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Microsoft asked customers this week to disregard incorrect Windows Firewall errors that appear after rebooting their systems following the installation of the June 2025 preview update. [...]

We’ve got a big problem on our hands. The public is using generative AI (genAI) to write, create, and think. But the brain is a use-it-or-lose-it organ — and we’re starting to lose it. 

That doesn’t have to happen to you. Here’s what you need to know about genAI-related brain rot, and the one approach that lets you take advantage of the technology while retaining and even enhancing your own natural intelligence. 

But first, let’s look at what science says about genAI brain rot.

Creativity

Research published by Carnegie Mellon University this month found that groups that turned to Google Search came up with fewer creative ideas during brainstorming sessions compared to groups without access to Google Search. Not only did each Google Search group come up with the same ideas as the other Search groups, they also presented them in the same order, suggesting that the search results replaced their actual creativity. 

The researchers called this a “fixation effect.” When people see a few examples, they tend to get stuck on those and struggle to think beyond them. For example, if you see “butter” and “jam” as things you can spread, you’re more likely to think of other foods and less likely to think of “rumors” or “disease.”

Earlier this year, The Journal of Creative Behavior published a study called “Am I Still Creative? The Effect of Artificial Intelligence on Creative Self-Beliefs.” That study looked at the difference between how creative people think they are in general and how creative they feel when working with AI. The researchers focused on “creative self-beliefs,” which means a person’s confidence in their own creative ability — they wanted to know whether using AI changes this confidence, and if so, how. 

The study found that most people felt less creative with genAI than without it. If someone already doubted their own creative skills, using it made them feel even less sure. Even people who usually felt very creative did not always feel that way when they used genAI. Trust in the technology helped, but it did not erase the feeling of lost creativity. People who saw genAI as a helpful tool sometimes felt more confident, but if they thought it was taking over, their sense of creativity dropped.

Importantly, the study also found that people who feel sure of their own creativity tend to achieve more in creative work. But this self-confidence does not always help when they use genAI.

Brain rot

A new study from MIT’s Media Lab offers a rare glimpse inside the brain during the act of writing, with and without AI assistance. The team recruited 54 college students from the Boston area and had them write short essays under three conditions: 1) unaided, 2) using a search engine, or 3) with OpenAI’s GPT-4o chatbot. 

Each participant wore an EEG cap to track real-time brain activity. The experiment ran for four months, with each student writing three essays, and a fourth session where some swapped their assigned method.

Unfortunately, the results were exactly what you might expect. Students who wrote their essays without any outside help showed the highest brain activity, especially in regions tied to memory, creativity, and semantic processing. Those who used search engines showed less activity but still engaged their brains more than the group using the AI chatbot. The ChatGPT group showed the lowest brain activity of all, with up to a 55% drop in neural connectivity compared to the unaided group, as measured by a method called Dynamic Directed Transfer Function. (This technique tracks how information moves across different parts of the brain and is considered a good marker for executive function, attention, and semantic processing.)

It gets worse. When researchers asked students to recall or summarize what they had written, the genAI-assisted group remembered less and felt less ownership of their work. In the final session, when students who had used the tech were suddenly asked to write without it, their performance and brain engagement lagged behind those who had started out unaided. 

Researchers found that this “cognitive offloading” effect means users rely on genAI for tasks they would otherwise perform themselves, potentially undermining their own mental capabilities and creativity.

On the other hand, students who switched from brain-only to genAI showed a jump in brain connectivity when allowed to use the tool, but only when they already understood the topic.

The researchers said that the timing and context of genAI use matter. Using it after you’ve already engaged deeply with a topic can be helpful. But letting the tools do the heavy lifting from the start appears to short-circuit the learning process. 

The study’s bottom line: there’s a real tradeoff between the convenience of external support and the lasting benefits of internal effort.

Groupthink

Another risk from an over-reliance on genAI and search is originality. GenAI tools are actually changing how we think, feel, and act. Tools always shape our minds, from the typewriter to the PC. 

