In fact, just about every technology we take for granted, from smart televisions to cloud servers, relies heavily on open source software. Software’s significance in the digital transformation of large businesses expands the importance of open source.

“It’s a different world compared to even a decade ago. Open source plays a big role not just in individual components or pieces of a business, but also in driving outcomes for business itself,” said Vijoy Pandey, senior vice president of the Emerging Technologies and Incubation (ET&I) group at Cisco.

How To Play An Active Role In Open Source
Enterprises already consume open source services daily—through devices, networks and distributed computing resources.

Investing in open source—and helping its communities of shared interest and development thrive—is a different level of commitment. Shannon McFarland, chief architect for ET&I at Cisco, described it as a way enterprises can more directly address their digital transformation needs.

“In open source, you don’t have to beg a vendor for a specific feature critical to your business,” he said. “You can write that feature or collaborate with people to get help writing a feature that also matters to them.”

Open source investment is also a risk management strategy. A closed-source vendor can walk away from its products at any time, leaving little recourse. Open source reduces the prospect of a product suddenly becoming obsolete. A well-supported open source project with strong heterogeneous support from individuals, enterprise developers and a foundation or formal community adds stability and resilience.

Although it’s easier than ever to join open source projects and dive into the codebase, enterprise contributions to open source development aren’t limited to code. Documentation, promotion, bug reporting and testing are all valuable forms of open source sweat equity.

Enterprises, however, should spend time vetting the culture and transparency of an open source community before committing. They should also assess whether the project is very narrowly managed or is driven by internal politics rather than shared technological goals.

“You can join their calls, look at their Slack or Discord channels and weekly stand-ups, and see what the community is about,” McFarland said. “Do you see representation from individuals, universities, researchers and vendors?”

How Cisco Backs Open Source Innovations
Cisco aims to model healthy open source participation by investing time and energy in projects where it can offer expertise, insight and innovation but are not necessarily a direct extension of its commercial priorities.

“We believe that any open source project we [join] needs to solve a pain point independent of any agenda Cisco might have,” Pandey said. “Going in with an agenda never gets you open source success.”

For example, Cisco’s support of the KubeClarity project reflects growing industry-wide interest in understanding the full implications of distributed computing sourced from a variety of cloud vendors. By helping define a software bill-of-materials, enterprise users can better track the potential risks of cloud solutions, including potential privacy risks and support shortcomings.

“We help customers understand how to gain value out of open source and provide safety mechanisms around support and security, so they know which are the stable open source projects they can participate in,” McFarland said.

Another open source solution, APIClarity, is designed to help enterprises understand potential weaknesses or points of impending failure in the application programming interfaces (APIs) that connect disparate cloud solutions. This helps ensure that services are not interrupted by out-of-date program calls or poorly-documented API changes by a cloud vendor.

To learn more, see the complete roster of Cisco’s supported open source projects. In addition to directly contributing to these projects, Cisco’s ET&I group provides software and SaaS services to discover, connect and secure mission-critical cloud applications with foundational open source project components.

How Open Source Creates Competitive Advantage
Contributing to open source projects does not necessarily mean giving up a profitable advantage or a valuable secret. Converting enterprise data into insights and action is more valuable in the long run than a proprietary algorithm. So, investing directly in the open source tools that transform that unique data into value serves the broader enterprise community as well as your own aims.

There are also several opportunities to monetize innovations you create in open source space. “Open source helps you drive adoption and validate your product’s market fit,” Pandey said. “And then you monetize through innovations and support that you build around that open source project.”

Pivoting to open source can also enhance your human capital. Companies seeking to thrive in the next decade need to prioritize upskilling to meet the demands of their customers.

“Participating in open source is a phenomenal way to upskill your organization,” Pandey said, noting the comparative ease in hiring and retaining engineers with open source experience versus the smaller universe of those with closed source and proprietary expertise.

From cloud native development and AI/ML to API security, observability and more, check out these open source projects at Cisco for more information.

Advanced technology is gaining us access to an insane amount of information, so many luxuries, and is achieving an abundance of discoveries that make our lives easier. Taking into consideration all of this, we need to find the best way to use modern technology with all of its benefits to incorporate them into our everyday lives.

The Use of High-Definition Gadgets

The tech market is overflowing with high-definition gadgets that are available for commercial use. But, having so many options to choose from people often buy so many different things that they do not really end up using. So, if you want to avoid constantly spending your money on tech gadgets, then you should think about your daily life and all of the activities that you enjoy doing.

One of the best tech gadgets is the high-definition monitor. Investing in one could be a smart choice especially if you are a game enthusiast. Many game developers are creating games that are suitable for these high-definition gadgets. If you visit novicasino.com you would be able to enjoy the classic casino games like slots, blackjack, roulette, and poker but, from a different perspective.

The high-definition gadgets will really capture the incredible visual elements of the games that you would feel like you are really in some luxurious casino. So, modern technology will create this new and unexpected gaming experience.

The Use of the Internet

Another popular technological innovation is the internet. It is holding the status of the most used technology in the world. This is the case just because with the development of technology the internet is constantly improving and its availability is reaching new levels. This means that we get better and more stable internet connections.

But how this internet connection can be incorporated in our everyday lives? Well, the answer is simple, everything you can imagine can be achieved with the help of the internet. By using it you can communicate with people from all around the world, stream online movies and series, see what is going on in any part of the world, have digital real-time visits to famous landmarks, museums, and so much more.

The truth is you have the opportunity to research and see all of the things that you are curious about. Seeing these aspects of modern technology is giving us the idea of how much we can benefit from advanced technologies.

How can organizations leverage technology to redesign current work outcomes to focus on exponential increases in productivity and cost efficiencies and redefine new work outcomes that extend beyond productivity and cost to value, meaning, and impact?

How will tomorrow’s technology workforce be different than today’s? How will jobs and roles change? What skills and capabilities will be needed?
Does the current workplace support the evolving work of technology and the workforce required to complete it? How will it need to be redesigned to sustain the evolution of technology work?

Based on formal surveys and interviews with dozens of business and technology leaders, this report discusses the future of work in technology—the work itself, who does the work (workforce), and where the work is done (workplace).1 It sheds light on changes in these three dimensions—work, workforce, and workplace—that have already begun, will continue to unfold during the next three years, and likely will continue to progress over time. Finally, it will provide pragmatic advice and recommendations on how technology and business leaders can strategize, design, and collaborate on this bold journey.

