9 IT resolutions for 2025

CIOs are an ambitious lot. Not the type to be satisfied with the status quo, they have set big goals for themselves in the upcoming year, according to countless surveys of IT execs. They want to expand their use of artificial intelligence, deliver more value from those AI investments, further boost employee productivity, drive more efficiencies, improve resiliency, expand their transformation efforts, and more. Of course, every CIO has a unique to-do list with key objectives to accomplish. So, in keeping with the New Year’s spirit, we asked multiple CIOs about their professional resolutions for 2025. Here’s what they resolve to do in the upcoming 12 months. source

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Quantitative Trader Accused Of Stealing Firm's Source Code

By Theresa Schliep ( January 8, 2025, 8:47 PM EST) — New York federal prosecutors have accused a quantitative trader of stealing the secrets of a billion-dollar company’s source code from his former employer to use at his own trading firm, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in New York federal court…. 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

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Oshkosh launches EV and other tech for specialty vehicles with safety, quiet and cleanliness in mind

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More At CES 2025 for the first time ever, Oshkosh launched a number of specialty vehicles with electric power, safety, quiet and cleanliness in mind. It’s an example of the trend of non-tech companies showing up with technology that makes products better but doesn’t take center stage. In this case, the 107-year-old company is bringing us EV postal service trucks, collision avoidance for first responders, and garbage pickup robots. Oshkosh announced its Collison Avoidance Mitigation System designed specifically to keep first responders and service workers safe while operating in high-risk roadside environments. The Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based company also launched AI and electrified solutions that improve refuse and recycling collection in communities and an innovative, autonomous robot designed for on-demand refuse collection that reduces weekly chores. “Technology is only as valuable as the positive impacts it has on our lives and our communities,” said John Pfeifer, Oshkosh CEO, in a statement. “Oshkosh has been working closely with our customers to find solutions to the toughest challenges for some of the hardest jobs in the world – from protecting firefighters to reducing pollution to tackling weekly chores. Our latest solutions use AI, autonomous, connected, and electrification technology to transform our neighborhoods and put technology to work for all of us to make our world safer, cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable.” Pfeifer said in a press briefing that the company leverages tech born on race tracks with its PrattMiller division, and then it takes them into areas like reducing risks for those working on the road with fire trucks or two trucks. Pfeifer said the company is working on tech for the airport of the future, the job site of the future and the neighborhood of the future. Smarter airports, postal trucks and garbage trucks An Oshkosh smart jet bridge. In airports, anyone can see inefficiencies in airports like sitting around airports because of long lines or delays. AI-driven docks, cargo handling and airplane parking tools can minimize human error or delays in getting planes and luggage to where they need to be. iOPS tech can digitally connect the entire gate operation for an aircraft and can synchronize everything, reducing aircraft turnaround time by two minutes for each flight, based on a test with one airline with 200 planes. The cumulative savings in time, efficiency and cost becomes significant, Pfeifer said. To make job sites safer, Oshkosh is making autonomous vehicles and similar hubs that can manage vehicles so they’re ready when needed. Oshkosh makes purpose-built, route-based vehicles like postal service trucks. Electric cars have problems with unpredictable driving distances and scarce EV chargers. But the fleets that the postal service uses have predictable routes and can be tailored to maximize the use of the EV infrastructure. Oshkosh is delivering 165,000 vehicles to the USPS, and 70% of them are zero-emission EV trucks, Pfeifer said. Reducing roadside risks for first responders The CAMS system can protect first responders. Oshkosh noted that first responders and service workers, such as tow truck drivers, take incredible risks every time they respond to a call that involves an active roadway. More than 250 first responders have died from being struck by a vehicle (mostly driven by distracted drivers) on the job in the last four years. To improve the safety of first responders and service workers, Oshkosh developed the Collison Avoidance Mitigation System (CAMS) – the first system designed specifically for roadside emergency scenarios. CAMS accurately detects the trajectory, speed, and proximity of oncoming vehicles relative to a parked response vehicle by using advanced camera technology with AI, advanced autonomous driving sensors, and radar, Iyenger said. This tech came from the PrattMiller car racing business. CAMS provides two to three seconds of advance notice of an impending collision, significantly improving the safety of everyday heroes during roadside operations, Iyenger said. The camera system also records a continuous video feed that supports accident reconstruction and insurance documentation, adding another layer of operational safety. Whether responding to accidents, performing roadside assistance, or managing snow removal, CAMS is an essential tool that enhances situational awareness. Improving neighborhoods with better refuse and recycling collection This Volterra electric garbage truck is quieter and it uses AI to pick up bins. Oshkosh also introduced three market-leading technologies that complement its McNeilus Volterra ZSL – a first-of-its-kind integrated, electric garbage truck for refuse and recycling collection in North America. Most refuse trucks are outdated in terms of modern safety, comfort and noise pollution principles, said Jay Iyenger, CTO of Oshkosh, said in a briefing. But the new truck can do things like detect a bin and reach out accurately with a robotic arm to pick it up on the first try. Normally, a driver has to stop and use a joystick to pick up a bin through trial and error. Iyenger said Oshkosh is working on ways to make electrificiation, autonomy, and AI technologies to make gargage collection and recyling more efficient. There are problems like cross-contamination of recyclables and refuse. It is also designed for operator comfort and safety. It also has a new McNeilus Volterra ZFL front-loading truck to complement its side-loading truck. The new technologies include: AI-enabled bin detection: This will allow for safer and smarter refuse pickup. Using AI and machine learning to enable semi-autonomous bin handling, collection vehicles will detect refuse bins autonomously. With the push of a button, the electric arm will deploy to collect the bin with high precision. The streamlined process reduces human error, accelerates cycle times, and is expected to decrease training time, Iyenger said. It also enhances safety since the arm will not deploy if anything other than a bin is detected. Electrified arm: Oshkosh is replacing the traditional hydraulic arm on refuse and recycling collection vehicles with a new electric version. The electrified arm operates faster than hydraulic arms, saving up to 50 minutes to 60 minutes per day and enabling collection companies to service

