IT Executive news

• Microsoft will let business users opt out of Windows 10 tracking

  28-09-2015 22:18
  There has been at least a low hum of concern around new features in Windows 10 that send information back to Microsoft. The company has mostly kept quiet about those concerns, until now.Windows 10, launched at the end of July, shares two different kinds of data with Microsoft: personalization data that helps tailor users' experiences with things like Cortana, and telemetry data that helps Microsoft see how the operating system is being used. When it comes to the personalization data, which inclu
  
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• Anaconda's Python-based analytics hit the enterprise with new subscription plans

  28-09-2015 22:16
  Continuum Analytics' free Anaconda software has long been known for its Python-powered analytics capabilities, but on Monday the company unveiled a new offering designed specifically for enterprises.
  Launched at Strata + Hadoop World in New York, the enterprise version of Anaconda is designed to enable corporate data science teams and in-house developers to explore and solve complex data problems in a packaged, easy-to-deploy, open data science stack.
  The software offers easy GPU and multicore
  
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• Fancred a must-have social app for sports buffs

  28-09-2015 21:58
  
  You probably have someone in your newsfeeds who never stops posting pictures of lunch or the latest Internet memes. For diehard sports fans who use social networks to keep up to date on their teams' latest news and scores, it can be tough to filter out all the unrelated noise. Thankfully, the Fancred mobile app and website let you do just that, while also serving as a dedicated, gamified social network for sports buffs. The app also just got new live video streaming, a feature that could help it
  
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• iPhone 6s and 6s Plus review: The best iPhone ever, by a wide margin

  28-09-2015 21:00
  “The only thing that’s changed is everything,” says the slogan Apple unveiled along side the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. It’s an attempt to address the perception that the odd-year “s” updates to the iPhone line are minimal and uninteresting.Yes, the “s” models look more or less like their predecessors, but for quite a while Apple has used these cycles to upgrade a lot of the stuff on the inside. This year is no different: The iPhone 6s and
  
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• Microsoft's Dynamics CRM will get extended to the Web after new acquisition

  28-09-2015 20:23
  
  Microsoft announced Monday that it has agreed to acquire the product assets from Adxstudio, a longtime partner of its Dynamics business. The deal will give Microsoft access to tools that extend Dynamics to the Web, which the company will integrate directly into its CRM product.The product that Microsoft bought allows businesses to connect their Dynamics system to a Web portal that can then be used for things like partner relationship management, technical support solutions and more. It's an impo
  
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• Will Russian hackers be first to play with a Google Cardboard lookalike from Microsoft?

  28-09-2015 20:14
  
  Microsoft's Hololens isn't ready yet, but the company is already encouraging developers -- in Russia at least -- to use its toolchain to create virtual reality apps for PCs and phones running Windows.Or rather, it was, until excitement about an image on a webpage promoting a hackathon in Moscow prompted the company to take the site down.Before it disappeared, the Microsoft site invited developers to head to the Steel hacker space in Moscow on Oct. 17 and 18 to enter a competi
  
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• Audi admits 2.1 million cars cheated emissions tests

  28-09-2015 19:55
  
  Audi AG has admitted that 2.1 million of its diesel vehicles contain software code, known as a "defeat device," that thwarts emissions tests.
  The fact that Audi, which is owned by Volkswagen, had sold its A3 models with the software is not new. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent a letter of complaint Sept. 18 to Volkswagen calling out half a dozen cars, including some model years of the Audi A3, as containing the defeat device.
  Audi, however, admitted to the Reuters news agency
  
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• Office and the iPad Pro: It's just business, stupid

  28-09-2015 19:28
  
  Microsoft will require owners of Apple's not-sold-until-November iPad Pro to pay for almost all functionality in its Office suite, a point neither Microsoft nor Apple bothered to highlight this month when the latter invited the former to share stage time at the tablet's introduction.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Oracle services help you mix cloud and on-premises software

  28-09-2015 19:07
  For all the talk about cloud computing, it's a rare enterprise that doesn't still use at least some on-premises software. With that reality in mind, Oracle on Monday rolled out two new services designed to help companies integrate the diverse pieces of those mixed environments.Oracle SOA Cloud Service and Oracle API Manager Cloud Service are both new additions to Oracle Cloud Platform for Integration, the database giant's suite of services aimed at helping users integrate on-premises and cloud a
  
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• Samsung throws more incentives at iPhone users

  28-09-2015 18:37
  
  Samsung will rebate monthly lease and installment payments for the latest Galaxy smartphones up to $120 and will kick in $100 more for trading in an iPhone.
  The offer, described online on Sunday, excludes devices sold or running on the AT&T network. But it does apparently apply to a lease or installment plan from T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon Wireless or US Cellular.The devices that are eligible are the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.To read this article in
  
