Search Conversations By Date For Android 

The first of three new updates of significance for WhatsApp is the “search by date” function for individual and group chats on Android devices. Previously, this function had been available on other platforms (iOS, Mac desktop and WhatsApp Web). 

As featured on Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg’s WhatsApp channel (Meta owns WhatsApp), WhatsApp users on Android can now search for a chat on a particular date (not just within a range). For example, one-on-one or group chat details can be date searched by tapping on the contact or the group name, tapping on the search button, and then tapping the calendar icon (right-hand side of the search box), and selecting the individual date. This feature is likely to deliver a better user experience by giving greater precision and control and potentially saving time in locating specific messages. 

Privacy Boost From User Profile Change 

Another potentially beneficial boost to the privacy aspect of what is already an end-to-end encrypted messaging app is (in the beta version) closing the loophole on sharing profile pictures without consent, impersonation, and harassment by preventing users from taking screenshots within the app. If users try to screenshot a profile picture, for example, WhatsApp now displays a warning message. Although the ability to download profile pictures was stopped 5 years ago, it was still possible to take screenshots. Closing this loophole in the latest update should, therefore, contribute to greater user privacy and safety. 

Minimum Age Lowered To 13 

One slightly more controversial change to WhatsApp’ T&C’s’s terms and conditions however is the lowering of the minimum age of users in Europe (and the UK) to 13 from 16. This brings the service in line with its minimum age rules in the US and Australia, and the move by WhatsApp was taken in response to new EU regulations, namely the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and to ensure a consistent minimum age requirement globally. The two new regulations have been introduced both to tackle illegal and harmful activities online and the spread of disinformation, and to help steer large online platforms toward behaving more fairly. 

In addition to the minimum age change, WhatsApp is also updating its Terms of Service and Privacy Policies to add more details about what is or is not allowed on the messaging service and to inform users about the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. The framework is designed to provide reliable mechanisms for personal data transfers between the EU and the US in a way that’s compliant and consistent with both EU and US law, thereby ensuring data protection. 

Criticism 

However, although the minimum age change (which may sound quite young to many parents) will be good for WhatsApp by expanding its user base and good for users by expanding digital inclusion and family connectivity, it has also attracted some criticism. 

For example, the fact that there’s no checking/verification of how old users say they are (i.e. it relies on self-declaration of age and parental monitoring) has led to concerns that more reliable methods are needed. The concern, of course, also extends to children younger than 13 accessing online platforms (e.g. social media) despite the set age limits. 

In Meta’s (WhatsApp’s) defence, however, it already protects privacy with end-to-end encryption and has resisted calls and pressure for government ‘back doors’. It has also taken other measures to protect young users. These include, for example, the ability to block contacts (and report problematic behaviour), control over group additions, the option to customise privacy settings, and more.  

Competitors 

Regarding compliance with new EU regulations, the European Commission has been actively engaging with large online platforms and search engines, including Snapchat, under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Also, given the widespread impact of these regulations on digital platforms and their emphasis on data privacy and security, it is likely that Signal (a competitor), and other messaging and social media platforms, are taking steps to align with these new requirements. 

Some people may also remember that Snapchat came under scrutiny last summer from the UK’s data regulator to determine if it is effectively preventing underage users from accessing its platform. The investigation was in response to concerns about Snapchat’s measures to remove children under 13, as UK law required parental consent for processing the data of children under this age.  

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

The latest WhatsApp updates, alongside the broader implications of new EU and UK regulations, herald potentially significant shifts for businesses, messaging app users, and the industry at large. These changes, encompassing enhanced search functionalities, privacy safeguards, and adjustments to user age limits, will reshape some user experiences and offer both challenges and opportunities. 

The “search by date” function for Android users should enhance user convenience and accessibility, save time, facilitate precise and efficient message retrieval, plus improve user engagement and satisfaction. Businesses leveraging WhatsApp for customer service or internal communications, for example, could find this feature particularly beneficial, i.e. by enabling quicker access to pertinent information, and streamlined interactions. 

The extra privacy enhancements essentially reflect a growing industry-wide focus on user security and digital safety and will strengthen individual privacy (always welcome). They also emphasise the importance of user-consent and control over personal information and should remind businesses of the need to prioritise and manage user data both in line with (evolving) regulatory standards and today’s consumer expectations. 

