El minorista de muebles IKEA está buscando empleados para trabajar en su tienda más nueva, una tienda IKEA virtual alojada íntegramente dentro de la plataforma de juegos en línea. Roblox.
El fabricante de muebles sueco está contratando empleados reales, a quienes IKEA conoce como compañeros de trabajo, para trabajar en la tienda en línea que entrega albóndigas virtuales y ayuda a los clientes a elegir muebles.
Se contratarán diez empleados por un salario real, alrededor de 16 dólares por hora, y podrán optar a ascensos dentro de la empresa.
“The Co-Worker Game”, un mundo en línea alojado en Roblox, se lanzará el 24 de junio.
“The Co-Worker Game”, la tienda virtual de IKEA en Roblox, se lanzará el 24 de junio de 2024.
“La experiencia inmersiva brinda a los jugadores la oportunidad de experimentar el enfoque único de IKEA hacia las carreras, donde los viajes profesionales no lineales son la norma y los movimientos laterales entre departamentos son comunes”, dijo la compañía en un comunicado de prensa.
En cuanto a la tienda en sí, albergará el famoso mercado de alimentos sueco, tiendas minoristas y salas de exposición de muebles, y los visitantes podrán acceder a contenido de juegos exclusivo.
IKEA está contratando personas reales para trabajar en su nueva tienda virtual en Roblox.
IKEA está contratando personas reales para trabajar en su nueva tienda virtual en Roblox.
IKEA está contratando personas reales para trabajar en su nueva tienda virtual en Roblox.
IKEA está contratando personas reales para trabajar en su nueva tienda virtual en Roblox.
Darren Taylor, director cultural de IKEA Reino Unido e Irlanda, dijo que el fabricante de muebles es la primera marca en lanzar trabajo remunerado en Roblox, lo que se alinea con la filosofía progresista de la empresa de desarrollo profesional.
“En IKEA, no existe un camino establecido para el avance profesional”, dijo Taylor. “Nuestros compañeros de trabajo pueden cambiar de roles, cambiar de departamento y crecer en cualquier dirección que elijan, ya sea en el juego o en el mundo real. Hay muchas maneras de aprender y crecer en IKEA, y de eso se trata IKEA en Roblox”.
El plazo de solicitud se abrió esta semana y se cerrará el 16 de junio. Las entrevistas virtuales se llevarán a cabo la semana siguiente.
Desafortunadamente para los fanáticos norteamericanos de IKEA, los roles se limitan a los residentes del Reino Unido y la República de Irlanda.
Para obtener más información sobre la nueva experiencia virtual de IKEA y la experiencia “The Co-Worker Game” en Roblox, haga clic aquí.
Miembros del Laboratorio de (Bio)Diversidad del Antropoceno, un laboratorio virtual creado por Luisa Maria Delli-Vegas, asisten a una conferencia presencial.Crédito: Luisa María Delli Vegas
Cuando terminé mi doctorado en marzo de 2019, estaba decidido a comenzar mi propio viaje como mentor y líder de laboratorio. Pero aproximadamente un año después de graduarme, llegó la pandemia de COVID-19 y todas mis actividades profesionales se trasladaron en línea. Me invitaron a dar conferencias en eventos en línea y realizar cursos a distancia para diferentes universidades, atrayendo a estudiantes de doctorado y maestría que me pidieron que los guiara a través de sus programas de posgrado.
Cuando volvimos a las actividades presenciales, me encontré asesorando a cinco estudiantes de doctorado y tres estudiantes de maestría en todo Brasil, mientras ocupaba un puesto postdoctoral en la Universidad Federal de Alagoas en Maceió. Decidí conectarnos a todos a través de un laboratorio virtual, al que llamé Laboratorio de Antropoceno (Biodiversidad) (abreviatura de BioDivA). Allí, investigamos los impactos positivos y negativos de las relaciones comunidad-naturaleza en la biodiversidad, los ecosistemas y los sistemas humanos.
Divas, capitanes, fantasmas, hormigas y abejorros: explicando las actitudes de los colaboradores
El laboratorio no tiene dirección fija, debido a que me muevo entre diferentes instituciones como profesor visitante o investigador postdoctoral. Sin embargo, en este momento, algunos miembros del laboratorio y yo estamos utilizando una sala prestada de otro laboratorio en la Universidad Federal de Bahía (UFBA) en Salvador, Brasil. El laboratorio BioDivA ha crecido y ahora incluye 24 estudiantes que trabajan con subvenciones específicas, algunos bajo mi supervisión y otros por científicos de otras instituciones. Otros veinte estudiantes, en su mayoría estudiantes de pregrado de la UFBA, trabajan como voluntarios en el laboratorio, y también hay 10 investigadores afiliados que cuentan con becas y líneas de investigación propias.
El formato del laboratorio virtual me permitió romper las limitaciones institucionales, lo que me permitió una mayor flexibilidad e inclusión. Ser parte de un laboratorio virtual permite a los BioDivers, a medida que los miembros se refieren entre sí, avanzar en sus carreras, adquirir experiencia académica, desarrollar habilidades de tutoría y liderazgo y ampliar sus redes.
Por supuesto, gestionar un laboratorio virtual está lleno de desafíos prácticos. Aquí destaco cómo crear una cultura de laboratorio en un entorno virtual.
Una guía para este proceso.
