Microsoft released 62 updates on Patch Tuesday this week, with three zero-days (CVE-2024-30051, CVE-2024-30046, and CVE-2024-30040) forcing a “patch now” deployment guidance for Windows desktops. Adobe is back with a “Patch Now” update, while Microsoft Office, Edge browsers and Microsoft’s development platform (Visual Studio and .NET) can be dealt with using standard release schedules.  Unusually for Azure updates, the Readiness team recommends particular attention be paid to an Azure Agent update (CVE-2024-30060), as it can affect corporate VM’s (associated with tes ..read more

Cloud Software Group, the parent company of Citrix Systems, is considering selling its content-sharing platform ShareFile, according to sources cited by Bloomberg. This move is likely part of a broader strategy to streamline operations under its private equity ownership. The company is reportedly working with a financial adviser to assess interest from potential buyers. ShareFile, valued at an estimated $1.5 billion, offers document-sharing and collaboration software that integrates with popular apps like Microsoft Outlook. Bloomberg sources, citing anonymity, suggest the platform might attr ..read more

Google’s Gemini will soon be available to education institutions, the company said Thursday, with the generative AI (genAI) assistant able to help teachers draft lesson plans and create personalized learning materials.  Gemini will come to Workspace for Education subscriptions on May 23 via two optional paid add-ons: Gemini Education, a “lower priced” offering with monthly usage limits, and Gemini Education Premium.  Gemini Education provides access to genAI features in Workspace apps such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Gmail, alongside access to the Gemini chatbot. Th ..read more

Editor’s note: The UK parliament this week debated a proposal to exonerate those wrongfully convicted of fraud due to flaws in a Post Office computer system, while an independent public inquiry into a cover-up of the flaws heard evidence from former Post Office CIO Lesley Sewell. Here, Marcus Jerräng, editor in chief of Computerworld Sweden, gives an outsider’s perspective on a uniquely British affair. Say the phrase “IT scandal” and many might think about the mess around Transportstyrelsen  (the Swedish Transport Agency) or Computer Sweden’s revelation of the 1177 d ..read more

Got extra smartphones sitting around your office? How about tablets? As we move multiple generations into mobile technology, more and more of us are building up collections of old, dated devices from both our work and our personal lives. And more often than not, those devices do little more than take up space and gather dust. Here’s a little secret, though: Your abandoned Android gadgets are actually virtual gold mines. You just have to find the right way to tap into their potential and give them new life. So grab the nearest DustBuster and get ready: Here are 25 ways to make your old phone o ..read more

“Over recent years, the way employees work has undergone significant change, influenced by the adoption of new mobile technologies and the increase of hybrid working practices,” Adam Holtby, principal analyst with Omdia, said in a recent report that looked at the growing market for Apple device management in the enterprise. What’s interesting about the report is that it draws new connections between the various elements that make up enterprise tech. It recognizes the need to bring security, device management, cloud services, and digital experience design together to create robust d ..read more

Unless you’ve been camping out under a mossy tech news rock all week, you’ve probably heard plenty of news connected to Google’s annual Google I/O gala by now. And my goodness, has there been a glut of it! Google gave us our closest look yet at the upcoming Android 15 update and the freshest features in its latest beta build, and it announced approximately 7.4 gazillion things related to Gemini and the company’s commitment to inserting Much AI Magic™ anywhere and everywhere imaginable. That’s all well and good. But the most intriguing news of all this week is something El Googathor didn’t so ..read more

Digital payments company Visa has said it’s leveraging AI to share consumer shopping preferences with merchants, which could enhance personalized shopping experiences. The company plans to utilize its proprietary token service, which currently secures 29% of its transactions by removing sensitive cardholder information from the payment flow. Now, with consumer consent, it’s planning to add personal data back into that flow, enabling merchants to access private data tokens containing AI-generated insights based on a consumer’s past transactions on the Visa network, the company said. Consumers ..read more

A bipartisan group of four US Senators on Wednesday recommended Congress allocate $32 billion during the next three years to develop artificial intelligence (AI) and to put in place regulatory guardrails around it. Led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), two Democrats and two Republicans developed a 33-page report of recommendations that appeared to fall short of any actual legislation to reign in the fast-evolving, disruptive technology. The senators have been working on the proposal for about a year. Their plan would ask Congress to increase funding for AI innovation by “at lea ..read more

Meta has outlined plans to retire Workplace, the enterprise social network it launched in 2016.  Customers can continue to use the app until August 2025, after which access will be read-only. Workplace will then be decommissioned entirely in June 2026.  The launch of Workplace eight years ago was Meta’s — then Facebook — first major foray into enterprise software, arriving amid a surge of interest in digital workplace tools lead by team chat app Slack. Workplace is essentially a business-friendly version of the Facebook consumer social network, with features such as group chat, liv ..read more