The Apache Drill Project announced the release of Apache Drill v1.19, the schema-free Big Data SQL query engine for Apache Hadoop, NoSQL, and Cloud storage. v1.19 reflects more than 100 changes, improvements, and new features.
An “SQL-on-Hadoop” engine, Apache Drill is easy to deploy, able to process trillions of records, and scalable from a single laptop to a 1000-node cluster. With its schema-free JSON model, Drill is able to query complex semi-structured data in situ without requiring users to define schemas or transform data. It provides plug-and-play integration with existing Hive and HBase deployments, and is extensible out-of-the-box to multiple data sources, such as S3 and Apache HDFS, HBase, and Hive. Additionally, Drill can directly query data from REST APIs to include platforms like SalesForce and ServiceNow.
Drill supports the ANSI SQL 2003 standard syntax ecosystem as well as dozens of NoSQL databases and file systems, including Apache HBase, MongoDB, Elasticsearch, Cassandra, REST APIs, , HDFS, MapR-FS, Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage, NAS, local files, and more. Drill leverages familiar BI tools (such as Apache Superset, Tableau, MicroStrategy, QlikView and Excel) as well as data virtualization and visualization tools, and runs interactive queries on Hive tables with different Hive metastores.
Bridgeline Digital, Inc., a cloud-based marketing technology software provider, announced that they are heavily investing in their Hawksearch BigCommerce Integration to expand their offering for BigCommerce users. Bridgeline has invested in a dedicated Partner Resource and the development of new features to build growth for the platform’s user base.
Hawksearch is an AI-powered search, personalization, and recommendations app that optimizes the online buying experience for both B2C and B2C. Hawksearch has been a preferred BigCommerce technology partner since 2019. In addition to Hawksearch’s current traffic builder tool, Bridgeline’s product development team has integrated WooRank’s suite of SEO tools to further increase traffic and revenue for Hawksearch’s BigCommerce user-base. This new SEO functionality complements the previously released “Unit of Measure Conversion Logic” that is featured in all Hawksearch implementations on BigCommerce.
Zendesk announced that Cleverly is joining the Zendesk team. Cleverly provides AI-powered solutions with insight-driven automation that makes support teams more productive. Zendesk will integrate Cleverly’s technology across their platform, enhancing the Zendesk AI solutions already enabling teams to automate more of their processes, reduce costs, and keep up with customer demand. Cleverly and Zendesk share a vision of democratizing AI, and creating practical applications that make it possible for businesses to get started with AI right out of the box, without a team of data scientists required.
While Zendesk has invested in AI to help customers achieve better, faster, and more reliable customer service, we believe there is still so much untapped potential. AI-enabled capabilities help businesses automate the conversations they have with customers, boost agent productivity, and increase operational efficiency with features like Answer Bot, macro suggestions, and Content Cues. With Cleverly, we will deliver a range of capabilities that automate key insights, further reduce manual tasks and improve workflows, and overall lead to happier, more productive support teams.
Wondershare EdrawMind has released version 9.0 of its multifunctional collaborative mind mapping and brainstorming tool, which brings a new UI, and advanced features such as outline mode and branch-free positioning. EdrawMind version 9.0 includes:
Improved UI and New Free Diagrams The UI now hides layouts that are not used and provides quick access to an extensive mind map gallery. Users can access the online mind mapping examples gallery of over 3000 mind maps shared by users. Free account users can now access fishbone and timeline diagrams.
Outline Mode The new version offers an outline mode that can instantly turn mind maps into editable outlines. Users can add pictures, tables, attachments, comments, and hyperlinks to their outlines, and it is easier to make notes.
Branch Free Positioning For creating mind maps without restrictions. Users can drag out any branch and extend it however they like to create mind maps.
New Saving Mechanism Wondershare EdrawMind has improved its mechanism to save projects and files. This is the foundation for an upcoming update with a tool that will provide real-time collaboration for EdrawMind projects.
The product is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and Web; pricing starts from 59€ for annual plans.
Qumu Corporation, a provider of cloud-based enterprise video technology, announced the availability of on-demand video transcriptions, as well as AI-enabled, automatic captioning for on-demand video on the Qumu platform.
