IT Executive news

• Cox to pay $595,000 for Lizard Squad data breach

  05-11-2015 23:59
  
  Cox Communications has agreed to pay US$595,000 and submit to seven years of computer security compliance monitoring by the Federal Communications Commission to settle an investigation into whether the cable TV and Internet operator failed to safeguard the personal information of its customers.The investigation relates to a hack of Cox in 2014 by "EvilJordie," a member of the "Lizard Squad" hacker collective, and is the FCC's first privacy and data security enforcement action
  
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• Google Keep for iOS gets closer to Evernote with ease-of-use features

  05-11-2015 23:32
  
  Google's Keep app for iOS is now a bit more competitive with other apps like Evernote thanks to new features the company added Thursday. Users can now access Keep from a new Today widget they can add to Notification Center so that it's easy to start up a new note or open one they recently edited without having to sort through the app first. It's also possible to add things to Keep from other applications (such as Google's Chrome Web browser) using a new sharing extension that the company bu
  
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• Android security update focuses on media files

  05-11-2015 22:59
  
  In light of Android's mediaserver issues, Google’s latest Android security update focused on flaws related to the operating system's treatment of media files. Android’s current flaws are similar to problems that cropped up with Windows more than a decade ago.
  Google addressed seven vulnerabilities as part of this month’s Android security update, released this week. Of the critical vulnerabilities, one was in the libutils component (CVE-2015-6609) near where Stagefright flaws w
  
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• Longer-lasting battery could displace lithium-ion

  05-11-2015 22:38
  A battery that can hold five times or more energy capacity than existing lithium-ion batteries could be in users' hands as early as next year.Prieto Battery, a startup, has developed a 3D solid-state battery structure based on new materials that can hold more lithium ions than current batteries. The new battery will also be less flammable, charge faster and shaped to fit into wearables and PCs as well as larger products like solar panels, said Amy Prieto, founder of Prieto Battery.The battery ha
  
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• Latest Windows 10 Insider build signals release of first update is imminent

  05-11-2015 22:31
  
  Microsoft today shipped a new Windows 10 build to its Insider testers, a refresh focused on bug fixes and improvements that contains a clue that signaled the first update for most users since July is imminent.
  Thursday's build, labeled 10586, is the successor to version 10565, which Microsoft issued more than three weeks ago.
  Build 10586 is a polish on last month's Insider update, and introduces no new features, hinting that it is among the last before Microsoft gives the code the green light f
  
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• JavaScript upgrade will nix object observation feature

  05-11-2015 22:06
  
  Object.observe, a planned feature for JavaScript that would allow for direct observation of changes to objects, will be removed from a planned update to the ECMAScript specification under a plan floated this week.
  The plan, offered by Object.observe proponent Adam Klein on the ECMAScript discussion archives site, says circumstances surrounding the technology have changed, making it unfeasible.[ Need a JavaScript tool for your dev shop? InfoWorld looks at 17 JavaScript editors and IDEs ready for
  
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• Can artificial intelligence influence human behavior? A trial will find out

  05-11-2015 21:33
  
  Researchers in Singapore this week began a two-year trial of a smartphone app that attempts to use artificial intelligence to influence the real-world decisions of users.The test is centered on shopping malls, sports stadiums and major events and will try to reduce congestion at peak times by convincing people to change or delay their travel.The several tens of thousands of people that the researchers hope will participate are supposed to provide details on the level of congestion they can
  
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• Why Microsoft bought maker of MileIQ Android-iOS app: For the data, as much as the app

  05-11-2015 20:52
  
  If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em: Microsoft said Thursday that it has purchased Mobile Data Labs, a top-grossing finance app in the iTunes store for 20 months straight.
  Mobile Data Labs is the developer behind MileIQ, an app that tracks your movements and automatically records the mileage spent—essential data for any business traveler. What’s interesting is that MileIQ has published Android and iOS versions, but not a version of the app for Windows Phone.
  Microsoft c
  
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• Facebook reportedly ready to launch Notify app

