US feds are reportedly investigating a $32 million deal inked by CrowdStrike with a government reseller to provide cybersecurity tools for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) products the agency never used and said it didnt even purchase.On the last day of Q3 2023, the security giant signed a contract with top government software reseller Carahsoft Technology Corp. for use of its identity threat detection software by the IRS, according to a Bloomberg report. The timing seems to be a critical component of the investigation, as the transaction was large enough for CrowdStrike to meet Wall Street expectations for the quarter.Given that IRS usage hasnt materialized, some, including, Bloomberg said, CrowdStrikes own employees, have raised concerns about pre-booking the inflation of sales figures to meet investor expectations.However, a CrowdStrike spokesperson told Computerworld: We stand by the accounting of the transaction. Carahsoft did not reply to Computerworlds requests for comment.IRS: We never purchased CrowdStrike softwareAccording to two people who spoke with Bloomberg on agreement of anonymity, investigators for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have been conducting interviews with CrowdStrike and IRS staff and collecting records related to the deal, including written documents exchanged between IRS, CrowdStrike, and Carahsoft employees.Investigators are asking witnesses about any interactions between CrowdStrike sales staff and IRS employees, and have repeatedly queried whether the agency purchased CrowdStrike software, to which theyve repeatedly been told no, according to the anonymous sources.Previously, CrowdStrike and Carahsoft said they had settled on a non-cancellable order, but they havent said whether there was indeed a purchase order in place from the IRS.After the deal was finalized and CrowdStrike reported its third quarter results, company shares jumped 10%. CEO George Kurtz even seemed to call the deal out in the quarterly earnings call, saying that identity threat protection wins in the quarter included an eight-figure total deal value win in the federal government.However, several months later, CrowdStrike appeared to backtrack, excluding roughly $26 million from its annual recurring revenue, citing a federal distributors intent to exercise transferability rights.Carahsoft, for its part, has been under scrutiny for some time now. The FBI searched its Reston, Virginia headquarters last year in a matter related to another partner, and federal prosecutors are performing a separate civil investigation into whether the company conspired to overcharge the government.Pre-sales a leadership problemExperts and analysts say the CrowdStrike-Carahsoft narrative emphasizes the pressure placed on enterprise IT buyers and sellers to sign deals before end-of-quarter (EOQ).Quarter-end deal pressure is one of the most predictable yet high-stakes dynamics in enterprise IT negotiations, Adam Mansfield, commercial advisory practice leader with IT negotiation advisors UpperEdge, told Computerworld.Vendor sales reps push hard to lock in revenue, typically tied to new product adoption, upgrades, or expanded usage, before closing their books, he said, often dangling so-called once-in-a-lifetime aggressive discounting to secure commitments.Scott Bickley, advisory fellow at Info-Tech Research Group, agreed. Buyers have been conditioned by vendors who are publicly traded to strategically position deals at EOQ and preferably at the end of the vendors fiscal year, he said.But while urgency can create opportunity, it also carries significant risks, Mansfield pointed out. Committing to products and/or volumes that arent fully vetted, and misalignment of contract terms, can later cause financial damage, particularly when these new products come with non-cancelable subscriptions.The practice often creates more problems than it solves, agreed SaaS and service brand consultant Chad Perry. Deals get booked under false pretenses, contracts get renegotiated (or canceled) post-quarter, and the next thing you know, the company is explaining revenue recognition issues on an earnings call.While, at the end of the day, the blame may land in the sales department, pre-booking is never just a sales problem, he said. Its a leadership problem.Buyers opportunity in EOQ dealsFor buyers, EOQ deals can both exploit and be exploited, experts point out.In the case of IT buyers, understanding this pressure can actually be a strategic advantage, Perry noted. If you know the seller is under quarter-end stress, you have leverage, he said. You can negotiate better terms, push for extras, or even delay and see what they offer to close.Mansfield emphasized that the key for IT buyers is to seek out opportunity in vendor urgency, while at the same time maintaining control. This means ensuring pricing is truly competitive and securing proper concessions (such as protections). The worst-case scenario: Committing to costly products and fees only to see plans unravel due to business shifts, internal delays, lack of realized value, or vendor-side complications.Smart buyers use quarter-end pressure to their advantage, but never let it dictate the terms of their agreements, said Mansfield.

Amazons announcement on Wednesday that it is abandoning its Chime collaboration app, while stressing that it will double down on the far more successful Chime software development kit (SDK), was an example of Amazon being Amazon. It knows what it does well, and where to focus.Analysts said that the Chime app made some sense when it was introduced in February 2017, but that sharply changed in 2000 when the pandemic hit. Microsoft and Zoom added lots of new functionality to their collaboration platforms, but Amazon didnt add much to Chime. And over the years, rivals have continued to beef up their products.Chimes feature set quickly was outshone and its market share plunged; currently its share is negligible, with one firm placing it at literally 0.0%.Amazon itself described its Chime app market share as limited, and conceded that its competitors, which it referred to as partners, had outpaced it.When we decide to retire a service or feature, it is typically because weve introduced something better or our partners offer a solution that is a good fit for our customers as well as our own employees, said an Amazon media relations contact who asked that his name not be used. In Chimes case, its use outside of Amazon was limited and our partners offer great collaboration solutions, so we will lean into those.In an internal memo to Amazon employees, the company threw its support behind key rivals. Zoom is replacing Amazon Chime as the standard meeting application for Amazon internal meetings, it said. Microsoft Teams will also be available for scenarios where full integration with M365 is needed. Cisco Webex will also be available for communication with customers who use Cisco Webex.The app has failed, but popular SDK prevailsThe Chime apps situation is almost the opposite of that of the popular Chime SDK. The lack of functionality that was so important to app users was irrelevant to users of the SDK, as enterprises and vendors used it as the foundation for capabilities they built into their own apps, including Slack Huddles and Intuits Virtual Expert Platform.Amazon also introduced its SDK much earlier than did Microsoft or Zoom, allowing the Chime SDK to build up a significant market share advantage, said Melody Brue, VP and principal analyst for Moor Insights & Strategy.Im not surprised at all [about the apps demise], Brue said. They really havent invested a whole lot into the Chime app.Jeremy Roberts, the senior director of research at Info-Tech Research Group, agreed. He said the decision to kill the Chime app while increasing support for the Chime SDK made perfect sense.My takeaway is that this is very logical. They never climbed to the top of the stack [with the app]. [Enterprises] didnt like the product, but they loved the infrastructure, Roberts said. Amazon is a good telescope manufacturer but not a good astronomer.Wayne Kurtzman, an IDC research VP, also noted that Amazon never promoted the Chime app, although they certainly could have.Amazon is really good at creating narratives, but Chime never had a good go-to-market strategy, Kurtzman said. It fell short in creating mindshare in a market that was growing incredibly rapidly.One year warning for users, migration help promisedIn Amazons public statement, the company said, After careful consideration, we have decided to end support for the Amazon Chime service, including Business Calling features, effective February 20, 2026. Amazon Chime will no longer accept new customers beginning February 19, 2025. Existing customers can continue to use Amazon Chime features, including Business Calling, scheduling and hosting meetings, adding and managing users, and other capabilities supported through the Amazon Chime administration console.It then pledged to help transition the few remaining Chime app users to other platforms, including solutions provided by AWS, such as AWS Wickr, or from AWS partners, such as Zoom from Zoom Video Communications Inc., Webex from Cisco Systems, Inc., and Slack from Salesforce.Alternative AWS Wickr should have its chance to shine, says analystHowever, Roberts questioned how long Amazon will support Wickr, given that it suffers from many of the same shortcomings as the Chime app. I dont see a lot of Wickr use with our enterprise clients, he said. But, he added, the robust security capabilities within Wickr may make it viable in select segments, such as governments.Will McKeon-White, a senior analyst with Forrester, was more optimistic about Wickr, arguing that an encrypted messaging app is going to have more staying power than a video conferencing one.Usually, replacing a messaging solution is much more difficult than replacing a video calling solution, McKeon-White said. Messaging needs to have integration into a whole host of different things. What it comes down to is that its much harder to replace.Part of the issue is that users often need to refer to messages from months earlier, but they rarely have to review old conference calls. That is why employees will often hang onto those old messaging apps even if the corporate standard has changed, because there is some critical thing that they need that messaging app for.IDCs Kurtzman also said that Wickr should get its chance to shine.They have a good security narrative and a good security story, which is advanced cryptography, he said, noting that should be a critical feature given that enterprises are putting all of the intellectual property of the business into their messages.He said that Wickr might be positioned as the glue to integrate different genAI offerings from different companies.In the end, said Roberts, the key enterprise IT takeaway from this is to stick with the dominant players in the collaboration space. It validates the decision to consolidate on the blue-chip collaboration solutions.

Microsoft has launched Magma, a new generative AI (genAI) model that can be used to control everything from software to robots. The company says Magma is the first such model that can act on its own based on multimodal data such as texts, images, and video.It can, for example, use an interface or handle physical objects, Ars Technica reports.Parts of the code for Magma will be posted on Guthub next week, allowing researchers to test and build on the it.

As of 10 a.m. (ET) today, Apple is no longer offering new users in the UK the chance to enableAdvanced Data Protection. Essentially, anyone who now wants to enable the feature to protect their data against criminal or state surveillance or exfiltration will no longer be able to do so.The move appears to be a direct response to the foolish and supremely dangerous demand by the UK government toundermine personal data security on an international scale. The UK used its Investigatory Powers Act to demand Apple secretly break encryption protecting data held in iCloud with the creation of a backdoor into that data. Rather than comply, Apple has instead switched off the encryption.Advanced Data Protection (ADP) gives Apples users end-to-end encryption across nine iCloud data categories that are not otherwise so encrypted, These include iCloud Backup, iCloud Drive, Photos, Notes, Reminders, Safari Bookmarks, Siri Shortcuts, Voice Memos, Wallet Passes and Freeform. Other iCloud categories, including iCloud Keychain, Health, and iMessage, will remain encrypted.What this means to UK usersIn a statement, the company said: Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the United Kingdom to new users and current UK users will eventually need to disable this security feature. ADP protects iCloud data with end-to-end encryption, which means the data can only be decrypted by the user who owns it, and only on their trusted devices.We are gravely disappointed that the protections provided by ADP will not be available to our customers in the UK, given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy. Enhancing the security of cloud storage with end-to-end encryption is more urgent than ever before.What the change means is that if you have not already enabled ADP on your device, you will receive a message warning you that the feature is no longer available to new users in the UK. It gets worse, of course.If you happen to be a UK customer who is already using ADP, you can eventually expect to be told to disable the feature in order to continue using your iCloud account. Apple evidently doesnt want to have to do this; the company knows full well that in the current threat landscape, it makes sense to encrypt all of your data which is why it introduced ADP in the first place.A huge act of self-harm by the UKSpeaking to the BBC, online security expert Professor Alan Woodward called this a very disappointing development, slamming the government for an act of self-harm. All the UK government has achieved is to weaken online security and privacy for UK based users.Unfortunately, the incompetent UK government does not understand this.Its a huge indictment of UK officials in the Home Office, who have effectively given the worlds authoritarians a green light to demand access to peoples data.As anyone who understands digital security knows,no one is safe unless everyone is safe, and the UK has justmade everyone less safe.Fortunately, the ADP system remains available in the rest of the world.It is likely the decision to disable the system in the UK follows the recent UK attempt to demand access to data held in iCloud by anyone in the world. Sadly, we cant be certain this is the case as, under the law the government used to demand this, we have no right to be told.That means we do not know the full extent to which Apple has been forced to open up to state surveillance by UK authorities. We do not know how the government is handling that access and have not been told how it will affect users. Nor do we know the extent to which the government is attempting to secure global access to iCloud data, threatening the interests of other nations in the act.All we do know is that the government is guilty of an authoritarian overreach to the detriment of its own national security. Senators in the US are alreadythreatening to re-evaluate intelligence sharing agreements with the UKunless it ceases this digital overreach.Apple will continue to fightAs I wrote when this foolish demand was made, far from making people safer, the UK demand threatens everyone: Ultimately, privacy is a human right, not a feature, and the removal of such rights should at least be a matter of public and democratic debate, which it has not been. As it stands, this UK overreach should be opposed not only by civil rights advocates, but by anyone else who uses or provides online services of any kind, and certainly by any nation that does protect privacy among its citizens. The fight for privacy is not over. Apple will continue to push for it. In the statement, the company stressed: Apple remains committed to offering our users the highest level of security for their personal data and are hopeful that we will be able to do so in the future in the United Kingdom. As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services, and we never will.You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn, andMastodon.

Tech press-landi and the tech blogosphere were abuzz last week with news that both Apple, the company that makes the iPhone, and Meta, the company that makes everybody on Facebook confront a daily flood of horrible AI-generated slop, are making full-size, humanoid robots.The trouble is, theyre not doing that. Heres whats really happening.Dont call Apples robot the iRobotTF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuowrote on the X social networkon Feb. 12 that Apple is exploring both humanoid and non-humanoid robots for its future smart home ecosystem.According to Kuo, these products are in the proof-of-concept stage and will enter production in 2028 or later.Apples proof-of-concept stage for any possible product direction is exactly what it sounds like. Theyre exploring possibilities, and in that exploration, theyre already leaning away from the humanoid robot, based on the very limited information we have.Kuo said in his tweet that Apple uses the word anthropomorphic instead of humanoid because it cares more about user perception of the device rather than its form. Even at this very early stage, Apple is already banning the H-word internally.The experimental lamp robotI wrote about recentlyuses humanlike body language but is shaped like a lamp. Its anthropomorphic but not humanoid. Apple is investing in a systematic exploration of robots that express themselves in reaction to a human user without that robot looking anything at all like a person and even without robot speech.Apples first robot will likely be an Apple HomePod that moves. Internally code-named J595, the device has been described by leakers as having an iPad-like display at the end of a robotic arm that tilts, rotates, and moves. It locates and faces the user during their interactions or when the user is making a FaceTime call using it. Based on Apple Intelligence, the gadget might be used for controlling smart home devices and security systems.One reasonable expectation is that Apples research for making home appliances anthropomorphic but not humanoid will be applied to the device. That research, which I detailed last week, is called ELEGNT. But its not just a science project. ELEGNT is a framework for designing movement in non-anthropomorphic robots. It combines functional attributes (like task efficiency) with expressive qualities (such as conveying intention, attention, and emotions) to create a better user experience.Apple reportedly aims to launch the tabletop robot by 2026 or 2027, with an estimated price of around $1,000.When will it ship the humanoid robot Kuo held out as a possibility? Theres no evidence to suggest Apple ever will. I think its extremely unlikely.No humanoid robot coming from Meta, eitherThose claiming that Meta is planning humanoid robots arent reading the fine print, either.Whats really happening is that Meta has formed a new team inside its Reality Labs hardware division headed by Marc Whitten (former CEO of self-driving car company Cruise) to work on developing sensors, AI and other software; those products can then be sold to companies building humanoid robots, such as Unitree Robotics and Figure AI, according to reporting by Bloomberg. Meta apparently believes in the vision of consumer robots, the size and shape of people, who cook, clean, and mow the lawn.Why would the social networking company formerly known as Facebook want to be involved in creating Rosey the Robot? The answer can be found in an internal memo written by Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth and seen by Bloomberg: The core technologies weve already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics. We believe that expanding our portfolio to invest in this field will only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs.My own fear is that,given the Meta tools I written about before including tools where social media users can clone themselves and have AI avatars interact with followers Meta might want to extend this paradigm into the real world and have robots interacting with others in the real world on behalf of Meta customers.Building robots can only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs if users are seeing through the eyes of their robot avatar using Meta mixed-reality glasses.(Meta is very much one of those torment nexus companies that scour 20th-century dystopian sci-fi looking for bad ideas to make real.)How to understand the Applebots and MetadroidsWhats really happening here is that Apple is just being Apple, and Meta is just being Meta as we slide into the Age of Robotics.Apple wants to use robotics technologies to improve the user experience of its consumer electronics, delighting users with friendly, responsive products via AI and robotics.Meta wants to use robotics to get people to socially network with non-human entities, possibly by having cameras and sensors in the home that can harvest personal data.One of the big challenges for both companies is personnel. The companies compete with hundreds of other companies and universities for rare robotics talent. Its likely this is one reason Apple is publishing research like the ELEGNT project its a way to get robotics researchers interested in working for the company.But as surprising as these companies entry into the robot business may seem, its only surprising if you dont appreciate the impact robotics will have on the world over the next decade.The total value of the robotics market is projected to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars by 2035. Robots of varying kinds will appear in factories, offices, healthcare, and homes.The coming ubiquity of robotics is a near certainty. Whats far less clear is the form these robots will take. Will they be mechanical humans humanoid robots that directly assist and replace people just as people would? Or will everyday appliances simply become robotic? In other words, will our lawns be mowed by more advanced versions of todays automated mowers, and our floors swept and mopped by more advanced versions of todays home-cleaning robots? Or will a humanoid robot push a mower and use a mop?Certainly both, right? In the meantime, the major Silicon Valley companies need to compete for robotics engineers and designers so they can set themselves up for success in the future, and figure out where their missions align with whats possible in future products.Of course, Apple and Meta are working on and investing in robotics and, for that matter, so are Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and all the usual suspects. Theyd be irresponsible not to.The robots are coming. And if Silicon Valley wants to stay relevant, theyre going to need robots of their own.But dont expect humanoid robots to be built and sold by either Apple or Meta.

