![[Industry News] G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/a.jpg)
News•Feb 17, 2026
[Industry News] G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami
G2 Esports partnered with Theta Labs to launch Sami, an AI‑powered mascot that answers fan questions across League of Legends, Counter‑Strike 2, VALORANT, Rainbow Six Siege and Call of Duty. The agent runs on Theta EdgeCloud’s hybrid edge‑cloud platform, leveraging over 30,000 distributed GPU nodes and up to 80 PetaFLOPS of compute. Fans can access Sami via G2’s website or Discord starting February 17, receiving instant, lore‑aware updates on schedules, rosters and match results. The deployment promises response times and costs far lower than traditional cloud solutions.
By MCV/Develop
News•Feb 17, 2026
Shark Beauty Unveils First-Ever Air Straightener – and I Got to Try It Before Anyone Else
Shark Beauty introduced the SilkiPro Straight, a wet‑to‑dry air straightener that combines drying, straightening and waving in a single device. The tool uses HeatSense ceramic plates with a sensor that adjusts temperature 1,000 times per second, and comes with three...
By T3
News•Feb 17, 2026
Regulatory Innovation as a Catalyst: How New Compliance Strategies Are Speeding Up Healthcare Technology Adoption
Regulatory bodies are reshaping medical‑device oversight to prioritize usability, interoperability, and cybersecurity, accelerating adoption in both hospitals and homes. New human‑factors guidelines, AI/ML lifecycle controls, and post‑market surveillance tools ensure devices are safe, intuitive, and adaptable to real‑world conditions. Manufacturers...
By MedCity News
News•Feb 17, 2026
Announcing Our Investment in Temporal: Agents Make Mistakes. Your Workflows Can’t.
Lightspeed announced a strategic investment in Temporal’s $300 million Series D, positioning the durable‑execution platform as essential infrastructure for AI‑driven agents. Temporal’s technology lets agents recover from failures, maintain state, and run for extended periods without manual intervention. The company reports 380%...
By Lightspeed » Ideas
News•Feb 17, 2026
The “Silent” Risk in the NICU: Why Your EHR Can’t Protect Infant Feeding
Feeding in neonatal intensive care units is a high‑risk, high‑frequency workflow that many hospitals still manage with paper logs and manual checks because commercial EHRs were not built for end‑to‑end feeding control. The article highlights how gaps in verification—especially before...
By HIT Consultant
News•Feb 17, 2026
Cleveland Clinic 1st to Use New Robot for Prostate Surgery
Cleveland Clinic became the first U.S. health system to perform a robotic‑assisted prostatectomy using the newly FDA‑cleared Hugo RAS system. The robot, approved in December, features modular arms and an open‑console that surgeons control with foot pedals and hand inputs....
By Becker’s Hospital Review
News•Feb 17, 2026
AI-Powered Worksite Safety Startup Fyld Raises £32m Series B
London‑based AI startup Fyld has closed a £32 million Series B round, led by Energy Impact Partners with participation from Partech’s Growth Impact Fund. The funding will fuel the expansion of its real‑time safety and compliance platform for frontline workers into the...
By Sifted
News•Feb 17, 2026
UL Solutions Develops New Certification Program for Solar Inverter Cybersecurity
UL Solutions has introduced a new certification program that establishes the first industry‑wide cybersecurity baseline for distributed energy resources (DER) and inverter‑based devices. The program follows UL 2941, a standard covering access management, cryptography, and data handling, and complements the existing...
By Solar Power World
News•Feb 17, 2026
Mistral Seals First Acquisition Deal with Cloud Startup Koyeb
Mistral AI announced its first acquisition, buying French serverless cloud startup Koyeb. The move aims to accelerate Mistral's AI compute offering and build a sovereign AI cloud platform. Mistral, founded in 2023, has raised nearly €2.8 bn and is valued at...