Social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram use AI to decide what we see. Their algorithms pick content based on what keeps us engaged. This often means we get more of what we already like or believe. Over time, this narrows our interests and beliefs. (Psychologists call this “preference crystallization.”)

Our knowledge of and perspective on the world becomes less our own and more what the algorithms feed us. They do this by showing us content that triggers strong feelings — anger, joy, fear. Instead of feeling a full range of emotions, we bounce between extremes. Researchers call this “emotional dysregulation.” The constant flood of attention-grabbing posts can make it hard to focus or feel calm.

AI algorithms on social grab our attention with endless new content. It shapes how we learn from others by controlling what social behaviors we see online. It even changes how we remember things, since we now rely on AI to store and recall information for us.

A similar effect happens when people use genAI-based chatbots unskillfully. 

When you ask chatbots like ChatGPT or Google Gemini a question, you get the most common answer from what people wrote online, a kind of consensus or average. When millions or billions of people are turning to chatbots for answers, you can see how that can become a social media-like echo chamber devoid of original thought.

The secret to brain-boosting use of AI

To elevate both the quality of your work and the performance of your mind, begin by crafting your paper, email, or post entirely on your own, without any assistance from genAI tools. Only after you have thoroughly explored a topic and pushed your own capabilities should you turn to chatbots, using them as a catalyst to further enhance your output, generate new ideas, and refine your results.

And don’t get your initial information from social media or those chatbots. Learn by reading high-quality books and magazine articles; only after that traditional learning should you expose your mind to the same subjects on social or chatbots. 

Brainpower and creativity are a use-it-or-lose-it proposition. So, challenge yourself and then —  and only then — turn to genAI to learn just a little bit more. Always turn to technology at the end, never the beginning, of any endeavor. 

Recent reports say Apple may use artificial intelligence models from OpenAI or Anthropic to provide the smarter Siri experience it promised us over a year ago. That’s good in the sense that it means we’ll get yesterday’s jam tomorrow, but it may mean the company ceases to invest as much as it should in the development of genAI models that run on the device.

This concerns me because I think on-device, edge-based intelligence has a huge part to play in the future evolution of AI services. I think there are lots of reasons for this to be the case — security and privacy, obviously, but also for another good reason: the network.

The network, don’t forget the network

Switched-on tech purchasers are making huge investments in network infrastructure to support the AI services they hope to deploy across their companies.

A recent Cisco survey tells us that 97% of IT leaders see the network as critical to rolling out rolling out AI, IoT, and cloud, and 91% of them plan to increase the amount of money they spend on networking as a result. They’re also investing in data centers, and all of them seem to think that the networks themselves need to become smarter.

“AI is changing everything — and infrastructure is at the heart of that reinvention. The network has powered every wave of digital transformation, accelerating the convergence of IoT, cloud, hybrid work, and defending against rising security threats,” said Chintan Patel, CTO and Vice President Solutions Engineering, Cisco EMEA in a press release.

“IT leaders know the network they build today will shape the business they become tomorrow. Those who act now will be the ones who lead in the AI era.” 

The thing is, when it comes to network resources, we already know that the best way to optimize network capacity is to offload traffic to other services where possible. That’s why phones like to use Wi-Fi for calls, for example. Why would it be any different for AI? 

Making AI mundane again

Once you accept that optimizing access to these resources is what’s happening, it becomes easier to accept that one way to reduce demand is to create AI models that run on the device itself. Apple’s devices are, after all, equipped with super powerful low-energy processors and should be more than equal to a range of AI-driven tasks. That’s why it makes sense for the company to invest and continue to invest in genAI models that can work on the device, as so many Apple Intelligence models already do.

The conservation of network resources isn’t predicated only on cost efficiency, but also response. Look at it this way: as AI is inevitably more widely deployed in mission-critical environments, any kind of lag between an AI request and resolution of that request is unacceptable.

Just as you don’t want an AI-powered vehicle to suffer from lag as it approaches a pedestrian crossing, you don’t want lag to hit a rail traffic management system as two express trains speed toward each other on the same track. In some situations, network-derived lag costs lives, and while the drip-fed TV broadcast images of human misery we see so regularly today suggests lives don’t matter as much now as they did at the end of the last century, it still makes sense to offload mundane requests like spelling, summarization, and transcription so more critically important needs can be met within the context of network congestion and scarcity.

