Understanding AI Agents and Agentic AI

Artificial Intelligence has come a long way from just answering questions. These days, AI does not just respond. It acts. One of the most exciting developments in this space is something called AI agents.

In simple terms, think of AI agents like smart automations. Not exactly, but close enough if you are just getting started. They are programs that can read and understand information, make sense of what needs to happen, and then actually go and do it. They do not sit around waiting for instructions every time. You usually set them up once, and from there, they can adapt, improve, and evolve to keep doing better work.

Unlike a basic chatbot that only replies when prompted, AI agents can take on broader goals. They can break big tasks into smaller ones, work across different tools and platforms, and carry out jobs you would normally do yourself. It is like delegating a project to someone and having them figure out how to get it done without needing to ask for guidance at every step.

You have probably already used tools powered by AI agents, even if you did not realise it. Take Otter.ai, for example. Otter is an AI meeting assistant that records your calls, transcribes everything being said in real time, picks out key highlights, and sends a summary once the meeting ends. That means you can focus on the conversation instead of taking notes. The moment it starts taking action without being asked, from capturing conversations to generating follow-up content, that is where it moves from being just a tool to becoming an AI agent.

Even features like Google Calendar’s smart scheduling or Gmail suggesting replies based on the email’s tone are early forms of agentic behaviour. These systems are constantly reading context, understanding intent, and offering useful actions with little to no input from you.

This shift is important because AI agents are already helping people save hours of work. They are great at handling repetitive tasks like admin, research, note-taking, follow-ups, and even writing first drafts. And they are getting better all the time. For small teams, students, or solo founders, this is game-changing.

If you want to stay ahead of the curve, now is the time to stop just watching YouTube demos or liking AI posts on Twitter. My advice is simple. Pick one tool. Try it. I would really recommend taking a couple of hours and exploring Zapier to get started. It is one of the best tools out there if you want to understand how automation and AI agents can actually save you time. You can build simple workflows like automatically sending Slack messages from emails, updating spreadsheets from forms, or following up on leads without writing a single line of code. It is easy to use and powerful enough to make a real difference.

Another great option is to build your own custom GPT using ChatGPT. You do not need to code anything. You just give it clear instructions, upload some examples, and explain exactly what you want it to do. You can create a GPT that helps write grant applications, cleans up meeting notes, analyses contracts, or answers questions from your own documents. It is like training a digital assistant for your specific tasks, and it keeps getting better the more clearly you explain the job.

Start with something real. Make Zapier automate your calendar. Build a custom GPT to sort your notes or generate reports. Use it to do something you already spend too much time on. You will only learn by doing.

And if you are in your forties or older, here is something practical. Hire an intern. Sit with them for an hour. Walk them through your daily work. Show them your reports, your inbox, your calendar, your client notes. Ask them to explore how AI tools could help. I am willing to bet they will find at least one part of your workflow that can be done faster, smarter, or even fully automated. Small changes add up. Saving even ten minutes on a task you repeat every day is worth it.

AI is here to remove the grunt work so you can focus on thinking, building and connecting. You do not need to be technical. You just need to start.

How Apple Pay Works Behind the Scenes

While scrolling through my Twitter feed, I came across an interesting tweet about how Apple Pay is more secure than Google Pay. I found some really cool details about the mechanics behind Apple Pay, so here’s a quick summary of how one of the most secure forms of payment works.

For those unfamiliar with Apple Pay, it’s a digital payment system available on Apple devices. In a way, it’s similar to India’s UPI, but instead of using a QR code for transactions, Apple Pay uses a tap mechanism, relying on Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. When you make a purchase, you just tap your device at the payment terminal, and the payment is processed instantly.

Okay, here’s what happens when you use Apple Pay:

When you add your credit or debit card to your phone, it doesn’t just copy the card info and call it a day. Instead, it creates something called a Device Account Number, or DAN. Think of this as a digital alias for your real card. Your actual card number? It never even leaves your phone.

The DAN gets stored inside a fancy, tamper-proof chip called the Secure Element. This chip is like a vault, completely isolated from the rest of your phone. Even if your apps get hacked or something shady happens, your payment info is inaccessible.