By Sifted
News•Feb 17, 2026
We’re Measuring Data Center Sustainability Wrong
Google claims its data centers are 1.5× more energy‑efficient than the industry average and Microsoft is investing billions in nuclear power for AI workloads, yet these metrics capture only about 30% of IT‑sector emissions. The bulk of carbon comes from...
By IEEE Spectrum – Energy
News•Feb 17, 2026
Cloud Startup Render Raises Funding at $1.5 Billion Valuation as AI-Built Apps Boom
Render announced a $100 million financing round that lifts its valuation to $1.5 billion, reflecting the surge in AI‑generated applications. The San‑Francisco startup reports revenue growth exceeding 100 percent and a developer community of more than 4.5 million users. It runs on AWS and...
By CNBC – Markets
News•Feb 17, 2026
Brands Briefing: The Brands that Are Ripe for Acquisition in 2026
M&A activity is reviving in 2026 after a subdued 2025. Last year saw marquee deals such as e.l.f. Beauty’s $1 billion purchase of Rhode and PepsiCo’s $2 billion acquisition of Poppi. Tariff pressures that kept many potential buyers on the sidelines are...
By Modern Retail
News•Feb 17, 2026
HaystackID Launches AI Governance Services to Help Organizations Operationalize Responsible, Defensible AI Oversight
HaystackID announced the launch of HaystackID® AI Governance Services, a portfolio designed to help enterprises move from AI policies to an execution‑ready governance operating model. The offering arrives as the EU AI Act has been in force since February 2025 and...
By EDRM (Electronic Discovery Reference Model)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Monetisation, Player Retention and Communities on Discord: Top Tips Incoming at PGC San Francisco
Discord will showcase its Social SDK at Pocket Gamer Connects San Francisco on March 9, 2026, where senior developer Anthony Tešija will present strategies for acquiring, retaining, and monetising mobile gamers via Discord. He will outline how the platform’s community...
By PocketGamer.biz
News•Feb 17, 2026
US Video Game Consumer Spending Predicted to Reach $62.8bn in 2026
U.S. video game consumer spending is projected to hit $62.8 billion in 2026, a 3% rise from the previous year, according to market‑research firm Circana. The growth is anchored by strong hardware demand for the Nintendo Switch 2 and the launch of...
By GamesIndustry.biz
News•Feb 17, 2026
Mellow Launches Indie Launchpad to Support Game Studios
Contractor management platform Mellow has introduced Indie Launchpad, a support program for independent game studios. The initiative offers eligible teams of up to 15 developers six months of full access to Mellow’s platform and its AI Scout freelancer‑matching tool, with...
By PocketGamer.biz
News•Feb 17, 2026
GE HealthCare Expands $35M BARDA Contract to Develop AI-Powered Trauma Ultrasound
GE HealthCare has secured a $35 million expansion of its BARDA contract to accelerate AI‑powered ultrasound development for trauma care. The funding will support both hardware and software to create point‑of‑care devices that automatically detect lung collapse and intra‑abdominal bleeding. The...
By HIT Consultant
News•Feb 17, 2026
Amazon Proposes Second Big-Box Store for Chicago Area
Amazon has submitted a proposal to build a 225,000‑square‑foot retail store in Oak Brook, Illinois, alongside a 150,000‑square‑foot Ashley Furniture flagship. The project would be the second Amazon big‑box location in the Chicago metro after the Orland Park store cleared...
By Retail TouchPoints
News•Feb 17, 2026
Jevons Robotics Deal with Newmont to Deploy Auto Pre-Split Loading Robot
Jevons Robotics has signed an agreement with Newmont Australia to deploy an automated pre‑split loading robot built on the ARTEV1000 rugged, battery‑electric platform. The deal marks the first payload extension of the ARTEV1000, targeting highwall mining where it will substantially...
By International Mining (IM-Mining)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Roofit.Solar Building-Integrated PV Enters US Market
Roofit.Solar launched its building‑integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) line in the United States with a 12.32 kW Velario system installed on a residence in Kalamazoo, Michigan, by Agathon Solar. The project marks the first U.S. deployment of Roofit.Solar’s metal‑sheet‑based BIPV, a technology already...
