Welcome to our latest round-up of news from the technology and hosting world. Here’s what we’ve discovered this month.
Are you ready for the metaverse?
Potentially the internet’s next giant leap forward, the metaverse is set to be a virtual online world where people can work, communicate, game and immerse themselves in entertainment, using interactive technologies like VR headsets. However, unlike the universal internet, at present, we have companies racing to launch their own metaverses. Facebook, one of the leading developers, is investing over £7 billion just on its metaverse infrastructure and even changed its parent company name to Meta Platforms in anticipation of its new area of focus.
Disney and Microsoft are other companies at the fore of the metaverse phenomenon. Microsoft is updating its Teams platform by developing new 3D virtual environments and avatars, while Disney has just appointed a metaverse executive to lead the development of the company’s ‘next-generation storytelling and consumer experiences.’
It is obvious from the different approaches that each of these companies have, that the metaverse is seen as something that can encompass many areas of our daily lives. Whether working, communicating and spending leisure time in a half-real, half-virtual environment will catch on or just be a fad, awaits to be seen.
Hi-tech, green ice cream
Combining various modern technologies and manufacturing innovations has enabled food manufacturer ColdSnap to transform the way we consume ice cream, smoothies and even cocktails. It has created an ice cream maker that looks and operates similar to a coffee pod machine, enabling frozen treats to be made quickly, while improving sustainability by cutting the amount of carbon needed for refrigerated transport and storage. The treats are stored in lightweight aluminium cans (pods) that also cut emissions by reducing shipping volume and weight. Aluminium also reduces the freezing time, saving even more energy. To get the treat just right, each can has a unique QR code that the machine scans, so that the chosen treats are frozen for the right amount of time and are served with the right consistency.
UK phishers jailed
Two men from Greater Manchester have been jailed for carrying out a sophisticated phishing scam on users of popular streaming services. The pair targeted users of Apple, Netflix and Spotify, sending millions of fake emails in order to steal IDs, login credentials and banking information. The phishing scams resulted in them getting hold of over 20,000 Apple IDs and over 64,000 bank card details which they then sold on the black market in exchange for £140,000 in cryptocurrency.
The men were caught after officers from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit were tipped off about the emails. This resulted in their homes being searched and devices containing databases of stolen data being recovered.
Australia’s bionic eye
When the Six Million Dollar Man hit the screens in 1973, Steve Austin’s bionic eye was a thing of science fiction. Today, it is tantalisingly close to becoming a reality. Following successful trials in sheep, the University of Sydney is about to carry out tests on human patients, surgically implanting a bionic eye behind the retina to help cure some forms of blindness.
The implant, known as the Phoenix 99, works by stimulating the light-sensitive cells on a blind person’s retina. Electrical messages are wirelessly sent to the retina from a camera on a pair of glasses and those messages are then transformed into vision in the user’s brain. With millions of blind people around the world, the technology has the potential to transform lives. It is also expected to create a market worth close to half a billion pounds before the end of the decade.
Cost of hacking
In last month’s newsletter, we reported about the disruption caused to Gloucester City Council’s system following a cyberattack in December that took down its online revenue and benefits, planning and customer services. One month on and the financial impact of that attack is only now coming to light. The latest news is that in order to restore the council’s IT systems, its leaders are having to set aside nearly £400,000 in a cyber recovery reserve. However, even this may not be enough to cover the total cost of restoration. When Hackney Council was a victim of an attack in 2020, the total cost of recovery was in the region of ten million pounds. It is a clear reminder that all companies need to put robust cyber defence, disaster recovery and business continuity measures in place.
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