Digimasters Shorts - Vast Data Unveils SyncEngine AI Data Router, Google’s Search AI Books Hotels, NVIDIA’s RTX 5080 Boosts GeForce NOW Cloud Gaming, Google Exposes AI Energy Costs, UBS Doubles Down on AI with Domino Data Lab

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Digimasters Shorts is your quick hit of the latest in the digital and tech worlds. Hosted by Adam Nagus and Carly Wilson, this podcast delivers concise insights into cutting-edge developments—from advancements in AI data management with Vast Data’s new SyncEngine and Google’s enhanced Search AI, to the latest in cloud gaming with NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW updates, and industry shifts in AI sustainability and financial services. Whether it’s breakthrough technologies, environmental impacts, or enterprise AI strategies, Digimasters Shorts keeps you informed and in the know—all in short, digestible episodes. Tune in for your essential tech update on the go.

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Episode Transcript

Adam N2 (00:05):
Welcome to Digimasters Shorts, we are your hosts Adam
Nagus

Carly W (00:09):
and Carly Wilson delivering the latest scoop from
the digital realm.
Data storage company Vast DataInc.
has introduced Vast SyncEngine,a new feature aimed at
simplifying data discovery andintegration for AI applications.
Acting as a"universal datarouter," SyncEngine combines
onboarding for unstructured datawith a global catalog to build

(00:29):
AI data pipelines.
It is offered at no extra costto existing Vast Data customers
and integrates seamlessly withthe Vast AI OS platform.
Vast AI OS is based on a"Disaggregated and
Shared-Everything" architecturethat separates storage from
processing, enabling scalable,high-performance data access
across multiple environments.

(00:49):
SyncEngine addresses a criticalAI bottleneck by unifying
fragmented, siloed datasets fromdiverse storage and SaaS
platforms into a singlesearchable catalog.
Industry analysts note thatSyncEngine enhances Vast's
hyperconverged data managementcapabilities, extending beyond
proprietary systems toenterprise-wide data sources.
The platform supports rapidscaling, deep metadata indexing,

(01:12):
and real-time data streaming,boosting speed and lowering
costs in AI data pipelines.
Analysts caution that whileVast’s full-stack approach
offers advantages, committing toa single vendor may reduce
flexibility in evolving AI toolecosystems.
Vast Data co-founder JeffDenworth emphasized that
overcoming data sprawl isessential for successful AI

(01:33):
strategies, positioningSyncEngine as a key enabler for
enterprise AI transformation.
As AI adoption grows, VastSyncEngine aims to make all
corporate data accessible andactionable, promising to reshape
how organizations leverage AI atscale.

Adam N2 (01:49):
Google is enhancing its Search AI Mode with new agentic
capabilities, allowing users tofind and book hotel reservations
based on real-time availabilityand personalized preferences.
This update follows recentstudent-focused features and
aims to handle the legwork ofcurating options for dining,
events, and serviceappointments.
Partnering with platforms likeOpenTable, Ticketmaster, and

(02:11):
Resy, the AI Mode brings userscloser to completing bookings
and payments within the searchexperience.
Additionally, search resultswill now incorporate users'
previous searches and GoogleMaps activity to offer tailored
recommendations, starting withdietary preferences for
restaurants.
Users can adjust thesepreferences through their Google
account’s Personalizationsettings if results do not match

(02:32):
their tastes.
Currently, these agenticfeatures are available
exclusively to Google AI Ultrasubscribers in the U.S as part
of an AI Labs experiment.
Google is also introducing a newoption to share search results
directly from AI Mode.
While the feature was initiallylimited to the U.S, UK, and
India, it is now expanding toover 180 countries, though only

(02:54):
for English-language searches.
To access AI Mode, users can tapthe magnifying glass with a
twinkle icon in the Google appor select"AI Mode" on search
results.
This move underscores Google'scommitment to integrating more
intelligent, user-focused AIacross its Android and search
platforms.
NVIDIA is rolling out itsBlackwell RTX architecture on

