Macro Systems Blog

Have you ever noticed the digital screens at stores or restaurants displaying deals, menus, or videos? These are called digital signs, and they’re incredibly helpful for businesses of all sizes. Listed below: how they can help your business.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term you’ve probably heard by now but may not completely understand; that’s normal, as there are a lot of things that could be labeled under the IoT. This month, we thought we would go through some ways the average business can use the Internet of Things to its advantage.

The Internet of Things, or IoT is everywhere. There’s a relatively good chance that a device that would be part of the IoT is within your reach right now, perhaps even on your person. Businesses of all kinds utilize the IoT for various purposes as well, but behind this usage lies significant risk from cyberthreats, and a shocking number of businesses seem to accept this risk without much concern… as in, the vast majority of surveyed businesses utilizing the IoT demonstrated a lack of protection but seemed not to be bothered by it.

Foldable phones saw a very slow start when they were introduced a few years ago; high prices and horror stories about their fragility scaring away all but the earliest of early adopters. That being said, thanks to an enthusiastic fanbase, the concept has persisted and has become a legitimate option amongst flagship devices. 

Listed below are some of the predictions that have been made surrounding the future of the foldable smartphone market, and why business users might be drawn to the flexible form factor. 

The IoT (the Internet of Things) is a fascinating technology, as it exemplifies just how much can be accomplished when Internet connectivity is used to augment the capabilities of otherwise “dumb” devices. Alas, as fascinating as it is, the IoT is also infamous for its security issues, a reputation that attackers have been perpetuating as these devices grow more common.

For a very long time, Apple has been asked to share a workaround for their platform security with law enforcement, which the company has refused to do. Apple's argument has been that doing so would inherently undermine their lauded security. Well, the feds have given up asking, because they went ahead and developed a workaround themselves; in doing so, have revealed that iOS isn’t quite as secure as it was purported to be.

It might sound strange coming from a managed service provider, but there is some wisdom to the adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This cliché statement certainly holds water, as exemplified by many modern technologies, including the Boeing 747.

The people that support a business’ information systems are widely renowned as nerds sitting in a basement office waiting for someone that matters to call them upstairs. Naturally, we think this characterization is at the very least inaccurate, but since our jobs are so technical, it can be hard to relate with clients all the time. Luckily for us, the most helpful tool we have in our repertoire is excruciatingly simple. To fix your computer problem, have you tried rebooting it? Turning it off and then back on again?

The Chromecast is a convenient, easy-to-use device, even in a business setting. Yes, it is a consumer device, but some of its abilities directly translate to professional use. Below is a guide on setting up your Chromecast, four useful-for-business features, and the process of resetting your Chromecast if it ever requires it. 

For most of the last half decade we’ve been told that the Internet of Things (IoT) was going to be the most vital innovation since broadband Internet. This growth, while mostly occurring under the proverbial radar, is happening. There are around seven billion “smart” devices in 2019 with expectations that it will be three times that by 2025. With that many Internet-connected devices, there are destined to be some that come with vulnerabilities, whether it comes from being designed poorly or not frequently updated with modern threat definitions. Let's take a look to see if the Internet of Things should be considered a threat to your organization.

Wearables have been available for a while, though the definition of them has changed over the years. Wearables have become much more capable in the past decade, bringing with them a barrage of other problems that need to be addressed; chief among them is how these devices should be regulated, and by whom.

Bring Your Own Device is a popular trend in the modern business environment; it creates numerous opportunities for businesses to cut costs. But, this is only true if you implement a BYOD policy that your business can take advantage of. A BYOD can lead to considerable problems for unprepared businesses.

Remember computer punch cards? Since computing punch cards became extinct, there has been some version of the keyboard and mouse as we know them today. These interfacing tools have become so entrenched into our minds that it is honestly difficult to imagine a computer without them. But this brings up the question: will there ever be a user interface impressionable enough to replace them?

It’s a familiar scene from many science fiction books, TV shows and movies: someone comes across a locked door. They unlock it, but instead of using a key, a red beam scans their eye to confirm their identity and allow them access. The thing is, this and similar biometric authentication technologies are likely to begin appearing in real-world businesses sooner than later. Let's examine Biometrics. 

Oh no! You start slapping your pockets, already knowing what you’re about to confirm--your mobile device is missing. With the reliance we have on these devices, losing yours is enough to send you into a relative panic. However, this panic may be avoided by implementing a reliable solution specifically for locating a lost device.

Ten years ago, the world was a different place. In the technology world, Gmail was first introduced, and North Korea banned mobile phones. But while North Korea banned them, just south across the country’s border was the ITU Telecom Asia expo in Busan, South Korea, where the future of the mobile phone was bright. How did they think the cell phone of the future would pan out?

Hackers today are trying every approach possible to steal your device's data, including the hijacking of public USB ports. This technique is known as "juice jacking," and with this new threat, you should think twice about charging your device using a public USB charging kiosk, or even the USB port on a friend's computer.

So you have yourself a big television. With the right hookups, you can turn your TV into a powerful business tool for your conference room. To get the most out of your conference room TV experience, you can cut the cord entirely and go wireless! Here's how you do it.

The final quarter of 2013 saw an immense amount of hype around the latest trend of wearable technology. In 2014, it's looking like the hype will pay off as more wearable technology products are hitting the shelves and becoming available to consumers.

It's time once again for holiday shopping, and you've got a plethora of technology choices before you. With so many options, it's easy to get confused and grab the first thing you come across. To help you avoid the stress of shopping for technology this holiday season, we've prepared for you this guide so you can be sure that you're purchasing the best item for people on your list.