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Showing posts from July, 2024

Best Cordless Drill of 2024

Web Hosting & IT Support The best cordless drill will complement the other tools in your toolbox and make projects much easier to complete. Here are the top options tested by our experts. https://linktr.ee/remotetechsupport
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The original Apple Computer cost $666.66, but you can get Steve Jobs' Polaroids of it for $2148

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support When Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wanted to price his new Apple-1 computer, he chose a price roughly three times what it cost to build it: $666.66. The price made his cofounder and chief system designer Steve Wozniak laugh because of its proximity to a joke line he used to dial, and it ultimately caused the pair some grief because of its digit relationship to, well, the sign of the beast. Almost 50 years later, that price is a fraction of what you might pay for Polaroid pictures of the original Apple-1 Computer prototype. A collection of three photos of the board, the board and its caseless computer, and a monitor running Apple's own brand of BASIC are on auction at RRAction House and currently sit at a bid of $2,148. The auction is open until August 22, so that price might differ by the time you visit and maybe bid. Jobs used these images as part of his pitch deck, which he presented to early client Paul Terrell of the Byte Shop. By today
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Neglecting soft skills is hurting the cyber industry

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Half of UK businesses have a basic cyber skills gap, with the industry needing 21,600 recruits per year to meet demand. Those are huge numbers and come with a stark warning: that we must make the cyber workforce more diverse and look to soft skills during the hiring process. That’s why it was great to see the recently published McPartland Review emphasize the need for diverse cyber skills to protect the UK’s critical IT infrastructure and drive economic growth. It also echoes my view that we must prioritize skills and training to retain employees. Without major action now, the cyber skills gap could languish further and undermine the cyber resiliency of the nation. Unpacking what makes a great cyber employee Having worked in the tech landscape for over 30 years, it’s very clear that the picture of what makes a “good” cyber candidate has barely changed. That’s because one of the greatest challenges facing recruiters and hiring managers in the c
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New Pixel Watch 3 leak shows off 'Advanced' health features and watch face improvements

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Following leaked information on its wristband options , promotional material for the Pixel Watch 3 has surfaced online, revealing several key features. Chief among them are multiple display improvements, such as thinner bezels.  According to the images obtained by Android Headlines , one of the models will offer “10 percent more screen than the Pixel Watch 2” while the other offers “40 percent more screen”. The former is presumably the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 as that device is closer in size to the Pixel Watch 2 , while the second is most likely a 45mm Pixel Watch 3 .  Besides the bezel upgrade, both models are breaking new ground by being the first of Google’s smartwatches to sport Actua displays, much like the Pixel 8 . It’s unknown if the Actua screen will result in higher resolutions, but they will reportedly hit a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. That’s double the brightness on the Pixel Watch 2, which sits at 1,000 nits. The leak states that the
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Logitech teases an extra-durable 'Forever Mouse' that will get smarter over time

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Logitech is reportedly working on a “Forever Mouse,” which is dubbed a premium computer mouse that you only have to buy once. Company CEO Hanneke Faber recently sat down with  TheVerge  for an interview about what the brand has in store for the future.  She mentions how a Logitech team member showed her a prototype of a “fantastic-quality [and] well-designed… mouse.” It was a little heavy, but it had a system in place for receiving new features via software patches. Furthermore, you wouldn't be forced to purchase a next-gen model to see improvements. What features the Forever Mouse will obtain are unknown as Faber was pretty tight-lipped in the interview, although she did drop a few clues. First, she envisions the device will have some sort of subscription service tied to it but didn't go as far as to say how much the mouse or the service will cost. However, judging from her responses, the product could be somewhat expensive. Nilay Pate
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Ransomware and email attacks are hitting businesses more than ever before

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Ransomware and business email compromise (BEC) attacks are hitting businesses more than ever before, a new report by Cisco Talos Incident Response (Talos IR) has claimed. The report states ransomware and BEC accounted for almost two-thirds (60%) of engagements, combined. There had been fewer BEC engagements this quarter, compared to the previous one, Talos added, noting it was “still a major threat for the second quarter in a row.” At the same time, Ransomware accounted for almost a third (30%) of engagements this quarter, up by a quarter (22%) compared to the same time three months ago.  Tech firms in the crosshairs Furthermore, the researchers observed Mallox and Underground Team ransomware families for the first time, suggesting the number of threat actors in the industry continues to grow. At the same time, Black Basta and BlackSuit ransomware operations continue to wreak havoc among organizations. The majority of organizations falling vi
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Your old Android phone just got a video boost thanks to a new Blackmagic Camera update

