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Informatica launches blueprints for developing generative AI

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Informatica launches blueprints for developing generative AI

Informatica launched Generative AI Blueprints, a set of guidelines and features designed to speed and simplify developing generative AI tools on six prominent cloud-based data management platforms.

The blueprints, available at no cost in Informatica’s Architecture and were released on Oct. 24, enable customers to use the vendor’s Intelligence Data Management Cloud (IDMC) platform in concert with AWS, Databricks, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Snowflake to develop generative AI capabilities.

Key features of the blueprints include vector database and language model connectors, prebuilt no-code data integration recipes, data quality and master data management capabilities and standard reference architectures to guide developers as they build new tools.

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Given that enterprise interest in developing generative AI models and applications has exploded over the past two years yet the actual building of such tools is complicated, Informatica’s launch of Generative AI Blueprints will be useful for the vendor’s customers, according to Kevin Petrie, an analyst at BARC U.S.

“Data and AI teams struggle to integrate the many elements of a GenAI architecture, from data sources to pipelines to [retrieval-augmented generation] workflows and the applications that contain language models,” he said. “The more you can simplify this architecture, the better you can reduce risk to determine the value of pilots and limited production deployments.”

Beyond being assistive to customers, the launch of Generative AI Blueprints also represents Informatica capitalizing on an opportunity, Petrie continued.

BARC’s research shows that more than 80% of enterprises are likely or extremely likely to work with vendors when developing AI initiatives. In addition, more than half are likely or extremely likely to engage a global consulting firm.

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“As incumbent providers in many environments, Informatica and its consulting partners recognize this opportunity and aim to capitalize on it,” Petrie said.

Based in Redwood City, Calif., Informatica is a data management vendor whose IDMC is designed to enable its users to integrate and prepare data for analysis and AI development.

Earlier this month, the vendor’s most recent platform update featured capabilities aimed at enabling customers to prepare their data for developing AI models and applications. Generative AI Blueprints builds on that by providing users with the next steps to take that data and use it to build models and applications.

New capabilities

Generative AI is being termed a transformative technology, akin to the smartphone 15 years ago, the internet in the 1990s, the personal computer in the 1980s and the telephone a century ago. Generative AI has existed for years, but OpenAI’s November 2022 launch of ChatGPT was a significant advancement in its capabilities and ease of use that led to surging interest.

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Two of its primary benefits are true natural language processing that enables non-technical workers to use complex tools that previously required coding knowledge and other extensive training as well as making technical experts more efficient by automating time-consuming repetitive tasks.

As a result, many enterprises are developing — or at least preparing to develop — generative AI tools.

At their core is data, which is needed to train models and applications to understand an enterprise’s operations. In response, many data management and analytics vendors including Informatica are developing generative AI-powered tools such as conversational assistants to help customers use their platform. In addition, they are creating ecosystems for those customers to develop their own generative AI capabilities trained on their proprietary data.

For example, data platform vendors Databricks and Snowflake each are building up environments for their users to develop generative AI capabilities as are tech giants AWS, Google, Microsoft and Oracle.

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However, developing generative AI — as well as traditional AI and machine learning — models and applications is difficult. It requires significant data preparation to ensure the quality of the data used to train generative AI tools, integrations with language models that provide the generative AI itself and the creation of complex pipelines that ultimately feed models and applications the data that trains them.

It’s estimated that over 80% of all AI projects never make it into production. And in July, research and advisory firm Gartner predicted that 30% of generative AI projects will be abandoned as soon as the end of 2025.

Informatica’s Generative AI Blueprints are designed to assist enterprise customers by simplifying the complex development process, providing them with not only needed tools but also expert advice.

Rik Tamm-Daniels, Informatica’s global vice president of strategic ecosystems and technology, noted that as enterprises attempt to develop generative AI tools, even knowing where to start can be a challenge. Generative AI Blueprints lay out the steps for them.

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“[Two-thirds] of tech leaders expect their organization to invest more in AI over the next three years, so finding an efficient and effective implementation process is crucial,” he said. “Successfully implementing AI requires a robust framework to ensure that an enterprise’s data is ready.”

A mix of customer feedback and internal conversations among product teams led to the development of the blueprints, Tamm-Daniels continued.

“We realized that we could support the deployment and scaling of enterprise-grade GenAI applications by creating an easy-to-follow template that provides organization-specific end-to-end solutions,” he said.

