IT Executive news

• Verizon becomes first US carrier to offer international roaming in Cuba

  18-09-2015 23:44
  
  Verizon Wireless will let subscribers connect to a cell service in Cuba starting next week as the communications veil between the U.S. and its communist neighbor continues to lift after half a century of isolation.
  Subscribers will be able to get international roaming service in Cuba for anything that qualifies as a World Device at Verizon. Service is strictly 2G, and rates are at the carrier's highest tier for international roaming: US$2.99 per minute for voice and $2.05 per megabyte for data,
  
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• The 2015 Ig Nobel Prize winners

  18-09-2015 23:36
  
  Uncooking an egg, peeing like a whale, and fathering a few hundred childrenDon’t look so confused – it’s the 2015 Ig Nobel awards, the scientific equivalent of the Razzies, given out to real science projects “that make you laugh, and then make you think.” Or, in the case of several of this year’s “winners,” that make you squirm uncomfortably in your chair. Read on, if you dare.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Should The Deck be exempt from ad blockers in iOS 9?

  18-09-2015 21:40
  The release of ad blockers for iOS has caused quite a bit of excitement among users. Many people have been discussing which ad blocker is best, and which ones are worth paying for and which ones aren't. But there's another issue that has come up related to ad blockers: favoritism by developers.
  The issue arose from the perception that some ad blocker developers might have deliberately whitelisted ads from The Deck by default. The Deck is an elite advertising network that displays ads on sites l
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: iOS 9 ad blockers: Should The Deck be exempt?

  18-09-2015 21:40
  The release of ad blockers for iOS has caused quite a bit of excitement among users. Many people have been discussing which ad blocker is best, and which ones are worth paying for and which ones aren't. But there's another issue that has come up related to ad blockers: favoritism by developers.
  The issue arose from the perception that some ad blocker developers might have deliberately whitelisted ads from The Deck by default. The Deck is an elite advertising network that displays ads on sites l
  
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• Volkswagen said to use software to fudge emissions tests

  18-09-2015 20:47
  
  Volkswagen is being investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board for allegedly using software to game emission test results.The so-called "defeat device" to evade clean air standards is allegedly a software algorithm on certain Volkswagen vehicles, which detects if a car is undergoing official emissions testing, and turns on full emissions controls only during the test, according to an EPA statement Friday.A number of car makers including Volksw
  
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• How to do layoffs right (when you absolutely have to)

  18-09-2015 19:52
  
  Last week we had another mega layoff announced from a tech company that seems to have a history of doing these things badly. What is really frustrating for me is that there is a huge amount of work put in to understanding how these things should be executed, yet I don’t have a single company I can point to that seems to understand how to do a layoff right. The other frustrating thing is that layoffs should be a last and seldom-used tool used only for emergencies; instead it seems to be use
  
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• Style, tech converge at 2015 New York Fashion Week

  18-09-2015 19:21
  
  Tech meets style at New York Fashion WeekTechnology made some unexpected appearances on the catwalks at the recent New York Fashion Week (NYFW) shows. From stylish wearable devices, to drones and live streams, designers didn't just set trends for the next season, they demonstrated how technology can fit into the fabric of people's everyday lives.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• AT&T says malware secretly unlocked hundreds of thousands of phones

  18-09-2015 18:59
  
  AT&T said three of its employees secretly installed software on its network so a cellphone unlocking service could surreptitiously funnel hundreds of thousands of requests to its servers to remove software locks on phones.
  The locks prevent phones from being used on competing networks and have been an important tool used by cellular carriers to prevent customers from jumping ship. They can be electronically removed, usually after fulfilling a contract obligation, but many websites offer the
  
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• Overcoming our fears and avoiding robot overlords

  18-09-2015 18:33
  
  Some people are afraid that one day robots will rise up, sentient, working as a collective and angry enough to overthrow the human race.
  Artificial intelligence (A.I.), and the robots it will empower, is something to fear, according to physicist and author Stephen Hawking and high-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
  Other scientists say the scariest thing is for our fears to stunt our research on A.I. and slow technical advances.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Apple meets with California DMV, hinting that public car tests could happen soon

