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Data is the holy grail of AI. From nimble startups to global conglomerates, organizations everywhere are pouring billions of dollars to mobilize datasets for highly performant AI applications and systems.
But, even after all the effort, the reality is accessing and utilizing data from different sources and across various modalities—whether text, video, or audio—is far from seamless. The effort involves different layers of work and integrations, which often leads to delays and missed business opportunities.
Enter California-based ApertureData. To tackle this challenge, the startup has developed a unified data layer, ApertureDB, that merges the power of graph and vector databases with multimodal data management. This helps AI and data teams bring their applications to market much faster than traditionally possible. Today, ApertureData announced $8.25 million in seed funding alongside the launch of a cloud-native version of their graph-vector database.
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“ApertureDB can cut data infrastructure and dataset preparation times by 6-12 months, offering incredible value to CTOs and CDOs who are now expected to define a strategy for successful AI deployment in an extremely volatile environment with conflicting data requirements,” Vishakha Gupta, the founder and CEO of ApertureData, tells VentureBeat. She noted the offering can increase the productivity of data science and ML teams building multimodal AI by ten-fold on an average.
What does ApertureData bring to the table?
Many organizations find managing their growing pile of multimodal data— terabytes of text, images, audio, and video daily— to be a bottleneck in leveraging AI for performance gains.
The problem isn’t the lack of data (the volume of unstructured data has only been growing) but the fragmented ecosystem of tools required to put it into advanced AI.
Currently, teams have to ingest data from different sources and store it in cloud buckets – with continuously evolving metadata in files or databases. Then, they have to write bespoke scripts to search, fetch or maybe do some preprocessing on the information.
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Once the initial work is done, they have to loop in graph databases and vector search and classification capabilities to deliver the planned generative AI experience. This complicates the setup, leaving teams struggling with significant integration and management tasks and ultimately delaying projects by several months.
“Enterprises expect their data layer to let them manage different modalities of data, prepare data easily for ML, be easy for dataset management, manage annotations, track model information, and let them search and visualize data using multimodal searches. Sadly their current choice to achieve each of those requirements is a manually integrated solution where they have to bring together cloud stores, databases, labels in various formats, finicky (vision) processing libraries, and vector databases, to transfer multimodal data input to meaningful AI or analytics output,” Gupta, who first saw glimpses of this problem when working with vision data at Intel, explained.
Prompted by this challenge, she teamed up with Luis Remis, a fellow research scientist at Intel Labs, and started ApertureData to build a data layer that could handle all the data tasks related to multimodal AI in one place.
The resulting product, ApertureDB, today allows enterprises to centralize all relevant datasets – including large images, videos, documents, embeddings, and their associated metadata – for efficient retrieval and query handling. It stores the data, giving a uniform view of the schema to the users, and then provides knowledge graph and vector search capabilities for downstream use across the AI pipeline, be it for building a chatbot or a search system.
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“Through 100s of conversations, we learned we need a database that not only understands the complexity of multimodal data management but also understands AI requirements to make it easy for AI teams to adopt and deploy in production. That’s what we have built with ApertureDB,” Gupta added.
ApertureDB Dashboard
How is it different from what’s in the market?
While there are plenty of AI-focused databases in the market, ApertureData hopes to create a niche for itself by offering a unified product that natively stores and recognizes multimodal data and easily blends the power of knowledge graphs with fast multimodal vector search for AI use cases. Users can easily store and delve into the relationships between their datasets and then use AI frameworks and tools of choice for targeted applications.
“Our true competition is a data platform built in-house with a combination of data tools like a relational / graph database, cloud storage, data processing libraries, vector database, and in-house scripts or visualization tools for transforming different modalities of data into useful insights. Incumbents we typically replace are databases like Postgres, Weaviate, Qdrant, Milvus, Pinecone, MongoDB, or Neo4j– but in the context of multimodal or generative AI use cases,” Gupta emphasized.
ApertureData claims its database, in its current form, can easily increase the productivity of data science and AI teams by an average of 10x. It can prove as much as 35 times faster than disparate solutions at mobilizing multimodal datasets. Meanwhile, in terms of vector search and classification specifically, it is 2-4x faster than existing open-source vector databases in the market.
The CEO did not share the exact names of customers but pointed out that they have secured deployments from select Fortune 100 customers, including a major retailer in home furnishings, a large manufacturer and some biotech, retail and emerging gen AI startups.
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“Across our deployments, the common benefits we hear from our customers are productivity, scalability and performance,” she said, noting that the company saved $2 million for one of its customers.
