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Amazon Announces Agreement with Corning to Boost U.S. Fiber Optics Manufacturing

William Attardi on June 11, 2026

Amazon announced a multibillion-dollar agreement with Corning Incorporated, a leading manufacturer of advanced glass and fiber optic technology, to supply the optical fiber, cable, and connectivity solutions that power Amazon’s expanding data center infrastructure across the United States. The investment will create 1,000 new, highly skilled jobs at Corning’s manufacturing facilities across North Carolina, and support hundreds of additional construction jobs to expand Corning’s facilities. Through the agreement, Amazon will work with Corning on a new program that will expand its Fiber Optic Technician Training Program with Catawba Valley Community College to train students for careers in fiber optic manufacturing and related technical roles. https://www.ledinside.com/news/2026/6/2026_06_10_03

Report: Global Data Center Capex Projection Passes $1 Trillion

William Attardi on June 11, 2026

According to a recently published report by Dell’Oro Group, the worldwide data center capex outlook for 2026 was raised as hyperscale AI deployments accelerated, complemented by continued investments in general-purpose infrastructure and rising component costs. Dell’Oro Group’s Data Center IT Capex Quarterly Report details the data center infrastructure capital expenditures of each of the ten largest Cloud service providers Additional highlights from the 1Q 2026 Data Center IT Capex Quarterly Report:

  • The global data center capex outlook was raised to more than $1 trillion for 2026.
  • The Top 4 US cloud providers—Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft—increased data center capex by 78 percent.
  • Dell led server OEM revenue in the quarter, followed by Supermicro and Lenovo, while white-box vendors serving the hyperscale market accounted for the majority of server revenue. Nearly all server vendors benefited from higher memory-driven system pricing.

Report: Global Data Center Capex Projection Passes $1 Trillion

Amazon Opens Third-Party Logistics to Any Company

William Attardi on May 4, 2026

Today, Amazon is announcing Amazon Supply Chain Services(ASCS), opening its full portfolio of freight, distribution, fulfillment, and parcel shipping capabilities to businesses of all types and sizes, not only Amazon sellers. With this launch, Amazon is expanding its third-party logistics capacity to support businesses in industries such as healthcare, automotive, manufacturing, and retail. Starting today, businesses can access a centralized console to discover, select, and sign up for the various ASCS solutions.  Business News Today – tEDmag

Amazon Plans to Invest $25 Billion in Mississippi Data Centers, Create 2,000 Jobs

William Attardi on April 17, 2026

Two years ago, Amazon broke ground on its first data center campus in Madison County—the largest capital investment in Mississippi’s history at the time. That milestone was followed by a $3 billion planned investment in Warren County. Today, we’re proud to share that our total statewide planned investment has reached $25 billion, with plans to create 2,000 high-skilled jobs across all our Mississippi data center operations, further solidifying the state’s position as a leader in technology and innovation. And the impact extends well beyond technology; our data centers are also creating lasting economic opportunity. In Madison County alone, more than 75 Mississippi companies are engaged in construction and operations, employing thousands of construction workers, electricians, and operational staff. Amazon plans to invest $25 billion in Mississippi data centers, create 2,000 jobs

AI Is Outpacing America’s Power Grid. Nuclear Must Become a National Priority by Mark Whitney

William Attardi on March 6, 2026

Nuclear energy is an immediate, national strategic imperative. Advanced nuclear technologies, including smaller, faster-to-build reactors, deliver reliable, scalable and zero-carbon power. Unlike wind or solar, nuclear operates 24/7, which is exactly what hyperscale AI data centers require. The early movers are acting:

The message is clear: secure dependable, carbon-free power now, or face capacity shortages and rising costs. AI is outpacing America’s power grid. Nuclear must become a national priority. | Utility Dive

Guess How Much Big Tech Will Spend on AI This Year

William Attardi on February 7, 2026

Four of the largest tech companies in the world project that they’ll spend roughly $650 billion combined on AI infrastructure in 2026, representing a historic ball-out for corporate capital expenditures, Bloomberg reported Here’s who’s spending what:

  • Taking the cake, Amazon announced Thursday that it’s planning to drop $200 billion on AI, chips, robotics, and satellites.
  • A day earlier, Alphabet said its capital expenditures could reach $185 billion, blowing past estimates.
  • Last week, Meta pegged its capex as high as $135 billion—an 87% jump from the year prior—driven by the company’s goal of achieving AI superintelligence.
  • Microsoft is expected to spend nearly $105 billion during its fiscal year ending in June.

