Author: Mindquest

Microsoft Certifications Guide
This quick Microsoft certifications guide will provide you with a bird’s-eye view of all the company’s official trainings and thus help you advance your career.

Microsoft’s Learn portal offers a multitude of courses and Microsoft certifications for anyone to explore. Obtaining one of these certifications is therefore the first step when starting a career in the ecosystem or advancing or shifting your existing one.

Beyond providing you with theoretical and practical knowledge these certifications will validate your expertise within the industry and among recruiters. This is because, certifications demonstrate that you are up-to-date with current best practices and new tools, with some of them requiring to be renewed every year.

Courses to obtain certifications are free through the Learn platform and can be taken at your own pace from the comfort of your home. There are also several MS-vetted third-parties offering guided lessons and complementary coursework.

Students need to pay only for the practical exams, which can be taken online or at designated testing centres. Microsoft has expanded its online testing capabilities since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.

To start, there are several ways in which you can approach Microsoft training programs. You can focus on a particular platform within the Microsoft Technology Stack, or opt for a specific role and then choose a platform to focus on. You can also choose a specific career path or focus on a very concrete skill that you would like to acquire. Then, Microsoft outlines all available career paths, defining the series of certifications you will need to obtain to reach your career goal.

Certifications are divided according to the level of expertise and seniority: Fundamentals, Associate and Expert. Our Microsoft Certifications Guide will give you an overview, but you will have to dig deeper to find what really makes you tick.

Microsoft Certifications guide: Fundamentals certifications

First, as their name suggests, these certifications are the recommended starting point for anyone starting their career or looking to move into another platform within the MS tech stack. They cover:
- Azure
  Fundamentals
- Azure Data
  Fundamentals
- Azure AI
  Fundamentals
- Dynamics
  365 Fundamentals
- Microsoft
  365 Fundamentals
- Power
  Platform Fundamentals
Learn more about MS Fundamentals certifications.

Credentials

To continue, some MS certifications encompass more than one platform and require you to multiple individual certifications. Also, each of these certifications is tailored to a specific area of IT (security, networking, cloud, etc.)

Also, there are three tiers of certifications depending on the level of expertise:
- Microsoft
  Technology Associate (MTA)
- Microsoft
  Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)
- Microsoft
  Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) /Microsoft Solutions Developer (MCSD)
Learn more about MS certification credentials.

Role-based and specialty Microsoft certifications

Certifications targeting specific roles are a great way of specializing or moving from one role to the other within the Microsoft ecosystems. Moreover, roles can comprise multiple MS platforms or focus on a particular one, and include:

Administrator

Administrators oversee the implementation of Microsoft platforms, thus maintaining solutions for storage, networking, computing and security.

AI Engineer

Then, AI engineers design and implement artificial intelligence solutions by leveraging different MS tools.

Data Engineer

Being in charge of mapping out and executing the management, monitoring, security, and privacy of data, Data Engineers are therefore proficient in a platform’s different data services and tools.

Data Scientist

Not to be confused with a Data Engineer, this role requires a deep knowledge of data science and machine learning. Moreover, expertise in data modelling is a must.

Developer

At the frontlines of deployment and operations, Developers partner with architects and administrators to design, create, test, also they maintain cloud applications and services.

DevOps Engineer

Advocates of agile methodologies for software development, DevOps professionals unify teams, processes and technologies in order to streamline the product pipeline.

Functional Consultant

Moreover, functional consultant implements core application setup processes that help businesses in areas like marketing, sales or supply chain management.

IoT Developer

On the other hand, IoT Developer designs, develops and maintains Internet of Things solutions and devices within MS environments. From coding to the set-up of physical devices.

Security Engineer

As the title suggests, security professionals protect the integrity of data, applications and networks by implementing threat detection and security controls.

Solutions Architect

To conclude, the Solutions Architect is the first person to be involved in a platform deployment process. Moreover, Architects must have a deep understanding of the entire ecosystem to design solutions that run on it.

Has our Microsoft Certification Guide sparked your interest? Explore all role-based MS certifications and specialty certifications.

Learn more about pursuing a career in Microsoft Technologies with our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies careers guide.
10th September 2020
Microsoft Career Paths
Here is an overview of the different Microsoft career paths and what every different role implies in terms of roles and responsibilities.

The Microsoft Career Paths

Administrator

Administrators oversee the implementation of Microsoft platforms and maintain solutions for storage, networking, computing and security.