Reimagining the role of technology
Savvy business and technology executives are working together to reimagine how technology delivers business value and competitive advantage. “Because of technological advances, technology’s role within the organization is itself shifting,” says Satish Alapati, CIO of Media & Entertainment Customer Experience at AT&T. “The role of technology has evolved from automating the business to actually being the business.”2

Business innovation and disruption are rapidly changing the scope, pace, and scale of technology work. “Disruptions come in different forms—from competitors using technology at scale to the industrial Internet of Things,” says another technology leader. “As a result, it’s becoming more important than ever to enable everything we do with cutting-edge technology.”3

Yet despite the convergence of technology and business strategies, data from Deloitte’s 2018 Global CIO Survey suggests that CIOs and other technology leaders still struggle with a lingering perception of IT as order-taker rather than business-driver. Only 29 percent of business leaders participating in the survey agree that the technology organization and its leaders should be deeply involved in developing enterprise business strategy.4

Four major shifts in the role of technology
Deloitte’s ongoing research on reimagining the role of technology has identified four significant shifts that are changing the role of technology in organizations.

From trusted operator to business cocreator. Technology teams should continue to maintain operational excellence—in the past, their primary function—but because business and technology strategies are now entwined, technology work should evolve to focus on hand-in-hand collaboration with business functions to cocreate value.

In addition, because of the growing demand for rapid and efficient delivery of low-friction experiences and capabilities—on par with best-in-class consumer-grade online experiences—many technology teams are shifting from traditional project- and process-focused operating models to those that are more product- and outcome-centric, which prioritize cross-functional collaboration, acceleration of time-to-customer value and other user/customer needs, and business outcomes.

From service delivery to value delivery. Automation, cloud, and as-a-service technology models are taking root, streamlining and speeding IT delivery, and changing the way technology teams and business functions work, collaborate, and create value. And they’re helping eliminate some tactical and operational work and move the rest to machines and service providers.

As technology teams shift from trusted operators to business cocreators, their worth likely will lie in the value they deliver to the business rather than in the services they deliver.

From cost center to revenue engine. In the service delivery world, IT is typically viewed as a cost center, with CIOs charged to deliver services at the lowest possible cost. The average IT department invests more than half (56 percent) of its technology budget on maintaining business operations and spends only 18 percent on building new business capabilities.5

Data suggests that if technology teams are to drive innovation and be change agents, reducing costs should take a back seat to strategically investing to increase revenue, growth, stock price, or other measurements of business and shareholder value. CIOs in “digital vanguard” organizations—those with well-defined digital strategies and highly regarded IT departments—already allocate less than half of their budgets (47 percent) to business operations and 26 percent to innovation. In the next three to five years, they plan to further reduce the operations allocation to a third of their annual budget while increasing innovation funding to 38 percent.6 For CIOs, being savvy about financial returns and articulating the value of technology investments can help drive forward their new agenda.

When technology and business strategies merge, the technology function is a codriver of innovation and cocreator of revenue driven by technology investments. “IT needs to demonstrate an innovation agenda,” says Jo-ann Olsovsky, Salesforce CIO. “A company has to feel that IT is a change agent that’s positioning the business for the future.”7

From cybersecurity to risk and resilience. When it comes to risk, technology leaders’ primary focus has been cybersecurity. While cybersecurity will always be critical, leaders also should focus on business resilience and risks and disruptions inherent to having a combined business-technology strategy—risks whose reach extends beyond traditional IT environments into factories and other workspaces, products, and even customer locations. Because digitally connected customers will now have access to data through a voluminous set of channels that all need to be secure and resilient, this should include integrating security into product design and development.

Forces shaping the future of work in technology
Technology’s transition to a new role in the organization requires the work of technology to change. Three forces are converging to reshape the future of work in technology:

The proliferation of disruptive technologies is continually reshaping businesses, industries, and markets.

Technology’s role is shifting to that of a catalyst for business strategy and transformation, changing the expectations and delivery of technology and blurring the lines between business and technology functions.

Global demographic and workforce trends such as gig and contingent workers, a multigenerational workforce, more diverse talent, and global talent markets are transforming the labor market in general—and the technology workforce in particular.

In the face of these drastic shifts, many savvy CIOs and other technology leaders are aiming to shape the future of work in technology. To do so, they can harness these forces and balance their competing demands while continuing to maintain operational excellence, meet business and customer expectations, and drive innovation, disruption, and digital transformation.

For full-time employees, companies often put their best foot forward starting in recruitment and onboarding to foster the most positive impressions of their EX from the start.

All too often, however, that’s not the case when it comes to contractors, freelancers and consultants, also known as contingent labor. This is a mistake, says Joseph Hanna, chief product officer at Magnit, a leading workforce management platform and services provider.

“There is no difference between…a full-timer and a contingent [worker],” he says. “They deliver for us. They are part of our team.”

Savvy hiring directors already know that a great contingent worker experience can drive positive brand recognition for their company, and they’re leveraging the latest technology to pull ahead of the competition.

“A lot of our customers [now] realize that, when we work with a contingent worker, there’s very little difference between what we need and what they need,” Hanna says.

To help recruiters and other employment professionals better understand this process, Hanna identifies three ways companies can leverage technology to improve the contingent worker experience.

Attract The Right Candidates With More Thoughtful Recruitment
Though undeniably convenient, the ability for candidates to submit applications with just one click can overwhelm hiring managers. As a result, great candidates are overlooked as screeners struggle to filter through applicants.

But the burden of responsibility does not rest solely on the candidates’ shoulders. As Hanna explains, both parties must be more thoughtful during this process.

“A lot of companies take the blanket approach [and] send 1,000 emails to people who may or may not be appropriate for the job,” he explains. “Then we have candidates who apply to 10 jobs within three minutes…without actually reading [the job description].”

Here, artificial intelligence and advanced data can help.

“Instead of that blanket approach, [we use] AI to identify the right time to connect with a specific target candidate [with] the correct job that makes sense to where their career is,” Hanna says.

For candidates, powerful matching algorithms help ensure that inappropriate positions aren’t offered to them in the first place. And when they do spot the right job, artificial intelligence can parse their resume, pre-populate questionnaires and even schedule interviews.

“When we’re competing for top talent…that process needs to be very frictionless,” adds Hanna.

Optimize Daily Processes With Mobile-First Apps
Once they’re in the door, many contingent workers find themselves underserviced by IT departments that prioritize full-time staffers. Consider employment portals and intranets that are still designed for desktop web browsers. This alone can disenfranchise contract workers, Hanna says.

“I find it hard to believe that [employee] technologies are not as mobile-friendly as they need to be,” he notes. “We have a whole generation of workers who all they know is mobile [and] if you force them to go to a desktop…you’re going to make the experience pretty difficult.”

Additionally, it may alienate entire categories of workers who simply can’t access desktop browsers while on-the-job, like drivers or floor workers or a host of other positions that don’t take place in front of a computer.

But going mobile-first is more than just reformatting apps for smaller screens, cautions Hanna. Instead, he says the contingent worker’s daily experience must be fundamentally reconsidered from their perspective. Are lengthy forms, for example, really necessary? Why should it take several minutes to create time sheets and record expenses? And why should they have to wait two weeks (or more) for a paycheck, versus accessing their pay on-demand with a few simple swipes and taps in a mobile app?

