Ready to turbocharge your digital journey? 🚀 You’ve just found the right spot!
Every edition is bursting with: 🔒 Expert cybersecurity tips to keep you secure 💪 Productivity hacks that’ll power up your day 🌟 Tech stories guaranteed to spark your curiosity
Let’s navigate the digital world together because levelling up is way more fun with a community. Are you in? Let’s go! 🙌
💥📣 Edition 46 of The Hack - December at Think Cloud: AI insights, festive tech tips & a record-breaking moment
Content Quick Links:
Post-event recap: Going Down the Rabbit Hole - AI & Data Strategy
On 30 October 2025, we transformed Hull College into Wonderland for an immersive look at how AI and data can create real business impact. The aim was simple: turn curiosity into confidence by educating and gaining excitement around data and AI strategies.
We explored why embracing AI now matters, how it’s helping teams work smarter, and where the technology is heading. Our hands-on Prompt-a-thon gave attendees practical experience using AI across marketing, sales and operations, supported by the CORE framework for purposeful prompting.
For more than 20 years, Think Cloud has helped organisations thrive through change. As AI accelerates, success will belong to teams who pair curious thinking with strong data and cyber foundations and that’s where we partner with you.
Want to learn more about AI?
Our AI Basics Course is a jargon-free intro that helps your team use AI with confidence, no tech background needed, in under an hour.
Moments That Mattered: Event Reviews & Insights
“It was a good introduction to AI with an insight into the future possibilities and the need to utilise these technologies.”
“It was a really good mix of knowledge sharing and practical tools, I've definitely left with new ideas that I can look to start implementing from today.”
“I loved the insight, history and looking at how technology is developing. It made me realise how important it is to evolve our business processes to keep ahead of our competitors.”
New to Microsoft: Annotate screens instantly in Windows 11
Taking screenshots on Windows 11 just got a major upgrade.
The handy Win + Shift + S shortcut now includes live annotation, which lets you draw, highlight, or add notes directly on your screen. No need to open Snipping Tool or Paint.
The new Quick Markup bar appears right after you capture an area, giving you instant tools to edit, share, or even send your screenshot to Copilot.
TECH FACTS & QUOTE
Tech Facts
Microsoft holds the record for creating the quietest place on Earth. The anechoic chamber at its Redmond, Washington headquarters absorbs all sound and blocks outside noise, measuring an astonishing -20.35 decibels, which is below the threshold of human hearing. It’s so quiet that visitors can hear their own heartbeat. Microsoft uses the chamber to test microphones, speakers, and other devices in perfect silence
Oracle has unveiled Zettascale10, the world’s largest AI supercomputer in the cloud. It’s designed with OpenAI and connects to 800,000 NVIDIA GPUs across massive data centres in Texas, all working together as one. It will power the next generation of AI training, using less energy and faster networking than ever before.
In 1968, engineer Douglas Engelbart gave the first public demo of the computer mouse. It was a wooden, two-button device that changed computing forever. His 90-minute presentation also introduced hypertext and video conferencing to an audience of 1,000 amazed computer professionals.
Quote
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
-Nelson Mandela
Activist and politician
TECH UPDATE
Windows 11 goes hands-free
Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 is becoming an “Agentic OS”. That means your PC will soon be able to think, plan, and act on your behalf.
It’s powered by Copilot Actions, Voice, and Vision. You’ll be able to tell your computer what to do, and it’ll handle the task. You won’t need to touch the keyboard or even your mouse.
FUN TECH QUIZ
Ho-ho-how about a fun tech quiz?…
Which shortcut is often used to open the Task Manager in Windows?
What is the primary role of an operating system (OS) on a computer?
What is “software”?
What’s the smallest unit of data in a computer system?
5. What is an “input device”?
Answers are at the bottom of the page!
Help your team to bridge the AI gap
A couple of years ago, most of us were only just hearing about tools like ChatGPT. Today, AI is woven into everyday work life, from drafting emails to analysing data, planning projects, and supporting customer service.
