Powerful Communication Podcast

People from all walks of life, from every corner of the world have taken to social media to share memories and express their condolences following the death of Queen Elizabeth The Second.

The official Royal Family Instagram account shared a black and white photograph of The Queen as news of her death was announced, followed by a statement from King Charles The Third saying his family would be comforted and sustained by the knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.

Technology played an important role throughout Queen Elizabeth The Second's reign.

She broadcast annual Christmas messages on television and under her leadership the royal family was among the first organisations of its type to see the potential of a YouTube channel.

The official Royal Family channel has almost one million subscribers.

The British Monarchy's official website, royal.uk has had all its content temporarily removed with a message announcing the Queen's death, a picture of her on the throne and explains that the website is unavailable with appropriate changes are made.

It's expected, in time, to feature an online book of condolence for those who wish to pay their respects.

Apple held its 'Far Out' launch event last night and announced the iPhone 14.

There's also a new set of Airpods, an Apple Watch Series 8 and a new Apple Watch Ultra - a rugged sports watch made from aerospace titanium and a 36 hour batery life - this is made for triathlon and endurance athletes as well as serious explorers - the display has been configured so its easier to see in sunlight.

It's also designed to operate in extreme temperatures and can emit an 86 decibel siren in an emergency if you need to tell people where you are.

Across the range of Apple mobile devices - improved cameras and screens and a revamped layout.

You'll get all the details on the Apple website and social media accounts.

Not to be outdone, Facebook owner Meta has announced its own event - the Connect Conference for October 11th where it's expected to give more details of its moved into virtual reality and 'the metaverse'.

And there's lots of speculation about the long term future of Snapchat - the company is laying off 1200 staff, that's 20% of its workforce and shutting down a number of projects including its mobile games division and its miniature done.

Boss Evan Spiegel says he wants to focus on making money from advertising.

There's an Apple event tonight at 6pm UK time.

We're expecting a new iPhone and possible other products - I'm going to predict a surprise from Apple - I think they'll announce their own dating app and I'm also expecting the numbering of the iPhone to stop with new names used to identify new product releases.

A cat translator app which claims to be able to help cat owners work out what their pets are saying has taken the internet by storm over the last 24 hours.

MeowTalk's founders claims to have found a formula that can identify a cat's meows and translate them into human languages.

The app has been downloaded more than 17 million times since launching in Japan and has recorded more than 250 million meows.

One of the team behind MeowTalk worked on the Alexa smart speaker product development - the company says it wants to strengthen the bond between cats and humans.

Do you watch YouTube videos at 1.5 or double speed?

You're not alone - the platform says users save a combined 900 years of video time each day by watching videos faster than the default.

YouTube says 1.5 speed is the most popular.

People in France with swimming pools in their back gardens could be cursing technology right now.

The French government is using artificial intelligence to scan aerial photographs - if they find properties with swimming pools that are undeclared and aren't paying enough tax, then the owners can expect a fine.

Since the scheme launched last October, more than 20 thousand undeclared swimming pools have been discovered.

Dating apps aren't the only way to find love online.

A fascinating article on wired.com explains how some people are turning their backs on apps and baring their souls on publicly available Google Docs.

Although never built for dating, Google Docs are extremely versatile - easy to share, free to use, can include photos and as much text and information you like.

The article even includes one case study who added testimonials from former partners.

'Date Me Docs' as they're called don't rely on algorithms and don't force users to fit themselves into any particular format.

Would you give it a go?

A big step forward for gaming as Google's Stadia service is now offering completely free time limited trials of some games - with nothing to download and no sign up.

All you need is a Google account and visit stadia.google.com

Games available for trial include Wreckfest, Cities - Skyline, PacMan, Far Cry 6, World War Z and many more.

Google says it wants playing games to be as easy and seamless as watching a YouTube video.

Linkedin users have a new option when managing comments on their posts.

If someone says something particularly useful or interesting, you can 'pin' their reply so people will see it at the top of the thread.

Twitter is said to be testing an identical feature.

socialmediatoday.com also reports that Linkedin might soon allow posts to be scheduled - right now you'd have to use a third party tool like Hootsuite to schedule on Linkedin.

And now we're into September it might be worth keeping an eye on xmasclock.com

A big step forward for Twitter that might make it a more pleasant place to be - Twitter Circle is now available to everyone and lets you set up private group chats of up to 150 people.

