Tech News
Alteryx Appoints Andy MacMillan as Chief Executive Officer

Alteryx, backed by Clearlake and Insight, recently announced the appointment of Andy MacMillan as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”). In his new role, MacMillan will drive Alteryx forward in its mission to empower organizations to turn their data into insights and deliver better business outcomes.
“Andy’s capabilities and past leadership success in leveraging AI to drive product innovation and developing high-performing teams at scaled enterprise software companies aligns well with our investment thesis, and we believe his leadership will help propel the Company to new heights,” said Prashant Mehrotra, Partner at Clearlake. “We look forward to partnering with Andy and the rest of the team to support Alteryx in delivering new products and increased value to customers as it continues to enhance its AI-driven analytics cloud platform.”
Deven Parekh, Managing Director at Insight Partners, said, “The Alteryx team is incredibly excited to welcome Andy as CEO. His wealth of experience, paired with his empathetic approach to leadership and deep enterprise software industry knowledge, will forge a new path to success. We can’t wait to see what Andy will achieve at Alteryx.”
With more than 20 years of leadership experience in the tech industry, MacMillan joins Alteryx from UserTesting, where he served as CEO. He also spent time as the Chairman and CEO of Act-On Software, helping to transform the company’s product portfolio. Previously, he held several positions at Salesforce, including leading its Data.com division, and also served in product leadership roles at Oracle and Stellent.
Among MacMillan’s top priorities in his new role will be accelerating Alteryx’s innovation in its core platform and supporting the development of additional AI capabilities. He is also committed to building on the Company and customer culture that has created a community of more than 600,000 members.
“Great companies are built on the foundational pillars of company culture and customer-centricity, and I’m delighted to join a company that follows this same philosophy,” said MacMillan. “Together with the team, we’ll lead Alteryx into its next phase of growth and product innovation to help our customers succeed in their analytics journey.”
Tech News
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Series: Ultra Comfort, from Sleep to Workout

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has introduced the Galaxy Watch8 and Galaxy Watch8 Classic, establishing an iconic design identity across the entire Galaxy Watch lineup. Building on the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s cushion design, this new series features the thinnest, most comfortable Galaxy Watch ever for continuous health tracking. The Galaxy Watch8 series caters to diverse lifestyles and introduces advanced capabilities, setting a new benchmark for style and personalized health experiences.
“We are committed to empowering billions of people to live healthier lives through our innovative technology,” said TM Roh, President and Acting Head of the Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics. “By combining purposeful design with advanced sensor technology and an intuitive AI-powered experience, the Galaxy Watch8 series serves as a starting point for a healthier, more connected life, making it easier than ever to take meaningful steps toward users’ well-being.”
Redesigned Inside and Out for Ultimate Wellness
Reimagined in both form and function, the Galaxy Watch8 series delivers unmatched comfort alongside industry-leading performance, making it the ultimate companion for everyday wellness. The distinctive cushion design, introduced with the Galaxy Watch Ultra, now defines the entire lineup. The internal structure of Galaxy Watch8 has been completely reengineered with a 30% improvement in component mounting capability, resulting in an 11% thinner design. Combined with the Dynamic Lug system, the watch moves naturally with the wrist for improved comfort, stability and health-tracking accuracy.
Despite its sleek profile, Galaxy Watch8 offers powerful performance. Outdoors in bright sunlight, the display is 50% brighter with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits for better visibility. Enhanced battery performance ensures it can keep pace with an active lifestyle. Dual-frequency GPS offers more detailed and precise location tracking, and a new 3nm processor delivers faster speeds and greater power efficiency. The upgraded BioActive Sensor allows deeper and more accurate health insights, offering users a holistic view of their well-being.

