Nvidia and Intel have teamed up to provide processors and graphics chips for a new generation of creator workstations. You might think of them as metaverse workstations.

Those workstations will be launching with anywhere from one Nvidia graphics processing unit (GPU) to four in a system powered by Intel’s latest Xeon W and Intel Xeon Scalable processors, said Bob Pette, vice president of Nvidia’s professional visualization business in an interview with GamesBeat.

“I think this will really unlock the number of GPUs that are in a workstation because now we can fully drive multiple GPUs,” Pette said.

At a time when Nvidia is pitching Omniverse as a tool for building virtual worlds, enterprise digital twins, and eventually the metaverse, these workstations are likely to be in high demand. Intel said there are more than 50 designs using the Xeon processors coming to the market.

AI-augmented applications, photorealistic rendering, simulation and other technologies are helping professionals achieve business-critical results from multi-app workflows faster than ever, the companies said.

Running these data-intensive, complex workflows, as well as sharing data and collaborating across geographically dispersed teams, requires workstations with high-end CPUs, GPUs and advanced networking.

The Intel Xeon processors will be paired with Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada generation GPUs, as well as Nvidia
ConnectX-6 SmartNICs. The latter networking card will have a cooling system — a sign of the times of where the heat in a system can be, Pette said.

“We’ve got some customers that are testing it out. And anywhere, anytime you’re moving gigabytes or terabytes of data, it’s going to have a huge impact. So we spent the money because we believe there is a large opportunity to refit this with an actively cooled card,” Pette said.

These new workstations bring together the highest levels of AI computing, rendering and simulation
horsepower to tackle demanding workloads across data science, manufacturing, broadcast, media and
entertainment, healthcare and more, Nvidia said.

“Professionals require advanced power and performance to run the most intensive workflows, like using
AI, rendering in real time or running multiple applications simultaneously,” said Pette. “The new Intel- and Nvidia-Ada powered workstations deliver unprecedented speed, power and efficiency, enabling professionals everywhere to take on the most complex workflows across all industries.”

“The latest Intel Xeon W processors — featuring a breakthrough new compute architecture — are
uniquely designed to help professional users tackle the most challenging current and future workloads,”
said Roger Chandler, vice president and general manager of creator and workstation solutions in the
client computing group at Intel, in a statement. “Combining our new Intel Xeon workstation processors with the latest Nvidia GPUs will unleash the innovation and creativity of professional creators, artists, engineers, designers, data scientists and power users across the world.”

Serving new workloads

Metaverse applications and the rise of generative AI require a new level of computing power from the
underlying hardware.

“These are purpose-built for things like Nvidia Omniverse and Nvidia AI,” Pette said.

Creating digital twins in a simulated photorealistic environment that obeys the laws of physics and planning factories are just two examples of workflows made possible by Nvidia Omniverse Enterprise, a platform for creating and operating metaverse applications.

BMW Group, for example, is using Nvidia Omniverse Enterprise to design an end-to-end digital twin of an entire factory. This involves collaboration with thousands of planners, product engineers and facility managers in a single virtual environment to design, plan, simulate and optimize highly complex manufacturing systems before a factory is actually built or a new product is integrated into the real world.

(I’m going to moderate a session on the enterprise metaverse at Nvidia’s GTC event coming on March 22).

The need for accelerated computing power is growing exponentially due to the explosion of AI-augmented workflows, from traditional R&D and data science workloads to edge devices on factory floors or in security offices, to generative AI solutions for text conversations and text-to-image applications, the companies said.

Extended reality (XR) solutions for collaborative work also require significant computing resources. Examples of XR applications include design reviews, product design validation, maintenance and support training, rehearsals, interactive digital twins and location-based entertainment. All of these demand high-resolution, photoreal images to create the most intuitive and compelling immersive experiences, whether available locally or streamed to wireless devices.

Next-generation platform features

With a breakthrough new compute architecture for faster individual CPU cores and new embedded multi-die interconnect bridge packaging, the Xeon W-3400 and Xeon W-2400 series of processors enable scalability for increased workload performance. Available with up to 56 cores in a single socket, the top-end Intel Xeon w9-3495X processor features a redesigned memory controller and larger L3 cache, delivering up to 28% more single-threaded and 120% more multi-threaded performance over the previous-generation Xeon W processors.

Based on the Nvidia Ada Lovelace GPU architecture, the latest Nvidia RTX 6000 brings power efficiency and performance to the new workstations. It features 142 third-generation RT Cores, 568 fourth-generation Tensor Cores and 18,176 latest-generation CUDA cores combined with 48GB of high-performance graphics memory to provide up to 2x ray-tracing, AI, graphics and compute performance over the previous generation.

And Nvidia’s ConnectX-6 Dx SmartNICs enable professionals to handle demanding, high-bandwidth 3D
rendering and computer-aided design tasks, as well as traditional office work with line-speed network
connectivity support based on two 25Gbps ports and GPUDirect technology for increasing GPU bandwidth by 10x over standard NICs. The high-speed, low-latency networking and streaming capabilities enable teams to move and ingest large datasets or to allow remote individuals to collaborate across applications for design and visualization.

The new workstations will be available in the coming months, and you can preorder from Boxx and HP starting today.

While it’s unusual to see competitors like Intel and Nvidia teaming up, Nvidia also partners with AMD around its CPU families as well, Pette said.

“We just tend to try to focus on what the customer experience is going to be,” Pette said. “Even though we may be competing with somebody on the GPU side, the best experience is putting in a Sapphire Rapids (Intel) or Threadripper (AMD), then we want to make sure those workloads are tuned.”

Intel and Daedalean just published a white paper presenting a reference design for a computational platform that can carry a machine-learned application and that is also certifiable. (Photo: Intel)

Intel wrote a white paper in collaboration with Daedalean, a startup working on machine-learned solutions in the aviation space. Published this week, the report features a reference design for an AI application that can act as a never-distracted copilot. This new design is certifiable, meaning it is expected to pass regulatory tests. By releasing this paper, the two companies hope to provide actionable steps for companies looking to integrate certifiable machine-learned electronics and applications into their aircraft.

The white paper was authored by Debra Aubrey, Technical Product Marketing Manager at Intel Corporation; Dr. Yemaya Bordain, President of Americas at Daedalean; and Dr. Niels Haandbaek, Director of Engineering at Daedalean.

Artificial intelligence is dominating 2023 news cycles and is becoming a formidable tool in many industries. Until recently, however, no small, multidirectional embedded computational equipment existed that was operational and that also met aviation safety requirements.

In fact, the industry still needs the first step towards a future with multidirectional embedded computational equipment: a reference architecture, or specific list of requirements to create the right types of computers. A reference architecture encompasses regulatory requirements, low-level and high-level softwares, and silicon solutions for machine-learned applications. Regulators also need to review a reference architecture and certify that it will create predictable, safe behavior in the sky.

Daedalean, the Swiss-based startup responsible for the AI copilot, one of the most advanced machine-learned systems in avionics, has been working on a machine learning algorithm and a reference architecture for a computer able to execute it. They tested the reference architecture in labs and on in-flight aircrafts to develop what they call situational intelligence, the ability for machine-learned applications to predict and respond to future events.

To make the time-to-market quicker for companies interested in their applications, Daedalean's team partnered with Intel, who provides much-needed silicon to manufacture these applications. The two companies collaborated on a reference architecture that speeds up the time-to-market, allowing companies to integrate machined-learned computers into their cockpits faster.

In this white paper, Daedalean and Intel lay out the reference architecture for certifiable embedded electronics. The report discusses the challenges to applying software assurance to machine-learned devices, the visual awareness system they utilize, and the current and future role of embedded computing in the industry. They also take a look at the software and hardware requirements which ensure aviation systems are safe and effective.

According to a statement provided by Intel and Daedalean, the reference architecture "can significantly reduce time-to-market for companies interested in incorporating what they have coined situational intelligence—the ability not only to understand and make sense of the current environment and situation but also anticipate and react to a future situation—in the cockpit."

