Tag: IT news

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IT as the Key for Resilience and Recovery

IT News

This global crisis has taught us a few things. One of the most transformative outcomes of the pandemic will be the collective realisation of what really matters in life – and in business.

Job stability and meaningful projects, health, human contact. At a time when we’ve come to question everything that was part of our day-to-day, technology has proven to be indispensable. A lifeline connecting us to the rest of the world.

Now more than ever, IT departments hold the key to organisational resilience and recovery. Find out why.

Head in the clouds

The cloud industry’s momentum seems unstoppable. It was only last week that we were discussing how cloud providers are extremely well-positioned to benefit from the current situation.

This week, we got some more good news for the cloud folk. Despite taking a considerable hit in online advertising, Google has increased cloud revenue by 52%.

Additionally, the company’s Anthos platform is now live on AWS. Additionally, Oracle has scored a major win by securing Zoom’s cloud business. Video calls have surged amidst the global lockdown. The American company has emerged as the biggest beneficiary.

News from the frontlines

A look at the week in tech news. Join us on a tour around the globe to see how tech is facing COVID-19 head-on. This week…

Tech giants, from NVIDIA to PayPal, have made a commitment to maintaining all employees throughout the crisis. This move, again, highlights the strategic importance of having a robust IT team. Even if it hurts you in the short term, it will prove more than worthy once the storm is over.

But some are not following this advice, endangering their operations, customers and partners. Some companies are trying to reduce overall IT costs by making their security experts shift to regular IT support tasks — that can prove disastrous for cybersecurity, accentuating the strain on enterprise networks.

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The World is in our Hands

IT News

This week marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Created by environmentalist Denis Hayes in 1970 (go math ?) the celebration reaches its half a century of life amidst the greatest global crisis our world has seen in a while.

Hayes sat down with Thomson Reuters to reflect on the event’s trajectory and discuss how much we’ve done vs. how much is left to do. 

Among his main criticisms — the system’s failure to leverage technological innovations to produce cheaper, more efficient and cleaner energy.

He is hopeful that being stuck at home makes us more aware of what’s at stake should we not tackle climate change head-on and collectively.

It is precisely this message of unity that the European Space Agency wanted to emphasize, reminding us of the late Stephen Hawkins’ last message to humankind. 

“How will we feed an ever-growing population, provide clean water, generate renewable energy, prevent and cure disease and slow down global climate change?

I hope that science and technology will provide the answers to these questions, but it will take people, human beings with knowledge and understanding to implement the solution.”

The message was broadcasted to all planet Earth, with accompanying music by Greek composer Vangelis.

It’s a mixed bag for IR35

The UK’s controversial IR35 regulation, which was set to enter into force earlier this month, was delayed to April 2021 due to the advance of COVID-19. The decision was welcomed with relief by workers and the enterprise world alike. 

The legislation could have endangered independent work by asking companies to pay higher taxes for contractors who were not deemed independent enough.

But both industry and legislators at the House of Lords Finance Bill Committee believe the law needs to be further postponed, as an extra year might not be enough time. Some go beyond that, arguing for a bill revision rather than a delay.

However, the Treasury announced yesterday it had no intention at this moment of changing its plans.

News from the frontlines

One more week, we look at the various tech initiatives being launched around the world to help fight the novel coronavirus.

Cisco has created two new programs to help healthcare organisations get the networking equipment they need. The platforms match companies looking to donate unused wireless equipment with healthcare facilities that need it. 

Google has opened its Healthcare API in a move to facilitate the sharing of medical data and promote a coordinated response to the virus. 

Facebook is launching a nation-wide symptom survey in the UK. The survey, which had already been rolled out in the U.S., will provide data to predict hospital admissions in specific areas. 

Finally, the innovation arm of the UK’s National Health Service has announced a £500,000 funding competition for innovators and startups to come up with digital tools to help against the virus outbreak. 

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To trace or not to trace — and how

IT News

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the tech news story of the past few days has been the Apple-Google partnership against COVID-19. 

Announced last week, the unlikely union between the two giants will focus on developing an app to help determine if a person has been in close contact with an infected individual. 

The system will let users opt-in, providing anonymous and decentralised tracing. Much like a tool previously proposed by MIT researchers, the app will theoretically ensure privacy by leveraging Bluetooth connectivity.