This also means it makes sense to continue to invest in edge intelligence. 

Eyes on the prize(s)

Doing so answers another burning need in enterprise deployment for privacy and security. It simply seems better to put more intelligence on the edge device. That means creating focused AI models capable of running on the device.

Doing so dramatically reduces the attack surface, eliminates network-derived lag, and ensures better privacy.

That’s why intelligence at the edge will inevitably become more important over time. Apple’s own on-device Apple Intelligence tools are likely to be the first in a larger suite, though building out that suite may take a while. That time frame is reflected in Apple’s purported decision to open Siri up to additional AI services.

In the end, as you can see, a confluence of factors make intelligence at the edge vital to the overall AI ecosystem. As more and more services and systems become network-reliant, all stakeholders will seek to offload some of those demands elsewhere (just as mobile telcos already shift traffic to Wi-Fi when they can), and the most logical place to run at least the most commonplace demands will be on the devices themselves. Every genAI transaction that can be handled on the device means one less whirl on the server and the preservation of the fragment of power it takes to send the instruction there and back again. 

So, who will make the mobile AI infrastructure?

Of all the AI firms I’m reading about, and all the Big Tech firms working with them, only Apple seems to have made significant investment in delivering such services in this way. That doesn’t mean it is the only one, nor does it mean it will succeed — it may already have declared failure internally — but the direction remains the same: networks will become smarter and devices more capable of handling more complex models natively.

With that in mind, despite the relatively short-term obstacles Apple seems to face, in the longer term it still makes sense for it to invest in on-device AI, because that is the direction of travel. And that’s why I hope Apple continues to invest in it.

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If you’re an enterprise still hosting on-premises Exchange 2016 or Exchange 2019 email, it’s time to stop dragging your feet: Microsoft has now made Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE) generally available to replace them.

SE is just what it sounds like: Enterprise users must soon buy subscription licenses for all users and servers. The change, now in effect, comes with an immediate 10% price hike for standalone on premises server products, as well as a 15% increase for the on-prem Core CAL Suite and a 20% increase for the on-prem Enterprise CAL Suite, effective August 1.

For Exchange Server SE, Microsoft explained, in addition to purchasing the required Server licenses and CALs, customers must also maintain an active subscription. This means purchasing either:

• Cloud subscription licenses for all users and devices that access Exchange Server SE (for example, Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 licenses); or
• Exchange Server SE Server licenses and CALs with Software Assurance (SA).

The tech giant will officially end support for Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 on October 14, meaning it will provide no more updates, technical help, bug fixes, or security patches.

Enterprises can continue to use Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 after end-of-life (EOL), but they do so at their own risk, the company said.

Moving to a ‘modern lifecycle policy’ with continuous service and support

“With an EOL date some 3.5 months away, this will give laggards (and those with compliance and business reasons to remain on-prem) a supported path forward,” said John Annand, digital infrastructure practice lead at Info-Tech Research Group.

Microsoft released its final cumulative update (CU) for Exchange Server 2019 in February, which means that, if customers want to keep email on-premises, they must upgrade to the SE licensing model to keep receiving support and updates. If ready to make the shift to the cloud, they can also choose Microsoft’s fully-hosted platforms Exchange Online or M365.

“Exchange SE demonstrates our commitment to ongoing support for scenarios where on-premises solutions remain critical,” Microsoft wrote in a blog post.

The good news is that SE will be governed by Microsoft’s ‘modern lifecycle policy,’ meaning it will be an evergreen product that receives continuous service and support. There will be no fixed end dates for the release, allowing customers to keep configurations fresh.

“This will create unique opportunities to simplify, streamline, and modernize the product over the coming years,” Microsoft said. 

The company said it will continue releasing Exchange SE CUs at the “same cadence” of two per calendar year, with security or hotfix updates — targeted software updates to address specific, typically critical issues that arise between CUs — released as needed.

