4 Essential Components Every Business Needs for Successful IT Management

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4 Essential Components Every Business Needs for Successful IT Management

IT management is increasingly vital to the success of any business in today’s digital era.

With the rise of cloud computing, big data, and cybersecurity threats, companies must have an effective IT management strategy to keep pace with the rapidly changing technology landscape. Nonetheless, IT management can be challenging, and several companies find it hard to stay afloat.

This article will examine four crucial elements necessary for effective IT management for any business. By implementing these components, businesses can improve their operations, reduce costs, and enhance security, all while staying ahead of the competition.

Hardware and Software Infrastructure

A company’s hardware and software infrastructures are the backbone of its IT system, and it plays a critical role in supporting the organization’s daily operations. 

The hardware infrastructure includes servers, workstations, routers, switches, and storage devices, while the software infrastructure includes operating systems, productivity software, and enterprise applications. 

By optimizing the use of their hardware and software resources, companies can improve their operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and minimize the risk of data loss or corruption. Also, having a secure infrastructure that is protected from external threats can help companies avoid costly data breaches and other cybersecurity incidents.

Upgrading hardware and software infrastructure can be a significant investment, but it is essential to keep pace with the latest technological advancements. Newer hardware and software can offer improved performance, increased reliability, and enhanced security features. 

Moreover, companies should also ensure that their IT infrastructure is properly maintained and monitored. This includes performing regular backups, installing software patches and updates, and monitoring network traffic for potential security threats. 

By having a proactive approach to infrastructure management, companies can avoid potential IT issues before they occur and minimize the impact of any unexpected problems.

In recent times, many businesses have opted for cloud-based infrastructure as it offers numerous advantages such as scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. By adopting cloud-based infrastructure, companies can lower their expenses related to hardware and software while still ensuring that their systems remain secure and reliable. 

According to recent research by Gartner, there is a significant shift in enterprise IT towards cloud-based solutions. The research includes the application software, infrastructure software, business process services, and system infrastructure markets, with a projected 51% of IT spending in these categories expected to shift to the public cloud by 2025. 

This represents a notable increase from the 41% of spending on traditional solutions in 2022. In particular, spending on cloud technologies for application software is projected to increase from 57.7% in 2022 to 65.9% in 2025.

These figures indicate the increasing importance of cloud-based solutions in the hardware and software infrastructure component of successful IT management.

Web Development

Web development is a crucial aspect of IT management for any business that wants to thrive in the digital age. It involves the creation and maintenance of websites and web applications that allow businesses to reach their customers and deliver services more efficiently.

Web development offers a significant advantage for businesses in that it allows them to establish an online presence. By creating a website, businesses can offer customers a virtual storefront where they can explore products, make purchases, and learn about the company. Without a website, businesses run the risk of losing potential customers to competitors who have an established online presence. 

Web development also plays a critical role in customer engagement. Websites can be designed to provide customers with personalized experiences that cater to their preferences and needs. This can be achieved through the use of technologies such as cookies, user accounts, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

Despite being aware of these advantages of web development, many businesses still struggle to keep this aspect intact, especially with their new recruits. Web developer boot camps are an excellent way for businesses to educate their new employees about how web development works. 

These boot camps typically offer intensive training programs that cover the basics of web development, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other programming languages.

To opt for these boot camps, businesses can research and find reputable providers that offer comprehensive training programs. Many of these boot camps are available online, which can be particularly beneficial for remote employees or those who cannot attend in-person classes.

Reading online reviews can help in selecting the right online provider for web developer beginner boot camps. For instance, Alexia Young tried web developer beginner boot camps developed by Fullstack Academy, which helped her gain the required knowledge and skills within four weeks. As a result, she received two job offers from companies she was excited about.

During the interviews, the companies were impressed with her capabilities and knowledge, which she had gained through the boot camp. This experience suggests that high-quality boot camps can provide students with a competitive edge in the job market, even if they lack prior experience in web development.

Cybersecurity Measures

Effective cybersecurity measures are critical for the success of any business’s IT management strategy. In light of the increasing risk of cyber-attacks and data breaches, it is imperative for businesses to be proactive in safeguarding their systems and sensitive information.

Robust passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are crucial elements in ensuring cybersecurity. Weak passwords can be susceptible to hacking attempts, potentially rendering systems vulnerable to exploitation. MFA provides an additional security layer by necessitating supplementary authentication, such as a code sent to a user’s phone, along with their password.

Another vital component of cybersecurity is regular software updates and patching. Cybercriminals can exploit software vulnerabilities to infiltrate systems and steal data. By regularly updating software and patching known vulnerabilities, businesses can prevent these attacks.

Employee training and education are also crucial in maintaining effective cybersecurity. Employees should be trained on how to identify phishing scams, avoid downloading malicious software, and other best practices for maintaining cybersecurity.

The rising cost of cybercrime is a significant concern for businesses, with predicted global costs of up to $8 trillion in 2023, according to Cybersecurity Ventures. This underscores the importance of effective cybersecurity measures to protect businesses from costly data breaches and cyber-attacks.

In addition, the expected cost of damages resulting from cybercrime is set to increase to $10.5 trillion by 2025, highlighting the need for businesses to prioritize cybersecurity measures as a fundamental aspect of their IT management strategy.

IT Support and Help Desk

Effective IT support and help desk services are essential components of successful IT management for businesses. Their primary responsibility is to offer the required technical expertise and support to employees to address issues efficiently and promptly.

One key aspect of IT support is having a dedicated help desk team that is easily accessible to employees. The team responsible for IT support should possess the essential knowledge and expertise to resolve diverse technical problems, including network connectivity issues and hardware and software problems.

Another key element of IT support is the use of remote support tools. These tools allow help desk technicians to access and troubleshoot employee devices remotely, which can save time and reduce the need for in-person support.

Regularly monitoring and maintaining IT systems proactively can aid in preventing issues from occurring initially. This may include tasks like performing routine system backups, updating software, and implementing security patches. 

Effective IT support and help desk services are essential components of successful IT management for businesses. According to a report by Future Market Insights, the worldwide Help Desk Software industry touched roughly $9.9 billion in 2021. With a projected CAGR of 9.4% over the next ten years, this market is expected to continue to grow significantly, potentially reaching a valuation of nearly $26.8 billion by 2032.

The figures highlight the increasing importance of IT support and help desk services for businesses, as well as the need for effective IT management strategies that include leveraging the latest software and tools to provide efficient and high-quality support to employees.

Conclusion

Successful IT management is critical for businesses in today’s digital age, and it requires attention to several key components. By implementing these proactive measures, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and ensure their systems are secure, reliable, and scalable. 

By prioritizing these essential components, businesses can optimize their IT management and position themselves for success in the competitive digital landscape.

4 Essential Components Every Business Needs for Successful IT Management
Brian Wallace

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Microsoft’s Charlie Bell Joins Twilio Board of Directors

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Microsoft’s Charlie Bell Joins Twilio Board of Directors

Twilio announced that Microsoft’s Charlie Bell has joined the company’s board of directors.

Bell is a well-known veteran of the tech industry, having served for 23 years at Amazon. When Jeff Bezos stepped down as Amazon CEO and was replaced by AWS CEO Andy Jassy, many saw Bell as Jassy’s natural successor. Instead, he ended up leaving Amazon and was hired by Microsoft to lead the company’s new Security, Compliance, Identity, and Management Team.

Twilio is eager to tap into Bell’s expertise as it continues to grow its platform.

“Charlie is one of the most well respected and admired technologists in the world, with a historic career building AWS from the ground up for more than two decades and now running cybersecurity at the world’s largest software company, Microsoft,” said Jeff Lawson. “Charlie’s expertise in both cybersecurity and running infrastructure technology businesses at scale brings an invaluable skill set to the Twilio board. I look forward to Charlie’s contributions to Twilio as we continue to build the leading customer engagement platform serving hundreds of thousands of businesses and millions of developers each year.”