Google and Zoom this week announced new AI features in their videoconferencing appsthat the companies said are aimed at improving employee productivity.The updates focus on automating tasks during and after a videoconference.Google Meet now has a feature that advises users on possible next steps to take after a videoconferencing call ends. And Zoom added a new set of AI tools called Workplace Automation that automates common tasks after a meeting.Googles suggested next steps tool draws its cues from an AI-generated transcript of a meeting and recommends next steps and follow-ups, which are organized within the meeting notes document.This latest note-taking enhancement will help ensure important follow-ups arent missed and keeps everyone aligned on what happens next after your meeting,Google said in a blog post.As for Zoom, it announced the general availability of Workplace Automation in its software.The feature was previously available in beta.Zoom Workflow Automation automatically creates a workflow that triggers a set of actions, such as generating summaries of meetings, exporting the summary to a document, and sharing it with team members. The tool can also track activity and communication among a team with multiple participants and generate summaries, so everyone is up to date on the activities.That solves the problem of fragmented communication, the company said.Workflow Automation is connected across Zoom Workplace tools including Zoom Chat, Zoom Team Chat, and Zoom Docs. Applications from third-party applications such as Microsoft and Google can also be a part of the automated workflow. And the workflows can be integrated into Atlassians Jira software.The tool is built on AI Companion 2.0, which was announced last year. The chatbot can answer user questions during and after a call by drawing information from meetings, documents and other sources of information. For example, users can stay up to date on conversations, a feature also available in Slack.Workplace Automation is available in thelatest version of Zoom.AI is already becoming a central feature of meeting technology, and its utility will only grow over time, said JP Gownder, principal analyst at Gartner. We dont have armies of stenographers transcribing meeting notes verbatim, so transcription is incredibly valuable, he said.Generating summaries and To Do lists are also helpful as they can make meetings more valuable.Too many meetings occur, and participants simply forget everything that happened. With AI follow-ups, there is a greater chance that the meetingwill lead to some outcome, something that benefits the business, Gownder said.Microsoft 365 Copilot is the most popular video option, so Google and Zoom need to be competitive with their offerings, he said.Of course, Google and Zoom are also competitive insofar as they dont charge extra for these AI features for enterprises that are subscribing to their core solutions, Gownder said.

Perplexity is releasing its model R1 1776, a version of Deepseek R1 with open model weights that has been post-trained to remove Chinas censorship and provide more unbiased, accurate answers, according to Perplexity co-founder and CEO Aravind Srinivas. He wrote about the move on LinkedIn.The post-training to remove censorship has been carried out without degrading the basic reasoning ability of the model, which is crucial for the model to remain useful in all practically important tasks, Srinivas wrote.For example, in R1 1776, there is no longer any censorship of answers to questions such as What is Chinas system of government? or Who is Xi Jinping? or How might Taiwans independence affect Nvidias share price?.

Emerging technologies such as connected transport, quantum sensing, healthcare diagnostics, and synthetic AI-driven content are creating huge gaps in data protection and privacy that could quickly outpace the ability of regulators and enterprises to contain them.Its a possibility that emerges from the UK Information Commissioners Offices (ICOs) latest Tech Horizons report 2025, which examines how these four sectors could be about to make todays understanding of the data security challenge look quaint.As anyone recently buying a new car will notice, the in-vehicle experience is now influenced as much by the onboard digital systems as by anything happening in its engine, transmission, or battery power plant.Owners can talk to their cars, access systems using facial recognition, ask software to compose business memos and texts, and remotely turn on home central heating systems, all while plotting the best route to a destination through traffic. The car, meanwhile, can use sensors to monitor the owner for fatigue and driving style, uploading this data to central systems and multiple apps.But this is only the start. Pretty soon, vehicles will continuously communicate with one another, the road infrastructure around them, and even with the smartphones carried by pedestrians. This represents a massive expansion in data and data communication that will hand a huge job to organizations trying to stay within current UK data protection and consent regulations, said the ICO.The proliferation of sensors in connected vehicles increases the risk of collecting excessive information beyond what is required for the stated purpose., the ICO said. In particular, sensors may collect data in a continuous and automatic way with limited or no ability for the user to effectively opt out of collection.Unfair processing and fake dataAnd its not only vehicles. Another rapidly evolving area is quantum sensors, a term that covers types of medical sensing devices used to measure tiny changes in magnetic fields, gravity, and temperature.In future, these could generate large amounts of data on a patients health in real time, which will need to be secured:People may not understand what information is being collected and why. If capabilities are misused or information is inadequately protected, there are concerns about risks of unfair processing (and even neuro-discrimination), said the ICO.The report also looks at the effect of AI-generated content, an issue that is already causing trouble. Although entirely synthetic, the data used to train these systems is based on personal or biometric data, the obvious example of which is deepfakes.Its a class of data protection problem which, until recently, would have sounded surreal: defending individuals from exploitation by entirely or largely fake PII.Data protection by designThe ICO sees this as three problems. First, emerging technologies will generate vastly more data, which will translate into a larger workload for anyone trying to secure it.Second, they will generate new types of data, for example, from brain patterns to driving fatigue. Protecting this will require tech companies to build in data protection by design before a system is released.Finally, and most significantly, this data will be shared across multiple entities, leading to a lack of transparency about who is responsible for it at different stages.Although some of these issues relate to consumers, many enterprises that interact with or process this data could be caught up in the same issues.As this report shows, the increasing number of innovators developing and interacting with new technologies creates complex networks. This makes it harder for people to understand who is processing their information and how they can exercise their information rights, said the ICO.For enterprises, navigating this wont simply be about staying on the right side of data protection regulations, but understanding which rules to pay attention to, said Andrew Churchill, a director at the CSBR, a non-profit that seeks to influence public policy.Given that most UK organisations will handle EU citizen data, and almost all will use US IT within their supply chains, different regulatory regimes will force organizations around the world to juggle the contradictions between different jurisdictional positions, said Churchill.For example, a companys tier one supplier might be in the UK, but has a French supplier, which in turn has a supplier that is German. But, he said, the French interpretation of the EUs NIS2 Directive might be different from the German one, which might be different from the UK one under the Data (Use and Access) Bill.This risks creating a huge amount of regulatory complexity for enterprise data protection officers, in ways that might reduce the effectiveness of data compliance, he noted. Too often the public policy debate doesnt consider the ramifications of what we could be sleepwalking into.

Theres a lot to like aboutApples newest $599 iPhone 16e, but one of the more interesting features in the device is the Apple-designed 5G modem. Apple has spent at least seven years developing the chip, but gave it just a few short seconds of time when it announced the smartphone this week. (Thats not a great deal of time for a component that represents such a design challenge.)Here is what we know so far about Apples all-new C1 subsystem.Introducing the C1 chipAt the heart of the system, the C1 (Cellular 1) chip first appears in the iPhone 16e. It is also expected to debut in other Apple devices in the coming months and will likely see use across all or most of the iPhone range by this time next year. Apple calls it the most power efficient modem ever in an iPhone.The reason it can say that is that the modem integrates with both the hardware and software on the Apple device. That integration lets it optimize the relationship between all the components, unleashing better performance and power efficiency. Its also what makes the iPhone 16e so power efficient.Theres another advantage. Apple can optimize device processes, including through the use of machine learning and AI. AReuters report explains that if an iPhone with the chip finds itself on a congested data network, the processor can tell the modem what traffic is the most important to handle first, which means the tasks you really want to transact will be completed that little bit more swiftly.What Apple said about the C1Apple Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies Johny Sroujiexplainedhow Apple sees this latest addition to the companys growing processor family.We build a platform for generations, Srouji said. C1 is the start, and were going to keep improving that technology each generation, so that it becomes a platform for us that will be used to truly differentiate this technology for our products.Srouji also stressed that the company doesnt aim to match all the specifications of other modems from other manufacturers. Thats because the companys business isnt modem manufacture, but to design products for which the modem is a component. The aim, I expect, will be to deliver the best connected devices offering optimizations that just arent possible unless you design the hardware and software used.Right now, thats evident in energy consumption; Im guessing that as the company finds a way to optimize the designs and further miniaturize the transceiver, we can anticipate performance and speed to also see significant improvements. These are, after all, the typical benefits Apple continues to realize through themove to Apple Silicon.Power efficiencyPower efficiency is the big result from this chip. It means you get 26 hours of video playback in the iPhone 16e. And over the next year or two, all those complaints about iPhone battery life are likely to fade because Apples future devices will offer the best battery life in the business while also using less energy. (This should also extend physical battery life.)For now, the iPhone 16e delivers the same video playback, more streamed video playback, similar audio playback and will fast charge more swiftly than the iPhone 14 Plus. What kind of power efficiency might a C1 Pro in future higher-end devices achieve? Can we anticipate iPhones with 30+-hour battery life? Its not unreasonable to do so.The C1 also isnt precisely a single chip, but is instead a system of multiple chips, including the transceiver and baseband chips that connect using PCIe. This should make for better power delivery when you use the device in the sun or cold. So, when you use your iPhones 5G modem for serious work, such as downloading data via 5G, you might well find your device gets less hot and uses less energy during the process. Thats going to be good for all kinds of remote work.AppleEngineeringApple isnt coming in blind with its 5G chip. It claims the modem was tested with 180 carriers in 55 countries to ensure it works wherever Apple ships iPhones. While actual results will vary, its a reassuring starting point. The C1 chip is a complex piece of engineering; its baseband modem is manufactured using advanced 4-nanometer technology, while its transceiver uses 7nm.Eager toget away from reliance on Qualcomm, Apple has been working to build its own 5G modem since at least 2019, when itpurchased Intels chip development business for $1 billion. It now joins a small, select group of companies to offer one of these only Samsung, MediaTek, Huawei, and, of course, Qualcomm have one. The chips also carry GPS systems and support for satellite connectivity, and they handle all the usual 4G/5G frequencies.Missing the mmWave?Still, one thing Apple hasnt put in place is support for Wi-Fi 7 ormillimeter wave 5G networks(mmWave). That standard is the fastest form of 5G, but is hampered by a limited range that means you dont usually get to use it. Even in the US, it isnt widely available, likely reflecting the cost burden of putting base stations that support it on carrier networks.Now, we know Apple has spent time working with millimeter wave; we also know Qualcomm holds several patents in the tech. Apple isnt saying whether it will ever support mmWave, but this might not matter much because it is mostly only used in the US (and not widely). In the UK, the spectrum used for mmWave hasnt even been released as yet.Apple may eventually still choose to deploy support for it in a future chip orinvest heavily in 6G developmentin a bid to hold its own patents in the tech. Wi-Fi 7 is another matter, but again I think that in most cases this matters less.Why? Because most consumers dont yet have Wi-Fi 7 at home, and most businesses dont yet support it. Most consumers havent experienced the 46Gbps theoretical max bandwidth of Wi-Fi 7 and are accustomed to the 9.6Gbps of Wi-Fi 6. Thats not saying those of us who do regularly use Wi-Fi 7 wont miss it; the speed is amazing when you get it.I suspect Wi-Fi 7 support sits above mmWave on Apples C2 development road map.What about Qualcomm?Its no secret that the relationship between Apple and Qualcomm is at times tense. Apple thinks Qualcomm charges too much for patent licenses; they ended up in court over something of that nature. Qualcomm, naturally, disagrees.History will show that Apple felt sufficiently strongly about this to spend billions of dollars and seven years coming up with its own alternative. Right now, we expect (because Qualcomm says so) that Apples 5G modem will be inside 80% of its products by 2026, with the remaining 20% set to switch the following year, when Apples technology licensing agreement with Qualcomm also expires. There is one caveat Qualcomm still holds many important 5G patents, and Apple will still need to continue to pay some licensing fees for those patents, similar to the fees it pays Arm for Apple Silicon. What Apple gets for the deal is the chance to make a modem thatsoptimized for use in its hardware, rather than off-the-shelf components that never quite deliver the right fit.See it as the difference between a thrift shop suit and one tailored for you.Whats next?There is and will be plenty of speculation concerning the C-series chips. Will Apple roll the modem system into its core chips to create a highly performant system-on-chip (SoC)? Will it now seek to integrate support for Wi-Fi and Bluetoothwithin the C1? (Even if it does not, it isexpected to switch to its own proprietary chip for both systems this year). Will it eventually field mmWave support? Apple now has an opportunity to further optimize networking across its devices, unleashing positive consequences in power and performance as it does so.One more thing: persistent speculation claims Apple plans to introduce a super-thin iPhone special edition of some kind this year. The new modem might be part of what enables such thinness, as during the iPhone 16e launch Apple did say that the new modem let it switch to a new internal design for the device. That implies the company might now be able to unleash thinner, more performant, more power efficient iPhones.(Personally, I cant help but wonder if the component will also let Apple introduce a slim, svelte, folding iPhone to compete with Samsungs chunky but popular Fold though that speculation is for another day).Relevant tech specsApple has disclosed the following relevant specs to the iPhone 16e.Model A32125G NR (Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n14, n20, n25, n26, n28, n29, n30, n38, n40, n41, n48, n53, n66, n70, n71, n75, n76, n77, n78, n79)FDDLTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71)TDLTE (Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53)UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)All models5G (sub-6 GHz) with 44 MIMOGigabit LTE with 44 MIMOWiFi 6 (802.11ax) with 22 MIMOBluetooth 5.3Express Cards with power reserveGPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavICDigital compassWiFiiBeacon microlocationYou can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn,Mastodon, andMeWe.

Applications that support the specialized AI chips on Co-Pilot+ PCs have been rare, but Microsoft is looking to change that.The company this week introduced an upgraded AI Hub that adds new programs to the Microsoft Store that will run on neural processing units (NPUs), the specialized processors in laptops designed to run AI-intensive programs.The new AI Hub will provide AI experiences powered by a PCs NPU,Microsoft said in a blog post.The NPU is an ancillary chip to a computers CPU and GPU, and is more power efficient when running generative AI (genAI)-based tasks such as image recognition, content creation, and voice transcription.The NPUs ability to offload these tasks from the CPU and GPU allows for faster, more efficient operation of the entire system, Microsoft said.Microsoft introduced CoPilot+ PCs last year with NPUs to run genAI tools. The software maker mandated that CoPilot+ PCs include NPUs and that the collective system performance reach 40+ TOPS (trillion operations per second). The first handful of CoPilot+ PCs included chips from Qualcomm and Intel, but the NPUs went largely unutilized.Some of the apps in Microsofts AI Hub include Camo Studio, which speeds up visual effects when using a webcam. (System tests on a Dell XPS 13 laptop with a Qualcomm chipset showed the NPUs in action when the application was running.)Microsoft has added apps to its App Store designed for AI PCs.MicrosoftMicrosoft wasnt ready with NPU-powered applications last year, but decided to launch the CoPilot+ laptops also called AI PCs with NPUs, said Mike Feibus, principal analyst at FeibusTech.The company had a classic chicken-and-egg dilemma of whether to launch the hardware or software first, and moved ahead with the hardware.The NPU-centric applications could make AI PCs a bit more enticing for buyers, Feibus said. You have to give developers an ROI reason to develop applications for AI PCs. More PCs with NPUs make it more and more valuable, he said.But Microsoft will need a much larger catalog of apps to convince buyers to spend money on CoPilot+ PCs, Feibus said.Microsoft requires an NPU for its highly touted Recall feature, which stumbled out of the gate following delays related to security, concerns, Feibus said.Dell is seeing more developers building applications tuned for NPUs.The recent announcements and additions coming to the Copilot+ roadmap also drive more value things like Click to Do and semantic search will have a big impact on user productivity, a Dell spokeswoman said via email.Microsoft had no additional comment about the new AI Hub.Qualcomm and Intel are independently encouraging developers to write apps for NPUs. Intel provides developer tools, while Qualcomm has its own AI Hub for developers to write applications for its Snapdragon chipset.Qualcomm supports models from leading AI frameworks enabling developers to work with the model format of their choice and get it up and running on Snapdragons NPU. Model formats include ONNX, PyTorch, and TensorFlow Lite, a Qualcomm spokeswoman said in an emailed comment.

Google has unveiled an AI co-scientist built on its Gemini 2.0 platform, aiming to accelerate scientific research by generating novel hypotheses and refining experiments. While the system shows promise, questions remain about its performance and broader applicability.The system aims to accelerate scientific discoveries by generating research hypotheses, drafting proposals, and refining experiments.The AI co-scientist is a multi-agent AI system that is intended to function as a collaborative tool for scientists, Google said in a blog post. Beyond standard literature review, summarization and deep research tools, the AI co-scientist system is intended to uncover new, original knowledge and to formulate demonstrably novel research hypotheses and proposals, building upon prior evidence and tailored to specific research objectives.The development comes at a time when scientists increasingly struggle with information overload, facing challenges in keeping up with the rapid pace of scientific publications while trying to draw insights from multiple disciplines.Mixed results in early testsEarly trials yielded mixed results. In tests with 15 research goals, the system outperformed state-of-the-art models according to an Elo rating system. A smaller study involving 11 research goals, evaluated by domain experts, found the outputs novel and potentially impactful. However, the limited scale of human evaluation makes it difficult to draw broad conclusions.For example, the AI identified potential treatments for liver fibrosis, but Steven OReilly of Alcyomics noted in a New Scientist report that the drugs were well established and there is nothing new here. However, Gary Peltz of Stanford University found two AI-recommended drugs promising in human liver organoid tests, while his manually selected options were ineffective.In another case, according to the New Scientist, Jos Penads of Imperial College London and his colleagues used the system to explore how mobile genetic elements spread between bacteria. The AI independently proposed a mechanism similar to their recent unpublished discovery, showcasing its ability to synthesize published data into insightful hypotheses.While Penads team had recently discovered that these elements could utilize tails from different phases, the AI Co-Scientist independently proposed the same mechanism, showcasing its ability to synthesize published data into insightful hypotheses, the New Scientist report added.Bridging the breadth and depth conundrumScientific breakthroughs often emerge from transdisciplinary collaboration. However, researchers face challenges navigating the vast volume of scientific literature while integrating insights from diverse fields.Inspired by breakthroughs like CRISPR, which combined expertise from microbiology to genetics, Google developed AI Co-Scientist to address these challenges by synthesizing information and uncovering novel knowledge.The tool, which is still in its experimental phase, allows scientists to input research questions or goals. These agents can also access scientific literature, databases, and tools like Googles AlphaFold protein-structure prediction system to enhance the quality of their outputs.These AI systems play a pivotal role in transforming traditional scientific research processes by accelerating dataset analysis and hypothesis generation, enhancing experimental design through an automated and iterative approach, and fostering a symbiotic collaboration between human researchers and AI systems, said Charlie Dai, VP and principal analyst at Forrester.Potential impact on drug discoveryThe pharmaceutical industry stands to benefit significantly. By rapidly analyzing scientific literature and databases, the system can propose drug candidates and suggest optimized experimental protocols, potentially reducing research timelines from years to months.Integration with AlphaFold allows researchers to predict protein structures, essential for developing targeted therapies. This predictive capability helps pharmaceutical companies identify how compounds interact with proteins, expediting the identification of viable drug candidates.The systems iterative hypothesis generation and self-refining processes also improve research outcomes, offering greater potential for breakthroughs in treating diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, rare genetic conditions, and cancer.This will result in a surge in both the sheer number of research processes being executed and in concurrency without a proportionate increase in workforce, said Vershita Srivastava, practice director at Everest Group. Industries like biotech and pharmaceuticals will achieve innovative breakthroughs at lower costs.Looking aheadWhile the AI co-scientist shows promise, its real-world impact remains uncertain. Success will depend on its integration into research workflows and its ability to consistently generate valuable insights across diverse scientific domains.However, challenges remain. Dai warned of risks related to algorithm transparency, inconsistent performance, and reproducibility issues. While these systems can accelerate discoveries, they also present challenges regarding data integrity, bias, and over-dependence on automation, which may compromise critical thinking, he said. Additionally, Srivastava noted that AIs reliance on specific datasets can reinforce existing biases, potentially constraining discovery. She also highlighted questions about accountability and intellectual property, particularly in heavily regulated and patented industries.

