Today in Tech

Google and Apple delivered their contact tracing app API to public health agencies across the globe. The apps would allow Bluetooth pings between smartphones within six and a half feet of each other. And in theory, these apps would notify you if you had been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. In practice, public health authorities will have to encourage around 60% people in a given state or country to download the app in order to meaningfully conduct contact tracing/exposure notification. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and PCWorld/Macworld’s Michael Simon join Juliet to discuss Apple and Google’s unprecedented collaboration, privacy concerns and how state and federal governments will utilize the API.

Apple’s newly launched iPad Magic Keyboard brings even more enterprise capabilities to the iPad Pro. But is it worth it? If a MacBook Air is cheaper than a souped-up iPad Pro and keyboard, which is the better buy? Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and Macworld writer Michael Simon join Juliet to debate the new Magic Keyboard. They go over their iOS 14 must haves, whether or not they’d use the keyboard and if it’s worth the price. Stick around for some 2020 Apple predictions, too, including a potential 5G iPhone, the iPhone 12 Pro and over-the-ear AirPods.

With more of us connecting with our healthcare providers virtually during the coronavirus pandemic, hackers may find it more appealing to attack medical or hospital systems. Increased amounts of data due to telemedicine and medical internet of things (IoT) devices must be secure to protect individuals’ privacy and for HIPAA compliance. Network World senior writer Jon Gold joins Juliet to discuss medical IoT security risks and how some device makers are utilizing IoT to give healthcare providers and private citizens alike valuable data about the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.

Computerworld contributor Preston Gralla and Executive Editor Ken Mingis answer viewers' questions about the latest Windows 10 release. If you have a question, post it as a comment.

The economic impact of COVID-19 has forced many businesses to readjust their budgets and cut costs where possible. That could mean halting PC and smartphone upgrades or pausing software rollouts. One IT sector that may experience growth during the recession is infrastructure. As cloud becomes central to business operations, enterprises may be unwilling to cut costs entirely. And cloud service providers are buying up more hardware to cater to existing clients that are now working in the cloud more and more often. Stephen Minton, IDC analyst and program vice president of the Customer Insights & Analysis group, joins Juliet to discuss 2020 spending predictions and when IT spending may return to normal. More about IDC’s IT spending predictions: https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS46268520 IDC’s Coronavirus Index Report: https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US46272920

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. recently approved some wireless spectrum within the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi 6 use. This will nearly quintuple the existing Wi-Fi 6 spectrum. The version of Wi-Fi that will take advantage of this spectrum is called Wi-Fi 6E. Existing Wi-Fi 6 clients operate within the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands, so they will not be immediately able to access this new 6GHz band. Deploying Wi-Fi 6 may be appealing to enterprises’ employees now working remotely, many of whom are working off of Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 4 networks. Network World senior writer Jon Gold joins Juliet to discuss what Wi-Fi 6E, when to adopt the much-hyped Wi-Fi 6 and what it means for the future of networking.

More people are relying on video conferencing software to do their jobs and chat with friends and family. This uptick in use highlighted some security concerns like “Zoombombing” and the lack of end-to-end encryption in popular video conferencing/collaboration tools. CSO Online’s J.M. Porup joins Juliet to discuss what end-to-end encryption is, why it’s important for video calls and what privacy expectations users should have when using these tools.

The coronavirus pandemic forced IT teams around the world to adapt to serving an almost entirely remote workforce. But once we all return to work in an office, those lessons shouldn’t be forgotten. Jack Gold, president and principal analyst at J. Gold Associates, joins Juliet to discuss how IT teams can apply lessons learned during this mandatory work from home period to a pandemic disaster recovery plan. They also dive into how enterprises can prepare for potential quarantine periods in the future and which companies stand to fare the best amid the coronavirus crisis.

More and more tech companies are stepping up to the plate to assist frontline workers and healthcare organizations as the coronavirus continues to take its toll around the world. Computerworld’s Ken Mingis joins Juliet to discuss how tech companies are helping, from working with supply chains to donate PPE, to providing comprehensive statistics about the virus.

