Noah Davidson - Tech Research Online

The Future of Metaverse: What Does it Hold?

Noah Davidson — Wed, 08 May 2024 10:31:19 +0000

The Metaverse presents new possibilities for businesses of all sizes. From changing the way people work to creating valuable virtual economies, this emerging technology is fastly redefining the way people interact with the world around them and reshaping the way businesses operate. Current statistics show the future of metaverse is bright with rising demand projected in the coming years. Bloomberg estimates the metaverse economy will generate $800 billion by 2025 and a whopping $2.5 million by the year 2030.

The Metaverse combines Extended Reality (EX) technologies to create an immersive, interconnected 3D virtual environment where augmented reality, blockchain, virtual reality, and cryptocurrencies define the way people work, live, and socialize. In this article, we discuss what the future of metaverse holds for businesses and explore the impact this technology will have on work.

What is Metaverse?

The metaverse refers to a blockchain-based network that connects numerous virtual spaces to give participants a digital experience that has never been seen before. It uses tech-infused elements to mirror the real world in virtual environments. Metaverse blockchain leverages augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to provide unmatched experiences in simulated virtual spaces. This ecosystem allows users to exchange, interact, trade, and work through digital avatars. Since blockchain underlies the core setup of metaverse systems, they are independent of device reliance and central control.

Why is Metaverse Technology Important for Businesses?

Metaverse platforms have the potential to redefine the way people connect, work, and live, making it extremely important for businesses. The ability to eliminate geographical barriers allows this technology to facilitate unprecedented levels of connectivity and collaboration for businesses across the globe. Companies can leverage global talent and remote socialization to spur economic growth. Below are four ways companies can utilize the metaverse to achieve their goals:

1. Collaboration

The metaverse provides businesses with greater collaboration capabilities to support remote work. Employees who work from different geographic locations can leverage engagement features and communication tools to collaborate seamlessly in real time. Most platforms that offer immersive technologies provide interoperability for tools that companies use daily to facilitate seamless remote team collaboration.

2. Cost Reduction

Facebook metaverse lowers costs for businesses by eliminating the need to invest in multiple physical assets required for in-person working spaces. The technology offers limitless customization abilities, allowing companies to create the space they need without incurring additional costs. For instance, employees can create shared spaces and virtual offices at no extra cost.

3. Product Prototyping

Another critical role that metaverse technology plays in business is making prototyping easier and faster. Designing and producing physical prototypes can be costly for businesses, posing a challenge for small and medium-sized companies. AR and VR technologies allow designers to collaborate in creating and manipulating virtual prototypes based on specifications from any location.

4. Flexible Workplaces

Businesses can utilize the metaverse to inject flexibility into their workplaces. Working in metaverse environments can give companies an edge over competitors that are not embracing the change in today’s evolving digital landscape. Businesses of all sizes can use AI metaverse to transcend barriers of employee interaction to expand their reach and awareness through virtual events.

How Will Metaverse Change the Future of Work?

The future of metaverse technology will impact the way people work in the coming years. Below are five ways the technology will change the way people work:

1. Fewer Accidents in Workplaces

For people who perform dangerous tasks like electricians and machine operators, metaverse glasses will help to reduce accidents. Through virtual reality platforms, employees can practice using virtual tools or machines as many times as they need to without experiencing physical injury. Trainers will be able to assess their performance and provide the guidance employees need virtually.

2. Employee Onboarding

The future of metaverse will enable businesses to reimagine employee onboarding experiences. Instead of requiring new employees to read documents or watch videos about company history, new employees will be able to visit job sites or meet corporate founders virtually. Metaverse headsets will also enable newly hired employees to connect socially with new teams.

3. Employee Learning/Training

The metaverse will be used to improve employee training and learning. By facilitating simulations and interactive gameplays, this virtual technology will make it possible for companies to provide ‘hands-on’ training to employees, enabling them to operate machines or practice sales presentations for big clients virtually.

4. Operational Assessments

Another way the future of metaverse will change the future of work is by making it easier for managers and executives to assess operations, solve problems for employees in different locations, and simulate changes. They will use the technology to make virtual visits to distribution centers, factories, and construction sites in different cities or countries without leaving their desks.

5. Employee Interactions

Increasingly, employees are working from different locations. The physical separation makes it challenging for teams to feel like they’re in the same room. This causes them to miss out on communication, morale, engagement, and cultural benefits that come with physical interactions at the workplace. The metaverse makes it possible for companies to provide socially satisfying experiences to their staff by bringing individuals in different locations into one virtual room.

Conclusion

Metaverse presents new possibilities for businesses to thrive. As the digital landscape evolves, companies can leverage the metaverse technology to engage remote employees, manage daily communication, enhance collaboration, and boost productivity. Virtual environments promise to deliver the most immersive experiences for employees. As the number of companies that adopt this technology increases, the future of metaverse can only get brighter.

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Top 7 Latest Technology Trends in 2024

Noah Davidson — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 10:01:45 +0000

Advancements in the tech world continue to transform every aspect of our lives. From mainframe computers to cloud servers, the evolution in the tech space has been rapid. Regardless of how and when this evolution occurs, it brings simplicity, agility, and efficiency to businesses and the lives of those who utilize technology. In 2024, the latest technology trends reflect the innovation that continues to happen in the tech industry.

Since the advancement of existing technologies and the emergence of new ones can affect business performance and growth, companies must keep up with them to stay competitive. In this article, we explore the top technology trends that will shape the future of industries across the board in 2024.

