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“Plus” tacked onto a product name typically translates into a product-generation extension with little (if any) tangible enhancement. Beats has notably bucked that trend.

I’ve decided that I really like transparent devices:

Not only do they look cool (at least in my opinion; yours might differ), since I can see inside them, I’m able to do “pseudo teardowns” without needing to actually take them apart (inevitably destroying them in the process). Therein my interest in the May 2023-unveiled “Plus” spin of Apple subsidiary Beats’ original Studio Buds earbuds, introduced two years earlier:

Frosty beats solid black

As you can see, these are translucent; it’d be a stretch to also call them transparent. Still, I can discern a semblance of what’s inside both the earbuds and their companion storage-and-charging case. And in combination with Beats’ spec-improvement claims:

along with a thorough and otherwise informative teardown video I found of first-gen units:

I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s inside these.

Cool (again, IMHO) looks and an editorial-coverage angle aside, why’d I buy them? After all, I already owned a first-generation Studio Buds set (at left in the following shots, as usual accompanied by a 0.75″ (19.1 mm) diameter U.S. penny for size comparison purposes, and which you’ll also see in other photos in this piece):

Reviewers’ assertions of significant improvements in active noise cancellation (ANC) and battery life with the second-generation version were admittedly tempting:

and like their forebears (and unlike Apple’s own branded earbuds, that is unless you hack’ em), they’re multi-platform compatible versus Apple ecosystem-only, key for this Android guy:

That all said, I confess that what sealed the deal for me was the 10%-off-$84.95 promo price I came across on Woot back in mid-August. Stack that up against the $169.99 MSRP and you can see why I bit on the bait…I actually sprung for two sets, in fact.

An expanded tip suite

Here’s an official unboxing video:

Followed by my own still shots of the process:

Beats added a fourth tip-size option—extra-small—this time around, and the software utility now supports a “fit test” mode to help determine which tip option is optimum for your ears:

Assuring failsafe firmware upgrades

Upon pairing them with my Google Pixel 7 smartphone, I was immediately alerted to an available firmware update:

However, although the earbuds themselves were still nearly fully charged, lengthy time spent in the box (on the shelf at the retailer warehouse) had nearly drained the cells in the case. I needed to recharge the latter before I was allowed to proceed (wise move, Beats!):

With the case (and the buds within it) now fully charged, the update completed successfully:

Battery variability

The first- and second-generation cases differ in weight by 1 gram (48 vs 49), according to my kitchen scale:

With the second-generation earbuds set incrementing the total by another gram (58 vs 60):

In both cases, I suspect, the weight increment is associated with increased battery capacity. The aforementioned teardown video indicates that the cells in the first-generation case have a capacity of 400 mAh (1.52 Wh @ 3.8V). The frosty translucence in the second-generation design almost (but doesn’t quite) enable me to discern the battery cell markings inside:

But Apple conveniently stamped the capacity on the back this time: 600 mAh, matching the 50% increase statistic in Beats’ promotional verbiage:

The “button” cells in the earbuds themselves supposedly have a 16% higher capacity than those in the first-generation predecessors. Given that the originals, again per the teardown video, had the model name M1254S2, translating to a 3.7V operating voltage and 60 mAh capacity, I’m guessing that these are the same-dimension 70-mAh M1254S3 successors.

Microphone upgrades

As for inherent output sound quality, I can discern no difference between the two generations:

A result with which Soundguys’ objective (vs my subjective) analysis concurs:

That said, I can happily confirm that the ability to discern music details in high ambient noise environments, not to mention to conduct discernible phone conversations (at both ends of the connection), is notably enhanced with the second-generation design. Beats claims that all three microphones are 3x larger this time around, a key factor in the improvement. Here (at bottom left in each case) are the first- and second-generation feedforward microphone port pairs:

Along with the ANC feedback mics alongside the two generations’ speaker ports:

The main “call” mics are alongside the touch-control switch in the “button” assembly still exposed when the buds are inserted in the wearer’s ears:

I’m guessing an integrated audio DSP upgrade was also a notable factor in the claimed “up to 1.6x” improved ANC (along with up to 2x enhanced transparency). The first-gen Studio Buds leveraged a Cirrus Logic CS47L66 (along with a MediaTek MT2821A to implement Bluetooth functionality); reader guesses as to what’s in use this time are welcome in the comments!

