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  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s (D) Chicago witnessed a 139 percent increase in murder during July 2020 when compared to July 2019. ABC7 reported there were 105 murders in July 2020, up from “the 44 reported in July 2019.” Moreover, there were 406 “shooting incidents” in Chicago during the month of July 2020, an increase of 75 percent “from the 232 last July,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Over a longer span of time, murders were up 51 percent from January 1, 2020, through July 31, 2020, compared to murders for the same period of time in 2019, according to the Sun-Times. Lightfoot blamed Chicago mayhem and bloodshed on gun friendly states during a July 26, 2020, appearance on CNN’s State of the Union. According to The Hill, Lightfoot told CNN, “Our gun problem is related to the fact that we have too many illegal guns on our streets, 60 percent of which come from states outside of Illinois.” She added, “We are being inundated with guns from states that have virtually no gun control, no background checks, no ban on assault weapons — that is hurting cities like Chicago.” Lightfoot did not mention that the Chicago area already has an “assault weapons” ban via a Cook County ordinance. Nor did she mention background checks are a federal requirement, mandated for all retail gun sales in every state of the Union, whether that is Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, or California. The mayor also failed to noted that her state, Illinois, requires everyone to obtain a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card before being allowed to possess a gun, and the process for obtaining that card includes a background check. AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 A 69-year-old Trump-supporting grandmother outed her grandson as the suspect who allegedly threw a makeshift bomb outside a Portland, Oregon, federal courthouse Tuesday. The New York Post reported that Karla Fox recognized the alleged bomber as her grandson, Gabriel “Rico” Agard-Berryhill. In the hours after the attack, social media users sifted through videos showing a slim man wearing an olive-colored vest with the word “ICONS” printed on it, throwing an item over the fence at the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse. Rioters threw a bomb at the front of the Portland federal courthouse. This wasn’t one of their usual firework explosives. #PortlandRiots #antifa pic.twitter.com/omCq0GtZMj — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 28, 2020 Within seconds, there’s an explosion that covers the courthouse’s front door in flames. The suspect picks something up from the group and slips away from the camera’s view. Fox immediately recognized her grandson because she gifted him the vest. “I bought the vest for him after he found one online after getting hit with rubber bullets the night before at the protest,” Fox told the Post. (She even left a positive review on clothing site Hibbett: “I got this for my grandson who’s a protester downtown, he uses it every night and says it does the job.”) Agard-Berryhill told the Post via text message Thursday that he admitted misguided involvement, but did not outright say he was the bomber. “The device I’ve been accused of allegedly throwing was allegedly given to me by an unknown [protester] with full face coverings,” he wrote. “I was allegedly told that it was a strobe firework that wouldn’t damage the building or harm anyone around it.” Later that evening, Agard-Berryhill spoke with his probation officer and turned himself in. U.S. Marshals arrested him and booked him into the Multnomah County Detention Center. Authorities charged him with felony arson, and he faces at least five years behind bars if convicted. He was released without bail. The alleged bomb-throwing shocked Fox, a conservative who supports President Donald Trump and claimed that she did not know her grandson’s politics. Fox says her grandson told her last week that he was peacefully protesting and “protecting a girl.” “I believed all his stories,” Fox says. “He said he was just hanging out at Riot Ribs [an anarchist food co-op] and doing peaceful things.” Fox said her grandson is on probation for a felony conviction from when he was a minor. She said he spent two years at Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility in southern Oregon and spoke about changing his life for the better and getting a job at Amazon. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 During an interview aired on Friday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “WSJ at Large,” Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott stated that thanks to a partnership between state and federal authorities in Portland, Thursday night was the first time “in over two months that federal agents didn’t face a direct and immediate threat of being burnt alive inside that federal building.” Scott said that Thursday night “was the first time…in over two months that federal agents didn’t face a direct and immediate threat of being burnt alive inside that federal building. The reason for that was because the state stepped up and partnered with us and actually took away the ability for the anarchists and these violent individuals to attack the federal building and the courthouse at will from a park across the street from city property. That partnership together now has made that entire area significantly safer. Because the federal agents are doing their job, and the state is doing their job. And that partnership, when it’s together like that, works.” He also said, “[W]hen I say burn down, the fireworks that you’ve heard about being aimed at our personnel, those are commercial grade. Those were the equivalent of the fourth of July fireworks you see in your cities, that go hundreds of feet up in the air, aimed directly at our personnel.” Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 The work-from-home needs of employees due to COVID-19 could help drive big changes in how laptops and other devices are sold. Digital transformation and the work-from-home movement may not be the only big technology trends gaining strength due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Also picking up traction in the business IT marketplace in the last six months is the Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) model of acquiring hardware without having to buy, configure, and manage it. In 2015, no major PC manufacturers offered a DaaS option to acquire hardware, according to a recent report from Accenture. But by 2019, that changed dramatically, with 65% of major PC makers offering DaaS options to their customers. To Kevin Dobbs, the leader of Accenture's Everything-as-a-Service practice, it's where PC makers and other hardware suppliers need to go if they want to keep up with business and consumer expectations and demands. With DaaS, vendors take laptops, desktop PCs, and other devices and preconfigure and customize them with productivity and security applications as well as value-added services to ready them for business or consumer customers. The devices aren't purchased outright by companies like in the past, but are paid for on a consumption model. SEE: VPN: Picking a provider and troubleshooting tips (free PDF) (TechRepublic) That may seem like a lease, but it's not a lease, Dobbs said. "They may look similar, but DaaS is less about the device and more about the services associated with the devices." The work-from-home movement due to the pandemic could be a big boost for DaaS adoption in the future, he said. Companies that scrambled to send workers home to do their jobs as the pandemic spawned shutdowns across the nation were often forced into a laptop-buying frenzy. That quickly revealed that it was easier to buy the machines fully loaded and configured and ready for workers to do their jobs from home, Dobbs said. For companies, it essentially streamlined the process of quickly enabling a large number of at-home workers that companies didn't have in the past. DaaS arrangements also include product support from vendors or partners as needed. "It gives an easy way to get help," Dobbs said. "They would rather buy things preconfigured with software and security. I think a lot of the customer buying pattern is moving in that direction." Benefits and challenges for vendors And while this can all be beneficial for users, the DaaS model also provides a mix of big benefits and real challenges for hardware vendors, Dobbs explained. First, because customers use the devices until they are done with them, the vendors get them back and can collect, refurbish, and resell them to new users up to four more times over the useful life of the devices, which maximizes returns on investments, according to Dobbs. "For vendors, it's a great option because rather than only selling a product one time, they can sell them up to five times," Dobbs said. "The benefit is that by keeping control of the devices and surrounding them with different kinds of services and capabilities each time you can give more to customers. In the hardware business, margins are thin, but here you sell it over and over. That's why we think this is an exciting trend." SEE: Mobile device computing policy (TechRepublic Premium) It's also something that can boost revenue for hardware vendors at a time when sales may be lower due to the growing popularity of business customers moving workloads to the cloud. When customers move to the cloud, hardware sales typically get lost in the transaction. "DaaS becomes a more interesting way for manufacturers and channel partners to head as they are moving into the next phase of their growth," he said. But the challenges are there as well. To enable DaaS, vendors require complicated supply chains to collect, refurbish, and redistribute all that gear. "That means that vendors need to take a very different approach to how they sell their goods," Dobbs said. "We're seeing more and more companies looking at that option." Creating and maintaining the needed supply chains to create a seamless experience for customers isn't easy, though. "At scale, it is difficult to do these things, when we're talking about millions of devices and being able to orchestrate them to make money for vendors," Dobbs said. On the flip side, companies that already have such supply chains will be able to drive more value from them. DaaS is all about the customer Ultimately, DaaS is gaining traction because business customers and consumers want to make things easier for themselves, Dobbs said. "In the end, the customers don't care about the device itself. They just want an outcome. If it breaks, they just want it replaced. They want service. All those things are valuable to customers." And that's where the flexibility and value of DaaS can solve problems for users, Dobbs said. "This