As federal workers continue to be handed pink slips, IT workers are being caught up in the effort to downsize government agencies and theyre likely ill-prepared for the job market theyll face in the private sector.The Trump Administration, with guidance from Elon Musks unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has started significant reductions in the government workforce, including tech professionals. As of Feb. 16, approximately 10,000 federal employees had been laid off, with an additional 75,000 accepting buyout offers. Other reports of more recent cuts are already circulating, which would add to that total.While the specific number of IT workers affected has not been broken out, agencies such as NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been hit by sizable cuts. In Houston, NASA employees are facing potential layoffs, with managers at the Johnson Space Center warning probationary workers about imminent terminations, according to various reports. Probationary workers are not necessarily new hires; government workers with years of experience who have received a recent promotion are also considered probationary.Similarly, the FAA has dismissed hundreds of probationary employees, including those in technical positions crucial for safety.The broader impact of the workforce reductions is still unfolding, with new details likely to emerge as the situation evolves. But for IT workers being let go from government jobs, the outlook is not good.More than 70,000 IT jobs were scrubbed from the overall tech job market in the past 24 months, according to data from IT industry research firm Janco Associates. As government workers are released, they will flood the market and find very few opportunities, according to Janco CEO Victor Janulaitis.There has been a monumental shift in the IT labor market as AI has taken hold and many legacy positions in the IT function have been automated out of existence, Janulaitis said.For example, try to talk to Microsoft on a technical issue, he said.All of their phone numbers have been redirected to websites. This has impacted the US labor market somewhat, but the real unemployment had been in the offshore job markets. Federal IT workers will be in a world of hurt. Many of the systems and support staffs are based on really old legacy technology. Those employees do not have the skills to compete in the AI and LLM job markets.Janco AssociatesPeter Miscovich, Global Future of Work Leader at JLL Consulting, agreed that the IT workforce in the US is rapidly changing due to advances in AI, policy shifts, and changing industry needs. Workers, he said, face a paradox: some sectors struggle with talent shortages, while others have an oversupply due to recent layoffs and hiring freezes.For the IT job market, no significant expansion in 2025?We may be witnessing the beginning of emerging stagnation in terms of future growth of IT talent demand, he said. Several recent projections indicate that there may be no significant expansion within overall IT employment throughout 2025.Even so, he said, certain industries are witnessing a surge in demand for tech talent and demand for specialized skills in areas such as AI and machine learning. For example, the retail and hospitality industries saw hiring increase by 38% in the post-pandemic recovery period, while IT and services hiring growth slowed from 19% in December 2024 to 12% last month, Miscovich said.In addition to potentially lacking skills being sought in the private market, laid off workers are likely to find companies are not hiring as they used to. And newer AI-based tools are being deployed to take the place of non-critical staff, low-skilled developers, and entry-level IT jobs such as level one help desk positions. On top of that, Janulaitis said, CFOs dont want to expand headcount because doing so represents the greatest cost to an organization. That is what they are doing to drive costs down, he said.In particular, many government IT workers have been sheltered from the rapid change in the market brought about by the arrival of generative AI in the last couple of years; its adoption has reshaped IT hiring across industries. Competition for top AI talent has intensified, with companies offering significant incentives to attract and retain skilled professionals. Federal tech employees, as is true for most IT workers, will need to upskill or reskill in new technologies such as AI and large language models (LLMs), blockchain, security and compliance, and e-commerce, Janulaitis said.Miscovich agreed. Upskilling has emerged as a critical focus area, with 35% of organizations identifying it as a top challenge in the coming year, he said. The rapid evolution of technology necessitates continuous learning and adaptation, prompting companies to invest in training programs that align employee competencies with future business needs.Technical training schools will likely see a boom, as most universities havent updated their courses to match the skills needed in the modern world; that mismatch is likely to soon be a problem.One bright spot for laid-off IT workers remains with small-to-medium-size businesses, which have been on a hiring spree. Much of that is due to continued layoffs by large enterprises, which flooded the market with IT job-seekers. In the past year, tech giants such as Alphabet (Google), Dell, Intel, Microsoft and Ciscohave all announced significant layoffs.And that was before the recent round of government layoffs.In general, we feel there will be some growth in the IT job market over the next few quarters, Janulaitis said. Depending on the trends in the Make America Great Again [plan], there will be opportunities for skilled and experienced IT professionals. Day-to-day coders and support staff will have some difficulty especially if there is an economic downturn. Those will be the first ones to go.Unskilled federal employees will either have to train up or find new career paths.

Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati has launched an AI startup, Thinking Machines Lab, escalating the fight for top talent and reshaping competition in the fast-evolving sector.About 30 researchers and engineers at Thinking Machines Lab previously worked at competitors including OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral, Reuters reported. Former OpenAI employees alone make up about two-thirds of the company.On its website, Thinking Machines Lab said AI advancements have outpaced scientific understanding, with knowledge concentrated in top research labs, restricting public discourse and accessibility.Despite their potential, these systems remain difficult for people to customize to their specific needs and values, the company added. To bridge the gaps, were building Thinking Machines Lab to make AI systems more widely understood, customizable, and generally capable.Former OpenAI employees who have joined Thinking Machines Lab include Barret Zoph, an AI researcher who left OpenAI with Murati in late September, and John Schulman, an OpenAI co-founder who joined Anthropic in August to focus on AI safety.More OpenAI employees are expected to join Thinking Machines Lab, according to the Reuters report.AI talent war intensifiesThe shift underscores growing competition in the generative AI sector, with top talent moving between established firms and emerging startups.Analysts expect this trend to continue, driven by demand for cost-effective models and innovative AI solutions.Executives and senior technology leaders from major pioneering companies setting up their own ventures is not uncommon in the industry, said Sharath Srinivasamurthy, associate vice president of Research at IDC. Also, in the highly dynamic world of AI, talent retention is challenging, and companies should have contingency plans in place to address these kinds of developments.In the short term, OpenAI may face challenges in retaining mindshare and employee confidence. However, ongoing investments, backing from Microsoft, and initiatives like Project Stargate reinforce its position as one of the most desirable companies in the AI sector.Those who were not aligned with Sam Altmans (and investors) vision for OpenAI have left, making the company free of internal politics, power struggles, and other distractions that could slow its progress, said Neil Shah,partner and co-founder at Counterpoint Research. In that sense, last years exodus may have been a blessing in disguise for OpenAI.Hurdles aheadDeveloping advanced AI models demands substantial infrastructure and a highly skilled research team, making it a long-term effort.In contrast to companies like DeepSeek, which aim to challenge OpenAI and other generative AI leaders within a few years, Thinking Machines Lab appears to be taking a longer-term approach.While current systems excel at programming and mathematics, were building AI that can adapt to the full spectrum of human expertise and enable a broader spectrum of applications, Thinking Machines Lab noted on its website.However, it may face significant challenges in the crowded AI startup market, especially given the complexity and long-term nature of AI alignment research, said Charlie Dai, VP and principal analyst at Forrester.By leveraging its niche focus, emphasizing ethical AI, and building strategic partnerships, the lab can carve out a unique position and capitalize on the growing importance of AI alignment, Dai said. Success will depend on its ability to balance long-term research goals with practical, commercially viable applications.However, perhaps the biggest challenge Thinking Machines Lab faces is the apparent ceiling on the utility large foundation models can offer the average user. The goal of AI alignment with human values is good in theory, but difficult to quantify or qualify as a discrete advantage, said Hyoun Park, CEO and chief analyst at Amalgam Insights. In theory, the ability to better align AI to human values could theoretically create a better UX that is more aligned to both help people solve problems or to solve problems in a more human fashion.

Apples new iPhone 16e combines three innovations in one $599 package: an A18 chip, Apples fast smartphone processor; Apple Intelligence, the companys private-by-design take on artificial intelligence; and the C1, Apples first-ever 5G radio. The announcement confirmsall of the speculation made about the device.In terms of performance-per-watt, Apples iPhones and the iPads and Macs that also use Apple silicon chips are at the top of their leagues.The 6-core CPU in this new smartphone is up to 80% faster than the A13 Bionic chip in the iPhone 11, Apple said, once again showing how the move to Apple silicon has been a huge success for the company. A 4-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine completes the set. But for many industry watchers, the real story will be the new C1 modem.Apple downplays a 7-year storyApple has been workingto build its own 5G modemfor iPhones for years and hasspent billions on the challenge. The Apple C1 is the first mass-market public trial of what Apples engineers created. That means a lot of people will put the modem through a variety of tests in real-world situations, which means Apple must be confident in what it has introduced. It might also be why the company hasnt said much about what could be seen as a huge achievement, something that has taken the company seven long years to make.The C1 will likely appear in a range of other Apple products down the road and the lower cost of that component also gives Apple a lot more flexibility when it comes to future product prices. As trade wars and tariffs intensify, that flexibility could make a big difference to Apples business moving forward, enabling it to maintain price competitiveness others might be unable to match.Apple didnt discuss any of that, of course, but did point out that the C1 is a low-power component that, when combined with the low energy demands of the A18 chip and the advanced power management of iOS 18, make for significant battery life.Apple boasted that the smartphone offers the best battery life of any 6.1-in. iPhone, in part due to the low power demands of Apples modem.All the expectations were correctWith the new device, Apple confirmed all the pre-launch speculation. For example, we had expected an Action button and Apple came through with that. This button can be customized in Settings and used in numerous ways, to switch between Ring and Silent modes, to turn on the flashlight, recognize music and more. You can also customize it for particular apps, so it offers different functions depending on which app you use.The Action button also introduces a new visual intelligence experience that uses Apple Intelligence to help users learn about objects and places. This can summarize and copy text, translate text between languages, detect phone numbers or email addresses with the option to add to contacts, identify an animal or plant, and more.What else should we know?The device boasts a 6.1-in.Super Retina XDR display with OLED technology.It supports FaceID rather than Touch ID used in the iPhone SE.It offers the best battery life of any 6.1-in. iPhone, in part due to the low power demands of the C1 modem.Its splash, water, and dust resistant, with a rating of IP68.Satellite communication is supported, so you can use Apples existing services Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My via satellite when away from conventional 5G or Wi-Fi networks. Access to these features is provided free for two years after purchase.Apples progress toward circular manufacturing is also clear; the device uses over 30% recycled materials overall, including 100% recycled cobalt and 95% recycled lithium in the battery, 85% recycled aluminum in the enclosure, and more. Apple will remove plastic from all its packaging by the end of this year.And yes, of course, the 16e uses USB-C.The iPhone 16e starts at $599 and will be available for pre-order on Feb. 21 in white and black with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities. It willbe in stores on Feb. 28. In the current environment, price is a big deal, and while its up a few dollars from the iPhone SE, Apples iPhone 16e hits the market at a good price for a superb mid-range smartphone.What Apple saidiPhone 16e packs in the features our users love about the iPhone 16 lineup, including breakthrough battery life, fast performance powered by the latest-generation A18 chip, an innovative 2-in-1 camera system, and Apple Intelligence, said Kaiann Drance, Apples vice president of worldwide iPhone product marketing. Were so excited for iPhone 16e to complete the lineup as a powerful, more affordable option to bring the iPhone experience to even more people.You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn,Mastodon, andMeWe.

Sending messages via satellite on iPhones should soon be as easy to as using your mobile network signal, as Apple and satellite partner Globalstar put a new satellite constellation into space.In anFCC request for authorization, Globalstar shared fresh information on how itsnew Apple-sponsored C-3 satellite networkshould provide much more robust connectivity and will be capable of working in cars and buildings. Thats a big deal, as it suggests satellite connections on the iPhone will become much easier; you might not even need to raise your smartphones in supplication to the satellites in the sky.What Globalstar told usIn itsFeb. 14 FCC filing, Globalstar explained that:The C3 satellite constellation will consist of 48 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.An additional six spare satellites will also be placed in orbit for backup.The network will be operated simultaneously and in conjunction with Globalstars existing HIBLEO-4 and HIBLEO-X deployments.The global buildout also means 90 new earth station antennas will be put in place at approximately 35 gateway stations situated in at least five nations.The constellation represents a $1 billion expenditure and follows a $1.1 billion investment from Apple revealed late 2024.The filing follows a recent patent formuch more stable satellite connectivity.A related filing in France seems in some way connected with Apple (more below).Better networking by designManufactured by Canadas MDA Space, the next-generation C3 satellites feature a series of exciting sounding technologies, including dynamic beamforming and higher EIRP transit tech. But perhaps the most exciting thing is that they promise more robust signal strength on the ground.Given this greater signal strength and the availability of multiple satellites overhead, users will have access to much-improved in-building and in-vehicle connectivity with less dependency on antenna orientation, the filing said.If youve used any of Apples satellite services, youll know that doing so involves a user raising their iPhone toward the sky and moving around to find the optimal connection. That experience seems set to improve.Building out Apples satellite servicesCan better connectivity enable Apple to enhance its satellite services? Thats not impossible. While it doesnt promise anything too specific, Globalstar does tell us the satellites will let it expand the products and services it does provide, including new, innovative direct-to-device satellite features on supported devices, such as Apples iPhones. Globalstar also says the system will enable it to offer additional commercial/enterprise IoT and consumer-based services.iPhone users in the US can use satellites to share Messages. The filing suggests this will become a more global service: Globalstar connectivity will be at the fingertips of hundreds of millions of people when their need to communicate is not met by terrestrial infrastructure. Thats a pretty clear promise of more to come, possibly to new forms of data connection, or perhaps the extension of existing satellite services to other devices, such asApple Watch.Apples blue skies thinkingOne more thing. The FCC request refers to anInternational Telecoms Unionfiling which describes a network of more than 8,000 satellites and includes satellite frequencies used by Globalstar. That filing was originally made on behalf of Frances Airbus, butSatnewsreports this was transferred to CCC Communication Holdings France, a French business entity thatseems to be managed by a senior Apple corporate director, Ronald Denwood.Denwood previously held directorships in Voysis, Ikinema, Stamplay, and OperateData, all of which were companies acquired by Apple at some point. Its important not to read too much into that, but it does seem fair to speculate that Denwoods involvement in CCC Communication Holdings France might illustrate thestrategic importanceof Apples satellite plans.Its worth noting that with the satellites offering a lifespan of just 12.5 years, whatever intentions Apple does have are likely to become more apparent in a relatively short time if the company intends to monetize its multi-billion dollar satellite investments before the birds retire. Meanwhile, of course, you can expect to be able to send messages even from within connectivity dead zones.You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn,Mastodon, andMeWe.

