Author: Security – Computerworld

Buyer’s guide: Enterprise file sync and sharing services

September 23, 2024 /

Enterprise file synchronization and sharing (EFSS) services have been around for nearly 20 years. While the basic functions are mature, many of these tools have expanded to become content collaboration platforms for enterprise users.

“Some offer generative AI, data extraction, records management and retention, and content federation, which means vendors can apply those EFSS services to their own and third-party document repositories,” says Holly Muscolino, group vice president of workplace solutions at IDC.

At the same time, many content management platform vendors have incorporated EFSS features directly into their own products, further blurring the lines between the software categories.

While most enterprises have some sort of EFSS tools in place, it’s worth considering your options with an eye toward developing a more unified, modular, federated, AI-enabled, and workflow-optimized content sharing platform that can adapt to all of your organization’s use cases, Muscolino says.

In this buyer’s guide

  • What is EFSS?
  • Top trends in EFSS
  • What to look for in EFSS services
  • Key questions to ask yourself — and vendors — when shopping for an EFSS service
  • 9 leading EFSS vendors

What is EFSS?

EFSS services let users store and synchronize access to documents from multiple mobile, desktop, and laptop devices, allowing for view-only, edit, and download access to shared documents and folders with external partners, suppliers, and co-workers.

All EFSS services designed for enterprise use provide apps for Android and iOS devices, as well as for Windows and macOS machines. To facilitate synchronization, EFSS vendors typically maintain a copy of user data on their servers in the cloud — which is why many vendors emphasize security measures designed to protect customer data both in-transit and at rest.

Users typically can choose to have full copies stored locally or virtual copies that can be downloaded on demand to save on local storage space. But those features are just table stakes today, says Muscolino.

Four vendors dominate the market for EFSS tools from a revenue standpoint, says Muscolino: Microsoft (with OneDrive), Google (with Google Drive), Box, and Dropbox. Today, she adds, all have added new capabilities that go far beyond basic file sync and sharing services. Those expanded service offerings, which IDC now calls content sharing and collaboration platforms, are growing faster than the overall enterprise content management (ECM) space. But, she adds, “Overall this is a modernization, consolidation, and replacement market.”

Basic EFSSfunctions are also now part of many ECM suites. “A few years back, a number of ECM system vendors added document-centric collaboration capabilities, including file sync and sharing,” said Cheryl McKinnon, principal analyst at Forrester Research. “While that was happening, we saw tools like OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box adding document handling, workflow automation, e-signatures, and even enhanced governance tools to help manage the document lifecycle.”

Governance features can help organizations manage personally identifiable information, says Muscolino. “The more sophisticated services also enable you to manage specific retention and disposition schedules,” she adds.

Box is a good example of how these tools have evolved, McKinnon says. “In addition to content storage and the ability to sync across devices, they’ve added a very strong platform approach, and they’re very API-driven, so people who want to build their own content management application can do so. Box also added workflow capabilities, which is especially useful for processes that are document-centric.”

AI-based features are another area of innovation, says McKinnon. “For example, Box uses AI and machine learning to protect against malware or to detect downloads that fall outside a user’s usual patterns. It also uses generative AI to summarize documents, such as pulling out terms and conditions from a 100-page contract,” she says.

Generative AI features are still very new, and the capabilities vendors offer — summarization, translation, shortening or lengthening documents, and search — are very similar, Muscolino says. Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Egnyte have all added AI features, and OneDrive benefits from Microsoft’s Copilot genAI tool, she adds.

People are realizing that there’s value in document repositories, even for older files, and modern content sharing and collaboration services can exploit that, says Muscolino. “You can find, extract and curate information for compliance decision support, to set retention schedules, or to automatically tell you when contracts are due,” she says.

What to look for in EFSS services

Here are a few of key features, beyond the basics, to look for in EFSS service offerings. Note that content sharing and collaboration feature offerings can be very broad; some may not be necessary or relevant to your organization’s needs.

  • Permission- and/or role-based access controls for shared documents
  • Document editing
  • Document recovery
  • Version history tracking
  • Expiration dates for shared links
  • Password protection for shared links
  • E-signatures / electronic forms support
  • Generative AI-based features (document summarization, translation, etc.)
  • APIs for customization/integration
  • Integration with commonly used enterprise software such as Microsoft Office or your organization’s ECM software
  • Auditing, analytics, and reporting
  • Administrator dashboard
  • Data extraction
  • Data retention policies
  • Workflow management and automation
  • Active Directory/LDAP support
  • Single sign-on
  • Two-factor/multi-factor authentication
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Malware detection
  • Compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulatory standards
  • Cloud-based, on-premises, and hybrid service offerings
  • Federated data access across repositories

Key questions to ask yourself — and vendors — when shopping for an EFSS service

  • Who will be using the service and what do they want to do with it?
  • Where does your data need to be stored? If some or all needs to be on-premises, look for a hybrid solution that includes federated data access capabilities.
  • Do your content management system or collaboration tools already offer file sync and sharing functions? For example, a Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscription includes OneDrive.
  • Is the tool you already have, or are considering, as easy to use as the consumer-based file-sharing tools your users are familiar with? “People who use free tools for file sharing can introduce risk, so make sure the tool you choose offers a great user experience” so users don’t turn to easier, but less secure, options, says McKinnon. “A great user experience in itself is a great security feature.”
  • Will a third-party tool integrate well with your enterprise content management platform?
  • Do you have a large volume of external file sharing that needs to happen but don’t want to give external users access to your internal content management tools? This is where a separate EFSS tool can help (think OneDrive vs. SharePoint).
  • What are your requirements in terms of features, security, etc.? Do you need more advanced capabilities such as workflow management?
  • What are your security requirements for content to be shared? Most leading EFSS players have a high level of granularity in terms of access controls. But do they meet regulatory compliance standards for your industry?
  • What subscription tiers are offered and what features are included in each?

9 leading EFSS vendors

There are more than a dozen vendor offerings in this space, although not all are well suited for enterprise use. Here are nine prominent vendors that McKinnon and Muscolino say are worth considering.

Box

Box offers an extended set of features focused on enterprise use that includes a “no-code” workflow automation builder with templates, collaborative whiteboards, developer tools and APIs, and integration with 1,500 applications including Microsoft 365/Office 365, Google, Slack, and ServiceNow. Administrative controls include analytics, reporting and auditing features. The user interface includes a generative AI function that Box says can summarize documents, create meeting agendas, and create outlines and talking points for stored documents.

Security features include two-factor authentication, AES 256-bit encryption, single sign-on and multi-factor authentication support, and data leak and malware detection. For compliance it offers data retention and preservation policy enforcement for legal holds and disposition management. Box complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), Information System Security Management and Assessment Program (ISMAP), Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), and Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 140-2 (FIPS 140-2) standards.

Dropbox

Dropbox offers enterprise-grade features such as support for single sign-on, compliance tracking for a wide range of regulatory standards, and suspicious activity alerts. It also supports e-signatures, document analytics for usage tracking, and the ability to set expiration dates for shared files and view and restore version histories. Dropbox includes an external content reporting dashboard where managers can review activities for all shared files and folders for a given team.

Security features include multi-factor authentication, 256-bit AES and SSL/TLS encryption, password protection, key management, vulnerability testing, ransomware attack detection and recovery, and breach alerts when Dropbox sees suspicious login attempts. Users can remotely wipe Dropbox data from any device used to access their account data.

Egnyte

Although Egnyte describes its service as a unified content management system platform, enterprise file sync and sharing features are at its core. Its AI assistant summarizes the content of documents and allows for natural-language queries. It supports auditing and version tracking, and offers options for data recovery, PDF document annotation, and compliance documentation controls.

The enterprise-level versions add multi-step workflows, legal holds on documents, role-based access controls, intelligent document classification capability, insider threat detection, data privacy management, and compliance monitoring.

FileCloud

FileCloud Technologies describes its EFSS service as “hyper-secure,” which may be why it offers cloud-based, on-premises, and hybrid versions of its file syncing and sharing service. FileCloud features include workflow management, digital rights management, and data loss prevention.

