Before an enterprise can set any strategy in motion for AI, leadership at the top must decide what the plan of action will be. The question is, who should guide the conversation? The CEO, the overall executive leader? A more tech-oriented executive such as the CTO or CIO? How much say should other, operations-driven divisions have? The pressure is on to realize effective uses of AI, especially as rivals race to find a competitive edge with the technology. That, combined with potential differences of opinion within the C-suite, calls for clarity and cohesion in leadership. This episode of DOS Won’t Hunt brought together Adam Caplan, president of digital business and AI for Altimetrik; Bradon Rogers, chief customer officer for Island; Max Chan, CIO for Avnet; Ben Waber, PhD, visiting scientist at MIT; and Cliff Jurkiewicz, vice president of global strategy for Phenom. They discussed such questions as how does C-suite leadership tend to regard AI, key considerations when exploring how to leverage new technology, and if managers who are not part of the C-suite should be part of the conversation? Listen to the full episode here. source

IVPN’s fast facts Our rating: 3.4 out of 5Starting price: $6 per user per monthKey features: Killswitch Anti-tracking and ad blocking Mobile app for Android and iOS Multihop VPN Image: IVPN IVPN is a VPN solution for consumers and entrepreneurs, also offering a Teams solution if you’re looking for an option for your business. Its main features include a killswitch, multihop, ad and website blocking, and schedules for IP address rotation. IVPN is a good choice for users who need basic VPN features, particularly those looking for an open-source solution. It’s also available as a mobile app if that’s a priority for you. 1 Semperis Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Large, Enterprise Features Advanced Attacks Detection, Advanced Automation, Anywhere Recovery, and more 2 ESET PROTECT Advanced Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Advanced Threat Defense, Full Disk Encryption , Modern Endpoint Protection, and more 3 ManageEngine Log360 Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Activity Monitoring, Blacklisting, Dashboard, and more IVPN’s pricing IVPN offers two VPN plans, Standard and Pro. IVPN doesn’t offer a free trial for either of its plans, but if you’re not pleased with the solution, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. IVPN Standard IVPN Pro Free trial ❌ ❌ Number of devices 2 7 Anti-tracking ✔️ ✔️ Killswitch ✔️ ✔️ Multihop ❌ ✔️ IVPN Standard The Standard plan starts at $6 per user per month but costs $5 when billed annually. It protects up to two devices. If you want to select bi-annual or tri-annual billing, there are subsequent discounts. If you only want to purchase IVPN Standard by month or by week, you can do that too, but it’s more expensive. I recommend the yearly billing option. SEE: Everything You Need to Know about the Malvertising Cybersecurity Threat (TechRepublic Premium) The Standard plan supports all VPN protocols. Its main additional feature is anti-tracking. IVPN Standard is a good choice if you only use a few devices and want the simplest possible VPN. IVPN Pro The Pro plan costs $8.33 per user per month when billed annually and protects up to seven devices. Like the Standard plan, two- and three-year plans kick the price down further. IVPN Pro also supports all VPN protocols, and its features include anti-tracking and multi-hop. I recommend the Pro plan if you’re a home office user or freelancer with more than two devices. IVPN’s key features I looked at five of IVPN’s most useful features, including a killswitch, anti-tracking technology, WireGuard IP address rotation schedules, multihop, and a mobile application for phone users. SEE: How Much Does a VPN Cost? + Savings Tips (TechRepublic) Killswitch IVPN’s killswitch is available for macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS if you use the built-in on-demand feature. A killswitch shuts down your internet connection if the VPN connection drops. This helps protect DNS and IPv6 leaks so your data isn’t exposed if the VPN momentarily fails. Killswitches are an essential VPN feature, one of the most basic capabilities you need to protect your internet sessions. SEE: 6 Best Anonymous (No-Log) VPNs for 2024 (TechRepublic) Anti-tracker IVPN’s anti-tracking feature blocks ads and adware on customer devices. It also blocks data harvesters and malicious websites. Anti-tracking is a