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Today marks the 44th anniversary of Apple’s historic Initial Public Offering (IPO), with the tech giant selling shares of its stock to the public for the first time.

Apple sold 4.6 million shares at $22 (£17.60) each, and stock closed at $29 (£23.20). This resulted in Apple being valued at an impressive $1.778 billion (£1.42 billion), and it made millionaires out of more than 40 employees and investors.

The Apple co-founders also saw their own stock values go up, with Steve Jobs's shares reaching $217 million (£173.8 million), and Steve Wozniak's shares hitting $116 million (£92.9 million).

This was the largest IPO since Ford’s in 1956, and it highlighted the huge potential to create wealth and redefine markets through the tech industry.

Apple’s IPO was only the beginning. It sparked a tech revolution that inspired innovation across businesses all over the globe.

Today, it reminds us how investment in technology can change everything – not just in terms of value, but also in terms of impact. It’s a great lesson for businesses.

Where do you think technology will take us next?

Apple's IPO Makes Forrest Gump Rich - This Day in Tech History December 12, 1980 Apple Computer holds their initial public offering, selling 4.6 million shares at $22 per share and turning more than 40 Apple employees and investors into instant millionaires. With the stock value closing at $29, the market capitalization puts the company’s worth at $1.778 bill...

Here’s an important warning about something that could affect your business: A security flaw has been found in Microsoft Bookings.

The popular tool is used for scheduling appointments – but the flaw could allow scammers to create unauthorised accounts and get hold of false certificates.

Why should you be worried?

If scammers create fake accounts pretending to be senior people in your business, they could trick your employees into sharing sensitive information. This could give them access to your business systems and even let them reset passwords, locking you out of all your accounts.

If your business uses Microsoft 365, it’s doubly important to be aware of this issue. The security flaw comes from a feature in Microsoft Bookings called 'Shared Booking Pages”, which is usually turned on by default under the Microsoft 365 licence.

When someone creates a shared booking page, it creates a new account without going through the usual security checks. This is how scammers can slip through the cracks.

This security alert is a reminder of how important it is to keep an eye on the tools we use every day. Check if you’re using Microsoft Bookings in your business and consider disabling it if you don't need it.

It’s also a good idea to keep your systems updated and have an IT expert (like us) review your security settings. It can go a long way towards protecting your business.

If this sounds a bit overwhelming, don’t worry. My team can help, get in touch.

Microsoft Bookings Flaw Let Hackers Create/Impersonate User Acccounts A security flaw in Microsoft Bookings has been uncovered. This flaw, inherent in the default configuration of Microsoft Bookings, potentially allows attackers to create unauthorized Entra (formerly Azure AD) accounts and obtain fraudulent certificates.

Big fan of Teams? I’ve got good news! Microsoft are rolling out an update that makes it much easier to find people and the content they’ve shared.

When you type someone’s name into Teams, the improved search function will suggest relevant content linked to that person, such as shared files and previous conversations.

The update is available on both Windows and Mac, so it’s ready for you to use now. Type in a name, apply the filter, and you should have what you need in seconds.

Teams has seen a lot of useful updates for businesses lately. Whether you’re in a video call, sharing documents, or sending a message, Microsoft are helping to keep communication simple.

Give it a try and see how much faster you can get things done. Tell me what you think.

This new Microsoft Teams update might finally make it easier to find the people you're looking for Track down the right people in Microsoft Teams search

An AI-generated painting of computer science pioneer Alan Turing recently sold for (brace yourself…) $1.08 million (£870,000).

Yes… You read that right.

The painting was designed and created by an AI-powered robot called Ai-Da, named after Ada Lovelace. The sale marks a new record for AI-generated art.

The painting is titled “AI God: Portrait of Alan Turing” in celebration of the legendary codebreaker, who shaped modern computing as we know it today.

The art auctioneer, Sotheby’s, had expected it to sell for around $180,000 (around £85,000), until the winning bid soared past the million mark.

For business owners, this event is more than just a fun headline – it’s a glimpse into the expanding influence of AI. It shows us that AI could easily come to play a big role in fields that usually rely on human creativity.

The sale of the painting opens up exciting possibilities for AI in terms of innovation, process automation, and even product design. And if AI can break into the world of fine art, who knows what it could bring to the business world?!

How do you think AI could help your business?

An AI robot’s painting was just auctioned for more than $1 million Sotheby's said a painting of Alan Turing that was created by an AI robot puts the artwork among those of famed artists past and present.

I bring great news for Windows 11 fans: Microsoft are updating how you choose your default apps.

The update makes it easier to pick the apps you prefer to use for opening files or sharing links, even if they’re not made by Microsoft.

Why is this a big deal for businesses?

Businesses often rely on specific tools to support their daily workflow. For example, you might prefer to use Chrome for browsing, or a non-Microsoft app for viewing PDFs. The update gives you more control, allowing you and your team to use whichever software you’re most comfortable with.

In the past, Microsoft have been criticised for pushing people towards their own apps, such as the Edge browser. They’ve previously made it difficult to set other apps as defaults – but with the update, it seems like they’re listening to feedback.

Windows 11 is all about making tech work for you. Hopefully, this new feature will help to make your workflow more efficient.

What apps do you use most in your business?

Windows 11’s latest update might finally make choosing default apps easier (looking at you, Edge) A friendlier default app experience might be coming to Windows 11