“Twilio is committed to maintaining a strong, engaged Board, and evaluates its composition on an ongoing basis to ensure our Board reflects the appropriate diversity of viewpoints, experiences and backgrounds to oversee the Company’s evolving business needs,” said Jeff Epstein, Lead Independent Director of the Board. “Charlie’s experience as a leading expert on cybersecurity as well as his impressive track record of elevating the execution and operations of businesses he’s supported, make him the ideal addition to the Board as we continue to bolster the depth of our security expertise and focus on realizing Twilio’s growth potential.”

“I have had the privilege of working with companies that have redefined the tech sector as we know it,” said Charlie Bell. “I know bold innovation is possible, and as companies of all sizes look for smarter, better and more effective solutions to reach their customers, Twilio is building the infrastructure to meet their needs. I look forward to working with the rest of the Twilio Board and its management team to create the leading customer engagement platform in a world that’s more engaged than ever before.”

Microsoft’s Charlie Bell Joins Twilio Board of Directors
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Microsoft Brings Collaborative Security to Teams

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Microsoft Brings Collaborative Security to Teams

Microsoft is beefing up Teams’ security features as the platform is increasingly used to share sensitive information.

According to the company, some 71% of organizations admit to sharing sensitive information across communication platforms like Teams. As a result, these platforms represent a new risk for information being leaked, harked, or stolen, prompting Microsoft to add a number of new security features.

One such feature allows users to report a suspicious link so security teams can take the appropriate measures:

Now we are taking message protection to the next level by giving users the ability to report suspicious messages directly in Teams – similar to what they do today in Microsoft Outlook to report suspicious emails. The security team will be alerted whenever users report suspicious messages and can view them in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal.

Going forward, all user submissions will also be compiled into an auto-generated investigation suspicious URL clicks, giving SOC teams an even more efficient experience to review these suspicious messages and respond faster.

Microsoft is also adding the ability for Teams to auto-detect malicious messages:

For a faster response and automatic action, we are bringing zero auto purge (ZAP) to Microsoft Teams, which protects end-users by analyzing messages post-delivery and automatically quarantines messages that contain malicious content to stop the actor from compromising the account. The power of this capability lies in the holistic approach – once a malicious message is identified, the entire Teams environment will be scanned for that same indicator of compromise and quarantine relevant messages at scale for more effective protection.

While the default configuration for ZAP is to move all malicious messages into quarantine, where SOC teams can analyze them further and decide on next steps, the policy can be easily tailored to suit an organization’s preferred action and workflows.

The company is also adding a number of features to help SecOps analyze data and better identify areas where security needs to be improved.

Overall, these new features are necessary and welcome additions to Teams and should go a long way toward helping companies protect sensitive information.

Microsoft Brings Collaborative Security to Teams
Matt Milano

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Strengthening Business Cybersecurity With CASB

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Strengthening Business Cybersecurity With CASB

The development of cloud computing technology has revolutionized business operations worldwide. Companies use cloud computing to process and store data so employees can access them anywhere. Unfortunately, this convenience is accompanied by security challenges companies should address to keep sensitive information and intellectual property safe.

A Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) is a reliable solution to this problem. Cloud Access Security Brokers can provide protection, visibility, and control to cloud-based data and applications. 

These features are essential to business cybersecurity because it prevents unwanted parties from accessing vital company data. This reduces the risk of sensitive information leaking to the public or being stolen and sold to a competitor.

Features of a Cloud Access Security Broker

A Cloud Access Security Broker is an intermediary between an organization’s IT infrastructure and its cloud-based applications and services. By using CASB, companies will have visibility into their cloud usage. They will also be able to prevent security incidents like DDoS attacks, ransomware attacks, and data breaches. Here is a complete list of features businesses will benefit from integrating CASB into their cloud security framework.

• Visibility and Control

Company executives will have oversight into the usage of their cloud-based applications so they can track employee activities on these applications. This oversight helps management teams identify security risks and take prompt actions to curb them before they get out of hand. 

CASBs can detect, block, and report unauthorized entry and data exfiltration attempts to a company’s cybersecurity team so they can take other precautionary measures if necessary. A CASB will also give an organization control over the usage of its cloud servers so it can enforce its cybersecurity policies. Controlling employee cloud server access will prevent data loss and help them adhere to government data regulations.

• Threat Protection

Cloud Access Security Brokers offer protection against cyber attacks. They use machine learning and behavioral analytics to detect suspicious activity and discover signs that indicate the presence of cyber threats. CASBs also scan traffic moving in and out of cloud servers for malware and other harmful content, so they can be blocked and quarantined before reaching their destination.

• Regulatory Compliance

Governments require companies to protect consumer data. Using a CASB to prevent data breaches and unwanted data access ensures an organization complies with the regulations. This will help them avoid hefty fines and sanctions and preserve their reputation in the public eye.

• Scalability

As companies expand their operations, it might become challenging to maintain oversight and control of their cloud servers. Fortunately, CASBs allow for scalability so businesses of all sizes can get the cloud protection they need. They can be integrated with other security tools and service providers to create a more robust cybersecurity system. 

Endnote

Many businesses use cloud-based services and applications to streamline their operations and make it easy for employees to access files needed for their jobs. However, this can lead to data leaks and exposure to malware which will endanger the system. Using a security tool like CASB will provide threat protection and protect companies from unauthorized entries to their cloud servers.

Strengthening Business Cybersecurity With CASB
Brian Wallace

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Italy Blocks ChatGPT

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Italy Blocks ChatGPT

Italy’s privacy watchdog has blocked ChatGPT’s use within the country, citing privacy concerns over how OpenAI handles user data.

EU countries generally take a stronger stance on privacy than the US and often follow one another’s lead. That doesn’t bode well for ChatGPT in the EU after Italy’s Italian Data Protection Authority decided to block the use of the AI “with immediate effect.”

According to Barron’s, the watchdog said it could not justify “the mass collection and storage of personal data for the purpose of ‘training’ the algorithms underlying the operation of the platform”.

It also expressed concern for the welfare of minors, saying the app “exposes minors to absolutely unsuitable answers compared to their degree of development and awareness.”

It remains to be seen if other jurisdictions will follow suit, although it certainly won’t be surprising if they do.

Italy Blocks ChatGPT
Matt Milano

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Developer Company Touca Is Shutting Down

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Developer Company Touca Is Shutting Down

Touca, the tool that helps developers avoid regressions in their code, has announced it is shutting down after two years.

Pejman Ghorbanzade founded Touca two years ago, a project born out of “frustration with the status quo of poor developer experience in writing, maintaining, and running software tests.” The company’s product supports 13 engineering teams and more than 1,000 software engineers.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to keep the company alive, and Ghorbanzade has announced it is shutting down.

Despite growing usage, we had not yet found product-market fit when the down market started. We failed to secure more funding. Our revenue declined as some of our largest customers downgraded to cut costs. In the process to convert our nice-to-have product to a must-have, we burnt out.

We started with the ambitious vision to tenfold developer productivity by fundamentally changing how engineers test their code changes. We set out to grow Touca into the likes of GitHub, Replit, and Retool. A series of recent setbacks have depleted our mental fortitude to realize that vision. While there is a path to sustain Touca as a small business, the opportunity cost would be too high. We are returning our cash to our investors while we can still make them whole.

Fortunately, thanks to Touca being open source, the product will live on…even if the company doesn’t.

Touca is shutting down as a business, but our fully open-source product will live on. We plan to continue supporting our users and maintaining the project we started five years ago.

Developer Company Touca Is Shutting Down
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Ethereum Shanghai Upgrade Is Close: What Does It Mean For The Ethereum Ecosystem?

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Ethereum Shanghai Upgrade Is Close: What Does It Mean For The Ethereum Ecosystem?

