The Fundamentals of NFTs

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The Fundamentals of NFTs

What do you get when you cross digital art with blockchain technology?  A match made in heaven.  The investment world has found a new asset in non-fungible tokens (NFTs).  In the first half of 2021, NFTs had $2.5 billion worth of sales.  When “EVERYDAYS: The First 5000 Days” became the first purely digital work of art offered by a major auction house, it sold for $69 million.  When Twitter founder Jack Dorsey turned his first-ever tweet into an NFT, it sold for $3 million.  NFTs are the hot new thing in asset trading.

But how do NFTs work?  What is the point of owning a digital asset that can be perfectly copied?  The distinction lies in the blockchain side of an NFT.  Using the same technology as cryptocurrencies, digital keys secure the ownership of an NFT.  A public key serves as the ownership agreement while the private key acts as a password that can authorize change in ownership.  All the while, the blockchain maintains a tamper proof ledger of transactions.  So when it comes to how much indisputable ownership of an easily-copied asset is worth, only the market can set a price.  As seen in the examples above, the market is more than willing to make that determination.

Blockchain has given digital artists a lifeline.  Before their team-up, digital artists struggled to prove they were the original creator of a work, monetize artwork that can be copied, and prevent unauthorized use of their work.  These factors put them at a massive disadvantage in the already difficult art field.  Now, when an artist creates an NFT, they can ensure future sales pay them a certain percentage, sell art that would otherwise lack a market, and prove they are the original creator of a digital file.  Through blockchain, digital artists have found a way to sell art in a way functionally similar to their physical art peers.

For collectors, ownership of an NFT conveys certain rights.  Anyone can download a digital file, but only the owner can sell it.  NFT collectors can also brag online by setting the file as their profile pic on (say) social media.  Since most people buy NFTs as an investment, they are hoping the value will increase over time.  This prediction came true for Pablo Rodrigues-Fraile, who purchased “crossroads” for $66,666 on October 31, 2020.  When he sold his 10-second video clip on February 24, 2021, it went for $6.6 million.

In all the excitement surrounding NFTs, it is important to remember that no investment is risk-free.  NFTs have the same risk of theft and loss as cryptocurrency, plus the unique problem of link rot.  NFTs are a deed of ownership that link to a digital collectible, usually via URL.  No single party is responsible for maintaining the file.  If the file’s web host goes out of business, the file is lost.  The URL’s creator could redirect the URL anytime, potentially reducing the NFT’s value.  With new types of assets come new risk considerations.

Source: Expensivity

The Fundamentals of NFTs
Brian Wallace

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Zoom and Five9 Mutually Terminate Their Merger

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Zoom and Five9 Mutually Terminate Their Merger

Zoom and Five9 have called off their deal, in which Zoom would purchase Five9 for $14.7 billion.

Zoom announced it was purchasing Five9 in July. Five9 is one of the leading cloud contact center providers. The deal was originally slated to complete in the first half of 2022, but the two companies have mutually ended the agreement.

“While we were excited about the benefits this transaction would bring to both Zoom and Five9 stakeholders, including the long-term potential for both sets of shareholders, financial discipline is foundational to our strategy,” said Eric S. Yuan, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Zoom.

While Yuan emphasizes “financial discipline” as a motive for ending the agreement, the deal was already under US national security scrutiny. At the same time, Yuan emphasized Zoom’s ongoing commitment to the contact center market.

“The contact center market remains a strategic priority for Zoom, and we are confident in our ability to capture its growth potential,” Yuan continued. “At Zoomtopia, we announced the Zoom Video Engagement Center, our cloud-based contact center solution, which will launch in early 2022. Video Engagement Center will be a flexible, easy-to-use solution that connects businesses and their customers. We are building this new solution with the same scalability and trusted architecture that has made Zoom the platform of choice for businesses around the world. We also plan to maintain our valued existing contact center partnerships with companies like Five9, Genesys, NICE inContact, Talkdesk, and Twilio. We remain focused on driving long-term value creation for Zoom shareholders and delivering happiness to our customers through our broad-based communications platform including unified communications, developer, and events solutions.”

Zoom and Five9 Mutually Terminate Their Merger
Matt Milano

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Educational targets hit by rising cyberattacks in 2021

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One-device-per-student and learn-from-anywhere programs have energized U.S. education. But they open up new cyberthreats.Read More

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Zurich-Based Company Has Solved EV Range Anxiety

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Zurich-Based Company Has Solved EV Range Anxiety

Zurich-based ABB has solved the biggest issue with electric vehicles, unveiling a system that can charge any EV to full capacity in 15 minutes.

Range anxiety is one of the biggest challenges to widespread EV adoption. Many traditional charging systems can take hours to fully charge a vehicle. While that poses little to no problem for a vehicle that is driven around town and plugged in at home every night, it can be a major inconvenience when traveling longer distances, such as a cross-country road trip. No one wants to stop for hours every time the batteries needs to be charged. In fact, a recent report shows that 20% of California drivers revert to a gas-powered vehicle due to issues with EV charging.

ABB appears to have solved the problem with their Terra 360 charging system. The Terra 360 can charge up to four vehicles simultaneously, and can charge any EV to full capacity in 15 minutes. That 15 minute charge time is much closer to a refueling session for a traditional, gas-powered vehicle.

“With governments around the world writing public policy that favors electric vehicles and charging networks to combat climate change, the demand for EV charging infrastructure, especially charging stations that are fast, convenient and easy to operate is higher than ever,” said Frank Muehlon, President of ABB’s E-mobility Division. “The Terra 360, with charging options that fit a variety of needs, is the key to fulfilling that demand and accelerating e-mobility adoption globally.”

The Terra 360 will be available in Europe in the end of 2021, and in the US, Latin America and the Asia Pacific markets starting in 2022.

Zurich-Based Company Has Solved EV Range Anxiety
Matt Milano

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Dish’s Boost Mobile Announces Its Own 5G Device

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Dish’s Boost Mobile Announces Its Own 5G Device

Dish Network’s Boost Mobile has announced the Celero5G, its own 5G device aimed at helping customers maximize their experience.

Dish Network acquired Boost Mobile as part of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, when the latter companies were required to divest some of their assets in order to win regulatory approval. Dish has been working on rolling out its own 5G network, while it continues to piggyback on T-Mobile and AT&T’s network in the meantime.

The company is now offering its own 5G-enabled phone, the Celero5G. The phone has a 6.52-inch screen, 36 hours of battery life, four cameras, 4GB of RAM, 64GB ROM and SD card support for up to 2TB of additional storage.

“Our goal at Boost is to empower our customers with what they need, when they need it,” said Stephen Stokols, head of Boost Mobile. “Subscribers have told us loud and clear: they want speed, cool features, and a fair price. The Celero5G is built to make 5G affordable.”

Dish’s Boost Mobile Announces Its Own 5G Device
Matt Milano

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What Are You Doing to Keep Your Employees Healthy?

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What Are You Doing to Keep Your Employees Healthy?

There are business owners who truly care about the health and well-being of their employees. However, conversely, there are also business owners who don’t think twice about this. They provide their workforce with medical insurance and nothing else.

No matter what group you fall into, it’s nice to know that there are changes you can make for the better. There are steps you can take to help keep your employees healthy. And when you do that, you’ll start to realize that workplace productivity is on the rise.