  05-11-2015 20:32
  
  Facebook reportedly is getting ready to launch Notify, a new app designed to bring users the latest news.
  The social networking company is set to debut its new stand-alone app possibly as soon as next week, according to a report in the Financial Times.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Five things you should know about unlicensed LTE

  05-11-2015 20:30
  
  1. It's the spectrum that's unlicensed, not the LTE.The acronyms are flying: LTE-U, LAA, MuLTEfire. They're all forms of LTE tweaked to send signals over unlicensed frequencies, which are open to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and any other technology that plays fair. Carriers could use it as soon as 2016 to add frequencies without spending billions to license them. At first, unlicensed LTE will only be used to supplement a carrier's own bands to make downloads faster. Later, it might send traffic both direc
  
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• New Windows 10 beta build is all about bug fixes

  05-11-2015 20:11
  Microsoft on Thursday launched another beta build of Windows 10 to public testers that's crammed full of bug fixes and performance improvements.Build 10586 is going out to people who have signed up to get bleeding-edge updates through the Windows Insider Program, and is supposed to smooth out some of the bugs that Microsoft introduced into the operating system. The biggest change is a fix that allows small form-factor devices that run in a resolution larger than their screen size (like the Dell
  
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• This analytics startup just emerged from stealth to help SMBs get a grip on unstructured data

  05-11-2015 20:00
  
  It's hard enough for companies to tame the masses of structured data now coming their way at top speed each day, but unstructured data -- the kind that doesn't fit tidily into traditional spreadsheets or databases -- is an even bigger challenge. That's typically the domain of expert users in large enterprises equipped with high-end software, and it's also where Taste Analytics has set its sights.Taste Analytics emerged from stealth on Thursday with the launch of Signals, a new textual analytics
  
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• Mobile devices with Snapdragon 820 chip coming in first half next year

  05-11-2015 19:43
  
  Premium mobile devices with brighter screens, better cameras and faster wireless connectivity powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 820 chip could ship as early as April next year.High-end devices with the new chip will start contributing to Qualcomm's revenue in the second half of the company's financial 2016 year, said Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of the company, during an earnings call late Wednesday.That means volume shipments of smartphones and tablets with the chip could start in  April, whic
  
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• Users prepare for a software-driven world

  05-11-2015 19:40
  
  NEW YORK -- As the winds of change blow through the IT industry, so too do they fill the sails of users looking to navigate the waters of open networking.
  Nowhere is that more evident than at the Open Networking User Group (ONUG), which held its fall conference here this week. ONUG began in 2012 as a forum for users to share requirements, experiences, and issues and concerns regarding open networking, particularly around software-defined networking (SDN).
  But as SDN became more of a means to an
  
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• IT worker, fighting two tough battles, files discrimination lawsuit

  05-11-2015 19:25
  
  The Screen Actors Guild is being sued by an IT worker who says she is not only fighting national origin discrimination, but breast cancer. Both are linked.
  Yelena Kutepova was a long-time IT employee at SAG - Producers Pension & Health Plans (SAG-PPHP), a separate unit from the SAG union, until she was fired in July.
  Kutepova, who worked as a senior business analyst, said that she excelled at her job, received promotions, merit salary adjustments and awards in recognition of her work. But s
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How to determine when to build or buy enterprise software

  05-11-2015 18:59
  
  Recently I was talking to somebody at Oracle who recounted the case of a potential CRM customer that got away. Oracle had beaten out Salesforce, Microsoft, etc., and was poised to close the sale. Then the customer decided not to purchase, but rather to continue developing their homegrown CRM system.This customer was faced with the build vs. buy question and decided to build. Always a difficult question to answer, it is too easy to make the wrong choice. There are two responses to this question:M
  
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• Accenture invests in artificial intelligence R&D

  05-11-2015 18:30
  
  Accenture is looking to take a lead in the growing field of artificial intelligence — technologies that enable software to sense, comprehend, act and learn.The global professional services company announced today that it is committing a significant portion of its global research and development to artificial intelligence across its global network of Accenture Technology Labs.Going beyond analytics
  "Artificial intelligence will disrupt businesses and industries on a global scale, and we see
  
