Advantech introduced its latest suite of high-performance edge AI compute solutions powered by the Snapdragon® X Elite platform – the AOM-6731, AIMB-293, and SOM-6820.
Built on this groundbreaking platform, these innovative products are engineered to meet the demanding requirements of modern industrial applications by delivering exceptional processing power, integrated AI acceleration with up to 45 TOPS of AI performance, and robust and lightning-fast 5G and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity into an industrial PC.
The solutions powered by the Snapdragon X Elite 12-core and Snapdragon® X Plus 10-core with a leading Qualcomm Oryoton™ CPUs, reaching speeds of up to 3.4GHz. This high-performance processing not only ensures enables rapid data handling and seamless multitasking but also outperforms traditional x86 solutions—using 28% less power on average for everyday tasks, including Teams video calls, local video playback, web browsing, and Microsoft 365. Enhancing AI capabilities, these devices are integrated with Qualcomm® Hexagon™ NPU, providing up to 45 TOPS.
The solutions, which contain Snapdragon X Elite platforms, are equipped with LPDDR5X memory, offering a 1.3× speed boost—from 6400MT/s to 8533MT/s—while cutting power consumption by 20% compared to standard LPDDR5. In addition, the integration of UFS 3.1 Gear 4 storage dramatically increases data transfer speeds from 1,000Mbps (PCIe Gen3 NVMe) to an impressive 16,000Mbps. For even greater durability and shock resistance, UFS 4.0 storage solutions are available, ensuring optimal performance in harsh industrial environments.
For multimedia-intensive applications, the integrated Snapdragon Adreno 5th Generation VPU supports 4K60p full-duplex H.264 video encoding/decoding. Additionally, the Adreno GPU—equipped with OpenCL, OpenGL, and Microsoft DirectX 12 support—ensures superior graphics performance for vision-centric tasks.
Advantech’s products take connectivity to the next level with integrated Wi-Fi 7 and 5G technologies, delivering ultra-fast, low-latency network performance, ensuring uninterrupted data streaming and real-time communication even in the most demanding industrial settings. With Wi-Fi 7’s multi-gigabit speeds and enhanced network reliability combined with the expansive coverage and high-speed capabilities of 5G, these solutions support data-intensive AI applications and robust remote operations. The result is a truly agile and future-ready infrastructure that optimizes real-time processing and connectivity, empowering industries to harness the full potential of edge AI in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.
The AI module AOM-6731, the Mini-ITX motherboard AIMB-293, and the COM Express Type 6 module SOM-6820—will be available for engineering evaluations starting in March 2025.
SHENZHEN (China) – Basketball runs in Bailey Flavell’s blood. As the daughter of Judd Flavell, a legendary member of New Zealand’s Tall Blacks who helped lead the team to a historic FIBA Basketball World Cup 2022 semi-final, Bailey’s journey to the senior Tall Ferns squad feels like a natural progression.
Now, at just 18 years old and the second-youngest player on New Zealand’s roster, she’s stepping onto the court for her first official senior-level FIBA Asia tournament—the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2025.
Bailey’s rise has been marked by steady progression through New Zealand’s youth ranks, having played in the U15 to U17 levels from 2022 to 2024. She also gained valuable senior experience recently at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Mexico, where she averaged 5.5 points per game.
The Women’s Asia Cup stage, however, represents a new challenge and opportunity to prove herself among the continent’s best.
2024 FIBA WC Q – NZL – Bailey Flavell
Reflecting on her debut, Flavell said, “I’m really grateful to be here. We’ve got a great team and great girls on and off the court, so really looking forward to working with them.”
“Obviously, we have some really great leaders, experienced players right here,” she added. “Esra McGoldrick, of course, one of them. You have Tamila right here as well.”
Bailey credits these veterans for helping her grow.
“I think just their knowledge, both on and off the court and just them helping me out in trainings and in games,” she said. “All of their advice, I really acknowledge it and take it on board, and it really helps me out.”
Bailey’s basketball foundation was laid early.
“All of my family played,” she shared. “He [my dad] had finished his playing career when I was born and just started his coaching career. He has helped with lots of coaching and advice since I began playing.”
Growing up with Judd Flavell—now head coach of the Tall Blacks and a respected figure in New Zealand basketball—gave Bailey a slight head start, but she’s carving her own path with dedication and energy.
On the court, Bailey focuses on bringing her best on both ends of the floor.
“Definitely just want to bring my best efforts, offense and defense,” she said. “I guess defensively, what I want is just as much as I can to disrupt the ball and just keeping good energy on and off the court.”
