Tech vs. Trees: Wood-based 'smart sponge' harvests drinking water from thin air, Publishers Clearing House files for bankruptcy protection and exits direct mail business, Army Corps and sawmill repurpose trees burned by California’s Eaton Fire

May 16, 2025 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) –

A roundup of recent trends pitting technology against the printed word:

Trees: Wood-based ‘smart sponge’ harvests drinking water from thin air

In natural disaster situations where water isn’t safe to drink, an innovation that combines wood and solar technology could come to the rescue. Engineers in Australia and China have developed a solar-powered “smart sponge” that harvests water from air across a range of temperatures (5-55 degrees Celsius) and humidity levels (30%-90%). The device uses a wood-based composite—refined balsa scaffolding infused with lithium chloride, iron-oxide nanoparticles and a carbon-nanotube layer—fitted into a cup with a lid and tray. In an early prototype, the spongy material absorbs water from the atmosphere and then releases it in a cup using the sun’s energy, according to a Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University release on May 8. In labs, the device captured 2 mL per gram of material at 90% relative humidity, but the yield was lowered to 0.6 mL at 30% humidity. Its modular design could scale for emergency and off-grid water supply in disaster zones, according to Dr. Junfeng Hou from Zhejiang A&F University. Backed by AI-driven optimization, the team is pursuing pilot manufacturing and field deployments, with arrays and IoT controls envisioned for round-the-clock operation.

Tech: Publishers Clearing House files for bankruptcy protection and exits direct mail business

While Publishers Clearing House is best known for awarding giant prize checks, consumers over the decades may recall its sweepstakes mailers regularly arriving in their mailboxes. That era appears to be over, as PCH has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to completely shift away from its legacy direct-mail, retail merchandise and magazine subscription businesses. Under the restructuring, the company aims to become a pure digital ad-supported entertainment company, and has lined up debtor-in-possession financing to fund operations without disruption, according to a PCH release on April 9. That means PCH’s Prize Patrol expects to continue awarding prizes and delivering those famous giant checks to sweepstakes winners.

Trees: Army Corps and local sawmill repurpose trees burned by California’s Eaton Fire

After Hurricane Helene knocked down thousands of trees in North Carolina, FEMA helped collaborate with lumber mills and others to repurpose the wood from those trees. A similar effort is underway after the Eaton Fire ravaged Altadena, California, earlier this year. The Army Corps of Engineers is coordinating with local sawmill Angel City Lumber to repurpose fallen trees into flooring, moldings and furniture at below-market rates, LAist reported April 6. This saves the trees from being chipped and transported elsewhere; instead, they’re kept in the neighborhood for local rebuilding purposes. “What we really want to do is just preserve as much as we can of what remains,” said Ruth Siegel, deputy director of nonprofit Los Angeles Tomorrow, which is supporting the coordination efforts.