As the next step, it plans to continue this work by expanding the new cloud platform to accommodate the emerging classes of AI applications, focusing on ecosystem integrations to deliver a seamless experience to users and extending partner deployments.
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The dispute between WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg and hosting provider WP Engine continues, with Mullenweg announcing that WordPress is “forking” a plugin developed by WP Engine.
Specifically, Advanced Custom Fields — a plugin making it easier for WordPress users to customize their edit screens — is being taken out of WP Engine’s hands and updated as a new plugin called Secure Custom Fields.
Mullenweg wrote that this step was necessary “to remove commercial upsells and fix a security problem.”
The Advanced Custom Fields team responded on X, describing this as a situation where a plugin “under active development” has been “unilaterally and forcibly taken away from its creator without consent,” which it said has never happened “in the 21 year history of WordPress.”
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“This essential community promise has been violated, and we ask everyone to consider the ethics of such an action, and the new precedent that has been set,” the ACF team wrote.
Both Mullenweg’s blog post and a reply from WordPress claim that similar situations have, in fact, happened before, though Mullenweg added, “This is a rare and unusual situation brought on by WP Engine’s legal attacks, we do not anticipate this happening for other plugins.”
They also pointed to WordPress’ plugin guidelines, which give WordPress the right to disable or remove any plugin, remove developer access, or change a plugin “without developer consent, in the name of public safety.”
Some background: WordPress is a free, open source content management system used by many websites (including TechCrunch), while companies like WP Engine and Mullenweg’s Automattic offer hosting and other commercial services on top.
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Last month, Mullenweg published a blog post criticizing WP Engine as a “cancer to WordPress.” His criticisms covered everything from WP Engine’s lack revision history to its investor Silver Lake, but he also suggested that its “WP” branding confuses customers, making it sound like the company is officially connected to WordPress.
Cease-and-desist letters have gone both ways, with WP Engine claiming Mullenweg threatened to take a “scorched earth nuclear approach” unless the company paid to license the WordPress trademark.
WordPress banned WP Engine from accessing WordPress.org, briefly lifted the ban, then imposed it again. This essentially prevents WP Engine from updating the plugin through WordPress.org — so it can’t offer easy updates to address security issues. WP Engine has, however, published a workaround for users who want to update the plugin and continue using ACF. (It says the workaround is only necessary for ACF’s free users, as pro users will continue to receive updates from the ACF website.)
Moving forward, Mullenweg wrote that Secure Custom Fields will be available as a non-commercial plugin: “If any developers want to get involved in maintaining and improving it, please get in touch.”
Finding something to watch or play can sometimes feel like work — there’s just so much out there vying for your free time. That’s true whether you’re heading to a theater, browsing the many streaming platforms, or looking for a new video game. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with choice.
When we reviewed the Nvidia Shield TV Pro back in 2021, we said that it was the best streaming box on the market at the time. It’s still a great streamer thanks to its flexibility and power, but it’s been a little neglected. However, Nvidia has issued an update at last – the first such update since 2023. If you’re encountering bugs or glitches that are taking the shine off your Shield, this new update should hopefully address them.
The new updates are detailed in a post on the Nvidia website, but the short version is that it enhances the Match Frame Rate, fixes a GeForce Now crash bug and addresses some irritating video and audio issues.
What’s new in the Nvidia Shield TV update
As before, the system is based on Android 11 – and this update is a hotfix rather than a new version, so don’t expect any new features.
Here’s the list of the changes in this new update, the 9.1.1+ Hotfix:
Match Frame Rate (beta) enhancement
Resolves issue with SHIELD drive filling up
Fixes the issue of No audio heard when headset is connected to controller and DAP is on
Resolves issue of Geforce now crash after launch
Ability to clear HDMI 1.4 flag via factory reset
Fixed video distortion on “RGB 8-bit Rec.709” display mode
Resolved USB HDD/Flash drive showing corrupted after hotplug
NAS folder info shows 0 B and not the actual capacity
Mounted storages aren’t listed after upgrade
Fixes occasional crashes in DRM apps
The support document also notes some important caveats. If you want to install Disney Plus from the Play store you’ll need to do it before applying this update, as once installed you won’t be able to add or update the Play store version of the app; the Hotfix isn’t Google certified; and there’s no way to reverse installation.
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The Apple Watch has hit its first big birthday. The Apple Watch Series 10 is the 10th generation of Apple’s wearable, and it brings a host of new changes while keeping the same DNA that makes the Apple Watch special.
However, it’s still not the most affordable smartwatch, but Apple does offer the two-year-old entry-level Apple Watch SE 2. If you are on a limited budget and want to experience an Apple Watch, should you buy the Apple Watch SE2 or is it worth stretching your budget for the Apple Watch Series 10? Let’s find out.
