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

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.

Transcript

Adam N2: 0:05

Welcome to Digimasters Shorts, we are your hosts Adam Nagus

Carly W: 0:09

and Carly Wilson delivering the latest scoop from the digital realm. Data storage company Vast Data Inc. has introduced Vast SyncEngine, a new feature aimed at simplifying data discovery and integration for AI applications. Acting as a"universal data router," SyncEngine combines onboarding for unstructured data with a global catalog to build AI data pipelines. It is offered at no extra cost to existing Vast Data customers and integrates seamlessly with the Vast AI OS platform. Vast AI OS is based on a"Disaggregated and Shared-Everything" architecture that separates storage from processing, enabling scalable, high-performance data access across multiple environments. SyncEngine addresses a critical AI bottleneck by unifying fragmented, siloed datasets from diverse storage and SaaS platforms into a single searchable catalog. Industry analysts note that SyncEngine enhances Vast's hyperconverged data management capabilities, extending beyond proprietary systems to enterprise-wide data sources. The platform supports rapid scaling, deep metadata indexing, and real-time data streaming, boosting speed and lowering costs in AI data pipelines. Analysts caution that while Vast’s full-stack approach offers advantages, committing to a single vendor may reduce flexibility in evolving AI tool ecosystems. Vast Data co-founder Jeff Denworth emphasized that overcoming data sprawl is essential for successful AI strategies, positioning SyncEngine as a key enabler for enterprise AI transformation. As AI adoption grows, Vast SyncEngine aims to make all corporate data accessible and actionable, promising to reshape how organizations leverage AI at scale.

Adam N2: 1:49

Google is enhancing its Search AI Mode with new agentic capabilities, allowing users to find and book hotel reservations based on real-time availability and personalized preferences. This update follows recent student-focused features and aims to handle the legwork of curating options for dining, events, and service appointments. Partnering with platforms like OpenTable, Ticketmaster, and Resy, the AI Mode brings users closer to completing bookings and payments within the search experience. Additionally, search results will now incorporate users' previous searches and Google Maps activity to offer tailored recommendations, starting with dietary preferences for restaurants. Users can adjust these preferences through their Google account’s Personalization settings if results do not match their tastes. Currently, these agentic features are available exclusively to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S as part of an AI Labs experiment. Google is also introducing a new option to share search results directly from AI Mode. While the feature was initially limited to the U.S, UK, and India, it is now expanding to over 180 countries, though only for English-language searches. To access AI Mode, users can tap the magnifying glass with a twinkle icon in the Google app or select"AI Mode" on search results. This move underscores Google's commitment to integrating more intelligent, user-focused AI across its Android and search platforms. NVIDIA is rolling out its Blackwell RTX architecture on GeForce NOW this September, delivering RTX 5080-class performance to cloud gamers without raising membership costs. Premium members gain a new Install-to-Play feature, expanding the library to nearly 4,500 games by allowing installations directly in the cloud. This upgrade introduces titles like Borderlands 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2, optimized for the powerful new cloud platform. GeForce NOW will launch in India this November, following Thailand, broadening access through local partnerships while maintaining current pricing. The RTX 5080 GPUs offer 62 teraflops of compute power, 48GB frame buffer, and significantly faster frame rates than previous servers, enhanced by ray tracing and AI rendering. Members can upgrade to Ultimate or Performance tiers, with storage options expanding up to 1TB for persistent game saves in the cloud. Collaborations with Comcast and Deutsche Telekom boost broadband and 5G performance, enhancing streaming quality. NVIDIA is also integrating GeForce NOW with Discord and Epic Games for seamless game discovery and play, starting with Fortnite. This update promises more responsive gameplay and instant access to top releases across devices. With cloud storage and advanced networking, GeForce NOW aims to redefine high-end gaming accessibility worldwide.

Carly W: 4:40

AI demand is rapidly increasing, driving expansion in data centers and power plants. Google has released the first detailed estimates on the energy, carbon, and water use of its Gemini chatbot, finding each prompt consumes 0.24 watt-hours, emits 0.03 grams of CO2, and uses 0.26 milliliters of water. With 350 million monthly users, Gemini's total impact is substantial despite lower per-query footprints compared to previous estimates. Google's new methodology accounts for energy used by CPUs, GPUs, idle machines, and data center infrastructure, aiming for a more complete view of A.I's footprint. This contrasts with earlier approaches that overlooked many factors, leading to underestimates. Google also reported a 33-fold drop in energy use per query over the past year while improving response quality. The company commits to increasing efficiency through better hardware use, hybrid reasoning, clean energy, and water replenishment. However, A.I's explosive growth means total energy consumption is still rising, raising environmental concerns. Public awareness is increasing, with 61% of Americans worried about A.I's electricity use. Greater transparency and third-party validation of AI energy data are seen as key to promoting sustainable AI development. UBS, the world's largest wealth manager, is expanding its partnership with AI platform provider Domino Data Lab, including a new equity investment. This move highlights UBS's commitment to scaling AI across its operations while maintaining strong governance and risk management. The partnership builds on UBS's five-year collaboration with its internal AI platform, RiskLab. UBS aims to deploy this approach bank-wide to enhance efficiency and innovation, positioning itself as an“AI-enabled institution.” Domino Data Lab's COO, Thomas Robinson, emphasized the importance of a well-governed, in-house AI model development process for critical business functions. He warned that poorly performing AI models can damage growth, increase costs, and erode customer trust. Meanwhile, FNZ launched Advisor AI, a generative AI tool designed to assist financial advisers by streamlining client meetings and reducing administrative tasks. FNZ also implemented safeguards to counteract AI errors and ensure accuracy. A recent report reveals that although all surveyed executives claim to be“AI-ready,” less than half have a solid AI strategy, with adoption often driven by short-term experimentation rather than long-term plans. This underscores the challenge financial firms face in balancing rapid AI innovation with responsible, strategic implementation.

Don: 7:21

Thank you for listening to today's AI and Tech News podcast summary... Please do leave us a comment and for additional feedback, please email us at podcast@digimasters.co.uk You can now follow us on Instagram and Threads by searching for@DigimastersShorts or Search for Digimasters on Linkedin. Be sure to tune in tomorrow and don't forget to follow or subscribe!