Twitter says Circles will let users have discussions without worrying about random people hijacking the discussion and making them feel bad.

You'll now see an option to 'share with a smaller crowd' when you start writing a Tweet on a mobile device.

Here's another option if you're looking for more privacy around your emails.

Duck Duck Go made its name as a search engine that doesn't track its users - now it's offering a private email service.

You can access it using the DuckDuckGo app or extensions for the Firefox, Chrome or Edge browsers.

Snapchat is the latest social media platform to launch a Dual Camera option - where users can share a picture of what they're looking at and their reaction to it all at the same time.

The feature first emerged on the BeReal app and seems to have set off a trend.

It'll soon be possible to listen to podcasts while you're using Twitter.

The app is rolling out a new 'audio' tab which will highlight podcasts alongside Twitter's 'Spaces' material.

Podcasts will be grouped according to subject matter - given Twitter's emphasis on real-time content, I'd expect to see podcasts relating to television shows and sports events given a prominent position while those shows and events are actually taking place.

6pm on the 7th of September is an important date for Apple fans.

That's when the company is expected to launch the iPhone 14, tech experts are also expecting a new Apple Watch and possibly an upgrade to the iPad.

At some point, I expect Apple to drop the numbers on the iPhone, I think they might take some people by surprise and call this one something other than '14' - if they do, remember who told you first.

And it's taken a while but computer manufacturer Dell has now completely closed all its operations in Russia.

The hardware company has been winding things down since the attack on Ukraine in February.

As the cost of living crisis intensifies something you'll really want to avoid is becoming a victim of cyber crime.

Here are a few quick tips to stay safe.

First and most important - anytime you're asked for a password - use a strong, secure one, don't share it with anyone and don't repeat it anywhere else.

Password manager apps can help keep things organised for you - they encrypt the actual password.

If you're coming up with passwords yourself, 3 random objects with some numbers and a punctuation mark at the end is a good approach.

Next - anti virus software on your computer and your phone. If reading up on this stuff online is a confusing mess - ask the retailer you bought the device from for their recommendation.

You want something that roots out malicious files you've inadvertently downloaded but that doesn't get in the way of the smooth running of your machine.

You might end up paying for this protection but it shouldn't be expensive and even low level, free protection is better than nothing.

If you do end up with a virus or malware on your device doing a Google search and downloading a recommended 'fix' can sometimes make things worse. Many viruses are actually contained within these so called 'solutions' - it might be better to keep the device switched off, disconnected from the internet and use another device to get hold of an IT repair specialist.

And I always recommend turning on 2 step verification wherever you see it as an option.

There's more evidence of computer manufacturers taking the environment seriously.

Acer has introduced a new Chromebook in its eco friendly Vero line.

The Chromebook Vero 514 which has been designed to be repaired and recycled - much of it has been built with recycled plastic.

The Vero 514 goes on sale across Europe in November although it will be a couple of hundred pounds more than some of the cheapest Chromebook but with much of it user serviceable and upgradeable - it could end up lasting a good bit longer.

BeReal has now hit 10 million daily active users.

The app is finding fans with people fed up with all the posing and fakery on Instagram - you just post one picture every day of exactly what you can see at a particular moment.

Could this be the cure for our social media overload?

And if you're looking to set up your children with their own Google account but want to control what they access and how long they spend in front of a screen - check out Google's free Family Link app - I'll do more on protecting young people online next week.

What's your opinion on voice notes when you're sending messages to friends, family or business contacts?

All the major messaging apps - including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and even Linkedin let you hold down the mic button, record a message with your voice and then send it off.

It can help with productivity - for example if you're out a walk and want to explain something to someone, it'll likely be quicker to say it than to type it.

But perhaps it's not so convenient for the person on the receiving end - they can't 'skim read' your message but have to listen to it in real-time.

So, if you are sending a voice note - get straight to the point and keep them concise.

Let me know what you think on the hashtag DigitalMinuteUK.

And here's one for musicians who might be looking to do a spot of busking - perhaps you're a student looking to top up your income.

The iRig 2 Mobile Guitar Interface lets you plug your guitar into your smartphone where you can record using software like GarageBand, or add all sorts of effects with the likes of the Amplitude app.

You can then output the new sound straight into an amplifier - so instead of carrying several effects pedals around with you, you just need a tiny box and an app on your phone.