Hanna likens the process to shopping online. When a checkout process is fussy and overly complicated, consumers abandon their shopping carts and go elsewhere.

“Making that experience a lot more pleasant for everybody [may be] the difference between being able to get that worker to complete the process versus not.”

Create Career Paths For Upskilling, Reskilling And Redeployment
For full-time workers, it’s common for organizations to invest in their professional development. When new opportunities crop up, they are thus well-prepared to progress their careers.

Traditionally, contingent workers have been shut out of this experience. Maybe organizations overlook their potential long-term impact, or they lack the data needed to understand the skill sets currently active across their contingent workforce. Whatever the reason, this can force contingent workers to seek opportunities outside their present organization—even if their skills are in demand at this company or make them good candidates for upskilling.

This no longer needs to be the case, Hanna says. Thanks to advances in AI and related technologies, it’s now possible to chart career paths and maintain employee profiles that accurately reflect their current skill sets and capabilities.

“Whether it was for a week, six months [or] years—we know a lot about them,” he says. “Instead of trying to think about everything in a fixed and stiff job description…[we] move it to purely a skills discussion. With that, comes career-pathing and upskilling.”

After all, he adds, “There is no better pool of candidates…than people who we actually worked with before and know their capabilities and so forth… At the right time, hopefully [we can] bring them back, multiple times over their career.”

Organizations that want to take advantage of tech hiring opportunities right now need to act swiftly, decisively and strategically because impacted tech workers are being rehired within four to six weeks at most.

Here are four key ways to make sure your hiring efforts in tech are successful.

1. Understand What Job Skills and Requirements You Need

Knowing the skills, requirements and experience of your open positions is critical in attracting tech talent. Savvy companies that take the time to understand these aspects will be more strategic in how they approach their search for talent – especially because sometimes who they’re looking for might already be in-house, given some additional training.

For example, if a company is looking for a cyber security analyst, hiring externally would mean they’d have to pay the premium wage for that role. However, if they already have a network or systems engineer that has most of the skills required, after taking a certification class he or she could be a great candidate to fill the role. Not only would the organization save on cost, but the worker will also be more loyal, more engaged and have upward mobility. This is just one scenario that demonstrates the importance of understanding the critical skills for roles. (Learn about the benefits of skills-based hiring in our solution brief.)

2. Realign Your Job Taxonomy

Convoluted job taxonomies can create roadblocks in hiring for various reasons. Through the pandemic, for example, many workers have taken on additional tasks that weren’t originally part of their roles. Once these workers leave and an organization is looking to replace them, establishing those job titles and descriptions can be unclear, inaccurate and most importantly, won’t match what candidates are searching for.

Trying to hire talent using the wrong job titles and bloated job descriptions will reduce the number of qualified candidates applying to those opportunities and increase time to fill. Cleaning up and optimizing those job taxonomies can help improve workforce planning, expand talent pools, optimize pay rates and more.

3. Determine How Remote The Position Will Be

Companies need to carefully consider whether the tech position they’re looking to fill will be remote, hybrid or on-site. For example, a highly in-demand position such as an application developer frequently has remote work listed as an option, so a company looking to fill that position would benefit from providing that work model. Non-remote positions, on the other hand, consistently stay open longer, which indicates they aren’t getting filled. In fact, on average, it is taking 36% longer to fill onsite technical positions.

Unless the job duties are tied into the position being on-site, companies should consider offering remote or hybrid options. Despite national talent shortages for most sought-after technical skills, in most cases, there are pockets of talent availability in 7-10 secondary locations with wages averaging 4-6% below major markets. This strategy will enable employers to hire faster and keep up with competitors. (Learn about the benefits of remote work and how it can be a strategic advantage in the war for talent in our white paper.)

4. Ensure Your Pay And Benefits Are Competitive

Having up-to-date pay intelligence is also key. Especially as organizations are looking to hire tech workers from various locations, they need to understand what that talent availability looks like and how it is getting compensated. Pay transparency is becoming increasingly critical, and ensuring wages for tech positions are competitive will help companies attract the talent they’re looking for. Those that don’t offer competitive wages, however, will be restricted to less skilled or experienced candidates. (Find out how your organization can effectively address pay equity and transparency challenges.)

Ultimately, getting aligned on the skills and requirements you need will help get the tech candidates you’re looking for. Expectations on the role will be clear for both the organization and candidate, and miscommunication will be minimized. This will help ensure your organization is providing competitive wages, increase speed to hire, lower turnover and more.

For Apple loyalists however, choosing an iPhone as your next handset is probably a no-brainer. But which iPhone should you go for? Based on our research (April 2023), here’s our latest pick of the top models.

1. iPhone 14 Pro Max
The best iPhone you can buy
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen Size: 6.7-inch OLED (2796 x 1290; 120Hz)Processor: A16 BionicCameras: 48MP (f/1.8) main with 2x optical zoom, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 12MP (f/2.8) telephoto with 3x optical zoom, LiDAR / 12MP front (f/1.9)RAM/Storage: 6GB/128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

REASONS TO BUY
+Superb 48MP camera
+Very smart Dynamic Island
+Best-in-class battery life
REASONS TO AVOID
-Still just 20W charging
-A bit thicker and heavier than the iPhone 13 Pro Max

Every premium feature Apple packs into its phones is on display with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and the phone has the price tag to show it. While this is the most expensive iPhone, you also get the super-fast A16 Bionic processor, an improved 48MP camera and the eye-catching Dynamic Island feature that replaces the notch. Plus, the Pro Max offers an expansive 6.7-inch display with a big battery to match. That battery kept the iPhone 14 Pro Max running for more than 14 hours in our test, placing it near the top of the best phone battery life rankings.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s hits keep on coming. The new Action mode captures smooth video even when you and your subject are on the move. The always-on display brings a long-requested feature to the iPhone and does so in an elegant way. Even the front camera sees an improvement with addition of autofocus and a wider aperture to let in more light.

We struggle to come up with any serious complaints about the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is not only the best phone you can buy right now, but the best iPhone Apple’s ever made.

2. iPhone 14 Pro
Apple’s best features for under $1,000
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen size: 6.1-inch OLED (2556 x 1179; 120Hz)CPU: A16 BionicCameras: 48MP (f/1.8) main with 2x optical zoom, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 12MP (f/2.8) telephoto with 3x optical zoom, LIDAR / 12MP front (f/1.9)RAM/Storage: 6GB/128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

REASONS TO BUY
+Dynamic Island is a good notch replacement
+Best performance in a smartphone
+Incredible cameras
REASONS TO AVOID
-No physical SIM tray in U.S. models
Who should get the iPhone 14 Pro: Anyone who wants the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s features, but at a lower price

You don’t necessarily have to pay $1,099 for the best iPhone features. Most everything you find in the iPhone 14 Pro Max is also available in the iPhone 14 Pro, but for $100 less. You’ll sacrifice battery life — the battery inside the iPhone 14 Pro is smaller — and the Pro model only offers a 6.1-inch display (though it matches the 144Hz refresh rate of the larger Pro Max).