The adjustment of WhatsApp’s minimum user age in Europe and the UK presents a bit more of a nuanced landscape. While aiming to broaden digital inclusion and connectivity, this change also highlights the complexities of age verification and online safety. Messaging and other platforms, however, must find ways to navigate these complexities, ensuring compliance while fostering a safe and inclusive digital environment for younger users. 

The broader context of the DSA and DMA, along with similar regulatory efforts in the UK, signal the transformative period that digital platforms are now in and although we can all see the benefit of curtailing harmful online activities, there’s also an argument for resisting pressure to go as far as giving governments back doors (thereby destroying the privacy and exposing to other risks). Messaging apps and social media platforms, including WhatsApp and its competitors (e.g. Snapchat, Signal, and others) have known regulations were coming, probably expect more in future, and are now having to adapt to enable compliance and retain trust while introducing other features valued for users at the same time.  

Businesses using apps like WhatsApp (which also has a specific business version) are likely to already value its privacy features, e.g. its end-to-end encryption, for data protection. As such, they are unlikely to oppose any more helpful privacy-focused, or improved user experience changes, as long as they don’t interfere with the ease of use of the app (or result in extra costs).

The post Featured Article : WhatsApp Updates appeared first on Mear Technology.

Message Seamlessly Across All Devices

WhatsApp says that this change gives users globally the ability to message seamlessly across all their devices without signing out, and to pick up their chats where they left off.

Employees Can Use The Same Account

For small businesses, for example, being able to use the same WhatsApp account on multiple phones means that in addition to the business owner, other employees are now able to respond to customers directly from their phones under the same WhatsApp Business account.

Phone As One Of Up To Four Additional Devices

The change means that users can link their phone as one of up to four additional devices, the same as when linking with WhatsApp on web browsers, tablets, and desktops.

When and Who?

The update has already started rolling out to users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

Maintains The Same Level Of Privacy And Security

WhatsApp says that the change won’t mean any loss of privacy and security because:

• Each linked phone connects to WhatsApp independently, ensuring that personal messages, media, and calls are end-to-end encrypted.
• If the primary device is inactive for a long period, WhatsApp will automatically log the primary out of all companion devices.

Receive One-Time Code

WhatsApp has also said that it’s introducing an alternative and more accessible way to link to companion devices by allowing users to enter their phone number on WhatsApp Web to receive a one-time code, which can be used on their phone to enable device linking, rather than having to scan a QR code.

Isn’t WhatsApp Going To Block UK Users Anyway?

Whilst this sounds like a potentially useful update, it’s not long since the boss of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart, said he would rather stop users in the UK from using the app than lower its security, as suggested by the UK’s Online Safety Bill. It’s also only a couple of weeks since Cathcart and the head of the Signal app signed an open letter warning of ‘unprecedented threat to safety and security’ of UK citizens if the bill effectively ended end-to-end encryption and allowed the scanning of private messages.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

For small businesses, allowing multiple employees to connect to the same WhatsApp account with their individual devices could deliver faster and more joined-up communications as they can respond directly to customers. It will also save time and effort by not having to sign out and by being able to quickly pick up their chats where they left off, thereby improving efficiency.

Giving WhatsApp Web users the option to be sent a code rather than always having to scan a QR Code may also simplify matters for many users. Businesses will also be pleased to hear that the new WhatsApp update won’t compromise security and privacy. However, WhatsApp has still not resolved its issue with the UK government over the Online Safety Bill’s potential to damage the privacy and security of the app, and UK businesses are still faced with the prospect that WhatsApp could simply ban them as users if the issue is not resolved soon.

The post Tech News : WhatsApp Wows: One Account Accessible on Multiple Mobile appeared first on Mear Technology.

Communities 

The Communities feature, for iOS and Android, allows users to connect multiple groups, e.g. schools, local clubs, non-profit organisations, and businesses together under one umbrella to organise group conversations on WhatsApp. In Communities, users can switch between different available groups to get information, plus admins can send important updates to everyone in the Community.  

More Secure Than The Alternatives? 