7 Latest Trends and Technology to Look Out for in 2024

From artificial intelligence and 5G technology to green technology and edge computing, here are the latest trends in technology that will shape 2024:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Becomes More Accessible

Artificial intelligence remains top on the list of 2024 technology trends after gaining prominence in 2023. An interesting aspect of AI that will be refined this year is generative AI. This type of AI is capable of creating new ideas and content, including images, conversations, videos, stories, and music. In 2024, generative AI will continue to drive advancements in healthcare, education, e-commerce, and the creative economy.

Open-source AI solutions like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, Microsoft’s Bing Chatbot, and Meta’s Large Language Model Meta AI will continue to make AI accessible to the masses. These solutions remove the high costs associated with AI development. This drives innovation from startups and independent developers and will push AI accessibility a notch higher in 2024.

2. Strong Focus on Sustainable Technology

Among the latest technology trends is the focus on sustainable technology. As countries and businesses work towards realizing net-zero commitments, tech investments will be focused on solutions that minimize the impact of technology on the environment.

Environmental-friendly innovations that will receive widespread support include electric bikes, cars, and public transport. Other innovations may include solutions to novel environmental problems like carbon capture and storage and renewable energy technologies. In 2024, companies will embrace the green cloud computing concept where IT infrastructure and services prioritize the reduction of carbon emissions and energy consumption.

3. Emphasis on AI Governance & Ethics

Among the key emerging technologies to look out for in 2024 are AI ethics and governance. Although AI brings unparalleled benefits and opportunities to companies, it comes with immense responsibility. When it comes to AI’s impact on people’s lives, questions about its ethics, legality, data governance, and trust. As businesses scale up AI usage, they must be mindful of existing and new regulations to ensure compliance. In 2024, AI ethics and governance will be a priority for countries and businesses.

As AI technology advances, countries that lack AI regulations will seek to develop them while those with existing frameworks will focus on enforcement. At the corporate level, businesses will define their mission and principles for AI and establish governance structures that inspire confidence in AI technologies. They’ll also strengthen their compliance with existing laws and regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation, monitor upcoming laws, and develop risk mitigation policies.

4. 5G Technology Will Drive Extended Reality Adoption

Immersive technologies coupled with expanding applications and the convergence of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) are driving the transformation of extended reality (ER). The presence of 5G technology will accelerate the adoption of ER by facilitating remote access to immersive training, simulations, and interactions.

With its enhanced connectivity and super-fast speeds, 5G technology facilitates data exchange between devices, laying a solid foundation for a highly connected, efficient society. In 2024, this technology will unleash the metaverse through immersive extended reality experiences as businesses leverage its seamless connectivity, ultra-low latency, and efficient resource allocation to maximize growth.

A combination of AR and VR, and the metaverse is already revolutionizing the way people work and live. It takes users from the real world to the virtual one. Businesses can use the technology to create a virtual version of their real world where staff can collaborate, close deals, and conduct demos or training seamlessly.

5. Emergence of AI-Internet-of-Things (AIoT)

Among the latest technology trends 2024 is the emergence of AI Internet-of-Things (AIoT). Increasingly, tech devices are designed with WiFi connectivity. This means they can be connected to the internet. IoT is already facilitating data exchange between gadgets, including home appliances, devices, and cars through the internet. In business, IoT promises efficiency, safety, and better decision-making through data utilization.

But current trends point to something bigger- a convergence between IoT technology and systems that leverage AI and machine learning to respond to questions and make decisions. Projections show that over 200 billion devices will be connected to the internet by the end of the year. The majority of these will be intelligent smart devices augmented with AI.

6. AI Integration Makes Devices Smarter

Technology has played an important role in making operations smoother and smarter. Besides simulating humans, technology makes life easier and hassle-free through smart devices. By developing AI appliances, home robots, wearables, and work devices, data scientists will continue to make devices smarter. As more and more companies work on transforming their digital spaces, the demand for smarter devices will increase in 2024.

7. Preference for Edge Computing Over Cloud Computing

Another important new technology trend to expect in 2024 is the rising preference for edge computing. Although cloud computing adoption continues to grow, companies are beginning to realize its shortcomings as their data volumes increase. Edge computing solves this challenge by eliminating latency, and pushing data processing closer to where it is generated instead of sending it to a centralized server. As businesses seek to process time-sensitive data remotely with limited connectivity, we’ll see a preference shift from cloud computing to edge computing in 2024.

Wrapping Up

2024’s new technology trends show that the future of tech is indeed exciting. The growth trajectory in AI’s integration and accessibility is expected to continue across sectors. Emerging technologies will continue to offer new solutions to businesses and societal challenges. With a strong focus on green technologies and responsible AI, there’s no doubt that these trends will create a more sustainable, efficient, and connected future that benefits society as a whole.

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Implementing DevSecOps for Cloud Security

Noah Davidson — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 09:44:55 +0000

DevSecOps refers to development, security, and operations. It is a methodology that integrates security practices into the DevOps process, emphasizing the importance of security from the very beginning of software development.

DevSecOps is a relatively new idea. Cloud DevSecOps takes the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) one step further by integrating the security component, whereas DevOps merges development and operations in a continuous synchronized loop.

As a result, security is built right into the cloud application, saving a lot of time and money in the event of a cyberattack.

This strategy is necessary because DevSecOps in cloud security transpires to be a significant benefit for the widespread adoption of cloud computing. The method incorporates security testing and monitoring in addition to continuous development and deployment, making the cloud application secure from the start.

Understanding the breadth and advantages of cloud DevSecOps can be helpful if you intend to develop your software or application.

Importance of DevSecOps in Dealing with Cloud Security Challenges

While DevSecOps teams check on product security during development and launch, IT departments strive to guarantee the security of a company’s network and IT infrastructure.

Their responsibilities include process monitoring, risk analysis collection, security measure automation, and incident handling. DevSecOps helps businesses address cloud security concerns by assisting them to establish efficient risk management for cloud security.

1. Open Environment

DevSecOps’s introduction creates the framework for open dialogue between teams and business divisions. Once DevSecOps is the cornerstone of your development, tracking and monitoring complex initiatives—like cloud migration and security, for example—and keeping all stakeholders informed become non-issues.

Nonetheless, developing and implementing DevSecOps processes in a way that allows them to handle security threats and support the resilience of enterprises takes time.

2. Offering Cost-effective Security

Which is better, addressing a security breach’s consequences or trying to stop it from happening? Organizations that leverage DevSecOps neutralize such threats before they have a significant effect. Through the identification and prevention of events that may impact the internal IT environment, DevSecOps helps many firms reduce their business vulnerabilities.

It saves time and money by reducing the need to repeat a method to resolve security vulnerabilities thanks to DevSecOps’ quick and safe delivery. Because the integrated security code no longer includes pointless rebuilds or reviews, it is more secure. It is reasonably priced and effective.

3. Storing Data at A Single Location

Teams may quickly improve apps that are still in development by utilizing data management and the DevSecOps process suite to gather data from various sources and feed it back into the creative process. To put it briefly, the implementation of DevSecOps helps technical and operation teams to analyze collected data and transform it into meaningful insight.

The data insights are continuously improved under one roof, resulting in easy CI/CD that further helps save time during the product development cycle.

Strategies for DevSecOps that Can Transform Cloud Security

For a cloud DevSecOps deployment to be effective, the DevOps cloud security teams need to collaborate closely with other teams and monitor the code quality throughout the application’s lifetime. Here, we go over the six essential DevSecOps in cloud deployment techniques that have the potential to completely transform cloud security and cloud security solutions at your business:

1. Process Automation for Testing

Automated testing is unquestionably one of DevSecOps’ principles or best practices. It may be the impetus for cloud DevSecOps. Automated tests improve the testing process by repeating tests, documenting findings, and providing feedback to the team more quickly.

Automating tests throughout development can improve overall productivity by eliminating code errors. It is possible to expedite the entire cloud migration procedure, which facilitates the migration of more resources to the cloud.

2. Analysis of Code

Most businesses must be able to alter their software regularly to respond to changing market conditions. Short delivery cycles make traditional security models unsuitable, even though agile teams have adapted to this trend. As a result, they hinder your organization’s agile release cycles and expand software product offerings.

You may ensure excellent cloud security risk management and code production in short, frequent releases by using an agile approach to security operations within your teams. Using cloud technology for DevSecOps has two advantages: it incorporates code analysis into the quality control process and allows for rapid vulnerability screening.

3. Compliance Tracking

Cloud-based technologies are used to handle enormous volumes of data. Following stringent security laws such as HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC 2 could be difficult.

Adopting cloud DevSecOps could alter it and reduce the additional effort from regulatory audits. Every time new codes are generated or modified, development teams can gather instantaneous evidence of compliance. It would help the company be ready for any unanticipated circumstances.

4. Vulnerability Management

Finding, looking into, and fixing any threats or vulnerabilities that surface with every new code delivery is crucial to DevOps security. In addition to publishing and carrying out vulnerability checks, schedule regular, periodic security scans to aid in the discovery of new defects or vulnerabilities.

5. Change Management

It takes a deep comprehension of the change management procedure to implement a DecSecOps cloud computing approach. Giving your developers the knowledge and resources they need to recognize risks and take appropriate action before they become major problems enhances the effectiveness of change management.

Similarly, giving developers 24-hour clearance windows allows them to consistently propose proposals for security measures that are essential to the goal.

Conclusion

Cloud security protocols could undergo a revolution with the application of DevSecOps. Integrating security concerns into each software development lifecycle step allows organizations to guarantee the integrity of their cloud environments, protect sensitive data, and manage risks proactively.

Businesses may stay ahead of cyber risks and adhere to regulatory obligations by implementing DevOps managed services, which fosters cooperation, automation, continuous monitoring, and a security-first culture.

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What Is Spatial Computing and How It Is Reshaping Industries?

Noah Davidson — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 15:40:31 +0000

The last few decades have been characterized by significant tech innovations like artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and driverless cars. As we progress into the current decade, another massive shift in computing is unfolding right before us – spatial computing. This new technology holds enormous potential to change how industries optimize their operations. In this article, we answer questions like what is spatial computing? What are the key elements of this technology, and how will it affect industries in future?

What is Spatial Computing?

This refers to digitization of activities that involve people, machines, objects, and environments where they take place. It merges the digital and real worlds to create a more immersive experience for users. Combining technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), spatial analysis technology facilitates seamless interactions between computers and users in a 3-dimensional (3D) world.

What are the Main Elements of Spatial Computing?

Computing spatial analysis technologies have four main elements:

1. Augmented Reality (AR)

Space computing uses augmented reality to improve user perception and interaction by overlaying objects and digital information into the real world. AR applications leverage this technology to track user position and orientation for improved interaction with virtual objects.

2. Virtual Reality (VR)

Virtual reality immerses users in computer-generated environments. It’s ideal for simulating real-world activities. But, what is spatial computing technology with regard to virtual reality? Space computing utilizes VR to add natural interactions to virtual environments by tracking body and head movements.

