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Business Technology

Business Technology

Considering further: How businesses are rethinking operations and seizing opportunities in the wake of uncertainty

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In a quickly moving economy, associations are depending on cloud advancements and wise stages to drive cost efficiencies, while proceeding to enhance across their organizations. To give strength and adaptability of activities, pioneers are teaming up with their clients and accomplices to plan new answers for the arising patterns and difficulties of the present world. This co-development approach brings about shared achievement and new open doors, from speeding up the speed of advanced change and diminishing the expense of development to lifting worker and client encounters.

Microsoft has long adopted a data-driven, co-innovation approach to help organizations anticipate industry needs and lead through uncertainty. To build upon our industry strategy and help transform the future of financial markets, we are excited to partner with the London Stock Exchange Group to accelerate its own digital transformation and bring intuitive next-generation productivity, data and analytics and modelling solutions to its global customers. Alstom is digitizing railway solutions to make mobility more sustainable, collaborating with Microsoft to further develop cloud solutions in a highly regulated market. To prepare students for the workforce and teach them to create enterprise-grade applications with low-code, the Project Management Institute and Microsoft are introducing the Power Platform University Hub. Lockheed Martin is working with Microsoft to power the next generation of defense technologies for the U.S. Department of Defense, advancing AI, machine learning and simulation capabilities. As part of our continued commitment to democratizing AI as a technology platform, Azure OpenAI Service is now generally available and being used by companies like Al Jazeera, KPMG and Moveworks to improve experiences for end-users and streamline operational efficiencies. And just this morning, we announced the next phase of our partnership with OpenAI to ensure the benefits of AI are shared responsibly and broadly with the world.

From ideas to action: Unleashing the potential of co-innovation  

 

Sweden-based Lynk & Co and Microsoft are teaming up to boost the in-car experience by building a custom app that lets users join Microsoft Teams meetings on the go. Australian startup Forcite Helmets has created a smart helmet to give motorcyclists a safer, more dynamic riding experience by hosting its trip-routing and hazard-warning system on Azure and expanding internationally with support from the Microsoft for Startups program. The National Australia Bank is improving the employee experience with tech support by working closely with Microsoft engineers and architects to develop a secure chatbot with Azure Cognitive Services, saving $1.2 million within 7 months of deployment. Through a collaboration with Microsoft, New Mexico’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is simplifying access to services for the communities it serves with Dynamics 365 and Power BI, reaching more than 30,000 people since going live. In pursuit of a new data strategy and data platform, Amadeus is creating a data mesh together with Microsoft cloud architects and cloud-scale analytics experts. Working toward a shared vision of driving Africa’s growth, MTN Group is developing joint go-to-market plans with Microsoft to accelerate digitization, digital education, sustainability and financial inclusion.

The power of data-driven operations: Finding new ways to do more with less 

 

Grupo Bimbo is already seeing significant improvements in productivity and operational efficiency with Power BI and is using Azure Synapse Analytics to handle large volumes of data with ease. To deliver treatments faster, Bayer developed a data engineering and data science platform, using AI and machine learning to evaluate data from clinical trials more efficiently. Hong Kong-based AIA has achieved a cost savings benefit of more than 20% from migrating to Azure and is now adding AI, virtualization and other advanced capabilities. After making efforts to streamline financial management and month end processes, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has reduced the number of consultants needed to support its in-house IT team by 50%. The University of Toronto is seeing its payroll run almost two times faster and financial month end run about three times faster since moving all of its SAP workloads to Azure. South Africa-based Exxaro Resources is driving productivity gains and new efficiencies with Azure IoT, tracking everything from truck activity on field sites to driver fatigue. Animal Supply Company is automating routine invoicing tasks, delivering more than $500,000 in annual cost savings and freeing up 50% of its invoicing experts’ time with the help of Azure AI. U.K.-based Waverton Investment Management has upgraded its digital infrastructure with Microsoft, already reducing its carbon footprint by 60% and planning to be fully on Azure by the end of 2023. The Arnott’s Group is deploying Microsoft Sustainability Manager to achieve its sustainability targets ahead of schedule, improving visibility into emissions activities and the ability to report progress in near real time. 