The outcome of these mic and algorithm upgrades? Over to Soundguys again for the results!

Venting is relieving

The final update is a bit of an enigma, at least to me. Beats has added what it claims are three acoustic vents to the design. Here’s an excerpt from a fuller writeup on the topic:

You’ve probably noticed how some wearables feel more comfortable than others. That’s where acoustic vents come in. They help equalize pressure, reducing that uncomfortable “plugged ear” sensation you might experience with earbuds or other in-ear devices. By doing this, they make your listening experience not only better but also more natural.

The thing is, though, Beats’ own associated image only shows two added vents:

And that’s all I can find, too:

So…

In closing, for your further translucency-blurring visual-inspection purposes, here are some additional standalone images of the right-side earbud, this time standalone and from various positional perspectives:

including another one minus the tip:

and of both the top and bottom of the case:

“Plus” mid-life updates to products are typically little more than new colorway options, or (for smartphones) bigger-sized displays and batteries, but otherwise identical hardware allocations. It’s nice to see Beats do a more substantive “Plus” upgrade with their latest Studio Buds. And the $75-and-change promo price was also very nice. Reader thoughts are as-always welcomed in the comments!

—Brian Dipert is the Principal at Sierra Media and a former technical editor at EDN Magazine, where he still regularly contributes as a freelancer.

Related Content

• Apple’s Beats Powerbeats Pro: a repair attempt blow-by-blow
• Apple’s Beats Powerbeats Pro: No repair…a teardown, though!
• What’s inside: Beats Powerbeats2
• Apple set to acquire Beats headphone producer for $3.2 billion

The post Beats’ Studio Buds Plus: Tangible improvements, not just marketing fluff appeared first on EDN.

I built a compact wireless power bank as a personal project to explore power management, protection, and layout tradeoffs in a small enclosure. The system is based on a single-cell Li-Po with a dedicated PCM for overcurrent/overvoltage protection, a USB-C charging module for fast recharge, and a boost converter to supply the wireless charging module. A physical slide switch fully isolates the boost and wireless charger when off, so there’s no standby drain from the battery. One of the main challenges was balancing size, thermal behavior, and efficiency. Wireless charging is obviously less efficient than wired, and this version does get warm under higher load, so the focus here was more on validating the architecture and enclosure layout rather than optimizing efficiency. Thermal and efficiency improvements would be a priority in a future revision. The enclosure is sized tightly around the electronics and uses a transparent lid mainly for inspection and layout verification during use. I documented the full wiring and build process in an Instructables write-up for anyone interested in the details: https://www.instructables.com/LucidCharge-a-Slim-Transparent-Wireless-Power-Bank/ Happy to hear thoughts or suggestions on power architecture, thermal handling, or protection choices. submitted by /u/Mammoth-Grade-7629 [link] [comments]

У КПІ ім. Ігоря Сікорського відкрилася інноваційна AI-лабораторія — DRL AI Space kpi пн, 12/22/2025 - 14:37

submitted by /u/ssorri [link] [comments]

ams OSRAM GmbH of Premstaetten, Austria, and Munich, Germany has launched a convertible bond tender and invites current bondholders to submit offers to sell up to €300m in principal amount of the outstanding €760m convertible bonds due 2027...

India is slowly gaining ground as an important electronics exporter to the world. With electronics exports reaching $31 billion in eight months of this financial year and Apple alone exporting iPhones worth nearly $14 billion, more than 45 per cent of the total exports value of electronic items, the future for the electronics industry looks bright despite the harsh market conditions amid geopolitical tensions.

Last month itself, Apple India’s company filing posted a record high domestic sale of $9 billion in FY25, with one in every five iPhones made globally during FY25 being manufactured/assembled in India. The company’s manufacturing in India contributed 12 per cent of Apple’s global production value.

