Debunqed

Category: Hardware

  • A Digital Clone

    A Digital Clone

    In the ever-evolving landscape of design and engineering, technological advancements continue to redefine how we approach complex projects. One such innovation that’s gaining traction is the concept of “Digital Twins.”

    Initially introduced as a way to monitor and maintain physical assets in real-time, the concept of Digital Twins has expanded to play a pivotal role in design and engineering processes. Let’s delve into some of the current and revolutionary use cases of Digital Twins today.

    What are Digital Twins?

    A Digital Twin is a virtual replica of a physical object, process, or system. It encompasses both the physical aspects and the digital representation, offering real-time insights and simulations to understand, predict, and optimize the behavior of the real-world counterpart.

    They are revolutionizing the way products are designed and prototyped. Engineers and designers can create virtual prototypes that closely mirror the physical product, allowing for rapid iterations and testing. This not only speeds up the design process but also reduces the cost and waste associated with traditional trial-and-error methods. From automobiles to consumer electronics, Digital Twins enable engineers to simulate various scenarios and make informed decisions before a physical prototype is even built.

    Advertisement: Secure your Websites and Apps with Acunetix

    Salient Use Cases

    1. Predictive Maintenance:
      In the realm of engineering, the concept of predictive maintenance has gained prominence. By integrating Digital Twins into machinery and equipment, engineers can monitor the real-time performance of these assets and predict maintenance needs. This proactive approach minimizes downtime, prevents costly breakdowns, and extends the lifespan of equipment.
    2. Simulation and Analysis:
      Digital Twins offer a platform for comprehensive simulations and analysis. Engineers can simulate the behavior of a system under different conditions, helping them identify potential challenges and opportunities for improvement. Whether it’s testing the aerodynamics of an aircraft or evaluating the structural integrity of a bridge, Digital Twins provide a safe and controlled environment to conduct experiments virtually.
    3. Smart Cities and Infrastructure:
      As urbanization accelerates, the need for smart infrastructure becomes crucial. Digital Twins play a pivotal role in designing, developing, and managing smart cities. From optimizing traffic flow to monitoring energy consumption, these virtual replicas offer insights that facilitate more sustainable and efficient urban planning.
    4. Collaboration and Communication:
      Digital Twins serve as a common platform for interdisciplinary collaboration. Engineers, designers, architects, and stakeholders can all interact with the virtual model, fostering better communication and understanding. This collaborative environment leads to more innovative solutions and reduces the risk of misunderstandings.
    5. Lifecycle Management:
      The benefits of Digital Twins extend beyond the design and construction phases. They can be used to track the entire lifecycle of a product or system, from conception to decommissioning. This holistic approach helps organizations make data-driven decisions to improve efficiency and sustainability.

    Takeaway

    In conclusion, the concept of Digital Twins has transformed from a mere monitoring tool to a game-changing paradigm in design and engineering. With its ability to enhance design, predict maintenance needs, facilitate simulations, and foster collaboration, Digital Twins are reshaping how we approach complex projects. As technology continues to advance, we can expect even more innovative use cases to emerge, further solidifying Digital Twins as a cornerstone of modern engineering and design practices.

  • That’s so Meta, Dude!

    That’s so Meta, Dude!

    The adage that whatever you see in science fiction, you will witness in reality, seems to ring true more than ever in the 21st century. In fact, Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg is probably one of the biggest believers having bought the virtual reality company, Oculus as far back as 2014.

    Now, he and people from all walks of life are embracing the creation and adoption of a “Metaverse”. 

    But is this a buzz term or a new reality, and are the ultra-rich throwing money at it because they are trying to entertain themselves? Or is it because they actually want to ‘augment’ hundreds of millions of peoples’ senses of reality with beneficial technology? 

    Like many things in life, the truth isn’t black or white in this regard. While multi-dollar billionaires including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have looked to build cities in space that we can escape to when the world becomes overpopulated or uninhabitable, others are developing the ‘Metaverse’ as a complementary set of enhancements and parallel spaces for our lives on earth.   

    What is The Metaverse?

    Is the Metaverse more than just ‘sales speak’ for a bunch of sales-speak-for-tech companies? It has been bandied about throughout 2021 but Zuckerberg has been even more brazen, having announced at the end of October that Facebook would be rebranded as Meta. Rather cheeky!

    But what is this swanky new world we may soon be living, and maybe thriving in? I’ve been called Mr. Anderson for over 20 years, so it feels like a fitting time, with the release of the fourth Matrix movie, to ask: “What is the Metaverse(Matrix)?” 

    The Metaverse is a hypothesised iteration of the Internet, that supports persistent online 3-D virtual environments via conventional personal computing, as well as virtual & augmented reality headsets.

    Wikipedia

    It’s still being given a concrete definition but essentially it is an advanced version of the Internet wherein we can become immersed. You don’t just look at the Internet; you are ‘digitally immersed’ in it. Instead of just looking at a 3D object on your PC using a mouse to scroll up and down to see it from different angles, in the Metaverse your brain will convince you that you are in the same world as that object.

