Take a moment to check out the NORAD Santa Tracker.
Have you ever wondered how Santa Claus manages to deliver presents to millions of children around the globe in just one night? Have you ever considered the logistics, the planning, the sheer audacity of such an endeavour?
This is not just a whimsical question for the Christmas season, but a serious business enquiry. After all, isn’t Santa essentially running the world’s most efficient overnight delivery service?
This Christmas Eve, will you be tracking Santa’s progress using the NORAD Santa Tracker?
The North American Aerospace Defense Command tracks Santa’s journey every year, providing real-time updates on his location. How’s that for impressive project management and data analysis?
Consider this: If Santa can deliver presents to every child in the world in one night, surely there are lessons to be learned here about efficiency, logistics, and customer satisfaction. Could your business benefit from a little Santa-style innovation?
But it’s not all business. Tracking Santa is also a fun and heartwarming tradition that brings joy to millions of people around the world. It’s a reminder of the power of belief, the magic of the festive season, and the universal appeal of a good story well told.
So this Christmas Eve, as you’re sipping your hot chocolate and wrapping those last-minute gifts, take a moment to check out the NORAD Santa Tracker. Marvel at Santa’s incredible journey, think about the lessons you can apply to your own business, and remember the joy and wonder that make this season so special.
Let’s keep the magic alive, shall we?
#MerryChristmas #NORAD #BusinessLogistics
What features would you love to see in Windows 12?
While Windows 11 is still relatively fresh on the scene, the grapevine is already abuzz with whispers of its successor, set to make its debut in the not-so-distant future.
Before you start wrapping your head around Windows 12, let’s take a quick detour back to Windows 11 for a sec. It’s been a little over two years since the OS graced our screens, and it’s been good. But there’s still plenty of room for more improvements… as Microsoft is continually demonstrating with its innovative updates.
I have to admit, the leaks and rumours surrounding Windows 12 have me on the edge of my seat.
So, what’s the scoop on Windows 12? Well, if the rumours hold water, Windows 12 is poised to be the next big leap in the world of operating systems. And of course, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking centre stage.
Rumour has it that Microsoft might crank things up a notch in Windows 12, using AI-powered chatbots to provide context-sensitive information and assistance for everyday computing tasks. Imagine having a super-smart virtual assistant at your beck and call, understanding your questions in natural conversational language. Sayonara, Cortana; hello, Copilot.
Microsoft has invested a pretty penny (reportedly around £8 billion) into OpenAI, the brains behind ChatGPT. So, it’s safe to say they’re itching to make the most of their AI tech investment in the next-gen Windows.
Now, remember, none of this is official (yet), but here’s the word so far. Windows 12 could hit the scene ‘next summer.’ We could be unwrapping Windows 12 as early as June 2024.
But, if history serves as a guide, Windows 12 could likely make its grand entrance in the autumn of 2024, keeping in sync with the three-year release cycle we’ve seen in the past.
What features would you love to see in Windows 12?
#Windows12 #TechDreams #2024
The 22nd of December 1882 is a date that shines as brightly as those iconic Christmas lights.
It’s the late 19th century, and the holiday season is in full swing. Families are gathering around beautifully adorned Christmas trees, but there’s a tiny, albeit potentially flammable, problem – those trees are decked out in wax candles. The warm glow of candlelight is undeniably magical… it also came with its fair share of anxiety. The fear of accidentally setting your tree – and potentially your entire home – ablaze was a real concern.
The 22nd of December 1882 is a date that shines as brightly as those iconic Christmas lights. It’s the day when Edward Johnson, a pioneer in festive cheer, decided to make history by swapping out those traditional wax candles for something a little more… electrifying!
Edward wondered if he could wire his Christmas tree with electric lights. And not just any lights, he wanted bulbs specifically made for this festive mission.
So, he went ahead and had these tiny, walnut-sized bulbs crafted for his Christmas masterpiece. And just like that, the first-ever set of electric Christmas tree lights was born! But Edward wasn’t content with a single colour – oh no, he went all out and decorated his tree with 80 bulbs in red, white, and blue.
