Maumee Geeks

10/31/2025

For years we’ve heard “cloud‑first!” shouted from every rooftop… but the conversation is shifting 🌥️➡️☁️

A new Private Cloud Outlook 2025 report shows companies everywhere are rethinking their cloud strategies.

And the balance between public and private cloud is now front and center.

The numbers are eye‑opening:

👀 93% of businesses say they’re now deliberately balancing a mix of public and private cloud
👀 53% plan to make private cloud their top priority for new workloads in the next three years
👀 73% are actively considering moving some workloads back from public cloud to private. And a third have already done so

Why the rethink?

🔒 Security and compliance: 92% trust private cloud more.

💰 Cost visibility: 90% say private cloud gives them clearer, more predictable costs.

🤖 AI workloads: 60% prefer private cloud for training and running AI models.

But it’s not without challenges. Many businesses admit they’re struggling with siloed IT teams and skills gaps. 80% are leaning on external help to get their cloud environments right.

Things is, there’s no one platform that does it all. It’s all about putting the right workload in the right place.

Is it time you found a blended mix that fits your business, strategically, securely, and cost‑effectively?

My team and I can help with that - get in touch.

🤔 How’s your business approaching cloud right now? Are you leaning more toward public, private, or a mix of both?

10/29/2025

Microsoft is taking Copilot on Windows 11 to a whole new level ⬆️

It’s started testing a feature that lets you share your entire desktop with Copilot. Meaning the AI can see what you see, and chat with you about it in real time.

Up until now, Copilot Vision could only look at a single app or window you chose to share.

But soon, if you enable it, Copilot will be able to view everything on your desktop at once.

Before you panic 😥 this is 100% optional.

You must deliberately enter a special mode inside the Copilot app to turn it on.

Copilot isn’t peeking at your screen in the background, and it won’t start watching without your say so.

Once enabled, here’s what it can do:

👉 Talk you through tasks as you switch between apps
👉 Offer insights on the content you’re working on
👉 Guide you step by step through a process in an unfamiliar program
👉 Even coach you aloud while you’re editing a document or working on a project

It won’t click or type for you (at least not yet). But it can highlight areas on screen and say, “Click here next,” or “Try changing this”.

Think of it as having a knowledgeable colleague looking over your shoulder… without the awkwardness.

Right now, desktop sharing for Copilot Vision is still in testing across Windows Insider Preview channels (Release Preview, Beta, Dev, and Canary). I’m sure it won’t be long till Microsoft rolls it out more widely.

Microsoft is clearly betting big on Copilot. With features like Copilot Memory and even customizable personas (yes, you might soon be able to make yours look like Clippy 👀).

💭 What do you think? Would you be happy to share your whole desktop with an AI assistant if it could help you get things done faster?

10/26/2025

I’ve got something worrying to point out: Even trusted tools can be hijacked ⚠️

Gravity Forms, a hugely popular WordPress plugin with over a million users, was briefly compromised in what’s known as a supply chain attack.

Here’s what happened:

☠️ Attackers managed to sneak malicious files into certain manual downloads of the plugin from Gravity Forms’ own website
☠️ Those files could block updates, create hidden admin accounts, and even allow remote code ex*****on (basically, full control over a site)
☠️ The affected versions were only live for a short window in early July, but anyone who grabbed those versions manually was at risk

The good news?

• Automatic updates and installations done from inside the plugin itself were never affected
• The company, RocketGenius, acted quickly, closed off the attack method, and has already released a clean version (2.9.13)
• They’ve reached out directly to anyone who might have been exposed

But this is still an important reminder:

🔒 Even legitimate, well‑known tools can be targeted
🔒 Always keep plugins updated directly through their official update mechanisms wherever possible
🔒 If you manually download any software, double‑check you’re on the official site and confirm the version number you’re installing

Stories like this highlight how important it is to stay aware of the risks. A single compromised plugin can open the door to attackers. And that can mean stolen data, downtime, or worse.

❓Do you (or your team) ever manually install plugins? Or do you rely on automatic updates?

10/25/2025

AI isn’t some far‑off future tech anymore. It’s already reshaping how we work every day.

But new research shows that getting on board with it is proving harder than many people expected 🤖

The study paints an interesting picture:

🟪 28% of SMBs say rising costs from not automating are already hurting them
🟪 Nearly half (47%) admit they don’t yet have the infrastructure to properly scale AI tools
🟪 And a massive 95% say they still need more training to feel confident using it

Here’s the really telling part:

👾 77% of leaders wouldn’t bet a week’s salary on their organization’s ability to handle AI risks like data misuse…
👾 …but 72% describe themselves as AI experts.