As the Tall Ferns compete against Asia’s elite, Bailey Flavell’s blend of family legacy, youthful promise and hard work makes her a player to watch.
Her journey is just beginning, but with the support of her teammates and the weight of a proud basketball heritage behind her, the future looks bright for one of New Zealand’s rising stars.
US banking sector delivers exceptional performance
American banks have demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth over recent years, significantly outperforming the S&P 500. The sector has weathered multiple economic storms whilst delivering substantial returns to shareholders through a combination of strategic positioning and operational excellence.
The financial institutions reporting earnings this week have navigated challenging periods including the 2020 pandemic disruption, subsequent inflation concerns, and various geopolitical tensions. Their ability to maintain profitability whilst managing risk has impressed analysts and investors alike.
Rising interest rates boost banking profitability
Major US banks have benefited from rising interest rates, which typically boost net interest margins and lending profitability. This environment has allowed institutions to expand their earnings whilst maintaining strong capital positions and continuing dividend payments to shareholders.
The sector’s outperformance relative to broader equity markets reflects investor confidence in banking fundamentals. Strong loan growth, disciplined risk management, and diversified revenue streams have positioned these institutions well for continued success in the current economic environment.
Infinix, a new-age smartphone brand, announces the launch of its latest offering, HOT 60 5G+, a feature-loaded smartphone engineered for those who demand versatility, speed, and long-term performance.
The HOT 60 5G+ arrives with industry-defining features such as a customizable One Tap AI Button, MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor scoring an AnTuTu Score of 500K+, 6GB LPDDR5X RAM, 90FPS gaming support, and an IP64-certified slim 5G design, all at a special launch day price of INR 9,999 (inclusive of prepaid offers). The device will be available on Flipkart and retail stores in three colorways: Shadow Blue, Tundra Green and Sleek Black, offering a premium visual identity to match its performance DNA.
The HOT 60 5G+ introduces an industry-first customizable One Tap AI Button, integrated seamlessly into the phone’s design to offer smooth control over daily tasks. Offering dual functionality through double press and long press, this feature can be customized for over 30+ apps and actions, making everyday tasks faster and more efficient. Whether it’s quicker typing, smoother gaming, or instant access to essential tools, it puts everything right at your fingertips. A long press instantly activates Folax, Infinix’s built-in AI assistant, which enhances on-screen awareness by adapting to your usage by keeping important info in view, minimizing distractions, and offering smart, contextual prompts to boost focus. Adding to its AI-first experience, the HOT 60 5G+ also introduces Circle to Search—another first in the segment—offering a faster, more seamless way to find what you need without leaving your screen. Fully customizable and deeply integrated with XOS 15, the One Tap AI Button creates a personalized, responsive experience that seamlessly bridges productivity, entertainment, and daily convenience.
At the heart of the HOT 60 5G+ is the MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor, a 6nm powerhouse that has benchmark scores of over 500K+ on AnTuTu, a first in its class. It’s paired with 6GB LPDDR5X RAM, the fastest memory configuration in its price segment, ensuring seamless multitasking, faster app launches, and smooth gaming. In addition to its strong performance credentials, the phone stands out for its long-term reliability. Supported by a 60-month fluency certification for TUV SUD A-Level, the device offers an industry-leading 5-year smooth performance guarantee, ensuring users experience minimal slowdowns over time, whether for gaming, streaming, or everyday productivity. Further enhancing its durability, the HOT 60 5G+ is equipped with an IP64 rating, offering robust protection against dust and splashes. This makes it an ideal companion for users seeking both high performance and resilience in their everyday smartphone experience.
Built for a new generation of mobile gamers, the HOT 60 5G+ supports 90FPS gaming with frame stability powered by XArena Game Mode. It intelligently allocates system resources to prevent frame drops, reduces background app interference, and optimizes touch sensitivity during intense gameplay. New additions like Image Stabilization Mode and Game Audio Enhancement amplify in-game environmental cues like footsteps, thunder, gunshots, and bomb blasts, as well as ensures visual clarity during high-speed action by maintaining sharpness across motion-heavy scenes.
The HOT 60 5G+ packs a 5200mAh high-capacity battery that’s optimized for users who juggle gaming, streaming, work calls, and social apps on a single charge. It comes with an 18W charger in the box allowing users to quickly refuel on the go. Also included is Reverse Charging, transforming the device into a portable power bank to charge wearables or other phones. The real breakthrough is Bypass Charging, a heat-reducing feature where current flows directly to the motherboard instead of the battery during plugged-in usage, perfect for gamers or binge-watchers who want cooler, more efficient sessions. This battery package supports all-day utility while extending the device’s lifecycle and safety.
