Everything you need to know about AWS re:Invent 2018

The Amazon Web Services re:Invent conference is underway and the cloud giant, the most profitable part of the giant e-tailer, is rolling out new services at a rapid clip. It's also highlighting custom ARM processors and adding to its suite of tools for the Internet of Things.

CNET sister sites ZDNet and TechRepublic are covering the conference, which is taking place in Las Vegas. Here's a recap, which we'll continue to update through the week, of everything you need to know:

Cloud comparison: Where AWS falls short, and how it's fixing the problem
New research from ThousandEyes shows AWS is significantly less stable than Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure in Asia, but the new AWS Global Accelerator addresses the issue -- for a price.

• At AWS re:Invent, Amazon gets its gun: 'Everything the tech sector does, we can do better'
  We recap everything that happened at AWS r
  
• How Amazon and VMware are building one cloud for both platforms
  Applications in virtual machines and in containers will be free to mingle on- and off-premises in this new, semi-hybridized version of Amazon's walled garden cloud.
  
• Amazon's move from Oracle: Werner Vogels does a show-and-tell
  At re:Invent, the Amazon CTO dismisses databases built on "90's" technology, arguing that cloud native database services form a foundation for innovation.
  
• AWS says so long developers and hello 'builders'
  Does a developer really want to be called a builder? AWS sure wants to use builder especially as it pitches itself as a master tool provider for enterprises. 
• AWS Outpost brings AWS cloud hardware on-premises
  The new offering expands the partnership AWS has with VMware.
  
• AWS just launched a four-wheel drive mini-race car
  The AWS DeepRacer is a 1/18th scale radio-controlled, four-wheel drive car, complete with its own racing league.
  
• AWS advances machine learning with new chip, elastic inference
  To address the high cost of inference, AWS at re:Invent introduced Amazon Elastic Inference and a new processor called AWS Inferentia.
  
• AWS goes blockchain: The cloud giant announces two distributed ledger services
  Covering both decentralised and centralised, Amazon Managed Blockchain supports Ethereum and HyperLedger, while the Amazon Quantum Ledger Database is a fully-managed ledger database. 
  
• Amazon rolls out FSx for Windows File Server
  At the annual re:Invent conference, Amazon Web Services also announced FSx for Lustre.
  
• AWS unveils Lake Formation for easy data lake building
  Lake Formation takes the process down from several months to days, AWS CEO Andy Jassy announced at re:Invent. 
  
• AWS makes ARM processors available in the cloud with new Graviton processor 
  AWS launched new cloud compute instances called EC2 A1, which are built on custom ARM processors. The processors have intellectual property from Annapurna Labs, which Amazon acquired in 2015. The instances are the first time ARM-based processors have been available in the cloud. AWS' new ARM server processor is dubbed Graviton.
• AWS Global Accelerator to boost performance across regions
  AWS outlined plans to boost performance across its various regions with the AWS Transit Gateway, an effort to simplify network architecture.
• AWS IoT suite now includes SiteWise for industrial data collection
  AWS rounded out its Internet of things portfolio with a bevy of services all designed to provide a suite for edge computing and IoT deployments.
• Amazon's free training: Internal machine-learning courses are now open to all
  New free machine-learning training offers everyone the same curriculum that AWS employees use.
  
• Why AWS re:Invent is arguably more important than Amazon's Black Friday, Cyber Monday bonanza
  Yes, everyone shopped their wallets dry on Amazon during the big holiday sales push. But don't forget the AWS public cloud side of Amazon is likely to drive the company's valuation and operating income going forward.
  
• AWS launches RoboMaker dev service for building intelligent robotics apps
  Amazon said RoboMaker extends the Robot Operating System with connectivity to AWS services for machine learning, monitoring and analytics.
  
• AWS Ground Station: Fully-managed ground-station-as-a-service
  AWS chief Andy Jassy revealed there are currently a "couple," with 10 more coming early next year.
  
• How Amazon's DeepLens seeks to rewire the old web with new AI
  In a world in which users interact with cloud-based servers using video as well as audio, text may already be out of fashion. That could be perfectly fine with Amazon, which is testing a deep-learning-enabled camera like it's going for broke.
  
• AWS still wants you all in on public cloud (TechRepublic)  
  AWS talks a great hybrid cloud game, but its mission hasn't changed: All in on the public cloud.
  
• Five most important cloud announcements at AWS re:Invent 2018 (TechRepublic)  
  They include new Arm-based instances aimed at lowering costs and tweaks to speed up machine-learning training.
  
• AWS launches Comprehend Medical, applies natural language processing to medical records
  The service, an extension of Comprehend, adds new terms and relationships, is HIPAA eligible
• Google, Amazon, Microsoft: How do their free machine-learning courses compare? (TechRepublic)
  There are an increasing number of options for those wanting to get a grounding in the field via free courses provided by the major tech firms.