Responsibilities and skills include:
- Managing subscriptions and resources
- Implementing and managing storage
- Deploying and managing virtual machines
- Configuring and managing virtual networks
- Managing identities
AI Engineer

AI engineers design and implement artificial intelligence solutions by leveraging different MS tools.

Cognitive Services, Machine Learning, and Knowledge Mining are part of their toolset. For Azure, for example, areas of focus include:
- Natural language processing
- Speech
- Bots and agents
- Computer vision
Data Engineer

In charge of mapping out and executing the management, monitoring, security, and privacy of data. Data Engineers are proficient in a platform’s different data services and tools, using them to:
- Implement data storage solutions
- Manage and develop data processing
- Monitor and optimize data solutions
- Design data storage solutions
- Design data processing solutions
- Design for data security and compliance
Data Scientist

Not to be confused with a Data Engineer, this role requires deep knowledge of data science and machine learning. Expertise in data modelling is a must.

A good MS Data Scientist knows well how to:
- Set up data lake relationships
- Learning workspace
- Run experiments and train models
- Optimize and manage models
- Deploy and consume models
Developer

At the frontlines of deployment and operations, developers partner with architects and administrators to design, create, test and maintain cloud applications and services.

Among the core competences of developers:
- Development of infrastructure and storage
- Development of platforms and solutions
- Implementation of security
- Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising solutions
- Connecting to third-party services
DevOps Engineer

Advocates of agile methodologies for software development, DevOps professionals unify teams, processes and technologies to streamline the product pipeline.

Expertise is required in:
- DevOps development processes
- Continuous integration & continuous delivery (CI/CD)
- Dependency management
- Application infrastructure
- Continuous feedback
IoT Developer

Designs, develops and maintains Internet of Things solutions and devices within MS environments. From coding to the set-up of physical devices, the IoT Developer is responsible for:
- Implementing the Azure IoT solution infrastructure
- Provision and management of devices
- Implementing Edge Processing and managing data
- Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising IoT solutions
- Implementing security
Security Engineer

The title here says it all. Security professionals protect the integrity of data, applications and networks by implementing threat detection and security controls.

Functions include:
- Managing identity and access
- Implementing platform protection
- Managing security operations
- Securing data and applications
Solutions Architect

The Solutions Architect is actually the first person to be involved in a platform’s deployment process. Architects must have a deep understanding of the entire ecosystem to design solutions that run on it.

They must have expertise in:
- Deployment and configuration of infrastructure
- Implementing workloads and security
- Creating and deploy apps
- Implementing authentication and securing data
- Developing for cloud and for other storage
- Determining workload requirements
- Designing for identity and security
- Designing a data platform solution and a business continuity strategy
- Designing for deployment, migration, and integration
- Designing an infrastructure strategy
Want to learn more about the various Microsoft career paths and how to pursue them? Explore our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies careers guide.
7th September 2020
Weekly News: Game Streaming and Emissions

Game Streaming and Emissions, or Game vs. the environment

The next generation of
video game consoles is hitting the shelves this holiday season. An epic
marketing battle precedes its launch, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X fighting
to get a head start on each other by selling more consoles than the other.

Yet, ironically, this new generation of consoles might be the
last.

Like it happened in other industries, video games are moving
away from local hardware in favour of a distributed computing model. Why spent
money in a pricey box when you could stream higher-quality video games directly
to your TV or phone in real time?

With companies like Google and Microsoft having already released
their proprietary cloud gaming platforms, it’s just a matter of time before
most gaming is done this way. But, as convenient as it sounds, this could have
severe environmental implications.

A new report suggests emissions could rise as much as 30% in a future where game streaming was the norm.

BBC

Low-code is coming to Teams

Earlier this year,
Microsoft announced it was building a low-code Dataflex solution for Teams that
would allow users to easily develop custom applications without leaving Teams.
We got more details this week.

Code-named Project Oakdale, the platform will let teams create
quick applications based on shared databases. No need for third-party tools to
build an HTML or JavaScript feature that runs on Teams. Just install Project
Oakdale and use an Access-like table and form creator to get the job done.

Each team will get its dedicated data environment so that team
members can exchange actionable insights and access more relevant information.
The applications will also be able to connect with the rest of Microsoft’s
ecosystem.

