The Agents are coming, the Agents are coming! Microsoft has rolled out 10 new AI agents for its Dynamics 365 line of business applications. Geekwire.com reports that the tools can complete tasks autonomously in areas including sales, service, finance, and supply chain operations. Microsoft has dropped these in a preemptive strike against Salesforce’s new agents, which will bow on October 25th. Salesforce already has billboards up in San Francisco, touting its own agents. Microsoft showed off theirs at their ‘AI Tour’ presentation in London. Microsoft also said at the event that 60% of Fortune 500 companies are using its Copilot AI tech. Microsoft says it will make its new AI agents available in public preview for Dynamics 365 starting later this year and stretching into early next year. These AI agents come in a few categories:

Sales, including a Sales Qualification Agent and Sales Order Agent, designed to help prioritize leads and automate order intake.

Operations, including a Supplier Communications Agent and Financial Reconciliation Agent, which optimize supply chain and financial processes.

Service, including a Customer Intent Agent and Customer Knowledge Management Agent, designed to improve customer service by automating case management and updating knowledge bases.

Others include a Financial Reconciliation Agent that prepares and cleanses data sets for financial reporting; an Account Reconciliation Agent that automates the matching and clearing of transactions; and a Time and Expense agent for time entry, expense tracking, and approval workflows.

Apple made some fuss at the September hardware event about the AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid features. According to techcrunch.com, which got an advanced pair and the software, the hearing test feature is ‘painless.’ One would hope so! Hearing tests from an audiologist are painless. Instead of speaking to an audiologist or technician, with Apple’s home test you tap the screen when you hear a tone played. The test is visible from the settings menu when you have a pair of AirPods Pro 2 earbuds connected to your phone and in your ears. You may need to turn devices off in your room….the AirPods will even pick up an air purifier. The hearing aid feature will only be available to those who test as having mild to moderate hearing loss. One real issue that might put hearing impaired users off…real hearing aids have no problem making it through a full day on a charge. The AirPods Pro 2 can only make it 4-6 hours on a charge, before returning them to the charging case to charge back up. At $249, they are much cheaper than dedicated hearing aids, but 4-6 hours then no use for a little while may be a deal breaker. 

Ford had offered EV customers free NACS adapters for Tesla Superchargers. Now, the blue oval company is telling folks to stop using them. Engadget.com says there is a ‘potential issue’ that could reduce charging speeds and even cause charging port damage. Ford will send a replacement adapter ‘in the coming weeks,’ and customers will need to send back the defective ones…all at no charge to the customers. A number of other companies have made adapters for Superchargers, which use the NACS standard. So far none of them have issued recalls like Ford. 

Google Flights has a new ‘Cheapest’ tab. Bgr.com reports that it will display the cheapest routes for your trip..but may involve more work and more creative itineraries. In other words, you may save by longer layovers, taking red-eyes, or ‘self-transfers,’ a euphemism for rechecking your bags. You also may need to use multiple carriers or booking sites. That said, if you are in invariant skinflint, who squeezes every nickel until the buffalo poops, this is for you.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.