It supports content retention policies and complies with ITAR, HIPAA, GDPR, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-171, and the Saudi Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) standards. Security features include two-factor authentication, AES encryption, single sign-on, malware detection, compatibility with security information and event management (SIEM) tools, and support for LDAP and Active Directory.

Google

Google Drive for Business is a cloud storage service that lets users create shared files and folders with download, edit, comment, or view permissions. Drive for Business is included with Google Workspace plans, so it’s a convenient and cost-effective solution for Workspace subscribers. 

Drive features a centralized administration console, an AI-based feature that predicts what documents you may need next, and a machine learning-based search function that can show files that “may require attention.” Security and data governance features include data loss prevention; a Vault feature that supports data retention, e-discovery, and e-signatures; and plug-ins for Microsoft Outlook and Office.

Microsoft

If you already have a Microsoft 365 subscription, the bundled OneDrive for Business offering may be your most convenient — and cost effective — option. OneDrive integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook as well as Microsoft’s SharePoint content management system. OneDrive tracks the change history for current files, allows for restoration of previous versions, and lets you create shared links that expire. With Copilot for Microsoft 365, which requires a separate subscription, users can search for and summarize information from across the entire Microsoft 365 environment.

Other OneDrive features include multi-factor authentication, auditing and reporting, and compliance with the GDPR. OneDrive inherits all of the security and privacy features of Microsoft 365, including role-based access and identity and app management.

ShareFile

Formerly owned by Citrix, Cloud Software Group’s ShareFile includes support for shared file and folder permissions, file encryption, MFA, and single sign-on. It offers workflow automations and templates (including for accounting and tax-related documents), e-signature support, and integration with Microsoft 365/Office 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, and other enterprise workplace software. ShareFile is compliant with HIPAA and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) standards.

Thru

Thru describes its eponymous product as a secure, managed file transfer service for automated file transfers and ad-hoc file sharing that’s tailored to the needs of regulated industries. Its zero-trust security model includes MFA, end-to-end encryption, malware detection, and data retention policies.

Thru includes audit capabilities for activity tracking, monitoring, and retention, and includes APIs and pre-built connectors for integration with other platforms. It has role-based access controls, an activity monitoring dashboard, and integrations for Salesforce, SharePoint/OneDrive, Office, and Outlook 365. Thru conforms to the GDPR, GxP, HIPAA, and PCI DSS compliance standards.

Tresorit

Tresorit focuses on file sharing, storage, and e-signature support for organizations that require a high level of security and privacy. It’s compliant with a wide range of industry-specific and government-mandated security standards, including HIPAA and GDPR. The vendor markets Tresorit as a way to replace email document attachments with shared links, and offers integrations for Microsoft Outlook and Gmail.

Security and privacy features include end-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication, and single sign-on through Okta, AzureAD, and Google Workspace. Tresorit also supports access permissions, version histories, and access logs for auditing and reporting.

Google antitrust trial, two weeks in: What’s transpired so far

September 20, 2024 /

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) is set to wrap its case in the Google antitrust trial, after an eventful two weeks in the courtroom.

The tech giant is accused of engaging in monopolistic behavior by strategically acquiring certain companies and controlling the adtech industry’s most widely-used tools and exchanges. The lawsuit was filed in 2023 by the DoJ and a coalition of eight states seeking to “restore competition” on the web.

The trial began on September 9, and the DoJ has been laying out its case that Google has attempted to monopolize control of the ad network, server, and exchange, beginning with its acquisition of advertising company DoubleClick in 2008.

Lawyers for the government argued that the move made Google’s ad server the default choice and left publishers with few alternatives. By integrating its ad exchange and server, Google has an unfair edge in ad auctions, and it manipulates auction rules and drives up cost, the DoJ alleged. Advertisers taking the stand — including Gannett, NewsCorp, Index Exchange, The Trade Desk, Scope3 and others — have backed up these allegations, stating that they have felt trapped by Google’s tactics, and at the same time felt compelled to use the company’s products to remain competitive.

Notably, the DoJ obtained numerous seemingly damning internal Google emails and presentations suggesting that the company was fully aware of the advantage it would gain through the DoubleClick grab and how it would impact competitors.

For instance, in 2009, Google’s former president of global display advertising, David Rosenblatt, said in an email that Google’s control of the ad market would be akin to owning both Goldman Sachs and the New York Stock Exchange. “If we execute …we’ll be able to crush other networks, and that’s our goal,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, current and former Google executives and managers have been caught contradicting themselves when presented with such emails, brushing them off or attempting to talk their way around them.

For its part, Google argued that the government is focusing on just a narrow sliver of the advertising market (that is, banner ads at the top and sides of web pages). In an opening slide deck, it said that the ad technology industry is “intensely competitive, with new entrants all the time.” The company claimed that there is “no monopoly power,” and that its share in a “two-sided market” has decreased even as the company’s revenue has increased.

Further, Google is arguing that sellers and buyers are free to choose multiple ad tech tools (and do); that it makes its products interoperable with those of its rivals; and that it has sought to create value for advertisers, publishers and users. In 2024, “this is the commercial reality,” the company said.

Google, which will soon have to begin its defense, is said to have earned $200 billion in 2023 alone through ad placement and sales.

The case will ultimately be decided by a judge (what’s known as a “bench trial.”) Google avoided a jury trial by making a roughly $2.3 million payment to the DoJ. The $2,289,751 check covers a portion of the damages sought by the plaintiffs, and ensures that a judge will make the final decision in the case. Google’s team of lawyers described it as a strategic decision that will help ensure a quicker resolution.

This is the second antitrust trial faced by Google in the last two years. Earlier this year, the company lost a case centered around its search business; Judge Amit Mehta ruled that the company had engaged in anticompetitive behavior to maintain its dominance, calling Google a “monopolist.” The penalties attached to that ruling are as yet unannounced.

What’s behind the return-to-office demands?

September 20, 2024 /

At the beginning of the summer, I saw a reaction video on Tiktok where two people who worked as product owners in IT talked about their jobs and what they do during the day. It would have been completely undramatic if it hadn’t been for the fact they were both working in the bright sun, in swimwear, in a pool, with their laptops on the edge of the pool. 

The person who reacted to the clip was insane. “It’s people like you who ruin it for the rest of us,” he growled. “It’s stuff like this that forces us back to the offices.”

Recently, the debate about remote work and office presence has gained new momentum.

The above-mentioned video was posted around the same time there was talk of “quiet vacationing” — a new trend where younger employees in particular take furtive vacations to protect remote work. It’s just one in a series of similar “trends” that should probably be considered more as urban legends, but which nevertheless say something about the spirit of the times. This issue is starting to get hot again.

Ratio researcher Jonas Grafström recently made an appearance in Dagens Nyheter where he argued that working from home is equal to a salary increase of 10%. That, of course, immediately started discussions about differentiated pay between remote workers and those who work in the office. In short: are you prepared to accept a lower salary to work at home? 

And just this past week, Amazon decided to call back employees five days a week — something eight out of 10 business leaders in KPMG’s global CEO survey believe will become the norm again within three years.

All this despite the fact that other surveys have shown that demands to return to the office do not bolster profitability, but instead create conflicts and risk scaring away workers with needed skills, especially women and younger people.

You don’t have to go to extreme cases to see where the conflict lies; they’re clearly laid out in the report on office work the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce released earlier this month. That report says, among other things, that a third of workers think managers want employees in the office more than they are. (Half of the employees say they agree with management on what applies, while fully 75% of the managers agree with the employees.)

Among the findings: 52% of employees say they are more productive when they work from home and 37% work more there than when they are in the office. At the same time, 39% of managers feel working in the office has “a positive impact on employees’ careers” compared to working at home. And 19%, i.e. one in five managers, say that salary is positively affected by office presence.

