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Dave Clark, formerly of Amazon and Flexport, just landed $100M for new supply chain venture

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US President Barack Obama emerges from behind a stack of packing bins as he tours an Amazon fulfillment center with Amazon's Vice President for Worldwide Operations Dave Clark on July 30, 2013 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Dave Clark has had a rollercoaster of a time these past two years.

After stepping down in June 2022 as CEO of Amazon’s worldwide consumer division — a role he held for over two decades — Clark relocated to Dallas to join supply chain logistics company Flexport. With a board mandate to prepare Flexport to go public, Clark led as co-CEO, and later on as CEO, while founder Ryan Peterson transitioned to executive chairman.

But all did not go smoothly. In September 2023, Flexport’s board, led by Peterson, pressured Clark to resign, accusing him of mismanagement. Clark maintained he was only trying to fix what he considered “extensive” organizational problems. Subsequent reporting backed up Clark’s claims, but the damage was done. Clark was out.

Clark mulled a gubernatorial run in Texas; he hired strategists, too. But the allure of launching a business — one he could run as he saw fit — proved to be stronger.

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Clark on Tuesday unveiled his new company, Auger, and he’s raised a mammoth, $100 million seed round led by VC firm Oak HC/FT. Auger is developing an AI-powered tool for supply chain-dependent businesses that integrates with existing inventory management platforms to deliver real-time insights.

“Throughout my career, I’ve seen first-hand how broken supply chains don’t just impact companies, but in fact millions of people: delays that prevent products from reaching shelves, miscommunications that force employees into overtime, higher consumer prices, and inefficiencies that contribute to a growing carbon footprint,” Clark told TechCrunch. “These aren’t just business problems — they’re human problems. And it’s time we fix them.”

Clark was vague about what precisely Auger is building, save that it “unifies” supply chain data for various types of aggregation. There seems to a chatbot component, too: Clark says users will be able to “just ask” questions like “Give me inventory information for next week’s shipment,” and Auger will serve up that data “instantly” in a “consumer-grade” portal.

“Despite heavy investments, companies still rely on fragmented ‘Franken-software’ — disjointed systems patched together from incompatible technologies that don’t communicate effectively,” Clark said. “This leads to inefficient workarounds and forces critical decisions to be made using tools like Excel, which were never designed to handle the complexity of supply chains at this scale. Auger is creating a new solution for companies seeking better options.”

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To Clark’s point, there’s robust demand for technology that helps organizations make sense of their supply chains. According to one source, 56% of retailers hold weeks’ worth of “safety stock” as insurance against supply chain visibility setbacks.

The lack of supply chain awareness — combined with growing supply chain headwinds, from dockworker strikes to turmoil in the Red Sea — is contributing to major global shipping disruptions. About a third of services companies and nearly half of manufacturers are having difficulty obtaining supplies, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey.

“Increasing disruptions and global conflicts [are] creating near-constant modifications in worldwide manufacturing and the flow of goods, stretching existing technology beyond its limits,” Clark said.

The more recent hurdles, combined with challenges introduced by the pandemic, have led to an explosion in the number of startups tackling supply chain visibility and management. The sector for logistics software is on track to reach $46.5 billion by 2025, per Markets and Markets. And funding is flowing healthily into upstart supply chain platform vendors — startups in the space received $15.4 billion in investments this year.

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Indeed, Auger, based in Bellevue, Washington, is entering a market chock full of formidable rivals.

Altana, which bagged $200 million from investors in July, uses an AI system to create a shared view of international supply chain networks, drawing from both logistics and B2B data. Everstream and Pando offer their own dashboards for analysis, intended to complement transportation management and supplier relationship management systems.

Clark asserts that what Auger’s making will be truly different.

“Auger will integrate data from multiple sources and use advanced AI and machine learning to generate automated, dynamic insights in real time,” Clark said. “The platform will offer a single pane of glass across planning, forecasting, and financing [to] … enable teams to move beyond manual tasks and focus on driving innovation.”

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Clark may well have what it takes to go up against the larger vendors in the SaaS supply chain software space. Logistics is his speciality, after all. At Amazon, Clark was an early proponent of robotic automation, which saved the company tens of millions of dollars. And, during the pandemic, Clark dramatically expanded Amazon’s operations to meet the elevated demand for online goods.