Organizations, meanwhile, are seeking support as they attempt to build generative AI tools, according to Stephen Catanzano, an analyst at TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group. Some are having early success. Many others, however, have plans to build generative AI tools but aren’t yet able.

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As a result, Informatica’s Generative AI Blueprints address a real need.

“Organizations are looking for leadership from their technology partners on how to leverage their enterprise data to build contextual generative AI application leveraging their preferred cloud partners,” Catanzano said. “These blueprints are what organizations need to navigate this complex and ever-changing AI landscape.”

Specific features included in Informatica’s Generative AI Blueprints include the following:

  • Standard reference architectures that instruct customers how to develop a generative AI model or application and pre-defined configurations that simplify the actual construction of those models and applications.
  • Prebuilt no-code frameworks for using the IDMC’s integration and orchestration capabilities on AWS, Azure, Google and Oracle.
  • Connectors to the language models and vector databases needed as part of the development and training pipeline.
  • Data quality and master data management capabilities to help customers ensure the relevancy and quality of the data they use to train and inform generative AI tools.
  • Metadata and data governance to further improve the quality and relevancy of data underpinning generative AI models and applications.
  • Policy and security enforcement capabilities to address responsible development of AI tools by making sure the data included in prompts responds appropriately and securely.
  • A design interface that enables users to scale usage of high throughput/low latency serverless runtime when needed to integrate retrieval-augmented generation pipelines and other high volume workloads.

Combined, the features comprising Informatica’s Generative AI Blueprints are thorough, according to Catanzano.

“They look very comprehensive,” he said, noting that the different capabilities address everything from identifying a use case for AI through cultivating trusted data and vectorizing the data to make it discoverable by AI-powered automation tools, to choosing an LLM with which to use data and building the retrieval-augmented generation pipeline that feeds the model or application.

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“It shows how important an ecosystem is for Informatica and their partners to work together,” Catanzano said. “It’s very comprehensive when you leverage all of the partners in their Blueprints.”

Petrie similarly noted that Informatica’s Generative AI Blueprints effectively address data preparation and pipeline development.

“These blueprints can help enterprises prepare, validate and deliver data for AI, especially structured tables that often contain enterprises’ most trustworthy data,” he said.

Looking ahead

Informatica’s recent platform update focused on preparing data for AI development and the launch of Generative AI Blueprints continue more than of year making AI a focal point of product development. That will continue, according to Tamm-Daniels.

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Like many analytics and data management vendors, Informatica understood the potential of generative AI and the ways it could use the technology to develop tools to help its customers. In addition, it understood that enterprises would want to develop their own generative AI capabilities and unveiled features aimed at assisting them in that pursuit.

For example, in May 2023, Informatica unveiled plans to infuse Claire, its AI engine, with generative AI. Similarly, competitors including Alteryx and Fivetran have made AI part of their product development.

“We will continue to focus on strengthening and enhancing our GenAI roadmap and solutions as more and more enterprises look to Informatica to solve their data management problems,” Tamm-Daniels said.

One way Informatica could strengthen its Generative AI Blueprints would be to add connectors to graph databases in addition to the connectors to vector databases that are already included, according to Petrie.

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Just as vector search and storage can aid generative AI development by enabling developers to discover relevant data, graph technology can similarly help the data discovery process.

“I see much less focus on graph elements in these architectures,” Petrie said. “Knowledge graphs matter because they … help GenAI language models understand how concepts and business entities relate to one another. I’ll be interested to see how Informatica addresses this requirement in coming releases.”

Catanzano, meanwhile, suggested that Informatica build on Generative AI Blueprints by providing even more guidance to its customers. Providing tools for development is essential. But so is guiding enterprises through the use of those tools to get their desired results.

“Continuing thought leadership in this area is important,” Catanzano said. “Everyone is still trying to figure it out and they need their tech partners to help guide them.”

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Eric Avidon is a senior news writer for TechTarget Editorial and a journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He covers analytics and data management.

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Roborock Qrevo Curv vs. Qrevo Master

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Roborock Qrevo Curv vs. Qrevo Master
Qrevo Curv climbing a threshold.
Roborock

The Roborock Qrevo Curv was one of many new devices shown off during IFA 2024. Offering a shocking amount of suction and an updated vacuuming setup, it’s poised to be one of the best robot vacuums of the year. But how does it stack up with the existing Roborock Qrevo Master? More importantly, should owners of the Qrevo Master make the jump to the Qrevo Curv? Here’s a closer look at both robot vacuums to help you decide.