By Solar Power World
News•Feb 17, 2026
The Great Opt-Out: Why Patients Are Ditching Insurance for Cash-Pay Digital Care
Vanessa Slowey, CEO of TelyRx, highlights a growing shift as millions of Americans, burdened by rising premiums, limited ACA subsidies and fragile telehealth policies, are opting for cash‑pay digital care. Uninsured rates sit at 27 million, and roughly one‑quarter of insured...
By HIT Consultant
News•Feb 17, 2026
Low-Value Imports Upend E.U. Ecommerce
EU consumer demand for low‑value imports is reshaping the region’s ecommerce landscape. In 2025, 5.9 billion parcels valued at €150 or less entered the bloc, representing 98% of import volume but less than 5% of total value. Roughly one‑third of EU...
By Practical Ecommerce
News•Feb 17, 2026
What 5 Million Apps Revealed About Secrets in JavaScript
Intruder scanned five million JavaScript bundles and uncovered more than 42,000 exposed secrets, including active GitHub, GitLab, and SaaS API tokens. The research revealed 688 repository tokens that granted full access to private code and CI/CD pipelines. Traditional static and...
By BleepingComputer
News•Feb 17, 2026
Hackajob Announces Its AI Recruiting Agent Has Surpassed $1 Million in ARR
Hackajob announced that its AI recruiting agent, Archer, generated $1 million in annual recurring revenue within just 90 days of launch, making it the fastest‑growing AI‑native recruiting product. The platform qualified 35,000 double‑opt‑in introductions, achieved a 20:1 candidate‑to‑hire ratio and blocked...
By HRTechFeed
News•Feb 17, 2026
Capped Rhode Island Landfill Adds 5.74 MW of Solar Power to Grid
Ameresco partnered with Luminace to finish a 5.74‑MW solar farm on the capped Coventry Landfill in Rhode Island. The project, built on a CERCLA‑designated brownfield, converts previously idle land into a clean‑energy source. It is projected to generate about $4.4 million...
By Solar Power World
News•Feb 17, 2026
Palo Alto Networks To Acquire ‘Agentic Endpoint’ Security Startup Koi
Palo Alto Networks announced it will acquire AI‑agent security startup Koi, a move aimed at strengthening visibility and protection for AI‑driven workloads on endpoint devices. While the purchase price was not disclosed, a prior report suggested a $400 million valuation. Koi’s...
By CRN (US)
News•Feb 17, 2026
12 Content Marketing Conferences to Attend in 2026
The 2026 content marketing conference calendar features twelve flagship events across North America and Asia, ranging from intimate workshops like Content Jam to large‑scale gatherings such as Content Marketing World. Organizers are emphasizing AI‑focused tracks, small‑group interaction, and hybrid formats...
By Ahrefs Blog
News•Feb 17, 2026
Nextpower to Supply Steel Frames to Jinko’s US Panel Assembly Operations
Nextpower has signed a multi‑year agreement to supply Jinko Solar (U.S.) with more than 1 GW of steel frames, scalable to 3 GW over three years, for the Jacksonville, Florida, module assembly line slated for mid‑2026. The deal adds 6 % domestic content...
By Solar Power World
News•Feb 17, 2026
Nearly 90% of the Largest U.S. Healthcare Systems Use UKG
UKG announced its presence at ViVE 2026 and HIMSS 2026, showcasing its Workforce Operating Platform tailored for healthcare. The platform, already used by nearly 90% of the largest U.S. health systems, combines HR, payroll and AI‑driven workforce management to boost productivity and...
By HRTechFeed
News•Feb 17, 2026
T+1 Settlement: How Custody Tech Boosts Readiness
T+1 settlement forces firms to complete trade capture, confirmation, reconciliation and final settlement within one business day. The compressed timeline eliminates overnight buffers, exposing manual and batch‑based custody processes to heightened operational and liquidity risk. Automation and real‑time custody platforms...
