DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist

 DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF

                                                                      

                 By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane

PORSCHE'S HOT NEW SPORTS CAR

                                            Source: Porsche

• Porsche just unveiled its newest high-performance sports car - the 2024 718 Cayman GT4RS or the Spyder RS
• It's being called the hot-rod and the ultimate tribute to the combustion engine
• It's fitted with a 4.0 liter, 6-cylinder engine pumping out 493 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque
• Open top with Porsche Active Suspension Management and GT3 Touring interior
• Set for delivery spring 2024
• 0 to 60 mpg in 3.2 seconds
• Priced to start at $162,150.

AI CHATBOX AT THE WENDY'S DRIVETHRU

                                                           

                                        

                                                 Source:  Wendy's and Stock

• US fast food giant Wendy's is deploying Google AI ChatBot to take drive-thru customer orders at its restaurants in the US
• This will be the first test of Google's AI system in real-world restaurants
• Wendy's says the ChatBot system will be like talking to a human to place your order
• The Google technology has been plugged into Wendy's fastfood database, learning everything about burgers, shakes and other menu items
• Generative AI chatbots deploy real, natural language conversations in response to user prompts
• This is a very public testing of the robustness and versatility of generative AI chatbots at the frontlines of fast food.

PLASTIC EATING MICROBES DISCOVERED IN ALPS & ARCTIC

                                                                      Source:Alps

• Scientists have discovered plastic eating microbes that eat, digest and degrade plastic in the Alps and the Arctic
• Swiss Federal institute scientists found the microorganisms at high altitude in the Alps and in polar regions
• The big discovery is these microbes can breakdown and essentially degrade biodegradable plastic at 15 degrees C  
• What's the potential?  the organisms could cut the cost and environmental burden of enzymatic recycling of plastics
• They found a number of bacteria and fungi that can digest and degrade plastic
• Next steps:  the Swiss scientists are working to optimize the process with the intent of bringing it to an industrial scale to make a major environmental impact.