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• Drone pilots get a guide to the sky, safety alerts with new app

  05-11-2015 18:05
  
  Drone pilots will have a little more insight into the world around them and get safety alerts through to a free smartphone app launching on Thursday called Hivemapper.The app is designed to supplement the video feed coming from the drone's camera by adding a layer of data about buildings, locations of drone launch sites, no-fly zones and user-contributed waypoints that mark interesting or scenic places to fly.At the heart of Hivemapper is the building database that the company says contains 
  
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• A $10 accessory every Apple Watch owner will want

  05-11-2015 18:05
  
  I'm always on the lookout for affordable accessories that make my favorite gadgets better, and the $10 Shapeways Apple Watch Charging Clip — a plastic, claw-like thingamajigee that secures your Watch while it powers up — fits that description like a new pair o' skinny jeans.
  Every Apple Watch owner knows the Magnetic Watch Charging Cable that comes with the device isn't exactly a marvel of design and function. Its magnet connection to the Apple Watch rear panel is weak and it slips
  
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• TPP revealed: What the trade deal means for online copyright

  05-11-2015 17:57
  
  One month after signing the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, the U.S. and New Zealand governments have published the full trade treaty, including details of what ISPs must do to defend others' copyrights.The deal sets out to reshape trade relations between countries including the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and New Zealand.Information and communications technology products are singled out for special attention, as are telecommunications services and Internet service providers. It
  
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• Tablet demand next year down to just 17%, Gartner says

  05-11-2015 17:56
  
  Only 17% of 19,000 consumers surveyed in the U.S. and five other countries plan to buy a tablet computer in the next year, Gartner said Thursday.
  That finding follows more than a year of declines in tablet shipments and sales, due partly to the availability of larger smartphones, often called phablets, like the Apple iPhone 6 Plus and 6S Plus with a display size of 5.5-in. or the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus or Galaxy Note 5 at 5.7-in.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please cl
  
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• Beware bad USB-C cables, Google engineer warns—while naming names

  05-11-2015 17:43
  
  An engineer at Google has taken up a personal campaign against non-compliant USB-C adapter cables, warning of potential charging problems or device damage.
  Benson Leung, who worked on Google’s latest Chromebook Pixel andPixel C tablet, has been calling out the guilty cables in hisreviews on Amazon. The issue lies solely with cables that have the new reversible USB Type-C connector on one end, and legacy Type-A or Type-B connectors on the other. As Leung notes, these cables must use a spec
  
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• Hostile nations have breached U.S. infrastructure. But don’t panic

  05-11-2015 17:18
  
  Don’t worry too much. But don’t be too happy either.
  That seems to be the mixed message to Americans who rely on the nation’s critical infrastructure for just about everything that defines modern life: Lights, heat, air conditioning, clean water, transportation, appliances, TV, the expanding Internet of Things (IoT) and, of course, social media.
  There has been ongoing, sometimes fierce, debate for more than a decade about the likelihood of a cyberattack taking down the gr
  
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• Samsung embraces 4K displays with the pixel-packed Ativ Book 9 Pro laptop

  05-11-2015 17:11
  
  Samsung is joining Lenovo and Toshiba by getting into the 4K Windows 10 laptop game. The electronics maker recently announced two new additions to the Ativ Book 9 line-up, including a 15.6-inch clamshell with a 3840-by-2160 “Ultra HD” 4K touch display.
  Beyond the gorgeous display, the $1,600 Ativ Book 9 Pro packs some nice components, including a 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M discrete graphics. It also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi
  
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• Heat map to show where burning need is for cybersecurity pros

  05-11-2015 16:57
  
  The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is funding creation of a heat map visualization tool that will show where cybersecurity jobs are open across the country. The first rendition should be out late next year.
  The project, funded through NIST’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), will provide data to help employers, job seekers, policy makers and others sync up. 
  NETWORK JOBS ARE HOT: Salaries expected to rise in 2016To read this arti
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Why Logitech's K811 keyboard beats Apple's new Magic Keyboard