The effect is clear: an average employee wants to work three days a week in the office, while managers want them there four days. The managers win, of course: today half of all civil servants in Stockholm County work in the office four days a week, a clear increase.

There are different conclusions one can draw. Mine are these: 

Physical workplaces and physical interaction are better than digital workspaces and meetings when it comes to creative tasks and social/cultural togetherness. I think, depending on what you work with, employees and managers are quite in agreement.

Leadership in the hybrid work models has not developed in the ways and at the pace required. Managers still have an excessive need for control, with no way to deal with this without trying to return to what was previously comfortable (and technical monitoring solutions are hardly the answer either).

Employees have probably not managed to convey to their bosses the positive aspects of home work — for the employer. It’s great that your life puzzle is easier and you can take power walks and do laundry, but how does that help the company? It’s no wonder that whispering about sneaky vacations is taking off.

And there’s an elephant in the room we should talk about — people really hate open office spaces and activity-based workplaces. 

Forty-six percent of respondents in the Chamber of Commerce survey say permanent workplaces in the office have become more important to them in recent years, and 45% of those between the ages of 18 and 35 would come in more often if they had better opportunities for undisturbed work.

Researcher Christina Bodin Danielsson calls open office landscapes a “sea of ​​slaves.”

“There is 20 years of research on how bad it is,” she tells Fastighetsnytt. “The research has clearly shown that cognitive ability drops by 30%.”

On top of that, there’s another aspect gnawing at me (and you’ll have to excuse me for getting a little dark). I think there is a driving force here that is psychological, almost existential, and which is not really about remote work per se, but which is manifested in that issue. Namely it’s our fear, as a society, to think about the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic was only four years ago and it changed the world. And I’m not just talking about how “digitalization took enormous strides,” but about how we humans have changed. A whole generation has become adults in the shadow of the pandemic, and even those of us who were already adults were profoundly affected by changes that we now seem to prefer to ignore.

Increasingly, it feels like the pandemic didn’t happen, as if we’re actively erasing it from our collective memory. There is a kind of unprocessed trauma of a period that was so terrible and transformative that today we do our best to completely repress it all.

And the strong desire to go back to the way everything worked before, before the pandemic, is a symptom of this. 

Maybe that larger issue is also something it’s time we talk more about.

This column is taken from CS Veckobrev, a personal newsletter with reading tips, link tips and analysis sent directly from editor-in-chief Marcus Jerräng’s desk. Do you also want the newsletter on Fridays?  Sign up for a free subscription here.

Citrix introduces macOS access to any platform

September 20, 2024 /

Apple admins already know they’ll be required to enroll numerous iPhone 16 devices in the coming weeks as millions of users upgrade; they may also be more interested to learn Citrix can now deliver a macOS desktop session to any device.

That’s right, Citrix has rolled out high-performance remote access to Mac desktops via Citrix DaaS (Desktop as a Service). It means you can access a high-grade Mac from any device, wherever you are, and within the managed security of Citrix.

macOS for the rest of us (them)

“With millions of Windows, Linux, Web, and SaaS applications launched every month, it’s not often that we get to announce support for a new platform — today, we’re excited to announce that Citrix DaaS can now securely deliver macOS desktops to any device,” the company says.

As a result, users on any platform can access a high-performance Mac, and when they do, it is with the enterprise-grade security, observability, and management tools Citrix promises to provide. The service is available to support both on-premises and cloud-hosted Macs — in part, through an alliance with the erstwhile Mac-as-a-service progenitor, MacStadium.

The service makes it quick and easy to provision temporary or contract workers with access to an effectively managed Mac environment without needing to ship any hardware — reducing costs and increasing security.

Who is this for?

Citrix sees the provision of Mac-as-a-service as essential to enterprises, particularly for remote development, creative pros, and specialized application access and development. “If your organization uses specialized Mac applications, Citrix DaaS makes it easier than ever to deliver these applications to end users,” the company said. 

“Enterprise customers have been asking for a cloud-based Mac virtual desktop solution for years,” said Chris Chapman, CTO at MacStadium. “By partnering with Citrix, we’re proudly delivering a highly flexible, high-performance, and secure solution that meets the needs of businesses worldwide who rely on Macs for critical tasks.”

(When I spoke with Chapman last year, he was bullish on Apple’s prospects in the enterprise markets. “[iPhones and Macs] are becoming the de facto standard for laptop, desktop, and phone and you’re really starting to see it become pervasive. It starts with the consumer but has grown to pervade business and enterprises everywhere,” he said.)

Citrix VDA for macOS

Citrix VDA for macOS is available now for all Citrix DaaS customers. Features include Single Sign-On, an enhanced user experience with USB device redirection and HDX screen sharing, and enhanced video conferencing through webcam redirection. 

The solution supports macOS host devices using M1 or later chipsets and the latest three generations of macOS. Once it is installed on Macs (on premises or hosted, perhaps by MacStadium or AWS) the machines can be made available as a service to users. More information is available here.

Changing times

The introduction of this service would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Things have changed, mostly because Apple has now grabbed — and continues to reach for — an ever-bigger slice of the enterprise market. As it does, incumbents in the industry are accepting that they must embrace change.

And scenarios such as the abhorrent economic damage caused by the Microsoft/Crowdstrike fiasco shouldn’t really be seen as building loyalty to the status quo. When was the last time Macs ever generated such a large-scale business disaster?

At the least, for businesses curious to explore Mac use, the service provides a managed solution to deploy macOS desktop access for executive teams who otherwise make run Windows or Linux. For some, the solution could act as a perfect gateway to explore a user-focused Mac experience — a chance to try before you buy, or at least offer up an employee choice scheme to enjoy all the productivity benefits these can unleash.

Please follow me on LinkedIn, Mastodon, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill group on MeWe.

EU rules stifle AI innovation, claims Meta letter

September 20, 2024 /

The European Union risks becoming an artificial intelligence backwater thanks to a “fragmented and unpredictable” regulatory environment that is damaging the technology’s development.

That’s according to a blunt open letter and newspaper advertisement signed by 49 executives, researchers and industry organizations, notably including the CEOs of SAP, Spotify, and Ericsson.

But it is the appearance on the list of two other signatories — Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and its chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun — that frame the whole communication, which appears to have been Meta’s idea.

“We are a group of companies, researchers and institutions integral to Europe and working to serve hundreds of millions of Europeans,” opened the letter, before getting to the meat of its complaint.  

“If companies and institutions are going to invest tens of billions of euros to build Generative AI for European citizens, they require clear rules, consistently applied, enabling the use of European data,” it said.

Unfortunately, it continued, “in recent times, regulatory decision making has become fragmented and unpredictable, while interventions by the European Data Protection Authorities have created huge uncertainty about what kinds of data can be used to train AI models.”

The EU thinks it is protecting citizens from the dangers of AI development when what it is really doing is sowing chaos by layering different regulations on top of one another, it seems to be suggesting.

This centers around two pieces of legislation; the EU’s centrepiece AI Act, which recently came into effect, and 2018’s GDPR, which enforces controls around data privacy.

The former isn’t mentioned while the latter, GDPR, is referred to only in passing. The core of the complaint, then, is really the general one that the application of these rules, however well-intentioned and carefully drafted, is hurting tech companies trying to do great things with AI.

Often the complaint with AI is that there are too few rules and that by the time the world wakes up to this it will be years down the line and too late to head off the worst excesses.

This letter takes the opposite view. There are too many of the wrong sort of rules that don’t understand how AI works and are therefore hampering the sector in very specific ways.

Getting Meta

In June, Meta told its users it planned to use their Facebook and Instagram data to train its AI models, a controversial move that received pushback from regulators in the EU and UK as well as GDPR complaints from privacy organizations. The company has since modified and restarted its AI data program in the UK but has not been able to do so in the EU.

That restrictive regulation in the EU is likely the context for this latest letter. Although signed by multiple companies, the letter bears the fingerprints of Meta, which hosted the letter on its servers (as outlined in its privacy policy), and paid for the corresponding advertisement in the Financial Times newspaper

The text of the letter also references Facebook’s Llama large language model (LLM): “Frontier-level open models like Llama — based on text or multi-modal — can turbocharge productivity, drive scientific research, and add hundreds of billions of euros to the European economy.”