The A16 Bionic chipset is here, as is the improved 48MP main camera. Dynamic Island replaces the iPhone’s notch and does more than just provide a home for Face ID sensors and the improved front camera; it’s also a hub for notifications that will only become more powerful as app makers take advantage of the space. From cameras to display brightness to the way it handles demanding apps, the iPhone 14 Pro is a winner, and a way to enjoy the high-end Pro features Apple has added to its lineup without paying Max prices.

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best iPhones featuring the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Max
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
The best iPhones are set for the time being, with Apple’s iPhone 14 launch well behind us and this fall’s rollout of new models still months away. So if you were going to pick up an iPhone, now’s the perfect time with Apple’s lineup set until the fall.

But which iPhone should you get? Our guide to the best iPhones can help you pick out the right model, as we turn to all the testing we’ve done on Apple’s phones to identify who should pick which version of Apple’s phones. If you’re weighing an iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro decision, it’s a matter of deciding whether the Pro models’ more premium features are justified by their higher price. iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Plus decisions come down to screen size preference and budget.

Of course, if it’s bargains you’re after, why not get an older iPhone? Apple has kept three models around at reduced prices — the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 12 mini — and they just might fit your needs without requiring you to pay out big bucks. And that’s before we even consider the least expensive phone in Apple’s lineup, the iPhone SE.

Whether you’re a long-time iPhone fan or just making the switch from Android to iPhone, we can help you find a phone you’ll be happy to use. Here’s how we rank the best iPhones currently available.

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The best iPhones you can buy right now
Why you can trust Tom’s Guide? Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what’s best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

best iphones iPhone 14 Pro Max and dynamic islandEditor’s Choice

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
1. iPhone 14 Pro Max
The best iPhone you can buy
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen Size: 6.7-inch OLED (2796 x 1290; 120Hz)Processor: A16 BionicCameras: 48MP (f/1.8) main with 2x optical zoom, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 12MP (f/2.8) telephoto with 3x optical zoom, LiDAR / 12MP front (f/1.9)RAM/Storage: 6GB/128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
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REASONS TO BUY
+Superb 48MP camera
+Very smart Dynamic Island
+Best-in-class battery life
REASONS TO AVOID
-Still just 20W charging
-A bit thicker and heavier than the iPhone 13 Pro Max
Who should get the iPhone 14 Pro Max: Anyone who wants the best iPhone around, regardless of price

Every premium feature Apple packs into its phones is on display with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and the phone has the price tag to show it. While this is the most expensive iPhone, you also get the super-fast A16 Bionic processor, an improved 48MP camera and the eye-catching Dynamic Island feature that replaces the notch. Plus, the Pro Max offers an expansive 6.7-inch display with a big battery to match. That battery kept the iPhone 14 Pro Max running for more than 14 hours in our test, placing it near the top of the best phone battery life rankings.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s hits keep on coming. The new Action mode captures smooth video even when you and your subject are on the move. The always-on display brings a long-requested feature to the iPhone and does so in an elegant way. Even the front camera sees an improvement with addition of autofocus and a wider aperture to let in more light.

We struggle to come up with any serious complaints about the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is not only the best phone you can buy right now, but the best iPhone Apple’s ever made.

Read our full iPhone 14 Pro Max review.

best iphones: iPhone 14 Pro shown from front displaying iOS16 home screenEditor’s Choice

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
2. iPhone 14 Pro
Apple’s best features for under $1,000
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen size: 6.1-inch OLED (2556 x 1179; 120Hz)CPU: A16 BionicCameras: 48MP (f/1.8) main with 2x optical zoom, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 12MP (f/2.8) telephoto with 3x optical zoom, LIDAR / 12MP front (f/1.9)RAM/Storage: 6GB/128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
View at Apple India
View at Croma [CPS] IN
Check Amazon
REASONS TO BUY
+Dynamic Island is a good notch replacement
+Best performance in a smartphone
+Incredible cameras
REASONS TO AVOID
-No physical SIM tray in U.S. models
Who should get the iPhone 14 Pro: Anyone who wants the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s features, but at a lower price

You don’t necessarily have to pay $1,099 for the best iPhone features. Most everything you find in the iPhone 14 Pro Max is also available in the iPhone 14 Pro, but for $100 less. You’ll sacrifice battery life — the battery inside the iPhone 14 Pro is smaller — and the Pro model only offers a 6.1-inch display (though it matches the 144Hz refresh rate of the larger Pro Max).

The A16 Bionic chipset is here, as is the improved 48MP main camera. Dynamic Island replaces the iPhone’s notch and does more than just provide a home for Face ID sensors and the improved front camera; it’s also a hub for notifications that will only become more powerful as app makers take advantage of the space. From cameras to display brightness to the way it handles demanding apps, the iPhone 14 Pro is a winner, and a way to enjoy the high-end Pro features Apple has added to its lineup without paying Max prices.

3. iPhone 14 Plus
Best low-cost big-screen iPhone
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen size: 6.7-inch OLED (2778 x 1284)CPU: A15 BionicCameras: 12MP (f/1.5) main, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide / 12MP front (f/1.9)RAM/Storage: 6GB/128GB, 256GB, 512GB

REASONS TO BUY
+Big screen for a good price
+Long battery life
+Great cameras with Action mode video
REASONS TO AVOID
-No telephoto lens
-Display refresh rate stuck at 60Hz
Who should get the iPhone 14 Plus: Big-screen phone fans on a budget

The iPhone 14 Plus is the best iPhone for people who prefer a larger display but don’t want to pay big bucks for one of the best big phones. For $200 less than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the iPhone 14 Plus gives you an expansive 6.7-inch OLED screen, whether you want to watch movies and shows on the go or you just want a bigger viewfinder for your photos. And the photos look amazing from the improved cameras on the iPhone 14 Plus, thanks to a bigger main sensor and Apple’s Photonic Engine for better pics in low light.

As much as we like the regular iPhone 14, you’ll want to get the Plus if you want more time between charges. The iPhone 14 Plus lasted nearly 12 hours on our web surfing test. There’s some things we don’t like about the iPhone 14 Plus — including the 60Hz refresh rate and lack of telephoto lens — but overall it’s a great value. And like the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus has added another color option, with a yellow iPhone joining the black, white, blue, purple and red colors.