Analysts point out that this shouldn’t be unexpected: Microsoft has been making it known for some time that it intended to end support for 2016 and 2019 Exchange editions and move to a subscription model.

But Annand pointed out that, three years ago, there were still rumored to be around 300,000 physical servers on prem with 7.3 billion mailboxes.

Of course, Microsoft wants to “see more money in the bank,” he noted, pointing to the 10% price increase on server licensing and a 15% or 20% increase on client access licensing, depending on the purchasing vehicle.

“Price increases are never welcomed by customers, and our members are no different,” Annand said. “That being said, they’re resigned to that fact of life. As long as MS continues to let them host their data locally and manage the update cycle (as opposed to updates being forced on them, as with Exchange Online), they’ll grudgingly acquiesce.”

How to upgrade to Exchange SE

The final Exchange Server 2019 update incorporates all prior security patches and introduces server-side components for Feature Flighting, an optional cloud-based service that supports immediate updating when new features become available. This can help ensure stability and security up to EOL this fall.

Microsoft advises upgrading to Exchange SE as soon as possible and decommissioning Exchange 2016 or 2019. After moving to SE, as of SE CU2, enterprises will no longer be able to also have Exchange 2016 or 2019 servers on premises.

Organizations have two upgrade options: A legacy upgrade that requires new servers, or an “in-place” upgrade (available only for Exchange 2019), which involves downloading and installing the latest upgrade package.

During this process, there can be some disruption, Microsoft said, as mailboxes will be temporarily paused; however, enterprises can plan around this by performing upgrades overnight, on the weekend, or when offices are otherwise closed.

Microsoft pointed out that the move to SE is unlike previous releases, as it does not contain a major code upgrade and does not have any major changes. No new license keys are required, no features were added or removed, no installation prerequisites were changed and there are no Active Directory schema changes.

While there’s little time left, analysts advise organizations still on Exchange 2016 or 2019 to build a migration strategy, plan extensively, and assess infrastructure needs to avoid migration headaches. Beyond budgeting for extra costs, they said, it’s also helpful to have project managers, IT personnel skilled in Exchange, and support from vendors skilled in migration available during the changeover.

North Korean state-backed hackers have been using a new family of macOS malware called NimDoor in a campaign that targets web3 and cryptocurrency organizations. [...]

Google is adding a new feature that allows system administrators to control when users try out beta features in Workspace.

The features in Workspace typically pop up silently within menus and interfaces, but some companies might want a slower rollout. “As an administrator, you can choose whether your users can try out early general availability Google features or wait until after they’re released by selecting a release track,” Google said in a support document.

There are two paces at which the beta features can be rolled out. A “Rapid Release” track will make new features available to users immediately. A “Scheduled Release” track allows enterprises to roll out new features at a gradual pace. 

The latter will be available starting July 15.

“Your users get new features at least one week after they’re released to Rapid Release domains,” Google said. “This gives you more time to prepare your organization for changes.”

Google isn’t alone in tweaking how updates are rolled out. Microsoft, for instance, has also made changes to how Microsoft 365 support updates are done. The company is encouraging enterprises to adopt more frequent software updates.

Microsoft and Google are rapidly pushing out new generative AI (genAI) features for their productivity suites. Microsoft has close to 1,000 new M365 features under development, with most involving Copilot. For its part, Google maintains a weekly feature release calendar, with most of the new features based on Google’s Gemini AI model.

The companies are hoping to get users on to genAI features quickly and collect feedback from them to develop more functionality and automation tools in the productivity suites.

Google this week also made Gemini available in Google Docs on Android devices in more than 20 languages. The company also released its genAI video tool called Vids to Workspace for Education customers.

More on Google Workspace:

• How Google is integrating Gemini into Workspace
• Google Workspace tips and tutorials
• Analysts: Go slow on M365, Google Workspace ‘agent-ish’ AI rollouts
• Google Spaces cheat sheet: How to get started>

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An ex-ransomware negotiator is under criminal investigation by the Department of Justice for allegedly working with ransomware gangs to profit from extortion payment deals. [...]

