us-technology

Image: alphaspirit.it/Shutterstock.com You want to print something, but what if Windows 11 can’t find your printer? A classic case of technology with an opinion of its own: The printer is there and switched on. Still, it doesn’t show up. This can happen after an update, restart, or when switching to a new device. The good news is that the problem can usually be solved quickly with a few simple steps. 1. Is everything properly plugged in? It sounds simple, but this is one of the most common causes of technical problems: a loose USB cable, a switched-off WLAN printer, or the wrong network. Make sure the printer is actually turned on, connected to the correct WLAN (for wireless printers), and that all cables are securely in place. A quick restart of the printer and PC can often work wonders and is worth trying before diving into deeper troubleshooting. 2. Adding a printer manually Windows recognizes many devices automatically, but not all. If your printer doesn’t show up, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & Scanners > Add device. If it still doesn’t appear after a few seconds, look for the line: The desired printer is not listed. Click Add manually to launch the setup wizard and guide Windows through the process. 3. Update drivers If Windows doesn’t recognize the printer, the driver is likely missing. Visit the manufacturer’s website and download the latest Windows 11-compatible software for your model. It’s a quick and straightforward fix that resolves many issues. 4. If nothing helps Windows comes with its own repair tool for resolving issues, including printer problems. Go to Settings > System > Troubleshooting > Other troubleshooters, then find and run the Printers troubleshooter. Give it a moment. The system may sort itself out on its own. Conclusion Windows 11 has its own peculiarities, printing included. Fortunately, most problems can be solved quickly with a few simple steps, a new driver, or even just a basic restart. If the problems persist, the printer itself may be faulty or outdated. This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German. Author: Steffen Zellfelder, Contributor, PCWorld Steffen Zellfelder is a freelance graduate journalist from Bonn. As an experienced software expert, he is particularly enthusiastic about apps, tools and future trends. Read More

Image: Ugreen/Amazon For many people, a modern USB-C hub is a handy accessory for working efficiently on the go. Whether in the home office, on the move, or in the office, a multi-port adapter significantly improves the connection options of laptops, tablets, or smartphones. It’s especially useful for devices with only a few ports, like many ultrabooks or Macbooks. A USB-C hub offers a compact solution for several requirements at the same time: data transfer, video output, charging, and access to SD cards. The latest model from Ugreen expands a single USB-C port with seven additional interfaces, and is currently available for just $15.58. That’s a savings of 32 percent. The dock is extremely popular on Amazon, with over 1,000 orders in the last month alone and a very good rating of 4.6 stars. What the USB-C hub from Ugreen has to offer The USB-C hub accommodates the most important ports in one device: an HDMI connection (up to 4K at 30 hertz), two USB-A 3.0 ports, a USB-C 3.0 port, a card reader for SD and microSD cards, and a USB-C port for Power Delivery with up to 100 watts of charging power. This lets you charge a MacBook or iPad, connect to a monitor, and transfer files from a camera or SD card–all without needing extra adapters. Data transfer speeds over USB-A and USB-C can hit up to five gigabits per second, so even big files move fast. The card reader can transfer around 100 photos in less than 10 seconds. The broad compatibility is practical: the hub supports nearly all common USB-C devices–including smartphones like the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 series, MacBook Pro and Air (with M3 and M4 chips), iPad Pro and Air, Windows laptops like the Surface Pro, Android models such as the Galaxy S24, and handheld PCs like the Steam Deck. Get the Ugreen USB-C hub for $15.58 at Amazon Important to know: The USB-C data port only supports data transfer–no video output or device charging. On the flip side, the power delivery port is just for charging and doesn’t handle data transfer. Why this deal is worth it With a recommended retail price of $23, the current price of $15.58 is significantly lower. For a solid 7-in-1 device with good user ratings (4.6 out of 5 stars from over 6,000 reviews), this is a great price. Overall, customers are happy with the USB-C hub’s performance and build quality. They especially praise its reliable SD and microSD card reading and the solid metal construction. The wide range of ports in a compact design also gets a lot of positive feedback. This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German. Author: Viviane Osswald, Autorin Viviane Osswald ist freie Redakteurin und Tech-Enthusiastin mit einer besonderen Leidenschaft für Mobile-Tech. Egal, ob Smartphones, Gadgets oder die neuesten Trends aus der Welt von Apple und Android – sie ist in beiden Welten zu Hause. Neben Technik widmet sie sich gerne Lifestyle-Themen, kulinarischen Entdeckungen sowie Filmen und Serien. Mit ihrer Begeisterung für moderne Technologien liefert sie gerne praxisnahe Tipps und spannende Einblicke, die den Alltag bereichern. Read More

