We are often discussing the dangerous implications of AI: bias, job losses... So it's refreshing to be able to talk about the funny side of AI.
We are often discussing the dangerous implications of AI and what we can do to address them: bias, job losses… So it’s refreshing to be able to talk about its more benign side effects. Discover the funny side of AI.
3 stories to discover the funny side of AI
Football or bald head?
Do you enjoy football? How about bald heads?
Since the start of the pandemic, the world of sports has had to
forgo live audiences in favour of live streamings. Bigger teams and leagues can
afford proper TV crews to cover their matches, but smaller teams need to be
more creative.
A football team in Inverness, Scotland decided to use an AI-enabled camera to track the football’s movements. Unfortunately, and to the delight of the whole world, the camera tracked the referee’s bald head instead of the ball. Best match ever.
Few technologies
have received as much public hype as drone technology. We all have a friend who
enjoys chasing flocks of sheep with their little quadcopter. If you don’t, then
you might be that friend.
But what are drones actually good for?
The non-consumer applications that first come to mind tend to be
rather pessimistic. Surveillance, warfare… There is an understandable trust
deficit when it comes to drones, but the technology’s potential is huge if we
manage to overcome it.
From humanitarian aid in dangers zones to remote delivery and agriculture, drones can be extremely helpful in helping us get where we need to get more easily and in time.
Microsoft is
discontinuing service for Windows 10 version 1809 starting on November 10, so
make sure all your systems are upgraded accordingly.
The cut will affect Windows 10 1809 for Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, and IoT Core, which will stop receiving security updates and support.
Support for Windows 10 1803 for Enterprise, Education and IoT Enterprise will be extended until May 2021, as will the Enterprise and Education versions of 1809.
“You know, it’s not the first time I deal with the likes of you. Nor it will be the last, for that matter.”
There is something unsettling about empty
houses. Especially when they aren’t yours. Everything in the living room looked
tidy and ready to be used, with only a thin layer of dust betraying how
abandoned the place was.
As Tom had suggested, Nadia had made it out of
the city under the cover of darkness. The paycard he had left her at the
apartment had been useful. Tom had left her a burner phone as well. Seriously, though. What on Earth is going
on? She had been played by this EVE. But
how?
Nadia had gotten herself a headscarf and a cheap regular-speed train ticket to Coventry, hoping her friend would be there and willing to let her lay low for a while. Tina was her name. Her family had a big country house surrounded by fields of barley, which they mainly used in the Summer months. Nadia had been invited for a barbecue a few times with other people from college. She had met Tina in a physics class.
Well, it wasn’t Summer, and there was no one
in sight. But it was too late to go back to London, and she couldn’t risk
staying at a hotel or something like that. RayStar had a big reach, and every
modern establishment had AI-enabled security cameras these days. There was
probably already an arrest order out there. She couldn’t risk any of her
biometrics being picked up by the system.
Thankfully, Nadia was able to find a half-open
window in the back of the house. Well, more like she had half-opened the
window. Ooops. Anyway, she doubted they would mind at all. They had too much
money in any case.
After hunting for snacks in the kitchen —
cashews would do — Nadia did a full tour around the house and decided to
settle down in the downstairs living room. It was nice and cosy, and the big
windows would allow the upcoming morning light to wake her up early. She needed
to devise a plan and get going. Staying for more than a day in that house would
be too dangerous. But first, some rest.
She threw herself on a comfy couch and hugged
a hand-knitted pillow with a big smile. Two seconds later she was falling into
a deep slumber, her dreaming brain conjuring up old memories.
Nadia woke up in a fright, her face covered in cold sweat from one of those nightmares only the subconscious remembers. IT was still dark. A hellish sound was coming out of her backpack. The phone. She picked it up. Unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Hey. It’s me.” Her
sister.
“What the… Where
are you, what’s going on?”
“246 Reinford Lane.
Meet me there at noon.”
“What?”
Nadia threw the
phone across the room in anger. The call had dropped.
Here is a quick refresher of what you’ll need to cover to ensure you are aming for the best IT job according to your needs and aspirations.
Let’s get this out right off the bat. All jobs are fundamentally rewarding and can teach you at least one thing that you’ll be able to leverage for future assignments. But you will need a bit more focus if you want to go after the best IT jobs.
Outlining the best career path according to your needs and aspirations is an art, and; just like with every form of art; you need to start by mastering the basics. Here is a quick refresher of what you’ll need to cover to ensure you are building the career you want, one job at a time.
Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.
Define your professional aspirations
First of all, you will have to figure out what type of assignments you want to pursue. It is at this point that the choice of company and industry becomes essential.