Para mí, el laboratorio es más que un espacio físico; Es un entorno colaborativo en el que individuos con intereses científicos comunes se reúnen, bajo la supervisión de un líder, para lograr objetivos de investigación. El laboratorio BioDivA opera dentro de una estructura organizacional descentralizada en la que los miembros del laboratorio están afiliados a diferentes instituciones académicas y reciben financiación de varias agencias federales y estatales. Algunos miembros también están asociados con otros laboratorios. Trabajan de forma remota desde diversas ubicaciones, utilizando herramientas digitales y plataformas en línea para colaborar y comunicarse de manera efectiva. Fomentamos la comunidad y la conexión a través de reuniones híbridas semanales (una combinación de participación en persona y en línea) en las que discutimos proyectos en curso.
Cómo utilicé la participación en los medios para avanzar en mi carrera investigadora
A veces se llevan a cabo talleres durante estas sesiones y organizamos grupos de discusión especializados para profundizar en temas específicos, incluida la etnoecología y la conservación, la gobernanza científica y la bioestadística. También hemos establecido un grupo de estudio sobre modelado ecológico de nichos, donde exploramos investigaciones que pueden contribuir a las estrategias de conservación de la biodiversidad e informar las decisiones políticas.
Se programan reuniones semanales al inicio de cada semestre, dependiendo de la disponibilidad. Además de estas reuniones, utilizamos WhatsApp como canal de comunicación, lo que permite a los BioDivers entablar conversaciones informales, compartir experiencias y buscar asesoramiento. El calendario también incluye periódicamente reuniones individuales. Estas reuniones pueden ser presenciales o remotas, y su frecuencia y duración dependen de cada integrante. Aprovechamos este tiempo para discutir el progreso de la investigación, definir planes de acción y establecer objetivos concretos.
Los objetivos del laboratorio también incluyen estimular el desarrollo de proyectos colaborativos entre los miembros y proporcionar recursos compartidos, como bases de datos, suscripciones de software y literatura bibliográfica. La flexibilidad del espacio de trabajo virtual nos permite interactuar con miembros de diversas ubicaciones geográficas, promoviendo la inclusión y la accesibilidad. Nuestro grupo se extiende sobre una superficie de más de 3 millones de kilómetros cuadrados.
Nuestra financiación de subvenciones
Como muchos laboratorios tradicionales, el laboratorio BioDivA recibe financiación a través de subvenciones de agencias gubernamentales, fundaciones privadas y organizaciones internacionales. Estas subvenciones cubren salarios, materiales de investigación, equipos y costos administrativos. Sin embargo, algunas agencias de financiación requieren un investigador principal (PI) titular, por lo que no somos elegibles para presentar una solicitud. Superamos este desafío estableciendo colaboraciones con profesores titulares de diferentes instituciones. Incluso si eso significa que no seré el investigador principal del proyecto, dicha colaboración es necesaria para obtener recursos para el proyecto.
Cómo mejorar tus habilidades bioinformáticas utilizando inteligencia artificial
Para facilitar el acceso equitativo al equipo de laboratorio, operamos un sistema mediante el cual se presta equipo a los estudiantes según sea necesario. La mayor parte del equipo de laboratorio de BioDivA consta de herramientas de trabajo de campo y herramientas para estudios ecofisiológicos, como registradores de datos de temperatura y precipitación, termómetros infrarrojos, lámparas y cámaras, por lo que podemos enviarlos directamente a los estudiantes por correo o servicios de mensajería. Esto garantiza que los estudiantes de diferentes regiones puedan acceder al equipo sin estar físicamente presentes en el espacio del laboratorio en Bahía.
También buscamos establecer asociaciones con otras instituciones de investigación, ONG y grupos comunitarios, para que podamos compartir experiencia y recursos. Por ejemplo, nos asociamos con la Sociedad Brasileña de Ciencias y Conservación Ambiental y somos responsables de organizar la conferencia semestral de la sociedad en septiembre de 2024.
Publicaciones
En el laboratorio BioDivA publicamos de forma colaborativa y el orden de autoría depende del nivel de contribución al proyecto. La autoría principal se asigna a la persona a la que se le ocurrió la idea del proyecto o que actuó como mentor principal, que no soy necesariamente yo. Por ejemplo, publicamos dos artículos colaborativos este año.1,2Se aceptaron para publicación otros tres artículos, con la participación de al menos dos biodiversos en cada caso.
Uno de nuestros proyectos involucra a dos estudiantes de pregrado, un estudiante de maestría, dos estudiantes de doctorado, un investigador postdoctoral y a mí. Este proyecto comenzó con discusiones sobre intereses académicos entre estudiantes de pregrado, donde se les animó a formular preguntas científicas. Reconociendo la proximidad temática entre los temas propuestos y su alineación con la investigación básica de otros biodiversistas, propusimos el proyecto colaborativo durante una reunión de laboratorio y los interesados se unieron al proyecto. Se están desarrollando tres manuscritos de este proyecto, dos liderados por estudiantes de pregrado y uno por un estudiante de maestría. Aunque soy el autor final de dos de estos manuscritos, mi investigador postdoctoral es el autor final del tercer manuscrito.
Confiamos en herramientas de gestión de proyectos como Slack y Trello para compartir el progreso de cada proyecto, y espacios de trabajo en línea como Whimsical y Canva para crear mapas mentales para la reflexión y la colaboración. También utilizamos Google Docs y Drive para compartir manuscritos en desarrollo, lo que permite una mejor redacción y revisión con autores repartidos en diferentes ubicaciones. Hemos establecido pautas para el uso responsable de estos documentos compartidos, de modo que los colaboradores puedan contribuir al desarrollo de la propuesta, pero solo el líder del proyecto puede realizar las ediciones finales. Este enfoque garantiza un proceso de implementación productivo y bien organizado.
