Today in Tech

As expected, Nvidia officially dropped its plans to acquire Arm after facing regulatory hurdles. Now that an IPO is looming, an alternative architecture like RISC-V may emerge as a formidable competitor to Arm. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and senior writer Lucas Mearian join Juliet to discuss the future of Arm. Plus, as enterprises continue to support remote workers, new tools have emerged to monitor employees’ online behavior. One such tool is a new web browser, called Island, that limits what sites workers can visit, the data they can view and their ability to upload and download files from the web. While monitoring tools could be beneficial from a security perspective, do they overstep and infringe on employees’ privacy? Ken, Lucas and Juliet will discuss how employee attitudes on remote work have evolved and how to effectively implement monitoring tools.

A recent report from Bloomberg revealed that Nvidia is preparing to abandon its acquisition of Arm. The deal would have made a joint Nvidia-Arm a semiconductor superpower, and as such it was subject to scrutiny from regulators. Regulators in both the U.S. and the U.K. have pushed back against the deal. Arm licensees might be relieved to see the deal fall through, thus eliminating the threat of working with a competitor (Nvidia). Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and Macworld executive editor Michael Simon join Juliet to discuss the status of Nvidia’s Arm acquisition and what the future holds for licensees, like Apple, that build upon Arm’s architecture. 

Intel recently announced plans to invest $20 billion into a massive new semiconductor fabrication plant in Ohio. This announcement comes as Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said the U.S. urgently needs to increase domestic chip manufacturing capacity. A recent Commerce Department survey revealed that the ongoing chip shortage was in dire straits late last year, with some manufacturers reporting they had less than five days’ supply of chips. While the new Intel plant, predicted to open in 2025, won’t alleviate the ongoing chip shortage, current supply chain issues highlight the need for increased investment in semiconductor manufacturing. Mario Morales, group vice president of IDC's enabling technologies, semiconductor, storage, and DataSphere research, joins Juliet to discuss the significance of Intel’s plan and provide an update on the chip shortage.

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced plans to buy video game giant Activison Blizzard for $68.7 billion. Microsoft branded the deal as a metaverse play, but some industry analysts see it as Microsoft capitalizing on Activision’s weakened position. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and senior reporter Lucas Mearian join Juliet to break down Microsoft’s planned acquisition, including how it relates to the metaverse and what it means for the tech industry. #Microsoft #Activision #news  

Article: https://www.computerworld.com/article/3647294/microsoft-to-buy-video-game-maker-activision-blizzard-for-687b.html

This week, Apple said it paid developers $60 billion in 2021. That suggests that, last year, the App Store raked in more money than ever. Still, 2021 was not all roses for the App Store. In September, Apple’s lawsuit against Epic Games over in-app purchasing ended. While the judge ruled in favor of Apple most of the time, the judge decided that the company engaged in anti-steering practices. Apple continues to face pressure abroad to allow outside payment methods for the App Store. So, where does the Apple go from here, and what changes might it be forced to make? Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and Macworld executive editor Michael Simon join Juliet to discuss what’s next for the App Store. 

When the transition to Apple silicon was announced, Apple said the shift would last two years. Now, Mark Gurman, author of the Power On newsletter, suggests the transition could wrap up by WWDC in June. That means users would see an Apple silicon-powered Mac Pro (as well as the higher-end Mac mini and 27-inch iMac) in the coming months. And while Apple continues to distances itself from Intel, the latter chipmaker claims that its new Core i9 processor is faster than the M1 Max. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis join Juliet to discuss Intel’s new processors, what an Apple silicon Mac Pro will look like and what other devices will receive new chips this year. Plus, they’ll discuss what Apple’s brief $3 trillion valuation means for the company.

Recently, U.S. Cyber Command confirmed it has acted against ransomware groups, underscoring the importance of cybersecurity to national security. Effective risk management frameworks, such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, can help organizations assess risk and mitigate or protect against ransomware attacks or other cyber incidents. Cynthia Brumfield, analyst, CSO Online contributor and author of the new book, "Cybersecurity Risk Management: Mastering the Fundamentals Using the NIST Cybersecurity Framework", joins Juliet to discuss what the NIST framework is and how IT teams can apply its advice to best protect their organizations.

Apple leveled up its Mac game in 2021 by adding its M1 chips to new devices and introducing the M1 Pro and Max chips to its users. In 2022, even more Macs, like the Mac Pro, may get the Apple silicon treatment and receive the next generation of M-series chips (perhaps an M2?). Users can also likely expect a lower-cost, 5G-powered iPhone SE, a new Apple Watch, the iPhone 14 and maybe even some AR glasses. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and Macworld executive editor Michael Simon join Juliet to discuss what business users and consumers alike can expect from Apple in 2022 and if the company can maintain its 2021 momentum in the new year.

As employees return to the office, IT can apply lessons learned from supporting remote workers to transform their networks. Cloud architectures such as SD-WAN and SASE could continue to be useful. Network as a Service, or NaaS, is still in its early stages but could offer cloudlike agility when it comes to buying network equipment. But, as the chip shortage and broader supply chain issues continue to plague the tech industry, IT must be prepared to prioritize and compromise network projects. Brandon Butler, a research manager at IDC covering enterprise networking, joins Juliet to discuss what enterprise networking trends he predicts to see in 2022.

Follow everyone on Twitter--

Juliet: https://twitter.com/julietbeauchamp

Brandon: https://twitter.com/BButlerIDC

Last week, Apple filed a lawsuit against NSO Group, the technology firm behind the Pegasus spyware. In its lawsuit, Apple seeks to hold NSO Group accountable for alleged surveillance of select iPhone users, as well as ban the firm from using any Apple products. While digital rights activists commend Apple for standing up for privacy rights, they say they want to ensure that the precedent set by the case applies only to bad actors and not organizations in support of user privacy. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and senior reporter Lucas Mearian join Juliet to discuss what the lawsuit means for Apple, those affected by the spyware and digital rights overall. #Pegasus #Apple