"The publication provides actionable insights for companies developing solutions in the field of certifiable embedded electronics for A&D. This is the first document ever to present a real-world working example and provide guidance on how to approach the challenges of implementing the machine learning application in airworthy embedded systems in general: how to ensure that your ML-based system can meet the computational requirements, certification requirements, and the size, weight, and power (SWaP) limitations at the same time. The approach described in the document is driving the aviation industry’s need for high-performance embedded computing."

From ChatGPT to AI TikTok filters, machine-learned applications are seemingly everywhere. This white paper can help bring the power of AI to avionics. It is the first document to present a working example of a machine-learned system and to provide guidance about how to overcome application challenges.

The actionable recommendations and findings in the new report can drive the industry’s desire for high-performance embedded computing. It offers a new way to approach challenges and to ensure future applications meet the industry requirements. This foundational real-world example from Daedalean and Intel has the potential to cultivate a new wave of airworthy machine-learned applications.

February 17, 2023, 10:34 AM EST

For the week ending Feb. 17, CRN takes a look at the companies that brought their ‘A’ game to the channel including Google Cloud, Intel, Cascadeo, WekaIO and Zscaler.

The Week Ending Feb. 17

Topping this week’s Came to Win list is Google Cloud for unveiling a number of new licensing options and cloud pricing editions that channel partners say lower the barriers to entry for new customers and provide more choice and flexibility.

Also making this week’s list are Intel for debuting its Xeon W workstation CPUs, zero trust security provider Zscaler for an acquisition that adds SaaS protection to its technology portfolio, and data platform developer WekaIO for launching a new channel program to meet the needs of its VAR, systems integrator and MSP partners.

And Amazon Web Services star partner Cascadeo wins applause for its efforts to boost its ranks of cloud IT talent with its new Cascadeo University.

Google Cloud ‘Removing Barriers To Entry’ With New Pricing

Google Cloud this week unveiled its new Flex Agreements licensing option that the company said allows customers to migrate their workloads to the cloud with no up-front commitments while still having access to such incentives as cloud credits and monthly spending discounts.

Tony Safoian, CEO of Google Cloud partner SADA, said the new option “really lowers the barrier of entry” to Google Cloud services and marks a new chapter in what has become a consumption-driven business.

Google also unveiled three new pricing editions for its cloud services: Standard, Enterprise and Enterprise Plus. Partners said the new tiers deliver customers more choice and flexibility to optimize their cloud services spending and will help Google partners aid their customers amid the current uncertain economy.

Google also announced changes in pricing, commitment plans and term options for its Workspace collaboration and productivity applications, some of which result in an increase in costs.

New Intel Xeon W CPUs Bring 56 Cores, DDR5 To Workstations

Intel is promising a “giant leap in performance” with its new wave of Xeon W processors, which will bring up to 56 cores, DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 support, and other new technologies to workstation PCs running content creation, modeling and data science applications.

Unveiled this week, the single-socket workstation chips include the Xeon W-3400 series for expert workstations and the W-2400 for mainstream workstations. Intel said the new chips represent the company’s most comprehensive portfolio refresh of workstation platforms.

The new CPUs will deliver Intel’s OEM and system builder partners a new refresh opportunity less than two years after the release of the Xeon W-3300 chips in mid-2021.

Zscaler To Acquire Canonic Security To Thwart SaaS Attacks

Zero trust security provider Zscaler struck an agreement this week to acquire Canonic Security, a startup focused on protecting against attacks targeting Software-as-a-Service applications.

Canonic, which exited stealth one year ago, allows organizations to assess the security of applications and integrations connected to a certain SaaS application before allowing access to their own business applications. The goal is to eliminate the growing threat of SaaS supply chain attacks.

Zscaler is expected to integrate Canonic’s capabilities into its recently introduced data protection software, enhancing its cloud access security broker (CASB) solution and its SaaS security posture management (SSPM) tool.

WekaIO Launches Channel Program, Enlists Partners For Expansion Into AI/ML

WekaIO wins applause this week for launching a new partner program the company will use to recruit and assist VARs, systems integrators and MSPs as the company expands beyond its file and object storage roots to providing a data platform for a range of high-performance processing tasks like AI and machine learning.

The new Weka X Partner Program offers partners a raft of new training and enablement resources and certifications, deal registration and financial incentives, flexible procurement options and other benefits specifically for top-tier partners.

WekaIO sees the data-intensive AI/ML market as being at an inflection point where a broader range of businesses and organizations are considering implementing AI and machine learning systems and are looking for solutions and services from VARs and systems integrators. That’s the impetus for the new Weka X global channel partner program and the company’s concerted push into the reseller channel.

Proofpoint also wins kudos this week for launching a revamped channel program that aims to provide partners with a simplified structure, along with enhanced incentives and training, as the company looks to work with solution providers in areas beyond its core email security offering.

And XDR security provider ReliaQuest completes a trifecta with its commitment this week to include partners on all new deals as it moves to a partner-focused sales model and accelerate growth with the help of the channel.

AWS Partner Cascadeo Creating University To Remedy Cloud Tech Talent Shortage

Like many solution providers, cloud specialist and AWS partner Cascadeo is having trouble finding skilled workers, a significant challenge for the company as customer demand for AWS and cloud computing services skyrockets.

Cascadeo is tackling the problem by establishing a formal education training program with the goal of eventually on-boarding thousands of new cloud experts into the company.

Jared Reimer (pictured), founder, president and CTO of Seattle-based Cascadeo, said the problem is that most tech workers are trained on “legacy IT,” which doesn’t meet the needs of Cascadeo’s portfolio of services on serverless and native cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure.

Cascadeo University, launching later this year, will take computer science undergraduates or graduate students and train them on what Reimer calls “the right way” to build cloud analytics, serverless and native platform services that are native to one of the cloud hyperscalers.

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After almost a week of Chinese spy balloon drama, we’re finally getting some juicy details from officials — but there’s still much lying beneath the (ocean) surface.

Thursday kicked off with a State Department official telling reporters the aircraft that hovered over the U.S. last week “was capable of conducting signals intelligence collection operations.” The balloon had “multiple antennas to include an array likely capable of collecting and geo-locating communications.” State made that determination based on images taken by U-2 spy planes of the balloon during flybys.

The Biden administration will now “explore” punitive measures for the Chinese entities involved in the People’s Liberation Army’s surveillance program, per the official.

In a briefing hours later, FBI officials said it's too early for them to determine much from the wreckage of the device. So far, the U.S. has only collected fragments of the balloon, including the canopy, wiring and some electronics. The rest is at the "ocean bottom" and will take a long time to recover due to weather.

"We're only seeing a very small portion of the balloon’s payload at this point," one of the officials said. "We have literally not seen the payload, which is where we would expect to see the lion's share of the electronics."

The FBI also noted that at this point they don’t have enough information to know who manufactured the aircraft’s parts. But in a classified briefing, members of Congress were told the balloon did have Western-made parts with English words written on them, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News.

A Democratic senator, who asked not to be named for discussing the contents of a classified briefing, said the lawmakers got more “details on intelligence collected” than the administration has publicly revealed.

Some, including Republican Sen. STEVE DAINES of Montana (where the public first spotted the balloon), were unimpressed with what they learned. “Unfortunately I left the administration’s briefing with more questions than when I went in,” he said in a statement. Asked why the senator was so unsatisfied, his spokesperson RACHEL DUMKE told NatSec Daily that “the senator did not get all his questions answered.”

As the FBI briefed, the House passed a resolution from Rep. MICHAEL McCAUL (R-Texas) to condemn China’s unwelcome overflight in a 419-0 vote — a remarkable show of bipartisanship in a polarized Congress.

That bipartisanship extended to criticizing the administration’s response to the balloon hubbub. In the Senate, Republicans and Democrats on the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hauled in senior Pentagon officials and let loose their frustrations.

“As an Alaskan, I am so angry. I want to use other words. But I’m not going to,” said Sen. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-Alaska).

Sen. BRIAN SCHATZ (D-Hawaii), said he understands “the need to keep some of this classified,” but believes the administration might not want to disclose “things that might be inconvenient politically for the department.”

NORTH KOREA’S MESSAGE: In just one parade, North Korea displayed enough intercontinental ballistic missiles to overwhelm America’s expensive defenses against them, Alex reported Wednesday night.