Image: IDG / Matthew Smith Looking for a convertible Windows laptop that won’t decimate your wallet? The Dell Plus 2-in-1, which is currently on sale for $499.99 at Best Buy ($350 off!) right now, is one heck of a contender. It’s powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 processor and 16GB of RAM, which is enough for multitasking, web apps, or light creative work. You’re also getting a roomy 512GB SSD, which is more storage than you’d normally see at this price point. The 14-inch 1200p touchscreen is snappy and looks pretty good, just don’t expect OLED-level color or contrast. But for everyday stuff like work and streaming, it does the trick. And since it’s a 2-in-1, you can flip it around and use it like a tablet when you want to doodle or take notes. PCWorld sums it up well in its review: “The Dell Plus 14 2-in-1 is a good option for shoppers looking to snag a do-it-all Windows device on a tight budget. It offers versatile design, a nice keyboard, and well-rounded specifications while avoiding a major issue or downside that would take it out of contention.” And that was at full price — with today’s deal, it’s a lot cheaper. If you want a reliable laptop under $500 that doesn’t compromise much to hit that affordable cost, this Dell is a solid bet. Get the Dell Plus 2-in-1 for $499.99 Author: Ashley Biancuzzo, Associate Editor, PCWorld Ashley Biancuzzo manages all laptop and Chromebook coverage for PCWorld. She’s been covering consumer tech since 2016, and her work has appeared on USA Today, Reviewed, Polygon, Kotaku, StarWars.com, and Nerdist. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, reading science fiction, and hanging out with her rescue greyhound. Read More

By Michael Bürgi  •  August 4, 2025  • This Media Buying Briefing covers the latest in agency news and media buying for Digiday+ members and is distributed over email every Monday at 10 a.m. ET. More from the series → If there’s one thing technology has enabled, it’s the ability for smaller media agencies to build out tech stacks in ways that let them execute in a similar fashion to the big holding companies. Be it programmatic investment or media mix modeling, be it current analytics to even AI adaptation to their needs, the gap between holdco tools and indie tools has narrowed.  How Indies use those tools largely determines their success rate and reputation. Take Butler/Till, a Rochester, N.Y.-based independent media agency with a female CEO, one that’s also employee-owned and a certified B-Corp (a company that meets high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency). Already those are differentiating stripes — but the agency has also carved out some unique disciplines that have set it apart from not only other Indies (some of whom are actual clients as well) but the major holding companies too. And it’s just hired a new head of product to ensure those tools are cutting-edge, while developing other new offerings. Clients range from health care to insurance, to other agencies, and revenue growth is expected to hit 35 percent over 2024, according to its executives. Although many in the industry talk about optimal stewardship of media dollars, Butler/Till’s president and CEO Kimberly Jones and her team choose to help clients experiment with new options and alternatives in order to optimize efficiently. “We have clients that will not invest any dollars if a particular tactic, sometimes even down to a placement level, doesn’t already have a demonstrable return on their investment,” said Jones. “How else are you going to be able to test anything new, unless we create an opportunity for them to do it in a less risky way.” The first way Butler/Till gets clients to experiment is through what it calls an “innovation fund” that it launched in 2024 — a pool of monies gathered from rebates and incentives offered by DSPs and SSPs. Where holding companies (and perhaps some of the bigger Indies) are inclined to direct those savings right to their bottom line, Butler/Till offers up those funds for clients to experiment with.   “What could we do with these funds that will help move your business forward?” Explained Scott Ensign, B/T’s chief strategy officer, citing an enhanced data modeling and reporting project for a pharma client he declined to identify. “Even if it’s a programmatic partner or a data partner, an audience partner, the initiative itself could be market research, creative, programmatic or even data related. All of the things that don’t always make the plan, because we can’t tie an ROI to it, it’s brand new, or it’s innovative or it’s a little bit more speculative. The fund allows us to break out of those planning cycles that are often, frankly, resistant to innovation.” “It’s very much accretive to the value that our clients are already getting,” added Jones. “The reason why our partners are so eager to participate is that they know that innovation is good for the entire ecosystem. So even if we’re not spending those dollars back exactly with them, they know that it will eventually benefit.” B/T also has created a means for clients that have franchisees to execute on a local level but via a centralized offering it calls BetterLocal. Ensign explained that it’s a tool for enterprise organizations with a distributed local footprint, like agent networks, dealer networks, franchisees of a national chain, etc. For example, a QSR could log in to see what corporate has made available — paid search, social, CTV or streaming, or digital out of home packages — then adjust to that locality’s needs and budgets. The tool then goes through a checkout process to pay directly, be billed directly, and finally, to see results and reporting of whatever executions were chosen. Although Butler/Till has franchising clients that use it (the agency declined to say which due to client sensitivities, but think insurance), another client is fellow agency Laughlin Constable, a full-service shop out of Chicago and Milwaukee that uses BetterLocal for a retail client it declined to name that has 200 stores with hyper-local needs.  