En resumen, el laboratorio BioDivA representa un modelo dinámico e integral de colaboración y tutoría científica en un entorno virtual. Al abordar las medidas prácticas descritas anteriormente, garantizamos el buen funcionamiento y el éxito de nuestro laboratorio virtual, mejorando el entorno dinámico.
La parte más interesante de What If…? – An Immersive Story (al menos como se ve en este tráiler) es estar dotado de poderes mágicos como Doctor Strange. Usando tus manos, las agitarás y las girarás frente a ti para lanzar hechizos y defender las Gemas del Infinito, además de interactuar con el entorno y otros personajes. El juego también muestra un posible camino oscuro en el que podrías terminar usando las Infinity Stones tú mismo. Si eso sucede, intenta que todo ese poder no se te suba a la cabeza, ¿vale?
Seguramente habrá otras sorpresas multiversales en esta historia, por lo que podría valer la pena comprobar si tienes un Apple Vision Pro. Es de suponer que esto eventualmente llegará a otros dispositivos de realidad virtual, aunque no lo sabemos con certeza. Pero Disney+ comenzó con Apple Vision Pro.
“What If…? An Immersive Story” está dirigida por Dave Boushor (también productor ejecutivo) en Marvel Studios, escrita por David Dong y Phil McCarty (The Learning Curve), y cuenta con música de Laura Karpman, compositora de “Las Maravillas”. Brad Winderbaum y Bryan Andrew de Marvel también son productores ejecutivos junto a Sherif Fattouh.
El juego de realidad virtual estará disponible por tiempo limitado en Apple Vision Pro a partir del 30 de mayo de 2024. Aquí está la sinopsis oficial de la historia del juego:
En el tráiler recién lanzado de “¿Y si…?” – Una historia inmersiva, los fanáticos aprenden que The Watcher necesita ayuda para enfrentar variantes peligrosas de todo el multiverso y que han sido elegidos para intervenir. Bajo la guía de Wong, aprenderán a lanzar hechizos arcanos, aprovechar el poder de las Piedras Infinitas, únete a aliados en batallas épicas y también encontrarás… Versiones de los personajes favoritos de los fanáticos como Thanos, Hela, Collector, Guardian Red y más a medida que asumen el papel de héroe”.
Howdy folks, I’m back to run you through some of the best Meta Quest 3 games and apps I’ve been playing over the past month so you know which ones you might want to pick up and try in May.
Since my last roundup, I’ve completed a month-long VR fitness experiment – where I worked out exclusively in VR for 30 days. It was a great experience, and I’ve since kept up with the apps I relied on (I even talk about one of them down below). I also moved across the country to a new home. It meant I had a little less time to enjoy my Meta Quest 3 recently, but I still made time to give these three titles a whirl.
This roundup includes my thoughts on the prop hunt-like Mannequin, Supernatural’s limited-time Star Wars event, Humanity and Lawnmower Simulator. Let’s get into it.
Mannequin
Mannequin is a very new Meta Quest 3 game that just launched in early access on App Lab – a digital platform for VR games and apps that aren’t yet ready to be featured on the official Quest store. I had the chance to try it out ahead of its App Lab release and had an absolute blast.
Even in this slightly unpolished state, I’d highly recommend giving it a go if you love prop hunt-style gameplay.
Mannequin is a multiplayer title for up to five players. Three players will be Mannequins – strange aliens that can freeze themselves and others in time – and the remaining two will be Agents hunting down the extraterrestrial threat. Each of the four unique maps also features a drove of frozen First Responders, unmoving NPCs that Mannequins can hide amongst.
The prop hunt element comes in here with a special VR twist. Rather than simply mimicking the look of First Responders, Mannequins must also adopt their poses – the game lends a hand by letting you hit ‘A’ to freeze your Mannequin in place so you don’t have to stay perfectly still while being watched by Agents.
Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.
Agents are tasked with detecting and shooting Mannequins before the aliens can touch them. The winning side is decided by which team is the last left standing.
In my demo, I played the first three matches and found Mannequin fairly balanced. The alien team did win two matches as their powers are a little easier to understand for newcomers, but the Agents ran away with things in the match they won as the duo had mastered their toolkit and become Mannequin-hunting machines.
The best strategy for either side is to communicate, with the game giving you private team chats so you can discuss tactics from opposite points across the map without enemies listening in. You’ll also want to capture the Energy Extractors if you’re Mannequins – or protect them if you’re Agents – as they give you the ability to see your foes through walls, which is incredibly powerful.
If you’re considering checking Mannequin out, it’s on App Lab right now, with a full release scheduled for late 2024.
Lawnmower Simulator VR
All the way back in January 1998 ( a whole three months before I was born) The Simpsons featured Yard Work Simulator – a gag VR experience that had a line of children looking to experience all the joys of yard work despite hating the real-life chore. Now, 26 years later, developer Skyhook Games has made this joke a reality by bringing its Lawn Mower Simulator to VR on the Meta Quest 3.
Having given it a try I’ll admit I can see why Marge was so skeptical about how much fun Bart would have playing Yard Work Simulator. I can also understand why people would love the Lawnmower Simulator experience – finding relaxation or humor (or both) in the mundanity of it all. There is satisfaction to be found in a virtual job well done and a sort of calming ritual that comes with preparing your machinery between missions.
But it’s not for me.
My biggest issue is motion sickness. Thanks to years of experience, very few VR games and apps make me want to lose my lunch, especially if I use a slight vignette, but some activities, like VR driving, are ones I can’t get over.
I could barely ride around on my mower for five minutes before wanting to hurl, even with vignettes turned on to a fairly high level. This made it impossible to get into the groove and immerse myself.