However, it warns,  “Without them, the development of AI will happen elsewhere — depriving Europeans of the technological advances enjoyed in the US, China and India.”

This, together with its hosting, implies that the letter was drafted by Meta with the approval of the other signatories. Inevitably, this has generated cynicism that the apparently open letter is really a thinly disguised PR campaign by Meta in its showdown with the EU.

In support of the letter, Meta’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, tweeted: “Today, dozens of leading European companies, researchers, and developers are calling on the EU to adopt a simplified approach to data regulation, or risk being left behind on AI innovation. http://EUneedsAI.com.”

His message received short shrift from Robert Maciejko, US-based co-founder of the INSEAD AI community, and a strident critic of Meta’s approach.

 “Really sad that you are part of this Orwellian doublespeak. Translated to English: Mark Zuckerberg wants the right to use YOUR data and property for his own gain forever, without asking or compensating you. And by ‘you,’ I mean everyone in the world – individuals, companies, brands, countries, etc. If his reproductions end up replacing your work, that’s your problem, not his,” Maciejko responded on X.

The counterargument to the letter is that far from making life harder for AI developers, regulations such as the EU AI Act offer a firm footing for organizations to make decisions going forward. In other regions, much of this remains up in the air.

None of this should obscure the concern felt by other signatories to the letter, however. But exactly how deep this runs is hard to tell. Computerworld contacted several of the letter’s signatories, receiving only one response, from SAP.

 “SAP encourages policymakers to adopt a risk-based, outcome-oriented approach to AI policy and develop a legal framework that builds on existing laws and avoids duplicating or creating any conflicting requirements. SAP’s ethos is deeply rooted in European values, and our focus is to help close the innovation gap in Europe in a responsible way that safeguards citizens’ wellbeing.”

This steers clear of directly criticising current EU AI regulations or appearing to side with the argument that private companies should be given free rein.

As a sign off, the open letter offers a way for organizations or individuals who agree with its contents to add their signatures to “join us in calling for AI regulatory certainty in the European Union” by filling in a form that sends their details to Meta.

It’s not clear how these ‘signatures’ will be verified.

Disney to ditch Slack after security breach, will move to Microsoft Teams

September 20, 2024 /

Disney will reportedly end its use of Slack for internal employee communications and migrate to Microsoft Teams after a hacking group stole and leaked more than a terabyte of corporate data.  

Disney CFO Hugh Johnson announced plans to move away from Slack in a memo to staff earlier this week, according to a report Wednesday by Oliver Darcy in the “Status” newsletter. The company now plans to complete the migration during the second quarter of 2025. 

Disney will move employees onto Microsoft’s rival collaboration application, Teams, according to a Business Insider report —  a switch that is apparently unpopular with some Disney employees.

A group called “Nullbulge” published a 1.1 TB file containing data taken from Disney’s internal Slack archive in July. This included 44 million messages between Disney employees, 18,800 spreadsheets and at least 13,000 PDFs, according to a Wall Street Journal report earlier this month. Information posted publicly included details on Disney’s financial status and strategy, as well as personally identifiable information on some staffers and customers. 

The breach apparently occurred after a computer belonging to software development manager at Disney was compromised. Data was then stolen from public and private Slack channels, though private messages were unaffected, according to the Journal. 

Slack is owned by business software vendor Salesforce following a $28 billion acquisition in 2020. At the company’s Dreamforce event this week, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff highlighted Disney’s continued use of Salesforce products across its operations, including by Disney retail workers and customer service staff. 

Benioff also commented on Disney’s decision to drop Slack during a Bloomberg interview on Thursday.  

“Our security is rock-solid,” said Benioff. “This is really important. Also, there’s no finish line when it comes to security. But companies have to also take the right measures to prevent phishing attacks and to lockdown their employees from social engineering. So, we can do our part, but our customers also have to do their part —  that’s extremely important.”

The evolution of Apple’s iPhone

September 20, 2024 /

The iPhone has come a long way since its arrival in 2007. Here’s our look at every iPhone that Apple has released since the original iconic iPhone arrived in 2007. 

Every iPhone model from 2007 to 2023

  • The original iPhone (2007)

  • The iPhone 3G (2008)

  • The iPhone 3GS (2009)

  • The iPhone 4 (2010)

  • The iPhone 4S (2011)

  • The iPhone 5 (2012)

  • The iPhone 5s and 5c (2013)

  • The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (2014)

  • The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus (2015)

  • The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus (2016)

  • The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus (2017)

  • The iPhone X (2017)

  • The iPhone Xr (2018)

  • The iPhone Xs and Xs Max (2018)

  • The iPhone 11 (2019)

  • The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max (2019)

  • The iPhone 12 and 12 mini (2020)

  • The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max (2020)

  • The iPhone 13 and 13 mini (2021)

  • The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max (2021)

  • The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus (2022)

  • The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max (2022)

  • The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus (2023)

  • The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max (2023)

First iPhone

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Apple’s first iPhone arrived in June 2007.

After months of rumors and speculation, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone on Jan. 9, 2007. The device, which didn’t actually go on sale until June, started at $499 for a 4GB model, $599 for the 8GB version (with a two-year contract). It offered a 3.5-in. screen, a 2-megapixel camera and won plaudits for the then-new multitouch features. Critics, however, said the phone was too expensive to do well in the market. (See iPhone launch story.)

iPhone 3G

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Apple’s iPhone 3G arrived in July 2008

On June 9, 2008, a year after the original iPhone went on sale, Apple rolled out its successor, the iPhone 3G. The new model could connect to faster 3G-based networks, included built-in GPS, offered more storage and was cheaper. Selling for $199 for the 8GB model, $299 for the 16GB version, the iPhone 3G was available on July 11, and offered something called location services. “Location services is going to be a really big deal on the iPhone,” said CEO Steve Jobs. “It’s going to explode.” (See launch story.)

iPhone 3GS

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Apple’s iPhone 3Gs arrived in June 2009.

Again at WWDC, Apple’s Steve Jobs announced the next iPhone, a faster version called the iPhone 3GS. Although the form factor was unchanged from the previous version, the new iPhone was twice as fast as its predecessor and ran iPhone 3.0 (an early version of iOS 8, due out later this month). The 32GB iPhone 3G S sold for $299; a 16GB model went for $199. An 8GB iPhone 3G was also offered for $99. The iPhone 3GS was available June 19, 2009. (See launch story.)

iPhone 4

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Apple’s iPhone 4 arrived in June 2010.

The redesigned iPhone 4 arrived on June 7, 2010 in tandem with the newly-renamed iOS 4, and marked the arrival of FaceTime video chat. Prices remained unchanged: $199 for a 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB version. It went on sale on June 24, and heralded the arrival of the first high-resolution “Retina” screen. “Once you use a Retina Display, you can’t go back,” said Steve Jobs. (See launch story.)

iPhone 4S

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Apple’s iPhone 4S arrived in October 2011.

In a change of pace, Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S on Oct. 4, 2011, a few weeks after Steve Jobs stepped down because of health issues. New CEO Tim Cook talked up the new phone’s dual-core processor (the same used in the iPad 2), and said the 4S would go on sale Oct. 14. In addition to the usual 16GB and 32GB models, Apple also unveiled a 64GB version that sold for $399. (See launch story.)

iPhone 5

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Apple’s iPhone 5 arrived in September 2012.

The iPhone 5, the first version to have a 4-in. screen, arrived on Sept. 12, 2012, as CEO Tim Cook touted the faster, slimmer upgrade to the iPhone 4S during a 90-minute presentation in San Francisco. “This is the biggest thing to happen to iPhone since the [original] iPhone,” he said, referring to the first-gen smartphone Steve Jobs had launched in 2007. The iPhone 5 hit the streets on Sept. 21; prices for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models were unchanged. (See launch story.)

iPhone 5S and 5C

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Apple’s iPhone 5s and 5c arrived in September 2013.