BetterLocal “really makes having those hyper local, individual store campaigns so much easier to manage, because you have one platform, you have one reporting dashboard,” said Vanessa Watts, evp and head of media at Laughlin Constable, who said the low six-figure cost is 100 percent worth it. “I can choose each individual store location to see how their campaign is delivering or look at it as an aggregate across everything. But more importantly, the individual store owners have access to the performance dashboard. And that was really critical, because our client wanted each store owner to have access, to look at the performance.” Since healthcare forms a chunk of B/T’s client base, being careful with regulations while still trying new executions is paramount. The agency “helped us think through media mix modeling in a way that felt both contemporary and pragmatic,” said Beth Wilson, executive director of multiple sclerosis marketing at client TG Therapeutics. Rather than relying solely on traditional approaches, Wilson and team tried out advanced modeling — combined with performance data and real-world HCP+DTC behavior. “It wasn’t about adding more complexity; it was about clarity. They brought forward a thoughtful balance of innovation and simplicity, helping us reframe how we evaluate our media’s true impact,” she added. All these offerings required someone to helm them, which is why Digiday has learned that B/T has hired entrepreneurial ad-tech veteran Manny Puentes to be its first-ever chief product officer, who starts today. He describes the job as taking “all of the experience that Butler/Till brings to the table and already proven out to work, and then start to scale

By Kimeko McCoy  •  August 4, 2025  • Ivy Liu The creator economy is getting too big for investors to ignore, expected to be valued at $480 billion by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs. That may be why private equity firms are elbowing holding companies and other corporations for a piece of the growing pie.  M&A activity is up year over year, potentially positioning 2025 as a new record for creator economy transactions. In the first half of 2025, 52 M&A deals were completed. That figure is up from 30 transactions in the first half of 2024, making a 73 percent year-over-year increase, according to Quartermast Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm. Key players in those deals are private equity firms, hold cos, influencer marketing agencies and other companies looking to cash in on creators, even as economic uncertainty looms.  For example, Quartermast points to Publicis buying Captiv8 back in May for $175 million. In February, the hold co acquired BR Media Group, a Latin American influencer marketing and content company, for a reported $100 million. There’s also private equity firm PSG’s purchasing a majority stake in Uscreen, a video membership platform, for $150 million. The list goes on.  All signs point to a maturation of the creator economy. Creators are becoming new media companies, storefronts and brands in their own rights, pulling in a steady stream of ad dollars and signaling future growth that’s safe to bet on.  “We are at this point now where every CMO understands that they need to be working with creators,” said Jasmine Enberg, vp and principal analyst, social media and creator economy at eMarketer. “Most no longer are dismissing their content as lower quality, and influencer marketing really has become a core part of marketing strategies.” A safe bet in an uncertain market Tariffs and geopolitical tensions have made for a volatile marketplace, in which buyers are looking for a safe bet. That bet is shaping up to be the creator economy, which has shown no signs of slowing down —especially as AI powers creators’ workflow, content creation, influencer discovery for agencies and more.  Influencer marketing and the creator economy aren’t new. Post-Covid, the space exploded and only now has the dust settled enough for marketers to start figuring out what incremental growth, return on ad spend, scalability, conversion and other metrics look like. To really drive the point home, marketers are hiring agencies of record to manage influencer and creator relationships.  In the U.S., influencer marketing spend is expected to top $13 billion by 2027, up from $10.5 billion this year, per eMarketer’s research, which was published in June. That spend persists even as the market has softened in recent years to account for economic headwinds.  “In a really simple way, people are going to buy things that are fast-growth and attracting attention from brands doing good quality work … especially in a market that has slowed in its growth in recent years,” said Matthew Lacey, partner at M&A advisory firm Waypoint Partners.  