Pricing and design

The Qrevo Curv next to a plant.
Jon Bitner / Digital Trends

The Roborock Qrevo Curv is priced at $1,600, making it one of the most expensive robots on the market. It offers a striking dome-shaped docking station and is a stark departure from the rectangular shapes of the competition. Most shoppers should find it to be a well-designed device.

The Roborock Qrevo Master was originally priced at $1,600, but it seems to have been permanently slashed to $950 following the arrival of the Curv. It boasts a traditional rectangular docking station. It looks great — but after seeing the Curv, it definitely seems a bit dated. Still, at under $1,000, it’s a better choice for frugal shoppers.

Winner: Roborock Qrevo Master

Vacuuming

The FlexiArm on the Qrevo Curv.
Jon Bitner / Digital Trends

Churning out 18,500Pa of suction, the Qrevo Curv is remarkably powerful. Combined with its new DuoDivide Brush that’s built to avoid tangles and a redesigned FlexiArm swinging side brush, it cleans thick carpets as well as some cordless vacuums. Its brushes can also lift while mopping to ensure they don’t get wet.

The Qrevo Master can also lift its brushes and uses a FlexiArm swinging side brush, but its bristles don’t use the new design — making it a bit more prone to tangles. The same goes for its older DuoRoller Brush on the bottom. The biggest difference, however, is when it comes to suction levels. The Qrevo Master tops out at 10,000Pa.

Both docking stations can hold up to seven weeks of dust, making them incredibly hands-free when it comes to vacuuming operations.

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Winner: Roborock Qrevo Curv

Mopping

The Qrevo Master mopping.
Roborock

Mopping specs are largely the same across both robots. They use dual rotating mopping pads that spin at 200 rpm, offer a variety of different water flow levels, and feature a swinging mop to clean near baseboards. Once a cleaning run is completed, it’ll head back to the dock.

Here, its mops will be rinsed with hot water until no dirt is detected. The docking station will then automatically clean its own washboard to ensure all the debris knocked off the mops is washed away into its dirty water reservoir. Mops will then be dried with warm air to ensure nasty odors don’t develop.

Winner: Tie

Additional features

The Qrevo Curv and its mobile app.
Roborock

Both robots are packed with additional features. This includes a built-in voice assistant, a powerful mobile app to customize your settings, premium obstacle detection, and the fun ability to capture snapshots of your pets. The Qrevo Curv also features a liftable chassis to climb over thresholds up to 4cm and the ability to heat its water up to 75 degrees Celsius compared to just 60 degrees Celsius on the Master.

Winner: Roborock Qrevo Curv

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Verdict

The Roborock Qrevo Curv is undoubtedly the better robot vacuum and mop combo. More suction, better roller brushes, a bold new dock design, and the ability to climb over thresholds make it superior to the older model. Of course, it’s also much more expensive, clocking in at a cool $1,600.

If you need the absolute best robot vacuum, however, it’s an easy recommendation. It offers nearly double the suction of the Master, allowing it to give even the thickest carpets an impeccable clean.

On the other hand, if you already own the Master, don’t feel the need to rush out and buy the Curv. Mopping performance is largely the same across both devices, as are many of the additional features. So unless you need the extra suction for plush carpets, you can probably pass on an upgrade.


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8BitDo makes a mobile controller with Hall Effect sticks now

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8BitDo makes a mobile controller with Hall Effect sticks now

The ultimate mobile gaming controller is one that you enjoy using the most, and 8BitDo thinks its new controller for mobile games is going to be that controller for you. And, you know what it just might be. It’s called the Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller and based on the features, it’s quite possible that it will live up to that title.

For starters, 8BitDo is coming out of the gate strong with two very sought-after features. Hall Effect sticks and triggers. While it’s nice that triggers are Hall Effect, it’s much more important that the stick use this technology. Hall Effect joysticks mean that the joysticks on this controller are essentially drift-proof. Stick drift has been a big problem for many users across all platforms, but it seems to have been the biggest issue for Nintendo Switch and PS5 owners. Where the sticks on the JoyCon and the DualSense have encountered this problem on a pretty large scale.

8BitDo wants you to avoid running into this problem.

The 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller is $50

The other big thing that 8BitDo has going for it is the controller’s price. It’s only $50. Compare that to the $100 Backbone One which is a favorite of many, and the $78 Razer Kishi V2 Pro and $150 Razer Kishi Ultra, the latter of which has been our favorite. Even with the regular Kishi V2 is still more expensive at $60. And while it’s a fine controller, we have loved ours, 8BitDo’s entry into the market has a considerable advantage in size.