1. Encourage Time Off 

Let’s face it — some employees do whatever they can to make it into the office every day. Even if they’re not feeling their best, either physically or mentally, they still push through because they want to do their job. 

Encourage time off by explaining to your employees how important it is to refresh and recharge every now and again. In the event that someone doesn’t want to take time away, you may need to give them a push in the right direction.

This isn’t to say that you should let employees take advantage of your time off policy, though. However, some employees have a hard time stepping back, if even for a day. 

2. Schedule a Health Fair

A health fair is a great way for employees to gain easy access to a variety of tests. From a thyroid test to a basic blood panel, employees are able to learn a lot about their health without jumping through hoops.

In today’s day and age, virtual health fairs are becoming more popular. While your employees won’t get on-site assistance or testing, they can still learn more about their health and find ways to be proactive about it. 

3. Focus on Mental Health, Too

It’s easy to focus on physical health, but many business owners overlook the importance of helping their employees maintain their mental health. Some companies, such as Instagram, take this seriously. 

That said, you don’t have to be a large organization to focus on your employees’ mental health. Even if you only have a handful of employees, you can take steps to help them keep their mental health and well-being in order.

How to Get Started

Now that you have a basic overview of the steps you can take to keep your employees healthy, it’s time to turn your attention toward action. Here’s what you can do to get started:

• Create a strategy. If all the ideas above work for you, add them to your strategy and get started. But if you only want to focus on one or two right now, that’s fine as well. You need a strategy to guide you.
  
• Talk to your employees. Don’t attempt to create a strategy on your own. Instead, collaborate with your employees to learn more about what they do and don’t want in regards to their health and medical care. Not only does this allow you to engage with your employees, but it can also save you time and money.
  
• Take it slow. Don’t get ahead of yourself, as doing so can cause more confusion than anything else. Move forward one step at a time, such as by explaining to your staff the importance of taking time away. From there, when you feel that it’s time to do so, schedule a health fair. One small step at a time will add up to big results.

No two companies will get started in the exact same way, but these tips should help. The key is to get started. Don’t continue to sit back and hope for the best. You need to devote the proper resources toward making progress in this area of your business. 

Final Thoughts

Every year, hundreds of thousands of workers across every industry imaginable take time away from their job for health-related reasons. Regardless of their reasons for it, it can nevertheless have a noticeable impact on the workplace.

You can’t completely prevent this time off, but there are steps you can take to do your part. Even if it’s only a minor change to your approach, you never know when it’ll do some good for one or more of your employees.

What steps have you taken to date to keep your employees healthy? Do you have any ideas for the future? 

What Are You Doing to Keep Your Employees Healthy?
Brian Wallace

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Notebook, and Especially Chromebook, Demand Down as Lockdowns Ease

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Notebook, and Especially Chromebook, Demand Down as Lockdowns Ease

As lockdowns ease around the world, the notebook market is seeing a corresponding drop in demand, with Chromebooks hit especially hard.

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a surge in demand for notebooks, tablets and Chromebooks as people needed devices that could help them work from home. That surge in demand has also contributed to a global semiconductor shortage that has impacted a wide range of industries.

According to TrendForce, that demand is slowing, although it won’t be widely evident in 2021. According to the company’s data, 2021 will likely see 240 million notebooks shipped, a 16.4% YoY increase. Next year, however, shipments are expected to drop to 220 million. While this is still 60 million units more than in 2019, it’s a significant drop from 2021.

Most telling is the drop Google’s Chromebook is seeing, with demand plummeting as much as 50%.

On the plus side, TrendForce sees the supply and demand for notebook panels stabilizing this year.

As notebook demand plateaus while panel supply increases, the supply and demand of notebook panels is expected to reach an equilibrium in 4Q21

Notebook, and Especially Chromebook, Demand Down as Lockdowns Ease
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Carriers Must Block Other Carriers Not Listed in FCC Robocall Mitigation Database

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Carriers Must Block Other Carriers Not Listed in FCC Robocall Mitigation Database

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is now requiring phone carriers to block other carriers that have not implemented anti-robocall features.

The FCC has been cracking down on robocalls, requiring carriers to implement the STIR/SHAKEN protocol. STIR/SHAKEN is a way for carriers to verify the authenticity of a call, pass that check on to the next carrier for further verification, and then confirming to the recipient that the call is verified or possibly spam.

The FCC previously set September 28 as the deadline for carriers to have the mitigation efforts in place. Now that the deadline has arrived, carriers will be required block those carriers that have failed to meet the FCC’s deadline.

“The FCC is using every tool we can to combat malicious robocalls and spoofing – from substantial fines on bad actors to policy changes to technical innovations like STIR/SHAKEN,” said Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “Today’s deadline establishes a very powerful tool for blocking unlawful robocalls. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect consumers against scammers who flood our homes and businesses with spoofed robocalls.”

Carriers Must Block Other Carriers Not Listed in FCC Robocall Mitigation Database
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NASA: Blue Origin ‘Gambled’ On Its Proposal and Lost

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NASA: Blue Origin ‘Gambled’ On Its Proposal and Lost

More details are emerging about Blue Origin’s losing bid for NASA’s lunar lander, and it appears the company made a risky gamble that backfired.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin were two of the companies bidding for a contract to provide NASA’s new lunar lander. SpaceX ultimately won the contract, coming in substantially cheaper than Blue Origin’s bid. Blue Origin appealed NASA’s decision to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), and then sued the government when the GAO upheld NASA’s decision.

More details have emerged, and it appears Blue Origin shot for the moon (pun intended), basing their bid on the belief that NASA would accept the higher bid and then negotiate a lower price after the fact.

The company “made an assumption about the Agency’s HLS budget, built its proposal with this figure in mind, and also separately made a calculated bet that if NASA could not afford Blue Origin’s initially-proposed price, the Agency would select Blue Origin for award and engage in post-selection negotiations to allow Blue Origin to lower its price. All of these assumptions were incorrect,” the four NASA attorneys wrote in the Agency Report, according to The Verge. “Realizing now that it gambled and lost, Blue Origin seeks to use GAO’s procurement oversight function to improperly compel NASA to suffer the consequences of Blue Origin’s ill-conceived choices.”

Because that’s totally how bidding usually works: Accept an overpriced bid, that didn’t score as high as the competitor’s, and then negotiate with the winning bidder in the hopes they’ll offer a lower price after they’ve already won. Or at least that appears to be how Blue Origin thinks bidding should work.

This isn’t the first time one of Jeff Bezos’ companies has overbid, lost a contract and they cried foul. Microsoft accused Amazon of doing the same thing when it sued after losing out on the Pentagon’s JEDI contract, saying Amazon used the litigation process to see the particulars of Microsoft’s sealed bid and then lowered its own to be more competitive.

Interestingly, Bezos’ companies seem to be aware of the reputation they’re building — as sore losers that resort to litigation to compensate for overpriced bids — as Amazon “sent The Verge an unsolicited 13-page list” of legal actions it says SpaceX has taken over the years, in what appears to be an effort to prove it’s no more litigious than the next company.

Ultimately, NASA said it best: “Blue Origin made a bet and it lost.”

NASA: Blue Origin ‘Gambled’ On Its Proposal and Lost
Matt Milano

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Slack All-In on Remote Work, Tells Execs to Limit In-Office Time

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Slack All-In on Remote Work, Tells Execs to Limit In-Office Time

Slack is going all-in on remote work, wanting its executives to lead by example by limiting the amount of time they spend in the office.