So, let’s say you’re at the checkout line, ready to pay. You tap your phone and here’s what happens. Your phone sends the DAN, not your real card number, to the merchant. But that’s not all—it also generates a one-time-use security code for the transaction. Even if someone managed to intercept the data mid-transaction, which is already a stretch, it’d be useless for future purchases.

Meanwhile, your bank receives the DAN and the security code, checks if everything matches up and gives a go-ahead for the payment. All of this happens in seconds and the merchant never gets their hands on your actual card info. What makes it even cooler is that you have to authorise the payment using Face ID or Touch ID. Biometrics ensure only you can approve payments.

But here’s the thing: this convenience comes with a catch. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to just tap your phone and move on? It’s almost too easy. Back in the day, when you had to hand over physical cash, it made you pause for a second. Now, with Apple Pay, there’s no tangible exchange of value. It’s just a quick tap and your brain doesn’t really register the “ouch” of spending.

What’s worse, it’s so fast and frictionless that your inner “Do I really need this?” voice doesn’t even get a chance to chime in. It’s like the financial version of “one more episode” on Netflix.

So, at the end of the day, Apple Pay is pretty amazing. It’s like having a super-secure, futuristic wallet in your pocket. But you need to be mindful of how you use it.

Sora, ChatGPT and OpenAI

Since November 2023, the world has seen some crazy shifts in the tech space. It was just 15 months ago that OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT, and since then, it has come a long way. A couple of weeks ago, it shared a glimpse of its newest AI model, Sora.

Sora is a powerful text-to-video tool that generates realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions. Here is an some example of the videos it has generated.

So, how does Sora work? It uses research from previous OpenAI models like DALL·E 3 and ChatGPT to achieve this.

Now, some of you may not be familiar with DALL·E 3. Essentially, DALL·E 3 is OpenAI's text-to-image platform that does very well. I have used it several times, and it does a good job of understanding prompts and generating relevant images. However, it still has a long way to go. The biggest flaw that I see in DALL·E 3 is that it can only generate new images and cannot modify existing inputs.

What does that mean? The ideal mechanism would be that if you input a raw photo, you should be able to ask the AI to remove the red eye, make some basic modifications to it, and make it a perfect image. But OpenAI's technology cannot do this yet. I believe it would be game-changing if OpenAI models could reach this level. It would be a true step towards achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

The ultimate goal of all AI models is to achieve AGI. AGI is when a machine achieves enough intelligence to be comparable to a human.

Circling back to Sora, out of everything OpenAI has created, I believe this is the biggest leap yet. Because it is not just text comprehension or image generation that needs to be worked on. When creating a video, there are several things involved, including understanding motion, lighting & shadows, depth, and many more.

I feel this is a huge achievement considering what text-to-video generation looked like in 2023.

OpenAI has been a pioneer in AI research and is here to stay. They were recently valued at $80 billion dollars! However, they also face some legal trouble as Elon Musk (co-chair of OpenAI until 2018) has claimed that OpenAI is steering away from its foundation as a non-profit organization.

Regardless of the outcome, OpenAI is here to stay and will likely be a leader in AI research. Another company that I think will give OpenAI a hard time is Google.

Google, as many mistake, is not just a search engine but rather a data collection company, and its ecosystem of services is widely used by everyone. Google also leads in AI research but does a better job of deploying these models to the wider public.

Google's new LLM, Gemini 1.5 Pro (formerly known as Bard), has beaten OpenAI's ChatGPT in several tests and proven to be a more accurate and reliable chatbot. Google also has leveraged its infrastructure and rolled out image input and output for its prompts. Over the last week, Google has also announced that Gemini can access things like your calendar and make basic modifications to it. This tight integration between the chatbot and commonly used tech services will add to the convenience and may lead to more people using Google's LLM rather than OpenAI in the long run.

Google may also leverage its stance in the smartphone OS market to introduce Gemini as an in-built default feature for basic tasks. But I am sure that if Google adds this "feature" too explicitly, the US Government and EU will summon them to anti-trust hearings.

Well, the AI race has just started and is going to be a dominant race for several years to come. AI products will come and go, but the real race is not between the companies building AI-powered products, but between the companies who are building the AI that these AI-powered products will work on, aka, OpenAI.