There’s clearly enthusiasm. But also, a gap between knowing AI exists and knowing how to make it work day‑to‑day.

Right now, two‑thirds of SMBs only use AI in very controlled environments.

Three‑quarters are still nervous about how data is managed. And many say the biggest blocker isn’t the technology at all. It’s the training.

But on the other hand, most aren’t standing still.

Three in four plan to ramp up AI investments in the next year, with huge expectations for productivity and performance boosts.

Getting on board with AI isn’t about doing everything at once. It’s about:

✨ Building up skills and confidence step by step
✨ Figuring out where AI can actually make your life easier
✨ And making sure the basics (like data security) are solid before scaling up

Are you excited by AI? Or still figuring out where it fits into your work?

10/24/2025

Scams on the internet aren’t new. But the tactics criminals use keep evolving.

And they’re catching out people and businesses every single day.

Want to hear the harsh truth? The difference between someone who falls for a scam and someone who doesn’t is often just a split second of trust in the wrong place.

Here are some of the most common scams doing the rounds right now, and what to watch for…

🎣 Phishing emails and texts:These are messages pretending to be from a bank, a supplier, or even someone you know. They’ll ask you to click a link or log in. Once you do, they steal your details.

💡 Advice: Never click links in unexpected messages. Go directly to the official website instead.

💻 Tech support cons:A caller says they’re from Microsoft or your internet provider and that your computer is infected. They ask for remote access or payment to “fix” it.

💡 Advice: Legitimate companies don’t cold call like this. Hang up and contact them directly through official numbers.

💸 “Easy money” scams:Think fake lotteries, bogus investments, or those infamous foreign prince emails. They promise big rewards if you pay a “small fee” first.

💡 Advice: If you didn’t enter a competition, you didn’t win. And anyone asking for upfront payment should set off alarm bells.

🛒 Online shopping and auction scams:Fraudsters hijack accounts with good reputations, sell fake goods, or convince you to use insecure payment methods like wire transfers.

💡 Advice: Always use trusted payment systems (like PayPal) and never ship goods before money is safely in your account.

🎭 Social media tricks:A message from a friend saying “Is this you?” or “I’m stuck abroad, please send money.” Or apps that look fun but hide malware.

💡 Advice: Verify through another channel (call or text) before acting, and research any new app before installing it.

Scammers prey on trust, urgency, and emotion. They don’t care who you are, they just want your money, your data, or access to your accounts.

🛡 The best defense? Slow down. Question everything. Educate your team. And make sure you’ve got strong security tools in place.

What’s the worst scam you’ve seen lately? Have you or your team ever had a close call?

10/22/2025

Here’s a clever (and slightly scary) new twist on phishing attacks you might not have heard about yet… and it involves Google Gemini 🤖✉️

Gemini is Google’s AI assistant built into Gmail and other Workspace apps.

One of its neat features is that it can summarize incoming emails in a little pane on the right-hand side.

Sounds useful, right?

But we’re being warned that criminals can hijack Gemini’s summaries using a technique called prompt injection.

How does that work?:

😈 A scammer sends you an email that looks totally normal
😈 Hidden inside the email is extra text (using HTML and CSS to make it invisible, with white text, tiny font)
😈 You can’t see it… but Gemini can
😈 When you open Gemini’s summary pane, it obediently follows the hidden instructions and might show you a fake warning, like: “Your account is compromised. Call Google support immediately on this number”

Because that message is coming from your trusted Gemini assistant inside Gmail, you’re far more likely to believe it.

✨ And just like that, you’ve been phished ✨

Researchers demonstrated exactly this. And while there’s no evidence of real‑world attacks yet, Google has confirmed it’s a priority issue and is rolling out mitigations.

In the meantime, you can reduce the risk by making sure your email clients filter out hidden content. Or by scanning for suspicious urgency cues like phone numbers or “account locked” messages.

Most importantly, remind your team: AI summaries are helpful, but they’re not security alerts. Always double‑check before acting on anything unusual.

AI tools are amazing, right? But they can also introduce new risks we’re only just starting to understand.

🔎 Do you think your team would spot something like this? Or would a message from Gemini catch them off guard?

07/02/2023

You know that feeling when you're finally done with work for the day, but you keep checking your email because you just can't resist? It's like you're tethered to your inbox 24/7.