Private equity firms stake their claim Consolidation points to maturation. Call it a sign of the times, and investors have been put on notice. While hold cos like Publicis are snapping up smaller agencies and creator-first ad tech, so too are PE firms looking for a high-growth opportunity and stability in an otherwise uncertain market. As Quartermast’s reporting points out, there has been a surge in growth equity investments and M&A activities by private equity-backed companies in recent months. Summit Partners backed the $250 million deal in which influencer SaaS platform Later acquired influencer e-commerce platform Mavely in January. Then in February, PSG announced a $150 million investment in Uscreen to drive the platform’s next phase of growth. In April, digital entertainment platform Fixated announced the acquisition of talent management firms CAMP Talent and Moondust Management. The announcement came on the heels of Fixated’s $12.8 billion investment from Eldridge industries.  According to WY Partners’ Media & Technology M&A Quarterly review, private equity firms and venture capitalists are striking the most deals in the M&A space — 138 deals in comparison to 60 deals in software and 7 in global markets from the likes of WPP, IPG and others.  Tech’s AI surge Software (SaaS), ad tech and creator tech platforms are dominating this most recent wave of M&A activity — especially given the infusion from AI, per Luma’s Q2 2025 Market Report. With the advent of generative AI, companies are likely feeling the pressure to keep up with new technologies.  Quartermast’s research points to a similar phenomenon, specifically in the creator economy in which software companies accounted for more than a quarter of all transactions in the first half of 2025.  “An acquisition decision is usually speed to market, ‘We know that we can de-risk the play if we buy this,’” said James Creech, founder of Quartermast Advisors. Essentially, PE firms are backing tech-buys and hold cos are snapping up tech platforms to get ahead of the tech curve efficiently. “We could try to stand this up on our own. But we know that they have a brand, they have customers, they’ve got revenue. They’re experts in this particular category. We can bolt it into our solution. That’s the play,” he added. Expect the trend to continue  Aside from the usual suspects of tech players, hold cos and influencer agencies non-endemic buyers are throwing their hats in the ring. Case in point: Food delivery company Wonder announced a deal to acquire digital publisher Tastemade back in March. Further back in February, clothing brand Sown Again brought influencer Noah Beck on as co-owner and creative director.  Consolidation, however, means indie agencies now find themselves facing the decision to partner, sell or compete. Those that have been acquired, including one agency founder who requested anonymity, said acquisitions typically imply a need to step up and accelerate performance, as they are often growth opportunities expected to drive profit.  “Any sort of M&A always requires you to step up and accelerate. Typically, these

With President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) now law, HR departments across the country are scrambling to understand what this sweeping legislation means for their daily operations. The changes ahead are both immediate and far-reaching, touching everything from immigration compliance to workplace culture and AI governance. Immigration crackdown The most immediate impact HR managers will feel comes from the bill’s dramatic expansion of immigration enforcement, which the OBBB Act is set to “supercharge,” according to Amanda Czepiel, HR legal expert at consultancy Brightmine. As has been widely reported, ICE funding will balloon from an annual budget of $10 billion to more than $100 billion through 2029, with $30 billion specifically earmarked to hire thousands of new agents. For HR departments, it calls for a reality check. “This will drive a rise in I-9 audits and worksite raids, particularly in industries like hospitality and manufacturing,” Czepiel explains. The new law also makes E-Verify mandatory nationwide, creating immediate compliance challenges for companies in states that previously did not require it. The solution requires a comprehensive overhaul of onboarding processes. Companies must now implement real-time work authorization verification before an employee’s first day, conduct regular Form I-9 self-audits to catch errors before official inspections, and train staff extensively on proper documentation procedures. Perhaps most critically, organizations need to designate and train authorized representatives who can interact with ICE agents during worksite visits. “HR teams that act early will be far better prepared to navigate what is coming and what might come,” Czepiel says. The alternative — waiting for enforcement to ramp up — could prove costly in ways that extend far beyond compliance fines. Politics x the workplace The ripple effects of major policy changes don’t stop at legal compliance. They are fundamentally altering workplace dynamics. Brightmine research reveals that about half of U.S. workers surveyed say recent policy changes are affecting their daily work, while more than one-third of the workforce is considering or planning leaving their jobs this year because of shifts in workplace policy. “Whether it’s political discussions in the breakroom or anxiety over job security due to shifting regulations, HR teams can’t afford to be reactive when addressing workplace tensions tied to policy changes,” Czepiel explains. “Waiting for issues to surface risks damaging trust, lowering employee morale and losing top talent.” The challenge is particularly acute for employees from immigrant backgrounds or those working under visas, TPS, DACA or asylum status, who may feel especially vulnerable in the current environment. “In these moments, silence can fuel fear and uncertainty,” Czepiel says. “It’s important that HR leads with transparency.” That