4. iPhone 14
The best iPhone for most people
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen size: 6.1-inch OLED (2532 x 1170)CPU: A15 BionicCameras: 12MP (f/1.5) main, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide / 12MP front (f/1.9)RAM/Storage: 6GB/128GB, 256GB, 512GB

REASONS TO BUY
+Excellent cameras
+Vibrant display
+Action mode video impresses
REASONS TO AVOID
-Display refresh rate stuck at 60Hz
-Uses A15 Bionic chipset found in iPhone 13 lineup
Who should get the iPhone 14: Anyone who wants the least expensive model of Apple’s latest phone

The iPhone 14 doesn’t have the flashier features found in its Pro siblings, but it’s still a solid upgrade, particularly if you’re looking to make the move from an older iPhone — we’re thinking iPhone 12 or later.

The notch is still around on the iPhone 14, and like the iPhone 13, the iPhone 14 features an A15 Bionic chipset instead of the newer A16. But at least the iPhone 14’s version of the A15 features an extra GPU core, giving it a boost over the iPhone 13.

While the 48MP main camera on the iPhone 14 Pro is grabbing most of the attention, the iPhone 14’s camera improvements are noteworthy — so much so that this model ranks among the best camera phones even without a dedicated telephoto lens. A larger sensor with bigger pixels powers the main camera, improving performance in low light. The iPhone 14 also benefits from Apple’s new Photonic Engine, which delivers brighter images.

Action mode for capturing smoother video is available to iPhone 14 owners, and later this fall, the new phone will add support for crash detection and Emergency SOS via satellite. And that comes in a device that continues to cost $799, making it one of the more affordable flagships out there.

To find the best laptop for you, think about your non-negotiables when shopping. If you’re looking for a gaming laptop, consider a large and powerful model with a fast processor. If you are creative and require the features of a computer and tablet, the Lenovo Yoga 7i could be the best fit for you. We combined our extensive first-hand experience with in-depth research to determine our picks for the best laptops for every lifestyle. These are the best laptops of 2023.

Best Laptop Overall: Dell XPS 13
Best Gaming Laptop: Razer Blade 15
Best Affordable Laptop: HP Pavilion Plus 14
Best Gaming Laptop For Students: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
Best 4K Laptop: Dell XPS 13 Plus OLED
Best MacBook: Apple MacBook Air M2
Best Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Spin 514
Best Budget 2-In-1 Laptop: HP Pavilion x360
Best Laptop For College: Surface Laptop Studio
Best Laptop For Kids: Microsoft Surface Go 3
Best 2-In-1 Laptop: Lenovo Yoga 7i
Best Business Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10
Best Touchscreen Laptop: Dell XPS 15
Best Laptop For Photo And Video Editing: Apple MacBook Pro 16
Best Laptop Under $500: HP 14
Best Laptop Overall
Latest Hardware, With Gorgeous Design

CPU: Intel Core i5-1230U | RAM: 16GB LPDDR5 | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display: 13.4-inch | Resolution: 1,920 x 1,200 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Battery: Up to 12 hours | Weight: 2.6 pounds

Best for: Everyday web browsing, office use, and watching movies.

The Dell XPS 13 has been one of the most beloved laptops for generations and that is just as true with this iteration. With 16GB of LPDDR5 memory and a 512GB SSD, this little laptop delivers snappy performance at a reasonable price. It has a sturdy build, with a thin and light design for easy portability. The bezels around the display are incredibly thin, giving it an edge-less look, and yet Dell still crams a 720p webcam in the top bezel. The 13.4-inch display carries 1,920 x 1,200 pixels, and it can hit 500 nits brightness—a combination which looks great on this size screen.

The XPS 13 has a slim, aluminum chassis, standing just 0.6-inch. It has just two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports, both of which support DisplayPort and Power Delivery. If you plan to connect lots of peripherals, you’d need an accessory like a docking station. The configuration here is a base configuration; you can further configure the specs on this build-to-order system to upgrade to a touchscreen display (a $350 add-on).

Pros:

Great performance
Bright and crisp display
Light weight
Cons:

Lacks an onboard GPU for gaming
No 4K display option
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Best Gaming Laptop
An Ultra-Fast Performer For Smooth Gameplay
Best Laptops : Razer – Blade 15 – 15.6″ Gaming Laptop –
BESTBUY
Razer Blade 15
$3300
$3700
SAVE $400 (11%)
AT BESTBUY

$3299 At Best Buy
$3100 At B&H
$2899 at Amazon
CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K | RAM: 32GB DDR5 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | Storage: 1TB SSD | Display: 15.6-inch | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 | Refresh rate: 240Hz | Battery: Up to 5 hours | Weight: 4.4 pounds

Best for: Gamers who want a high-end gaming machine.

The Razer Blade 15 has all of the qualities a gamer would need. The desktop grade 12th-generation Core i7-12700H processor combined with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics provides high performance for competing in a virtual world. The Blade 15 has 32GB of RAM, 1TB of fast storage that can run for hours due to its interior cooling chamber.

Adding to its gamer-centric design is its thin bezel display and backlit keyboard, featuring large keycaps and responsive switches to help with typing accuracy and gaming during longer sessions. Though the battery life on this model isn’t extensive, you can get a few solid hours of play away from an outlet.

Pros:

High-end components
Excellent build quality
Runs cool and quiet
Cons:

Expensive
Limited battery life, especially when gaming
Best Affordable Laptop
Do Everything, Without Breaking Your Wallet
HP Pavilion Plus.
HP
HP Pavilion Plus 14-inch
$650
$900
SAVE $250 (28%)
Buy From HP
CPU: Intel Core i5-1235U | RAM: 16GB DDR4 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce MX550 | Storage: 256GB | Display: 14-inch | Resolution: 2,240 x 1,400 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Battery: Up to 8 hours | Weight: 3.1 pounds

Best for: Budget buyers looking for a capable performer for under $1,000.

This HP Pavilion Plus has everything you need for a whole range of simple tasks, whether it’s office work, web browsing and research or even casual gaming. It has an Intel 12th-generation Core i5 CPU, and Nvidia GTX MX550 graphics. The MX550 isn’t a powerful gaming chip, but it’s better than onboard graphics and gives this laptop enough power to play almost any game at lower settings. This Pavilion has a 256GB SSD, limited but manageable unless you’re trying to install several large games. You can enjoy those games, videos and text on this model’s sharp 2K display.

At just 3.1 pounds, this laptop is light and compact enough to take just about anywhere without weighing you down. Its design is clean and professional. The battery lasts eight hours, not enough for a full day out. But its fast-charge feature means you can get back to 50% battery in just 30 minutes of charging, so you aren’t ever likely to run low unless you’re really taking this laptop off the grid.