Consumer privacy laws like GDPR or CCPA give enterprises a standard to comply with… or risk trouble with the law. Your company doesn’t need to dodge regulators to get valuable use out of your data for your customers, employees and business alike. As more of us are relying on data-collecting software and applications while working from home, vendors stand to learn a lot about our habits. This new data may also require new privacy standards on the part of vendors, which in turn could usher in policies that honor privacy by design. Michelle Dennedy, CEO of Drumwave, joins Juliet to discuss privacy engineering, ensuring that your data’s value is greater than its risk and the benefits of a strong privacy practice.

With most of (if not everyone in) your household now working from home, you’re perhaps asking more of your home network than ever before. Multiple devices may now be hosting a video conference, streaming and using chat tools all at the same time. On top of those demands, you may also be accessing sensitive company data from home. Your home Wi-Fi network needs to be both fast and secure. PCWorld/Macworld’s Michael Simon joins Juliet and gives tips on how to prioritize certain traffic on your home network, boost speeds and secure it all without leaving your house.

Amid concerns about the coronavirus, Apple released its latest iPad Pro and MacBook Air without an official event in mid-March. But one piece of hardware was noticeably absent… the iPhone 9 or iPhone SE 2. Early rumors suggested a March 31st announcement, but we haven’t heard anything from Apple yet. Macworld’s Michael Simon joins Juliet to discuss how the coronavirus has impacted the iPhone 9 launch, clues to its official release date and what features to expect in Apple’s newest budget phone.

As cyber criminals deploy more complex methods of hacking, using deepfakes to spread misinformation and “hack reality” have become more popular. This video, audio and/or text-based content is AI-generated and may be hard to discern from factual media. While no one can be totally safe from being deepfaked, heads of global companies or politicians may be especially appealing targets for hackers. Industry analyst and author Dr. Chase Cunningham joins Juliet to discuss how individuals and enterprises alike must respond to a deepfake attack, how the technology may evolve and how to determine what’s real versus what has been deepfaked. Chase’s book: Cyber Warfare – Truth, Tactics, and Strategies: Strategic concepts and truths to help you and your organization survive on the battleground of cyber warfare: https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-Warfare-Strategies-organization-battleground/dp/1839216999

Millions of people across a diverse array of industries are working from home for the foreseeable future. For some, it’s their first time doing so for more than a few days at a time. While we’ve all been adjusting to remote work, we’ve become increasingly reliant on collaboration tools such as Slack, Zoom and Microsoft Teams – but are they actually making us more productive? And once it’s safe to return to an office, will employees be willing to give up their remote work lifestyles? Computerworld’s Matthew Finnegan joins Juliet to talk collaboration, effectively working from home and how remote work tools will shape the events business and entire industries.

With widespread mandated work from home policies due to the coronavirus, many employees are working remotely for the first time. In some cases, employers had never intended their employees to be remote-only, and they may lack key work from home tools. And that makes these enterprises particularly vulnerable to hackers. CSO Online’s J.M. Porup joins Juliet to discuss why deploying MFA, VPNs and company laptops armed with MDM are important security practices. They also discuss how hackers may gain entry into your corporate networks and how to minimize that risk now.

March 20 was the deadline to apply for an H-1B visa for 2020-2021. This was the first year that USCIS rolled out a new application portal and process, which could result in more applicants to fill 85,000 visas through a lottery. CIO.com’s Sharon Florentine joins Juliet to discuss how the process worked, when applicants will learn if they’re selected and shutdowns due to the coronavirus have affected the visa process.

Apple settled a class action lawsuit as a result of alleged battery throttling issues in its iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus and SE models. The settlement calls for Apple to pay consumers $25 per iPhone. Macworld’s Michael Simon joins Juliet to discuss how customers might get paid, who is and isn’t eligible and why Apple settled in the first place. More about this in Mike’s article on Macworld: https://www.macworld.com/article/3530074/if-you-have-an-iphone-6-or-7-apple-owes-you-some-cash.html

Apple is the latest company to join the FIDO Alliance, an industry standards group committed to finding more secure ways to log in to online accounts and apps. The FIDO Alliance pushes for multi-factor authentication (MFA) deployment, from biometric authentication to physical security keys. Computerworld's Lucas Mearian joins Ken and Juliet to discuss why Apple joined the FIDO Alliance, how different forms of authentication work and how far away we are from a password-less world.

Following a pattern of security exploits, smart home doorbell maker Ring announced it would require all users to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to secure their home security systems. TechHive's Michael Simon joins Juliet to discuss why the exploits happened, what steps users can take to lock down their IoT or smart devices and the difference between Ring's security vs. privacy practices.