On Sept. 10, 2013, Apple CEO Tim Cook rolled out not one, but two iPhones: the upscale iPhone 5S (now in gold, in addition to the usual white and black), and the colorful, less-expensive iPhone 5C. (The iPhone 5C was basically a reskinned iPhone 5.) The iPhone 5S got a faster, 64-bit A7 SoC (system on a chip), Touch ID, and a new motion data processor touted as the foundation for a new wave of health and fitness apps. The iPhone 5C started at $99 for a $16GB model; the iPhone 5S started at $199 for the same amount of storage. Both went on sale Sept. 20. (See launch story.)

iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

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Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus arrived in September 2014.

For the second year in a row, Apple unveiled two iPhones in 2014: the iPhone 6, which has a 4.7-in. screen, and the iPhone 6 Plus, with a 5.5-in. screen. Both iPhones sported new A8 processors that were faster and more efficient than the previous year’s models. Both also had upgraded cameras and were NFC-ready for access to the new Apple Pay network that rolled out in October. Although the iPhone 6 was priced the same as 2013’s iPhone 5S, the Plus model was $100 more. (See launch story.)

iPhone 6S and 6S Plus

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Apple’s iPhone 6s and 6s Plus arrived in September 2015.

Apple’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus represented meaty upgrades to the 2014 models on which they were based. The 6S and 6S plus got new force touch technology called 3D Touch, as well as a beefed up 12-megapixel iSight camera that shot 4K video. (The 5-megapixel FaceTime camera was also new, and was designed to take better selfies.) Both phones ran on a faster A9 chip, and came in a new color for 2015: rose gold. (See launch story.)

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

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Apple’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were released in September 2016.

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus looked much like the 2015 models, with three major exceptions: Apple eliminated the audio jack, changed the home button into a haptic-based virtual button, and added a dual-camera setup in the 7S. The loss of the audio jack, a somewhat controversial move, meant users had to rely on the Apple-supplied earbuds or use their old headphones with the included adapter. Both phones ran on a quad-core A10 Fusion chip, and came in two new colors: Black (a matte-finish charcoal color) and the super shiny Jet Black. (See launch story launch story.)

iPhone 8/8 Plus

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Apple’s iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were released in September 2017.

Apple introduced the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus with a new glass and aluminium enclosure, Retina HD display, A11 Bionic Chip, and wireless charging on Sept. 12, 2017. The front and back glass enclosure, which Apple said was the most durable glass ever in a smartphone, was reminiscent of the design of the iPhone 4 and 4s. True Tone technology adjusted the white balance of the display to match the surrounding light. Redesigned stereo speakers were 25% louder and delivered deeper bass.

Apple called the A11 Bionic chip “the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone.” It featured a six-core CPU with two performance cores and four efficiency cores, which were 25% and 70% faster than the A10 Fusion chip, respectively. The new iPhones included an Apple-designed GPU that delivered up to 30% faster graphics than in 2016’s iPhone 7.

Each model featured an improved 12-megapixel camera with a larger (and faster) sensor, a new color filter, deeper pixels, and capabilities for 4K video up to 60fps and 1080p slo-mo up to 240fps. ARKit in iOS 11 allowed developers to create AR games and apps offering immersive and fluid experiences. Color variations included space gray, silver, and a new version of gold.

iPhone X

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Apple’s iPhone X arrived in November 2017.

To commemorate a decade of iPhones, Apple ended its September event with “one more thing,” the iPhone X (“ten”). Starting at $999 for 64GB and $1,149 for 256GB, it was Apple’s most expensive iPhone to date. It included a redesigned glass and stainless steel enclosure, wireless charging, and dual cameras. Its flagship feature was an edge-to-edge “Super Retina display” — a 5.8-in. OLED display that supports Dolby Vision and HDR 10. It had a pixel resolution of 458ppi, a 1 million-to-1 contrast ratio, and True Tone.

Touch ID and the Home button were removed in favor of a new biometric security feature: Face ID. Face ID uses a TrueDepth camera system made up of a dot projector, infrared camera and flood illuminator. The A11 Bionic chip works in tandem with advanced depth-sensing technologies to map and recognize a user’s face to securely unlock the iPhone or make a transaction with Apple Pay. Face ID only works when a user looks at the iPhone X directly and is designed to prevent spoofing by photos and masks.

The 7-megapixel TrueDepth front-facing camera that enables Face ID also included auto image stabilization and delivered Portrait mode for better selfies with a depth-of-field effect. The TrueDepth camera also could animate emoji, which Apple playfully calls Animoji. The dual 12-megapixel rear camera included dual optical image stabilization, and an improved f/2.4 aperature on the telephoto lens.

According to Apple, the A11 Bionic neural engine performed up to 600 billion operations per second and was designed for specific machine learning algorithms, enabling Face ID, Animoji, and other features. Colors included silver and space gray.

iPhone Xr

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Apple’s iPhone Xr arrived in October 2018.

The Xr had an aluminum-and-glass design in six finishes, with improved water resistance and a 6.1-in. “Liquid Retina” display. Available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models and starting at $749, it featured Apple’s A12 Bionic Chip with second-generation Neural Engine — the first 7-nanometer chip in a smartphone.

Portrait mode with depth control was available on the TrueDepth camera for selfies, which included support for Memoji and face tracking for Face ID authentication, while the 12-megapixel camera with an f/1.8-aperture wide-angle lens featured a new sensor and improved software algorithms for faster focusing and enhanced portraiture with depth control. Established iPhone gestures were supported, and haptic touch controls could be used to instantly launch the camera or flashlight from the home screen.

iPhone Xs and Xs Max

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Apple’s iPhone Xs and Xs Max arrived in September 2018.

Featuring 5.8- and 6.5-in. all-screen designs and improved scratch- and water-resistance, Apple’s iPhone Xs and Xs Max both offered Super Retina OLED displays that supported Dolby Vision and HDR10 and had iOS system-wide color management; the Xs Max had the largest iPhone display to date, with more than 3 million pixels, and the biggest battery — promising up to an hour and a half more battery life than the iPhone X.

The 12-megapixel dual-camera system offered advanced depth segmentation in Portrait mode with the ability to adjust depth of field both in preview and post-capture for precise control in portrait creation; the system allowed for faster face tracking for Face ID, Memoji, and third-party ARKit apps. Low-light performance and image stabilization were enhanced for both still photography and video capture, in addition to an extended dynamic range for better highlight and shadow detail. Four built-in mics could record stereo sound.

These models were the first to include Apple’s A12 Bionic Chip with second-generation Neural Engine. The chip design was capable of completing up to 5 trillion operations per second (compared with 600 billion in its predecessor). Models in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB configurations started at $999 and $1,099 for the Xs and Xs Max, respectively.

iPhone 11

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The iPhone 11 arrived in September 2019.

The iPhone 11, which succeeded 2018’s iPhone XR, got a $50 price cut (to $699), a new color (purple), a redesigned two-camera system, and a number of under-the-hood technology upgrades. The screen is a 6.1-in. Liquid Retina HD display, storage comes in 64GB, 128GB or 256GB options, and the phone uses Apple’s new A13 “Bionic” processor.

The camera system features an ultra-wide camera that captures more than four times the scenery and 4K video at up to 60 frames per second. It also features audio zoom, so if you zoom in on video, the audio does, too. The front-facing camera is a 12-megapixel model that allows for slow-motion selfies, which Apple dubbed “slofies.” The camera system also offers a new “night mode” for better images in low-light conditions. According to Apple, the A13 bionic chip allows for an extra hour of use compared to the 2018 models.

iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max

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The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max arrived in September 2019.

The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max succeeded 2018’s iPhone XS and XS Max, and started at $999. The phones come in four colors, including a new one (Midnight Green), and feature a wholly new three-camera system and a variety of under-the-hood technology upgrades. The screen is either a 5.8-in. or 6.5-in. Super Retina XDR display, storage cames in 64GB, 128GB or 256GB options, and the phone uses Apple’s new A13 “Bionic” processor.