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How to Pick the Right Omnichannel Contact Center

Imagine giving your team the ability to see all the information your company has on any lead or customer while also making it possible to contact them via any channel your company uses — all from a single platform. That’s what an omnichannel contact center does. It ties together everything a team of agents might use — from social media, text apps, and chatbots to phone calls, VoIP phone services, and CRM systems. Unlike multichannel contact centers, which keep information siloed from channel to channel, omnichannel contact centers centralize communication for higher efficiency and more impactful customer relationships. 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 What should an omnichannel contact center include? Core omnichannel contact center features At the heart of every omnichannel contact center is the ability to manage multiple communication channels in one place. In addition to support for every channel you care about, key features must include real-time customer interaction management, seamless channel switching, and integrated reporting across all touchpoints. A centralized customer database (built-in or integrated with your CRM) that tracks interactions and provides context for agents is also crucial, enabling more personalized service. One interesting development of the last few years is that many of the leading business phone service providers have begun integrating digital channels and offering the core omnichannel contact center features to their customers. Advanced contact center features Advanced features go beyond the basics, providing deeper insights and automation to enhance performance. These include AI-driven tools like sentiment analysis, conversational IVR, chatbots, Interactive Virtual Assistants,  and predictive analytics that help agents prioritize and address customer needs more effectively. Additionally, tools for contact center workforce optimization, such as dynamic routing and advanced analytics dashboards, can streamline operations and improve decision-making. These features provide businesses with greater control, flexibility, and the ability to scale efficiently. SEE: Benefits of conversational IVR and the differences between IVR vs IVA.  Deploying an omnichannel contact center Omnichannel contact centers can be deployed in several ways, each offering different advantages depending on business needs, resources, and scale. Here are the common options: On-premises: The contact center software and infrastructure are installed and managed on-site, typically within the company’s own data center. Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS): A cloud-based solution where the provider hosts and manages the contact center software and infrastructure. Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS): Provides APIs that enable businesses to build customized omnichannel communication solutions by integrating messaging, voice, video, and other services into existing systems. Hybrid deployment: Combines both on-premises and cloud-based solutions, allowing businesses to maintain some functions in-house while leveraging cloud capabilities for scalability and remote access. Managed services: Outsourcing the management of the entire contact center infrastructure to a third-party provider, typically cloud-based, with services tailored to business requirements. Each deployment method has its own strengths, and the choice depends on factors like budget, scale, security, and the need for flexibility. For example, hosted CCaaS provides a scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solution with minimal upfront investment, making it ideal for companies seeking ease of deployment and management. CPaaS omnichannel contact centers, on the other hand, offer greater flexibility and customization by allowing businesses to build tailored communication solutions through APIs, giving them more control over their customer engagement strategies. SEE: Learn why most businesses should opt for CCaaS.  How to select the best omnichannel contact center Take inventory of all hardware and channels While most omnichannel contact centers work with a wide range of hardware and communications channels, you should go into your search knowing exactly what you need to successfully migrate a contact center to the new omnichannel platform. Make a list of all the channels you want to connect to it along with all of the functions you need it to be able to handle — otherwise, you may be in for some surprises down the line. For instance, imagine finding out at the eleventh hour that your sales team needs a Whatsapp integration but your omnichannel contact center can’t handle it — or that your IT team has a problematic firewall issue to sort through. To prevent these kinds of hiccups, it’s a good idea to draft an initial list by yourself and circulate it around to your team to notify everyone that you’re looking for a new omnichannel contact center. Ask people to document all the ways their department would use it and find out what the entire team requires before you get too deep in the mud of a system that isn’t right for you. Test the CRM integration Seamless CRM integration is the backbone of any omnichannel contact center — your customer relationship management software is typically the single-source of truth for customer data — without it, you basically have a very fancy multichannel contact center that’s missing key functionality. Every omnichannel contact center vendor advertises pre-built integrations with a range of popular CRMs. This is a good sign, and you should absolutely work with vendors that have experience with the platform you use. But it’s not a sure thing, and you certainly shouldn’t take this to mean that the pre-built contact center CRM integration is going to work “off the shelf.” You have to see it for yourself and go through specific workflows. Make sure that the omnichannel contact center reads the data in your CRM the same way you enter it, as there might be issues with APIs or protocols that can lead to data being lost or