Another issue I found was with the controls. Button placements made controlling machines a challenge at times, and handling some items could be awkward – the VR interactable elements need a bit of a fine-tune. I also wasn’t captured by the simulator elements, which made these finicky tasks feel tedious and less enjoyable.
If you can handle motion sickness, and like the vibe of these kinds of chore-based simulators from playing them on PC or console then I expect you’ll love Lawnmower Simulator VR. It’s just not an experience I can see myself trying much more of.
Humanity
If you’ve slept on Humanity because it isn’t a classically immersive VR experience you should think again. This brilliant puzzle title is one of the best I’ve played in a while and isn’t one to be missed by fans of the genre.
Humanity is a lot like Moss in that you watch the level from a vantage point up above while using the controllers to manipulate a character in the level – in this instance a Shiba Inu. That’s where the similarities to Moss end as Humanity is much more about puzzle-solving than action, though that’s not to suggest its levels aren’t exhilarating.
Using a mixture of barked commands you must guide an endless stream of people around the stage to their destination. Completing this base objective gets tougher as you progress, but the real challenge comes from capturing each level’s Goldies – large golden figures located in inconvenient spots – with the solutions always feeling rewarding.
Creating a proper challenge with simple pieces is the hallmark of a fantastic puzzle game, and Humanity achieves this with aplomb.
Best of all, if you aren’t 100% convinced by me, you can download a 30-minute demo to try Humanity before you buy it.
Supernatural
I’ve been using Supernatural a lot recently. It’s the VR fitness app I fell in love with during my month-long VR fitness experiment, and I still use its boxing workouts regularly to stay active.
I took a little time off boxing recently and swapped my gloves for batons as I dueled my way through the Star Wars-themed workouts Supernatural added for Star Wars Day. When you’re reading this, unfortunately, the levels have been removed, but with or without John Williams’ inspiring score Supernatural is a blast of a fitness app.
Saying that, I’ve never felt more pumped than slashing through beats while Duel of the Fates blasts through my Meta Quest 3’s speakers. The track featured on the Dark Side playlist and with other bangers like the Imperial March I’ll admit I can see why Anakin Skywalker and others turned their back on the Jedi – those Sith folks have some killer anthems.
I was disappointed when the Star Wars playlists left, but with so many other workout playlists to try I know I’ll be sticking with Supernatural for months to come.
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is a technology that enables businesses to use virtual machines instead of being confined to a physical workstation. The virtual machines are hosted and managed in a data center, while the users can access them remotely from their workplace.
VDI environments are hosted on a centralized server with substantial processing power. Virtual desktop images are delivered over the Internet to an endpoint device, allowing users to interact with the operating system as if they were using the device locally.
Companies use VDIs because of their flexibility and scalability. With VDI, employees can access their work desktops and applications remotely via any device. This allows people to work from anywhere instead of being confined to a physical location to access the computing power required for their corporate tasks.
How Does VDI Work?
To enable VDI, a hypervisor software segments a centralized server into different virtual machines that users can access remotely from their devices.
Let’s see a fitting example:
Company A has 100 programmers who each need sophisticated PCs to perform their work. The company has two options; buy individual PCs and send them to each programmer or use a centralized server and allow each programmer to access virtual machines, i.e., VDI technology.
Company A chooses the VDI option because it is easier to manage one server and allocate virtual machines to each machine than manage 100 individual PCs connected to a single corporate network. The centralized server also requires less maintenance than 100 separate PCs.
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
Hypervisor software divides the computing resources from the centralized server into individual virtual machines that the programmers can utilize at will. Hence, they have access to sufficient computing power to write and test code effectively. Every programmer connects to their virtual machines via a connection broker, a digital gateway acting as an intermediary between the end user and the centralized server.
Persistent VDI vs. Non-Persistent VDI?
There are two types of VDI: Persistent and Non-persistent.
In Persistent VDI, users have a separate desktop image, allowing them to save changes and permanently install apps. Each user’s virtual machine can have personalized settings, such as passwords, screensavers, and shortcuts.
In Non-Persistent VDI, every user gets a fresh desktop image after logging in, which expires when they log out. Users can not have personalized settings or save files to their desktop images in this VDI type.
Persistent VDI has a 1:1 ratio, while Non-Persistent has a many:1 ratio. The former is used in organizations where employees require a separate desktop image to work effectively. In contrast, the latter is used in companies with large workforces performing repetitive tasks that don’t need a customized desktop for each worker.
VDI Use Cases
Highly-regulated sectors
Companies operating in highly regulated industries like healthcare and defense often adopt VDI technology. They do this because VDI enables them to centralize all data in a secure server and prevent malicious actors from stealing it. This technology enables such companies to easily comply with strict data secrecy regulations.
Task and shift work
VDI is an excellent fit for companies with a large workforce using the same tools to perform repetitive tasks, such as call center agents. There’s no need to issue each worker a separate device when they don’t need to save anything or use customized settings to perform their jobs. Instead, a Non-persistent VDI does the trick, allowing each worker to access a fresh virtual desktop during their shift.
Bring your own device (BYOD)
VDI technology offers an ideal solution to maintain security while allowing employees to use personal devices for work. In this case, employees use their personal devices to access a virtual desktop when it’s time to work. The virtual desktop acts as a separate machine they can’t tamper with because corporate data remains on the centralized server, not the personal devices.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Advantages of VDI
Cost-effectiveness
It’s more cost-effective for a company to operate a centralized server and allocate computing resources to each employee than to maintain separate devices for them. With VDI, employees can access their virtual desktops from older PCs and laptops, reducing the need to frequently spend money on new hardware.
Security
With VDI, your corporate data stays on the server instead of an employee’s end device. This reduces the chances of a rogue employee stealing data or your data being stolen if an employee’s device is compromised by malware.
