HERE Newberry · Midlands Edition

Newberry SC Technology — Page 4

Technology You Can Actually Use Not Silicon Valley hype. The gear, apps, AI tools, robots, and classes showing up in Newberry — and what’s coming next for Midlands.

Hot Gear Apps AI Tools Robots Classes What’s Next

Presenting Sponsor Presented by Your Brand Here — reach Newberry’s tech-forward audience every week.

Updated Weekly · Newberry, SC · Midlands Region

Newberry has become one of the Midlands’s fastest-rising technology investment destinations, anchored by headline employers including Kraft Heinz (Newberry), Samsung Electronics America (Newberry), Newberry County Memorial Hospital. The region’s anchor employers are building digital infrastructure, expanding automation, and hiring for technology-adjacent roles at a measurable pace. Newberry is no longer only defined by its legacy industries — it is becoming a measurable node in the broader technology economy.

The institutions anchoring Newberry’s technology ecosystem span broadband infrastructure, factory floors, and university campuses. Kraft Heinz (Newberry)</strong>, <strong>Samsung Electronics America (Newberry) sustain consistent demand for automation engineers, IT specialists, and data scientists in the region. Newberry College supply engineering and computing graduates directly to Midlands employers.

The day-to-day reality of Newberry’s tech sector depends on workforce pipelines, startup infrastructure, and code-education resources embedded in the region. Local economic development organizations coordinate technology talent recruitment across Newberry.

HERE Newberry covers the Midlands tech beat in full: data-center and AI campus milestones in Newberry, broadband expansion coverage, grid investments tied to data-center load, Kraft Heinz (Newberry) and Samsung Electronics America (Newberry) Industry 4.0 and automation developments, Newberry College STEM and research news, and Newberry startup funding rounds. If it computes, connects, automates, or launches in Newberry — it’s HERE.

Hot New Gear

What Newberry Is Buzzing About

Where to get it, what it costs, whether it’s worth it — reviewed with a Midlands lens.

National, Technology Early iPhone Duo Buyers Report Cracked Hinge Screens CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple first folding iPhone had barely reached customers before some owners began posting photos of inner screens… Read More

National, Technology TikTok Staff Warned Leaders of Child Safety Risks OAKLAND, Calif. — Employees inside TikTok spent years pressing company leaders about dangers the app posed to children, from minors… Read More

Technology Chipmakers Drive Market Gains Amid Broader Tech Slump Newberry residents tracking market trends may note that semiconductor chipmakers are currently leading the US stock market, overshadowing traditional Big… Read More

Technology Tech Giants Urge Stronger Cyber Defenses Against AI Threats A coalition of 100 technology and financial firms, including Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, issued an open letter this week calling… Read More

Suggest a Gadget Spotted something new in Newberry — or want to see it covered? Drop your tip and we’ll look into featuring it. Submit a Gadget Tip

Apps & Software

Apps That Feel Like Tomorrow

Futuristic apps, local-history AR, community AI — what Newberry creators are actually building and using.

Productivity Reclaim.ai AI planner that syncs with Google Calendar and blocks time for habits, focus, and breaks automatically. Newberry professionals are connecting it to local event feeds so community happenings never get buried under meetings. Try It

AR History AR Explorer — Newberry Point your phone at any corner of Newberry — the Array district, for instance, and see what stood there decades ago. Local heritage layers right onto the present — a walk downtown becomes a time machine. Suggest a Feature

3D Creation Luma AI Local creators are using Luma AI to build 3D models of Newberry venues, murals, and neighborhoods from iPhone video. Midlands real estate and construction firms are exploring commercial uses. Try It

Navigation AI Waze AI Traffic Updated Waze uses ML to predict backups up to 30 minutes before they happen. Newberry commuters heading toward Kraft Heinz (Newberry) and other major employers are saving real time during peak rush hours. Try It

AI Tools Ranked

AI Tools Worth Your Time

Practical helpers ranked by ease — free vs. pro — tuned for SC life in the Midlands.

Claude (Anthropic) The all-rounder. Write cover letters for Kraft Heinz (Newberry) or other Midlands employers, draft business emails, plan meals with local ingredients, or just ask a smart question and get a straight answer. Free tier handles most daily use. Newberry angle: Local continuing education workshops are including Claude basics for workforce applicants. Ideal for Midlands’s growing job market.

5/5 Ease Free Tier

ChatGPT (OpenAI) Build a resume tailored for SC’s healthcare or advanced manufacturing job market, get recipe ideas using local produce, or prep for interviews at Newberry’s leading employers like Kraft Heinz (Newberry). Newberry angle: Free workshops at local library branches teach ChatGPT basics for job seekers — check your branch calendar for current sessions.

5/5 Ease Free Tier

Google NotebookLM Upload any document — your HOA rules, a lease, a local school district calendar — and ask it questions in plain English. Saves enormous time for parents and renters navigating local paperwork in Newberry. Newberry angle: Newberry College educators are using it to make long policy documents navigable for students and parents in the Midlands.

4/5 Ease Free

Waze AI Traffic Predictor Already covered in Apps, but worth ranking here too: the ML commute predictor is genuinely useful and completely passive. Just use Waze and it does the rest. Newberry angle: Particularly useful for Kraft Heinz (Newberry) shift traffic and peak commute windows in the Midlands.

