IT Executive news

• Work in finance or accounting? Watch out for 'whaling' attacks

  23-12-2015 23:33
  If you work in finance or accounting and receive an email from your boss asking you to transfer some funds to an external account, you might want to think twice.
  That's because so-called "whaling" attacks -- a refined kind of phishing in which hackers use spoofed or similar-sounding domain names to make it look like the emails they send are from your CFO or CEO -- are on the rise, according to security firm Mimecast.
  In fact, 55 percent of the 442 IT professionals Mimecast surveyed this month s
  
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• NetSuite CEO: The cloud is the last computing architecture

  23-12-2015 20:42
  
  As CEO of NetSuite, Zach Nelson knows a thing or two about cloud computing. After all, his company was born in the cloud way back in 1998 -- before it became fashionable -- and it's been all-cloud ever since, offering ERP and other business software as a service by subscription."We were effectively the first cloud app," Nelson said in a recent interview. "The idea was to build a system to run a business, and oh by the way, deliver it over the Internet."Originally, the company was known as NetLed
  
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• T-Mobile Binge On may reduce all video quality, a sneaky trend for streaming plans

  23-12-2015 18:44
  
  T-Mobiles’ Binge On program has gone too far by throttling all streaming video traffic regardless of data plan or network congestion, according to a group of tech industry heavyweights.
  The Internet Association—a group that counts Netflix, Amazon, Google, and Facebook among its members—claims that T-Mobile is reducing video quality for all streaming services without giving adequate choice or notice to consumers. The group has applauded the Federal Communications Commissio
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 2015's most exciting Linux devices

  23-12-2015 18:09
  
  Year of Linux!Image by Swapnil Bhartiya2015 started with an impressive showing of Linux at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). And now the year is closing, having delivered some great Linux-powered devices. Here are the 9 that I found most exciting.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Top 10 Internet of Things stories of 2015

  23-12-2015 16:31
  
  From personal fitness and professional sports to manufacturing and everywhere in between, the Internet of Things (IoT) started making its presence felt in 2015. Here are CIO.com's most-read IoT stories of 2015.10. IBM to invest $3 billion in Internet of Things, by Thor Olavsrud
  IBM is betting big on the Internet of Things (IoT) to the tune of $3 billion over the next four years to establish a new IoT unit. With the new IBM IoT unit, the company plans to build on its new industry-specific cloud d
  
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• Microsoft's ginormous Surface Hub gets another delay—and a $2,000 price increase

  23-12-2015 16:24
  
  Microsoft is still having trouble getting its Surface Hub out the door, announcing a second shipping delay and a $2,000 price hike for new orders.
  The all-in-one computer for conference rooms, which includes a touch screen, stylus input, and integrated Kinect sensor, will now ship sometime in Q1, later than the January 1 release date that Microsoft announced in August. Originally, Microsoft planned to launch the Surface Hub on September 1, but pushed that release back in preparation for “
  
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• How to fix Microsoft's latest Windows 10 update blunder

  23-12-2015 14:43
  
  It's bad enough that Microsoft is so pushy about getting users to upgrade their PCs to Windows 10. These software updates don't always go as planned, and Microsoft this week released another update that's wreaking havoc on some versions of Microsoft Word.If you use Word 2016, the latest version of Microsoft's word processing app, and install the company's most recent Windows 10 patch, the update wipes out your "normal" template. That little file, named normal.dotm, is important because it contai
  
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• How to fix Microsoft's latest software update blunder (updated)

  23-12-2015 14:43
  
  (Editor's note: This post has been updated to correct a reporting error that suggested this issue was related to a Windows 10 update. The problem is instead related to a Word-specific update. Changes are reflected in bold.)It's bad enough that Microsoft is so pushy about getting users to upgrade their PCs to Windows 10. These software updates don't always go as planned, and Microsoft this week released another update that's wreaking havoc on some versions of Microsoft Word.To read this article i
  
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• Poor security decisions expose payment terminals to mass fraud