Few companies have benefited from the global pandemic, and ensuing shift to remote work, as Slack. The company’s corporate messaging platform quickly became a staple of teams looking to stay connected and productive, despite the physical distance.

After Salesforce purchased Slack, the companies began to emphasize a “digital-first” approach. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff recently saidemployees “can do their job at home, they can be successful from anywhere,” and said Salesforce was helping customers achieve that.

In an effort to make sure its executives lead by example, Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield told CNN that executives are being encouraged to spend no more than three days a week in the office.

Executives will lead by example. There won’t be any dedicated executive floors in any of our offices, and executives will focus their office time on team events and customer interaction. Our guidance to leaders is to spend fewer than three days per week in the office.

Butterfield framed the policy as part of a goal to build a better workplace.

This is no time for retreat to the comfort of well-worn habits, or meager attempts to accommodate a restive workforce. This is a time for business leaders to build a better workplace and world.

Many companies have made remote and hybrid work a permanent policy, after the pandemic demonstrated that employees can be productive while working remotely. Few, however, have gone as far as Slack in encouraging the adoption of the new paradigm.

Butterfield acknowledged there would be challenges along the way, but expressed confidence it would pay off.

Embracing this digital-first shift won’t happen overnight. But if we’re flexible while we learn, experiment and evolve, we’ll make work simpler, more pleasant and more productive.

Slack All-In on Remote Work, Tells Execs to Limit In-Office Time
Matt Milano

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Wil Shipley, of The Omni Group and Delicious Monster, Joins Apple

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Wil Shipley, of The Omni Group and Delicious Monster, Joins Apple

Wil Shipley, the developer known for co-founding The Omni Group and founding Delicious Monster, has joined Apple.

Shipley is one of the most well-known independent developers in the Apple world. His first company, The Omni Group, creates OmniFocus, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner and OmniPlan. The company, thanks to Shipley’s work, won the Apple Design Awards a record five times. Similarly, Delicious Monster creates the popular catalog app Delicious Library.

Shipley’s new title at Apple is “Senior iOS Home Application Engineer.”

My new title is “Senior iOS Home Application Engineer,” so I guess I need to learn iOS! HA HA j/k please don’t fire me my first day.

— wil shipley (@wilshipley) September 27, 2021

Shipley reiterated his commitment to Delicious Library customers in a blog post, although he said he would not be adding new features.

I am joining Apple today, which is very, very exciting for me. I’ve been working alone for a long time and am just incredibly stoked to be working with a team again.

I’d like to assure Delicious Library customers that I’ll do my best to keep Delicious Library running on each new operating system release. I cannot add features any more, but honestly I haven’t added any features in quite a while — the last major overhaul was just so I could implement Amazon’s latest protocols so Library would continue to look up items in America.

It should be interesting to see what contributions such a well-respected and innovative developer can bring to the table.

Wil Shipley, of The Omni Group and Delicious Monster, Joins Apple
Matt Milano

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Netflix Buys Night School Studio, Creator of Oxenfree

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Netflix Buys Night School Studio, Creator of Oxenfree

Netflix has purchased Night School Studio, its first game studio, as the company expands from streaming into gaming.

Netflix has been making a move into gaming, hiring former Electronic Arts executive Mike Verdu to head up its efforts. The company later confirmed its plans to offer games to its subscribers at no extra cost and ad-free.

Night School Studio is the maker of the critically acclaimed Oxenfree. Significantly, the purchase would seem to indicate Netflix’s efforts will not be restricted to mobile games, given that Oxenfree is a cross-platform game.

Verdu made the announcement in a blog post.

Founded by Sean Krankel and Adam Hines in 2014, Night School Studio is best known for their critically acclaimed debut game, OXENFREE. We’re inspired by their bold mission to set a new bar for storytelling in games. Their commitment to artistic excellence and proven track record make them invaluable partners as we build out the creative capabilities and library of Netflix games together.

We’ll continue working with developers around the world and hiring the best talent in the industry to deliver a great collection of exclusive games designed for every kind of gamer and any level of play. Like our shows and films, these games will all be included as part of your Netflix membership — all with no ads and no in-app purchases. Stay tuned for more.

The purchase price was not disclosed.

Netflix Buys Night School Studio, Creator of Oxenfree
Matt Milano

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CBP Adopting Wickr, Amazon’s Encrypted Chat App

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CBP Adopting Wickr, Amazon’s Encrypted Chat App

Amazon has scored a major contract with US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), with the agency adopting Amazon’s Wickr platform.

Amazon purchased Wickr in June, filling a conspicuous hole in the company’s services. While Apple, Microsoft and Google all have popular messaging platforms, Amazon did not have a widely successful platform of its own.

Wickr is known as one of the most secure, end-to-end encrypted messaging apps on the market, making it a natural choice for government agencies.

According to Motherboard, the contract is “to renew and procure additional Wickr software licenses and professional support to deploy a secure instant messaging platform for multi-purpose applications across all CBP components.”

The CBP contract is early validation of Amazon’s purchase of the service.

CBP Adopting Wickr, Amazon’s Encrypted Chat App
Matt Milano

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96% of Third-Party Cloud Container Apps Have Known Vulnerabilities

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96% of Third-Party Cloud Container Apps Have Known Vulnerabilities

A whopping 96% of third-party cloud container apps have known vulnerabilities, highlighting ongoing cloud security challenges.

Cloud computing is often touted as more secure than traditional options. Unfortunately, this is only true if all parties involved make security a prime objective.

According to Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 team, some 96% of third-party container apps have known vulnerabilities. In addition, 63% of third-party code templates contain insecure configurations.

The news is especially concerning given the rise of supply chain attacks. Hackers are increasingly targeting widely used, third-party software, services, containers and plugins. Successfully compromising a single vendor who’s product is used by thousands of customers can have a far greater impact than compromising a single target.

Unit 42 highlights the danger of supply chain cloud attacks:

In most supply chain attacks, an attacker compromises a vendor and inserts malicious code in software used by customers. Cloud infrastructure can fall prey to a similar approach in which unvetted third-party code could introduce security flaws and give attackers access to sensitive data in the cloud environment. Additionally, unless organizations verify sources, third-party code can come from anyone, including an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT).

Organizations that want to stay secure must start making DevOps security a priority:

Teams continue to neglect DevOps security, due in part to lack of attention to supply chain threats. Cloud native applications have a long chain of dependencies, and those dependencies have dependences of their own. DevOps and security teams need to gain visibility into the bill of materials in every cloud workload in order to evaluate risk at every stage of the dependency chain and establish guardrails.

96% of Third-Party Cloud Container Apps Have Known Vulnerabilities
Matt Milano

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United Airlines Will Start Firing Workers Who Don’t Get Vaccinated

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United Airlines Will Start Firing Workers Who Don’t Get Vaccinated

United Airlines is taking a zero-tolerance policy toward the unvaccinated, with plans to fire employees who refuse to get the jab.

Companies around the world are rolling out mandates, requiring their employees to get vaccinated in order to return to work. Many companies are especially emphasizing mandates for employees that travel, given their increased risk of exposure.

