Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK) now supports Apache Kafka version 2.8.0 for new and existing clusters. Apache Kafka 2.8.0 includes several bug fixes and new features that improve performance. Some of the key features include connection rate limiting to avoid problems with misconfigured clients (KIP-612 ) and topic identifiers which provides performance benefits (KIP-516 ). There is also an early access feature to replace zookeeper with a self-managed metadata quorum (KIP-500 ), however this is not recommended for use in production. For a complete list of improvements and bug fixes, see the Apache Kafka release notes for 2.8.0 .

Amazon Redshift native support for JSON and semi-structured data is now generally available. It is based on the new data type ‘SUPER’ that allows you to ingest and store semi-structured data in your Amazon Redshift data warehouses. Amazon Redshift also includes support for PartiQL  for SQL-compatible access to relational, semi-structured and nested data. Using the SUPER data type and PartiQL in Amazon Redshift, you can perform advanced analytics that combine classic structured SQL data (such as string, numeric, and timestamp) with the semi-structured SUPER data (such as JSON) with superior performance, flexibility, and ease-of-use.

Database Activity Streams is now available for Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition and Amazon Aurora MySQL-Compatible Edition in the Asia Pacific (Osaka) Region. Database Activity Streams for Amazon Aurora provides a near real-time stream of database activities in your relational database. When integrated with third party database activity monitoring tools, Database Activity Streams can monitor and audit database activity to provide safeguards for your database and help you meet compliance and regulatory requirements.

The AWS Snowcone service is now available for order for customers in the AWS Canada (Central) Region. With this launch, Snowcone is now available for order in AWS Canada (Central), Asia Pacific (Sydney), EU (Frankfurt), EU (Ireland), US East (N. Virginia), and US West (Oregon) Regions. AWS Snowcone is the smallest member of the AWS Snow Family of edge computing, edge storage, and data transfer devices. Snowcone is portable, rugged, and secure – small and light enough to fit in a backpack, and able to withstand harsh environments. Customers use Snowcone to deploy applications at the edge, and to collect data, process it locally, and move it to AWS either offline (by shipping the device to AWS) or online (by using AWS DataSync on Snowcone to send the data to AWS over the network).

Today, we are excited to announce the general availability of Amazon Nimble Studio. Nimble Studio is a managed service that empowers creative studios to produce visual effects, animation, and interactive content entirely in the cloud, from storyboard sketch to final deliverable. With Nimble Studio, artists can accelerate digital content creation with virtual workstations, high-speed storage, and scalable rendering across AWS’s global infrastructure footprint.  

Streaming ETL jobs in AWS Glue now support SSL client certificate authentication with Apache Kafka stream producers. You can now provide a custom certificate while defining an AWS Glue connection to an Apache Kafka cluster, which AWS Glue will use when authenticating with it.

AWS Audit Manager now offers a new prebuilt standard framework for GxP EU Annex 11. This framework adds to the existing prebuilt frameworks provided in Audit Manager. With this release, you can launch an assessment from this framework with just a few clicks. Audit Manager will map your AWS resources to the requirements in GxP EU Annex 11 and start gathering evidence automatically to help you scale your audit capability in the cloud as your business grows.

Media & entertainment customers face industry-wide transformation, with companies reinventing how they create content, optimize media supply chains, and compete for audience attention across streaming, broadcast, and direct-to-consumer platforms. Industry leaders such as Netflix, FORMULA 1, Discovery, and Disney use the AWS Cloud to pioneer new ways to entertain—launching new streaming services, expanding their content catalogs, and setting new standards with audiences for viewing experiences.

Alexa for Business is now available to run directly on Zoom Rooms Appliances, enabling customers with voice-activated control without deploying additional hardware. Users get a touch-free way to interact with Zoom Rooms and keep meetings on track by leveraging Alexa to join meetings and be reminded to wrap up when a meeting is about to end. They can optimize meeting room reservations by saying, “Alexa, find me an available room”.

Amazon Kendra is an intelligent search service powered by machine learning, that enables organizations to provide more relevant information to customers and employees, when they need it. Starting today, Amazon Kendra is giving AWS customers more control when it comes to optimizing search results for end users with the release of dynamic relevance tuning.