Can you imagine the sheer wonder and amazement on the faces of his family and friends when they saw that tree light up with the magic of electricity?
Thanks to Edward Johnson’s innovative spirit, we now have the dazzling, twinkling, and oh-so-safe electric Christmas lights that have become an integral part of our holiday celebrations.
What a bright idea!
#ChristmasLights #BusinessInnovation #ChristmasMagic
What do you prefer? An old fashioned Christmas, or a today’s tech-powered celebrations?
Let’s jingle all the way back to the good ol’ days when Christmas was all about handmade cards, homemade gifts, and quirky family traditions that made the holiday season extra special.
Fast forward to today, and technology has turned our yuletide celebrations into something straight out of a sci-fi Christmas flick.
Once, Christmas cards were crafted with love, adorned with dried flowers, and often smelled like a festive potpourri. Those hand-delivered cards were more than just pieces of paper; they were a piece of your heart. But now, thanks to tech, we’ve got online card creation tools and e-cards that practically write themselves.
Speaking of gifts, gone are the days of battling people in shops and elbowing your way to the perfect present. Now, from the cosy comfort of your sofa, you can snag all your Christmas gifts with a few clicks. You have Santa’s workshop right at your fingertips.
And when it comes to gift-giving, it’s safe to say that technological gadgets have stolen the spotlight. Whether you’re 8 or 80, everyone’s wish list includes the latest and greatest in the tech world.
Let’s not forget the magic of video calls – it’s so easy to connect with loved ones across miles and time zones, especially when globetrotting isn’t on the menu.
Can you imagine a Christmas where Virtual Reality (VR) devices send holiday greetings that teleport you into a winter wonderland… or AI-powered robots whip up your Christmas feast with the skill of a professional chef… or drones swoop in like Santa’s sleigh to drop off your presents?
What do you prefer? An old fashioned Christmas, or a today’s tech-powered celebrations?
#TechyChristmas #FestiveTech #SciFiChristmas
Your business relies on cloud services to keep things running smoothly.
Your business relies on cloud services to keep things running smoothly. And everything seems fine until there’s a major service outage. Sadly, it happens. There’s a risk that panic mode sets in, employees become frustrated, customers become unhappy, and your revenue takes a hit.
This is where a new outage simulator from Amazon Web Services (AWS) steps in. It lets you put chaos engineering into practice at scale.
You can simulate scenarios like AWS Availability Zone full power interruptions, or connectivity loss to another AWS region.
It helps you understand your direct and indirect dependencies on AWS services and, more importantly, test how quickly you can recover after an outage.
And yes, cloud services are supposed to be reliable, but recent events, including geopolitical tensions and some embarrassing blunders (like that infamous Azure outage caused by a typo!), have made it clear that we can’t take service reliability for granted.
With AWS’s new outage simulator, you can take proactive steps to ensure your business is ready for any curveball that the digital world might throw at you.
Of course, this is all only applicable if you use AWS for your business’s cloud services. If you use another company, this testing isn’t available. However, you can still test your resilience and create a resilience strategy.
Whether you need assistance setting up a simulation, analysing the results, or creating a comprehensive outage strategy tailored to your business, my team can help. Get in touch.
#AWS #OutageSimulator #CloudStorage
The dreaded moment when you think your mic is muted, but it’s not!
We’ve all been there – the dreaded moment when you think your mic is muted, but it’s not, and you inadvertently share your secret snack-crunching soundtrack with the entire meeting.
Or something worse (I promise not to swear at the cat again…).
Microsoft Teams understands this. It’s coming to the rescue with a slick new feature that’s about to make your mute super powers stronger.
Get ready for the mic-drop moment (yes, I went there) – Microsoft Teams is working on a new update that will allow you to mute and unmute your audio with just a click on the mic icon in your Windows taskbar.
No more fumbling around in the app or desperately searching for the mute button while trying to keep your composure during a video call.
What’s the big deal? We already have mute buttons in Teams. True, but having this control right there in your taskbar changes things. It’s like a panic button for your mic, making sure embarrassing mistakes are a thing of the past.
