Lisa Seacat DeLuca is the most prolific inventor in IBM's history, but after 500 patents granted, she still relishes the simple pleasure of finding a solution.
"It's super fun," DeLuca told Cheddar. "Really it's just problem-solving."
Much of DeLuca's work is in what she calls the ABCs (artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud computing), but her main focus is on digital twins. These are precise digital replicas of physical objects that can be used for various purposes, including maintenance and optimization.
Many of her inventions are based in what's called the Internet of things (IoT). The term describes a system of interrelated computer devices that speak to each other without human input. The field also touches on mobile, cognitive sciences, GPS, and security.
"IoT is catching up," she said. "It's now possible for all of our things to become more intelligent."
Though DeLuca is credited with having an entrepreneurial spirit, her career hearkens back to an old-school ethic of corporate-led innovation.
"That's one of the fun things about working at IBM. We're such a big company. There's so many different things that we've all been touching and playing with," she said. "There's no shortage of issues and problems and things that you can invent around."
Deluca has been with IBM for 15 years. During that time, she worked her way up into the position of director and distinguished engineer.
In addition to the 500 patents granted, she's submitted another 700 inventions that are currently under review. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office takes between three to five years to process applications, according to DeLuca.
"You got to be patient," she said. "You have a lot in the process."
Sometimes it turns out that someone else has already come up with the invention, but DeLuca said her current success rate is about 50 percent.
"You throw it out there and see, and worst case they come back and say it exists already," she said.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
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A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