Although it has its limitations, Project Oakdale will be included in the Teams subscription — a big step towards democratising low-code development within the enterprise.

TechRepublic

Also discover our article: The IT Jobs Market of Today

4th September 2020
Pentester

The pentester is a role related to the field of cybersecurity security. Its name comes from “penetration test.” The main role of a pentester is to ensure the security of information networks and applications (back end of a site, applications, etc.) and protect systems against cyber attacks.

What is the role of the Pentester?

Check website reliability

As the name suggests, the pentester performs tests with controlled intrusions into the company’s computer systems to find possible vulnerabilities.

Fix issues

After the testing stage, the pentester has to find and implement solutions to resolve the flaws identified. They will then have to reinforce and optimize the security of the applications.

Provide advice and guidance

The pentester also plays an advisory role. They must anticipate threats, put in place best practices and recommend more effective protection tools.

Required skills

Programming mastery

The pentester should be proficient and familiar with programming and web programming languages, cryptography, coding systems, and network security auditing (Python, C / C ++, Java, PHP, etc.)

An educational vocation

The pentester must be able to effectively convey encountered flaws to site and application developers. They must therefore be educators with the ability to communicate well with the developers and technical teams, to know how to clearly communicate problems to help manage them as well and quickly as possible.

Rapid action

When an intrusion occurs or a security problem is identified in a computer system, it must be resolved quickly. A poorly protected system can be devastating for the business. The pentester must therefore demonstrate reactivity and proactivity.

Within the industry

A pentester can progress to a managerial position or any other senior position in the field of cybersecurity. Their job is critical in an IT world where cyber attacks are growing more and more recurrent.

Salary

The average daily rate of a pentester fluctuates between €300 and €600.

Training

To be a pentester, you usually need to have an undergraduate or graduate degree in an IT-related discipline and demonstrate at least a base level of cyber security knowledge and experience.

3rd September 2020
Weekly News: The Best Language for Economic Research

The Best Language for Economic Research

Python, Matlab, Julia — R. Who would win the battle of the best language for Economic research? That’s probably one of the most common online queries in the programming world. There is just something about humans and our obsession with chasing the very best of the best.

Discover Python Projects to Try – From Beginner to Advanced

In reality, of course, each language has its nuances and areas
in which it shines. Anyone claiming to have a definitive answer on the matter
should come up with some solid arguments to back their verdict.

And that’s exactly what two London School of Economics researchers did. They looked at different languages based on the power of available libraries, the speed and possibilities when handling large datasets, and the speed and ease-of-use for a computationally intensive task.

Hint: the winner has a woman’s name.

Thanks, but no thanks

That’s the polite
version of what UK students were shouting in front of the Department of
Education over a week ago. The cause of their anger was an algorithm.

University admission exams had been cancelled because of the
pandemic. Teachers proposed predicting their student’s scores as a way to
compromise. The education department dismissed the idea on the grounds that
previous research had proved such estimates to be biased. Instead, they decided
to use an algorithm.

Well, that one turned out to be even more biased. Close to 40% of students received lower grades than what their teachers had predicted, potentially harming their chances to get into their university of choice. Those in working-class and disadvantaged communities were disproportionately affected.

The issue has now been fixed, but it’s a textbook examples of the dangers of AI bias.

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How To Learn Python With Rune

28th August 2020
The Microsoft Technology Stack for Business

When it comes to enterprise technology, the Microsoft Technology Stack reaches almost as far as the eye can see. From operating systems and development tools to cloud computing, the company owns an extremely diversified portfolio of solutions that can be hard to keep track of as an IT professional.

Don’t get lost in the clutter. These are the principal platforms that make up the Microsoft Technology Stack.

.NET

An open-source,
cross-platform development framework used to build all sorts of applications.
.NET, allows developers to choose among a wide variety of programming
languages, code editors and libraries, giving users the flexibility and
scalability to build solutions for everything from web and mobile to IoT.

It is these broad
capabilities that make .NET one of the world’s most popular developer
platforms. As such, it benefits from the support of a vast community and an
extensive repository of libraries.

GitHub

GitHub has been part
of Microsoft since the company acquired it in 2018. The platform is used by
both amateur and expert developers to host code, review it and collaborate by
focusing on version control and following a continuous integration, continuous
delivery (CI/CD) philosophy.

