STG InfoTech

Microsoft is launching Team Copilot later this year, expanding the reach of their AI assistant from individual tasks to team projects and meetings. What exactly is this? It’s a collaborative tool designed to make your work life easier by acting as an AI-powered assistant in group settings. This means it can join your Teams video calls to take notes, create follow-up tasks, track agenda times, and assist in both in-person and hybrid meetings. Essentially, it’s a smart assistant that helps you stay on top of everything during a meeting. Team Copilot can also summarize long group chats, highlight important info, and answer questions from the group. It’s perfect for making sure everyone is on the same page without getting bogged down by long conversations. Need help managing projects? Team Copilot’s got that covered too. It can create tasks and goals within Microsoft Planner, assign them to team members, and even draft documents like blog posts. Plus, it will notify the team when additional input is needed, keeping everyone aligned and on track. While the feature is still in preview and will be available later this year for Microsoft 365 customers with a Copilot subscription. I think the potential benefits are huge - it’s all about making group work more efficient and productive. What do you think about Microsoft Copilot and all the uses it has? Read more on Copilot tasks ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02zknqC0 #TeamsCopilot #Microsoft #AI

Ever feel overwhelmed by the number of websites asking for permissions like location, notifications, camera, and microphone access? Managing these permissions can be crucial for your privacy and security. And it's easier than you think with the Microsoft Edge browser on Windows 10 and 11. Here’s how you can take control… First things first, fire up your Edge browser. Go to the site you want to manage permissions for. You’ll see a little lock icon next to the website link in the address bar. Click it. Select "Site permissions" from the menu. You’ll see options for location, camera, microphone, notifications, etc. Use the drop-down menus to allow or deny each permission. Want to reset to default? Just click "Reset permissions" and then "Reset". Refresh the website to apply your new settings. If you need to change permissions later, it’s no problem. Open Edge and navigate to the website. Just like before, click that lock icon. Use the drop-downs to tweak your settings. Hit refresh to ensure your changes take effect. And that's it. You've mastered managing site permissions on Microsoft Edge. It’s a simple process but it keeps your browsing experience secure and tailored to your needs. I have tons more advice to protect your business’s privacy. Get in touch. Read more on managing permissions ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02zkwWW0 #Microsoft #Edge #PrivacySettings

Here’s some news that could make your work a whole lot easier. Microsoft is rolling out a brand new feature for its Edge browser: Live video translation. I’m excited for this one. It was announced at the Microsoft Build 2024 conference. This AI-powered tool can dub and subtitle videos in real-time from popular platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn and more. Imagine watching a YouTube tutorial in Spanish and having it translated into English instantly. Or catching a business webinar on LinkedIn in German, even if you don’t speak the language. This feature can do just that, translating spoken content into select languages as you watch. Currently, it supports Spanish to English, English to German, English to Hindi, English to Italian, English to Russian, and English to Spanish. While the language options are limited now, Microsoft plans to expand them soon. Plus, the tool will also work on popular news sites like Reuters, CNBC, and Bloomberg. This feature could be a game-changer for those who are hard of hearing, providing captions for videos that don’t have them natively. Many video players offer automatic captioning, but for those that don't, Edge's new tool could be incredibly useful. This is just one of the many exciting AI innovations Microsoft has in store. It’s a perfect reason to consider switching to Edge to stay ahead with the latest tech tools. Is Edge already your browser of choice? Read more of Edge browser feature ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02zkmcB0 #Microsoft #Edge #LiveCaptions

Starting next month, Microsoft will enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all Azure administrators. What’s MFA? It’s a security measure that adds an extra layer of protection when logging in. After your password, you’ll need to enter a code from another device. Think of it like adding a second lock to your front door. What’s Azure? It’s a cloud service from Microsoft that lets you store data, run applications, and manage your IT resources online. MFA is a simple yet powerful way to boost your business’s security. Even if cyber criminals steal your password, they’ll still need the MFA code to get in to your account. I’d recommend you use it on as many of your tools and accounts as you can for an added layer of protection. Do you think it should it be mandatory for all applications? Read more on Azure MFA ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02zkk7G0 #MFA #Microsoft #Azure

Had an email from your bank or the government? STOP! Don’t click anything and be really careful… as a trojan is currently targeting business owners and managers like you. What’s a trojan? Think of it as a cyber enemy disguised as something harmless, like an email attachment. Once you open it, the trojan installs itself on your system, aiming to steal sensitive info like bank details. The current one, called Grandoreiro, has been spreading since March 2024. It’s a phishing attack, where you get an email from someone pretending to be someone you trust, to trick you into downloading malware. How does it work? You might get an email looking like it’s from the government or a bank, telling you to click a link to view an invoice or statement. Clicking redirects you to an image of a PDF icon while a ZIP file downloads in the background. This file contains a disguised executable that, once opened, installs the trojan. Once inside your system, Grandoreiro can track keyboard inputs, simulate mouse activity, share screens, and display fake pop-ups to steal usernames, operating system info, device runtime, and most importantly, bank details. It spreads through your inbox, leading to more spam and infections. Here’s how to protect your business: * Be cautious of unexpected emails, especially those with links or attachments. * Double-check the sender’s email address and contact the organization directly if unsure. * Ensure your systems and protective software are up to date. * Make sure everyone knows about phishing tactics and how to recognize them * Regularly back up important data. If you need a hand with anything to keep your business secure, my team and I can help - get in touch. Read more on Trojan malware ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02zkbw20 #malware #trojan #CyberSecurity