is the way customers now want to get their devices. The business buyers are expecting the same level of service and experience in their work as they are in their consumer lives. Customers want to try before buying, pay as they go, and have more of a consumption-based model, where they get charged as they go for what they use." By using DaaS, customers potentially pay less up-front, but could spend more over time for the overall package of devices and integrated services and support. Cost-savings aren't usually why customers are attracted to DaaS in the first place, Dobbs said. For hardware vendors that aren't filling these demands in the future, it will be a challenging environment in the future, he said. "The opportunity today is to do this proactively," Dobbs said. "Customers want to buy it this way, so you are going to have to move this way, like it or not. COVID-19 is also highlighting the fact that more and more customers will be embracing this approach." Tech News You Can Use Newsletter We deliver the top business tech news stories about the companies, the people, and the products revolutionizing the planet. Delivered Daily Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Microsoft has provided more information on Dataflex, its new low-code platform for building apps and bots directly within Teams. Image: Microsoft Microsoft has provided new details on Dataflex, its new low-code/no-code platform for building and deploying apps and chatbots directly into Teams. Dataflex was announced at Microsoft's recent Inspire partner conference on July 21st. Built on the Common Data Service – now somewhat confusingly called Microsoft Dataflex Pro - the platform is designed to make it easy for users with little or no coding skills to build new capabilities into Teams using Microsoft Power Apps and Microsoft Power Virtual Agents. SEE: Microsoft Teams: A cheat sheet (free PDF) (TechRepublic) Many businesses have been looking to automate time-consuming manual processes since the coronavirus forced them to divert time and resources away from lengthy development processes. As such, low-code/no-code solutions have enjoyed a surge in popularity by allowing organisations to automate workflows quickly, and with minimal resource investment. As Microsoft explained in its original announcement, Dataflex aims to remove the hassle of back-end tech logistics for creating and deploying new business tools for its enterprise customers. Power Virtual Agents allow users to easily create chatbots using Microsoft's natural language processing and AI smarts, and then integrate these into workflows using Power Automate. Microsoft's Power BI is also included in Dataflex, offering users a unified visualisation hub and searchable repository for data across the organisation. Dataflex assigns access and security roles automatically, based on whether they are an Owner, Member or Guest, though these can be customised by administrators. Because Dataflex is integrated directly into Teams, users don't need to switch applications or connect to additional data sources in order to build and deploy new Teams apps. Instead, organisations can find, filter and sort relational data directly within Teams, and then create scenario specific, custom data tables based on the Common Data Model (CDM). Support for additional CDM-based tables is coming soon, Microsoft said. Image: Microsoft In Dataflex for Teams, data, apps, chatbots and workflows are stored within a single environment that supports backup, point-in-time-restore, and disaster recovery. This means that when a team is deleted, its associated environment is also deleted. Each Team environment features 2GB capacity, capable of storing approximately one million rows of data, according to Microsoft. In addition to building custom bots and applications that can be shared with other users and departments across the organisation, Dataflex also features a gallery of pre-made templates that can be tailored to a business' own requirements. Teams users can then automate workflows with these solutions using Power Automate. SEE: TechRepublic Premium editorial calendar: IT policies, checklists, toolkits, and research for download (TechRepublic Premium) Dataflex will be bundled for no additional charge with every Office 365 and Microsoft 365 subscription that includes a Teams license, which will appear in public preview from August. "In Teams, people collaborate around documents in different ways – some you create yourself, some you create in collaboration with teammates, or others you acquire from trusted sources," said Marc Mercuri, Microsoft's principal product project manager for Dataflex. "Power Platform and Dataflex for Teams bring this same model to building and using apps, chatbots, flows, and data." Microsoft Weekly Newsletter Be your company's Microsoft insider by reading these Windows and Office tips, tricks, and cheat sheets. Delivered Mondays and Wednesdays Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Remote work becomes essential to the new normal, and for those who want it to be their normal, 7 of the 20 are in the tech world. Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto As more employers realize the benefits to pandemic-induced remote work, more employees realize they'd like to continue—or begin—remote work, which has grown more than 159% since 2005. Because of the crisis, 51% of employed Americans transitioned to remote work. Flexjobs compiled a list of the top 20 most common remote titles, as well as the average expected salary for each; of the 20, seven are tech-related: engineer, program manager, consultant, project manager, web developer, data analyst, UX/UI designer. The coronavirus affected jobs across many industries, with many nonessential positions eliminated; earlier this month, the unemployment rate in the US was 4.8 million. Fortunately, many in the tech industry were able to transition with more ease than most. Despite 25 million Americans receiving the $600 unemployment rate boost and stimulus checks, relief courtesy of the government may come to a screeching halt, as the federal CARES act is about to expire. SEE: COVID-19 workplace policy (TechRepublic Premium) Flexjobs analyzed remote job titles in its database and identified the top 20 remote jobs, and included full-time, partial, and jobs that offered employees the option to work remotely. Salaries were gathered from PayScale.com, which considers location, years in the field, skills, and education to determine average annual salaries. The jobs Here is a list of Flexjobs' most popular work-from-home job titles, with detailed descriptions for tech-related positions: 1. Accountant 2. Engineer Typically, engineers use science, technology, and math to design machinery, computer software, or technical equipment and "engineer" is a general name for the many types of careers: mechanical, civil, chemical, electrical, computer, software, and more. Average salary: $85,670 3. Teacher/Faculty/Tutor/Instructor 4. Writer 5. Consultant Consultants generally need to have a strong CV, with years of experience in their area of expertise. They are problem solvers, as they locate areas within an organization that need improvement and complete projects. Business, education, healthcare, and IT industries commonly hire consultants. Average salary: $87,476 6. Program Manager Companies are reliant on program managers to oversee tasks and projects that contribute to the organization's overall business objective, as they ensure the implementation of strategies and considerations for the return of the company's investment. Average salary: $52,044 7. Project Manager Project managers are tacticians for company projects, and are relied upon to meet deadlines, as they track budgets, delegate duties, and deliveries made in a timely way. Average salary: $74,230 8. Customer Service Representative 9. Business Development Manager 10. Account Manager/Account Executive 11. Recruiter 12. Sales Representative 13. Web Developer A web developer can work in nearly any industry, as long as the targeted business needs a well-crafted website. They apply coding and graphic-design skills. Businesses want expertise with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, and APIs. Average salary: $59,578 14. Medical Coder 15. Territory Sales Manager 16. Nurse 17. Data Analyst A data analyst can fuel critical decisions with data. They collect data, analyze and observe patterns in data, then compile findings, and draft reports. Average salary: $60,530 18. Editor 19. Case Manager 20. UX/UI Designer Businesses consider this an essential position because a UX/UI designer focus is on facilitating a product's user experience and user interface. A UX/UI designer will develop flowcharts, produce code and scripts, and prototype concepts, among other duties. Average salary: $73,993 Tips Flexjobs offered job seekers tips, strategies to employ when looking for one of the designated tech-related work-from-home positions: Search for variations on job titles . There isn't a universal term for most of the positions, job titles may be different for the same position. Flexjobs suggests job seekers input the title they want in the search field, and then gather details you also want to include before a second search. An example is how teacher, educator, and instructor are interchangeable when searching teaching-related remote jobs; different employers use different terminology. Use your network. This isn't the time to be humble, shy, or coy. Tap your resources and contact former colleagues, clients, your alumni association, friends, and family. Network these relationships, and you might find Flexjobs' notes, "hidden opportunities." You'll also need professional and character referrals, so why not give them a heads up by letting them know what you're looking for? Use social media. While initially purely social and not work related, social media has now become an essential tool for job searches. Businesses that have many remote programs rely on social media to look for employees. Familiar social media sites once used only to connect to friends and family have incorporated groups and pages related to specific jobs. Be sure you keep your CV or resume up-to-date and professional, don't rely on just a single source, be active on several platforms and don't forget to follow the companies you're most interested in. Data, Analytics and AI Newsletter Learn the latest news and best practices about data science, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence. Delivered Mondays Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Significant barriers to advancing underrepresented talent include unclear career paths, little exposure to leaders, and lack of mentors. Nearly 90% of HR leaders said they feel their organization has been ineffective or flat at increasing diversity representation, a Gartner report found. The