The HOT 60 5G+ comes equipped with UltraLink, a segment-first feature that transforms the device into a walkie-talkie-style communicator for use in low or zero network areas. Whether you’re hiking in remote hills, exploring metro basements, or navigating crowded public events, UltraLink ensures clear, uninterrupted voice communication without depending on cellular coverage. It’s a game-changer for adventurers, logistics workers, emergency responders, and students on field trips, essentially anyone who needs secure and instant voice access in challenging network zones.
At just 7.8mm thick, the HOT 60 5G+ is the slimmest 5G smartphone available in its price tier, making it incredibly ergonomic for daily use. Whether you’re traveling, streaming content in bed, or snapping one-handed selfies, its lightweight form makes prolonged usage effortless. The phone is also IP64-rated, meaning it resists water splashes and dust intrusion, ideal for India’s humid summers, monsoons, and dusty rural or semi-urban conditions. This rare combination of aesthetic elegance and structural toughness is tailored for India’s diverse environments, from metros to mountain trails.
The Infinix HOT 60 5G+ runs on XOS 15, featuring the advanced Infinix One Tap AI Suite designed to simplify everyday tasks. It includes Folax Voice Assistant for effortless voice commands, an AI Wallpaper Generator that curates personalized wallpapers based on mood or location, and AI Notes for quickly capturing ideas, to-do lists, or emails. Additional features such as Call Assistant for spam call filtering and Social Assistant for smarter social media notification management ensure a streamlined experience. Enhancing utility further, it also offers AI Call Translation for real-time translation during voice calls and AI Summarization to condense lengthy documents, notes, or articles into concise summaries. Tailored for a generation navigating multiple digital touchpoints, the Infinix AI is engineered to be a practical, always-on personal assistant, making every interaction smarter and more efficient.
The HOT 60 5G+ features a 50MP AI Camera setup enhanced with over 10 AI-powered modes like Super Night, AIGC Portrait Mode, Sky Shop, Slow Motion, and Beauty Portraits. Dual LED flash ensures clarity in low-light scenarios, making it ideal for the digital-savvy strata of content creators, and social media users who want professional-looking output without editing apps. Whether capturing vivid landscapes, dramatic selfies, or dynamic motion, the camera system delivers flexibility without the bulk or complexity of external gear.
This story is part of GovInsider’s Digital Government initiative, which aims to feature stories from digital government agencies around the world. Click here to view our interactive map.
First established as the Digital Transformation Office in 2015, the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) has a long history of overseeing Australia’s digital transformation initiatives.
In its latest iteration, DTA has evolved into an advisor to government, according to its Chief Executive Officer Chris Fechner.
“We think about things like: is the government making the best decisions about where it invests in digital, given that it represents about 10 per cent of the total budget?
“We look at things like: how does emerging technology have an impact on the way that we provide services, both internally and externally to government, and how do we safely and effectively adopt those technologies,” he says to GovInsider.
Investment oversight
To better optimise and track the state’s digital investments, DTA has been heavily involved in the establishment of Australia’s Investment Oversight Framework (IOF) since May, says Fechner.
The IOF is an end-to-end framework providing a way for the government to manage digital investments.
The framework encompasses six states across the entire project lifecycle from strategic planning and budgeting to sourcing and implementation.
The six states of the Investment Oversight Framework. Image: digital.gov.au
“We look at how things work collectively. How efficient and effective is the government in delivering digital. and how well are proposals are considered, set up, delivered and then operated,” he adds.
The framework has recently been independently reviewed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) against their best practice models for internet governance.
Australia was recognised as one of only five governments worldwide that have a fully enabled lifecycle approach to digital government, he notes.
“[The framework] is lending us to a better quality of investments, given the amount of money that government invests in digital every year [amounting to] about 10 per cent of the budget,” he says.
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Justifying budgets
One major challenge threatening to inhibit governments’ digital transformation efforts involves justifying the budgets needed and demonstrating the potential returns on investment, Fechner notes.
“Often you hear nothing about the hundreds and thousands of small successes in digital, but you hear a lot about the few failures. So, we have this issue about reputation.
“If I give you $100 million, do I get $100 million plus in value out of it? And the DTA works very hard at looking at how we justify the benefits against the expense,” he says.
He notes the challenge of getting investments from governments in “invisible areas” like upgrades to networks, cybersecurity, corporate systems, records management, information management.
“But [these areas] underpin absolutely every aspect of government policy making, service delivery and operations,” he explains.
