European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen joins speakers from SPECS by Snap, Google and Belgium’s imec at Maison de la Poste, 7–9 December, with international delegations confirmed.

BRUSSELS, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Who will shape the future of immersive technology, and how much control will Europe have over it? European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen will address European technological sovereignty at UnitedXR Europe this December, as companies, researchers and policymakers gather in Brussels to discuss the industry’s next steps.

Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, will speak on Tuesday, 8 December at 15:00 at Maison de la Poste in Brussels.

Co-produced by AWE and Stereopsia, UnitedXR Europe returns from 7–9 December for three days of talks, an exhibition and the European XR Awards®.

Confirmed delegations from Hong Kong, Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, four Nordic countries and over 60 other participating countries will bring an international perspective to discussions on how immersive technologies are developed, governed and used.

“Technological sovereignty can sound abstract. For our industry, it comes down to whether European companies can build successful products and have a say in how this technology develops,” said Alexandra Gérard, co-producer of UnitedXR Europe. “That’s why Henna Virkkunen’s participation is so important. We want Europe’s XR community to hear from her directly and take this conversation further in Brussels.”

Building technology people can trust

XR devices can capture information about our movements, surroundings and the people around us. What gets recorded? Who can access it? How is it protected? Developers need answers that give people confidence to use their products and businesses confidence to invest.

Programme highlights include:

Divergent Realities: Ethics, Rights and Social Impacts of XR and Smartglasses — Rob Morgan (Playlines | Wake The Tiger), Alina Kadlubsky (University of Applied Sciences Mittweida, Virtual Technologies Department), John Walker (SURF) and Kelsey Farish (media and technology lawyer). A discussion of the ethical, rights and social questions raised by XR and smart glasses.

Navigating the EU AI Act in Collaborative AI Production: How Do Creators Stay in Control? — Tim Deussen (Studio Deussen, Berlin). A look at the EU AI Act and what creative control means in collaborative AI production.

Building XR for the Business — Matthew Connors (Volvo Group). A session focused on enterprise use cases including security and scalability challenges.

Additional featured speakers include:

Daniel Wagner, SPECS by SnapAnne Bajart, European CommissionPatrick Bourdot, EuroXRSean Ginevan, GoogleProf. Frank Steinicke, University of HamburgThomas Kubski, DeloitteJosé Ferrer Costa, JMIR Publications | UOC | BSALuis Bravo Martins, XR Safety Intelligence – EuropeAndres Martin-Barrio, European Space Agency (ESA-ESTEC)

Explore the agenda

View the speaker lineup

Participating sponsors and exhibitors include SPECS by Snap, PICO, Lureo, Virtual World Association, XR4Europe, XR Valley, ManageXR, Imec, JMIR Publications, ArcelorMittal, Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association (HKDEA), France Immersive Learning, HTC Vive, Even Realities.

European XR Awards celebrate the year’s creative work

The European XR Awards® shortlist ranges from climate documentaries to survival games, with nominees across nine categories. They include SOLWATA, a mixed-reality experience narrated by Mark Ruffalo about rising sea levels in the Solomon Islands; The Baby Factory is Closed, which explores menopause, identity and colonial medicine; and Bootstrap Island, a VR survival adventure inspired by Robinson Crusoe.

The ceremony takes place on Tuesday, 8 December, from 18:30–20:00 CET on the Main Stage at Maison de la Poste.

Explore the European XR Awards® and full nominee list

Early bird tickets available ahead of 21 October deadline

UnitedXR Europe takes place from 7–9 December 2026 at Maison de la Poste, Brussels.

Early-bird rates expire on 21 October, with three-day All Access passes available for €579 and two-day All Access passes for €479, including 21% Belgian VAT.

Tickets — View passes and register

Programme — Explore the agenda

Media — Apply for a media pass

About UnitedXR Europe

UnitedXR Europe is a conference and exhibition dedicated to augmented, virtual and mixed reality. Co-produced by AWE and Stereopsia in Brussels, it brings together technology companies, businesses, policymakers, researchers and creators to exchange knowledge, build partnerships and advance the development and adoption of immersive technologies. Its programme combines conference sessions, an exhibition, scientific research, creative experiences and the European XR Awards®.

Learn more at unitedxr.eu

Media Contact

Brittany Oat
Lightspeed PR & Marketing
Brittany@lightspeedpr.com

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SOURCE UnitedXR Europe

ezPaycheck 2026-2027 Bundle Integrates Direct IRS E-Filing to Help SMBs and Accountants Prevent Costly Tax Penalties

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Halfpricesoft.com is highlighting its streamlined Form 941 e-file add-on feature for ezPaycheck payroll software ahead of the upcoming Q3 tax deadline. With the official deadline to submit IRS Form 941 for 2026 Q3 (July–September) fast approaching on Monday, November 2, 2026 (as October 31 falls on a Saturday), small businesses can leverage ezPaycheck to submit payroll taxes accurately and directly to the IRS, avoiding processing delays and costly late penalties.

Ensure the Q3 payroll taxes are compliant before November 2. Download a complimentary 30-day trial of ezPaycheck (no credit card required) or purchase the 2026-2027 ezPaycheck bundle for $378 (regularly $289).

Key Benefits of E-Filing Form 941 via ezPaycheck

Faster Direct Transmission: E-filed forms transmit straight to the IRS, ensuring faster receipt and processing compared to traditional mail.On-Time Compliance: Businesses can e-file right up to the November 2 deadline while maintaining full IRS compliance, backed by Halfpricesoft.com support before, during, and after setup.Fewer Errors & Rejections: Built-in verification reduces common manual input errors that trigger processing delays or fines.Instant Confirmation: Users receive explicit IRS confirmation upon successful form receipt.