AI is here. It’s powerful. And it’s moving far faster than most businesses can keep up. That’s where the real challenge lies.
The technology has surged ahead, but people haven’t always had the support, confidence, or clarity to follow. Many business owners assume “AI training” means diving into complex technical courses or hiring expensive specialists, but that’s not what most teams need.
Right now, what truly matters is helping everyday employees feel confident using AI tools in their normal workflow. And confidence doesn’t come from theory, it comes from doing.
Some of the most forward-thinking companies are giving their teams safe spaces to explore AI, practice prompts, and test ideas without the fear of breaking anything. Others are introducing quick, practical learning moments into daily systems, small nudges that help people use AI smarter, not harder.
Because here’s the thing: AI can write, sort, generate, and automate… but it can’t replace curiosity, creativity, or human thinking. The businesses seeing real results are those that encourage their people to experiment, make mistakes, and learn to combine human insight with the superpower of AI.
And while it might be tempting to say “we’ll sort that later”, the skills gap is only widening. The sooner your team gets hands-on, the sooner they’ll discover that AI isn’t something to fear, it’s something that makes their work easier, faster, and more rewarding.
How Think Cloud can help your team take the first step
Our AI Basics Course is a beginner-friendly, jargon-free introduction to AI designed to help your team understand and use AI confidently in both work and life. No technical background needed. No overwhelming theory. Just clear explanations, real examples, and practical exercises your team can use right away in under an hour.
Bring AI learning into your workplace with a Prompt-a-thon workshop
If you want to accelerate learning and spark creativity, you can also book Think Cloud’s own Leon McQuade to run a hands-on Prompt-a-thon workshop at your business.
It’s an engaging, practical, high-energy session where teams learn how to write better prompts, experiment safely, and discover how AI can immediately support their real day-to-day tasks.
Perfect for teams who want to Think smarter and unlock AI’s potential quickly.
Less pressure. More tinkering. Less “be an expert”. More “give it a go”.
When your people feel confident using AI, that’s when the real benefits show up, improved productivity, better problem-solving, and a workplace that’s ready for whatever comes next.
Need help getting started? We’re here to guide you ’to your next level.’
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
QUESTION
How do I know if our backups work?
ANSWER
Test them regularly. A backup isn’t useful unless you’ve confirmed it can be restored.
QUESTION
Q: Can AI really help my business?
ANSWER
Yes. Tools like Copilot can help save you and your team time on admin, reports, and communication. And that means more productivity.
QUESTION
Is Microsoft 365 secure enough for my business?
ANSWER
Yes, especially with Business Premium. It includes advanced protection against phishing and ransomware.
Blog Insights
Hull Sets a Guinness World Record – And We Were Proud to Play Our Part
This October, something remarkable happened in Hull. On World Mental Health Day, Hull College and Think Mental Health hosted a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest mental-health awareness video lesson and they succeeded. With over 1,400 people joining live and 916 officially verified participants, the event surpassed the previous record of 770, securing Hull a place in the history books.
The session brought together participants from around the world, all united by one goal: to learn, share and open up important conversations around mental wellbeing. Smith+Nephew and Think Cloud were proud to support the event. Our role as technology partner helped create a safe, reliable digital space where thousands could connect across time zones.
Take a look at our latest blog posts
-
Cyber Essentials: What It Means & How to Get Certified
-
Take Control: Choose What Copilot Remembers
-
Why the Right IT Hardware Matters for Business Success
Answers To Fun Tech Quiz
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
To manage the computer’s hardware and software resources and provide services to applications
The set of instructions, data or programs that tell the hardware what to do
A “bit” (binary digit) - either 0 or 1
A hardware device that allows you to enter data or instructions into a computer (for example a keyboard or mouse)
Sign-Up To Our Newsletter Which will land in your inbox each and every month
Share this post: