With over 17 Billion connected devices worldwide, we all need some help keeping our families and homes safe from online attacks and intruders. Most of us have smart devices throughout our home, and many times we forget that these devices can be a front door to cyberattacks. Bitdefender box is the brute security guard we all need for our homes.

There are times when 24 hours in a day doesn’t seem like enough. Days where you feel like you never stop running from one thing to the next. What if you could review emails while you were dealing with another task like driving? Microsoft has once again offered us a helping hand and has released a tool that will help us do just that. Now through the Microsoft Outlook app, the lovely Cortana can read aloud your emails.

Last month at the Microsoft Ignite conference, there were many announcements with the focus on better security and higher efficiencies. The announcement that we are bringing to the forefront today takes this two idea to the next level. Microsoft Productivity Score considers the endpoint user and making his/her overall work experience more productive and seamless.

As was discussed last week, Microsoft Ignite was two weeks ago in Orlando, Florida. Like past years there were some exciting announcements. In last week’s blog, we touched on Project Cortex and what benefits it will add to an organization’s entire ecosystem. Another integral set of announcements at Ignite 2019 revolved around security. These announcements encompass multiple facets including, multi-point authentication, Enhancements to Azure, Endpoint protection, Firewalls, Application Guards, Compliance, and Insider Threat enhancements and will all be important against fighting cybersecurity threats. The focus this week is on Insider threat enhancements, for as we have discussed previously, your security is nothing without having a competent inside frontline.

Microsoft Ignite returned last week to Orlando, Florida and once again brought great excitement to the world of Tech. This conference is where Microsoft announces and demonstrates brand new applications. Many times they tease out these developments at prior conferences, but what makes this conference so unique is we can see the excitement and take it to work for us immediately as these applications are ready for the market. One of the exciting announcements from last week was Project Cortex. Project Cortex is an AI-based application integrated with Office 365 that brings relevant knowledge directly to where you are working.

Working from anywhere is the newest office trend, and honestly, some are even trying to make it a “right.” In some industries, it is more common than others, but we are starting to see more companies get on board with the movement. In a recent study, it was found that 66% of companies allow their employees to work remotely. Additionally, there are a growing number of businesses with multiple office locations? Many times, we struggle to connect with a productive meeting as our employees are all in different places. Travel is expensive and can sometimes be a waste of time to make sure everyone is in one location just for a meeting. There is a multitude of ways to host meetings that can incorporate other sites and even ways to customize your background to hide your messy office. Unfortunately, many times, the employees at remote locations or satellite offices do not feel connected to the actual team meeting. It is hard to stay focused when you are unsure of who is currently speaking, making it a challenge to understand what is being said and not welcoming to chime in from your location. Owl Labs wants to Inspire the work from Anywhere movement and thus have an incredible solution. The Meeting Owl is a cost-effective and straightforward solution to remote meeting dilemmas.

Using technology to help us manage our technology is the theme this month. Last week we took a look at the data compiled of Pendello President, Mike Jackson's work habits. If you might remember, it wasn't pretty. His work/life balance was definitely blurred, and his ability to recharge was lacking. This week we are taking a look into what Mike learned from his compiled MyAnalytics data and how he used this to "work smarter."