By Fintech Global
News•Feb 17, 2026
Finance and Sales Teams Don’t Match up on Criteria for Deal Approvals
A CreditSafe survey of over 200 finance and sales leaders reveals a stark mismatch in deal‑approval criteria. While 49% of sales executives rate company size and revenue as very important, only 33% of finance leaders share that view, with finance...
By CFO.com
News•Feb 17, 2026
Infineon to Supply Semiconductors for BMW Neue Klasse Platform
Infineon Technologies will equip BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse platform with a suite of core semiconductors, including AURIX and TRAVEO microcontrollers, BRIGHTLANE Ethernet, OPTIREG power‑management ICs, and PROFET smart‑power switches and eFuses. The platform adopts a centralized, zonal E/E architecture featuring...
By Just Auto
News•Feb 17, 2026
Team Vitality Partners With French Retailer E.Leclerc
Team Vitality announced a strategic partnership with French retail giant E.Leclerc, naming the retailer its main partner across all competitive divisions. The E.Leclerc logo will be featured on Vitality’s League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League and Chess team jerseys. Both...
By The Esports Advocate
News•Feb 17, 2026
25 SEO Conferences to Attend in 2026
The 2026 SEO conference roundup lists 25 events across North America, Europe, Asia‑Pacific and the Middle East, detailing dates, venues, ticket tiers and headline speakers. Highlights include SMX Munich’s AI‑focused sessions, the massive BrightonSEO gatherings, and region‑specific meetups such as...
By Ahrefs Blog
News•Feb 17, 2026
This Corsair RAM and Gigabyte AM5 Motherboard Bundle Is Just $67 More than Buying the RAM Alone – 32GB of...
Newegg is offering a bundle that pairs the Gigabyte B850 Aorus Elite Wi‑Fi 7 motherboard with 32 GB of Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5‑6400 RAM for just under $505, a 20% or $133 discount versus buying the components separately. The motherboard features 12...
By Tom's Hardware
News•Feb 17, 2026
India’s Data Centre Boom Raises Concerns over Power Supply and Grid Capacity
India’s data‑centre market is expanding rapidly, with annual capacity additions of about 0.5 GW. Today, data centres already draw up to 15% of local grid capacity and could consume 30‑35% by 2030. Roughly one‑third of the power comes from renewable PPAs,...
By The Hindu BusinessLine – Economy
News•Feb 17, 2026
McLaren Health Care Partners with Bunkerhill Health for AI-Powered Cardiovascular Screening
McLaren Health Care has launched Michigan’s first AI‑driven cardiovascular screening program in partnership with Bunkerhill Health. The initiative uses Bunkerhill’s Carebricks platform to analyze routine chest CT scans for incidental coronary artery calcium and aortic valve calcium, biomarkers of heart...
By HIT Consultant
News•Feb 17, 2026
Piloting New Technology with a Structured Approach
Mass General Brigham’s chief digital officer, Esther Kim, outlined a disciplined pilot framework for emerging health technologies. The process begins with rigorous vetting to ensure alignment with the system’s strategic priorities. Pilot projects are measured against predefined clinical, operational, and...
By Healthcare Finance News (HIMSS Media)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Apple Music’s iOS 26.4 Beta Introduces AI-Powered Playlist Tool
Apple Music is testing an AI‑powered playlist generator called Playlist Playground in the iOS 26.4 beta. The tool lets users type natural‑language prompts—such as “morning coffee music” or “disco songs that defined the 1970s”—to create 25‑track playlists with custom titles and...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 17, 2026
The Razer Viper V3 Pro's Price Just Dropped $45, Hinting at Impending Viper V4 Pro
Razer has slashed the Viper V3 Pro’s price by $45, with Amazon listing it at $114.99 and Razer’s own store offering it for $129.99 after a $30 discount. The mouse, launched at $159.99 in May 2024, is praised for its lightweight...