Privacy Settings: Level Up Your Digital Defence

With the world going completely digital now, it's easier than ever for companies to track you, learn about you, and potentially sell your data. But there are a couple of things you can do to avoid your information from being used and sold to tech firms.

Firstly, let's understand how this all fits together in the bigger picture. All the tech products you access track every move you make. Apps and other services capture the smallest imaginable data points, like how often you click on a button in an app, how often you open a specific section, and practically everything you can imagine. This data is then consolidated, and some of it is used to improve the tech services you use. While some of it is stored under a special identifier that's unique to you, this data is then used to show you "personalised advertisements.”

So, in simpler terms, personalised ads are like the friend who remembers your birthday, only in this case, it's not because they genuinely care, but because they need something from you.

Personalised Ads use cookies and tracking pixels to monitor your every move online. They analyse your clicks, searches, and the time you spend on various websites, creating a digital fingerprint that's as unique as your taste in memes.

Even emails, in fact, this very email you are reading, I can see when you opened it, when you accessed my website, what time, your general location, and the browser you used. Imagine if an individual like me can track these data points, what larger corporations like Google can do.

Now for the crucial question: how can you prevent these companies from accessing your data? There are two main companies that have access to your data, both of them making the software your phone uses: Google and Apple.

Google is essentially the biggest threat because not only do they control your mobile devices but also manage your search data and, in most cases, are also your primary email service, so they really know you inside out.

To prevent Google from using your data to show ads, head over to this link: myaccount.google.com. Then, head over to the "Data & Privacy" section on the left. Scroll down and go to "Ad Settings" and turn off "Personalised Ads." This is how the page looks. (The setting is already turned off for me, so it shows the service is unavailable.)

You should also consider automatically deleting your web activity after three months and disabling your location history. All privacy settings for your Google account are located on this page, so I recommend taking 10 minutes to check it out.

Now, with Apple, although they also collect a lot of user data, they take a more privacy-centric approach. To turn off Personalised Ads on your iPhone, open the Settings app. Scroll down to Privacy & Security, then tap on Apple Advertising. Finally, switch off Personalised Ads.

Similar to Google, the Privacy & Security page on Apple devices has several privacy settings worth considering to regain control of your data. I recommend visiting this page and completely disabling "Tracking" to prevent apps from accessing any of your user data while you're using your iPhone. I also encourage you to explore other settings on this page.

In addition to the settings mentioned, consider checking out these web pages for even more privacy-related features:

1. https://www.apple.com/privacy/
2. https://safety.google/security-privacy/

So, there you have it – the definitive guide to preventing your data from being used to influence your decisions. Remember, it's your data, so be proactive and take control by turning off those settings!

Until next time, keep your devices updated and stay mindful of your digital footprint.

Bold decisions ft. Spotify India

Which app do you use to listen to music? Let me guess, Spotify. It has been widely used by the Indian audience for a long time. People use it because of its amazing playlists, easy-to-use UI, collaborative music curation features, and more. Spotify has been the gold standard for music streaming, but this is now changing.

Spotify has always had a simple pricing model, letting you listen to music for free, with ads. It charges a nominal subscription fee of INR 119 or USD 11.99 or AUD 12.99, which is pretty decent. This premium subscription allows you to stream music ad-free, download music, and more. This subscription model has been successful globally. However, with India being a very price-sensitive market, many users opt to use the free plan. As a business, Spotify needs and wants more premium users. In an attempt to improve its revenue, Spotify India rolled out some major changes to the free plan that significantly restrict its features.

This is the prompt that Indian Spotify users were greeted with:

Outrageous, right? Imagine having to pay just to listen to the same song again or go back to the previous song. Or imagine having to pay to shuffle your playlist. Well, it is understandable that Spotify wants to capitalise on its wide user base in the Indian market, but this is equivalent to destroying its product. A music player fundamentally has three key buttons: play/pause, forward, and backward. With this new update, Spotify can no longer qualify as a music player because it is depriving its users of a key functionality.