means having frank conversations about how policy changes might affect hiring strategies, sponsorship opportunities and career advancement paths throughout the organization. It also means advocating for immigration-related benefits like visa support and legal assistance while ensuring all employees have equitable access to advancement opportunities regardless of their status. The key insight: effective response requires proactive measurement. Pulse surveys focusing on psychological safety and sense of belonging can help HR teams identify brewing issues before they explode into larger problems. As Czepiel puts it, “DEI isn’t just about big initiatives—it’s about small, everyday leadership actions that foster a sense of belonging for all employees.” The AI regulation maze While immigration enforcement has dominated headlines, the OBBB’s approach to artificial intelligence creates a different kind of challenge for HR departments. With federal AI provisions removed from the final bill, states are moving to fill the regulatory vacuum, creating a patchwork of requirements that multistate employers must navigate. Czepiel recommends that HR teams adopt a “highest standard” approach — i.e., build policies based on the most stringent current state and local requirements that apply to their organization and scale them across operations. Such a strategy heads off a constant scramble to catch up as new regulations emerge. The timeline is tighter than many realize. California has new requirements taking effect in October of this year, while Illinois, Colorado and Texas follow with their own laws in early 2026. HR teams should expect more jurisdictions to follow suit in passing workplace AI laws, causing a domino effect and raising compliance challenges for employers, especially those operating in multiple states, Czepiel warns. The practical steps involve conducting immediate AI audits, establishing codes of conduct that can evolve with changing regulations, and implementing regular screening for hiring bias and compliance gaps. Opportunity in challenge Interestingly, the OBBB’s charitable contribution requirements create opportunity for strategic HR leaders. Erin Pierson, chief growth officer at consultancy Cause Strategy Partners, points out that most companies do not yet meet the one percent threshold for pretax profit charitable contributions necessary for tax breaks. Rather than another compliance burden, however, savvy people managers can leverage those requirements to strengthen both community impact and employee development. “Taking a broader look at what constitutes a charitable contribution will not only help companies reach and extend beyond that one percent threshold, but also maintain valuable, purpose-driven employee experiences that drive performance, growth and retention,” Pierson says. The magic happens when HR and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) teams come together. Leadership development programs that incorporate nonprofit board service or skills-based volunteering can count toward charitable contributions while building employee capabilities. “Skills-based volunteering — and especially nonprofit board service — are powerhouse opportunities to expose employees to new skills and insights, exercise their corporate skills in vastly different contexts, and build confidence and leadership capacity,” Pierson explains. Securing resources All these changes require significant investment in legal oversight, policy updates, staff training, system upgrades and cross-functional coordination, according to the experts. The question becomes: How do HR leaders secure the resources they need? To build a strong business case, HR leaders should quantify risk, advises Czepiel. “What’s the cost of non-compliance? What’s the potential impact of reduced employee trust or turnover if they don’t respond well to cultural shifts? Framing compliance as both a legal requirement and a company culture strategy will help company leaders across the organization see the value and urgency of resourcing

By Alexander Lee and Krystal Scanlon  •  August 4, 2025  • Ivy Liu As brands move faster and spend more on creator marketing, creators are gaining both the confidence and the opportunity to raise their rates significantly — sometimes by 100 percent. Seven influencer marketers told Digiday that creators’ rates had risen noticeably across all platforms, although they provided a range of figures regarding the specific amount. Three of the marketers said that creators had in some cases doubled their fees from 2024, causing brands to respond with confusion or even outrage over the precipitous increase. Daniella Corredor, an associate account director for the creator marketing company Open Influence, said that she had recently led a presentation for clients specifically about the causes behind creators’ rising rates and how to navigate the changing landscape. “They’re trying to learn from us how to navigate those asks, when someone was asking for $20,000 yesterday, and then, in two months, they want $40,000,” she said.  