Your Tech Story

Covid-19

COVID-19

Microsoft Predicts a Permanent change in the Way We Work Following the COVID-19 Crisis

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By

As the COVID-19 shows no signs of stopping, most people are still stuck in-home quarantine or lockdown. Most of the world’s major nations are still imposing strict travel bans to prevent the spread of the virus. Almost 80% of the world’s colleges, schools and non-essential offices have been shut due to this pandemic, pushing most people to work from home. So, how will this impact the way we work? Microsoft thinks that this COVID-19 pandemic will forever change the way offices function. Here’s a look at their report that tries to make sense of what after-effect this pandemic will have on employer-employee relations.

Usage of Microsoft Teams Surges

Microsoft recently revealed usage statistics regarding its enterprise application, Microsoft Teams. The company explained how companies and employees are using the app and how the coronavirus will change the way the world learns and works. Since last month, worldwide demand for the Team app has increased exponentially. The app which served 32 million users daily, now helps over 44 million, and that shift took place in just one week! As usage rises, Microsoft is releasing work trend reports to showcase how the pandemic is changing work habits and relations.

Due to most people working from home, every day, the Teams app sees 2.7 billion meeting minutes, which is 200% higher than the usual 900 million minutes from mid-March. It was around March that most American companies shut down and went into work from home modes. Furthermore, studies show that people are relying on video conferences two times more than before with rates of video call surging by 1000% since March. Also, employees in the Netherlands and Norway use video calls for 60% of their communication, whereas, in the US and UK, it takes up 38% and 47% respectively.

Making Room for the New Users

Behind the scenes, Microsoft engineers are scrambling to make enough room for all the new users. They have had to expand their infrastructure to respond to all these new responsibilities. Jared Spataro who heads Microsoft 365 said that due to demand skyrocketing, the engineers have really had to work hard to maintain capabilities. Furthermore, the sudden surge in demand led to Teams outage around Europe, catching the company by surprise. All the issues that arose, as per Spataro’s judgment where due to the Microsoft team having to adjust and respond quickly. While they had studied the situation, the pattern that came through in Europe geographically wasn’t what they were expecting at all.

Furthermore, the company has also seen a rise in the usage of Stream, which is its video-streaming service. As more and more companies move to digital spaces to conduct meetings, presentations, and conferences, such moves will keep happening. To help the transition, Microsoft raised the maximum limit from 10,000 to 100,000 participants on Stream.

Further Changes in the Way We Work

This demand has changed the way the company prioritizes features for Teams. They finally realized the custom backgrounds feature, which had been announced a year earlier. Such a feature helps people hide their messy backgrounds while handling office meetings. The feature has also recently found a place in the Zoom app.

Furthermore, Microsoft will add the Raise a Hand feature by the end of this month, and organizers will have the option to end meetings with a single click from today. The opportunity to download participant reports which have join and leave times will also be available. Microsoft has also stated that it is working on improving Team’s video call capabilities. Just like Teams, Zoom has also enjoyed a massive increase in users. Soon enough, Microsoft will make it possible for users to add more participants to their Team meetings.

Worldwide Trend

This lockdown period has seen webcams and laptops sell out in minutes as users are buying equipment to facilitate work from home. Since more and more people realize that they can’t work out of their iPads, they are investing in PCs and desktops. Mobile usage is also on the rise when it comes to applications such as Zoom and Teams, as the education sector tries to get back up and running. So what essentially happens once the pandemic dies down? Will people go back to how they were before or will we see remnants of this? Spataro believes that a new standard will come in place and things will not go back to what they were before.

There will be further restrictions, new patterns and new ways in which people will work and learn. Even after China lifting COVID-19 restrictions, Teams are still enjoying higher usage. Daily, their number of active users is increasing, implying that more people are now comfortable with working from home. Singapore too is implementing a circuit breaker model wherein people work from home and students study from home.

It is safe to say that according to Microsoft, the world will forever change due to the COVID-19. The new normal which this pandemic established will see these new tools be put to use regularly. With communication companies such as Google, Zoom, Slack and HouseParty all seeing a surge in users, this new theory might just be how the world works once we recover from this pandemic.

COVID-19

COVID-19 Leads to a Surge in the Global Growth of Refurbished Market Specialist Back Market

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By

The COVID-19 has put a lot of industries and businesses in trouble. The deadly pandemic has made governments impose nation-wide lock-downs. Such lock-downs restrict the functioning of offices, factories, schools and colleges. Furthermore, most countries have also imposed travel bans and restrictions on public transport. With transportation being hit, only essential services are now functioning in most states. This has made things difficult for start-ups all around the world. Most companies are finding it difficult to get their hands on raw materials. However, things are looking up for the catering company Back Market. Here’s a look at how the COVID-19 has led to Refurbished Market’s significant growth on a global scale.