Pros:

Good performance at an affordable price
Attractive 2K display
Entry-level GPU for basic gaming
Cons:

Limited battery life
Could use more storage space
Best Gaming Laptop For Students
Serious Bang For Buck Performance
ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14
BEST BUY
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
$1100
$1650
SAVE $550 (33%)
AT BEST BUY

$1100 At Best Buy
$1356 At Newegg
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS | RAM: 16GB DDR5 | Graphics: AMD Radeon 6700S | Storage: 1TB SSD | Display: 14-inch | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,600 | Refresh rate: 120Hz | Battery: Up to 10 hours | Weight: 3.6 pounds

Best for: Gamers who want excellent performance and strong battery life in one.

The best gaming laptop title usually goes to the most powerful gaming laptops, and that’s understandable. But more modest gaming laptops like this Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 are arguably better for general use, as they not only deliver excellent gaming performance, but also have longer battery life and a lighter chassis.

The G14 laptop embodies all that and then some, with a great blend of performance and portability, a winning combination that helps make this model a good choice for students, too. Inside, this laptop has an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU with AMD Radeon 6700S graphics—an efficient pairing of powerful gaming components to enable AAA gameplay at high detail settings, and esports gaming at high frame rates and resolutions. The 2K display has a high 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of around 500 nits. At just 3.6 pounds, this is one of the lighter gaming laptops around.

Pros:

Lightweight and portable
Strong performance in range of games
Long battery life
Cons:

Expensive for the configuration
Best 4K Laptop
Fast Hardware And A Beautiful Display
Best Laptops : Dell – XPS 13 Plus 13.4-inch.
DELL
Dell XPS 13 Plus OLED
$1750
Buy From Dell
CPU: Intel Core i7-1260P | RAM: 16GB LPDDR5 | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display: 13.4-inch OLED | Resolution: 3,840 x 2,400 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Battery: Up to 12 hours | Weight: 2.77 pounds

Best for: Those seeking a highly portable, high-performance laptop with a brilliant OLED screen and a fresh, borderless touchpad design.

The Dell XPS 13 Plus introduces a radical new design and updated technologies to the iconic XPS 13 (the configuration above is a variation of the standard model). This XPS 13 Plus upgrades the CPU to Intel’s 12th generation processors and has DDR5 memory and a 512GB SSD, both components which take full advantage of the potential speed of these newest Intel chips. The battery can last up to 12 hours.

Where this laptop really distinguishes itself, though, is with its bright, 4K OLED display. At just 13.4-inches, it has a high pixel density and crisp text. The OLED technology produces deeper black levels than found on LCD screens, so everything from static images to UHD movies looks rich and vibrant. The XPS 13 Plus laptop also comes with a sizable and unusual trackpad: It lacks defined borders and clear keys, but its nifty tactile feedback motors help you know just where you’re tapping. One downside: The XPS 13 Plus has just two USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, same as on the XPS 13.

Pros:

Strong performer
Bright 4K OLED screen
Unique keyboard/touchpad design
Cons:

Limited ports
Pricier configuration than baseline XPS 13 model
Honorable Mention: 4K Gaming Powerhouse
Razer Blade 17
RAZER
Razer Blade 17
$2280
AT

$3538 At Amazon
$3700 At Best Buy
CPU: Intel Core i9-12900H | RAM: 32GB LPDDR5 | Graphics: Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti mobile | Storage: 1TB SSD | Display: 17.3-inch | Resolution: 3,840 x 2,560 | Refresh rate: 144Hz | Battery: Up to 6 hours | Weight: 4.6 pounds

Best for: Gaming or creating at 4K resolution, with no loss of detail or clarity.

The Razer Blade 17 features every top-tier component money can buy, from the 14-core Intel Core i9-12900HK processor and equally impressive Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics chip, to the 32GB of DDR5 memory and 144Hz 4K display. This laptop will outperform most desktop PCs by a significant margin, letting you play any game at 4K with all settings turned up to their maximum.

It also comes in a sleek and sturdy chassis, with a robust selection of ports, thin bezels and upgradeable storage to give you plenty of space to store all of your games. Battery life won’t last a long time on a laptop this powerful, but it has enough to get you through part of your day away from a power socket.

Pros:

Desktop-grade performance
Solid build quality
Cons:

Expensive
Best MacBook Laptop
Lightweight Yet Powerful MacBook
Best Laptops : Apple MacBook Air M2 13.6-inch
BEST BUY
Apple MacBook Air M2 13.6-inch
$1300
$1500
SAVE $200 (13%)
AT BEST BUY

$1300 At Best Buy
$1456 At Amazon
CPU: Apple M2 10-core | RAM: 8GB | Graphics: Apple M2 GPU | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display: 13.3-inch | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,664 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Battery: Up to 18 hours | Weight: 2.7 pounds

Best for: Completing lightweight tasks at blazing speed.

The Apple MacBook Air M2 builds on the success of the M1 generation Air with greater performance and a bright 500 nits 2K display. This model’s aluminum body design presents as a classy and understated look. The M2 processor at the heart of this machine is faster than its predecessor and in limited workloads it can even keep up with the MacBook Pro. The M2 can struggle a little with getting hot during extensive heavy compute loads, even though Apple has a passive heatpipe cooling solution to offset the chip’s heat. Since thermal throttling can happen, this laptop is best suited to more lightweight tasks, even if it can blaze through short-run demanding tasks if the need should arise.

At just 2.7 pounds, the lightweight MacBook Air M2 is the best MacBook available for on-the-go use. This isn’t the least expensive configuration of the MacBook Air M2, but the 256GB version ($300 less) has a slower SSD, making it less easy to recommend.

Pros:

One of the most affordable M2 MacBooks you can buy
Terrific performance
More than a full work-day of battery life
Cons:

Can get warm during high-compute tasks
Best Chromebook Laptop
Works Well As A Tablet, Too
Acer Chromebook Spin 514

Acer Chromebook Spin 514
$360
$460
SAVE $100 (22%)
Buy From Amazon
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3500C | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Graphics: AMD Vega | Storage: 128GB eMMC | Display: 14-inch | Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Battery: Up to 14 hours | Weight: 3.4 pounds

Best for: Affordable, speedy computing with Google’s services.

Chromebooks are often the most affordable laptops you can buy, and the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is a great example of that. It delivers solid performance with its AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 8GB of RAM, and it does so at a price well below what most Windows laptops charge for comparable specs and features. (Note, less expensive versions of the Spin 514 have older versions of the Ryzen 5.)

The Spin 514 has a good-looking, 1080p touchscreen display, and a 360-degree hinge so you can “spin” the laptop into different positions—including a tablet. The storage is limited to just 128GB of eMMC flash, so it isn’t particularly fast or expansive, but you do 100GB of free Google Drive storage. Battery life is solid, and will get you through almost two work-days, and it is light enough to take this laptop with you wherever you go.

Pros:

Impressive performance for a Chromebook
More than a full work-day of battery life
Crisp display
Cons:

Limited local storage space

I’ve spent time with the Magic5 Pro to get a good feel for Honor’s latest flagship.