The Communities feature is likely to take over from Groups, and offers an alternative to platforms like Discord, Slack, and Meta’s own Messenger, with the extra selling point of “a level of privacy and security not found anywhere else”. For example, WhatsApp says about Communities: “The alternatives available today require trusting apps or software companies with a copy of their messages – and we think they deserve the higher level of security provided by end-to-end encryption.” 

In-Chat polls 

Another new feature also being launched in WhatsApp soon is in-chat polls. Tested back in April, and similar to voting polls features on other platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, in-chat polls can be used in Groups and Communities to make it easier for group members to make democratic decisions or to gather opinions of group members on specific subjects.  

32 Person Video Calling & Groups With Up To 1024 users 

WhatsApp has also announced the rollout of 32-person video calling (more than is allowed on a Discord or Slack video call), and groups with up to 1024 users which it says can be used in any group but will be particularly helpful for Communities. 

Loads Of New Features Lately 

Meta’s WhatsApp has been piling-on the new features this year to help it compete more effectively in an environment where, following the pandemic, online groups and collaborative remote working has become the norm for many. New features introduced this year include: 

– Privacy features like Leave Groups Silently, Choose Who Can See When You’re Online, and Screenshot Blocking For View Once Messages. 

– Emojis and the ability to share files within WhatsApp up to 2GB in size. 

– Improvements to voice messaging, including Out of Chat Playback, Pause/Resume Recording, Waveform Visualization, Draft Preview, Remember Playback, and Fast Playback on Forwarded Messages. 

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

The new ‘Communities’ feature is about Meta capitalising on the fact that many non-profit organisations, as well as businesses now use WhatsApp, and that building in more engagement and loyalty among these valuable segments could also deliver competitive advantage and benefits. This follows attempts dating back to 2018 to attract more small businesses (of which there is a large number) with WhatsApp Business followed by its testing of a multi-device capability to appeal to multi-device owning (business) users. Adding features to expand the capabilities of Communities, i.e. in-chat polls, 32-person video calling and groups with up to 1024 users enable WhatsApp to both compete effectively with a raft of its rivals (Slack, Discord, Twitter, Instagram), create a successor Groups, establish WhatsApp as a leading group comms app, and fully take advantage of the post-pandemic demand for effective online group chat and information platforms.

The post WhatsApp Launches ‘Communities’ appeared first on Mear Technology.

Communities 

The new features are being added as part of WhatsApp’s “vision for Communities” where the idea is to “help people have the next best thing to an in-person conversation when they want to talk to an individual or a group of friends or family”. The Communities vision is also being introduced to cater for organisations like schools, local clubs, and non-profit organisations which may now rely on WhatsApp, and need to send updates to the entire Community, and easily organise smaller discussion groups within them. 

Reactions 

On 5 May, Mark Zuckerberg posted on his Facebook/Meta wall that “Reactions on WhatsApp start rolling out today”. This refers to the announcement last month that WhatsApp beta version 22.9.0.71 would include reactions, group polls, and the ability to make communities with an increase in the size of files that can be shared to from 100MB to 2GB. 

Reactions are six different emojis – a red heart, thumbs up, laughter, a sad face, a surprised face/wow, and a “thanks” emoji. WhatsApp has also said that it will add support for more emojis and skin tones in the future. 

How To Use Reactions 

After users have updated their WhatsApp to beta version 22.9.0.71, to react to a message (with one of the emojis), users just need to tap and hold a chat bubble. 

Particularly Useful In Group Chats 

The reactions feature may prove to be particularly useful in busy group chats by allowing a simple emoji response rather than always requiring a reply. As WhatsApp says, “they reduce overload in groups”. 

There is also speculation that it may soon be possible to use GIFs or stickers in the response options for users. 

More People Being Added To Chats 

WhatsApp has also announced that, in response to requests from users, it is giving the option to add more people to a chat, and so is slowly rolling out the ability to add up to 512 people to a group. 

Voice Messaging 

Back In April, WhatsApp also announced that it would soon be improving its voice messaging with new features like ‘Out of Chat Playback’, ‘Pause/Resume Recording’, ‘Waveform Visualization’, ‘Draft Preview’, ‘Remember Playback’ (if interrupted), and ‘Fast Playback on Forwarded Messages’. 