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The Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller appears to be a full-size controller and it comes with an enhanced grip. So you should have more for your hands to hold onto. This was one of the main reasons why we love the Kishi Ultra. It’s a full-size mobile controller in this Nintendo Switch-like style where the phone sits in the middle. That being said, it does cost $150. So it’s expensive, and for many, the cost may not be justified.

This is where 8BitDo has a chance to carve out a real piece of the market. It can offer a full-size or nearly full-size mobile controller with loads of features at a reasonably low price. And that will probably be hard to beat.

It’s compatible with nearly every device

8BitDo says the controller is compatible with nearly every phone out there. That’s partially due to the Bluetooth connection, as there’s no direct USB-C connection to plug your phone into. It’s also due to the controller’s extendable body to fit larger devices. There is still a limit of course. The controller will only support phones from 100mm to 170mm in length. If your phone (or tablet perhaps) fits into those measurements then you should be fine.

In addition to the wide range of phone compatibility, the Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller offers a lot more. There are two pro-style back paddles, tactile bumpers and d-pad, a turbo button, a macro button, and the controller works with 8BitDo’s Ultimate software.

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You can use this software to remap controls and adjust different settings. This is also where you can set up and customize profiles. Which is useful since the controller has a profile button too. Now since this is powered by Bluetooth it does have a battery. That battery should last up to 15 hours though, and it only takes about 1.5 hours to recharge.

The Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller is available for pre-order today through Amazon. 8BitDo says it begins shipping out on November 29. it comes in black and white.

Buy at Amazon

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Cash App users can claim thousands of dollars in a data breach settlement

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Cash App users can claim thousands of dollars in a data breach settlement

Heads up if you’ve had a Cash App account over the last six years or so: you may now be able to claim thousands of dollars as a result of a class-action settlement. The company proposed the $15 million settlement earlier this year following two security incidents. If you’re eligible to make a claim, you only have a few weeks to do so.

The first related breach took place in December 2021 when, according to Cash App, a former employee downloaded reports containing information on more than 8 million users. This included their full names, brokerage account numbers and, in some cases, the holdings and value of investment portfolios. Cash App .

The consolidated class-action complaint alleged that Cash App and parent company Block failed to enact sufficient security measures to prevent another data breach. This involved Cash App’s person-to-person payment services. According to the plaintiffs, “an unauthorized user accessed certain Cash App accounts in 2023 using recycled phone numbers.” The complaint contended that Cash App and Block mishandled complaints related to both breaches and fraudulent transactions.

Cash App and Block have denied any wrongdoing, reports. They say the settlement is not an admission of liability.

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You may be eligible to make a claim if you had a Cash App account between August 23, 2018 and August 20 of this year. The settlement will cover up to $2,500 of out-of-pocket costs stemming from the breaches, as well as up to three hours worth of lost time at $25 per hour. Those who have sustained a monetary loss and haven’t yet been reimbursed can file a claim for that too.

If you plan to file a claim through the , you’ll need to do so by 2AM ET on November 19. A final court hearing in the case is set for December 16.

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DeepMind and Hugging Face release SynthID to watermark LLM-generated text

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Robot detecting LLM-generated documents

Robot detecting LLM-generated documents


SynthID makes subtle changes to LLM-generated text to create a statistical signature while preserving the quality of the output.Read More

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Not all startups mourn IPOs, but liquidity still must flow

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Water drop mapping money dripping from a faucet

Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here.

Several startups announced new rounds this week without disclosing their valuation. This doesn’t mean that these were down rounds, but rather it confirms that our collective focus has shifted far away from unicorns: These days, $1 billion can be the ARR (annual recurring revenue) figure a company wants to hit before going public.

Most interesting startup stories from the week

Vinted CEO Thomas Plantenga
Image Credits:Vinted

IPOs are making their way back into the conversation, but not everyone is lamenting their absence.

Secondhand: Vinted was valued at €5 billion in a secondary share sale. The Lithuanian secondhand marketplace joins the growing number of European scale-ups that have followed this route to unlock liquidity for their stakeholders in the absence of IPOs on their roadmap.

Bright side: Ro CEO Zachariah Reitano would “never say never” to taking the telehealth company public, but he thinks the benefits of being a private company are growing, he said in a recent interview.