Easy management
VDI makes it easier for IT teams to manage hardware and software resources. They only need to maintain one server rather than watching over dozens to hundreds of individual PCs. A technician can deploy any software update on the server at a button’s click, and the update automatically reflects on all virtual desktops from that server.
Remote access
With VDI, employees can connect to virtual desktops from any location. They can access all their files and applications with an internet connection, enabling your company to maintain a productive remote workforce.
VDI Drawbacks
VDI technology has some drawbacks, including
Absolute reliance on Internet connectivity
VDI relies solely on internet connectivity. A slow internet network means no VDI connection. This can pose a problem if an employee is temporarily in a position with no online access or a very slow one.
Complex infrastructure
VDI requires complicated infrastructure to work seamlessly. It involves many computing components working flawlessly to allow users to access virtual desktops. Any little mistake can disrupt the whole system and send your IT team into a frenzy.
Additional staffing
You may need to hire additional IT staff because of the complexity of managing large-scale virtual desktop infrastructure. VDI requires regular monitoring and updates, and you need staff to train employees about using virtual machines. Your company may also need outside consultants for the initial VDI setup.
User experience issues
Using VDIs is not as smooth as using a separate PC. Most people struggle to understand virtual machines without sufficient training, which results in a poor user experience and affects their productivity. However, you can counter this drawback by providing your staff with your staff with high-quality training and IT support, helping them get familiar with VDIs in the long run.
VDI vs DaaS
Businesses have two mechanisms for delivering virtual machines to their users: virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) or desktop as a service (DaaS). But what’s the difference between both technologies?
The difference lies in who owns and operates the desktop infrastructure. In VDI, the company creates and manages the underlying VDI servers, giving it complete control over the server settings.
In DaaS, the third-party provider owns and operates the underlying servers. The business rents the server infrastructure from the operator, meaning it doesn’t always have complete control over the configurations. Here, the company has to make do with what its DaaS provider offers.
The initial setup for a VDI is expensive because the company needs servers and other networking hardware and software to enable them to create virtual machines from the central server. On the other hand, DaaS is more affordable because the company ‘rents’ the server space from a third party that already paid for the initial setup.
VDI and DaaS have their use cases. VDI is preferable for large enterprises that can afford sizeable upfront costs to save money in the long run. DaaS is preferable for small businesses that can’t afford high setup costs and need the flexibility to spin up or dispose of computing resources at will.
In other words, large companies choose VDI as a long-term investment to get complete control of their virtual machines, while small companies choose DaaS as a short-term solution to access needed virtual machines. DaaS is basically VDI delivered as a cloud-based solution.
Implementing VDI at your Organization
Setting up VDI requires considerable planning. These are the best practices to imbibe when setting up this system:
Understand the end-user requirements
The first step is to get a complete picture of what the system’s end users need—it’s often not what the IT department initially thinks. What applications do they need to access? At what time of day do they use computing resources most? How many people need to connect to the centralized server at a time? Do the end users need access to high-end computing power to perform their jobs?
The above questions help you build a rigid VDI for your organization. They tell you whether to choose Persistent or Non-persistent VDI and the type of server to buy. If your staff needs extensive computing power, you’ll need high-end servers to deliver this capability.
High availability
Your VDI doesn’t end at the initial setup – you must ensure that the servers can be accessed whenever needed. Any downtime hinders productivity and costs money, so you want to avoid this as much as possible. Ensure that you have enough servers to meet demand and have redundant hardware to keep up with unusual demand spikes.
Pilot testing
Run a pilot test of your VDI setup before mass deployment. Run a test for a select number of users to see how the system performs – users should provide candid feedback to the IT team so that they can fix any issues.
The pilot test is the best time to look for bugs and weaknesses in the VDI setup. You shouldn’t wait until mass deployment when little bugs can disrupt organizational workflow.
Security
Ensure your VDI has the appropriate cybersecurity solutions to protect it from malicious attacks. Security risks are high when people connect remotely from different devices. Hence, you need these cybersecurity features:
Multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized parties from breaching your VDI.
Audit logs to monitor who accesses the system and trace the source of any fault.
Endpoint security software to protect servers from malware and other malicious attacks.
Application restriction to control what kind of software users can access on their virtual machines.
Continuous monitoring
You must continuously monitor your VDI servers to ensure they perform as expected. Monitoring tools give you deep insights into your servers, letting you know when anyone goes down or needs troubleshooting. The monitoring software sends alerts for any server issue so that you can react swiftly.
It’s also important to upgrade your server resources frequently to keep up with increasing demand. Always add more storage and processing equipment when needed.
Popular VDI Providers
Here are two good examples of VDI/DaaS infrastructure providers:
Azure Virtual Desktop
(Image credit: Azure)
VMAzure is a cloud-based VDI solution offered by Microsoft. With this service, you get access to powerful servers running Windows software. You can create virtual machines running Windows 10 or 11 for your employees, allowing them to work from anywhere like they’d do on a regular PC.
Despite being cloud-based, Azure gives you complete control over your server and virtual machine configurations. You only pay for the computing resources your organization uses, making it a cost-effective solution in the long term.
Microsoft Azure has one of the biggest and most resilient server infrastructures, with 300+ physical data centers worldwide. With Azure Virtual Desktop, you shouldn’t worry about accessing the virtual desktop infrastructure needed to keep your organization productive.
VMware Horizon
(Image credit: VMware)
VMware pioneered the modern virtual desktop infrastructure system and now offers one of the best solutions in this sector. VMware Horizon is a commercial solution that gives enterprises access to secure, high-performing virtual machines without stress.