Images from state-run media showed the nation’s military rolling 10 to 12 Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missiles down the streets of Pyongyang. The U.S. only has 44 ground-based interceptors to launch from Alaska and California, which can destroy an oncoming ICBM in flight. Assuming North Korea’s weapons can fit four warheads atop them, it’s possible Pyongyang can fire more warheads at the U.S. than America has interceptors.

The message from North Korean leader KIM JONG UN was clear: Despite repeated efforts, the U.S. can’t stop Pyongyang. It was a defiant display that both underscored the nation’s stunning military advancement and Western failures to get the ruling family to part with its weapons.

“It punches a hole in 20-plus years of U.S. homeland missile defense policy predicated on defending against a ‘limited’ missile threat from North Korea. That threat is no longer limited,” said ANKIT PANDA, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

ZELENSKYY’S JET PUSH: In Brussels, Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY expressed optimism to lawmakers about receiving fighter jets and said he’ll meet with leaders to discuss the topic, our own LILI BAYER reports.

"I've heard about the readiness to deliver us the necessary weapons and support, including the aircrafts,” Zelenskyy said. “And I will have a number of bilaterals now, and we are going to raise the issue of the fighter jets and other aircrafts."

The comment comes a day after the surprise Zelenskyy visit to London, where he stressed Ukraine’s need for the jets. It apparently paid off, with British officials saying they’re actively looking into sending the fighters, and Zelenskyy said progress was also made on talks about long-range missiles and the training of our pilots.

“There are certain agreements which are not public but are positive,” Zelenskyy said. “When these items will happen ... our state will know this, but I don't want to prepare the Russian Federation."

U.N. AID IN SYRIA: A United Nations aid convoy crossed into a rebel-held region of northwest Syria through Turkey for the first time since two earthquakes leveled the region on Monday, The Washington Post reports.

Tens of thousands of rescuers from around the world have traveled to Turkey, but aid to Syria has been delayed because of the war-torn area, which has been split into areas of government and opposition control with a decimated health care system due to fighting.

“In nearly every emergency, communities themselves are their own first responders. In northwest Syria, Syrians are entirely on their own,” KIEREN BARNES, country director of Syria for Mercy Corps Country, said in a statement. “They feel forgotten and abandoned by the world after 10 years of war, and fear this will be no different.”

PRISONERS RELEASED: Nicaragua has released more than 200 political prisoners, all of whom have been flown to the United States, the Biden administration announced Thursday.

The prisoners, many of them political and business leaders, journalists and students detained by Nicaraguan President DANIEL ORTEGA, arrived Thursday at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, the State Department said in a statement. One of them is a U.S. citizen.

Relations between the U.S. and Nicaragua have been strained due to the arrests by Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo. In 2021, Ortega and Murillo detained several political opponents and prevented opposition parties from participating in the country’s election.

IT’S THURSDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at [email protected] and [email protected], and follow us on Twitter at @alexbward and @mattberg33.

While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @woodruffbets, @politicoryan, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco and @Lawrence_Ukenye.

‘A CROWDED FIELD’: Among likely GOP candidates, natsec is expected to be an unusually popular Topic in the campaign cycle, multiple people preparing for primaries told NatSec Daily.

“It’s going to be a crowded field of national security-minded candidates,” an aide to a GOP nominee hopeful told NatSec Daily.

That’s in large part because Russia will be at war with Ukraine and China will continue to loom large, requiring the candidates to form thoughtful opinions on the issues.

But these people said the Republican debates will also focus on other areas, namely the entry of fentanyl in the U.S. and immigration. One person added food security and trade will matter to earlier-voting states like Iowa. All spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal thinking about the election.

Of course, the big question is how to tackle Trump and his foreign policy, which most in the field said produced some wins but was anathema to Republican orthodoxy. How to take him on, especially when many of the prospective candidates worked for him and are far more hawkish?

JOHN BOLTON, Trump’s former national security adviser, who’s weighing a run himself, said a “Reaganite foreign policy is still the overwhelming view” within the party. Voters, he continued, believe “ultimately good policy is good politics. I think I could be the person to talk about it.”

Trump, after all, “doesn’t have views. Trump has Trump. He has neuron flashes,” Bolton said. “That’s one reason that I’m considering getting in.” Bolton noted, however, that he has plenty of time to officially throw his hat in the ring.

In the meantime, groups are already forming to advise candidates on national security. The Forum for American Leadership has already created 14 working groups to mirror the directorates of the National Security Council. Those groups will aim to brief candidates throughout the campaign.

The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is also seeking to build a database of vetted people to hand over to a transition. “We think of it as conservative LinkedIn,” said PAUL DANS, the project’s director. There will also be a book filled with policy positions to come out in April and a collection of executive orders to roll out as early as day one.

Safe to say, as the staffer for the potential GOP candidate told us, “these conversations are going to be shaping, and they matter.”

U.S., U.K. SANCTION RUSSIAN CYBERGANG: The United States and the United Kingdom on Thursday jointly sanctioned seven Russian government-linked hackers who were linked to ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure in the U.S., U.K. and Ukraine, our own MAGGIE MILLER reports.

Those sanctioned were alleged to be members of the Russian-based cybercriminal group Trickbot. The group was linked by IBM last year to cyberattacks in 2022 tied to the war aimed at both the Ukrainian government and private sector groups and, according to the Treasury Department, have also allegedly targeted the U.S. government and U.S. companies.

“The United States and the U.K. are leaders in the global fight against cybercrime and are committed to using all available tools to defend against cyber threats,” Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN said in a statement Thursday.

WHITMER’S ASK OF BIDEN: Michigan Gov. GRETCHEN WHITMER has a “big ask” of President JOE BIDEN while she’s in Washington, D.C., this week: to invest in a fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard base in Macomb County, Michigan.

The governor will also speak to Air Force Secretary FRANK KENDALL about the potential investment, Whitmer’s office told NatSec Daily.

Whitmer has long been pushing to host a fighter mission at the base in her state. Michigan’s representatives in Washington are also in support. This month, they sent a letter to Kendall urging him to replace the A-10s stationed at Selfridge with more advanced jets.

Whitmer has claimed that the move “would significantly reduce the cost to the Air Force by almost $100 million.”

WHY HAWLEY OFF SASC?: There’s a bit of intrigue surrounding why Sen. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) is no longer on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Roll Call’s MARK SATTER reported Wednesday night that Hawley was booted for holding up DoD nominee confirmations and for challenging MITCH McCONNELL’s leadership of Senate Republicans. Both senators and their teams deny the reporting, saying that Hawley voluntarily gave up his seat.

Our own BURGESS EVERETT reported a backstory that supports what Hawley and McConnell say. Newly elected Sen. ERIC SCHMITT (R-Mo.) sought to serve on the Judiciary Committee alongside Hawley, requiring him to get a waiver because rules are that both members from a state can’t be on a top committee together.

Schmitt didn’t get the waiver, so Hawley stepped down from SASC so Schmitt could serve on that panel and avoid another waiver fight.

A number of Hill aides NatSec Daily spoke with said that the Hawley/McConnell explanation, and what Burgess reported, is what happened.

WASN’T ME: Biden shifted some blame for his classified document drama to the people who packed his offices when asked about the discovery of those classified materials, our own OLIVIA OLANDER reported late Wednesday.

“What was not done well is, as they packed up my offices to move them, they didn’t do the kind of job that should’ve been done, to go thoroughly through every piece of literature that’s there,” Biden told JUDY WOODRUFF on PBS’ “NewsHour.”

He didn’t deliver any additional specifics about the packing of the material in question. That’s not surprising, given the president has been tight-lipped about the materials taken from his personal office and homes, citing an ongoing Justice Department investigation.

–– FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY:JASON HOUSER, the chief of staff at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is preparing to depart the agency after a period of leave for family-related matters, DANIEL LIPPMAN has learned. He is still figuring out his next step but has had overtures from the news media, immigration groups and government contracting firms.

— ERIC GREEN is leaving his post as NSC director for Russia and Central Asia after a two-year tour and returning to the State Department, per a White House official. In a statement, national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN said Green was “absolutely central” to U.S. efforts to counter Russia after its invasion of Russia. “His insights and actions have proven pivotal time and again.” Bloomberg News was first to the story.

— BARBARA SLAVIN has joined the Stimson Center as a distinguished fellow in the Middle East and North Africa program. She was previously at the Atlantic Council.

— BRUCE MacDONALD, CARLA FREEMAN, and ALISON McFARLAND, U.S. Institute of Peace: China and Strategic Instability in Space: Pathways to Peace in an Era of U.S.-China Strategic Competition

— NICHOLAS MULDER, The New York Times: Sanctions Against Russia Ignore the Economic Challenges Facing Ukraine

— AYŞEGÜL SERT, The Atlantic: Turkey’s Trust in Government Has Turned to Dust

— The Atlantic Council, 8:30 a.m.: Fireside Chat with VP of the European Commission DUBRAVKA ŠUICA

— The Wilson Center, 9:15 a.m.: Fostering National Security and Economic Prosperity in North America

— The Center for a New American Security, 10 a.m.: The Role of Allies and Partners in the National Defense Strategy with Dr. CELESTE WALLANDER

— The Hudson Institute, 10 a.m.: State Threats, Illicit Finance, and Economic Security with the Rt. Hon. TOM TUGENDHAT

— The Jewish Institute for National Security of America, 10 a.m.: Threat or Hot Air? The Chinese Spy Balloon

— The Brookings Institution, 10:30 a.m.: Geostrategic competition and US, Chinese, and Russian overseas basing

— The Georgetown Institute of Women, Peace and Security, 1 p.m.:The Future of Iran’s Democracy Movement

— The United States Institute of Peace, 3 p.m.:A Conversation with Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister FUAD HUSSEIN: Challenges and Opportunities for Iraq’s New Government

Have a natsec-centric event coming up? Transitioning to a new defense-adjacent or foreign policy-focused gig? Shoot me an email at [email protected] to be featured in the next edition of the newsletter.

Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who cares more about the Chinese spy balloon than us.

We also thank our producer, Jeffrey Horst, who is cared about by all.

© Future null

Congratulations to the following Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Best of 2022 winners in the category of "Secondary Education (Grades 9-12)": 

Acer Acer TravelMate B3 The new TravelMate B3 is a Windows 11 laptop for students and teachers. It features an 11.6-inch HD touchscreen, full HD webcam, fast Intel® Wi-Fi 6, the latest Intel Celeron processors, a military-grade MIL-STD 810H compliant durability and a spill-resistant keyboard. Our judges liked this laptop and called it "well-conceived." 

BenQ BenQ Education RP03 BenQ Board

BenQ Board RP03 smart board features include single sign-on, cloud access, screen sharing, split-screen, screen recording, and annotation tools in a germ-resistant interactive display. The judges were impressed by this smart board, especially the the ability to securely access files using an NFC card and the ease of use afforded by saving personal settings. 

Boxlight Attention! Secondary

FrontRow by Boxlight’s Attention! combines FrontRow Conductor™ campus-wide bells, paging, intercom, and emergency communication platform with Boxlight’s CleverLive cloud management platform and the Boxlight MimioPro 4 or Clevertouch IMPACT Max interactive displays for an integrated audio-visual messaging and alerting system. "It's an incredible way to communicate to all users with a video or audio message quickly, said the judges, adding, "Attention can also be used to broadcast positive, upbuilding messages regularly."

Boxlight CleverLive Secondary CleverLive digital signage is a cloud content management platform that turns an interactive display into a communication tool, broadcasting announcements, messages, and alerts with just a few steps. Tech & Learning judges called it a "great product," highlighting the sharing, display and mobile features. 

Boxlight EOS Education PD Secondary EOS Education by Boxlight provides professional development services to districts, schools, and other organizations that are focused on improving teaching and learning. Training can be facilitated in-person, virtual, or a combination of both. The judges said, "Overall, this is a very good tool," emphasizing the custom training and popular education topics.

Boxlight MimioPro 4 Secondary

The MimioPro 4 touch-driven LCD interactive display can function as an interactive whiteboard, PC, and collaboration tool for students in the class or at home. Key features include USB-C with charging and hardware optimization; anti-glare glass with level 7 Mohs; four customizable User profiles; and selection of educational software and apps. "This is a great option for individual teaching sessions, small groups, or the whole group," said the judges. "The Note app and CleverShare foster quality discussions and collaboration, while the Boxlight integration is a great way to stay connected."

Boxlight Robo 3D Printers Secondary

Robo 3D printers are ready to use right out of the box, including access to MyStemKits and its library of standards-driven 3D-printable STEAM curriculum for K-12. With WiFi and Hot Spot enabled for Chromebook and iPad, projects can be printed from anywhere, even from home. "These printers are the perfect solution for STEM education at all levels," said the judges, who especially like the built-in curriculum.

ClassLink

Clayful Inc. Clayful Clayful is mental wellness platform that provides on-demand text-based coaching for every student. It combines coaching with data and curriculum for schools and strategies for families to help decrease behavioral concerns and increase student safety. The judges called it a "valuable resource," commenting, "Students will perform better when they feel safe." 

Clear Touch Clear Touch 8086MAX The 8086MAX interactive panel features 4K resolution, enhanced 2.1 audio integrated sound bar, software suite and an unusual digital blackboard extension. Our judges said, "This is a unique design in a board that address one of the things teachers miss: a traditional board to write on in a snap."

CTL CTL Chromebook PX14E

The CTL Chromebook NL72T is a 360 convertible 2-in-1 that can be used in tablet or laptop mode and is equipped with Intel's N4500 CPU running at 2.8GHz along with 4GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Our judges called it a "solid device" and liked the features and pricing.

Digital Respons-Ability Digital Citizenship Certificate Program for Educators The Respons-Able Educator Certificate Program (REC) is a research-based professional development program for educators, available in-person, hybrid/online or through any learning management system. "Respons-Ability is a very well-conceived product that serves a much-needed purpose," said the judges.

Discovery Education Discovery Education K-12 learning platform

Mystery Science is a digital K-5 multimedia science and STEM curriculum resource that features science lessons, interactive videos, discussion prompts and labs with simple science supplies. "It is a definitively useful teaching tool, humanizing the classroom and allowing kids to work with it outside the classroom," said Tech & Learning judges. "It has clear instructions and interesting elements."

Discovery Education Pivot Interactives DoodleMath is an interactive math app for ages 4-14 that's designed to be used for just 10 minutes a day. and aims to boost a child's math learning progress. Our judges liked the adaptive practice, interactive tools, student tutorials and teacher dashboard.

Edlio Edlio K-12 Communication and Payments Suite Edlio provides a K-12 website and communication suite, including Edlio Website CMS, OSP by Edlio for online school payments, Edlio Broadcast for school alerts and Edlio Access for two-way multilingual communication. "This product is great for quick communication with the school community on the fly," said the judges. 

Edmentum Edmentum's Courseware Exact Path, Edmentum’s K–12 math, reading, and language arts program, combines adaptive diagnostic assessments with individualized learning paths,  while providing educators with ongoing data to facilitate targeted support.  Our judges liked the mastery-based approach and the convenient aspect for students.  

Edmentum Instructional Services

EdOptions Academy is a  fully accredited virtual school providing a variety of services, including filling short-term teacher gaps, virtual tutoring, summer school, grading services, instructional coaching, dedicated success coaches and IEP consultants. "This product solves a problem for schools today," said the judges, calling it "perfect for summer school or after-school tutoring."

Edpuzzle Edpuzzle for Secondary

Edpuzzle helps teachers to create interactive video lessons. Teachers can choose from ready-to-go videos, content created by the community, or recording their own videos with the built-in screen recording tool. Tech & Learning judges liked the immediate feedback, the  user interface and well-organized help center as well as the ability to support in-depth learning via student-created content.

Edutek Solutions, LLC One to One Plus Asset Management and Help Desk Software

One to One Plus is a fully integrated asset management and help desk software that enables school districts to track and manage all their devices in a single system. "One to One Plus helps to keep data and assets organized in a streamlined process," said the judges, adding that it supports learning by providing students easy access to their necessary technology.