United Airlines told Reuters that some 593 of its employees are at risk of being fired over refusing to comply with the mandate. The company had set a deadline of September 27, and will start firing the non-compliant as early as Tuesday.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision but keeping our team safe has always been our first priority,” Chief Executive Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart said in a memo, according to Reuters.

United Airlines Will Start Firing Workers Who Don’t Get Vaccinated
Matt Milano

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Microsoft Store Will Allow Third-Party Stores

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Microsoft Store Will Allow Third-Party Stores

Microsoft has announced a major new feature of the Microsoft Store, revealing it will be open to third-party stores.

App ecosystems are under increasing scrutiny, with developers and regulators alike taking issue with Apple, and to a lesser extent Google, for not embracing third-party stores.

Microsoft is taking a different approach, announcing its upcoming Microsoft Store will allow third-party stores.

“Our commitment to being an ‘open Store for an open platform’ isn’t just about the various technical underpinnings of how apps are built,” writes Giorgio Sardo, General Manager, Microsoft Store. “It’s also about making sure our business terms are fair and help promote innovation. For instance, the Microsoft Store on Windows no longer requires app developers to share revenue with Microsoft, when apps manage their own in-app payment systems.

“In that spirit, today we’re announcing another significant update to our Microsoft Store on Windows policies, which will allow third-party storefront apps to be discoverable in the Microsoft Store on Windows. Just like any other app, third-party storefront apps will have a product detail page that can be found via search or by browsing – so that users can easily find and install it with the same confidence as any other app in the Microsoft Store on Windows. Today, we are sharing that Amazon and Epic Games will bring their storefront apps to the Microsoft Store over the next few months, and we look forward to welcoming other stores as well in the future.”

Microsoft’s move is sure to put additional pressure on Apple and Google to adjust how they administer their own stores. The new store will launch on October 5 alongside Windows 11.

Microsoft Store Will Allow Third-Party Stores
Matt Milano

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Amazon Reveals Astro, Its Home Robot

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Amazon Reveals Astro, Its Home Robot

Amazon has revealed a new robot, dubbed Astro, designed to help out around the home.

Amazon has been rumored to be working on a home robot for some time, one that builds on its Alexa line of home assistants. The company has now revealed Astro, its “vision for home robotics.”

Astro is designed to perform a variety of tasks around the home, including monitoring, keeping in touch with family and bringing items from one room to another. Alexa Guard can help Astro monitor smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms or glass breaking, and then notify the homeowner via a phone alert.

Amazon created Astro to display a “personality,” with the goal of being as helpful as possible. The robot will even hang out in areas where it can be most useful.

“Astro’s personality not only helps it communicate intent and offer delightful experiences, but it also evokes emotions like empathy when people use the device,” writes Charlie Tritschler, Vice President of Products at Amazon. “In testing, we’ve been humbled by the number of people who said Astro’s personality made it feel like a part of their family, and that they would miss the device in their home after it was gone. That kind of connection is rare with consumer electronics, but we hope it will be commonplace with Astro and other future robots in the home.”

Customers can sign up to be invited once Astro is available. The robot will cost $1,449.99, but will be available for $999.99 as part of the Day 1 Editions program when paired with a six-month Ring Protect Pro trial.

Amazon Reveals Astro, Its Home Robot
Matt Milano

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Sir Jony Ive’s Firm Partnering With Ferrari

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Sir Jony Ive’s Firm Partnering With Ferrari

Sir Jony Ive is one of the most successful product designers in the world, and will now be working with Ferrari, one of the most iconic auto makers.

Ive worked at Apple for years, designing some of the company’s most iconic and successful designs. He worked closely with CEO Steve Jobs, and the pair seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of ideas and inspiration.

Following his departure from Apple, Ive founded his own design firm, LoveFrom. The company has entered a multi-year collaboration with Ferrari, as well as the Agnelli family’s Exor N.V. holding company.

The first expression of this new partnership will bring together Ferrari’s legendary performance and excellence with LoveFrom’s unrivalled experience and creativity that has defined extraordinary world changing products. Beyond the collaboration with Ferrari, LoveFrom will explore a range of creative projects with Exor in the business of luxury.

As part of the deal, Ive will join Exor’s Partners Council, aimed at sharing ideas and exploring possible business opportunities.

“In building great companies, we also believe in building great partnerships,” said John Elkann, Chairman and Chief Executive of Exor and Chairman of Ferrari. “Soon after LoveFrom was founded we began to talk with Jony and Marc about opportunities to combine their world-renowned creativity with ours, in complementary and incremental ways. Ferrari represents a first, exciting chance to do great things together as we build our future. I’m also delighted that Jony is joining our Partners Council where we look forward to benefitting from his uniquely valuable perspectives.”

“We have been friends with John for many years and are great admirers of his insight and vision,” LoveFrom’s Ive and Marc Newson said in a statement. “We are thrilled to be embarking on such an important, long term collaboration with Ferrari and more broadly Exor. As Ferrari owners and collectors, we could not be more excited about collaborating with this extraordinary company and in particular with the design team expertly led by Flavio Manzoni. We see some uniquely exciting opportunities working together which we believe will yield important and valuable work.”

Sir Jony Ive’s Firm Partnering With Ferrari
Matt Milano

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Google Meet Testing Live Translated Captions

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Google Meet Testing Live Translated Captions

Google is testing live translated captions in Google Meet, making the feature available in beta.

Google Meet is the company’s video conferencing software, replacing the defunct Google Hangouts. As remote work has become the norm, video communication has become pivotal to everyday business.

The company is now testing the ability to provide live translation captions, with initial support for English meetings translated to Spanish, French, Portuguese and German.

Google sees the feature as an important step in improving inclusivity and making sure all parties are on equal terms within a meeting.

Translated captions helps Google Meet video calls to be more global, inclusive and effective by removing language ability as a barrier to collaboration. By helping users consume the content in a preferred language, you can help equalize information sharing, learning, and collaboration, and make sure your meetings are as effective as possible.

Those interested in trying the feature can apply to be part of the beta here.

Google Meet Testing Live Translated Captions
Matt Milano

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Ford Building EV Plants in Kentucky and Tennessee, Creating 11,000 Jobs

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Ford Building EV Plants in Kentucky and Tennessee, Creating 11,000 Jobs

Ford has announced it is investing $11.4 billion to create four plants in Kentucky and Tennessee, bringing 11,000 jobs to the region.

Like most auto makers, Ford is racing to transition its lineup to electric vehicles. The company is set on leading the industry, building on the success it’s had with the Mach-E.

As part of its plans, Ford, along with partner SK Innovation, is investing $11.4 billion to build a truck factory in Tennessee, as well as three battery plans, one in Tennessee and two in Kentucky. The investment will create 11,000 new jobs, 6,000 in Tennessee and 5,000 in Kentucky.

“This is a transformative moment where Ford will lead America’s transition to electric vehicles and usher in a new era of clean, carbon-neutral manufacturing,” said Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford. “With this investment and a spirit of innovation, we can achieve goals once thought mutually exclusive – protect our planet, build great electric vehicles Americans will love and contribute to our nation’s prosperity.”

“This is our moment – our biggest investment ever – to help build a better future for America,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “We are moving now to deliver breakthrough electric vehicles for the many rather than the few. It’s about creating good jobs that support American families, an ultra-efficient, carbon-neutral manufacturing system, and a growing business that delivers value for communities, dealers and shareholders.”