    Metaverses, in some limited form, were already present on platforms like VR-Chat or video games like Second Life. These suggest that we have been moving toward living in a Metaverse for years. But why should we care so much now about the Metaverse then?

    Why The Metaverse Matters

    The Metaverse has the potential to bring fulfilment, economic opportunity and equity to people. But, for this to happen, we would probably need a situation where a handful of companies – here’s looking at you Zuckerberg – are prevented from dominating it. The virtual world could overcome the shortcomings of the physical one which humanity has lived on for millennia. Digital environments could become actual places where people don’t only live; but also thrive.

    It is for these reasons that we believe Metaverses will be pervasive across our lives from a young age until our retirement.

    Images courtesy of the respective companies

    For example, the gaming platform, Roblox might be unknown to well, adults, but this 13-year-old platform is booming. Children and teenagers use this platform to play existing games together but also to create new games. It also sports a marketplace where users can sell those experiences and other products like online outfits and personalized avatars. Another incredibly popular online multiplayer game Fortnite is well poised to switch its huge user-base into ‘Metaversians’. Two upcoming multi-billion dollar gaming platforms built on Blockchain technologies are Decentraland and The Sandbox.

    The former made the news recently when a tech company bought a patch of virtual real estate in the Decentraland metaverse for 618,000 MANA (its native currency) – valued at $3.2 million.

    Virtual ‘land’ and other items (digital assets) in Decentraland are sold in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are a class of crypto assets. All of these are authenticated using a Smart Contract component of the blockchain.

    Play-to-earn is another incentive to getting onto the Metaverse. You will now be able to earn virtual tokens (with monetary value) while emersed in your favourite game. This no-brainer strategy has seen an explosion of Blockchain play-to-earn games in the last quarter of 2021.

    Other Use Cases

    Back in the “real working world” virtual productivity platforms are also growing as companies’ employees use MS Teams, Zoom and other platforms to be able to communicate easily and at any time.

    You will be able to now have online offices and attend online conferences in virtual conference centres while represented by avatars. No more suiting up or wasting time on perfect makeup! So, while one can’t stop people from spending time in a cyber world, we can, however, enhance their experiences using cutting-edge technology.

    The opportunities for business and revenue generation will not be limited. Simulations for building and engineering projects will make presentations almost real – without having to travel to the actual sites. Online gambling/shopping companies will also look to capitalise by offering virtual casinos and stores in the Metaverse.

    Marketing Spin-offs

    There are even talks that companies may sell apparel and clothing and are designing virtual versions thereof. Virtual shoes could become status symbols which is rather bizarre but perhaps fun for the nouveau riche. Joke if you want but brands like Gucci, Adidas, and Nike are prepping (with partnerships) to board the Metaverse for obvious marketing opportunities.

    People are rapidly immersing themselves in virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) worlds. Headsets are becoming more affordable and an assortment of AR/VR programmes are being written daily. These include entertainment programmes for PlayStation 5 as well as for pornography apps (another billion-dollar industry).

    Soon the Metaverse will become a tool that improves our lives and will go beyond being just an entertainment novelty.

    It doesn’t stop here. There is a little-known Metaverse company currently worth $2bn, that has made some major breakthroughs using Blockchain tech. They have actually created a device to scan entire people and objects to immerse them into the digital world.

    The ambitious project, MetaHero will be paying people a decent amount to have their avatars made and used in games from January 2022. Sounds absurd but perhaps you need to take a look yourselves.

    Final Word of Caution

    Bear in mind that the Metaverse may exacerbate problems faced by humans because of the Internet. We need a better grasp of managing data rights, data security, misinformation, the radicalisation of morally wrong ideas such as racism and vaccine hesitancy as well as platform power.

    Somebody needs to rein the likes of Facebook, um I mean Meta, in. We should not just allow the Metaverses to distract millions of us with a ‘wonderful’ cyber world.

  • Be Digitally hack-proof

    Be Digitally hack-proof

    Why do people hack systems? Hacking is a technique used to compromise any digital device. Hackers want to get into your device to use your data for varied reasons – naturally, most of these motives are financially driven.

    A data breach is usually what leads to a hack. There is a difference even though both terms are used interchangeably.

    A data breach happens when data that is left vulnerable in an unsecured environment gets viewed by someone who shouldn’t have access to it.

    While hacks are the result of malicious behavior, breaches happen as a result of negligence, human error, or other non-malicious behavior that creates a security vulnerability.

    Hackers may access your device just to say they could or for financial gain, to protest, or to gather sensitive information.

    So what makes a hacker?

    In the past, a hacker may have been a whiz kid or specialized programmer but in the modern-day, hacking has become easier and more people are becoming hackers. As more people shop online and use computers for everyday tasks, they become the prey of hackers worldwide.

    Actual hacking is technical in nature – the hacker does not communicate with the person whose PC they are hacking into.