India had only two mobile phone manufacturing units in 2014-15, which has now increased to around 300 units. Mobile phone production has grown from Rs 18,000 crore to Rs 5.45 lakh crore, while exports have surged from Rs 1,500 crore to nearly Rs 2 lakh crore.

Electronics production has increased sharply from about Rs 1.9 lakh crore in 2014-15 to around Rs 11.3 lakh crore in 2024–25. Electronics exports have also risen from Rs 38,000 crore to more than Rs 3.27 lakh crore during the same period, as per the government data.

Meanwhile, the Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0), located in 10 states with projected investments of Rs 1,46,846 crore, are estimated to generate about 1.80 lakh jobs.

Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha this week that so far, 11 EMC and 2 CFC (common facility centre) projects have been approved. These cover an area of 4,399.68 acres with a project cost of Rs 5,226.49 crore, including Central financial assistance of Rs 2,492.74 crore, the minister informed.

An investment commitment of Rs 1,13,000 crore has already been received from 123 land allottees (manufacturers) in the approved EMCs. Out of this, nine units have started production and grounded an investment of Rs 12,569.69 crore with employment generation of 13,680 jobs, said the minister.

The post Indian Electronic Exports Gain Momentum Globally appeared first on ELE Times.

Milestone Systems released an advanced vision language model (VLM) specialising in traffic understanding and powered by NVIDIA Cosmos Reason. The VLM powers two new products: a Video Summarisation tool for XProtect Video Management Software and a VLM as a Service for third-party integrations.

Video Summarisation for XProtect allows users to search summaries from visual data and automates reporting.

Today’s video systems capture vast amounts of data, and reviewing footage remains time-consuming and largely manual. With Milestone Systems’ new Video Summarisation tool – a generative AI-powered plug-in for the XProtect Smart Client – users and operators can now rely on a specialised product that automates operator workflows, saves valuable time, and reduces false alarm fatigue significantly. ​Early reports show video summarisation could reduce operator false alarm fatigue by up to 30%.

The Video Summarisation tool analyses camera footage and describes what’s happening. Users simply send a snippet of video and a prompt describing their request, and the model will generate a text summary in seconds. ​

Key capabilities:

• Convert video segments into structured text summaries inside XProtect Smart Client​
• Search summaries based on video content, rather than timestamps or manual tagging​
• Bookmark and filter summaries to streamline review workflows​
• Integrate seamlessly with existing XProtect event and rule logic to trigger automated summaries based on specific alarms or alerts
• Focus attention on valid events​ by filtering out irrelevant motion or noise
• Access customised, sovereign VLMs per region, starting with the US and EU. More regions to follow.

The Video Summarisation is free to download and takes only a few minutes to install directly in the XProtect Smart Client. And users only pay when prompted by the VLM.

VLM as a Service for developers: Add production-ready video intelligence to any application

With Milestone’s Hafnia VLM as a Service (VLMaaS), developers, integrators and partners get API access to production-ready video intelligence built on NVIDIA’s latest technology and fine-tuned on responsibly sourced data.

The VLMaaS helps developers create AI-powered solutions quickly without needing to set up, fine-tune or manage their own AI systems – it enhances any existing solutions with generative AI, regardless of the level of analytics currently in place. This makes it fast and simple to add advanced video intelligence features to applications, whether it’s testing a minimum viable product (MVP) or scaling a platform.

With VLMaaS, the development of AI and analytics can be accelerated significantly – up to 70 times less effort than doing the work to fine-tune a VLM model to do the same.

Key capabilities:

• Access a high-accuracy vision language model, fine-tune on traffic-optimised data and build on NVIDIA Cosmos Reason
• Follow prompt-based instructions for traffic-related operations
• API-first delivery – simple integration via HTTPS​
• Fine-tuned models for the US and EU markets, with more regions to follow​
• Designed to build standalone solutions or integrate with the Milestone product portfolio
• 100% responsibly sourced training data with auditable data lineage, GDPR- and EU AI Act-compliant, used for the fine-tuning of the model

Pricing for the VLMaaS is pay-per-use (based on API calls) – no large upfront investments or custom training costs.