Ford Building EV Plants in Kentucky and Tennessee, Creating 11,000 Jobs
Matt Milano

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Coinbase Now Supports Paycheck Deposit to Coinbase Accounts

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Coinbase Now Supports Paycheck Deposit to Coinbase Accounts

Coinbase is making it easier to fund accounts, allowing users to deposit part of their paycheck directly into their accounts.

Coinbase is one of the leading cryptocurrency trading platforms, and the company is continually working to make it easier for mainstream users to get started. The latest feature should appeal to new users, as well as veteran traders.

The company is making it possible for users to deposit all or part of their paycheck, instead of manually funding their accounts.

“Now, you’ll save time on the extra steps it takes to move money so you can immediately earn interest on your income or earn crypto rewards with your Coinbase Card,” writes Prakash Hariramani, Sr Director, Product. “Plus, you’ll pay zero transaction fees on direct deposit funds⁴ so you have instant and free access to the cryptoeconomy.”

Coinbase emphasizes that users will have total control over the process.

“Stay in control of your money by depositing as little or as much of your paycheck as you want,” Hariramani continues. “Get paid in any of the 100+ crypto available on Coinbase or in US Dollars. Choose to get paid in crypto so you can make recurring buys or earn interest on your income (by getting paid in USDC, DAI, or other interest-yielding assets), or choose to get paid in US Dollars to be ready for any trade or to spend with your Coinbase Card.”

Coinbase Now Supports Paycheck Deposit to Coinbase Accounts
Matt Milano

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Android SMS Malware Using Fake COVID-19 Notifications to Spread

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Android SMS Malware Using Fake COVID-19 Notifications to Spread

A dangerous Android SMS malware has been using fake COVID-19 notifications to spread in the US and Canada.

Security firm Cloudmark has issued a report on the new malware, dubbed TangleBot. The malware is particularly dangerous, as it allows the attackers a significant degree of information access and control over the compromised device.

TangleBot uses SMS text message lures with content about COVID regulations and the third dose of COVID vaccines to trick mobile subscribers into downloading malware that compromises the security of the device and configures the system to allow for the exfiltration of confidential information to systems controlled by the attacker(s). The malware has been given the moniker TangleBot because of its many levels of obfuscation and control over a myriad of entangled device functions, including contacts, SMS and phone capabilities, call logs, internet access, and camera and microphone.

Until a security patch is released, Cloudmark recommends users not respond to unsolicited enterprise or commercial text messages. Users should not click on any links in such text messages. If a users believes the text may be legitimate, it’s still safer to manually enter the address in a web browser, rather than click on the link in the text.

Android SMS Malware Using Fake COVID-19 Notifications to Spread
Matt Milano

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Oracle Scores Deal to Help Telefónica Spain Migrate to the Cloud

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Oracle Scores Deal to Help Telefónica Spain Migrate to the Cloud

Oracle has scored a big win, signing a multi-year deal with Telefónica Spain to help it accelerate its cloud adoption.

Oracle has been focusing its efforts on its cloud business, working to gain share in a market dominated by AWS, Microsoft and Google. The company has some advantages working in its favor, including its ability to offer a full end-to-end solution.

The company has secured a multi-year contract with Telefónica Spain that will see the latter migrate to Oracle Exadata Cloud@Customer, an on-premise solution. Using an on-premise solution ensures compliance with the EU’s data laws.

“Digitalization and connectivity are reconfiguring the way we work and live, and Telefónica is transforming its business to support our customers in this new world. As we take advantage of these new opportunities, we need to consolidate and simplify our technological infrastructure to make ourselves more agile and adaptable, and this is where our collaboration with Oracle comes in,” says Fidel Jesús Fernández, director of Technologies and TI Transformation at Telefónica Spain. “Oracle Cloud@Customer gives us the flexibility we need to build a robust and scalable cloud platform in our own data centers, which is scalable and elastic to meet the changing needs of our business.”

“Telecommunications companies are having to reinvent their business models as they navigate changing customer expectations, capture new markets and become both service providers and enablers. Telefónica is one of the companies that is at the forefront of this change, and we are delighted to provide the power and flexibility of Oracle Cloud@Customer to support Telefónica de España and its partners in providing the next generation of digital services to consumers and companies, “says Enrique Diaz Galán, KAD for Telefónica at Oracle.

Oracle Scores Deal to Help Telefónica Spain Migrate to the Cloud
Matt Milano

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TikTok Hits 1 Billion Users

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TikTok Hits 1 Billion Users

TikTok has crossed a major milestone, saying it now has over 1 billion users.

TikTok has taken the social media world by storm, quickly becoming one of the most popular, fastest growing platforms. The app even survived the Trump administration’s attempts to ban it in the US, or force it to sell to an American company.

The company now says it has crossed the 1 billion user threshold.

At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. Today, we’re celebrating that mission and our global TikTok community. More than 1 billion people around the world now come to TikTok every month to be entertained as they learn, laugh, or discover something new. We’re honored to be a home for our immensely diverse community of families, small businesses, and creators who transform into our favorite stars.

TikTok Hits 1 Billion Users
Matt Milano

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Microsoft Joins LF Energy to Decarbonize the Grid

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Microsoft Joins LF Energy to Decarbonize the Grid

LF Energy, a Linux Foundation nonprofit, announced that Microsoft is joining its efforts to decarbonize the grid.

LF Energy’s goal is to help combat climate change by decarbonizing the energy grid, and eventually the economy. Microsoft has joined the LF Energy Foundation, and one of its executives has been chosen to be General Member representative to the foundation’s governing board.

The very ethos of open source and LF Energy is that we can accomplish digital paradigm shifts faster, more securely, and with less costs to the bottomline. We are better together than going at it alone. That collaborative might is needed now more than ever to decarbonize our power grid and, eventually, our economy to save the planet from climate change.

Against that backdrop–and the urgency we face with climate change–we are thrilled to announce that Dr. Audrey Lee, Senior Director of Energy Strategy at Microsoft, has been elected to serve as the General Member representative to the LF Energy Foundation Governing Board.

Microsoft has also said “that, by 2030, 100% of its electricity consumption, 100% of the time, will be matched by zero carbon energy purchases.”

Such a large, influential company joining LF Energy is a big win in the fight to combat climate change.

Microsoft Joins LF Energy to Decarbonize the Grid
Matt Milano

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YouTube CEO Promotes Free Speech After Removing Russian App

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YouTube CEO Promotes Free Speech After Removing Russian App

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki promoted the company’s support of free speech in Russia — after the company removed a free speech app in Russia.

Google and Apple found themselves in a firestorm of controversy after removing Putin opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s “Smart Voting” app. Privacy critics, free speech proponents and politicians condemned the companies’ actions.

Wojcicki is hitting back, saying free speech in Russia is still part of the company’s core values.

“But when we work with governments, there are many things that we have to take in consideration, whether it’s local laws or what’s happening on the ground,” Wojcicki told Bloomberg Television. “So there’s always going to be multiple considerations.”

Interestingly, despite Google at one time being willing to pull out of China over censorship concerns, the company doesn’t see that happening in Russia — at least not now.

“I think we really want to make sure that we’re working and serving audiences as much as we possibly can,” Wojcicki continued. “And if it comes to a point where there’s an issue with the government, we’ll do our best always to work that out.”