    But they can also use psychology to trick the user into clicking on a malicious attachment or providing personal data. These tactics are referred to as social engineering.

    Your cellphone too can be hacked

    While most associate hacking with Windows computers, the Android operating system also offers an inviting target for hackers. That means millions of people who use Samsung phones can be hacked.

    Some fifty years ago, there was a name for hackers who obsessively explored low-tech methods for getting around the secure telecommunication networks and expensive long-distance calls. they were called phreaks.

    This was a portmanteau of the words phone and freaks. They were a defined subculture in the 1970s, and their activity was called phreaking.

    Phreakers have now evolved out of the ‘analog technology era’ to become hackers in the digital world. They are beyond a sub-culture and have become a genuine threat to the safety of our information and data.

    Mobile phone hackers currently use a variety of methods to access your mobile phone and can intercept phone calls, voicemails, text messages, and even the phone’s microphone and camera, all without your permission or even knowledge.

    iPhones are not safe either

    In 2020, many journalists working for Al Jazeera were victims of a sophisticated zero-click spyware attack.

    The Toronto-based internet watchdog group Citizen Lab was asked to look into the attacks, which took place in July and August, and they released their findings at the end of December.

    The report found that 36 journalists, producers, anchors, and executives had their iPhones compromised by Pegasus spyware. The spyware, developed and sold by an Israeli-based firm called NSO Group, targets security vulnerabilities in the iMessage app.

    The so-called “zero-click” exploit deploys without any user interaction. Once installed, it can record ambient sound and phone conversations, take pictures, and access user credentials. It sounds like science fiction but it’s very much real!

    Types of hacks

    Malware

    People can use hardware to sneak malware into your PC. In offices, hackers will infiltrate networks by giving staff members infected USB sticks, dodgy USB cables, and mouse chords.

    It is crucial to always think before plugging anything into your work or personal device with access to confidential data.

    Educate your staff about being careful before plugging anything into their PCs.

    Malware infections generally occur when users interact with dangerous code by clicking on a URL or downloading malicious software disguised as an authentic program. But zero-click spyware penetrates devices without any user interaction.

    Citizen recommends making sure that your mobile OS is updated to the latest version. Identified vulnerabilities in previous versions of iOS were patched in the iOS 14 update.

    Practicing good digital hygiene is always important for the security of your mobile devices.

    Use sites like haveibeenpwned.com and breachalarm.com to see if your email credentials have been compromised. Use strong passwords on any apps that contain sensitive data and delete any apps that you do not regularly use.

    Missing security patches

    Always remember to update your security tools. Too many people ignore update notifications or security patches, leaving themselves vulnerable. It’s not just antivirus software that needs patching.

    Tell your staff to ensure that all their antivirus and applications are routinely updated as security patches become available. This task is usually the job of your IT department if you have one in the first place.

    Getting your password information

    Hackers can obtain your credentials through several means, but commonly they do so through a practice called keystroke logging or keylogging.

    Can you believe that the most common password is “123456”? Hopefully, yours isn’t so, or any of the most hacked passwords in the last 10 years.

    Through a social engineering attack, you could accidentally download software that records your keystrokes, saving your usernames and passwords as you enter them.

    This and other forms of spyware are malware that tracks your activity until a hacker has what they need to break into your system.

    Attackers can deploy malware on a user’s machine if they are in your environment and capture your credentials via keylogging too.

    Hackers also use password cracking programs that can run letter and character combinations, guessing passwords in a matter of minutes, or even seconds.

    To get around this, use a password management tool that securely houses your company’s credentials. These tools can often auto-generate lengthy, diverse character passwords that are difficult for hackers to guess. They can also autofill for your employees for easy access to their tools.

    Encryption and multi-factor authentication methods also offer more layers of protection.

    Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS)

    Acunetix

    This technique involves taking down a website so that a user cannot access it or deliver their service. DoS attacks take place when hackers inundate a target’s server with large influxes of traffic. The amount is so frequent and high that it overloads the server by giving it more requests than it can handle. This crashes your server and your company’s website.

    Larger businesses can get hit by a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, which is a synchronized attack on more than one server or website, potentially taking down numerous online assets. 

    A good method to fight DDoS attacks is to use cloud protection services to spot them – like Acunetix or Netsparker.

    Social Engineering & Phishing

    This is where hackers try to get your personal information, often by impersonating a legitimate and maybe trusted source.

    Many types of social engineering bait come in the form of phishing emails.

    A hacker sends you a message that looks like it’s from someone you know, asking you to do something, like wire them money, or to click or download an infected attachment to see more. 

    Here is a hilarious example of a phishing Email

    “The top malicious email attachment types are .doc and .dot which make up 37%. The next highest is .exe at 19.5%,” according to a report by Symantec. Always be cautious of opening these types of attachments.

    Warn your employees to never give out private business information over email, to think before opening any attachments, and educate them on mail scams.