If there’s one thing that catches your eye about the Magic5 Pro is the curves. While there are straight edges on the device, where possible, the surfaces curve away from you. The screen is curved at the edges (which is aesthetically lovely but personally I’m not one for the slight distortion it offers with full-screen video), the raised camera island itself is circular, but with edges that curve away into the rear of the handset, and with the light playing off the very reflective rear the eye is drawn to the circular lens cover.

How you feel about this camera island is going to be indicative of the whole experience. It dominates the rear of the smartphone and is far from subtle. Honor, like many Chinese manufacturers, ships handsets with a TPU plastic case; even popping the Magic5 Pro into this case does not diminish the overpowering structure. This is not a svelte phone, and if that is something you are looking for, the Magic5 Pro is going to disappoint you.

The camera island does offer a physical advantage, though. Given its positioning, I can rest the island, and thus the phone, in my hand and have some purchase. It’s still a slippy phone, but the tactile island helps support it in your hand – and if you do decide to use the supplied case, you get more friction and most of the raised camera island.

I like some heft in my phones, and I’m pleasantly surprised how well Honor’s new handset sits in my hand.

Like many flagships, the screen dominates the front of the handset with as small a set of bezels as possible. The pill cut-out for the selfie camera is off-center, but given the amount of room the main camera needs, a centreline design may have simply been out of the question.

I’ve already mentioned the curved edges of the screen, which is not unusual but something I would have to compromise on when considering a purchase. The screen itself has variable refresh, moving from 1Hz to 120 Hz as required. It’s a bright OLED display, going up to 1300 nits brightness on normal screens but punching up to 1800 nits with HDR playback.

One of the interesting additions is a dedicated chipset to upscale video. With a resolution of 1312 x 2848, even 1080p HD video needs to be upscaled to fill the screen. Move down to 720p or even smaller, and this hardware delivers.

And again, that ridiculously sized camera island comes into its own. Watching landscape video, I don’t need to grip the device; I can just let the edge of the camera island rest in my hand; it’s more comfortable in the long term and more secure in the short term.

In terms of audio output, the twin stereo speakers have a good bass reproduction and higher tones are very clear, but it does get a but muddy in the middle ranges. Given the visual focus on video, having the speakers not ‘firing forwards’ out of the screen is a touch disappointing… it’s easy to mistakenly cover up one or both of the grills and muffle the sound.

Honor has joined several other flagship smartphones and pushed the battery capacity over the 5000 mAh level. That means the “all-day battery life” is achievable (assuming you stay away from any ridiculously power-hungry games. Charging with the bundled 66W wired charger takes around 50 minutes to go from empty to fully charged, although it’s just 15 minutes to hit fifty percent. Curiously the charger is slower than last year’s 100W bundled charger. Faster wireless charging is also supported at 50W, and once more, the convenience of wireless charging, at least in my day-to-day life, is welcome.

Honor has made some smart choices with the three lenses in the main camera; a fifty megapixel primary lens, a fifty-megapixel ultrawide, and a fifty-megapixel telephoto lens which uses a periscope-styled set of mirrors for improved zoom. It offers x3.6 optical zoom, and then software takes over to push it up to an ungainly x100.

I found the zoom performance weak in comparison to the competition, with a washed-out grainy look. Perhaps that’s to be expected at x100 zoom (which feels like “big number hunting” in the specifications sheet, I’ve never found a practical use for this scale in many years of taking pictures), but even the x10 zoom shows a touch more color washout and grain than I would expect.

One other area that stands out is Honor’s attention to capturing fast-moving images. There’s been a drive to speed up as many of the elements in the chain as possible. Think faster shutter speeds, quicker app code, and quicker scanning across the sensor,#. These all add up and have come together under the ‘Falcon Capture’ feature set.

As with all manufacturers, the real strength lies in pairing good hardware with good software. The sensors may not be the biggest in the flagship class smartphones, and the optical zoom isn’t as large as some of the competition, but it all comes together into a camera that feels reliable. Much of that comes down to the software processing. Honor is not punching up the vibrancy or saturation that some smartphones favor; there is a lightness of touch here to keep scenes feeling natural, but the main camera still picks out the colors to keep the photos feeling lively. It’s a nice balance point.

One of the weaker points of the Magic5 Pro is MagicOS. This is Honor’s flavor of Android, and while there’s nothing per se wrong with it, it has traditionally followed the UI conventions favored by Chinese smartphones rather than those focused on Europe. Switching to an Honor handset from another manufacturer will have a bit more ‘mental workload’ than, say moving from a Nokia to a Pixel. It’s not a huge transition, and if this is your primary phone, you’ll get used to this in a week or less.

This is most obvious on the home screen, with the option to resize folders of shortcuts, and widgets with app suggestions automatically populated. You also have Honor’s multitasking window system, so you can pop out smaller versions of each app in a window that floats over your main app… useful to look up something on a website when composing an email. I know a lot of people find this useful on a smartphone screen. It’s not one that works well with how I use a phone – I’ve always been a full-screen user – but I can appreciate this in the larger tablet screens, so I can see where it would come in useful.

Thankfully MagicOS is Google Play certified, so you have access to the Play Store, Google’s key apps such as Gmail and YouTube, and as much software compatibility as other popular Android flagships.

Google Play certification means that a number of apps have to be pre-installed on the phone when it ships – the aforementioned Gmail and YouTube, for example. And I get why Google would insist on this (and why regulators look at agreements such as this with a close eye). Naturally, Honor bundles its own apps as well, such as its Theme app, which allows you to customize your device or download for free (or for purchase) third-party themes. What I rarely appreciate are random apps that are bundled – presumably, there are agreements that make these arrangements worthwhile for both parties – these are thankfully able to be uninstalled… unlike the bundled Google apps.

The Honor Magic5 Pro feels balanced. The software may not be exactly as expected, but it does work, and I rarely found myself fighting it. Honor’s own software additions are minimal and are not forced on you; it’s an easy matter to make other choices rather than rely on first-party titles.

I’m still not sold on the idea of the curved display. Yes it creates a better tactile feel in my hand but is that worth trading the guttering at the side of the screen? This is very much a personal note, the curved screen is here to stay, and it does fit in with the rest of the curvy chassis… which I do like. There’s no getting away from the large camera island, but it actually helps the ergonomics of the handset

In considering the Honor Magic5 Pro, you also have to consider the price… here in the UK, this is priced at £949. For that, you get a premium system on chip, a massive 512 GB of storage, and a phone that can be with you throughout the day. That’s an intoxicating mix when you put it next to the competition. Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max with that same 512 GB of storage, and you’ll be paying £1529.