YouTube CEO Promotes Free Speech After Removing Russian App
Matt Milano

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Messaging App Signal Is Down

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Messaging App Signal Is Down

Signal, the popular and secure messaging app, is down due to technical difficulties, impacting users’ ability to stay in contact.

Signal is widely considered to be one of the most secure communication platforms on the market, and is used by military units, the US Senate and the EU Commission. The app also provides a way for iOS and Android users to have feature parity, providing a common interface and abilities to both platforms.

Late Sunday, however, some users started experiencing difficulty sending and receiving messages, with DownDetector reporting a spike in error reports.

The company posted a message in the Signal app acknowledging the issues:

Signal is experiencing technical difficulties. We are working hard to restore service as quickly as possible.

Messaging App Signal Is Down
Matt Milano

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Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures Leads Investment in Ag Robots

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Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures Leads Investment in Ag Robots

Breakthrough Energy Ventures has led a $53 million Series C investment round in Iron Ox, a leading agricultural robot company.

Since retiring from Microsoft, Bill Gates has dedicated his time to a number of causes, including climate change. His Breakthrough Energy Ventures is a climate fund that encompasses a number of different organizations.

Breakthrough Energy’s latest investment is in Iron Ox, a company that launched autonomous farming in 2018.

Iron Ox, which launched autonomous farming in 2018, grows produce in proprietary greenhouses designed from the ground up to mitigate the environmental impacts of agriculture — a data-driven approach backed by plant science, robotics and artificial intelligence.

The closed-loop system optimizes plant yield, expands growth cycles and maximizes crop quality. The result is delicious, nutritious, locally sourced fruits and vegetables that currently cost about the same as produce from conventional farms, with substantially lower environmental impacts.

This round of $53 million brings total funding to $98 million.

“World-class investors know that humanity’s most important pursuit is to reverse climate change. To get there, we can’t settle for incrementally more sustainable crops — and we can’t ask consumers to compromise on taste, convenience or value,” said Iron Ox CEO and Co-Founder Brandon Alexander. “We are applying technology to minimize the amount of land, water and energy needed to nourish a growing population. The team at Iron Ox will not stop until we achieve our long-term mission of making the produce sector carbon negative.”

Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures Leads Investment in Ag Robots
Matt Milano

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Google Working to Bring Android Closer to Linux Kernel

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Google Working to Bring Android Closer to Linux Kernel

Google is working to bring Android closer to the Linux kernel in a move that could significantly speed up development time.

Android is arguably the biggest Linux-based operating system (OS) in existence, powering billions of devices the world over. Unfortunately, the OS is a far cry from the base Linux kernel, being forked several times before it gets to a user’s device. The first fork occurs when Google takes the Linux kernel to create the base Android kernel, and then again by each chip maker, and yet again by device manufacturers.

The end result of repeated forking is that it can take a significant amount of time for improvements, features and fixes to make their way from the top all the way to the end user.

According to Ars Technica, Google is working on an innovative solution to the problem, one that will only require a single fork from the Linux kernel. From that point forward, System on Chip (SoC) venders — Qualcomm, Samsung and others — and device manufactures will be able to use plugins to customize Android, rather than relying on additional kernel forks.

The end result will be a much shorter path from the original Linux kernel to end user devices. This will allow Google and its Android ecosystem partners to develop and release updates and patches much faster than the current fragmentation allows.

Fragmentation and delayed update cycles have been a major problem for Android since its inception. Unlike iOS, where the majority of users quickly migrate to the latest version, Android users are far more spread out over multiple versions of the OS. This poses a problem for Google, as well as the many third-party developers. Google’s efforts to address this are good news for developers and users alike.

Google Working to Bring Android Closer to Linux Kernel
Matt Milano

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5 Benefits of Hiring a PHP Developer

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5 Benefits of Hiring a PHP Developer

According to the US Board of Labor and Statistics, web development jobs will grow by 8% by the year 2029, which is much faster than average. This trend is not unique to the US market, it is a global phenomenon. All thanks to the growing expansion of technology and the internet all over the world. That’s why a full-stack PHP developer is a highly demanded position right now. If you wondered what PHP development is about and whether you need to hire a PHP developer, this article is for you.

PHP Development in Business

First of all, let’s define the role of PHP development for all types of companies.

PHP is a server-side scripting language that is mostly used for static/dynamic web pages or apps. A full-stack PHP developer works with this open-source language for web development. It was released in 1995 but it is still developing and constantly updating.

How popular is PHP? Well, 79% of all websites are written with PHP. Here are the well-known platforms created by PHP developers:

• Facebook
• WordPress
• Slack
• Spotify
• Digg
• Wikipedia
• Yahoo
• BlaBlaCar

The reason behind the popularity of this language is simple – it has many benefits to offer to businesses and individuals. The most prominent ones are:

1. Flexibility. It is supported by the majority of platforms and can be used on various OS, including UNIX, macOS, Windows, and Linux. It is supported by almost every server and can be used with 20 different databases, like MySQL. That’s why it is perfect for cross-platform applications.
2. Cost. As an open-source and free language, it is extremely budget-friendly. There is no license required and it is distributed freely. It is especially great for small companies and startups.
3. It has a diverse range of frameworks. A full stack PHP web developer can choose one of many helping frameworks to work with, which makes scripting easier and faster.
4. Code reusability allows rapid development and short release time. It is an object-oriented language, which saves a lot of time.  
5. It is a perfect hosting option because of the simple development and wide range of compatible solutions.

A business can simply expand website features with hundreds of free add-ins and tools ready to use. There are plenty of in-build security tools and the fact that the code is hidden from users makes it more protected.

Overall, PHP allows fast and simple development of the customized website and web applications at a low budget.

Source

What PHP Developers Can Do

If you are still not sure whether to hire full-stack PHP developer or not, have a look at what problems such professionals can solve for a business.

A range of responsibilities of such specialists includes writing, testing, and maintaining the code for web applications and websites. Professionals handle the design of such solutions as well as troubleshooting and release. They also make sure that the source code is flawlessly compatible with other tools used, for example, a client-side language.

A PHP programmer can help with:

• Building and releasing a custom website or business web application designed to one’s specific needs;
• Code analysis of an existing website or solution. Such a professional can not only create new software but also comprehensively analyze and update the existing one, add more features, and increase its performance;
• Deciding on the final functionality, design, and layout of a website/app;
• Optimization of existing database or development of a new one;
• Testing and implementation of the developed solution eliminating any errors or mistakes;
• Maintaining and upgrading developed software to increase its efficiency or customer retention.

Usually, PHP professionals work in the server-side logic of an application. Because of the small learning curve and simplicity of the language, they can bring the project to life in a relatively short time.

Pros and Cons of Hiring PHP Engineers

To make an informed decision, let’s define the pros and cons of hiring such a professional for your project.

Pros:

• The website is a major component of any business’s success. It is a digital representation of a brand, its values, attention to detail, etc. PHP programmers are able to create custom and highly functional solutions that work with almost any OS, platform, or device. It is a top choice for multi-platform software;
• PHP developers can create frameworks, content management systems, databases, web designs, and web template systems according to the company’s specific needs;
• There is a huge number of available sources, third-party solutions, educational materials, and references available.  It makes development fast and efficient;
• PHP is supported worldwide and offers higher load speed for websites;
• It is a free and flexible solution that works with MySQL, HTML, and cloud platforms as well;
• Basically, a PHP engineer can do everything a company might need, from HTML page to access server to complex large-scale apps.