    Use email software that scans for phishing. Microsoft 365 and Google’s Business packages come equipped with such. Google’s tech uses AI to scan the content and find things such as spelling errors and dodgy URLs. This enables the system to block them before they even hit your inbox.

    Most people or companies that get hacked or suffer from a data breach do so mainly due to negligence. Many do not prioritize beefing up their security systems before it is too late. Hacks are, however, completely avoidable so don’t fall victim to them.

    Other ways to protect yourself

    • Download a reliable anti-malware product that can both detect and neutralize malware and block connections to malicious phishing websites.
    • Of course, whether you are on Windows, Android, a Mac, an iPhone, or in a business network, you must always use layered protection wherever you can.
    • Only download phone apps from the legitimate marketplaces that police themselves for malware-carrying apps, such as Google Play and the Apple/Amazon Appstore.
    • Check the ratings and reviews first. If it has a low rating and barely any downloads, it might be best to avoid that app.
    • Use long and complex passwords. Don’t use numbers in sequence. You can also use mixes of letters that can be remembered through rhymes.
    • Consider using a password manager.
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  • Forced digitization

    Forced digitization

    If you are reading this, you are probably couped up in your home, apartment, or wherever you have been forced to settle for a couple of months.

    Local stores ran out of toilet paper, rice, and other ‘essential’ supplies but what also flew off shelves were laptops, printers, webcams, and modems. Let’s not mention the millions of software and apps that are downloading every second.

    Retailers are also running out of printer paper because some of us are still hooked on paper despite the invention of emails and digital signing.

    State of play

    Pic courtesy of Pixabay

    The term ‘home office‘ is no more a privilege for those people in senior management or for entrepreneurs – we all have to do it now.

    The coronavirus has shifted the way we integrate digitally – more people are learning how to use video-conferencing and collaboration tools.


    But how long can businesses afford to pay people to babysit their kids, watch funny cat videos, binge on Netflix, and have meaningless conferences on Zoom?

    One can only imagine the frustration you are going through to set up your home offices. Installing/using software and the correct drivers for devices can get a little techy.

    Professional Web conferencing with Microsoft 365

    Let’s be frank, nowadays, no ‘IT guy or gal’ in their right mind would risk, or be willing to pay house calls to help with these installations. You will, therefore, need to familiarise yourself with finding the right remote tech support or by watching Youtube videos to guide you along. Most cloud providers like Google have an online help site. Microsoft also has a great support site to help with basic office set up.

    There are many of you, on the other hand, who have some working knowledge of computers but just need the right tools to facilitate your home working experience.

    Broadband needs

    So first things first – you need the Internet!

    Without this, you might as well go outside and risk infection. Or better, get hauled to prison for breaking national isolation laws for a few months. You might even get better forms of entertainment in your local hospital or prison.

    Back to the serious stuff…

    Research has shown that a ‘standard’ broadband Internet connection has a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps and a minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps. This serves as a baseline for determining fast and slow internet speeds.

    Speeds much faster than that (100 Mbps and above) are therefore considered “fast” Internet.

    Here’s how long it would take in hours, minutes and seconds to download a 4 GB file at various speeds.

    1 Mbps10 Mbps25 Mbps50 Mbps100 Mbps200 Mbps400 Mbps1,000 Mbps
    9:32:390:57:150:22:540:11:270:05:430:02:510:01:250:00:34

    Upload speeds (generally offered at much slower speeds ) come into play with things like video-conferencing or uploading large files to a server/cloud. It is good to pay attention to those as well. As a guide, 5 Mbps and above are good upload speeds.

    So based on the above, and what activities you perform online, you can now have an idea of which packages to go for if you need to upgrade or change your Internet Service Provider (ISP) altogether. If you are not sure what your current speed is, take a free speed test here.

    For those living in Germany, there is a local speed test which is monitored by the government to ensure the ISPs adhere to speeds promised to clients.

    Kitting up

    Once that is sorted you can shop for a good PC, laptop, or other accessories – bearing in mind that performance depends on the specs of the machine you choose.

    This can include the quality of the network card built into your device that enables you to maximize the broadband package’s top speeds. For more advice on choosing the right device that you need for optimum performance, give us a shout.

    Take a look at our resources page for a list of available software tools to help with communication and collaboration. Naturally, we all have our favourites so we will not advocate for one specifically.

    Debunqed, however, does supply some of the best brands (with enhanced security features) so check out our online store.

    Lastly, as tedious as it sounds, please ensure that you have adequate anti-virus, anti-hacking, malware, and anti-phishing (for emails) software. We cannot stress how many online scammers have become super active in this period. Some of them are even offering “help” fighting against the Coronavirus.

    Some cyber-criminals offer desperate people who have lost their jobs ‘a chance to work from home’. It’s all the same, a word to the wise is enough. Be safe when it comes to self-isolation and hygiene – but also online!

    Speak to us for a more detailed free consultation on how to best setup at home. At the global rate of the spread of the Coronavirus, this home office phase might be a thing for the rest of 2020.

