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PC Sales Get Biggest Boost in 10 Years From Remote Working
Global tech market analysts Canalys have reported that the worldwide PC market has received its biggest sales boost in 10 years as remote working fuels the ongoing digital transformation. Highest Full-Year Growth Since 2010 Canalys reported on 11 January that the...
Tech Tip – Stop Skype From Opening Automatically
If you would like to stop Skype from opening and appearing automatically, every time you log into or start-up Windows 10, here’s how: - Go to ‘Settings’ (type ‘Settings’ in the taskbar and select it). - Click on ‘Apps’. - On the ‘Apps and Features’ page, left-hand...
WhatsApp To Share Users’ Personal Info
In a change to WhatsApp’s privacy policy from next month, users outside of Europe will have to agree to share their personal information with WhatsApp’s owner Facebook or leave the app. Outside Europe From February 8, 2021, a compulsory aspect of continuing to use...
Trump Banned on Social Media
Last week, following the storming of Washington DC's Capitol building, US President Donald Trump’s ban from Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have led to some questions about the legal status and regulation of social media companies. Twitter – Permanently Suspended...
Featured Article – Rules & Regs: Social Media
In this article, we look at the rules, policies and guidance around what types of content is - and isn’t - allowed on social media websites. Social Media Platforms Social media platforms reflect many different views and motivations and can be used for harm (as well...
Brexit – Temporary Data Adequacy Granted to the UK
Worries about the disruption of the flow of data and the effect of this on trade between the UK and EU countries with Brexit have been addressed by the granting of controversial, short-term data adequacy status to the UK. What Is Data Adequacy? For third countries,...
Tech Tip – Optimising Storage
You can make sure that you are making the best use of the space on your computer by using the Storage Sense feature in Windows 10.? Here?s how: When enabled, Storage Sense will automatically work in the background when your PC is getting low on space to free-up space...
Featured Article – AI in 2021 For Small Businesses
In this article, we look at some of the ways that SMEs can access and use AI to improve efficiency and add value. SMEs Optimistic About AI Contrary to a popular belief that AI may still be a little ‘pie in the sky’ for many SMEs, an Adecco study (2017) showed that...
Those Who Understand Stats Less Prone To COVID
New Research from the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM), suggests that people who understand statistics and data are more likely to take COVID-19 prevention advice seriously. The Results The research results, published in the paper 'The Role of...
Bitcoin Skyrockets
The value of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency has risen sharply, reaching a value of £22,000 for the first time ever. Bitcoin Bitcoin is a digital web-based currency that operates without the need for central banks and uses highly secure encryption to regulate the currency...
Tesla Delivered (Almost) 500,000 Vehicles in 2020
Tesla reached its target of producing 500,000+ vehicles in 2020, although it very narrowly missed its target of delivering that number of vehicles. Target Electronic vehicle company Tesla’s own target set five years ago under CEO Elon Musk, of producing half a million...
Tech Tip – How To ‘Unsend’ An Email With Gmail
If you use Gmail and if you would like to avoid sending an email to the incorrect recipients, without the promised attachments, with the wrong subject line, or worse, here’s how: - Gmail settings offer the option of pausing an email delivery up to 30 seconds, thereby...
Featured Article: 2020’s Big Tech Story Round-Up
As 2020 draws to a close, here is look back on some of the biggest tech stories and issues in the year that was dominated by the effects of a global pandemic. Disastrous The shocking death toll and infection rates, the lockdowns, hardship, and job losses for large...
Tech Tip – Windows 10 Emoji/Kaomoji Keyboard
If you would like a fast and easy way to include emojis in your writing or get access to a free resource of extra graphics when using Windows 10, you may not know that Windows 10 now has an integrated emoji and Kaomoji keyboard. Here?s how to find it: To load the...
HMRC Self Assessment Scam Warning
HMRC has issued a warning to those completing Self Assessment tax returns for 31 January not to be caught out by SMS messages and email scams purporting to be from HMRC. Bogus An upturn in scams using HMRC?s name has meant that in the last 12 months, HMRC has...
