Author: Paul Stradling

Providing IT support and solution to small and medium businesses. Servicing Edinburgh, Livingston, Fife and surrounding areas. Responsive, Flexible, Professional and friendly local support.

Microsoft 365 Gets ChatGPT Technology Called ‘Copilot’

Tech-News : Microsoft 365 Gets ChatGPT Technology Called ‘Copilot’

Microsoft has announced that it is to help users save time and increase productivity by embedding its AI chatbot ‘Copilot’ into popular Microsoft 365 apps.  Embedded In Popular Apps  Microsoft says that the Copilot chatbot has been embedded in the popular Microsoft 365 apps – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams. Like Chat GPT, Copilot is…
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HSBC Buys Collapsed Tech Bank

Tech News : HSBC Buys Collapsed Tech Bank

There was some relief from UK businesses hoping for government help following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) after HSBC rescued the UK arm of the bank by buying it for £1.  What Happened?  Due to what many financial analysts believe to be SVB making some bad investments and betting (badly) on interest rates,…
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Even After Opting Out, Your Data May Still Be Shared

Tech News : Even After Opting Out, Your Data May Still Be Shared

A recent US research paper entitled “Opted Out, Yet Tracked: Are Regulations Enough to Protect Your Privacy?” highlights how, in many cases, user data is still being collected, processed, and shared, even when users opt out through a Consent Management Platform (CMP).  The Issue   The research was based around developing a framework to measure how well Consent…
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Meta Blue Badge

Tech News : New Meta Verified Blue Badge Subscription Service

Meta has announced it’s launching its own version of Twitter’s Blue Tick called ‘Meta Verified’ for Facebook and Instagram where users pay a monthly subscription to be verified on the platforms.  Announcement  On February 19, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced that Meta is starting the rollout of its new ‘Meta Verified’ subscription service for Facebook…
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Want Free Hot Water? Have A Server In Your House!

Tech News : Want Free Hot Water? Have A Server In Your House!

Green distributed computer network heating company Heata is offering to provide up to 4.8kWh of free hot water per day in exchange for installing a business cloud server in your home.  Green Distributed Compute Network  Heata, which began as an innovation project with British Gas, describes itself as “a ground-breaking green distributed compute network that uses the…
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Tech News : Quantum Computing Breakthrough

Tech News : Quantum Computing Breakthrough

Researchers from the University of Sussex and Universal Quantum have announced that they have made a major breakthrough in quantum computing that could help solve the most complex real-world problems.  What Are Quantum Computers?  Quantum computers can carry out complex calculations at high speed. Whereas traditional computers store data in binary ‘bits’ (ones and zeros)…
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Tech News : Google Launching ChatGTP Rival ‘Bard’

Tech News : Google Launching ChatGTP Rival ‘Bard’

Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichia, has announced that Google will be launching its rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT called ‘Bard’ “in the coming weeks” following its final testing stage.  What Is Bard?  Referred to as ‘Apprentice Bard’ during its development stages, Bard is Google’s conversational AI service which uses Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA), Google’s family of conversational…
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Fewer Victims Pay Ransomware, Yet More Victims

Fewer Victims Pay Ransomware, Yet More Victims

Blockchain data platform Chainanalysis has reported that cybercriminals have seen a 40 per cent fall in their earnings as more people have refused to pay the ransom following ransomware attacks.  More Strains With Shorter Lifespans  However, the number of unique ransomware strains being used in attacks increased dramatically in 2022 (Fortinet). Also, Chainanalysis reports that…
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Smart Products Have Just 2 Years Of Life

Could New Smart Products Have Just 2 Years Of Life?

Consumer champion Which? says that high-end smart products may lose features and functionality, or become a hacking risk, after as little as two years because manufacturers may stop tech updates.  Stopping The Smart Updates Limits Lifespan  Which? says it discovered the risk after analysing smart appliances in six key household product areas – washing machines,…
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Featured Article : Tech-Trends for '23

Featured Article : Tech-Trends for ’23

In this feature, we look at some of the most prominent tech trends for 2023 and how businesses could benefit from them.  A Dozen Key Tech Trends  Here are as dozen key tech trends to watch this year.  1. Satellite mobile connections and satellite broadband are expected to become more widely available in 2023. This is thanks…
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