The camera system features an ultra-wide camera that captures more than four times the scenery and 4K video at up to 60 frames per second. It also features audio zoom, so if you zoom in on video, the audio does too. The front-facing camera is a 12-megapixel model that allows for slow-motion selfies, which Apple dubbed “slofies.” The camera system offers a “night mode” for better images in low-light conditions.

According to Apple, the A13 bionic chip and the third-generation Neural Engine run more efficiently, allowing for up to four or five hours of additional use compared to the previous year’s models.

iPhone 12 and 12 mini

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The iPhone 12 and 12 mini arrived in October and November, 2020.

The iPhone 12 took over for the iPhone 11, as Apple expanded its OLED displays across its smartphone lineup and rolled out a new 5.4-in. iPhone mini. Prices started at $699 for the mini ($100 more for the larger iPhone 12), with storage options of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. The new Super Retina XDR displays are built with what Apple calls “Ceramic Shield” for four times better resistance to breaking if dropped.

All iPhone 12 models use the A14 Bionic chip and offered 5G networking — both the sub-6GHz and mmWave varieties. Both models offer a dual 12MP camera system with Ultra Wide and Wide cameras that include Night Mode for better photos in low-light conditions. 4K video recording can be done at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps and HDR video recording with Dolby Vision is available at up to 30 fps.

iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max

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Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max arrived in October and November, 2020.

The iPhone 12 Pro got an even larger big brother with the 6.7-in. iPhone 12 Pro Max. Prices started at $999 for the iPhone 12 Pro ($100 more for the Pro Max), with storage options of 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. The Super Retina XDR OLED displays are built with what Apple calls “Ceramic Shield” for four times better resistance to breaking if dropped.

Both Pro models use the A14 Bionic chip and offered 5G networking — both the sub-6GHz and mmWave varieties. The three-lens Pro 12MP camera system includes either a 4X or 5X optical zoom range, Night Mode for better photos in low-light conditions, and LiDAR sensors for faster focus and improved AR/VR. 4K video recording can be done at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps and HDR video recording with Dolby Vision is available at up to 60 fps.

iPhone 13 and 13 mini

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The iPhone 13 and 13 mini arrived in September 2021.

The iPhone 13 and 13 mini picked up where the previous year’s models left off: they have the same form factor and price range as in 2020, plus a new processor and better battery life. Prices started at $699 for the mini ($100 more for the larger iPhone 13), with storage options of 128GB (twice the base amount offered last year), 256GB, and 512GB. Both models sport Apple’s Super Retina XDR displays and run on the new A15 Bionic chip.

Both also feature a 12MP dual-camera system with Ultra Wide and Wide cameras, sensor‑shift optical image stabilization for sharper photos, and “cinematic mode” for video. 4K video can be shot at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps and HDR video recording with Dolby Vision is available at up to 60 fps. Both have larger batteries for up to 2.5 hours more battery life in the iPhone 13 (1.5 hours more in the mini).

iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max

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The Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max arrived in September 2021.

The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are virtually identical to their predecessors (though slightly thicker and heavier). They got Apple’s newest A15 bionic processor and delivered better battery life. Prices again started at $999 (for the iPhone 13 Pro) and $1099 (for the iPhone 13 Pro Max), with storage options ranging from 128GB to a whopping 1TB. Both models again use Apple’s Super Retina XDR displays, with the Pro models getting ProMotion screens for smoother on-screen graphics.

Both feature a 12MP triple-camera system with revamped Ultra Wide and Wide cameras, “cinematic mode” for video, and macro photography. 4K video can be shot at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps and HDR video recording with Dolby Vision is available at up to 60 fps. A larger battery means up to 2.5 hours more battery life in the iPhone 13 Pro Max (1.5 hours more in the 13 Pro).

iPhone 14 and 14 Plus

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The Apple iPhone 14 and 14 Plus arrived in September and October 2022, respectively.

The iPhone 14 and new 14 Plus have the same form factor and price range as the previous year, with the larger Plus model replacing the discontinued iPhone 13 mini. Both use an updated version of the Bionic A15 processor — the same chip used in the 2021 models — and offer better battery life. Prices start at $799 for the iPhone 14 and $899 for the larger 14 Plus, with storage options of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

Both models use Apple’s Super Retina XDR displays with the iPhone 14 having a 6.1-in. screen and the 14 Plus model sporting a 6.7-in. display. (Unlike the Pro models, these versions of the iPhone do not have an always-on display or any changes to the screen “notch.”) Both feature a 12MP dual-camera system with Ultra Wide and Wide cameras, sensor‑shift optical image stabilization, and cinematic and action modes for video. 4K video can be shot at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps and HDR video recording with Dolby Vision is available at up to 60 fps. Pre-orders began Sept. 7, with the phones available in stores on Sept. 16 (iPhone 14) and Oct. 7 (iPhone 14 Plus).

iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max

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The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max arrived in September 2022.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max look similar to last year’s models, but get noteworthy new features, including the new A16 processor and a more powerful 48MP rear camera system. Prices are unchanged from 2021, storage options range between 128GB and 1TB, and this year brings a new “Deep Purple” color as an option. Both models again use Apple’s Super Retina XDR displays, but this year get an always-on display. (The screen dims when not in use to save on battery life, but can display as much as 2000 nits of brightness outdoors.)

Both feature a 48MP triple-camera system with tweaked Ultra Wide and Wide cameras, and the same 3X optical zoom in/2X optical zoom out as last year. 4K video can be shot at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision is available at up to 60 fps, and cinematic video stabilization is available in 4K, 1080p and 720p.) Gone this year are SIM cards, which Apple has replaced with eSIMs. Pre-orders began Sept. 7, with the phones available in stores on Sept. 16.

iPhone 15 and 15 Plus

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The Apple iPhone 15 and 15 Plus were released in September 2023.

The iPhone 15 and new 15 Plus look much like their 2022 predecessors (with prices in the same range), but offer design tweaks that include an aluminum and color-infused glass combo and new colors. Both use the Bionic A16 processor — the same chip used in the 2022 Pro models — and get USB-C charging for the first time. Prices again start at $799 for the iPhone 15 and $899 for the larger 15 Plus, with storage options remaining unchanged at 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

Both models continue to feature Apple’s Super Retina XDR display; the iPhone 15 has a 6.1-in. screen, the 15 Plus model has a 6.7-in. display — and both get the Dynamic Island feature at the top of the screen for more interactivity with various apps. The iPhone 15 now features a revamped camera system that includes a 48-megapixel main camera, a 26 mm  ƒ/1.6 aperture, sensor‑shift optical image stabilization with support for super-high-resolution photos, and a 4x optical optical zoom range. Both models now get Roadside assistance via satellite through AAA.

Pre-orders begin Sept. 15, with the phones available in stores on Sept. 22.

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max

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The Apple iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max were released in September 2023.

The big change for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max this year involves a new Titanium-based design that cuts 19 grams of weight and allows for thinner bezels around  both models’ screens. Inside, both run Apple’s new A17 Pro processor (with 6 cores) and get a tweaked 48MP rear camera system. The main difference between the two camera systems: the Pro Max version gets a 12-megapixel 5x Telephoto feature at 120 mm with an ƒ/2.8 aperture; 3D sensor‑shift optical image stabilization and autofocus, and a new tetraprism design; the smaller Pro version features a 12-megapixel 3x Telephoto at 77 mm with an ƒ/2.8 aperture. Coming later this year on Pro models: the ability to capture spatial video for playback on Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro device.

For connectivity, the Pro models move to USB-C, with USB 3 support and Wi-Fi 6E for faster wireless speeds. Screen sizes remain the same as last year — 6.1-in. and 6.7-in. — but thinner bezels allow for a slightly smaller overall size. The mute button has been replaced with a programmable “Action” button similar to the one that debuted in 2022 on the Apple Watch Ultra. And Find My Friends gets more powerful “Precision Finding.” Storage options start at 128GB for the Pro model, 256GB for Pro Max version, and range up to 1TB.