FlexPoint Education Cloud, the national arm of Florida Virtual School FlexPoint Education Cloud FlexPoint Education Cloud provides schools and districts around the world with digital curriculum, educator training and the tools they need to support better student performance. "This is a product that has a good track record and is well known for its success in the state of Florida," said the judges. 

Flinn Scientific PAVO by Flinn Scientific PAVO by Flinn Scientific has customizable labs across all subject areas at the middle school, high school, and Advanced Placement (AP) levels, and helps educators to  support digital and hands-on learning, facilitate inquiry-based exploration, and differentiate instruction using labs, embedded safety resources, test prep, formative and summative assessments, and multi-level reporting tools. Our judges called it "a great digital science solution for hands-on, inquiry-based science labs." and especially liked the extensive video library. 

Forward Edge Forward Edge Edge•U is a professional learning system that offers concise professional learning opportunities for educators. Edge•U received the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Seal of Alignment for the Educator Standards in February 2020, and a renewal of the Seal of Alignment in 2022. "Edge U is an excellent professional development and digital badging solution," said the judges.

Frontline Education Frontline School Health Management with Disease Case Functionality Frontline School Health Management with new Disease Case Management functionality helps districts keep students and staff safe with health checks, test results, vaccine tracking, case management, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine data, and statistics for over 30 communicable diseases.  Our judges called it a good resource for schools. 

Gale, part of Cengage Group Gale In Context: For Educators

Gale In Context: For Educators (For Educators) is a curriculum and instruction tool that enables educators to find and personalize digital learning content across the curriculum. It includes pre-built lesson plans, curation and customization tools, and the ability to share resources. Tech & Learning judges called it a "great resource," adding "This product increases efficiency by streamlining access to curated and authoritative educational resources for teachers."

IXL Learning Rosetta Stone for Schools

Rosetta Stone for Schools is a language learning platform that helps students build fluency and engages students in all four domains of language: reading, writing, listening and speaking.  "Students can learn at their own pace in culturally responsive environments," said the judges. "It sets students up for success."

IXL Learning Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary.com helps learners systematically Improve their vocabulary, with a wide array of words and question types, including questions based on images and real-world examples. The content aligns with thousands of commonly taught texts and topics. "Vocabulary.com is a good learning resource that's fun, amusing, and engaging for all audiences," said the judges. "The point system encourages goal-setting, and though kids feel as if they're playing a fun game, they're also expanding their vocabularies."

IXL Learning Wyzant

With 65,000 tutors specializing in more than 300 subjects, Wyzant enables learners to receive secure, one-on-one online tutoring in nearly any subject. Tutors offer in-depth guidance on a wide range of topics, including English, language arts, physics, calculus, coding, SAT/ACT test prep, and more. "This is a great service for students to receive extra help from a personal tutor," said the judges.

Logitech Logitech Crayon for USB-C iPad

The latest Logitech Crayon is a digital pencil designed for use with all iPads with USB-C port. Using the same technology found in Apple Pencil, Crayon supports hundreds of apps for drawing, writing, annotating and more. "This pencil allows students to draw, erase and fix mistakes more easily than with paper and pencil," said the judges. "Students will enjoy using this device."

McGraw Hill McGraw Hill AR

McGraw Hill AR is an augmented reality app that leverages AR to take challenging, abstract concepts and deliver them a visual, 3-D representation in the real world. It currently has 10 experiences for Algebra readiness and 3D Geometry for grades 6 and up, with more to come in 2023.  Tech & Learning judges liked the app's AR approach and said, "Even though this product is still growing and new it is off to a great start!"

MobileMind MobileMind

MobileMind delivers a comprehensive professional development platform that facilitates district-scaled, personalized learning in gamified, self-paced micro-courses. The platform allows districts to consolidate their PD initiatives from technology, compliance, curriculum, new hire training, and more. Our judges highlighted the ease of use, convenience, gamification features and the ability to customize. 

n2y Unique Learning System

News2youTM is a weekly, age-respectful online newspaper that connects students to the world through news and current events topics. With accompanying activities, each differentiated edition combines text to build literacy and communication skills, help students meet ELA standards, and inform about syllabus of the day. The judges called it a "great way to offer students a weekly magazine for learning, fun, games, and more learning."

New EdTech Classroom Next Generation Teacher

Next Generation Teacher (formerly known as 21st Century Teacher) virtual professional development program provides professionally produced videos with embedded check-for-understanding questions and in-app activities that enable teachers to experience edtech programs from a learner's perspective. "This is a well- thought-out and developed product that listened to teachers' needs and delivered with sound, research-based content," said Tech & Learning judges. 

NoRedInk Co. NoRedInk

NoRedInk online writing curriculum includes diagnostic tools, instructional resources, targeted skills practice, and a range of scaffolded and unscaffolded writing activities. Its assessment and reporting features help teachers differentiate instruction, monitor trends, and track student growth. "NoRedInk is a great program to build strong writers," said our judges. 

Otus

Paper Paper

Paper partners with school districts and state education agencies to provide learners with an unlimited, on-demand Educational Support System (ESS), which offers 1:1 chat-based tutoring, targeted writing feedback, college and career support, learning opportunities and after-school enrichment. "Paper is amazingly intuitive and an asset to any school district wanting to expand their homework help and after-school academic programming," said the judges. 

ParentSquare ParentSquare

ParentSquare is a school-home engagement platform for K-12 education that engages families with school communications and communications-based services. The platform features extensive integrations with student information and other administrative systems, translation to more than 100 languages, and app, email, text, voice, and web portal access.  Tech & Learning judges called it "one of the most comprehensive district/school/teacher to parent communication tools" adding, "With Parent Square, you can now communicate like the pros!" 

Promethean Promethean Promethean’s all-new ActivPanel interactive display provides secure sign-in options, streamlined connection to content, flexible lesson delivery software, and personalized user experience. Teachers can record lessons, including classroom voices and panel content, to share with remote and absent students through any platform. Our judges called it a "very innovative product." and suggested that outfitting the entire school with these dsiplays would provide the best value.  

Proximity Learning Proximity Learning Virtual Instructors Proximity Learning's livestreaming virtual classroom with certified teachers allows students to interact with teachers, raise their hands, work in groups, and ask questions in real time. "This product will help students receive the education they need in a timely manner when the supply of teachers may be low," said Tech and Learning judges.  

Renaissance Renaissance Star Assessments

Star Assessments provides  streamlined assessment processes to answer essential questions related to universal screening, progress monitoring, goal setting, instructional planning, standards mastery, state proficiency, college readiness, and growth. Judges called it a "very good memorizing assessment program," highlighting its speed and ease of use for both teachers and students. 

Ripple Effects Ripple Effects for Teens

Designated a Promising Program by CASEL and a National Dropout Prevention Center Model Program, Ripple Effects for Teens (grades 6 – 12) offers more than 400 trauma-informed, digital lessons, while its intervention system helps students address a range of needs from core skillset deficits to behavioral and mental health challenges. Our judges called it "a solution in a time of great need for student positive well being," and liked privacy it affords students as well as the ability for teachers to create customized playlists. 

Samsung Samsung Interactive Pro

Available in 75 and 85-inch clear UHD models, Interactive Pro comes with touch latency of 26ms, coupled with a shatterproof film and simultaneous connectivity for up to 50 devices at a time, ideal for schools with 1:1 technology environments. "The Interactive Pro by Samsung offers stunning, vibrant displays of life-like content for learning," said the judges."It's also amazingly versatile in accepting content from many curriculum companies as well as converting lessons that were created using other displays and interactive software platforms."

SchooLinks SchooLinks

SchooLinks supports postsecondary readiness with more than 80 interactive experiences including interest discovery, social emotional learning, internship matching, career mentorship, industry partner management and more. Our judges found it a comprehensive solution and especially liked the analytics and tracking features. 

Shmoop Shmoop Heartbeat Collections

Educators use Heartbeat during bell ringers or drain off periods allowing for maximum instruction time. The addition of “Collections” in Heartbeat allows a district to better define the components of their district-wide initiatives like “Portrait of a Graduate” or “Guide-for-Life.”  The judges liked the way this product supports social-emotional learning and evaluates soft skills.

TeachTown enCORE

enCORE is a standards-based, adapted core curriculum based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) that provides students with moderate to severe disabilities access to the general education curriculum. Our judges called it "innovative, unique and a great support for teachers and students."

