Tech Tip – Windows 11 : Customise Your Touchscreen Keyboard

If you have a touchscreen PC, Windows 11 gives you the option to customise the touch keyboard with different colours and themes. Here’s how:  To enable the touch keyboard in the first place, right-click the taskbar and select ‘Taskbar…
WhatsApp
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Featured-Article  : What’s Ahead for WhatsApp?

Following the launch of the new business-focused WhatsApp Cloud API, we take a look at where Facebook’s (i.e. Meta) popular secure chat app is heading.  Cloud API  Last week, Facebook’s WhatsApp announced that it was opening…
Microsoft apps
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New Microsoft Update ‘Enable’ Reactions In Outlook

With the next update, as part of Microsoft’s 365 roadmap, Outlook users will soon be able to ‘react’ to Outlook emails without sending or receiving incremental emails.  Like Emojis  The Microsoft ‘Reactions’ feature…
laptop

New Spy-Spotting App From MI5

The UK government’s MI5-run ‘Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure’ has launched a new app to help people spot approaches from foreign spies and organised criminals seeking sensitive information.  Really? How Big…
eyes

Augmented Vision From ‘Smart’ Contact Lenses?

In this insight, we look at the development, applications, and issues relating to new ‘smart eye’ wearables such as smart glasses and contact lenses.  Smart Contact Lenses  Smart contact lenses, such as those in development…
ship in dock
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All At Sea For Carbon Capture

With container ships being bigger greenhouse gas producers that aeroplanes, London-based company ‘Seabound’ has developed technology that reduces up to 95 per cent of CO2 emissions per ship.  The Problem  The shipping…
emoji

WhatsApp Rolls-Out Emojis and Sharing Of Files Over 2GB

Following last month’s announcement, Meta’s WhatsApp is rolling-out emojis and the ability to share files within WhatsApp up to 2GB in size.  Communities  The new features are being added as part of WhatsApp’s “vision…
eReader

Ereaders? Amazon, Kobo … And The Others

In this insight, we look what ereaders are, their strengths and weaknesses, and popular makes and models.  Ereaders  Ereaders / e-book readers / e-book devices are mobile electronic devices that look similar to tablets and are designed…
crypto coins

Who Accepts CryptoCoins Now?

With its volatile past and with a recent survey showing that almost one-third of small businesses in the US now accept them as payment, we look at who accepts CryptoCoins in payment for goods and services.  Cryptocurrencies  CryptoCoins…
Matrix

ICANN’T Delete Russian Domains

ICANN, the US-based non-profit organisation responsible for overseeing the Internet’s Domain Name System (DNS) has turned down a request by Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister to revoke Russian domain names.  The Request  In…
plastic waste

Using Bubbles To Fight Plastic Pollution

A fast-growing Amsterdam-based start-up, The Great Bubble Barrier, has created a barrier (as the name suggests) that uses bubbles to stop plastic waste from entering waterways and to remove plastic from them.   Most Plastic Travels…

Tech Tip – Backing Up Your Gmail Account

If, like many people, you have a Gmail account that contains all manner of important personal and / or business emails, Gmail’s ‘Takeout’ feature provides a handy way to back them up. Here’s how to use it:  Log in to your Google…
phone lock
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Apple, Google and Microsoft In Password Collaboration

Apple, Google and Microsoft have announced that they are joining forces to support a common passwordless sign-in standard that will allow websites and apps to offer consistent, secure and easy sign-ins across devices and platforms.   The…
meeting room
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New Powers So UK Regulator Can Hold Big Tech Firms To Account

The UK government has announced that it is giving statutory powers to the new Digital Markets Unit (DMU) regulator to enforce pro-competition rules and protect users from the “unfair practices” of big tech companies.  New Watchdog…
Phone inbox
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Tracking What Happens To Attachments After They’re Sent

In this article, we look at how there are several risks and challenges associated with sending email attachments, how businesses can track emails, and about a new product that could allow greater visibility and control of what happens to email…
VR Headset

Where Are We At With VR These Days?

In this insight, we look at where Virtual Reality (VR) is now, plus what predictions there are for its future.  Potted History  Virtual Reality (VR) is a simulated and fully immersive experience that obscures the natural world,…
batteries

THE IMPACT OF LITHIUM MINING

With our devices using lithium-ion batteries and with Electronic Vehicles (EVs) currently dependent on lithium for their rechargeable batteries, we look at the environmental impact of lithium mining, and what the possible alternatives could…

Tech Tip – How To Reduce Your Phone Battery Consumption

With so many of us depending on our smartphones for many aspects of our business and personal life, and with electricity prices rising, here are some ways to reduce battery consumption and save electricity: Use Dark Mode (for OLED screens).Stick…
using phone
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Recording Phone Calls On Your Mobile

In this article, we look at the legal issues around recording calls on your mobile, and the different methods for doing so.  Is It Legal To Record Phone Calls On Your Mobile?  In the UK, as an individual mobile phone user, generally…
twitter

How Can Musk Add Revenue To Twitter?

In this article, we look at the immediate challenges ahead for Twitter with Elon Musk now at the helm, plus we look at some of the likely ways that he could start adding more revenue.  What Happened?  Billionaire Elon Musk recently…
google laptop
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More Control To Remove Personal Data From Google Searches

Google has announced that it is changing its policies to allow more types of personally identifiable information removal requests.  Personal Information Showing Up In Google Search  Google acknowledges that personally identifiable…
laptop

Pernicious Pegasus Plagues (Another) Prime-Minister

With many governments (including the UK Government) being targeted with Pegasus phone-spying software, there’s now news that Spain’s PM’s has also been hit.  What Is Pegasus?  Pegasus spyware is sold by Israeli-based NSO Group…
woman watching tv

Sustainability-In-Tech : Switch Off ‘Vampire’ Devices And Save An Average Of £147 Per Year

New research by British Gas (Centrica) has revealed that UK households could save an average of £147 per year on their electricity bills by switching off their ‘vampire electronics’.  What Are Vampire Devices?  So-called ‘vampire…

Tech Tip – A Neat Way To Remove The Background From A Photo 

If you need a really fast and simple way to remove the background from any photo, you may wish to try using ‘removebg’. Here’s how it works:  - Go to www.remove.bg.  - Click on ‘Upload An Image’ to upload the photo…