What Does This Mean For Your Business?   

These reactions, increased file sharing size, and many of the other new features added to WhatsApp (and promised to be added soon) are all part of a big push by Facebook/Meta to stay at the top of the free encrypted messaging app market and compete with rivals like Snapchat. For example, in January, Snapchat announced a major update (for iOS) which included improved calling, ‘Chat Replies’, Bitmoji Reactions (to allow for more expression), and Poll Stickers to enable emoji-powered polls in Snaps and Stories to survey friends. Meta also wants to consolidate and leverage the power of its other popular apps by integrating and making Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram interoperable. 

Communities is also about Meta capitalising on the fact that many non-profit organisations, as well as businesses now use WhatsApp, and that building in more engagement and loyalty among these valuable segments could also deliver competitive advantage and benefits. This follows attempts dating back to 2018 to woo small businesses (of which there is a large number) with WhatsApp Business followed by its testing of a multi-device capability to appeal to multi-device owning (business) users. The reactions announcement is, therefore, part of a ‘drip, drip’ approach of value adding features that Meta hopes will help WhatsApp compete with the likes of Snapchat and other chat apps used by individuals, businesses and organisations (such a Slack), and aspects of other collaborative work and communications platforms (Teams, Google Workspace, and Zoom).

The post WhatsApp Rolls-Out Emojis and Sharing Of Files Over 2GB appeared first on Mear Technology.

The Problem With Password-Only  

Relying on password-only authentication is known to present many risks and challenges such as managing multiple passwords being cumbersome for users leading to password-sharing, data breaches, and stolen identities. Despite the added measure of two-factor authentication, the goal of tech companies in recent years has been to create sign-in technology that is more convenient and more secure and move towards a passwordless future.  

FIDO Alliance & W3C Standard 

The new common passwordless sign-in standard that Apple, Google and Microsoft are joining forces to promote and introduce is an expanded standard created by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium.  

Two New Capabilities For Users 

Although Apple, Google and Microsoft already support FIDO Alliance standards to enable passwordless sign-in on billions of devices, previous implementations have required users to sign-in to each website or app with each device before they can use the passwordless functionality. This latest announcement, therefore, is really about how the platform implementations have now been extended to give users two new capabilities for more seamless, secure passwordless sign-ins. These new capabilities are:  

1. Users can now automatically access their FIDO sign-in credentials (also known as a “passkey”) on many of their devices, even new ones, without having to re-enrol every account.  

2. Users can employ the FIDO authentication on their mobile device to sign-in to an app or website on a nearby device, regardless of the OS platform or browser. 

This means that, as well as being easier and more convenient, if widely supported, service providers could also offer FIDO credentials without needing passwords as an alternative sign-in or account recovery method. 

Follows A Decade Of Work 

Mark Risher, Senior Director of Product Management for Google said, “For Google, it represents nearly a decade of work we’ve done alongside FIDO, as part of our continued innovation towards a passwordless future. We look forward to making FIDO-based technology available across Chrome, ChromeOS, Android and other platforms, and encourage app and website developers to adopt it, so people around the world can safely move away from the risk and hassle of passwords”. 

Talking about the standard’s contribution to the vision of a passwordless future, Alex Simons, Corporate Vice President, Identity Program Management at Microsoft said, “By working together as a community across platforms, we can at last achieve this vision and make significant progress toward eliminating passwords”.   

Andrew Shikiar, executive director and CMO of the FIDO Alliance highlighted how the standard could help service providers, saying “This new capability stands to usher in a new wave of low-friction FIDO implementations alongside the ongoing and growing utilisation of security keys — giving service providers a full range of options for deploying modern, phishing-resistant authentication”. 

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

Finding solutions to keep one significant step ahead of cybercriminals whilst maintaining or increasing convenience for users, and avoiding the damage caused by data breaches, is an ongoing challenge for the tech companies. The passwordless future is the vision that’s starting to see some progress. 2FA has provided just enough security for now and biometrics were touted as the way ahead. Expanding the FIDO Alliance standards is the next “low-friction” step along the way and the weight of Apple, Google and Microsoft publicly getting behind it should mean that it is more widely adopted, thereby hastening the journey towards the realisation of the ‘passwordless’ vision. Cybercriminals, however, are always pushing and finding new ways to beat security systems, and with the threat of AI being used in the wrong way soon, it remains to be seen how successful the widespread use of the expanded FIDO Alliance standards will be in the near future.