Transfr Transfr Transfr uses virtual and augmented reality simulations to build hands-on trainings that allow students to be ready to work in industries with thousands of job openings, including manufacturing and healthcare. A VR trainee can gain direct experience in simulated environments–from putting up power lines to taking blood in hospitals–that allow them to explore potential careers. The judges liked this program, observing, "Transfr exposes students to careers that may not require a four-year degree."

UWorld UWorld College Readiness

UWorld allows teachers to easily find, preview, assign, or present College Board®-level content aligned to their course and receive real-time results on student performance.  Vivid illustrations, built-in support, and customizable study tools help make content more accessible and assist with retention. Tech & Learning judges praised the the features, price and the weekly content updates.

ViewSonic Corp. ViewSonic UNIVERSE The ViewSonic® ID2456 is a multifunctional 24-inch touch display that can be installed as a podium display to control presentations or as a second monitor in hybrid classrooms. "The Viewsonic ID2456 Touch Display is amazing," said the judges. "Not only is it priced right, but also it offers a wonderful functionality to laptops or desktop computers by bringing the power of touch to these devices, as well as additional viewing space."

Voyager Sopris Learning LANGUAGE! Live

LANGUAGE! Live is a research-based literacy intervention for struggling students in grades 5–12 that uses a blended approach to reinforce literacy foundations while engaging students with authentic text. Our judges particularly liked the way the program allows students to move at their own pace in the blended learning environment.

Intel has announced the new Intel Xeon W-3400 and Intel Xeon W-2400 desktop workstation processors (code-named Sapphire Rapids), led by the Intel Xeon w9-3495X, Intel’s most powerful desktop workstation processor.

Built for professional creators, these new Xeon processors provide massive performance for media and entertainment, engineering and data science professionals.

With a new compute architecture, faster cores and new embedded multi-die interconnect bridge (EMIB) packaging, the Xeon W-3400 and Xeon W-2400 series of processors enable unprecedented scalability for increased performance.

“For more than 20 years, Intel has been committed to delivering the highest quality workstation platforms – combining high-performance compute and rock-solid stability – for professional PC users across the globe,” says Roger Chandler, Intel vice president and general manager, Creator and Workstation Solutions, Client Computing Group.

“Our new Intel Xeon desktop workstation platform is uniquely designed to unleash the innovation and creativity of professional creators, artists, engineers, designers, data scientists and power users – built to tackle both today’s most demanding workloads as well as the professional workloads of the future.”

Xeon W-3400 and Xeon W-2400 processors provide the high-end computing foundation that today’s professionals require for the future of computing.

Support for DDR5 RDIMM memory, PCIe Gen 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6E gives professionals the platform technologies they require for the compute workloads of the future.

Additionally, support for Intel vPro enterprise technology, alongside ECC memory and reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) technologies, ensures workstation uptime is maximised.

Available with up to 56 cores in a single socket, the top-end Intel Xeon w9-3495X processor features a redesigned memory controller and larger L3 cache, delivering up to 28% single-thread1 and up to 120% multithread performance improvements2 over the previous generation.

The processors have operational frequencies up to 4.8 gigahertz with Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0.

Other platform features include:

* Up to 105Mb of L3 cache.

* Eight channels of DDR5 RDIMM memory support enables up to 4Tb of memory capacity and increased memory bandwidth.

* ECC memory and RAS technologies support improved integrity of critical data and system reliability.

* Up to 112 CPU PCIe Gen 5.0 lanes on Xeon W-3400 processors and up to 64 CPU PCIe Gen 5.0 lanes on Xeon W-2400 processors for multi-GPUs, SSDs and network cards.

* Integrated Intel WiFi 6E.

* Comprehensive overclocking support for unlocked processors – including DDR5 XMP 3.0 RDIMM memory overclocking features.

* 3rd generation Intel Deep Learning Boost (AMX, Bfloat16) delivers more efficient deep learning acceleration for artificial intelligence training and inferencing.

* Intel vPro enterprise technologies for hardware-enhanced security features, firmware version control and remote manageability.

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Congratulations to the following Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Best of 2022 winners in the category of "Primary Education (Grades K-8)": 

Acadience Learning Acadience Learning Online Acadience Learning Online allows educators to administer measures online through a touch-screen device or manually enter results and receive immediate, actionable data through an interactive dashboard. The T&L judges called it a great assessment tool, adding, “Teachers and students can quickly see their data from assessments and correct misunderstandings in real time.”

Acer Chromebook Spin 511 R753T The Chromebook Spin 511 R753T features a convertible design with 360-degree hinges and a 11.6-inch IPS Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass touch display. It features the latest Intel Celeron processors, Intel Wi-Fi 6, and a 12-hour battery life. The judges said, “Overall, a well-built and reliable device with good features and specs.”

Amplify Boost Reading Boost memorizing (formerly Amplify Reading) is a Science of Reading-based personalized learning program for grades K-5 that leverages storytelling to engage students in memorizing instruction and practice—whether they are just learning to read or mastering comprehension of higher-level texts. The judges called this a good product, saying, “The developers approach seems very solid.”

Amplify mClass Lectura mCLASS Lectura is a Spanish literacy universal screening, dyslexia screening, and progress monitoring assessment system for K-6 that allows teachers to connect with their Spanish-speaking students. T&L judges called it, “A very effective and comprehensive tool that will allow teachers and students to achieve their goals with English language acquisition and assessment.”

Avantis Education Eduverse Expeditions Eduverse Expeditions is a virtual/augmented reality platform that allows schools to take students on virtual field trips to famous locations and is supported by thousands of free resources, including 360-degree photos and videos, 3D models, educator resources, and lesson plans.  “Definitely a tool every teacher needs in the classroom,” said the judges.

AVer Information DL30 AI Auto Tracking Classroom Camera The DL30 is a distance learning and classroom lesson capture camera that automatically tracks teachers as they move around the room. It’s compatible with platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. “This camera is very slick and has both an Ethernet and HDMI output for streaming High Definition video and audio,” said one judge.

AVer Information M5 Document Camera This is a plug-n-play document camera for both the classroom and home use, featuring an 8MP camera, Ultra High Definition resolution, frame rates up to 60FPS, and a 360° swivel camera head. The judges praised it as a solid document camera with great optics and peer-to-peer connectivity, calling it, “An amazing presentation tool.”

AVer Information VB130 All-in-One Classroom Collaboration Camera The VB130 is a hybrid learning and collaboration tool that combines 4K video with a built-in soundbar and microphone, and features AI tracking, 4X zoom, and USB connectivity. “This AVer video bar is amazing!” said the judges, adding it is big enough to fit on an interactive whiteboard and yet small enough to mount on a laptop.

Benchmark Education Company Authentic Voices Library The Authentic Voices Library features hundreds of original, culturally inclusive books that ensure that all students see their stories and perspectives represented in the books they read. The judges found it especially valuable that the texts were written by authors who brought their personal experiences to the page which provides truly authentic, real-world experiences.

Benchmark Education Company Authentic Voices Library en Espanol Authentic Voices Library en Español builds content knowledge by enriching instruction and opening a lens of cultural relevance and social-emotional learning. The judges called it an awesome resource meeting an immediate need, adding, “Excited to see diverse literature offering all students the opportunity to learn and connect with valuable perspectives.”

Benchmark Education Company Adelante Benchmark Adelante a K-6 standards-based, core SLA program that provides a cohesive framework for the development of literacy skills and content knowledge. “Quality Tier 1 SLA instruction is highly sought after and Benchmark Adelante offers a great resource for teachers to utilize for instruction,” said T&L’s judges.

Benchmark Education Company Advance Benchmark Advance is a K-6 standards-based framework that reflects scientific evidence (science of reading) about how children learn to read and expand their proficiency in phonological awareness, phonics and word study, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The judges called it, “A great product with ELA instruction that offers the tools to build lessons that encourage in-depth conversations.”

Benchmark Education Company Hello! Benchmark Hello! is a comprehensive eight-week program that promotes newcomers’ conceptual, procedural, and linguistic knowledge, and equips them with essential oral language from Day 1 while supporting their social-emotional needs. The judges hailed it as a great eight-week programing and liked the teaching tips and the home school connection provided.

