After a year of dramatic changes for everyone, the team at Unilab wishes all its customers a happy new year!

The rise in consumer purchasing in the hi-tech sector recorded in Italy since lockdown highlights an increasingly clear trend towards the purchase of smart devices for the home. The population is effectively converting to the idea of improving their homes using latest generation solutions.

The debate over smart working vs the office is hotting up in many Italian companies. The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the once clear distinction between home and office, familiar to us all since the era of the industrial revolution, thereby demonstrating how it is possible to be productive even in a domestic setting.

A bug in ‘Immuni’ (the Italian government approved app designed to trace Covid-19 infections) has put the health of several people at risk. In recent weeks, some documented cases have emerged, showing that there is a problem with the software.

The terms smishing and vishing refer to two variations of the more well-known phishing: a type of IT attack, aimed at stealing the victim’s sensitive data. Although the objective and method remain mostly the same, these techniques employ different means of communication.

Pollutant emissions have fallen during the lockdown period, mainly as a result of the slowdown (and in some cases total suspension) of a large proportion of human activity. The greatest reduction in emissions was recorded at 17%, but it has turned out to be insufficient in combatting the global climate crisis.

The use of controlled mechanical ventilation systems in enclosed areas can actually make the difference in the battle against Covid-19: numerous studies have shown how stagnant air (eradicated by systems known as CMV) is one of the main causes of the spread of the virus.

The number of IT threats has increased exponentially during the Covid era, due to the lockdown enforced in order to limit the spread of the disease. More and more people have started to work from home via ‘smart working’ and now use online services more during their leisure time.

The use of AI in the energy sector is increasing steadily. After a slow and patchy start, the energy market has now realised the incredible potential offered by artificial intelligence, especially in terms of resource management, cost reduction and environmental protection.

Videoconferencing tools can prove very useful in both professional and domestic settings, as they allow several users to take part in ‘conferences’ at the same time. The most popular applications include Zoom, used by thousands of people during lockdown to keep in touch with their nearest and dearest.