Its impressive
community is what really fuels GitHub. Millions of programmers upload their
work and review each other’s code through the platform. As such, GitHub is one
of the world’s largest open-access repositories and collaborative projects
platforms.

Furthermore, the fact
that is used by hobbyists, corporations and top professionals alike has turned
GitHub into a sort of LinkedIn for developers and tech enthusiasts. A place to
showcase one’s talent and concrete achievements.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is one
of today’s leading cloud-based productivity platforms. It combines the
traditional MS Office suite with a set of collaboration tools and features like
cloud-based storage and Teams to provide organizations and individuals with the
means to get things done wherever they are located.

It is a mix of software like Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with flexible and scalable cloud storage and security and world-class security. From an IT perspective, it requires companies to deploy, maintain and update an infrastructure that is adapted to business needs while preserving security and a nimble spirit.

Microsoft Careers

Dynamics 365

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are all-encompassing software toolsets with capabilities extending across marketing, sales and customer service. As a leading CRM, Dynamics 365 allows organisations to easily plan and execute operations from a single platform. The speed, efficiency and cohesiveness derived from its use have made CRM a staple of today’s business management – as well as one of the most profitable specialisations in the IT world.

Dynamics 365 is a scalable solution that allows for advanced customization, making it adaptable to the needs of each company. It is the job of technical MS experts to set up, customize and maintain this environment in a way that maximizes efficiency, user satisfaction and customer loyalty.

Test these upcoming Dynamics 365 features

Azure

Microsoft Azure is the
company’s public cloud computing platform. A competitor to Amazon Web Services
(AWS), Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud, Azure provides companies with a wide range
of cloud services, including computing, storage, analytics and networking.

Azure is an
open-source-friendly, adaptable and scalable platform that fits the needs of
every customer. Furthermore, Azure is industry-specific, providing dedicated
tools to sectors like healthcare, e-commerce or retail. It offers 4 different
types of cloud computing: infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a
service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS) and serverless.

A whole army of professionals is needed to design, deploy and maintain such cloud ecosystems.

On Learning Azure IoT and Being an Active Member of the Community

Microsoft Power
Platform

The Microsoft Power
Platform enables businesses to create and deploy custom-made workflow apps and
reports that help them easily extract, process, and analyse data. The Power
Platform is integrated with the rest of Microsoft’s ecosystem of platforms as
well as with other third-party apps.

It is a key tool in
today’s data-driven business world, providing actionable insights in real time.
It requires a team of technical experts to deploy, maintain and expand, as well
as to train end-users and offer them support on a daily basis.

Microsoft SQL
Server

SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) by Microsoft. Also called MSSQL, it serves as the backbone to data registering, accessing and manipulation for its enterprise customers.

It is protected by high-grade encryption and caters to a variety of businesses depending on size and data needs.

Learn more about the QlikView Developer Job

Visual Studio

Microsoft Visual
Studio is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that can be used to build
anything from the ground up. In a way, IDEs are the word processors of the
programming world, allowing developers to create applications for a multitude
of platforms from a single place.

Visual Studio includes debugging, automation and
team collaboration features, creating a holistic environment to conceive and
deliver high-quality applications.

Learn more about the Microsoft Technology Stack and the various roles within Microsoft Technologies in our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies Careers Guide

21st August 2020
Weekly News: A crypto-worm is stealing AWS credentials

Researchers have
discovered what they believe to be the first-ever crypto-mining worm that also
manages to steal AWS credentials.

Crypto-mining worms have been around for a while, stealthily
infiltrating a network and using its computing power to mine cryptocurrency.
This new worm is actually not even that good at it, having only made a mere
$300 in profits.

However, the attackers, who go by the name TeamTNT, have managed to incorporate the credential-stealing feature into their code. The researchers believe the attackers have recycled this functionality from a previous worm that targetted Alibaba’s cloud.

This points to an emerging trend of copy-and-paste, opening the door for future malware to replicate TeamTNT’s code and go onto steal AWS credentials and compromise cloud ecosystems.

Fired for skipping the firewall

A whopping four out of
ten businesses in the UK admit having dismissed employees for breaching the
company’s security protocols. That’s according to a new survey by Centrify, a
privileged access management solutions provider.

Most incidents were related to work-from-home scenarios, as a
large proportion of employees tends to circumvent safety measures in favour of
comfort or portability.