You should learn all you can about that sector and account for the long term. Keeping in mind where you are and where you would like to get to will allow you to develop and implement a solid career strategy that sets you on the right path. For example, if you want to be in the luxury sector, you will have to prioritise companies or industries that are at least linked to it.
Position yourselffor the best IT jobs
Then you should define your set of skills and
position yourself according to the type of projects you want to target.
You need to make inventory of your skills and update your CV accordingly. Making sure it is aligned with your profiles on social and professional networks like LinkedIn. Define your offering and highlight the capabilities you would like to develop through your next project. And don’t make things up. Recruiters are not stupid.
What you are offering should be in line with the strategic vision of the company or industry you are targetting. Therefore, it is important to understand the current state of the business as well as the possible needs that the company may have now and in the future.
Polish
your brand and organise your activity
Finally, having a polished and coherent image is key. The image you project is vital because it reflects both your personal and professional brands. It should be aligned with your offering and the needs of the industry you are targeting to maximise your chances of attracting the attention of the right recruiters.
But your image is worth nothing if you can’t
deliver on it. Most recruiters will ask for references from past companies for
which you have worked.
According to a report by the Financial Times, Apple Siri may be the new Google. In other words, Apple might be working on their own search engine in a move to make Siri a one-stop shop.Â
The rumours emerged at a time when big tech is under growing scrutiny for its monopolistic practices.
Besides trying to capitalise on the current media agenda to appear more pro-competition, Apple Siri intends to eliminate the need for its popular assistant to resort to Google searches whenever a query is made.Â
Experts, however, believe the move might be a stepping stone towards a full-fledged search engine that eliminates the Google factor altogether.
Will Apple Siri be the new Google? Edge computing in 2021
In addition, a new Forrester report points at 5 predictions about how technological transformation will impact edge computing in 2021.Â
Spending on edge computing is expected to grow at the detriment of the public cloud. Orchestration and 5G will also keep on spreading.
Edge hosting is likely to become its own marketplace, with content delivery companies reaching out to colocation partners to build a widely distributed network of data centres that can host applications closer to where they are used.
AI will also move towards the edge, making machine learning happen closer to the source rather than within the data centre.
Microsoft is celebrating a record quarter, fuelled by the growth in cloud adoption brought about by the epidemic.
The company’s core cloud business grew 31% over the last quarter, with Azure’s revenue jumping up by 47%.
Enterprise software giant SAP had a few cloud updates as well this week. The firm announced a new roadmap to shift to a co-innovation, one-data model that prioritises cloud-based subscriptions over traditional upfront licensing.
It’s the perfect time to be a cybersecurity professional. Here are a few guidelines about cybersecurity careers to help you navigate the field.
When it comes to cybersecurity, one thing is certain: things only get more complex over time. Therefore, spurred by the global health crisis and the business world’s increasing reliance on IT systems, cybercrime is on the rise. At the same time, the industry is facing a rapidly widening talent gap that makes securing company networks and infrastructure doubly difficult. Moreover, the leading cybersecurity professional organization (ISC)² estimates that the global cybersecurity workforce needs to grow by 145% to meet the demand for skilled cybersec talent. Message received about cybersecurity careers: it’s the perfect time to be a cybersecurity professional
But it’s not always easy to identify the right career path in this ever-changing and all-encompassing area of IT. Here are a few guidelines to help you navigate the field.
Three levels of roles
All cybersecurity job titles fall within three levels or categories: entry-level, mid-level and advanced. Examples of jobs at the various jobs available depending on the level of experience include:
Entry-level: System Engineer, System Administrator, Network Engineer, Security Specialist
Advanced: Cybersecurity Manager, Cybersecurity Architect, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Cybersecurity careers : How to get a job
Although the previous distinction seems obvious at first glance—most careers have the same three levels—it is important to note that these don’t necessarily imply a linear progression, especially when looking to access mid-level cybersecurity roles.
That is due to the fact that a large proportion of security experts started out as experienced IT professionals with deep technical expertise, only moving into cybersecurity after mastering the ins and outs of networking, cloud and other core areas related to the security practice.
While accessing the cybersecurity industry through an entry-level role is possible and quite common—companies like to hire recent tech graduates who can quickly learn the basics and adapt to their particular workplace culture—most cybersec professionals are more on the senior side.
According to (ISC)², the average cybersec pro has worked for 9 years in IT roles, having spent 5 of those working on cybersecurity-related projects.Â
Top skills for cybersec pros
Since cybersecurity has many specialisation fields, there is not a unique set of skills that applies to all positions. Those interested in more technical tracks will have to gain full proficiency of the protocols, environments, devices and applications that are important for their specific niche.
