Mine's bigger than yours: Mysterious hyperscaler plans to build Europe's largest cloud and AI data center that will suck enough electricity to power 20,000 homes - Related to innovation, largest, new, plans, organize

Apple’s new Invites app gives iCloud+ subscribers an easier way to organize parties – and Android fans are invited too

Apple just dropped an app that’s all about creating event invites.

It includes Apple Intelligence aspects like Image Playground and Writing Tools.

You can easily create a shared photo album with all guests.

Apple’s been slowly but surely making enhancements to its Calendar app across platforms – iOS, iPadOS, and macOS – but. If you were hoping for an easier way to plan events within the ecosystem, your wish is being granted.

In fact, it’s in the form of a whole new app – dubbed Apple Invites – and it’s all about event planning. It’s designed to be a one-stop shop for creating the event invite – maybe even using Apple Intelligence’s Image Playground to create the image – from setting a description to building a guest list and sending invites.

The app itself will be for creating, sending. And receiving invites. Like Partiful or Evites, it will allow invited folks to RSVP and see all event details while the host can curate the experience on the backend.

iCloud+ is a central part of this, as you need it to send invites and. Create an event. However, the onboarding for Apple Invites does note that anyone can receive the invites. Hence, why there is also a web interface for Apple Invites and that means folks with an Android phone can join in on the party going.

The advantages of Apple Invites likely lie within the ecosystem. Though. For one, when you create an event within the iOS app, you’ll start with a name and a description. With either of these fields, you can use ‘Writing Tools’ to spice up your writing.

Then, considering an event needs a photo or graphic, you can choose a preset from three themes – Emoji, Photographic, or Colors – snap a photo with the camera, select one from your library. Or jump right into Image Playground to make one with Apple Intelligence.

Maybe the most handy, though, is that you can create a shared album through iCloud Photos when you create the event. This way, you can potentially solve the problem of having all your guests send and share photos after the event. This can solve a major pain point, and could be plenty handy for a birthday or graduation party as well as a baby shower or a housewarming event.

Furthermore, if it’s a costume party or has a big. Bold theme like the 80’s – disco time, right? – you can also set the mood and share some photos before the deadline. Though, truly, the win here might be after the fact.

Similar to a shared photo library, you can also create an Apple Music Playlist that is helpful for setting the scene but also one that invited guests can use to add their favorites to the DJ mix for the night.

Like Partiful and. Other apps that make it easy to find the spot, Apple Invites will automatically help guests get directions once you add a location. Based on the time and location, it will also give a preview of the expected weather.

Now, in terms of sending the invites. You can select guests from your contacts or create a public invite link. With the latter, anyone who gets the link could RSVP, but. You can turn on an “Approve RSVPs” setting to go over the guest list manually. That way, you don’t have any party crashers … at least super organized ones.

If you’re inviting someone without an iPhone. The web experience is designed to be pretty on par with the iPhone app. And that’s the case if you have an Android device – you still get full access to the collaborative aspects like the shared playlist and photos, assuming you have or make an Apple account.

Apple Invites does have some benefits over. Say, Partiful or other event-planning apps. It likely seems like a good option – one that we’ll need to test – for those in the Apple ecosystem who have friends with or without an iPhone. The fact that you can still collaborate with the shared photo library, even with an Android phone, is a good step for Apple and might encourage eventual iMessage sharing.

Still. The fact that iCloud Plus is required presents that services is still of the utmost importance to Apple. I, for one, am happy that this might make it easier to share photos, which is a struggle.

Similar to services, Apple Intelligence is critically key for the enterprise. And Invites seems to be making the case that two of the standout functions can be useful here. Writing Tools is being pitched as a way to spice up event descriptions, and Image Playground hopes you’ll use generative AI to create event images.

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Intel Postpones Innovation 2024 Event, Cites Poor Finances

As Intel looks to streamline its business operations and get back to profitability in the face of weak revenues and other business struggles. Nothing is off the table as the business looks to cut costs into 2025 – not even Intel’s trade demonstrates. In an unexpected announcement this afternoon, Intel has begun informing attendees of its fall Innovation 2024 trade show that the event has been postponed. Previously scheduled for September of this year, Innovation is now slated to take place at some point in 2025.

Innovation is Intel’s regular technical showcase for developers, end-people, and. The public, and is the successor to the business’s legendary IDF show. In recent years the show has been used to deliver status updates on Intel’s fabs, introduce new client platforms like Panther Lake, launch new products, and more.