On Windows, OneDrive is built right into the operating system. Even if you dont turn it on, it will pop up occasionally, asking you to back up your files to the cloud. What that really means, of course, is that Microsoft wants you to move your folders to OneDrive.Im not here to knock OneDrive. I use OneDrive I think the 1TB of storage offered as part of Microsoft 365 subscriptions is a great deal. Even so, sometimes OneDrive still gets on my nerves. If you dont use it, theres a good chance you find it really annoying. (That may be why I get a lot of questions about OneDrive from readers of my Windows Intelligence newsletter.)Theres some good news, though: Microsoft has improved some of OneDrives worst pain points. In recent updates, some long-standing annoyances like glitchy remnants of OneDrive sticking around in File Explorer after you uninstall it have been addressed. But the service can still be exasperating in a variety of ways.Heres how to take control of OneDrive, whether you want to make it less of a pest or remove it entirely from your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC.Want to stay on top of whats happening with Windows? Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter. Ill send you free Windows Field Guide downloads as a special welcome bonus!OneDrive Windows fix #1: Enable local file storageBy default, OneDrive likes to download files on demand. That can be convenient after all, you might have up to 1TB of files in your OneDrive account if youre taking advantage of that Microsoft 365 storage. All of that data wouldnt even fit on many laptops.But perhaps you want to ensure all your files are on your PC, so you can quickly access them without waiting for OneDrive to download them every single time. Or maybe you just want to ensure theyre downloaded before you remove OneDrive.Whatever the case, to make all your OneDrive files always available offline, open File Explorer, right-click the OneDrive folder in the left sidebar, and select Always keep on this device. OneDrive will download everything and ensure that future files stay downloaded. This might use a lot of disk space, of course, depending on how many files you have stored in OneDrive but it can certainly be done.Youll find the Always keep on this device in File Explorers context menu on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.Chris Hoffman, IDGYou can monitor the progress of any downloads from the OneDrive system tray icon. Just click it, and youll see what OneDrive is doing.If you have a lot of files in OneDrive and you dont want them all to sync to your PC, you can first select Account in the left sidebar of that area, click Choose folders, and then choose exactly which folders you do want to sync. Any folders you uncheck will be ignored by OneDrive stored in the cloud, but not on your PC.OneDrive Windows fix #2: Turn off folder backupWindows offers to back up your important folders to OneDrive, and it can get pretty pushy about this. In fact, Windows might sometimes simply decide to use OneDrive folders for everything when you set up a new PC, without even asking.When you enable folder backup, that actually means moving your folders to OneDrive. In other words, when you enable folder backup for your Documents folder, Windows moves it from C:\Users\Name\Documents to C:\Users\Name\OneDrive\Documents. When you disable folder backup, Windows should move the Documents folder back to its original location.You can turn off backups for each individual folder, too. If you do, OneDrive wont automatically sync any other folders. It will only sync files you put directly in the OneDrive folder, giving you more control. This will also use less OneDrive storage space, as you wont have to sync every random file that ends up in your Documents folder that might be a big help if youre on the free tier of OneDrive and only have 5GB of storage.This is also a critical step to take before uninstalling OneDrive if you plan to remove it from Windows (more on that in a moment). It ensures your user data folders such as Downloads, Documents, and Pictures are all in their original locations.To turn off folder backup, open OneDrive settings from the system tray icon: Look for the cloud-shaped OneDrive icon, right-click it, and select Settings. Under Sync and backup, click the Manage backup button. You can turn off folder backup for a folder by flipping the switch to the right of the folder. If you dont want to use folder backup at all, disable it for each folder, one by one, and then click Save changes.OneDrive may bug you to enable folder backup, but you can turn it off.Chris Hoffman, IDGDisabling folder backup should move your Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Music, and Videos folders back to their original locations outside of the OneDrive folder. But you might want to double-check to ensure this worked properly and all your files are where you expect them to be before you continue.OneDrive Windows fix #3: Stop automatic image syncingBy default, OneDrive also automatically pulls in photos and screenshots even if you have folder backup turned off for your Pictures folder.If youd like to stop this, ensure the Save photos and videos from devices and Save screenshots I capture to OneDrive options are turned off under Sync and backup.Theres a good chance you already store photos in Google Photos or Apple iCloud which means you may not want them in OneDrive, too.Chris Hoffman, IDGOneDrive Windows fix #4: Disable Office defaultsOffice apps such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint default to saving files to OneDrive. Its convenient if you want access to your documents across your devices, but its obnoxious if youd rather store them on your own PC or perhaps with another cloud storage service.To force Office apps to stop saving documents to OneDrive by default, open an Office app (like Word), click File on the ribbon, and click Options. Select Save in the sidebar, check Save to Computer by default, and choose the preferred folder where you want to save files.Theres no need to click away from OneDrive each time you save a file just change this setting.Chris Hoffman, IDGOne important note: The Office AutoSave feature only works when saving files to OneDrive or SharePoint. If you start defaulting to local storage, you wont have AutoSave anymore; instead, youll have to click the Save button yourself, as in older versions of Office.That said, Offices AutoRecover feature can still help. Itll automatically save backup copies of your documents so you can recover them if anything crashes. To ensure its activated, click File > Options > Save. Ensure the Save AutoRecover information option is checked and choose a frequency like five or 10 minutes.You can also quickly save a document to your computers local storage, even if you have OneDrive as the default save location. Just press the F12 key in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint to quickly open a traditional Save As dialog.OneDrive Windows fix #5: Eliminate OneDrive entirelyYou can just uninstall OneDrive if you dont use it on either Windows 10 and Windows 11. This wasnt always possible: In the early days of Windows 10, you ended up with a broken OneDrive entry in File Explorers sidebar if you uninstalled it normally and then had to edit the registry to fix it. Thats fixed; Microsoft has made the uninstaller work properly.Before you do this, be sure youve disabled folder backup with the instructions above. That way, your folders will be stored on your PC instead of in OneDrive. If you uninstall OneDrive without turning off folder backup, theyll remain in your OneDrive folder, and things can get messy.With that step out of the way, you can uninstall OneDrive as you would any other application. Just open the Settings app and find the list of installed apps or launch the Control Panel and choose Uninstall a Program. (If you ever change your mind, you can reinstall OneDrive by downloading the installer from Microsofts website.)Look for Microsoft OneDrive in the list and uninstall it. Thats it. OneDrive will vanish from File Explorer and your system tray. It wont be running in the background, starting at boot, or syncing files at all anymore.You can uninstall OneDrive in just a few quick clicks.Chris Hoffman, IDGAlso worth noting: When you uninstall OneDrive, you wont actually lose any files. Any files you have in OneDrive will remain accessible at onedrive.com and in OneDrive apps on your other devices.And any files youve locally downloaded that should be all of them, if you followed the steps above will still be stored on your PC. This process just unlinks OneDrive and your computer.Your OneDrive folder itself will remain on your PC, too, with any offline copies of your files, but it wont sync again unless you reinstall OneDrive.Want more Windows PC tips and tricks? Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter today. Ill send you three new things to try each Friday and free in-depth Windows Field Guides as a special welcome gift.

The controversy surrounding used Seagate hard drives has significantly widened, with fraudsters now targeting the companys IronWolf and IronWolf Pro NAS drives alongside the previously affected Exos server-grade HDDs.According to recent investigations, fraudsters have developed more sophisticated methods to manipulate used drives to make them appear new, making detection increasingly challenging for buyers.

Googles Pixel phones are practically overflowing with useful stuff. And some of the best options of all are things youve probably never even noticed.Thats true for the Pixels core Android software as well as its Google-made apps everything from theexcellent calling-related features in the Pixel Phone app to the splendidly useful reminder system built into the Pixel Screenshots app on more recent Pixel models.Its even true in apps that seem so basic and utilitarian, youd never think they had anything interesting lurking in their dusty virtual corners.Today, its time to explore one such app the seemingly mundane Pixel Clock app that came preinstalled on your phone. The Clock app may appear to be a simple spot for setting an alarm or timer, but dont let yourself be fooled: Beneath its second-ticking surface, that unassuming part of your Pixel has some powerful options thatll make your life a whole lot easier.Oh, and if you dont have a Pixel, dont worry: While the Clock app is the default time-keeping tool on Googles self-made phones, you can actually download it for free onany Android device and get the same exceptional experience this second, even outside of the Pixel universe.All right ready to see all the cool stuff your phones Clock app can do?[Psst: Dont stop here. Give yourself all sorts of advanced Pixel intelligence with my free Pixel Academy e-course.Seven full days of experience-enhancing sorcery!]Google Pixel Clock trick #1: Custom recurring alarmsIf youre anything like me, you probably find yourself getting up at different times for different purposes yknow, the standard workday time, the weekend or holiday time, and maybe even the pretending-to-be-a-platypus wacky Wednesday time (or whatever it is you do to celebrate the middle of the week).Well, stop futzing around with adjusting your alarms each time your wakey-wakey needs vary and start taking advantage of your Pixel Clocks custom recurring alarm features:First and foremost, on the main Alarm tab within the Clock app, tap the circular plus button at the bottom of the screen to add extra alarms into your list.Tap the Add label option within each card to give it a name thatll let you know what it is at a glance (even when your eyes are bleary and your brain is 94% offline).Remember, too, that you can keep any alarms you create off and available only for manual activation when you need em or you can flip the toggle within their cards into the on position and select certain days of the week to have em automatically activate on a regular weekly schedule.Its easy to maintain multiple recurring alarms within the Google Pixel Clock app on Android.JR Raphael, IDGAnd all of thats just the start.Google Pixel Clock trick #2: Advanced alarm pausingIn a relatively recent twist, once youve got an alarm scheduled and set to recur on some regular schedule, youll see a snazzy new option to pause it which is a bit confusing on the surface but could actually be quite handy in the right sort of situation.So heres how it works: With any alarm that has at least one recurring day selected, you can tap Pause alarm immediately beneath its schedule, within the Clock apps Alarm tab, and then select a series of dates on which you dont want the alarm to be running.The Pause alarm option lets you select a series of days on which a recurring alarm will not be active.JR Raphael, IDGThat way, if youre planning a week of vacation or any sort of shift from your standard schedule, you can tell your phone to stop sounding your regular alarm during that specific period but then to automatically pick back up with it right after. And you wont have to worry about forgetting to reenable your alarm after your downtime is done.Good to know, no?!Google Pixel Clock trick #3: Custom wake musicIn addition to your Pixels built-in alarm sounds, you can connect your Clock app to a handful of different music services and wake up to the likes of System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine, or whatever soothing morning music you prefer.If youre using Googles Clock app on a Samsung phone, this is an especially noteworthy upgrade over the Clock app that came preinstalled on your device one Samsung is >slowly working to catch up to but still nowhere near close to matching.Here in the Pixel Clock app arena, though, all youve gotta do is get that connection set up once:Tap the sound configuration line within any of the alarms in your Pixel Clock apps Alarm tab. Itll be directly beneath the day selector when the card is expanded, and itll have a bell icon likely followed by the word Default.Now, heres the hidden part: After youve opened those alarm sound settings, tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.Thatll reveal options to install and connect compatible sound services.The Google Pixel Clock app supports custom alarm sounds from YouTube Music, Pandora, Spotify, and Calm.JR Raphael, IDGPick whatever service you prefer, and youll then see a tab for that service within the same Alarm sound screen. From there, its simply a matter of browsing through your available options within the services library or tapping the search icon in the lower-right corner of the screen to find something specific and picking the song or playlist most likely to annoy the living daylights out of anyone else sleeping in your vicinity.You can select any available song or sound to be used as your alarm.JR Raphael, IDGAhh nothing like a gentle start to the day.Google Pixel Clock trick #4: Specialized soundsIf the custom music isnt cuttin it for ya, take note: Your Pixel Clock appalso allows you to select any other standard sound file to use as your alarm audio.Just download whatever file you want onto your device (or transfer it over from a computer), then:Tap any individual alarm within the Clock apps Alarm tab.Tap the line with the current alarm sound like Default (Fresh Start) next to the little bell icon.Look for the Add new option.Smash your favorite phalange down on that option, and youll then be able to select any compatible sound file from your local phone storage or from any connected cloud services.Google Pixel Clock trick #5: Vocal varietyOne more potentially alarming alarm option to chew over is the Pixel Clocks amusing ability to let yourecord your ownself-made sound for an extra-special (and/or terrifying) wake-up experience.Just follow the same steps we just went over only this time, look for the Record new option within an individual alarms sound settings.The Pixel Clock apps Record new option lets you record your own custom sound for future alarms.JR Raphael, IDGBonus points if you manage to work a convincing Al Pacino impression into your recording.Google Pixel Clock trick #6: Automated automationAn especially cool trick in Googles Pixel Clock arsenal is the apps ability to connect to Google Assistant (which, yes, is still around in some forms, despite the ongoing march toward Gemini as a replacement) and trigger all sorts of automated actions as part of any alarm you set.Back in the apps Alarm tab, expand an alarms card and look for the Google Assistant Routine option. Tap that son of a dingus, and youll be taken to a screen where you can configure all sorts of extra actions to accompany your waking.The Pixel Clock apps Assistant Routines integration opens up all sorts of awesome automation options.JR Raphael, IDGThe options are virtually endless: Anything Assistant can do on your Pixel can be added into the mix things like reading out info about your day, adjusting various phone settings, turning on or off any manner of connected device, and even interacting with third-party apps in all manners of interesting ways.Hey Google: Any chance you can whip up some freshly made biscuits while youre at it?Google Pixel Clock trick #7: Wake-up weatherThis next trick seems to be limited only to scenarios where Googles Clock app is running on a Pixel device, specifically sorry, non-Pixel pals! but if youre in such a situation, take note of the nifty line that says Weather forecast within the expanded view of any alarm on the apps Alarm tab.Activating that will allow you to see an instant overview of the current weather in your area as soon as you dismiss an alarm. Itll just pop up automatically, as a full-screen forecast with the option to get even more detail.Get a glimpse at the weather as part of every alarm with Googles Clock app on a Pixel.JR Raphael, IDGThe forecast for today and every other day an alarm is set, incidentally, is sleepy with a strong chance of surliness. Consider yourself warned.Google Pixel Clock tricks #8, 9, and 10: Custom alarm behaviorsOn a more foundational level, your friendly neighborhood Pixel Clock app can let you take total control of how your alarms act and how you interact with em.Tap that three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner of the Clock apps main screen and select Settings from the list that comes up. Then pay careful attention to a trio of important yet easily overlooked options:Within the Alarms section, Silence after lets you customize exactly how long your alarm will harass you before giving up and shutting its virtual yap.In that same area of the screen, Snooze length allows you to shorten or extend the number of minutes your Pixel Clock will let you rest before attempting to buzz you out of bed again.And also in that section, Volume buttons will empower you to reprogram your Pixels physical volume keys so that they either snooze an active alarm or stop it entirely instead of simply adjusting its volume an excellent set of choices for anyone who finds fumbling with the screen first thing in the morning as irksome as I do.Oh, and one more thing worth noting on this frontGoogle Pixel Clock trick #11: The gentle volume phaserHearing any sound at full blast is an unfortunate way to welcome yourself back to the land of the living. Your Pixel phone has a more pleasant option, though if you find it and take the time to turn it on.In that same Clock app settings area we were just exploring, youll see lines labeled Gradually increase volume under both Alarms and Timers. Tap either or both of those lines, and hey wouldya look that?A less alarming alarm sound? Yes, please!JR Raphael, IDGPlay around with the options, see what works best for you, and enjoy a slightly less jarring start to your next busy work/platypus day.Google Pixel Clock trick #12: Simpler snoozingWhile were on the subject of unwanted waking, if you start your days as foggy and groggy as I do, Googles Pixel Clock app has a helpful way to stop an alarm without so much as lifting a single fingie.So long as youve got Google Assistant/Gemini enabled with hands-free Hey Google activation and if you arent sure, search your system settings for Assistant settings and then pull up the Hey Google section you can silence any active Clock app alarm simply by saying Hey Google, stop or Hey Google, snooze.Better yet, if youve got a reasonably Pixel phone with support for Googles Quick Phrases system available on the Pixel 6 and up, with English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish set as your primary language you can actually skip the Hey Google and just say Stop or Snooze to make the same thing happen.Head back into those same Assistant settings and seek out the Quick phrases option to make sure youve got it activated, then mumble away in the morning without a worry in the world.All youve gotta do is utter a single word to stop or snooze an alarm once the Pixel-specific Quick Phrases feature is active.JR Raphael, IDGGoogle Pixel Clock trick #13: Simple syncingIf youre using a Pixel phone and a Pixel Watch, be sure to dig into the Google Clock apps settings to find the Alarm sync option.That simple-seeming toggle will let you connect the alarms on your phone and watch so theyre one and the same and any alarms set on one device will also be set and present on the other.You can choose whether you want alarms to ring on both your phone and watch or if youd rather use an Adaptive ringing option that automatically sounds the alarm only on whichever device youre actively using at the moment its scheduled to occur.Simple syncing is a splendid setting when youre using a Pixel phone and Pixel Watch together.JR Raphael, IDGJust set it and forget it. What more could you ask for?Google Pixel Clock trick #14: The timer time-saverHeres a neat one I didnt actually notice myself until years into my personal Pixel journey: In your Pixel Clocks Timer tab, you can create multiple persistent timers and then keep em readily available for easy ongoing use.That way, if you have specific types of timers you use time and time again, you can pull em up quickly and get em going without wasting any time.To get started, look for the circular plus icon toward the bottom of the Timer tab after youve tapped in some amount of time and started a timer going. Once youve created some specific timers and set em up the way you want, be sure to tap the title above each one to customize it and give it a nice name for easy at-a-glance identifying.Youll then have on-demand access to all those different timers anytime you need em in the future.Stop starting new timers and instead save the ones you use the most.JR Raphael, IDGBout time you got this going!Google Pixel Clock trick #15: Timed sleep soundsSpeaking of timers, your Pixel Clock companion has a tucked-away option that might just help you function a bit better on your busy workdays by getting a good nights sleep.Tap the tantalizing Bedtime tab at the apps bottom edge and look for the section called Sleep sounds. (You might have to first tap a Get started option and do some initial setup, if youve never before accessed that area.)Tap the Choose another sound button on the screen that comes up next, and you can select from a small handful of relaxing noises waves, deep space, dial-up modem screech, and so on.Then, when you hit the play button back on the Bedtime tab, your sound of choice will start playing and you can tell the app exactly how long you want it to continue before shutting off and sending you away into a deep, relaxing slumber.Drift off to dreamy sounds with the Pixel Clock apps sleep sounds system.JR Raphael, IDG(Just kidding about the dial-up modem screech, by the way though if you really want to add that into the lineup, you can download it from this Wikipedia page and then use the specialized sounds option we went over a minute ago to make it available. Youre welcome and, simultaneously, apologies.)Google Pixel Clock trick #16: A custom bedtime scheduleAlso on the subject of bedtime, be sure to browse through the Schedule section of the Pixel Clock apps Bedtime tab while youre there. That area will let you set a simple schedule to have your phone automatically enter Do Not Disturb mode and optionally even adjust its screen into a less distracting black-and-white grayscale setting during your sleepy-time hours.You can configure exactly how the Clock-connected Bedtime mode works within Androids main system settings.JR Raphael, IDGYou can either create a strictly time-driven schedule or check an option to have your bedtime mode turn on only when your Pixel is actively being charged during certain hours a welcome bit of contextual intelligence to accompany those of us with irregular sleep patterns.Google Pixel Clock trick #17: The multiple time zone trackerI dont know about you, but I am an absolute nit when it comes to keeping track of multiple time zones. For whatever reason, at least one out of every five times, I end up mixing up the most basic time zone conversions and confusing my mushy ol man-noggin about when, exactly, some manner of event is occurring.Your Pixel Clock app has a helpful way to make managing multiple time zones easier: In the Clock tab, tap the circular plus icon and search for any city you think about during the day. You can add as many cities in as you want, and youll then be able to see em all on the same screen with a clear indication of the current time in each area and its exact difference from your location. On reasonably recent Pixel devices, youll also see the weather for each area right then and there for easy at-a-glance access.Its as easy as can be to track multiple time zones within the Pixel Clock app.JR Raphael, IDGIf you really want to go all out, you can also slap the Clock apps handy world time widget onto your home screen for an even more accessible at-a-glance view of the same info. Long-press anywhere on your home screen and look for the widget-adding command to find it.Google Pixel Clock trick #18: Time travelNow, hang on: Dont gettoo excited. This isnt actual time travel in the DeLorean, Doc Brown, Great Scott! sense. But itis a supremely useful Pixel Clock option thatll help you better keep track of the time whenever youre traveling (whether via DeLorean or a more conventional transportation method).The feature will automatically add an extra clock into your Clock apps Clock tab that same list we expanded a second ago so you can always see the current time in your home city anytime youre somewhere else, without any extra thought or effort.You can confirm the feature is active and ready to roll on your phone by heading into the Clock apps settings (via the three-dot menu icon in its upper-right corner) and looking for the Automatic home clock toggle.Google Pixel Clock trick #19: Second precisionPrefer to track the exact time, down to the second? Googles Clock app has got ya covered.Gallop back into the apps settings section one more time and this time, look right toward the top of the list for a toggle to Display time with seconds.Tap that toggle, and in a split second, youll see an added second-counter on the end of the current time within the Clock apps Clock tab.Easy peasy!Google Pixel Clock trick #20: A secret shortcutFor the Pixel owners among us, youve got a simple built-in shortcut to zip into the Clock app anytime, from anywhere on your device. Its just up to you to realize its there.Luckily, theres really nothing to it: Just swipe down once from the top of your screen to open up your notification panel, then tap the current time in the upper-left corner of the screen.Thats it. Who knew?!Google Pixel Clock trick #21: On-demand alarm infoNo matter what type of Android device youre using, you can add your own custom Quick Settings tile to have a one-swipe-away view of your next alarm and an easy way to open up the Google Clock app from anywhere.Swipe down twice from the top of your screen to see your Quick Settings, then tap the pencil-shaped icon to edit it. (On some Samsung devices, you might have to tap a three-dot menu icon and then select an option to edit from there instead.) Find the Alarm tile in the section showing unused Quick Settings options and drag it into any position you like within the active tiles area. Then, you can always see your next scheduled alarm right then and there, in your Quick Settings, and tap that tile to jump right over into the Alarm tab of the Google Clock app. srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-quick-settings-tile.webp?quality=50&strip=all 800w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-quick-settings-tile.webp?resize=290%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 290w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-quick-settings-tile.webp?resize=768%2C795&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-quick-settings-tile.webp?resize=673%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 673w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-quick-settings-tile.webp?resize=162%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 162w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-quick-settings-tile.webp?resize=81%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 81w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-quick-settings-tile.webp?resize=464%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 464w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-quick-settings-tile.webp?resize=348%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 348w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-quick-settings-tile.webp?resize=242%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 242w" width="800" height="828" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px">The Google Clock apps Quick Settings tile is a smart addition for any Android device.JR Raphael, IDGGoogle Pixel Clock trick #22: Simple action shortcutsLast but not least, one final Pixel Clock possibility to ponder: Youd never know it, but hiding within the regular ol Clock icon in your app drawer is a series of spectacular shortcuts for performing certain simple actions in a single swift step.Its part of Androids oft-forgotten App Shortcuts system, and it can save you some serious time if you remember to use it.And it couldnt be much easier to use: Just press and hold your finger onto the Clock apps icon in your app drawer or on your home screen for a couple of seconds. And hey, how bout them apples?All sorts of time-saving Clock app actions never more than a long-press away.JR Raphael, IDGThere, right in front of your suspiciously steamy nostrils, are one-tap options for creating a new alarm, firing up a new timer, and starting a stopwatch as well as for launching the Clock apps time-focused screensaver, in case that urge ever strikes. Any of those commands will launch the associated action in the blink of an eye, without any spelunkin around within the apps menus.And heres one more bonus trick: If you find yourself using any of those options regularly, you can make it even easier to access by pressing and holding your finger onto it and then dragging it directly onto your home screen. See? srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-actions.webp?quality=50&strip=all 800w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-actions.webp?resize=296%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 296w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-actions.webp?resize=768%2C780&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-actions.webp?resize=687%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 687w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-actions.webp?resize=166%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 166w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-actions.webp?resize=83%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 83w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-actions.webp?resize=473%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 473w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-actions.webp?resize=355%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 355w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/google-pixel-clock-app-actions.webp?resize=246%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 246w" width="800" height="812" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px">Dont sleep on all the ways Androids app actions can save you precious seconds.JR Raphael, IDGNow itll be just like any other shortcut on your home screen and never more than a single tap away.Saving time in an app thats all about seconds it just doesnt get much better than that.Dont let yourself miss an ounce of Pixel magic. Sign up for my free Pixel Academy e-course and discover tons of hidden features and time-saving tricks for your favorite Pixel phone.

