World Backup Day 2024 Apple+Google AI New Microsoft Surface and Tech News

In this delightful episode, we'll chat about World Backup Day, gab about the latest scoop on new Microsoft Surface toys, explore the exciting potential of Google's Gemini AI mingling with Apple goodies, and spotlight Handbrake, an amazing free open-source treasure.

Plus, we'll share a heads-up for all the WordPress website aficionados regarding new malware on the prowl. Stay tuned. 

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Transcript

Anna Ai: 0:04

Welcome to the Tech Brewed podcast with your friendly host, Greg Doig. In this delightful episode, we're going to chat about World Backup Day, gab about the latest scoop on new Microsoft Surface toys, explore the exciting potential of Google's Gemini AI mingling with Apple goodies, and spotlight an amazing free open source treasure, Handbrake. Plus we'll share a heads up for all the WordPress website aficionados regarding new malware on the prowl. Stay tuned. World Backup Day will be observed on March 31st, 2024, and it's a global initiative to encourage individuals and organizations to secure their digital information. We're going to cover some key points to provide a series of tips for you for a robust backup system, ensuring data security, and preparing for potential data loss scenarios. So here we go with our first tip. Be aware, recognize that data is more valuable than the device itself, then you want to acknowledge the high risk of data loss due to human error, hardware failure, and cyber attacks with significant percentages of data loss incidents reported annually. and understand the severe impact of data loss on businesses, including potential closure and substantial financial losses during downtime. Tip two, know the 3 2 1 rule. Implement the 3 2 1 backup strategy, which involves keeping three copies of data on two different media types. With one copy stored off site, set up automated backups to ensure data is regularly backed up without manual intervention, reducing the risk of forgetting to perform backups. And use a combination of backup solutions, such as cloud storage, external hard drives, and network attached storage to mitigate risks associated with a single method. Encrypt sensitive data before backing up to protect privacy and security using strong encryption standards like AES 256. Limit access rights to backups and ensure physical and network security to prevent unauthorized access. And evaluate the security measures of backup vendors. and cloud services to ensure they meet your data protection requirements. Tip four, periodically test backups to confirm that files are complete and can be restored in case of data loss. Keep backup software updated to benefit from the latest security patches and features. Maintaining the integrity of the backup process and set clear data retention policies for backups. Considering regulatory compliance. And the need for data availability. And finally, upload encrypted backups to offsite locations to protect against local disasters and theft. Maintain a mirror or a real time backup to minimize data loss and high frequency change environments. And for long term preservation, consider using permanent offline archival methods. Like M DIS to safeguard against technology obsolescence. And by following these tech tips, individuals and organizations can significantly enhance their data security posture. World Backup Day serves as a crucial reminder to take action and protect digital assets from a wide array of threats. Implementing a comprehensive backup strategy is not just a technical necessity. But also a critical investment in resilience and peace of mind. Today we're looking into the exciting updates from Microsoft's recent digital event, showcasing how they're empowering organizations in the new era of work with Microsoft Copilot, Windows, and their new Surface devices. It's been a transformative year since Microsoft introduced Copilot for Microsoft 365, and the impact? A significant boost in productivity and creativity, with employees saving up to 10 hours per month. But Microsoft isn't stopping there. They're integrating Copilot across their entire product portfolio, including Windows, Microsoft 365, Teams, Edge, and more. At the heart of this evolution is Windows 11. And Windows 365 making co pilot accessible to every employee on any device with Windows 365 work knows no bounds says Microsoft, whether it's on a new PC or stream from a cloud PC, flexibility and security are paramount. Speaking of new, let's talk some new hardware. Microsoft unveiled the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6. Designed for business and optimized for AI, boasting the latest processors and integrated MPUs. These devices are built for co pilot, featuring a dedicated co pilot key, improved cameras and anti reflective displays, plus they're ENERGY STAR certified and made with recycled materials. For IT professionals, managing a fleet of devices just got easier with the updated Service Management Portal. And the new Surface IT Toolkit. Microsoft has a new Surface Pro keyboard, with a bold key set ensuring everyone can harness the power of AI. They're also leading the charge urging organizations to get AI ready with Windows 11, Windows 365, And the latest surface devices. So that's a brief look at some of the new devices and the plans with Microsoft has moving forward. Well, there was a lot of news last week about Apple and Google in one particular area, and that is Apple is planning to integrate Google's Gemini AI engine into the iPhone to enhance its machine learning capabilities. and improve user experience. Gemini is a powerful AI technology developed by Google, and Apple's decision to license and build it into the iPhone has several implications. By integrating Gemini into the iPhone, Apple aims to leverage its advanced machine learning algorithms to enhance various features and functionalities. This could include improving Siri's natural language processing and understanding capabilities, Enhancing the camera's image recognition and processing capabilities and optimizing battery life by intelligently managing power consumption