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Ward | Blake Architects Named to Forbes Best-in-State List 2026

Jackson, Wyo. – September 22, 2026 -- Ward | Blake Architects has been named to Forbes' America's Best-in-State Residential Architects 2026, marking the Jackson, Wyoming firm's second consecutive year on the national list during its 30th anniversary.

Forbes reassesses every firm annually, including prior honorees

For its 2026 architecture lists, Forbes reevaluated all practices, including firms recognized the previous year, rather than automatically renewing past selections. Firms were judged by Forbes editors and an advisory board of architecture and design authorities using a submitted residence and each practice's broader portfolio. The Forbes Architecture System of Evaluation weighs quality of work, environmental and cultural responsiveness, sustainability, siting, local context, architectural form, materials and craft. Forbes states there is no fee to participate.

Kroger Details AI Strategy From Shopping Assistant to Managed Grocery

Las Vegas – September 22, 2026 -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) outlined its artificial intelligence strategy at GroceryShop 2026, disclosing a phased approach that moves from assisted to fully autonomous AI use across customer and operational functions.

Kroger structures AI deployment into three governed stages

Yael Cosset, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, said the company's AI roadmap progresses through assisted, augmented and autonomous stages, with the level of automation determined by risk, repeatability and the need for human judgment. "The goal is not autonomy everywhere," Cosset said, adding that governance remains central regardless of which stage a given use case occupies.

Google Vault, Bloomberg Vault Lead Info-Tech's 2026 Archiving Rankings

Arlington, Va. – September 22, 2026 -- Info-Tech Research Group has named Google Vault, Bloomberg Vault, and Microsoft Exchange Online Archiving as Champions in its 2026 Data Archiving Data Quadrant Report, with Google Vault topping the category at an 8.9 Composite Score.

Google Vault scores 8.9 on quality features, leading the Champion tier

Bloomberg Vault followed with an 8.6 Composite Score, earning top marks for granularity, while Microsoft Exchange Online Archiving posted an 8.5 score, recognized for ease of data integration. The rankings draw on verified end-user feedback collected through Info-Tech's SoftwareReviews platform rather than analyst opinion or vendor input.

Disney Release Manager Nerrissa Williams Honored by Marquis Who's Who

Uniondale, N.Y. – September 22, 2026 -- Marquis Who's Who has recognized Nerrissa Williams, manager of release and application operations at The Walt Disney Company, for leadership in enterprise technology delivery spanning more than two decades.

Williams led a December 2023 SAP release that unlocked two Disney initiatives worth $170 million combined

The release served as a critical dependency for two enterprise projects valued at approximately $100 million and $70 million respectively. Its successful execution drew visibility across Disney's technology leadership and demonstrated the operational stakes tied to disciplined release management at a company coordinating rollouts across SAP, Workday, Coupa and Informatica.

NY Auto Show Reports 92% Purchase Conversion, Sets 2027 Dates

New York – September 22, 2026 -- The New York International Auto Show's 2026 Visitor Impact Report found that 92% of attendees who said they planned to buy a vehicle within 12 months actually did so, underscoring the event's direct influence on automotive sales conversion. The 127th edition of the show, North America's oldest auto exhibition since 1900, will run March 26–April 4, 2027, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, with Media & Industry Days set for March 23–25.

Show attendance drives measurable purchase intent among visitors

According to the 2026 report, 80% of visitors said the show influenced their next vehicle decision, while 38% indicated plans to purchase or lease within 12 months. Among those 12-month intenders, 42% added one or more brands to their consideration list after attending.

Embry-Riddle Nabs 8 Top-Five Rankings in U.S. News 2027 College Report

Daytona Beach – September 22, 2026 -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University secured eight top-five rankings and 11 top-10 honors in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, published Sept. 22, reinforcing its position as a primary talent pipeline for aerospace, defense and aviation employers.

Daytona Beach and Prescott campuses both rank No. 2 in their regions

The Daytona Beach, Florida campus and the Prescott, Arizona campus each earned the No. 2 Overall Rank among regional colleges in the South and West, respectively, according to the rankings. Daytona Beach also took No. 1 in the Top Private Colleges list and No. 3 in Most Innovative Schools, while ranking No. 2 for veteran-focused programs.

Furukawa's Snap-Beam Connector Wins ECOC 2026 Fibre Innovation Award

Malaga, Spain – September 22, 2026 -- Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. and Lightera announced that the Snap-BeamTM Connector has won the Fibre Infrastructure Innovation Award at the ECOC Exhibition Industry Awards 2026, recognizing advances in optical connectivity for co-packaged optics (CPO) systems used in AI and data-center networks.

Snap-Beam Connector enables compact, detachable optical links for photonic integrated circuits

The Snap-Beam Connector provides detachable optical connectivity between photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and optical fibers within CPO systems. It combines expanded-beam optical coupling, magnet-based automatic connection, and reflow compatibility to deliver high-density optical interconnections with low insertion loss.

Fulcra Dynamics Launches Cross-Platform AI Agent Communication

Boston – – September 22, 2026 -- Fulcra Dynamics has launched universal agent-to-agent communication that lets users on Claude, ChatGPT, Hermes and OpenClaw coordinate tasks directly, bypassing the closed multiplayer model built by rival app Instinct.

Fulcra opens agent communication across any AI harness, ending platform lock-in

Instinct's multiplayer feature currently limits agent-to-agent communication to users who adopt its own agent. Fulcra Dynamics said this approach creates unnecessary lock-in and security risk, and built its system instead as a neutral backend that any compatible agent harness can plug into for peer and group coordination.

Lightera Showcases Multicore Fiber in OIF Interoperability Demo at ECOC 2026

Malaga – – September 22, 2026 -- Lightera confirmed its Multicore Fiber (MCF) technology is part of the OIF multi-vendor interoperability demonstration at ECOC 2026, running on stand 2126 in Malaga, Spain.

Lightera's MCF cuts fiber count by 75% versus conventional single-mode fiber

The company is supporting both a 500-meter and a 50-kilometer MCF demonstration using its 4-core, 125 μm clad diameter fiber, built with 40 μm pitch and ITU-T G.657.A2-compliant cores. According to Lightera, the design reduces fiber count by 75% compared to conventional single-mode fiber (SMF) and cuts weight and space requirements by up to four times.

Track Rabbit Adds Off-Platform Payment Option for Grassroots Motorsport Events

West Chester, Pa. – September 22, 2026 -- Track Rabbit has launched a new feature allowing event organizers to run registration and member management through its platform while collecting payment via cash, Venmo, PayPal, a personal card reader, or any other method of their choosing.

Grassroots organizers gain full platform access without merchant processing setup

The feature targets informal automotive gatherings such as cars-and-coffee meetups, club cruise-ins, local track days, and car shows, where organizers often collect a cash gate fee or a Venmo request rather than running transactions through a formal payment processor. Riders and drivers still complete registration and manage their information through Track Rabbit; only the payment step moves outside the platform.

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