News

With some research indicating that ‘emotive prompts’ to generative AI chatbots can deliver better outputs, we look at whether ‘being nice’ to a chatbot really does improve its performance. Not Possible, Surely?  Generative AI Chatbots, including advanced ones, don’t possess real ‘intelligence’ in the way we as humans understand it. For example, they don’t have … Continue reading Featured Article : Try Being Nice To Your AI →

In this tech-insight, we look at what e-signatures are, their benefits plus some of the main e-signature providers, as well as what to consider when choosing an e-signature service. Popularity of E-signatures  The initial growth of e-signatures happened in the early 2000s, due to the passage of laws such as the US Electronic Signatures in … Continue reading Tech Insight : Exploring E-Signatures →

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has ordered Serco Leisure to stop using facial recognition technology (FRT) and fingerprint scanning to monitor employee attendance. Not Necessary or Proportionate  An ICO investigation found that public service provider Serco Leisure, Serco Jersey and seven associated community leisure trusts had been “unlawfully processing the biometric data of more than … Continue reading Tech News : Firm Ordered To Stop Employee Face-Scanning →

Only a month after its launch, Google has paused its text-to-image AI tool following “inaccuracies” in some of the historical depictions of people produced by the model. ‘Woke’ … Overcorrecting For Diversity?  An example of the inaccuracy issue (as highlighted by X user Patrick Ganley recently, after asking Google Gemini to generate images of the … Continue reading Tech News : Google Pauses Gemini AI Over ‘Historical Inaccuracies’ →

Apple says it’s rolling out an update to its iMessage texting platform that can defend against future encryption-breaking technologies such as decryption by quantum computers. Apple says its PQ3 “groundbreaking post-quantum cryptographic protocol” offers Level 3 security, i.e. it provides protocol protections that surpass those in all other widely deployed messaging apps. Apple says PQ3 (post-quantum cryptography … Continue reading An Apple Byte : Quantum-Proof iMessage Update →

Just days after it was announced that the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the FBI, and Europol had taken down the Russian LockBit ransomware gang’s website, it’s been reported that LockBit ransomware is still being deployed via flaws in a popular remote access tool. Researchers at cybersecurity companies Huntress and Sophos have highlighted how two … Continue reading Security Stop Press : ConnectWise LockBit Alert →

The ‘gasification’ of waste tea prunings is being used to both provide free energy for factories in Kenya and to decarbonise the tea sector. Gasification  UK-based waste-to-energy company Compact Syngas Solutions (CSS) has developed a ‘gasification’ process which can convert biomass and other feedstocks into synthesis gas (syngas), which can be used to generate heat … Continue reading Sustainability-in-Tech : ‘Gasification’ of Waste Tea Powers Factories →

You may not know that Microsoft Word doesn’t spellcheck uppercase words by default so, if you’d like to make sure your entire document (even your uppercase words) is fully spellchecked, here’s how: In Word, click on ‘File’. Click on ‘Options’. Click on ‘Proofing’. Un-check ‘Ignore words in UPPERCASE’ and click ‘Save’.

After the Amazon-owned ‘Ring’ video doorbell company’s recent major subscription price hike across its range caused anger and made the news, we look at what customers have said and if there’s a way to beat the price hike. Ouch!  Ring has angered customers and received some negative publicity after announcing that starting on 11 March … Continue reading Featured Article : Doorbell Ding Dong →

In this tech-insight, we take a look at the world of virtual cards, who offers them, their benefits, and other secure payment alternatives. What Are Virtual Credit Card Numbers?  Virtual credit cards and their card numbers (as the name suggests) only exist in the virtual world, e.g. in an app on your phone, and are … Continue reading Tech Insight : What Are ‘Virtual’ Credit Cards? →