useful feature often found in top antivirus tools and VPNs, and it’s one of IVPN’s key capabilities. Aside from the added privacy of anti-tracking, I recommend IVPN for users who commonly perform extensive research on the internet and want to avoid ad clutter. IVPN on Mac with firewall and anti-tracking turned on. SEE: Does a VPN Slow Down Your Internet Speed? (TechRepublic) WireGuard controls IVPN allows users to create their own custom schedules for rotating keys and IP addresses. They can define the frequency of IP address shuffling based on their security needs. I find this particularly helpful if you’re a contractor or home office worker in a security-heavy industry and need frequent key and IP address changes. Multihop VPN Multihop allows VPN users to connect to servers in different locations sequentially. The VPN is “hopping” from one server to another, which adds privacy — if someone somehow manages to trace your internet activity despite the VPN, they’ll have a very limited time frame in which to snoop. Mobile app IVPN’s mobile app for Android supports Android operating systems 7.1 and higher. The iOS app supports iOS and iPadOS 15.0 and higher. The source code for both apps is available on GitHub, if you’re a developer and want to check out the app’s programming. Both mobile apps provide multi-hop VPN routes, WireGuard privacy controls, and anti-tracking technology. If you use your phone frequently for work or sensitive online connections, I recommend IVPN’s mobile app. IVPN connections on mobile devices. More about Cloud Security IVPN pros IVPN has a few advantages for potential buyers: It has anti-tracking and ad-blocking features. Applications on all platforms are open source. IVPN doesn’t store logs of customer browsing data. I suggest trying IVPN if you want to avoid being tracked by online services. Also, if you’re a developer or just interested in checking out the source code, IVPN makes that code available. SEE: Can a VPN Be Hacked? (TechRepublic) IVPN cons IVPN also has a few disadvantages: It has email support but no phone or live chat. No integrations with password managers available. Lacks training videos. If you’re new to VPNs and are looking for service setup videos, IVPN doesn’t offer much. While email support may be sufficient for many users, I’d recommend looking elsewhere if you want chat or phone options, too. Alternatives to IVPN IVPN Surfshark VPN NordVPN Hotspot Shield Starting price (billed annually) $5 per user per month $2.99 per user per

For organizations looking to attract talent, job seekers are interested in competitive compensation, career and professional development, and a commitment to healthy work life balance. Expect heavy competition for software engineers, software developers, and cloud, database, and systems engineers and administrators, as well as end-user support professionals.  Here are 10 jobs expected to be in high demand for 2025, the skills and experience you should look for when hiring, and the salary ranges you’ll want to pay to stay competitive in the marketplace — ranked by average pay. The 10 most in-demand tech jobs for 2025 Job 25th percentile 50th percentile 75th percentile Data engineer $125,750 $154,000 $179,500 Senior software engineer $121,250 $147,500 $177,250 Software developer $106,500 $130,750 $153,000 Network/cloud architect $108,250 $129,750 $152,000 Systems engineer $97,750 $119,250  $148,500  Developer/programmer analyst $94,750 $120,500  $142,500  Senior consultant $96,750 $116,000 $136,250 Systems administrator $78,750 $96,250  $115,500  Desktop support analyst $55,000 $66,500  $77,250  Help desk – tier 1 $40,500 $49,000 $54,750 25th percentile: new to the type of role, still acquiring relevant skills 50th percentile: average experience, has most of the necessary skills 75th percentile: above average experience, has all needed skills Data engineer Data engineers are responsible for building, designing, and maintaining the tools and software required to analyze and process large data sets in the enterprise. It’s an important role for maintaining data in a business, with a focus on ensuring data tools are scalable, reliable, and secure across the organization. source