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• After pushing malware, ad networks also used for DDoS

  28-09-2015 18:17
  Rogue online advertisements that infect computers with malware have become a common occurrence on the Internet. But now, it appears, hackers have also figured out how to launch crippling distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks through ad networks.The DDoS mitigation team at CloudFlare recently observed a large-scale attack which they believe was the result of malicious ads being loaded inside apps and browsers on mobile devices.The attack, which targeted one of the company's customers, peak
  
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• NSA chief warns cyberthreats persist despite China accord

  28-09-2015 17:26
  
  On the eve of a significant agreement between the United States and China on trade and information security, the head of the National Security Agency cautioned that the two superpowers must develop a set of norms that would curb cyber-espionage and theft of intellectual property from U.S. firms.Adm. Michael Rogers appeared in a rare open hearing of the Senate intelligence committee to offer an update on the agency's work, with a particular focus on the various cyberthreats, which increasingly ar
  
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• Kapitaalinjectie van 50 miljoen in quantuminstituut

  28-09-2015 16:46
  Chipmaker Intel investeert 50 miljoen in QuTech, het in 2013 opgerichte instituut voor quantumtechnologie van de TU Delft en TNO. De organisaties gaan het komende decennium intensief samenwerken op het gebied van quantum computing. Intel levert daarnaast expertise, menskracht en faciliteiten.Quantumbits
  De... lees meer
  
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• CIOs must cultivate the next business technology leaders

  28-09-2015 16:44
  
  Succession planning has never been more challenging or important as disruptive technologies, fickle customer demands, and evolving regulations require CIOs to cultivate high potential replacements who can lead digital initiatives that facilitate growth. But CIOs must also think beyond their own position in building a loyal bench of their best business technology polymaths, according to new research from consultancy PwC."The new world skills are much more about understanding the business and adap
  
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• Microsoft's creating a Google Cardboard rival dubbed VR Kit

  28-09-2015 16:20
  
  Microsoft appears to be taking inspiration fromGoogle Cardboardwith “VR Kit” for Windows phones.
  Much like Cardboard, VR Kit aims to enable cheap virtual reality through a cardboard box with a pair of attached eye lenses. Users slide their phone into the box, and view apps that are formatted for viewing through the lenses up close.
  Microsoft has yet to make a big announcement about VR Kit. The project was revealed through a Russian website (via Thurrott.com), inviting programme
  
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• Cloudera unveils in-memory store, security layer for Hadoop

  28-09-2015 15:50
  
  Just ahead of the opening of Strata + Hadoop World in New York City tomorrow, Cloudera today unveiled a new open source project to enable real-time analytic applications in Hadoop and an open source security layer for unified access control enforcement in Hadoop.The first project, Kudu, is an in-memory store for Hadoop that supports high-performance sequential and random reads and writes, enabling fast analytics on changing data.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click he
  
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• How to ace the CISO interview – be ready for the tough questions

  28-09-2015 15:15
  
  Getting a top job in information security has never been as simple as just having the required training and experience. Yes, those are mandatory, but the modern hiring process also includes personality evaluations to determine the so-called “XQ” – whether a candidate would be a good “fit” for a position – background checks and yes, the personal interview.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• The iPhone 6s may be the last of a dying breed

  28-09-2015 15:00
  Apple doesn’t take naming lightly. Back when PC models were only distinguishable by the manufacturer’s seemingly random series of letters and numbers, Apple bucked the trend with a series of recognizable and memorable products names: Macintosh, Power Macintosh, Performa, PowerBook. When Steve Jobs came back to the company, naming was one of first things he streamlined. Rather than increase the clunky number following the name to distinguish between revisions, the PowerBook 2400c
  
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• Microsoft expands Azure Data Lake with new big data tools

  28-09-2015 15:00
  
  Microsoft had its sights set squarely on big data when it introduced its Azure Data Lake earlier this year, and on Monday it broadened that effort with new tools designed to make big data processing and analytics simpler and more accessible.First, what Microsoft originally called Azure Data Lake has now been renamed Azure Data Lake Store, offering a single repository for data of any size and type -- including unstructured, semi-structured and structured -- without requiring application
  
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• BrandPost: Transforming Healthcare IT

  28-09-2015 15:00
  
  If I had a dollar for every clinician or healthcare business leader who tells me “but I’m not an IT person,” I could fix a lot of healthcare problems. To support the crucial dialog between CIOs and physicians and healthcare business leaders, we created the CSC Hierarchy of Healthcare IT, mirroring many of the characteristics of the classic Maslow hierarchy.In healthcare, these technology services together serve as the crucial infrastructure that no one sees yet everyone relies
  