  18-09-2015 18:05
  Apple met with California’s Department of Motor Vehicles in August to discuss self-driving vehicles, which means an Apple-branded electric car might be closer to hitting the road than previously expected.
  The Guardian caught wind of the meeting from DMV documents, and confirmed with the department’s officials that “the Apple meeting was to review DMV’s autonomous vehicle regulations.”
  The California DMV doesn’t exactly have self-driving car regulations, but i
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: The 3 essentials of clinical decision support

  18-09-2015 17:20
  
  A doctor pulls up an adolescent’s electronic health record and the EHR triggers a recommendation to screen for depression.  Positive findings from the screening are entered into the EHR and a tool for creating a shared care plan pops up along with an option to refer the patient to a mental health provider.Welcome to the era of clinical decision support software.  CDS tools, as in this scenario, can recommend things the doctor might been done anyway. Or they might suggest “b
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: iOS 9: How to use the 1Blocker ad blocker

  18-09-2015 17:14
  
  iOS 9 has been released, and one of its most appreciated features is content blocking. Developers have been quick to release a number of different ad blockers, and one of the most prominent is 1Blocker. 1Blocker lets you customize your blocking for ads, trackers, social media widgets, adult sites, cookies, URLs, page elements, web fonts and more.1Blocker is free to download but the free version only lets you use one category of blocks, so you'll need to buy the in-app purchase of unlimited block
  
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• Broadwell-C is not dead, Intel clarifies

  18-09-2015 16:43
  
  Intel’s Broadwell-C desktop processor is alive and well—for now, at least.
  A report on Thursday by ITWorld claimed that Intel was discontinuing thesocketed Broadwell CPUafter just one month on the market. But Intel quickly corrected that story, telling AnandTech that it will continue to manufacture and sell Broadwell-C. (Disclosure: Both PCWorld and ITWorld are owned by International Data Group.)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• BrandPost: Securing the Emerging Internet of Everything

  18-09-2015 16:39
  
  As innovative technologies enter the workplace, advanced threats designed to exploit their unknown vulnerabilities seem to arrive almost simultaneously. This has happened with the Internet, email, instant messaging, mobile devices, and other technologies.The latest emerging target of hackers and malware is the Internet of Everything (IoE), defined as an interconnected Web of people, processes, and physical objects embedded with sensors (the Internet of Things) that transmit data across networks
  
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• BrandPost: Top 5 Enterprise Advantages of Windows 10

  18-09-2015 16:35
  Windows 10, the last version of Microsoft Windows, will pack new productivity features and security updates to accommodate enterprise users. From a specific business edition to Universal Windows Apps, there are a few key differences that set it apart from its predecessors for enterprise deployments. Read on to discover how…1. New Universal Windows AppsAdvances Microsoft’s goal of allowing developers to write apps for “One Windows” that will work across multiple platforms
  
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• iOS 9 adoption gets off to slower start than 2013’s iOS

  18-09-2015 16:02
  
  Adoption of Apple's new iOS 9 was slightly ahead of the pace of last year's iOS 8 as the upgrade neared the 48-hour mark, but, like its immediate predecessor, was far behind that of 2013's iOS, according to data from an analytics firm.[ Related: 7 tips and tricks for iOS 9 ]At the 24-hour milestone, iOS 9 accounted for 12.3% of all iOS editions detected by Mixpanel, whose metrics platform is widely used by mobile app developers to track usage and user engagement.To read this article in full or t
  
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• Could better user design unlock EHR potential?

  18-09-2015 15:11
  
  In Washington these days, it's hard to find anyone who will argue against the promise of electronic health records (EHRs).The federal government has spent billions to encourage the adoption of EHRs to improve quality of care and patient outcomes, and to get consumers more involved in their own treatment, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle express a commitment to using technology to achieve those ends.Still, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who will argue that digital records, now in wi
  
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• Big data projects gaining steam, but not due to the CIO

  18-09-2015 15:04
  
  The number of big data projects enterprises are investing in or plan to invest in have increased to 76 percent in 2015 from 73 percent in 2014, according to a Gartner survey of 437 IT and business leaders. While the increase is small, what’s perhaps more telling is that such initiatives are increasingly originating from financial, marketing and other business unit leaders, who are pressuring CIOs to collaborate with them to make sure the technology aligns with the company's strategy."Peopl
  
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• Windows 10, the stealth OS