Industry modernization: Enhancing supply chains and customer experiences 

 

Canada-based GoodLeaf Farms is automating its farm operations and producing more healthful and abundant crops by streamlining its data with Azure and Power Platform. Belgium-based company HB Antwerp is developing a blockchain ledger on Azure so that conscious-minded buyers can know where their diamonds come from. U.S. food production company Conagra Brands is digitizing its supply chain on Azure, increasing operational output of goods by 30% and production capacity by 20% at one of its facilities. Singapore-based Integrated Health Information Systems is fostering stronger interactions by empowering patients and care teams with its Health Discovery Plus platform that securely runs on Azure. Global tire manufacturer Bridgestone is improving customer services by centralizing demand forecasting data on its analytics platform that is also crucial to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) reporting. 

The future of collaboration: Empowering employees in their remote work experiences 

 

Organizations like the GC GROUPU.S. BankPiraeus Bank and Sasuchan are integrating Viva Connections with Microsoft Teams to make it easier for employees to learn and connect. Brazil-based Globo is improving collaboration and communication with Microsoft Teams and training employees to use Power Platform tools. Nissin Foods Group is adopting Microsoft 365 and Surface devices to make working from anywhere comfortable, highly secure and easy. In Indonesia, more than 9,600 Bank BTPN employees have the flexibility to work productively from anywhere, including other branches, while minimizing unwanted cyber incidents. Telecommunications and digital services provider Spark is onboarding new employees significantly quicker through self-service capabilities on Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365. Hungary-based Groupama Biztosító is simplifying communication and collaboration for its 1,500 company agents with Teams Phone, achieving enterprise-level security and 70% cost savings on telephony.

The industrial metaverse: Optimizing everyday processes with mixed reality 

 

Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc. is improving its remote training and field monitoring assistance at power stations by integrating HoloLens 2 with Microsoft Teams. To support critical business continuity, Canada-based J.D. Irving, Limited is connecting engineers and technicians with Dynamics 365 Remote Assist to immediately evaluate issues with sawmill machinery. Boeing is evolving the way it is building airplanes, shifting focus from paper-based 2D blueprints to 3D work instructions and augmented reality using HoloLens 2. Toyota Motor North America is using HoloLens 2 and Dynamics 365 Guides as a training tool for its employees, cutting defects in half during a pilot project. Norway-based energy company Equinor is embracing the industrial metaverse to design offshore windfarms and simulate their effectiveness before implementing them in the physical world. BMW China Training Academy is providing futuristic in-store experiences and making it easier for salespeople to learn new car features intuitively and quickly. 

As our current environment evolves, leaders will continue finding ways to maximize the value of their digital investments to stay ahead of competitors and keep pace with industry expectations by seeking a comprehensive, trusted cloud partner to meet their unique business needs. Empowered by the Microsoft Cloud, organizations are leveraging data and AI capabilities to accelerate the pace of innovation and operate more efficiently to achieve their goals. We are incredibly proud to continue on this path of co-innovation to serve customers big and small as they advance business, societal and sustainability outcomes around the world

 

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Business Technology

Microsoft’s SwiftKey Makes Surprising Return to iOS

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Back in October, Microsoft removed its SwiftKey virtual keyboard from Apple’s iOS platform. At the time, the company said this was a decision that would be permanent. Well, permanent as in less than two months. Microsoft now says it is reinstating SwiftKey on Apple’s mobile platform.

Pedram Rezaei (@pedram_re), Microsoft Maps & Local Services Division CTO, took to Twitter to confirm SwiftKey’s comeback. In the tweet, Rezaei said Microsoft reversed its decision based on customer demand. It seems SwiftKey users caused enough traction for Microsoft to change its mind.

Furthermore, the Microsoft exec says not only is SwiftKey returning to iOS, but the company is going to be “investing heavily in the keyboard”.

There are features in the pipeline although Microsoft is not yet detailing what they are. Microsoft has still also not said the reason why it wanted to remove SwiftKey.

Details

Microsoft’s SwiftKey is a popular mobile virtual keyboard, at least on Android. However, on iOS the app has been mostly neglected and has been without updates since back in 2021. So, it is good that Microsoft is confirming a recommitment to the keyboard.

SwiftKey came under Microsoft’s umbrella in 2016 when the company purchased the company for $250 million. Since then, the company has issued regular updates on Android and iOS, until last year when updates on iOS stopped.

You can download SwiftKey for iOS from the App Store, and the Android version is available from the Google Play Store.

Tip of the day: Tired of Windows´s default notification and other system sounds? In our tutorial we show you how to change windows sounds or turn off system sounds entirely.

Source Winbuzzer

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Business Technology

YouGov Names Samsung the World’s Best Brand

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Smartphone and electronics giant Samsung has been named the top brand in the world by UK data analytics and market research firm YouGov. According to the company, Samsung Electronics is the best company in its rankings across several criteria.