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• Java 9 module plan picks up a packager

  28-09-2015 14:54
  
  Java modules, in the works for years and now set to debut in 2016, will involve improvements to the Java Packager, to reduce the size of the Java Runtime Environment.
  In a JDK Enhancement Proposal (JEP) floated this week on an Internet bulletin board, the Java Packager tool could be integrated with features from the Project Jigsaw modularization plan. Java Packager is used to compile, package, and deploy Java applications from the command line.[ See InfoWorld's full coverage of Java at 20: The
  
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• Detailed Microsoft Lumia 950, Lumia 950XL, Lumia 550 leaks confirm iris recognition

  28-09-2015 14:53
  
  Microsoft’s new Lumia phones—the Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL, and more recently the Lumia 550—have been the subject of speculation for weeks. Now, a leaked presentation that looks very Microsoft-y appears to have put a stamp of authenticity upon the rumors.
  Slides posted to Forever Nokia Latin America’s Facebook page (and covered by WindowsStudio) show what appears to be a Microsoft presentation, in Spanish, describing some of the features and specifications of all three new
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Cloud computing and beyond

  28-09-2015 14:43
  
  For the past six years, the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) San Diego chapter has hosted the annual one-day Cloud Computing Conference in San Diego. This year is no exception, and the seventh conference is being held on Oct. 29 at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in San Diego. This time around the conference has expanded beyond its cloud computing roots to include big data, Internet of Things (IoT), innovative technology and hands-on cloud coding labs.
  
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• Silent Circle aims at the enterprise market with Blackphone 2

  28-09-2015 14:36
  
  Silent Circle's second privacy-focused device, the Blackphone 2, is designed to meet the management and security needs of enterprises, while not alienating workers who will end up using it for their personal affairs as well.
  The phone, launched Monday, integrates with Google's Android for Work program, which allows companies to manage and secure the Android devices of their employees. The phone also works with major device management platforms including those from MobileIron, Citrix, Good and S
  
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• VS geen safe harbour voor persoonsgegevens uit EU

  28-09-2015 14:30
  Wat iedereen na de onthullingen van Edward Snowden weet, is dat (vooral) Amerikaanse inichtingendiensten vrijelijk kunnen vissen uit persoonsgegevens die bij Amerikaanse bedrijven zijn opgeslagen. Data van Europese burgers en bedrijven zijn hierop geen uitzondering. Een beschikking van de Europese... lees meer
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 3 top reasons for project misunderstandings

  28-09-2015 14:28
  Recently, one of my Facebook friends posted a status update that was funny, but made me think. She said that, “Often, misunderstandings arise for one of three reasons: not enough love, not enough sleep, or not enough chocolate.” While chocolate does solve a lot of issues – at least short-term issues – for many people, so does coffee…so I think you could insert the dark beverage in there and make it work just as well.As for project management, I’m not so
  
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• A strong IT workforce starts with training

  28-09-2015 14:01
  
  Today’s environment places new requirements on the workforce to meet the needs of a digitally enabled business. It is notgetting any easier to recruit and retain the right talent with the right skills. According to Accenture research, nearly a third (32 percent) of business leaders say it is getting harder to compete for the best people. And a majority of executives agree that people are one of the most valuable assets to an organization — 87 percent believe that organizations that w
  
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• Is BYOK the key to secure cloud computing?

  28-09-2015 13:43
  
  Thanks to Edward Snowden’s revelations about the NSA, the comprehensive hacking of Sony, and on-going legal battles over whether email stored in the cloud belongs to the people sending it or the service hosting it, more and more cloud services have moved to encrypt data. Some are going even further, offering Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) options, where the user holds the encryption keys for their own cloud data.Google Compute Engine started offering a preview service for encrypting both data a
  
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• Companies need to hire IT pros – fast

  28-09-2015 13:35
  
  Companies will continue to focus on IT hiring, according to a survey of human resources professionals and hiring managers in Chicago and south Florida. The study was conducted between July 21, 2015 and August 5, 2015 by Richard Curtin at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and Brilliant, a staffing firm that worked with Curtin to collect information on current hiring trends in IT as well as accounting and finance.Although companies report a need for IT professionals, there was a slight decli
  
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• 8 ways to effectively communicate with clients