With asynchronous video transcriptions, users can now easily review video content, speeding knowledge transfer, and helping drive relevant content to the right audiences. The transcriptions make it easy to skim videos for key details, and aid in efforts such as note-taking and preparing for meetings, enabling viewers to review content faster, or to review specific aspects of a video. Transcriptions can also extend the longevity, accessibility and value of videos, and can aid in regulatory compliance, such as meeting transcript requirements for earnings calls.
Qumu also added the option of Qumu-powered automatic captions for on-demand video, backed by AI, building off the live caption feature announced earlier this year. Users can now leverage the same Qumu captioning service used for live videos, without the need to upgrade services.
Apple introduced the News Partner Program, a new slate of initiatives to expand Apple’s work with and support for journalism. The News Partner Program aims to ensure Apple News customers maintain access to trusted news and information from many of the world’s top publishers, while supporting publishers’ financial stability and advancing efforts to further media literacy and diversity in news coverage and newsrooms.
The News Partner Program is designed for subscription news publications that provide their content to Apple News in Apple News Format (ANF). ANF enables a reading experience on Apple News and unlocks the full benefit of the platform for publishers, and empowers publishers to create brand-forward stories, immersive issues, and audio stories, with designs that scale across Apple devices. ANF also supports advertising, and publishers keep 100 percent of the revenue from advertising they sell within Apple News. To support publishers who optimize more of their content in ANF, Apple News is offering a commission rate of 15 percent on qualifying in-app purchase subscriptions from day one.
Publishers may apply for the News Partner Program beginning today. For more information and eligibility and requirements see…
Otter.ai announced the launch of Otter Assistant for Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Cisco Webex for Otter Business Plan users. After an initial one-time user permission, Otter Assistant automatically joins calendared meetings to record, take notes, and share transcripts with meeting participants so users can focus on collaborating and connecting in meetings knowing Otter is automatically transcribing it, or they can skip meetings altogether and catch up on notes afterward.
Otter Assistant does not require a complicated setup process, seamlessly integrating with the user’s calendar so that it joins meetings on time even if you’re running late or can’t make the meeting. During the meeting, it will generate real-time, secure, shareable, and searchable notes and audio recordings with industry-leading accuracy. Users can highlight, add images, comments or questions, search by keywords or name, and review the transcript and audio during and after the meeting, empowering professionals to be more productive and engaged in meetings without the stress of trying to accurately capture and document information.
Users can access all of their notes, regardless of video conferencing platform, through Otter.ai’s web app or mobile apps on iOS and Android. Otter Business starts at $20 per user per month
This week we have articles on Twitter Bluesky and beyond graphs to hypergraphs. News comes from Adobe and Frame io, Umbraco and Monterro, Confluent, and Mural.
We’ll be back as usual next Wednesday to provide you with reading for the holiday weekend in the U.S. – if you can’t help yourself. We’ll be on vacation the week after reading other things and communing with all things Atlantic seashore. We’ll probably be back :).
Opinion / Analysis
How big data carried graph theory into new dimensions
Graph databases and knowledge graphs are already advancing our ability to express, navigate, and learn from data. But as computing power and data sets grow, graphs as we know them are not sufficient for keeping up with the full richness and complexity we find. Stephen Ornes explains why, and why hypergraphs are a necessary part of the future.
Don’t panic. You’re not behind the curve. But this article will help you think strategically about current knowledge graph initiatives, and start preparing you for what comes next.
Twitter’s decentralized social network project finally has a leader
Twitter announced the Bluesky project in 2019, and the reception was an unsurprising combination of skepticism and cheers. Tim Bray’s reaction included both, and is still a good and relevant read. Last week’s announcement of an official project leader has generated what is probably the most press the project has received since. Not that there hasn’t been some progress — see the Ecosystem Review by the new project lead Jay Graber, published in January. Nonetheless, this is not something imminent. It is however, worthy of contribution and encouragement.
The Gilbane Advisor is curated by Frank Gilbane for content technology, computing, and digital experience professionals. The focus is on strategic technologies. We publish recommended articles and content technology news weekly. We do not sell or share personal data.