research, released on Thursday, identified the three organizational barriers to the advancement of underrepresented groups, and what organizations can do to fix it. SEE: TechRepublic Premium editorial calendar: IT policies, checklists, toolkits, and research for download (TechRepublic Premium) Gartner defined the three organizational barriers as unclear career paths and steps to advancement; too little exposure to senior leaders; and a lack of career support or mentors. "Many organizations haven't prioritized diversity over the years and find themselves with homogenous workforces, and especially leadership teams," said Lauren Romansky, managing vice president in the Gartner HR practice. "When leadership then begins to prioritize diversity, they hope to hire their way into it. But what we've found is inclusion has to come first or underrepresented talent won't stay." HR managers must recognize the bias systemically embedded in organizations if they want to truly bolster the diversity in leadership seats. To do so, Gartner outlined three key actions HR can take that will help them advance this talent. Tips for boosting organizational diversity 1. Fix the manager-employee relationship To make progress in diversifying a staff, companies must build healthy manager-employee relationships that are set on the foundation of advocacy, the report found. HR leaders can foster these relationships by teaching managers how to create personalized support for direct reports while helping them be effective talent coaches. Leaders can also promote manager awareness of the employee experience of underrepresented talent, as well as broker trust between underrepresented talent and their managers. "Managers are responsible for so many critical components of an employee's performance and development, from work planning to coaching to assessment to creating connections. If a manager and employee do not have a foundation of trust, it's incredibly difficult for that employee to advance," Romansky said. The research found that the most successful organizations move beyond the traditional leadership development programs that only focus on skill-building to advance women, LGBTQ+, or racially and ethnically diverse individuals. The programs also focus on managers of program participants to spread awareness of employee experiences, build trust, and boost advocacy. 2. Enable growth-focused networks Growth-focused networks create a self-sustaining environment, providing diverse individuals in roles, skills, level, and experience. These networks also present exposure to senior leaders who are in the position to support growth and advancement, according to the research. The Gartner report found that for companies that create networking programs for underrepresented talent, HR leaders are 2X more likely to report that they are successful at improving organizational inclusion and 1.3X more likely to report they are effective at rising diverse employee engagement. Key actions HR leaders can take to enable these networks include helping employees understand how networking will unlock better diversity and inclusion; encourage underrepresented talent to actively network; and teach managers how to manage networks in a way that helps this talent with advancement. "Organizations can encourage and authorize employees, especially underrepresented employees, to network broadly, and in a way that is supportive of their career aspirations," Romansky said. "This creates network ties across various demographics that are good for employees and the organization." HR can also help by creating accountability for networking across underrepresented talent, managers, and senior leaders, the report found. 3. Redesign talent process to mitigate bias Redesigning processes is one of the least used techniques in bias mitigation because DEI does not "own talent processes," and calls for a major change effort, according to the report. However, this tactic can be very effective. There are many talent processes that can be redesigned to integrate inclusion in an organization and offer fair consideration to underrepresented talent for advancement in the company. "In the wake of COVID-19 and the ensuing economic crisis, HR leaders are reconsidering a variety of talent processes to accommodate changing objectives and workforces," Romansky said. "This creates an opportunity to consider where in those talent processes such as performance management, rewards, succession and high potential selection, there is bias." "Using a process map and considering each step, taking no decision for granted, helps HR leaders see the decision points and consider ways to mitigate that bias," Romansky added. The research outlined the following examples: Challenging hiring managers on need-to-have versus nice-to-have requirements Expanding labor market opportunities to consider adjacent and nontraditional talent pools Updating definitions of potential for relevance as market conditions and business needs evolve Exploring job design to accommodate diverse talent with varying needs and preferences Rethinking how performance is evaluated, including who provides feedback and how productivity is defined, and holding leaders accountable for balanced evaluation of candidates and successors Altering internal hiring methods For more, check out 20 books to help companies improve workplace diversity and inclusion on TechRepublic. Tech News You Can Use Newsletter We deliver the top