As a result, 65% of companies have made important changes to their cybersecurity policy. Shadow IT was already a huge problem before the workforce transitioned to remote work. Now it’s become even more difficult to ensure that employees don’t use personal devices to access company networks and files.

Well, just keep in mind that you could get fired for it.

21st August 2020
Remote Hiring is Here to Stay: a Fresh Take on IT Recruitment

Any activity that could afford it went remote with the arrival of Covid-19. Now, as the months ahead remain uncertain and companies discover that is possible to operate remotely, the exception has become the norm. A recent Gartner survey confirmed the writing on the wall: a sweeping 82% of business leaders are planning on allowing at least some level of remote work moving forward, even after the pandemic is over. Yet despite being the other side of the employment coin, recruiting has not received that much attention thus far. In fact, remote hiring has become as much of a necessity and a reality and, just like telework, it comes with its own set of challenges and peculiarities.

Remote hiring & the new recruitment landscape

Gone are the days of overcrowded career
fairs full of eager master’s students elbowing each other to get a minute with
a representative of one of the top companies present. So are the endless rounds
of in-person interviews that have candidates repeatedly come into the employer’s
offices and meet half the team.

From now on, businesses will conduct fewer
and more focused interviews, mostly online. Only the more critical and senior
positions will get greater face-to-face time, with the rest of candidates being
interviewed remotely except for perhaps the last interview, which is often just
used to meet the chosen candidate and establish a more personal connection —
something rather important in the colder remote work environment. In the case
of IT contractors and temporal employees, however, the selection process is
most likely to move completely online as flexibility and speed can be more of a
priority.

Career fairs and other networking events will also move online or even disappear completely, in favour of a new model that can accommodate safety measures while allowing for talent attraction. Eliminating the physical barriers of traditional career fairs will, in turn, expand the pool of candidates available to companies and democratize access to the top positions. Companies will be able to seek the best candidates regardless of location, while candidates will get to apply to positions that otherwise would have been completely out of reach.

A new series of challenges for employers with remote hiring

But moving the hiring process online will
create new problems while solving existing ones. Assessing a candidate’s fit
for the position and the company is more challenging when done through a
computer screen. And there is a lot to assess in today’s candidates.

Hunting for the most in-demand technical IT skills was already tricky before the pandemic. Especially for the more niche skill areas, HR managers and recruiters who did not have that deep a technical expertise often had troubles assessing the technical skills of IT candidates.

On top of that, the current crisis has created a need for IT professionals to possess a series of more business-focused skills. From change management and compliance to business intelligence, recruiters now have one more checklist to worry about when evaluating candidates.

Additionally, the unique conditions of remote work make soft skills more important than ever. Softer skills like creativity and entrepreneurship were already becoming a must-have for IT experts. Now, interpersonal and communication skills are key to ensuring efficient teamwork dynamics and workflows. So is cultural fit. Employees need to be proactive in reaching to colleagues, making their work more visible and being open about their needs. Unfortunately, soft skills are some of the hardest qualities to assess when not face-to-face.

Looking ahead

Both the new recruitment environment and the difficulties it brings along are forcing companies and hiring managers to come up with new best practices and processes in order to attract and retain the best candidates.

Ideally, the new approach combines a better and more targeted online interview model, with personal know-how and the use of the latest technological tools. For example, AI can help recruiters identify candidates who match the job’s criteria and are a

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20th August 2020
HR Managers: How to Assess the Technical Skills of IT Candidates
Undoubtedly, it can be difficult for hiring companies to assess the technical skills of highly specialized IT candidates. Especially when recruitment duties fall more heavily on the HR or Purchasing functions rather than on the more tech-savvy IT managers.

That is even if you consider yourself to be an industry insider who knows all the ins and out of your company’s market. As a hiring specialist, you probably do not have the level of detail needed to assess a candidate’s skill in any of the technical areas of expertise currently most in demand.

But that does not mean you are helpless. Not at all. Here is a series of steps that will help you identify top tech performers regardless of their specialty.

Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.

Assess the Technical Skills of IT Candidates

Start with the CV

The first step in the process of recruiting any candidate is CV analysis. Beyond providing an overall idea of a candidate’s profile and trajectory, a careful look at a CV also offers an opportunity to start filtering early on and be more efficient.

