Archive for September 22, 2021

HP Launches New Windows 11 Devices

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 22, 2021 by itnerd

HP introduced two new devices designed for people who want technology that enables them to seamlessly switch between productivity, creativity, entertainment, and collaboration – regardless of location. PCs are more important than ever as we settle into a new way of life. According to a recent HP study, 36% of respondents say they will continue watching TV, movies, and videos as much as they did in 2020.

Consumers are seeking technology that has the portability and power to stay connected wherever they are, and the ability to seamlessly switch between productivity, creativity, entertainment, and collaboration. Learn more about some of the product launches: 

HP Spectre x360 16 inch 2-in-1 Laptop PC

The HP Spectre x360 16 inch 2-in 1 Laptop PC, available in nocturne blue with celestial blue accents, and nightfall black with pale brass accents, offers a PC to easily consume, collaborate, and create with the people and things you love. The device will be available for purchase at HP.com and Best Buy retailers in October.

HP ENVY 34 All-in-One Desktop PC

Creators desire a powerful hub with a high-resolution screen and incredible performance to bring their creations to life. And many creators experience the greatest level of productivity to complete multiple tasks when given an ultra-wide display versus a laptop, a single external monitor, and even a dual monitor set-up. The HP ENVY 34 inch All-in-One Desktop PC is expected to be available beginning in October at HP.com.

HP 11 inch Tablet PC

The HP 11-inch Tablet PC is a thin and light device optimized for touch and designed for productivity and creativity on the go. The device will be available for purchase at HP.com and Best Buy retailers in December.

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How To Fix Some Of The “Quirks” Of iOS/iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, And Safari 15

Posted in Tips with tags on September 22, 2021 by itnerd

On Monday, Apple released a ton of software to the world. And that as is typical for me caused my phone to ring and my inbox to fill up from people who had minor “quirks” in terms of how the software looked and functioned that annoyed them. I’ve collected the common “quirks” into this article along with how to fix them. I’ll start with Safari 15. It has a feature that colors the Tab Bar. If that annoys you, here’s how to turn it off:

  1. Go to the “Safari” menu, then “Preferences”
  2. Go to “Tabs”
  3. Uncheck “Show color in tab bar”

Now this same feature exists in iOS/iPadOS 15. Here’s how you disable this same feature in those OSes:

  1. Go to “Settings” then “Safari”
  2. Under the “Tabs” section turn off “Website Tinting”. Note: On iPadOS the option is called “Show Color in Tab Bar”

Safari on iOS and iPadOS 15 also moved the address bar to the bottom of the screen by default. Based on what my clients are saying, it’s not a popular change. But you can change it back to the top easily:

  1. Go to “Settings” then “Safari”
  2. Under the “Tabs” section, select “Single Tab”

watchOS 8 removed the dedicated bed icon for activating sleep mode. That caused a few calls from clients of mine who used Apple’s sleep tracking feature. In watchOS 7, you simply had to swipe up from the bottom and click on the bed icon to activate sleep mode. Now in watchOS 8, it’s tied to the new Focus Mode feature which Apple defines as “A powerful new set of tools gives you more control over how you prioritize your time and attention. So you can find balance and stay focused on whatever you’re doing in the moment.” The problem is that this change is confusing lots of users. To save you stress of figuring it out when you’re going to bed, here’s how you activate sleep mode:

  1. Swipe up from the bottom to display Control Center.

2. Find the moon icon, press and hold it to get the menu pictured below.

3. Choose Sleep.

Finally, some of you might have issues with iOS 15 where you might have problems with Bluetooth devices (Bluetooth headsets specifically) and WiFi. The solution could be classified as a “nuclear option.” But it seems to fix most things that have been reported to me.

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Go to General
  3. Go to Transfer or Reset iPhone
  4. Go To Reset
  5. Click on Reset Network Settings

The reason why I call this the “nuclear option” is that you will have to re-join any WiFi networks that the phone was paired with after you do this. Which by extension means that you will need to know the passwords of said networks before you go down this path. It also seems to reset some cellular options like roaming preferences and WiFi calling. But it seems to clear up strange Bluetooth and WiFi issues. Thus it’s worth trying.

