IT & Security News
WhatsApp Updates
Here we look at some of the latest WhatsApp updates and the value and benefits they deliver to users. Search Conversations By Date For Android The first of three new updates of significance for WhatsApp is the “search by date” function for individual and group chats on Android devices. Previously, this function had been available…
Brave Android Browser For Gets Assistant
Brave, the privacy-focused browser, has announced the introduction of Leo, its privacy-preserving AI assistant built into the browser on all Android devices. Users Can Choose Which Model – The Mixtral LLM & Meta’s Llama 2 Brave says its new ‘Leo’ AI assistant is powered by the open-source Mixtral 8x7B as the default large language model…
Copilot Gets Plugins And Skills Upgrade
Microsoft has announced that its Windows 11 Copilot AI companion (that’s been embedded into 365’s popular apps) has received an upgrade in the form of new plugins and skills. Builds On The AI Key Microsoft says that the new features build upon the introduction of the Copilot AI Key on new Windows 11 PC keyboards,…
Quantum-Proof iMessage Update
Apple says it’s rolling out an update to its iMessage texting platform that can defend against future encryption-breaking technologies such as decryption by quantum computers. Apple says its PQ3 “groundbreaking post-quantum cryptographic protocol” offers Level 3 security, i.e. it provides protocol protections that surpass those in all other widely deployed messaging apps. Apple says PQ3 (post-quantum cryptography…
Exploring E-Signatures
In this tech-insight, we look at what e-signatures are, their benefits plus some of the main e-signature providers, as well as what to consider when choosing an e-signature service. Popularity of E-signatures The initial growth of e-signatures happened in the early 2000s, due to the passage of laws such as the US Electronic Signatures in…
Try Being Nice To Your AI
With some research indicating that ‘emotive prompts’ to generative AI chatbots can deliver better outputs, we look at whether ‘being nice’ to a chatbot really does improve its performance. Not Possible, Surely? Generative AI Chatbots, including advanced ones, don’t possess real ‘intelligence’ in the way we as humans understand it. For example, they don’t have…
Google Pauses Gemini AI Over ‘Historical Inaccuracies’
Only a month after its launch, Google has paused its text-to-image AI tool following “inaccuracies” in some of the historical depictions of people produced by the model. ‘Woke’ … Overcorrecting For Diversity? An example of the inaccuracy issue (as highlighted by X user Patrick Ganley recently, after asking Google Gemini to generate images of the…
Firm Ordered To Stop Employee Face-Scanning
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has ordered Serco Leisure to stop using facial recognition technology (FRT) and fingerprint scanning to monitor employee attendance. Not Necessary or Proportionate An ICO investigation found that public service provider Serco Leisure, Serco Jersey and seven associated community leisure trusts had been “unlawfully processing the biometric data of more than…
Instagram and Facebook Ads ‘Apple Tax’
Meta has announced that it will be passing on Apple’s 30 per cent service charge (often referred to as the “Apple tax”) to advertisers who pay to boost posts on Facebook and Instagram through the iOS app. This move is a response to Apple’s in-app purchase fees, which apply to digital transactions within apps available on the…
Ding Dong Doorbells
After the Amazon-owned ‘Ring’ video doorbell company’s recent major subscription price hike across its range caused anger and made the news, we look at what customers have said and if there’s a way to beat the price hike. Ouch! Ring has angered customers and received some negative publicity after announcing that starting on 11 March…
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