Google mail

New Yahoo & Google Guidelines For Bulk Emails

With newly expanded Google and Yahoo guidelines for high-volume emailers coming into force from the 1st of February, we look at what needs to be done to comply.  Why? As Google says about the reason for the new guidelines: “we’ll…
Copilot
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Copilot Product Update – Some Pros And Cons

Following Microsoft’s recent announcement that it is expanding its Copilot product line-up to appeal to a larger range of businesses, we take a look at what this means and some of the stand-out pros and cons.  Copilot  In…
cyborg

Cyborgs One Step Closer

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have reported making a two-legged “biohybrid robot” after combining an artificial skeleton with biological muscle, which can walk and pivot underwater.  Biohybrid  Whereas ‘typical’…
gmail

New Feature To Declutter Your Gmail Inbox

Included in a recent major update to Google’s Gmail on Android (for now), a new feature can help users to declutter and remove annoying spam from their inbox.  Select All Option  The new feature (currently being rolled out) enables…
iPhone

Apple Tests Contingent Pricing To Retain Developers

To keep its App Store appealing to developers after they gain the right to distribute apps through their own channels when the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) comes into force, Apple is introducing a pilot test of “contingent pricing.”  This…
data centre

Data-Centres Using One-Third Of Ireland’s Electricity By 2026

A report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that almost one-third of electricity demand in Ireland is expected to come from data-centres by 2026.  Doubling Of Electricity Demand  The IEA’s ‘Electricity 2024…

Bring Someone Else Into Your Outlook Conversations

If you’re involved in an email conversation in Microsoft Outlook and you want a fast and easy way to introduce other colleagues to certain parts of your message without having to start a new conversation, here’s how:  In the body…
AI
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New Certification For Copyright Compliant AI

Following many legal challenges to AI companies about copyrighted content being scraped and used to train their AI models (without consent or payment), a new certification for copyright-compliant AI has been launched.  The Issue  As…
IT Growth

‘Only’ Double IT Spending Growth (To $5 Trillion) – IT & Security News (mklink.co.uk)

New research from Gartner has predicted that global IT spending this year will reach $5 trillion and IT spending growth will be more than double that of 2023.  A First – Spending More On IT Than Communications  In its IT…
Data Centre

Work Starts On £790m UK Google Data Centre

Work has started on Google’s first UK data centre which will cost $1 billion (£790m), will add to Google’s 27 data centres worldwide, and will support its move into AI.  Crucial Compute Capacity  The data centre is being built…
Gamer

Hearing Loss And Tinnitus Warning To Gamers

A new review of existing research, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), warns that video gamers who are listening to high-intensity sound levels for long periods of time may be risking permanent hearing loss and tinnitus.  Overlooked…
Copilot
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Microsoft Releases Copilot for Microsoft 365

Microsoft have released Copilot for Microsoft 365.  This is a paid version of Copilot that sits in your existing Office apps and can significantly boost your productivity.  The UK cost is £296.40 (+VAT) per year.  Here’s how it can help. Microsoft…
Google
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Google’s AI Discovers 380,000 New Materials

A new AI tool called GNoME from Google’s DeepMind artificial intelligence lab has reportedly discovered and contributed nearly 380,000 new compounds to the Materials Project, the open-access database founded at the Department of Energy’s…

Create Instant ‘To-Do’ Desktop Notes with Sticky Notes

Jot down ideas, to-do lists, or important reminders for yourself using Sticky Notes in Microsoft Windows. This simple but effective tool allows you to place virtual notes on your desktop, freeing you from paper notes that can get lost, and…
iPhone

Apple Makes EU Concessions To Avoid Antitrust Fine

It’s been reported that The European Commission is now seeking feedback from Apple’s rivals and customers over concessions agreed by Apple relating to its tap-and-go mobile payment systems, based on the independent technology called Near-Field…
girl with headphones
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What’s Fun At CES?

Following the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last week, we take a look at some of the more novel and fun gadgets (and claims from the show) and what lessons businesses can take away from this year’s event.  CES  The…
disk storage

A Quick Guide To Flash Drives & HDD Storage

In this brief guide to storage technology, we compare and contrast the benefits of flash drives and Hard Disk Drives (HDD) for enterprise storage and take a look at some other popular storage options.  What are Flash Drives?  Flash…
cloud transfer

Google Waives Exit Fees for Cloud Data Transfers

Google has announced that Google Cloud customers who want to switch and migrate their network data to another cloud provider and/or on-premises will no longer be charged a transfer fee to do so.  How?  The process for the free transfer…
Microsoft

Microsoft Now More Valuable Than Apple

Worries about smartphone demand have been blamed for Microsoft’s stock market value ending a trading session higher than Apple’s last week for the first time since 2021.  How Much?  Microsoft adding 1 per cent to its stock value…
GMA 32