The Spanish police have arrested two individuals in the province of Las Palmas for their alleged involvement in cybercriminal activity, including data theft from the country's government. [...]

Cisco has removed a backdoor account from its Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM), which would have allowed remote attackers to log in to unpatched devices with root privileges. [...]

Citrix warns that patching recently disclosed vulnerabilities that can be exploited to bypass authentication and launch denial-of-service attacks may also break login pages on NetScaler ADC and Gateway appliances. [...]

The Forminator plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to an unauthenticated arbitrary file deletion flaw that could enable full site takeover attacks. [...]

Microsoft has fixed a known bug that breaks the 'Print to PDF' feature on Windows 11 24H2 systems after installing the April 2025 preview update. [...]

More than 40 fake extensions in Firefox's official add-ons store are impersonating popular cryptocurrency wallets from trusted providers to steal wallet credentials and sensitive data. [...]

If you're managing industrial networks, critical manufacturing systems, or infrastructure that demands tight security, you'll want to sit down for this one. MICROSENS NMP Web+, a popular network management platform, is in the spotlight after researchers discovered several critical vulnerabilities that essentially gift-wrap your systems for attackers. This isn't just a fix-it-whenever-you-can scenario. We're staring at vulnerabilities with CVSS v4 scores as high as 9.3''serious problems that require immediate attention.

Since its introduction in 2021, Apple has always seen Declarative Device Management (DDM) as the future for device management on its platforms.

At this year’s WWDC, it told us that future has arrived, making DDM the primary framework with which to manage Apple devices and officially confirming plans to deprecate legacy MDM software commands. Bottom line: the transition to the more powerful DDM system is mandatory.

Some of the top-level DDM changes announced at last month’s developer’s event include:

• DDM support across all Apple’s platforms, including iOS 26, macOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS26, visionOS26.
• DDM’s ability to configure update deferrals, set enforcement deadlines, and to define the window in which updates must take place.
• Status channel reporting in Apple’s DDM support, which means devices will report compliance with DDM requests automatically, reducing server-side load.

Underpinning the system is an idea that makes devices fundamentally more autonomous while also making them intrinsically more secure. It turns out the best way to securely manage endpoints is to help them do a better job of managing themselves. It also makes the user experience simpler, bringing the convenience of enterprise-scale protection in a consumer-friendly way.

The philosophy of Declarative Device Management (DDM)

It’s helpful to anyone who uses a managed device to understand the philosophy behind DDM — principally, that it empowers both the device and the end user and does so by simplifying the device management interaction and forcing the device itself to protect itself. More autonomous devices are more resilient devices.

Take a simple software update. MDM might inform a device that it should upgrade and then poll the device frequently to see whether the upgrade has taken place. While it might eventually be done, the device is pretty dumb in the interaction, and users, network access, or other obstacles could get in the way each time the request is made. 

With DDM (and forgive this slightly unnuanced layman’s articulation), the device is instructed to upgrade and will then be required to do so by a specific time. Then, rather than polling the device to nag it to conduct the upgrade, the device itself is forced to regularly report back on whether it has achieved the desired upgraded state. In this model, the device is made aware that it should upgrade and will upgrade itself at the first possible opportunity.

There are several advantages — management is more effective, network demands are reduced, and IT has a much better overview across the state of the corporate fleet. DDM is also more secure, as the onus of reporting turns to the device, which, in conjunction with improvements in identity and zero-trust, means IT enjoys a far more accurate picture of events, and devices become less likely to become attack vectors.

What difference does it make?

Apple’s growing cohort of device management partners (Jamf to Kandji, Mosyle, Fleet, Hexnode, Addigy and beyond) already understood Apple’s intention to move toward DDM, which means they are already introducing support for the improved DDM features Apple plans.

That means users who do migrate to DDM will get access to related enhancements Apple introduced at WWDC, such as version pinning for App Store apps alongside existing software update management. With a nod to the flourishing device management market, Apple is also introducing tools to make it easier to migrate devices between different MDM providers.