Benchmark Education Company Phonics Benchmark Phonics is a K-5 comprehensive phonics program developed by Wiley Blevins and aligned to Science of memorizing research to ensure mastery, make phonics meaningful, and deliver differentiated professional learning. “This program offers educators and students a great solution to this high need within the classroom with daily lessons, digital resources, and professional learning opportunities,” said the judges.

Benchmark Education Company Phonics Intervention Benchmark Phonics Intervention offers intensive phonics intervention for Tier 3 students. All materials are available digitally, including ebooks that are equipped with highlighting, adjustable-speed read-aloud audio, and other tools for customization that support learning. The judges called this “a great product offering intensive phonics intervention for Tier 3 students.”

Benchmark Education Company Represent Represent is a new collection of more than 200 fiction and nonfiction texts featuring community stories, histories, and experiences that promote multiple perspectives, critical thinking, and knowledge building for students in grades K-6. The judges said, “By offering these texts every student sees authentic texts with diverse perspectives in ELA, science, and social studies.”

BenQ BenQ Education RP03 BenQ Board BenQ Board RP03 smart board features include single sign-on, cloud access, screen sharing, split-screen, screen recording, annotation tools, and a germ-resistant interactive display. The judges called it a good product for schools, with one adding, “I really like that teachers can save time by securely accessing their files by simply using an NFC card.”

Boxlight Attention! Primary FrontRow by Boxlight’s Attention! is an integrated audio-visual messaging and alerting system solution that combines campus-wide bells, paging, intercom, and emergency communication platform with cloud management and  interactive displays. The judges called it, “An incredible way to communicate to all users with a video or audio message quickly. Administrators have quick access to get messages out in a hurry!”

Boxlight CleverLive Primary CleverLive digital signage is a cloud content management platform that keeps everyone on campus informed by broadcasting announcements, messages, and alerts, and includes hundreds of premade templates for personalization. The judges called it a great product, adding, “The features that make it easy to share and display content are really nice, especially the mobile features.”

Boxlight EOS Education PD Primary EOS Education by Boxlight provides professional development services to districts, schools, and other education-focused organizations based on three fundamentals: teacher motivation, teacher effectiveness, and purposeful engagement. “Overall, this is a very good tool with the facetime that is such an issue with on-demand training, which seems to be the way of the future.”

Boxlight MimioPro 4 Primary The MimioPro 4 interactive display’s features include USB-C with charging and hardware optimization, anti-glare glass, four customizable user profiles, and a selection of educational software and apps for teacher and student use. “This product allows for increased engagement and interactivity in classrooms,” said the judges.

Boxlight Robo 3D Printers Primary Robo 3D printers are turnkey and ready to use right out of the box, are WiFi and hotspot enabled for Chromebook and iPad, and include  access to the MyStemKits library of standards-driven 3D-printable STEAM curriculum for K-12. Said the judges: “These printers are the perfect solution for STEM education at all levels”

Classlink Classlink ClassLink is a global provider of education products, including apps and files with single sign-on and that streamline class rostering, automate account provisioning, and provide actionable analytics. It is used by 18 million students and staff in more than 2,400 school systems. The judges called it, “A good value for the money.”

CTL CTL Chromebook NL72T The CTL Chromebook NL72T is a 360 convertible 2-in-1 that can be used in tablet or laptop mode, and is equipped with Intel's N4500 CPU running at 2.8GHz, 4GB of RAM, and 64 GB of storage. The judges praised it overall as a solid device, adding, “It has good specs at a nice price point.”

Curriculum Associates i-Ready Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Assessment and Personalized Instruction help to provide personalized and relevant instruction by combining assessments and insights with instruction in K-8 memorizing and mathematics. The judges called it “a great product,” adding, “The addition of serving Spanish-speaking students will be a nice piece for many school districts.”

Discovery Education DoodleMath DoodleMath is an interactive math app for ages 4-14 designed to be used for just 10 minutes per day to double a child’s rate of progression in math. “Adaptive practice, a variety of question stems, and interactive tools create good learning opportunities,” said the judges. “The student tutorial is great.”

Discovery Education Mystery Science Discovery Education provides a large collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, all in an enhanced learning platform. The judges said the program has high value, with one adding, “I highly recommend it, and feel students learn from the program.”

Edlio Edlio K-12 Communication and Payments Suite The Edlio Website CMS provides a website management platform with tools including school news, custom forms, Google and Office365 Integration, notifications, a social media manager, teacher pages, and more. T&L’s judges said: “Being able to post to a variety of communication channels, in multiple languages, and collect payments with ease, makes this a solid solution.”

Edmentum Edmentum Exact Path Exact Path is a mobile-optimized K-12 math, reading, and language arts program that combines adaptive diagnostic assessments with individualized learning paths for students. One T&L judge said, “I like that students are directed to repeat learning until they demonstrate mastery of the learning objectives.”

Edpuzzle Edpuzzle for Primary Edpuzzle is an educational technology solution that allows teachers to choose from ready-to-go videos including state standards aligned Edpuzzle Originals, videos from YouTube, content created by other teachers, or record their own videos. “I like that students get immediate feedback in multiple-choice quizzes,” said one judge. “Even for the youngest learners, this tool is valuable.”

EveryDay Labs EveryDay Pro EveryDay Pro is an all-in-one solution for analyzing attendance patterns and trends and addressing challenges at the district, school, and student level. The judges called Everyday Pro “highly valuable,” adding. “This offers educators the ability to strategically track attendance patterns and trends and quickly find solutions across district trends to Improve student attendance with intervention plans.”

Forward Edge Forward Edge Edge•U is an instruction-focused professional learning system that adapts to the needs of educators, builds teacher capacity, and directly impacts student learning by offering concise, just-in-time professional learning opportunities “Edge•U is an excellent professional development and digital badging solution for all grade levels,” said the judges.

Frontline Education Frontline School Health Management with Disease Case Functionality Frontline School Health Management with new Disease Case Management functionality helps districts keep students and staff safe with health checks, test results, vaccine tracking, case management, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine data, and statistics for more than 30 communicable diseases. The judges said, “If you have the funds, it is a good resource.”

GoSchoolBox Academic Support Management & Accountability GoSchoolBox supports learning management teams with web-based tutoring and academic support management software, providing the ability to manage tutoring support options (in-person, online, one-to-one, group), evaluate academic outcomes, and provide customized Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions. The judges called it “a great solution” and “a great way to maximize school time, resources, and people.”

GZM Shows (Gen-Z Media) GZM Classroom Gen-Z Media creates free podcasts and support resources that have been integrated into thousands of schools across North America to help facilitate better learning. “For a free resource, GZM Classroom is very good,” said the judges. “The site is easy to navigate and I like some of their live interactive opportunities.”

HMH Waggle Waggle is a supplemental learning solution for grades K-8 ELA and Math that provides personalized practice and instruction to support skills diversity for in-class centers, independent practice, or remote learning. The judges said, “Waggle’s tiered approach is ideal for remote, independent, and small group learning.”

Impero Software Impero Classroom Impero Classroom is a holistic, scalable classroom management software designed to support five different operating systems: Windows, Chrome OS, Mac, iOS, and Android, and allows teachers to safely use sites such as Google and YouTube. T&L’s judges said, “This is a great product for classroom management and offers many solutions to a growing problem.”

John Jones Media Johnnie Max Johnnie Max is a supplemental, interactive online literacy program for PreK-K teachers and learners, offering interactive ebooks, vocab games, SEL focus, videos, and hands-on activities that align with states’ academic standards. “Looks like an awesome literacy and early learning program!” said the judges.

Learning Ally PreK-6 Literacy Instruction by Learning Ally Professional learning courseware (online and on demand) for early childhood educators with Master Teachers featuring evidence-based methodologies grounded in the science of memorizing and brain-based learning practices. The framework is a combination of professional learning workshops and collaborative communities of practice, with an option for individual coaching.

Learning.com EasyTech EasyTech provides blended learning curricula and a library of more than 1,000 learning experiences, including classroom lesson plans for teacher-led discussions and hands-on activities, as well as self-paced, online videos, and more. The judges called it, “a robust technology education curriculum,” adding it offers students the ability to learn important technology skills.