“With the e941 feature add-on in ezPaycheck, businesses have a tool to succeed, one form at a time.” said Dr. Ge, Founder of Halfpricesoft.com

Get Form 941 E-Filing Details & Instructions

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the filing deadline is missed?

Late filings can result in IRS penalties ranging from $50 to $290 per form, depending on how long the submission is delayed.

Can both Form 940 and Form 941 be e-filed through ezPaycheck?

ezPaycheck supports e-filing for both Form 940 (Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment Tax Return) and Form 941 (Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return) to maintain full compliance.

Easily calculate taxes, issue paychecks for employees and contractors, and generate all required reports and tax forms, including W-2, W-3, 940, 941, and 943. Because ezPaycheck runs locally, no internet connection is required to process payroll, keeping your data private and secure

Easily calculate taxes, issue paychecks for employees and contractors, and generate all required reports and tax forms, including W-2, W-3, 940, 941, and 943. Because ezPaycheck runs locally, no internet connection is required to process payroll, keeping your data private and secure

All Halfpricesoft.com solutions are updated annually to ensure full alignment with current state and federal tax regulations. Multi-user configurations and advanced operational features are available across the product line. Start today to explore software solutions and download a trial version.

About Halfpricesoft.com
Halfpricesoft.com has been empowering SMBs, Accountants, and Entrepreneurs to simplify payroll and compliance for more than 20 years. Trusted by thousands of U.S. companies, the firm offers affordable, easy-to-use solutions including online and desktop payroll, employee attendance tracking, accounting, check printing, W-2/1099/1095 ACA form filing, and ezACH direct deposit software. 

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SOURCE Halfpricesoft.com

The OPUS Brain accelerates agentic work through optimized, verifiable Semantic Inference Plans, with versioned Agent Profiles and operational controls that support reliable performance at scale.

BOSTON, October 21, 2026 /CNW/ — TraceLink, the world’s largest Agentic Business Network, today announced a breakthrough in how no-code OPUS Agents perform critical supply chain work. Powered by the OPUS Brain–TraceLink’s intelligence and reasoning layer for OPUS Agents–the new capabilities transform agent instructions into optimized, verifiable Semantic Inference Plans (SIPs), enabling OPUS Agents to perform recurring work in seconds with greater reliability and consistency.

Enterprises can inspect, test, and approve agent plans before production, identify changes that could affect agent performance, and measure completed work through operational records and Agentic Business Process dashboards. These capabilities address critical barriers to scaling agentic operations, giving companies greater confidence, accountability, and cost visibility as they expand governed OPUS Agents throughout supply chain processes.

“For enterprise processes, agents have to be governed, reliable, fast, specialized, and perform work at predictably low cost,” said Shabbir Dahod, President and CEO of TraceLink. “Our innovations achieved all those goals. With these breakthroughs, TraceLink is bringing a new level of intelligence and operational capacity to global supply chains, enabling companies to manage greater complexity, expand the work they can perform, and drive growth in ways that were previously beyond their reach.”

Traditional AI agents often repeat complex reasoning each time they encounter a similar business event, increasing processing time, cost, and the potential for inconsistent results.

Each SIP defines an intended approach for achieving an OPUS Agent’s Objective based on approved Tasks, Decisions, Rules, and operational context. The OPUS Brain generates, evaluates, and recursively optimizes these plans to improve speed and accuracy, while enabling human teams to inspect, test, and approve them before production use. Once approved, optimized SIPs guide recurring agent work, reducing processing delays and supporting faster responses to changing supply chain conditions.

Evaluation Logs provide evidence of how agent work compares with an approved SIP, supporting inspection, validation, and refinement. Progress Logs track the progression of work, Work Logs capture completed activities and their business context, and Outcomes document the resulting business results. Together, these records establish the evidence needed to assess agent performance, maintain accountability, and improve Agentic Business Processes over time.

Versioned Agent Profiles associate each OPUS Agent with a specific operating definition, allowing companies to control when updated instructions, policies, or requirements are adopted. Dependency tracking identifies changes to Agent Profiles, Processes, Business Objects, Rules, and configurations that may require additional evaluation or retraining before they affect agent behavior. These controls help enterprises maintain reliability as business requirements and supporting systems evolve.

Work Logs and Agentic Business Process (ABP) dashboards provide visibility into operational activity, enabling organizations to evaluate productivity, work quality, and business results.

Pricing charts and cost dashboards provide visibility into agent operating expenses, enabling companies to develop more predictable financial models for individual Agentic Business Processes. By comparing costs against measurable Outcomes, business leaders can assess the value of agentic operations and prioritize investments accordingly.

TraceLink will demonstrate how optimized Semantic Inference Plans enable OPUS Agents to perform critical supply chain work in seconds at FutureLink Barcelona, October 19–21, 2026.

TraceLink powers the transformation to an Agentic Supply Chain Operating Model, enabling organizations to perform and improve supply chain work across their business and trading partner networks. The OPUS Agentic Supply Chain Operating System brings together Agentic Business Processes, Agentic Control Towers, governed OPUS Agents, and the Integrate-Once™ Agentic Business Network to link systems, end-to-end business transactions, and collaborative peer-to-peer processes with trusted, real-time operational context. In this agentic environment, humans and agents work together with greater speed, reasoning, control, and accountability to improve organizational productivity, service, inventory, working capital, cost, compliance, quality, resilience, and revenue performance.

Learn more at www.tracelink.com.

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SOURCE TraceLink, Inc.