The Merge was a significant upgrade to the Ethereum network, aiming to make it more environmentally friendly by reducing energy consumption. But it wasn’t the only one, as more improvements are expected in the Ethereum ecosystem, including the Surge, the Verge, the Purge, and the Splurge. These upgrades aim to increase the network’s scalability, sustainability and security, making Ethereum much more reliable. In the long run, this could benefit the crypto industry significantly, attracting more investors and eliminating concerns about the energy implications of digital assets.

The Shanghai upgrade is the second huge event in the network, set to take place in March 2023, and will bring different improvements to the Ethereum blockchain, the main one being the ability to withdraw staked ETH. Since the Beacon Chain was first launched in December 2020, users have contributed to the network by validating transactions, but this was a one-way trip, as funds were locked and, thus, unable to access. Below, we will discuss the Shanghai Upgrade in more detail to help you understand how this event will impact the eth coin price and the overall Ethereum network.

What will the withdrawal process involve?

Once the Shanghai Upgrade launches, around 16 million staked ETH will be available to validators. However, it’s worth noting that validators will have to wait for a specific period before they can unstake their ETH. This is because the blockchain has a single queue dedicated to full and partial withdrawals, and each slot enables only 16 partial withdrawals.

When unstaking their ETH, validators can choose between two options:

– unstake the rewards accumulated over time by creating a withdrawal credential;

– unstake all 32 ETH (the maximum allowed for every validator) by completely exiting the Beacon Chain.

Just as with the Merge, the Shanghai Upgrade requires different steps until it can go live successfully. Testnets, for example, are a great tool, as they enable the simulation of the ETH withdrawal. Zhejiang is the first testnet, which took place on February 1, followed by the Sepolia and Goerli testnets.

How will the Shanghai Upgrade benefit liquid staking?

The Shanghai Upgrade will drive innovation in liquid staking solutions. The increased frequency of staking, withdrawing and restaking of ETH rewards may lead to the development of more complex financial applications aiming to maximize yield and minimize risk. These applications could take the form of staking derivatives, allowing investors to gain exposure to staking rewards without holding the underlying asset. Moreover, as staked ETH becomes more liquid, it may be possible to develop lending solutions that provide people with access to ETH staking, further expanding the range of financial products available in the Ethereum ecosystem.

Shanghai will benefit individual liquidity providers by making it easier for users to manage their staked assets. This may increase the attractiveness of liquid staking platforms as a source of yield. As a result, liquid staking platforms will compete more aggressively for liquidity providers by offering extra incentives and features, like lower fees and more attractive rewards. This increased competition may result in a virtuous innovation cycle in the liquid staking space, creating better user experiences and more reliable infrastructure for staking ETH.

Will the Shanghai Upgrade trigger an increase in the ETH price?

The ability to withdraw rewards anytime will make staking more appealing for risk-averse investors, as they know they can access their funds even in times of market turbulence. This has the potential to increase the number of stakers. Moreover, Shanghai will incentivize ETH liquidity provision on decentralized exchanges, making the process less risky and ultimately benefiting the Ethereum ecosystem by increasing the efficiency of token swaps.

Shanghai will also make a difference in the Ethereum network by increasing decentralization. This is because stakers will be able to withdraw funds from a staking pool quickly, meaning they won’t be locked into it for a long time. This will result in a more distributed staking ecosystem, boosting the security and stability of the Ethereum network.

As this new era of unlocked ETH is getting close, crypto traders are trying to predict how the market will change after the Shanghai Upgrade. While some believe this event will increase the ETH price, others expect a bear market will follow. It’s hard to predict the outcome, and only time will tell whether this upgrade will bring massive opportunities to investors. However, the long-term effects are likely to be positive considering the above mentioned aspects, like ETH liquidity provision and improving decentralization.

Ethereum to reach new heights once all the upgrades are completed

Ethereum is the 2nd leading cryptocurrency for a reason: the token has proven reliable repeatedly, and investors love it because of its remarkable features and utility. But it isn’t flawless, and those within the Ethereum ecosystem know there is always room for improvement. After the first upgrade (the Merge) was announced, many were excited about what this change could mean in the world of cryptocurrencies. While it did change some things, there’s a long way to go until Ethereum bridges all the gaps in the crypto space. It’s a continuous process, and there’s no doubt that once all the upgrades are completed, the journey will be worth it, no matter how long and tempestuous. Once Ethereum’s scalability improves, the transaction speed will increase, and more transactions will be allowed per second. If the process is successful (and probably will be), there will be a crypto boom in the future.

The bottom line

It is uncertain how the Shanghai Upgrade will impact the Ethereum price, but one thing is clear: this event is another big step in improving Ethereum’s PoS network and making it more functional. It’s important to remember that crypto prices are volatile, and you should make investment decisions only after researching thoroughly. Losses are part of the crypto game, and sometimes they can significantly impact investors’ financial health. So, it is advisable to approach the market cautiously and use your judgment when investing in digital assets.

Ethereum Shanghai Upgrade Is Close: What Does It Mean For The Ethereum Ecosystem?
Brian Wallace

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‘Insanely Broad’ RESTRICT Act Could Be Used to Ban VPNs, Other Services

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‘Insanely Broad’ RESTRICT Act Could Be Used to Ban VPNs, Other Services

With the US on the verge of passing the RESTRICT Act, which would allow it to ban TikTok, experts are warning it is “insanely broad.”

The US and its allies have grown increasingly worried about the security and privacy threat TikTok poses. US lawmakers are working to pass the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats Act, which would allow an administration to ban foreign services that are deemed a security threat.

Legal experts are warning that the legislation is so broad it threatens the First Amendment and could be used to ban almost any service, app, or platform originating outside the US, according to Motherboard.

“The RESTRICT Act is a concerning distraction with insanely broad language that raises serious human and civil rights concerns,” said Willmary Escoto, U.S. policy analyst for digital rights organization Access Now.

“This bill certainly is troubling in that it would grant a great amount of power to the executive branch,” said Riana Pfefferkorn, researcher scholar at the Stanford Internet Observatory. “That should be unsettling in any context: recent examples around the world, from Israel to China, are showing us the risks that arise from upsetting checks and balances to favor executive power.”

“It absolutely does implicate those free speech rights for Congress to give the President the power to take ‘appropriate’ action—up to and including banning—against a particular ICTS in the name of national security or Americans’ security and safety. (Even if you trust Joe Biden with this power, would you trust Donald Trump — who tried to ban TikTok as well as WeChat while in office — with it?),” she added.

VPN providers are a perfect example of the kind of service that could be banned using the RESTRICT Act. Many VPNs, including the excellent Mullvad, are developed by foreign companies. Meanwhile, US intelligence and law enforcement agencies have made no secret of their desire to undermine encryption in the name of security.

It’s entirely possible that US intelligence and law enforcement agencies could prevail upon an administration to ban all foreign VPNs, forcing Americans to only use domestic options that are legally required to cooperate with efforts to surveil individuals.

“The RESTRICT Act could lead to apps and other ICT services with connections to certain foreign countries being banned in the United States. Any bill that would allow the US government to ban an online service that facilitates Americans’ speech raises serious First Amendment concerns,” Caitlin Vogus, deputy director of the Center for Democracy & Technology’s Free Expression Project, told Motherboard. “In addition, while bills like the RESTRICT Act may be motivated by legitimate privacy concerns, banning ICT services with connections to foreign countries would not necessarily help protect Americans’ privacy. Those countries may still obtain data through other means, like by purchasing it from private data brokers.”

It remains to be seen if the RESTRICT Act will pass. Even if it does, it may be reworked to address the above concerns. If not, however, it could ultimately lead to a significant loss of the privacy and online security that Americans currently enjoy.

‘Insanely Broad’ RESTRICT Act Could Be Used to Ban VPNs, Other Services
Matt Milano

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Judge Sanctions Google for Deleting Evidence

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Judge Sanctions Google for Deleting Evidence

Google is facing a catastrophic setback in its antitrust case, with the judge sanctioning the company for deleting evidence.