In claiming top sport this year, Samsung is usurping Google as the best-ranked brand. Which, honestly, throws the whole thing into question for me. Google is absolutely not the best brand in the world, so I am at a loss why YouGov was/is ranking it so highly.

Personal opinions aside, the YouGov Global Best Brand Rankings 2022 saw Samsung finally claim top sport after finishing second last year, and fourth in 2020.

YouGov assesses brands across a range of criteria to get an overall average from its BrandIndex platform. Those criteria are:

  • Impression
  • Quality
  • Satisfaction
  • Reputation
  • Value

    Details

    380 brands appear on the list in total, with companies representing the US, UK, India, China, South Korea, and other nations. Samsung took first position with 127 total points. It is the leading brand in countries such as Ireland and South Korea and is second in the UK, France, and others.

    Google must settle for runner-up this year with 85 points, and the company’s YouTube product is third and Netflix is fourth. As for Microsoft, it takes 8th place in the ranking. You can check out the full list here.

    Tip of the day: Tired of Windows´s default notification and other system sounds? In our tutorial we show you how to change windows sounds or turn off system sounds entirely.

    Source Winbuzzer
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Business Technology

Apple Facing Lightning Cable Demise as India Follows Europe’s Lead

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In early October, the European Union (EU) voted to enforce all electronic devices to use USB Type-C. While this ruling affects all OEMs and devices, Apple will feel the change the most. In fact, the decision means the company must build iPhones without the Lightning port/cable in Europe. In a new blow for the future of Lightning, India is now following the EU’s lead.

During a meeting of an inter-ministerial task force operating for the government reached a consensus decision to enforce all consumer electronics to have USB Type-C.

The meeting involved the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Kanpur, Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, Confederation of Indian Industry, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF).

AJay Garg of the Electronic Industries Association of India, says

“Globally, the shift is pivoted towards USB-C ports, so it would make sense for us to adopt it too. One important point is that the rate of technological obsolescence in the electronic industry is very high and what is in today is out tomorrow.”

Apple Impact

For years, Apple has been avoiding adopting USB on its iPhone device in favor of its own proprietary Lightning cable. While many users and commentators would prefer USB-C, Apple has stuck to its guns.

With the Lightning port and cable, the company has a proprietary connector that it alone controls. There is a lucrative market around licensing the technology to third party accessory makers or by selling official replacements.

It now seems jurisdictions around the world are forcing Apple’s hand. The company says it plans to comply with India’s upcoming laws.

Tip of the day: The Windows Sandbox gives Windows 10/11 Pro and Enterprise users a safe space to run suspicious apps without risk. In out tutorial we show you how to enable the Windows Sandbox feature.

Source Winbuzzer
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Business Technology

Qualcomm Details Oryon next Gen Windows on ARM Processor

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Qualcomm seems to be ready to take its Windows on ARM aspirations to a new level. During the chip giant’s annual summit, the company has news about Windows on ARM, alongside a new mobile processor and its plans for AI.

Unfortunately, there was no introduction for an update to the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, which powers the latest Windows on ARM devices. However, Qualcomm says the next ARM processor it builds will build on its Nuvia acquisition.

This processor will be known as Oryon. That is the same name Qualcomm uses for its ARM PC chips, so we guess a different number system will be used to differentiate them.

One of the most interesting aspects of all this is the complications of the relationship between Qualcomm and Arm in relation to Nuvia.

Back in September, I reported on Arm suing Qualcomm for the technology it uses it uses in Nuvia. In fact, Arm is directly seeking for the courts to force Qualcomm to  “destroy” the Nuvia Phoenix Core CPU. Furthermore, the company is seeking an injunction against Qualcomm for trademark infringement.

Allegations

Arm alleges Qualcomm tried to transfer Nuvia licenses without informing Arm. As a consequence, the company decided to end those license agreements in March this year. Qualcomm uses Arm licensing to underpin many of its chip designs. Nuvia also had a long-term licensing agreement with Arm before it was bought by Qualcomm for $1.4 billion in 2021.

It is not uncommon for tech companies to continue working together in areas not related to another case.

Tip of the day: The Windows Sandbox gives Windows 10/11 Pro and Enterprise users a safe space to run suspicious apps without risk. In out tutorial we show you how to enable the Windows Sandbox feature.

Source Winbuzzer

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Business Technology

Bitcoins Investors Are Abandoning Ship as FTX Tumbles

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People holding Bitcoin on FTX are acting with record speed to get their cryptocurrency off the failing trading platform and onto their own personal wallets. According to Glassnode, Bitcoin investors are reacting to the collapse of FTC, with a record overall transaction rate of 106,000 BTC per month.