Imagine you’re in the middle of an important virtual meeting with your clients, discussing top-secret plans, when suddenly your toddler decides it’s the perfect time for a rendition of Baby Shark. You scramble to mute your mic, but the seconds feel like hours, and the damage is done – your clients are chuckling, and you’re red as a tomato.
But with this new feature, all it takes is a swift click on that taskbar mic icon, and you’re in control, my friend. No more accidentally sharing your personal commentary, heated discussions with your partner, or even that solo karaoke practice.
And it’s simple to use. Just select the mic icon on your taskbar to mute or unmute during a meeting. Plus, if you love keyboard shortcuts, you can press the Windows logo key + Alt + K to work your mute magic.
This update is a testament to Microsoft Teams’ commitment to making our virtual collaboration experience smoother and more intuitive. And it’s not stopping there; Teams is also rolling out exciting AI upgrades, like Microsoft Copilot, which can summarise meeting notes and even draw them on the Whiteboard platform.
Copilot will be your trusted note-taker during meetings, ensuring you don’t miss a beat. Plus, it’ll help you review past conversations effortlessly, so you can focus on what matters. And it can even help compose messages with the new Copilot compose box.
Does this make you less paranoid over that old “Am I still on mute?” worry?
#MicrosoftTeams #MuteButtonMagic #VideoMeetings
Laptop or PC feeling a bit sluggish?
If you’ve ever wondered why your laptop or PC was feeling a bit sluggish, Google Chrome’s latest feature update is for you.
We all know how annoying it is when your device starts acting like it’s wading through treacle. And what’s usually to blame? A gazillion tabs open in your browser. Well, Google Chrome has come to the rescue with a cool new feature that’s going to make your life a whole lot easier.
Introducing the ‘Tab Memory Usage’ feature. Now, when you hover over your tabs, Chrome will spill the beans on how much memory each one is using up.
So, what’s the big deal? Well, with this feature, you can finally figure out which websites are turning your laptop into a slow-mo turtle. Chrome will not only tell you which tab is responsible, but also why it’s munching away at your memory. Is it the content on the page or some sneaky background process? You’ll soon know.
If a tab has been taking a nap for a while and not doing anything useful, Chrome’s Memory Saver feature might have gently put it to sleep to save memory. No worries, your tab will wake up refreshed when you need it.
Now, I know you’re wondering how you access this feature. It’s simple. No need to dive into complicated menus, you just hover over the tab. That’s it. The memory usage info will magically appear.
This update is part of Chrome’s grand plan to make your browsing experience even better. They already introduced Memory Saver mode and Energy Saver mode earlier this year. Memory Saver mode is like a magician, saving resources from inactive tabs to keep your active tabs running smoothly. It’s the closest you’ll get to having your cake and eating it too – all your tabs are still there when you need them.
And for those times when you’re trying to squeeze every ounce of juice from your laptop’s battery, there’s Energy Saver mode. It’s a guardian angel for your battery life, reducing visual and background activity to keep your laptop going longer.
Best of all, both of these modes are enabled by default, and you can tweak them in your Chrome Settings sidebar. So, you’ve got all the power to customise your browsing experience.
Google Chrome continues to make our browsing lives easier and more efficient. What new feature would help you out the most in 2024?
#GoogleChrome #MemoryUsage #NewFeature
You’ve got a ton of stuff to juggle, and staying productive is vital… so I’ve got a helpful tip if you use a Mac… Split View.
You’ve got a ton of stuff to juggle, and staying productive is vital… so I’ve got a helpful tip if you use a Mac… Split View.
It gives you the power to run two windows side-by-side in full-screen mode, so you can tackle your tasks with laser focus while keeping distractions to a minimum.
But there’s more. You can adjust window sizes, swap positions, and even share content between them.
Here’s how to get started:
Look at the top-left corner of any app window for the traffic light buttons. Hover over the green button. A secret menu will pop up with options like ‘Enter Full Screen”, ‘Tile Window to Left of Screen”, or ‘Tile Window to Right of Screen”. Pick the second or third option.