  • The startup tech kit

    The startup tech kit

    New business? You’re going to need some basic software!

    In this modern-day and age, it may seem that small businesses do not require a plethora of technological tools in order to succeed, but it’s worth investigating which technologies can give you an edge. This is especially crucial if you are not offering a niche product or service and have to compete with an army of existing players in your industry.

    Accounting, CRM, marketing, analytics, taxation and other useful software may have just levelled the playing field between small and big businesses. The challenge is to choose the right one to help you grow quickly at the least expense.

    You will, nevertheless, if you are even to make a first impression, need some basic software regardless of your trade.

     HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL NEED 

    Almost everybody needs some kind of online presence. You’re a business and while social media is helpful (more on that later), a website is where you will be found by prospective clients or business partners. You can build one easily these days via a paid content manager provider such as WordPress or Wix.

    They will even provide and host your domain if you don’t have one.

    If you do not, however, have the time nor the energy to create one yourself, there are cost-effective alternatives such as outsourcing the building to a web-designer. They can do it remotely and the safest way  would be through a regulated marketplace such as Fiverr* or Upwork.

    *Debunqed can recommend a designer known as aceholder on Fiverr.

    Email

    You need to be contactable. In the old days, you got away with Yahoo or Google email but now you need an email service that can host a domain. The free emails are also not secure and subjected to heaps of spam.

    Email hosting is a service in which your email messages and associated files are all stored on a server. When you receive an email to your website’s domain address, that email is routed across the Internet and stored on the recipient server.

    A hosting service stores the files that make up a website on a data server which then uploads them directly to the web.

    This gives you an Internet connection and way for your customers to access the site through a domain name.

    Web hosting services often come with a slew of options for designing sites. These include the one-click installation of supported applications such as a service mailbox.  Wix partners with Microsoft’s Office 365 for mail hosting whilst WordPress works seamlessly with Gmail/GSuite.

    Task Management System/ Job Manager

    Being organised from the beginning isn’t a good idea; it’s a great idea! Get yourself a system which tracks your sales and logs the deliverables that each employee completes.

    There are an array of CRM solutions focusing on different tasks from customer services or sales to project management and full-on finance and back office (ERP) operations (more on this later).

    The key is to start small many of these offer trials but also some even offer a free package naturally with limited functionality. Figure out which tasks are important in order to choose the right package to handle your scheduling, sales and tasks. A simple calendar/scheduler via MS Outlook and Office 365 (Microsoft Bookings) can be a good place to start for a paid but fully functional service.

    Payroll and Accounting Systems

    You need to keep accurate books and not to rip off your employees. You’re a start-up; play the numbers by the books. And a word of caution: don’t ever cook the books!

    There is a huge choice of accounting (and back office) systems to choose from. The big names are probably out of reach so like a CRM system, you might want to shop around and start with smaller but a reputable brand like Quickbooks.

    But if you go for an Office 365 solution, you might as well look into something like Dynamics 365. One of their entry-level finance packages (Business Central) has all the ‘bells and whistles’ for a Startup to help get your books up to date for the taxman/audit.

    You also need to monitor your payroll – this service can be added by upgrading to a bigger package under Microsoft Dynamics family. You could also shop around for payroll software if you are on a tight budget.

    Project management and support logging system

    Once you build up a workable database of existing and potential clients, you will require some kind of logging system to handle customer queries.

    This will help you keep tags of what customers are having issues with. If they are repeated issues, then you know there is a recurring problem with your operations or an aspect of your business.

    A good ticketing system will allow you to keep a knowledge base with instructions to help your staff with how to deal with recurring issues quickly.

    Shopping cart software

    If your products are sold online or does not come from a physical store, this is the mandatory software that enables you sell goods online. It is designed to quickly process debit and credit cards transactions but also allows your customers to use their PayPal and other payment methods – even Cryptocurrency.

    A good shopping cart package also does inventory management, calculates packaging costs, shipping costs and taxes.

    Security and Anti-Virus software

    Always protect your Internet connection and your sensitive data against viruses, spyware, malware, worms and Trojans.

    Most of the packages mentioned before come with in-built security measures such as sign-in authentication.

    But these are not enough and you will need to source software to prevent a hack if you are dealing with extra sensitive data like patents, medical and financial records/accounts.  Read our feature on Online Threats for more on this.

    Cloud storage

    This is a place where you can store large files as well askeep backups of files. Hardware can break. You could drop your 2-terabyte portable flash drive but at least your work will be safe in the cloud. 

    Once in the cloud, things can get disorganised (many files and folders) and sorting them can become a pain. The top file storage providers include, Microsoft’s SharePoint Online and OneDrive; Google’s Drive, Amazon’s S- series and Dropbox.   

    There are some really great add-ons like a Digital Asset Management (DAM) tool for those dealing daily with tons of documents and images by Pic.io. This software works specifically with GoogleDrive.