FTX is a cryptocurrency trading platform based in the Bahamas. Since 11 November the company has been in bankruptcy. As a prominent exchange, many BTC investors are now concerned about the viability of trading services and looking to move their investments into personal wallets.

Such a mass movement of crypto has rarely been seen before. Outflows are rare on this scale since Bitcoin was started following the 2008 Financial Crisis.

By using their own self-custody wallet, BTC holders receive a private key of seed phrase that provides access to the wallet. If this information is lost, the wallet becomes unrecoverable. Even so, this is a good holding method because no third party can spend of freeze your BTC.

Stablecoin Investments

Glassnode also reports that stablecoins are being sent to exchanges at a record rate. In fact, over $1 billion in stablecoins has gone into exchanges since FTX collapsed. This means investors are giving up stablecoins to purchase Bitcoin and other cryptos.

Earlier this year, we reported on the prediction that the crypto market will retract. Many smaller coins will simply disappear while large currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum will survive. There are currently over 19,000 cryptocurrencies and the market cannot sustain them all.

Larger currencies can withstand falling prices, but the smaller options are seeing their worth collapse and they will become obsolete.

Tip of the day: When using your Windows 10 laptop or convertible with a mobile hotspot you might want to limit the Internet bandwidth your PC uses. In our tutorial we are showing you how to set up a metered connection in Windows 11 or Windows 10 and how to turn it off again, if needed.

Source Winbuzzer

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Business Technology

Nvidia Announces New Research-Capable High Performance Computing (HPC) Software

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Nvidia has today announced it is expanding its high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities with a set of new software. According to the chip giant, the new platforms will help research projects. The announcement was made at the annual Supercomputing 2022 (SC22) event.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has chosen Nvidia and its partner Lockheed Martin to develop a new computing system. Known as the Earth Observation Digital Twin (EODT), the new system can process various types of data in geophysics, such as solar wind, sea temperature, winds, and more.

With the data, EOTD can offer climate and weather visualizations to help research.

Based in the cloud, EOTD runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and has Nvidia’s DGX and OVX data center appliances. These feature GPUs that are optimized to handle powerful workloads such as AI applications. As for Lockheed Martin, its OpenRosetta3D application will collect geophysics data.

New Edge Solution

Also at SC22, Nvidia revealed a new platform that will drive research projects by providing more efficient data movement. The company points to challenges researchers face when sending data from one facility to another.

“To overcome this problem, Nvidia has introduced a high-performance computing platform that combines edge computing and AI to capture and consolidate streaming data from scientific edge instruments, and then allow devices to talk to each other over long distances,” Senior Product Manager Geetika Gupta says in a blog post.

The new platform uses Nvidia’s Holoscan, MetroX-3, and BlueField-3 processors.

Tip of the day: When using your Windows 10 laptop or convertible with a mobile hotspot you might want to limit the Internet bandwidth your PC uses. In our tutorial we are showing you how to set up a metered connection in Windows 11 or Windows 10 and how to turn it off again, if needed.

Source Winbuzzer

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Business Technology

AMD RX 7900 XTX Benchmarks Reveal Mixed Results

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AMD raised the curtain on its much-anticipated RX 7900 XTX GPU last week. While the company was eager to talk about power, the numbers offered during the announcement were for uncommon settings and esports games that do not highlight the potential of a GPU. Now, the company is back and sharing more normal benchmarks, the results are mixed.

In its latest announcement, AMD is showing results for the RX 7900 XTX running on four games: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Resident Evil Village, and Watch Dogs: Legion. It seems that the XTX will mostly keep pace with the more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090.

The only game where a direct comparison between the rival GPUs is available is Cyberpunk 2077. AMD’s new flagship ends up around 155 slows than Nvidia’s RTX 4090. That flagship manages 78 frames per second (fps) according to DigitalTrends, while AMD shows the XTX achieves 72fps and is 8% slower.

Maybe that is too much of a gap for some, but it is worth noting the RX 7900 XTX costs $600 less than the RTX 4090. Buying the AMD product will also avoid power connector overheating that is causing issues on Nvidia’s GPU.

Details

Nvidia’s RTX 4090 power connector is burning and even catching fire to power cables. Nvidia’s connector is burning power cables and causing performance issues. AMD is compromising but will avoid any such problems.

