The newly completed 14-story Aloft Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, designed by Adache Group Architects, has officially opened. The hotel’s modern architectural design perfectly embodies the brand’s standards, making it an exciting addition to the city’s skyline. With its sleek and sophisticated exterior, the Aloft Hotel is sure to catch the eye of any passerby.
“We are excited to complete construction on Aloft Hotel in Fort Lauderdale,” Daniel Adache says, CEO of Adache Group Architects. “Business is booming in the City of Fort Lauderdale, individuals come from around the world to experience the beaches, culture, and food, this property will be an appealing hotel for business and leisure travel visitors coming to South Florida.”
The hotel, situated at 501 S.E. 24th St., covers an area of 100,000 square feet and boasts a stylish and modern design. It has a surface-level parking lot adjacent to it, containing 99 spaces for valet service. The Prodema wood panels on the porte cochere entrance give a natural feel to the ground floor. The hotel’s second floor houses a 5,000-square-foot lobby, which features indoor seating, a bar, and the Re:fuel by Aloft grab-and-go breakfast concept. Furthermore, an outdoor terrace provides guests with a warm and inviting space.
On the third to the 13th floors of the hotel, guests can access a variety of amenities, such as guest rooms with sizes ranging from 294 to 475 square feet, two guest laundry facilities, a meeting room, and a business center. On the 13th floor, guests can find a 964-square-foot fitness studio featuring a yoga terrace. Additionally, the hotel’s rooftop pool deck, which occupies the entire 14th floor, can be accessed by guests. This expansive space has a 540-square-foot pool, a bar, a gaming area, cabanas, and a fire pit.
For business travelers, the hotel is situated less than two miles away from the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, FLL Airport, and Port Everglades, the No. 3 busiest cruise port globally.
Nestled in the heart of the highly sought-after Park Shore neighborhood of Naples, this waterfront haven, crafted by the esteemed builders Knauf Koenig, visionary architects Falconer Jones, and interior virtuosos Clive Daniel, stands as a testament to the seamless integration of timeless elegance and contemporary design.
Perched majestically on the shores of Inner Doctors Bay, the property offers an unrivaled waterfront lifestyle. With the iconic Venetian Village just a stone’s throw away, residents find themselves in the lap of luxury and convenience. Step inside, and the interior reveals a thoughtful fusion of opulence and refinement. Every detail has been meticulously curated, from the gourmet kitchen adorned with top-of-the-line Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the exquisite Ruffino Cabinetry that graces the heart of the home.
The property seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor spaces, creating panoramic views that stretch as far as the eye can see. Each room transforms into a sanctuary of tranquility and natural beauty, emphasizing a lifestyle that embraces the surrounding environment. For those with a passion for boating, the Gulf Access presents an unparalleled opportunity.
As the epitome of waterfront luxury in Park Shore, this property stands as a testament to what Naples living can offer. From the meticulously curated interior to the breathtaking surroundings, every aspect contributes to an elevated experience—one that redefines the standards of elegance, comfort, and natural beauty.
Strada promises to move your entire post-production workflow to the cloud. This week, the AI-enabled cloud editing platform launches its first private beta test.
Cloud-based video editing is becoming more common every day with collaborative platforms like Adobe’s Frame.io and Sony’s Ci Media Cloud. In fact, Strada was founded by former Global Senior Vice President of Innovation at Frame.io, Michael Cioni along with brother and former Director of Resource Planning at Netflix, Peter Cioni. Strada plans to enhance the cloud editing experience with integrated AI-powered utilities and an ala carte plug-ins marketplace. Strada says this combination will empower post-production teams of all sizes to work faster from anywhere.
“With recent advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, I believe there are new ways to leverage the cloud to automate and remove workflow hurdles,” says Michael Cioni.
How Strada works
Strada connects to cloud-based storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Frame.io and Lightroom, making it easy to access footage stored across various locations. From there, you can start editing virtually. You can even view multiple streams of video simultaneously — think multi-cam editing — all without transcoding.
