Artificial Intelligence AI implementation is en vogue right now, and if the results are any indication, the technology isn?t going away anytime soon. Like humans, as machines get smarter they can do more; but, unlike humans, machines don?t suffer from emotional value determinations. Whether you look at this as a positive or negative trait will depend on whether or not your company is looking to put it to work for you. Here are a few ways businesses will deploy AI: Processing large amounts of data Personalizing customer experiences Operational automation Security Predicting demand And more With businesses that are suffering from what are typically expensive operational problems fueling demand for AI-integrated business solutions, the market for these solutions is growing rapidly. The more businesses that understand how beneficial automation is, the higher the demand there is going to be for artificial intelligence. Blockchain Blockchain has been in the news for the past couple years, typically in the cryptocurrency conversation. Blockchain is a public ledger that?s distributed rather than centralized. Each ?block? stores all the digital pieces of relevant information about a transaction. Once the data is captured it can?t be altered. This presents substantial data security benefits. With the inherent security that the blockchain offers many businesses have been looking for ways to create applications using a more distributed system. As more people work with blockchain, more is known about it; and, as a result, there isn?t a lot of energy expended trying to do superhuman things with the technology. Instead, more blockchain-related tools are being created that are designed to help companies. Blockchain is being used in various ways, including: Managing supply chains Identity management Recordkeeping & archiving Data security And more Blockchain is so popular among application developers that Oracle?s head of blockchain development said that half of businesses will be using some type of blockchain tool in the next three years. 5G Wireless broadband access has completely changed the way people use technology. In the 40 years that wireless has been offered the standard has gone from wireless capabilities of 2.5 Kbs to over 100 Mb/s, but in the next couple of years that standard will be dwarfed by the deployment of 5G. 5G Wireless is set to be introduced in 2019, and it should completely change the world. With data speeds of 1 Gb/s and higher, businesses will gain the following benefits: Faster speeds Reduced Latency Greater Capacity Improved Battery Life And more Innovation will speed up and business will move faster than ever. Additionally, new industries will present themselves as technology is developed. In fact, a study by Qualcomm found that once 5G is completely implemented it will become a ?general purpose technology? on par with electricity and the automobile. Virtual Reality If you polled 100 people, the prevailing sentiment around virtual reality would likely be that it is cool, but as a technology, it is a novelty. Nothing could be further from the truth. With advances in both hardware and software, virtual reality is set to transform the way people see the world. For business use, the applications available from the integration of virtual reality are virtually limitless. With its current novelty status, it is now a popular technology used by companies to market their products. VR offers unprecedented immersion and by creating virtual […]

The E-Waste ProblemPlastic waste has become a major issue over the past few years, and today, we?ve come up with an effective system to get this managed. E-waste, on the other hand, despite being nearly all recyclable remains an issue. E-waste is actually a remarkably expensive issue for the world, with some reports placing the value of e-waste as high as $62.5 billion–more than the GDP of most countries, to put it in perspective. With less than 20% of all e-waste being properly recycled, most devices find themselves in landfills, taking up space in developing countries and exposing people to dangerous substances. E-waste that finds itself in a landfill might be burned, in turn spilling toxic and hazardous materials into the air, or contaminating soil and groundwater, creating further issues for countries unable to manage the sheer volume of e-waste. Several initiatives have been attempted to revamp the way we, as a society, approach the issue. Some think that making devices more durable will resolve it, as devices will be less likely to break and more long-lasting. Others think that a buy-back program is the correct approach, as it encourages users to trade their old devices in for a new one, improving the odds that the old devices will be properly recycled. Ultimately, it becomes a question of whether the device, and the resources used to create it, will be thrown out and become unused. How Your Organization Can HelpIt might seem like your business won?t make much of a difference on its own, but every little bit helps. You can start by being more mindful of how your organization handles unneeded technological assets, like workstations, smartphones, laptops, and other IT-related devices and components. E-waste recyclers: Your local businesses might have opportunities to recycle unused devices, so look into your options before throwing that device in the trash. Repurpose old devices: Do you have an old monitor that?s not seeing much use these days due to being replaced? You can turn it into a digital signage system to aid in displaying important information to your office. Donate devices: If you have unused devices in the office, consider donating them to the less fortunate. After all, just because you have the latest smartphone and junked your old one doesn?t mean that the old device was bad or unusable. You also need to make sure that any devices you want to recycle are wiped of any company and personal data, so be sure to work with a technology professional to make this happen. White Mountain IT Services can help you make this happen. We can also help you make the most out of your old devices, whether it?s recycling them or repurposing them for other uses. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