In many cases, this eliminates the need for specialized teams, extensive data labeling, and complex machine-learning pipelines. The extensive pre-trained knowledge of the LLMs enables them to effectively process and interpret even unstructured data.  An important aspect of this democratization is the availability of LLMs via easy-to-use APIs. Today, almost every developer knows how to work with API-based services, which makes integrating these models into existing software ecosystems seamless. This allows companies to benefit from powerful models without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. Alternatively, several models can be operated on-premises if there are specific security or data protection requirements. However, this comes at the cost of some of the advantages offered by the leading frontier models.  Take, for example, an app for recording and managing travel expenses. Traditionally, such an application might have used a specially trained ML model to classify uploaded receipts into accounting categories, such as DATEV. This required dedicated infrastructure and ideally a full MLOps pipeline (for model training, deployment and monitoring) to manage data collection, training and model updates.  source

By Lauren Berg ( January 10, 2025, 9:27 PM EST) — The personal data of tens of millions of students, parents and teachers was put at risk last month when hackers were able to worm their way into PowerSchool’s systems because the educational software company’s security safeguards were not up to snuff, two lawsuits filed in California federal court allege…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More What happens after a customer clicks the “buy” button on an ecommerce website? It’s a domain known as post-purchase, and it’s often one of the costliest and most impactful aspects of operations for retailers. Post-purchase activities include figuring out delivery, customer retention and, if needed, returns. Among the pioneers in the space is Narvar which counts more than 1,500 global retailers, including big brands like Gap, Levis and Sonos among its customers. Across all its various customer touch points, Narvar collects information from more than 42 billion consumer interactions annually. Narvar today is expanding its services’ intelligence with a new AI-powered platform it calls IRIS (Intelligent Retail Insights Service). IRIS combines data, AI and analytics in a highly optimized platform. The goal is to help retailers combat fraud, optimize delivery promises, streamline returns and create more personalized customer experiences. Among the first services IRIS enables is the AI-powered Narvar Assist, which is designed to automate claims management and help reduce delivery claims fraud. Early results from a cohort of 20 retailers show dramatic improvements: an 80% reduction in fraud-related inquiries and a 25% decrease in appeasements, or the compensation retailers provide for shipping-related issues.  “We’re not just solving problems; we’re transforming what has traditionally been a cost center into a strategic advantage for retailers,” Anisa Kumar, Narvar’s CEO, told VentureBeat in an exclusive interview. Why AI in post-purchase operations is critical to retail success Kumar joined Narvar in 2021 as chief customer officer and became the CEO in October 2024. Prior to that, she had a long history working in the trenches of customer operations at Levis Strauss and Co., Walmart and Target where she saw retailers’ challenges firsthand. Retailers of all types generally spend a lot of time and effort thinking about consumer aquisition. Kumar noted that the big challenge, however, is keeping customers. “Post-purchase is really thinking through what’s that next frontier to keep your consumers coming back, and really treat them the way they need to be treated, give them personalized experiences,” she said. With all the data that Narvar collects, AI is now able to help retailers turn post-purchase into an activity that helps with customer retention. The use of AI in retail operation overall has struggled; for instance, a 2024 report from Forrester found high levels of interest, but low levels of adoption. As a SaaS offering, Narvar is making it easier for retailers to get the benefits of AI. Kumar explained that the IRIS platform will help create hyper-personalized post-purchase experiences for retailers and their end consumers. How Narvar is using AI to improve the bottom line  The IRIS system uses a combination of AI and data services from Google Cloud, as well as proprietary machine learning (ML) and predictive AI algorithms. Ram Ravicharan, CTO of Narvar, emphasized the power and importance of the data the company has to inform AI to help retailers. Narvar processes billions of consumer touchpoints, giving it unique insights into customer behavior and intent. Narvar’s IRIS is not using generative AI, although it is using techniques that have pioneered large language models (LLMs), including the use of transformers.  “If you think of transactions that people do on the purchase journey as a language, we now almost have a language of what the next sentence is going to be,” Ravicharan explained. “And that’s literally the way we look at it.” With predictive AI models and the data, Narvar has a solid understanding of customer intent. That can be extremely useful for customer retention as well as fraud prevention. Beyond fraud mitigation, IRIS is also designed to help retailers more accurate delivery promises and enhance customer loyalty. Prior to IRIS, Narvar tended to rely on rules-based models, particularly for commitments such as estimated delivery date. With the new models, there is more intelligence from across the retail network to provide a higher degree of accuracy, Kumar noted. For example, the system is aware of weather issues and carrier delivery systems that can impact delivery. “Everyone focuses on customer acquisition, but they lose them and pay to acquire them all over again,” Kumar explained. “IRIS helps retailers create lasting relationships by delivering personalized experiences when they matter most — after the sale.” Early users see gains  The Narvar Assist technology is not yet generally available, although it is being piloted by existing customers. Among those is Boston Proper. The clothing retailer has been a Narvar customer for 6 years, explained DeAnne Judd, Boston Proper’s CIO. To date, Boston Proper has used Narvar’s Engage solution to proactively notify consumers about the delivery of their orders and potential exceptions to improve visibility and customer experience. The company also uses Narvar’s Return and Exchange solution to automate return processing and provide visibility to the consumer on the status of their refund. Judd noted that, right now, Boston Proper is using the first IRIS solution, Assist, that leverages Narvar’s ecosystem to reduce costs due to fraud. “Since integrating Narvar Assist, customer contacts and costs have decreased due to its enhanced user interface and streamlined intelligent processes,” said Judd. Bridging online and in-store  Looking forward, Narvar plans to extend IRIS in a number of ways. While the initial Assist product has been focused on online transactions, Kumar noted that Narvar is working with a few retailers to extend the capabilities in-store as well. The Narvar platform has insights into data and interactions across online, in-store and even warehouse operations. “Our vision is to bridge online and in-store environments and the way we’ve constructed our models and the way we will develop transactional intent goes across channels,” she said. source

敘福樓集團（01978）旗下公司株式会社近期在香港開了多間新分店，當中，最近期的是日本No.1燒肉店牛角之副線 「牛角J」 首間分店進駐啟德體育園啟德零售館2三樓。筆者所見，雖然在啟德體育館附近，並非典型的商業區域，但中午和晚上吃飯時段人頭湧湧，甚至門外有顧客在輪候入座。 叙福樓集團旗下株式会社有限公司於2008年成立，經營多個自家品牌及特許經營品牌，包括從日本引入家傳戶曉的牛角、温野菜、THE MATCHA TOKYO，以及於 2024 年 5 月開業的挽肉と米等，而自家品牌則有牛涮鍋、好呷台灣火鍋及和平飯店等。另外，於2024年12月一次推出多個新品牌，包括牛角J、好鍋日子、KAMO及敘 ‧ 小麵，旨在為顧客帶來多元化優質餐飲體驗。 「牛角J」 的「J」代表「Junior」、「Japan」、「Juicy」及「Joy」，「牛角J」 追求高品質、高速度、多樣性，以全日之一人定食及多人套餐為主，為顧客提供最高性價比 的燒肉體驗，是一個人盡興或者與親朋好友小型聚會的首選，各種口味的肉品及醬汁配搭亦必定令大家耳目一新。「牛角J」 第二分店亦將於2025年1月登陸東涌東薈城，讓更多顧客 可以享受全新的燒肉體驗。 「牛角J」旨在為各位肉類愛好者提供優質蛋白質，11 款全日定食實屬超值之選，除了肉品更包括是日前菜、味增湯及珍珠飯，當中食肉獸大胃王必試只需 $158的「相撲燒肉盛」，美味的黑白胡椒牛五花肉量約有一磅重(450g)，100g牛五花平均只是 $35，讓你無負擔地享受啖啖肉。有選擇困難症，甚麼肉都想試?$98 即可享3品燒肉定食，包括「花椒孜然雙牛& 雞定食」就有牛板腱、牛舌、雞爽肉，或者是「韓風辛 辣豚雞三重定食」就有豚肉燒、豬頸肉、雞腿肉， Juicy滋味輪流爆發。另外，加 $8 – $16 更可將珍珠 飯更可升級至大人氣之牛角飯或櫻花蝦鰹魚紫菜飯 ，清新之選則可加 $26 轉配有脆雞皮田園沙律或低卡魔芋麵。 另外，開業優惠(至2025年1月17日)「魔法塩醬牛五花」定食，只需 $48 起，絕對是性價比皇者! 此外，惠顧「威士忌燒汁雙牛定食 (牛小排/牛五花) -$148/200g」可免費升級至 250g! 而「牛角J」餐目也非常多元化，除11款全日燒肉定食外，更設 $48 起之午市定食，想個人化 可點選任何單點燒肉加 $26 升級為定食。當中抵食之選必推人均只需$150之2人前、4人前 及6人前勁「JENG」套餐，單是肉品每人平均已足足200g，7折優惠價可一次過品嘗「牛角J」 餐牌上大部分的沙律、前菜、燒肉盛合、飯/湯/飲品，包括脆雞皮田園沙律、鰹魚絲玉子燒、 汁煮翡翠螺、燒肉盛合、燒海鮮、牛角飯、蕃茄味噌海鮮湯等多款選擇，最啱與親朋好友歡聚，共享燒肉美味。另設Kid’s Menu適合小朋友Enjoy燒肉之樂趣! LinkedIn Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp source