Once you’ve chosen your side, your app will take up half of your screen. Now, you can select another app to join the Split View on the other side of your screen.
You’re not stuck with Apple’s default arrangement. Notice that black line between the two Split View apps? Click and drag it to resize each app’s window and customise how much of the screen they occupy. Double-click the line to revert to the original sizes.
If you want to replace one of the apps in Split View, it’s easy. Click the app window, hover your pointer over the green button, and select ‘Replace Tiled Window.’ Choose your new app, and your new Split View setup is ready.
Exiting Split View is easy too. Click one of the apps in Split View, hover over its green maximise button, and select ‘Move Window to Desktop.’ Your app will return to its previous size. The other app that disappeared is still around, either in the App Switcher (Cmd+Tab) or in Mission Control (Ctrl+Up).
Here’s a bonus – you can move content between apps in Split View by simply dragging and dropping. Need to transfer an image from your web browser to a Notes document? Simple!
Did you know about this feature or will you be racing to try it out?
#MacHacks #ProductivityBoost #SplitView
You know as well as I do that Microsoft is always cooking up something cool.
You know as well as I do that Microsoft is always cooking up something cool. This time it’s all about boosting your device’s energy efficiency and extending precious battery life.
Let me set the scene… you’re in the middle of a productive day, bouncing between meetings, emails, and spreadsheets. Your laptop’s battery is your lifeline, and you want it to last as long as possible. That’s where the new energy saver mode in Windows 11 comes to the rescue.
Energy saver mode takes the existing battery saver feature and turns it up a notch. While it’s preserving your laptop’s battery it’s also using less energy. And here’s the really cool part – it’s not just for laptops with batteries. Desktop PCs can get in on the energy-saving action.
You can toggle this feature on and off directly from the Quick Settings panel. When it’s on, your device goes into energy-saving mode, which means it’ll use less energy from the wall.
Microsoft is also improving the Quick Settings panel, making it faster and smoother to use. And managing VPN settings in Quick Settings is getting easier – it’s a single click to turn it on or off. Simple.
There’s a new addition for Wi-Fi connectivity too. You’ll now have a refresh button in the Quick Settings Wi-Fi panel. No more hunting for the right network – just give it a refresh, and you’re good to go.
Microsoft is also rolling out some helpful notifications for Microsoft accounts on the Settings homepage. It’s all about keeping your data secure and helping you manage your subscriptions effortlessly.
If you haven’t upgraded to Windows 11 yet, what are you waiting for? Need a hand? Get in touch.
#Windows11 #EnergySaverMode #BatterySaver
Elon Musk, recently introduced his AI chatbot called ‘Grok.’
Elon Musk, the billionaire behind rockets, electric cars, and everything in between, recently introduced his AI chatbot called ‘Grok.’ So far, so good, right? Well, it gets interesting…
Turns out, there’s another player in the tech game called Groq, and they’ve got a thing or two to say. Groq is all about AI chips, and they’ve been around for a while. They’re not mad, but they’ve got some concerns. You see, when people hear ‘Grok,’ they may think of Groq, and it’s causing a bit of confusion.
Groq’s CEO, Jonathan Ross (no, not that one), decided to have some fun with this whole situation. First, he used his own AI magic to come up with a new name for Elon’s AI – Slartibartfast. Yes, it’s from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Then, he cheekily pointed out how much faster AI runs on Groq’s chips compared to the alternative. That’s some friendly competition right there.
But now, they’ve taken it up a notch and sent Elon a ‘cease and desist’ letter. They’re keeping it light and amusing. Groq basically said, ‘Hey Elon, we’re Groq, and you’re Grok. They’re super similar, and we own the trademark. Can you change the name, pretty please?’
Ross really stands by that Slartibartfast suggestion. It’s fun, quirky, and totally in line with Elon’s idea of a sarcastic bot inspired by the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
But why should Elon change the name? Well, apart from avoiding confusion, it’s just good manners.
Elon, being Elon, has been silent about all of this so far. Who knows if he’ll actually change the name? Do you think a potential legal battle will bother the billionaire?
#TechTales #GroqGrok #FriendlyTechBattles