Cons:

• It is a mature language, which means it might have some tricky ways to do some things, there might be some baggage. But with expertise and experience, a programmer can work around that just fine;
• Because it is an open-source language, it implies that security measures should be top-notch. It doesn’t mean that PHP in itself isn’t secure, but rather that developers need to be cautious about it. An expert engineer will keep this in mind while planning the architecture of software with protection in mind.
• Lack of libraries for specific needs, for example, machine learning. There is not much to choose from if one is looking for a machine learning-powered app.

Source

PHP Developer Salaries Worldwide

The cost of hiring such a specialist depends not only on their expertise but on geographical location as well. Here are the annual rates in 5 different countries to compare.

US – $90,294

UK – $78,348

Germany – $62,494

Switzerland – $92,790

Ukraine – $51,656

In Summary

PHP is an excellent option for businesses looking into fast and flexible web development. Professionals working with this language can bring affordable yet incredible functional solutions according to the most sophisticated requirements.

5 Benefits of Hiring a PHP Developer
Brian Wallace

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Google Lowers Third-Party Cloud Marketplace Fees

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Google Lowers Third-Party Cloud Marketplace Fees

Google Cloud has made a major change in hopes of being more competitive, slashing the commission it charges for third-party cloud app sales.

Much like Google or Apple’s app stores, cloud providers often charge a commission on third-party apps and services that vendors sell on their cloud marketplaces. Google had previously charged a 20% commission, but has lowered its fee to 3%.

The move will help Google better compete with its rivals, and brings its revenue share percentage inline with them. According to CNBC, it’s estimated that AWS charges roughly 5%, while Microsoft reduced its fees from 20% to 3% in July.

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian has made no secret of his desire to help the company move from third to second place in the cloud industry within the next several years. Matching its rivals’ revenue share fees is critical if it wants to continue to attract developers and third-party vendors.

“Our goal is to provide partners with the best platform and most competitive incentives in the industry,” a Google spokesperson told CNBC. “We can confirm that a change to our Marketplace fee structure is in the works, and we’ll have more to share on this soon.”

Google Lowers Third-Party Cloud Marketplace Fees
Matt Milano

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Salesforce COO Bret Taylor a Rising Star, In Increasing Demand

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Salesforce COO Bret Taylor a Rising Star, In Increasing Demand

There appears to be a leadership shift in play at Salesforce, with COO Bret Taylor increasingly in demand among the company’s customers.

CEO Marc Benioff has been the face of the company since he founded it in 1999. According to Business Insider, however, customers are increasingly asking for COO Bret Taylor when discussing business.

The move is seen as an indication that Taylor is viewed as heir-apparent for the top job at Salesforce, once Benioff retires.

“I’ve seen a lot of cases where Bret is just becoming more and more in demand with the sales leaders, where they want him,” said Kevin Gibbs, the head of Salesforce Mobile, in a Business Insider interview arranged by Salesforce. “They want him to talk to the CEO, to talk to the leader of those companies, over all the other leaders inside the company over the past five years.”

Salesforce COO Bret Taylor a Rising Star, In Increasing Demand
Matt Milano

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China’s Cryptocurrency Crackdown Intensifies, All Transactions Banned

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China’s Cryptocurrency Crackdown Intensifies, All Transactions Banned

China is intensifying its war on cryptocurrencies, banning all transactions, as well as all mining.

China has traditionally accounted for the lion’s share of crypto mining, and especially bitcoin, but the government has been taking an increasingly dim view of the technology. Back in May, there was talk the government could eventually issue a total ban on crypto, 

The Chinese government has followed through on those threats, banning all cryptocurrency transactions, as well as mining, on Friday.

“This is really about establishing a state monopoly in payments,” George Selgin, an economist and senior fellow at the Cato Institute, told The Seattle Times. “The most obvious implication is that the state will have more opportunities to monitor citizens’ economic activity.”

Bitcoin dropped as much as 7% on the news, before eventually recovering.

China’s Cryptocurrency Crackdown Intensifies, All Transactions Banned
Matt Milano

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ExpressVPN Linked to UAE Spy Ring, Company’s Integrity in Question

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ExpressVPN Linked to UAE Spy Ring, Company’s Integrity in Question

ExpressVPN may be one of the most popular VPN options available, but some are calling for users to abandon it as its integrity is now in question.

The US intelligence community was rocked by accusations that former operatives had turned mercenary-for-hire, working for the UAE to surveil the regime’s critics. Code-named “Project Raven,” the operatives’ efforts were not restricted within the UAE. Instead, Project Raven included surveillance of the regime’s critics around the world, including the US. The targets included activist and journalists.

This revelation has roped in ExpressVPN, as one of those former intelligence operatives working as part of Project Raven included the company’s Chief Information Officer, Daniel Gericke. Some concluded that ExpressVPN was not aware of Gericke’s past when they hired him, but the company has said they were aware of that past — and hired him anyway.

The news has not gone over well with the company’s critics or customers. In fact, Gizmodo has gone so far as to say customers should look for other options.

ExpressVPN acknowledged how much it knew about Gericke’s past in a statement:

When we hired Daniel in December 2019, we knew his background: 20 years in cybersecurity, first with the U.S. military and various government contractors, then with a U.S. company providing counter-terrorism intelligence services to the U.S. and its ally, the U.A.E., and finally with a U.A.E. company doing the same work. We did not know the details of any classified activities, nor of any investigation prior to its resolution this month.

The investigation ExpressVPN mentions is one led by US prosecutors. A deal was reached in which the defendants, including Gericke, were able to avoid jail time in exchange for fines, cooperation and certain employment restrictions.

ExpressVPN goes on to explain why it hired Gericke:

To do that job effectively—to do it, as we believe, better than anyone else in our industry—requires harnessing all the firepower of our adversaries. The best goalkeepers are the ones trained by the best strikers. Someone steeped and seasoned in offense, as Daniel is, can offer insights into defense that are difficult, if not impossible, to come by elsewhere. That’s why there is a well-established precedent of companies in cybersecurity hiring talent from military or intelligence backgrounds.

The company says its decision ultimately paid off:

Since Daniel joined us, he has performed exactly the function that we hired him to do: He has consistently and continuously strengthened and reinforced the systems that allow us to deliver privacy and security to millions of people.

Even if ExpressVPN was not aware of an active investigation into Gericke, it’s hard to imagine the company couldn’t see potential issues if they were aware of his past as they say they were.

ExpressVPN Linked to UAE Spy Ring, Company’s Integrity in Question
Matt Milano

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How the Ecommerce Theme You Choose Helps to Deliver the Best Brand Experience

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How the Ecommerce Theme You Choose Helps to Deliver the Best Brand Experience

Ecommerce is a lucrative market for many businesses. By now, nearly every retail brand has either started or is working on launching an ecommerce store.

Global ecommerce revenue is projected to reach 5.4 trillion US dollars by 2022. Therefore, more and more retailers have jumped into the ecommerce space to make more money. With increasing competition, however, it has become crucial for ecommerce businesses to deliver the best brand experience for improved customer retention and brand loyalty.