  18-09-2015 14:40
  
  To think that a couple of months ago we were worried that the Internet might not be able to hold up against the pent-up demand for Windows 10. The Internet did just fine, as it turns out — even better than we knew. Because we have recently discovered that all along, Microsoft has been sending Windows 10 bits to those of us who have Windows 7 or 8.x on our PCs, whether we asked for them or not. Did I say “sending”? That’s a bit mild. What Microsoft has been doing is force
  
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• Inside one fashion retailer’s creative cloud collaboration

  18-09-2015 14:02
  
  We may be nearing the holiday shopping season, but that 20-something with a smartphone needs some cabana wear for the spontaneous Caribbean cruise her boyfriend just surprised her with -- and she needs it now, or she’s walking out the door (or at least ordering it online from a competitor). Atlanta-based Oxford Industries, a global retail apparel company with a diverse portfolio of brands — including Tommy Bahama, Lilly Pulitzer, and Lanier Clothes (which manufactures garments f
  
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• Why enterprise digital transformation efforts stall

  18-09-2015 13:14
  
  Digital transformation is the business buzzword of the year. But if you feel like you’ve come to a standstill in your digital transformation efforts, you are probably not alone.Enterprises are likely to hit a roadblock after the initial stage of digital adoption, according to a recent survey by outsourcing consultancy and research firm Everest Group. In fact, 43 percent of organizations are going through what Everest has dubbed the “digital trough,” according to a survey of 120
  
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• Apple drops iCloud prices, matches rival storage services from Google and Microsoft

  18-09-2015 13:13
  
  For the second year in a row, Apple reduced prices for its expanded iCloud storage plans, putting costs in line with rivals like Google, Microsoft and Dropbox.
  Apple announced changes to iCloud extra storage pricing earlier this month at the event where it unveiled new iPhones, the larger iPad Pro and a revamped Apple TV.
  Although the Cupertino, Calif., company did not boost the amount of free storage space -- as Computerworld speculated it might -- and instead continued to provide just 5GB of
  
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• Russian military attacked, possibly by Chinese cyber group

  18-09-2015 12:47
  
  Members of the Russian military have been receiving well-crafted phishing emails since mid-summer from attackers that use Chinese-language tools and Chinese command-and-control installations, according to a report released yesterday.
  The campaign also targets Russian telecom firms and, as collateral damage, has hit Russian-speaking financial analysts who cover the telecom space for global financial firms, according to Sunnyvale, Calif.-based security vendor Proofpoint, Inc.
  In the past, the sam
  
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• Review: 6 Chrome extensions let you track your Gmail

  18-09-2015 12:30
  
  When you send an email, it can sometimes feel as if you're tossing it into a black hole. Did your recipient get it or was it waylaid by a faulty spam filter? Was it ever read or did it get lost in the day's mass of messages? The only way to tell is via email tracking, which lets you know when your email is opened by its recipient.
  If you're a Gmail user, you already know that Google's service doesn't have email tracking. But if you use it through the Chrome browser, there are several services t
  
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• Microsoft tests a sweet service: Direct-shipping data for uploading to the cloud

  18-09-2015 12:05
  One of the challenges of shifting to a new cloud storage provider is a very practical one: Uploading a lifetime’s worth of data takes forever. Microsoft’s Office 365 Import Service allows enterprises to take a shortcut: mail encrypted drives directly to Microsoft to load directly into OneDrive.
  Right now, the program is someone limited: Enterprises can ship a drive to one of Microsoft’s datacenters to be uploaded into SharePoint, or just send a specific set of O
  
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• Why Windows 10 is the most secure Windows ever

  18-09-2015 12:00
  
  Microsoft added two game-changing security features for enterprise users in Windows 10, but until recently, the company has been relatively quiet about them.
  So far the buzz has mainly been about Windows Hello, which supports face and fingerprint recognition. But Device Guard and Credential Guard are the two standout security features of Windows 10 -- they protect the core kernel from malware and prevent attackers from remotely taking control of the machine. Device Guard and Credential Guard ar
  
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• Albert van Veen, Schiphol: “We moeten het onderscheid maken met digitalisering”

  18-09-2015 11:00
  Geinspireerd door de oproep van organisator Rob Beijleveld om niet de leider van de volgers maar gewoonweg een leider te zijn, trapt Schiphol-Cio Albert van Veen het Jaarcongres Innovatie & Transformatie af met een geïmproviseerd, vlammend betoog over het belang van innovatie en de rol van IT daarbij.... lees meer
  