All these device management features are being enabled by Apple Business Manager (ABM) and Apple School Manager (ASM), both of which are critical to Apple’s enterprise push, and both of which have been improved drastically to enable new device management features. Organizations can actually prevent personal Apple IDs from signing into corporate-owned devices, even during setup, for example. 

Apple also introduced some new capabilities to help manage devices. These included new APIs to manage new attributes; one useful addition is support for users to request temporary privileges upgrades via their device management system. IT also gains better insight into AppleCare, Managed Apple IDs, and on-device authentication, which in itself promises highly secure yet-friction free device management. We’ve looked at some of these improvements previously. You should also find updates from your chosen device management service provider, which might be of help.

Defense is the sum of all the parts

When combined with enhancements to DDM, you’ll have a system that can securely distribute security, as well as autonomy, to endpoint devices. This effectively supersedes old perimeter defenses by transforming them into a networked, more intelligent system of equally well-defended nodes working together to maintain resilience. 

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Elon Musk-funded xAI is skipping Grok 3.5 and releasing Grok 4 after Independence Day in the United States. [...]

If you're a Linux admin or happen to be neck-deep in infosec, here's something worth your immediate attention: a critical security hole in Google Chrome'' CVE-2025-6554 ''has been patched. Trust me, this one isn't just a ''check the box'' type of update; it's as real as it gets.

Microsoft is working to fix a DNS misconfiguration that is causing one-time passcode (OTP) message delivery failures in Exchange Online for some users. [...]

As tech hiring has slowed to a near standstill, organizations have begun using generative AI (genAI) to screen hiring prospects — or replace entry-level employees — and some are even using the technology to interview job candidates. The result is a topsy-turvy job market that has made finding work in IT more difficult than ever.

In April, employer hiring fell to its slowest pace in more than a decade, excluding the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Job cuts in the tech industry and at federal government agencies have led the way in layoffs in recent job market reports, driven by economic pressure, programmatic firings and AI-driven shifts in workforce needs, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

So it’s not surprising that many organizations are taking a wait-and-see approach to hiring, especially as they wait to see how AI may be able to replace some billets. A recent Brookings Institute report on genAI found that the more highly skilled a tech worker is, the more vulnerable they are to having their jobs supplemented by technology.

Global staffing firm Robert Half recently surveyed nearly 1,000 U.S. workers, including 144 in tech, and found that 35% of tech workers say the biggest challenge of job hunting is finding a role that matches their skills. Another 30% of those surveyed said they struggled with preparing for a job interview, compared to just 22% of other job seekers. And nearly one-in-five tech job seekers find if difficult to draft job applications that stand out.

With that backdrop, Computerworld interviewed George Denlinger, operational president of Robert Half, for insights into how to use genAI to assist in finding and landing a tech job.

How can you craft an application to stand out using genAI? “Candidates can use these tools to catch spelling and grammar errors, identify industry-specific language and formatting, and help translate technical achievements into clear, impact-driven statements tailored to the role. When used thoughtfully, genAI helps elevate your application without losing the authenticity of your experience.”

What successes are people seeing using the technology in their job searches? “People who find success from using genAI in their job searches use it thoughtfully and strategically. At the outset of the process, AI can help streamline repetitive tasks, such as researching companies, narrowing their job searches, tailoring and customizing application materials, and optimizing professional social media accounts like LinkedIn. We’ve also seen candidates leverage genAI to identify companies that use specific tech stacks aligned with their skills and experience.

“I also know of job seekers who have found success using genAI to prepare for interviews. There are tools that can help candidates anticipate common and role-specific questions, simulate realistic interview scenarios, and organize their responses. Practicing in this way not only sharpens communication but also helps candidates feel more focused, articulate, and confident going into their interviews.

What mistakes do people make when using genAI in their job searches? “We are seeing AI tools used during interviews in ways that could raise ethical concerns, such as using genAI in real time to receive support during the [job interview] conversation. Employers are becoming increasingly aware of this type of usage and will likely remove such candidates from consideration.