based on user behavior. One implication of licensing and building Gemini into the iPhone is that it could lead to significant improvements in the overall user experience. With Gemini's advanced AI capabilities, the iPhone could become smarter and more intuitive, allowing users to interact with their devices in more natural and seamless ways. This could result in more accurate voice recognition, better photo organization and editing, and personalized recommendations based on user preferences and behavior. Another implication is that integrating Gemini into iPhone could strengthen Apple's position in the AI space. By leveraging Google's AI technology, Apple can tap into the vast amount of data and expertise that Google has accumulated over the years. This could help Apple catch up with competitors in terms of AI capabilities. And potentially surpass them in certain areas. Additionally, licensing and building Gemini into the iPhone could have implications for privacy and data security. Apple has always emphasized this commitment to user privacy and integrating a third party AI engine raises questions about how user data will be handled, but will be important for Apple to ensure that user data is protected and that appropriate safeguards are in place to maintain user privacy. Overall, integrating Google's Gemini AI engine into the iPhone has the potential to significantly enhance the device's capabilities and improve the user experience. It could lead to advancements in areas such as voice recognition, image processing, and personalized recommendations. However, some additional drawbacks to this plan are regulatory scrutiny. Any potential deal between Apple and Google is likely to draw scrutiny from regulators, Regulators may closely examine the terms and applications of integrating Gemini into the iPhone. Also, it could impact Apple's AI strategy. Apple has been investing in its own AI capabilities and has made acquisitions in the AI space. Integrating a third party AI engine like Gemini could impact Apple's long term AI strategy and its ability to develop and innovate in house. Apple has always prided itself on its focus on user experience and its ability to develop its own technologies. Integrating a third party AI engine may raise questions about Apple's ability to maintain its brand identity and differentiate its products in the market. Another drawback, Apple and Google are competitors in the smartphone market. And integrating Google's AI technology into the iPhone could potentially increase Apple's reliance on Google. This could have implications for Apple's control over its own ecosystem. Please note this information provided is based on news that has been released in the last week up until Monday of March 25th, 2024. And there may be more recent developments or announcements regarding Apple's integration of Gemini into the iPhone by the time you hear this recording. Handbrake is a free open source video transcoding software for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Its primary purpose is to convert videos from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs such as MP4, MKV, and WebM. Handbrake is a post production tool, so it is meant to convert existing videos rather than edit or create new videos from scratch. Handbrake takes videos you already have and creates new versions that are optimized for various devices such as phones, tablets, computers, web browsers, TV media players, and game consoles. It supports common video sources including camcorder footage, mobile devices, screen recordings, and DVD and Blu ray discs. The basic process for using Handbrake is pretty simple. First you load the source video, choose output settings, and a preset profile optimized for specific devices. Then you hit the start button to transcode the video. More advanced users can dive into detailed settings to customize encoding parameters, filters, frame rate, codecs, cropping, etc. The key features of Handbrake is that it's free and open source software that anyone can use. It converts multiple video formats, again such as MP4, MKV, and WebM formats, For wide compatibility, there are built in presets to optimize videos for specific devices like your phones and tablets. It reduces file size significantly through efficient compression, and it can rip DVDs and Blu rays to make digital backup copies. It supports adding subtitles to videos, and there are advanced options for cropping, filters, codecs, and more. So in summary, Handbrake is a powerful yet easy to use tool for converting videos to play on all your devices while reducing file sizes, which is one of the main reasons a lot of people use Handbrake. It's a great option for making your video collection more flexible and accessible, and there's a large community of people that use Handbrake, and there are additional plugins that are available to give it more capabilities. So that's your quick rundown on Handbrake, and you can download it at the website. We have a tech warning for people out there that have WordPress websites about a new malware that's infecting them. It's called the Sign1 malware and it is a recently identified threat that targets WordPress sites through malicious JavaScript injections. As of March 24th, 2024, it has compromised over 39, 000 websites, leading to unwanted redirects and pop up ads for visitors. Unlike many malware campaigns that alter core WordPress files, Sign1 inserts scripts into custom HTML widgets and legitimate plugins, making it harder to detect and remove. Sign1 operates by using brute force attacks to gain access to websites. And then exploiting vulnerabilities in plugins. Once inside, it injects malicious JavaScript code that activates when visitors come from major websites like Google or Facebook, avoiding detection from direct visits or less popular referrers. And to protect against Sign1, it is recommended to use strong passwords, keep WordPress and its components updated, Limit the number of plugins and employ security monitoring tools. Thanks for tuning into this episode of Tech Brewed. We hope you enjoyed our dive into the latest gadgets and tech trends. See you next time for another sip of innovation.