Moving Ahead During Such Tough Times

This Paris-based start-up is a specialist when it comes to refurbished products. They allow their customers to submit their old devices and then restore and resell them. The company is a significant player in the second-hand e-commerce market. The COVID-19 has forced a lot of people to stay at home and work remotely. Therefore, more than ever before, people need access to better mobile devices. People who used their office technology for work no longer have that privilege.

Therefore, more people are trying to get their hands on better tech at more affordable prices. Hence, most people are looking at the refurbished market to buy suitable devices at lower rates. No longer having access to high-end tools is making people upgrade their own devices. Companies such as Back Market help them to do this efficiently. The company accepts their devices and then allows them to buy a second-hand model. Therefore, the search for better tools to better their remote working experience is helping Back Market grow.

“Is Back Market reliable?”

The most prominent stigma that the company has had to overcome in recent years is whether they are reliable. The company essentially allows users to ship their old devices to them and exchange those for newer, better accessories. All the users have to do is pay the difference in value, and they get to update their technology. Thibaud Hug de Larauze, who is the company’s CEO, said that the service is currently available only in France, but that they are planning an expansion soon. From the second quarter of this year, Back Market will start operation in international markets.

Growth of Back Market

The company, founded in 2014 was successful in raising € 48 million in funds thanks to two Series B investment rounds in June 2018. The company has since been running profitably with them still having money to spend on financing and expansion. While the company does not publish its merchandise volume, the CEO had stated that the company is growing in triple-digit figures. There has been a significant increase in the demand for laptops, scanners and printers. However, the COVID-19 scare has reduced the need for refurbished mobile phones, as people are trying to save money for essential items. However, the demand for laptops and printers is linked to more people practicing remote working now.

Global Demand

In the past two weeks alone, the company has received a sleuth of orders from Italy, as the entire country has gone into strict lock-down. With the country having been ravaged by the COVID-19, almost the whole nation has gone into lock-down with everyone working from home. Therefore, IT professionals have no option but to upgrade their devices and start working from home at full capacity. 

Shut Down of Stores

Another factor that has helped Back Market grow so fast is that mobile phone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung have had to shut their retail stores around the world. Such a move has helped make Back Market a leading supplier of electronic goods, helping them improve their market position. With almost all major electronics retailers and operators staying closed in Europe, Back Market has been able to corner this market position due to its internet-based operation. Also, the fact that Back Market offers a minimum 6-month warranty on the devices they sell has made them look reliable and credible to their users. Furthermore, the company offers consumers access to a plethora of refurbished products at 30 to 70% lower prices. The company’s innovative model has helped it become the leader of the European refurbished market in less than 4 years. This success has made it expand to American shores, with operations beginning in the US in 2018. Both the growth of the refurbished market and the impact of COVID-19 can be held responsible for the three-digit growth that Back Market now enjoys. With the refurbished market growing by 13% in the period 2017-2019, it sure does look like Back Market will be enjoying success in the months to come.

google pixel 4

Pixel 4’s New Eye-Opening Update Released by Google

Leave a Comment / Google, Tech News / By

With the COVID-19 having hit industries and businesses around the world, the tech world had been looking for some respite. Major tech companies from around the world canceled their councils, conferences and new releases, owing to the pandemic. Companies such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft have indefinitely postponed their important meetings and even moved some online. However, amidst all this, tech fans finally have some good news to take their mind off the negativity. Earlier today, Google released a new update for the Pixel 4, and it has got the entire tech world talking! Here’s a look at what the latest update is and why fans are so excited regarding it.

Eyes Ahead

The new update for the Pixel 4 makes it mandatory for users to open their eyes while unlocking the phone via face unlock. As per the latest update, “Require eyes open” will serve as the default feature, adding an extra level of security to these phones. However, if found to be annoying or unnecessary, users may turn the option off via the phone’s unlock setting’s panel. When the Pixel 4 launched earlier, not having an open-eye detection on its face unlock was seen as a significant disadvantage. Tech critics and security experts had all criticized the company for not having such an in-built function. The primary point of discussion is that since it wasn’t present, people could unlock the Pixel 4 while someone was sleeping. However, Google seemed to have taken the criticism seriously, because they announced last October that the security enhancement feature would roll on out in a few months. It sure looks like they have kept the promise, with the new update coming in on April 7th.