Clark has made big managerial missteps, on the other hand. He misjudged the reception of Amazon’s brick-and-mortar businesses, and, in the final stretch of the pandemic, over-expanded the company’s warehouse capacity. That latter decision led to billions in cost overruns.

Oak general partner Matt Streisfeld has confidence in Clark, calling him a “once-in-a-lifetime” founder with the potential to “reimagine supply chain management software.”

“We are in the midst of a critical shift, with more data shifting to the cloud every day,” Streisfeld said in a statement. “With this shift, we will have more accessible information that can be structured for not only real-time, continuous planning, but also so that AI can be layered on to automate more workflows and deliver more business and financial insights for inventory management and forecasting.”

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Clark says that Auger, which has yet to secure customers or generate any revenue, will release more information about its product roadmap and milestones in the coming months. “Our founding team is made up of relentless problem-solvers with a proven track record of delivering transformative supply chain solutions at scale,” he added. “This is just the beginning.”

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Florida gas stations are running out of fuel as people flee Hurricane Milton

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Florida gas stations are running out of fuel as people flee Hurricane Milton


Florida gas stations are rapidly running out of fuel, says GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan

Nearly 16% of gas stations in Florida had run out of fuel as of late morning Tuesday as people flee north to escape the path of Hurricane Milton, according to data from GasBuddy.

Many stations simply can’t keep up with gasoline demand as millions of Floridians collectively evacuate, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. About 1,200 of the state’s 7,900 gas stations are currently without fuel, according to the data.

“The sheer bulk of this is simply people getting out of harm’s way,” De Haan told CNBC. Prices should not rise as a consequence of the storm because infrastructure and refineries are not expected to be impacted, he said.

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Milton is forecast to make landfall on the west-central coast of Florida on Wednesday night and then move east-northeastward across the central part of the state through Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Milton is currently a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. The storm is forecast to remain “an extremely dangerous hurricane” through landfall in Florida, according to the forecasters.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday morning that the state was stockpiling fuel ahead of the storm. Gas stations are running out of fuel and lines are long but there is not a shortage in the state, DeSantis said.

Fuel continues to arrive in Florida by port and trucks have been dispatching supplies to stations in the anticipated impact area, the governor said. The Port of Tampa and other Gulf Coast ports are not receiving ships but the facilities have fuel on hand and dockside operations will continue, he said.

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There are no oil refineries in Florida and only 2,000 barrels of oil per day are produced in the state, said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. However, there are several terminals along the waterfront in Tampa that could be impacted by Milton, Lipow said.

“They are at risk from storm surge, flooding, and power outages,” Lipow said in a Tuesday note. “Significant damage to these facilities will impact on the ability to get gasoline and diesel back into the area for distribution.”

Gasoline delivery by tanker likely will not be possible in Tampa until Sunday at the earliest, Lipow said. Terminals with power, however, could begin distribution of fuel Saturday and Sunday depending on worker and truck driver availability as well as whether local gas stations are working, he said.

Don’t miss these energy insights from CNBC PRO:



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World of Warcraft Blade Server Unboxing-ish

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World of Warcraft Blade Server Unboxing-ish



Here is a kind of unboxing and description of how the World of Warcraft servers work. These retired blade servers were made available to the public in November 2011. Bare in mind, I am not a computer master, but I would be glad to answer any questions in the comments. See more videos on BTMMO.com .

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Prime Big Deal Days cordless drill deals 2024: Up to 46% off

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Prime Big Deal Days cordless drill deals 2024: Up to 46% off

Update 10/8/24: Prime Big Deal Days is up and running at Amazon, and it’s brought some great Prime Day cordless drill deals with it. Below you’ll find our favorites from the deal so far, and check back often as we’ll keep this list updated throughout the sale.

A second “Prime Day” (called Prime Big Deal Days) is going on October 8 and 9. During that time, if you’re a shopper, you’re likely to buy a Prime Big Deal Days TV deal or some nice monitor from Prime Big Deal Days Dell deals — something that you want to mount to the wall. And that’s where a nice battery-powered cordless drill comes into play. These deals also usually come with a battery and charger for the company’s power tool line, making them a great entry point for more Prime Big Deal Days power tool deals or even some Prime Big Deal Days tire inflator deals. Below is the best of what we’ve found, so take your pick based on brand, price, and just what feels right.