3. 3-D Scanning

Computer spatial analysis leverages photogrammetry or 3D scanning to capture real-world objects and scenes. This results in the production of detailed 3D models with the right shape, texture, and color for immersive 3D user experiences.

4. 3-D Modeling

Mixed reality uses augmented reality to improve user perception and interaction by overlaying objects and digital information into the real world. AR applications leverage this technology to track user position and orientation to improve interactions with virtual objects.

Spatial Computing Use Cases that are Reshaping Industries

What is spatial computing enabling companies to do? We take an in-depth look at six use cases of computer vision spatial analysis and their application across industries:

1. Redefining Employee Training

Space computing is redefining employee training with its immersive and highly interactive capabilities. Using this technology, companies can develop virtual training environments that are very similar to scenarios in the real world. In such environments, employees learn by doing as opposed to observing. For example, pilots can acquire aircraft flying skills through virtual simulations that resemble real-life flight experiences. This hands-on, immersive approach accelerates employee learning and improves knowledge retention.

2. Improving Productivity

Mixed reality automates tedious tasks and optimizes workflows. Industries can use it to add intuitiveness to digital content interactions for enhanced efficiency and task completion. For example, the technology gives visual cues on AR glasses to enable factory workers to locate or identify the tools they need. In retail environments, technology can give buyers pleasant shopping experiences by leading them to the products they wish to buy. This blend between the physical world and digital data provides contextual information needed to fast-track decision-making and enhance productivity.

3. Virtual Product Prototyping

What is spatial computing to product development and how will it alter the way industries prototype their products? Companies incur huge costs conducting physical prototyping and testing on new products. Computer vision spatial analysis is changing this by enabling prototyping and testing of products virtually. Product designers and developers can develop, refine, and test product designs in digital environments before producing physical products. By facilitating simulation of real-world product usage and conditions, spatial computing technology allows companies to identify product design issues and resolve them early in the development process.

4. Improving Workplace Design

Companies in different industries can use spatial analysis computing to create workspaces that foster employee productivity and collaboration. Using this technology, organizations can simulate different office layouts, create digital replicas of real-world workspaces, and evaluate their impact on employee collaboration, workflow, and efficiency. Interior designers and architects use the spatial analysis technology to visualize workspace layouts in 3D, giving companies an office feel before implementing actual changes.

5. Fostering Collaboration

The immersive nature of computer spatial analysis technology gives buyers personalized experiences. For example, the technology can facilitate ‘try before purchase’ experiences for retail shoppers. Buyers can see how a dress would look on them or how furniture pieces would look in living spaces without trying or placing them physically.

6. Better Customer Service

Industrial enterprises can use spatial glasses to create shared digital spaces that allow teams to interact as if they were located in the same physical room. In such environments, teams can exchange digital objects, view each other’s avatars, and engage each other. This enables teams to build stronger relations and enhances collaboration, making it more immersive and highly interactive.

Final Thoughts

Industrial enterprises that understand space computing and its use cases can change their operations significantly. But, what is spatial computing in relation to extended reality technologies like augmented and virtual realities? Space computing leverages these technologies to recreate physical environments in digital spaces for immersive, highly engaging experiences. Industries can use this technology to enhance employee productivity, improve staff training and collaboration, and facilitate virtual product prototyping.

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Microsoft Mesh Now Available in Microsoft Teams: Supports 3D and VR Meetings

Noah Davidson — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 13:08:30 +0000

On January 24, Microsoft launched its immersive 3D meetings inside Microsoft Teams. It will let people meet in virtual spaces with or without a VR headset. The company’s mixed reality platform, Microsoft Mesh came out of preview and integrated into Teams. The 3D Mesh meetings in Teams perform at optimum with a VR headset, with the tech giant only supporting Meta’s Quest devices currently.

With Mesh VR, you can engage in virtual 3D meetings, and the spatial audio feature imitates the ability to have private conversations you have in an office by moving away from other co-workers in a virtual space. The amazing part about it is the 3D spaces are customizable and there are games like tossing bean bags or icebreaker questions for you to play with remote colleagues who you haven’t met before.

Is Microsoft Mesh Available for Users?

The standard features include 3D immersive experiences using next-generation technology that help virtual connections feel more like face-to-face interactions and are available on PC and Meta Quest VR devices. If you want to deploy it in your teams it is available in Microsoft Teams business plans and requires a Teams Premium license. The plans start for small businesses from $4 per user/ month and for enterprises, they have plans like Microsoft 365 E3 which is $36 per user/ month.

Enterprises Using Microsoft Mesh Today

Many organizations opted for the immersive 3D experience in Microsoft Teams. Beginning from Bp to Takeda, some of the biggest enterprises have done it.

Accenture

One of the largest consulting firms globally created a strategic partnership with Microsoft to design a solution that maintains authentic connections promotes cultural understanding, and encourages unity across the organization.

Ellyn Shook, Accenture’s Chief Leadership & Human Resources Officer in talks with Microsoft explained that the new onboarding experience helped the new employees understand the company’s culture, core values, and how Accenture drives value for the clients, people, and communities. All in a collaborative, immersive way that transcends space and place.

Takeda

Takeda had a unique challenge of finding a cost-effective way to help their geo-diverse workforce connect and further their common cultural understanding. They created a custom solution designed to inculcate engagement, strengthen the commitment to their corporate philosophy, and speed product innovation: the Hirameki Garden. The garden, created in Microsoft Mesh, enables a virtual location for large, company-wide events like town halls and all-hands meetings.

bp

They created a specialized physical meeting space called Highly Immersive Visualization Environments (HIVEs). This permitted experts to understand and team up on complex problems in a way that wouldn’t be possible with traditional tools.