Google is facing a multidistrict antitrust suit over how it manages its Android ecosystem. The plaintiffs, including states’ district attorneys, have maintained that Google intentionally destroyed chats that it had a legal obligation to preserve by setting its systems to automatically delete chats after 24 hours.

In one of the most damning pieces of evidence, the plaintiffs submitted a chat in which CEO Sundar Pichai moved a conversation from a history-on chat to a history-off chat, allegedly to ensure there would be no record of the relevant communication.

It seems the Court agrees with the plaintiffs, with U.S. District Judge James Donato sanctioning Google (via Reuters):

During discovery in this multidistrict litigation (MDL) case, plaintiffs obtained information indicating that Google did not adequately preserve communications that were exchanged internally on its Chat message system. Plaintiffs say that this shortfall was intentional and deprived them of material evidence. They have requested sanctions under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(e). Dkt. No. 349.1 After substantial briefing by both sides, and an evidentiary hearing that featured witness testimony and other evidence, the Court concludes that sanctions are warranted.

Judge Donato also calls out specific instructions and training Google employees were given to protect their communication and to make it difficult for them to ever be used in a legal setting. One such strategy included using no-history Google Hangouts chats. Another strategy revolved around including a lawyer’s name in the list of addresses an email is sent to to, effectively making the email “protected by the attorney-client privilege.”

Judge Donato’s decision then asks and answers if Google did enough to preserve communications for the legal proceedings:

The record establishes that Google fell strikingly short on that score. Several aspects of Google’s conduct are troubling. As Rule 37 indicates, the duty to preserve relevant evidence is an unqualified obligation in all cases. The Court’s Standing Order for Civil Cases expressly spells out the expectation that “as soon as any party reasonably anticipates or knows of litigation, it will take the necessary, affirmative steps to preserve evidence related to the issues presented by the action, including, without limitation, interdiction of any document destruction programs and any ongoing erasures of e-mails, voice mails, and other electronically-recorded material.” Standing Order for Civil Cases Before Judge James Donato.

Google clearly had different intentions with respect to Chat, but it did not reveal those intentions with candor or directness to the Court or counsel for plaintiffs. Instead, Google falsely assured the Court in a case management statement in October 2020 that it had “taken appropriate steps to preserve all evidence relevant to the issues reasonably evident in this action,” without saying a word about Chats or its decision not to pause the 24-hour default deletion. Case No. 20-5761, Dkt. No. 45 at 11. Google did not reveal the Chat practices to plaintiffs until October 2021, many months after plaintiffs first asked about them. See Dkt. No. 429 (Google’s response to Court’s questions) at 3 (“Google informed Plaintiffs on October 21, 2021, that it had not suspended the 24-hour retention policy for history ‘off’ chats.”). The Court has since had to spend a substantial amount of resources to get to the truth of the matter, including several hearings, a two-day evidentiary proceeding, and countless hours reviewing voluminous briefs. All the while, Google has tried to downplay the problem and displayed a dismissive attitude ill tuned to the gravity of its conduct. Its initial defense was that it had no “ability to change default settings for individual custodians with respect to the chat history setting,” Dkt. No. 427-3 ¶ 25, but evidence at the hearing plainly established that this representation was not truthful.

The judge expressed concerns that he did not want the entire case to hang on some deleted chats but did say Google should pay the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees and costs as a monetary sanction.

As to whether Judge Donato will issue an adverse jury instruction based on the finding, he wants to wait until the end of fact discovery to see the “state of play” and better determine how much the destroyed evidence has damaged the plaintiffs’ case.

Judge Sanctions Google for Deleting Evidence
Matt Milano

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All About the Louisville Economy

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All About the Louisville Economy

Louisville, Kentucky is a city of many charms and is known for its rich history, diverse culture, and vibrant neighborhoods. With a population that has grown by nearly 150% in the last 50 years, Louisville is a bustling city with a thriving economy and an affordable cost of living.

The Louisville Economy

One of the major draws to Louisville is its strong economy. As the home of the UPS International Air Hub, Louisville is the largest employer in the city and enables the region to be a logistical hub for all things shipping, logistics, warehousing, transportation, and manufacturing. The city has seen $22.8 billion in projects announced, started, or finished since 2014, which has contributed to its continued growth and economic success. 

Additionally, Louisville boasts a low cost of living, ranking 91.8 out of 100 within Jefferson County. The cost of goods is 94% of average, housing is 77.5% of average, and utilities are 78.5% of average, making it an attractive option for those looking to settle down, ramp up, or start a new chapter of their lives.

Louisville is also known for its mild climate, which boasts an average of 46 inches of rain per year, 9 inches of snow per year, and 195 sunny days per year. The mild temperatures, with a summer average high of 88 degrees and a winter average low of 26 degrees, make it a comfortable place to live year-round.

Cool Culture

The culture of Louisville is also a major attraction. The city is home to some of the biggest cultural events in America, including the St. James Court Art Show, the Kentucky Derby, and the Forecastle Music Festival. There are also plenty of attractions to enjoy, such as Downtown Bourbon Row, the Muhammad Ali Center, Hurricane Bay, and the Louisville Slugger Museum. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy Waterfront Park, Falls of the Ohio State Park, Iroquois Park, and the extensive parkland projects such as Bernheim Forest and McNeely Lake Park.

One of the biggest draws to Louisville, however, is its diverse and vibrant neighborhoods. With over 150 neighborhoods in Louisville and Jefferson County, there is a wide range of homes for families to browse, buy, and customize. Some of the best neighborhoods to live in near Louisville include Cherokee Seneca, with an average home value of $536,051 and local attractions such as Seneca Golf Course, Cherokee Park, and Le Moo Steakhouse. Belknap, with an average home value of $317,196, is home to Bellarmine University, the Louisville Zoo, the Louisville Mega Cavern, and the Alpine Ice Arena. Old Louisville, with an average home value of $354,102, boasts the Kentucky Derby Museum, the largest collection of restored Victorian homes in the country, and the third-largest Historic Preservation District in the US. 

In Conclusion

Louisville is a wonderful city that offers a lot to its residents. With a strong economy, mild climate, vibrant culture, and diverse neighborhoods, there is something for everyone in Louisville. Whether you are looking to settle down, ramp up, or start a new chapter of your life, getting some Louisville real estate may be the ideal place to do so.

Source: Finish Line Realty

All About the Louisville Economy
Brian Wallace

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AutoCAD Comes to Apple Silicon

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AutoCAD Comes to Apple Silicon

Autodesk has announced the latest version of AutoCAD for the Mac, bringing support for Apple Silicon Macs.

AutoCAD is the de facto standard in drafting and design software. Unfortunately for Mac users, the product had not been rebuilt for Apple’s custom silicon. The latest version, AutoCAD for Mac 2024, finally brings full support for Apple Silicon, along with expected performance improvements.

For the first time, AutoCAD for Mac 2024 and AutoCAD LT for Mac 2024 now run natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon architectures, including M1 and M2 chips in the M-series chips. The support for Apple Silicon can increase overall performance by up to two times compared to 2023

“AutoCAD for Mac 2024 and AutoCAD LT for Mac 2024 deliver incredible, new performance improvements with the ability to run AutoCAD natively on Apple silicon,” says Dania El Hassan, Director of Product Management for AutoCAD, Autodesk. “It’s exciting to see how customers can now take full advantage of the latest hardware and M-series chips for faster ways to work.”

The new version also includes a number of new features, including support for Italian and Spanish, Markup Import and Markup Assist features, Smart Blocks placement, Trace Updates, 3D Color Background Application Preference Updates, and 3D Connexion Device Support.

AutoCAD Comes to Apple Silicon
Staff

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WWDC 2023 Slated for June 5, Mixed-Reality Headset Expected

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WWDC 2023 Slated for June 5, Mixed-Reality Headset Expected

Apple has revealed details about its WWDC 2023 event and is expected to finally reveal its long-rumored mixed-reality headset.