Just to be as clear as possible, we are going to be discussing how to be more efficient with communications that don?t involve face-to-face interaction. This includes email and instant messaging, where context and emotion can be misconstrued. Limit the Scope of Messages It might seem easy to send a message that is simple, but you should never discount the importance of sending multi-purpose emails. The issue, is that certain tasks might be put to the wayside because they are either forgotten or are set aside because they aren?t seen as ?urgent.? Therefore, if you devote some time to crafting specific messages for specific tasks, they will have less of a chance to be put to the wayside or glossed over on accident. Be as Clear as Possible That being said, it can be easy to see how you can get ahead of yourself and try to explain a ton of information in an email or IM when it?s not necessary at all. This can actually overcomplicate the problem and create issues that didn?t exist with it before. Remember, more doesn?t always make the message better. Save Important Meetings for Face-to-Face Conversations If there?s something important to say, it?s often the best course of action to just say it in person. This is particularly the case if there are rather strong feelings felt on either side. It keeps expectations managed and avoids the prospect of people taking things the wrong way. After all, having face-to-face conversations is the best way to handle these situations in the first place, so take advantage of it if you can. White Mountain IT Services can help you implement enterprise-level communications that can help you keep your employees and your business productive. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

How It?s Used Today It?s likely that you?ve already used wireless charging. The Qi wireless platform became the standard for wireless charging, and it has been used in both Apple and Android devices since its inception. It made the jump from 2.5W to 15W delivery. Wireless charging?s convenience has made it a mainstay in certain sectors. It?s a great solution to include near workstations and nightstands, as well as public places like restaurants. There is no evidence suggesting that it has a widespread negative influence on the battery?s lifespan, meaning that there?s no real reason not to have it; this just means that it will get people using their applications and mobile devices more and more. For example, the Wireless Power Consortium–the developers of Qi charging–has been developing large-form-factor charging pads for the kitchen to provide power to appliances. In the realm of businesses, there is an investigation going on into decreasing constraints on wireless charging power. Will Wireless Charging Be Possible at a Distance? Some manufacturers have developed a means to send power over a short distance, so whether or not this technology is possible is yet to be determined–especially with efficiency being taken into consideration. Once the power source and receiving device are far enough apart, the charge being delivered falls in terms of what would be practical to send to the receiving device. In other words, when it reaches its destination, it retains about ten percent of the power source, meaning that charging is, quite simply, not efficient. Resolving this issue is something that is extremely unsafe, as well. True wireless charging achieves about ten percent efficiency compared to the Qi?s near-field rates of 75 percent efficiency, as well as a wired charge?s 85 percent efficiency. It makes it hard to see how such a long-distance charge could be worth it–at least with today?s technology constraints. What are your thoughts on this wireless technology? Let us know in the comments and be sure to subscribe for more think pieces and informational discussions about modern technology.

Keyboard ShortcutsYouTube is great for both researching and presenting subjects, and with its built-in features, you can get more productivity out of it. Keyboard shortcuts are the best first step to take. You can jump to the beginning of a video by pressing the zero key. You can also use the arrow keys to fast forward or rewind a video as needed. The default is five seconds, but by holding down the Ctrl key, you can increase this to ten second skips. If you?re using YouTube for a presentation, you can pause and resume the video by hitting the spacebar or the K key. You can use the up and down keys to adjust the volume, as well. The M key will mute or unmute the video. Start from a Specific Point in the VideoYou can alter a link to a YouTube video to start at a specific point. The easiest way to do this is to just grab it from the video on YouTube. For example, check out this video about phishing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfnA7UmlZkE Under the Share option, you will see the Start at option. This gives you the ability to select a specific part of the video to start it at. The link will ultimately look something like this for around the one-minute mark. https://youtu.be/jfnA7UmlZkE?t=63 Use Search Filters to Improve ResultsIf you?re not finding the right content you?re looking for, you can use filters to customize your results based on specific criteria, including channels/playlists, specific durations, and other types of media. YouTube is a great resource for many businesses. What are other ways you might use YouTube? Let us know in the comments.