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Checking boxes: Checking boxes: Wiz hopes that 2025 will be the year its ARR reaches $1 billion, a number its co-founders see as a prerequisite for the cybersecurity company to go public after it declined to get acquired by Google for $23 billion.

Big moves: Fintech company Groww is one of several Indian startups that are relocating their headquarters to India to better comply with local legislation and potentially go public more easily, TechCrunch’s Manish Singh reported.

Tailwinds: U.S. federal regulators have cleared the way for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to share U.S. airspace with planes and helicopters, a big win for startups in this category.

Most interesting fundraises this week

Finix CEO and founder Richie Serna
Image Credits:Finix

Just a handful of AI-related funding rounds this week, but AI will be central to some really big ones that may be around the corner.

Counter-Stripe: One year after becoming a payment processor, fintech startup Finix raised a $75 million Series C round of funding that will help it grow in the U.S. and expand into more countries. 

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Money circle: Concentric AI recently raised a $45 million Series B round. The San Mateo-based startup operates in the data security posture management space, which had several M&As in recent years.

Open checks: Socket raised $40 million to detect security vulnerabilities in open source code, which software companies are increasingly relying on. 

Augmented: Fixify closed a $25 million Series A round to help IT teams deal with ticket overload thanks to a combination of automation and human analysts.

Rumors: AI search engine Perplexity is reportedly seeking to raise $500 million. Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati is also said to be fundraising for a new AI startup

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Most interesting VC and fund news this week

Gabriel Weinberg is creator of DuckDuckGo.
Image Credits:Sean Simmers, for The Washington Post / Getty Images

Ducks in a row: Privacy-focused company DuckDuckGo will invest into similarly minded early-stage startups and consider acquisitions. Its past investments include AI model training platform EverArt, TechCrunch learned.

Breathing room: Andreessen Horowitz is making a private GPU cluster available to AI startups in its portfolio through a program called Oxygen, the VC firm confirmed this week.

Partners only: Filings revealed that Benchmark is raising $170 million for a new fund. TechCrunch understands this will be a partners-only fund, where most of the funding will come from the firm’s historical and current partners.

Old and new: U.S. VC veteran firm General Catalyst raised $8 billion in fresh funds. As for new VC firm Chemistry, it raised $350 million for its debut fund.

Last but not least

Accel partner Philippe Botteri
Accel partner Philippe BotteriImage Credits:Accel

The race for AI foundational models is only beginning, and smaller startups still stand a chance, Accel partner Philippe Botteri told TechCrunch. This includes European ones, despite the fundraising gap with their U.S. peers.

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Apple reportedly tests an app to manage blood sugar

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Apple reportedly tests an app to manage blood sugar

Apple has long been rumored to be working on noninvasive blood glucose monitoring. Now, a Bloomberg report says the company tested an app that helps people with prediabetes better manage their condition.

Citing anonymous Apple sources, Bloomberg notes the app required Apple employees to validate they were prediabetic via a blood test. Employees then monitored their blood sugar using “various devices available on the market” and logged changes related to what food they were eating.

Prediabetes is a metabolic condition when blood sugar levels are higher than normal, and increases a person’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. And while there is no cure for diabetes, prediabetes can be reversed through diet and exercise interventions. The idea for an app like this would be to show people how different choices can impact blood sugar levels. For example, a carb-heavy meal might spike blood sugar, but pairing the same meal with protein can blunt the spike.

The report notes that the app was intended to investigate what tools Apple could develop using blood sugar data. However, Bloomberg also says that Apple has since paused work on the app to focus on other health features. Even so, it’s possible that Apple will use its findings in future health tech offerings.

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Dexcom’s Stelo OTC CGM is geared toward prediabetics and Type 2 diabetics who don’t use insulin.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

On a larger scale, metabolic health tracking is a burgeoning wearable trend. Earlier this year, Dexcom and Abbott both released over-the-counter CGMs that were aimed at prediabetic, non-diabetics, and Type 2 diabetics who don’t use insulin. There are also continuous glucose monitor (CGM) startups, like Nutrisense and Levels, that use CGM data to help people lose weight, fuel for endurance sports, or learn about how certain foods impact their blood sugar levels.

Given all that, it’s not surprising to hear Apple is interested in exploring this area. For starters, it’s largely shied away from native food logging while also increasing third-party CGM integrations. Apple itself has reportedly spent roughly 15 years tinkering on how to noninvasively monitor blood glucose, though that project is still likely years away from completion.

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