The news, however, has sparked a global debate on the potential security and surveillance implications of implementing the technology. 

Is anonymity really guaranteed? Should this power be in the hands of private companies or controlled by public institutions?  

The two companies held a media call earlier this week to answer questions by reporters. Here’s TechCrunch’s account of what was discussed in that call.    

If you’d like to dive deeper into the specifics, here’s a look at how these tracing tools work.  

And they keep burning 5G towers…

Last week we touched on an ongoing phenomenon that sounds surreal even in these strange times.

Some people in the UK are attacking 5G cell towers, believing them to be linked to COVID-19. 

Well — it looks like events keep escalating, fueled by ludicrous conspiracy theories and social media claims that 5G is behind the spread of the disease. 

According to industry body Mobile UK, the country’s network received more than 20 attacks over the weekend. 

It turns out that one of the attacks was directed at — wait for it — a 5G tower servicing a nearby hospital. 

Genius. 

Like the virus itself, this wave of disinformation seems to be spreading like wildfire, with incidents now being reported in the Netherlands.

Cybersecurity 

Now more than ever, ensuring your network and data security is critical for business success. 

Remote work has multiplied the number of potential points of entry for attackers, while phishing attacks are easier to carry out thanks to greater use of social media and email tools.

Just in the US, a cybersecurity consultancy firm claims to have experienced a 500% increase in attacks directly related to work-from-home individuals. 

Now is the time to strengthen your IT security team, if you haven’t done so yet. 

But hurry up. The skills shortage is getting worse.

News from the frontlines…

One more week equals one more look at the new tech initiatives being launched to help fight the novel pandemic. 

Speaking of cybersecurity, Microsoft announced that its AccountGuard security service is now available for free for healthcare staff, as well as for human rights and humanitarian organisations. 

The company has also released a new security patch addressing 113 bugs. Make sure to update your system.

Cloud provider DigitalOcean has created a hub where developers can share their projects aimed at tackling the crisis. The various initiatives go from hackathons to remote learning and quarantine support platforms.  

A start-up called Thoughtful Human has partnered with BetterHelp to offer a free month of emotional support with licensed therapists.

Working on Mars — from home

Nothing better to remind you that you’re not alone working from home.

NASA’s Curiosity team keeps operating the Mars rover from the comfort of their households. Inspiring to say the least.

If they can coordinate across time zones and different computing setups to drive a robot that’s millions of miles away, we can all weather this storm. 

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5G: From tech panacea to the cause of a pandemic

5G: From tech panacea to the cause of a pandemic
Things really escalate quickly sometimes. A few baseless claims here, some conspiracy theories there, and boom -- people start burning 5G telecommunication towers.

Things really escalate quickly sometimes. A few baseless claims here, some conspiracy theories there, and boom — people start burning 5G telecommunication towers.

Also explore: From Hacking NASA to Protecting Your Online Accounts: A Chat with Rickey Gevers

5G

At least that’s what’s happened in the UK in recent weeks. A perfect-storm combination of public disinformation and fake news has prompted some citizens to link 5G to COVID-19. 

The theories are as varied as they are full of nonsense.

Some say 5G is making the effects of the virus worse. Others believe that there is no coronavirus at all, that governments are making it all up to hide the real cause of the symptoms: 5G.   A good reminder of how important it is to communicate technological advances properly. 

News from the frontlines…

Another week has gone by, bringing with it new tech initiatives to fight the spread of COVID-19. Here are some of this week’s most note-worthy new developments: 

A team of researchers created an AI tool capable of predicting the chance of a patient developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This promising algorithm provided 80% accuracy during initial tests, opening new possibilities to identify potentially critical patients early on.

Other efforts are also leveraging data and computation to find a solution to our current situation. AI and public health researchers at MIT and Harvard have pointed at the importance of Big Data in the fight against the coronavirus.

Finally, the big names in tech keep announcing pandemic-related initiatives. 

Intel pledged $50 million to accelerate access to technology at the point of patient care.  Meanwhile, the CEO of Twitter and Square, Jack Dorsey, offered $1 billion (roughly 28% of his wealth) to fund global COVID-19 relief efforts.

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Weekly News Digest #12

IT news

Not everything is bad news…

If the crisis found you in the middle of a job hunt, you might now be wondering if you’ll be able to find a job at all in the current climate. Or perhaps your projects were put on hold and you need new ones ASAP.  