For decades, Microsoft Office has been the business worlds dominant productivity software suite. If you use word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and email applications, particularly on Windows, those apps are very likely to be Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.In the 2010s, Microsoft began selling the Office suite under two models: the traditionally licensed, perpetual version, where you purchase the software and own it forever, and a new subscription-based version where you pay a monthly or annual fee to use the software and receive frequent updates and new feature rollouts. With the perpetual version, you only pay once, but you dont get new features unless you purchase a later Office version.Microsoft strongly pushes customers toward the subscription version, initially called Office 365 and now rebranded as Microsoft 365. But the company has continued to release new perpetual versions of the Office suite, typically containing a subset of the features and apps available in Microsoft 365, about once every three years. Many businesses and individuals still prefer the old model and today use either Office 2021 or Office 2024, the two latest perpetual-license releases.Over these two releases, Microsoft has added or updated several features and tools that enhance the way you work with your documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and emails. In this cheat sheet, we go over the most useful new features in the four core Office apps. Well start with tips that apply across the Office suite and move on to the individual apps, noting which features are available in Office 2024 but not Office 2021.Note: This guide refers specifically to the Office 2021 and 2024 desktop apps for Windows. If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, see our separate cheat sheets for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook in M365.In this article:Collaborate on documents in real timeUse the modern comments feature effectivelyWord: Use Line Focus to concentrateExcel: Create dynamic arrays and chartsExcel: Create custom-filtered views for a spreadsheetExcel: Place images in cells with the IMAGE functionPowerPoint: Create internal hyperlinks in a presentationPowerPoint: Create a video recording of a presentationPowerPoint: Insert live webcam video into your presentationPowerPoint: Add captions to video or audio on a slideOutlook: Find emails quickly with Instant SearchOutlook: Translate emails from and to other languagesCollaborate on documents in real timeThe co-authoring feature in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint lets you and your co-workers collaborate on a document simultaneously. In real time, everyone can see all changes being made to the document as they happen.Co-authoring was available in the Word 2019 desktop app, but Excel and PowerPoint users without a Microsoft 365 subscription had to use the web apps for real-time collaboration. With Office 2021 and 2024, real-time co-authoring is finally available in all three desktop apps.Save your document in OneDriveTo use co-authoring, your document needs to be stored in OneDrive. If its not already, open the document in Excel, PowerPoint, or Word. On the Ribbon toolbar at the top, click the File tab. On the page that appears, select Save a Copy in the left pane. Click on your OneDrive account to open File Explorer, then select a folder in your OneDrive to save the document into.If your OneDrive account isnt listed on this page, click Add a Place under Other locations and add your OneDrive account.Share your documentNext, share your document with your co-workers: Click the Share button at the upper right of the screen, and then click Share on the menu that appears.On the panel that opens, type in co-workers names or email addresses for people in your contacts. Click the pencil icon to set access permissions to your document whether recipients will be able to edit it or only view it. (Enterprise users may have additional options or restrictions as set by their IT admins.) Add an optional message describing what youre sharing and click Send. Theyll get an email inviting them to click a link to join in on collaborating on your document.Sharing a document with co-workers.Howard Wen / FoundryAlternatively, on this share panel, you can generate a link to your document that you can then paste elsewhere (e.g., in an email or messaging app). When someone clicks this link, theyll have access to either edit or view your document.See others working on your documentWhen there are multiple people working on a document, each persons presence is indicated by a flagged cursor that has a color unique to them. At the upper right of the screen, colored circles show the headshots or initials of your co-workers who presently have your document opened.Three co-workers collaborating live on a Word doc.Howard Wen / FoundryIf a co-worker is typing or making changes to your document, youll see their colored cursor perform these actions in real time.Use the modern comments feature effectivelyThe comments feature was updated in Office 2021 with enhancements such as threaded discussions and text formatting options (bold, bullet points, italics, etc.). The user experience is designed to be similar and seamless across the desktop app and web versions of Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.Comments now have threading and text formatting options.Howard Wen / FoundryAdd a commentHighlight a passage of text and right-click on it. Or right-click an area in your document, or a cell in a spreadsheet or table, where you want to add a comment. On the menu that opens, click New Comment.A blank comment card will open. Type in a brief comment and click the right arrow on the lower right of the card to post your comment. A word balloon icon will appear at the appropriate place in the document.As youre writing a comment, you can mention a co-worker in it: Type the @ symbol, followed by their name or email address. If theyre in your contacts, a dropdown will appear with suggestions; select their name from the list. Once youve posted the comment, theyll be sent a notification alerting that youve mentioned them in it.View a comment, reply to it, resolve it, or delete itTo see a comment, click its word balloon icon in the document. This opens the comment card associated with it in the right margin. Type in your reply and click the right arrow to post it.If you click the three-dot icon to the right of the commenters name, you can take various actions on the comment, such as copying a link to it, marking the comment thread as resolved, or deleting the thread. srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/office21-24-04-word-comment-actions.png?quality=50&strip=all 715w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/office21-24-04-word-comment-actions.png?resize=300%2C99&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/office21-24-04-word-comment-actions.png?resize=150%2C50&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/office21-24-04-word-comment-actions.png?resize=640%2C211&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/office21-24-04-word-comment-actions.png?resize=444%2C147&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="715" height="236" sizes="(max-width: 715px) 100vw, 715px">You can reply to a comment or take actions on it, such as marking the thread resolved.Howard Wen / FoundryView and manage all comments in a documentAt the top of the screen, click the Review tab, then click the down arrow at the right edge of the Show Comments button on the toolbar. On the menu that opens, clicking Contextual will open all the comment cards in the document, with each card appearing to the right of the comments location in the document.Clicking List opens the Comments pane along the right of the screen with all the comments grouped together at the top. On this pane, you can conveniently scroll through and manage all the comments in the document at once, replying, resolving, or deleting them. The Comments pane lets you view and manage all the comments in a document at once.Howard Wen / FoundryIf you click on a comment in the Comments pane, youll be taken to its location in the document. You can also click the funnel icon to filter the comments for example, viewing only the comments that youre @ mentioned in.Word: Use Line Focus to concentrateAs you read or edit your document in Word, the Line Focus feature can help you focus better on specific lines of text by eliminating everything around it in your document.To activate Line Focus, click the View tab at the top. On the toolbar, click Immersive Reader. Then click the Immersive Reader tab that appears to the right of the Help tab. On the toolbar that opens, click Line Focus and select the number of lines of text that you want to focus on.The lines of text in your document above and below the cursor will dim. To move the visible area up or down, click the up or down arrows along the right of the screen, press the arrow keys on your keyboard, or use your mouse to move the cursor.The Line Focus feature removes distractions, letting you focus on a few lines of text.Howard Wen / FoundryTo adjust the readability options to your liking, click the Immersive Reader tab, and on the toolbar that opens, click the Column Width, Page Color, and/or Text Spacing buttons.Excel: Create dynamic arrays and chartsDynamic arrays are available in Excel 2021 and 2024. Dynamic charts require Excel 2024.Traditionally, Excel formulas and functions could return only a single value. If you wanted more values returned from your data, you had to copy the formula into a new cell. But new dynamic arrays let you write one formula and have it return multiple values. Dynamic arrays automatically update and resize themselves when their source data is updated.In Office 2024, Excel takes dynamic arrays a step further, letting you create dynamic charts based on them.Set up your data as a tableEnter your data into cells. You should have a column that lists categories and at least one column to its right listing corresponding values. Each column should have a header at the top.An example: If youre putting together a budget for a business trip, Column A could list expense items (plane tickets, hotel, car rental, etc.), while Column B could list the cost for each item on the same row.To turn the data into a table, select the column headers and full range of data in Columns A and B. At the top of the spreadsheet, click the Insert tab and click Table on the toolbar. Click OK.Put your data in table format.Howard Wen / FoundryUse a dynamic array function on the tableYou can use a dynamic array function such as FILTER, SORT, or UNIQUE to create a dynamic array next to your table. These functions allow you to dynamically filter, sort, and manipulate your data in the table.For our example well use the FILTER function. Enter the following formula into cell D1:=FILTER(A2:B9, B2:B9 < 2000)This creates a new data range that lists items from column A (A2:A9 means column A, rows 2 to 9) where the corresponding costs in Column B (B2:B9) are below $2,000 (2000).The FILTER function created a data array showing only the items with costs below $2,000.Howard Wen / FoundryEven though the formula lives only in cell D1, the dynamic array it produces spills over into cells D1 through E6. If the source data changes for instance, if you add a new item that costs less than $2,000 to the original table, or reduce the cost of an existing item to less than $2,000 the dynamic array automatically updates and resizes itself to accommodate the changes. Because of this, the dynamic array is always up to date.Similarly, you can use the SORT function to sort selected data and the UNIQUE function to remove duplicates, with the resulting arrays automatically updating when the source data is changed. (You can read about more ways to use the FILTER, SORT, and UNIQUE functions from Microsoft support.)Create a dynamic chart from your dynamic arraySelect the cells containing the dynamic array that you want to use to generate a chart. At the top of your spreadsheet, click the Insert tab and select a chart type (Column, Line, Pie, Bar, etc.) on the ribbon toolbar. Excel 2024 will generate the chart.Creating a chart from a dynamic array in Excel 2024.Howard Wen / FoundryChanges made to the original table data that update the dynamic array will also be reflected in the dynamic chart automatically.To customize the appearance of your chart, click on the chart to select it. At the top of your spreadsheet, select the Chart Design tab. You can then add a title to your chart, adjust its axes, or change its colors. For more about working with charts in Excel, see our charts and sparklines tutorial.Excel: Create custom-filtered views for a spreadsheetUsing Excels Sheet Views feature, you can create a copy of a sheet and then apply filtered or sorted views of the data to the duplicate sheet. This can be helpful when youre collaborating on a spreadsheet, where someone would like to create a customized view without altering the original sheet.You and your collaborators can create several such custom-filtered/sorted views for a sheet. Then each person can select among them, switching from one view to another.Note: In order for this feature to work, the Excel file must be stored in OneDrive.Create a sheet viewAlong the bottom of your spreadsheet, click the tab for the sheet that you want to create a sheet view for.Then at the top of the spreadsheet, click the View tab, and on the toolbar, select Sheet View > New. Youll be switched to a new sheet view of this sheet.Creating a new sheet view. Here you can filter or sort the data without affecting the original data set.Howard Wen / FoundryApply whatever filters and sorting you like to the data on this sheet your actions wont affect the original version of the sheet.When youre finished making your customizations, save the new sheet view and give it a unique name: On the View tab, click Temporary View (this is the name given to a new sheet view by default). Youll be prompted to type in a new name for your new sheet view. Then click the Keep button.When you click Exit on this toolbar, the sheet view is dismissed, and the spreadsheet returns to its original, default state.Switch among sheet viewsOnce you and any of your collaborators have created sheet views for the spreadsheet, you can easily switch from one to another. At the top of the spreadsheet, click the View tab. Then at the left of the toolbar, select the name of the current view (it says Default if youre viewing the spreadsheet without a sheet view applied) to open a dropdown listing the names of sheet views that have been created for the spreadsheet. Click the name of one of these sheet views to switch to it.Click the dropdown on the toolbar to switch to a different sheet view.Howard Wen / FoundryManage your sheet viewsYou can delete, duplicate, or rename your sheet views. At the top of your spreadsheet, click the View tab. Then toward the left of the toolbar, click Options.On the Sheet Views options panel, click to select the name of a sheet view. Then click the Rename, Duplicate, or Delete button to perform that action on the selected sheet view.Excel: Place images in cells with the IMAGE functionThis feature requires Excel 2024.Using the IMAGE function, you can insert and display web-based images in your spreadsheets to create visually engaging dashboards, inventories, and so on. Instead of floating on top of a cell, images inserted with the IMAGE function live within a cell and will remain there when you sort, filter, calculate, or otherwise manipulate a table.The formula for the IMAGE function that you enter into a cell is:=IMAGE(source, [alt_text], [sizing], [height], [width])source: Insert the web link to an image here, whether its on the internet or stored in your OneDrive. You can also reference another cell that contains an image or web link. BMP, JPG/JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PNG, ICO, and WEBP image formats are supported.alt_text: Optionally, you can type in text that names or very briefly describes the image. This is useful if the image cannot be displayed, such as if the link becomes inactive.sizing: This is also optional and determines how the image will be sized inside the cell. You can enter one of the following numbers:0: This is the default. The image will be sized to fit inside the size of the cell, while maintaining the images original aspect ratio.1: The images length and width will be stretched to fill the cell, which may distort its original aspect ratio.2: The images width will be stretched to fill the cells width, but not its height, thus maintaining the images original aspect ratio.3: The images height will be stretched to fill the cells height, but not its width, thus maintaining the images original aspect ratio.height: This optional value specifies the height of the image in pixels.width: This optional value specifies the width of the image in pixels.Heres an example that uses all the optional settings above:=IMAGE(https://cdn.subscribers.com/uploads/setting/modal_image/44546/CW-favicon-600px__1_.png, Computerworld Favicon, 3, 200, 300)The image file at the web link will display Computerworld Favicon if this link doesnt work. It will be sized to fill the cells height (3), but not its width. However, the image will be restricted to a height and width of 200 x 300 pixels. (Normally youd use either the sizing or the height and width controls, not all of them.)In this example, the square CW favicon has been distorted to a height of 200 pixels and a width of 300 pixels.Howard Wen / FoundryFor more about working with the IMAGE function, see Microsofts IMAGE function support page.PowerPoint: Create internal hyperlinks in a presentationYou can now create hyperlinks within a presentation: When you click linked text or a linked image on a slide, you will jump to another slide in the same presentation.Go to the slide that contains the object (text or image) that you want to link from. Right-click on this object, and on the menu that opens, select Hyperlink. Alternatively, you can click on the object to select it. Then, above the slide, click the Insert tab, and on the ribbon toolbar, click Link.Either action will open the Insert Hyperlink panel. In the left column of this panel, click Place in This Document. In the second column, select the slide that you want the new hyperlink to jump to when its clicked. Then click OK.Adding an internal hyperlink to a presentation.Howard Wen / FoundryTo test the hyperlink, go to the slide that contains the hyperlinked object. Above the slide, click the Slide Show tab. On the ribbon toolbar, click From Current Slide. Now click the object that you created a hyperlink for this action should jump to the slide that you selected.PowerPoint: Create a video recording of a presentationA presentation is about more than the slide deck. Equally important are the things you say that arent written on the slides and how you say them. That means colleagues who arent able to attend a live session may miss out on the full impact of your presentation.In PowerPoint 2021 and 2024, you can record both audio and video of a presentation and export it as a video to share with others.Above your presentation, click the Record tab. On the ribbon toolbar, click From Beginning or From Current Slide. This will open a recording studio panel over the screen.PowerPoints recording tools appear at the top of the screen.Howard Wen / FoundryAlong the top of this panel, you can click the webcam or microphone icons to turn these devices on or off for recording. If you have more than one camera and/or mic connected to your computer, you can switch among them by clicking the three-dot icon on this toolbar.Before you start the recording, take a moment to review the slides in your presentation at the lower-left corner, click the left and right arrows to scroll through them. In the area above the slide thumbnail, you can optionally type in notes or a script to read during your recording.Click the red circle button at the top to start recording. It will turn into a red square, indicating that your actions are now being recorded. Click through the slides and speak aloud, highlighting key points on the slides and providing more context for those who will be watching this video.You can click the laser pointer, pen, or highlighter icons on the toolbar below the large thumbnail of the slide to point out, draw on, or highlight things on the slide. These gestures will be included in the recording.At the top of the screen, click the Pause button (to the left of the webcam icon) to pause recording. Click it again to resume.Click the red square at the top of the screen to stop recording. On the large thumbnail of the slide, click the triangle icon to play back the recording. If you want to redo the recording, click the circular arrow icon at the top of the screen.When youre satisfied with the recording, click Export at the top of the screen. On the page that opens, you can type in a file name for the recording and optionally click Browse to select where on your PC you want to save the video file. Then click the Export Video button to save the recording to that location. Exporting a video of a presentation.Howard Wen / FoundryDepending on its length, the video may take a few minutes to export.PowerPoint: Insert live webcam video into your presentationThis feature requires PowerPoint 2024.With PowerPoints Cameo feature, you can embed live video from your webcam into one or more slides in your presentation. This can be useful when youre collaborating with your co-workers on a PowerPoint presentation so you can talk with them directly. Or when youre presenting a slideshow to others, you might want to insert your live webcam feed into a specific slide to explain the information on it.Go to the slide where you want to add live video. Above the slide, click the Insert tab. On the ribbon toolbar, click Cameo to insert your webcam feed. Select This Slide or All Slides. A large headshot icon will appear on the lower right of the slide. (If you selected All Slides, this icon will appear on all the other slides in the presentation.) Click the crossed-out camera icon on it to switch on a live feed of your webcam.Your live webcam feed appears at the lower right of the slide.Howard Wen / FoundryYou can reposition your webcam feed on the slide by clicking-and-holding onto it and dragging it to another area on the slide. You can resize it by dragging one of the nine points bordering it inward or outward.There are also several ways that you can customize your webcam feed, such as applying styles and visual effects. These options are listed on the ribbon toolbar in the Camera Styles area.When youre satisfied with the way you appear on the webcam feed, click the Slide Show tab above the slide. On the ribbon toolbar, select to start the presentation From Beginning or From Current Slide (the slide thats open in the main area of PowerPoint).As you advance through the presentation, your webcam feed will appear on the slide that you set it on. When the presentation is finished and you exit out of Slide Show mode, the webcam feed will turn off. You can also turn it off by simply clicking on the live feed image.PowerPoint: Add captions to video or audio on a slideThis feature requires PowerPoint 2024.If a video or audio file embedded on a slide has a closed captioning file that accompanies it, you can add this caption file so that the captions appear when the media is played. This can be helpful for viewers who are hard of hearing or who arent native speakers of your language.Adding a closed captioning file makes video playback more accessible.Howard Wen / Foundry(If a video or audio file isnt already on a slide, click the Insert tab at the top of the screen. On the ribbon toolbar, click Video or Audio. The interface will prompt you to select a video or audio file on your PC.)Right-click on the embedded video or audio file, and on the menu that opens, select Insert Captions. Alternatively, click on the video or audio file to select it. Above the slide, click the Playback tab. On the ribbon toolbar, click Insert Captions and select Insert Captions again on the menu that opens.Either way, the interface will prompt you to upload the caption file (in WebVTT or SRT format) that goes with the embedded video or audio file. Once the captions are uploaded, you can click the Play button below the video or audio clip to see the captions.Outlook: Find emails quickly with Instant SearchOutlook 2021 and 2024 offer much more powerful search features than their predecessors. Inside the search box at the top of the screen, type keywords related to an email youre looking for, such as the name of the sender or recipient, a subject line, or words or phrases that may be in the email. As you type, the Instant Search feature will generate results, if any, in a dropdown below the search bar.You can click the Files or People tabs to narrow the search to emails with a file attachment or a sender described by your keywords. To the left of the search box, clicking All folders will open a dropdown where you can select a specific folder to narrow the results to emails in that folder only.To search for emails, simply start typing in the search box at the top of the screen.Howard Wen / FoundryIn the dropdown, click on the email that you want to open. Or you can press the Enter key on your keyboard, and the full list of search results will appear below in the main window of the Outlook app.When you hit Enter, the full list of results appears below.Howard Wen / FoundryRefine the search results using filtersOn the toolbar just above the results, you can click options such as Has attachments, Unread, @ Mentions me, and so on to filter the results by those criteria.Another way to filter results: Back inside the search box at the top, click the Filters icon (three horizontal lines that vaguely resemble a funnel) to the right to open a panel listing various filtering options.Outlook offers several advanced search options, including searching within a specific date range.Howard Wen / FoundryPerform more complex searches with search operatorsAn even quicker way to refine a search is by using search operators inside the search box. For example, you can type from: and then an email address to find emails that were sent from that address. Type subject: or body: followed by a single word or a phrase in quotes to narrow results down to emails that contain the word or phrase in the subject line or body of an email.The operators received: and sent: narrow emails down to those that you received or sent on a specified date. For example, received:>=07/01/2024 will narrow the search to emails you received on or after July 1, 2024. And received:<=07/01/2024 will narrow results to emails you received before this date.For more info about searching in Outlook, including searching for calendar items and contacts, see Microsofts Outlook search support page.Outlook: Translate emails from and to other languagesOutlook can translate emails you receive written in foreign languages into your native language and it can translate emails you write in your own language into other languages.When you receive an email written in a foreign language, youll see a prompt above its message body. If English is your native tongue and you get an email written in Spanish, click Translate to English and the Spanish text in the body will be translated into English. Outlook automatically recognizes several languages that it can translate for you.You can translate an email into your own language with a single click.Howard Wen / FoundryAlternatively, you can click the three-dot icon at the upper right of the email. On the menu that opens, click Translate.Translate emails into another languageYou can also use Outlooks translator to translate your text to another language. So, for example, you can translate an email originally written in English into Spanish or another language.If youre using classic Outlook: Click the Home tab at the top, then click the Translate button on the toolbar. On the menu that opens, click Translation Preferences. This will open a panel where you can select the language you want to translate your email to.If youre using new Outlook: Click the View tab at the top, then click View settings on the toolbar. On the panel that opens: in the first column, click Mail. In the second column, click Message handling. And in the third column, scroll down to the subheading Translation. Below it, you can select the language that you want to translate your email to.Translate highlighted text in an emailThis feature is currently supported in classic Outlook only. Highlight portions of text that you want to translate in an email it can be an email youve received, one youve sent, or one youre composing.Right-click the highlighted words. On the menu that opens, select Translate > Translate Message. If the highlighted words are your own that you typed in an email draft, youll see them automatically translated on this second menu.Learn moreNow that youve familiarized yourself with the notable new features in Office 2021/2024, take a look back at our prior cheat sheets for Word 2016/2019, Excel 2016/2019, PowerPoint 2016/2019, and Outlook 2016/2019; most of the tips outlined in those articles still apply in the later releases.Or take a look at all of our Microsoft cheat sheets, which cover Windows as well as the Office apps.