This makes me wonder whether people will actually move away from Spotify. Despite pushing strong business numbers over the past year, Spotify has fallen behind in innovation. Alternatives like Apple Music, which are priced lower in the Indian market, deliver higher-quality music. Apple Music also offers better lyrics integration with music vocals and has an overall better design. Additionally, Apple Music has more Hindi music compared to Spotify due to music rights issues. So popular music albums like 3 Idiots are not available on Spotify. Couple of months ago, it was also rumoured that Spotify was planing to shift its lyrics feature under a paywall, so you would have to subscribe to their premium plan to listen to music. Not to forget, the length if each ad and frequency of ads has also increased over the past couple of years. This has already significantly impacted consumer satisfaction.

Spotify has been making bold moves and it makes me wonder if it will be able to benefit from such strong decisions. And considering how sensitive the Indian market is to price, users might just end up moving to free alternatives such as Amazon Music or pay for subscriptions like YouTube Premium with not only gives them ad-free music but also ad-free video content.

Maybe, it is time for Spotify to innovate and improve its product, rather than focusing on admin & business decisions to add value to its streaming service.

What are your thoughts on this? Answer this poll.

If you liked reading this issue, considering subscribing and stay tuned for more updates and tech news.

Everything new in macOS Sonoma.

When was the last time you updated your laptop? Let me guess—over a month ago? I'm sure a lot of you don't update your laptops on a regular basis. That isn't a great practice. Earlier yesterday, Apple launched their new operating system for their Mac lineup and it is called macOS Sonoma.

Well, I have been testing it out for a couple of weeks now and here is everything that is new.

Safari

You can now create profiles in Safari like work and personal to keep your workspaces separate from each other. This is just like how you can create profiles in Chrome. This means, your work won't clash with your personal life and vice-versa. I'm not a huge fan of profiles, but it's good to know that this feature is now a part of macOS.

Safari also has support for web apps now. You can now create a web app for any website you use often and then add the web app to your dock to use an application. This is sweet and works well. I have tried it with several apps and I have no complaints.

You can now also share your passwords & passkeys with your family if they are saved on the iCloud Keychain using Safari. So you can essentially create a shared password folder and add existing credentials to it to share it with your family. This is super convenient and probably one of the best features.

Some other minor changes are Safari has better, faster, and more relevant search results, and private windows are now locked through user authentication.

Video conferencing

FaceTime screen sharing has always been a mess. The numerous times I have cut a call or moved to Zoom because the other person was not able to see my screen is countless. Thankfully, Apple has fixed this.

But on a more serious note, macOS Sonoma has some cool video enhancing features like portrait and study light adjustments. Plus, you can also float your video over the screen you are sharing. This stuff is difficult to explain over text so here is a photo of the way you can mock up your camera on video calls.

macOS can now also understand your gestures and appropriately add a reaction to your video stream. Not to forget, you can now use your iPhone camera for features like Center Stage.

Notes and PDFs

PDFs are like air to the human soul these days. With everything being digital, everyone is buried under a load of PDF files. Apple has added some cool features that make life with PDFs simpler though. You can now autofill PDF forms with your information! You can simply click and start typing or even let your system autofill information for you. This feature is a life saver.

You can also embed PDFs into a note in the Notes app. Plus, you can now export your notes into the Pages app so you can start working on note and then make it a full-fledged document as you go.

Lastly, you can now also back-link notes! So you can reference things from any note you write to any previous notes. This is really helpful if you take notes for school or work on the Apple Notes app.

Everything else

• Apple has added some really cool live wallpapers to this update. Over 120 live wallpapers cover some of the most beautiful locations in the world. These live wallpapers also act as a screensaver when your computer is inactive. Think of them like the screensaver that turns on when your Apple TV is kept idle for long.
• You can now add widgets to your desktop. Not just widgets from the apps on your Mac, but Apple uses its continuity technology to also add widgets from apps that are installed on your iPhone. So you can glance at the most important information from the comfort of your Mac.
• A new gaming mode has been added that improves the CPU and GPU performance when gaming. It also allows you to play games with reduced latency on devices such as controllers and wireless media devices.
• Predictive text is available system-wide. You can now auto-complete your sentences with a simple click.
• macOS Sonoma has also added support for everything new in iOS 17 so things like stickers, communication safety and other things that were rolled out to iOS are now also available on macOS.

