Whilst considered relatively benign, abscesses are a significant precursor to major medical adverse outcomes. Innova Medical, a participant in the CSIRO ON program, has developed a sterile, single use device that offers a complete solution for out-of-theatre management of abscesses; the device comprises skin penetration, drainage, and collection management components in a convenient package. www.inovamedical.com.au

Walmart, the world's biggest brick-and-mortar retailer, is building out its e-commerce experience to better compete with Amazon. It has acquired Aspectiva, a startup out of Israel whose AI-based technology analyses user-generated content, like customers' product reviews, and combines it with a shopper's browsing behavior to make product suggestions to shoppers both online and in stores. https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/25/walmart-acquires-israels-aspectiva-which-analyses-ugc-to-recommend-products-to-shoppers/

Climeworks is a Swiss company whose goal is to make it possible to capture CO2 from the air for below $100 per ton. They believe that by 2030 there will be a global average price on carbon in the range of $100 to $150 a ton. Currently only a few European countries have made progress in assessing a high price on carbon however Climeworks believe more countries will price carbon. Then a company that sells a product or uses a process that creates high emissions (an airline, for instance, or a steel maker) could be required to pay carbon-removal companies $100 per metric ton or more to offset their CO2 output. Or a government might use carbon-tax proceeds to directly pay businesses to collect and bury CO2. www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/magazine/climeworks-business-climate-change.html

Spotify could build something between radio and Netflix. Like radio, Spotify can be the portal by which every consumer discovers and enjoys audio content. At the same time, Spotify seems increasingly interested in producing original, Spotify-exclusive content. If Spotify can successfully do both, it could become the default platform for both the discovery and production of original audio content. https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/6/18213743/spotify-gimlet-media-anchor-podcast-app

Zero-packaging shops, sometimes known as zero-waste grocery stores, allow customers to bring and refill their own containers. They offer food products (cereals, pasta, oils) and even household products (soap, dishwashing powder). You simply bring your own jars and containers and buy as little or as much as you need. These new businesses demonstrate how products can be offered without packaging. In doing so they provide both environmental and economic benefits. www.sbs.com.au/news/zero-packaging-stores-show-we-can-kick-our-plastic-addiction