But after 3 years of presents, the future of Innovation is up in the air, as Intel has officially postponed the show – and with a less-than-assuring commitment to when it may return.

In a message (registration required). And separately sent out via email, Intel presented the postponement of the show. In lieu of the show, Intel still plans on holding smaller developer events.

After careful consideration, we have made the decision to postpone our Intel-hosted event. Intel Innovation in September, until 2025. For the remainder of 2024, we will continue to host smaller, more targeted events, webinars, hackathons and meetups worldwide through Intel Connection and Intel AI Summit events, as well as have a presence at other industry moments.

Separately, in a statement sent to PCMag, the organization cited its current financial situation, and that they “are having to make some tough decisions as we continue to align our cost structure and. Look to assess how we rebuild a sustainable engine of process technology leadership.”.

While Intel had not yet -delayed show, Innovation 2024 was expected to be a major showcase for Intel’s Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake client processors, both of which are due this fall. Arrow Lake in particular is Intel’s lead product for their 20A process node – their first node implementing RibbonFETs and. PowerVia backside power delivery – so its launch will be an critical moment for the firm. And while the postponement of Innovation won’t impact those launches, it means that Intel won’t have access to the same stage or built-in audience that comes with hosting your own trade show. Never mind the lost opportunities for software developers, who are the core audience for the show.

Officially, the show is just postponed. But given the lead time needed to reserve the San Jose Convention Center and similar venues, it’s unclear whether Intel will be able to host a show before the second half of 2025 – at which point we’d be closer to Innovation 2025, making Innovation 2024 de facto cancelled.

In the meantime. The enterprise has already presented that they’ll be launching Lunar Lake at IFA in Germany in September. So that remains the next big trade show for Intel’s client chip group.

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Mine's bigger than yours: Mysterious hyperscaler plans to build Europe's largest cloud and AI data center that will suck enough electricity to power 20,000 homes

Permission to build data center in Hertfordshire has been approved.

Owner is likely to be a hyperscaler operator. Though application was done by an obscure organization.

It is expected to draw 400MVA from the National Grid when it goes live in 2030.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good whodunnit? Approval has been granted for a large data center to be built in Hertfordshire, UK, near London’s M25 motorway, but the identity of the future occupant, believed to be a major hyperscale operator (so potentially AWS, Microsoft, Google or Meta), is as yet unknown.

The planning application was submitted last year by DC01 UK Ltd, and approved by Hertsmere Borough Council shortly after the UK Government launched its AI Opportunities Action Plan. For which new AI data centers will play a major role.

Following the news, a spokesperson for DC01UK introduced, “We want to thank Hertsmere Borough Council for their open and pragmatic approach to DC01UK’s plans. They understand our ambition for both the project and the borough. It will bring huge benefits for local people through a stronger local economy, more skilled jobs and superior opportunities. Our plans also include a raft of upgrades for local transport, including new and existing bus routes, expansion of the local cycle hire scheme and road improvements.”.

DC01UK will be Europe’s largest cloud and AI data center, with up to two million square feet of space. And draw 400MVA (Megavolt-Amperes) of power from the National Grid, which is enough electricity to power 20,000 homes. 400MVA is the total power supplied, including both real power (MW) and reactive power (MVAR, which accounts for inefficiencies in the system). The location of the project, which is just East of South Mimms Services, places it close to the Elstree (Letchmore Heath) substation.

DC01UK asserts “Economic projections estimate the construction value of the project at £ with a year-round generation of £ in business rates once the data center is operational. The positive economic impact of the data center would also see the creation of 500 skilled on-site jobs during the construction phase, 200 permanent, skilled jobs once up and. Running and a further 13,740 indirect jobs, 10,900 of which would be in the South East. DC01UK is also estimated to generate approximately £ billion per annum GVA (Gross Value Added) indirectly per year.”.

The data center will be built in 85 acres of grounds (54 percent of which DC01UK says will be retained as green space) with construction planned to begin in 2027. The data center is expected to become operational three years later in 2030.

As to who that hyperscaler might be? The Register was told by a DC01UK spokesperson, "Since the announcement last September, we've received significant interest and. There are active, ongoing discussions that will be finalized in the near future. We will make a further announcement in due course," which seems to suggest that DC01UK doesn’t know who will be moving into its data center just yet either.

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