No need to worry. 

With the surge in remote work and internet traffic, businesses need IT professionals now more than ever. Cloud computing services like Microsoft Teams and Azure are skyrocketing. So is videoconferencing. But that’s not all.

Many businesses weren’t ready for this sudden digital transformation and need all the help they can get. Additionally, the rise in digital operations has accentuated the cybersecurity skills shortage.

Find out what industries are booming and how you can seize the moment in this article. 

News from the frontlines…

With every day that goes by, we hear of another tech initiative being launched to halt the spread of COVID-19. These are certainly inspiring new developments, and we thought they deserve a space in our weekly MCC update. 

Stay tuned every week to learn how vital the IT world is becoming in this global fight ?

In the meantime, you can get acquainted with all ongoing efforts with this great article.

This week’s highlight?

Quantum computing leader D-Wave Systems is giving free cloud access to their quantum computers to anyone working on responses to the pandemic.

The power of comedy

As psychologists often remind us, seeking solace in humour is a very healthy response to difficult situations — You surely have noticed an increase in the number of memes you are receiving as of late. 

So… here’s another weekly section! This week…

A software engineer at Dell has created a great (and fun) comic on why we shouldn’t be afraid of AI. 

Plus, seriously — be careful with videoconference filters. These guys’ boss spent a whole meeting being a potato:

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Weekly News Digest #10

IT News Digest

You can bet Alan Turing didn’t see this one coming when he cracked the Enigma machine. 

Pixar pioneers Edwin Catmull and Patrick Hanrahan have won this week the prestigious Turing Award, the highest distinction in computer science. 

The two men invented many of the 3D computer graphics techniques used to make animation films and special effects. If you liked the following movies, you now know who to thank: 

  • Toy Story
  • The Lord of the Rings
  • Finding Nemo
  • Titanic
  • Avatar
  • Jurassic Park

Speaking of working from home…

Many organisations including the World Economic Forum have stressed the importance of ensuring enterprise networks remain safe as more and more people shift to telework. 

Keeping cybersecurity in mind shouldn’t be a problem for IT professionals like you, but it’s always a good idea to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the proper use of company resources and tools.  

A quick reminder can save you a great deal of pain. Here are some tips.

Finally, one for developers —

Microsoft has released this week the first developer preview of .NET 5. The new iteration, set for release this November, brings unified development across desktop and mobile thanks to its integration of mobile-app building platform Xamarin. 

The first preview includes support for Windows Arm64 and the .NET Core runtime, whereas the second one will include SDK and ASP .NET Core.

We recommend you look into it. 

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Weekly News Digest #9

IT news digest

In the wake of International Women’s Day, the creator of the world wide web, Tim Berners-Lee, has issued a warning in an open letter marking the web’s 31st birthday.

“The world has made important progress on gender equality thanks to the unceasing drive of committed champions everywhere. But I am seriously concerned that online harms facing women and girls – especially those of colour, from LGBTQ+ communities and other marginalised groups – threaten that progress.”

Berners-Lee makes this warning just a year after launching the Contract for the Web, an action plan to prevent the world from turning into a “digital dystopia.” 

Remember when Amazon started testing its cashierless technology in Seattle?

If you don’t, don’t worry. It’s easy to get the gist —  You walk into the store, grab whatever you need, put it in the bag and simply walk out. The tech takes care of all the rest. 

While we all thought the move spelt doom for other retailers, as of this week, the company is selling the solution to competitors. 

Interesting strategy for market penetration. 

Finally, the UK will be rolling out in April a new digital services tax aimed at US tech giants.

The measure will impose a 2% levy on British revenues of search engines, social media services and online marketplaces. It is expected to raise up to £280m in its first year.

With this tax, the UK follows the lead of France, which implemented similar measures last year. 

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Weekly News Digest #8

Weekly news digest

You heard it right, Timmy. No more “abc123.”

Scary news this week – and not only regarding COVID-19.

On Wednesday, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) — the UK’s cyber-defence organ – warned the public about the ease with which baby monitors and other smart devices can be (and have been) hacked. 

The usual culprit? Weak default passwords.

In one of the creepiest reported episodes, the attacker spoke to a young girl in Tennessee pretending to be ‘Father Christmas.’

Terrifying. And a good reminder for security experts to take the dangers of human oversight seriously, both at home and at work. 