“Another common mistake we see in job searches today is relying too heavily on genAI to craft application materials, especially resumes. Some candidates are copying job descriptions or AI-recommended terms word-for-word into their resumes, without any real knowledge of them. This may result in candidates being unable to explain or expand on the qualifications listed, creating a disconnect during interviews. It can even lead to individuals landing roles based on inflated or misrepresented skills, only to find themselves unprepared for the responsibilities and expectations of the job.

“While misrepresenting experience has never been acceptable, genAI has made it easier to do so.”

What’s the right way to use genAI in a job search, including creating an application and resume? “GenAI is best used as a support tool in the job search process and not as a replacement for your personal insight and experience. It can help with identifying relevant keywords, structuring your resume, and drafting content, but the final product should include the human touch. Most employers can recognize AI-generated responses, so the better way to connect is by genuinely expressing your character and interest in the role and company.

“As more applicants rely on AI to help generate materials, personalization is more important than ever. Employers want to see how you’ve applied your skills in real-world scenarios: the systems you’ve built, the teams you’ve led, the solutions you’ve brought, and the skills you’re continuing to build. They’re looking for traits that can’t always be captured by a generic, AI-polished resume. Use genAI to help with structure and clarity, but make sure your own contributions and voice come through.”

Are people relying too much on AI for job searches now and, if so, why is that bad? “There needs to be a thoughtful balance when using AI throughout the job search process. While genAI is becoming a common tool for applicants, human interaction remains essential. Building professional connections or leveraging referrals continues to be one of the most effective ways to land a role.

“And while not everyone is misusing AI, all job seekers should be mindful of not becoming overly reliant on it. The goal is to enhance your application, not to let AI take over the parts that should reflect your own experience and personality — which are often things employers need to see when staffing a role.

“AI can be a powerful asset for a job search, but it’s the human touch that will set candidates apart, especially as it can’t replicate interpersonal skills, creativity, leadership, or adaptability. Further, the overuse of genAI tools is often noticeable to hiring managers. Research from Robert Half found that 82% of hiring managers say they can tell when a candidate has used AI to generate their application materials. This highlights a growing awareness among employers and a need for job seekers to use these tools thoughtfully.”

How can they find a job that aligns with their skills? Are courses and certifications the right way to prepare for that? “To find a tech job that aligns with their skills, job seekers should start by identifying their strengths and matching them to roles in demand. This applies not only to positions within the tech sector, but also to tech-driven roles across industries like finance and healthcare. GenAI can be a helpful starting point for curating a list of potential roles based on an applicant’s skills and interests, but I recommend exploring broadly and not limiting the search to one industry or job title.

“Courses and certifications can be valuable, especially in rapidly evolving areas, but they’re most impactful when paired with hands-on experience. This might include personal projects, internships, hackathons, or contributing to open-source work. Hiring managers continue to look for candidates who can demonstrate both what they’ve learned and how they’ve applied those skills in the field.

“Ultimately, today’s tech landscape requires adaptability and a commitment to continuous learning. Professionals who embrace digital transformation and proactively build skills in emerging technologies that help drive productivity and ROI will stand out.”

Losing your phone is one of the most stressful predicaments of modern-day life. We’ve all been there: You pat your pocket, swiftly scan every surface in sight — then suddenly feel your heart drop at the realization that your Android device and all of its contents (including, potentially, all sorts of sensitive company-connected materials) are no longer in your control.

There’s certainly no scenario in which losing your phone is a good thing. (Understatement of the century, I realize.) But with the advanced and just recently upgraded phone-finding system now built into Android at the operating system level, seeking out and then managing a missing device is more manageable than ever. And despite what some security suite services may try to convince you, you don’t need any third-party software to do it.

Android’s native Find Hub system (formerly known as Find My Device) can precisely pinpoint any Android device — phone, tablet, watch, you name it. It also works with an expanding series of special AirTag-like trackers that can be attached to keys, briefcases, and other important items. It’ll show you any compatible device’s exact location on an interactive map and — when relevant — give you tools to remotely ring it, lock it, or wipe it entirely and send all of its data to the digital beyond.