Apple’s WWDC is one of the most anticipated tech events of the year, with the company using it to unveil new products and major software updates. The company has been working on its mixed-reality headset and it’s believed it will finally make an appearance at WWDC.

Aside from the headset, WWDC should have the usual rollout of new products and hype.

“WWDC is one of our favorite times of the year at Apple because it’s an opportunity to connect with the talented developers from around the globe who make this community so extraordinary,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “WWDC23 is going to be our biggest and most exciting yet, and we can’t wait to see many of you online and in person at this very special event!”

WWDC 2023 Slated for June 5, Mixed-Reality Headset Expected
Staff

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Wozniak, Musk, and Others Ask Industry to Pause AI Experiments

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Wozniak, Musk, and Others Ask Industry to Pause AI Experiments

Some of the tech industry’s leading figures have signed an open letter asking companies to pause AI experiments.

Artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm, with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing AI and Google’s Bard leading the charge. The speed with which AI is evolving has impressed many and terrified others.

Steve Wozniak, Elon Musk, and dozens of others are asking the tech industry to stop asking what AI can do and instead ask if AI should be doing it.

Contemporary AI systems are now becoming human-competitive at general tasks,[3] and we must ask ourselves: Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilization? Such decisions must not be delegated to unelected tech leaders. Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable. This confidence must be well justified and increase with the magnitude of a system’s potential effects. OpenAI’s recent statement regarding artificial general intelligence, states that *”At some point, it may be important to get independent review before starting to train future systems, and for the most advanced efforts to agree to limit the rate of growth of compute used for creating new models.”* We agree. That point is now.

The signatories ask the tech industry to pause further development for six months to allow experts to implement safety protocols for future development.

Therefore, we call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. This pause should be public and verifiable, and include all key actors. If such a pause cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium.

AI labs and independent experts should use this pause to jointly develop and implement a set of shared safety protocols for advanced AI design and development that are rigorously audited and overseen by independent outside experts. These protocols should ensure that systems adhering to them are safe beyond a reasonable doubt. This does not mean a pause on AI development in general, merely a stepping back from the dangerous race to ever-larger unpredictable black-box models with emergent capabilities.

The full letter can be read here.

Wozniak, Musk, and Others Ask Industry to Pause AI Experiments
Matt Milano

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PSA: Update Your iPhone and iPad Now

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PSA: Update Your iPhone and iPad Now

Apple has released iOS and iPadOS 16.4, containing a slew of security fixes, including at least one addressing a zero-day vulnerability.

The latest iOS and iPadOS update address at least 32 vulnerabilities. One of them involves a zero-day WebKit flaw that would allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on a compromised device.

According to TechRadar, Apple is aware of the issue being actively exploited:

“Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited,” Apple describes the zero-day. “Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.”

All users are encouraged to update immediately.

PSA: Update Your iPhone and iPad Now
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The Safest Payment Methods for 2023

With so many malicious crimes targeting online payments as well as identity theft, cybercrime is no doubt on the rise these days, people lose their funds when making payments through a variety of numerous services that accept online payments, personal information can be stolen information and various confidential data. In December 2022, researchers conducted a certain assessment that found that bank card fraud losses in the United States would be $165.1 billion over the next decade. Meanwhile, Insider Intelligence notes that “cardless” payments, including online transactions, account for the majority of fraudulent transactions, with the key goal being to steal funds and sensitive information. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do certain things to keep your data and your money safe when shopping online. The good news is that there are many useful and effective payment security solutions and numerous in-person and online payment methods with technology and robust features to fully protect your personal information.

Safe and effective online payment methods

To keep your online shopping transactions as secure as possible in 2023, consider the following online payment methods.

Credit card

Credit cards are generally the safest form of payment when shopping online. Credit cards actively use the most effective online security features, such as encryption and fraud detection, to protect your account and personal information. The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) limits legal liability for fraudulent credit card charges to a maximum of $50. This means that even if a hacker or thief gets your credit card number, you won’t be part of their purchases, no matter how much they spend.

ACH payments

Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments allow you to securely transfer money directly from your bank account to another bank account. This payment network implements several effective security features, including encryption and access control to protect your banking information.

Saved payment credentials

According to the PYMNTS How We Pay Digitally 2022 survey, 80% of online shoppers will use payment information stored in various online accounts to make online purchases in 2022. Compare your credit card and bank account information from last year. To make purchases with saved payment information more secure, you should choose a fraud-protected credit card as your payment method.

A secure face-to-face payment method

Thanks to the active development of modern technologies, personal payments are more secure than ever, especially when using mobile devices when making payments online. The following private payment methods have advanced security features to completely protect your confidential information and funds when making payments.

Credit card with an EMV chip

You used to have to swipe your credit card through a payment terminal to pay for a purchase, but nowadays most credit cards are actively using EMV chip technology instead of magnetic stripes. Using modern EMV technology, the payment terminal reads the card and receives the unique encrypted information sent by the card’s chip. This technology effectively helps prevent fraud because the unique cryptographic information is different for each transaction you make when making a payment. Over the last decade, this technology has developed rapidly in the United States of America and around the world, the very phenomenon of credit card tokenization has become extremely popular and widespread, because tokenization provides full protection during payments, prevents any kind of fraud with bank cards, prevents the leakage of confidential data and funds

Credit card for contactless payments

Contactless payments actively use the same technology as credit cards with EMV chips and encryption. For credit cards that support contactless payments, when you swipe your card through a payment terminal, you send a one-time encrypted code to the payment terminal. By the time COVID-19 entered our lives in 2020, contactless payments were rapidly growing around the world. However, this trend only accelerated with the onset of the pandemic, and its popularity is growing at a very fast pace.

Numerous payment programs are available

Payment apps like PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Facebook Pay allow you to conveniently and securely store multiple payment methods in one place. Payment apps give you access to key features like multi-factor authentication, notifications, and even online payments using facial and fingerprint recognition technologies. For example, Apple Pay requires a passcode on your device, but you can also set up Face ID or Touch ID. Apple Pay does not store or access your payment information. It also does not store any information about transactions that can be linked later.

Key payment methods to avoid

All payment methods have certain disadvantages (significant and non-significant), but debit cards are the riskiest method of payment. Debit cards offer the convenience of a card because you don’t have to carry cash or write a check, the money you use is tied to your bank account. Debit cards will only incur losses if you report a fraud on your account within two business days of discovering the fraud. If you do not report card fraud after more than 60 days, you risk losing the entire amount charged to your debit card/account. For example, funds from a bank account on linked accounts. This is according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This means that actively using your debit card to make purchases online or in person can put your money at risk.

Ensuring the security of online payments

Google Pay, Mastercard, and many other modern electronic payment systems invest considerable funds in cashless payments. Therefore, paying for goods and services on the Internet is as reliable as paying with banknotes at the cash register. It’s even safer because there’s no risk of getting the wrong balance. Efforts by financial companies are futile when debit card holders allow criminals to gain personal access to their accounts. Like cash payments, secure online payments require caution and follow key rules. How can I pay securely with a bank card online? You must comply with information security. Let’s consider the key tips for ensuring security when making online payments.

Step 1. Get another card for online payments

If you often shop online, transfer the required amount to another card before shopping.

Step 2. Do not buy anything online if the store page does not have a secure connection

How to check? A lock will appear next to the site address. The address itself must begin with five characters “https://”. Depending on your computer or smartphone settings, you may see a lock or “https://”. Modern browsers individually identify untrusted websites and warn users when they request payment authorization. It’s a good idea to carefully check suspicious websites for scams.

Step 3. Limit your online payments to a certain amount

Set limits for online payments.

