Tobacco

The Emperador cigar chest from Imperiali Genève is a high-tech container that holds two dozen bespoke cigars and clocks in at a cool one million Swiss francs (US$1,048,000) – making this both one of the most expensive and technologically advanced cigar boxes in history.

FreshAir's AirGuard uses sophisticated polymer technology to detect and rat out illicit tobacco and marijuana smokers. Targeted at the hotel market, AirGuard could also be a big hit in workplaces, public housing, college dorms, jails and anywhere else where smoking is restricted.

Test farms are already up and running, with Boeing hoping to use local tobacco growing lands and expertise to produce sustainable biofuel without impacting food-bearing crops or encouraging smoking.

With its Re-Barn concept, architectural planning consultancy autotroph has come up with a strategy to preserve not just one building, but a whole family: the endangered tobacco barn of Southern Maryland.