Some of these technologies include:
Operating systems & databases (Windows, Unix, Linux, SQL…)
Once that is covered, security pros tend to go onto focus on a particular field or family of technologies, including:
Cisco and Microsoft
Cloud computing
Wireless
Database modelling
Cryptography
In addition, managerial roles will require the ability to plan and conduct training, write technical specifications, evaluate risk and the compliance with legal regulations.
Soft-skills are also critical for a successful career in cybersecurity. Team building and collaboration, a curious mind with a passion for solving puzzles, the business acumen to navigate corporate environments. All of these Â
Cybersecurity careers: certify yourself
Finally, and as it is often the case with technical careers, certifications are absolutely vital. There are several world-renowned organisations and companies offering certifications based on the area of focus:
CompTIA
EC Council
(ISC)²
ISACA
Cisco Systems
Microsoft
Besides validating your expertise within the industry and justifying, for instance, a career change into cybersecurity, certifications will often allow you to earn more money.
According to (ISC)² estimates, the average salary for cybersecurity experts holding a security certification is €60,000, way more than that of those who don’t —about €7,000 on average.Â
SEO, or natural referencing, has become a key point in generating quality traffic on a website. And users are growing more impatient. Enter the SEO Expert.
Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive SEO Expert job description to attract top talent.
SEO, or natural referencing, has become a key point in generating quality traffic on a website. And users are growing more impatient: 91% of clicks are on the first page of the search engine. It is hence essential for a company to devote resources to maximising its online visibility. Enter the SEO Expert.
The SEO Expert is often called upon by a company to review its SEO strategy. Their first mission is to analyse the current state of the site (metadata, keywords, etc.), the target, the impact (click-through rate, bounce rate, etc.), as well as the websites of competitors.
Strategy prescription
Once the analysis phase has been completed, the SEO Expert will be able to define an action plan and establish the strategy to be put in place to optimise the visibility of the site, according to the company’s sector of activity. Then it’s time to define the most effective keywords, optimise internal and external links, and reorganise the pages of the site depending on the positioning and objectives of the website.
Implementation and monitoring, performance measurement
They must then coordinate the implementation of all actions in conjunction with the technical teams. Experts must also manage the SEO teams if these exist, and work together with the content creation teams. They must put in place best practices and follow up to ensure their application. Finally, they must analyse whether the measures put in place have been effective and see if further actions are necessary.
Required skills of the SEO Expert
Knowledge of SEO tools and internet languages
Experts must have in-depth technical knowledge: they must know how to use basic SEO tools such as Google Analytics or Semrush as well as more specific tools. These tools are used during the analytical phase of a project and to measure the results of the actions implemented. It is also useful to have knowledge of HTML, CSS or even Javascript.
Analytical mind and rigour
The SEO Expert must be perfectly comfortable with numbers and master the (many) KPIs essential to their activity. They must also be organised and show great rigour, prioritising tasks and building a precise action plan. Since SEO is a discipline that evolves very quickly, the expert must update their knowledge very regularly, in particular regarding search engine algorithms.
Interpersonal skills
The SEO expert must be a good communicator. They have to work in conjunction with several teams and relay information. The Expert must also have deep knowledge of the company’s field of activity to design a proper SEO strategy. That also involves knowing how to put themselves in the shoes of the target audience.
Within the industry
The SEO profession is increasingly popular because of the thousands of websites being created every day. Companies are engaged in real battles of visibility, and the SEO Expert is at their forefront. SEO experts can work in an agency, in the marketing department of a company, or operate as independent consultants.
Salary of the SEO Expert
The average daily rate fluctuates between €250 and €600.
Training of the SEO Expert
To access this role, it is recommended to have a university degree from a marketing or engineering school.
It is possible to start with a professional license (e.g. SEO or web editor), then complete a master’s degree in digital communication, multimedia and e-commerce.
The competition is strong and it is often necessary to garner several years of experience before obtaining the desired position.
Due to the rise of the machines, new jobs will emerge, especially in the areas of healthcare, big data and the green economy.
Weekly news. Discover our news about IT: the rise of the machines, Bitcoin goes mainstream and Robin Hood strikes back
The rise of the machines
New report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) has forecasted that as much as half of all work tasks could be handled by machines by the year 2025. The rise of machines.
The think tank’s research, which spanned 300 of the world’s
biggest companies, estimates that the so-called “robot revolution” will
create 97 million jobs around the globe but destroy almost as many. 43% of
respondents felt they were likely to cut jobs due to technological
transformation in the near future.