Features of Contemporaries

It isn’t just Google, but Apple as well who has focused on this feature in recent years. Apple has made it compulsory for users to have their eyes open while using their Face ID, ever since 2017. According to this function, users must have their eyes open and look directly at the camera, to unlock the iPad or iPhone. Furthermore, other major mobile phone manufacturers also seem to be picking up on this trend to better their security.

Furthermore, the new update also introduces corrections with regards to the Pixel’s Bluetooth audio input. The phone faced issues regarding connectivity as calls would be dropped, or lagged behind when using certain apps. The update aims to correct these issues and put an end to the woes users have with the Pixel’s Bluetooth.

Long time Coming

During their launch, both the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL lacked the feature that required the user’s eyes to be open to unlock the phone. The Android 11 Developer Preview 2 that came out last month introduced that feature to newer versions of the phone. Moreover, today’s update will make the option available to Android 10 users of the Pixel 4. In theory, this feature is said to drastically reduce faulty or erroneous activations. Further, the security patch will fall under the “Always require confirmation” section, which can be changed by the user as and when required.

Last October, Google added Motion Sense and Soli to speed up their IR camera system. The security feature has been in development for much longer as the company had made it clear in October, that the feature would be coming soon. For users who do not wish to use this feature, the company has suggested enabling the Lockdown feature, which makes it possible to unlock the phone using a passcode. The update also dealt with a memory address leak that was affecting the quality of Bluetooth Low Energy on the device. Another patch helps get rid of the lag that exists when the keyboard has to appear within specific applications. Older handsets, such as the Pixel 2, Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a also get access to this update, but the further back you go, the lesser additions they will be able to handle.

Zoom

Zoom Freezes the Release of Any New Feature as Its Security Is At Stake

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By

In 2011, Eric Yuan founded Zoom as a way out for professionals to conduct the meetings. When he created the app, it wasn’t meant for a very broad user interface. Though many people mostly professionals used it for business meetings and such, the recent demand grew unexpectedly.

Last year, Zoom witnessed around 10 million Zoom meetings daily. But, after the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom now successfully holds 200 million meetings every day. The company didn’t expect a sudden rise in the number of users which led to some malfunctioning of the app. The chief executive of Zoom said that they weren’t ready for such a large number of users. This is the main reason why the security system has become vulnerable. But, the company is trying to repair all the glitches at the earliest.

Both parties are facing problems

Before the outbreak of novel coronavirus, Zoom worked fine. The company didn’t see it coming and now it has shaken the security system. After the coronavirus has caused lockdown in almost every part of the world, most people are using zoom. From attending the business meeting to attending college lectures, Zoom is now the platform for every social interaction.

The company needed time to absorb the sudden load. But, it seems to have fallen even though they worked around the clock and tried to keep things together. Eric said that he is extremely sorry and trying to resolve the glitch as soon as possible. And, till then there will be a 90 days freeze for any new features that Zoom planned to release.

Working with a weak security system is not easy. A user’s privacy is also getting compromised which has led to rising allegations against Zoom. Some of the issues that the users are raising are sending user data to Facebook, claiming that the app has end-to-end encryption, etc. The tension has increased even more when Patrick Waddle discovered a major flaw in the app. It has especially made Mac users vulnerable to webcams and microphones.

The introduction of the Automated Tool

Yesterday, security professional, Trent Lo and members of SecKC announced about inventing a program, zWarDial. The program is designed in such a way that it can guess Zoom IDs with a length of 9 to 11 digits. And, IDs of 100 such Zoom meeting can be found within an hour and 2,400 meetings in a single day. Once these IDs are scanned, any relevant information about the meetings will be easily available.

The data will provide information about the date, time, organizer, and topic of the meeting. And, the main reasons why the tool can easily discover these meetings are they aren’t password protected. The developers have put this scenario in front of Zoom asking them to look into the matter. Because there might be high chances that password-by-default is malfunctioning.

But, it is confirmed that zWarDial cannot seek information about the password-protected meetings. So, for the time being, Zoom is requesting every user to password-protect their meetings. Since last year, the company has enabled the feature of the default password unless the admin opts out. If the users want to use their passwords they can go to the Zoom app and do the needful. But, either way, the meetings should be password protected due to the sudden rise in zoombombing, leaking information, etc.

What is Zoombombing?

Zoombombing is referred to as the illegal practice of joining a Zoom meeting without the admin’s permission. The uninvited guests are not only joining the Zoom meetings but also abusing other members, promoting pornography, making racists comments, etc. It is easy for these people to find the links from social media or they just simply guess the 9-digit ID for the meeting. But, this problem doesn’t arise if the meeting is password protected.

