Hasta La Gadget!

ACWA Robotics is a promising company our team met during CES. They make an autonomous robot that crawls into municipal water pipes to inspect and report on the status of the local infrastructure. It could save millions for municipalities worldwide by pinpointing exactly which sections of water lines to change.

The French company has started to deploy its robot, which can move on its own in a complex maze of water pipes, many dating from decades ago. The robot is designed to move autonomously and can navigate tricky turns. It is programmed to stop and backtrack if it senses it might be stuck. It does not require the water company to shut down the pipe being inspected, as it won’t block more than 50% of the flow.

ACWA’s robot brings a lot to the table. First, it can help map the water pipeline network for which many municipalities no longer have plans. Secondly, it allows operators to gauge the current state of the pipes by capturing high-resolution photos and sensing the thickness of the possibly degrading pipes.

With such capabilities, ACWA can accurately tell municipalities where they have to upgrade their network. All water pipes will eventually need to be replaced, but there’s an enormous amount of waste without this kind of pinpoint visibility and accuracy. The robot’s work costs a tiny fraction of any repair.

We’re enthusiastic about ACWA because their product has the potential to have a worldwide impact. Water infrastructure concerns everyone on the planet; provided that pipes are large enough, this robot can help.

ACWA Robotics Clean Water Pathfinder Optimizes Infrastructure

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“The GOP is now the Santos party,” the MSNBC anchor said in a stinging commentary on the disgraced New York congressman.

Amazon has failed to convince Cornele Overstreet, a regional director with the National Labor Relations Board, to overturn JFK8 workers’ vote in favor of unionization. If you’ll recall, the JFK8 facility in Staten Island became the first unionized Amazon warehouse after workers voted 2,350-1,912 in favor of joining a union back in April 2022. Amazon said at the time that it was “disappointed” with the result and challenged the vote, alleging “inappropriate and undue influence” from the NLRB. The Wall Street Journal says the e-retailer also accused Amazon Labor Union organizers of threatening employees to vote in favor of unionization. 

Overstreet, however, has ruled that the company was unable to present sufficient proof of inappropriate conduct to overturn the election’s results. He agreed with the labor board hearing officer who recommended in September that JFK8’s union vote should be upheld. In a tweet, ALU president Christian Smalls celebrated being “certified by Region 28 NLRB.” He added that the union “beat [Amazon] fair and square” and tagged Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, asking him to “come to the table” so they could sign a contract. 

As The Journal notes, ALU previously said that Amazon’s appeal was a stalling tactic to delay negotiations for workers’ demands. And it sounds like the company doesn’t intend to back down: An Amazon spokesperson said the e-commerce giant will appeal again and take the case to the NLRB’s board in Washington. As CNBC reports, Jassy previously said that the case “has a real chance to end up in federal court,” because it’s “probably unlikely the NLRB is going to rule against itself.”

Today’s Wordle answer is the past tense of a verb that means to act on something without enough thought. We have more hints and the answer, too.

Netflix is slowly starting to make more waves in the world of livestreaming, as the company has snagged the rights to broadcast the Screen Actors Guild Awards. This year’s ceremony will take place on February 26th and stream on Netflix’s YouTube channel. Starting next year, Netflix will livestream the SAG Awards globally on its own platform as part of a multi-year deal. Until last year, the ceremony aired on TBS and TNT.

“The SAG Awards are beloved by the creative community and viewers alike, and now even more fans around the world will be able to celebrate these talented actors,” Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s head of global TV, told Variety in a statement. “As we begin to explore live streaming on Netflix, we look forward to partnering with SAG-AFTRA to elevate and expand this special ceremony as a global live event in 2024 and the years to come.”

The SAG Awards are a key precursor for the Oscars. They offer a glimpse into how Academy Awards voters are leaning, particularly for the acting categories. TV performances are honored at the event too. The Netflix announcement comes on the same day that this year’s SAG Awards nominees were revealed.

Netflix has only just started dipping its toes into livestreaming as it pursues more ways to engage subscribers and bring in new ones. In November, the company announced its first livestream event for its own platform. It will broadcast a Chris Rock standup special on March 4th.