Roger Rohatgi, Vice President and Global Head of Design for bp, shares that “highly immersive visualization environments open the path to a more digital and collaborative future for bp. By partnering with Microsoft Mesh, we can explore how to use advanced technology for faster, more informed, and safer decision-making as we pursue our ambition to become an integrated energy company.”

Final Thoughts

Microsoft has always been in the news, whether it was stopping updates of Windows 10 or launch an in-house AI chip. This feature though being innovative and engaging needs to witness the adaptability and utility of most organizations. As Microsoft confirmed many international organizations have been using it, but overall how many companies use Teams as their mode of corporate communication? We have to see since the upgrade how many enterprises actively engage in it.

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Black Friday Tech Deals: Deals You Don’t Want to Miss

Noah Davidson — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:28:46 +0000

Black Friday is traditionally the season when most products go on sale. The early deals open on October 30th but the official Black Friday sale will begin on November 24th this year. However, different brands and e-commerce companies give different dates for sales and discounts.

Best Buy’s full Black Friday sale started on November 17th and will end on November 25th. Target’s early Black Friday savings began on October 29th and are set to run through Thanksgiving weekend. Newegg has started on the 16th of November and will end on the 25th. Costco announced a fusion of in-warehouse and online deals going live from November 24th through November 27th.

There are more brands with their sale dates but the important part is the products and discounts on them. So let us see what products can be purchased this festive season.

Deals on Black Friday

This Black Friday deal can help you save on many electronic as well as technological items. The list is as follows:

The Best Mobile Phone Deals

1. Apple

Apple’s latest iPhone 15 has deals on it. Verizon is offering a free 10th-gen iPad 10.9 and a free 2nd-gen Apple Watch SE. For the iPhone 15 Pro up to $1,000 off with a trade-in, plus free iPad and Apple Watch, and Boost Infinite is giving the iPhone 15 Pro Max device and unlimited data for $65.55/mo.

iPhone 14 which was originally priced at $729.99 is now $679.99 at Best Buy. iPhone 14 Plus also has a $50 discount at Best Buy. The iPhone 14 Pro which is originally priced at $999 is now available at $899 after a discount at Walmart.

Also, iPhone 13 which was for $699 is now available at a price of $599 at Apple. iPhone 12 which was last priced at $499 is now available at $399 at Walmart.

2. Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 (256 GB) has a 20% discount on Amazon and Best Buy. The latest 6.7-inch flip phone that folds in half was priced at $999 which in sale is available at $800.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (256 GB, Unlocked) has a 28% discount on it which is a steal deal. The phone was priced at $1799 and is available at %1300.

Lastly, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra after a discount of 25% is priced at $900 which was originally for $1200.

3. Google Pixel

Google Pixel Fold (256 GB), Google’s first foldable device is available in the sale at $1399 whose original price is $1799.

The Google Pixel 7A is available at $374 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google. The Google Pixel 8 Pro which is considered Google’s best camera yet is available at $799 at 20% off.

Stellar Deals for Headphones

1. Apple

AirPods (Second Gen) with lightning charging case, the cheapest model in the lineup has a whopping discount of 38% and you can buy it at $80 at Amazon and Target and $90 at Walmart.

Apple AirPods Pro (Second Gen) with USB-C charging case which was priced at $249 has a 24% off and is priced at $190 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.

2. Bose

Bose QC 45 Headphones have a 40% discount and are priced at just $199. These discounts are available at Best Buy, Amazon and Target.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and Headphones have 17% and 12% discounts respectively and are priced at $249 and $379.

3. Google Pixel

The Google Pixel Buds Pro was priced at $200 and in the Black Friday sale, it is available at a 43% discount. At WellBots $115, at Amazon $120, and at Best Buy $120.

Stunning Gaming Device Deals

1. PlayStation 5

New PlayStation 5 with Marvel Spider-Man 2 and Call of Duy: Modern Warfare III has an 11% discount and is now available at $499 at Amazon and $500 at Gamestop and Best Buy.

2. Wireless Controller

DualSense Wireless Controller designed for PS5 has a built-in microphone and haptic feedback technology. It has a 35% discount which was originally priced at $75 and is now available at $49.

Xbox Wireless Controller has a discount of 43% and is priced at $40 after the discount.

3. Handheld Gaming Console

Nintendo Switch Mario Cart 8 Deluxe Bundle is a holiday Switch bundle that includes the standard version of Nintendo’s terrific handheld, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a three-month subscription to Nintendo Switch Online and is priced at $300.

Asus Rog Ally (512 GB) has a great discount of 32% and is priced at $450. It’s a PC gaming handheld with a 7-inch, 1080p, 120Hz touchscreen and integrated gamepad controls.

Hori Split Pad Pro has a 20% discount on the original price of $50 and now is available at $40.

Great Laptop Deals

1. Asus

Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (Intel Evo i7-1355U, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) can be a great buy in the OLED laptops category. Along with a stunning screen, the lightweight laptop features a good port selection that has HDMI 2.1, USB-A, and multiple Thunderbolt ports. The laptop right now has a discount of $100 and is priced at $1300 on Amazon and Asus.

2. Microsoft

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 has a huge 20% off and is selling at $799 instead of $999 at Amazon and Best Buy.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is selling at $799.99 with an off of $100 at Amazon and Best Buy with a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.

3.Apple

The new 14-inch MacBook Pro is selling at 10% off at $1799 at Amazon and Best Buy.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro stays Apple’s largest laptop for creators and power users. It is now selling at $2299 at an 8% discount.