Andrew Burnett, Acting Chief Technology Officer, Milestone Systems, said:
“With the Vision Language Model as a Service and Video Summarisation for XProtect, we’re tackling some of the most challenging bottlenecks: video overload and time-consuming manual work. Operators get immediate insight directly within XProtect; builders get API‑first access to production‑ready intelligence without bespoke training or heavy infrastructure.

Because this model is specialised for real-world traffic video and fine-tuned on responsibly sourced data, customers can trust the results, deploy with confidence, and enhance all existing solutions in place. It’s the fastest, most advanced and impactful path to turning video into actionable outcomes.”

XProtect customers like the cities of Genoa, Italy, and Dubuque, Iowa, US, are excited to use these new capabilities, leading the way in adopting advanced video intelligence solutions to enhance traffic management.

Built on responsible AI, Powered by Real-World Data

The two new offerings are powered by Milestone’s Hafnia VLM, which has been fine-tuned on 75,000 hours of responsibly sourced, real-world video data from either Europe or the US, using NVIDIA Cosmos Curator for data preparation and running either on cloud infrastructure or regional data centres. Leveraging NVIDIA Cosmos Reason VLM and Milestone’s data for fine-tuning makes it one of the most advanced video AI platforms in the industry.

The post Milestone Launches Vision Language Model (VLM) appeared first on ELE Times.

Digital identity technologies like near-field communication (NFC), along with AI and Agentic AI tools for automation, improved efficiency, and accelerated innovation, will be the new normal for the upcoming year. The usage of NFCs has risen sharply, with already 92% brands using or planning to use it in the coming year. The adoption of technology allows brands to bridge physical and virtual experiences for more holistic results.

Technology Trends for 2026 in the Semiconductor Industry

1. Edge AI, a Budding Frontier in Semicons: The demand for specialised chips for low-power ML accelerators, sensor-integrated chips, and memory-optimised chips will capture the market in 2026. Additionally, there will be innovation and upgradation in the packaging sector, which aims to drive cost-efficiency and miniaturisation.
2. Item-level Intelligence for Digital Transformation: There will soon be a shift from batch customisation to individual item AI-driven personalisation across smart packaging, healthcare and wellness products, retail, and logistics.
3. Connected Consumer Experience through NFC Adoption: As the adoption of NFC in wearable and hearable consumer products grows, the demand for innovation, in terms of personalisation, will also accelerate exponentially in the coming year as a common trend.
4. Design Innovation through heterogeneous Integration: Heterogeneous integration will drive innovation for manufacturing with the combining and fusing of different processes to create powerful and cost-effective systems, moving beyond traditional single-chip technology for systems like AI, 5G, and other industrial needs.
5. Shifting from Cost to Competition: With growing regulatory and guidance norms, the opportunity for competition and market expansion has become strategic. The usage of NFC allows better compliance and governance expectations for companies now.
6. Power Management in Semicon Manufacturing: As AI continues to threaten the over-consumption of energy, there is a vigilant shift towards power-efficient infrastructure. This also draws focus on semiconductor foundries to use energy, material, and processes sustainably. It is believed that only those companies that keep the idea of a circular economy, sustainability, and resilience strong through the upcoming year will be able to manoeuvre the market shift.

Semiconductor manufacturing will sit at the heart of the next phase of digital transformation. Flexible and ultra-thin chip technologies will enable new classes of innovations, from emerging form factors such as wearables and hearables to higher functional density in constrained spaces, alongside more carbon-efficient manufacturing models.

The implications for businesses are clear. Companies can accelerate innovation, deepen consumer engagement, and turn compliance into a source of competitive advantage. Those that embed connected technologies into their 2026 strategy will be those that are best positioned to take advantage of the digital transformation opportunities ahead.

The post Predictions and Trends in Semicon Manufacturing for 2026 appeared first on ELE Times.

Polaris Smart Metering announced a major milestone in India’s smart electricity metering rollout, having deployed one million smart meters in the field connecting without dedicated gateways, leveraging a dual-communication solution in close partnership with Wirepas. The deployment is already live across multiple locations and meets the strict service-level requirements of large-scale utility programs in India.