Steph Ross, vp of social and influencer for the social media agency Born Social, said that influencer rates had “doubled” from 2024, but that her clients were largely unconcerned about the increases because they have also ramped up their influencer marketing spend. She said that influencers’ increased rates were simply a result of that growing demand. “I have seen that especially now, because it is more typical to work on a long-term basis, or in long-term partnerships with creators, rather than on a one-off basis,” Ross said. “We’ll be working with creators on a three-month or six-month contract, and then the same people that we’ve already worked with will then be planning for the next year — and we are seeing that creator’s follower count getting bigger and them becoming more successful, so as a result, their fees are then increasing.” A significant contributor to influencers’ growing fees is that brands are moving more quickly with their influencer marketing as they step up their spending in the area, according to Ross and Tiah Slattery, head of influencer for the U.K. at the agency Dept. Slattery estimated that overall influencer marketing spend had risen by 30 to 40 percent in 2025, citing Unilever’s recent announcement that it would spend half of its marketing budget on social channels as one motivator for other advertisers to step up their creator marketing spend this year.  Slattery said that marketers are increasingly understanding that creators are at their best when reacting quickly to viral trends, rather than scheduling campaigns months in advance, prompting them to request quicker turnarounds on their sponsored posts — and higher rates as a result.  “If we only have two weeks to get something live, we are paying 50 to 100 percent more than what we would pay if we had a typical six-to-eight week lead time,” she said. “What that then can mean is clients are paying through the roof, because they’re not organized and they’re coming to us too late.” Creators are also charging higher sponsorship rates because they understand that they are taking on an increasingly central role in brands’ marketing plans. Creators who were previously willing to negotiate lower fees to secure business are more confident sticking to their higher rates, per Slattery. It’s also becoming more common for creators to charge extra fees for exclusivity or the rights to use their content on other channels, which they previously might have signed away as a cheap or free add-on to help close a deal. “We’re not just paying for the content anymore; we’re paying to use their content across multiple channels, in multiple formats. We’re editing it, we’re adding to it, and we’re using their face to be connected to the brand in a way that never used to happen before,” said Hannah Ryan, global vp of campaign delivery at The Goat Agency. “That is probably the biggest shift that we’re seeing in not only the way influencers are being used, but also the way they’re pricing themselves.” To some extent, creators’ higher rates are simply a result of the growing demand for influencer inventory as brands step up their influencer marketing spend across the board. With total ad spend in the creator economy rising, creators commanding high rates are finding more willing buyers in 2025. “They know that brands are making money off of these posts. If a brand keeps coming back and rebooking a creator, clearly they are performing well for the brand,” said influencer talent manager and marketer Kendall Gall. “Their rates increase, because they know their value.” https://digiday.com/?p=584543 More in Media Read More

August 3, 2025 1:05 PM VentureBeat/Ideogram Want smarter insights in your inbox? Sign up for our weekly newsletters to get only what matters to enterprise AI, data, and security leaders. Subscribe Now As AI continues to take on more and more new competencies, junior coding, as we knew it, is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Tasks that used to be the bread and butter for junior developers — such as repetitive scripting, HTML layout or simple DevOps setups — are now being reliably handled by AI assistants like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot and Amazon CodeWhisperer. This is not just an upgrade to speed and efficiency — we are looking at a serious structural change here. So where does that leave entry-level developers? And, speaking more broadly, where does it leave the software industry as a whole? The vanishing beginner level For decades, software engineering as a field had a fairly predictable pathway: Begin with the basics, build some landing pages, write test cases, troubleshoot minor bugs. As your skills grow, you can move toward architectural thinking and product ownership. But now AI is vastly changing how the bottom end of that ladder operates, since it can do most junior-level tasks on its own. As a result, beginners entering the industry are increasingly being asked to contribute at a level that used to require years of experience. It is not just about writing code anymore — it is about understanding systems, structuring problems and working alongside AI like a team member. That is a tall order. That said, I do believe that there is a way forward. It starts by changing the way we learn. If you are just starting out, avoid relying on AI to get things done. It is tempting, sure, but in the long run, it is also harmful. If you skip the manual practice, you are missing out on building a deeper understanding of how software really works. That understanding is critical if you want to grow into the kind of developer who can lead, architect and guide AI instead of being replaced by it. The way I see it, in the near future, the most valuable people in tech won’t be the ones who write perfect code. They will be those who know what should be built, why it matters and how to get an AI system to do most of the work cleanly and efficiently. In other words, the coder of tomorrow looks more like a product manager with solid technical expertise. Teams are changing, too Based on everything we covered above, I