    Social media

    We have by now affirmed that you need a CRM system. With many choices of companies to buy products from for example,  treating individual customers’ needs is very important.

    A good CRM system will help you reach out to your customers where ever they are – online or offline. This is known as Social Engagement.

    That, coupled with a powerful Business Intelligence tool, can help you leapfrog over your competitors with useful insights such as peak traffic times on your website, purchase habits and other characteristics of your client that will help you accurately predict potential revenues.

    Find the best CRM platform that allows for social engagement, then set up whatever social network accounts that suit your business.

    Webinar services

    Remember you are doing business with groups from around the world.

    Online communication tools, therefore, enable you conduct presentations and meetings over the Internet. This saves time and money associated with travelling costs whilst giving you access to markets outside your area, city or country.

    Some of the most popular/effective communication tools includes those included in the Microsoft (Skype and Teams) and Google (Hangouts & Voice) bundles. There are also free standalones like Zoom.

    Depending on your frequency of calls and audience size needs you can stick with the free version and then scale up to a paid subscription later.  You can also run training sessions and product demonstrations and even replace your whole phone system with them. 

    Online Surveys and other Marketing Tools

    Marketing is is the lifeblood of a company. It’s a key sales-driver and if you aren’t selling, you’re going out of business! Conduct market research using online tools such as SurveyMonkey and collect emails through opt-in forms. These valuable insights can be used  in targeted email marketing campaigns.

    The most advanced and widely recognised mail marketing tool is Mailchimp. It starts with a free version with 7 marketing channels and goes up to $299 per month for large companies with 200000-plus contacts. Most bundled Office solutions will allow you to add Mailchimp as a plug-in to your existing mailbox.

    Conclusion

    Technology constantly changes and it’s hard to keep up – so don’t. Get the basics right first and add technological services and tools as you grow. Rather understand what each button does first before you spend money on a whole super system.

  • The latest cloud computing trends in 2019

    The latest cloud computing trends in 2019

    It’s 2019, and the Cloud is everywhere—from the apps we use every day to the infrastructure of global tech giants.

    According to researchers at Gartner, revenue generated from public cloud services is projected to grow 17.5 percent in 2019. This amounts to a total of $214.3 billion, up from $182.4 billion in 2018.

    More than a third of organizations surveyed by Gartner saw cloud investments as a top three investment priority. With this kind of growth, tech organizations are racing to get on board with cloud-only software and platforms.

    Here are some of the trends to look out for this year:

    Hybrid Cloud, Multi-Cloud and Mergers

    IBM announced its purchase of Red Hat last October, calling it the “most significant tech acquisition of 2018.” This combined Red Hat’s extensive network of open-source clouds with IBM’s Hybrid Cloud team.

    Mergers like these are likely to become a trend this year, as companies see the benefit of using multiple clouds across all sectors of their organization.

    Furthermore, this system will dominate in the future, as businesses find public clouds inadequate to meet every one of their requirements.

    As a more flexible and functional solution, many organizations will shift to a network of multiple private, public and hybrid clouds in the future.

    Serverless Cloud

    Serverless computing is a young market in technology, but it will continue growing in 2019. It isn’t actually “serverless.” Instead, it is a cloud-computing model in which the cloud provider itself runs the server on a dynamic, as-used basis (FaaS).

    Rather than buying server space, developers can use a back-end cloud service to code. They will only then pay for the server space they actually use.

    As this relatively new technology develops, we can expect to see more companies providing and expanding their “serverless” offerings.

    Artificial Intelligence

    Although cloud technologies are growing exponentially, artificial intelligence (AI) could prove an even greater economic driving force. According to Accenture, the impact of AI could double economic growth rates by 2035 in developed countries. 

    Around 80 percent of large companies have adopted some form of AI, according to the Harvard Business Review.

    Amazon, Twilio and Nvidia, to name a few, are thus, incorporating AI with cloud computing, next-gen GPUs and the Internet of Things (IoT). This has led to the developing of applications with “smart assistants,” and voice-to-text technologies.

    Such a combination of AI and the cloud provides an extremely powerful and unconstrained computing network.

    Security

    Digital transformation is already underway, with Gartner also projecting that 83 percent of all workloads will shift to the cloud by 2020. However, this movement presents issues of cybersecurity.

    Many businesses have not properly secured their cloud-stored data. For example, marketing and data aggregation firm Exactis left around 340 million records exposed on its cloud servers. This was uncovered in a data breach last year.

    Mitigating factors

    The implementation of the General Data Practice Regulations (GDPR) makes this even trickier. It affects cloud security, and IT companies will likely struggle to comply with these new laws while protecting sensitive information.

    Cloud computing services are progressing exponentially, as are their new developments. The year 2019 will surely be filled with businesses pouring investment into enterprise solutions. This while expanding, securing, and implementing cloud technologies to their fullest extent.