5/5 Ease Free

IBM Watson Assistant More advanced — for small business owners wanting to add AI chat to their website or automate customer service. Several Newberry retail and service businesses are piloting it with help from regional AI consultancies. Newberry angle: Newberry College’s data science program is exploring Watson for Kraft Heinz (Newberry) supply chain analytics projects in the Midlands corridor.

3/5 Ease Pro

Robots & Automation

Robots Working in the Midlands

Home bots, yard bots, campus drones, makerspaces — what’s actually working in SC.

Lawn Automation · SC Climate Tested Husqvarna Automower 450X Maps your yard via GPS, mows on its own schedule, and handles SC’s fast-growing summer Bermuda grass without complaint — tested in Newberry’s Array neighborhood. SC heat and humidity don’t slow it down. Available at local home improvement retailers. Night mowing in summer keeps it cooler.

Home Automation · Advanced Mapping iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ Mops and vacuums in the same pass, learns your floor plan over time, and keeps rugs dry by raising the mop pad automatically. Strong performer on the hardwood floors common in Newberry’s older neighborhoods like Array and Array. Available at Best Buy and major retailers. Newberry’s spring pollen makes the HEPA filter worth the upgrade.

Innovation · Campus Research Newberry College Robotics Lab Newberry College’s engineering program is developing autonomous robotics applications with direct industry ties to Kraft Heinz (Newberry) and other employers in the Midlands corridor. Students are building systems with real manufacturing applications — not just academic exercises. Newberry College, Newberry. Open demos each semester — check the engineering department calendar.

Community · DIY Robotics Newberry Makerspace Local makerspaces host regular meetups for robotics builders, automation hackers, and DIY electronics hobbyists. Beginners are absolutely welcome. Workforce development ties mean you might meet your next employer at a build night. Newberry area. Community access available — contact your local Fab Lab or library makerspace coordinator.

Future-Focused Classes

Classes That Actually Prepare You

Newberry College programs, free library workshops, and community courses — what actually prepares you for SC’s growing tech scene in the Midlands.

NEWB Fall 2026

AI Bootcamp for SC Workforce Newberry College · 8-week intensive · Practical AI tools, prompt engineering, job market applications · Designed for Midlands’s Kraft Heinz (Newberry) and supply chain workforce

Contact NEWB

LIB Monthly

Google Career Certificate: IT Support Newberry Library · 2-hour workshop · Bring your laptop · No experience needed · Enrollment via library website

FREE

LIB Bi-Monthly

Python for Absolute Beginners Newberry Library · 3-hour intro workshop · Variables, loops, your first working script · All skill levels welcome · Evening sessions available

FREE

Online Self-Paced

Deep Learning Specialization (Andrew Ng) Coursera · 5-course series · SC-based learners can apply for Coursera financial aid · Newberry College students may have institutional access

$49/mo or Free Audit

What’s Coming Next

Newberry’s Speculative Future

Speculative vibes, SC-specific angles, and your vote on what future you’d actually want.

Wild Card Brain-Computer Interfaces Enter the Consumer Market Neuralink’s non-surgical BCI device is rumored for 2027. Newberry College’s biomedical engineering program is watching closely — and building curriculum now to be ready. Newberry’s growing healthcare corridor makes the Midlands a logical early-adoption market.

Likely Within 3 Years Auto-Pilot E-Bikes on Local Trails GPS-guided e-bikes that follow local trail networks without constant steering input are in commercial development. Newberry’s growing trail infrastructure — and urban trail investment — makes it a natural pilot city.

SC-Specific Angle Smart Manufacturing in Midlands Kraft Heinz (Newberry) — already one of the most automated operations in its sector — is expanding its AI-driven quality control and logistics systems. Midlands is becoming a national model for smart manufacturing, and the supplier ecosystem is hiring for tech roles now.

Coming to Newberry Innovation District in the Downtown Core Early-stage plans supported by SC Dept. of Commerce and Newberry’s urban revitalization efforts would anchor a startup and innovation district in the downtown core.

What Future Would You Actually Want? Vote on the Newberry tech future you’d snap up tomorrow if it existed. Results update as Midlands readers weigh in.

E-Bike Trail Network Kraft Heinz (Newberry) Factory Tours Innovation District Downtown Brain-Computer Interface Clinic Drone Delivery Midlands

HERE City Network

TECHNOLOGY NEWS NEAR NEWBERRY SC

Technology coverage from the 10 closest HERE cities.

Chapin SC Clinton SC Irmo SC Lexington SC Greenwood SC Columbia SC Spartanburg SC Aiken SC Rock Hill SC Greer SC

Latest Newberry Technology News — Page 4

Global AI Advancements Reshape Tech Landscape, With Potential Ripples for Newberry
Jul 3, 2026
The global landscape of artificial intelligence is undergoing a significant transformation, as a new low-cost model from Chinese developer Z.ai, known as GLM-5.2, demonstrates capabilities increasingly competitive with…
Newberry Watches as Chinese AI Model Narrows Gap with U.S. Leaders
Jul 2, 2026
A new artificial intelligence model developed by the Chinese firm Z.ai, known as GLM-5.2, is reportedly closing the performance gap with leading U.S. systems from companies like Anthropic…
C-Suite Interview: Todd Hunnicutt on How Newberry Businesses Get Found in AI Search
Jun 22, 2026
NEWBERRY, SC — Around the Newberry Opera House and Newberry College, the businesses that show up in AI search results and the businesses that stay invisible are increasingly…