2020 - A Year In Posts: April, Zoom Is The New Word On The Street But The Service Is Leaky, Warnings From The Past Suggest The Coronavirus Is Here To Stay

With remote working being the new default for employees across the globe a new application is on everyone's lips as Zoom becomes the default video conference software for people who have forgotten how to use Skype or who don't have access to Microsoft Teams. With the British Government's Cabinet meetings taking place on the service, news that it was full of security holes (more here) weren't encouraging.

Whilst countries across the Pacific seem to have the pandemic under something approaching reasonable control, Europe, North America and Russia appear to be having far greater problems. Not least leaders who are making promises about beating the virus that don't hold water. A review of the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918 gives some pointers to the likely length of the pandemic.

In the UK, alarming reports suggest that the death rate for Covid-19 patients admitted to ICU was above 50%. In more than one hospital that number is reported to be closer to 100%.

In technology it was all about Apple. Despite the lockdown it announced the incredible second generation iPhone SE and the rumoured Magic Keyboard with Trackpad arrived for the iPad Pro. What didn't arrive were the expected AirTags - even though Tile raised a complaint about the way Apple was abusing its monopoly to favour its own (still unannounced) products. Apple used its working from home time to acquire the Dark Sky weather app - warning Android users that they would lose the app in the near future.

Whilst conspiracy theorists were blaming 5G for the Coronavirus (amongst other things) other more 'direct course of action' types took to set 5G masts on fire. Although being technically illiterate as well as wrong thinking, they mostly managed to damage existing 4G infrastructure anyway.

Whilst giving some advice about putting together a home working setup for the least money and for the smallest of spaces; I also questioned whether the iPad as a PC replacement claim had been destroyed by lockdowns. The answer was yes, and remains so today, as PC sales continue to rocket.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Government's strategy of elimination of the Coronavirus was proving hugely effective and the rise in cases had been arrested within two weeks; and with fewer than 1,000 cases reported The Guardian was moved to comment on the success of the strategy. The long term achievement was marked when New Zealand was one of the few countries to observe Christmas and New Year celebrations without restrictions or warnings in place.