A new report by UK analyst firm Say No to Disinfo and communications firm Fenimore Harper indicates a high risk that AI-generated disinformation could create bank runs that could bring down financial institutions, according to Reuters.In an experiment, a number of UK customers were shown AI-generated rumors about their bank. Afterwards, a third said they were very likely to withdraw their money, with 27% saying they were quite likely to do so.According to the report, spending as little as 10 (about $12.60) on a fake AI message would be enough to persuade customers to withdraw more than $1 million from the bank in question.Two years ago, false rumors that spread on social media sites about Silicon Valley Bank led customers to withdraw $42 billion in one day. The bank ended up being closed down.

In a new study, researchers at Virginia Techspelled out a variety of security hazardsthat could compromise mixed-reality systems.The researchers highlighted security threats involving the manipulation of virtual objects when users collaborated via mixed reality headsets. The work involved 20 participants from the school, with most having little or no experience with mixed-reality headsets. In many cases, the participants did not know they were being attacked; instead, they blamed technical glitches or latency issues for the problems they encountered.Malicious entities could exploit vulnerabilities to disrupt critical collaborations, manipulating users perception of the environment, and impairing their ability to coordinate, potentially resulting in physical or psychological harm to users and bystanders, the researchers said.There has not been enough focus on potential vulnerabilities within the XR platforms, said Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.The reality is that a lot of these platforms are pretty closed and its hard to evaluate the code, Sag said.The study was done using a HoloLens 2 headset, whichMicrosoft discontinued last year. The HoloLens 2 platform is out of date, Sag noted, something the researchers acknowledged.There are only a few collaboration platforms in use today for enterprise and defense, and a good chunk of the potentially vulnerable collaboration tools most likely dont connect to the open internet, Sag said.Thats why I think a lot of the implementations that the government wants to use or any kind of secure applications like enterprises [rely on] need to have code evaluations and audits.The researchers said the attacks would be difficult for users to comprehend and identify. An attack might alter the environment for one user without affecting the view of others or disrupt communication between users at a critical moment, the researchers said.They noted the possibility of a click redirection attack, which they likened to web-based clickjacking. In this case, a malicious party could attack a 3D object in a collaborators field of view. When the person tries to move the object, the action affects another 3D object instead.The collaborative environment can make the unintended movement of virtual objects a potential cause of mistrust and confusion between the collaborators, the researchers wrote.Another attack called an object occlusion attack involved placing an invisible barrier on 3D objects to prevent interaction from a distance. And a spatial occlusion attack expanded that concept by placing an invisible boundary over a larger region and blocking interaction with multiple objects.Occlusion attacks could affect productivity in projects as collaborators might not have similar fields of view. That kind of attack would force headset users to get closer to virtual objects before they interact with them.The researchers also launched a latency attack by slowing network speeds between participants headsets. The network attack significantly undermined the user experience.To safeguard virtual systems, the researchers recommended educating users about potential security threats and building in security by design. Safety measures could include auditory cues to identify the location of objects and a warning system to identify security threats.Additionally, headset developers could include UI changes with toggles and controls that highlight all objects in the environment similar to basic 3D view management, the researchers wrote.The research study was written by Maha Sajid, Syed Ibrahim Mustafa Shah Bukhari, Bo Ji, and Brendan David-John. They could not be reached for comment.

Attempts to challenge the power of Elon Musk and his DOGE team to close down government departments have hit an unexpected complication: according to the White House, the entrepreneur is not even in charge of the operation.That surprising claim was made in court papers filed by the White House on Monday. Far from running DOGE, Musk is simply another senior adviser to the president, with no greater authority than any other advisor, according to an affidavit filed by the White Houses Director of the Office of Administration, Joshua Fisher.Like other senior White House advisors, Mr. Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself. Mr. Musk can only advise the President and communicate the Presidents objectives, Fisher declared in the affidavit.Musk is not an employee of DOGE, nor its administrator; his status is that of an employee of the White House, Fisher added.His filing was in response to a complaint filed Feb. 13 by the attorneys general of 14 US states against Elon Musk in his official capacity, the US DOGE Service and its temporary organization, and President Trump himself, questioning the apparently unchecked power DOGE and Musk have been handed by Trump.Their wording didnt hold back, drawing an unflattering parallel between his behavior and the despotic power wielded by Britains King George III over the American colonies in the 18th century.Mr. Musks seemingly limitless and unchecked power to strip the government of its workforce and eliminate entire departments with the stroke of a pen or click of a mouse would have been shocking to those who won this countrys independence, they said.Musk did not occupy an office of state and had not been confirmed by the Senate, the states argued. This rendered his actions unconstitutional.DOGE playbookIf Musk isnt running DOGE, who is running it? And does this even matter? Unhelpfully, President Trumps executive order bringing it into existence on day one of his administration never named a head. Nor, as critics have pointed out, did it explain how a department could have so much power or even be called a department without having to obtain approval from Congress first.This is surely deliberate. If its not a department, it is not therefore bound by legislation governing freedom of information, privacy and administration. However, the White Houses refusal to acknowledge Musk as the head of DOGE is probably simply a delaying tactic. They will know that successfully identifying Musk as the person directing DOGE is important for his opponents legal arguments.If Musk is not running DOGE, then who should be held responsible for its actions? Its likely that a judge will eventually point out that someone, somewhere must be accountable for what DOGE is doing.Exploiting a loopholeThe problem with trying to stop Musk and DOGE is that he has attacked the system on several fronts simultaneously, often using unsubstantiated claims of fraud as his motivation. This includes turning up unannounced at the Treasury Department on January 20 and demanding access to payment servers which store the tax returns, social security data and bank account numbers of every adult US citizen. That access was blocked by a judge.The same modus operandi has been repeated in other departments, creating a moving target for anyone trying to stop him. In response, some officials have chosen to resign rather than give Musks team access to data in a way that might not comply with existing data security and privacy rules.What remains unclear is how much access has been granted, and to whom within DOGE. This has left a feeling of strained uncertainty.An internal email sent to BFS [Bureau of the Fiscal Services] IT personnel by the BFS threat intelligence team has identified DOGE access as the single greatest insider threat risk the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever faced, argued the state attorneys general as part of their recent legal challenge.Furthermore, The intelligence team recommended the DOGE members be monitored as an insider threat. Critically, they called for suspending any access to payment systems and conducting a comprehensive review of all actions they may have taken on these systems, it continued.Mr. Musk has gained sweeping and unprecedented access to sensitive data, information, systems, and technological and financial infrastructure across the federal government. This access is seemingly limitless and dependent upon Mr. Musks discretion.For now, there is nothing to stop Musk beyond a flurry of disconnected lawsuits by organizations and individuals. For its part, DOGE continues to hide in plain sight, exploiting the loophole that by avoiding being a formal department, it sits strangely beyond the usual rules.

Apple has apparently delayed what isarguably its most important Apple Intelligence feature, contextual intelligence, by at least another month. Its the latest chapter in what history will remember as the companys most painfully slow, yet strategically significant, introduction yet.Bloomberg says Apple has hit a variety of obstacles in developing these tools, with the smart features the company wants to introduce not working consistently.The company is attempting to build on-screen awareness so Siri can act with the content you are seeing it might save a message address or even run a series of nested commands such as pulling out a half remembered article from those you read the day before to send to a friend.Apple has one example in which the intelligence extends to person recognition, so Siri might be able to tell you when your moms flight is landing, based on an old email containing her flight number and recognition of your relationship.These are all sophisticated features, but ensuring they work consistently is essential. You dont want families waiting forlornly for the wrong flight, or mom waiting for a ride that never arrives. Unlike AI-generated news headlines, these tools reallyneed to workbefore they ship.And word is, they dont, at least not yet.Hey Siri, whats that paperclip in Windows called?The inevitability of WWDCThe update had been expected to show its face in April with iOS 18.4. Now it wont appear until one month before WWDC 2025, in iOS 18.5 in May. Thats almost one full year since those features were first discussed at WWDC and shows the extent to which Apple has been forced to play for time in this deployment. It has managed to make that time, but the delay cant be a good thing for the company, given it should also be pouring resources into improvements across all its operating systems as it prepares for its annual developer conference in June.It begs questions such as just how much of the companys resources are being spent on AI, and what, if any, additional Apple Intelligence tools it will be in position to announce this year.One thing we do know is that Apple must announce something at WWDC. Developers will want to know the company is moving forward on AI. That means that merely reprising the features the company managed to ship slowly across the last 12 months wont do. Nor will pointing enthusiastically at the new support for additional languages Apple isexpected to introduce.To maintain relevance amid the clamor about Deep Seek or Open AI, Apple needs to justify what CEO Tim Cook promised in late 2024,when he said: Were pouring all of ourselves in here, and we work on things that are years in the making.Betting the bankApple understands this.Despite shuttering itsApple Car project, the company spentmore on research and developmentin its just-past quarter than it did a year ago. ($8.2 billion versus $7.6 billion). R&D spending goes up most every year at the company and you can bet your bottom dollar (in comparison to Apples near infinite ones) that AI is part of that spending plan.Throwing money at problems doesnt always yield results, however.You need resource allocation and tight control to ensure all the different research teams are working effectively together. This has plainly been a challenge at Apple, given the companyrecently put one of its best, Kim Vorrath, in charge of getting Apple Intelligence to ship on time. Vorrath is working with John Giannandrea, Apples senior vice president for machine learning and AI, whose team was reportedly sidelined for access to developer resources until early 2023, according to an earlierWall Street Journal report. This is no longer true.Facing the challengeWhile Giannandreas team builds on the AI-driven tools Apple already has in place, the challenges faced by his group mean they must not only deliver AI in an Apple way, but do so in a way that visibly competes with the larger pure AI companies its rivals are already partnering with.With so much at stake, it is perhaps better to delay rather than ship anything that does not work. But peoples patience with such delays will not be infinite and with Open AI still threatening to introduce its own device designed by iPod designerJony Ive, Apples execs surely feel a degree of performance anxiety as they struggle to be the real artists they are reputed to be.Real artists, as Steve Jobs once said,are the people who ship.You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn,Mastodon, andMeWe.