The Apple Watch Series 10 was announced at Apple’s Glowtime event and has undergone a major redesign, while the SE 2 follows the same design language as earlier versions of the Apple Watch. The result is a stark contrast between the two.
The Series 10 is 1mm thinner, slightly heavier, and slightly bigger than the Apple Watch SE 2, but it has a much larger display. Despite the bigger display, it feels better on the wrist thanks to a thinner design that makes it feel far more premium.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends
The Apple Watch Series 10 gets a glass front, a titanium or aluminum frame, and a ceramic and sapphire crystal back. In contrast, the Apple Watch SE 2 is far less premium as it replaces the ceramic with plastic and only comes with an aluminum frame.
The display on the Apple Watch Series 10 is also far better. It’s bigger, slightly higher in density, and features a higher peak brightness at 2,000 nits. The Apple Watch SE 2 display is no slouch as it’s still a Retina OLED with 1,000 nits peak brightness, but there’s a noticeable difference between the two. The Series 10 also features a Sapphire crystal glass front that should render it far more durable than the Ion-X strengthened glass on the Apple Watch SE 2.
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Joe Maring / Digital Trends
Despite both displays using LTPO technology, only the Apple Watch Series 10 features an always-on display. It also has a much wider viewing angle, allowing you to see what’s on the display at a broader angle.
There’s little doubt that the Apple Watch Series 10 is just the nicer-looking watch. It is thinner, bigger, and has a much nicer display, as well as the display characteristics you’d want from a smartwatch such as an always-on display and sapphire crystal protection. This is where the differences between the two watches are most noticeable.
The Apple Watch Series 10 runs WatchOS 11 out of the box, while the Apple Watch SE 2 can be updated to the same platform. Although they share the same operating system version, there are a few health features that are not available on the more affordable Apple Watch.
The lack of ECG and temperature sensors means you’ll miss features like ECG recordings, advanced heart rate monitoring, and temperature sensing. Both watches offer sleep tracking, but the Apple Watch Series 10 captures more data and is also able to detect Sleep Apnea.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends
Both watches gain access to the Training Load and Vitals apps, with the latter offering a visual representation of stats such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and sleep duration. The Apple Watch Series 10 will also detect your wrist temperature overnight, providing a first indicator of whether you may be falling ill. The Apple Watch Series 10 can also track periods with retrospective ovulation estimates, while the Apple Watch SE 2 offers basic cycle tracking.
If you like to swim or dive, the Apple Watch SE 2 is more limited as well. It is water resistant and swi-proof to just 50 meters, while the Apple Watch Series 10 adds a water temperature sensor and a depth gauge up to six meters to provide more detailed statistics about your workout.
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It’s a close call, but the Apple Watch Series 10 offers just a few more features. However, the Apple Watch SE 2 offers all the core health features at a lower price, so you won’t be missing out on too much. If you aren’t too worried about any of the Apple Watch Series 10’s exclusive features, you can change this to a tie.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is powered by the S10 SiP and comes with the double tap gesture that launched with the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 last year. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch SE 2 uses the two-year-old S8 SiP, which prevents it from offering certain features such as precision finding for the iPhone and faster charging.
There is also a noticeable difference in performance when using Siri. The S10 SiP offers a much faster Siri assistant that is on-device and can access your health data, while the S8 SiP is more limited and offers a more basic version of Siri.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends
However, while the S10 SiP is better, there’s little reason to upgrade solely for the processor. The Apple Watch SE 2 offers most of the same experience, doesn’t lag, and is more than capable of being updated in the future.
How many updates is the other unknown: most Apple Watches are supported for around five years, so if you buy an Apple Watch SE 2, it may only receive three more updates. The Apple Watch Series 10 is guaranteed to receive updates longer than any other current Apple Watch.
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The Apple Watch Series 10 is faster, but the difference isn’t marked enough and shouldn’t be used as the sole reason to upgrade your pick.
The Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch SE 2 are both rated as offering up to 18 hours of battery life, but there are still big differences. The Apple Watch SE 2 is likely to last slightly less than the Series 10, which we’ve found lasts at least 24 hours.
This year saw Apple revamp the charging experience, with the Apple Watch Series 10 now charging much faster than any other Apple Watch. In our testing, it can charge to full in less than an hour, and a 15-minute charge gets you enough battery life for 12 hours of use. There’s no contest.
The Series 10 has the best charging experience on an Apple Watch, being almost twice as fast as the Apple Watch SE 2. Trust us, the upgraded charging makes a huge difference in day-to-day usage.
