Recalling 'Recall' and other tech stories you may have missed

August 7, 2024 10:00 AM

Microsoft recalls its "Recall" feature, a report on the impact of artificial intelligence on the small and midsized business landscape, the continuing evolution of Chromebooks, and other recent developments in technology you may have missed.

1. Microsoft recalls 'Recall'

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

After much decrying of Microsoft's Recall feature, the company has nixed plans to develop the project further, citing concerns over security issues. An AI-powered tool that records what people do — then stores that record of activity on their computers — could potentially give hackers instant access to their PCs. These "security pitfalls" have been acknowledged by Microsoft execs such as Pavan Davuluri, corporate vice president of Microsoft Windows and devices. For starters, the feature will be offered as an opt-in tool rather than integrated into Windows. (Source: Tool Report)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Given that I wrote about this last week, I'm not surprised. First of all, give credit to Microsoft for listening to the tech community and responding. I'm sure there was a lot of hand-wringing around this decision. But know that "Recall" isn't going away. It's now opt-in. And as the company gets smarter about using Recall to help fix problems and run their devices better, I'm sure many of us will be opting in, as long as these security issues are addressed.

2. Why a tech writer is unlikely to use Copilot anytime soon

Tony Phillips of How-To Geek shared his reservations about adopting Microsoft's artificial intelligence-powered Copilot in their productivity suite. Phillips' key concerns include privacy and data security in terms of how data is processed and stored when using AI features. He also expressed doubts about effectiveness and accuracy, unsure about the AI's ability to understand and perform tasks accurately, and questioned whether the cost to access premium AI features is justified. "Ultimately, I enjoy creating original work from scratch and putting my name to it," Phillips concluded. (Source: How-To Geek)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Phillips is only scratching the surface. I recently did a webinar where I had optimistically and naively hoped to demonstrate how Microsoft Copilot could be used in Dynamics and it failed miserably. Spinning screens, no responses, inaccurate responses and an overall lack of functionality that really made me question why Microsoft even released this product. All it did was make my company look bad. I truly believe that Copilot will mature into an actual productive and useful tool. But it's far from it right now.

3. How AI will transform the SMB landscape

Andrew Ostrovsky/agsandrew - Fotolia

Software company Pax8 shared results from its Channelnomics AI Buying Trends survey that illuminated the ways in which artificial intelligence will transform the small and midsized business landscape. The report highlights AI's critical role in enhancing efficiency, data analysis, customer engagement, and overall business processes. Key findings include that 88% of SMBs have implemented at least one AI system while 96% plan to purchase more AI tools within the next year. While 42% named insufficient infrastructure and security as major security barriers, 58% are currently working with a solutions provider to deploy AI. (Source: SME horizon)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: I'm betting that SMB's use of AI here is nothing more than doing queries in ChatGPT or messing around with Copilot and Gemini. As I write here, AI is still a big-company game and smaller businesses are advised to wait until software companies release products that — unlike Copilot, which I wrote about above — can actually increase productivity and provide ROI for their customers.

4. The evolution of Chromebooks

Cesar Cadenas reported for ZDNet on his first-hand experience using the HP Chromebook Plus x360. He noted highlights such as its bigger screen, more powerful hardware, high-end performance, and flexibility that allows it to be used as a tablet. The keyboard, Cadenas notes, is his favorite feature "by far" for its responsiveness and durability. He was also pleasantly surprised by the eight-hour battery life after he did a test-run by continuously playing a YouTube stream. Overall, Cadenas recommends the Chromebook Plus x360 as a "great all-round work 2-in-1." (Source: ZDNet)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: There used to be a time when Chromebooks were simply a cheaper laptop that were required to be online to be useful as data and files were stored in the cloud. But these devices are changing to becoming full-blown laptops that can rival Windows and iOS machines.

5. Everything Apple announced at WWDC 2024

Customers shops in an Apple Inc. store in Sydney, Australia.

Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg

At WWDC 2024, Apple made several exciting announcements about the latest updates across its software platforms: iOS 18 introduces new features like enhanced multitasking, redesigned widgets, improved privacy controls, and a revamped Messages app. For its desktops, macOS 13 has a new Control Center, redesigned Notification Center, improved Finder app, and enhanced integration with iPad apps. Swift Playgrounds 5 — the app that helps users learn code — has new tools for developers to create apps directly on iPad, making it easier for beginners to learn coding. (Source: TechCrunch)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Apple's approach to AI has been consistent: Instead of launching AI "products" (like Gemini or Copilot) it's just incorporating AI into its existing products, applications and hardware. As a business owner, you should be making sure you're aware of these features and work closely with your IT team to determine which can improve productivity in your office.

6. Shopify's AI chatbot for merchants in early access

Shopify has announced the launch of "Sidekick," an AI-powered chatbot assistant designed to support merchants on their platform. This new tool will help users manage various tasks such as creating discounts, analyzing sales, and editing shop themes. The AI assistant will be accessible via a button on the Shopify interface. When clicked, a chat box is opened where merchants can input commands and queries. There's also a waitlist for those who want to try it out. (Source: The Verge)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: As I've written previously, AI is still a big-company game and the hot AI area is customer service, particularly chatbots. But, as also mentioned, this technology will ultimately trickle down to smaller businesses as larger software platforms develop more solutions. Shopify's "Sidekick" is a perfect example of this. It's probably not as great as what some companies are developing internally, but it'll catch up and soon the smallest of e-merchants will be leveraging AI just like their bigger counterparts.

7. Google automates lead credits for Local Services Ads

Ore Huiying/Bloomberg

Google is automating lead credits for Local Services Ads starting in July. This new system uses machine learning to review all leads and automatically credits invalid ones without manual disputes — typically within 30 days. (Source: Search Engine Land)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: The change aims to save advertisers time, increase fairness, and improve lead quality. Manual disputes for lead credits will no longer be necessary (though exceptions include health care verticals and EMEA advertisers). Advertisers are encouraged to provide feedback to enhance future lead quality. I'm sure there will be some bumps in the road initially, but ultimately this automation will save significant time and improve accuracy for local businesses advertising on Google.

8. X to soon make live streaming premium-only

X will make live streaming a premium-only feature. This change will restrict live streaming capabilities to users who subscribe to X Premium, which starts at $3 per month for the Basic tier and goes up to $16 per month for the Premium+ tier. Reports indicate that this change is a move (in part) to control piracy and copyright infringements. This shift also makes X the only major social platform to charge for live streaming — a feature that remains free on competitors like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, and TikTok. (Source: Social Media Today)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: I would like to see X charge for more services and ultimately turn their platform into a paid-only community. When people pay, they behave better. And we need much better behavior on X for it to truly become a legit place for businesses.

9. Yahoo to take on Apple and Google with its own AI features

Yahoo has plans to launch its own AI features to compete with Apple's Siri and Google's Gemini. Yahoo aims to leverage artificial intelligence to enhance its products and services to regain relevance in the tech industry. The move signals Yahoo's recognition of the importance of AI in staying competitive and meeting user expectations. By integrating AI features into its offerings, Yahoo hopes to revitalize its brand and attract new users. (Source: TechRadar)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: The changes aren't earth-shattering, and they mainly focus on Yahoo Mail, but one thing caught my eye. As tech writer Muskaan Saxena reports: "There's one big new change that's cool enough to sway me over to Yahoo Mail. You'll soon be able to link your Yahoo inbox to other email accounts like Gmail, and Microsoft Outlook so you can send and receive all your emails right from Yahoo Mail."

10. Send a 'digital twin' to a meeting in your place

Microsoft Bing Image Creator

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan discussed the potential future of "digital twins" participating in meetings on behalf of an employer or employee. "Let's say the team is waiting for the CEO to make a decision … my digital twin really can represent me," he offered as an example. This idea has been met with resistance given the significant risks such as AI deepfakes attending meetings on behalf of users. The "hallucination" factor that has been documented when chatbots respond to certain questions is also problematic. "Those problems, I truly believe, will be fixed," Yuan said, but didn't provide specific details on when or how such features might be implemented in Zoom's platform. (Source: Ars Technica)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Getting used to "digital assistants" impersonating real employees in order to attend meetings will take some getting used to. Adding the risk of deepfakes will only complicate this adoption. Like Windows Recall above, here is yet another example of AI technology that's very early days and likely hasn't received the level of usage and testing necessary to not only deem it effective, but safe. I would use this feature sparingly and re-evaluate its potential in another six months.