Generative AI (genAI) projects will move from pilot phase to production for many companies this year, which means the workforce will be affected in ways never before imagined. One of those ways will involve onboarding AI agents as new digital employees.One of the focus areas for global staffing firm ManpowerGroup has been its proprietary platform, Sophie, which leverages AI to tackle talent screening tasks.The staffing firm sees AI agents as playing a central role in sifting through job applicant data for clients. identify market trends, and offering hiring suggestions. When Sophie provides a recommendation either for or against a candidate it also explains the reasoning behindi it.We view Sophie as a partner to help you focus on what truly matters: finding the right people and building a workplace grounded in honesty, respect, and mutual confidence, said Carolyn Balkin, general manager for Global Client Solutions at ManpowerGroup.Accenture has even developed a program for onboarding agentic AI digital employees to help agents make the right connections and provide feedback to improve their performance.The company borrowed a page from its HR best practices on team integration to ensure agents were introduced to the marketing team and understood their roles. It also created feedback loops that enabled simple, two-way feedback between human marketers and agents, which turned out to be key in establishing collaboration and mutual learning.AI adoption also means that practically every employee, whether theyre part of an IT organization or a business group, must become familiar with chatbots and other large language model-related technology to better do their jobs.What organizations are seeking in new talent has shifted as AI continues to take on the more repetitive predictable tasks, requiring workers to focus more on creating new business value.ManpowerGroups Balkin manages IT, technology and telecommunications industry vertical clients, and she has been advising organizations about what it means to manage AI employees. One of the biggest challenges: finding the kind of talent theyll need that can work with AI and figuring out how to integrate agents across business groups.Carolyn Balkin, general manager for Global Client Solutions at staffing firm ManpowerGroupManpowerGroupHow has managing employees changed since the adoption of AI in the workplace? I think you know thats where the soft skills have really come into play, because it is not just a technology. I was at the Davos Conference recently, and a lot of the conversations were about AI, and a number of organizations talked about. Its not just a technology anymore. We are looking for individuals that have the industry experience. We can take somebody with industry experience and train them on the technical part of the job.Its a lot harder for us to take somebody with the technical skills and teach them how the industry works. I think theres a focus on looking at the soft skills: the problem solving, the complex reasoning ability, and communications. Because its not just developing AI for the sake of software technology; its to address that larger business problem. Its about looking at all of the business functions, and taking all of that into consideration.So, I think it is more than just the technology play now. And therefore, when managing these people, its not just managing a technical group anymore. Youre managing people who are bringing a different perspective, a different experience, and different soft skills to play, and its about how do you pull all of that together.How do you go about managing that other type of AI employee the digital agent, or the AI itself that is becoming another kind of employee? We do have some early adopters that have put in place these agent workforces. I do know it has changed how theyre looking at workforce management. Its about what can my agents do? Youre almost looking at agents as the new intern of the company. What can the agents do transactionally, and then what skills do I need to manage that on top of the agents? So, what technical skills do I need, and what soft skills do I need in my employees to manage those agents? And that becomes the workforce plan.Then its looking at location strategy. In the past, organizations have led with location in the past; now, its about getting the agent strategy right. First, figure out what you can take from your transactional workers and then focus on what skills you need.Then you have to consider employee upskilling or reskilling. I think organizations are going to have to become much more proactive on their upskilling and reskilling programs. Weve heard so much about this for the last couple of years, and I think theres a gap where organizations believe they have strong programs. But when you talk to employees within these companies, they dont feel theres been the opportunities to upskill and reskill. So, I think were going to have to see more structure around those programs.So, how are you managing the digital employee you call Sophie? Behind Sophie is a cross-functional group that bridges technical expertise and real-world understanding. AI and machine learning experts collaborate with sales and operational professionals, along with individuals who study how people interact with technology. Together, they work toward maintaining our commitment to fairness and trust by:Running ongoing checks to spot hidden biases in how Sophie interprets data.Protecting personal information through strong security protocols and compliance practices.Offering transparent decision-making details so you always see why Sophie has chosen a particular path.So would you say managing your digital workforce or managing your agentic workforce is kind of the next frontier? I definitely think so. I mean, its just a collaboration across the agents. And look how fast AI came on board, and now its just getting smarter and harder. You know how its collaborating with each other. And you know, you have to teach it, too. Its not going to be just like humans. Its not going to be 100% accurate, so you need to monitor it; its going to create different jobs. You know, back to your question, will it create jobs or kill jobs? Dont know yet. I think theyll definitely be different, though, because now you have people looking at the quality of whats coming out of the agents, testing to see if its accurate, training the agent. So it will create a whole new set of roles, and its going to affect every industry. In manufacturing, for example, organizations are using AI agents for quality control, and doing things significantly faster than theyve been able to do in the past.What industries are being affected the most quickly? I would say its your tech companies that are probably the early adopters, because for them to sell something, clients want a case study. They want to know where youve done this and what the impact has been. So, the tech companies see themselves as client zero in order to demo a lot of these new tools and technologies.What kinds of problems is AI introducing from an employee management standpoint? Do you believe every company is a technology company and every employee is a technologist to some extent? Technically, yes, I do believe that. The problem is [that] the gap is getting wider between those employees who understand AI technology and are willing to learn more about it and those who dont want to have anything to do with it. But I think everybody will be a technologist, eventually. Its going to be talent augmented by technology.I was recently talking to a business manager, and he said while theres always going to be an IT group, its no longer going to be the harbinger, or the only ones who own the technology.You have people in marketing, in advertising, in customer support, all the various branches of a business that need to be tech savvy. Whats needed to manage a workforce where everyone is using AI in one form or another? I think you need a lot more collaboration across the workforce, because historically it has always operated in a very siloed way. Youd roll technology out from one place to the rest of the organization. As you adopt more AI, you cant do that anymore.A big topic at the Davos conference was agentic AI, and that is really all about collaboration. A lot of the large language models generative AI have been historically working in a silo. You ask it a query; it shoots out an answer to you.The AI thats under development at a lot of these organizations today is more the agentic AI, which is collaboration of various AI apps and a collaboration of your various data sets. So, that creates a lot more questions because youve got to have governance of all those agents. Youve got to have platforms and the technology behind that.There has to be the governance model in play. You need to look at the business holistically in order to manage AI across all of those areas, so you dont have department doing one thing that might conflict with what another may be doing. They all really need to be aligned so that theyre functioning with each other.Anecdotally, when I talk to folks who are out of work, even people who have years of experience technology, theyre having a hard time finding jobs. What do you see happening? Is it harder to get a technology job now, and what skills are companies looking for? I think it is harder to land a technology job right now. And I think part of that might just be a reflection on where the market is. I know theres been a lot of stability in the IT tech sector, but organizations havent been hiring on additional talent. And some of that is 2024 seemed to be a settling period where there was a lot of adoption of AI. This year its about the impact of AI. And I think organizations, No. 1 are trying to figure out. What does their workforce look like? Where do they need to bring in additional talent?And then No. 2, what does that talent look like? And I dont think theyre there yet. Then you throw in the whole agent workforce, and that adds to the problem.There are more mature companies when it comes to AI the IBMs of the world, the Accentures, the Salesforces; theyre looking at how AI agents are becoming part of their workforce planning. When understanding what your needs are, you first have to consider what the agents will cover those needs, and then figure out what employee skills are needed on top of them.And I think thats the other piece from a management perspective, its become more multifaceted in the approach that companies are taking. Theyre not looking for job- centric people anymore. Its more about the skills-people have.When you say less job-centric, what does that mean? In the past, you would post a job and it would list the tasks of the job. Now, managers are focused more on skills needed to perform in their business. So, these are the skills that we need to support the project.I actually had an interesting conversation with a client yesterday, and they were even talking about soft skills, with AI becoming more front and center when it comes to reasoning and problem solving. You assess that along with the technical skills an employee brings to the job. Businesses are looking at assessments that can help them evaluate the soft skills, some of the cognitive reasoning skills [potential hires have].Data shows that the number and types of jobs are growing with the advance of AI, but at the same time, there is evidence AI is reducing employee headcount taking on tasks formerly done by employees. Which do you believe it is? Or is it both? Is AI is going to reduce workforce sizes, lead to more people being laid off, or is it going to create more opportunities? Its hard to say. I mean, it could go either way. But I think its going to impact more of the transactional roles. It will take a lot of the low-level transactional work away, but what it will also do is allow people to focus on those specialized skills.Weve been talking about how software development is happening so much faster with AI. So, companies are looking for more specialized skill sets. I think therell be a shift from the generic skills that companies brought on in the past to more specialized skills that theyre going to need in the future.Can you give me some examples of the specialized skill sets? For example, SAP engineers, SAP architect, AWS skills, and Salesforce skills. Those are some of the software areas that companies are looking for more specialized talent.So, youre saying hiring will be based on skills that are specific to the applications and the AI that is becoming a part of that? Even cybersecurity. While weve been talking about software, cybersecurity is another area thats going to be very important because youre opening up some doors with AI related to security and data privacy.Where do you even start with that cybersecurity and AI? It seems almost amorphous if AI is in every corner of a business. There are so many things, and its happening so fast. So, we are still learning as fast as we can. Were trying to understand what the impact of AI will be, and how it will change our business models. Even from a talent organization like ours, which is providing global talent solutions, what does that do for us?Now, our company is going to start looking for your talent plus the AI agents youll need. So AI becomes part of a hiring solution. There are a lot of companies that are developing AI boot camps for the C-suite executives and opening their eyes to whats out there. Think about it. At universities like MIT, it used to take teams of scientists years to develop what can now be done in a matter of seconds.Right now, companies are taking a step back to discover what the business challenges are that need to be solved because of AI automation. Theyre trying to discover the best way to do that. I dont think theres a lot of academia programs developed for that. I think a lot of it is pilot programs that involve peers talking about the issues.

width="2193" height="1234" sizes="(max-width: 2193px) 100vw, 2193px">With the second Trump administration, very different cultures are once again clashing in the transatlantic relationship.rawf8 shutterstock.comThe recently inaugurated US President Donald Trump has turned the trusting relationship between the United States and Europe on its head, according to the EUs new Competition Commissioner, Teresa Ribera. Brussels must now ensure reliability and stability, factors that no longer exist in Washington. In an interview with the Reuters news agency, the politician called on Europe to continue negotiating with the White House and listen to the US governments concerns on trade issues, but not to allow any changes to EU laws to be forced upon it.We need to stick to our strengths and principles, Ribera told Reuters. We need to be flexible but we cannot transact on human rights nor are we going to transact on the unity of Europe, and we are not going to transact on democracy and values.Trump and his followers in the US government had recently criticized the EU for its rules and regulations. The fines imposed by the EU on US technology companies are a kind of punitive tax. JD Vance: EU restricts freedom of speechUS Vice President J.D. Vance used his appearance at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February for a general reckoning with Europe. He said EU Commissioners were suppressing freedom of expression and restricting access to online platforms and search engines in certain situations with the help of the Digital Services Act.Ribera reacted to the accusations with incomprehension. If there is a problem, a point of concern, please explain that, the EU Commissioner said. That doesnt make sense. Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport, also made it clear that European values are not negotiable, neither through political pressure nor through market dominance. Anyone who believes that European rules can be dictated from outside is very much mistaken, emphasized the politician. The EU Commission must consistently enforce the Digital Services Act (DSA) without compromises and without deals. Anyone who confuses freedom of expression with the freedom to spread hate and disinformation is misjudging the foundations of our values.Ribera announced that the EU will issue decisions in March 2025 on whether Apple and Meta have complied with European rules. Both US companies have been under observation by antitrust watchdogs for around a year. They could face heavy fines if it turns out that they have violated the Digital Markets Act. The EU Commissioner rejected speculation that the decisions could be delayed in view of the massive criticism from the US administration.The Spanish politician also announced that Trump buddy Elon Musks social media platform X would remain under observation. Musks role within the US government plays no role in this, she said.Amazon faces billions in fines in ItalyAmazon is finding out that European authorities dont take kindly to rules and laws being violated. Public prosecutors in Italy are investigating whether the worlds largest online retailer has cheated tax authorities there out of 1.2 billion in value-added tax (VAT). Since 2019, a law in Italy has obliged e-commerce platforms to pay the VAT incurred by third-party sellers outside the EU if they sell goods in Italy via the platform.The investigations by the public prosecutors office cover the period from 2019 to 2021 and were concluded in December, according to various media reports. Amazon is facing a penatly of over 3 billion, according to the Guardia di Finanza. Amazon will not comment on the investigations, according to a report by the French news portal France 24. However, the online retailer asserts that it is committed to complying with all applicable tax laws.Amazons tax practices have been criticized for years. Despite billions in sales, the company shifts its profits to tax havens such as Luxembourg in order to avoid taxes, complained British Labour MP Margret Hodge back in 2022. The EU Commission, on the one hand, and Amazon and Luxembourg, on the other, have been arguing for years about whether Amazons tax advantages in Luxembourg are illegal or compliant with EU state aid rules. Amazon itself asserts that it works in full compliance with local tax laws everywhere.

Elon Musks AI startup xAI has introduced Grok 3, the latest version of its chatbot model, which Musk describes as the most advanced AI system yet.xAI claims Grok 3 outperforms rival AI models from Alphabets Google Gemini, DeepSeeks V3, Anthropics Claude, and OpenAIs GPT-4o in benchmarks for math, science, and coding.About a month ago, Grok 3s pre-training was completed, and since then, weve been working hard to integrate reasoning capabilities into the current Grok 3 model, the company said during its launch event on Monday.Musk, speaking alongside three xAI engineers in a live-streamed presentation, said Grok 3 has more than ten times the compute power of its predecessor.DeepSearch and enterprise pushxAI also introduced DeepSearch, an AI-powered intelligent search engine that functions as a reasoning-based chatbot, explaining its thought process when interpreting queries and formulating responses.Building on these capabilities, the company plans to roll out Grok-3s API in the coming weeks, expanding its reasoning and deep search features.The move signals xAIs broader push into the enterprise and developer markets, where AI-driven automation and decision-making tools are in high demand.Grok 3 is stepping into a fiercely competitive arena alongside ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, and its success will depend on real-world performance in code generation, automation, and enterprise AI workflows, said Abhivyakti Sengar, senior analyst at Everest Group.If xAI delivers on its promises, it could disrupt the market. However, before enterprises integrate Grok 3, CIOs must rigorously evaluate its security and compliance measures.Grok 3 is now available to Premium Plus subscribers on X. xAI is also launching a new subscription tier, SuperGrok, which will provide access via the Grok mobile app and website.The company is also developing a voice interaction feature aimed at enhancing conversational AI experiences, further expanding its capabilities beyond text-based interactions.Intensifying AI competitionGrok 3s launch comes as competition in the AI sector intensifies, with companies racing to develop more powerful and efficient models. Industry analysts see Grok-3s release as a pivotal moment in this landscape.With Grok 3, we expect to see a significant acceleration in R&D innovation across the AI landscape, as it solidifies its leadership position against established players like OpenAI and Google, said Prabhu Ram, VP of the industry research group at Cybermedia Research. Grok 3s advanced capabilities will drive heightened enterprise interest in AI solutions, enabling greater efficiency and smarter decision-making.As xAI expands into search and enterprise AI applications, the battle for dominance in generative AI is set to escalate further.Musk founded xAI in 2023 as a rival to OpenAI, a company he has openly criticized for shifting toward a for-profit model.With Grok-3s introduction and upcoming API launch, xAI is positioning itself as a serious contender in the AI market. However, its long-term success will depend on adoption rates, performance benchmarks, and its ability to meet enterprise security and compliance demands. Understanding how it processes and stores data, ensuring confidentiality, and aligning with regulations like GDPR will be critical, Sengar said. A thorough security audit and close collaboration with xAIs team can help mitigate risks and ensure a smooth deployment.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has gained significant traction among business leaders keen to explore ways it can drive operational efficiencies and cost savings.But while top leadership is sold on its potential, its a different tale for IT teams working the ground. In Australia, the challenges of implementing AI are particularly pronounced, ranging from limited expertise and siloed operations to the rising tide of cybersecurity risks. Its no surprise then that in the face of complexity, companies are not sure how to take the first step towards smooth and successful AI deployments.Australias AI challengesAccess to skilled resources, funding issues and keeping ahead of AIs rapid evolution are just some of the challenges that make it difficult to implement AI solutions uniformly in Australia. For mid-market companies in highly regulated industries, such as finance, energy, and utilities, addressing cybersecurity concerns and responsible AI implementation are also on the list.From an AI context, their challenges are similar to other sectors. This includes access to talent, quality of data, integration with legacy systems, change management, and ethical and regulatory concerns. However, they also face heightened cyber threats and fraud, driven by threat actors leveraging AI to become more sophisticated. The consequence of a breach can be significant from both a financial and consumer trust perspective, explains John Hanna, Neudesic AustraliaUltimately, the breadth of data mid-market companies in finance, energy, and utilities need to deal with is beyond the capabilities of existing systems that rely on the identification of known patterns or human analysis. By adopting AI, these companies gain the capability to analyse information at scale and speed to identify and stop these threats before they significantly impact the business, adds Hanna.To overcome these challenges, Neudesic helps organisations through its expertise, cutting-edge technology, and strong partnerships with Microsoft, having won the Microsoft Partner of the Year award over 20 times. As a global professional services firm, Neudesic is now bringing decades of experience delivering capabilities spanning data and AI, cloud migration and modernisation, application development, and business strategy to Australia.Hanna shares Neudesics approach, which comprises four pillars.People: Its diverse array of internal experts spanning industries, skillsets, and Microsoft Azure and OpenAI solutions help clients address a wide spectrum of business challenges for any organisationApproach: It achieves results not only by implementing Microsoft and OpenAI solutions, but also by addressing todays challenges, identifying tomorrows opportunities, and designing the best path forwardTechnology: It focuses on innovation to develop solutions that meet clients needs while accelerating time to valueExpertise: With 20 years of expertise in Microsofts stack, it offers clients expert knowledge to tackle critical IT challenges and unlock new opportunitiesNeudesics process starts with understanding each clients business needs, followed by collaborative workshops and rapid prototyping.The team will then develop a roadmap aligned with a clients goals and ensure ongoing model refinement, data updates, and process improvements.We are also backed by IBM and Microsoft. What this means for customers is access to the expertise and experience of experts across both tech stacks dedicated to solving the most critical IT challenges of Australian businesses and capturing new growth opportunities, says Hanna.Simplifying critical industry processes with AIA clear example of how Neudesic is driving AI is in simplifying the Know Your Customer (KYC) process in finance, also known as identity verification.KYC is where good customer experience is critical, but traditional KYC processes can take days or even weeks. According to a report conducted by financial compliance software company Fenergo, eight out of ten survey respondents would lose clients to an inefficient onboarding process. More than ever, there is a need for streamlined andintelligent document processing solutions to stay competitive.Neudesics Document Intelligence Platform helps automate the KYC process by capturing customer data from various formats, cross-referencing it with databases, and validating the information in real-time. It also streamlines compliance with customer identification programs.What does this mean for financial organisations? They can now handle high volumes of KYC checks without additional staffing, while automation cuts operational costs. Real-time verification speeds up processes like account openings and loan approvals so that banks can acquire and manage customer assets sooner. Whats more, the platform integrates seamlessly with existing systems like Fenergo for a more robust and efficient workflow.By partnering with integrators like Neudesic, Australian businesses can deploy AI through a proven, logical methodology and unlock the ability to invest and accelerate AI use based on business demand and available capital.Every business dreams big with AI but can stumble when turning ambition into action. Success demands strategy, tailored solutions, and expert guidance. With a trusted partner, businesses can avoid common pitfalls and mistakes that will result in less investment remorse and create business confidence in AI faster than would otherwise be possible, concludes Hanna.Learn more about how Neudesic can help Australian organisations go forward in AI, confidently.

