Body Labs, a startup that's recently been taken over by Amazon, is able to develop a fully realistic 3D body scan, that goes well beyond matching up points on a body eg it allows you to add motion to the 3D body model to see how certain fabrics or materials might move or wear in the real world. Users can upload their body scan and share it with companies who need it for a fitting. Companies can use these avatars to customize products. https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/03/amazon-has-acquired-3d-body-model-startup-body-labs-for-50m-70m/

Natural capital is another term for the stock of renewable and non-renewable natural resources (e.g. plants, animals, air, water, soils, minerals) that combine to yield a flow of benefits to people. With financial capital, when we spend too much we run up debt, which can, if unchecked, eventually result in bankruptcy. With natural capital, if we keep drawing down stocks without allowing or encouraging nature to recover, we run the risk of local, regional or even global ecosystem collapse. There are a growing number of businesses from all around the world that are valuing natural capital. The Natural Capital Coalition is developing a Protocol Application Program to support businesses as they begin to measure, value and integrate natural capital considerations into their business decisions. IdeaSpies is very pleased to be a natural capital coalition organisation. www.naturalcapitalcoa

This month, a special kind of apple slice will go on sale at select US supermarkets and, thanks to CSIRO research, these apples won't turn brown when they're cut, bitten, or bruised. Arctic apples have been developed by an innovative Canadian biotech company and their first product will be bags of fresh non-browning Arctic Golden apple slices. While there are other sliced apple products already on the market, these are often coated with vitamin C and calcium to prevent browning and to preserve crispness, and this can change their taste. https://blog.csiro.au/apples-no-longer-cruising-for-a-bruising/

Seabin is an Australian invention. It's a floating debris interception device designed to be installed in the water of marinas, yacht clubs, ports and any water body with a calm environment and services available. It's installed in a specific debris problem area in the marina on a floating dock and the wind and the currents bring the debris directly to the Seabin. The catch bag can hold up to 12Kgs of debris. Trials of these Seabins are being conducted around the world, most recently in the UK at Portsmouth Harbour. https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/11/seabin-portsmouth-harbour/

This mall in Sweden contains both a recycling center and shops. Customers can donate the items that they no longer need, then shop for something else. Dropped off goods are sorted into various workshops where they are refurbished or repaired. Products are then sorted into 14 specialty shops that include furniture, computers, audio equipment, clothes, toys, bikes, and gardening and building materials. https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/makewealthhistory.org/2017/03/22/the-worlds-first-mall-for-recycled-goods/amp/

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the first nation with a government minister dedicated to AI. As tech companies begin to center their business models around AI, the UAE want to be at the forefront of this development. Dubai, for example, plans to put robot cops on the streets by 2030 and they've been pushing to get autonomous vehicles on the city's roads and in its skies. https://futurism.com/dubai-just-appointed-a-state-minister-for-artificial-intelligence/