A growing IT skills shortage is impeding organizations from completing digitization projects and adopting new technologies including generative artificial intelligence (genAI), and it’s hitting the bottom line in several ways. In a recent IDC Research survey of more than 800 North American IT leaders, nearly two thirds said that a lack of skills has resulted in missed revenue growth objectives, quality problems, and a decline in customer satisfaction. And the situation is not expected to get any better. IDC predicts that by 2026, more than 90% of organizations worldwide will feel the pain of ..read more

Google has struck a partnership with Magic Leap to develop mixed reality products, the companies announced on Thursday. The aim is to combine Magic Leap’s optics hardware IP and manufacturing expertise with Google’s own immersive technologies and developer ecosystem to collaborate on extended reality (XR) technologies, the companies said in a blog post. The term XR encompasses augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality technologies. “We look forward to bringing together Magic Leap’s leadership in optics and manufacturing with our technologies to bring a wider range of immersive exp ..read more

Ongoing changes Apple and others are making to the manufacturing supply chain are being reflected internationally as some plants close down and new ones appear elsewhere.  This is also likely to see a spate of M&A activity as some existing big names in manufacturing seek to set up shop on new shores. All change on the factory floor The root of these changes first became visible when US firms turned against China at about the same time Chinese workers began to demand more money for what they do. The pace of change accelerated with Covid, as corp ..read more

Microsoft’s cloud storage, OneDrive, is built into Windows 10 and 11. With it you can sync files on your Windows PC to the cloud and to your other Windows PCs, your smartphone or tablet (with the OneDrive app for Android, iPhone, or iPad installed), and even your Mac (via the OneDrive Mac app). It’s handy for collaboration, too. You can share files or folders in your OneDrive with anyone by sending them a web link to it. If it’s a Microsoft Office file, then you and others can collaborate on it in real time in the Excel, PowerPoint, and Word web apps. Users with certain Microsoft 365 subscrip ..read more

Multitasking is magnificent. But in the domain of your weary ol’ web browser, it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed and overloaded when you start juggling too many tabs. For me, this virtual labyrinth takes shape when I aim my overly moist eye spheres at a web page — say, an alluring article by an adjective-appreciating, Android-minded mammal of some sort — and I’m then inspired to look at a link within that article, to peek at another riveting resource of some sort. That’s when my tab jungle starts growing and I either lose track of what I was originally reading or end up with a backlog of ta ..read more

I don’t think NBC ever considered a show called ‘Frenemies,’ but if the broadcaster had done so, the script could echo imminent tension as Apple and Microsoft both cozy up to OpenAI and ChatGPT. It’s an open relationship that doesn’t appear to be making the Windows maker happy. According to The Information, Microsoft has been meeting with OpenAI to express some concern that Apple has reached a deal with the ChatGPT publisher to use generative AI in its products.  Microsoft Copilot’s Apple copilot Microsoft is apprehensive because it has now sewn ChatGPT tightly within Microsoft Copi ..read more

China has launched an ambitious three-year plan to establish itself as a global leader in AI and computing standards. The initiative, “Action Plan for Information Standard Construction (2024-2027),” outlines a comprehensive strategy to strengthen China’s position in the ongoing tech race with the US and other nations. The plan, spearheaded by China’s Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the State Administration for Market Regulation, focuses on strengthening research and developing standards for advanced chips, computing power infrast ..read more

South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission has opened an official investigation after two employees at a Samsung semiconductor facility in Giheung were exposed to radiation. In a statement, the Commission said it is probing the incident that occurred on May 27 and has suspended the use of the equipment in question. The investigation aims to identify the cause of the exposure and assess any potential safety protocol breaches. The two affected individuals exhibit symptoms typical of localized radiation exposure, but preliminary blood tests have shown no chromosomal abnormalities, the ..read more

When it’s time to replace your users’ aging PCs — or maybe to rationalize your PC fleet after a series of acquisitions — the decision on what PCs to buy doesn’t start with the machines themselves. Instead, several other factors should lead to your eventual decision on which computers to provide your organization’s users. This article explores the nine key considerations IT should assess when choosing its PC fleet suppliers: Buying direct vs. using resellers Technology factors in PC choices User considerations and pressures When and how to consider thin clients and non-Windows devices Support ..read more

Global revenue from AI semiconductors is expected to grow to $71 billion this year, an increase of 33% over 2023, according to the latest forecast from Gartner. By the end of 2025, AI chip industry revenue is projected to top $91.5 billion, and that revenue will continue to see double-digit growth through at least 2028, according to the report released today. By the end of 2026, 100% of enterprise PC purchases will be AI PCs, which are computers that include a neural processing unit (NPU) enabling on-computer AI operations. Those PCs run longer, quieter, and cooler and have AI ..read more