Amid the self-isolation and quarantining of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom has matured into the most popular platform around for video conferencing. It faces stiff competition from existing players like FaceTime, GoTo Meeting, Skype, and new entrants like Facebook's Messenger Rooms; for the time being, however, Zoom rules the roost.

So far, if you've only used whatever features of Zoom you've needed to get by, you should be aware that the platform offers tricks and features that make your time on it easier and more productive. While you can join someone else’s Zoom meeting without setting up an account, to access these settings and functions requires you to set up a free account. You can also log in and make changes or customizations using your Google or Facebook accounts. What follows are ten Zoom tips to help you to get the most out of the tool.

Enter Quietly

If you'd like to get on a Zoom call in progress without being disruptive, Zoom allows you to make your entrance silently. It's a feature that can be useful when you need to enter a meeting that you're late to. You can quietly make your way in without anyone noticing.

To enter a Zoom call silently, click on the Settings gear icon in the Zoom app, click on the Audio tab, and check the box for 'Mute my microphone when joining a meeting'. You can unmute the microphone using the button at the bottom of the screen when you need to speak during the meeting.

It's all about the relationship. Whether we are talking about business, friendship, or family, the resilience of the relationship is what makes that connection last and grow. Relationships grow strong and enduring because we look after them. We feed them. We show the people we care about, in all different kinds of relationships, that they are significant to us. We make them a priority by making knowing all about them a priority so that we can understand how best to serve them in terms of the relationship we have with them. This is important whether we are talking about our family, our friends, or our customers.

Caring Enough to Know

If you didn't know your child's favourite sport or remember your mother's birthday, what would that say about your commitment to the relationship? Really, not as much as you might think. You might be preoccupied or mistaken. But you know that, to your child or your mother, it might seem like you aren't paying attention.

As business people, we have very good intentions to bolster the evidence that shows our customers that we are paying attention. If we care enough to remember details about their business, their purchase history, past requests, even their birthday, they might feel like we are paying attention. If we are paying attention, then maybe we are making our relationship with their business a priority. Caring enough to know means that we pay attention to what they need, and that's what will reinforce the business relationship into something sustainable.

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the interconnectivity of all devices, from smartphones and wearables to smart vehicles and homes. As of 2020, there are over 24 billion IoT devices and according to technology experts, that number is multiplying rapidly. As the number of interconnected smart devices continues to grow, it will indisputably transform life in many ways.

1. The Internet Will Become Even More Interconnected

Currently, most devices, apps, and websites work independently of each other. However, as the IoT grows, the digital world will become more of an extensive ecosystem. This Internet ecosystem will be built on smart devices that are connected to central hubs to make sharing data across platforms faster and more straightforward.

2. Smart Appliances Will Do Mundane Chores for You

In the future, your smart appliances will be capable of doing many of the mundane chores that are currently your responsibility. For example, smart refrigerators will manage your grocery lists. Your fridge will take inventory and inform you when you are low on certain food items, and you’ll even be able to set it to (automatically) reorder specific grocery items for you when they’re running low.

3. Cloud Computing Will Continue to Grow

The most effective way to facilitate the rapid growth of the IoT is through the use of cloud-based platforms. That's because your smart devices must be able to run cloud-based apps so that they can stay connected, wherever you go. Therefore, as the IoT keeps expanding, cloud-based platforms will grow too.

Today, there are many choices you can opt for if you want to provide your customers with a satisfying mobile experience. Depending on your application requirements, you may consider building either a native or a hybrid app. Before making the big decision, it's important to delve into the pros and cons of the two approaches to mobile app development to ensure you choose the most suitable one for your customers.

Native vs. Hybrid Apps

Native apps are those apps that are developed specifically for a chosen platform. An app developed for Android phones will not work on an iOS system, and vice versa. Native apps provide users with a platform-tailored UX experience and high performance. They can also include advanced functionalities by making use of the proprietary features of the platform.

To build native apps, software developers need to be knowledgeable in the programming language specific to that operating system. For Android systems, it's Kotlin or Java. For iOS, it's Objective-C or Swift.