With VMware Horizon, you can spin up or dispose of virtual machines at will. VMware’s robust infrastructure ensures that your organization can access the computing resources it needs at any time, with a centralized dashboard to manage the virtual machines. This platform gives deep insight into your VDI stack, allowing you to continuously monitor performance and make adjustments to keep the stack resilient.
Final Words
We have explained the most essential aspects of VDI: how it works, use cases, pros and cons, and best practices for implementing it. A VDI helps your organization access computing resources cost-effectively and securely. Follow our tips, and you’ll likely set up a robust VDI that end users will enjoy.
As many of you probably found out earlier today, Samsung released a new mobile app that helps newcomers to the Gaming Hub platform on Samsung TVs get into cloud gaming. And I think it’s a great idea and something that Gaming Hub was missing.
Think about it. One of the best qualities of Gaming Hub is that it opens up the world of console and PC gaming to millions of Samsung TV owners through cloud streaming. And it does this without requiring powerful gaming hardware. But the Gaming Hub service does require a gaming controller, which is a barrier for non-gamers who likely won’t have one lying around.
The Virtual Gamepad app is a clever alternative, and even though it’s not going to compete with a physical controller, it is a free (as long as you have a compatible phone) entry-level solution for people who want to start gaming on their TVs.
Virtual Gamepad is missing only a few things to be a lot better
I tested Samsung’s Virtual Gamepad on my Galaxy S24+ and Neo QLED QN90C TV briefly, and the mobile app seems to work as intended for the most part. I don’t have complaints, except maybe that it’s a bit buggy when you try to customize the layout, and the thumbsticks become invisible. It could be by design, in which case, it’s a poor design choice.
More importantly, I wish the app had a few extra options, and I think having them would’ve led to a much better day one experience.
For a start, there is no option to revert the layout to its default setup. Your only option is to close the app and open it again. That’s not a big deal, but the app is also missing an option to save custom layouts. If you don’t get along with the default layout, you’ll have to customize it every time you open the app.
And finally, the app has no layout color options, and I think adding them would help usability in a practical sense. Virtual gamepads already don’t have the best tactile feedback. After all, you’re using a touchscreen to simulate physical buttons.
Toned-down or even translucent on-screen buttons are not an issue when you use on-screen controls for a game that runs on your phone. In fact, they’re likely the preferred option so as to not get in the way of the gameplay.
However, this is a different case. We’re talking about a gamepad alternative for your TV rather than an on-screen gamepad for your mobile game. Ideally, you won’t be looking at your phone when playing a game on your TV. But, due to the lack of tactile feedback, you may sometimes want to rely on your peripheral vision to locate buttons on your phone’s screen. And an all-gray layout doesn’t help locate the buttons at a glance.
I think giving users the option to color each button individually (or choose from color presets) could have improved the experience greatly. As it is now, the gray virtual thumbsticks and buttons don’t stand out enough. They’re not easy to make out when you are trying to focus on whatever is happening on your TV screen.
In all fairness, this app is new, and Samsung might already be thinking of ways to improve it. So we will give it time. But it could’ve been a lot better from day one if it had these few extra options. And I hope Samsung will consider adding them with future updates.
Samsung launched a new Virtual Gamepad mobile app some weeks ago. If you never heard of it, you’re probably not alone. Unless you own a Samsung smart TV and often use it with SmartThings on your phone, chances are this new app flew under your radar.
Samsung didn’t make any official announcements for this app. It was released quietly on the Google Play Store, but people could find out about it through the SmartThings mobile app, assuming they have a Samsung TV linked up. Here’s all you need to know.
You can now use Gaming Hub without a physical controller
As the name suggests, Virtual Gamepad is a gaming-oriented app. Its primary purpose is to turn your smartphone into a game controller for your TV.
Using this app, you can play cloud games via Gaming Hub on your Samsung TV without having to buy a physical controller. You can turn your mobile phone into a virtual gamepad instead.
This is what it looks like by default. You have some control over the virtual button layout, but there’s no light theme or other color options.
As far as your Samsung TV is concerned, the Virtual Gamepad app on your phone is like any other standard controller connected to your TV. You can use it to control games and your TV’s UI.
Similar to a physical gamepad, the left virtual thumbstick and D-pad control the TV UI, while the A and B buttons work as “select” and “back” buttons — just like on a regular Xbox controller.
This means you can also use Virtual Gamepad on your phone to play smaller Tizen OS games on your TV — games you can download from the TV app store. In other words, it’s not just a Gaming Hub accessory but also a TV remote and virtual controller.
If you want to give the Virtual Gamepad app a try, you can download it from Google Play. But, without a Samsung TV, there’s not much you can do with it.
However, if you have a Samsung TV, you can open the SmartThings app on your phone, access your TV, and select the “Virtual Gamepad” option. It now resides under “Camera Sharing.” You’ll be redirected to the Play Store to download the app on your phone. If you don’t see the Virtual Gamepad option in SmartThings, make sure you’re using the latest version.
Another barrier lifted for Samsung TV owners
Samsung continues to make gaming more accessible to everyone. Gaming Hub for TVs is one of the best choices for casual gamers who don’t want to spend too much money or for people who have never gamed but are interested in trying this pastime activity at a low cost.
However, because Gaming Hub requires a controller to play games, this can be another barrier casual gamers with no prior gaming experience — and thus, no accessories — are facing.
This new Virtual Gamepad mobile app won’t replace the tried and tested physical controller for most gamers. But it can lift this other cost barrier related to controllers. Now, Samsung TV users who want to try Gaming Hub no longer have to spend money on an accessory they may or may not use in the long run. They can try games using the Virtual Gamepad app and decide later whether they should buy a physical controller.