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9th Circ. Upholds Ore. Ban On Secret Audio Recordings

By Rae Ann Varona ( January 7, 2025, 9:30 PM EST) — A split en banc Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday upheld as constitutional an Oregon law prohibiting secret audio recordings of people’s conversations, ruling in a published opinion that the statute was narrowly tailored to Oregon’s significant interest in ensuring its residents know when their conversations are recorded, even in public…. 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

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L’Oreal Cell BioPrint analyzes your skin in five minutes

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More L’Oréal Groupe announced at CES 2025 the L’Oréal Cell BioPrint, a hardware device that provides customized skin analysis in just five minutes at the beauty counter. This isn’t surface-level: this device will utilize cutting-edge proteomics science to understand your skin’s unique biology. L’Oréal calls it a revolution in consumer skin intelligence rooted in the field of longevity science. The company made the announcement at CES 2025, the big tech trade show in Las Vegas this week. L’Oréal has been a regular at the event in recent years as the worlds of beauty and tech collide. Proteomics, the study of how protein composition varies in our bodies and affects biological processes, is now being applied to skin intelligence, with a lab experience that has been miniaturized to the size of a credit card, the 115-year-old beauty company said. Through L’Oréal Groupe’s exclusive partnership with Korean startup NanoEnTek, this groundbreaking technology makes it possible to measure L’Oréal Groupe-patented biomarkers within the skin – invisible clues that reveal the skin’s past, present, and future. L’Oréal’s Advanced Research, for the first time, identified biomarkers in the skin that can indicate key components of skin health and longevity. The L’Oréal Cell BioPrint is a tabletop hardware device that provides personalized skin analysis in just fiveminutes, using advanced proteomics – the study of how protein composition in the human body affects skin aging. L’Oréal Cell BioPrint is made possible by L’Oréal’s Longevity Integrative Scienceä, a groundbreaking approach that reveals how mechanisms in the human body can affect skin’s appearance, and through an exclusive partnership with Korean startup NanoEnTek. L’Oréal Cell BioPrint produces a personalized skin assessment in minutes including: Skin’s Biological Age: How fast is skin aging? L’Oréal Cell BioPrint can calculateskin’s age and provide personalized advice on how to slow down the appearance ofaging. Ingredient Responsiveness: Will certain active ingredients work on one’s skin?L’Oréal Cell BioPrint minimizes guesswork by helping to predict responsiveness tocertain key ingredients such as retinol. Shifting from Reactive to Proactive Skincare: Is one’s skin prone to dark spots orenlarged pores? L’Oréal Cell BioPrint can help predict potential cosmetic issuesbefore they become visible, enabling users to take proactive steps to help protectthe beauty of their skin. “At L’Oréal, we’re always looking toward the future of beauty, blending cutting-edge discoveries with our long-standing beauty expertise,” said said Barbara