Apple is rumored to announce its new, lower end iPhone at the end of March. Modeled after the iPhone 8, the iPhone 9 (or maybe it'll be called the iPhone SE 2) will offer consumers a cheaper alternative to the higher-end iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro. Reintroducing its lower-end phone puts Apple in line with its Android competitors, many of which offer lower-end, high quality phones.. Macworld's Michael Simon joins Juliet and Ken to discuss the pros and cons of buying a cheaper smartphone and what they expect the upcoming iPhone 9 to look like.

Computerworld contributor Preston Gralla and Executive Editor Ken Mingis are answering viewers' questions about the latest Windows 10 release. If you have a question, post it as a comment.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re talking about technology we love. AI, 5G, edge computing, collaboration tools – all have people’s hearts racing. Watch as Michael Simon, writer for Macworld and PCWorld, and IDG TECH(talk) hosts Ken Mingis and Juliet Beauchamp discuss the technology they love most these days.

We hear the terms "deep web" and "dark web" thrown around a lot... but what do they actually mean? And what's the difference between the two? CSO Online writer J.M. Porup joins Juliet to dispel rumors and discuss what sets the deep web and dark web apart from the rest of the web.

Enforcement of the California Consumer Privacy Act begins this summer, but lawsuits are already being filed. To help you comply and avoid being sued, CSO contributor Maria Korolov joins IDG TECH(talk) host Juliet Beauchamp to discuss critical components of the CCPA and answer viewers’ questions.

Is 5G real? When should you upgrade? How will enterprises benefit and what are the costs and ROI? Analyst Jack Gold joins IDG TECH(talk) hosts Juliet Beauchamp and Computerworld's Ken Mingis to answer those questions and more to help you create your 5G strategy.

It's the day after the 2020 Iowa caucuses, and the Iowa Democratic Party has yet to announce the winner. The app that precinct leaders were supposed to use to report final tallies recorded inconsistent results. Party leaders blamed a "coding issue" within the app, not a hack or attack. Computerworld's Lucas Mearian joins Juliet to discuss the problem with mobile voting and how this snafu may affect the reputation of app voting in the future. This podcast is produced by IDG Communications, Inc.

IDC analyst and networking expert Brandon Butler joins Ken and Juliet to discuss networking trends, Wi-Fi versus 5G and how artificial intelligence and machine learning can simplify network management. They also discuss how enterprises are beginning to deploy more advanced networks to enable newer tech innovations like IoT and successfully analyze huge amounts of data. This podcast is produced by IDG Communications, Inc.

Foldables, 5G, new Android phone options – listen as Computerworld blogger (and Android expert) JR Raphael joins IDG TECH(talk) hosts Ken Mingis and Juliet Beauchamp to discuss what we can expect for Android phones in 2020.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being used even more these days. Listen as InfoWorld’s Serdar Yegulalp and IDG TECHtalk hosts Juliet Beauchamp and Ken Mingis discuss how AI and ML are being used and answer viewers’ questions.

Robotics Business Review senior editor Keith Shaw joins Ken and Juliet once again to talk CES 2020 and the future of robotics. Keith debunks the myth that robots will replace humans in jobs, and explains they'll actually be quite helpful in assisting with tedious or physically difficult tasks. He tells us what industries may change as robotics implementation becomes more popular in the coming years. From wearable robotic exoskeletons to cobots, Keith helps us understand all the exciting new developments in the robotics and AI world. And don't worry, he promises robots aren't sentient... yet.

Computerworld Windows expert Preston Gralla and Executive Editor Ken Mingis answer viewers' questions about the latest Windows 10 release. If you have a question, post it as a comment so it can be answered in a future episode.

2019 was a big year for Apple, with the arrival of the Apple Card, the iPhone 11, the new Mac Pro and and a new MacBook Pro. What can we expect from the company in 2020? Macworld’s Michael Simon and Computerworld’s Ken Mingis offer their prognostications.

The new Apple Card, the battle for cryptocurrency dominance, cybersecurity skills shortage – just a few of the stories that made headlines in 2019. Watch as IDG TECH(talk) hosts Ken Mingis and Juliet Beauchamp discuss the top tech stories of the year.

Computerworld contributor Preston Gralla answers viewers' questions about Windows 10 (and Windows 7) with Executive Editor Ken Mingis.