The choice of your website’s ecommerce theme plays a vital role in preparing an UX-friendly digital destination that helps to acquire more customers.

What is an ecommerce theme?

An ecommerce theme is a pre-built design that you can select for your online store. It helps to deliver the best user experience to your customers.

Why is the choice of your ecommerce theme significant?

Around 40% of site visitors will stop interacting with your site if the layout is unattractive. Selecting the right ecommerce theme for your online store helps your customers to do business with you with ease.

What features should you look for in your ecommerce theme?

The features that you should have in your site depends on the kind of website that you are looking to build.

That having been said, here are the top features you should look for in every ecommerce theme:

Responsive Design

A responsive website is mobile-friendly. Having a responsive site design ensures that your website’s look and functionality stays the same irrespective of the browsing device. It doesn’t matter whether the visitor is visiting your store using a mobile device or a desktop, they will be able to complete the purchase easily.

A responsive design also has a positive impact on Google rankings, because Google and other search engines consider site design, user experience, and mobile browsing experience before ranking a website.

Hence, a responsive website has more chances of ranking higher in the search results as compared to a non-responsive site. Besides, a responsive site is easy to maintain and cost-effective.

Speed

Faster loading websites naturally offer a more smooth user experience. Google and other search engines now consider site speed in their ranking algorithm.

The recent Page Experience update from Google takes into account Core Web Vitals as a key ranking algorithm factor. Core Web Vitals comprises metrics such as LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), FCP (First Contentful Paint), and FID (First Input Delay), which collectively measure the real world user experience. Sites that pass the Core Web Vitals test have the best chances of being placed higher in the search results.

You can use the Page Speed Insights tool to check the page speed score of a website. The higher the score, the better would be the UX and organic rankings.

Therefore, before selecting a theme, you should conduct some research on the theme loading speed. Sometimes, fancy elements and design don’t matter much when compared to simple site design with a high speed.

Ease of Use

You should always select an ecommerce theme with a simple and easy to use navigation.

For example, your theme should have a search bar, because often visitors are looking to search for a particular product to complete the purchase. If your site doesn’t have a visible search bar, then it might lead to poor conversions and a high bounce rate.

Opt for a theme that has nicely designed “breadcrumb navigation” and prominent category and subcategory links. Besides, the CTAs should be large and clear. There are maximum chances of conversions when the CTAs are placed higher in the page leading to more clicks.

Security

Website security is crucial for a good user experience. Google takes website security very seriously. Make sure your ecommerce site offers good security.

Opt for an SSL certificate and pick a trustworthy web host. Ensure, your ecommerce theme does not have any vulnerabilities that makes it easier for hackers to steal customer data.

Support for integrations and widgets

Most of the time, you will realize that it is much easier to install a widget or an app to add an additional feature to your online shop.

You can find essential apps and plugins in the respective directories of your ecommerce platform. Plugins are powerful because they let you add beneficial functionalities to your store without the need to hire a developer. You can easily search and install a plugin of your choice to add different functionalities to improve UX and SEO.

Hence, you should see whether your chosen theme is compatible with the plugins you plan to use. You should select an ecommerce theme that offers the support for maximum plugins, apps, and widgets.

Final thoughts

Building and managing your ecommerce business is challenging nowadays. The choice of your ecommerce theme decides the future of your online business.

An SEO friendly store layout helps to acquire relevant organic traffic to your site. Besides, an UX-friendly theme keeps customers happy as it improves conversion and retention, which are significant to boost your online revenue.

You should have a brilliant online marketing strategy, powered by a robust ecommerce theme to drive more qualified traffic to your site.

How the Ecommerce Theme You Choose Helps to Deliver the Best Brand Experience
Brian Wallace

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Surface Duo to Get Android 11 This Year

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Surface Duo to Get Android 11 This Year

Microsoft has confirmed that original Surface Duo devices will receive an upgrade to Android 11 by the end of the year.

The Surface Duo is Microsoft’s dual-screen Android device that integrates the company’s software and services with Android. Microsoft is preparing to ship the Surface Duo 2, and the second-generation device will come with Android 11 pre-installed.

Owners of the original device won’t be left out in the cold however, as the company told The Verge users can expect an Android 11 upgrade in the coming months.

“We remain committed to providing updates to Surface Duo, and we’re working to bring Android 11 to existing customers before the end of this year,” a Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge.

Surface Duo to Get Android 11 This Year
Matt Milano

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White House Wades In As Chip Crisis Poised to Cost Auto Industry $210 Billion

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White House Wades In As Chip Crisis Poised to Cost Auto Industry $210 Billion

The White House is discussing the ongoing semiconductor crisis with companies as the auto industry is poised to lose $210 billion in revenue.

The semiconductor crisis has taken a major toll on the auto industry, with manufacturers around the world being impacted. For example, GM recently announced it would shut down most of its American plants as a result of the shortage, and had previously said it would ship some 2021 trucks without their full complement of chips, leading to 1 MPG less than previous models.

Companies are taking various measures to ease the shortage. Intel has said it will start producing chips for the auto industry, but warned it would take months before its first chips were produced.

In the meantime, a report from AlixPartners is warning the crisis will cost auto makers $210 billion in revenue in 2021, exacerbated by a COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia, a main hub for automotive semiconductor manufacturing.

“Of course, everyone had hoped that the chip crisis would have abated more by now, but unfortunate events such as the COVID-19 lockdowns in Malaysia and continued problems elsewhere have exacerbated things,” said Mark Wakefield, global co-leader of the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners. “Also, chips are just one of a multitude of extraordinary disruptions the industry is facing—including everything from resin and steel shortages to labor shortages. There’s no room for error for automakers and suppliers right now; they need to calculate every alternative and make sure they’re undertaking only the best options.”

At the same time, the White House is engaging with companies in an effort to determine what measures can be taken to ease the crisis. According to TheStreet, executives from Apple, Ford, General Motors, Intel, Microsoft and Samsung were expected to attend a meeting at the White House Thursday to discuss the issues.

Unfortunately, in the short term, there appears to be no quick fixes or easy answers to the problem.

White House Wades In As Chip Crisis Poised to Cost Auto Industry $210 Billion
Matt Milano

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EU Wants Unified Smartphone Chargers

WebProNews
EU Wants Unified Smartphone Chargers

The EU is following through on its interest in a unified smartphone charging interface, preparing to pass legislation requiring the use of USB-C.

One of the more frustrating aspects of modern smartphones is the different chargers and cords that different manufacturers use. While many have already adoped USB-C, Apple still uses its Lightning port for most of its iPhones, as well as some iPads.

The EU sees this as harmful and wasteful, not only to consumers, but also the environment, according to SFGate.

“Chargers power all our most essential electronic devices. With more and more devices, more and more chargers are sold that are not interchangeable or not necessary. We are putting an end to that,” said Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner. “With our proposal, European consumers will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics – an important step to increase convenience and reduce waste.”

Apple pushed back, saying the move would potentially stifle innovation, a claim Breton dismissed.

“If Apple wants to continue to have their own plug, they will have the ability to do it. It’s not against innovation, it’s just to make the lives of our fellow citizens a little bit more easy,” Breton said.

Apple already provides a USB-C charging brick that can be used with USB-C to Lightning cables.

Companies will have two years to implement the changes once the legislation goes into effect.

EU Wants Unified Smartphone Chargers
Matt Milano

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