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• Stephen Prentice, Gartner: Startup-mentaliteit ook voor multinationals binnen handbereik

  18-09-2015 10:58
  Stephen Prentice, VP en Fellow bij Gartner, windt er op het onlangs gehouden Jaarcongres Innovatie en Transformatie geen doekjes om: “Grote bedrijven sterven, omdat ze niet snel genoeg veranderen. Disruptie komt van kleinere bedrijven, startups, die je pas ziet opdoemen als het al te laat is.” Bangmakerij?... lees meer
  
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• Could iOS 9 be Apple’s greatest gift to enterprise IT?

  18-09-2015 02:35
  
  Apple’s latest announcements for its mobile ecosystem had plenty to do with the enterprise: It announced a dedicated for-work tablet in the form of the iPad Pro, and a partnership with networking hardware giant Cisco signaled a greater focus on the enterprise from a company that has traditionally worked to please the consumer market.[ Related: 7 tips and tricks for iOS 9 ]But it’s the release this week of iOS 9 that might have the most far-reaching implications for enterprise users.
  
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• A bad debate for tech

  18-09-2015 02:34
  
  Most of the references to technology in the so-called main-stage GOP debate Wednesday night were around protecting U.S. borders. There were calls for drones, visa entry and exit tracking systems, and overall more reliance on electronics to deter illegal crossings. It was all about building a better fence, and not about government's role in advancing technology.
  There was no discussion about the H-1B visa except at the margins. There was no mention of the federal government's role in science inv
  
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• Malware enables cheating at online poker

  18-09-2015 02:32
  
  Online poker malware lets players cheat by getting a peek at cards held by opponents whose machines have been infected.
  The Trojan, called Win32/Spy.Odlanor, is typically downloaded by victims because it is disguised as installers or resources such as poker databases and poker calculators, according to the ESET WeLiveSecurity blog.
  “In other cases, it was loaded onto the victim’s system through various poker-related programs … such as Tournament Shark, Poker Calculator Pro, S
  
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• Celebrating 25 years of wacky Ig Nobel Prize brilliance

  18-09-2015 02:31
  
  25 years oldEach year since 1991, Improbable Research has highlighted a handful of real researchers whose work might seem goofy on the surface, but often has serious implications. The Ig Nobel prizes are awarded annually at a ceremony at Harvard University shortly before the Nobel prizes are announced. Here’s a look at a winner from each of the past 24 years, with the 2015 prize winners being announced tonight.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Under DDoS attack? Look for something worse

  18-09-2015 02:28
  
  When businesses are hit by noticeable distributed denial-of-service attacks, three-quarters of the time those attacks are accompanied by another security incident, according to Kaspersky Lab.
  Those other attacks may or may not originate from the same party, but they can go undetected if IT staff is totally focused on defending against the DDoS, says Evgeny Vigovsky, head of Kaspersky DDoS Protection.
  “In many cases, it may be a coordinated effort, but even if these attacks originate from
  
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• Hadoop, in trouble? Only in Gartner-land

  18-09-2015 02:28
  There are lies, damn lies ... and technology industry studies.
  Back in May, Gartner released a survey that crapped all over the Hadoop industry: Of the 284 CIOs polled by Gartner, only 26 percent claimed to be "either deploying, piloting, or experimenting with Hadoop." Even with the small sample size and large margin of error, these were depressing numbers -- ones that contradicted the level of adoption people like me are seeing in the real world.
  Well, Gartner has been
  
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• The most expensive PCs in computing history

  18-09-2015 00:00
  
  The most expensive PCs in computing historyImage by ClkerFreeVectorImages via pixabayWe all like to complain about our computers and devices. It's our inalienable right as 21st-century digital age consumers. In fact, a case can be made that it's become something of a national pastime.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• BrandPost: The Average CISO Tenure is 17 Months – Don’t be a Statistic!

  18-09-2015 00:00
  
  Cyber breaches are causing business executives all across organizations to take note. CISOs are getting questions from senior management, the Board of Directors, auditors, regulators, business leaders, and IT personnel. Responding to these questions often consumes far too many resources and distracts the security organization from their primary mission: actually ensuring security and compliance!Rapid response to questions requires near real-time security posture dataTypically, they just want to
  
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