The hype around artificial intelligence and machine learning is giving way to real use. Join us as InfoWorld’s Serdar Yegulalp and IDG TECHtalk host Ken Mingis discuss how AI and ML have become easier to put into production, how AI and ML are being used, and how there’s a better understanding of social risks involving this technology.

Computerworld's Ken Mingis is joined by PCWorld's Michael Simon to discuss what they're wishing for this holiday season. From existing smart home gadgets and the Mac Pro to the yet-to-be-announced 5G iPhone, Ken and Michael hash out what they hope to see under the tree... or at some point in 2020.

In honor of Thanksgiving, Ken and Juliet are joined by Macworld's Michael Simon to discuss the technology they appreciate the most. From iPhones to WiFi, there's plenty to be thankful for.

2020 is supposed to be the year of 5G. We can expect to see more infrastructure roll out, faster speeds and 5G-enabled phones will flood the market. PCWorld's Michael Simon joins Juliet to discuss who will get 5G when and how the T-Mobile/Sprint merger will affect 5G.

Macworld’s Michael Simon and Computerworld Executive Editor Ken Mingis answer viewers' questions about Apple iOS.

Healthcare organizations are one of the most targeted verticals when it comes to cyberattacks. While those organizations must work to secure patients' sensitive data, it can also be helpful to analyze that data to improve patient outcomes. Jason James, CIO of Net Health, joins Juliet to discuss why attackers target healthcare organizations, Google's Project Nightingale and what it means for a tech giant to have access to the medical data of millions of people.

Computerworld contributor Preston Gralla and Executive Editor Ken Mingis answered viewers' questions about Windows.

Printers, often a forgotten target in the enterprise, are vulnerable to all the usual cyberattacks. Watch as IDG TECH(talk) hosts Ken Mingis and Juliet Beauchamp and CSO Online’s J.M. Porup discuss the threats to these devices, plus how to secure them and protect your network.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing's insecure networks leave the company--and potentially its aircraft--at risk of exploitation. Security researcher Chris Kubecka uncovered these threats in April, and new reporting by CSO's J.M. Porup reveals little has been done to patch these vulnerabilities. They both join Juliet to discuss how Kubecka discovered this information and what it means for national security and passenger safety.

Robotics and AI play increasingly important roles in a variety of industries and no, they're not here to take over mankind. Keith Shaw, editor-in-chief of Robotics Business Review, joins Ken Mingis and Juliet Beauchamp to discuss the state of robotics in the enterprise. Currently, robots are good at highly specific tasks. But we're not far away from drones, autonomous vehicles and surgical robots becoming critical parts of daily life.

Drones, self-driving vehicles and intrusive tech devices have our otherwise fearless hosts on edge. Watch as IDG TECH(talk) hosts Ken Mingis and Juliet Beauchamp, plus Macworld’s Michael Simon discuss why that tech scares them and share your worst technology nightmares.

Amid concern from regulators and Libra Association members alike, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified to Congress about plans for his company's planned digital currency, Libra. He revealed Libra will not roll out until U.S. regulators are on board with the fiat-backed cryptocurrency. Juliet is joined by Computerworld's Lucas Mearian to discuss if--and when--cryptocurrency will ever become mainstream and what hurdles Facebook will have to face before Libra has widespread approval.

When employees are your weakest link, companies must have programs in place to prevent them from accidentally or intentionally putting the organization at risk. Watch as TECHtalk hosts Ken Mingis and Juliet Beauchamp discuss various options with CSO’s Lucian Constantin.

Programs for H-1B visas and STEM OPT remain extremely popular for skilled foreign nationals who want to work and live in the US. Join TECHtalk hosts Juliet Beauchamp and Ken Mingis as they discuss the status of these programs with CIO’s Sharon Florentine.

2020 has the potential to be a huge year for 5G and its wider rollout. With promises of high speeds and low latency, 5G will enable changes across enterprises and our daily lives. One way is through the growth of semi-autonomous, and eventually fully autonomous, driving. TECH(talk) host Juliet Beauchamp is joined by video editor Chris Hebert and Computerworld senior writer Lucas Mearian to discuss how 5G will shape the auto industry and what it means for drivers.

Computerworld Windows expert Preston Gralla and Executive Editor Ken Mingis are back to answer your questions about Windows 10.