Steps were taken to combat it

Eric has taken many steps responding to the rising privacy breach through Zoom meetings. The platform is working to improve its encryption practices and especially remove the code that can share information from the IOS app to Facebook. Eric is also giving priority to the concerning issue for the people using Mac. And, apart from freezing the release of any features for the next 90 days, other steps are taken as well. Such as the company will also prepare a transparency report on data requests and will provide security updates weekly.

jeff bezos

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origins Asking Employees to Work on Test Launch During COVID-19

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By

The COVID-19 scare has led most nations to propose a nation-wide lockdown. As a part of this health pandemic, most schools, colleges, offices and industries around the world have been shut. With most governments asking their citizens to shut everything except essential industries, most industries and shops have closed. However, in certain parts of the world, the word critical means different things, leading to various companies staying open even during the crisis. Such instances have led to widespread criticism, with several employees coming out saying that what is happening is unfair. One such example has been noticed in the US, where Jeff Bezos’ aerospace-related company Blue Origins continues to be working as if nothing is wrong. Here’s a look at Blue Origins and why it is angering people around the world.

Unusual Demands

Not only is the company, up and running, it is also pushing employees to get ready for a test launch. Blue Origins, is allegedly asking their employees to test their New Shepard rocket, which will be put to use to take tourists to outer space. Even with the COVID-19 crisis devastating the US, Bezos seems adamant on getting this done. The company, to test the rocket, is taking employees from Kent, a town with several COVID-19 cases, to Van Horn. This small town in Texas has a population of around 2,000 and houses Blue Origin’s test facility for the New Shepard rocket.

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Asking Employees to Work on Test Launch During COVID-19
Image Source: Google Images

Dangerous Conditions

Most employees believe that going all the way to Van Horn puts them at risk of exposing themselves to COVID-19, and then spreading it over there. Since the rural town has minimal medical infrastructure, the town would be in big trouble, were the pandemic to spread there. More than 4 employees spoke to The Verge regarding the operation, choosing to remain silent in fear of retaliation. Not only were they frustrated by the company, but they also could not understand why this was so important at such a difficult time. All four felt that the company seemed to be prioritizing business goals over health concerns for the employees.

On April 1st, senior management briefed employees on the way they would be transported to Van Horn and even told them to keep a low profile there to prevent being noticed. While several employees raised safety concerns when they heard the plan, the management was quick to point out that noncompliance would have severe repercussions. Senior Director, Jeff Ashby apparently asked the employees to think about whether they want to help the leadership or act as a toxin to the company.

Allowed to Work

Furthermore, it is surprising why Blue Origin is even allowed to stay open during such trying times. The company is one of the few still operating in Washington, wherein the Governor had called for a stay-at-home order on March 23rd. After this order came out, all nonessential businesses in Washington closed, with Blue Origin staying open, due to its ties with the Defence Department making it an essential undertaking. However, right not the company is not focusing on the rocker New Glenn, which the US Air Force has asked for, to help in launching security satellites. Instead, it is working on New Shepard, a tool they will use to promote space tourism, through an 11-minute flight.

The company hopes to test the rocket on April 10th. However, it is not clear whether the date has been extended due to the difficulties caused by the pandemic. On March 29th, Greg Abbott, who serves as the Governor of Texas, announced a two-week quarantine for travelers from states such as Washington. This could have forced Blue Origin to put their flight testing on hold. However, senior management learned that they could exempt themselves from the quarantine and hence, are planning to go ahead with their initial plan. Even though they might be able to go ahead with its test launch, the company has not announced a new launch date as of now.

Angry, Confused Employees

Employees at Blue Origin cannot understand how the New Shepard classifies as an essential or critical vehicle that needs to launch now. Most of them believe that this launch is not crucial to the US in any way. While the rocket might carry research payloads, its primary goal is to ferry wealthy explorers to space to experience weightlessness. When asked to comment on employee dissatisfaction, Blue Origins said that it has nothing to say about its internal meetings. Furthermore, they said that senior management is monitoring the situation and that they would take the most appropriate step.

Employees are uncertain regarding whether they will be able to follow proper social distancing protocol while traveling. While most of them have to stay in hotels in Texas, they will be huddled together in conference rooms and mission control rooms during the launch. As a response, the company said that they would modify their launch procedure to ensure only a small crew need to be present. Yet, employees are skeptical regarding whether the company will be able to keep people safe, and whether this launch must even be done at this time. Employees feel that Blue Origin’s unhealthy competition with Virgin Galactic, who also plans on taking tourists to space, is making it take rash and unsafe decisions. With Bezos having stated earlier that now is the time to focus on the COVID-19, Blue Origin employees seem incredibly dissatisfied with the ground reality.  

