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Who wouldn’t want to live and work in Amsterdam? This is one of Europe’s most thriving and cultural cities, famed for its museums, its canals and its liberal culture. But we think Amsterdam should be even more famous for its tech scene, as this city provides quite amazing opportunities for tech workers. "Amsterdam’s tech scene is thriving thanks to its diverse and highly skilled workforce, excellent infrastructure, and a strong culture of innovation. The city’s strategic location within Europe, combined with a supportive business environment and high quality of life, makes it an ideal destination for tech professionals from around the globe. Whether it’s cutting-edge startups or established tech giants, Amsterdam offers a dynamic ecosystem filled with talent that fosters growth and collaboration" said Roemie Hillenaar, CEO at Creative Fabrica, a local software development company. Out of all the big cities, for instance, Amsterdam came top in terms of opportunities per person. And that isn’t due to one dominant employer: the jobs cover all sectors, from creative agencies to VR specialists, and all company sizes. We’re almost tempted to say that if you can’t find a tech job in Amsterdam, you can’t find a tech job anywhere! You can read why else Amsterdam ranked #2 in our list of best cities for tech workers in the EU, here: https://lnkd.in/g3fn-5AT

How exactly is Lenovo treading the long path to Net Zero? Lee Grant examines its claims about sustainability and circularity, revealing a largely positive story – except for plastics. 🌍 https://lnkd.in/gQ8qQjSB

Amazon has added another region to its Amazon Web Services (AWS) services in Asia Pacific. The AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) region, launched this week, comprises of three availability zones – clusters of infrastructure that are geographically separate, reports Dr Jo Best. 💡 https://lnkd.in/gpuDpQS2

One of the very last things Tanya Colonna, CEO and Founder of Oro Muscles, Inc, said in this interview will stay with us: “If you fail to bring joy, you will not succeed.” She was specifically giving advice to anyone thinking about following in her footsteps, creating a sports tech startup, but we suspect that could apply to every business in the world. So, what is it about Oro Muscles that brings its core audience – athletes, coaches, physios, the healthcare sector as a whole – some joy? The key, says Tanya, is in using data to provide genuine, actionable insights: “Witnessing the enthusiasm of top physiotherapists as they experience live feedback on our platform is immensely gratifying — it validates our mission to redefine sports technology.” You can read more about Oro Muscles in the full interview below, but it’s worth emphasising that Tanya’s knowledge is as deep as a post-marathon massage. She put six years of “pioneering muscle data analysis” into Oro Muscles, buoyed by her unique mix of coaching, entrepreneurial and medical experience. We can only hope that this interview brings you joy… https://lnkd.in/gCH6SJnM

In one of Iffi Wahla's previous pieces on TechFinitive, he warned about the implications of generative AI in the recruitment process. Generative AI in recruitment can be a double-edged sword. While it can drive efficiency and inclusivity internally, it also raises concerns about authenticity and fairness. I concluded that a balanced approach is the best way forward. This time, Iffi looks into the use of AI in the wider HR function, beyond recruitment. https://lnkd.in/gq96YbGg

Workday, together with Strada, have launched Workday Payroll provided by Strada, an AI-powered HR and payroll solution designed to give organisations a single view into their finance, HR and payroll data, reports Aimee Chanthadavong. 💡 https://lnkd.in/g2wvCV6m 💬 “By expanding our long-standing partnership with Strada, we are making it possible for more organisations across the globe to experience the power of a unified HR and payroll solution,” said Workday Global Partners Senior Vice President Matthew Brandt. 💬 “As global organisations face evolving payroll challenges – shifting regulations across geographies, increasingly distributed workforces, and changing employee expectations – the need for an agile and comprehensive payroll solution is critical to business success,” said Strada’s Head of Payroll and Professional Services, Luca Saracino.

We’ve interviewed a wide range of people who work in the sports tech sector as part of this series, but Sofus Rasmussen marks a first. As the acting Secretary General at the Norwegian Association of University Sports (Norges studentidrettsforbund), he isn’t selling a product: he is working on behalf of athletes, coaches and officials. “Our vision is to ‘create the future of sports’, meaning that we constantly are looking for new and better ways to do things,” said Sofus. “In our organisation, nothing gets done because we always have done things this or that way.” And when it comes to sports technology, he’s always on the lookout for developments that can help young athletes. That could be something as simple as video-conferencing tools that allow officials to have a virtual walk around a facility rather than visiting it in person. Or real-time translation apps that allow Sofus and his team to communicate easily with visitors, or when they’re visiting. You’ll find out more in the full interview below, but before reading it’s worth understanding the scale of Sofus’ job. As well as being acting Secretary General, he’s also the head of Norway University Sports’s delegation in World University Games and Championships. And Norway University Sports has over 50,000 active students practising sports throughout their local sports clubs in Norway. And he has a lot of experience from international sport events. Earlier this year, Sofus led the organising committee of the 2024 World University Speed Skating Championship. For a view that spreads grassroots sport to the growing role of esports, read on. https://lnkd.in/gMkR4VBt

Google’s flagship smartwatch, the Google Pixel Watch 3, is set to raise the bar for fitness fanatics and lovers of wearable tech alike. James Payne looks at some of the new features of the smart device, including its integration with Fitbit and other Google offerings. https://lnkd.in/gc5G5795

Sage, provider of accounting, HR and payroll software, recently released a series of updates to its Sage Intacct platform. These upgrades aim to help business owners streamline and enhance financial operation workflows and add an extra layer of security to their offerings. James Payne highlights some of the new functionalities below. Speaking on the new features, Dan Miller, EVP of Financials and ERP Division at Sage, stated: "Supporting our customers to focus on growing their business is fundamental to the technologies we are building. AP Automation is a prime example of this and makes us the first mid-market solution to offer this outside of the US." https://lnkd.in/gnU6v9af

The UK tech industry and politicians are responding to Autonomy Founder Mike Lynch's disappearance after a yacht disaster near Sicily. https://lnkd.in/gN3YfMJz