Step 4. Rejection of automatic recurring payments

Read the terms you agree to when placing an order. This may include repeated withdrawals from your card, even if this was not apparent at the time of purchase. Connect payment cards and transaction information via SMS and push notifications via smartphone apps.

Step 5. Avoid phishing sites

Criminals create clones of official websites to fraudulently obtain customer payment details using debit cards. Pay attention not only to the appearance of the page but also to the address of the page.

Step 6. Provide only the information that is required

Some stores may ask for the cardholder’s name. Additional data, such as date of birth or mother’s maiden name, are not required for payment. If the site requires it, you are dealing with scammers. Also, remember that the CVV2 code should only appear on online payment forms. Do not share this confidential information with anyone.

Step 7. Never enter your bank card password when making an online purchase

PIN codes from a bank card are used in ATMs. This is not necessary for online payments. If the site on which you want to make an online purchase supports 3D Secure protection technology, you will need one-time passwords that will be sent to you via SMS, Viber, or your bank’s mobile application.

Step 8. Back up the phone number associated with your bank account

The mobile number to which the bank card is linked must be removed from the social network.

What is the phenomenon of tokenization? What key benefits does it bring to modern society?

Most people associate tokenization only with cryptocurrencies. Like cryptocurrencies, tokenization is based on blockchain technology. However, the technology now has a wider use than digital currencies, as it adds some value to digital tokens and allows assets to be bought and sold online. Tokenization plays an increasingly important, key role in exchanges, tokenization can effectively protect confidential data and assets from any leakage. The concept of tokenization is a form of asset digitization. That is, taking the value of the property in an electronic version. The entire process is based on decentralized blockchain technology, which is known for its cryptocurrency power. 

The phenomenon of tokenization consists of the creation of tokens and their distribution among specific people, companies, and projects. Nowadays, tokenization makes it possible to tokenize all types of assets while reducing the cost of their transfer. To understand the concept of tokens, it is worth explaining what blockchain is. It is a digital database that stores the history of transactions, payments, and accounting records. This is an accounting archive where you can check the status of the company. Blockchain platforms are transparent and public, so anyone can access them, but not everyone can change them. Also, the blockchain infrastructure is decentralized, so it is never in one place. The concept of a token is digital ownership of a certain asset. They are issued by a specific company and an investor who buys and owns them. Thus, tokens are somewhat equivalent to shares.

What are the key benefits of tokenization and why should it be actively used?

Tokenization is becoming more and more popular every year. Cryptocurrencies have undoubtedly helped to increase interest in this process, but this is far from the only reason why more and more people are interested in tokenization and its active use. Tokenization is especially useful for the many companies and institutions that need reliable protection of their confidential data. Tokenization allows data to be removed from the environment and replaced with tokens that contain unique information. In the case of a cyber-attack, instead of accessing the user’s data, the criminal gets access to the token itself, which turns out to be worthless to him.

Companies also want to use tokenization as part of securely sending and receiving payments. This increases the buyer’s confidence in their transactions and protects the company’s interests by ensuring completely secure transaction processes. Another key advantage is a significant reduction in the risk of any data leakage. This allows for better protection of confidential information from external disclosure. All these things that tokenization contains have a very positive effect on the trust of customers in the company and significantly increase the innovative power of the company.

What is blockchain? It is a database that stores the history of transactions, payments, or accounting records. They play the role of a kind of “accountant” and have access to what is happening in the company. In short, users enter data on the blockchain platform, which is an anonymous and public platform, instead of making “paper” calculations. Thanks to this, everything is visible, transparent, and even more secure. As the name suggests, blockchain is made up of blocks of data. Each data block contains a fixed number of records containing transactions. These blocks are connected. 

This means that if someone wants to change the data (for example, transfer coins from a foreign account), they have to change the data in the block of data after the block they want to change, this is not possible. Another key security feature is that blockchain databases are decentralized databases. This means that there is no single place where the data servers are located, every user using the blockchain is a full-fledged trader. Tokens are usually issued by organizations that want to attract foreign investment. Investors buy tokens to add value to them. Tokens correspond to shares of trading companies and differ in that they are not shares, but goods. It should be noted that tokens should not be equated with cryptocurrencies, as tokens are property rights.

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Google Cloud and Replit Partner to Compete With GitHub

Google and AI startup Replit have partnered to better compete with GitHub, using AI to enhance software development.

Microsoft-owned GitHub is benefiting from its parent company’s heavy investment in AI, and Google is clearly interested in closing the gap. The company has turned to Replit, a startup focused on using AI for collaborative software development.

“Our partnership with Google Cloud on infrastructure and AI is a clear step toward our mission of bringing the next billion software creators online. AI has changed software development forever. The seamless idea-to-deployed software experience that Replit provides developers will continue to set a new bar for software creation,” said Amjad Masad, the CEO and Head of Engineering at Replit. “We’re thrilled to build this.”

“Generative AI can bring significant new capabilities to businesses and developers, including the ability to easily, safely, and scalably create new software applications and online experiences with little or no coding experience,” said June Yang, VP, Cloud AI, and Industry Solutions at Google Cloud. “Google Cloud infrastructure and foundation models in Vertex AI will power Replit’s widely-adopted platform, delivering more performance and scalability to millions of developers around the world.”

Replit already has 20+ million developers using its products, making it one of the fastest-growing developer platforms. As part of the deal, Replit developers will be able to tap into the power of Google Cloud in addition to Replit Ghostwriter.

Replit’s cloud infrastructure and AI products like Ghostwriter make it one of the fastest places to go from idea to deployed software application. Through this new partnership with Google Cloud, developers using Replit will have global access to Google Cloud infrastructure and Google’s foundation models on Vertex AI. The collaboration aims to support Google Cloud’s goal of enabling companies to accelerate their development process using AI.

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Fearful Investors May Find Safety In Gold – Or A Shiny Illusion

 The ongoing battle with inflation, fears of recession, an up-and-down stock market, and concerns about banking stability are making for a turbulent ride for investors. However, instead of reaching for an air-sick bag, many are seeking safety in gold. 

It is not just the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank earlier this month that has spurred the recent gold rush. Many turned to gold during the pandemic. Since then the inflation resulting from the post-pandemic recovery has accelerated the trend.

Last year gold demand increased by 18 percent, according to the World Gold Council’s “Gold Demand Trends” report. That is the highest level since 2011.

Seeking Safety In Gold

Historically, gold has done well during inflation. That is largely due to the perception that it is a safe investment. As a result of that perception, many investors turn to gold. The influx of investors in the gold market tends to raise the metal’s price.

Even long-time critics of gold can spot a profit-making opportunity by taking advantage of this lemming effect.

Buffet On Gold

Sage investor Warren Buffett has been a lifelong critic of gold as an investment. In a 2011 letter to investors, he wrote, “ Gold, however, has two significant shortcomings, being neither of much use nor procreative. True, gold has some industrial and decorative utility, but the demand for these purposes is both limited and incapable of soaking up new production. Meanwhile, if you own one ounce of gold for an eternity, you will still own one ounce at its end.”

In the same letter, he stated investing in gold was driven by fear and profiting from that fear. 

“What motivates most gold purchasers is their belief that the ranks of the fearful will grow,” wrote Buffett.

Interviewed later that year on CNBC’s “Squawk Box”, Buffett doubled down on that view saying, “basically gold is a way of going long on fear, and it’s been a pretty good way of going long on fear from time to time.”

The Oracle of Omaha must have smelled blood in the water in 2020. That is when Berkshire Hathaway, his investment firm, sunk $560 million in gold mining firm Barrick Gold. Some gold evangelists thought Buffett had got religion. However, it was just a short play. Consequently, Buffett sold his holdings within six months for a profit. 

Central Banks And Gold

Since inflation motivates many gold buyers, the actions of central banks to control inflation play an important role in investor swings to gold. We have seen that with the Federal Reserve’s efforts to hammer inflation down with rapid rate hikes.