The sale is ongoing and most of the deals are great for purchase for tech enthusiasts and gamers. The sale is also live for tablets, watches, and games for PlayStation. There are deals on SteamCam, smart displays, speakers, and more for great prices and discounts. What products are you buying this Black Friday sale? Let us know in the comments.

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10 Common Cyber Resilience Challenges and How to Overcome Them?

Noah Davidson — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 15:31:00 +0000

A breakdown of global cybercrime damage costs predicted that in 2024 it will be USD 9.5 trillion a year. This number is daunting and sums up to billions of dollars per month in cybercrime damage. With technological tools and advancements becoming handy, hackers are also upgrading themselves for it. This proves one thing implementing a cyber resilience policy is not enough, you will also need to incorporate strict measures against it.

Most organizations don’t leave their data security to negligence but don’t do enough to secure a fool-proof solution too. What they don’t understand is that businesses get impacted and they lose revenue, customer data, and operational resources. Cybersecurity concerns or breaches not only impact an enterprise’s goodwill but also leave them out of business.

So without any delay, let us see the cyber resilience challenges organizations face and their solutions.

10 Cyber Resilience Challenges and Their Measures

When organizations are aware of the possible threats and are always on the lookout for solutions, they never face any cyber security threats or breaches.

1. Two-Factor Authentication

Most data breaches happen due to weak passwords and they alone don’t offer adequate protection. Having strong passwords is mandatory to ensure data privacy and avoid credential-compromise cyber attacks.

For passwords, you can implement a preventative and commonly used strategy of having strong passwords. This can be added,

The passwords must include at least 8 characters
They should be alphanumeric
Avoid putting personal data like date of birth
It should be unique and not previously used
Lastly, the password should not sum up to a legitimate word

Additionally, it is also important to figure out other forms of authentication like multi-factor authentication via apps.

All users including senior members in the company can be asked to adhere to it. Multi-factor authentication should be enabled for every system account with substantial focus on accounts having sensitive data like finance, HR, and legal teams.

2. Remote Access Protocols

The concept of remote access has grown far and wide due to the pandemic. These remote access solutions allow full control of a remote computer or laptop including local network access and storage. Such massive access provides opportunities worth of gold to attackers.

So it is pivotal to keep remote desktop solutions inaccessible via the internet. What you can do to make them accessible is only via VPN or enable a virtual desktop solution. A few examples of virtual desktop solutions are VirtualBox, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, Nutanix, V2 Cloud, AirWatch, and more. Remote desktop protocols should not be accessible without a two-factor authentication.

3. Corporate Networks

Corporate networks or virtual private networks have become a place of exploitation for attackers. They look for intrusion vector focus as a potential weakness or exploitable perimeter. A simple solution for the same is to keep vulnerability scanning tools, blending reactionary and active patch management at arm’s length.

Antivirus solutions fail to locate an adversary that connects to the VPN with stolen admin credentials and is issued greater privileges, operating as a normal user would. Consider constant reviews of VPN logs for any potential or suspicious activity. So users must log into the VPN with limited access privileges.

4. Encrypt All the Data and Create Backups

When organizations save their data in normal-text format, it is easy for hackers to access it. So you should make sure that all your sensitive data is encrypted. Data encryption controls the data access to parties who possess the encryption key. Another benefit is that even if someone gets unauthorized access, they won’t be able to read your sensitive data. A few data software also let you know when someone is altering or meddling with your data.

Cybersecurity breaches often result in data loss, so it is fundamental to have backups of important information from time to time. If you don’t create a backup and there happens to be any cyber security breach, it will lead to operational chaos and revenue loss in your organization. So make sure you have a secure and reliable backup option.

5. Endpoint Detection and Response

An EDR collects and monitors any threat-related information from workstations and any other endpoints like laptops, servers, and workstations, giving systemwide transparency for evidencing suspicious behavior.

Antivirus is a bit different from EDRs as antivirus depends on signature-based detection to find any malware. It is incorporated to look for any suspicious behavior like network scanning or lateral network movement. Attackers generally enter networks through unmonitored systems so EDR agents should be deployed as wide as possible in the environment.

6. Access and Track Your Vendors

There is a huge possibility that you are highly dependent on third-party vendors. So you will require vendor risk management to mitigate third-party risk instead of solely relying on incident response.

You should primarily focus on

Cybersecurity risk: thoroughly monitor your vendors right after you start a business with them. Create improved strategies before onboarding them.
Strategic risk: make sure your vendors or service providers will not interfere in meeting organizational objectives.
Operational risk: continuously check your vendors and make sure they won’t create any operational disruptions.
Legal and compliance risk: ensure that the vendor you are seeking will not impact your compliance with legal, regulatory, or local laws.

Always look for vendors who will secure your networks instead of creating risks for you as a cyber resilience move.

7. Employ a Killswitch in Place

Killswitch is a kind of cyber resilience, a reactive cybersecurity protection strategy where your information technology department closes all systems as soon as they identify any suspicious activity until it is resolved. Every organization should have a killswitch in place as a protection from large-scale attacks.

Conduct cybersecurity framework audits frequently and analyze all server logs to make sure everything is protected. Another thing you can do is get network forensic analysis tools that check information flow through your network.

8. Install Firewalls

Cyber attackers are becoming smarter with every passing day and they are coming up with new strategies to access your data. You can protect yourself from this by implementing firewalls. It is a network security device that analyzes and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on an enterprise’s previously established security policies.

This will help you protect against sudden attacks or any damages that cannot be reversed. It will also look for any suspicious activity that will hamper the data integrity. While choosing a firewall look for one that provides full security control and transparency of your networks and applications. Additionally, it should have complete protection and prevention capabilities along with security infrastructure.