The post Apple, Google and Microsoft In Password Collaboration appeared first on Mear Technology.

Trend 

According to the researchers, this rise is in keeping with a trend that has been evident in the last few years where attackers have been increasing their attempts at smishing (SMS/text-based phishing) and sending malware to mobile devices.

Android Is A More Popular Target 

Research shows that Android is a far more popular target for cyber criminals than Apple iOS. This may be because Apple’s App Store has strict quality controls and iOS doesn’t allow sideloading. Most mobile malware is still downloaded from app stores, and this may be due to Android’s more open approach. For example, it is open to multiple app stores and users can easily sideload apps from anywhere. 

What Mobile Malware Does 

The Proofpoint research shows that even though the basic purpose of malware (i.e to give attackers control of a system) remains the same, the latest versions are becoming more advanced. Proofpoint reports that some of this malware is capable of activities such as recording telephone and non-telephone audio and video, tracking locations, destroying or wiping content and data, to name but a few. Also, mobile banking malware lays in wait until the user activates a financial app and then intervenes to steal credentials or information. 

Adapted For Different Languages, Regions, and Devices 

Proofpoint’s Cloudmark Mobile Threat Research has revealed that Mobile malware isn’t limited to any specific geographic region or language and that threat actors adapt their campaigns to a variety of languages, regions and devices.   

Common Mobile Malware Types 

Some of the common types of mobile malware highlighted in Proofpoint’s research include: 

– FluBot – spreads by accessing the infected device’s contacts list or address book and sending the information back to a command-and-control (C&C) server. This malware can access the internet, read and send messages, read notifications, make voice calls, and delete other installed applications. 

– TeaBot – a multifunctional Trojan that can steal credentials and messages and stream an infected device’s screen contents to the attacker. 

– TangleBot – Discovered by Proofpoint and Cloudmark researchers in 2021, this mobile malware spreads via fake package-delivery notifications. 

– Moqhao – originating from China, this remote access Trojan has spying and exfiltration features so it can monitor device communications and grant an attacker remote access to the device. 

How To Protect Your Device 

Ways to protect your device from becoming infected with mobile malware include: 

– Use a mobile antivirus app from a trusted source (three quarters of users don’t have this on their smartphone). 

– Be wary of unexpected or unrequested messages with links, URLs or requests for data of any type, and don’t click on the links. 

– Report spam, smishing and suspected malware delivery to the Spam Reporting Service by using the spam reporting feature in your messaging client or forwarding suspicious text messages to 7726 (“SPAM” on the phone keypad). 

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

With many people now using their smartphone for many aspects of business, remote working and BYOD now commonplace, while mobile malware is surging and becoming more sophisticated, there is clearly an increased risk. Those with Android smartphones need to be particularly cautious. With three-quarters of users not having a trusted mobile antivirus app on their phone, downloading and using one would be a good place to start (while ensuring it’s a trusted one). Also, awareness should be raised among staff of the danger of clicking on links in unsolicited and suspicious messages (smishing risk) and of the danger of downloading apps outside of the Google Play Store. Caution should also be used when downloading apps within the Google Play Store as some may harbour malware. It’s good practice also to avoid using public Wi-Fi, especially without a VPN, and to keep Bluetooth and Wi-Fi disabled when they’re not in use to minimise the risk of hacking attempts. 

The post Tech News : Mobile Malware Surges By 500% appeared first on Mear Technology.

What Is A VPN?

A ‘Virtual Private Network’ (VPN) is used to keep internet activity private, evade censorship / maintain net neutrality and use public Wi-Fi securely (e.g., avoid threats such as ‘man-in-the-middle’ attacks). A VPN achieves this by diverting a user’s traffic via a remote server to replace their IP address while offering the user a secure, encrypted connection (like a secure tunnel) between the user’s device and the VPN service. This should mean that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or anyone else cannot read what you’re doing while using your VPN.

