Brian Fagioli

Yum! Brands, owner of Taco Bell, has announced the expansion of its Voice AI technology to additional drive-thru locations across the U.S., aiming to equip hundreds of stores by the end of 2024. This development is part of a larger plan to eventually deploy Voice AI technology in Taco Bell drive-thrus worldwide.

The Voice AI technology, already operational in more than 100 Taco Bell drive-thrus across 13 states, seeks to streamline operations for team members and improve the ordering process for customers. The reported benefits include reducing the workload for team members, enhancing order accuracy, providing a consistent and amiable customer interaction, and decreasing wait times, which collectively contribute to Taco Bell's and Yum! Brands' growth objectives.

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Samsung has launched 1TB variants of its PRO Plus and EVO Select microSD cards which are enhanced by the company's eighth-generation V-NAND technology. These new offerings aim to meet the growing demands for high-performance and high-capacity storage solutions, particularly among content creators and tech enthusiasts.

Hangu Sohn, Vice President of Memory Brand Product Biz Team at Samsung Electronics, noted the importance of these advanced storage solutions in today’s tech landscape. "The new high-capacity microSD cards, PRO Plus and EVO Plus, are our response to the demand for storing large amounts of high-quality data in a reliable and secure way," Sohn explained.

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Dynabook Americas, Inc. has launched the latest model in its premium Portégé series. The 14-inch Portégé X40-M, equipped with Intel Core Ultra processors and enhanced with advanced AI capabilities, starts at $1,499.

James Robbins, General Manager at Dynabook Americas, emphasized the enduring popularity of the Portégé series, stating, "The Portégé X40 has been a top seller for years. With the latest enhancements, we continue to strengthen its position as a key enabler of business efficiency." The new model integrates Intel’s latest processors and Copilot AI technology, ensuring that it remains at the forefront of technological advancements.

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Cooler Master has announced the release of two new PC systems, the HAF 5 Pro and NR2 Pro, which are designed to cater to high-performance computing needs with a focus on advanced cooling technology. These systems aim to meet the demands of both gamers and professionals seeking robust performance.

The HAF 5 Pro is built with the latest Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics, targeting users who need to handle intensive gaming and professional tasks without compromise. The system features up to 16GB of DDR4-3200MHz RAM, facilitating seamless multitasking and a 1TB NVMe PCIe SSD that ensures quick load times. It also includes Cooler Master's Hyper 212 heat pipe technology, which enhances the cooling efficiency, vital for maintaining optimal performance under heavy loads.

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Team Asobi has revealed a new DualSense wireless controller, the Astro Bot Limited Edition, set to coincide with the launch of the new Astro Bot game for PlayStation 5 on September 6. This announcement follows the recent unveiling of a new Astro Bot game featuring over 50 planets, multiple new power-ups, enemies, and collectible PlayStation characters.

The limited edition controller showcases design elements such as blue accents, engraved sci-fi motifs, and eyes on the touch pad, reflecting Astro Bot's thematic elements. Starting on August 9 at 7 am PT in the U.S. and at 10 am local time in European countries including the U.K., France, and Germany, the controller will be available for pre-order at direct.playstation.com and select retailers. It is priced at $79.99/ €79.99 / £69.99 / ¥11,980.

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ADATA has introduced its newest external solid-state drive, the SC750, which leverages the USB 3.2 Gen2 interface to offer impressive read/write speeds of up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s. Designed for mobility and efficiency, the SC750 supports a direct plug-and-play connection via its Type-C connector to both iPhone 15 series and Android Type-C devices. And yes, it will work with Windows, Linux, and macOS computers too.

The compact SC750 eliminates the need for an external data cable and is small enough to fit into a pocket, making it an ideal companion for travel or field work. Users can easily transfer large files, edit directly from the drive, or back up important project files without delay, enhancing productivity across various tasks.

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ADATA has launched the LEGEND 970 PRO PCIe Gen5 solid state drive. The SSD features an active cooled heatsink that efficiently reduces temperatures by up to 20 percent, enhancing long-term performance stability and reliability. This drive is the first in the market to power its micro-fan directly from the M.2 slot, a design that ensures a tidy setup without the need for additional power cables.

The LEGEND 970 PRO's cooling system features a double-layered aluminum heatsink integrated with air ducts to effectively manage airflow. This setup not only maintains the SSD at optimal temperatures but also fits neatly into compact spaces, making it ideal for systems with limited room.