Create a virtual card for your Apple Cash. Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
You can get a temporary debit card number to pay with Apple Cash online in case you want to pay with your balance on a site that doesn’t accept Apple Pay. If you have a lot of money sitting in your Apple Cash account, this can be a convenient way to pay without using your other cards. (It’s also handy if you don’t have any credit or debit cards from other banks.)
In case it’s unclear, Apple Cash is what you receive when someone sends you money via iMessage. It’s not to be confused with the other products with similar names. Apple Card is a highly rated credit card you can apply for. (It’s a physical card, made of titanium.) Apple Card Savings is a high-interest savings account for people with a physical Apple Card. And Apple Pay is a payment method (secured by Face ID, Touch ID or your device’s passcode) that lets you pay with credit/debit cards from other banks.
Previously, you could only pay with your Apple Cash via Apple Pay (or transfer it to your bank). Now, you can tie your Apple Cash to a virtual card number to pay using your Apple Cash balance online. Here’s how to set it up.
Benefits of using an Apple Cash card number
Since this is a virtual card number, there are a few benefits to paying with your Apple Cash. The security code changes regularly and automatically, so it’s very hard for your card info to be stolen. And anytime you suspect fraud, you can refresh it with a new card number. Of course, you don’t need to wait for a new physical card to be made and mailed to your house — you can use it instantly.
You also don’t have to memorize a constantly changing security code or card number — it lives inside Safari autofill, so you you don’t really have to do anything.
How to pay with an Apple Cash card number
Time needed: 5 minutes
How to pay with an Apple Cash card number
Update to iOS 17.4
Apple introduced this feature in iOS 17.4. To use it, you need to update your iPhone. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to install the latest version of iOS.
Open Apple Cash settings in the Wallet app
Open the Wallet app and tap on the Apple Cash card. (It’s black with a sparkly design.) Tap the ⋯ menu and tap Card Number.
Create your card number
Tap Set Up Virtual Card Number at the top of the screen. You’ll see a pop-up screen explaining how it works. Authenticate with Face ID to confirm, then tap Done.
Pay with your Apple Cash card in Safari
When you tap on a credit card field in Safari, you should see a number pad keyboard with a list of cards above. Scroll through the list of saved cards until you see Apple Cash. Tap on that, authenticate with Face ID, and it will automatically fill it in. You also can enter your virtual Apple Cash card number manually by copying and pasting it from the Wallet app. Open Wallet, tap on your Apple Cash card, tap ⋯ > Card Number. You can see the full card number, expiration date and security code here. Tap on any of these to copy it. Then go back to Safari and tap to paste.
Change your Apple Cash card number or security code
To get a new card number, go back to Wallet > Apple Cash > ⋯ > Card Number. Authenticate with Face ID. Tap Request New Card Number and confirm by tapping Request to get a new number. It’ll authenticate with Face ID, then generate a new num. Every time you open the Wallet app or use Safari autofill, a new security code is automatically generated (and they expire after only 24 hours).
More iOS 17 how-tos
There are more great features in iOS 17, and its latest update:
March 9, 1996: Apple confirms that it will shut down its eWorld online service at the end of the month.
Part messaging service, part news aggregator — and all with Apple’s customary premium prices — the short-lived eWorld proved ahead of its time. Apple tells disappointed eWorld subscribers they can switch to America Online instead.
Apple eWorld closes
Apple launched eWorld on June 20, 1994, less than two years before shuttering the service. It represented Apple’s first deep dive into providing internet services. It came several years before Steve Jobs returned to the company and embraced the importance of going online with devices like the iMac G3 and iBook.
The impetus behind eWorld was a proto-social network called AppleLink that connected Cupertino with its dealers and support centers. In the early 1990s, when John Sculley still ran Apple, the company decided to transform this concept into a consumer-facing service.
To pull it off, Apple acquired a data center in the San Francisco Bay Area from banking giant Citigroup. It also came to a licensing agreement with AOL, the company that built the basic technology eWorld was based upon. This was years before Apple launched the iTunes Music Store, iCloud and other internet-based services.
Now, of course, Apple’s services division alone is worth more than most countries. A 2022 Wall Street estimate pegged the value of Apple services at $1.5 trillion — more than a third of the company’s total market cap.
Apple’s first go at the internet
The electronic village comes to life. Photo: Apple
Typically for Apple, the idea was for eWorld to be a “walled garden” so Cupertino could totally control the user experience.
Today, Apple’s carefully moderated approach to running the App Store makes it something of a rarity. (But change, forced by EU antitrust regulators, is here.) In the 1990s, however, this perspective basically proved the norm. AOL, Prodigy and CompuServe all attempted to do similar things.
Still, nobody seemed quite sure what the internet would ultimately turn into.
eWorld didn’t just contain material written by Apple. A bit like the Apple News app, it served as an aggregator of news and entertainment from other sources, all filtered through a familiar Apple interface.
Why Apple’s eWorld failed
Eyeing eWorld now, the big surprise for a lot of people will be how cartoonish it looks. The notion of turning the internet (or, at least, a version of it) into a SimCity-style settlement, with different buildings representing different services, seems very unnecessary — and non-workable — today.
It makes sense, though, when you consider that eWorld narrativized an abstract idea. In fact, the approach worked much the same way the graphical user interface borrowed the metaphor of a physical desktop to explain computing concepts to a new audience. Full web-browsing support didn’t arrive in eWorld until 1995.
The other massive shock for modern audiences will be how expensive eWorld was. Two off-peak hours with eWorld’s dialup service cost $8.95. (That’s the equivalent of more than $17 today.) Hourly costs beyond that (or during the day) set people back $4.95.