Do you have an “quirks” in watchOS 8, iOS/iPadOS 15 and Safari 15 that you’ve come across and fixed? Please leave a comment below and share your wisdom. Alternately, if you have a “quirk” that you need help with, leave a comment below and I will try and assist you.

UPDATE: Someone emailed me asking where Private Browsing Mode was in Safari on iOS/iPad OS 15. I am not sure why Apple did this, but it is buried in the tab menu:

If you click on it, you’ll be given the Private option:

Click on it and you’ll be in Private Browsing Mode.

Choose done. To get out of Private Browsing Mode, simply follow these steps and choose “x Tabs” where “x” is the number of tabs that you have open.

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Further Deployment Of Cloud Services Propels Organizations On The Road To Modernization: Aptum 

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 22, 2021 by itnerd

Nearly 60% of respondents agree that cloud adoption has improved their organization’s agility, but that they could be more agile still. This finding comes from the fourth and final part of the Cloud Impact Study from Aptum, the hybrid multi-cloud managed service provider. The report, titled The Modernization Minefield, examines the deployment of workloads on different infrastructures and the adoption of cloud services at enterprise application level.

The independent research reveals that, despite only 39% of IT professionals being completely satisfied with their rate of cloud transformation, the adoption of practices that lend themselves to cloud native technology and enable agility remains low. 

Only 20% of respondents are utilizing DevOps across all applications, and just 17% use container services to develop and deploy all apps. DevOps and container services increase agility by speeding up application deployment times, improving productivity through continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD), enabling easy and frequent patching, and minimizing production costs. 

Respondents recognize many of the benefits of DevOps and container services adoption, with common anticipated benefits from further adoption including increased operational efficiency (77%), improved responsiveness (59%) and improved customer experience (58%). So, what is stopping organizations from realizing their cloud native potential?

Effectively refactoring applications requires an up-front commitment of resources and investment, including hardware, software, people, and skillsets like DevOps. The alternative of lifting and shifting an application into a cloud environment can often be a more expensive and less successful endeavour and can deter organizations that already have sunk costs. In fact, findings from part two of the Cloud Impact Study, The Security and Compliance Barricade, found that refactoring legacy applications for cloud infrastructure is a top barrier to cloud transformation (35%), second only to security and compliance (38%). 

As a result, for seven out of nine application categories – Human Resources (HR), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), backup, disaster recovery, bespoke applications, development, and operations – on-premises remains the preferred hosting option.

As noted in each of the Cloud Impact Study reports, organizations recognize that they need expert help to plan and execute their transformation strategies. Choosing a Managed Services Provider that understands which areas of a business can be enhanced through cloud services, and which areas should remain on-premises is a crucial step in that process. 

The full findings of the final part of Aptum’s Cloud Impact Study 2020/21, The Modernization Minefield can be found here. 

Aptum’s Cloud Impact Study was created from the opinions of 400 senior IT professionals in the US, Canada, and UK across industries in financial services, IT, technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, retail, public and commercial sectors. 

The blog post, Navigating the modernization minefield, can be found here: https://aptum.com/blog/navigating-the-modernization-minefield/

For part one of the report, Bridging the Cloud Gap, please visit here. 

For part two of the report, The Security and Compliance Barricade, please visit here. 

For part three of the report, A Cloudy Forecast, please visit here.

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Modern Campus Partners With BCdiploma To Secure Learner Credentials Via Blockchain Technology

Posted in Commentary with tags , on September 22, 2021 by itnerd

Modern Campus and BCdiploma announced today a partnership connecting the BCdiploma verified digital credential platform with Modern Campus Destiny One, the leading student management system for non-traditional education.

BCdiploma is trusted by over 100 higher education institutions across 18 countries to offer diplomas, certificates, badges and microcredentials. The credentials themselves can be customized to provide a highly authentic look and feel. BCdiploma’s credentials are also interoperable with open standards, ensuring backward compatibility of its digital credentials with emerging governance standards.