Yet new jobs will emerge as a result, especially in the areas of healthcare, big data and the green economy. However, the Forum is calling for a conscious effort to ensure that no sectors of society are left behind.
PayPal has announced
that it will start allowing transactions in Bitcoin. The firm will also provide
support for other cryptocurrencies including Ethereum and Litecoin.
The new features, which will debut in the U.S. shortly and
worldwide next year, mark an important milestone in the normalisation of
cryptocurrencies.
The company sees the economy’s shift to digital currencies as inevitable, and it is committed to helping make them easier to use by the broader public.
The ransomware-as-a-business group DarkSide introduced itself to
the world earlier this year, issuing a press release where they detailed how
they picked their victims and pledged to leave non-profits, healthcare and
governments alone.
Well – these cybercriminals with a strong moral code are now
taking it to a whole new level: they are donating their profits to charities.
Two US-based organisations received equal payments of 0.88 bitcoin (or $10,000) in mid-October, money they say they will return as soon as possible. The authorities are warning NGOs around the globe to not accept donations from these cyber schemes, as that would make them legally liable for profiting from crime.
The Salesforce consultant is on the IT side of customer relations and specialises in the Salesforce ecosystem. Exlpore the role...
Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Salesforce Consultant job description to attract top talent.
Salesforce is a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform that allows companies to streamline and optimise their interactions with their customers. The Salesforce consultant is on the IT side of customer relations and specialises in the Salesforce ecosystem. Their role involves advising companies on the implementation strategy and carrying out studies to address all customer requirements.
Above all, the first task of the Salesforce Consultant is to collect the company´s needs and offer a set of Salesforce tools that address what the team is trying to achieve. Once the information has been collected, the consultant must write the specification describing the project´s needs and the proposed solutions.
Managing the development of the Salesforce ecosystem
Once the needs and specifications are established, the consultant is in charge of setting up the various tools and managing their development. They often keep assisting the team throughout the project´s life, helping optimise the system and the customer relationship strategy.
User training
Another key mission of the consultant is user training. Once the tools are deployed, the consultant must help teach users how to take advantage of them and help them get a good grip on the platform in general.
Required skills of the Salesforce Consultant
Mastery of the Salesforce CRM tool
The expert must, of course, have perfect knowledge of the Salesforce platform. And have a good understanding of the various tools available within it.
Analytical spirit and rigour
Also, a Salesforce Consultant must have a good analytical mind and good organisational skills. They should be able to process databases and extract relevant analyses to improve the customer relationship strategy in place.
Knowledge of marketing and sales
In addition, to be able to understand the needs of the team; it is useful for the consultant to know and master the essentials of client and prospect relationships. It also pays to have a 360° view of business processes and the specifics of the market in which the company operates.
Within the industry
A Salesforce Consultant can work in a wide variety of organisations; consulting firms specializing in IS, or companies that use this solution, all sectors combined.
Salary of the Salesforce Consultant
The average daily rate fluctuates between €300 and €800.
Training of the Salesforce Consultant
In conclusion, to access this role, it is recommended to have a university degree from a business or engineering school. It is also possible to access this profession by having completed a professional master’s degree specialising in Customer Relations and Marketing. Or in Management Sciences. To specialise in Salesforce CRM, the consultant should later take specific training provided by Salesforce or any third-party training organization.
The Salesforce Consultant can evolve into the manager of a team of consultants or an in-house Salesforce. They can also transition to another customer relationship management solution.
What are the best free software tools to organise you activity as an IT Pro? Better time management will allow you to increase your productivity...
What are the best free software tools to organise you activity as an IT Pro? We all have our own method to organise our daily and weekly tasks, but that doesn´t mean we shouldn´t be keep trying new things to see what we can improve. Better time management will allow you to increase your productivity, develop stronger relationships with your team and clients and even have some extra time to work on your career development strategy.
To make that easier, we have put together a list of free software tools in the hopes you discover at least one you are not yet using. If that’s not the case, you can take this list as validation of how good a job you are already doing. Wink. Wink.
Some of these tools are completely free, while others also offer several subscription tiers. Whether you are an independent contractor or part of a company’s IT department, they will help you build better and more robust projects, more effectively and in less time.
Does this one
really need an introduction? Well, maybe. Especially since Google recently went
and rebranded G in a move that surely confused many of us out there. Now known
as Google Workspace, the productivity suite is a whole world in and of itself. From
storage, to document collaboration, you will find in it everything you need to
carry out all your basic everyday tasks.