Apple to Pay 85 Million Pounds For ‘Batterygate’ Scandal
Apple is to pay $113m (£85m) to put an end to the 'Batterygate' scandal, where the company was accused of deliberately slowing down iPhone batteries to prompt users into buying a new iPhone. What Happened? Back in 2017, some iPhone users were sharing concerns online...
Featured Article – The Difference Between Cloud Backup and Cloud Storage
This article looks at the difference between cloud backup and cloud storage and how each contributes to daily business life; business continuity and disaster recovery. The Need For Storage Businesses not only have limited hard drive space, plus they are having to deal...
Carbon Pollution From Your Emails
A Financial Times report based on work by Tim Berners-Lee has highlighted how sending fewer emails could help tackle climate change by reducing carbon emissions. Emails and Carbon Production The idea from Tim Berners-Lee, referenced also by Ovo Energy, is that...
Google Accused of ‘Stealing’ Android Data
Google is being sued for (allegedly) secretly using Android users? cellular data allowances without user consent, to perform ?passive? information transfers. Passive Information Transfers The lawsuit was filed by Taylor et al v. Google in a US federal district court...
Featured Article – Data Breaches: The Fallout
In this article, we look not just at data breaches but also at the impact of data breaches on business and organisations. Data Breaches A personal data breach, as defined by the UK’s data watchdog and regulator, The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), is “a...
Retail Adapting To Pandemic Christmas and Beyond
With the UK facing different rules and lockdowns, there?s evidence that retailers are trying to overcome their significant challenges by becoming more agile and adapting where possible. High Street Decline Prior to the pandemic, those with bricks and mortar shops in...
Vanish Mode For Messenger and Instagram Chats
Only a week after its WhatsApp announcement for the ?disappearing messages? feature, Facebook has announced ?Vanish Mode? for Messenger and Instagram to allow the sending of messages that disappear automatically. Privacy and Secrecy Facebook says that the Vanishing...
Tech Tip – Sending Delayed Emails
In Microsoft Outlook you can delay the delivery of?an individual message or you can use rules to delay the delivery of all messages by having them held in the?Outbox?for a specified time after you click?Send.? Here?s how: To Delay the delivery of a message: - When...
Scammer Accidentally Calls Cyber-Crime Squad
A hapless scammer pretending to be from a broadband network got more than he bargained for when he accidentally called (and tried to work his scam) on the cyber-crime squad of an Australian police force. Claimed To Be From Broadband Network The scammer, claiming to be...
WhatsApp Launches Self-Destruct Messages
From the end of November, Facebook?s WhatsApp users will have the option to automatically delete chats between the sender and recipient after 7 days. Disappearing Messages The new ?disappearing messages? feature is not going to be the default setting and needs to be...
Language Used Reveals Societal Pandemic Anxiety
An AI study of the language used on social media platform Reddit has revealed increasing levels of anxiety since the beginning of the pandemic. Study The study, by MIT and Harvard University researchers, sought to leverage natural language processing (NLP) algorithms...
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
n this article, we look at why bring your own device (BYOD) is still popular and we look at some of the risks businesses face by allowing BYOD. BYOD BYOD has been around since 2004 and essentially allows employees to bring in their personally owned laptops, tablets,...
Which? Reveals Truth About EV Battery Life
A recent (Which?) survey of 1,016 electric vehicle (EV) owners has revealed that worries about battery degradation should not be an issue for potential EV buyers. The Survey The survey by consumer champion Which? was conducted from December 2019 to February 2020 and...
PayPal To Support Cryptocurrencies
It has been reported that US-based payments giant PayPal is ready to allow its users to buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin BTC and other cryptocurrencies. Millions of Merchants The decision by PayPal will also mean that 26 million merchants who use the PayPal platform will,...
Sanctions Hurt Huawei
Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.’s 9.9 per cent revenue increase in its figures for the first three quarters of 2020 shows a significant slowing in growth compared to the 24.4 per cent increase for the corresponding period of 2019. Impact Financial and tech commentators...