We all know the irritation of seeing our phones light up with a number we don't recognize - more often than not it's a spam call promising that we've won an exciting vacation or that the IRS is hunting us down.  Sadly, little progress has been made to stem the flow of these scams and they must be working because the spammers keep at it.  These calls, often coined "robocalls" due to the tech used to automatically dial numbers, sadly numbered over 5.1 billion in November 2018.  This is the highest number ever recorded and is up from 2.9 billion at the beginning of this year.

Black Friday 2018 has come and gone, and the results are in - more and more consumers are placing their holiday gift orders through mobile devices.  According to Adobe Analytics, nearly half of this year's holiday browsing (not always resulting in a purchase) was placed on smartphones - while millions of dollars worth of orders were placed on devices.

Users of Microsoft services such as Outlook, Office 365, OneDrive, Skype, and Xbox Live will now get to enjoy the benefits of not having to remember their passwords.  Now, with physical hardware keys using the FIDO2 technology, access to a Microsoft account is as simple as plugging into a USB port or using Bluetooth or NFC to pair a phone to the key.

Initially, the keys were used as part of a two-factor authentication policy, but new browser technology has enabled the elimination of the password requirement.  Now, Microsoft's no-password log on process offers three options:

Five researchers recently announced that they'd developed a way to use AI to mimic human fingerprints - which has recently become a popular security format.  Philip Bontrager of the New York University engineering school led the team and the group ultimately named their project DeepMasterPrints.

Samsung, the popular electronics manufacturer, has announced headway into their work to develop technologies that allow televisions to be controlled with brain waves alone.  This technology is being developed with the disabled in mind - such as quadriplegics or people with other conditions that affect the use of their hands.  Samsung's goal is to create the ability for these people to change channels and adjust sound volume with their mind.

PaperFree partner OpenText recently announced the introduction of their OpenText Extended ECM Enabler for Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service.  This solution combines OpenText's ECM portfolio with Dynamics 365 for Customer Service to improve customer service workflows and customer engagement - in short, it integrates content services into processes.  This solution was developed in partnership with Contesto.

From the press release:

Earlier this week PaperFree partner OpenText announced the introduction of their new OpenText Qfiniti for Amazon Connect product, a "self-service, cloud-based contact center solution that enables any business to deliver better customer service at a lower cost."

PaperFree partner Dell EMC recently announced their new Dell EMC Cyber Recovery and Cyber Recovery Services products - both designed to serve as a "last line of data protection defense against ransomware and destructive cyber attacks."  These software packages include automation, workflow, and security analytics tools to help isolate secure copies of critical data in a way that those copies are protected, but still available for use should a system recovery need to be made.

AirAsia, a Malaysia-based low cost airline, recently revealed insight on how it's utilizing Google Cloud services and a "data-first" attitude to help passenger experiences be "more personal and less friction-filled" across their network.  These insights were shared at the Google Cloud Next '18 conference in London by AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes.

Car crashes at intersections account for 20% of annual traffic deaths, and automakers Honda and Volkswagen are working to lower that number.  Though the two companies aren't working together, they're approaching the problem in similar ways with the use of connected technology at smart intersections.