both Land and Sky
Land-Air Dual-Use Variable-Form #Drone: A Shape-Shifting Hybrid for Ground and Sky Mobility via @ZappyZappy7 #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/fGv3qDCjIX
Digital Banking and Fintech Have Ruined the Customer Experience
The article argues that the rapid rise of digital banking, fintech apps, and crypto wallets has turned a once‑simple banking experience into a fragmented “spaghetti‑mess.” Consumers now must juggle multiple apps, authentication steps, and disparate security protocols just to complete...
New
#GDWN fresh news from the Roman era ….as the discharge of the preconditions of last March’s planning permission is sought at the site of the 2 mahoosive new customer funded machine shops Could indicate something or other h/t to @Arregius https://t.co/IYIX8Fqexj