Covid-19

COVID-19 Hits the Art Scene: Color Factory and Museum of Ice Cream Initiate Massive Lay Offs

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By

The COVID-19 continues to spread and kill across the world, with global causalities having hit 34,000. Almost every sphere of our lives has been hit, and most of us are conformed to our houses. With schools shut, offices closed and public transport partially banned, most people are whiling away time at home. Such a global lockdown makes things difficult for businesses around the world. IMF has already stated that following the COVID-19, the world will spiral into an economic recession. Many major companies have also been reeling in the after-effect of this deadly pandemic. Here’s a look at how Color Factory, backed by Instagram, is handling the issues.

Shut-Down Imminent

Jeff Lind, who serves as the CEO of Color Factory, knew his business would shut down when the NBA canceled its season in the US. Jeff was watching a Utah Jazz game when the announcements came out, and he knew that soon enough the entire city would be on lockdown. As predicted, within a few days, the whole of New York went into a total shut-down, with the government closing all restaurants, hotels and non-essential stores. The entertainment industry, consisting of rodeos, sports complexes, museums and art galleries had the world change underneath their own feet, as the COVID-19 spread ferociously. Two of the world’s most popular photogenic experiences, the Color Factory and Museum of Ice Cream have both felt the after-effects of this deadly virus. Both of them have had to shut shop, in a bid to stop the aggressive spread of the pandemic. As a result, both have had to lay off employees, with almost no revenue coming in recently.

Making Things Difficult

Color Factory closed both its installments, in New York and Houston by March 18th, and followed up by temporarily laying off their employees. CEO Lind says that almost 90% of Color Factory’s employees have been let go, in a bid to cut costs. Everyone including hourly employees, part-time workers and corporate employees were dismissed, with them maintaining only critical positions. However, the company still provides health care benefits to eligible employees for 12 weeks.

Furthermore, all the employees who were laid off received severance pay associated with their experience. Also, to further cut costs, all the remaining employees have taken salary cuts. The company also had to ask people who had bought tickets before-hand to reschedule their visits. However, Color Factory is still handing out refunds if the customers insist on it. Unfortunately for them, the COVID-19 hit at peak time, with the Houston establishment having been sold out.

Others Follow Suit

Color Factory hasn’t been the only Instagram pop-up to suffer, with fellow art space, Museum of Ice Cream also sharing their fate. As more and more people stay confined to their houses, almost no one has the time for entertainment nowadays. People are not allowed to take their kids out to play, go on dates, or even enjoy an artistically inclined evening outdoors. Pop-up museums depend on such crowds, and hence, this industry has suffered much due to the COVID-19. These museums use the marketing power gained by people posting photos on Instagram, to attract crowds, and that doesn’t seem to be happening in today’s atmosphere. Unlike other streams of art, such as music and dance, these museums cannot recreate their space on a virtual platform. Therefore, the Museum of Ice Cream too laid off almost 90% of its employees, as per CEO Maryellis Bunn. However, just like the Color Factory, they also will provide employees with health care benefits, and severance pays.

Controversies and Bad Reputation

However, the Museum of Ice Cream was not able to pay some of their contractors on time, and this led to an Instagram smear campaign against them. Most of the comments under their posts feature people asking them to pay their workers on time. Some of the contractors have also stated that they have not been paid since last month. They went on to say that they received their money, only after calling out the company on Instagram and shaming them online.

Similarly, three other contractors also received their payment only after the social media storm hit the company. However, CEO Bunn had a different opinion, stating that all their employees had been paid on time. To cut costs even further, Bunn and all the employees who have been retained have taken massive salary reductions. The CEO has apparently given up her entire salary for the month to keep the company afloat. While New York City entered the shut-down recently, Bunn feels that revenue has been receding since February. A significant amount of their footfall comes from foreign tourists, who have been walloped by the COVID-19.

Another black mark in their reputation came in the form of claims that the company had not refunded money to clients who had canceled their tour. Several email chains came out in the open, stating that ShowClix, which sells tickets for the Museum of Ice Cream, was refusing to refund clients. Until March 19th, customers were being asked to reschedule their trip, rather than cancel it. In this case, as well, Bunn has said that refunds will be available as of last week. Other prominent closures around the US include Meow Wolf and Rosé Mansion, while Candytopia has stayed quiet regarding their locations. Since all of these are in-person experiences, they do not translate well on Zoom calls, making it difficult for them to work through the social distancing norm. These companies are hoping to put this episode behind them, and start again as soon as the COVID-19 scare passes.