DCA Cordless Drill Set— $27 $40 33% off

DCA Cordless Drill Set
Amazon

Upgrade your tools with a brand-new cordless drill. This option from DCA is one of many awesome Prime Day cordless drill deals that will help you save time and money! It is ideal for DIY projects and home renovations that require a little extra power. Plus, its battery offers 33% more run time than other drills on the market. Add this cordless drill to your cart ASAP for savings of up to $13!

DEKO PRO Cordless Drill 20V— $30 $43 30% off

DEKO PRO Cordless Drill 20V
Amazon

Looking for the best cordless drills you can buy? Check out this option from DEKO PRO that features a two-speed gear shift, LED worklight, forward/reverse switch and torque adjustment ring that is ideal for those who love home improvement projects. It weighs only 2.5 pounds so it is easy to take with you wherever you go. Purchase this cordless drill for $30, which is 30% off its original price.

WORKPRO Cordless Drill Driver Kit— $36 $67 46% off

WORKPRO Cordless Drill Driver Kit
Amazon

This is one of October’s Prime Big Deal Days early deals that you are going to want to shop now! Grab this cordless power drill for 46% off its original price. You’ll be paying $36 for a drill that will help you tackle any task with its 1.8-pound weight and 18+1 torque adjustment. If you are in the market for a new cordless power drill, look no further than this option from Amazon!

Black+Decker 20V MAX PowerConnect cordless drill — $39 $60 35% off

The Black+Decker 20V MAX cordless drill against a white background.
Black+Decker

Black+Decker has been a trusted name for decades, and here its 20V MAX PowerConnect cordless drill is discounted for Prime Day. This drill comes with a wide variety of drill bits and other accessories, and it’s marked down from its regular price of $60 to a Prime Day price of $39.

Kimo Cordless Drill Set— $40 $47 15% off

Kimo Cordless Drill Set
Kimo

Make sure your home is ready for anything with these Prime Big Deal Days portable power station deals and a brand-new cordless drill. This option from Kimo includes everything you need for your home improvement projects. It offers two function modes: driving mode and drilling mode, which both help with precision. The best part? You can experience rapid charging in just 60 minutes. Grab this cordless drill for just $40!

Avid Power 20V MAX Lithium Ion Cordless Drill Set— $40 $50 21% off

 AVID POWER 20V MAX Lithium lon Cordless Drill Set
Amazon

The best cordless drill you can buy should be easy to use, versatile and sleek. The Avid Power 20V Max Lithium Ion Cordless Drill is now on sale for $40 during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days. You can save $100 off this highly-rated cordless drill that is great for handling various tasks with its variable speed switch and 16 torque setting. It features a unique flexible shaft that can be used for hard-to-reach places in your home.

Skil Power Core 12 Variable-Speed Drill— $59 $79 16% off

Skil Power Core 12
SKIL

This cordless drill is one of the best Prime Big Deal Days power tool deals we’ve seen so far. With a brushless motor and an industry-leading 12 lithium battery technology, this cordless drill delivers compact, lightweight power with up to 350 IN. pounds of torque. It offers mobile charging so you can plug into the battery’s USB port whenever, wherever and will charge in just five minutes. Save $11 on this drill during early Prime Day deals!

DeWalt 20V MAX cordless drill and impact driver bundle — $129 $239 46% off

Dewalt 20V MAX Cordless Drill Combo Kit
Dewalt

One of the best Prime Day cordless drill deals may be right here, as the DeWalt 20V MAX cordless drill is nearly 50% off for Prime Big Deal Days. It’s a popular cordless drill made by a well known and widely trusted brand, and it’s marked down from $239 to just $126 with this deal.

How to choose a cordless drill on Prime Day

Our brother site, The Manual, includes a guide to selecting the best cordless drill for you and the advice there is still worth checking even if you’re more interested in wall mounting a TV than doing woodworking or home renovation. It’s also good advice for selecting a cordless drill any time of the year, not just Prime Day. As a result, we’ll start with a quick summary:

If you want more battery-powered tools and accessories in your life than just the drill, selecting a brand and battery is just as important as selecting a drill. The deals going on for the Prime Day sales event are going to include some deals on products that include both the drill and the battery that’s required to run it, as well as the charger, which opens up “tool only” deals from the brand.

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If you’re just after a drill, make sure the drill has a battery and charger with it unless you already have those. Check the drill’s size and capabilities. Smaller drills are good for getting in smaller places while bigger drills will have a bit more driving power to them in at least some cases.

