Consumers shun social media and apps in favor of emails and texts
In recent years there has been an explosion in the number of different channels that businesses use to keep in touch with their customers.
But a new study from cloud communications platform Twilio reveals that the newer channels aren't especially popular, with 83 percent of global consumers saying they prefer email when receiving communications from businesses.
New cloud integrations help streamline big data use
As users and enterprises demand more added capacity, particularly for their data-driven workloads, they are increasingly moving towards all cloud or hybrid cloud environments.
This needs cloud data orchestration to accelerate and synchronize data across different environments, and as a result users are turning to cloud data analytic services like Amazon's EMR and Google Cloud's Dataproc that reduce hardware spend, eliminate the need to overbuy capacity, and provide business agility.
ADATA launches IM2P33E8 PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 SSD
If you are a computer enthusiast, you likely have a solid state drive in your computer, but if it a SATA variant, you are truly missing out. PCI Express-based NVMe SSDs are far faster, and if your PC can accommodate such a storage drive, it is well worth the upgrade. Prices on these drives have dropped significantly, making them a "no-brainer" for those that crave speed and top performance.
Today, ADATA launches its latest such drive. The unimaginatively named "IM2P33E8," as it is called, is mostly designed for harsh industrial applications, but it can, of course, be used in consumer laptops and desktops as well. Since it is a PCIe Gen3 x4 drive, it is insanely fast.
Google may soon let third parties add options to Chrome's tab context menu
Google has been tinkering around with Chrome quite a lot recently. For the most part this has meant adding new features and options, but there have also been removals.
One element of the browser that has fallen victim to some slashings is the context menu that appears when right-clicking a tab. Several options have disappeared from this menu -- much to the chagrin of some users -- but Google now appears to be considering opening it up to entries from third parties, potentially making it more useful than ever.
Amazon Prime gets HUGE Veterans Day discount
The United States is undoubtedly the best country in the world, but how did it get that way? Our military. Look, these brave men and women put their lives on the line so civilians can enjoy their many freedoms. After all, the Constitution of the United States is merely pieces of paper if we don't have soldiers willing to fight to defend it. And so, every year, we celebrate Veterans Day to show our love and support for their sacrifices.
All holidays get commercialized, however, and Veterans Day is no different. Companies use it as a way to give shopping discounts -- and sometimes free stuff -- to members of the military. You know what? Even if it is fueled by marketing departments looking for positive press, I still really like it. Soldiers can get free meals and other cool stuff on Veterans Day -- they deserve it. Quite frankly, it is the least corporate America can do. This year, Amazon is getting in on the action with a HUGE discount on Prime. Just how significant is it? A massive $40 off!
ICE-Tower brings extreme cooling to the Raspberry Pi
When the Raspberry Pi Foundation announced the Raspberry Pi 4, it described it as a complete desktop computer for (from) just $35. It turns out that claim was a bit of an exaggeration. While the new Pi is the most powerful yet, we’ve found it struggles to run a lot of the sort of software we’d want to use it with (most 3D games and video editing tools are a no-no).
Not only that, but if the Pi is working too hard, it gets very hot, very quickly, and reduces performance to protect itself because it doesn’t have a fan to cool it down.
Apple refreshes its privacy portal and seeks to differentiate itself from Google, Facebook et al
All of the big names in technology have faced questions and criticism over privacy. Apple is no different, and with an updated privacy website it seeks to distance itself from the controversy-addled likes of Facebook and Google.
The company has refreshed its privacy portal to provide a one-stop-shop for everything it feels people might want to know about the way it collects and handles data. While there are no changes to privacy policies, the updated site aims to present information in a more accessible and transparent format.
Common standards make access to and control of financial data easier
Ever more of our financial transactions are being carried out online, but if you have accounts with more than one provider, keeping track of information can be a challenge both for businesses and individuals.
Formed in October 2018, the Financial Data Exchange (FDX) is committed to uniting the financial industry around a single, interoperable and royalty-free standard for consumers and businesses to access their financial data.
Google releases Chrome OS 78 complete with virtual desktops and more
The stable build of Chrome OS 78 is now rolling out to Chromebook and other compatible devices. A notable addition with this update is the arrival of virtual desktops, something Google has been testing in preview builds for a little while now.
Just as with Windows and macOS, the virtual desktop feature of ChromeOS gives users access to a number of workspaces that can be used to keep different apps and windows separate from each other. But while this is probably the highlight of ChromeOS 78, it is certainly not the only change.
New solution allows contact centers to collect real-time analytics data
Data is more important for business than ever and that is particularly true of contact centers. Access to accurate data from calls and payment transactions is essential to give them a competitive edge.
Data security and compliance specialist Semafone is launching its new cloud-based Intelligence+ solution that offers real-time data as transactions occur.
Trend Micro reveals that customer data was illegally sold following inside-job 'security incident'
Security firm Trend Micro has revealed details of an inside scam which led to personal details of its customers being exposed.
The security incident dates back to August this year, and the company says that it was made aware of customers being contacted by fake Trend Micro support staff. Following an investigation lasting until the end of October, it was determined that it was a member of staff that had fraudulently gained access to a customer database and sold personal data to a third party.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 20H1 Build 19018 with quick web search shortcuts
In a bid to simplify the Windows Insider program, Microsoft has killed off the Skip Ahead ring that allowed users to try the version of Windows 10 beyond the one being tested by other Insiders. A smart move I think.
Insiders are now just testing builds on the 20H1 branch, due out next year, and Microsoft has rolled out another new flight for that.
Microsoft kills off the Skip Ahead ring for Windows Insiders -- what does this mean for you?
For anyone looking to get a sneaky glimpse into the future of Windows 10, the Windows Insider Program has long-provided a way of trying out preview builds of the operating system. But it didn't take long for things to get confusing.
Microsoft introduced various "rings" that allowed users to jump on pre-release builds of varying quality and at different stages of development -- Slow, Fast, Release Preview and Skip Ahead. Now the company has decided to simplify things by killing off the Skip Ahead ring. Here's what this means for Insiders.
Boosting the sagging morale of enterprise IT team
If you talk with people who work in enterprise IT departments, you are likely to sense the stress radiating from them. Demands placed on team members can be debilitating as they attempt to fortify systems against incessant threats while keeping increasingly complex networks running with speed and efficiency. And the pressure continues to mount. Something needs to change before the culture and integrity of IT departments becomes irreparably damaged.
IT departments make up the central nervous system of an organization. How healthy a company’s infrastructure is reveals a lot about it overall. If systems don’t run accordingly -- from all-out crashes to slow performance to endpoint compliance issues -- companies can’t meet their potential. In today’s fast-paced, ultra-competitive environment, this could prove fatal.
5 ways for healthcare providers to build a fortress against cyber threats
The healthcare industry has yet to find a cure for cyberattacks. Housing personal health data, all kinds of providers are vulnerable targets of hackers and patient care can be put at great risk.
News of breaches in healthcare computer systems is a regular occurrence. Over 100,000 medical records were recently leaked as a result of a data breach at a Montana hospital. And research this year showed an upsurge in malware attacks on healthcare providers. Phishing messages, a means of malware delivery via email, have been found to come in the form of alerts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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