Ugh.

Well, what if I told you that you could actually schedule your emails so that they don't go out until later? That way, you can disconnect from work and enjoy your free time without feeling guilty or anxious about unread messages.

Outlook has a scheduling feature that lets you delay sending your email until a specific date and time. All you have to do is compose your message as usual, then click on the 'Options' tab and select 'Delay Delivery.' From there, you can choose when you want the email to be sent (e.g., tomorrow morning, next week, etc.) and even set up recurring schedules if needed.

How cool is that?

But this productivity hack isn't just about your own work-life balance – it's also about promoting a healthy culture for your team. By scheduling your emails, you're sending a subtle message that it's okay to take a break and recharge outside of work hours. Your staff will appreciate the gesture and feel less pressure to respond immediately, which can lead to better performance and morale in the long run.

So, do yourself and your team a favor and give this Outlook feature a try.

Compose a message now, but schedule it to be sent later.

07/01/2023

Are you guilty of working from your couch or even your bed when you're working from home? I won't judge - after all, sometimes the most comfortable spot is also the most productive.

But did you know that using a lap desk could make your work-from-home setup even better? A lap desk can give you all the comfort and convenience you need, improve your posture and prevent discomfort. It can also protect your devices.

Here are just a few benefits of using a lap desk:

1. Comfort: Using a lap desk can eliminate back, neck, and shoulder pain caused by hunching over a laptop on a couch or bed. It can also prevent you from overheating your body by allowing air to circulate around your laptop.

2. Posture: A lap desk can help you maintain proper posture while working, which can prevent long-term damage to your spine and muscles.

3. Productivity: By eliminating discomfort, a lap desk can help you stay focused and productive for longer periods of time.

So why not invest in a lap desk and make your work-from-home experience even more comfortable and convenient? Just don't blame me if you never want to leave your couch again!

We all love to lounge on the couch or in bed while browsing the internet or catching up on work. Before you resign yourself to a simple pillow or your own thighs as a desk, check out the benefits of an Uncaged Ergonomics lap desk.

06/30/2023

Do you ever use the term 'jiffy' when talking about how quickly something can be done? As IT experts, we're all about precision and accuracy - but where did this quirky little term come from?

Well, it turns out that 'jiffy' is actually a real unit of time used in the world of computing. Specifically, it refers to the amount of time it takes for one tick of the system timer interrupt on a computer. I can explain that further if you like, but it's getting very technical!

Where did the term 'jiffy' originate? It actually dates back to the 18th century, where it was used to refer to a brief moment of time. And over the years, it's been used in various industries to denote different lengths of time For example, in physics, a jiffy is defined as the time it takes light to travel one fermi... that's a real term by the way, not something from Star Trek.

So next time you hear someone say they'll get something done 'in a jiffy', you can impress them with your knowledge of its origins in computing.

And who knows, maybe you'll even start using it yourself to measure how long it takes to complete annoying IT tasks... that you should be giving to my team anyway!

1. a unit of time used in computer engineering. A jiffy is the length of one cycle, or tick, of the computer s system clock. In the past, this was often equal to one period of the alternating current powering the computer: 1/60 second in the U

06/29/2023

Can you believe it's been 16 years since the iPhone first went on sale?

That's right, on June 29th, 2007, people were camping out in front of Apple stores just to get their hands on this ground-breaking new device. One million phones were sold in just 74 days.

Now, it's hard to imagine a world without smartphones - but back in 2007, the iPhone was a game changer. Not only did it combine features like a phone, camera, and music player into one sleek device, but it also introduced the concept of a touchscreen interface and paved the way for mobile apps.

Let's be honest, we've all probably spent more time than we care to admit scrolling through Instagram or playing Candy Crush on our iPhones. But beyond the entertainment factor, the iPhone has had a huge impact on the world.

From changing the way we communicate with each other to revolutionizing industries like music, photography, and even healthcare, the iPhone has left an indelible mark on our society.

So as we celebrate the 16th anniversary of this iconic device, let's take a moment to appreciate just how far we've come - and also poke a little fun at those early iPhones with their tiny screens and limited features (remember when taking a selfie wasn't even an option?).

Here's to another 16 years of innovation, progress, and of course, memes.
Happy anniversary, iPhone!

Fifteen years ago to this day, the iPhone, the revolutionary device presented to the world by the late Steve Jobs, officially went on sale. The...