So, hefty new list of features, right? But the inevitable question—should you upgrade just yet? I have been using the beta version of macOS Sonoma for a while now and I can confidently say it has been stable and is safe to upgrade. It won't hamper your workflow. However, I noticed this prominent bug with iMessage but it isn't a dealbreaker.

Well, so how do you update your device? Plug in your Mac computer, unlock it, and head over to System Settings → General → Software Update → Update now. Then follow the on-screen prompts.

Make sure you don't fiddle with your device when it is updating. Your screen may go off randomly and then your laptop may boot up again. This is normal behaviour, so don't be worried. Last couple of things: your battery should be over 50% to install the update, and don't shut the lid when it is updating. It takes a while to update, so plan your update!

Yeah, that's all. That's macOS Sonoma. Apple's most advanced computer OS yet.

Don't forget, updating also improves security and makes your device less vulnerable to cyber threats. So make sure to update your Mac!

What's new in iOS 17?

Apple just launched its new mobile operating system this week, iOS 17. Everyone in the tech world is talking about it and calling it one of the best updates in a long time, but then there are some boomers on Twitter with the same old jokes asking, "Awww what's new in iOS 17? It is literally the same thing."

Well, it is not. Here are the new features in iOS 17 and why you should update your phone:

Live Voicemail (Call screening)

So, there is this new feature called Live Voicemail that automatically sends your calls to voicemail and transcribes the voicemails live on screen. So, if you feel the call is important, you can just choose to pick up the call and start talking to the person. It looks something like this:

It's really cool and helps you filter out spam calls without answering your phone. Oh, also, if you think the person calling you is a scammer or someone who should not contact you again, you have a single-tap button that allows you to block callers from the call page itself.

Standby Mode

I'm sure you have seen those smart devices with a screen on them. Like this one:

Well, your iPhone can do this now without any additional hardware equipment. This new feature is called Standby mode, and it becomes active when you are charging your phone and turn it to a horizontal orientation. A new page opens, which allows you to add widgets, the time, and so much more to your Standby page. It gives you a range of customizable options and is really functional. This feature is best used on the iPhone 14 Pro (Max) and the iPhone 15 Pro (Max) because they have the always-on display feature. Other iPhones also get this feature, but to look at your Standby page, you need to tap on your screen. I'd suggest getting a MagSafe charging stand that you can put on your bedside table if you have an iPhone that fully supports this feature. That way, you get a complete smart home device-like experience. This feature is honestly so cool and probably one of my favourites.

Check-in

You know how every time you leave the house or go on a trip, your loved ones ask you to tell them when you arrive? And then most of the time, it slips your mind. Well, Apple has a solution for this. They have introduced a new feature in the Messages app that lets the other person know when you have reached your desired destination.

Assuming you haven't (I hope it doesn't happen), it will share key information that can help locate you. You can customise this, but if you don't reach your destination, key data about your taken path, your phone's cellular access, and battery information will be shared with your trusted contact so they can find you.

This feature is honestly game-changing, and it's crazy how Apple is emphasising safety features in its products.

NameDrop

Sharing contact information has always been a hassle, but this new feature allows for seamless contact sharing! If you bring your iPhone or Apple Watch close to another iPhone, you'll get a prompt to share your contact information with the other person. With just a tap, the other person will receive all of your details. This is so simple, but so convenient at the same time.

Other features

Apple also has a bunch of other features but again if I write so much about each of them, this issue will never end. So now, that I have summarised the big features of iOS 17, here are the rest in a condensed form.