business tech news stories about the companies, the people, and the products revolutionizing the planet. Delivered Daily Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 During the COVID-19 pandemic, retailers' point-of-sale and merchant systems have remained dormant behind closed doors. As businesses begin to reopen their physical stores, hackers could be ready to pounce. Social engineering: A cheat sheet for business professionals Watch Now Retailers have been warned to prepare for a wave of cyberattacks as they reopen to the public as hackers look to take advantage of on-premise systems that have remained unpatched during COVID-19 lockdowns. While many businesses have been able to continue trading online during the pandemic, the vast majority of bricks-and-mortar stores were forced to close early on in line with government restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. During this time, point-of-sale (POS) and point-of-interaction (POI) technology, such as payment terminals and connected PCs, as well as other systems used to complete transactions with customers, have remained dormant. SEE: Return to work: What the new normal will look like post-pandemic (free PDF) (TechRepublic) In its latest report, Shopping Spree: Cybercriminals Target Retail as Stores Reopen to the Public, cybersecurity intelligence platform IntSights warns that these vulnerabilities could be exploited by cybercriminals as the retail market undergoes a post-lockdown reawakening. This will require dusting off existing idle systems and revisiting maintenance plans to make sure POS and POI are patched and fitted with up-to-date security controls. Charity Wright, cyber threat intelligence analyst at IntSights, told TechRepublic that employers likely wouldn't have security at the forefront of their minds as they rushed to get shops open and employees back to work. "Most of the big retailers have been in business in some way," Wright said. "A lot of them have been maintaining their online payment processors, but not necessarily their physical terminals in the stores. "A lot of retailers, when they come back online, they're going to be focused on business processes and getting employees back to work. They're not necessarily thinking, 'maybe I need to update Windows on my computer terminal', or update POS terminal firmware." In retail, where surges in online transactions during the pandemic have forced retailers to quickly transform their ecommerce capabilities, hackers have shifted their focus to make the most of this opportunity. This includes changing-up well-known types of attacks by using them in different ways, such as exploiting credit cards within a different type of merchant platform, and targeting parts of retailers' systems that might otherwise slip through the cracks. We've already seen new forms of attacks on retailers take place during the pandemic. In late June, researchers at security software firm Malwarebytes identified a new web-skimming attack , whereby cybercriminals concealed malware on ecommerce sites that would steal information typed into the payment input fields, including customers' names, address and card details. A similar attack was found to have targeted Magento-based ecommerce sites in May, this one using a skimming technique that used JavaScript code to create a fake payment form within the PayPal checkout option. Once selected, the skimmer stole information entered by the victim and sent it hack to the host. SEE: SSL certificate best practices policy (TechRepublic Premium) As physical stores begin to reopen, businesses face fresh threats from hackers looking to exploit unpatched software. "As soon as they turn on those POS systems and PCs that they're using to manage their business, they need to focus on security patching and updates, first and foremost," Wright said. "If they don't know how to do that themselves – say, if they're a small business – they need to contact the manufacturer or whoever manages that software. Go to the websites of the software developers and the websites of the manufacturers and see what kind of updates and security protocols they advise." Smaller merchants are particularly vulnerable, said Wright. "Small businesses are one of the most vulnerable in the retail industry because they tend to use payment systems like PayPal or Square, something with a credit-card scanner," she explained. "There may be sensitive passwords and credentials on their actual computers for those types of accounts, to login to their PayPal account." It's not just payment information at risk, either: "Most retailers are using a PC with some kind of sales software on it, and often times HR software as well," Wright added. Cybersecurity Insider Newsletter Strengthen your organization's IT security defenses by keeping abreast of the latest cybersecurity news, solutions, and best practices. Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 TechRepublic reviews the Stratus, which can be used for true-office virtualization technology based on the Oculus Rift headset. Image: Halfpoint, Getty Images/iStockphoto Virtual reality (VR) has been in the public eye since 1992's Lawnmower man; augmented reality (AR) since Pokemon Go. As a working professional, I was always content to have two monitors: One for a word processor and one for web browsing, thank you very much. Then last week a Kinemagic Stratus arrived on my doorstep. SEE: TechRepublic Premium editorial calendar: IT policies, checklists, toolkits, and research for download (TechRepublic Premium) The Stratus is a software product that sits atop the Oculus Virtual Reality headset. Think of it a bit like a game for a gaming system like the Nintendo Switch. The Stratus product was originally designed to help envision, model, and walkthrough structures that were difficult to get to, such as an offshore oil rig or refinery. CAD drawings can only do so much. With the right VR, you can actually walk or bend over to see if you will fit into a proposed remodeling space. The product gives force-feedback when you hit a wall or obstacle. Image: Kinemagic The experience Using an Oculus isn't just immersive. For AR, it feels real. After marking off a free area on the floor, a virtual screen and keyboard appeared that I could touch. These looked as real as my desk at this moment. After a few minutes setting up the two-factor authentication, I launched the Stratus application and entered workspaces, from an offshore platform to the stadium above. Stratus remodeled my world as a virtual one, true VR. Other users present as the crash-test-dummy-like person above. The Oculus platform includes an integrated headset, with microphone and speaker, so it felt like Brian Lozes, the CEO, was standing right next to me. The Oculus adjusts to a tilt of the head, movement, or even sitting. Brian tells me that people who easily get motion sickness can be a little uncomfortable with the Oculus, and I can see why. Clicking my virtual watch, which is actually on my wrist, brings up a collaboration menu, which includes screen captures, the ability to mark components of a drawing, messaging, and note-taking tools. Image: Kinemagic The most important new feature of the product may be the ability to take in laser scans. Many organizations simply do not have a CAD drawing of their office, certainly not one that includes laptops and an office couch. For a few thousand dollars a day, a professional laser scan can create an image of what the office actually looks like. Image: Kinemagic Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, this technology only made sense for hard-to-reach areas. Today, that might include the home office. Getting real Even if your company is willing to experiment with a product like the Oculus, it's unlikely the company will start with buying a set of goggles at $400 per person. If the whole team were to get the goggles, the extensive system requirements could be a problem as well. Then there are the permissions to install the application on your system, which could be a problem when tech support is unwilling, or unable, to drop by your house due to a global pandemic. Kinemagic has a few features to make that a little easier. SEE: Robotics in the enterprise (free PDF) (TechRepublic) First, the company has a personal-computer rendering of the space that does not require a VR headset. When I toured this, the interaction felt a bit like a first-person shooter game, which is still far more realistic than a thread on Slack or an e-mail. The interactions were still real-time, and having the laptop allowed me to switch between the product and a more traditional, fast-typing or programming environment. Second, Kinemagic has a "portable apps" version of its tool, which runs in a single directory and does not require an installation. This can allow you to see and experience the product at least by yourself. The full functionality, which includes interaction with others, licenses, and so on, does require two-factor authentication online. In other words: There is both a sandbox version to explore, and a proper version that will pass muster with IT security. Returning to normalcy With high-tech companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Google embracing work from home, other companies may be forced to follow suit. Kinemagic's Lozes said the company had aggressive sales targets, which were missed when the entire world went on pause due to the coronavirus. Today the sales pipeline is beyond what it was in January, and part of that is due to the new use case for the product, the online office. Instead of travelling, the company can simply mail an Oculus and laptop to a potential customer, then meet and preview the product in a virtual world. As Bitcoin is not going to displace the dollar any time soon, it is unlikely that we'll simulate an all-virtual office. Still, it is nice to have options. Innovation Newsletter Be in the know about smart cities, AI, Internet of Things, VR, AR, robotics, drones, autonomous driving, and more of the coolest tech innovations. Delivered Wednesdays and Fridays Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 With the pandemic lasting much longer than anyone expected, remote recruitment may be here to stay. Getty Images/iStockphoto The coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly hit the enterprise and economy hard, with millions of Americans forced to file for unemployment as companies endure layoffs and hiring freezes. From the start, the pandemic has created a chaotic, unprecedented, evolving situation, during which organizations and employees have just tried to keep up. SEE: Return to work: What the new normal will look like post-pandemic (free PDF) (TechRepublic) The US jobs report in June did indicate a slight improvement though, said Brandi Frattini, talent acquisition lead at CareerBuilder. "We actually saw some good news in June with the