also feel the need to point out that it is not just individuals who need to rethink their roles. Entire teams are shifting. Where we once had clearly defined roles — front-end developer, back-end specialist, DevOps engineer, QA tester — we will soon see one developer managing a whole pipeline with the help of AI. AI-augmented developers will replace large teams that used to be necessary to move a project forward. In terms of efficiency, there is a lot to celebrate about this change — reduced communication time, faster results and higher bars for what one person can realistically accomplish. But, of course, this does not mean teams will disappear altogether. It is just that the structure will change. Collaboration will focus more on strategic decisions, product alignment and making sure AI tools are being used responsibly and effectively. The human input will be less about implementation and more about direction. AI is creating a new career path If we look five to seven years ahead, I suspect that the idea of a “developer” as we know it today will have changed into something else entirely. We will likely see more hybrid roles — part developer, part designer, part product thinker. As already mentioned, the core part of the job won’t be to write code, but to shape ideas into working software using AI as your main creation tool. Or perhaps, even as a co-creator. Being technically fluent will still remain a crucial requirement — but it won’t be enough to simply know how to code. You will need to understand product thinking, user needs and how to manage AI’s output. It will be more about system design and strategic vision. For some, this may sound intimidating, but for others, it will also open many doors. People with creativity and a knack for problem-solving will have huge opportunities ahead of them.  The landscape is shifting, yes — there is no escaping that fact. But for those willing to adapt, one could argue it is shifting in their favor. The end of junior coding is not the end of learning. It is a sign that we need to reconsider what kind of talents we grow, how we structure teams and what makes someone a great developer. To my mind, instead of mourning the loss of basic tasks, the industry as a whole should focus on building the skills that cannot be automated. At least, not yet. That means implementing a hybrid approach and learning how to work with AI as a partner rather than a competitor. Roman Eloshvili is founder of ComplyControl. Daily insights on business use cases with VB Daily If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI. Read our Privacy Policy Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here. An error occured. Read More

The past few decades have seen almost unimaginable advances in compute performance and efficiency, enabled by Moore’s Law and underpinned by scale-out commodity hardware and loosely coupled software. This architecture has delivered online services to billions globally and put virtually all of human knowledge at our fingertips. But the next computing revolution will demand much more. Fulfilling the promise of AI requires a step-change in capabilities far exceeding the advancements of the internet era. To achieve this, we as an industry must revisit some of the foundations that drove the previous transformation and innovate collectively to rethink the entire technology stack. Let’s explore the forces driving this upheaval and lay out what this architecture must look like. For decades, the dominant trend in computing has been the democratization of compute through scale-out architectures built on nearly identical, commodity servers. This uniformity allowed for flexible workload placement and efficient resource utilization. The demands of gen AI, heavily reliant on predictable mathematical operations on massive datasets, are reversing this trend.  We are now witnessing a decisive shift towards specialized hardware — including ASICs, GPUs, and tensor processing units (TPUs) — that deliver orders of magnitude improvements in performance per dollar and per watt compared to general-purpose CPUs. This proliferation of domain-specific compute units, optimized for narrower tasks, will be critical to driving the continued rapid advances in AI. The AI Impact Series Returns to San Francisco – August 5 The next phase of AI is here – are you ready? Join leaders from Block, GSK, and SAP for an exclusive look at how autonomous agents are reshaping enterprise workflows – from real-time decision-making to end-to-end automation. Secure your spot now – space is limited: https://bit.ly/3GuuPLF Beyond ethernet: The rise of specialized interconnects These specialized systems will often require “all-to-all” communication, with terabit-per-second bandwidth and nanosecond latencies that approach local memory speeds. Today’s networks, largely based on commodity Ethernet switches and TCP/IP protocols, are ill-equipped to handle these extreme demands.  As a result, to scale gen AI workloads across vast clusters of specialized accelerators, we are seeing the rise of specialized interconnects, such as ICI for TPUs and NVLink for GPUs. These purpose-built networks prioritize direct memory-to-memory transfers and use dedicated hardware to speed information sharing among processors, effectively bypassing the overhead of traditional, layered networking stacks.  This move towards tightly integrated, compute-centric networking will be essential to overcoming communication bottlenecks and scaling the next generation of AI efficiently. Breaking the memory wall For decades, the performance gains in computation have outpaced the growth in memory bandwidth. While techniques like caching and stacked SRAM have partially mitigated this, the data-intensive nature of AI is only exacerbating the problem.  