As with the regular iPhone 15, pre-orders for the Pro models begin Sept. 15, with the phones available in stores on Sept. 22.

iPhone 16 and 16 Plus

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Apple / Foundry

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus look much like their 2023 predecessors (and they both start at the same prices). The big news is inside: both get Apple’s new A18 processor, a 3-nanometer chip the company says is designed for Apple Intelligence — the generative AI features that will roll out later this year with iOS 18.1. Apple also made changes on the outside, bringing the “Action button” from the Pro line-up and adding a new “Camera Control” button for easier photo and video shoots. Prices again start at $799 for the iPhone 16 ($100 more for the larger 16 Plus), with storage options the same as last year: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

Both models feature Apple’s Super Retina XDR display; the iPhone 16 has a 6.1-in. screen, the 16 Plus has a 6.7-in. display — and both get an internal redesign that allows for a larger battery and longer battery life. Both models get a revamped camera system that includes a 48-megapixel main camera with a 2x optical telephoto capabilities and a new 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with autofocus for macro photography. Both models can now shoot spatial photos and video for playback on the Apple Vision Pro.

Pre-orders began Sept. 13, with the phones available in stores on Sept. 20.

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max

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Apple / Foundry

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max grew a little this year and now offer larger Super Retina XDR displays; the Pro model has a 6.3-in. screen, the Pro Max gets a 6.9-in display. Both also get Apple’s new “Camera Control” button for easier photo and video shoots. Inside, both rely on Apple’s new 3-nanometer A18 Pro processor (with a 16-core neural engine) designed for Apple Intelligence — the generative AI features slated to arrive later this year with iOS 18.1. There’s also an upgraded camera system with a new 48-megapixel Fusion camera that allows for 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision and spatial photos for display on the Apple Vision Pro. 

Both devices now have four new studio-quality mics that allow users to modify sound afterit’s captured and to record Spatial audio for more immersive playback. Apple is also touting an internal redesign that allows for a bigger battery — and longer battery life. Storage options start at 128GB for the Pro model, 256GB for Pro Max version, and range up to 1TB. New for 2024 is a “Desert Titanium” color to go with Natural Titanium, White Titanium and Black Titanium.

As with the regular iPhone 16 line-up, pre-orders for the Pro models began Sept. 13, with the phones available in stores on Sept. 20.

Apple embraced Meta’s vision (and Meta embraced Apple’s)

September 20, 2024 /

During an earnings call in the summer of 2021, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg first publicly used the M-word. “In the coming years,” Zuck told investors, “I expect people will transition from seeing us primarily as a social media company to seeing us as a metaverse company.”

“Um, what?” said every cyberpunk sci-fi fan on Earth in unison. 

Until that moment, Neal Stephenson (who coined the word) described the “metaverse” in his 1992 science fiction novel “Snow Crash” this way: as a virtual reality (VR) platform controlled by wealthy leaders of powerful corporations that exacerbated social inequality and was so addictive that people spent all their time there, neglecting their real lives in the real world. 

The “metaverse” was a warning, not a business plan. 

Still, in October 2021, Zuckerberg announced that Meta would replace Facebook as the company’s name, and the “metaverse” would be its main focus henceforth.

His essential vision back then was a new internet anchored in VR. Just as today we shop, learn, and find entertainment on the internet, the “metaverse” version would do all those things in 3D environments, in which we would move around as avatars. Sure, elements of this VR world would be accessible via augmented reality (AR) and even phones, tablets, and PCs. But Meta’s essential belief was that the future is VR. 

Not so fast, said Apple

“AR is going to become really big,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in 2016. “VR, I think, is not going to be that big compared to AR… and we will wonder… how we lived without it.” 

Back then, Apple was hard at work in its labs creating what it hoped would be the future of consumer technology — AR. And Meta was working on what it hoped would be the future of consumer technology — VR.

Apple envisioned business meetings, random social interactions, professional conferences, and family get-togethers as happening in person in the real world. Everyone would wear Apple glasses that displayed digital information based on the context of the interaction.

Meta envisioned business meetings, random social interactions, professional conferences, and family get-togethers happening in virtual spaces in the “metaverse,” with everyone wearing Meta goggles that immersed them in a believable 3D world.

Apple envisioned ordinary-looking eyeglasses. Meta envisioned big, bulky headsets. 

Based on these respective inclinations, something unpredictable happened. Meta released ordinary-looking eyeglasses, and Apple released big, bulky headsets. 

Specifically, a year ago, Meta replaced its lackluster and uninteresting Ray-Ban Stories glasses with Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which took off in popularity. They looked like regular Ray-Ban glasses, but contained high-quality microphones, speakers, and a camera. Best of all, they accessed AI via the camera, including (later) multimodal AI.

It’s likely that Meta was surprised by the success of Ray-Ban Meta glasses as a product and thrilled that Meta alone provided a compelling daily mobile use case for its AI. 

Then, in January, Apple shipped Apple Vision Pro. Let’s be very clear about what Apple Vision Pro hardware is — it’s VR hardware. It’s a big, heavy, bulky headset that delivers incredible visuals and features unique to Apple Vision Pro. But it’s VR delivering an AR experience. 

Apple has made a big point of emphasizing the categorization of Apple Vision Pro as spatial computing, not AR or VR. The spatial features are among the best things about Apple Vision Pro. The augmented reality feel of Apple Vision Pro is achieved through pass-through video. You don’t actually see the room you’re in; you see a video of the room. Others don’t actually see your eyes. They see an avatar of your eyes.

Apple required a lot of VR hardware to create AR and eventually wants to sell spatial computing AR glasses that look like ordinary eyeglasses. But that technology is a few years in the future, which is why Apple’s AR vision requires VR hardware. 

Meta, meanwhile, also seems super excited about augmented reality glasses — something like Ray-Ban Meta glasses, but with spatial-computing visuals. It seems less excited about VR, as evidenced by losses and cutbacks. Meta’s Reality Labs division has lost tens of billions of dollars and laid off thousands of employees in the past few years.

Enter Project Nazare

Instead of going big on the “metaverse,” Meta focuses more on AR and AI. 

Project Nazare is its first big hope in that space. Zuckerberg described this project as the company’s first attempt at creating true AR glasses. The device they’re working on sounds like Ray-Ban Meta glasses, plus holographic displays and sensors for mapping the physical environment for spatial computing (the placement of virtual objects in relation to the physical environment).

As with Apple Vision Pro, Nazare glasses would facilitate interaction with holographic avatars mapped to real people in real time, showing facial expressions, mouth movements, and hand gestures. 

Meta is focusing on a problem critics have drawn attention to with Apple Vision Pro, Microsoft Hololens, and Magic Leap: the narrow visual field. Nazare is reportedly working on a 200- to 220-degree field of holographic visuals. 

The company is also working on using multimodal AI through the camera to enable AI image recognition.

And that maps with Apple’s glasses

Meanwhile, Apple is reportedly focused on something similar. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is working on lightweight AR glasses that could be worn all day and could be launched as early as 2027 (but are more likely to arrive in 2028 or 2029). 

Both Apple and Meta face immense hurdles in reducing the size and cost of these glasses. Battery size and weight are an enormous issue, and the miniaturization of all components remains a major focus. 

But both companies are moving in the same direction. The disparate visions of the future each once had appear to no longer exist. 

Even though Apple’s current face computer is essentially VR hardware and Meta’s is essentially AR hardware (minus the light engine for holographic imagery), both companies appear to be well on their way to realizing what used to be Apple’s vision — everyday, all-day AR glasses that will one day replace the smartphone as our main device.