1. AirDrop now uses the internet to transfer files across devices so you can step away from someone while you AirDrop them something.
2. iOS 17 introduces a new journalling app that will be available later this year. The Health app also allows you to log your mood now. This new mental health log feature is an extension of their Journal app.
3. You can now have group music sessions through CarPlay. For example, my phone can be connected to the car stereo's system but someone else sitting the backseat can also change the music and volume via this new feature.
4. The Music app features a small redesign which makes the user-experience even better.
5. You can now share your passwords to your Family members by creating a new shared passwords folder.
6. iOS can now autofill OTPs from your email app! Plus it also allows you delete OTPs automatically after they have been used.
7. You can download the maps of a particular region for offline usage.
8. Spotlight and Siri get a few minor updates that improves their performance and usability
9. Communication Safety has been implemented that blurs NSFW (Sensitive) content on your phone and double checks if you want to view it and directs you to appropriate resources if you feel uncomfortable.
10. The AirPods Pro get a new Adaptive noise cancelling mode that adjusts the level of noise cancelling based on your surroundings.
11. You now also get a contact poster. So you customise how the incoming call screen will look like when you call someone. For example, you can add your image that is visible to all your contacts. (Not such a great feature on my opinion)
12. You can now leave a video-mail (similar to voicemail) on FaceTime if the other person does not pick up your call.
13. iOS 17 gets native support for stickers. It allows you to create stickers from your Photos and use them though the keyboard across all apps.
14. Other minor updates can be checked out at Apple's Offical iOS page

Yeah, that's everything that's new and significant in iOS 17. Personally, I love the new additions, but I have to say, you might want to wait to update your device. I've noticed a sharp fall in battery life, and my phone has stuttered on several occasions. But in all fairness, this is the first build of the new software, so it's bound to have some issues. I'd recommend that the average person update their device once iOS 17.1 is released with bug fixes. But again, my experience may be different because I'm running a slightly older phone (cue for my parents to buy me a new one).

Anyway, this is all there was in iOS 17. Apple also launched a new WatchOS update that you might want to check out. Apple is also due to launch its new Mac operating system on September 27th, so stay tuned for that, and I'll catch you then.

Essential Apps for September 2023

Over the past few weeks, I have found some really awesome apps that deserve recognition. This article is entirely about them.

Speaking of recognition, this blog has now been accessed in 34 countries globally and has been read over 10,000 times. I feel this is a milestone, so I thought of sharing it. Thank you for being an active reader of The Tech Garamond.

Keeping this aside. Let's get to the first app.

ClearVPN

Moving on, the first app on this list is ClearVPN. Virtual private networks (VPNs) are becoming extremely important in this digital day and age. They help you cover your internet tracks, which keeps you away from hackers, the FBI (it’s a joke), and other cyber criminals. Why ClearVPN? Well,  it is simple to use and has cool features.

The VPN service allows you to change your location to almost all countries in the world, which allows you to bypass geo-restrictions. In addition, it has a stealth mode for streaming services. What does this mean? Well, if you try to watch content on Netflix via a VPN that is not available in your country, Netflix will block your service until you turn off your VPN. But guess what? ClearVPN can simply evade all of these restrictions. Not only for Netflix, this stealth mode works for several streaming platforms. Lastly, ClearVPN also allows you to choose between modes such as fast internet browsing and top security. This way, you can use the software according to your needs. ClearVPN is obviously paid, but you can get started with a three-day free trial here →

Flighty

Flighty is the super-handy flight tracker that really makes life convenient. Every time you want to see the status of a flight, you have to look up the flight number on Google and then reload the page every time you want an update. But this app changes that. You can add a flight and then see all of its details. When I say details, I mean the status of the flight, the boarding gate, and so much more! It also gives you an arrival forecast based on previous trends about flight delays. Not to mention, it also lists down all the information about the aircraft for all the aviation geeks. Lastly, it also allows you to create your own digital travel passport, which gives you cool stats like total kilometres travelled, airports you have visited, and total airborne time. This feature is so cool!

The basic features of this app are free, but if you want to go all out, you'll have to pay for an annual subscription. However, I recommend taking their trial to better understand the app.

Download the app here → 

GoodNotes 6

With so many friends buying iPads lately, I have had people reach out to me asking for a good notes app. My answer is always the same: GoodNotes. GoodNotes is a powerful app for the Apple ecosystem that allows you to use the iPad to its fullest potential in terms of note-taking. It has some great features, such as endless canvases, annotating on PDFs, and AI support for notes.