Meanwhile, tech conferences all over the world are being cancelled or going virtual over global infection fears. Oh, dear. This is shaping up to be another one of those coronavirus specials… 

Facebook’s F8, Microsoft’s MVP Global Summit and Google I/O are among the affected events. 

The latter two companies also announced that they’ll be making their professional conferencing tools available for free as a growing number of firms are encouraging their employees to work remotely.

You know what they say — If life gives you lemons, start promoting your products.

Still haven’t had enough coronavirus? Check out this story on how AI and robotics are helping fight the virus. 

Faith in humanity (and robots) restored ?

—

And, speaking of robots… 

Researchers at Google have created a robot that taught itself how to walk using reinforcement-learning algorithms.

It took the robot just a few hours to do what we humans need an average of a year to learn. A promising milestone for artificial intelligence. 

So cute. 

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Weekly News Digest #7

IT News Digest

Into mystery movies? Beware of spoilers.

Opening scenes of a crime thriller.

The protagonist, a beat detective with a good amount of personal problems, examines the room where the murder took place. One by one, the film introduces the various characters in the story, and the question inevitably pops up into your head:

Who’s done it?

Well… Knives Out and Star Wars director Rian Johnson might have ruined the fun for all of us. According to the filmmaker, Apple doesn’t let bad guys use an iPhone on screen for branding purposes.

There you go. Now you can start ruling suspects out.

A week in retrospect

Speaking of crime…

A new study on cloud security published this week revealed that only 57% of all business-sensitive data stored in the cloud is protected by encryption. This is particularly worrisome considering that 47% of businesses report having suffered a breach or failed a security test in the past year.

Is your data at risk? This article might help you figure it out.

Stop pointing that at me.

The debate around the use of facial recognition to fight crime is heating up. In response to mounting criticism, London’s Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick tried to calm down the public by highlighting the benefits of the technology.

There seems to be a general misunderstanding, as the system currently being employed in the UK doesn’t store the data it captures. It simply compares faces against a data base of known offenders, in real time.

The images we post on Facebook and Instagram do much more to endanger our biometric privacy, assures the Met’s chief.

Meanwhile, a global report from communications firm Edelman revealed that 60% of people feels tech is advancing too fast…

And, speaking of advances…

The MIT Technology Review has published its annual list of technological innovations poised to have a big impact on solving the world’s problems. Here are the contenders:

  • Unhackable internet
  • Hyper-personalized medicine
  • Digital money
  • Anti-aging drugs
  • AI-discovered molecules
  • Satellite mega-constellations
  • Quantum supremacy
  • Tiny AI
  • Differential privacy
  • Climate change attribution

Would you add or change anything?

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Weekly News Digest #6

News Digest

Join us as we bid farewell to one of the fathers of UI. Larry Tesler, the innovator behind “cut”, “copy” and “paste” passed away earlier this week. He was instrumental in making computers accessible to the general public, and we owe him much for that.

Tesler’s CV included Stanford, Xerox and Apple. His chief invention, cut and paste, is said to be based on the old editing technique of cutting portions of text and gluing them elsewhere. The feature debuted in Apple’s 1983 Lisa computer.

A week in retrospect…

Let’s start with AI.

Researchers from the ESPCI Paris and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology recently published a study which might explain why single-celled organism like viruses are so successful. The research shows that, under the right ecological conditions, groups of these organisms start behaving like a single one.

The computational models used to recreate said conditions can have a tremendous impact on AI research. By emulating the natural selection process, we could build rich neural networks that one day could rival even that of the human brain.

The Internet of (Wild) Things.

Both climate change and IoT are in everyone’s mouths these days. Not often in the same sentence, though.

We can’t recommend enough Charles McLellan’s piece on how IoT is helping organisations fight biodiversity loss and climate change. From camera-based anti-poaching systems, to listening networks that monitor for the sound of chainsaws, NGOs and charities are doing impressive things all over the world.

A truly refreshing perspective on the applications of emerging tech.

In mergers and acquisitions…

Google has acquired the Dutch company Cornerstone, which specializes in helping companies transition from on-premises to the public cloud. The move signals the push of big tech companies to deliver all-in-one cloud solutions and achieve market dominance.

Meanwhile, Dell is selling the cybersecurity leader RSA to a consortium of equity firms. The company said in a statement that the $2-billion deal will help simplify its business and product portfolio.