However, another important factor in the price of gold is that it is traded internationally in U. S. dollars. As a result, there is an inverse relationship between the dollar and the price of gold.

So, when the dollar trades higher against other currencies, gold becomes more expensive. Consequently, when the dollar declines, gold is cheaper which often leads to more international investing.

Many of those international investors are central banks of foreign countries.

Since 2010, central banks have been net buyers of gold. Russia, for example, has upped its gold buying since it was hit with sanctions following its 2014 conquest of Crimea. At that time Russia was slapped with sanctions. 

China was second to Russia in gold buying over the last two decades. However, most central banks buying gold are in developing countries.

Gold Price Fluctuations

The destabilizing effect of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 may have prompted those countries to seek safety in gold. 

The price of the precious metal topped $2,000 an ounce that same month. However, later a strong dollar and Fed rate hikes drove the price down 20 percent.

Gold did not pass $2,000 an ounce again until this month’s bank failures.

Forecasts Cloudy For Safety In Gold

Going forward, analysts are split on gold’s price. 

ANZ Research recently revised its outlook on gold. It sees the commodity hovering around $2,000 by the end of the year and rising to $2,075 in late 2024.

On the other side of the ingot, Trading Economics sees the price continuing downward. The analytics firm predicts gold will be at $1,779 a year from now.

In January, a Reuters poll of analysts predicted the price would average $1,890 in 2024. 

Conclusion

Gold’s reputation as a safe investment is due to the fact that its price typically does not move down as markets move down. Conversely, it does not go up as markets rise. Therein lies the rub.

The only return on gold is its price appreciation because it can not generate income like stocks and bonds. Furthermore, its price can be volatile.

If you are seeking safety in gold, it may work best as part of a balanced portfolio in the hope that it holds its value during inflation. However, if you are looking for a reliable profit, you might want to use it to bet on the fear of others. If you do not believe me, just ask Mr. Buffett.

(This post originally appeared on SavingAdvice.com)

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Bill Gates: ‘The Age of AI Has begun’

Bill Gates, famed Microsoft co-founder, has spoken up on AI, saying the technology “struck me as revolutionary.”

Gates is well-respected within the tech community for his role in creating and leading one of the most influential software companies in history. The former Microsoft CEO details two encounters with technology that left a lasting impression. The first was being introduced to a graphical user interface in 1980, and the second was an OpenAI demonstration last year.

I’d been meeting with the team from OpenAI since 2016 and was impressed by their steady progress. In mid-2022, I was so excited about their work that I gave them a challenge: train an artificial intelligence to pass an Advanced Placement biology exam. Make it capable of answering questions that it hasn’t been specifically trained for. (I picked AP Bio because the test is more than a simple regurgitation of scientific facts—it asks you to think critically about biology.) If you can do that, I said, then you’ll have made a true breakthrough.

Gates thought his challenge to the OpenAI team would take years to complete, but they called him back in just a few months to demonstrate their progress.

In September, when I met with them again, I watched in awe as they asked GPT, their AI model, 60 multiple-choice questions from the AP Bio exam—and it got 59 of them right. Then it wrote outstanding answers to six open-ended questions from the exam. We had an outside expert score the test, and GPT got a 5—the highest possible score, and the equivalent to getting an A or A+ in a college-level biology course.

Once it had aced the test, we asked it a non-scientific question: “What do you say to a father with a sick child?” It wrote a thoughtful answer that was probably better than most of us in the room would have given. The whole experience was stunning.

Gates goes on to discuss in great detail the possibilities for AI to revolutionize one industry after another, making the case that AI is poised to make incredible contributions to humanity.

I’m lucky to have been involved with the PC revolution and the Internet revolution. I’m just as excited about this moment. This new technology can help people everywhere improve their lives. At the same time, the world needs to establish the rules of the road so that any downsides of artificial intelligence are far outweighed by its benefits, and so that everyone can enjoy those benefits no matter where they live or how much money they have. The Age of AI is filled with opportunities and responsibilities.

Bill Gates’ essay is a fascinating read and one anyone interested in artificial intelligence should consider.

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UK Narrows Its Focus In Microsoft/Activision Investigation

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is narrowing its focus as it investigates Microsoft’s proposed Activision Blizzard deal.

Microsoft has slowly been winning over regulators in its efforts to purchase Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. A big part of the company’s success has come from signing deals to ensure Call of Duty remains on competing consoles. The EU recently signaled it will allow the deal to proceed, and now the CMA has — provisionally — ruled that Microsoft no longer poses a threat to competition in the console market.

The CMA has received a significant amount of new evidence in response to its original provisional findings. Having considered this new evidence carefully, together with the wide range of information gathered before those provisional findings were issued, the CMA inquiry group has updated its provisional findings and reached the provisional conclusion that, overall, the transaction will not result in a substantial lessening of competition in relation to console gaming in the UK.

At the same time, the CMA still has concerns about Microsoft’s influence in the cloud gaming market.

The CMA’s addendum to its provisional findings today relates only to competition in the supply of consoles and not to competition in the supply of cloud gaming services, where the CMA is continuing to carefully consider the responses provided in relation to the original provisional findings. The CMA’s merger investigation continues, and it remains due to issue its final report by 26 April 2023.

“Provisional findings are a key aspect of the merger process and are explicitly designed to give the businesses involved, and any interested third parties, the chance to respond with new evidence before we make a final decision,” said Martin Coleman, chair of the independent panel of experts.

“Having considered the additional evidence provided, we have now provisionally concluded that the merger will not result in a substantial lessening of competition in console gaming services because the cost to Microsoft of withholding Call of Duty from PlayStation would outweigh any gains from taking such action.

“Our provisional view that this deal raises concerns in the cloud gaming market is not affected by today’s announcement. Our investigation remains on course for completion by the end of April.”

Although Microsoft’s deal isn’t out of the woods yet, the provisional finding is certainly good news and keeps the deal alive.

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FTC Looking At Cloud Providers’ Business Practices

The Federal Trade Commission is taking a look at cloud providers’ business practices, asking the public for comments.

Cloud computing is becoming increasingly important across industries, impacting Americans in almost every aspect of their lives. As a result, there is growing concern about the security risks involved, the cost, and the antitrust implications.

As a result, the FTC wants the public’s input on cloud providers’ practices:

The staff of the Federal Trade Commission is inviting public comments about the practices of Cloud Computing Providers and their impact on end users, customers, companies, and other businesses across the economy. FTC staff is studying a wide array of issues related to market power, business practices affecting competition, and potential security risks. Staff is also interested in cloud computing with respect to specific industries, including but not limited to healthcare, finance, transportation, eCommerce, and defense. For these specific sectors or more broadly, are there particular market dynamics shaping business practices that affect competition and consumer protection in cloud computing services? If so, what influences are shaping these market dynamics?

Those wanting to contribute can read the entire FTC’s brief here…

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Hyundai Isn’t Sold on Touchscreens, Vows to Keep Physical Controls

Touchscreens may be all the rage in new vehicles, but Hyundai isn’t sold on the idea and has vowed to keep using physical controls.

According to Carsguide, Sang Yup Lee, Head of Hyundai Design, made clear the company has no intention of abandoning physical controls anytime soon. The company doesn’t believe touchscreens provide the safety and familiarity of physical controls.

“We have used the physical buttons quite significantly the last few years,” Lee said. “For me, the safety-related buttons have to be a hard key.”

“When you’re driving it’s hard to control it, this is why when it’s a hard key it’s easy to sense and feel it,” he added

“We will continue to have [physical dials],” he continued. “When it comes to Level 4 autonomous driving, then we’ll have everything soft key, but until then, as I said, when it comes to driving it’s safest to have your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.”

The exec’s proclamation is good news for drivers who prefer things a little more old-school.

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Ford’s EV Unit Is Losing Billions, Company Likens It to a Startup

Ford revealed that its EV unit is losing billions of dollars and says it should be viewed as a startup, one Ford is committed to.

