After the news came out that Zoom was filled with security issues, the video conferencing company has hired a top security expert from Apple to lock down the platform and make it more secure. Leo says that Zoom is going everything they can right now, and while the app was designed to be easy to use, they are now working to make it more secure.
Joe wants to do a video conference get together and then save it online. Leo says that Zoom is a good option for that, in spite of their security issues. But he will have to pay for the storage to the cloud. From there, he could download it and send it to youtube.
Due to security issues, Google has banned the video conferencing software ZOOM from all employee computers. While Zoom is much easier to set up and use for most people, it does install a web server on your computer, that ends up being left active after you uninstall it. Leo says that Zoom has hired some new security experts in order to shore up their security, and Leo says that's the right move. Until then, Leo recommends JITSI. It uses the browser's WEBRTC feature, so there's nothing to install
While Zoom is helpful in keeping people connected during the Covid19 isolation, it also has huge privacy issues. Firstly, Zoom installed a web server on the background of Apple computers that would stay even if you uninstalled the software. Apple has fixed that, but Zoom was very slow to respond. There are also security issues with "Zoom bombing" where trolls are crashing meetings and posting offensive material.
Joe wants to know what would be better for doing a virtual choir practice, Jitsi or Zoom? Leo says that the real challenge is latency, the delay between all the connections. Regular video conferencing doesn't work for rehearsals. They don't' prioritize for latency. Leo says there are some music-centric services like Jammr.
How can Don record a video chat? Leo says it depends on the service. Most should have the ability to record built-in. So hunt around. Skype does, for sure. Remember though, each state has its own laws about securing permission, but it's just plain polite to ask. California, for instance, is a 2 party state, which means both have to give permission.
Zoom operates a web server on your mac when you use it, and if you uninstall it, the server stays on your computer and is a security risk. Leo says he understands why it was designed that way, but having to keep it on your computer makes your computer a bot, and that's a bad thing. Zoom was also reporting your personal data to Facebook if you installed it on a mobile device. VERY BAD. When initially apprised on it, they didn't act right away. Now they're saying they have halted development to fix the problem.
Jim's mother in law has an iPad and they use it to Facetime to her with auto answering. But they've been having trouble connecting lately. It connects intermittently. One new feature of Find My iPhone/iPad is you can see the battery life. Leo suspects that it may be off the wifi network, and as such, your Facetime account wouldn't see it. But it also has LTE. If you can get a nurse to turn off the iPad and then turn it back on, that will reset all the network settings. You need to do that from time to time. Also, check that it has the latest updates.
Jerry is looking for video conferencing software to be able to do book club meetings online. Leo says HouseParty is great for eight or fewer people. Google Hangouts is another option, which is Leo's favorite. It can handle up to 250 people. Zoom is another, but it's not free and is being used currently for schools and businesses.
With the Coronavirus outbreak prompting the government to encourage people to practice "social distancing," many companies are letting their employees work from home. Leo says we finally have the bandwidth speeds available to be able to do video conferencing and team applications that can work via telecommuting. Church's are encouraging parishioners to watch services online, and thanks to Google Hangouts, Apple's Facetime and other video chat apps, we can keep in touch with friends and family. So it couldn't be a better time to be facing this.
