Google partners with HP to commercialize Project Starline for realistic virtual meetings
Google has announced its collaboration with HP to commercialize Project Starline, a technology designed to make people feel as if they're together even when miles apart. This partnership aims to bring the experience out of the lab and into the workplace, revolutionizing how distributed teams and individuals connect.
First introduced in 2021, Project Starline uses advancements in AI, 3D imaging, and other technologies to create an immersive communication experience. It functions like a "magic window," allowing users to talk, gesture, and make eye contact as if they were in the same room. After extensive testing across Google offices and with enterprise partners, the technology has demonstrated that it can transform meetings, enhancing attentiveness, memory recall, and the overall sense of presence.
Google and Apple team up to enhance privacy with new Bluetooth tracker alerts
Google and Apple have developed a new industry specification aimed at enhancing user privacy and safety across mobile platforms. The specification, named "Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers," is designed to alert users on both Android and iOS devices if a Bluetooth tracking device is potentially being used to track them without their knowledge.
This initiative is a response to the growing concern over the misuse of Bluetooth tracking devices, which are primarily intended for locating personal belongings. With the new specification, Google has rolled out this feature to Android devices running version 6.0 and above, while Apple has incorporated it into iOS 17.5.
TCL launches 2024 TV and sound bar lineup with advanced QD-Mini LED technology and Dolby Atmos
TCL today unveiled a significant expansion to its product lineup, introducing cutting-edge QD-Mini LED TVs across its QM7 and QM8 series and launching new sound bars equipped with Dolby Atmos technology.
TCL's 2024 lineup features the advanced QD-Mini LED technology, offering an unprecedented viewing experience with high-performance features across multiple models:
Transcend unveils new CFast memory cards for high-demand industries
Transcend has expanded its lineup with two new CFast memory cards, the CFX730 and CFX610, designed to cater to the rigorous demands of 24/7 operations in gaming & entertainment, medical equipment, and transportation systems. These cards boast top-tier transfer speeds and enhanced durability.
Meeting the CFast 2.0 standards, the CFX730 and CFX610 utilize advanced 112-layer 3D NAND flash technology combined with a SATA III 6Gb/s interface. They offer substantial storage options up to 1TB. Notably, both models are available in Wide Temperature variants, which can operate in extreme conditions ranging from -40°C to 85°C, ensuring reliability across various environments.
Cyber anxiety on the rise in the UK
A new study reveals that 56 percent of UK adults are more worried over potential cyberattacks since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The study from Illumio surveyed 2,000 people to understand their attitudes towards cybersecurity and finds only 47 percent are confident in central government's capabilities to ward off digital threats effectively and just 35 percent have confidence in local government.
The role of data governance in developing AI [Q&A]
The term 'prompt engineer' has become a bit of a buzz word for future-of-work topics. What isn't discussed as much, and is arguably more important to AI models, is the role of the data governance architect.
Satish Jayanthi, CTO & co-founder of Coalesce believes that without good data governance, organizations will go nowhere in extracting value from AI and ML models. We talked to him to find out more.
Microsoft is still facing EU antitrust charges despite unbundling Teams from Office
It seems that Microsoft’s attempts to sidestep anticompetition legal action over its Teams software has failed. Although Teams has been -- begrudgingly -- unbundled from Office, the European Commission is believed to be forging ahead with antitrust charges.
Many rivals to Teams, including the likes of Slack, have expressed concern about what they believe to be anticompetitive behavior by Microsoft. Despite Microsoft decoupling Teams from Office and other software, EU officials are of the opinion that the company has not gone far enough to level the playing field.
Linux Daddy Linus Torvalds releases kernel 6.9
Linus Torvalds, the pioneer behind the Linux kernel, has released version 6.9, opting not to delay despite a few unresolved regression fixes. According to Torvalds, the remaining issues are minor and will be addressed via backports in subsequent updates. This version is characterized by its stability, with Torvalds noting that the release process appeared “pretty normal.”
This iteration brings notable updates, particularly to GPU and networking drivers, which dominate the change log, although Torvalds mentioned that these are relatively small in scope. The release also includes several critical filesystem fixes, with enhancements to bcachefs and adjustments in ksmbd, alongside late-stage selftest fixes and core networking amendments.
Windows 10 21H2: end of support for Enterprise and Education
Next month, the Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 10 version 21H2 will reach end of servicing. Microsoft stopped supporting the consumer editions in June 2023 already.
Enterprise, Education and IoT editions of Windows 10 version 21H2 reach end of support on June 11, 2024. Only Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 continue to receive support until January 12, 2027.
Microsoft powers up Windows Terminal with session restoration and experimental scratchpad features
Microsoft has released Windows Terminal Preview 1.21 and, despite the small version number increase, it is home to a large number of changes.
Possibly the most interesting -- and useful -- addition is Buffer Restore which will load the windows from the previous session if you want. There are new font options, rendering changes, new settings, and new support for Custom Action by JSON Fragment Extensions.
Microsoft makes the Windows 11 Start Menu expandable with Start Menu Companions
Microsoft has made a lot of controversial decisions when it comes to the Start menu in Windows 11, not least of which is the plan to introduce ads. In the latest beta build of Windows 11. However, there are some interesting changes afoot -- notably Start Menu Companions.
While not yet fully operational, Companions are essentially plugins or extensions for the Start menu. The display information -- such as weather or stock prices in a floating panel to the side of the Start menu, will blend the ideas of Live Tiles and Widgets into something new.
The critical intersection between AI and identity management
Today, almost every organization and most individuals are using or experimenting with Artificial Intelligence (AI). There are plenty of examples of how it is changing businesses for the better, from marketing and HR to IT teams. What was once computationally impossible, or prohibitively expensive to do, is now within reach with the use of AI.
According to Gartner, approximately 80 percent of enterprises will have used generative AI (GenAI) APIs or models by 2026. As AI drives value for organizations, it is fueling further demand and adoption.
Unmasking the impact of shadow AI -- and what businesses can do about it
The AI era is here -- and businesses are starting to capitalize. Britain’s AI market alone is already worth over £21 billion and expected to add £1 trillion of value to the UK economy by 2035. However, the threat of “shadow AI” -- unauthorized AI initiatives within a company -- looms large.
Its predecessor -- “shadow IT” -- has been well understood (albeit not always well managed) for a while now. Employees using personal devices and tools like Dropbox, without the supervision of IT teams, can increase an organization’s attack surface -- without execs or the C-suite ever knowing. Examples of shadow AI include customer service teams deploying chatbots without informing the IT department, unauthorized data analysis, and unsanctioned workflow automation tools (for tasks like document processing or email filtering).
Best Windows apps this week
Five-hundred-and-ninety-four in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.
Unactivated Windows 11 systems could soon prevent users from changing certain Microsoft Edge settings. Edge could show a "PC not activated" notification in Settings to users.
Highest and lowest cyber risk countries revealed
New analysis from MixMode.ai reveals the countries with the highest and lowest risk for cyber threats worldwide in 2024, with the US ranking 9th overall among countries with the lowest risk.
The analysis is based on a comprehensive dataset encompassing various indices, including the National Cyber Security Index, Cybersecurity Exposure Index, Global Cybersecurity Index, Cyber Resilience Index, and the Final Cyber Safety Score to give each of 70 countries a score out of 100.
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