VPN services apps are downloaded to devices and connected when they are needed, for example, for security when using public Wi-Fi and/or when working remotely.

Other VPN Uses

In addition to security, VPNs can also be used for:

– Hiding where and how you browse from your ISP so the details can’t be sold to advertisers or accessed in a data breach of your ISP.

– Accessing the latest film or series in a country where there are content restrictions in place.

Performance

A VPN should be fast and easy to operate and, obviously, secure, as well as being the right price (free ones are available).

Possible Issues With VPNs

Some of the possible issues with VPNs that could affect their performance include:

– Not being fast enough.

– Leaking a user’s IP address and/or DNS requests when the user goes online.

– Having broken features that may not secure a user’s true Internet Protocol Version 6 address (IPv6), which could expose the user’s details to third parties.

– Not having a good VPN ‘kill switch’ (Network Lock), thereby not keeping data secure if the connection drops for any reason. 

– As highlighted by a 2019 VPN Pro study, almost one-third of the most popular VPN services are secretly owned by Chinese companies that may be subject to weak privacy laws.

Checking

Ways you find out if your VPN is satisfactory include:

– Using speed test tools such as the new open-source speed-test tool from NordVPN that allows users to compare the speeds of different VPN services. See: https://nordvpn.com/vpn-speed-test/ for details. Other VPN speed test tools include SPEEDTEST online https://www.speedtest.net/ or app – SPEEDTEST VPN (https://www.speedtest.net/apps/vpn), or by checking online rankings e.g., CNET’s comparison (speed and privacy) https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/fastest-vpn/.

– Check for DNS leaks / perform a DNS leak test to help discover if your VPN is private. For example, see https://www.dnsleaktest.com/, https://ipleak.net/, or https://surfshark.com/dns-leak-test. Connect to a VPN server and load ipleak.net in your internet browser, manually (disconnect) while the VPN client is running and then load some test websites while the VPN is reconnecting. This may identify brief reconnection leaks.

– Check for IP address leaks such as DNS IP leaks (see dnsleaktest.com or dnsleak.com), Torrent IP Leaks – if using Torrent( see http://checkmyip.torrentprivacy.com/), WebRTC IP Leaks from the web browser (use a Chrome extension e.g., such as WebRTC Leak Prevent or WebRTC Prevent Shield), or an email IP leak (see https://emailipleak.com/).

– Check whether censorship can be bypassed e.g., the user switching their VPN on and off while trying to access restricted content.

Limitations With VPN Testing Tools

It should be remembered that VPN testing tools may not be entirely reliable due to limitations such as a lack of transparency in how speeds are measured, their reliability and the verification of their results, and whether they work for a wide range of different VPN providers.

Reviews and Trusted Brands

For many people, a little online research of reviews, rankings, comparisons, and opinions is the most effective way of assessing the comparative effectiveness of a VPN. Also, many people may simply prefer to go with personal recommendations or go with well-known trusted brands when it comes to allaying fears about making the wrong choice or tackling feelings of post-purchase dissonance.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

A VPN is one of several security tools that are now widely used by businesses/organisations and individuals. There is a wide choice available, and although it seems a fairly simple operation to sign up to one and start using it, making the wrong choice of VPN tool could potentially have serious consequences. Assessing just how good a particular VPN can, in reality, be quite complicated and time-consuming. Online measuring tools and apps can provide a reasonable idea, although they can also lack transparency and reliability. For many users, it’s a case of looking at different online comparisons or sticking with/switching to trusted, paid-for brands, or going with personal recommendations.

The post Tech Insight : How To Check Your VPN appeared first on Mear Technology.

6G 50 Times Faster Than 5G

For reference, 6G is likely to be around 50 times faster than 5G, which itself is around 20 times faster than 4G. Whilst this is very approximate, this could mean that a film that may take (say) 7 minutes to download via contemporary 4G would take 6 seconds with 5G (the newest standard currently being rolled out) and circa 0.12 seconds with 6G.