job report signaling a rebound--US unemployment fell to 11.1%. The economy added 4.8 million jobs, so there are some industries getting back to work. Companies are doing their part and preparing for this great rehire, so that when the economy will bring back workers, they'll be ready to staff up their team, even in a prolonged pandemic," Frattini said. "Companies are finding ways to manage the virus through tactics such as wearing a mask, regular deep cleanings, social distancing...these tactics are going to allow some industries to bring their employees back to work sooner and provide a safe environment," Frattini said. However, certain US states have experienced recent spikes in coronavirus cases, including Texas, Florida, Arizona, California, and Mississippi. This uptick indicates that the US may not be on the home stretch with the virus. With that in mind, many wonder when people will actually return to work, what it will look like if they do, and how to sustain a prolonged remote workforce. What a prolonged remote workforce means for the enterprise "As time goes on, we can predict that these hiring freezes are going to lift, but it's going to be depending on what happens with this virus and there's so many unknowns. But, companies will start bringing back talent," Frattini said. "The pandemic came as such a shock to a lot of businesses; no one could have ever predicted this situation. So it's also only natural that HR teams and businesses wanted--or still want to--take a break, step back, assess the situation and the financials before hiring again." Companies that are still under hiring freezes can use this time though to build their pipeline, Frattini noted. "So meeting candidates virtually, having those conversations about when the time is to bring people back. [Current remote] hiring now gives companies access to a wider talent pool and stronger candidates that maybe weren't available before," Frattini said. "Our team is doing this, we're revisiting the talent that was hard to find and maybe wasn't willing to move before and checking up on them. Are they out of work right now? Are they interested? Maybe they don't feel comfortable in their company's ability to make it through this," Frattini said. "We're able to build relationships right now and have those check-ins and candidates are really liking that and having that extra time with recruiters. That's what companies should be doing to prepare and build that pool." The key to being successful during an uncertain time is adaptability and flexibility. "Companies, recruiters, candidates, everybody has to be flexible during this time. There's so much change every day. It's nothing that we can predict," Frattini said. "Just having that flexibility and patience, especially for candidates, just really putting themselves out there and getting outside of their comfort zone; things that they normally wouldn't have done, now's the perfect time to try that." "It's a great time for candidates to work on their personal brand and clean up their social media. That kind of stuff takes time, and you don't usually have that in your nine-to-five schedule to update profiles or create articles and do research to make your online brand known," Frattini said. "Employers look at online sources and look at online profiles and those are usually going to have more information than the resume, so that's helpful." How candidates can prepare With upticks happening in various states, online recruitment may be here to stay. Job seekers can take tangible steps to put themselves in the best light though. "Knowing that the recruitment process is remote, preparing your technology to make sure you're able to do video interviews, have virtual conversations, and have that quiet space. Work with your family to make sure that you're able to concentrate and shut the door during certain times," Frattini said. "All of that prep that comes with interviewing that you would do for the office, you still want to do at home and ask those same questions." This is also an ideal time to perfect your resume, according to Frattini, which is a critical component of the hiring process. "Crafting that resume that best highlights skills and achievements is really important right now. Having strong descriptors and also data on your resume that shows success is going to be helpful," Frattini said. "Including details about awards or membership or different organizations that you joined during COVID are going to paint that fuller picture of what the candidate can bring to the table." This down time during the pandemic can also give candidates the opportunity to really learn about various industries or organizations they are interested in. "For candidates, with having this extra time, they shouldn't be rushing to select the company or industry. They can actually dive in and learn more about the organization," Frattini said. "One thing that candidates should do in their research [look at] how the company reacted and during COVID," Frattini said. "That's going to play into, 'Do I really want to work there in the future anyway if they handled the situation not that great?' Or, 'Oh wow they allowed parents to have a flexible schedule.' Those are the questions that candidates can ask now and that companies should be ready to answer." For more, check out How COVID-19 impacted job postings across US states and employers on TechRepublic. 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