Overall, cordless drill and battery combos on Prime Day will likely be priced in an alluring manner. You get someone the battery and they’re a customer for life. If you keep this in mind, Prime Day cordless drill shopping should be no problem at all.

How we chose these cordless drill Prime Day deals

Knowing what we now know about cordless drill Prime Day deals, what should we do to select the very best ones? The process is relatively simple. We take the top drill and power tool brands — think Bosch, Milwaukee, Ryobi, etc. and check their deals at the moment. If the price is right, the price is right.

At this time, many of the deals will be on combo packages — cordless drill / driver equipment with a battery, charger, and tool bag — but we’re also on the lookout for good “tool only” deals, especially if you can get a discounted battery and charger separately at the same time. There’s admittedly more strategy to this than you might think.

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And speaking of strategy and looking at all of the angles, we’re fully aware that other places are having sales during “Prime Day” deals season, not just Amazon. As a result, we’re searching around to find the best prices, from wherever them might come.






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Chenbro RM24100-L2: The Ultimate 2U Rack-mount Server Chassis!

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Chenbro RM24100-L2: The Ultimate 2U Rack-mount Server Chassis!



Chenbro RM24100-L2: The Ultimate 2U Rack-mount Server Chassis!
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Chenbro Chassis No Power : B00C7QBL30

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Roborock’s S8 Pro Ultra is a Steal at $899

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Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra is a Steal at $899

It’s no secret that robot vacuums have gotten pretty pricey as of late. Now, there are multiple models that are over $1,000, with some that are getting close to that $2,000 mark. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is one of those. But in my opinion, it is worth the price, because of everything it can do for you. And we even awarded it the Best Robot Vacuum of 2023.

Amazon has just dropped the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra below that $1,000 mark, making it only $899 right now. That is going to save you $700 off of its regular price. That is $200 lower than it was on Prime Day earlier this year, making this an all-time lowest price.

Screenshot 2024 10 08 at 1 27 10 PM

I reviewed the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra and have used it for the last eight months. For someone who reviews robot vacuums (I’ve reviewed around 10 of them this year), that is a massive feat. It’s the robot vacuum I keep going back to because it is just so good at everything it does. Starting off with the actual vacuum, it boasts 6,000Pa suction, which is industry-leading right now. Only one robot vacuum can beat it. This is going to get all of the dirt, dust, hair, and other debris off of your floor, even those that you don’t see.

Roborock has included a dual rubber roller brush on the bottom of the vacuum which is really good for getting close to the floor to clean, but also great at not getting tangled in hair. It pushes the hair to the end of the brush, making it easy to remove and throw away.

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It does a fantastic job of cleaning up behind my dog, who seems to be shedding for some reason constantly. With the Roborock app, I’ve been able to schedule this robot vacuum to clean every day, and my home has never been cleaner.

We can’t forget about the dock; that’s what really sets this robot vacuum apart from the competition. So it’s a pretty large dock with three receptacles included. On the left side, you’ll find the clean water that is used to refill the water reservoir on the S8 Pro, as well as cleaning the mopping pad. In the middle is the dirty water from cleaning that mopping pad. And finally, on the right is the dustbag from emptying the dustbin. So as you can see, it does really automate cleaning quite a bit.

Roborock also supports using soap in the water reservoir now; you can pick up a bottle from Amazon that is certified for Roborock robot vacuums. It’s a tad bit expensive, but it will last you a long time. This bottle has lasted me about two years so far, though it is being used in a home that is about 85% carpet. So that helps.

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The best Prime Day bluetooth speaker deals we could find during Amazon’s Big Deal Days sale

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The best Prime Day bluetooth speaker deals we could find during Amazon's Big Deal Days sale

If you’re ready to upgrade from your phone’s tiny speakers, or if you’re done struggling to pick out the dialogue in TV shows, now is probably a good time to scoop up a or a . We’ve reviewed dozens of models and brands over the years and have made our recommendations in our buying guides. We also recommend more than a few smart speakers, which you can check out if you’re ready to bring an AI assistant to your countertop.

Now that is here, many of the speakers from our lists are on sale, making it a great time to get a deal. Check out below for the best Prime Day speaker deals we could find.

The marshall emberton II speaker sits on a table; there's a bunch of vinyl in the background.

Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget

There’s a portable speaker for just about every situation in our guide to Bluetooth speakers. Whether you just want some tunes as you horbgorble around at home or need to entertain some coworkers at a music dance experience, there’s something for you here — and best of all, these are on sale.

  • : This sub-two-pound sound-maker delivers a bright, punchy output from 30-watt speakers. We found it to have a crisp high end and fairly thumpy bass when it has walls to bounce the sound off of. Plus it’s waterproof and goes for 13 hours on a charge. This Prime-members-only price matches its all-time low.

  • : This little guy comes in at just over two pounds and has a bright and bassy output. It can play songs for around 12 hours on a charge and we particularly appreciate the solid build with its metal grille. This Prime-exclusive deal matches the lowest price yet.

  • Tribit StormBox Micro 2 for $48 ($32 off): This is the smallest music box on our list, and we like it because it packs serious sound for its size. The audio isn’t the highest fidelity, but the rubbery strap is perfect for strapping onto a pack, bike handlebar or elsewhere.

  • JBL Flip 6 for $80 ($50 off): After reading our guide, this is the speaker I bought, and I can confirm this crowler-sized device has great sound quality, is durable as heck and I love that it sounds great on its side or stood on end.

  • Marshall Emberton II for $100 ($70 off): This clutchable model has two 10-watt drivers and passive radiators for 360-degree sound. While it’s not super loud, we found the output to be nicely balanced. You’ll get up to 30 hours of play on a charge and it has a IP67 water- and dust-resistance rating.

  • Marshall Middleton for $250 ($50 off): This is the flagship in Marshall’s waterproof/portable line. We like the top-notch sound quality and impressive output from the dual woofers, tweeters for the front and back, and passive radiators along each side.

  • Ultimate Ears Hyperboom for $320 ($130 off): At 13 pounds, this UE speaker pushes the boundaries of portable, verging into shelf speaker territory. It made the cut in our guide thanks to its good looks, loud output and ample port options. It’ll play for 24 hours on a charge, too.

The Echo Dot smart speaker sits on a wooden shelf next to a stack of books.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

I never thought I’d own a smart speaker, but now I ask Alexa for everything — turn on the smart lights, set a noodle timer, remind me about Saturday’s group FaceTime and, most importantly, tell me the weather today. It’s always a good idea to get these devices on sale, so take advantage of these Prime Day prices while you can.

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  • : The Sonos Era 100 is our pick for the smart speaker. The sound quality is excellent, it pairs well with other Sonos devices and there are plenty of useful features — which should only improve once Sonos resolves all of its .

  • Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) for $23 ($27 off): The Dot is the most popular model in Amazon’s smart speaker family. Though it’s small, it puts out decent volume and music sounds pretty good from its speakers. But where it really shines is acting as your daily smart home assistant.

  • Amazon Echo (4th Gen) for $50 ($50 off):The full-sized model is probably a better option if you plan to use your Echo as a music source regularly — not surprisingly, its bigger size makes for bigger sound, plus you can pair two together. It’s our recommendation for a smart speaker under $100.

  • Amazon Echo Spot (2nd gen) for $45 ($35 off): The half-a-softball Spot with its tiny display went away for a time, but came back with a new look and a half-moon screen that can display the time, weather and the song that’s playing.

  • Amazon Echo Pop for $18 ($22 off): The tiniest Echo device is best suited to a small space where it would be helpful to have Alexa’s assistance. It’s not built for high fidelity music playing, but will bop out a song as you get ready or make some dinner.

Sonos Ray review photos

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

It’s not just you. The dialogue in TV shows is getting tougher to suss out. In my house, a soundbar has made a world of difference. Of course, these long speakers and sets also make movies more immersive. Engadget’s Billy Steele tested out a bunch, putting his favorites in our soundbar guide and, in good news for anyone ready to turn off the subtitles, Prime Day deals extend to a few winning models.

  • Sonos Beam for $399 ($100 off): The Sonos Beam is our favorite midrange soundbar. It has solid sound quality, support for Dolby Atmos and is easy to set up. Just note that it only has one HDMI port, so you can’t hook up a console directly to the speaker.

  • Sonos Ray for $169 ($110 off): This is the lowest price we’ve seen yet for this recommended soundbar, at over $100 off. We like the Sonos Ray because it’s an affordable option that puts out excellent sound in a compact bar with easy setup.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

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