Archive for July 2024
Children Hide Online Life From Families
New research by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Rocio Cifuentes, has revealed that only 1 in 4 children in Wales tell their families about their online life. Survey The survey about online safety was conducted in June 2024 to inform Cifuentes’s response to Ofcom’s consultation on its widening powers relating to the Online Safety Act…
Read MoreWill SearchGPT Overtake Google?
The new ‘SearchGPT’ (prototype) AI search feature which OpenAI plans to eventually integrate directly into ChatGPT is being seen by some as the future of search and a potential challenger to Google Search. What Is SearchGPT? At present, OpenAI (the makers of ChatGPT) describes the prototype version of SearchGPT, which is currently being tested in…
Read MoreThird-Party Cookie U-Turn By Google
Following a previous announcement four years ago that it would be blocking third-party cookies from its Chrome browser, Google appears to have ‘updated’ that firm commitment in favour of a new approach. What Has Google Said? An “Updated Approach” … Google’s most recent comment is that it now favours an “updated approach that elevates user choice.…
Read MoreChatGPT Rolls Out Voice Mode
In a reply to a user question on the X platform, Open AI’s CEO, Sam Altman, said that the alpha rollout of ChatGPT’s long-awaited ‘Voice Mode’ starts for Plus subscribers next week. What Is Voice Mode? As the name of the feature suggests, ChatGPT’s ‘Voice Mode’ allows users to interact with the AI by simply…
Read MoreApple’s New Operating Systems With Intelligence
Apple has released the iOS 18.1 developer beta for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 which initially gives users a taste of a limited number of Apple Intelligence features. Apple Intelligence is the company’s suite of machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies (as announced WWDC24 in June) designed to enhance user experience on…
Read MoreMarvellous Microplastics Magnets
UK startup ‘The Tyre Collective’ has developed a tyre-dust magnet to attach to electric vehicles (EVs) to tackle the often-overlooked problem of tyre-dust microplastic pollution. The Problem – The Dangers Of Tyre-Wear As explained by The Tyre Collective, “Tyre-wear is the second-largest source of microplastics in our oceans, toxic to marine life, and air particulate…
Read MoreCrowdStrike : What Happened?
Following 8.5 million Microsoft devices being hit by a faulty software update from CrowdStrike causing global chaos, we look at what happened, how, and why. The Worst Cyber Event In History The scale of effects of the disruption caused make this event, which began on 18 July (Microsoft) or 19 July (according to CrowdStrike), makes…
Read MoreLessons Learned
Following the massive after-effects of the faulty CrowdStrike update, we take a look at the lessons learned so far in this ongoing situation. What Happened? On July 19, a faulty software update from cybersecurity technology company CrowdStrike affected approximately 8.5 million Microsoft devices globally causing chaos across multiple industries globally as key systems were disabled. The…
Read MoreKing’s Speech Highlights Security Laws
Following the State Opening of Parliament, the King’s Speech on 17 July included news of significant new legislative proposals to address cybersecurity concerns, focusing on supply chain risks, particularly in the public sector, and improving incident reporting. What Concerns and Risks? The kinds of concerns and risks the new legislation has been drafted to tackle…
Read MoreNew “Privacy-First” Email Writing Assistant
Swiss app company Proton has introduced ‘Proton Scribe,’ an AI-powered private writing assistant that writes and proofreads emails for you. Why? Proton says that with most of us sending emails daily, finding the right words and tone can be time-consuming. Also, other popular email programs process data on remote servers, thereby posing a risk that…
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