AI adoption
Alongside the IOF, Fechner adds that artificial intelligence (AI) will have a powerful role to play in both driving efficiencies within the federal government to help reduce deficits, and improving productivity across the economy.
Having established the foundations of responsible AI, DTA will now focus on exploring how to accelerate its adoption within government, Fechner says.
Apart from releasing a policy on responsible use of AI in government last year, DTA also published two other associated standards about transparency and holding officials accountable.
The agency has also done a lot of work on training to ensure the Australian Public Service has at least a fundamental understanding about how generative AI (GenAI) can work within government workflows, and has developed an assurance framework to evaluate the risks involved.
“We ran a task force [assembled from] across government for 18 months when we got the policies out,” he says.
“Now, we’ve updated our structure so that we’ve got an AI branch that’s looking at accelerating that adoption and how we can really work with industry, academia, and other governments to make sure that we can really embrace the benefits that AI, especially GenAI.”
Another focus for the AI branch is managing risks such as the degrees of distrust citizens have about the government’s use of AI technologies.
“Driving the adoption of AI is a collaboration that we’re working on right now. We see literally hundreds of potential use cases coming through government all the time.
“And in fact, the work we’re doing with the OECD, we’ve actually started to generate a global use case repository for government acts for government use cases,” Fechner says.
Last year, DTA coordinated the Australian Government’s trials of a GenAI service and published its findings on its website.
Digital identity
Another focus area for DTA is also integrating its national digital identity into the broader ecosystem.
The agency currently manages the development, piloting and adoption of national digital identity, and has helped establish the legal basis for Australia’s digital identity framework.
“Digital identity is one of those fundamentals for a digital economy for people to be safe, secure, and effective, and for government services to be deployed efficiently through the digital channel, as well as making sure that people have got trust and confidence in those ecosystems so that they can work,” Fechner says.
Key priorities
Beyond frameworks and budgets, Fechner points to the increasing intersection of digital technologies and whole-of-government approaches.
For example, DTA advises the Minister of Finance on issues like international collaboration.
Through its ongoing partnerships the OECD, Five Eyes partners and Southeast Asian governments, Fechner reiterates that the importance of regional strengthening.
“We look at how they’re working and how we can share and collaborate on both uplifting the government capabilities in all countries, especially our Southeast Asian neighbours, but also how we’re getting the best information about where we need to go as a country.”
The DTA also plays a significant role in connecting government to the digital industry.
This includes overseeing most of the non-defence related digital sourcing within the government where the agency has single seller agreements with major vendors such as Microsoft, IBM and AWS, and makes recommendations to government about where to direct technology investments.
The DTA’s priorities for the next five years will involve continuing to forecast digital strategy based on emerging technology trends, ensuring the Australian government is in a position to embrace AI and the benefits it can bring, and continuing to refine the Investment Oversight Framework, Fechner says.
“The [framework] is just going to be central to how our government thinks about how much it needs to invest, in what classes it needs to invest, and how we actually consider what value we got from those investments,” he adds.
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• Celtics 94, Knicks 81: Box Score | Game Detail
A stellar first-half defensive effort and another impressive double-double performance from Charles Bassey propelled the Boston Celtics to a 94-81 win over the New York Knicks in an NBA 2K26 Summer League battle at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on Sunday.
The Knicks found themselves in a hole right from the jump as the Celtics opened the game on an 11-4 run over the first 2:29 and limited New York to a meager 30 first-half points on the way to a 12-point lead at intermission. Boston went on to add another six points to its advantage in the third on the way to the double-digit victory. The Celtics comfortably outpaced New York in multiple categories, including outscoring the Knicks in the paint by a 52-40 margin and enjoying a 43-32 edge in bench points.
Second-year pro Kevin McCullar Jr. led the Knicks with 30 points, complementing them with four rebounds, one assist and two steals. Ariel Hukporti added nine points with 13 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and two steals. Pacôme Dadiet furnished seven points, six boards and one assist, while Dink Pate matched Dadiet’s scoring total and supplemented it with three rebounds, three assists and one steal.
Bassey paced the Celtics with 22 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, adding two steals and an assist. Jalen Bridges contributed 16 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh posted matching 13-point tallies, with Scheierman also recording eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
The Knicks return to action Tuesday evening against the Brooklyn Nets, while the Celtics face the Miami Heat on Monday afternoon.
New research reveals that enjoying fruit juice may help offset genetic risk for type 2 diabetes, at least for some Japanese adults, underscoring the promise of personalized nutrition in disease prevention.
