The D of Things Newsletter #10 – Salesforce's Big Buy, Emotional AI & Agentic Data Wizards
Stay Ahead in AI, Analytics, and Digital Transformation
Hey there,
Welcome to the tenth edition of The D of Things newsletter! 🥳
This week, AI’s getting emotional, Salesforce is going shopping, and data engineering just got a seriously smart sidekick.
🔹 Salesforce goes full data boss mode with Informatica
🔹 AI gets a little too good at reading your feelings
🔹 And Ascend.io introduces a way to engineer data like an agentic wizard
All that plus deep learning, trippy music, a Martian invasion, and fresh finds from Geekatune and DoT.
Let’s roll.
📰 D of Things News Brief
🚀 Top Headlines
🔹 Salesforce Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Informatica
The cloud CRM giant just made a power move, acquiring data management leader Informatica. The implications? A tighter grip on enterprise data across apps, clouds, and galaxies.
👉 Official Press Release
🔹 Could AI Understand Emotions Better Than We Do?
New research suggests AI might be able to decode our emotional signals more precisely than humans. Comforting or creepy? You decide.
👉 Read on ScienceDaily
🔹 Ascend.io Debuts Agentic Data Engineering
Forget pipelines. Ascend’s “Agentic Data Engineering” uses AI to eliminate the ops grind. Think: data workflows that run and adapt themselves.
👉 Read the News
📢 Latest from Substack
🔹 On The D of Things
🧠 So, WTF is Deep Learning Anyway?
Another “WTF is…” entry: this time we dive into neural nets and what makes deep learning tick. (Hint: lots of math, But we made it fun.)
🧠 A Brief Analysis of the EU AI Act
The AI regulation everyone’s watching. We break down what it is and why it matters.
⚙️ The Clear Definition, Yet Elusive Meaning of Efficiency
We all say we want efficiency, but nobody really agrees on what it means.
🤖 WTF is Machine Learning Anyway?
Machine Learning: Buzzword or brainy brilliance? Our no-fluff guide clears the fog.
🔹 On Geekatune 🎸
🧠 Geekatune’s Fresh Findings #3
New tracks. Old sounds. And weird musical rabbit holes—just the way we like it.
⚔️ Wrathchild
Iron Maiden’s bite-sized banger of vengeance and attitude. We dig into its origin and impact.
🌧️ Rain, The Beatles’ Trippy Forecast Before the Storm
One of Lennon’s trippiest masterpieces gets the attention it deserves.
📝 DoT Blog Highlights
📉 The Clear Definition, Yet Elusive Meaning of Efficiency
It’s a popular word with little consensus. Here’s our take.
💥 Holly Sh#$@: The Impact of Recent Tariffs on Technology and Software Industries
Tariffs hit harder than expected—especially for tech and software providers.
🏠 The Great Debate: Pros and Cons of Working from Home & the Hypocrisy of Tech Companies
Remote work was all the rage… until companies started pulling the plug.
📖 Book Recommendation
📘 The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Martians invade. Humanity panics. One of sci-fi’s most influential novels still stuns more than a century later.
🔗 Goodreads | Amazon
🎵 Music Pick of the Week
🎧 Lovesick Lullaby – YUNGBLUD
A melodic cry in the dark. Emo pop meets alt rock. Raw and haunting.
🔗 Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon Music
🧠 On Flipboard
🗂️ Curated Collections
🔹 Data of Things
🔹 Cloud, Fog, and Rain in Computing
Thanks for reading and for being part of The D of Things community! 💡
Got questions, tips, or rants? Hit reply—I read everything (and sometimes even respond with AI-generated poems).
Until next time,
Jorge Garcia
Your D of Things host 🚀