Highest Ever Reported

Working in collaboration with Southeast University, Pengcheng Laboratory, Fudan University, and China Mobile, the lab claims to have achieved a single-wavelength net rate of 103.125 Gbps and a dual-wavelength terahertz wireless transmission (in a lab environment) with a net rate of 206.25 Gbits/sec. As well as being the highest transmission terahertz real-time wireless communication ever publicly reported, this has the potential to increase the speed of 5G transfers, which are already 20x faster than previous standards

What Does This Mean?

Purple Mountain has said that this terahertz frequency band (300GHz~3THz), is considered to be the foundation of 6G mobile communications. The implications of the lab achieving a speed/wireless transmission rate this high could be:

– The replacement of the existing mobile optical fibre network, reducing the amount of data centre cables and power costs, and integrating with the existing optical fibre network to bring ultra-high speed outdoor and indoor wireless access.

– Installation on satellites, drones, and airships to help boost wireless communication between satellite clusters, the sky, and the Earth, or between separate satellites.

6G

6G is expected to be around 50 times faster than 5G with faster data rates and lower latencies. Even though 5G wireless technology is still only just being rolled out in many countries, 6G is expected to be its successor. Huawei Technologies Co estimates that 6G will enter the market around 2030 but an agreement is still to be reached on the technical standards that could support 6G frequencies, signal modulations, and waveforms.

Others Testing 6G

Purple Mountain Laboratories is not the only one to be testing 6G and claiming breakthroughs. Back in August, for example, LG, in partnership with Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute in Germany, claimed to be the first company to successfully transmit data across 6G outdoors. Also, back in June, a Samsung prototype was reported to have demonstrated successful 6G data transmission on terahertz (THz)/6G frequencies.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

For UK businesses, it’s likely to be frustrating that 5G hasn’t been successfully rolled out yet and there’s already news of the development of its successor 6G and how businesses in other countries look set to be able to benefit from it. In global terms, it is of course good news that there have been breakthroughs in wireless technology that could, in several years, bring many advantages. Lack of agreement, however, on standards to support 6G frequencies or any kind of official road map for 6G are also challenges to businesses being able to start using and benefitting via 6G any time soon.

The post 6G Breakthrough, Fastest Real-Time Wireless Communication Speed Ever Recorded appeared first on Mear Technology.

Privacy and Space-Saving

WhatsApp says that the feature gives users more control over their privacy because “not everything we share needs to become a permanent digital record” and suggests that ‘View Once’ is ideal for something like a photo of something sensitive like a Wi-Fi password or similar.

WhatsApp also points out that with many phones, taking a photo means it takes up space and this may not be necessary for something like “photo of some new clothes you’re trying on at a store, a quick reaction to a moment in time.”

How It Works

Users can choose to select photos or videos as ‘View Once’ and once sent, the recipient will see that they are marked with a new “one-time” icon. Once viewed, the message appears as “opened” and the media is not saved to the recipient’s Photos or Gallery. After the ‘View Once’ photo or video message has been opened once by the recipient it is erased from the chat or, if the photo or video isn’t opened within 14 days of it being sent, the media will expire from the chat anyway. The sender can’t view a photo or video again that they’ve sent as View-Once.

Also, photos or videos that were sent or received with View-Once can’t be forwarded, saved, starred, or shared, although it is possible to take a screenshot or screen recording of the media before it disappears or to take a photo or video of the media with a camera or other device.

Disappearing Messages

Back in November 2020, WhatsApp announced the launch of its ‘disappearing messages’ feature where users have the option to automatically delete chats between the sender and recipient after 7 days. At the time, WhatsApp said “most of what we send doesn’t need to be everlasting,” and that “Our goal is to make conversations on WhatsApp feel as close to in-person as possible, which means they shouldn’t have to stick around forever”.  WhatsApp also emphasised the feature would help users maintain privacy and give them “peace of mind,” as well as keeping the app light.

Criticism

The new View-Once feature has been criticised by child protection advocates such as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) because, coupled with the end-to-end encryption of the app, the view once feature could give those involved in child sexual abuse greater protection from detection.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The addition of the ‘disappearing messages’ feature last year and now the ‘View Once’ feature means that Facebook has ensured that WhatsApp is able to have very similar features to its rival Snapchat which, for example, has a “Stories” feature allowing users to post videos and photos to their profile which then disappear after 24 hours. The disappearing messages feature (which also works in Instagram) and View Once feature are also part of Facebook’s ongoing plan to integrate and make Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram interoperable in the near future. Also, for WhatsApp users, these new features may feel as though value is being added to the app and this could help to retain the loyalty of existing users and improve some practical aspects of the app (saving space on users’ phones), so that users feel more in control as well as bringing a feel-good factor about privacy. These factors are likely to be valued by business users and are ways to help keep this very successful free app up-to-date and relevant to current user needs.