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Hulu subscribers will need to say goodbye to live space explorations and documentaries on their screens, as the streaming service announced it will be dropping the NASA channel from its Hulu + Live TV lineup effective August 28, 2024.

The NASA channel has been a unique offering on Hulu, providing viewers with live broadcasts of space missions, insightful science coverage, and educational content about the universe and beyond. Its removal may disappoint space enthusiasts who have enjoyed unparalleled access to NASA's operations and educational content.

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TEAMGROUP has officially launched the T-FORCE GC PRO PCIe 5.0 solid state drive. The new SSD features a PCIe Gen5x4 interface and DRAM Cache architecture.

Equipped with an ultra-thin graphene heat spreader, the SSD offers superior temperature control, compatible with any motherboard's native M.2 SSD heatsink. This ensures that the SSD operates at optimal efficiency, enhancing performance by maintaining a cool environment even under intense operations. The T-FORCE GC PRO achieves impressive read speeds of up to 12,500 MB/s, making it one of the fastest SSDs currently available on the market.

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As OpenAI rolls out its SearchGPT prototype, a question looms large: Should Google feel threatened by this new entrant in the search engine landscape? SearchGPT promises a revolutionary approach to online search by integrating AI capabilities with real-time web information, potentially changing how users interact with search engines.

SearchGPT is designed to streamline the search experience, providing direct answers with clear sourcing, which could make searches faster and more relevant. This AI-enhanced tool also emphasizes a strong partnership with publishers and creators, aiming to boost the discoverability of high-quality content. Such features might appeal to users who are increasingly looking for efficient and reliable information retrieval methods.

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Linux Mint 22, dubbed "Wilma," offers several reasons for users to consider switching from Windows 11. This latest release, a long-term support version backed until 2029, introduces a suite of refinements aimed at enhancing the desktop experience. With improved localization, enhanced hardware compatibility, and a focus on security, Linux Mint 22 seems tailored for a seamless transition from the familiar confines of Windows.

One of the key improvements in Linux Mint 22 is its language support. The installation process has been streamlined to remove unnecessary language packages, resulting in significant disk space savings. For users with internet connectivity during setup, the system automatically downloads language packs for their selected language. This version supports several languages without needing an internet connection, including English, German, and Spanish, among others.

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Apple has just unveiled a public beta for Apple Maps on the web, a move that is sure to excite users like me who prefer Apple Maps to Google Maps. I am particularly thrilled about this development, as I find Apple Maps to be superior for my navigation needs. This new web-based access allows users worldwide to experience Apple Maps directly from their browsers.

With this beta release, users can now obtain driving and walking directions, find various places with useful information such as photos, hours, ratings, and reviews, and even order food directly from the Maps place card. Additionally, curated Guides help users discover places to eat, shop, and explore in cities around the globe. Exciting features like Look Around are slated for release in the coming months.

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PFU America, Inc. has launched the RICOH Meeting 360 V2. It is designed to improve the experience of hybrid meetings, offering 360-degree panoramic views and omnidirectional audio capabilities. This technology aims to make online interactions more inclusive and effective by providing lifelike meeting environments.

Featuring advanced speaker detection, the Meeting 360 V2 automatically focuses on the current speaker and adjusts the screen layout to keep the meeting engaging. This device supports flexible work arrangements, increasingly common in today's work culture.

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If you have been thinking of buying an ARM-based Raspberry Pi, you may want to reconsider. You see, a new alternative SoC computer, the Radxa X4, is powered by the Intel N100 processor, part of the Alder Lake-N series. That processor will allow you to run full Windows 11 as well as Linux-based operating systems.

This board offers quad-core processing with speeds up to 3.4 GHz and is supported by Intel’s UHD Graphics. This device is equipped with a variety of features tailored to meet the needs of a diverse user base. Memory options range from 4GB to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and additional onboard eMMC storage options are available.

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Micron has introduced the 9550 NVMe SSD, heralded as the fastest SSD for data centers, particularly optimized for AI workloads. This product integrates Micron's proprietary technologies including its controller, NAND, DRAM, and firmware into a cohesive solution designed for high performance, power efficiency, and enhanced security in data center operations.

The Micron 9550 SSD boasts sequential read speeds of 14.0GB/s and write speeds of 10.0GB/s, claiming up to 67 percent better performance compared to similar SSDs on the market. It also excels in random read and write speeds, which are essential for demanding AI applications such as large language models and graph neural networks. The SSD notably improves workload completion times by up to 33 percent in specific AI training tasks and increases throughput for NVIDIA Magnum IO GPUDirect Storage by up to 34 percent.

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