Network latency refers to the delay that occurs when data travels across a network from one point to another. It’s the time it takes for a data packet to go from its source to its destination and back. There is always going to be some latency on a network — but when it gets too high, it can result in slower performance, poor call quality, laggy websites, and other annoying experiences. High latency is a common frustration for businesses, especially when it impacts mission-critical applications like VoIP phone systems, online payment gateways, or real-time collaboration tools. In this guide, I’ll explore the main causes of network latency, from outdated hardware and inefficient network routing. I’ll also cover tools for diagnosing network latency and a short list of practical fixes to ensure smoother, faster connections across your network. 1 RingCentral RingEx Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Hosted PBX, Managed PBX, Remote User Ability, and more 2 Talkroute Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Call Management/Monitoring, Call Routing, Mobile Capabilities, and more 3 CloudTalk Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features 24/7 Customer Support, Call Management/Monitoring, Contact Center, and more Causes of network latency To truly understand and address network latency, it’s essential to identify its causes, which can range from physical factors like distance to more technical aspects such as hardware performance and software efficiency. SEE: It’s also important to understand what a network is, how data packets work, and other networking fundamentals.  In this section, we’ll break down the key factors contributing to network latency, explaining how each one can affect your connection speed and overall performance. By pinpointing the underlying causes, you can better tackle latency issues and implement the right solutions to improve your network’s responsiveness and reliability. 1. Distance All else being equal, the longer the physical distance between devices and server locations, the greater the latency. When it comes down to it, latency is simply the time it takes for data to move from its source to its destination. Even with data moving at incredibly fast speeds, significant distances can still introduce noticeable delays. For example, this is why good web hosts have servers in data centers around the world — it cuts down on the distance data needs to travel — they can offer faster service for a greater number of customers compared to having to route all traffic through a single location. 2. Transmission medium Different ways of sending data, like using different cables or wireless connections, can change how fast the data moves. Fiber optic cables are like the express lanes, as they typically cause very little delay. On the other hand, copper cables and wireless methods are usually slower. The type and quality of the material used for these connections are also important because they affect the maximum rate at which your data can travel, and that also affects how much latency you’ll experience. SEE: Learn more about Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and when it will be phased out in the United States and other countries. 3. Network hardware Network hardware, such as routers, switches, and servers, can contribute to latency if they can’t handle high data volumes efficiently. Outdated or low-quality network hardware can significantly slow down your network, increasing latency. For example, a newer router designed for VoIP will offer a company much better performance and more control than an older, non-specialized device. In addition to slowing down network performance, older devices may struggle to handle the demands of modern traffic volumes, especially in high-demand environments. As a result, network congestion and queuing become more common, further exacerbating latency. The limited processing power and outdated firmware of older hardware can also present a security vulnerability, as these devices may lack the latest protections against evolving threats, potentially compromising the entire network. SEE: Learn how to perform a vulnerability scan. 4. Website content and design The design and complexity of a website can also affect latency. Websites with heavy content — such as those with high-resolution images, videos, and complex scripts — require more data to be loaded. This increases the time it takes for a website to load and become fully interactive, contributing to higher perceived latency. Optimizing content, such as compressing images or using efficient code, can help minimize this delay and improve the user experience. SEE: Learn about the best digital asset management tools and how companies keep web content lean at scale. 5. Network hops Each “hop” in a network path, such as when data passes through devices like routers and switches, adds a small delay. The more hops between the source and destination, the greater the cumulative latency. Each hop introduces processing and queuing delays as data packets are inspected and routed towards their destination. 