9. Email Hygiene

It is one of the most important aspects of cyber resilience. Your employees should feel comfortable in notifying or communicating phishing emails. Inculcate a multi-layered defense by adding filters to inbound and outbound messages with attachment sandboxing and URL rewrites.

Along with email hygiene, pursue cyber hygiene practices to work smoothly in remote settings. Cloud-based email solutions can enable organizations to simply and cost-friendly implement core security controls such as MFA and reduce the chances of an attacker getting access to internal private networks through compromised on-premises servers.

10. Create Awareness in Your Employees

Phishing emails are hard to detect as they always seem genuine. Employee training on cyber security is essential as it assures them to raise a query and report suspicious activity. without proper knowledge or training, employees may entertain phishing emails and give access to hackers to sensitive data.

So organizations must hold training for employees at least once a year where you can educate them about primary forms of cybersecurity attacks and the solutions to prevent them. Also, communicate the importance of checking email addresses before replying and links before opening them.

Overcoming Cyber Resilience Challenges

Implementation of these solutions will definitely help you overcome any potential threat to cyber resilience. When organizations have a strong cyber resilience strategy, they have a secure environment, intact data, and no loss of revenue. With growing smartness of hackers to access data in different ways, organizations need fool-proof solutions to tackle the challenges.

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China’s Baidu Reveals New Version of Ernie, Claims To Be in Same League With GPT-4

Noah Davidson — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:33:26 +0000

On Tuesday, October 17, Chinese search engine and artificial intelligence firm Baidu revealed a new version of its AI model, Ernie 4.0. Baidu’s CEO Robin Li showcased Ernie 4.0 at the company’s annual Baidu World conference in Beijing. He posed questions on topics like buying property, posed math problems, and asked it to write a novel based on the world of ancient martial arts. He added that the model has achieved comprehension, reasoning, memory, and generation which uses algorithms to generate new content.

Li also mentioned that Ernie 4.0 has the ability to understand complex instructions and questions and it applies logic and reasoning to provide answers. When stating the latest model, he said, “It is not inferior in any aspect to GPT-4. Significantly improved compared to its original Ernie Bot model.”

Baidu’s Future Plan for the AI Model

Baidu is amongst the competitors in the AI race, racing to come up with artificial intelligence models. This is after OpenAI’s ChatGPT was introduced last year and people were hooked to it. China sees AI as a potential industry to rival the US and aims to become a global leader by 2030.

Baidu began its journey as a search engine firm and over the last few years has invested significantly in AI technology such as autonomous driving and now, generative AI to meet the competition.

It introduced Ernie Bot in March and made it available to the public in August 2023. Ernie 4.0 is not available to the public yet but some people are invited to try it. Also, following the announcement of Baidu’s share price fell 1.7% which is a bit unexpected.

Li also mentioned that the company plans to incorporate AI into its search engine, maps, and cloud drive services, and its business intelligence services for enterprise customers. However, he did not mention the timeline or any other information for the same.

Final Thoughts

Baidu is trying to compete with US tech giants like Google’s AI Chatbot Bard and Microsoft’s Dall-E 3. However, US sanctions on China’s access to advanced chips to train the AI models along with Beijing’s stringent censorship can create issues for them. They also have domestic rivals like ByteDance Ltd and Tencent to make things difficult for them.

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All You Need to Know About Google Pixel 8 and Pixel Watch 2

Noah Davidson — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 13:50:28 +0000

The 8th iteration of the smartest smartphone, Google Pixel is here. Along with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, Google also announced Pixel Watch 2 and Android 14 during its 2023 Google Pixel launch event.

As far as surprises go, Google has had a terrible history of keeping their devices from being leaked. And, most of what the rumors suggested about the Pixel 8 has come true. One of those was the brand-new AI integrated Camera. Before talking more about it in detail, let’s see what the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro have to offer.

Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro Specifications

Here’s a quick look at the hardware specs of both 2023 Pixel devices:

	Google Pixel 8	Google Pixel 8 Pro
Display	FHD, 6.2-inch OLED at 60-120Hz refresh rate	QHD, 6.7-inch LTPO OLED at 1-120Hz refresh rate
Processor	Tensor G3	Tensor G3
RAM	8GB	12GB
Storage	128GB or 256GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
Battery	4,575mAh with wireless charging	5,050mAh with wireless charging
Camera	50MP wide angle + 12MP ultrawide rear cameras with laser auto focus and 10.5MP front camera	50MP wide angle + 48MP ultrawide + 48MP telephoto camera with multi-zone laser auto focus and 10.5MP front camera

Now, we all know that the Google Pixel has never been about the flashiest hardware. They’re known to show software magic that takes decently good hardware to match other flagships like the iPhone 15 that launched last month. But, that doesn’t mean Google has let the same hardware slide this year. The all-new Tensor G3 has to be the highlight hardware component this year alongside the new ultrawide sensor upgrade over last year’s Pixel 7 Pro. The Batteries have also seen a minor bump with the RAM, storage, and displays remaining the same.

But, what’s special about these new flagships from Google?

Everything New and Improved About the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro

Android 14 and Software Upgrades

One of Google’s main selling points is its amazing, buttery-smooth software experience. With the Android 14, the Pixel 8 has new features like accessibility options, security improvements, and customization. The most notable features of Android 14 are the notification flashes, built-in health connect app, and better hearing-aid support.

Talking about Pixel 8 exclusive features, there’s a new camera feature called Best Take. It takes multiple photos and uses AI to combine them to get the best shot, hence the name. So let’s say you’re taking a photo and some people’s faces are not correctly captured. Using multiple photos, the feature will automatically adjust and edit those faces.