  23-12-2015 14:16
  
  Some payment terminals can be hijacked to commit mass fraud against customers and merchants, researchers have found.The terminals, used predominantly in Germany but also elsewhere in Europe, were designed without following best security principles, leaving them vulnerable to a number of attacks.Researchers from Berlin-based Security Research Labs (SRLabs) investigated the security of payment terminals in Germany and were able to use them to steal payment card details and PIN numbers, hijack tran
  
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• Battle of the (fitness) bands: Garmin vivosmart HR vs. Fitbit Charge HR

  23-12-2015 13:57
  
  With the brand new vivosmart HR activity tracker, Garmin took direct aim at Fitbit and its Charge HR. Both fitness wristbands have optical heart rate sensors, and they cost $150. To compete with Fitbit, the dominant player in the activity tracker market, Garmin had to take vivosmart HR several steps further. However, a few technical and design issues keep me from offering a full recommendation for Garmin's latest wristband.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, pleas
  
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• 13 wearable tech trends to watch in 2016

  23-12-2015 13:57
  
  The Apple Watch dominated the wearables conversation for much of 2015 and may continue to do so with the second-generation Watch expected in 2016. Fitbit will also likely continue to hold its own in the New Year. Beyond these two safe bets, the future of dedicated activity trackers, and health and fitness wearables, is unclear.
  We asked a collection of analysts, wearable technology manufacturers and other experts in the field for their takes on what to expect in 2016 and came up with these 13 t
  
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• 7 tips for building an effective video cover letter

  23-12-2015 13:06
  
  How to create an effective video cover letterImage by ThinkstockMore IT companies are asking candidates to provide a video cover letter in addition to traditional resume and portfolio. While in some respects you should adhere to the same rules that govern video job interviews, there are some key differences to remember when you're planning, recording and submitting a video cover letter. Here's how to make sure your video cover letter hits all the right notes."Think of a video cover letter as a '
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Should Apple add 3D Touch support to Notification Center in iOS?

  23-12-2015 13:00
  If you have an Apple Watch then you know how easy it is to clear all notifications in Notification Center. There's a button that's easy to tap on the Apple Watch that gets rid of all notifications, but oddly enough the same feature is not found in iOS.Should Apple add 3D Touch support to Notification Center in iOS? I'll share my thoughts below, but here's a sample of a recent thread on Reddit that explored the issue.
  LordFrostCraig: ”Unless I'm just blind, there's still no "Clear all notif
  
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• Wyndham settlement: No fine, but more power to the FTC

  23-12-2015 12:35
  
  On the face of it, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts dodged a major bullet from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
  After three major data breaches in 2008 and 2009 that compromised the credit card information of more than 619,000 customers and led to more than $10.6 million in fraudulent charges, the company earlier this month settled a lawsuit brought by the FTC that doesn’t require it to pay a penny in fines or even admit that it did anything wrong.To read this article in full or to leave a c
  
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• How fake users are impacting business … and your wallet

  23-12-2015 12:16
  
  A few weeks ago, Kristen Faughnan got something that surprised her: a "low balance" text message from her bank. That didn't make sense. She'd just paid for a haircut, but she knew how much was in her account.  Even after paying her stylist, it was much more than the level at which the bank would tell her she was almost out of funds. "I logged onto my bank account to find two recent charges from Groupon," she says. They were from a cologne store in Texas. Faughnan lives in Pennsylvania.
  
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• Big banks battle startups with new apps and services

  23-12-2015 12:02
  
  A war is raging on the financial technology (FinTech) front. With consumers and businesses alike clamoring for faster loan processing, greater returns on financial investments and better overall customer experiences, entrenched financial giants are facing soaring competition from smaller and nimbler startups. These banking goliaths are now starting to fight back with more customer-responsive offerings built on big data analytics, mobile apps and cloud-enabled CRM.On the startup side, new players
  
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• Security theater comes to CES

  23-12-2015 12:00
  
  Every year I confront the insanity that is CES. You may think of it as the ultimate geek toy exhibition. I see it as acres and acres of cement floors overflowing with grumpy crowds and cranky salespeople. Oh, the things I do for my readers to keep them informed about smart washing machines, more fitness trackers than you can shake your fist at and self-driving cars!
  We, the few — well actually well over a hundred thousand of us — the tech-besotted, the lovers of 8K smart TVs ar
  