Like virtually every automaker, Ford is leaning heavily into electric vehicles. The company has already become the second-largest EV maker and expects 40% of its lineup to be electric by 2030.

According to AP News, Ford’s gains in the EV market are coming at a steep price. The company’s EV unit lost $3 billion before taxes over the last two years and is expected to lose a similar amount this year.

Despite the early losses, Ford expects its EV division, “Ford Model e,” to be profitable before taxes by late 2026. The company was less than forthcoming about when the unit would cross the profitable mark.

“As everyone knows, EV startups lose money while they invest in capability, develop knowledge, build (sales) volume and gain (market) share,” Chief Financial Officer John Lawler said.

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JPMorgan Testing Biometrics to Replace Credit Cards

JPMorgan is testing a way to replace credit cards, using biometric identification as a way for users to pay for purchases.

According to Bloomberg, JPMorgan is experimenting with face and palm recognition as a way for users to identify themselves and make purchases. The pilot program is rolling out to a variety of select merchants, including both brick-and-mortar stores and a possible Formula 1 race in Miami.

“The evolution of consumer technology has created new expectations for shoppers,” Jean-Marc Thienpont, head of omnichannel solutions for JPMorgan’s payments business, said in the statement. “Merchants need to be ready to adapt to these new expectations.”

Customers will be able to enroll their face or palm via an in-store process, paving the way to use their biometrics from that point forward. JPMorgan is also making it possible to link other credit cards and payment methods rather than locking customers into JPMorgan-only cards.

“Being able to roll out this new biometrics-based payments scheme would enhance the race-day experience for our guests, as they will enjoy a new, faster checkout process,” Ramon Peneda, chief information officer for the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix this year, said in the statement.

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Shopify and Google Cloud Expand Partnership

Shopify and Google Cloud are expanding their partnership to bring Google Cloud AI search capabilities to Shopify’s Commerce Components.

Commerce Components is Shopify’s enterprise retail solution. The partnership will bring Google’s Discovery AI to Shopify’s platform, improving search and analytics capabilities.

The new partnerships will help companies and enterprise brands tap into the power of AI to improve product discovery capabilities. According to the two companies, the partnership will improve retail search, product browsing, personalized shopping, personalized recommendations, and enhanced privacy and security.

“We’re thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with Google Cloud,” said Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify. “We’re bringing together the best in commerce with the best in search to solve a complex and costly problem for enterprise retailers—world-class search and discovery for the online store.”

“Shopify integrating Google Cloud’s Discovery AI technology into its enterprise retail solution puts the power of AI directly into the hands of merchants and brands to solve everyday problems,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. “Now, retailers will be able to enhance their digital properties with better product discovery experiences, creating more fulfilling shopping experiences for their customers.”

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Microsoft Loop Online Collaboration Tool Is Available

Microsoft has taken the wraps off of Loop, the company’s online collaboration tool, making it available in public preview.

Microsoft bills Loops as: “Designed for co-creation, it brings your team and ideas together in one place.” The tool aims to help users share, collaborate, and stay organized.

According to the company, the app has been designed from the ground up to fit in with the changed work environment many find themselves in:

But the way we work together has gone through significant changes over time. Now, in our current landscape, we encounter more ambiguity and uncertainty than ever, requiring us to co-create in fast-paced and dynamic environments. We need tools that embrace the messiness of our creative process and can adapt to our ever-evolving needs.

That’s why we developed Microsoft Loop. At its core, Microsoft Loop is about people—people who want to create together with ease, no matter where they are or what tools they use. It’s a transformative co-creation experience that brings together teams, content, and tasks across your tools and devices. We’ve previously shared the three key parts of Microsoft Loop: components, workspaces, and pages. The new Loop app is where you can access all of these.

The new app is available on the web, as well as Android and iOS.

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FTC Tackles Hard-to-Cancel Subscriptions

The FTC is tackling subscription services that make it hard to cancel or require users to call in to cancel.

Companies have become notorious for making it easy for users to sign up for subscriptions and then burying cancellation options in the depths of their websites or requiring users to call in and deal with high-pressure sales personnel to cancel.

The FTC is proposing new rules that would crack down on such behavior, making it as easy to cancel as it is to sign up.

“Some businesses too often trick consumers into paying for subscriptions they no longer want or didn’t sign up for in the first place,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The proposed rule would require that companies make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up for one. The proposal would save consumers time and money, and businesses that continued to use subscription tricks and traps would be subject to stiff penalties.”

The new rules would require businesses to implement easy-to-use cancellation options and force them to ask users whether they want to hear additional offers when they want to cancel. If the user says “no,” the business will be required to immediately process the cancellation rather than resort to high-pressure sales.

The requirements would also require companies to provide an annual reminder before auto-renewing subscriptions involving anything other than physical goods. This will help reduce the number of phantom subscriptions where users sign up for something and then forget about it, needlessly paying month after month and year after year.

The new rules will likely be welcomed by most consumers, especially those who have ever struggled to cancel a subscription.

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California May Force Big Tech to Pay for News

California may join Australia and Canada in forcing Big Tech to pay for news content, setting up a major confrontation with Silicon Valley.

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks has introduced the California Journalism Competition and Preservation Act would require Big Tech to pay a “journalism usage fee” whenever advertising is paired with news content, according to LA Times.

Needless to say, the California News Publishers Assn. and the News/Media Alliance, along with other news advocacy groups, are supporting the bill.

“Big Tech has become the de facto gatekeeper of journalism and is using its dominance to set rules for how news content is displayed, prioritized and monetized,” said CNPA Chairperson Emily Charrier. “Our members are the sources of that journalism, and they deserve to be paid fair market value for news they originate.”

Should the bill pass, it will likely set up a major confrontation with Silicon Valley companies. Google and Facebook famously threatened drastic action in response to a similar law that was passed in Australia, with Facebook even blocking news altogether for a short time. Facebook has threatened similar action in response to such a measure in Canada.

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Windows 11 False Security Notification Rears Its Head Again

Windows 11 users are once again seeing the “standard hardware security not supported” notification.

Windows 11 has had an annoying bug, one in which it warns that the hardware its running on doesn’t support the necessary security features, even though in many cases the hardware is 100% compatible.

According to Neowin, despite Microsoft’s attempts to fix the issue, many users are still reporting the notification. Neowin member Raulll03 posted on the company’s site:

Hi everyone! I have a problem with the hardware security standard, because it’s not supported. I reset my laptop due to personal issues, but before resetting it the standard hardware security was supported. My laptop has all the latest updates installed, Windows 11 Home 22H2 22621.1265.

Microsoft is reportedly aware of the issue, with Jennifer Gentleman, a Senior Program Manager, giving the following response:

Thanks for taking the time to report this – we’ve investigated and with Build 25169 (which just went live for the Dev Channel) have fixed an issue believed to be the root cause of Windows Security saying standard hardware security wasn’t supported on devices where it was actually supported, as well as showing a warning in the taskbar but not showing any issues when Windows Security was launched.

Please note, due to timing of the payload, these issues may come back after the next Windows Security update. It will go away again after a future Windows Security update.

UPDATE: If you are seeing this again in the Dev Channel, please see the note above. Appreciate your patience

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WhatsApp Adds New Group Features

WhatsApp has added new group features, including improved control over group privacy and better community features.

WhatsApp is making it easier for group admins to control who can join the group:

When an admin chooses to share their group’s invite link, or make their group joinable in a community, they now have more control over who can join. Groups are where people have some of their most intimate conversations and it’s important that admins are able to easily decide who can and cannot come in.

The company is also making it easier to find common groups:

With the growth of Communities and their larger groups, we want to make it easy to know which groups you have in common with someone. Whether you’re trying to remember the name of a group you know you share with someone or you want to see the groups you’re both in, you can now easily search a contact’s name to see your groups in common.

The features will be rolling out to users in the coming weeks.

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