Brian Fagioli

Apple Sports, the free app for iPhone and Apple Watch, is gearing up for the upcoming NFL and college football seasons with several new updates. The app, which enables fans to follow games, leagues, conferences, and teams, will soon offer real-time updates directly on iPhone and Apple Watch Lock Screens through Live Activities. This feature allows users to monitor their favorite teams without unlocking their devices.

The latest enhancements include improved play-by-play features that provide quick access to scoring drives, presented alongside every game play. The app also introduces a dynamic drive tracker that displays the ball's position on the field in real-time. Fans can now follow NFL teams, the top 25 college football teams, and their favorite college conferences more closely.

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Google has introduced several new features for its Gemini platform, aimed at enhancing the user experience with customizable AI experts, known as Gems, and an advanced image generation model, Imagen 3. These features are now available to Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise users and are designed to improve both productivity and creativity across various applications.

Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise subscribers can now create and interact with Gems, which are customizable AI experts tailored to specific tasks or topics. Users can generate Gems by providing instructions, naming them, and then utilizing them for various tasks, including brainstorming ideas or assisting with writing. Gems are designed to offer support in areas such as simplifying complex topics, providing creative inspiration, offering career guidance, giving feedback on writing, and assisting with coding projects. These AI experts are accessible on both desktop and mobile devices in over 150 countries and support a wide range of languages.

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CrowdStrike has announced its integration of the Falcon cybersecurity platform with NVIDIA NIM Agent Blueprints, aimed at helping developers securely utilize open-source foundational models and accelerate generative AI innovation.

Developing enterprise-grade generative AI applications involves a complex process that requires blueprints for standard workflows—such as customer service chatbots, retrieval-augmented generation, and drug discovery—to streamline development. Ensuring the security of these models and the underlying data is essential for maintaining the performance and integrity of generative AI applications.

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The Mono Project, a key component of the .NET ecosystem since its start in 2001, is undergoing a transition. Originally created to allow developers to easily build cross-platform applications, Mono has been instrumental in extending .NET to various operating systems, including Android, iOS, and Linux.

After Microsoft acquired Xamarin in 2016, it became the steward of the Mono Project, continuing its development. The last major release of the original Mono Project occurred in July 2019, with only minor patch releases since, the most recent in February 2024.

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If you're still using Microsoft Windows 11, it might be time to consider a switch. The newly released 4MLinux 46.0 (download here) offers a lightweight and powerful alternative that can make your computing experience smoother and more efficient.

Switching from Windows 11 to 4MLinux can be a great idea for several reasons. First, 4MLinux is known for being much lighter on system resources compared to Windows 11. This means you can get more performance out of older hardware, and even on newer machines, the system feels snappy and responsive without the usual bloat. This efficiency leads to faster boot times, quicker application launches, and an overall more responsive computing experience.

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Lexar has introduced its newest storage solution for gaming enthusiasts: the PLAY 2280 PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD. Engineered to deliver outstanding performance, this SSD boasts read speeds up to 7400MB/s and write speeds up to 6500MB/s, catering to the demands of hardcore gamers who require reduced load times and seamless gameplay experiences.

The PLAY 2280 SSD is designed to enhance the PlayStation 5 (PS5) experience. It has been rigorously tested and approved for the console, providing gamers with additional storage space that allows them to play directly from the drive without needing to transfer or delete files. The included heatsink, optimized specifically for the PS5, ensures that the console can maintain its peak performance and power efficiency, even during intense gaming sessions.

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According to a recent blog post, back in April 2024, LinkedIn (owned by Microsoft) transitioned nearly all its servers, virtual machines, and containers to Azure Linux. This migration was a strategic move to modernize LinkedIn's compute stack and enhance its ability to serve over 1 billion users.

The shift to Azure Linux was largely motivated by the end of life for CentOS 7, which had previously powered much of LinkedIn's infrastructure. The change addressed several technical challenges, such as outdated user-space, slow bootstrap times, and the need for timely security updates. By adopting Azure Linux, LinkedIn aimed to improve performance, reduce costs, and maintain compliance with industry standards.