In Polaris’ dual-communication approach, smart meters can switch between available communication paths – mesh or cellular – to ensure data delivery even when one path is unavailable or congested. This reduces missed readings, improves billing accuracy, and helps utilities consistently meet service-level requirements. As smart metering expands across dense cities, remote areas, and mixed infrastructure, this built-in resilience becomes essential for reliable, large-scale operations.

“Reaching one million deployed smart meters marks a major milestone for India’s energy transformation,” said Manish C. Swamie, SVP of Business Development at Polaris. “This achievement demonstrates that our dual-communication solution, in close collaboration with Wirepas, can deliver reliable, large-scale performance. Utilities can now confidently expand smart metering, knowing service-level and reliability targets will be met across even the most challenging environments.”

The solution uses Wirepas Platform, a mesh networking solution, to create a self-managing network where smart meters support each other in delivering data. This reduces dependence on fixed infrastructure, improves resilience, and helps utilities maintain reliable performance as networks grow and evolve over time.

“This milestone demonstrates that the dual-communication concept announced earlier this year is a game-changer for large-scale smart metering deployments in India,” said Sebastian Pellorce, SVP India Business at Wirepas. “In close collaboration with Polaris Smart Metering, the Wirepas Platform ensures seamless switching between mesh and cellular paths, delivering consistent data even in the most challenging environments. Together, we’re providing utilities with the confidence and resilience needed for India’s next phase of smart energy transformation. This solution also simplifies smart meter rollouts, enabling Polaris AMISPs to meet stringent service-level agreements more quickly.”

Building on this milestone, Polaris and Wirepas are preparing the next phase of deployment, targeting up to five million additional smart meters on an accelerated timeline.

The partnership also supports India’s Make in India initiative through strong technical collaboration and local delivery, helping ensure that smart metering infrastructure is reliable, scalable, and sustainable for the long term.

The post Polaris and Wirepas Advance India’s Smart Electricity Metering Rollout with Dual Communication at Scale appeared first on ELE Times.

Штучний інтелект: прогнози на 2026 рік kpi пн, 12/22/2025 - 11:46

As one of the 36 partners in the PhotonHub PHACTORY project (a one-stop-shop for photonics innovation, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program), III-V Lab of Palaiseau, France (the joint Nokia, Thales and CEA-Leti lab for industrial research and the development of III-V-based optoelectronic and microelectronic components and their integration with silicon circuits) is giving three training sessions...

🚀 Стартап-школа Sikorsky Challenge запрошує на програму «Практика запуску стартапу» kpi пн, 12/22/2025 - 11:04

Потужний генератор в КПІ ім. Ігоря Сікорського від банку ПУМБ kpi пн, 12/22/2025 - 10:33

By Jessy Cavazos, 6G Solutions Expert

As the world prepares for the next leap in wireless technology, India is shaping a bold and inclusive vision for 6G, one that goes beyond speed and latency to address real-world challenges. In a recent interview, Mohmedsaeed Mombasawala, Keysight’s General Manager for Industry Solutions in India, and a key contributor to 6G research efforts in India, shared insights into how the country is approaching 6G with a unique blend of pragmatism, innovation, and social impact.

Representational Image

A Use-Case First Philosophy

India’s 6G strategy is fundamentally use-case driven, a departure from traditional infrastructure-first rollouts. Rather than focusing solely on technical specifications or spectrum availability, the country is prioritizing solutions that address societal needs, especially in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and logistics.

This approach is particularly relevant for India’s vast and diverse population, where connectivity gaps persist in rural and remote areas. Mombasawala emphasized that 6G must be more than a technological upgrade: it must be a platform for transformation.

“We’re not just building networks. We’re building solutions for farmers, doctors, and supply chain operators,” he explained.

By anchoring 6G development in real-world applications, India aims to ensure that the technology delivers tangible benefits to communities that have historically been underserved by previous generations of wireless infrastructure.

AI-Native Networks: Intelligence at the Core

One of the most exciting aspects of India’s 6G vision is the emphasis on AI-native radio access networks (RAN). In this model, artificial intelligence isn’t just a tool, it’s a foundational design element. AI will be embedded throughout the network, enabling dynamic spectrum allocation, predictive maintenance, and real-time optimization of resources.