IBM has reportedly laid off thousands

September 19, 2024 /

IBM has apparently begun layoffs of as many as 8,000 people — layoffs that were announced back in January. But those layoffs are avoiding the age-related criticisms of IBM’s past and are also too early to reflect the IBM-promised generative artificial intelligence (genAI) layoffs, according to Jason Andersen, a former IBM manager who today serves as VP/principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

Andersen said his overall take on the layoffs is that “it was a bit of a yawn,” given IBM’s January announcement and Big Blue’s recent workforce reduction efforts. “IBM has used this tactic of kind of quietly laying people off for many, many years,” said Andersen, who spent more than eight years as a senior product manager at IBM, leaving in 2008. He works with IBM today as an analyst.

The initial report of the layoffs came from a story in The Register and was reinforced in various discussion forums.

IBM spokesperson Sarah Minkel emailed a rather vague statement to Computerworld that seemed to confirm the layoffs: “Early this year, IBM disclosed a workforce rebalancing charge that would represent a very low single digit percentage of IBM’s global workforce, and we still expect to exit 2024 at roughly the same level of employment as we entered with.”

The Register did some quick math, based on IBM’s global employment numbers. “With about 288,000 employees worldwide at the end of 2023, the ‘very low single digit percentage’ possibilities for 2024 might be 1 percent (2,880 layoffs), 2 percent (5,760 layoffs), 3 percent (8,640 layoffs), or more,” the Register story noted. 

It also noted, “last year, CEO Arvind Krishna said IBM expected to replace around 7,800 jobs with AI, though no specific time frame was provided.”

Andersen said that the AI reference was to generative AI, and that it was far too early to have IBM layoffs due to that. “Is it genAI? I don’t buy it. it’s a little too far ahead now. Maybe two years from now,” he said. He estimated that such IBM genAI layoffs wouldn’t happen until late 2026.

Andersen couldn’t directly confirm that these are the layoffs that IBM talked about in January, but he has seen anecdotal evidence that the layoffs have happened. 

Over the last few months, he said, “I have seen twice as many people leaving IBM for whatever reason than the previous six months. And IBM is not the only one doing this.”

Andersen stressed that he seriously doubts that IBM is doing anything that will get them into trouble with age- or gender-related issues. 

“IBM doesn’t necessarily look at it demographically. They look at it functionally in terms of individual contributors in a group versus managers — explicitly, because IBM has been called out on this this so many times, there are a number of reviews to prevent any type of -ism,” Andersen said. Sometimes he has seen the company go in the opposite direction. “Maybe this person is a poor performer, but they may get a second chance because it might possibly be seen as ageism or sexism.”

He sees many of the layoffs as related to cloud cutbacks, as enterprises rebalance their on-prem versus cloud environments. Many enterprises, he said, went too far into the cloud at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

That’s where the definition of ‘AI’ comes into play. Today, most AI workforce reduction references involve genAI. But he does see some of the cloud reductions being driven by greater efficiencies due to IT automation and automated IT operations. Given that much of the sophisticated automation at IBM is leveraging other forms of AI, most likely machine learning, one could say that AI is a little bit involved in these layoffs — just not genAI.

Symbol Zero CEO Rafael Brown said that IBM was one of many companies that over hired during the start of the pandemic, and this is a correction. Back in 2020, IBM “anticipated, they made some guesses, and they were wrong. If they hired slower, as Apple did, they wouldn’t be cutting back as much as they are,” Brown said.

Brown said that another factor that is playing into this situation is the return to offices movement, and the move away from remote sites including home offices. 

“Large tech companies are boiling the frog on return to work,” Brown said, “and creating a culture of fear that if you don’t come back in, you’re going to get laid off.”

Some of this may also be manipulative, he said, suggesting that CEOs are hoping that a demand for five days in the office will encourage people to quit, which is a lot cheaper than having to lay them off. 

“My kudos for Nvidia that they haven’t pushed people back into offices,” Brown said, adding that Nvidia is hiring away a lot of the people who were pushed into return to the office at other high tech companies. But, ironically, he said, Nvidia is finding that a lot of the managers they are hiring are themselves insisting on workers returning to the office.

IBM has reportedly laid off thousands

September 19, 2024 /

IBM has apparently begun layoffs of as many as 8,000 people — layoffs that were announced back in January. But those layoffs are avoiding the age-related criticisms of IBM’s past and are also too early to reflect the IBM-promised generative artificial intelligence (genAI) layoffs, according to Jason Andersen, a former IBM manager who today serves as VP/principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

Andersen said his overall take on the layoffs is that “it was a bit of a yawn,” given IBM’s January announcement and Big Blue’s recent workforce reduction efforts. “IBM has used this tactic of kind of quietly laying people off for many, many years,” said Andersen, who spent more than eight years as a senior product manager at IBM, leaving in 2008. He works with IBM today as an analyst.

The initial report of the layoffs came from a story in The Register and was reinforced in various discussion forums.

IBM spokesperson Sarah Minkel emailed a rather vague statement to Computerworld that seemed to confirm the layoffs: “Early this year, IBM disclosed a workforce rebalancing charge that would represent a very low single digit percentage of IBM’s global workforce, and we still expect to exit 2024 at roughly the same level of employment as we entered with.”

The Register did some quick math, based on IBM’s global employment numbers. “With about 288,000 employees worldwide at the end of 2023, the ‘very low single digit percentage’ possibilities for 2024 might be 1 percent (2,880 layoffs), 2 percent (5,760 layoffs), 3 percent (8,640 layoffs), or more,” the Register story noted. 

It also noted, “last year, CEO Arvind Krishna said IBM expected to replace around 7,800 jobs with AI, though no specific time frame was provided.”

Andersen said that the AI reference was to generative AI, and that it was far too early to have IBM layoffs due to that. “Is it genAI? I don’t buy it. it’s a little too far ahead now. Maybe two years from now,” he said. He estimated that such IBM genAI layoffs wouldn’t happen until late 2026.

Andersen couldn’t directly confirm that these are the layoffs that IBM talked about in January, but he has seen anecdotal evidence that the layoffs have happened. 

Over the last few months, he said, “I have seen twice as many people leaving IBM for whatever reason than the previous six months. And IBM is not the only one doing this.”

Andersen stressed that he seriously doubts that IBM is doing anything that will get them into trouble with age- or gender-related issues. 

“IBM doesn’t necessarily look at it demographically. They look at it functionally in terms of individual contributors in a group versus managers — explicitly, because IBM has been called out on this this so many times, there are a number of reviews to prevent any type of -ism,” Andersen said. Sometimes he has seen the company go in the opposite direction. “Maybe this person is a poor performer, but they may get a second chance because it might possibly be seen as ageism or sexism.”

He sees many of the layoffs as related to cloud cutbacks, as enterprises rebalance their on-prem versus cloud environments. Many enterprises, he said, went too far into the cloud at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

That’s where the definition of ‘AI’ comes into play. Today, most AI workforce reduction references involve genAI. But he does see some of the cloud reductions being driven by greater efficiencies due to IT automation and automated IT operations. Given that much of the sophisticated automation at IBM is leveraging other forms of AI, most likely machine learning, one could say that AI is a little bit involved in these layoffs — just not genAI.

Symbol Zero CEO Rafael Brown said that IBM was one of many companies that over hired during the start of the pandemic, and this is a correction. Back in 2020, IBM “anticipated, they made some guesses, and they were wrong. If they hired slower, as Apple did, they wouldn’t be cutting back as much as they are,” Brown said.

Brown said that another factor that is playing into this situation is the return to offices movement, and the move away from remote sites including home offices. 

“Large tech companies are boiling the frog on return to work,” Brown said, “and creating a culture of fear that if you don’t come back in, you’re going to get laid off.”

Some of this may also be manipulative, he said, suggesting that CEOs are hoping that a demand for five days in the office will encourage people to quit, which is a lot cheaper than having to lay them off. 

“My kudos for Nvidia that they haven’t pushed people back into offices,” Brown said, adding that Nvidia is hiring away a lot of the people who were pushed into return to the office at other high tech companies. But, ironically, he said, Nvidia is finding that a lot of the managers they are hiring are themselves insisting on workers returning to the office.