    Bridget is a freelance writer and editor, and the founder of Lost Bridge Blog, where she writes about traveling as a Millennial woman on a budget. When not writing, you can find her traveling, drinking inhuman amounts of caffeine and scrolling through the latest tech & political news.
    N26 Bank
  • A digital address for everything

    A digital address for everything

    The ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) as the name suggests is basically connecting as many devices online for them to communicate with each other.

    If you think that is a far-fetched concept it is nothing new. We have been using it since the advent of GSM, Infrared, GPS, GPRS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other wireless connections.

    To put the concept into further context, your Smartphone/watch, Bluetooth headset, wireless printer, or smart fridge are all components of the ‘Internet of Things’. They all require a sensor or chip to connect or collaborate with each other.

    Origins

    The term was supposedly coined about a decade ago. This when a company executive discussed an idea which sounded bizarrely unnecessary and over-futuristic at the time.

    He advocated for the need for a chip for every electronic device. The initially requirement was for supply chain and automation in the retail industry.

    Fast forward to today, and this has indeed come to fruition. We now have smart cars, smart homes and even tracking chips inserted into pets!

    So, each component or part of the object is equipped with an individual chip (small processor) with a unique IP address.

    The very same IP address used to identify your home modem or Office server.

    IoT application

    Why would you want that you might ask? Wouldn’t it be useful for devices and machines to work things out by themselves – to solve complex problems before you even become aware of them?

    This is in fact how the devices communicate with the central server to relate pertinent information.  An example is the use of fuzzy logic: to regulate the temperature in the fridge (to avoid food getting moldy).

    It can be used, in addition, to check the amount of water used in a washing cycle in your washing machine. 

    Another practical use would be to check car tyres pressure and temperature (to avoid overheating and bursting).

    Can you then imagine the number of chips that are required for the typical household?  For the car, security alarm, fridge, microwave, tumble dryer, TVs, Radios, computers/tablets, lighting, and heating/cooling system? Each would require a unique IP address

    IP address shortage

    Talks about IoT highlighted the need for more IP addresses and a need to track or generate them. This as it is evident we are running out of ‘normal’ IP addresses known as IP4: 4 denotes the number of billion IP addresses available.

    At the birth of the Internet age in the 1980s, no one ever envisioned a time when the world would need more than four million IP addresses. But with the need as mentioned above for the internet of things – that has come to pass.

    Without getting too technical, the issue is being resolved with the development of a newer IP system known as the IP6.

    The main difference between the two but it is merely that one is on 32-bit system while the newer on 128-bit and that influences merely the length of the addresses.

    Again, the technicalities would only matter to the now growing IoT industry and would not affect us as individuals.

    Practical uses of IOT

    Large companies that need to manufacture a lot of parts for their devices would need to insert an IP address on each piece. From items as trivial as the car side-mirror; to more serious parts like the helmet of a sportsperson engaging in the heavy contact sport.

    From an education perspective, the IoT can make learning a lot more fun for kids and young adults. Toy-maker Sphero, for example, has been long making wireless operated toys like its SPRK+(pictured).

    The idea is to fuse physical (programmable) robotic toys with digital apps.

    This would simultaneously provide entertainment experiences while inspiring tomorrow’s leaders in maths, engineering, and science.

    There are discussions to extend this connectedness to human beings. Much like was prophesied in many sci-fi books and George Orwell’s 1984. If there was a ‘rise of the machines’, and Artificial Intelligence was to take over the control of all our devices, we would not stand a chance!

    There are also a few new decentralized systems that are even advocating for a fragmented Internet for that very reason (security and privacy). This would enable you to control your little space within the “interconnected” web.

    You can thus run a (private) local area network (LAN) within the Internet domain – if that makes any sense.

    Blockchain advocates and companies like IOTA and Chinese-based Crypto-firm Tron are pushing the IoT narrative hard. They also want the decentralization of the whole Internet.

    It is only a matter of time before this becomes the norm. Companies are now queuing to get the IP6s and have incorporated adding them to the manufacturing processes.

    Once the security and privacy issues have been adequately planned and implemented. The pros of the full adoption of IoT will outweigh the cons.

  • 3D Copy and Paste!

    3D Copy and Paste!

    The bizarre-sounding digital printing phenomena called 3D-Printing has been mulling around from the past.  Recently,  has been in the limelight; specifically in the press for the wrong reasons.

    Read about the new craze and get ideas for Xmas via 3D Copy and Paste!

  • 3D Copy and Paste!

    3D Copy and Paste!

    The bizarre-sounding digital printing phenomena called 3D-Printing has been mulling around from the past.  Recently,  has been in the limelight; specifically in the press for the wrong reasons. In 2013, a University of Texas law student, Cody Wilson created a blueprint for a single-shot 3D-printed handgun, named “The Liberator”.

    Of recent, guns have posed a serious threat to peaceful living when in the wrong hands. But what if anyone could hastily manufacture them unsupervised,  from the comfort of their homes?