This shift reflects India’s strength in software and data science, positioning the country to play a key role in intelligent network design. It also aligns with global trends toward more autonomous and adaptive systems, where networks can learn, evolve, and respond to changing conditions without human intervention.

“AI will be central to how we manage, scale, and secure 6G networks,” Mombasawala noted. “It’s not just about efficiency, it’s about enabling new capabilities.”

Spectrum Strategy: Balancing Reach and Performance

While many countries are exploring high-frequency bands for ultra-fast data rates, India is taking a pragmatic approach to spectrum. The focus is on frequency range 3 (FR3) bands, which offer a balance between performance and coverage. These midband frequencies are well-suited for India’s geographic and demographic diversity, allowing for a broader reach without the need for dense infrastructure.

This strategy reflects a deep understanding of India’s connectivity landscape, where rural access remains a critical challenge. By prioritizing spectrum that supports ubiquitous coverage, India is ensuring that 6G can serve both urban innovation hubs and remote villages.

Collaborative R&D and Global Engagement

India’s 6G efforts are deeply collaborative, involving academia, startups, industry leaders, and government agencies. Mombasawala highlighted the importance of cross-sector partnerships in driving innovation and ensuring that 6G solutions are both technically robust and socially relevant.

At the same time, India is actively participating in global standardization efforts, contributing to international dialogues while tailoring its approach to local needs. This dual strategy—global alignment with local customization—is key to building a 6G ecosystem that is both interoperable and inclusive.

A Blueprint for Inclusive Innovation

India’s vision for 6G offers a compelling blueprint for countries seeking to balance technology innovation with social impact. By focusing on use cases, AI-native design, and inclusive spectrum planning, India is not just preparing for 6G; it’s redefining what 6G can be.

This approach challenges the notion that next-generation technology must be exclusive or elite. Instead, it positions 6G as a tool for empowerment, capable of transforming lives and industries across the socioeconomic spectrum.

“We want 6G to be a catalyst for change,” Mombasawala concluded. “Not just in how we connect, but in how we live, work, and grow.”

The post India’s Vision for 6G: Use-Case Driven Innovation and AI-Enabled Networks appeared first on ELE Times.

ROHM and Tata Electronics announced their strategic partnership for semiconductor manufacturing in India for both the Indian and global markets. The partnership aims to leverage the expertise and ecosystem of both companies in order to expand business opportunities for both ROHM and Tata Electronics, thereby further strengthening the relationship between the semiconductor industries of Japan and India.

As an initial focus, ROHM and Tata Electronics will establish a manufacturing framework for power semiconductors in India by combining ROHM’s leading device technologies with the advanced backend technologies of Tata Electronics. In addition, by integrating the sales channels and networks, the partnership will create new business opportunities in the Indian market and deliver higher-value solutions to a wide range of customers.

As the first step in this collaboration, Tata Electronics will assemble and test ROHM’s India-designed automotive-grade Nch 100V, 300A Si MOSFET in a TOLL package, targeting mass production shipments by next year. The companies will also explore co-development of high-value packaging technologies in the future. Both companies will combine efforts to market the products manufactured through this collaboration.

The partnership embodies the Government of India’s “Make in India” vision, as well as the philosophy of “Designed in India, Manufactured in India.” The ROHM–TATA partnership marks an important step toward delivering value to customers in the Indian market by building an ecosystem that includes design, development, and manufacturing – all within India. The partnership enhances Domestic Value Addition and enables a stable supply of products optimised for the Indian market.

Discussing the partnership, Dr Randhir Thakur, CEO & MD, Tata Electronics, said, “Tata Electronics is deeply committed to pioneering a thriving semiconductor industry in India. We are excited to partner with ROHM, a global leader in semiconductor solutions. With a strong legacy of quality and reliability across products for a broad range of markets, ROHM brings deep domain expertise to this partnership. Through our semiconductor assembly and test facilities, Tata Electronics will deliver advanced chip packaging services to support ROHM in creating products tailored for Indian and global markets. This partnership will go a long way in bringing in trust and resilience in the global semiconductor supply chain while also expanding our respective business opportunities.”