  05-11-2015 16:53
  
  Apple recently announced its new Magic Keyboard, and at first I was excited about it. It comes with a rechargeable battery after all, and that was something I'd been interested in for a while. But ultimately I decided not to buy one after someone suggested getting Logitech's Bluetooth Easy-Switch K811 keyboard from Amazon in a thread on Reddit.
  I hopped over to Amazon to check it out, and I was impressed with what it had to offer. So I ordered one and I've been using it for the last few weeks.
  
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• New ransomware program Chimera threatens to leak user files

  05-11-2015 16:24
  Ransomware creators have taken their extortion one step further: in addition to encrypting people's private files and asking for money before releasing a key, they now threaten to publish those files on the Internet if they're not paid.This worrying development has recently been observed in a new ransomware program dubbed Chimera that was documented by the Anti-Botnet Advisory Centre, a service of the German Association of the Internet Industry.The attackers behind this new threat target mainly
  
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• IT and the entrepreneurial age

  05-11-2015 16:15
  
  Take note: IT can create, or it can destroy, an organization’s ability to be entrepreneurial.If your IT organization isn’t nurturing entrepreneurship, you’re in trouble. The age of entrepreneurship is upon us. The enterprise — the entire enterprise — has to become entrepreneurial, meaning that it has to proactively adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.  The world is experiencing exponential change. The futurists at Singularity University, an institution devo
  
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• IT leaders plan to further embrace cloud in 2016

  05-11-2015 15:45
  
  The majority of CIOs plan to foster a cloud-first strategy for enterprise applications next year, according to a new survey from Bitglass. The "cloud access security broker" conducted its survey of nearly 100 CIOs and IT leaders at the Gartner Symposium IT Expo last month, and it released the findings today.Half of the respondents reported cost savings in 2015 as a result of using SaaS applications, such as Microsoft's Office 365 and Google for Work, but they also continue to face security chall
  
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• Switch to Macs from PCs reportedly saves IBM $270 per user

  05-11-2015 15:38
  
  Many workers have no choice when it comes to the technology they use at work, which means they are often systematically relegated to PCs instead of more expensive Macs. People who dare to as ask why they can't have Apple devices often hear a common refrain: Macs are more expensive; Macs are more difficult to support; and Macs are harder to manage and more challenging to control.Until last spring, IBM, a company with roughly 400,000 employees and 130,000 external contractors, was a just-say-no-to
  
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• Get ready for a customer-service overhaul in the next Dynamics CRM

  05-11-2015 15:00
  
  Microsoft's Dynamics CRM 2016 software is just around the corner, and on Thursday the company revealed new detail about what it will include from a customer-service perspective.
  Two months ago, Microsoft unveiled new aspects of the customer relationship management software relating to productivity. Now it's introducing enhancements to help agents deliver better customer service.
  The updated Dynamics CRM will include new capabilities in three core areas: agent experience, machine-learning intell
  
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• Microsoft gives Config Manager the service overhaul

  05-11-2015 14:30
  
  Microsoft will soon kick off a faster update and upgrade cadence for System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), the cornerstone of the company's enterprise-grade System Center device management suite.
  The more frequent updates are meant to align the core PC management functionality with the accelerated cadence of Windows 10, Microsoft latest operating system, analysts said.
  "This plays perfectly with Microsoft's strategy with mobile now getting updates from the cloud, but also signals somethin
  
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• How to reduce unnecessary drivers in Windows 10

  05-11-2015 14:24
  
  Over time on Windows systems, it's inevitable that old device drivers are supplanted by new ones. Even on systems where drivers aren't rigorously maintained, Windows Update will typically update or replace, on average, a dozen drivers annually.Those who pursue driver currency more vigorously may use tools like the Intel Driver Update utility, GeForce Experience (an Nvidia tool that checks graphics, sound and 3D drivers) or outright driver management tools such as eSupport's DriverAgent or Slimwa
  
