San Francisco, California – June 2: Apple CEO Tim Cook leaves the stage after speaking at an Apple conference. … [+]
Here are five things that happened in the tech industry this week and how they impact your business. Were you lonely?
1 – iOS 18: The latest in Apple’s on-device AI plans.
Apple is expected to announce iOS 18 at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June. This “on-device” AI-powered system does not require connection to a cloud server and significantly upgrades iPhone performance. Applications such as Siri have enhanced intelligence similar to chatbots. Apple Music will be adding automatic playlists, as well as a series of other upgrades. There’s also a lot of talk about Apple focusing on privacy issues that will be enhanced by this AI system. According to reports from the tech community, iOS 18 is expected to be released in September 2024. The conference will be held online from June 10th to 14th.th. (Source: 9to5 Mac)
Why this is important for your business:
When we talk about AI in business groups, we usually focus on Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and other players, but we rarely mention Apple. why? This is because Apple’s AI strategy is different. Rather than releasing his AI products, they quietly and quickly incorporate AI into existing products so that both enterprise and consumer users can benefit.
2 – Fraudsters target LastPass employees with CEO audio deepfakes.
The cyber incident that made headlines this week involves another deepfake scheme. Password application LastPass has warned the public about fraudulent calls from individuals pretending to be employers using deepfake audio after the company suffered one such attack. The intruder created her WhatsApp account and contacted her LastPass employee posing as CEO Karim Touba. The communications also included “forced urgency” messages intended to coerce employees. In this case, the incident was reported immediately and an employee immediately reported the situation. LastPass has since posted a warning on its website about the “spread of ‘deepfake’ technology.” This attempt caused no damage. (Source: PCMag)
Why this is important for your business:
It’s not reassuring to see deepfake scammers turning to software storage companies like LastPass. However, it was reassuring to know that there are employees who can spot this type of fraud. Yes, deepfake scams will continue to proliferate and become increasingly distinguishable from genuine messages. But ultimately, it’s humans who have to keep the bad guys out, and the more trained and aware our employees are, the more protected we will be.
3 – Space startups are licking their lips after NASA gave away its $11 billion Mars mission for free.
In astronomy news, NASA’s Mars sample return mission is undergoing a major recalibration aimed at bringing it closer to reality. Initial estimates were that it would cost him $11 billion to successfully complete on a 15-year schedule. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson concluded that a mission of this scale would be too expensive and take too long. “We need to think outside the box to find ways to return samples at an affordable price and within a reasonable amount of time,” Nelson said at a news conference. (Source: TechCrunch)
Why this is important for your business:
As plans are being revised, there is a huge opportunity for start-ups and space companies to bid and propose schematics at lower costs. NASA plans to consider the proposal and aims to shorten the mission to 2030.
4 – Zendesk announces more features for the AI era.
CRM software company Zendesk has announced Zendesk AI, which provides a faster and “more personalized” experience. Tools like AI agents can run “independently and faster than the average bot” and handle complex customer interactions autonomously. AI also learns company policies to effectively handle complex problem-solving tasks. It’s programmed to address your customers’ unique needs while automating basic tasks like sending personalized emails. (Source: Martech Series)
Why this is important for your business:
Where will businesses get the most value from AI in 2024? Customer service. Large companies are investing millions of dollars in automated chatbots that act as human-like agents. And many other software companies, like Zendesk, are spending millions of dollars updating their software to take advantage of AI capabilities. No matter what customer service platform you use, spend time with your software provider to learn about the AI features they currently offer or plan to offer.
5 – Squarespace rolls out new subscription features to make it easier for entrepreneurs to earn recurring revenue.
Hosting and website builder Squarespace has announced a new subscription feature to help entrepreneurs monetize their content. (Source: Squarespace)
Why this is important for your business:
Features like blog paywalls can be added to your website as a one-time or recurring payment. Initial readers will see a quick preview of your blog post before proceeding. You can now access videos through the payment stage and view your entire library or selected video content. Based on the amount of content available, you can offer bundles that include blog archives, for example, by bundling certain products, such as e-book sets, at a certain price.