Inverse association between fruit juice consumption and type 2 diabetes among individuals with high genetic risk on type 2 diabetes: The J-MICC Study. Image Credit: Garna Zarina / Shutterstock
In a recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers investigated whether 100% fruit juice consumption influences the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Japanese adults.
T2D prevalence has steadily increased in Japan, affecting about 8% of adults. Adiposity, genetic predisposition, and age are the known drivers of T2D, with modifiable dietary factors being important targets for T2D prevention. Fruit juice is often studied in this context, albeit the findings remain inconsistent. Various studies have demonstrated null, positive, or inverse associations between fruit juice and incident T2D.
This heterogeneity reflects differences in juice type, a key distinction being between sugar-sweetened beverages and 100% fruit juice, and population differences in obesity, diet, genetic risks, and analytical approaches. Rapidly absorbable sugars could increase postprandial glucose levels, weight gain, and hepatic lipogenesis, elevating T2D risk, whereas fruit-derived micronutrients may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce oxidative stress, decreasing risk.
Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) summarize thousands of common T2D-related variants and estimate inherited risk. A growing body of evidence suggests that gene-diet interactions could attenuate or amplify nutritional effects on glycemic outcomes. However, no study has investigated fruit juice consumption across strata of T2D polygenic risk in East Asians, and whether fruit juice intake is associated with T2D among Japanese adults remains unclear.
About the study
In the present study, researchers evaluated the associations between fruit juice intake and T2D risk in Japanese adults. They used data from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) study, which recruited around 100,000 adults aged 35-69 from 2005 to 2014. It is important to note that this was a cross-sectional study, which examines data at a single point in time and therefore cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship. Participants completed a questionnaire on sociodemographics, lifestyle, and medical history at baseline.
Anthropometric measurements were taken, and blood samples were collected at baseline. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess physical activity. The Food Frequency Questionnaire was administered to estimate food intake. The questionnaire evaluated the consumption of 100% fruit juice across seven categories, which for primary analysis were grouped into “no intake” or “at least once weekly.”
The primary outcome was self-reported, physician-diagnosed T2D. In total, 14,068 J-MICC participants were genotyped. Two East-Asian polygenic scores for T2D were identified from the Polygenic Score Catalog: PGS002379 with 920,930 variants and PGS001294 with 3,496 variants. The primary analyses used PGS002379 as it had broader genomic coverage.
PRS was calculated for each participant and standardized to a Z-score. The Z-score was stratified into quintiles (high, middle-high, middle, middle-low, and low), with the top quintile being the high genetic risk group. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for T2D. Model 1 was adjusted for participants’ age, sex, and site (or residential location).
Model 2 was additionally adjusted for hypertension, dyslipidemia, education, and family history of T2D. Model 3 was further adjusted for physical activity, alcohol and smoking status, and daily average sleep duration. In addition, the team investigated the effect of interactions between PRS and fruit juice intake on T2D. Finally, they assessed the association between fruit juice intake and T2D stratified by PRS quintiles.
Findings
The study included 13,769 participants, including 7,517 females. Of these, 814 individuals (267 females and 547 males) were diagnosed with T2D. Individuals with T2D were significantly older and had higher weight and height than those without T2D. Further, T2D subjects had longer daily sleep duration and lower physical activity than non-T2D subjects.
Alcohol intake, smoking, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia were more prevalent among T2D subjects than non-T2D subjects. Notably, more T2D subjects quit both smoking and alcohol consumption compared to those without T2D. Participants who consumed 100% fruit juice had significantly lower odds of T2D than those who did not. A more detailed analysis showed a dose-response pattern, where higher consumption was associated with lower odds of T2D.
This association was sustained after additional adjustment for confounding variables (models 2 and 3). After finding statistical evidence of a gene-diet interaction, the key finding emerged from a stratified analysis: T2D was significantly lower only in fruit juice consumers with a high genetic risk, with no significant association found in those with low or moderate genetic risk. However, the study’s design means it is also possible that this association could be due to reverse causation, where individuals may have reduced their fruit juice intake after receiving a T2D diagnosis.
Conclusions
Taken together, the findings suggest an inverse association between T2D and 100% fruit juice intake among Japanese people with high genetic risk for T2D. Notably, this association was not observed in people with low genetic risk for T2D, strengthening the suggestion of potential interactions between dietary factors and genetic predisposition. Given the study’s limitations, particularly its cross-sectional nature, these findings do not prove that fruit juice prevents diabetes. Further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify whether this association is causal and to identify the specific genetic variants that may modulate the metabolic response to fruit juice constituents.
