Newsletter 17 May 2024

We hope you had a pleasant and productive time, despite the large number of days off from 4-17 May. The Wood Magazine team took full advantage of the opportunity to gather the most interesting news and updates from the wood industry and beyond. Here's what we have to offer in today's newsletter:

• I was telling you last time that we return with details from the BACCI Open House. It was a great event dedicated to the latest technology in CNC machining. Mihaela wrote a longer, more detailed text of our experience there. We also filmed it, of course. All the details in the article: [link to the article in Wood Magazine]
• Important news for woodworking companies: you need an environmental permit, otherwise you risk heavy fines from the Environmental Guard. We spoke to a specialist who explained in plain language what obtaining a permit entails. Read the full guide here: [link to the article in Wood Magazine]
• Perhaps the most interesting story of the week: we spoke to Emilian Grigore, founder of nZEB Shop and one of the most ambitious Romanian entrepreneurs in the field of sustainable construction. We found out how his business has grown and what big plans he has for the future. Read the full interview here: [link to the article in Wood Magazine]
• Next week we are all at Xylexpo 2024 in Milan, the most important trade fair dedicated to technology and components for woodworking and furniture production. We promise you exclusive coverage, interviews and everything you need to know about the innovations and trends of the moment. Read our article for details: [link to the article in Wood Magazine]
• As our industry prepares for Xylexpo, the global economy is rocked by a new chapter in the US-China trade war. The Biden administration announced a 4-fold increase in tariffs on electric cars imported from China, from 25% to 100%. The measure, which will be phased in over the next three years, also targets other key sectors such as semiconductors and batteries. Details here: [link to Quartz article: https://qz.com/biden-us-china-china-tariffs-evs-chips-electric-cars-1851474998]
• Do you like football? How about barbecues and gardening? Then you should definitely go to Cologne next month, where the European Championships and spoga+gafa, the biggest garden and garden fair, are taking place simultaneously. The fair director has revealed what surprises they have in store for visitors - details here: [link to the article in Wood Magazine]
• Artificial intelligence giants continue the race for innovation. OpenAI has launched GPT-4o, a revolutionary conversational AI model that makes ChatGPT look old-fashioned. Not only does it speak more naturally and understand images, it adapts even when interrupted. You can do real-time translations with it. See the demo here: [link to YouTube video]. It wasn't long before Google countered with Gemini 1.5 Flash, unveiled at the I/O conference. Details here: [link to The Verge article https://www.theverge.com/24153841/google-io-2024-ai-gemini-android-chrome-photos]
• Also related to AI, we have more and more fraud attempts. WPP, the world's largest advertising group, has been the target of a deepfake fraud attempt. The criminals created a fake WhatsApp account of CEO Mark Read and summoned executives to a meeting on Teams, using a clone of Read's voice and manipulated images. Fortunately, the attempt was foiled. "Just because an online account has my picture doesn't mean it's me" - Mark Read warned in an email to employees. Read the full story here: [link to The Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/may/10/ceo-wpp-deepfake-scam]
• Finally, good news for small manufacturers and woodworking enthusiasts: the LT20 saw from Wood-Mizer is the perfect ally for craftsmen, building projects or creative hobbies. Find out from users how they have grown their business with this compact and precise machine: [link to the article in Wood Magazine]

This was the news of the week. For more news, analysis and exclusive interviews, visit our website or follow us on social media.

Have a great week!