The RX 7900 XTX is part of the new 7000 series of processors. AMD describes the RDNA 3 technology as modular, which means the chiplet design and be mixed depending on the requirements. It has a 5nm graphics compute die and a 6nm memory cache die with 96MB of Infinity Cache and a memory subsystem.

Tip of the day: When using your Windows 10 laptop or convertible with a mobile hotspot you might want to limit the Internet bandwidth your PC uses. In our tutorial we are showing you how to set up a metered connection in Windows 11 or Windows 10 and how to turn it off again, if needed.

Source Winbuzzer

 

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Business Technology

Microsoft OneNote Will Now Help You Concentrate on Note-Taking

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Last week, Microsoft quietly rolled out a new feature to its OneNote note-taking app on Windows. This new ability improves accessibility and allows users to have a distraction-free experience when creating their notes.

Known as Pen Focused View, the tool provides a way to take notes with a digital pen without any distractions. Essentially, in these situations, Microsoft OneNote will now switch to a full-page view automatically.

In this mode, the app will display important tools that help with pen notes, such as custom pens, colors, and so on. However, users can opt to hide the Pen toolbar when in Pen Focused View. There is a toggle for this in the top right corner.

It is clear this feature has been developed with an eye on Microsoft’s own Surface devices, hence the rich support for the Surface Pen. However, Microsoft points out the feature is available across Windows, which means other PCs and stylus/pen products.

Surface Compatibility

Even so, this tool integrates more seamlessly with the Surface Pen. For example, when the pen is undocked, the Surface PC will automatically switch to Pen Focused View without the user needing to evoke it. If you don’t want that to happen, it is possible to disable it via File > Options > Advanced and toggling off the “Switch to focused inking when the pen is undocked” option.

It is also worth noting this feature is currently in preview for OneNote users running Office Insider Program Version 2210 (Build 15724.10000) or newer. Microsoft does not say when Pen Focused View will reach all OneNote users on Windows.

Tip of the day: When Windows 10 or Windows 11 has issues, it’s not rare to run into startup problems. Corrupted Windows files, incorrect system configuration, driver failure, or registry tweaks can all cause this issue.Using Windows startup repair can fix boot issues caused by the most prevalent issues. Though it may seem that all is lost when you run into startup problems, it’s important to try a Windows boot repair so you can at least narrow down the source of the issue. If it doesn’t work, you may have to reinstall the OS or test your hardware.

It is also worth noting this feature is currently in preview for OneNote users running Office Insider Program Version 2210 (Build 15724.10000) or newer. Microsoft does not say when Pen Focused View will reach all OneNote users on Windows.

Tip of the day: When Windows 10 or Windows 11 has issues, it’s not rare to run into startup problems. Corrupted Windows files, incorrect system configuration, driver failure, or registry tweaks can all cause this issue.

Source Winbuzzer

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Business Technology

New Brain Scanning Tech Can Read Your Thoughts at Distance

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Brain scanning is advanced enough these days that scientists can understand activity in the brain and relate it to specific thought processes. However, until now the ability to “decode” and “read” people’s thoughts was only possible through physical contact. That is now changing through a new at-distance method known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

In the past, scientists would need to conduct invasive tests by implanting electrodes into the brain of a person. A report from The Scientist points to a study posted to the bioRxiv database that shows a new noninvasive scanning method.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) instead charts how oxygenated blood flows through the blood. When brain cells are active, they consume more energy and oxygen, which provides information that allows observers to see and measure brain activity.

This method does not track brain activity in real-time like a traditional MRI. However, during the study scientists were still able to decode what people were thinking (albeit without completely accurate translations).

“If you had asked any cognitive neuroscientist in the world 20 years ago if this was doable, they would have laughed you out of the room,” senior author Alexander Huth, a neuroscientist at the University of Texas at Austin, told The Scientist.

Future

It is worth noting the study has yet to be peer-reviewed, so it will be interesting to see if its stacks up to scrutiny. Even so, the signs are encouraging.

And not encouraging in a world domination through mind control kind of way. Instead, the team says the research could eventually lead to new computer interfaces to help people who cannot type or speak.

Tip of the day: When Windows 10 or Windows 11 has issues, it’s not rare to run into startup problems. Corrupted Windows files, incorrect system configuration, driver failure, or registry tweaks can all cause this issue.

Using Windows startup repair can fix boot issues caused by the most prevalent issues. Though it may seem that all is lost when you run into startup problems, it’s important to try a Windows boot repair so you can at least narrow down the source of the issue. If it doesn’t work, you may have to reinstall the OS or test your hardware.

Source  Winbuzzer

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