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TEAMGROUP has introduced the PD20 ECO Mini External SSD, a product designed with an emphasis on sustainability and performance. This external SSD is made from 75 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, which the company claims saves approximately 42,200 plastic bottles for every 100,000 units produced. Additionally, the packaging is FSC-certified and recyclable, underscoring the company’s commitment to minimizing environmental impact.

The PD20 ECO Mini External SSD offers transfer speeds of up to 1,000MB per second through its USB 3.2 Gen2 x1 Type-C interface. It is available in storage capacities of 4TB, 2TB, and 1TB, providing flexibility for users with varying storage needs. Despite its eco-friendly materials, the device maintains durability and performance.

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Apple has announced that its Chief Financial Officer, Luca Maestri, will step down from his role on January 1, 2025. Although Maestri will no longer serve as CFO, he will continue to lead several key departments at Apple, including information systems and technology, information security, and real estate and development, reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook.

As part of a planned succession, Kevan Parekh, currently Apple’s Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, will take over as CFO and join the executive team. Parekh has been with Apple for 11 years, holding various roles in finance, including leadership in Financial Planning and Analysis, Investor Relations, and Market Research. Before joining Apple, Parekh held senior positions at Thomson Reuters and General Motors.

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Polygon users, mark your calendars for September 4th, 2024 -- the day when the highly anticipated MATIC to POL migration officially begins. This isn't just another update; it's a huge step for the entire Polygon ecosystem, and whether you're a seasoned crypto user or just getting started, you need to be prepared.

Starting on that date, POL will replace MATIC as the native gas and staking token on the Polygon Proof-of-Stake (PoS) network. This transition is part of a larger upgrade that reflects the community-driven vision for Polygon as an aggregated blockchain network.

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Sony has just announced its latest truly wireless earbuds, the WF-C510, offering a compact design, impressive battery life, and advanced features at a budget-friendly price point. These earbuds aim to deliver respectable audio quality in a package that's both stylish and comfortable for all-day wear.

The WF-C510 are Sony's smallest closed-type earbuds to date, specifically designed for a snug fit even in smaller ears. They feature an ergonomic design, crafted using extensive ear shape data to ensure a comfortable and stable fit. The earbuds also come with a matte finish and rounded design, while the newly added flat and wider surface button allows for easy operation, ensuring that users can enjoy their music without interruptions.

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TIDAL has unveiled a new suite of tools that allows US-based songwriters to claim and manage their works catalog, ensuring proper identification, attribution, and collection of royalties, including mechanical royalties. This marks a significant step toward supporting songwriters, who often struggle with the complexities of royalty management across multiple platforms.

Songwriter and producer Sabrina Song praised the new tools, saying, "The new TIDAL songwriter tool makes a noticeable difference by giving me a straight-forward look at my catalog to make sure I'm getting accurate royalties. The ability to manage my works in one place really allows me to focus more on making music."

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BenQ has launched the MA Series, the industry’s first line of monitors specifically designed to complement MacBook devices. The new series aims to focus on color consistency and integration with Apple's MacBook range.

Houston Wei, Senior Director of BenQ North America, addressed the common issue of color discrepancy with external monitors. “The MA Series incorporates our proprietary Mac color-tuning technology, which ensures that colors on the MA Series monitors align precisely with those displayed on MacBook Air and MacBook Pro devices,” said Wei.

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Kingston Technology has just expanded its XS1000 external SSD series with a bold new red color variant. This vibrant addition joins the existing black XS1000 and silver XS2000 models, enhancing the range with a dash of color tailored for users who appreciate a stylish flair in their tech gadgets.

The XS1000 red is not only about aesthetics; it maintains the lightweight and ultra-compact design of its predecessors, weighing in at just under 29 grams. This makes it one of the most portable SSDs on the market, ideal for users who are always on the move.

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DexCom, a maker of real-time continuous glucose monitoring devices, announced today the availability of Stelo, the first over-the-counter glucose biosensor in the U.S., now purchasable without a prescription at Stelo.com. This new offering is targeted at the 125 million Americans with Type 2 diabetes and those with prediabetes.

Stelo utilizes DexCom's accurate glucose sensing technology to provide personalized insights on how lifestyle factors such as food, exercise, and sleep can impact glucose levels, all delivered directly to a smartphone without the need for painful fingersticks.

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