6. Malware Malware infections can degrade network performance by consuming bandwidth and interfering with network processes. This can increase latency as the network becomes congested or the malware disrupts normal data flow. 7. Hosting The type of hosting solution used for websites and applications can directly impact latency. Shared hosting environments, where multiple users share resources, can result in increased latency due to resource contention. In contrast, VPS, cloud, or dedicated hosting solutions offer better performance and lower latency, as they allocate resources more efficiently and reduce the impact of other users on your network. SEE: Check out the best web hosts this year.  8. Software Software efficiency plays a crucial role in network latency, particularly in applications like VoIP phone services. Since VoIP software relies on real-time data transmission, inefficient software can lead to increased latency and negatively affect call quality. How to diagnose network latency issues Uncovering the cause of your network latency can be tricky

Generative AI products have sparked a surge in data center development. Microsoft is continuing this trend with plans to invest $80 billion in fiscal year 2025 to build AI-enabled data centers, the company revealed in a recent blog post. “Not since the invention of electricity has the United States had the opportunity it has today to harness new technology to invigorate the nation’s economy,” wrote Microsoft President and Vice Chair Brad Smith. “In many ways, artificial intelligence is the electricity of our age, and the next four years can build a foundation for America’s economic success for the next quarter century.” $80 billion dedicated to AI data centers and deployment Microsoft’s vision is built on three core pillars: Advancing and investing in AI technology and infrastructure within the U.S. Implementing AI skilling programs to encourage AI adoption and career opportunities in the country. Exporting American AI technologies to political allies. The $80 billion investment will be divided into various projects, including a task to “build out AI-enabled datacenters to train AI models and deploy AI and cloud-based applications around the world,” Smith wrote. Over half of the investment has been earmarked for infrastructure within the U.S. This investment into AI data centers far exceeds Microsoft’s total capex spending in 2024, which totaled at least $53 billion. More about data centers ‘AI race’ with China rages on Meanwhile, international investment will further Microsoft’s goal of dominating external markets with U.S. AI products, particularly in areas facing competition from China. Microsoft’s reference to AI data centers in the same breath as China’s Belt and Road investments shows the ongoing and well-documented “AI race” is going strong. Both countries seek to add AI and cloud data center infrastructure to global infrastructure. Microsoft highlighted the United Arab Emirates and Kenya as footholds for the U.S. to which Microsoft provided AI infrastructure and supply line expertise. “The rapid development of China’s AI sector has heightened competition between American and Chinese AI, with much of this likely to play out during the next four years in international markets around the world,” Smith wrote. SEE: The U.S. alleges Chinese threat actors were behind a breach of U.S. Treasury systems in December. In discussing the upcoming presidential administration, Smith recalled past executive orders fostering AI development. He requested that the U.S. government “expand on these efforts” and support AI research. “Pragmatic” export control policies and loose regulations will help Microsoft foster the U.S. economy through its sale of AI products, Smith wrote. Microsoft’s AI products proliferate through PCs and smart devices In recent months, Microsoft has made additional moves that reaffirm its commitment to AI. In 2024, the tech giant invested about $14 billion in OpenAI. Smith explained that AI skilling will be essential for the future of American jobs. Microsoft provides free training in the basics of generative AI and has continued efforts to upskill professionals and AI hobbyists, including in APAC. Microsoft has also continued to produce AI PCs equipped with the Copilot+ generative AI assistant. The Redmond-based company