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• 14 strange but true tech facts you (probably) don't know

  05-11-2015 14:24
  
  Hardly trivialImage by Mahender G/FlickrAs computers grow ever more powerful, we humans have to figure out where we still remain superior. Here's one suggestion: although the Internet is full of endless reams of data, it takes a human mind to suss through it all and determine what qualifies as interesting to other humans. Thus, we at ITworld present you with the following anecdotes about technology and the Internet, guaranteed to have been selected by the human hand and eye to pique your interes
  
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• Banking on security innovation to beat the hackers

  05-11-2015 14:03
  
  Banks are being targeted by cybercriminals, and that looks likely to continue in a world with more data and devices. Are banks being innovative enough with information security to ward off the threats?
  From chip-and-pin fraud and distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks to malware and nation-state APTs, cybercrime has become a big problem for banks across the world.
  In the last year alone, we’ve seen the emergence of Carbanak, the Russian gang which stole $1 billion from more than 100
  
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• The 15 best free SEO tools

  05-11-2015 14:00
  
  Free SEO tools worth tryingImage by ThinkstockKeeping up with search engine optimization (SEO) trends can be time-consuming — but it doesn't have to be wallet-draining. Fortunately, tons of free cloud-based SEO tools and downloadable applications exist that can make the job easier.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Some of tech’s biggest names get their Swagger on for open APIs

  05-11-2015 14:00
  
  A new umbrella group dedicated to making sure that different pieces of software can interact with each other smoothly has backing from Google, Microsoft, PayPal and IBM, among others, the Linux Foundation announced today.
  The new Open API Initiative will focus on creating a technical community in which members can build on the Swagger specification for APIs, with the idea being to ensure a vendor-neutral standard for apps that are trying to communicate with each other.
  +ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: R
  
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• 9 of 10 directors support regulator action on cybersecurity

  05-11-2015 14:00
  
  In a study released this morning, nine out of 10 corporate board members said that regulators should hold businesses liable for breaches if they haven't taken reasonable steps to secure customer data.
  This was a surprise to Veracode, the company that conducted the study jointly with the New York Stock Exchange.
  "I think they feel that their companies are making reasonable efforts to secure customer data," said Chris Wysopal, CTO and CISO at Boston-based Veracode "And they want the people who ar
  
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• Could Detroit become the next Silicon Valley?

  05-11-2015 13:41
  
  When you think of the hub of technology, Silicon Valley probably comes to mind. But that's slowly changing, as more cities across the country become fast-growing technology hubs. And now, with Amazon's recent announcement that it plans to expand corporate offices to Detroit in 2016, the Motor City is poised to the next hot spot for tech."We have a long-term plan to grow our presence in the great state of Michigan, and bring more full-time, high-tech jobs to the city of Detroit," said Peter Faric
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Want to be more productive? Think about axing deadlines!

  05-11-2015 13:17
  
  Feels great missing a deadline doesn't it?Err, actually...No! Of course, you could take solace from the fact that a lot of project deadlines are missed by a lot of PMOs every day – you only have to look at the statistics on projects that fail to get a sense of that, but it won't make you feel any better. When you're picking through the debris of a failed project there really is no safety in numbers – you're on your own to face the music.A lot of people do miss deadlines, th
  
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• With a torrent of weather data, IBM hopes to know the world

  05-11-2015 12:12
  
  IBM's deal last week to buy The Weather Company adds to its cognitive computing capabilities something IBM really needs -- data, and lots of it.
  But the implications of the acquisition go well beyond just that.
  To be effective, intelligent systems need to be able to handle complex questions and marshal vast amounts of data. IBM now has weather data and analytics it can use in multiple industries and it gained an Internet of Things (IoT) platform that collects information from many sources, incl
  
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• The power of PowerShell: Essential tips Windows admins will love