As a result of this partnership, leading providers of non-traditional education from colleges and universities will have the capacity to offer verified digital credentials for their programs at the touch of a button. These digital credentials, housed on the blockchain, are forgery-proof and customizable in both content and design.

Microcredentials are increasingly important to success in delivering modern higher education. According to recent research from Modern Campus and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, 92% of higher education leaders say microcredentials help keep their institutions competitive, and 71% say they will help the institution achieve its revenue and enrollment goals.

Critically, by housing digital credentials on the blockchain, BCdiploma ensures students have lifelong access to their credentials while also defending against the growing tide of credential fraud. According to a 2018 study, 68% of applicant resumes were found to be misleading and 29% of those were specifically cases where individuals presented credentials they hadn’t earned.

To learn how you can offer verified, digital credentials at your institution, join a webinar on October 6 at 2PM ET / 11AM PT: https://moderncampus.com/recorded-webcast/how-to-govern-digital-credentials-using-blockchain-security.html or contact sales@moderncampus.com.

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LinkedIn Reveals The 2021 Top Startups List In Canada

Posted in Commentary on September 22, 2021 by itnerd

LinkedIn has released the Canadian edition of the 2021 Top Startups list, featuring the emerging startups to work for.

Top Startups ranks the emerging companies embracing innovation and the future of work, with this year’s list reflecting the current state of the economy and the world. These growing startups are successfully navigating the evolution of consumer and business needs, and many are leading the way through the #GreatReshuffle, a moment of unprecedented change where employers and employees are rethinking how and why we work.

LinkedIn uses its data to rank startups on the list based on four pillars that are synonymous with successful startups: employment growth, engagement, job interest and attraction of top talent.

LinkedIn Top Startups Canada 2021

  1. Wealthsimple
  2. Clearco
  3. NUDESTIX
  4. Neo Financial
  5. Bonsai
  6. KOHO
  7. Borrowell
  8. ApplyBoard
  9. Onlia
  10. Drop
  11. Viral Nation
  12. League
  13. APOLLO Insurance
  14. Clutch
  15. Ada

The full 2021 Top Startups in Canada list is linked here.

Methodology

LinkedIn measures startups based on four pillars: employment growth, engagement, job interest and attraction of top talent. Employment growth is measured as percentage headcount increase over methodology time frame, which must be a minimum of 15%. Engagement looks at non-employee views and follows of the company’s LinkedIn page, as well as how many non-employees are viewing employees at that startup. Job interest counts the rate at which people are viewing and applying to jobs at the company, including both paid and unpaid postings. Attraction of top talent measures how many employees the startup has recruited away from LinkedIn Top Companies, as a percentage of the startup’s total workforce.

Data is normalized across all eligible startups. The methodology time frame is July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. To be eligible, companies must be independent and privately held, have 50 or more country-based employees, be seven years old or younger and be headquartered in the country on whose list they appear. We exclude all staffing firms, think tanks, venture capital firms, management and IT consulting firms, nonprofits and philanthropy, accelerators, and government-owned entities. Startups who have laid off 20% or more of their workforce within the methodology time frame are also ineligible.

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New Uber Eats Update Lets You Search With Emojis For Your Favourite Food

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 22, 2021 by itnerd

Have you ever been walking from work and had a craving for takeout, only to learn that the restaurant is miles away from you? You’re not alone. As many as 8 out of 10 Uber Eats users tell us they face this issue and have switched to other map apps to search for nearby food. 

Consider that an issue of the past with Uber Eats new searchable pickup maps – launching today.

For the first-time ever, users across the world can search for one of Uber Eats’ 700,000 local restaurants or merchants on our pickup map with food emojis! 🌮 🍜  🍕 🍣 🥗

Simply open the Uber Eats and choose pickup, then type what you’re looking for in-app map, (using words or emojis), and see what’s nearby (including the exact distance from your selected location). 

Here’s a video of this new feature in action:

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