Lavernos, deputy CEO in charge of research, innovation and technology at L’Oréal Groupe, in a statement. “With skin being the largest organ, and a key part of people’s wellbeing, we are thrilled to unveil Cell BioPrint, an exclusive microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technology coupled with our century-long skin science leadership. With the Cell BioPrint device, we offer people the ability to discover deeper insights about their skin through specific biomarkers and to proactively address the beauty and longevity of their skin.” In Pursuit of Increased Personalization in Skincare L’Oreal Cell Bioprint can analyze your skin in five minutes. The growth of the global skincare market, which is projected to reach $125 billion in 2024, is driven by consumers who are continuously seeking more information about, and more efficacious products for, their unique skin. According to a recent U.S. survey of 2,000 skincare users, nearly 80% reported relying on trial and error to determine what worked for them, with the average person reporting trying seven different cleansers before finding one they love. The advanced science in L’Oréal CellBioPrint is now being applied to skin intelligence thanks to decades of knowledge-building and innovation by L’Oréal’s Advanced Research team, which identified for the first time, unique biomarkers in the skin that can indicate key components of healthy-looking skin and longevity. The L’Oréal Cell BioPrint device also features NanoEntek’s exclusive microfluidic lab-on-a chip technology, which leverages some of NanoEnTek’s 100+ patents to measure the presence of L’Oréal‘s groundbreaking protein biomarkers in five minutes. It works through a simple, non-invasive process comprised of the following steps: Put a facial tape strip on one’s cheek, then place into buffer solution. Load the solution into the L’Oréal Cell BioPrint cartridge and insert it into the machine for analysis. While L’Oréal Cell BioPrint processes the sample, the Skin Connect device takes several images of one’s face and a short questionnaire about skin concerns and aging is completed. L’Oréal Cell BioPrint is scheduled to pilot with a L’Oréal brand in Asia later in 2025. L’Oréal has more than 90,000 employees, including 20 research centers with more than 4,000 scientists and 6,400 workers. L’Oréal is focused on inventing the future of beauty and becoming a beauty tech powerhouse. source

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香港首間蘇式小麵專門店「敘.小麵」海港城正式開業

敘福樓集團(01978)旗下品牌株式会社在香港開始首間蘇式麵店「敘.小麵」,進駐尖沙咀海港城港威商場3樓3203-4及3204A號舖,為食客帶來正宗蘇州麵食體驗,誠邀 閣下以「一冷、一熱、一碗小麵」共嚐舌尖上的姑蘇,品味「粉牆黛瓦,小橋流水」的蘇式雅致美學。屆時更會展示所有澆頭、精選點心、拌麵及菜飯,極具氣勢。 逾30款經典蘇州澆頭「一冷、一熱」配搭千變萬化 「敘.小麵」以創新方式「一冷、一熱、一碗小麵」呈現傳統蘇州麵食。「冷」、「熱」分別指加在湯麵、拌麵上的「澆頭」。品牌提供30多款經典蘇州冷熱澆頭,每款以小碟奉上,讓你根據個人口味選擇不同的澆頭組合,配搭出超過3,000多個專屬小麵滋味,每碗都獨具特色。必試「冷菜澆頭」包括嫩滑開胃的「口水汁轉彎」($19)、鮮香爽彈的「蝦油露鮮蝦」($39)、 晶瑩通透的「鎮江水晶肴肉」($29)等;而經典「現炒熱澆頭」包括擁有超過500年歷史的 「經典蘇式燜肉」($49)、選用江蘇太湖地區黃鱔入饌的「蝦爆太湖鱔絲」($59)、以新鮮豬肉入饌的「玫瑰烤鮮肉方」($49)等。將各式「冷熱澆頭」澆到紅、白、濃鮮湯麵之上,讓鮮味層疊交織,每碗小麵彷若一場盛宴。 3款湯底「紅、白、濃」各自精彩蘇州產細膩麵條纖柔如柳 「敘.小麵」蘇州傳統麵食,以豐富的「澆頭」、考究的「湯頭」以及細膩的「麵條」為特色。湯頭要做到清而不油,靠的是師傅的功架。將鮮豬骨、上等老雞等食材以文火長時間熬製,適時調整火候,才能充分粹出食材精華,同時確保湯色清澄如玉。品牌每天現熬 「紅、白、濃」三款湯頭,除蘇州經典的「醬油豬骨紅湯」和「清燉老雞白湯」外,更為港人 特設口味濃厚的「麻醬紅油濃湯」,滿足喜歡不同濃淡口味的客人。此外,品牌不計成本 使用蘇州產的麵條,麵質細膩,無論做成湯麵或拌麵,都能掛起滿滿汁醬。 LinkedIn Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp source