It’s our birthday!! This week we celebrate our 32nd Anniversary

When GMA started Terminator 2; Judgement Day was showing in the cinemas. It was the most expensive movie made at the time, this was largely due to the computer generated special effects. The Paragon at Caltech was named the fastest supercomputer…
charge point
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Green BT Street Cabinets To Become EV Charging Points

In line with the government’s aim to increase the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging points from 50,000 to 300,000 by 2030, the BT Group has announced that it will be repurposing its old, green street cabinets to EV charging points.  60,000…

Use ChatGPT Within Microsoft Word

The ‘Add-Ins’ link on the menu (top-right) in Microsoft Word in Office 365 enables you to use many useful apps and tools directly within Word, including ChatGPT. Here’s how it works:  Open a Word document and click on ‘Add-Ins’…
iPhone

Apple To Allow Sideloaded EU App Stores

In compliance with the regulations in the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), and following the iOS 17.2 update, it’s been reported that Apple will soon be allowing iOS users to sideload app stores in the EU. This means that iOS users will…
Car AI
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ChatGPT Inside Vehicles Opens Possibilities

Following the news that Volkswagen (VW) is to add ChatGPT to the IDA voice assistant in its cars and SUVs, we look at what this could mean for the direction of technology for cars.   Adding ChatGPT  At the current CET in Las Vegas,…
Legal

‘Public Domain’ – What Does It Mean?

With January 1 being ‘Public Domain Day’, we look at what ‘public domain’ actually means in relation to works of literature, music, art, and science.  Public Domain Day  New Year’s Day each year is called ‘Public Domain…
AI Key
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AI Key Added To Microsoft Keyboards

In the first change to Microsoft keyboards in 30 years, an AI key is to be added to Microsoft Windows 11 PC keyboards from February.  Copilot Key  In a move that Microsoft says will make “2024 the year of the AI PC” and…
Passport and plane
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UK ‘Passportless’ eGates

A recent Times report highlighted how Phil Douglas, director-general of the UK Border Force, aims to replace the UK’s physical passport-based entry system with an upgraded, frictionless, facial recognition-based e-Gates system.  Current…
iPhone

Apple Pays After Throttling iPhones Settlement

Following a US case dating back to 2017 which led to Apple admitting that it has deliberately slowed down some older models of iPhones (throttling), a settlement for compensation payments to affected iPhone owners has been reached.  After…
London 2050

Map Shows UK Areas Under Water By 2050

An online map from non-profit climate science organisation ‘Climate Central’ shows which areas of the UK could be underwater due to climate change by 2050.  Sea Level Rise  As highlighted in a 2021 report by Benjamin H Strauss…

Distraction-Free Reading In Word

If you have a document in Microsoft Word that you'd like to convert to a more readable, book-like format, reducing distractions and allowing you to really focus on the content, here's how: Open the document in Microsoft Word. Go to the…
copyright

NY Times Sues OpenAI And Microsoft Over Alleged Copyright Breach

It’s been reported that The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that they used millions of its articles without permission to help train chatbots.  The First  It’s understood that the New York Times (NYT)…
Google

What Does Incognito Mode Actually Do?

Following news that Google may need to pay $5 billion over tracking millions of people who thought they were browsing privately through incognito mode, we look at what incognito mode actually does.  Incognito Mode  Different browsers…
car

Driverless Cars On UK Roads By 2026?

UK Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said in a recent radio interview that driverless cars could be on some UK roads by the end of 2026.  2026  Following the November announcement of the new Automated Vehicles (AV) Bill, in an interview…
Amazon

Amazon Prime Video : Pay To Remove Ads

Amazon has announced that from 5 February 2024, its Amazon Prime Video customers in the UK and Germany will see “limited” ads unless they pay £2.99 per month to remove them.  Why?  Amazon says that in view of the fact it won’t…
Apple Watch

Apple Watches Back On Sale In The US After Ban

The latest version of the Apple Watch has gone back on sale in the US after being removed from sale by the US Government from 26 December 2023. Its removal from sale followed claims by medical technology company Masimo that the watch’s…
Fix phone

Austria’s Tech Gadget Repair Scheme

Austria’s Repair Bonus voucher scheme sees the government pay citizens up to €200 (£173) towards getting old electrical appliances, devices and tech gadgets fixed.  Why?   The Austrian government scheme, financed through the…
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Pin Tabs In Chrome To Save Time And Stay Organised

If there are websites that you use regularly, pinning tabs is a way to save time, stay organised, and get right to the websites you need every time you open your Google Chrome browser. Here’s how it works: Open Chrome and type in the…