Zoom is slashing the length of free 1-on-1 meetings from May
Zoom is a service that huge numbers of businesses and individuals have come to rely on during the COVID pandemic and associated lockdowns. For people working on a one-to-one basis -- such as therapists and coaches -- the fact that free meetings involving two participants were not subject to the same limitations as larger meetings is a major bonus. But this is about to change.
At the moment, if you want to use Zoom for free, there is a 40-minute limit on meetings involving three or more participants. Free one-on-one sessions have a 30-hour limit. The company has been busy emailing free users advising them that the 40-minute limit will also apply to free meetings with two participants. The result? As well as confusion and annoyance, people are now seeking out free Zoom alternatives.
Musk takeover of Twitter sparks heated debate
News that Elon Musk has succeeded in his bid to buy Twitter has, as you might expect, triggered a range of reaction. From rejoicing in some quarters to wailing and gnashing of teeth in others.
The debate rages on the platform itself as well as in the wider media. We've put together a range of views.
Microsoft releases KB5012643 update for Windows 11 to fix app button problems and more
Microsoft has released a big new update for Windows 11 that addresses a number of issues with the operating system. Key changes included in this update include fixes for various problems with video subtitles.
With the KB5012643 update, Microsoft has also introduced a change that means the temperature is now displayed on top of the weather icon on the taskbar. Other features of the update include improvements for servicing the Secure Boot, and a fix for a memory leak.
Confirmed: Elon Musk to acquire Twitter for $44 billion
We reported earlier today that Tesla and SpaceX tycoon Elon Musk looked poised to snap up Twitter, and now we have official confirmation that Twitter’s board has indeed agreed to the takeover.
The social network has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an entity wholly owned by Musk for $54.20 per share in cash, with a transaction value of approximately $44 billion.
System76 takes Ubuntu Linux to the next level with Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS
Ubuntu is a great operating system -- and so are the many Linux distributions that are based on it. Quite frankly, you really can't go wrong by choosing any Ubuntu-based distro. With that said, there is one Ubuntu-based operating system in particular that really takes things to another level -- Pop!_OS by System76.
System76's operating system focuses more on the user experience, making it a superior desktop distribution compared to "regular" Ubuntu. Following the release of Ubuntu 22.04, today, Pop!_OS 22.04 becomes available as well, and yes, you should be excited. The distribution uses Linux kernel 5.16.19, Mesa 22, and the GNOME 42 desktop environment (with System76's COSMIC UX enhancements).
KB5012599 update is causing 0x8024200B and 0x800F0831 errors for some Windows 10 users
Earlier in the month, Microsoft released the KB5012599 update for various versions of Windows 10. The update fixed various issues including a Denial of Service vulnerability on Cluster Shared Volumes, but the patch also introduced problems of its own.
A number of people attempting to install KB5012599 report that they are running into problems, specially 0x800F0831 and 0x8024200B errors.
Musk about to snap up Twitter for $43 billion [Updated]
We reported two weeks ago that Tesla and SpaceX tycoon Elon Musk had put in a bid to buy Twitter, though it seemed at the time that the company’s board wasn’t too keen on the idea.
Fast forward to today and it seems that Musk's $43 billion offer is likely to be accepted. Financial site Bloomberg reports that a deal is close with negotiations in their final stages.
Linux Lite 6.0 RC1 is here with Google Chrome as new default web browser
Now that Ubuntu 22.04 has been released, we will start to see updates to all the Linux distributions that are based on Canonical's operating system. For instance, the first release candidate of Linux Lite 6.0, which is based on Ubuntu 22.04, is now available. If you aren't familiar, Linux Lite is very popular with those that are switching to Linux from Microsoft Windows.
Linux Lite 6.0 RC1 is notable for ditching Mozilla Firefox as the default web browser, and switching to Google Chrome 100 instead. The operating system currently uses Linux kernel 5.15.0-25 and the desktop environment Xfce 4.16.3. It comes with some excellent software pre-installed, such as GIMP 2.10.30, Thunderbird 91.7.0, VLC 3.0.16, and LibreOffice 7.2.6.2.