  05-11-2015 12:00
  
  PowerShell can be a daunting tool to master for Windows admins used to working with the GUI. But as I discussed in our hands-on PowerShell intros for Windows Server and Exchange admins, adding even a little PowerShell into your daily mix can save a ton of effort.Here, I’m going to concentrate on some of the fundamentals of PowerShell as a language to help you take your PowerShell skills to the next level. I won't cover technology-specific topics like how to manage Active Directory, Exchang
  
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• Review: AWS Lambda redefines 'on demand'

  05-11-2015 12:00
  
  What if you could simply define a function to live in the cloud and handle the designated workloads, and not have to worry about provisioning servers, allocating RAM, scaling the number of instances, or configuring load balancing? How great would that be? In fact it is pretty great, as you can discover by using AWS Lambda.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Knowledge Pack: How to get a job in healthcare IT

  05-11-2015 12:00
  
  From electronic records to digital medical devices, all signs point to healthcare as a stable, long-term choice for IT careers. Our downloadable PDF has everything you need to know to launch a career in healthcare IT.(computerworld.com)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• MariaDB pops up on Azure with new cluster service

  05-11-2015 11:20
  
  Companies interested in deploying the increasingly popular MariaDB open source database on Microsoft's Azure cloud platform now have an easy way to do so, thanks to a new offering provided through the Azure Marketplace. 
  Database administrators can deploy the new MariaDB Enterprise Cluster with MaxScale fairly simply by finding it inside Azure's storefront for software vendors and going through a brief setup process. As the name implies, the system is set up as a system of three different
  
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• Waardevolle best practices uit onderzoek naar applicatiestacks

  05-11-2015 09:05
  De CIO die de kosten van zijn IT-operatie omlaag wil brengen, meer toegevoegde waarde voor de business wil leveren en vooral sneller aan die vraag wil voldoen, kan niet om rationalisatie van zijn applicatiestack heen en aan bijkomende vraagstukken als verbetering van het operationeel beheer en een betere invulling van... lees meer
  
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• Apple wages battle to keep App Store malware-free

  05-11-2015 06:22
  
  Apple is facing growing challenges keeping suspicious mobile applications out of its App Store marketplace.Over the last two months, researchers have found thousands of apps that could have potentially stolen data from iOS devices.While the apps were not stealing data, security experts said it would have been trivial for attackers to configure them to do so. Apple has removed some of affected apps since it was alerted by security companies. But the problems threaten to taint the App Store's
  
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• Microsoft follows Mozilla in considering early ban on SHA-1 certificates

  05-11-2015 05:56
  Microsoft is considering advancing the blocking of the SHA-1 hashing algorithm on Windows to as early as June next year, taking a cue from a similar decision by Mozilla.
  The Redmond-based software maker had earlier said that Windows would block SHA-1 signed TLS (Transport Layer Security) certificates from Jan. 1, 2017, but is now mulling moving up the date in view of recent advances in attacks on the SHA-1 algorithm, a cryptographic hash function designed by the U.S. National Security Agency.
  T
  
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• Is Facebook the new political town hall?

  05-11-2015 02:58
  
  Facebook is rapidly swallowing up the news business. Will political debate be next?
  Candidates for the U.S. presidential nomination are turning to Facebook to reach potential voters, and the social network is happy to oblige.
  “We’re excited about the election, because we think we give politicians and people a really compelling way to interact,” COO Sheryl Sandberg said on Facebook's quarterly earnings call Wednesday.
  “If you wanted to feel like you were interacting with
  
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• What Joanna Hoffman told Kate Winslet while shooting the 'Steve Jobs' movie

  05-11-2015 02:54
  
  Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle’s new Steve Jobs film is far from perfect (or even completely accurate), but at least one member of the original Mac team is happy with how she was portrayed.
  “I can’t complain [Kate Winslet] was the one playing me,” said Joanna Hoffman when asked about her portrayal in the film. “We really hit it off.”
  The former Mac marketing executive talked about meeting Winslet during a Monday night panel in Palo Alto, California. The panel f
  
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