The insatiable need to feed increasingly powerful compute units has led to high bandwidth memory (HBM), which stacks DRAM directly on the processor package to boost bandwidth and reduce latency. However, even HBM faces fundamental limitations: The physical chip perimeter restricts total dataflow, and moving massive datasets at terabit speeds creates significant energy constraints.   These limitations highlight the critical need for higher-bandwidth connectivity and underscore the urgency for breakthroughs in processing and memory architecture. Without these innovations, our powerful compute resources will sit idle waiting for data, dramatically limiting efficiency and scale. From server farms to high-density systems Today’s advanced machine learning (ML) models often rely on carefully orchestrated calculations across tens to hundreds of thousands of identical compute elements, consuming immense power. This tight coupling and fine-grained synchronization at the microsecond level imposes new demands. Unlike systems that embrace heterogeneity, ML computations require homogeneous elements; mixing generations would bottleneck faster units. Communication pathways must also be pre-planned and highly efficient, since delays in a single element can stall an entire process. These extreme demands for coordination and power are driving the need for unprecedented compute density. Minimizing the physical distance between processors becomes essential to reduce latency and power consumption, paving the way for a new class of ultra-dense AI systems. This drive for extreme density and tightly coordinated computation fundamentally alters the optimal design for infrastructure, demanding a radical rethinking of physical layouts and dynamic power management to prevent performance bottlenecks and maximize efficiency. A new approach to fault tolerance Traditional fault tolerance relies on redundancy among loosely connected systems to achieve high uptime. ML computing demands a different approach.  First, the sheer scale of computation makes over-provisioning too costly. Second, model training is a tightly synchronized process, where a single failure can cascade to thousands of processors. Finally, advanced ML hardware often pushes to the boundary of current technology, potentially leading to higher failure rates. Instead, the emerging strategy involves frequent checkpointing — saving computation state — coupled with real-time monitoring, rapid allocation of spare resources and quick restarts. The underlying hardware and network design must enable swift failure detection and seamless component replacement to maintain performance. A more sustainable approach to power Today and looking forward, access to power is a key bottleneck for scaling AI compute. While traditional system design focuses on maximum performance per chip, we must shift to an end-to-end design focused on delivered, at-scale performance per watt. This approach is vital because it considers all system components — compute, network, memory, power delivery, cooling and fault tolerance — working together seamlessly to sustain performance. Optimizing components in isolation severely limits overall system efficiency. As we push for greater performance, individual chips require more power, often exceeding the cooling capacity of traditional air-cooled data centers. This necessitates a shift towards more energy-intensive, but ultimately more efficient, liquid cooling solutions, and a fundamental redesign of data center cooling infrastructure.  Beyond cooling, conventional redundant power sources, like dual utility feeds and diesel generators, create substantial financial costs and slow capacity delivery. Instead, we must combine diverse power sources and storage at multi-gigawatt scale, managed by real-time microgrid controllers. By leveraging AI workload flexibility and geographic distribution, we can deliver more capability without expensive backup systems needed only a few hours per year.  This evolving power model enables real-time response

The official Pokémon TV YouTube channel is continuing its summer movie watch party with another classic: Pokémon the Movie 2000. The entire movie is available to watch now for free, for a limited time. It follows Pokémon: The First Movie, which was temporarily released on the channel in July, and next up will be Pokémon 3: The Movie. I have distinct memories of seeing these movies in theaters, so the nostalgia is hitting pretty hard right about now. In case you need a little refresher on where the second Pokémon movie picks up: In the Orange Islands, far south of Kanto, a Trainer named Lawrence is on a sinister quest: catching Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, the three Legendary bird Pokémon, in an attempt to awaken Lugia, guardian of the sea! When Ash and friends arrive, the islanders ask him to gather three elemental orbs from different islands—and when the weather across the world goes out of control, this task takes on a new importance, as the capture of the Legendary trio has thrown the environment out of balance! With Lugia’s help, can Ash be the “chosen one” that everyone turns to? It’s not clear how long the movie will stay up on the YouTube channel — The First Movie has already been taken down after its brief run — so if you’re interested, you should probably get to it sooner rather than later. Read More