    Defense Distributed, Wilson’s company had been distributing downloadable weapons plans for free. This would be great if it was planned for building something useful for engineering and something practical rather than destructive. Point is, with this new device, you can literally make a 3D copy of any imaginable object –  even food!

    3D printing builds parts (mostly out of plastic or other synthetics) based on the central concept: a digital model e.g. a CAD drawing (Computer Assisted Drawing) This is turned into a physical three-dimensional object by adding material a layer at a time. This is where the formal name for 3D printing, Additive Manufacturing comes from.  The actual printing device is no bigger than a normal Deskjet or heavy duty paper printer and is quite a marvel to watch in action.

    3D printing is a fundamentally different way of producing parts compared to traditional subtractive (CNC machining) or formative (Injection moulding) manufacturing technologies.

    Some of the top 3D printing brands include MakerBot, XYZprinting, Formlabs and LulzBot and are priced from as little as $200 to $4000 (for high-end small business-level) depending on the product size, material, complexity and level of detail required. The most expensive if you are into heavy-duty manufacturing would, therefore, set you back a cool $2,500,000  for the Imprimere’s Model 2156.

     

    N26_banner-320x50-ENSince its uptake in as far back as 2010, you will now discover that a lot of the products already in use are manufactured via 3D printing.  It is prevalent in the medical and dental industry and used for custom prosthetics, implants, and dental aids.

    They are also used in the manufacture of high-level sporting gear that can be tailored to fit athletes perfectly. There is then, of course, the ability to ‘print’ fashion accessories which generally, would be designed to fit your specific style, colour and fabric/material.

    Some of the advantages of using these machines include:

    • Speed: The ability to upload complex designs from a CAD model and print in a matter of hours.
    • It facilitates more design freedom; it also allows complete customization of designs.
    • It is more eco-friendly: Additive manufacturing methods use only the material needed to build a part. The raw materials that can be recycled and re-used.
    • Costs: compared to traditional manufacturing, where highly skilled machinists and operators are typically required, the labour costs for a 3D printer are almost zero

     

    visual§DPrinting
    Image source: 3DHubs

    For a more comprehensive comparison of 3DPrinters available depending on what you want to do with one (hopefully not to build weapons), look at the 3D Printing index on our resources page under technology.

    Here is a list of cool things to create with a 3D printer if you are looking for great ideas for Xmas or birthdays – this might just be it!

     

     

  • 3D Copy and Print

    3D Copy and Print

    The bizarre-sounding copying phenomena called 3D-printing have been mulling around from the past.  Recently, it has been in the limelight; specifically in the press for the wrong reasons.

    In 2013, a University of Texas law student, Cody Wilson created a blueprint for a single-shot 3D-printed handgun, named ‘The Liberator’.


    However, guns have posed a serious threat to peaceful living when in the wrong hands. But what if you could hastily manufacture them unsupervised,  from the comfort of your home?


    His company Defense Distributed, had been distributing downloadable weapons plans for free. This would be great if it was planned to enable you to build something more useful to society.


    The point is, with this new device, you can literally make a 3D copy of any imaginable object – even your food!


    3D printing builds parts (mostly out of plastic) based on the central concept: using a digital model like your CAD drawing (Computer Assisted Drawing).


    This is then turned into a physical three-dimensional object by adding material a layer at a time. This is where the formal name for 3D printing, Additive Manufacturing arises. They are no bigger than a normal Deskjet or heavy-duty paper printer and are quite a marvel to watch in action.

    3D printing is a fundamentally different way of producing parts compared to traditional subtractive (CNC machining) or formative manufacturing technologies.

    The brands

    Some top 3D printing brands include MakerBot, XYZprinting, Formlabs, and LulzBot. You can pick them up from as little as $200 to $4000.

    These prices naturally depend on your end product size, material, complexity, and level of detail you need.

    The most expensive one, if you are into heavy-duty manufacturing would set you back a cool $2,500,000. That is the price tag for Imprimere’s Model 2156.

    Some of the advantages of using 3D printers include:

    • Speed: You can upload complex designs from a CAD model and print in a matter of hours.
    • You have more design freedom. It gives you complete customization of designs.
    • It is more eco-friendly: Additive manufacturing methods use only the material you need to build a component. You can recycle and re-use the raw materials.
    • Costs: Compared to traditional manufacturing, the labour costs for a 3D printer are almost zero.
    visual§DPrinting
    Image source: 3DHubs

    Application in the world

    Since its uptake in as far back as 2010, a lot of the products we use are manufactured using 3D printing.  You will find its application mostly in the medical and dental industry and used for custom prosthetics, implants, and dental aids.


    They are used to manufacture high-level sporting gear that is tailored to fit you perfectly. Naturally, you can also ‘print’ your own customized fashion accessories. This would give you more flexibility when it comes to your specific style, colour, and material.

    For a more comprehensive comparison of 3D Printers available to you, look at the 3D Printing index on the resources page.

    Here is a list of cool things you can create with a 3D printer. If you are looking for great ideas for Xmas or birthdays – this might just be it!

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