Big Tech to spend $650 billion on AI in 2026, per Bloomberg

Amazon Testing New Warehouse Robots and AI Tools for Workers By Sean McLain

William Attardi on October 25, 2025

Artificial intelligence that makes humans more efficient and robots that make them less necessary. The retail giant unveiled a trio of new technologies Wednesday that it is testing or preparing to deploy in its warehouses and delivery vans. They include a robot arm called Blue Jay, designed to sort packages; an artificial-intelligence agent called Eluna, intended to help human managers deploy workers and avoid bottlenecks; and augmented-reality glasses to be worn by delivery drivers in the field. Analysts expect Amazon to see billions of dollars in cost savings every year as it automates more of the logistics process, both through increased efficiency and reduced need for humans. Amazon says its goal is to improve safety and unload mundane tasks onto AI and robots. Amazon Testing New Warehouse Robots and AI Tools for Workers – WSJ  m.wsj.net/video-atmo/20250627/f50aec12-b610-4104-805f-27966da3fb05/1/amazonrobotsbleed1_1000.mp4

The Radical Changes That Are Making Your Smart Home Less Dumb

William Attardi on October 10, 2025

Most homes are “smart”. Now that they’re getting a generative-AI overhaul, the question is: Can we get more out of devices that until now have been great at setting kitchen timers, reading the weather and playing music?  Amazon’s Alexa+ and Google’s Gemini aim to fix that, by making smart homes less dumb. The tech giants introduced new speakers, home displays and cameras this week to capitalize on their evolved assistants, but most existing devices are also compatible. Gemini for Home arrives at the end of the month, and Amazon says 10 million households already have early access to Alexa+. As we wait for Apple’s Siri to catch up—and we’re hoping for news sometime next year—here are the three big changes coming to our homes right now.

    1. Cameras that tell you what’s happening
    2. Speakers that have real conversations
    3. Automation without the app headache

Your Smart Home’s AI Upgrade: Alexa+, Ring ‘Search Party,’ Google’s Gemini for Home and More – WSJ

Amazon Spends $1 Billion to Increase Pay and Lower Health Care Costs for US Workers

William Attardi on September 19, 2025

Amazon has a global workforce of 1.5 million workers. The Seattle-based company said the average pay is increasing to more than $23 per hour. Amazon also said it will lower the cost of its entry health care plan to $5 per week and $5 for co-pays, starting next year. In January 2024, Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, said that average wages for hourly workers would exceed $18, up from $17.50.  At Minneapolis-based Target, the starting hourly wage ranges from $15 to $24 for workers employed at stores and distribution centers. Amazon spends $1 billion to increase pay and lower health care costs for US workers | AP News

Amazon Is on the Cusp of Using More Robots Than Humans in Its Warehouses

William Attardi on July 1, 2025

The    e-commerce giant, which has spent years automating tasks previously done by humans in its facilities, has deployed more than one million robots in those workplaces, Amazon said. That is the most it has ever had and near the count of human workers at the facilities. One of Amazon’s newer robots, called Vulcan, has a sense of touch that enables it to pick items from numerous shelves. Amazon has taken recent steps to connect its robots to its order-fulfillment processes, so the machines can work in tandem with each other and with humans.  For some Amazon workers, the increasing automation has meant replacing menial, repetitive work lifting, pulling and sorting with more skilled assignments managing the machines.  Amazon is also rolling out artificial intelligence in its warehouses, Chief Executive Andy Jassy said recently, “to improve inventory placement, demand forecasting, and the efficiency of our robots.” Amazon said it will cut the size of its total workforce in the next several years. Exclusive | Amazon Is on the Cusp of Using More Robots Than Humans in Its Warehouses – WSJ

Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”