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Qualcomm unveils AI chips for PCs, cars, smart homes and enterprises

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Qualcomm Technologies unveiled AI technologies and collaborations for PCs, cars, smart homes and enterprises at CES 2025. At the big tech trade show in Las Vegas, Qualcomm showed how it’s using AI capabilities in its chips to drive the transformation of user experiences across diverse device categories, including PCs, automobiles, smart homes and into enterprises. The company unveiled the Snapdragon X platform, the fourth in its high-performance PC portfolio the Snapdragon X Series. It brings industry-leading performance, multi-day battery life and AI to more of the Windows ecosystem. Qualcomm has talked about how its processors are making headway grabbing share from the x86-based AMD and Intel rivals through better efficiency. Qualcomm’s neural processing unit gets about 45 TOPS, a key benchmark for AI PCs. The Snapdragon X family of AI PC processors. Additionally, Qualcomm showed that it is gaining continued traction of the Snapdragon X Series, with more than 60 designs in production or development and another 100-plus expected by 2026. Qualcomm Snapdragon for vehicles Qualcomm demoed chips that are expanding its automotive collaborations. It is working with Alpine, Amazon, Leapmotor, Mobis, Royal Enfield and Sony Honda Mobility, which use Snapdragon Digital Chassis solutions to drive AI-powered in-cabin and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The company also announced its continued traction for its Snapdragon Elite-tier platforms for automotive, highlighting its work with Desay, Garmin and Panasonic for Snapdragon Cockpit Elite. Throughout the show, Qualcomm will highlight its holistic approach to improving comfort and focusing on safety, with demonstrations on the potential of the convergence of AI, multimodal contextual awareness and cloud-based services. Attendees will also get a first glimpse of the new Snapdragon Ride Platform with integrated automated driving software stack and system definition jointly developed with BMW. Smart home 2.0 The La Jolla, California-based Qualcomm further showcased new AI chatbots integrated into appliances, advanced smart TVs, humanoid robots and more. The company envisions 2025 as the start of “Smart Home 2.0,” with significant advancements coming from the integration of generative AI into products at the edge. The company featured devices with high-powered processors capable of handling complex AI tasks independently, enhancing user interaction and device functionality. And, the company announced the next evolution of the Qualcomm Aware Platform, a cloud-based service that empowers enterprises to equip their devices with location, visibility and monitoring capabilities to enable the development of internet of things (IoT) solutions that meet specific needs and challenges of consumers and businesses across a wide range of industries, including logistics, retail, energy, smart home robotics and more. Qualcomm AI On-Prem Appliance Solution Qualcomm also highlighted the Qualcomm AI On-Prem Appliance Solution, an on-premise desktop or wall mounted hardware solution, as well as the Qualcomm Cloud AI Inference Suite, a set of software and services for AI inferencing spanning from near-edge to cloud. The combination of these new offerings allows for small and medium businesses, enterprises and industrial organizations to run custom and off-the-shelf AI applications on their premises, including generative workloads. Running AI inference on premises can deliver significant savings in operational costs and overall total cost of ownership, compared to the cost of renting third-party AI infrastructure. The Qualcomm Booth will be at #5000 in West Hall of LVCC with demos. source

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Ariz. Tribe Sues Social Media Giants Over Youth Mental Health

By Joyce Hanson ( January 8, 2025, 5:35 PM EST) — An Apache tribe has hit all the social media giants with a suit in California federal court claiming the companies’ platforms are designed to addict young people but have a particularly bad effect on Native American youth, who already face a high risk of depression, addiction and suicide…. 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

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