Dr. Kazuhide Ino, Member of the Board, Managing Executive Officer, ROHM Co., Ltd., said, “We are delighted to collaborate with Tata Electronics, a leading Indian corporate group with advanced packaging capabilities. Through this partnership, we aim to expand our lineup of packaged products manufactured in India and help build a sustainable, region-based supply chain network. We are confident that this collaboration will enable us to meet the growing demand from Indian customers seeking domestically produced semiconductors. We also envision supplying jointly manufactured products to the global market.”

The post Innovation led through ROHM & Tata Electronics’ Strategic Partnership in Semicon Business appeared first on ELE Times.

Courtesy: Sandhya Arun, Chief Technology Officer, Wipro Limited

2025 marked a pivotal year of foundational shifts for the global IT industry, as enterprises transitioned from experimentation to the meaningful adoption of AI. Generative AI and automation have become mainstream, and early agent-led models have begun influencing how decisions are made across the enterprise, always with human oversight at the core.

As we look ahead to 2026, the focus will decisively shift to AI systems operating at scale, embedded within critical business workflows. We will see the rise of collaborative AI, and importantly, this evolution elevates the role of people, from execution to orchestration, where human judgment, governance, and strategic intent remain paramount. Ultimately, success will depend on talent readiness and continuous skilling.

Enterprises are increasingly prepared for large-scale deployment, while regulators worldwide are shaping frameworks that balance innovation with responsibility. Together, these forces are ushering in a world of intelligent, autonomous, and mission-oriented systems – reshaping how businesses operate and how humans and machines coexist.

Here are seven technology trends that will define 2026.

1. Agentic AI will actuate the autonomous enterprise 

Enterprises are moving from isolated agentic AI experiments to pragmatic, enterprise-wide strategies focused on measurable business outcomes. By 2026, networks of collaborating AI agents will manage complex workflows across IT, HR, finance, marketing, sales, legal, procurement, operations, supply chains, customer engagement, and commerce. As AI gains autonomy, the human role evolves toward strategic direction, governance, and human-centric steering.

2. Embodied AI will unlock the physical economy

AI will increasingly be embedded in robots, vehicles, machines, and intelligent devices, evolving from standalone units into connected ecosystems integrated through an “AI mesh”. With enhanced spatial awareness and autonomy, embodied AI will drive adoption across healthcare, manufacturing, energy, utilities, mobility, and logistics, improving safety, efficiency, and human experience in complex or hazardous environments.

3. Digital Twin and AI will transform operations

The combination of Digital Twins (DTs) and AI will enable intelligent virtual models that continuously simulate, predict, and optimize physical assets and processes through real-world simulations. These AI-enabled DTs will support preventive maintenance, real-time monitoring, product design, testing, and resource optimization, helping organizations become more agile, resilient, and data-driven.

4. Domain-Native AI will drive deep vertical mastery

We will see a growing shift towards specialized, “industry or domain-native” models rather than broad, general-purpose ones. These models will be trained on industry-specific datasets and built with contextual intelligence such as ontology, risk controls, safety and regulatory requirements – embedded into the solution from the start. Smaller, focused models will deliver deeper expertise and better accuracy in specific areas, while also being more cost-effective and less resource-intensive.

5. Programmable money will become the new economic engine

Distributed Ledger Technologies are moving from pilots to real-world use, enabling transparent and immutable record keeping without central control. With growing regulatory clarity and the rise of CBDCs, decentralized finance will become more enterprise-ready, supporting use cases such as tokenized bonds, autonomous lending, and always-on settlement. Stablecoins and asset tokenization will further accelerate faster, more efficient finance across cross-border payments, supply chains, and digital asset management.

6. Quantum Technology will mark the birth of new era

Breakthroughs in quantum computing are opening up new possibilities for solving problems that are too complex for traditional systems. Early use cases are emerging across pharma and life sciences, financial services, and materials science, with technology-forward enterprises already experimenting through Quantum Computing as a Service. At the same time, quantum advances pose risks to existing encryption standards, accelerating the shift towards quantum-safe algorithms and Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC).