AI integration
Strada’s true strength, however, comes from it’s AI integrations. These AI tools focus on streamlining the post-production process rather than generating new content. For example, Strada’s AI can identify specific objects, people, locations and even emotions. This should make searching for just the right take much faster and easier. And it all happens automatically — no tedious inputting of metadata.
Strada’s AI toolset also includes AI transcription and translation. A faster transcription process means you can transcribe all of your footage at the start, leaving you with a transcript ready for text-based editing. This is a great option when you need to find a specific quote in a long interview, for example. You also end up with ready-to-go closed captions automatically. Likewise, automatic translation helps you reach more viewers with subtitles in over 100 languages.
All of these tools aim to improve the creative process.
How to try Strada
Strada launched its first private beta today. If you’re interested in trying out the new cloud-based post-production platform, head to strada.tech to sign up for private beta access.
Searching for things on your Pixel 8 should be getting a whole lot easier.
Google is rolling out its recently-announced Circle to Search function to its latest smartphones, including the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro. The new feature uses generative AI to quickly help you figure out what’s on your smartphone screen. Instead of bouncing back and forth between tabs and apps, the Circle to Search will directly identify whatever you highlight.
We first saw Google debut this feature during Samsung’s Unpacked event last month with its latest Galaxy S24 models. We knew Circle to Search wasn’t going to be exclusive to Samsung’s smartphones, but it seems like Google was waiting for the Samsung devices’ release to start rolling the feature out to its own smartphones. So far, Google has limited the Circle to Search feature to Android smartphones, which could be the move to convert iPhone users.
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Circle, Scribble, or Highlight
We got a brief preview of how Circle to Search works during the Samsung event, but Google has detailed all the ways you can use this feature in a recent blog post. It may be called Circle to Search, but you can even scribble over or highlight whatever you’re trying to search for. You simply long-press the home button or the navigation bar, then draw on whatever it is you’re interested in to start a search.
For the obvious cases, you can quickly identify something like an article of clothing that you come across in a video you’re watching. That means no more wasted time sleuthing the internet just to ID something your favorite vlogger is wearing. In another example, Google says you can highlight a restaurant name in your group chat to quickly get a glance at the menu, location, photos of dishes, and reviews — all without leaving the messaging app.
In some other straightforward examples, you can circle a word or phrase to get the definition or scribble over a building to identify it and add its location to a travel itinerary. If you want more complex answers, Google gives you the option of adding a string of text for a deeper dive, like understanding why something is suddenly going viral.
A Better Way to Search
Some Pixel users have already been using Circle to Search, even though Google says it just started rolling the feature out to its Pixel 8 smartphones and Samsung’s Galaxy S24 models. Google hasn’t indicated if it will bring the feature to older Pixel models, though.
Residential electricity customers need to trust that the electricity that powers their lives will be available when they need it. With so much depending on having available electricity, from powering lights and appliances to charging electric vehicles, there’s pressure on electric utilities to balance supply with the ever-increasing demands of modern living.
One way utilities are staying in control is by adopting smart metering technology for their residential electric meters. Smart meters, like the Stratus IQ+™, leverage smart-grid technology to deliver near real-time usage data that can make more accurate distribution possible. That’s important for everyday usage, and times when service may be disrupted.
Mitigating risk with Stratus IQ+ smart meter technology
Stratus IQ+ is capable of measuring real, apparent, and reactive energy simultaneously. That means utilities have a real-time view of usage, and can be more efficient in distributing power.
This visibility allows utilities to have a more complete picture of the grid. When an outage occurs, our unique smart-grid technology can help get customers back online safely and efficiently by telling you where every outage is located.
The data available to utilities via Stratus IQ+ can also help get power restored faster. Rather than relying on customer phone calls and disparate information to determine the cause, data from smart meters can point to where power has been lost. That can help utilities prioritize where to send crews, and get accurate information out to their customers.
Seamlessly manage distribution decisions
Another way Stratus IQ+ smart metering can help utilities be more efficient is understanding usage in near real time. With 32 channels of load profile data in four data sets with varying interval lengths no other residential meter provides this type of system visibility. This level of insight gives utilities the concrete information needed to make data-driven decisions.