By PCGamesN
News•Feb 17, 2026
CFDs Broker GCI Trading Adds cTrader
Spotware has partnered with CFD broker GCI Trading to power its offering with the cTrader platform. The integration brings cTrader’s Traders First™ ethos, ultra‑fast execution and transparent trade lifecycle to GCI’s 24‑year‑old client base. GCI will now appear in the...
By FX News Group — Feed
News•Feb 17, 2026
Does Vaxart Hold the Key to the Elusive Norovirus Vaccine?
Vaxart is advancing an oral, bivalent norovirus vaccine pill (VXA‑G1.1‑NN) that demonstrated a 30% reduction in infection in a Phase 2b challenge study. The vaccine uses a non‑replicating adenovirus vector loaded with a dsRNA adjuvant to stimulate gut immunity, and a...
By BioSpace
News•Feb 17, 2026
Prima Mente Unlocks Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Diagnostics with Epigenome Model
AI biology firm Prima Mente has launched Pleiades, a 7‑billion‑parameter epigenetic foundation model that reads DNA methylation in cell‑free DNA to diagnose early‑stage Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. In real‑world cohorts the model achieved 89% detection accuracy, rising to 97% when combined...
By GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Best AI Features for Enhancing UGC Video Quality
AI tools are reshaping how brands source and contract user‑generated video, shifting focus from pristine production to post‑production fixability. By leveraging AI for audio cleanup, stabilization, denoising, upscaling, color correction, masking, and reframing, marketers can scale UGC faster and at...
By Influencer Marketing Hub
News•Feb 17, 2026
New Keenadu Backdoor Found in Android Firmware, Google Play Apps
Kaspersky has uncovered a sophisticated Android backdoor named Keenadu, embedded in firmware of multiple device brands and distributed through compromised OTA updates, system apps, and even Google Play applications. The malware can infiltrate every installed app, grant attackers unrestricted control,...
By BleepingComputer
News•Feb 17, 2026
PLP ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH FULCRUMAIR TO DEVELOP NEXT-GENERATION ROBOTIC INSTALLATION SYSTEMS FOR POWER LINE CONSTRUCTION
PLP and FulcrumAir have launched a multi‑year strategic partnership to co‑develop next‑generation robotic installation systems for overhead power line construction. The collaboration builds on prior joint products such as the LineSpider™ and LineFly™ robots, aiming to boost efficiency, safety, and...
By RoboticsTomorrow
News•Feb 17, 2026
American Steel and Aluminum Debuts Ground Screw for Large-Scale Solar
American Steel and Aluminum (ASA) has launched a domestically produced steel ground screw for solar project foundations, manufactured in New England with a fully traceable supply chain. The product is slated for the 2026 construction season and is compatible with...
By Solar Power World
News•Feb 17, 2026
Google Lost Two Antitrust Cases, But Stock Rose 65% – Here’s Why via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Alphabet overtook Apple as the world’s second‑largest company despite losing two federal antitrust cases—one on general search and another on ad‑tech. Judge Amit Mehta rejected structural break‑ups, imposing one‑year caps on default‑search deals and limited data‑sharing obligations, while Judge Leonie...
By Search Engine Journal
News•Feb 17, 2026
Introducing Later 360: One View for All Your Influencer Marketing Data
Later 360 launches as an enterprise‑grade reporting suite that consolidates organic influencer metrics, paid amplification data, and commerce outcomes into a single, real‑time dashboard. Built on a dataset exceeding $2 billion in verified influencer‑driven purchases and 130 billion annual impressions, the platform uses...
By Later Blog
News•Feb 17, 2026
Cybersecurity Excellence Awards Reveal Nomination Shift From AI Hype to Governance Execution
Cybersecurity Insiders' 2026 Excellence Awards reveal a notable shift in vendor nominations from AI hype toward concrete governance, identity, and data security solutions. While agentic AI categories are growing rapidly, nominations now emphasize oversight mechanisms, ISO‑42001‑aligned frameworks, and human‑in‑the‑loop controls....
By HackRead