7. Workforce readiness will be a C-Suite survival metric

Workforce readiness is critical to unlocking value from frontier technologies. High-potential talent will be defined by continuous learning, practical application of new skills, sound judgment, and initiative. Organizations that foster a culture of learning, collaboration, and effective human–machine collaboration will gain a clear advantage, with change management becoming a core leadership responsibility as advanced technologies scale.

These trends point to a future where humans and machines operate as integrated systems, reshaping business models, value creation, and the nature of work itself. Enterprises that invest in people, embed governance into innovation, and reimagine their operating DNA will be best positioned to thrive in an AI-first world.

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I’ll open with the project’s biggest criticism from everyone around me: yes this thing does require working SIM, which means money, which means the project has a recurring cost component. It was built at the launch of Pacific Bell Mobile Services (PBMS) later Pacific Bell Wireless (PBW), Cingular and AT&T – the first GSM network on the west. As soon as I got the phone, texting immediately caught my eye. The project receives SMS commands and flips GPIOs to control a 24v Patlte tower via Opto22 – like those you see on a factory floor machines. Simple commands are texted to the phone number of the SIM inside the Wavecom module: yellow on/off, red on/off… and it replies with “done”. Now the Arduino context: the board is an early Futurelec ET-JRAVR with AT90S2313, firmware upload with PonyProg. Code you ask: Notepad and GNU GCC – hassle galore, however imagine the Star Wars-like magic of texting on your Nokia 3310; hitting send and in few seconds the tower lights up! Forget the dot-com crash; and S&P carnage. Just look at that cute little 1.9GHz GSM antenna (the only GSM band at the time), got it at Weird Stuff Warehouse. And yes, I was a big fan (still am) of Opto22; I have boxes with hundreds of modules; love them yellow, white, black and red! submitted by /u/bubba198 [link] [comments]

3D printing is such a fascinating field of technology, so a couple months ago, I decided to take a deep dive and learn how they actually work! This took me to one of my very first PCB projects, a small, cheap, 3D printer motherboard. While it's not the most cutting edge board, I learned a lot and I fully documented my process designing it (https://github.com/KaiPereira/Cheetah-MX4-Mini/blob/master/J...), so other people can learn from my mistakes! It runs off of an STM32H743 MCU, has 4 TMC stepsticks with UART/SPI configurations, sensorless/endstop homing, thermistor and fan ports, parallel, serial and TFT display connectors, bed and heater outputs and USB-C/SD Card printing, all in a small 80x90mm form factor with support for Marlin and Klipper! Because it's smaller and cheaper than a typical motherboard, you can use it for smaller/more affordable printers, and other people can also reference the journal if they're making their own board! If I were to make a V2, I would probably clean up the traces/layout of the PCB, pay more attention to trace size, stitching and fills, BOM optimize even further, and add another motor driver or two to the board. I also should've payed a bit more attention to how much current I would be drawing, and also the voltage ratings, because some of the parts are under-rated for the power. I just got it running after a bit of bodging and I plan on using it to create a foldup printer I can bring to hackathons across the world! The project is fully open source, and journaled, so if you'd like to check it out it's on GitHub (https://github.com/KaiPereira/Cheetah-MX4-Mini)! I absolutely loved making this project and I'd love to hear what you guys would want to see in a V2! submitted by /u/KaiPereira [link] [comments]

This is a project that's been in the works for a while, I had been trying to find more compact and portable compute options for various projects and eventually settled on making my own carrier PCB for the CM5 which fullfills my needs. It's fully opensource so please do check it out! https://github.com/azlan-works/Argo https://oshwlab.com/azlan777/argo submitted by /u/AmountOk3836 [link] [comments]

When I tested this board I thought that I had designed it wrong, so I cut 19 traces (in the upper left corner) and rerouted them with patch wires. But it turned out that it was right from the beginning so I had to re-solder the newly added wires to restore the original configuration. A lot of soldering just to uglify the board... Carpenters have this rule "Measure twice, cut once.", maybe electronics engineers should have something similar like "Test twice, don't patch" ;-) submitted by /u/matseng [link] [comments]