Are you ready for some more exciting news from Microsoft? This is one that could supercharge your team’s productivity too. It’s teasing an AI feature called “Delegates.” Imagine this: You’re tagging one of your managers in a Teams chat or email with an urgent request, but they’re out of the office. Instead of waiting for them to return, Delegates automatically finds the right person to step in and handle it. It’s like having a super-efficient assistant that ensures nothing falls through the cracks. Here’s how it works: If a manager is mentioned in a message and is unavailable, Delegates reroutes the request to another qualified team member. This delegate can then respond, keep the conversation flowing, and even have the necessary permissions to act on behalf of the manager. Once the manager is back, they regain control, ensuring a smooth and secure transition. Why is this a game-changer? 1. No more waiting for approvals or decisions. Delegates keeps the workflow moving, reducing downtime and bottlenecks. 2. With quicker responses and seamless delegation, your team can focus on getting things done rather than chasing down approvals. 3. Keeps everyone in the loop and ensures that tasks are always being managed, even in the manager’s absence. 4. Microsoft has built-in safeguards to prevent any sensitive data mishaps, so you can delegate with confidence. Sounds good, doesn’t it? I can’t wait to give it a try. Is it something that will make your life easier? Read more about Microsoft Delegates ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02yFD_D0 #MicrosoftTeams #ProductivityBoost #Delegates

Remember how simple Google Search was 20 years ago? The search results page was a lot simpler than it is today. Well, guess what? Google has just brought back a slice of nostalgia by reintroducing a classic search mode without AI. Over the years, Google Search has changed a lot, adding useful features like typo suggestions and different search modes (images, news, videos). But not all changes have been welcomed with open arms. Sponsored ads and the recent AI-powered 'Search Generative Experience' (SGE) left many people longing for the simpler times of pure, straightforward search results. In response to this, Google has introduced a new 'web' setting that lets you search like it’s 2000 again. This mode strips back all the extras – no images, no shopping results, no AI-generated answers – just a clean list of text-based links. You can find this new mode under the 'More' option just below the search bar. The response on social media has been overwhelmingly positive, with many people expressing their relief and excitement for this back-to-basics approach. For business owners who may feel apprehensive about the rapid advancement of AI, this move is a reassuring nod to simplicity and user preference. This throwback to classic search is a reminder that sometimes, less is more. Have you been missing the straightforward search experience? Read more about Google’s AI ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02yFTGz0 #GoogleSearch #AI #BackToBasics

If you’ve been having trouble connecting to your VPN (Virtual Private Network) on Windows 11, Windows 10, or Windows Server since the April security update, worry no more. Microsoft has resolved the issue with the May 2024 Patch Tuesday update. This bug affected many people, but Microsoft quickly acknowledged the problem and got to work on a fix. Now, you can enjoy seamless VPN connections again. If you can’t install the May update immediately across your business, there’s a temporary workaround: You can remove the April updates using a specific command, but this will also remove important security fixes, so it’s best to update to the latest patch as soon as possible. Please don’t try this yourself. My team and I can install the patch and keep your systems running smoothly and securely. And if you’re not already using a VPN, we can help with that too. Get in touch. Read more about VPN connections ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02yFRxN0 #Microsoft #VPN #BugFix

Understand the role of IT in finance with our latest blog! Learn how technology drives security, innovation, and customer experiences in the financial sector.  Check out our blog ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02yHFB00 #STGInfotech #ITsolutions #FinanceTech

Are you experiencing slower browsing speeds on Chrome? The culprit might be some of the extensions you’ve added to your browser. A web optimization service analyzed 5,000 Chrome extensions and found some could be causing significant slowdowns. According to their findings, extensions that process data before a page fully renders are the worst offenders. VPNs (that’s Virtual Private Networks), for instance, can add a full second of delay because they route your traffic through an intermediary server. Extensions running their code after the page has loaded can still affect performance, though usually less severely. Even if an extension doesn’t slow down page loading, it might cause delays in clicking around, making your browsing experience feel less snappy. A 160-millisecond delay might sound minor, but if you have multiple such extensions causing issues, these small delays can add up. On the bright side, most ad-blockers can improve your browsing experience. Ad-heavy websites are notorious for causing slowdowns. It was found that without an ad-blocker, average CPU processing time on such sites is 57 seconds. If your Chrome browser is sluggish and you suspect extensions are to blame, you can remove the offending extensions or restrict them to only enable on certain sites. Would you like us to help you manage extensions and increase productivity across your business? Read more about Chrome extensions ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02yFTGv0 #Google #Chrome #extensions