The biggest allure of the Apple Watch SE 2 is its price. A starting price of $249 makes it much less expensive than the Apple Watch Series 10, which starts at $399 and has a maximum price of $799 for the Titanium model in the biggest size with the titanium band.
If you want the Apple Watch SE 2, the 40mm GPS model costs $249, while the bigger 44mm costs an extra $30. Opting for the GPS and Cellular model will cost you an additional $50, and choosing a stainless steel Milanese loop — featuring the original design — costs an additional $50 as well. The maximum you can pay for an Apple Watch SE 2 is $379.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends
If you want the Apple Watch Series 10, it starts at $399 for the 42mm aluminum build and $699 for the titanium build. The former comes in either GPS or GPS and Cellular variants — the latter costs $100 extra — while the titanium build is only available with GPS and Cellular. If you want the bigger 46mm model, it costs $30 extra for the aluminum build and $50 extra with titanium.
For the lower price, you get a pared-back feature set with the Apple Watch SE 2. It’s designed to offer a first step into the Apple Watch experience, while the Apple Watch Series 10 represents the pinnacle of the non-Ultra product line. The Apple Watch Series 10 does a lot more, but it comes at a price that may be too high for some people.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is the best Apple Watch you can buy right now, but a starting price of $399 will make it far too expensive for some people. If you are one of those people and want to experience the magic of the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch SE 2 delivers 75% of the experience at less than 75% of the price.
However, if you can upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 10, the extra money is worth it. It’s the biggest display ever on an Apple Watch, the faster charging makes a big difference, and the thinner body means it’s far more comfortable on the wrist.
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It costs a premium over the Apple Watch SE 2, but the Apple Watch Series 10 is worth the premium, especially if you snag one of the best Apple Watch deals.
DIRECTV has decided to also toss its hat into the FAST arena, by offering its own Free Ad-Supported TV service, called ‘MyFree DIRECTV’.
The company is not yet saying how many channels will be available, but you can bet on there being hundreds. Google TV FreePlay already has over 800 channels and it only launched a few months ago. The service is set to launch on November 15, just in time for the holidays. Not only will MyFree DIRECTV offer hundreds of free channels, it will also have a vast on-demand catalog available. And there will be additional channels launching throughout 2025.
Those that already pay for DIRECTV Stream, will also be able to use MyFree DIRECTV, and no it is not replacing DIRECTV Stream. With FAST channels, you’re getting a lot of 24/7 streaming channels that will be themed, and you won’t be able to watch a lot of stuff “live”.
What are FAST channels?
FAST is a new term that came into the streaming industry a few years ago, mainly thanks to the popularity of services like Tubi TV and Pluto TV. It stands for Free Ad-Supported TV, and normally runs 24/7 with themed channels. So you usually don’t see new content here. These are still great to have running in the background while you’re doing work around the house and such.
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There are already plenty of channels out there on various platforms like the Baywatch Channel, Bar Rescue Channel, Anger Management Channel and many more. The best part about all of this is, that it is entirely free. With most services, you don’t even need to login to an account.
So how do these services make money? Well, it’s right in the name, ads. This means you’re going to see ads on everything, but it’s about the same as regular streaming TV from YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. In fact, sometimes it’s even less ads. Sling TV also has a free component available, and now DIRECTV Stream will be joining in on the fun.
If you watched that Star Trek episode about the tribbles and thought, I need one of those in my life (minus the rapid reproduction problem), Casio’s got just the thing for you. The company is now taking pre-orders in Japan for Moflin, the adorable robotic plushie with AI “emotional capabilities” that debuted during CES 2021. Moflin, developed in a partnership with the Japanese startup Vanguard Industries, is meant to work like an emotional support pet — snuggling is its specialty, and the creators say each robot has its own distinct personality, can shift moods depending on the situation and will form attachments to people over time.
It’s available in gray and blonde for a hefty ￥59,400 (roughly $400), and is expected to ship on November 7. There’s no word on a release outside of Japan.
Moflin doesn’t just respond to cuddles. You’re supposed to talk to it, too, and it’ll react with movements and cute sounds. These interactions will help shape its character. “Moflin has the ability to learn and its personality will develop based on how it is treated,” said Vanguard founder Masahiko Yamanaka in a promotional video. It’s Bluetooth capable so it can connect with an app, and charges in a little nest so as to avoid breaking the illusion of it being a real pet. When it’s charging, it’ll just go to sleep. The fur is removable for when you need to wash it, though.
Vanguard ran successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns for Moflin in 2020 but only started shipping the robots to backers in late 2023. Casio is now handling the manufacturing and distribution.
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