The idea of getting health information to flow between patients, providers and insurers may sound basic, but exchanging data across different systems, known as interoperability, remains one of the biggest challenges in healthcare. A consequence can be delays in people getting the care they need, which can exacerbate health conditions and lead to worse outcomes. This is one reason why the federal government has proposed new rules to speed up prior authorization in certain government-funded health plans that would require urgent requests to be processed within 72 hours and regular requests in 7 calendar days – twice as fast as the existing requirement – by 2026.

The software from Google’s cloud unit, called Claims Data Activator, is focused specifically on helping health insurers clean up the data in whatever form it comes in from healthcare providers with an eye towards speeding up the prior authorization process. It relies on a combination of several existing Google AI models that can extract information from documents and organize it in a standardized format to make it easier and faster for the human reviewer. The tools will also allow health insurers to analyze the data and to share information electronically with doctors and hospitals.

Google says these tools are geared towards simplifying the process, not giving recommendations. “We are not automating a yes or no,” says Amy Waldron, director of global health plans strategy and solutions at Google Cloud. “Our whole goal is to shrink the amount of time of getting the information from the provider to the reviewer and making the best use of that reviewer’s time.”

As part of the broader “Claims Acceleration Suite,” Google is recommending tools from two other companies – Myndshft and Pega – that have built solutions using Google Cloud. Myndshft’s software helps doctors and hospitals check a patient’s insurance benefits and submit the prior authorization claim to the insurer. Pega offers workflow software that helps insurers manage the prior authorization review process. “We don’t want to sit there and compete with existing systems that the healthcare industry is using,” says Waldron.

The software tool kit is part of a broader push among big technology companies to jockey for healthcare cloud customers. Waldron says Google Cloud serves “six of the ten largest health plans,” but the company does not disclose its total healthcare cloud customers. In the broader $227 billion cloud market, Amazon Web Services holds around a 33% share, according to Synergy Research Group, while Microsoft Azure comes in around 23% and Google Cloud around 11%.

Some of Google’s previous healthcare AI-related efforts have generated controversy. In 2019, The Wall Street Journal first reported on “Project Nightingale,” a Google partnership with the hospital system Ascension, including using AI to analyze millions of medical records, which raised concerns about data privacy and security (both Google and Ascension said the work was compliant with federal patient privacy laws). In 2021, the tech giant disbanded its standalone Google Health division but said health-related efforts would continue across the company. At Google’s annual health event in March, the company reported updates including changes to search to help people find information about Medicare and Medicaid, developments in medical-specific large language models and tools to help developers build health apps.

If a health insurer wants to use the new software suite, Waldron says they would hire a consultant (Google Cloud has a partnership with Accenture) to train Google’s AI models on the data that is stored within the customer’s cloud environment. “We don’t access our customers’ data,” says Waldron.

Google Cloud has been piloting the data exchange software with insurers over the past few months, including Blue Shield of California and a subsidiary of U.K.-based health insurer Bupa. “You have to meet the providers and hospital systems where they are because this is a big gnarly problem,” says Lisa Davis, senior vice president and chief information officer at Blue Shield of California, which has around 4.8 million members. The health insurer processes around 1 million prior authorization requests annually, she says, and is hoping to cut the time it takes for human reviewers to manually extract and enter data, so they can focus on reviewing requests. “No one has the same technology infrastructure or data infrastructure across the ecosystem.”

Prior authorization is just one area where Blue Shield of California is trying to cut down on paperwork. Davis says the insurer has been working with Google Cloud for the past two years on developing a system to have near real-time claims processing so patients can know how much they will have to pay at the doctor’s office, rather than waiting weeks for a bill to show up in the mail. As more administrative processes are automated, Davis says humans will remain in the loop. “AI will never be the be-all end-all,” she says. “It is an enabler. It’s a tool. You have to have people involved in the system that provide that oversight and quality of care.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has lasted a decade due to a lot of buzz. From 2010 onwards, AI started to gain popularity. Nowadays, AI is one of the leading technologies because of its significant effects on our daily work. The most well-known AI in day-to-day life is image and speech recognition, navigation programs, and voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, and many more.

For organizations, AI is paramount to analyzing customer and business interactions. With AI, you can have the foresight to predict demand for services such as hospitals or tourism and to abet in the progression of resource allocation.

Machine Learning (ML) is a branch of AI that uses supervised learning to learn new functions, which focuses on data and algorithms to predict the output value. Forrester predicts AI and machine learning will be responsible for 9% of all new jobs in the US by 2025.

Demandable jobs in 2023 for mastering AI and machine learning are:

AI Engineer
Machine Learning Engineer
Business Intelligence Developer
Robotic Scientist
Research Scientist
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented reality and virtual reality have become ubiquitous in the last decade. Submerging the user into an alternate world, while augmented reality enhances the user’s physical world into a colourful one. So far, these applications are linked with gaming and filters on social media. Examples of VR applications include the automotive industry, healthcare, retail, tourism, and real estate. Examples of AR applications include Snapchat, Photography and Editing, Hololens, Pokemon Go, Google Glass, etc.

Simulation software such as Virtual Ship is used to train the U.S. Navy, Army, and Coast Guard ship captains. According to Statista (Database Company), the AR and VR market in 2023 was evaluated at $209.2 billion, which is ten times more than in 2016.

Currently, these technologies are used in healthcare to perform operations or train surgeons with diagnostic data in the form of holograms. In early February 2023, Microsoft conducted a webcast of 12 operations performed in MR (Mixed Reality). More than 13 countries’ surgeons can connect online in the form of holograms. They will consult with each other based on the diagnostic data.

The Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most promising and trending technologies of the last decade. Using IoT, you can connect multiple devices, or “things,” through Wi-Fi connectivity (connected to the internet). With IoT, we can enable the devices because it is a network of diverse connected devices. Beyond the hundreds of real-life IoT applications that track your activity using smart devices that connect to your phone, with that, you can remotely monitor home doors or switch applications on and off.

According to the IoT statistics compilation, it is growing at a ridiculous rate. In 2019 alone, 26 billion IoT devices were installed around the world. In 2030, more than 50 billion devices will be connected via the IoT. Global spending on this technology will reach approximately $1.1 trillion in the next 2 years.

5G
The 5G network is the next big thing in mobile internet connectivity. 3G and 4G technologies make us more interactive with our mobile devices, allowing us to access the internet more quickly. 5G aims to revolutionize our virtual interactions through the integration of VR and AR technology. All around the world, telecommunication companies are working on 5G-ready services and devices.

Cyber Security
Since the dawn of the computer, cyber security has played the most crucial role in ensuring a safer user experience. Cyber security is not an emerging technology, but it is evolving rapidly due to the new types of cyber threats being discovered every day. Cyber threats do not have any particular ways of stealing your data, but they do have many forms, and the most common among them is email phishing. Using IT security software, antivirus, and other cybersecurity defenses can secure our data from malicious activity. This is why cybersecurity will be a trending technology. Also find more about Why Cybersecurity is important for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs).

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