(03:15):
GeForce NOW this September,delivering RTX 5080-class
performance to cloud gamerswithout raising membership
costs.
Premium members gain a newInstall-to-Play feature,
expanding the library to nearly4,500 games by allowing
installations directly in thecloud.
This upgrade introduces titleslike Borderlands 4, Call of

Duty (03:35):
Black Ops 7, and Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2,
optimized for the powerful newcloud platform.
GeForce NOW will launch in Indiathis November, following
Thailand, broadening accessthrough local partnerships while
maintaining current pricing.
The RTX 5080 GPUs offer 62teraflops of compute power, 48GB

(03:57):
frame buffer, and significantlyfaster frame rates than previous
servers, enhanced by ray tracingand AI rendering.
Members can upgrade to Ultimateor Performance tiers, with
storage options expanding up to1TB for persistent game saves in
the cloud.
Collaborations with Comcast andDeutsche Telekom boost broadband
and 5G performance, enhancingstreaming quality.

(04:19):
NVIDIA is also integratingGeForce NOW with Discord and
Epic Games for seamless gamediscovery and play, starting
with Fortnite.
This update promises moreresponsive gameplay and instant
access to top releases acrossdevices.
With cloud storage and advancednetworking, GeForce NOW aims to
redefine high-end gamingaccessibility worldwide.

Carly W (04:40):
AI demand is rapidly increasing, driving expansion in
data centers and power plants.
Google has released the firstdetailed estimates on the
energy, carbon, and water use ofits Gemini chatbot, finding each
prompt consumes 0.24 watt-hours,emits 0.03 grams of CO2, and
uses 0.26 milliliters of water.

(05:01):
With 350 million monthly users,Gemini's total impact is
substantial despite lowerper-query footprints compared to
previous estimates.
Google's new methodologyaccounts for energy used by
CPUs, GPUs, idle machines, anddata center infrastructure,
aiming for a more complete viewof A.I's footprint.
This contrasts with earlierapproaches that overlooked many

(05:22):
factors, leading tounderestimates.
Google also reported a 33-folddrop in energy use per query
over the past year whileimproving response quality.
The company commits toincreasing efficiency through
better hardware use, hybridreasoning, clean energy, and
water replenishment.
However, A.I's explosive growthmeans total energy consumption

(05:42):
is still rising, raisingenvironmental concerns.
Public awareness is increasing,with 61% of Americans worried
about A.I's electricity use.
Greater transparency andthird-party validation of AI
energy data are seen as key topromoting sustainable AI
development.
UBS, the world's largest wealthmanager, is expanding its

(06:03):
partnership with AI platformprovider Domino Data Lab,
including a new equityinvestment.
This move highlights UBS'scommitment to scaling AI across
its operations while maintainingstrong governance and risk
management.
The partnership builds on UBS'sfive-year collaboration with its
internal AI platform, RiskLab.
UBS aims to deploy this approachbank-wide to enhance efficiency

(06:25):
and innovation, positioningitself as an“AI-enabled
institution.” Domino Data Lab'sCOO, Thomas Robinson, emphasized
the importance of awell-governed, in-house AI model
development process for criticalbusiness functions.
He warned that poorly performingAI models can damage growth,
increase costs, and erodecustomer trust.

(06:46):
Meanwhile, FNZ launched AdvisorAI, a generative AI tool
designed to assist financialadvisers by streamlining client
meetings and reducingadministrative tasks.
FNZ also implemented safeguardsto counteract AI errors and
ensure accuracy.
A recent report reveals thatalthough all surveyed executives
claim to be“AI-ready,” less thanhalf have a solid AI strategy,

(07:08):
with adoption often driven byshort-term experimentation
rather than long-term plans.
This underscores the challengefinancial firms face in
balancing rapid AI innovationwith responsible, strategic
implementation.

Don (07:21):
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