Category: Gadgets

Categories
Enterprise Secrets Gadgets

Eric Yuan, CEO: The man with a Zoom lens

Eric S. Yuan, The man with a [Zoom] lens

Recently the video conferencing platform Zoom’s net worth was valued at $31.73 Billion. Since then, zoom and its CEO Eric yuan has been subjected to severe scrutiny regarding its privacy and security issues in its platform.

Eric S. Yuan, Zoom’s CEO apologized for the same stating that the platform has seen a sudden increase in users up to 1900% than it was in December 2019 which Zoom was unable to handle.

In light of these situations, we tried our best to know more about Zoom and its CEO Eric Yuan.

The Attention :

People started using Zoom because it’s free and has an easy to use intuitive interface. Even the early 80’s generation has no problem using this service, I know because my grandparents too use Zoom to check up on their favorite grandson [me].

In his own words, Eric yuan when asked how he had the idea to start this company said,  “People simply do not feel happy when using products like Skype, Webex, etc and I asked why they told me all these kinds of reasons and I realized if customers are not happy about the solution then you have the opportunity to do something to make them enjoy using the product”.

The woman behind every Success : 

An interesting fact is when in China, Eric Yuan and his girlfriend were enrolled in different colleges, so he used to travel 10 hours twice a year to see her, he always dreamt that in the future there would be a way to see her in a click of a button. 

Eric Yuan started his career in Webex in 1997 which was later acquired by Cisco in 2007. In 2011, when he pitched a video conferencing platform at Cisco his idea was rejected because the market was considered saturated.

These experiences made him find a solution to his existing problem.

Project Gestation:

So he left Cisco to start his own company. For the first two years, his company worked head down on the product side to make a great product.

Since 2011 is the year when the mobile market started booming, other products available at the time were not actually ready for the emerging smartphone market so Zoom had a headstart in the right direction.

One example is that they’ve written assembly-level codes for the IOS app development, which makes it work smoother and cleaner in the mobile platforms. 

Eric was working 18 hours a day for several years before the product launched a beta version in September 2012. By the end of the first month, it achieved a 4,00,000 user base.

The rise and scrutiny

The company had an astounding growth from there raising around US $143 million in a series of fundings by January 2017 placing the company at a US$1 billion valuation, making it a so-called unicorn.

According to the firm, the average daily users were 10 million in December, by march users have increased to 200 million, this considerably increased the share price of the company making billions.

This sudden increase in their customer base also increased scrutiny.

Researchers within the week published details of a replacement vulnerability in the Zoom Windows client which might be exploited to steal user passwords and two flaws within the macOS app that might be abused to remotely install malware or pay attention to users.

Zoombombing :

Zoombombing is when an uninvited user enters a meeting for cheap laughs at the expense of others. It is not a security flaw, but the carelessness of the participants sharing the Meeting links on the internet.

Recently this has taken a new form, using deepfakes to impersonate famous personalities in zoo bombing.

While this may be a harmless prank, this can easily damage the lives of unaware users. On April 05, 2020, Zoom has released some updates but it has to be done manually.

Conclusion :

In his Interviews, Eric S. Yuan often states that he wants to bring happiness to the world and we know it’s not just a gimmick.

The proofs are out there like his hiring policy which screens people for their value of bringing happiness and even their virtual backgrounds in their platform tell the same story, these small things express his attention in preserving their core values. 

So it’s safe to say that, not only the product but the people who make them are just as important.

Categories
Enterprise Secrets Gadgets How to

Proxy or VPN: Ways to keep your private data to yourself

Ways to keep your private data to yourself: Proxy or VPN

If you want to add an extra layer of security to your privacy while browsing using a Proxy or VPN is the way to go.

Where privacy is always a concern for the digital jungle. But these devices allow you to remain anonymous. Most countries prohibit people from browsing digital content that is “sensitive”.

Governments send detailed instructions to your internet operator regarding the same. This makes it completely impossible for you to access those sites.

But VPNs and proxies provide a back door through which you can continue to access them. Although they have some similar characteristics, they are completely different from each other. Let’s see how.

Why do you need a proxy?