For example, during a heat wave utilities can monitor how much energy is being used to power each customer’s home and manage the surge in demand by implementing energy saving programs where it’s needed most. Being able to meet demands can prevent the need for rolling brownouts, which in turn can keep power on in extreme heat or cold, keeping residents with power.
As the grid continues to evolve and modernize, smart metering technology utilities can rely on, has become more important than ever. Choosing Stratus IQ+ for smart residential metering can help utilities lead the way in smart-grid technology that has a real impact on safety and efficiency.
Contact one of our reps to find out how Stratus IQ+ can help utilities take the grid to next-level smart.
On June 12, 2023, Brookfield Renewable, one of the world’s largest publicly traded, pure‑play renewable power platforms, together with its institutional partners, announced that it has agreed to acquire Duke Energy Renewables, a fully integrated developer and operator of renewable power assets in the U.S., at an enterprise value of approximately $2.8 billion, including non‑controlling tax equity interests and the assumption of debt. Cravath is representing Brookfield Renewable in connection with the transaction.
A massive asteroid will zoom past Earth on Friday (February 2), coming within 1.7 million miles of our planet. NASA said that the asteroid 2008 OS7 will not come close to hitting the Earth, as it will pass by at seven times the distance from Earth to the moon, traveling at a speed of 41,000 mph.
NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies said that 2008 OS7 is between 690 feet and 1,575 feet across. That makes it roughly the same size as the Empire State Building. An asteroid of that size won’t cause planetary devastation but could wipe out a city if it strikes Earth.
You can watch the asteroid’s flyby live, thanks to The Virtual Telescope Project. The live stream starts on Friday at 1 p.m. ET.
One of the glaring Vision Pro issues that I noted immediately after Apple unveiled the headset last summer was the absence of generative AI features. But it was still too early for Apple to unveil a ChatGPT rival of its own. OpenAI’s generative AI software was just six months old at the time. There was plenty of time for Apple to bring its ChatGPT competitors to products like the iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro.
Vision Pro buyers who want generative AI features on their headsets right away will not have to wait for iOS 18. You can use ChatGPT, Google Bard, Microsoft Copilot, and other AI software on the Vision Pro via the Safari browser. Also, any AI apps for iPhone and iPad might work on the spatial computer.
But Microsoft went out and designed visionOS apps for its Microsoft 365 productivity suite for the Vision Pro. And that includes support for Microsoft Copilot.
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Microsoft Copilot is partly built atop ChatGPT. It will offer you access to the GPT-4 language model without paying the ChatGPT Plus subscription. You will only need a Microsoft account and the Vision Pro app that Microsoft created.
Microsoft 365 Word on Vision Pro. Image source: Microsoft
Microsoft announced the Vision Pro software in a blog post on Wednesday, right in time for Apple’s Vision Pro launch on Friday. That’s where it explains what Copilot can do on the Vision Pro:
If you are an individual or an organization that uses Copilot, we have some exciting news for you. You will be able to create, analyze and connect, using your own words and voice (literally), with Copilot while using Apple Vision Pro. Copilot can help you to:
Get more out of your meetings, by being more engaged in the meetings you attend and quickly catch up for the ones you don’t.
Transform your writing: Copilot drafts, edits, summarizes, and creates right alongside you.
Bring your ideas to life: Easily start a new presentation from a simple prompt or outline using natural language commands.
Analyze and explore data: Identify trends, create powerful visualizations, or ask for recommendations to drive different outcomes.
What’s really interesting here is that Microsoft went and created brand new apps for visionOS rather than making its iOS and iPadOS apps available on the spatial computer. That’s one of the advantages of Vision Pro over competitors and other first-gen Apple products. The Vision Pro gets access to millions of iPad apps right out of the box. That’s on top of apps created specifically for visionOS.
The same blog post details the Microsoft 365 apps the company created for the Vision Pro. The list includes PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Teams. The latter uses the Vision Pro persona feature that lets you create a virtual avatar of yourself.
Teams video chat on Vision Pro. Image source: Microsoft
Some of these apps will take advantage of the virtually infinite AR display you get with the Vision Pro. PowerPoint will feature an Immersive Environment that lets you practice presentations in front of an audience.