AI support in a note-taking app? Yes, GoodNotes performs spellchecks using AI in handwritten text, even with the Apple Pencil. It also tells you if your math is incorrect. This feature is called AI Math Assist. On top of that, it creates a summary of all your notes for revision purposes. These features are amazing to me. The app also allows you to record audio from your classes and tag them to certain parts of your notes. Additionally, the app is well-designed and lightweight, so it is a joy to use. Plus, the app isn't even that expensive for what it offers. Check it out → 

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Yeah, those are the best apps for this month. Definitely check them out. Oh, also, Apple has its "special event" on September 12th, where they will unveil their new iPhone 15 lineup and hopefully more products. The event will be live-streamed on Apple's website and YouTube page if you want to watch it. Here is the link for it.

And that's it for this issue. I'll catch up with you next week. Until then, make sure to update your tech!

Encrypti*n @nd #ow it w0rk$ 🔒

Over the last couple of years, the words "encryption" and "privacy" have been thrown around a lot, but what does encryption actually mean and how is it beneficial?

Imagine sending a letter to your friend, but the postman can read it. Creepy, right? In the tech world, encryption is simply the act of scrambling and obfuscating the contents of something so that only the intended party can access it. Encryption is becoming increasingly important as hackers become more sophisticated.

Most modern-day apps use encryption. For example, a text sent on WhatsApp is fully encrypted. If someone tries to access the message using unauthorized tech, it will look like this to them:

@hgasjdhg55538484$%#*$^%

This makes no sense, right? That's the whole point. Fun fact: Instagram DMs are not encrypted by default! This means that they are not as secure as WhatsApp messages.

So how does encryption work? There are two ways to encrypt something: symmetric and asymmetric. Both of these technologies rely heavily on cryptography, which is based on some very difficult math.

Symmetric encryption uses one key to encode and decode the message. Because of this, it is generally considered weaker than asymmetric encryption. However, it is much faster.

The other way of encryption is asymmetric encryption, which is considered safer because it uses two unique keys to encrypt and decrypt the message. This makes the process of safeguarding your information slower, but it is also more secure.

Regardless of what type of encryption is used, it is essential to have some form of encryption when using technology. Most apps nowadays use end-to-end encryption. So if you have seen that phrase somewhere, you know what it means now. Make sure to always check if your data is encrypted when using online tech services.

That's it for this issue. If you liked it, consider subscribing and sharing this newsletter with others. Be on the lookout for another issue sometime soon! Until I write another issue, make sure to clean and update your tech.

Vision Pro— a game-changing mixed-reality headset

Apple recently hosted its developer conference (WWDC) 2023 and it announced some staggering new updates to our devices and how we use them. Among all the software changes and new products that Apple announced, the one that caught everyone's eye was the Vision Pro.

The Vision Pro is Apple's attempt at bringing AR and VR into one single headset. From what I can see, they have done a pretty good job. The headset is an elegant, spatial computer (fancy name) that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world. It has a revolutionary 3D camera that can capture spatial photos and videos, and it can also bring 3D objects to life. In really simple terms, spatial refers to the depth of the content. For example, when you sit on a Zoom call you see a 2D picture, the video being showcased to you is flat but in spatial content, it is not confined to two dimensions. This allows the Vision Pro to create an infinite canvas for apps that scales beyond the boundaries of a traditional display, and it introduces a user interface controlled by the most natural and intuitive inputs possible — a user's eyes, hands, and voice.

The Vision Pro is a powerful new computer that offers a completely new way to interact with digital content. The headset within itself uses Apple's in-house chips, M2 & R1 (new chipset), to provide this advanced level of computing.

The Vision Pro is such a complex product that Apple took 50 minutes to explain it at their event. Imagine making a product that complex 🤯 . Well, if Apple struggled to do it in a conference, this blog barely comes close.

If this blog has even slightly interested you, I would recommend you check out this YouTube video.

Apple Vision Pro announcement at WWDC 2023 in 6 minutes

The Apple headset is one of the company’s most anticipated products with leaks and rumors dating back to 2017. But after years of speculation, today at WWDC…

YouTube

What the world witnessed last night in WWDC might just be the stepping stone to moving to AR and VR as a society. Other companies such as Meta have tried to make this transition but have failed miserably. This just makes you wonder if Apple will change the world yet again.