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New Era of Hybrid Personal Computer

Microsoft is calling the new subscription (SaaS) Windows 365 service (which is a simplified version of its Azure Virtual Desktop) as a “new era of hybrid personal computing” because it “draws on the power of the cloud and the capabilities of the device”.

Work From Anywhere, On Any Device, Pick Up Where You Left Off

The new Windows 365 service enables the streaming of a full Windows desktop from the cloud.  With the service, Windows 10 and 11 users can:

– Stream all their personalised applications, tools, data, and settings from the cloud across any device including a Mac, iPad, Linux device, or Android.

– Work from anywhere (e.g. a hotel room or a tablet from their car) and pick up where they left off because their individual PC in the cloud remains the same, even when switching devices.

Supports Business Apps

Windows 365 cloud service also supports business apps such as Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, and Microsoft is offering to stand by its promise of app compatibility with App Assure, a Microsoft service that helps customers with 150 or more users fix any app issues they might run into at no additional cost.

Ideal For Remote Working

The fact that users can experience their whole, individual Windows PC streamed through to any chosen device from the cloud and saved/back-up in the cloud for whenever they log on makes it ideal for remote working and for the many businesses that look like continuing flexible working practices post-pandemic.  As Microsoft points out, “we’re seeing a new world of work emerge. Organizations everywhere have transformed themselves through virtual processes and remote collaboration. And as people embrace hybrid work—with people returning to the office, continuing to work from home, or some mix of the two—things will be different all over again”.

Microsoft also points to the finding of its recent Work Trend Index as proof of the need for a cloud-based hybrid solution of this kind.  The Index has boiled down a study of more than 30,000 people in 31 countries plus an analysis of trillions of productivity and labour signals across Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn to arrive at some key statistics and 7 trends.

For example, the Work Trend Index found that 73 percent of workers now want flexible remote work options to stay, but 67 percent also want more in-person collaboration, post-pandemic. 

Analytics and Watchdog Service

The 365 cloud service also has built-in analytics that looks at connection health across networks to make sure Cloud PC users can reach everything they need on the network to be productive. The analytics are not only able to identify Cloud PC environments where a user’s performance needs aren’t being met, but also give recommendations and enable upgrades for users at the touch of a button, thereby saving time, simplifying problem-solving and quickly boosting productivity.

Zero Trust Architecture

The Zero Trust Architecture means that security needs can be met by storing and securing information in the cloud (not on the device) and using Multifactor authentication (MFA) to verify any login or access attempt to a Cloud PC through integration with Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).

Solves Some Old Problems

The fact that the individual Windows desktop PCs are stored securely in (and streamed from) the cloud as and when needed could solve a lot of traditional IT management problems.  For example, this hybrid system looks likely to give business greater flexibility and scalability, help productivity and support innovation by making remote work and collaboration easier, tackle many of the hardware challenges (cost and maintenance), allow faster problem solving (watchdog and diagnostics), and help reduce security risks and threats. Microsoft is also keen to stress the simplicity of the service.

When?

Microsoft says that the new 365 cloud service will be “generally available later this calendar year”, although it looks set to launch for business users from August 2. 

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The new Windows 365 cloud service sees Microsoft adapting and building upon its existing, popular Azure platform and virtualisation technology to try and create a hybrid service that should appeal to business users, particularly at a time where effectively managing the challenges of flexible (hybrid) and remote working look like being ongoing trends. This service also enables Microsoft to expand its subscription model and will appeal to the large businesses that are now ready to commit more to the cloud. The power, control, flexibility, simplicity, and security aspects of the service are also likely to appeal to businesses that need to be able to manage their computing needs and maximise the possibility of improved productivity at a time which seems very uncertain and where there are already enough risks to cope with in the rapidly changing business environment.

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