Your monthly newsletter, written for humans not geeks
SEPTEMBER 2026
TECHNOLOGY
INSIDER
Are your AI problems business problems in disguise? By now, you’ve probably experimented with AI in some form. Maybe it’s helping write documents, summarize meetings, analyze spreadsheets, or speed up customer service. You see the potential very quickly… But then the excitement fades. A handful of people keep using it every day, a few others stop using it altogether, and before long you’re left wondering why the big AI transformation never fully arrived. It’s tempting to blame the technology, but the problem is often much more human. Businesses struggle because they haven’t changed the way work happens around AI tools. Imagine introducing a new piece of machinery into a factory but keeping the same production process around it. You’d never see the full benefit. AI works in the same way. If employees are expected to experiment but still judged entirely on speed, consistency, and avoiding mistakes, most will stick with the methods they already know.
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If nobody takes ownership of how AI fits into the business, good ideas can stay trapped inside individual departments instead of becoming part of everyday work.
DID YOU KNOW... there’s a flaw in Hide My Email?
The same challenge appears when there isn’t a clear approach to how AI should be used across the business. Employees want to know what they’re allowed to use, what information can be shared, and where the boundaries are. Without clear guidance, many people become cautious. Others simply make up their own rules. Getting the best results from AI usually means changing the way work gets done, not only adding new software. Give people permission to experiment, create clear ownership, and build AI into existing processes rather than leaving it as an optional extra. AI is moving into workplaces quickly. Giving people the skills, confidence, and guidance to use it well may turn out to be as important as the technology itself.
If you’d like help putting the right foundations in place, get in touch.
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Apple’s Hide My Email feature was designed to let people sign up for websites and services without revealing their real email address. It’s to help protect privacy and reduce spam. But a recently discovered flaw could let cybercriminals uncover the real email address hidden behind an anonymous one.
Apple is aware, and is working on a fix, but don’t treat any technology as completely foolproof.
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TechFacts
1
In the 1990s, Microsoft had a secret weapon for making Windows feel faster on modest hardware. Engineers used an internal tool nicknamed “Microsoft Lego” that would take chunks of code inside Windows and rearrange them so the parts the computer needed most were stored closer together. The software still did the same job, but it loaded faster and felt more responsive because the PC spent less time hunting around for the code it needed.
2 The first 5MB hard drive was released
in 1956 and weighed around 2,000 pounds. It took up 16 square feet of floor space and used 50 giant 24-inch platters to store its data. Accessing information took around 600 milliseconds, which felt fast at the time. For comparison, a modern smartphone photo can easily be larger than 5MB, and your phone probably has enough storage to hold the equivalent of millions of these early hard drives in your pocket.
Techn logy update Windows opens the door a little wider to Linux Microsoft is making it easier for developers to run Linux software directly inside Windows. A new preview feature lets Linux applications and containers run more naturally alongside Windows apps, without needing separate systems or complicated setups. You may never use these features, but they make Windows a more flexible platform for the tools your business relies on every day.
3 Before there was Google,
there was Archie. It launched on September 10, 1990 and was the world’s first internet search engine. The World Wide Web hadn’t even been invented yet. Instead, Archie acted more like a giant contents page for the early internet, making it easier to track down files hidden away on servers around the world.
NEW TO
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE MONTH
MICROSOFT
“Be passionate and bold. Always keep learning.” Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO.
Microsoft will make your screen more comfortable Microsoft is testing a new Windows 11 feature called Screen Tint. It’s designed to make long days in front of a monitor a little easier on the eyes.
Five : iz u q h c e t ’s r e b Sep t em y. chance at glor questions. One
password? 1. What’s the most used work-from-home ed nt ve in ny pa m co ch 2. Which te (then killed it)? ach 1 billion users? re to t rs fi e th as w p 3. Which mobile ap wo years from now, “T : 04 20 in is th id sa 4. Guess who lved” (email) spam will be so ter of all time? pu m co p to sk de g lin el 5. Which is the best-s below.
1.123456 2.IBM 3.Facebook 4.Bill Gates 5.Commodore 64
The answers are
Unlike Night Light, which changes the color temperature of your display, Screen Tint adds a soft color overlay across the whole screen. You can choose from preset colors or create your own and adjust the strength of the effect to suit you. It could be a simple way to reduce eye strain and make screens feel more comfortable to use throughout the day.
Hidden Windows 11 features, that save time every week Most people only use a small fraction of what their computer can do. Are you guilty of that? You find the tools you need, settle into your routines, and get on with running the business. The downside is that some useful features go unused. Take Remote Desktop, for example. If you have a main computer in the office but sometimes work from home or travel, Windows 11 Pro can let you connect back to that machine and use it almost as if you were sitting in front of it. Your files, software, and desktop are all right there, just as you left them. If you've ever emailed documents to yourself, you can see the appeal. One warning: Remote Desktop isn't secure by default. Exposed connections are one of the most common ways criminals break into business networks. Always connect through a secure remote access tool, use strong passwords, and turn on multi-factor authentication. Not sure how? Ask your IT provider.
It lets you password-protect USB sticks and external hard drives, so if one goes missing, the information on it stays protected. If you regularly move customer files or backups around on removable drives, that's a useful extra layer of security. Windows 11 Pro also gives you more control over updates. Ever had your computer restart halfway through an important task? You'll appreciate choosing when updates happen instead of letting your PC decide (but updates are important, so don't put them off indefinitely).
Q: How long should a business laptop realistically last? A: Most businesses replace laptops every 4-5 years to balance performance, reliability, and security.
And if you've set up several laptops for new starters, replacement devices, or a growing team, Windows can help there too. Provisioning packages let you copy settings and configurations automatically, saving you from repeating the same setup again and again. Helpful little features that remove small frustrations from your working day. And that can be where the biggest productivity gains come from.
Another feature worth knowing about is BitLocker To Go.
If you want to learn about more
The name sounds intimidating, but the idea is simple.
might be missing, we can help.
productivity features you
Q: What’s the difference between backing up files and syncing files? A: Syncing copies changes between devices. Backups protect you if files are deleted, corrupted, or encrypted by ransomware. Never forget backups.
Get in touch. Productivity tool of the month
iFLYTEK AINOTE Air 2 Have you ever come out of a meeting with pages of notes, only to discover later that you missed the one action point you needed? AI-powered E-ink tablets are designed to solve that problem. The iFLYTEK AINOTE Air 2 combines the familiar feel of pen and paper with features like meeting transcription, handwriting recognition, AI summaries, and cloud syncing. You can scribble notes, record discussions, and let the tablet automatically turn everything into searchable text and action points. $555 from iFLYTEK.
This is how you can get in touch with us: CALL: (502) 200-1169 | EMAIL info@zjak.net WEBSITE: www.zjak.net
Q: What happens to our data if we change IT providers? A: Your data always remains yours. A good handover process should give you a smooth transition with minimal disruption. If you need help though, get in touch.