Next in Tech

We’ve talked about supply chain challenges, but the shift to greater levels of digitization holds huge potential to not only reduce costs, but improve sustainability. Analyst Mark Fontecchio returns to explore the challenges to achieving these gains with host Eric Hanselman. Data sharing across the industry faces resistance without a clear model for who benefits. Digitization is gaining traction in optimizing routes and improving performance and might open the door to electric vehicles.

While it’s not often acknowledged, much of the progress in technology is underpinned by the idea that “everything old is new again” and vector databases, a concept that is many years old, are having a moment in generative AI. Analyst James Curtis joins host Eric Hanselman to dig into why this powerful idea has become so valuable in large language models and other aspects of AI. While it’s possible to overlay vector functions on a traditional database for data access, it may not be advisable.

An impact of expanding digitization is growth in demand for datacenter capacity. In Latin America, that’s impacting markets across the region in a variety of ways. Analyst Pedro Schweizer joins host Eric Hanselman to explore the different dynamics in play. There are different trajectories across the region, defying any attempt to treat it as a monolith. São Paulo, Santiago and Querétaro may be the centers of activity, but opportunities are being driven by growth and subsea connectivity.

We’ve been tracking attitudes about AI since well before the current generative AI explosion and the shift in expectations is dramatic. Returning guests Sheryl Kingstone and Alex Johnston join host Eric Hanselman to explore differences by demographic and discuss practical aspects of AI that will have significant impacts. Model coordination is key and organizations have to consider where their training data is coming from and what they need to accomplish while addressing societal concerns.

The growth in Free, Ad-Supported Television (FAST) is impacting media markets as consumers blend new forms of consumption. FAST has become a notable player, generating billions in ad revenue and improving and increasing the content available. It’s still a small percentage of the Streaming Video On-Demand (SVOD) revenues, particularly in Europe, but the relatively low cost to spin up new channels is letting it address new and niche media content. It’s not all Baywatch and Bob Ross any more.

In the midst of wild enthusiasm for generative AI, it’s worth taking a thoughtful look at technologies, vendors and what the realities of the market are today and what they could become. Research director Nick Patience returns to discuss the results of the recently published Market Monitor with host Eric Hanselman. While it’s just half a year since the release of ChatGPT, the market for foundation models, text and image generation, and the nascent code generation segment are expanding rapidly.

Quantum computing can seem exotic, but there are a growing number of offerings from cloud and colocation providers that provide ready access for those that aren’t quite ready to step up to one of their own. Analyst Gabriella Brown returns to discuss the services and technologies that are available with host Eric Hanselman. It’s getting easier to use and now generative AI tools can translate natural language prompts into quantum circuits. Onramps for quantum experimentation are ready for all.

The idea of zero trust in security is many years old, but seems to evade clear definition. Returning guests Dan Kennedy and Garrett Bekker join host Eric Hanselman to discuss the various tenets of zero trust and look into issues with implementation. There’s strong desire to get to a zero trust footing, but a lot of hurdles to clear in the journey. A U.S. executive order has added pressure, but delivering reasonable user experiences is complicated by limited support and legacy technologies.

While the hype may have faded, predictions of the death of the metaverse are greatly exaggerated. While Apple never uttered the word at their headset announcement, it’s another step in the progress of “spatial computing.” Returning guests Neil Barbour and Ian Hughes explore the impact and the supporting ecosystem with host Eric Hanselman. Keeping clear of buzzy terms could aid adoption, as more practical uses are leading the charge. The future may be here, just not very evenly distributed…

We kick off Pride Month with a look at the technology challenges faced by many marginalized communities and effective ways to build capabilities to overcome them. Cybersecurity analyst Abby Simmons and returning guest Emily Jasper, president of our Pride Resource Group, join host Eric Hanselman to talk about efforts to bridge the technology gap, transfer skills and overcome barriers to success. Actions for allies like smartphone repair and working for Right to Repair are just the beginning.