Even more
so since the rebrand, Gmail serves as the platform’s backbone, making it easy
to create an efficient workflow between your email, calendar and files.
Workspace also comes in handy when you need to share and work on documents with
clients or people external to your organisation. Google Sheets is great for
easily storing and sharing data sets.
Evernote is pretty much the only notebook you will ever need, and it’s free unless you want to use it in more than two devices at once.
It’s very intuitive and quick to use, and it allows you to share individual notebooks and notes with other people, anytime, anywhere. In addition, Evernote can integrate perfectly with other tools like Google Workspace and Slack, making it an ideal solution for collaboration.
You can include almost anything you want in your notes, from images and videos to PDF documents. Furthermore, the Evernote web clipper tool makes it possible to capture screenshots and ideas directly from the web. This information is saved in a note which includes a link to the original page. All your searches are saved in one place for easy access. You can also scan physical documents directly on the app.
To transfer your emails to Evernote, you only need to forward them to your
unique Evernote email address.
This
easy-to-use project management tool will inevitably improve your daily life. Juggling
between a thousand tasks is not, well — an easy task. No one enjoys forgetting
a deadline or wasting their time.
Trello allows you to create and manage to-do lists and set up reminders, so you don’t miss anything. What makes it particularly compelling is how simple and intuitive it is to use, letting you organise your activity without adding more work to your already packed workflow.
It’s advisable to use Trello in combination with another very practical and free tool: Toggl. This time-tracking tool allows you to have a precise idea of ​​the time you spend on each task on a daily basis. The goal is not to waste too much time on tasks that require a disproportionate time investment and to manage your time better to improve your productivity.
Asana is a free tool that was originally created at Facebook to organise internal workflows. Compared to Trello, this project management tool loses the simplicity but offers endless customisation and deeper integration with existing workflows. It is particularly useful for collaborative projects.
You can assign and delegate tasks to collaborators and set the deadlines to meet. The whole team can easily see all pending and completed tasks in a single place. Everyone is then able to plan their time to their taste to meet the specified deadlines.
Calendly works
with your Outlook, Google, iCloud and Office 365 calendars, allowing you to
consolidate all your schedules into a single one for optimal management of your
time. It also allows you to precisely define “break” periods between several
meetings or projects, to create secret events, and to avoid certain meetings or
last-minute appointments.
But perhaps
the best thing about Calendly is its automated scheduling feature, which saves
you the time-consuming hassle of having to send back-and-forth emails to agree
to a time that works for both parties.
The tool is
perfect if you need to collaborate with people from other countries since it
automatically detects the time zone of your contacts for even smarter time
management.
Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.
Robot Farmers, Microsoft jobs, Ada Lovelace Day: discover our weekly news about IT & Tech.
Robot Farmers, Microsoft jobs, Ada Lovelace Day: discover our weekly news about IT & Tech.
Robot Farmers
Google‘s parent company, Alphabet, has presented a prototype for a new line of farming robots to help farmers monitor the health of crops and multiply crop yields.
Consequently, project Mineral consists of swarms of “robot buggies” that go up and down the fields inspecting every plant. They do so on upright pillars, coasting on top of the plants much like harbour container cranes do.
Meanwhile Alphabet’s goal is to accumulate large amounts of data about how crops grow to help the agricultural industry tackle the world’s increasing need for food and the sustainability of growing it.
In addition, Microsoft has made a pledge to create 1.5 million tech jobs in the UK over the next 5 years, with and additional 300,000 depending directly on them.
Called Get Go 2021, the campaign targets people currently in
education, those looking into pursuing a career in tech, and those already in
tech and wanting to change careers. The initiative is also meant to help those
whose jobs have been affected by the Covid-19 crisis and bridge the IT talent
gap. It will be based on education and training programs.
The company will also leverage LinkedIn data to anticipate the need for more than 3 million skilled IT workers.
Born in early
19th-century England, Ada Lovelace was a pioneering mathematician and writer
chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage’s “Analytical Engine,” a
steam-powered calculating machine now regarded as the first fully-automatic
mechanical computer.
Although she wrote the first-ever algorithm, Lovelace’s true
genius lied in her ability to envision the computer’s potential beyond mere
arithmetic calculations. She is hence considered to be the first computer
programmer, a “prophet” of the computer age.
This week we celebrated Ada Lovelace Day, reflecting on women’s countless contributions to science, technology engineering and math (STEM) — something we should honestly do every day.
Let this day serve as a reminder of how much work is left to do to ensure equal representation of women in tech.
