This week, for instance, Honda is introducing a redesigned version of its Accord mid-size sedan with an infotainment system that pipes Facebook into the car.
At the new Intercontinental Hotels resort at Bora Bora, air conditioning for its 80 villas on a pristine lagoon comes from a system of pipes extending 1.5 miles offshore and 3, 000 feet deep, tapping the cooling power of 41-degree seawater.