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Last month, digital photography brand Blackmagic Design launched its  Blackmagic Camera app on Android , but it was limited to a handful of  Galaxy  and  Pixel  phones. On those phones, it gave users access to pro-level film tools, and now the company revealed it’s expanding the availability of its software to older devices. The announcement almost went unnoticed as it was made on social media instead of their official blog. According to their post, Blackmagic Camera version 1.1 is now available on the Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22 , the entire Pixel 6 line, the OnePlus 11, and the OnePlus 12 . For non-American users, the app is also available for Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 14. You can download it right from the Google Play Store . Just to give you an idea of what you’re getting, Blackmagic Camera offers “advanced configuration options” to help you set up the right shots, tools to help you check exposure, and support for “various video resolutions,”
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DJI Air 3S leak claims it could have a superpower enabling smoother flights and dynamic shoots

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Information on DJI’s upcoming Air 3S has recently appeared on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), with notable leaker Quadro News sharing videos of the drone flying above a city and providing details on the type of camera it may have.  In his latest info drop, the insider posted an up-close photograph of the device’s front, revealing what could be “significant advancements” coming to the Air 3S. You may first notice that the two camera lenses are inside bulkier housing, with news site DroneXL stating the extra space suggests the drone is coming “equipped with larger image sensors.” This should allow the Air 3S to take better photographs in low-light environments. Above the cameras pointing out are two Omnidirectional Obstacle sensors, allowing the drone to be more aware of its surroundings. The DJI Air 3 has the same feature. A glass panel is between the sensors, and while it’s unknown exactly what this is, DroneXL believes it is a L
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Mark Zuckerberg claims open-source is 'necessary for a positive AI future'

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called for an open-source future for generative AI in a new essay . He argues that an open-source ecosystem benefits consumers globally and encourages innovation, indirectly throwing a rhetorical gauntlet at the feet of closed-source developers (and Meta competitors) like OpenAI and Google .  “Meta’s business model is about building the best experiences and services for people,” Zuckerberg wrote. “To do this, we must ensure that we always have access to the best technology, and that we’re not locking into a competitor’s closed ecosystem where they can restrict what we build.” The principle behind open-source models is that they allow for a collaborative approach to development. Unlike closed-source models, which are restricted to a company’s internal team and its customers, open-source models can be accessed, modified, and improved by anyone. To smartphone owners, the difference can be seen when comparing Apple’s proprie
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Samsung shakes things up by switching to Google Messages on the new Galaxy Flip and Fold

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Samsung is dropping its first-party messaging app in the United States and making Google Messages the pre-installed option out of the box. The company made the  announcement in a notice sent through the Samsung Members app. It states that “Samsung Messages will no longer be preloaded” on the Galaxy Z Flip6 , Z Fold6 , and “newer models”. Google Messages is the new choice because it provides an “enhanced experience” by allowing users to express themselves securely, according to the notice.  Judging from the wording, the company seems to be talking about  RCS , or Rich Communication Services. Google created this messaging protocol to greatly improve text messaging between Android phones. RCS can send different file types beyond plain text messages, supports high-resolution images and videos, and protects your data via end-to-end encryption. Samsung Messages does support the protocol, but not in the same capacity as Google Messages, which is mor
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Japanese owner of Arm gets a bargain with Graphcore purchase — could British startup stymied by lack of support embrace Arm's licensing strategy to break Nvidia's stranglehold on AI?

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support UK-based AI chip designer Graphcore was, for a time, considered a potential rival to Nvidia and AMD, but fell on hard times after failing to capitalize on the AI boom.  Back in February 2024, we wrote Graphcore desperately needed to raise significant funds by May if it was to survive, and that a number of potential buyers were circling the troubled firm. These included Arm, Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank (which has a majority share in Arm), and OpenAI. SoftBank was always the most likely suitor, and it has now been confirmed as the new owner of Graphcore having splashed out somewhere between $400 and $500 million for company. The exact price hasn’t been confirmed. But what next? “Society is embracing the opportunities offered by foundation models, generative AI applications and new approaches to scientific discovery”, said Vikas J. Parekh, Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers. “Next generation semi-conductors and compute syste
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ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech news stories from the major Windows outage to the new Amazon Echo Spot

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support This week was shaping up to be a quieter one thanks to Amazon Prime Day deals taking up most of the airwaves instead of our usual flurry of tech announcements – and then everything went wrong. We saw a chaotic Windows outage seemingly caused by a security software update which caused massive problems all over the globe for all manner of services. As we’re writing this on Friday it’s still not over – so while we hope it’s done as you’re reading this there could still be lingering issues. In case you missed it or any of the other top stories we’ve got this handy tech news round-up to catch you up to speed. 7. The world ground to a halt thanks to the mother of all IT outages (Image credit: Future / Shutterstock / rafapress) On Friday, the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike redefined a ‘bad day at the office’ by causing a global IT meltdown with a single faulty update for its Windows hosts. The result was the ‘blue screen of death’ for thousand
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Talk about a downgrade — iconic British private school that has educated world leaders and royalty is forcing pupils to use ancient Nokia phones