Motivation for Lasting Health Changes
Samsung continues to elevate sleep experiences by offering personalized coaching, optimizing sleep environments, and detecting moderate to severe signs of sleep apnea. The Galaxy Watch8 series introduces unique health features through the Samsung Health app to encourage healthy habits with instant, motivational insights across sleep, nutrition, and workouts.
Bedtime Guidance uses circadian rhythm measurements to suggest optimal sleep times for more refreshed mornings. Vascular Load tracks stress on the vascular system during sleep and provides insights across sleep, stress and activity metrics to support a well-rounded health approach.
In a first for smartwatches, Galaxy Watch8 introduces the Antioxidant Index. It allows users to measure carotenoid levels in just five seconds and empowers better lifestyle decisions for healthy aging.
Whether you’re a new or seasoned runner, the Galaxy Watch8’s Running Coach feature assesses your fitness level from 1 to 10 and develops personalized training plans with real-time guidance and motivation. The updated Together feature now supports running, allowing users to gamify their fitness journey by challenging friends and family.
To help manage stress, High Stress Alert notifies users of sustained stress levels, prompting timely breaks. The Mindfulness Tracker lets users log their mood and access guided breathing exercises, all directly from their wrist.
The AI-powered Energy Score provides a snapshot of both physical and mental energy levels, helping users better manage their day.
Easier Watch Interaction with Wear OS and Gemini
Developed in close collaboration with Google, the Galaxy Watch8 series is the first smartwatch to launch with Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, and is powered by Wear OS 6. Users can interact with Galaxy Watch apps like Samsung Health, Calendar, Reminder, and Clock through natural voice commands. For instance, you can ask Gemini to find a nearby café and text a friend to meet you there, or start a 30-minute workout simply by saying, “Start a 30-minute run.”
With the new One UI 8 Watch, the user interface is optimized for the size and shape of the watch face. Multi-Info Tiles offer quick access to health stats, weather, events and more at a glance. The Now Bar and depthless notifications place key activities front and center.
Tailored to Match Every Lifestyle
Galaxy Watch8, Galaxy Watch8 Classic and the new Galaxy Watch Ultra are available for pre-order in select markets now, with general availability beginning July 25.
The Galaxy Watch8 features a minimalist, everyday wellness-focused design. Available in 44mm and 40mm sizes and in Graphite or Silver, it combines comfort and style. The Galaxy Watch8 Classic offers a more traditional aesthetic with modern features like a rotating bezel and a quick-access button, and comes in 46mm sizes in Black or White. Both models support a wide range of stylish bands to suit different lifestyles.
For outdoor enthusiasts, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s most advanced and durable model yet. It is available in four titanium finishes, including the new Titanium Blue. It boasts the longest battery life and most rugged performance in the lineup.
For those seeking a discreet wearable with continuous health tracking, the Galaxy Ring offers superior comfort and up to seven days of battery life. It is available in Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gold, and in sizes 5 through 15.
Galaxy Watch8 Series Specifications
Galaxy Watch8 | Galaxy Watch8 Classic | ||
Color | – 44mm: Graphite, Silver – 40mm: Graphite, Silver | 46mm: Black, White | |
Dimension & Weight | – 44mm: 43.7mm x 46mm x 8.6t (34.0g) – 40mm: 40.4mm x 42.7mm x 8.6t (30.0g) | 46mm: 46.4mm x 46mm x 10.6t (63.5g) | |
Display | Sapphire Crystal – 44mm: 1.47-inch (480×480) Super AMOLED, Full Color Always On Display – 40mm: 1.34-inch (438×438) Super AMOLED, Full Color Always On Display | Sapphire Crystal – 46mm: 1.34-inch (438×438) Super AMOLED, Full Color Always On Display | |
Processor | Exynos W1000 (5 Core, 3nm) | ||
Memory & Storage | 2GB memory + 32GB storage | 2GB memory + 64GB storage | |
Battery (typical) | – 44mm: 435mAh – 40mm: 325mAh | 445mAh | |
Charging | Fast Charging (WPC-based wireless charging) | ||
OS | Wear OS Powered by Samsung (Wear OS 6) | ||
UI | One UI 8 Watch | ||
Sensor | Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Bio-signal Sensor + Electrical Heart Signal + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor | Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Bio-signal Sensor + Electrical Heart Signal + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor, 3D Hall sensor | |
Connectivity | LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4+5GHz, NFC, L1+L5 Dual-Frequency GPS (GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo) | ||
Durability | 5ATM + IP68 / MIL-STD-810H | ||
Compatibility | Android 12.0 or higher and with more than 1.5GB of memory |
Tech News
PNY Restructures Middle East and Africa Operations to Support Growth of its Consumer and Professional Solutions
PNY Technologies today announced a strategic restructuring of its operations in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region to support continued growth across its consumer and professional product lines.
As part of this transformation, PNY is creating two dedicated business divisions:


- * The Channel Division, led by Talus Arukalil, will focus on strengthening distribution channels for NVIDIA graphics products (NVIDIA GeForce and NVIDIA RTX Pro) and retail storage solutions, including SSDs, DRAM, flash cards, and USB drives.
- * The Compute Division, managed by Muhannad Hammad, will drive business development around AI infrastructure and professional services, aligning with the increasing demand for advanced NVIDIA-powered computing solutions across the region.
This reorganization follows the recent opening of a new regional office in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing PNY’s long-term commitment to the Middle East and Africa.
To further enhance regional coverage and ensure the best local support for its customers, PNY had recently assigned dedicated Key Account Managers to specific areas:
- Gader Muhsen for North Africa,
- Saqer Alanazi for Saudi Arabia,
- Kagiso Diteko for East and Southern Africa
PNY is also pleased to welcome Ahmed Gamal as Business Development Manager – AI Solutions, based in Dubai, UAE. His appointment reflects PNY’s dedication to delivering tailored AI solutions and supporting strategic partners across the region.
Tech News
ASBIS and iiyama sign distribution agreement for the MENA Region

ASBIS Group, a leading Value Add Distributor, developer, and provider of ICT, IoT products, solutions, and services to the markets of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), has announced a strategic distribution agreement with iiyama, a leading manufacturer of professional and commercial display solutions. This partnership, formalized at a signing ceremony, aims to enhance the availability of high-quality display technology in the Middle East and North Africa.
Under the terms of the agreement, ASBIS will distribute iiyama’s comprehensive range of products, including high-performance desktop monitors, gaming displays, advanced touchscreens, and large-format screens. This collaboration is set to boost access to cutting-edge visual technologies across critical sectors such as education, retail, corporate environments, hospitality, and healthcare.
“We are excited to welcome iiyama into our network of world-leading vendors,” stated Hesham Tantawi, Vice President of ASBIS Middle East. “This collaboration underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional technology solutions to our partners and clients across the region. iiyama’s advances in display technology are well-aligned with our strategic objectives for market growth and digital transformation “
The collaboration will prioritize mutual growth through joint marketing efforts, dedicated channel support, and go-to-market strategies that address the unique needs of the MENA market. This alliance is expected to foster innovation, elevate customer experiences, and enhance the competitive positioning of both ASBIS and iiyama.
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