Best of all? You have to do shockingly little to get it up and running. It’s mostly just a matter of confirming that the system is active and then remembering how to tap into it if and when the need ever arises.

So take a few minutes now to learn the ins and outs of the Google Find Hub network and what it takes for your devices to be discoverable. Then, if you ever have that heart-dropping moment, your phone will be 100% ready — and so will you.

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Google Find Hub, part I: Preparation

Most reasonably recent Android phones should be actively enrolled in Google’s Find Hub network by default, but there are a few critical settings that are worth double-checking to confirm everything’s connected.

First, head into the Location section of your Android device’s system settings and make sure the toggle at the top of the screen is turned on. If it isn’t, Android won’t be able to access your phone’s GPS and thus won’t be able to perform any Find-Hub-related location functions.

The Android “Use location” toggle is a critical foundation for Google’s Find Hub network to function.

JR Raphael, IDG

Next, search your system settings for find and tap on the section labeled “Find Hub.” Tap that, then make sure the “Allow device to be located” toggle on the screen that comes up next is activated. And last but not least, tap “Find your offline devices” and consider which of the available options seems most suitable for you and your future finding purposes.

You’ve got all sorts of options for how your Android device can connect to Google’s Find Hub network.

JR Raphael, Foundry

Got it? Good. Now, let’s break down what your options are when that dreaded “lost phone” nightmare becomes a reality.

Google Find Hub, part II: Action

The best part about Google’s Find Hub system alongside Android is that, with both being Google products, everything’s easily accessible from almost anywhere. If you ever can’t find your phone, choose the most convenient option and go, go, go:

1. Use the Find Hub Android app on another phone or tablet

If you have an Android tablet — or even a secondary phone, for either business or personal purposes — you can install the Find Hub Android app on it and allow it to see and manage any other devices associated with your sign-in. In fact, go ahead and do that on all your active Android devices this minute so the app will be there and ready in case you ever need it. As long as you’re signed into the same Google account on the secondary device as you are on your primary phone, finding your phone will be as simple as opening the app, confirming your Google password, and then selecting your phone from the list on the app’s main screen.

The official Find Hub app is an incredibly easy way to track down any device associated with your Google account.

JR Raphael, Foundry

From there, you’ll see your phone’s last known location on a zoomable map. And you’ll be able to ring it — for a full five minutes at a time, even if it’s set to silent — and optionally lock it or erase it as needed.

No secondary Android device? No problem: If you have a colleague, friend, or family member with an Android phone or tablet nearby, kindly ask them to install the Find Hub app onto their device. Open it and find the option to sign in as a guest. Type in your Google account credentials, and then take a deep breath: Everything you need to find your phone will be right at your fingertips.

(Side note: The Find Hub Android app is strictly about finding a device — nothing more. It doesn’t actually have to be on your device in order for the device itself to be discoverable.)

2. Pull up Android’s Find Hub website in a browser

If you don’t have another Android device handy, you can still get to Android’s Find Hub function from any web browser — on a laptop or desktop computer or even an iPhone or iPad.

The main Android Find Hub site is at google.com/android/find. It’s basically identical to what you’ll get in the Find Hub Android app:

srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?quality=50&strip=all 1902w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=300%2C141&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=768%2C361&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=1024%2C481&quality=50&strip=all 1024w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=1536%2C721&quality=50&strip=all 1536w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=1240%2C582&quality=50&strip=all 1240w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=150%2C70&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=854%2C401&quality=50&strip=all 854w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=640%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/google-find-hub-web.jpg?resize=444%2C208&quality=50&strip=all 444w" width="1024" height="481" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px">Google’s Find Hub website puts all your device tracking data at your fingertips in any browser, on any type of device.

JR Raphael, Foundry

You can also find an alternate version of the Android Find Hub function within Google’s My Account site. That site provides the same basic info but seems to go back further in your device history — so if you’re looking for a device you haven’t used in a while and that device doesn’t come up on the main Google Find Hub site, you might give it a whirl to see if it shows up there.

And that, my friend, is all there is to it. Consider yourself protected — and you know what? Go get yourself a cookie. You’ve earned it.

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