Tips on indicators to look for

Look at these
indicators to get a first impression of an expert’s technical skills:
- Real-world experience: someone who has worked on actual AWS migration projects, as opposed to someone with just an educational background, will have a deeper knowledge of this technology stack and related AWS tools (CodeDeploy, CodeBuild, CodePipeline…)
- The level of that experience. Of course, a consultant with 25 years of experience and major projects on their back will be more skilled than a more junior profile
- Specific training and certifications on given technologies. Yes. Education is still important. Not as a substitute of experience, but as a complement that demonstrates a candidate’s professional and career-oriented attitude and validates the depth of their expertise.
- The level of detail with which a candidate lists all skills and technologies. A truly experienced IT professional will have no problem specifying what programming languages, stacks and platforms. They dominate and to what level. Whereas someone with not as much experience will opt for more general and vague terminology.
Community
involvement

Moreover, not all tech and IT professionals get involved with their community and attend events. Being an active member of the community is not a prerequisite for being good at one’s job. But it sure helps.

If you spot a candidate who attends trade conferences, shares their expertise on forums, or leads workshops on their area of expertise, chances are they are the kind of committed and driven professional you are looking for. Then, positive signs here include having an active GitHub profile, which allows users to share original code and have an open debate a variety of issues.

Ask the right
interview questions

The interview is the next step. Asking the proper questions about the skills covered in the CV and the job offer will allow you to get a more precise idea of the candidate’s level of expertise.
Do not hesitate to ask for more detail on the candidate’s past experiences, to alternate open-ended questions and very concrete ones, and to propose hypothetical scenarios. Take the time to prepare your questions in advance.

If your level of
understanding of the candidate’s area of expertise is very limited, do not
hesitate to be accompanied by someone who can help you prepare and conduct the
technical part of the interview.

For more advice, particularly on how to approach interviews with independent contractors, you can check out our article on the 5 key questions to ask a tech or IT freelancer.

Put the skills to the
test

Nothing beats an old-fashioned test when it comes to demonstrating certain skills. It is very common for companies to have their IT candidates take task-specific practical tests, both to assess their technical capabilities and other parameters such as essential soft skills and cultural fit.

Again, you can enlist the help of a tech-savvy colleague to design the test and interpreted. It is standard practice to develop a range of tests covering the most common positions, but you will need to do some extra work for areas of expertise that are not so ubiquitous or if the candidate needs to fulfil very specific project specifications. Working with an industry-specialized recruiter can also give you an edge here.

Check the
references

Last step: checking a candidate’s references. As it is the case with any other position, this process takes time but is essential to avoid mistakes. Especially when you do not know too much about the skills you are vetting.

Compare the answers that the candidate provided during the interview to what former employers have to say. Ask these employers about the depth of the candidate’s knowledge, as well as their role within the project and overall performance. Here you also have a chance to corroborate your first impressions of the candidates cultural fit and their soft skills.

Find your next assignment on our freelance and permanent IT recruitment platform, or join Mindquest so you don’t miss out on any job opportunity!
20th August 2020
Weekly News: Your Phone is an Earthquake Detector

If you are one of the 2.5 billion Android device users out there, you now have a brand new conversation topic. Soon your phone will be part of a worldwide earthquake detection network. Yes, your phone is an Earthquake Detector soon…

Also discover our article: Weekly News: Robot Butlers and Virtual Influencers

Your Phone is an Earthquake Detector

While using smartphone sensors to build an okay seismometer app
is nothing new, Google has a better idea: integrating it into the phone’s
operating system directly.

All devices running Android 5.0 and up will get the new feature
through a Google Play Services update, essentially becoming decentralised
tremor-monitoring stations that one day will help detect earthquakes early on
and warn users.

For now, Google plans on collecting data for a while to fine-tune
the system before rolling out proactive alerts. But don’t worry. You can
opt-out of the service via your phone’s settings. Although most people won’t
even know it is there.

Toshiba-bye

Thirty-five years
after debuting its first laptop, the Japanese conglomerate Toshiba announced it
is abandoning the portable PC market.

The entire PC hardware market, in fact. In 2018, Toshiba had
already sold most of its PC business to Sharp, the same buyer this time
around.

The decision comes as the company announced its first quarterly
losses in 4 years and officially marks the end of an era in laptop
history.

Toshiba laptops reached their heyday in the 1990s, when they came to dominate the global market. They started losing ground in the late 2000s after an industry shift towards more attractive designs and more powerful machines

A good reminder of how important it is to adapt and keep innovating.

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14th August 2020