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Eton College, one of the most prestigious private boarding schools in the world, has implemented a new policy requiring incoming students to use basic Nokia devices instead of smartphones. Known for educating world leaders and royalty, Eton's alumni, known as Old Etonians, include Princes William and Harry, novelist George Orwell, actors Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston, and recent prime ministers Boris Johnson and David Cameron.  In response to UK government guidance, new students starting in September 2024 will be required to leave their smartphones at home and have their SIM cards transferred to offline Nokia phones provided by the school. These basic phones can only make calls and send simple text messages, a stark contrast to the multifunctional smartphones most students are accustomed to. This decision highlights a significant shift in the school's approach to technology. Previously, Eton's policy required first-year students t
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Samsung's rumored Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim could be thinner the Galaxy S24 Ultra

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Multiple news outlets from across the globe are collectively claiming that Samsung is still working on a slim version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 , codenamed Q6a. While recent rumors stated that development on the phone was canceled, the  appearance of test firmware  indicates that work is continuing. Judging from the reports, the Q6a is going to be a tall order. According to  The Korea Economic Daily , company CEO TM Roh told Samsung engineers to create a phone that is 7.7mm thick when closed and weighs less than 239 grams.  To put that into perspective, that's skinnier than both the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which measures 12.1mm when closed, and the 8.6mm Galaxy S24 Ultra . Potential design changes It’s unknown how Samsung intends to shave off five millimeters on its foldable. None of the reports or their sources describe the development process, although the company could opt for a wider device.  Honor very recently launched the  Magic V3 , which is
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Google just gave us our first look at the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and confirmed the new long name

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Google is either getting ahead of itself or simply wants to get ahead of more leaks. Just a few hours after giving us our first look at the Pixel 9 Pro , the technology giant has shared yet another teaser that confirms its second-generation Pixel Fold is incoming. The teaser, titled "Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold,” confirms the new name and gives us our best look at the device yet. It shows off the internal main display, the hinge, and the backside, which boasts a redesigned main camera module.  Of course, it’s also getting Google Gemini and shows off the likely headlining feature with “Oh Hi, AI” on the screen. Before the device appears, Google shows off its generative text capabilities as well. The biggest revelation from this teaser, though, would be a confirmation of the new naming scheme, which moves the Pixel Fold in line with the rest of Google’s smartphone family and with some of the hardware. Notably, the slimmer horizontal camera ba
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Google just teased the Pixel 9 Pro – here's everything knew we learned

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Ahead of their August 13 event, Google has decided to give anxious fans a sneak peek at the upcoming  Pixel 9 Pro , and the information being revealed is intriguing. The tech giant is being coy, showing only a close-up shot of the smartphone, but it spills quite a bit. It has the signature horizontal camera array the series is known for, but instead of stretching from end to end, the lenses sit on an island separated from the device’s edges. Furthermore, it sticks out quite prominently from the main body.  If you look inside, you notice three camera lenses sitting next to each other alongside an LED flash bulb and what appears to be a temperature sensor. The Pixel 8 Pro has the same component, so it looks to be sticking around.  A phone built for the Gemini era. It can do a lot—even let your old phone down easy. Learn more and sign up for #MadeByGoogle updates: https://t.co/PUmAUi4YBe pic.twitter.com/I3EEXOkq3I July 18, 2024 Updated desig
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Amazon Just Walk Out technology is coming to one of London's most iconic venues

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support One of London's most iconic music and event venues has welcomed the future of retail with the opening of a new store powered by Amazon Just Walk Out technology. The store, situated within the O2 arena, allows shoppers to pick up and walk out with their goods, having tapped a payment card to enter, meaning there's no need to wait in a queue. Shown off to TechRadar Pro at a recent media event, the store offers a range of snacks, drinks, and even alcoholic beverages, which can be quickly picked up and added to a virtual basket, with users being charged when they leave the store without missing any of the show. Just Walk Out First seen in its Amazon Fresh stores, and now expanding to third parties across the world, the Just Walk Out technology initially called for shoppers to have a linked Amazon account to access, but now allows any payment card to be scanned for entry. Amazon says it has worked with Adyen and Levy to ensure the payment t
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Apple secretly gave the iPhone’s flashlight a major upgrade with iOS 18 – and it’s super helpful

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support While Apple did unveil a redesigned, customizable Control Center as part of iOS 18 , the technology giant didn’t formally announce a significant upgrade for the iPhone’s flashlight. Well, the latter has now landed in the iOS 18 Public Beta that's available to try now. For some time, we’ve been able to adjust the brightness of the iPhone’s flashlight from zero to four, but with iOS 18, Apple’s giving us a bit more control within a fun user interface. Essentially, you can now more minutely control the brightness of the flash and the focus (aka the angle).  I’ve been using it since the first developer beta of iOS 18 shipped shortly after Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote . Folks willing to give the Public Beta of iOS 18 a go can do so now, as that’s also shipping as of July 14, 2024.  Apple clearly had some fun making this feature (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol) Now, when you turn on the flashlight on any modern iPhone – say an iPhone 15 Pr
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