SaaS and what it can teach us about human behavior [Q&A]
Software-as-a-service has become increasingly popular and the market for it is still growing -- expected to reach $264 billion (£207 billion) by 2026.
SaaS sales are being driven by more companies continuing to digitize their operations in a post-COVID-19 world. We spoke to Paul Quigley, CEO and co-founder of predictive, real-time media monitoring platform NewsWhip, to discover how using SaaS can improve operations for a company, help grow the business, and even offer insights into human behavior.
Microsoft releases KB5012636 update to fix Windows freezing and improve Secure Boot
Microsoft has released a preview of a cumulative update for Windows 10. The KB5012636 update is a non-security update that addresses a number of issues and makes various quality improvements.
Among the issues fixed by the updates are a problem with Windows Defender Application Control that caused Windows to hang, and various remote desktop related problems. The update also improves the Secure Boot component of Windows.
The one cloud threat everyone is missing
Ask security professionals to name the biggest threat to their organizations' cloud environments, and most won’t hesitate to give a one-word answer: misconfigurations. Technically, they’re not incorrect, yet they’re defining "misconfiguration" much too narrowly. They’re likely thinking of an Amazon S3 bucket that’s left exposed or a misconfigured security group rule. While identifying and remediating misconfigurations must be a priority, it’s important to understand that misconfigurations are but one means to the ultimate end for attackers: control plane compromise, which has played a central role in every major cloud breach to date.
Considering the steady cadence of news headlines tying cloud breaches to misconfigurations over the last several years, it’s understandable that finding and fixing misconfigurations has been the primary focus of security professionals and their solutions vendors.
Adopting big data for business intelligence
It’s hardly contested nowadays that business intelligence is beneficial to any organization, regardless of industry. Data optimization and governance have been shown to produce better decision-making in the long-term.
That doesn’t mean data implementations have been perfect. Some companies have been failing efforts to become data-driven at a much larger scale than one would expect. Others, however, are rushing ahead and have begun using external data sources en masse.
Why are businesses slow on the uptake with logistics tech?
The incremental growth of eCommerce has accelerated significantly in recent years, with national lockdowns raising the profile of online retail to the status of truly rivaling traditional high street retail in every workable sector.
As a proportion of total retail, the UK’s eCommerce sector commands 27.8 percent of all sales as of February 2022, up from 22.7 percent before the pandemic. The figure was as high as 37.7 percent in November 2020, owing to a convergence of lockdowns and peak retail season.
Why poor IT asset lifecycle management is rapidly becoming a serious cyber vulnerability
Earlier this year, banking giant Morgan Stanley agreed to pay plaintiffs $60 million to settle a class-action lawsuit resulting from a pair of data breaches discovered in 2019.
While companies like Morgan Stanley find themselves under constant cyber attacks, these breaches were not from a hacker breaking into a database or an employee accidentally exposing customer information. It was simpler: Morgan Stanley threw away decommissioned servers that were not completely wiped clean, leaving customers’ personally identifiable information vulnerable.
How IoT connectivity is reaching new heights
IoT solutions utilizing SIM-based cellular technology for connectivity are not new -- but the speed with which IoT is expanding, embracing ever more exciting and dynamic use cases is both compelling and creating market confusion in equal measure. From a market which is reaching maturity -- the standardized, tried and tested, M2M SIM IoT deployments -- to one (e.g. 5G SIM-based IoT) which is largely in its infancy, separating between those solutions that can be bought with confidence and those where continued innovation warrants discussion and consultation, may not be straightforward. And, for these latter cases, choosing the right cellular (SIM) technology and network type will require an understanding of the technical requirements for each use case and the data profile of the asset to be connected.
With the definition of IoT expanding almost daily and suppliers increasingly jumping on the IoT bandwagon, this is a complex landscape, requiring knowledge, understanding, and expert partnerships. Nick Sacke, Head of IoT Solutions, Comms365 explains how to navigate the maze of options to optimise and future proof your cellular IoT investments.
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