These days, Apple typically gauges the right moment to leap into new technologies. Sadly, in the 1990s the company did not seem to possess such perfect timing. eWorld only attracted 147,000 users at its peak.
Do you remember eWorld? Leave your comments below.
Google has introduced Genie 1.0, an AI system that represents a significant advancement toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Genie 1.0 is a generative interactive environment that can create a variety of virtual worlds from text descriptions, including synthetic images, photographs, and sketches. It operates on an unsupervised learning model trained on low-resolution internet videos, which are then upscaled. This system is considered a foundational world model, crucial for the development of AGI, due to its ability to generate action-controllable environments.
Google has made a striking advancement in the realm of artificial intelligence with the unveiling of Genie 1.0, a system that edges us closer to the elusive goal of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). This new AI is capable of transforming simple text descriptions into interactive virtual environments, marking a significant stride in the evolution of AI technologies.
At the core of Genie 1.0’s functionality is the ability to bring written scenes to visual life. This goes beyond the typical AI that we’re accustomed to, which might recognize speech or offer movie recommendations. Genie 1.0 is designed to construct intricate virtual worlds, replete with images and sketches, all from the text provided by a user. It relies on an advanced form of machine learning known as unsupervised learning, which empowers it to identify patterns and make informed predictions without needing explicit instructions.
One of the most fascinating features of Genie 1.0 is its proficiency in learning from imperfect sources. It can take low-resolution videos from the internet, which are often grainy and unclear, and enhance them to a more refined 360p resolution. This showcases the AI’s ability to work with less-than-ideal data and still produce improved results.
Google Genie 1.0 another step closer to AGI?
Here are some other articles you may find of interest on the subject of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) :
Understanding Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
The driving force behind Genie 1.0 is a robust foundational world model, boasting an impressive 11 billion parameters. This model is a cornerstone for AGI development, as it facilitates the generation of dynamic and manipulable environments. Such environments are not just static but can be altered and interacted with, paving the way for a multitude of potential uses.
The versatility of Genie 1.0 is evident in its ability to process a wide array of inputs, suggesting that its future applications could go far beyond the creation of simple 2D environments. Although it currently functions at a rate of one frame per second, there is an expectation that its performance will improve over time. As Google continues to enhance Genie with future iterations, we can expect a broadening of its capabilities.
The practical uses for Genie 1.0 are vast and varied. In the field of robotics, for instance, combining Google’s robotics data with Genie could lead to the creation of more sophisticated AI systems. The gaming industry also stands to benefit greatly from Genie, as it has the potential to revolutionize game development, offering novel experiences and serving as a platform for training AI agents in simulated environments.
While Genie 1.0 promises to significantly influence creative endeavors by enabling the generation of unique content from minimal input, it’s important to remain mindful of the concerns that accompany advanced AI systems. Skepticism about AI is not uncommon, and as technologies like Genie continue to advance, they will undoubtedly spark further debate about their impact and the ethical considerations they raise.
Exploring Genie 1.0’s Advanced Capabilities
Google’s Genie 1.0 represents a pivotal development in the journey toward AGI. Its innovative method of creating interactive virtual worlds and its ability to learn from low-resolution data highlight the immense possibilities within AI. As we look to the future, the continued refinement and application of systems like Genie will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of both technology and society.
Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI, is a type of intelligence that mirrors human cognitive abilities, enabling machines to solve a wide range of problems and perform tasks across different domains. Unlike narrow AI, which is designed for specific tasks such as language translation or image recognition, AGI can understand, learn, and apply knowledge in an array of contexts, much like a human being. The development of AGI is a significant challenge in the field of artificial intelligence, as it requires a system to possess adaptability, reasoning, and problem-solving skills without being limited to a single function.
At the heart of Genie 1.0’s functionality lies its ability to interpret and visualize text descriptions, transforming them into detailed virtual environments. This process is driven by unsupervised learning, a machine learning technique that allows AI to recognize patterns and make decisions with minimal human intervention. Unsupervised learning is crucial for AGI, as it enables the system to handle data in a way that mimics human learning, where explicit instructions are not always provided.
Genie 1.0’s proficiency in enhancing low-resolution videos to a clearer 360p resolution demonstrates its capacity to improve upon imperfect data. This is a significant step forward, as it shows that AI can not only work with high-quality data but also refine and utilize information that is less than ideal, which is often the case in real-world scenarios.
The Potential and Challenges of Google Genie
The foundational world model that powers Genie 1.0, with its 11 billion parameters, is a testament to the complexity and potential of this AI system. The ability to generate dynamic environments that users can interact with opens up a world of possibilities for various industries. For example, in robotics, Genie 1.0 could be used to create more advanced simulations for training AI, while in gaming, it could lead to more immersive and responsive virtual worlds.
Despite its current limitation of processing one frame per second, the expectation is that Genie 1.0 will become faster and more efficient with time. This improvement will expand its applications and make it even more valuable across different sectors.
However, the advancement of AI technologies like Genie 1.0 also brings about ethical considerations. As AI systems become more capable, questions arise about their impact on privacy, employment, and decision-making. It is crucial to address these concerns proactively, ensuring that the development of AI benefits society while minimizing potential risks.
In summary, Google’s Genie 1.0 is a significant step towards achieving AGI, with its innovative approach to creating interactive virtual environments and learning from various data sources. As this technology continues to evolve, it will likely have a profound impact on multiple industries and raise important ethical questions that must be carefully considered.
Filed Under: Technology News, Top News
Latest timeswonderful Deals
Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, timeswonderful may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
March 9, 1996: Apple confirms that it will shut down its eWorld online service at the end of the month.