also has partnered with other hardware makers to enhance AI infrastructure options like Azure. Both LG and Samsung are adding shortcuts to Microsoft Copilot to their smart TVs, the companies announced on Jan. 6 at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. Smith believes Microsoft’s AI efforts will ultimately support the American economy. However, he noted that the success of these efforts is contingent upon a broad technology ecosystem, including the entire chip economy, software developers who create solutions for customers, and the construction firms building data centers. “Together,” he explained, “all these groups have enabled the technology sector to become an economic backbone for the United States and the world.” source

In the 1977 Star Wars film A New Hope, there’s an iconic scene where the beloved droid R2-D2 casts a beam of light to create a hologram of Princess Leia pleading for the help of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Sadly, almost 50 years on, we’re not much closer to the true holograms science fiction promised us, let alone the teleportation devices and flying cars.  Yes, we have AR and VR headsets like Microsoft’s HoloLens or Apple’s Vision Pro, but those simply use transparent screens to give the effect of a hologram. Even Tupac’s famous “live” Coachella performance 16 years after his death was pulled off using a trick of light called Pepper’s ghost. Nope, not a real hologram folks.  Real holograms bend light to create 3D images that hover in the air and are visible from every angle — a bit like how Princess Leia was depicted all those years ago. Holography is a burgeoning field, and there are a few companies that have plans to commercialise the technology. One of them is Swave.  The 💜 of EU tech The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now! Swave spun out from Belgium’s Imec, one of the world’s foremost research facilities on nanoelectronics, in 2022. The company claims its Holographic eXtended Reality (HXR) display tech is the first to achieve true holography by sculpting lightwaves into 3D life-likeimages.     Swave recently secured €27mn in a funding round led by Belgian wealth fund SFPIM and imec.xpand, a deep tech-focused venture capital spinoff from Imec. The fresh capital follows a €10mn seed round in 2023, bringing the startup’s total raised to €37mn.    “This round will accelerate Swave’s product introductions as we continue to solve the challenges of today’s AR experiences through true holography,” said Mike Noonen, Swave’s CEO.   Swave’s first product is set to be a pair of lightweight smart glasses that could blow the current state-of-the-art out of the water. The glasses have a special display that uses phase-change materials to steer light and sculpt 3D images that you can see from all angles.  The company claims to have developed the world’s smallest pixels (less than 300nm) that help produce clear, high-quality images without straining the eyes. The founders’ ultimate goal is to create applications that can pass the visual Turing test, where virtual reality is indistinguishable from real-world images. To create full colour, the glasses use a spatial colour system. Instead of using multiple panels or fast switching, it arranges colour filters in a pattern on a single display panel. This system reduces visual artefacts and improves battery life, making the glasses more efficient, said Swave.   The company believes the smart glasses, which are still in testing, will deliver a better depth of field and wider field of view than equivalent headsets while being much smaller and lighter.   Swave’s glasses could also solve some common problems for AR and VR. Users could adjust holograms to their eyesight — without the need for bulky gear. They could also dynamically switch their focus and change the distances of digital objects, which would reduce side effects such as nausea, eye fatigue, and headaches. Fuelled by the fresh funding, Swave now has its sights set on a product launch.  “With Series A funding secured and silicon running at our partner fabs, we are on track to introduce product development kits and soon thereafter production devices,” said Dmitri Choutov, Swave’s co-founder and COO.  Swave is also working on Heads Up Displays (HUDs) for vehicles as well as a so-called spatial light modulator. This device would create holograms without the need for glasses at all. Now that’s something that might come close to R2-D2’s wizardry — or perhaps even better.       source