  28-09-2015 13:31
  
  It used to be (back before the Internet, smartphones and social media) that if you wanted or needed to speak to a client, you picked up the phone – or you sent her a letter. Today, however, there are many ways to communicate with clients. However, not every method is right for every situation or for every client. Indeed, choose the wrong communication strategy and you could wind up alienating valuable clients.To help you navigate the various options, we’ve compiled a list of the most
  
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• 4 ways MOOCs are changing professional development

  28-09-2015 13:19
  
  Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer an incredible value for enterprises looking to increase skills and knowledge within their workforce. What began in the realm of academia has evolved into a powerful platform for enterprise training, continuing education and professional development.The IT industry evolves at a break-neck pace, and organizations that aren't committed to ongoing learning and education are at a distinct competitive disadvantage. But spending thousands -- even millions - to
  
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• Here's what we expect Google to announce on Sept. 29

  28-09-2015 13:00
  
  There’s been so much rumor mongering about the next generation of Nexus phones this past month that it feels like Google’s already announced everything. The reality is that we still don’t know that much, but with the way the rumor mill is churning it looks like we’re in for an interesting, Nexus phone-filled year ahead. Here’s what we’re expecting from Google’s September 29 event. Get ready for MarshmallowFirst things first, expect that Google
  
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• New tech syncs small speakers for big sound

  28-09-2015 12:04
  
  Music is good. It's even better when it's loud, high-quality and playing all over the house. (Just one guy's opinion.)
  To achieve this, you can buy multiple, expensive speakers from a company like Sonos and distribute them around the house. That can cost thousands of dollars.
  Another idea is to synchronize the speakers you already own, and have them all play the exact same music at the exact same time for a quality- and volume-multiplying effect.
  Sounds simple, right? Trouble is, it's hard to s
  
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• Don’t fear shadow IT -- exploit it and prosper

  28-09-2015 12:00
  
  It's time to face a cold, hard fact: The "shadow IT" parade is passing you by, and if you don't get out in front of it and lead it where you want it to go, you might get run over.
  Gartner projected in 2012 that marketing department spending on IT will surpass IT department spending on IT in the near future. True, that has yet to happen, but the scales keep tipping. Take a hard look at that future: You may not be in it.[ Navigate the modern hiring landscape with InfoWorld's special report, "The
  
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• Uber's rivals just got a little closer

  28-09-2015 08:59
  
  Close on the heels of its US$100 million investment in Lyft, Chinese ride-hailing app giant Didi Kuaidi has invested an undisclosed amount in Ola, the leading ride-hailing app in India.Didi Kuaidi recently said it had invested in another ride-hailing company, Malaysia-based GrabTaxi.While the deals have been described as involving sharing technology and market knowledge, they are being seen as responses by these companies to moves by Uber Technologies in the region, including its announcement of
  
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• Facebook gives Internet.org a makeover

  28-09-2015 03:02
  
  Facebook is giving its worldwide Internet connection project, Internet.org, a makeover that includes more security and granular control, along with a new name.
  On Thursday, Internet.org's name became Free Basics by Facebook. The name change is consistent across the app and the mobile website.
  "We're making this change to better distinguish the Internet.org initiative from the programs and services we're providing, including Free Basics," the company said in a blog post. "Anyone currently using
  
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• How the DMCA may have let carmakers cheat clean air standards

  28-09-2015 02:58
  
  It was by sheer chance that the software "defeat device" that allowed Volkswagen to thwart emission tests on its diesel vehicles was discovered last year. The discovery came after a few university researchers tested a group of European cars made for the U.S. market.
  The West Virginia University researchers drove the vehicles for thousands of miles, testing the emissions as they went along. They weren't expecting to discover what they did: Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions rates 20 times the baseli
  
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• XcodeGhost used unprecedented infection strategy against Apple

  28-09-2015 02:56
  
  Hackers pulled off an unprecedented feat, lulling unwitting developers into loading thousands of iOS apps with adware, security experts said Friday.
  "This is the first instance that I can recall," said Raymond Wei, senior director of mobile development at FireEye, a Milpitas, Calif. network security firm, when asked whether a top-tier app system had ever been infected through first-party development tools.
  Wei was referring to the hacking campaign, dubbed "XcodeGhost" by a Chinese researcher, t
  
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• First look: The new iPhone 6S Plus impresses

  28-09-2015 02:50
  
  The latest iPhones from Apple -- the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus -- are finally in customers' hands -- including my own 128GB Space Gray iPhone 6S Plus. Unlike last year, I went for the larger of the two phones, and I'm glad I did.
  This year's release -- unveiled by Apple on Sept. 9 and finally available to customers on Friday -- is the second generation to feature the 4.7-in. and 5.5-in. displays. Although they're ever so slightly larger and heavier, by and large the new models look just like their
  
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