Excel will let you use an infinite canvas on the headset and move graphs and charts with ease between apps. Finally, Word will use the Immersive Environments feature to help you focus on the writing task at hand.
Microsoft’s Vision Pro apps will be available before the spatial computer’s launch. I might not get my hands on the spatial computer until much later this year, but I am excited to try some of Microsoft’s apps. Copilot is certainly a priority, at least until a native AI experience running on Apple’s own language models will be available on the headset.
I’ll also note that Microsoft’s approach is a significant departure from the treatment Vision Pro is getting from other developers. Google decided not to make a YouTube app for the Vision Pro, and neither did Netflix. Similarly, there’s no Spotify app for the Vision Pro. And Meta is yet to announce software for the Vision Pro.
The Vision Pro launch dropped right in the middle of a heated debate between Apple and developers that’s part of a much larger battle over iPhone apps. Just last week, Apple announced rules for iPhone sideloading in the EU.
Unsurprisingly, some developers were quite vocal about the DMA changes, including Microsoft’s Xbox president. Spotify and Epic are other examples. But that doesn’t mean Microsoft will not go forward with its visionOS apps.
Dollar General (DG) now offers fresh produce in more than 5,000 U.S. stores, giving the company more individual points of produce distribution than any other mass retailer or grocer in the country. DG stores that carry fresh produce are stocked with the top 20 produce items typically sold in traditional grocery stores, including tomatoes, onions, apples, strawberries, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lemons, limes and salad mixes.
“We are constantly looking for ways to better serve our customers and one of our top priorities is to ensure the communities we call home have access to fresh, affordable and convenient food options,” said Emily Taylor, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at Dollar General in a statement. “We have exceeded our goal of having 5,000 total stores with fresh produce by January 2024. We’re proud to leverage our footprint to meet the need for healthy food options in more communities than any other retailer across the U.S.”
To ensure consumers have fast and convenient access to fresh foods, DG has partnered with Shelf Engine to roll out AI-powered automated ordering technology in approximately 3,000 stores. The platform is designed to improve perishable food forecasting and optimize in-stock levels so only the freshest produce options are available. As a result, DG will be able to improve operational efficiency and margins while also supporting the its broader “Food First” initiative.
“Adopting Shelf Engine’s AI solutions aligns seamlessly with our mission of serving others, helping our teams enhance value and convenience for our customers,” said Allen Warch, VP and Division Merchandise Manager with leadership of fresh merchandise at Dollar General in a statement. “This collaboration is a strategic step toward improving our operational efficiency while serving our customers with improved in-stock levels of fresh produce.”
Putting Food First
DG first unveiled its “Food First” initiative in July 2023, emphasizing its commitment to building out its Clover Valley private-label brand. Through a robust customer feedback-gathering exercise, Clover Valley added more than 100 new items to shelves, including new entrees, sides, sauces, condiments and snacks. The ultimate goal for “Food First” is to provide more affordable food options to local communities that rely on DG for groceries and everyday essentials, such as milk, eggs, bread, canned vegetables and lean proteins.
DG also partners with local and national nonprofit organizations, including food banks, as part of its ongoing efforts to help alleviate food insecurity. For example, the retailer’s operational partnership with Feeding America provides in-kind food donations from stores and distribution centers across the U.S. with a goal to contribute up to 20 million meals each year. To date, DG has donated more than 23 million meals and over $3 million to Feeding America.
If you’re looking to elevate the customer experience (CX) with generative AI, you’re not alone. Generative AI customer service investments have been shown to increase revenue, optimize costs, and accelerate contact center innovation. By automating a wide range of customer interactions with generative AI, you can improve overall CX through personalized interactions, faster and more efficient issue resolution, and multichannel support.
Generative AI customer service technologies are also revolutionizing the way advisors work, empowering them with assistance tools and real-time coaching for greater productivity and efficiency. By streamlining tasks, your advisors can devote more attention to meaningful conversations with customers, enhancing CX—and advisor satisfaction.
Companies can accelerate generative AI implementation by unifying systems and migrating to the cloud. Amazon Connect is a cloud-based contact center solution that can help break down silos, enabling you to leverage generative AI technology across your business.