Proxies are nothing but online servers. when you browse content on the Internet they connect you to the server of the website you are accessing.

Imagine Proxy as a middle man. You send a request to the server and it will bring the information you need. While doing so, it will protect all your personal information from being exposed.

There are two main reasons why proxies are popular. They remove all geographical barriers from your path. Most membership plans do not allow you to use them when you cross the area that specifies your plan.

Using a proxy server, you can trick them into believing that you are still in the area you promised. The second reason is that people use proxies to hide their device’s IP when using the Internet.

This is because the proxy handles all your Internet traffic and does not store information on your device.

What does a VPN do?

If you are reading this, then you probably know that VPN stands for virtual private networks. To put it simply, VPN’s work is no different from a proxy.

The VPN hides your IP address from websites you browse in the same way as proxies. It also allows you to mask your geographical details.

So you can continue to use content that is specific to an area you do not normally have access to.

So what is different?

If they both serve the same purpose then why do they have different names for it? let’s find out. Although VPNs and proxies bring the same value to the table, their functionality is different.

A proxy only helps mask your internet traffic for the applications you use. Whereas a VPN can mask your entire operating system from the network and help you stay hidden.

When considering their security aspects, it is always advisable to use a VPN than a proxy. Proxies can help you circumvent geographical constraints and there is no denying it.

But at the end of the day, your information is still being stored in another server. It is still vulnerable to data theft. If you prefer full data protection then a VPN would be best.

Downside of using a VPN

We saw how a VPN works better than a proxy when considering data encryption. But there is a catch that almost all VPN users will not pay attention to.

Real-time data encryption is a complex task that will take up a large part of your broadband speed. The location you choose can also be a factor that affects your speed.

If your choose premium version should solve most of these problems.

When compared to a proxy, a VPN service provides a ton of useful features. This includes providing DNS leak protection and server options from around the world.

In Conclusion

Most proxy servers are free with limited access. If you need masked web browsing and want your geo-restrictions removed, you can choose a proxy.

But if you need a wide spectrum to get on top of anonymous browsing, then opting for a VPN service is your best option.

Categories
Enterprise Secrets Gadgets Trending News

Apple Macbook may dump Intel processors, report says

Apple Macbook may dump Intel processors, report says

In 2010, Apple surprised the tech world when it announced that it built its own chip, then called the A4 to power its new iPad tablet. This year, the company may do it again, but this time also to announce a change for its Homemade chips for Mac computers.

The move, which has long been rumored, would mean that Apple would begin to abandon Intel’s processor chips by having at least some brains of their computers. The partnership, announced publicly in 2005, made devices such as the MacBook Air laptop possible.

As Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, Apple will step into its annual Worldwide Developers Conference later this month. WWDC 2020 is scheduled to take place on 22 June, and will be conducted online due to the coronavirus epidemic. However, the timing of the chip’s announcement may change, due to the spill-over effect on Apple’s production, Bloomberg said.

Apple declined to comment.

The move to use its own chips to power its Mac computers will give Apple the opportunity for custom-designed chips, enable their penchant for short, thin, and long-lasting devices. In previous years, working with Intel, the company designed new fans to keep its laptop cool, laptop cases mined out of a single piece of aluminum, and new keyboards to allow new laptop cases to have a low-profile screen and hinges.

Now Apple will be able to use its well-thought-out iPhone and iPad chips, which industry audiences speculate will run cooler and provide better battery life.

The A13 Bionic, the companies latest chip powers the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE. Apple’s chips are based on ARM architecture which has high efficiency. The design of the arm is also used as the basis for chips made by Samsung, Qualcomm and Nvidia.

Rumors of Apple turning away from Intel have been floating around the industry for years. In April 2018, it was reported that Apple was in the early stages of making its own processors for its MacBook and iMac. This shift would mean that the macs will also have similar processor strategies like iPhone and iPad.

According to Bloomberg, Mac’s testing with arm-based chips has shown improved graphics performance and artificial intelligence capabilities over previous devices powered by Intel chips. Bloomberg said the new chips could lead thin and light Mac laptops in the future.

At least three processors for macs are being worked on. Bloomberg said that the first Mac featuring the new chip may be available in 2021.