Lightbox Learning Lightbox Subscription Lightbox is a digital curriculum learning solution for K-12 with more than 1,200 titles that combine text, audio, videos, weblinks, slideshows, activities, Google maps, and transparencies in a single intuitive, easy-to-use interface. T&L judges: “Great way to help students connect with background knowledge, interact with content, and fall in love with reading. 

Lightspeed Systems Lightspeed Alert Lightspeed Alert is an at-risk student identification solution that monitors and analyzes online activity for signs of self-harm, violence, and bullying supported 24/7/265 by a team of experienced professionals. “With its full feature set and the ability to secure BYOD devices this is a winner,” said Tech & Learning’s judges.

Lightspeed Systems Lightspeed Digital Insight Lightspeed Digital Insight (formerly Lightspeed Analytics) empowers instructional technology leaders with a single view of district edtech usage to understand and act on approvals, cost management, and impact. The judges said, “With the combination of Catch-on and Lightspeed technologies, this is a feature rich and powerful solution.”

Lightspeed Systems Lightspeed Filter Lightspeed Filter is a K-12 filtering solution that gives districts flexibility and control to promote safe digital learning by managing internet security and protecting students from harmful content, including YouTube controls, a decades-long domain database, and CIPA compliance. “The filter has a great set of features and technologies and the interfaces are very intuitive,” said the judges.

Magic EdTech MagicBox Platform MagicBox is a SaaS-based, cloud-hosted, end-to-end digital publishing platform to create, manage, enrich, and deliver digital content through their custom-branded web and mobile apps. “Looks like a great tool for creating a learning hub unique to each user's organization,” said our judges. “It offers a wide variety of solutions for a variety of entities.”

Managed Methods Inc. ManagedMethods ManagedMethods is a Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 cybersecurity, student safety, and compliance platform for K-12 school districts.that monitors district email, file sharing, chat, and video apps. The judges called it an extra layer of security districts can greatly benefit from, adding, “Districts can save time and know they are safer than before.”

MIND Research Institute MIND Research Institute ST Math is a PreK-8 visual instructional program that provides students with equitable access to learning through challenging puzzles, non-routine problem-solving, and formative feedback. “I have used the program before and it is an excellent source of problem-solving strategies for children. Love it!” said one judge. 

MobileMind MobileMind MobileMind is a professional development platform that facilitates district-scaled, sustainable, personalized learning while engaging educators in gamified, self-paced micro-courses. The judges praised its hands-on approach, adding, “It also includes a great tool that helps while learning and walks you through step-by-step instructions on other sites.”

MobyMax MobyMax MobyMax offers K-8 curricula for 27 subjects, including math, reading, phonics, language, vocabulary, spelling, writing, science, social studies, and state test prep. It features a differentiated, adaptive, and personalized learning approach. The judges called it a good piece of software for skill practice that wIll help a population of learners.

n2y News2You News2you is a weekly, age-respectful online newspaper that connects students to the world and provides accompanying activities and informational text to build literacy and communication skills, plus help students meet ELA standards and communicate. The judges called it, “A great way to offer students a weekly magazine for learning, fun, games, and more learning.”

n2y Unique Learning System

Unique Learning System is an online solution developed to help learners achieve their state’s extended standards, offering differentiated interactive lessons, detailed lesson plans, standards alignment, assessments, progress monitoring, reporting, and research-based teaching strategies. “It looks like a very valuable tool for both special education and general education,” said T&L’s judges.

Newline Interactive Newline Interactive The new Q series is an interactive flat panel that features include an Android 11-based operating system, a built-in WiFi 6 module, USB Type C connectivity with 65 watts of power, embedded 20-watt 2.0 channel speakers, and antimicrobial, anti-fingerprint and anti-reflective glass. The judges said, “This looks like a great product and solution for classrooms.”

Otus Otus Otus is an all-in-one K-12 platform with integrated tools to gather, visualize, and act on student growth data, and includes grading, assessments, progress monitoring, data storage, and more. “Otus makes every step of the learning process more efficient for teachers, administrators, students, and families by using their portals that integrate everything,” said the judges.

Ozobot, Ozobot Evo Evo is a one-inch Bluetooth robot that helps students learn to code, develop computer science and STEAM skills, and play games through both screen and screen-free activities. The judges praised it as great for all ages, adding, “This is a wonderful product for teaching coding both online and offline.”

Presence Kanga Kanga is used by clinicians to deliver speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral and mental health services, and assessments to students either in-person or remotely. “In a time of great need this tool offers clinicians the availability to offer services to a variety of students remotely,” said the judges, adding, “Kanga helps to keep everything in one place.”

Promethean Promethean Promethean’s all-new ActivPanel is an interactive display that features secure sign-in options, streamlined connection to content, flexible lesson delivery software, and personalized user experience. Teachers can record lessons, including classroom voices and panel content, to share with remote and absent students through any platform. Tech & Learning’s judges: “Overall, it is a very innovative product.”

Renaissance Fastbridge by Renaissance FastBridge by Renaissance is a K-12 research-based universal screening and progress monitoring solution to assess reading, math, and social-emotional behavior in a single platform with intervention recommendations. “This product provides timely solutions for school districts who need to assess student performance and social and emotional behaviors,” said the judges, who also praised its comprehensive reporting.

Renaissance Freckle Freckle is both an adaptive and targeted practice program that helps educators to effectively differentiate math and ELA for students with interactive features, team challenges, real-world scenarios, nonfiction and fiction articles, and instant feedback. The judges appreciated how materials keep students engaged, with one judge saying, “I like that it has many standards-aligned assessments that are adaptive.”

Ripple Effects Bouncy's Ready to Learn Resilience program Breathing Bouncy, a breathing animatronic service dog, anchors a character-driven, play-based approach to building resilience and readiness to learn for learners in grades PreK-1. It features both physical and digital elements to help learn how to self-calm when stressed. “Such a wonderful way to teach students how to self care from an early age,” said the judges.

Samsung Samsung Interactive Pro Available in 75- and 85-inch clear UHD models, the Samsung Interactive Pro display allows educators to create immersive lessons and offers seamless video conferencing and content sharing to connect remote and in-person learners. “This Interactive Panel by Samsung offers stunning, vibrant displays of life-like content for learning,” said the judges.

Study.com Study.com's K12 LEARN Solution Study.com’s K12 LEARN Solution provides a comprehensive curriculum paired with skills practice and assessment components designed to support diverse learners in synchronous and asynchronous environments. “I recommend Study Island as a resource for extra math and language arts practice,” said one judge, adding that it addresses many problems that arise with various learning styles and levels.

TeachTown enCORE Elementary enCORE Elementary is a standards-based, adapted core curriculum based on Applied Behavior Analysis that provides students with moderate to severe disabilities access to the general education curriculum. It offers grade-aligned content, differentiated literature with visual supports, and integrated technology. The judges called this “an incredible and unique tool,” adding, “Teachers will find this extremely valuable.”

Tripp Lite by Eaton Safe-IT Heavy-Duty Rolling Carts Safe-IT heavy-duty rolling carts support the largest displays on the market, meet UL safety standards, and feature antimicrobial handles that help resist the growth of bacteria, viruses, fungi, mold and mildew. The judges said, “A great solution for allowing large smart boards to be mobile. Safe and effective, allowing teachers to share and have more flexibility.”

Tripp Lite by Eaton Safe-IT UV Locking Storage Cart for Mobile Devices and AV Equipment Safe-IT UV locking storage carts use ultraviolet lights to reduce the presence of germs on devices and require only 10 minutes to sanitize devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, and wearables. The judges called this “a great option for schools,” adding, “With the rise in technology purchases in schools, educators are always looking for ways to store devices.”

Voyager Sopris Learning Voyager Passport Voyager Passport is a gamified, adventure-based intensive memorizing intervention for K-5 students, based on science of memorizing pedagogy and targeting critical priority skills and providing strategies. One judge said, “I particularly liked the Voyager Passport remote ready slides which are designed for compatibility with various delivery platforms, such as Zoom, Google Classroom, GoTo, or Seesaw.”