Industries > Consumer | Design and Development Today

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Gun Background Checks Hit All-Time High

Firearm sales traditionally increase during presidential election years, but this year has also seen one crisis after another.

Microsoft store outside Boston, Jan. 28, 2020.

Microsoft to Permanently Close All Stores

The company called the decision a “strategic change” for its retail business as sales increasingly shift online.

Despite Green Pledges, Amazon’s Carbon Footprint Grew 15%

The online shopping giant's carbon dioxide emissions were the equivalent of 13 coal burning power plants running for a year.

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Segway Ending Production of its Namesake Vehicle

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Judge: California Can’t Require Cancer Label for Weed Killer

Nishantha Abeyrathne, right, checks a paddle sink at his workshop in Paththanduwana village, Sri Lanka, June 12, 2020.

Pandemic Gives Lessons in Survival, Innovation

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EU Authorities Open Apple Antitrust Investigations

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos arrives at a news conference at the National Press Club, Washington, Sept. 19, 2019.

Bezos May Testify with Other Tech CEOs

The House Judiciary Committee wants the Amazon CEO to address statements regarding its competition practices.

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Amazon Under Scrutiny by Calif., Wash.

Officials are looking into potential violations with respect to the independent merchants that sell goods on its site.

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Amazon to Face Antitrust Case; Ex-Engineer Calls for Break-Up

The European Union is preparing a complaint over the company's treatment of third-party sellers.

‘The Meeting of Two Worlds,’ a sculpture at L'Anse aux Meadows, commemorates the meeting of Vikings and Native Americans around the year 1000.

Globalization Started 1,000 Years Ago

In the year 1000, there was no electricity or steam power, but mass production was still possible.

Times Square, New York, June 20, 2019.

All Eyes on New York's Gradual Reopening

With the virus in check — for now — stores previously deemed nonessential were cleared to open.

This photo taken from video provided by KABC-TV shows a raging fire destroying a huge commercial building Friday, June 5, 2020, in Redlands, Calif., about 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of Los Angeles. Firefighters from a half-dozen area agencies aided the Redlands Fire Department in shooting streams of water on flames that engulfed the structure, collapsed the roof and burned truck trailers parked at loading docks. The nearby 10 Freeway was shut down in both directions for several hours as flames shot high into the air.

Fire Destroys Warehouse of Amazon Supply Partner

A half-dozen fire departments were unable to stop flames from destroying the sprawling structure.

Humidity sensor combining variable filter and solar cells.

Smart Windows Light Up on Rainy Days

They change colors according to the amount of moisture, without electricity.

Robots at the Hu family's Royal Palace restaurant in Renesse, Netherlands, May 27, 2020.

Robot Waiters Come to the Rescue

It’s unclear whether diners will be expected to tip.

Joel Johnson rides his new bicycle .

Pandemic a Boon for the Bicycle

Thousands of cooped-up Americans are dusting off decades-old bikes or snapping up new ones.

A rug by Dutch designer Nienke Hoogvliet, who weaves seaweed into rugs, chairs and tables in her Sea Me Collection.

Plant-Based Materials Catch on with Home Goods Designers

Bark, leaves and seeds can be transformed into vegan leather, fabric and organic plastic.

This Oct. 21, 2019, photo shows Johnson's Baby Aloe & Vitamin E Powder in Salt Lake City. Johnson & Johnson reports financial results Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Johnson & Johnson is ending production of its iconic talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder, which has been embroiled in thousands of lawsuits claiming it caused cancer. The world’s biggest maker of health care products said Tuesday, May 19, 2020 that the discontinuation only affects the U.S. and Canada, where demand has been declining.

J&J to Stop Selling Talc-Based Baby Powder in US

The company says the decline in demand for these products in North America has been "fueled by misinformation."

Image from video of 'bumper tables' at Fish Tales in Ocean City, Md., May 16, 2020.

Company Makes 'Bumper Tables' for Restaurants Amid Virus

The inflated tube tables debuted at a Maryland seafood restaurant.