Anthropic has asked a US court for permission to intervene in the remedy phase of an antitrust case against Google, arguing that the US governments call for a ban on Google investing in AI developers could hurt it.Analysts suggest the AI startups fears are founded, and that it risks losing customers if the governments proposal is adopted.Its enterprise clients might face uncertainties regarding the continuity of services and support, potentially affecting their operations, said Charlie Dai, principal analyst at Forrester.The governments proposed remedies including the ban on AI investments after the US District Court for the District of Columbia found the search giant guilty of maintaining a monopoly in online search and text advertising markets in August 2024.The proposed investment ban is aimed at stopping Google from gaining control over products that deal with or control consumer search information, and in addition to preventing further investment in any AI startup would also force it to sell stakes it currently holds, including the $3 billion one in Anthropic.On Friday, Anthropic filed a request to participate in the remedy phase of the trial as an amicus curi or friend of the court.A forced, expedited sale of Googles stake in Anthropic could depress Anthropics market value and hinder Anthropics ability to raise the capital needed to fund its operations in the future, seriously impacting Anthropics ability to develop new products and remain competitive in the tight race at the AI frontier, the AI startup said in a court filing justifying the request.It said it had contacted representatives for the plaintiffs in the case the US government and several US states seeking to influence the proposal.Remedy wouldnt just affect GoogleWhile Anthropics primary concern is that the proposed investment ban could hurt the value of the company, it is also worried that it could put it on the back foot against rivals.This would provide an unjustified windfall to Anthropics much larger competitors in the AI space including OpenAI, Meta, and ironically Google itself, which (through its DeepMind subsidiary) markets an AI language model, Gemini, that directly competes with Anthropics Claude line of products, the company said in the filing.Abhivyakti Sengar, senior analyst at Everest Group also shares Anthropics view on the effect of the proposed ban.Forcing Google to sell its stake in Anthropic throws a wrench into one of the AI industrys most significant partnerships, Sengar said, adding that while it might not cause an immediate loss of customers, any disruption to the performance or reliability of Anthropics models or its innovation speed could drive business towards its rivals.The AI startup, additionally, tried to differentiate itself with rivals, such as OpenAI, by pointing out that unlike its competitors it is not owned or dominated by a single technology giant.While both Amazon and Google have invested in Anthropic, neither company exercises control over Anthropic. Google, in particular, owns a minority of the company and it has no voting rights, board seats, or even board observer rights, it said in the filing.Further, it said that Google doesnt have any exclusive rights to any of its products despite investing nearly $3 billion since 2022 in two forms, direct equity purchase and purchases of debt instruments that can be converted into equity.AI was never part of the caseAmong the arguments that Anthropic makes against the proposed remedy, it notes that neither it nor Googles other AI investments were ever a part of the case.Neither complaint alleged any anticompetitive conduct related to AI, and neither mentioned Anthropic. The only mention of AI in either complaint was a passing reference in the US Plaintiffs complaint to AI voice assistants as one of several access points through which mobile-device users could access Googles search services, it said in the filing.In addition, it claimed that forcing Google to sell its stake could diminish Anthropics ability to fund its operations and potentially depress its market value as alternative investors deal in millions and not the billions Google invested.Forcing Google to sell its entire existing stake in Anthropic within a short period of time would flood the market, sating investors who would otherwise fund Anthropic in the future, it said in the filing.Analysts too warned that the future of Anthropics operations and its ability to retain customers will depend on the startups ability to secure investment if the proposal is adopted.That, said Everests Sengar, will determine whether it will be a setback or an opportunity for greater independence in the AI race.Forresters Dai agreed, adding that if Anthropic can quickly reassure its customers and demonstrate a clear plan for continuity and innovation, it may retain their trust and loyalty.

Metas Ray-Ban smart glasses have quietly achieved a milestone that its enterprise-focused competitors could only dream of selling over two million pairs since their debut in October 2023.EssilorLuxottica, the eyewear giant that manufactures glasses for Meta, has recently announced that two million pairs of Meta Ray-Bans have been sold since their October 2023 launch. The company also aims to produce 10 million Meta glasses annually by the end of 2026.In contrast, Microsofts HoloLens and Apples Vision Pro have struggled to gain traction despite their advanced mixed-reality capabilities.The answer may lie not just in features or branding but in the fundamental user interface itself Metas lightweight, audio-focused design seems to align more with enterprise needs than fully immersive mixed-reality headsets.The biggest barriers to AR headset adoption have been cost, efficiency, and battery life, all of which become more challenging with higher levels of immersivity, said Neil Shah, VP for research and partner at Counterpoint Research. Additionally, the lack of a standardized OS or UI has made enterprise integration more fragmented.Rather than pushing an entirely new wearable concept, Meta retrofitted VR capabilities into an existing accessory that people were already comfortable with, said Faisal Kawoosa, founder and lead analyst at Techarc. The partnership with Ray-Ban also played a key role in making these smart glasses more socially acceptable.Enterprise adoption: simplicity over immersion?While Microsofts HoloLens and Apples Vision Pro pushed the boundaries of augmented and virtual reality, their enterprise adoption remained limited due to cost, complexity, and user resistance. HoloLens found some traction in industrial training and fieldwork, and Vision Pro positioned itself as the future of spatial computing, but neither saw mass adoption.The failure of AR-heavy wearables such as HoloLens and Vision Pro highlights a fundamental mismatch with workplace needs, said Riya Agrawal, senior analyst at Everest Group. High costs, complexity of use, and extensive training requirements have slowed deployment. Furthermore, frontline workersespecially in field servicestypically need quick, hands-free AI assistance rather than distracting digital overlays.Metas smart glasses, in contrast, take a different approach. They offer an audio-centric interface with a discreet camera, enabling hands-free communication, real-time guidance, and live transcription without overwhelming users with AR overlays.This approach fits naturally into enterprise workflows where workers need digital assistance without obstructing their physical environment.Enterprise users ideally seek more immersion for use cases like design and development, but current AR/VR limitations make mainstream adoption difficult, Shah pointed out. While immersive headsets promise to overlay the digital world onto the physical, limited app integrations and power-hungry designs hinder their viability in real-world enterprise settings.In the enterprise space, VR applications tend to be highly specialized and customized to specific business needs, Kawoosa added. Unlike consumer VR, which benefits from broad applications, enterprises see AR as a layer within their existing tech stack rather than a standalone solution. This means generic, one-size-fits-all AR/VR products may struggle in the long run.Why do enterprise users prefer audio-centric wearables?Seamless integration into daily workflows has been a major reason for the success of Metas smart glasses. Unlike bulky AR headsets, they resemble traditional eyewear, making them more socially and professionally acceptable in meetings, fieldwork, and customer interactions. Open-ear speakers allow users to receive AI-powered insights, instructions, or language translations while staying engaged with their surroundings.In many enterprise use cases, HoloLens and Vision Pro offer more computational power than necessary, which only drives up costs without delivering proportional benefits, Agrawal said. Smart glasses or audio-driven interfaces solve this by being more cost-effective and practical, aligning better with enterprise workflows.The cost has been another decisive factor.Vision Pro and HoloLens come at steep prices Apples headset costs $3,499, and HoloLens 2 starts at around $3,500. Meanwhile, Metas Ray-Ban smart glasses start at a fraction of that price less than $380, making them more viable for enterprise deployment at scale. Lower costs encourage broader experimentation, allowing businesses to deploy smart glasses across departments rather than limiting them to niche applications.For field workers, hands-free assistance is critical. Remote guidance and real-time AI-driven instructions are invaluable in sectors like logistics, healthcare, and maintenance.For frontline agents, minimizing visual overload is key, Agrawal said. The lightweight design and better battery life of smart glasses make them truly wearable all day, unlike bulkier AR headsets that drain power quickly.Metas smart glasses enable professionals to stream video to remote experts without interrupting their workflow. In contrast, Vision Pro and HoloLens often require users to engage with floating screens or hand gestures, which may not be practical for workers who need to stay focused on manual tasks.Simple, AI-driven smart glassessuch as Metas Ray-Ban modelsoffer a hands-free and ear-free approach that feels natural, said Shah. Features like real-time guidance for warehouse workers, last-mile delivery directions, and field service assistance make them useful in enterprise settings without the complexity of AR overlays.Another key advantage is the ease of adoption. Employees are less likely to resist using audio-centric glasses compared to full-fledged AR headsets, which can feel intrusive or overwhelming.The appeal of smart glasses extends beyond costthey also offer faster adoption and return on investment, Agrawal pointed out. Compared to full AR headsets, they require minimal training, making enterprise-wide deployment easier and more scalable.Training time is minimal, as users can interact naturally through voice commands and AI-based responses, making enterprise adoption smoother.Audio-based interfaces make even more sense in enterprise settings, where they function like an AI-powered assistant essentially a machine colleague that can provide real-time guidance, transcriptions, and hands-free instructions, Kawoosa pointed out.The future: will more enterprises embrace smart audio glasses?With plans to scale up production to 10 million units annually by 2026, Metas strategy suggests that audio-first smart glasses could become a staple in enterprise environments.Meanwhile, reports indicate that Meta is working on a version with an integrated display, potentially bringing a hybrid approach that balances visual AR with the audio-first experience that has proven successful.While AR and VR can augment meaningful enterprise use cases, their economic and ergonomic limitations have slowed adoption, Counterpoints Shah said. Simpler AI-powered glasses are serving as an entry point, building familiarity before AR technology matures.As immersive AR headsets struggle to find their footing, the rapid success of Metas smart glasses may signal a shift in how enterprises perceive wearable technology. Instead of seeking full virtual immersion, businesses may prioritize frictionless, real-world interactions an area where audio-first smart glasses appear to have the upper hand. While enterprises currently prefer augmentation over full immersion, AI-driven advancements could accelerate VR adoption in the long term, Kawoosa said, adding, However, we are still in the early stages of that transition.

Generative AI (genAI) tools based on deep learning are quickly gaining adoption, but their use is raising concerns about how they affect human thought.A new survey and analysis by Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft of 319 knowledge workers who use genAI tools (such as ChatGPT or Copilot) at least weekly showed that while the technology improves efficiency, it can also reduce critical thinking engagement, could lead to over-reliance, and might diminish problem-solving skills over time.A key irony of automation is that by mechanizing routine tasks and leaving exception-handling to the human user, you deprive the user of the routine opportunities to practice their judgement and strengthen their cognitive musculature, leaving them atrophied and unprepared when the exceptions do arise, the study found.Overall, workers confidence in genAIs abilities correlates with less effort in critical thinking. The focus of critical thinking shifts from gathering information to verifying it, from problem-solving to integrating AI responses, and from executing tasks to overseeing them. The study suggests that genAI tools should be designed to better support critical thinking by addressing workers awareness, motivation, and ability barriers.The research specifically examines the potential impact of genAI on critical thinking and whether cognitive offloading could be harmful. Cognitive offloading, or the process of using external devices or processes to reduce mental effort, is not new; its been used for centuries.For example, something as simple as writing things down, or relying on others to help with remembering, problem-solving, or decision-making is a form of cognitive offloading. So is using a calculator instead of mental math.The paper examined how genAIs cognitive offloading, in particular, affects critical thinking among workers across various professions. The focus was on understanding when and how knowledge workers perceive critical thinking while using genAI tools and whether the effort required for critical thinking changes with their use.The researchers classified critical thinking into six categories: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Each of those six cognitive activities was scored with a one-item, five-point scale, as has been done in similar research.The study found that knowledge workers engage in critical thinking primarily to ensure quality, refine AI outputs, and verify AI-generated content. However, time pressures, lack of awareness, and unfamiliarity with domains can hinder reflective thinking.At college, signs of a decline in thinking abilitiesDavid Raffo, a professor at the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University, said he noticed over a six-year-period that students writing skills were dropping.Year after year, the writing got worse, he said. Then, during Covid, I noticed that papers started getting better. I thought, maybe staying at home had a positive effect. Maybe students were putting more energy and effort into writing their papers and getting better at their communication skills as a result.Raffo met with one student to discuss their A- grade on a paper. During the Zoom meeting, however, the student struggled to form grammatically correct sentences. Raffo began to question whether they had written the paper themselves, considering their communication skills didnt match the quality of their work.I wondered if they had used a paid service or generative AI tools. This experience, about three years ago, sparked my interest in the role of technology in academic work and has motivated my ongoing study of this topic, said Raffo, who is also editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed Journal of Software Evolution and Process.The difference between using genAI compared to the use of calculators and Internet search engines lies in which brain functions are engaged and how they affect daily life, said Raffo, who was not involved in the latest study.GenAI tools offload tasks that involve language and executive functions. The use it or lose it principle applies: engaging our brains in writing, communication, planning, and decision-making improves these skills.When we offload these tasks to generative AI and other tools, it deprives us of the opportunity to learn and grow or even to stay at the same level we had achieved, Raffo said.How AI rewires our brainsThe use of technology, in general, rewires brains to think in new ways some good, some not so good, according to Jack Gold, principal analyst at tech industry research firm J. Gold Associates. Its probably inevitable that AI will do the same thing as past rewiring from technology did, he said. Im not sure we know yet just what that will be.As Agentic AI becomes common, people may come to rely on it for problem-solving but how will we know its doing things correctly, Gold said. People might accept its results without questioning, potentially limiting their own skills development by allowing technology to handle tasks.Lev Tankelevitch, a senior researcher with Microsoft Research, said not all genAI use is bad. He said theres clear evidence in education that it can enhance critical thinking and learning outcomes. For example, in Nigeria, an early study suggests that AI tutors could help studentsachieve two years of learning progress in just six weeks, Tankelevitch said. Another studyshowed that students working with tutors supported by AI were 4% more likely to master key topics.The key, he said, is that it was teacher-led. Educators guided the prompts and provided context, showing how a collaboration between humans and AI can drive real learning outcomes, according to Tankelevitch.The Carnegie Mellon/Microsoft study determined the use of genAI tools shifts knowledge workers critical thinking skills in three main ways: from information gathering to verification, from problem-solving to integrating AI responses, and from task execution to task stewardship.While genAI automates tasks such as information gathering, it also introduces new cognitive tasks, such as assessing AI-generated content and ensuring accuracy. That shift changes the role of workers from doing the work of research to overseeing results, with the responsibility for quality still resting on the human.Pablo Rivas, assistant professor of Computer Science at Baylor University, while its true if a machines output goes unchecked, you risk skipping the hard mental work that sharpens problem-solving skills, AI doesnt have to undermine human intelligence.It can be a boost if individuals stay curious and do reality checks. One simple practice is to verify the AIs suggestions with outside sources or domain knowledge. Another is to reflect on the reasoning behind the AIs output rather than assuming its correct, he said. With healthy skepticism and structured oversight, generative AI can increase productivity without eroding our ability to think on our own.A right way to use genAI?To support critical thinking, organizations training workforces should focus on information verification, response integration, and task stewardship, while maintaining foundational skills to avoid overreliance on AI. The study highlights some limitations, such as potential biases in self-reporting and the need for future research to consider cross-linguistic and cross-cultural perspectives and long-term studies to track changes in AI use and critical thinking.Research on genAIs impact on cognition is key to designing tools that promote critical thinking. Deep reasoning models are helping by making AI processes more transparent, allowing users to better review, question, and learn from its insights, he said.Across all of our research, there is a common thread: AI works best as a thought partner, complementing the work people do, Tankelevitch said. When AI challenges us, it doesnt just boost productivity; it drives better decisions and stronger outcomes.The Carnegie Mellon-Microsoft study isnt alone in its findings. Verbal reasoning and problem-solving skills in the US have been steadily dropping, according to a paper published in June 2023 by US researchers Elizabeth Dworak, William Revelle and David Condon. And while IQ scores had been increasing steadily since the beginning of the 20th century as recently as 2012, IQ scores were rising about 0.3 points a year a study by Northwestern University in 2023 showed a decline in three key intelligence testing categories.All technology affects our abilities in various ways, according to Gold. For example, texting undermines the ability to write proper sentences, calculators reduce long division and multiplication skills, social media affects communication, and a focus on typing has led to neglecting cursive and signature skills, he noted.So yes, AI will have effects on how we problem solve, just like Google did with our searches, Gold said. Before Google, we had to go to the library and actually read multiple source materials to come up with a concept, which required our brain to process ideas and form an opinion. Now its just whatever Google search shows. AI will be the same, only accelerated.