More on (Microsoft) Edge, and other tech stories you may have missed

June 9, 2022 9:00 AM

The MS browser is now the second-most popular, after Chrome and ahead of Safari; more reason for both hybrid work environments and strong passwords; a MacBook shortage; and other developments in technology over the past month that you may have missed, plus what they’ll mean for you and your clients.

1. Microsoft's Edge browser overtakes Safari

Microsoft Edge has become the second most popular desktop browser, surpassing Safari, according to an analysis done by Statcounter. This increase in the platform may suggest that Mac users are using Safari less frequently due to new design updates that dissuaded many of them. The increase could also suggest a rise in Windows users; however, Google Chrome still has a 50% lead on the rising platform. (Source: 9to5mac)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Never underestimate the power of Microsoft. Although Chrome still remains the leader by far, it’s clear that Edge has become the next best alternative. As usage grows, I expect to see Edge becoming a more recommended browser for applications going forward.

2. More evidence for working from home

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A study done by Texas A&M University School of Public Health found that employees in Houston prefer to work from home after experiencing the effects of Hurricane Harvey. Many workers were displaced from their job site after this natural disaster prohibited workers from coming to work, resulting in them advocating for a hybrid model. Large companies such as Apple and Google have been devising a hybrid model to adapt to this newfound research. The study also found that working from home increases the health of workers and prevents many diseases that debilitate their ability to work for longer periods of time. The study is said to look at other factors that are affected by hybrid models such as mental health, substance abuse, and stress levels. (Source: ZDNet)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: The work-from-home debate will never end. Bottom line: You need a policy and it should be some sort of hybrid home/office arrangement. But more important, if you’ve got employees working from home, you need to make sure their devices and routers are secure because I’m betting they’re not. Combine a work-from-home arrangement with an IT support and monitoring agreement to avoid any potential security headaches.

3. Ditch those common passwords

The 20 commonly used passwords such as “12345”, “qwerty” and “password” are strongly discouraged by cybersecurity companies. In a recent study, hackers were able to figure out someone’s password in the span of 14 hours across 25 European countries on average. The best passwords to use are a random mix of words, numbers and symbols, and users should download a password manager that stores and generates strong passwords. (Source: Laptop Mag)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Here’s one: thephiladelphiaphilliess**k. Oops…now you have access to all my logins.

4. Apple reports big MacBook shortages

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Thanks to supply chain issues, war in Ukraine and lockdowns in China, Apple is reporting shortages across their distribution chain. Only three MacBooks are immediately available in the U.S. at this time — the 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini and iMac 24 — and they're all older models. There's a two-month wait for the M1 Ultra Mac Studio. (Source: Computerworld)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: According to Jonny Evans at Computerworld, "%his is the perfect storm within which this year’s enterprise and education purchasing cycle is taking place. It’s a scenario that suggests tech purchasers will be facing unanticipated headwinds as they seek to fulfill larger procurements, and this challenge seems set to be a multiplatform one." Those running small businesses are going to find it even tougher to get their hands on this hardware.

5. New fintech firm lets companies offer loans to retain staff

Xaume Olleros/Bloomberg

Called Keep Financial Technol4ogies, the startup — which was founded by two ex-founders of small-business lender Kabbage — aims to help companies offer upfront cash payments to their employees, which vest over time. (Source: American Banker)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: According to American Banker, "The idea is to provide an enticing perk to help recruit highly skilled employees who need money to buy a house, repay student loans or invest for retirement. And because these are essentially zero-interest loans the company pays back over time, these new employees are motivated to stay awhile." This is intriguing because it's an innovative way to not only attract but to retain employees over time by offering financial motivation to stay with a company.

6. Protonmail changes its name and privacy options

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Protonmail — now Proton — has revamped its payment plan options with three different levels. The free plan includes 1GB of storage — upped from the previous 500MG — as well as a myriad of basic VPN tools and minute access to the Proton calendar and messages. The Mail Plus plan costs €5 per month with 15GB of storage and unlimited access to messages and usage of over 20 folders. Lastly, the Unlimited plan costs €12 per month with 500GB of storage with 10 VPN connections and access to over 1,700+ servers across 63 different countries. The new update will appear on users' mobile apps later this year. (Source: Engadget)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: When it comes to email are we stuck with Microsoft and Google? No, not at all. There are plenty of great email options for small businesses and Proton has become an enormously popular choice, and a great alternative to the more well-known platforms. I have many clients who use the free service, but upgrading also makes sense. The service is definitely a consideration for your business.

7. A new buy-now, pay-later fintech firm enters the field

U.K. fintech Zilch — which provides buy now, pay later (BNPL) services through its app’s virtual Mastercard — launched in the U.S. with plans to take on BNPL giants such as Afterpay, Affirm, and Klarna. Zilch — which can be used online and at physical stores — allows customers to choose where they want to shop. They can pay the first 25% on the spot and the rest over four installments. (Source: Business Insider)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Despite its risk to consumers who don’t fully understand the costs of not paying later when they buy now, the BNPL trend continues to grow. More firms like Zilch are driving this new financing method to all sorts of purchases, not just big-ticket items. Remember: When you run a small business, you want to give your customers every option to pay for your products and services and BNPL may be just the thing.

8. Angry IT admin wipes employer’s databases, gets 7 years

A former IT administrator in China was recently sentenced to seven years in jail for deleting his former employer’s databases. This occurred in June 2018, when the administrator took advantage of his security privileges to access the employer’s financial records and wipe all data from two servers. The company was immediately crippled, leaving thousands of employees without getting paid over a significant period. It cost approximately $30,000 to restore the information. (Source: Bleeping Computer)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Who’s supervising your IT team? These are the people that have access to your most confidential data. Properly vetting these critical employees could save a company a lot of money — and grief — in the future.

9. Immediate payments can help with employees’ financial insecurity

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Instant payments for employees have become popular among workers, especially those living paycheck to paycheck. Grubhub introduced their instant payouts in 2018 which allowed their workers to instantly cash out paychecks immediately after their shift, instead of waiting for weeks or dealing with payment delays. Many workers across industries are advocating for this new form of payment plan to help combat financial hardships and boost employee morale. (Source: PYMNTS)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Many business owners roll their eyes at “same-day pay” solutions. But it’s a hot benefit to provide. Why? Because, according to recent data, two-thirds of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, and getting paid on the day that they perform services could be the difference between hiring a worker or losing them to a company that does. Yes, there’s a cash flow concern. But aren’t you already doing this with the babysitter?

10. Segway Robots introduces indoor and outdoor food services via robots

Segway Robots announced their new collection of delivery service robots at the 2022 National Restaurant Convention. Due to the labor shortage, indoor robots have become popular among restaurant owners and goers. The robots will act as staff by collecting plates, refilling water, meeting, greeting, and serving customers. Segway also unveiled their plan for expanding their outdoor delivery robots that became popular in multiple urban neighborhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Source: PR Newswire)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: As this technology becomes more affordable, many small businesses across all industries are investing in robotics and other automation tools like this to address labor shortages and rising costs.

Note: Some of these stories also appeared on Forbes.com.