In the fast-moving race to perfect autonomous driving, Toyota has taken a low-key, measured pace up to now. But the automotive giant is shaking things up with plans for robotic van-like pods and the creation of a mobility service platform for shared rides and e-commerce.

Chocolate could run out by 2050 because the crop used to make the confectionary will be harder to grow in a warming climate, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Target’s $7bn plan to fix its business paid off handsomely during the holiday season.

It was late November and former Intel Corp. engineer Thomas Prescher was enjoying beers and burgers with friends in Dresden, Germany, when the conversation turned, ominously, to semiconductors.

The use of bioplastics — made from plants instead of fossil fuels — is expected to grow by at least 50 percent in the next five years, according to the European Bioplastics Association.