Sticking to the images, Google is also using generative AI for their new Magic Editor tool that can reposition, resize, and completely reimagine a photo after it’s shot. Other than that, the Google Assistant gets better this year. You can now use it to summarize web pages and read text aloud while automatically translating it. The Gboard also features better suggestions for proofreading your texts.

An Improved Camera Set-up

Google already has a tried-and-tested recipe for a great camera, as it has been one of the best in the industry. Some would even argue that Google’s photos are better in some situations when compared to the iPhone or Samsung’s Galaxy S23. This year’s camera has a few minor hardware upgrades to make it better.

The Pixel 8’s 50MP primary sensor has a wider aperture at ƒ/1.68 to take in more light. The ultrawide lens has a larger FoV to bring in more of the background without distorting the image too much. While that is a decent upgrade, the Pixel 8 Pro has an even better ultrawide sensor at 48MP along with an even wider aperture than the Pixel 8.

When it comes to the front cameras, the Pixel 8 doesn’t see a notable quality upgrade. However, they now have Class 3 biometrics which gives them the same security class as the fingerprint scanners. So, you can use both, fingerprint and face unlock with equal security for banking and locking your phone and apps.

Tensor G3-Powered Performance

Since its introduction with the Pixel 6 in 2021, Google has used the Tensor G-series processors that they designed and Samsung made. Each year, Google has announced unique software and camera features that were only possible thanks to their Tensor processors. This year’s Tensor G3 enables similar software features that we discussed earlier. It also has a next-gen ARM CPU along with an improved GPU and a next-gen TPU. All of these upgrades in the performance will improve camera quality, battery life, and day-to-day usage. However, it is worth noting that the tensor G3 is still nowhere near Apple’s A17 and Snapdragon Gen 8 processors.

Apart from the processor, everything is exactly the same in terms of storage capacity and memory. The battery life is expected to be slightly better considering a slight bump to the capacity and processor improvements.

Minor Display and Design Changes

The Google Pixel 8 and 8 pro have a 6.2-inch FHD and a 6.7-inch QHD display respectively. Both of them offer slightly better displays than last year. The Pixel 8 now offers a 120Hz refresh rate compared to the 90Hz of the Pixel 7. The Pixel 8 pro now has the capability to use a variable refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz. Other than that, both displays have slightly higher peak brightness.

The design hasn’t changed much at all from the Pixel 7 with the same camera bar on the rear top. However, unlike the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 8 Pro no longer has a curved display. Some people loved it, some didn’t. Lastly, there are 2 new color options in shades of light blue and pink color.

The All-New Google Pixel Watch 2 – New Sensors and Better Battery

Along with the Pixel phones, Google also announced the Pixel Watch 2 during the launch event. The 2nd generation smartwatch by Google saw major upgrades over the previous model. It has a new processor, an overhauled sensor array, added safety features, heart rate zone training, and Wear OS 4. The new processor will also increase the battery life to about 24 hours with an always-on display.

Google Pixel Watch 2 and Google Pixel 8 Price – How Much Will the New Toys Set You Back?

For the past couple of years, Google has tried to sink its feet in the higher-tier market just under the ultra-expensive flagship level of Apple and Samsung’s top models. And, they’ve nailed it with the pricing for both of their offerings this year.

The Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will cost around $699 and $999, respectively. Whereas, the Google Watch 2 will go for $349.99.

At these prices, the Pixel 8 makes for a great high-end phone if you’re okay with a slightly less powerful processor. The growing use of Google’s AI solutions is also a great start for the smartphone.

However, the $300 difference between the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro doesn’t offer that much to make it a no-brainer upgrade. Are you in the market for a new smartphone? If so, let us know if this year’s Google Pixel caught your eye.

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OpenAI and Jony Ive Are Reportedly Working On Building the ‘iPhone of AI’

Noah Davidson — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 12:44:49 +0000

Apple’s Former VP of Industrial Design Jony Ive is working with OpenAI to create something roughly described as the ‘iPhone of artificial intelligence’. The Financial Times reported that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has connected with Jony Ive’s company LoveFrom to develop OpenAI’s first consumer device.

The project is said to be in the early stages of planning but they have received funding of $1 billion from Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son. Despite being in the early stages of the project, the pair have discussed many potential designs and are looking forward to building something that gives a ‘more natural and intuitive user experience for interacting with AI’. The FT reports said that they are taking inspiration from how the iPhone used the touchscreen to transform how we interact with the mobile internet.

The Concept Behind the Rumoured Venture

The duo is said to be working on giving users a more natural and intuitive way of conversing with AI. Employing ChatGPT on a PC or an iPhone is ideal but that’s not what the devices were explicitly designed for. This project may hypothetically involve hardware embedded with AI. The climax will be creating a way of interacting with computers that is less dependent on the screen.

AI for the last decade has been hyped but recent advancements in Generative AI tools that can create content like text or art, have boosted the interest and funding drastically. This change was led by Open AI with its success with ChatGPT. This also created a need for tech giants like Microsoft and Google to release their AI systems. Amazon also collaborated with Anthropic to bring advancements in their AI systems.

30 Years in Apple

Jony Ive worked with Apple for nearly 30 years and left it in 2019 to start his own company LoveFrom. He made contributions to some of the finest physical designs of devices like the iPhone, iMac, iPad, and other iDevices. Since leaving Apple, working with OpenAI to design hardware embedded with AI will be a noteworthy effort and its success can mark his name in the world of innovation.

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