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• Review: Google Cloud flexes flexibility

  23-12-2015 12:00
  
  If one company among all companies is synonymous with cloud-centered computing, it would be Google. From the very beginning, Google built a business located somewhere in the murky depths of the Internet, and its search engine continues to be one of the most formidable engineering marvels of the modern world. When was the last time there was an outage?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Microsoft preps for Windows 10 upgrade push

  23-12-2015 12:00
  
  Windows 10 is now on more than 148 million PCs, according to data from analytics vendor Net Applications. But the rate at which users are moving to the new operating system seems to be slowing.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Google pushes new scheme for native-like Web apps

  23-12-2015 12:00
  
  Web apps are dead. Long live Web apps.
  Dissatisfied with the quality of Web apps compared to their native cousins, Google is pursuing its Progressive Web Apps concept, which looks to combine the best of the Web and the best of apps. Intended for any form factor, Progressive apps load quickly even on questionable network connections, send push notifications, and have an icon on the home screen.[ The art of programming is changing rapidly. We help you navigate what's hot in programming and what's
  
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• FAA takes drone registration offline for maintenance ahead of surge in demand

  23-12-2015 08:39
  
  The Federal Aviation Administration has temporarily suspended the registration of small drones during overnight hours, citing reports of site performance issues it received from a few users.
  The move by the agency comes as completed registrations have soared to over 45,000 since it started offering the facility from Monday afternoon.
  The maintenance is being done ahead of an expected surge in demand on Christmas Day. The FAA cited industry estimates that forecast that as many as 400,000 small d
  
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• NZ court rules that Kim Dotcom can be extradited to the US

  23-12-2015 04:27
  A district court in New Zealand has ruled that Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom and three colleagues can be extradited to the U.S. to face copyright infringement and other charges.His legal team said soon after the order by Judge Nevin Dawson in Auckland that it looked forward to a review of the U.S. request for extradition by a High Court. Megaupload counsel Ira Rothken wrote in a tweet that the decision rendered the New Zealand "ISP criminal copyright safe harbor illusory."The case dates back to
  
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• NASA suspends 2016 launch of Mars probe

  23-12-2015 02:01
  
  NASA on Tuesday said it has canceled the March 2016 launch of a space probe that was designed to give scientists a deeper look inside Mars.
  The space agency said project managers decided to cancel the launch of their Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission after repeated attempts failed to fix a leak in a critical scientific instrument onboard the spacecraft.
  "Learning about the interior structure of Mars has been a high priority objective
  
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• Forget the gadgets, come to CES 2016 for the cars

  23-12-2015 01:59
  Cars look certain to be among the stars of January's CES show in Las Vegas -- testament to the advanced technology work being done by the auto industry today and a lackluster electronics sector that is still searching for the next big thing.
  Most of the world's major automakers will be at CES and are expected to detail their latest work on autonomous car technology and next-generation electric and hydrogen drive systems. The world's top car maker, Toyota, will be there, as will Chevrolet,
  
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• What we learned about 5G in 2015

  23-12-2015 01:13
  The much-anticipated 5G mobile standard won't be finished until 2020, but the people who'll make it happen were busy throughout 2015 trying to define it.One thing that's clear already is that 5G won't be like 4G. Rather than just making phones and tablets faster, the next generation of mobile technology will be asked to serve many uses, each with different requirements.This was a year for sorting through those demands."A lot of progress has been made," said Tolaga Research analyst Phil Marshall.
  
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• Google said to be working on messaging app that employs AI

  23-12-2015 00:11
  
  Google is working on a new messaging app that will employ artificial intelligence to bring some of the company's data smarts to a chat bot service in the software, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
  The new chat service would allow users to talk with friends or ask questions of the chat bot, which would attempt to find answers from Google's vast map of the Internet, the newspaper said. The launch date isn't know.
  Users can already do that to a certain extent with the voice search
  
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