IT Executive news

• AI is coming to factories as IBM works with IoT startup Wi-Next

  22-01-2016 22:51
  
  Internet of Things startup Wi-Next will add IBM analytics to its systems for industrial quality control and predictive maintenance.The added capabilities, including some powered by artificial intelligence, are designed to help food-processing companies and consumer product makers keep production lines running smoothly despite what's sometimes a breakneck pace.The partnership should help deliver one of the most important benefits promised by industrial IoT: preventing unexpected shutdowns. It's a
  
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• Report: Instead of releasing an iPhone 6c, Apple will upgrade the iPhone 5se

  22-01-2016 22:03
  
  A previous iPhone model could be making a comeback.
  According to 9to5Mac, Apple will introduce an iPhone 5se this March with curved edges and Live Photos capabilities. Its predecessor, the iPhone 5s, was first released in 2013 but it’s currently still on sale.
  This report comes amidst rumors that Apple has been prepping to release a smaller version of its current generation iPhone, potentially a 4-inch 6c version. Turns out, however, that the 4-inch iPhone 5se is set to be the smaller alt
  
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• Chromebooks are siphoning market share from Windows PCs

  22-01-2016 22:03
  
  Shipments of PCs with Google's Chrome OS are growing at the expense of Windows laptops and desktops, as the PC market suffers through its biggest slump since 2008.Especially popular are Chromebooks, which are basic Chrome OS laptops for Web computing. Low-price Chromebooks are attractive to students, educational institutions and budget buyers.Worldwide Chrome PC shipments in 2015 are expected to surpass those in 2014, according to IDC. Chrome PCs accounted for 2.8 percent of all PCs shipped worl
  
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• Microsoft beefs up its Surface Book and Surface Pro 4

  22-01-2016 21:58
  
  Microsoft beefs up its Surface LineupIf you've been waiting for a Microsoft Surface tablet with more storage capacity, today is your day. Boasting a terabyte of storage, a Core i7 processor and 16 GB or RAM, the 1TB Core i7 Surface Book and a 1TB Surface Pro 4 may appeal to you if you're looking a serious laptop replacement. Along with the upgraded devices, the company also announced a new gold-colored Surface Pen.The Surface Book, which was released last year, is the company's first attempt to
  
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• After many promises, Microsoft accelerates Windows 10 preview delivery

  22-01-2016 21:34
  
  Microsoft yesterday issued a new Windows 10 preview to its Insider testers, making good -- at least in one instance -- on a December promise to quicken the pace of its beta releases.
  Build 11102 of Windows 10 was delivered Thursday to Insider participants on the "Fast" ring release track. The new build followed its predecessor by just eight days.
  The eight-day interval was significantly shorter than the averages in both the first and second halves of 2015, according to Computerworld's records.
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Retail transitions to target mobile customers as sales channel changes

  22-01-2016 21:28
  Retailers realize that many of their customers are coming through the mobile channel as much or more than in-store, and are changing the way they track and engage with them.  Everyone’s been looking in the US at Black Friday sales as an example. One of the busiest sales times of the year, the Wall St. Journal estimates that $4.45 billion was spent during the weekend, and it is “estimated that more than half of Black Friday shopping came from mobile devices.” This is up eve
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Happy Data Privacy Day

  22-01-2016 21:23
  
  Data Privacy Day (DPD), held every January 28 and coordinated by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), is an international effort highlighting “Respecting Privacy, Safeguarding Data and Enabling Trust." DPD provides an opportunity for you to re-enforce these themes within your organization to improve privacy awareness. The result is that you will increase your customer’s trust in your organization while reducing costs and liabilities due to human error while handling personal
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: SCaLE 14x, day 1: Shuttleworth delivers the grand vision for Ubuntu

  22-01-2016 20:30
  
  Southern California Linux Expo (SCaLE) 14x in kicked off yesterday, January 21. The highlight of the was a keynote by Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth at UbuCon Summit, a co-hosted event at SCaLE 14x.
  Some technical issues with the projector at the beginning of Shuttleworth's presentation led him to quip that Ubuntu is "moving so fast that we have warped the colors on the screen.”
  Shuttleworth praised the differences and diversity in the Ubuntu community. He said the differences in wha
  
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• Almost 300,000 drones have been registered with the FAA

  22-01-2016 19:34
  
  The Federal Aviation Administration says its drone registration system has hit almost 300,000 registrations, one month after launch.The figure points to some success for the database, which was introduced on Dec. 21 and is aimed at instilling a mindset of safety in drone pilots, but is still well behind industry estimates of the number of drones sold in 2015 -- those were forecasting sales of around 700,000 drones.So there's either still a lot of drones to be registered or those sales estimates
  
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• Snow in your forecast? Here's how GIS will help ease the pain

  22-01-2016 18:15
  
  The eastern U.S. is no stranger to brutal winter storms such as the one expected to pummel the region this weekend, but coping with such weather is a far cry today from what it once was.Not only has weather prediction evolved considerably over the years, giving affected areas more advance warning, but predictive analytics and other advances in geographic information systems (GIS) are helping governments, communities and businesses prepare to respond in real-time as needs arise."In the case of an
  
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• Battling cyberattacks with bombs?

  22-01-2016 17:41
  
  While hosting a panel on security this week, I talked to Johnathan Nguyen. Nguyen is in charge of the Data Breach Investigation Report at Verizon. He came out of government to focus on enterprise security. One thing we discussed was the massive migration of security professionals out of the U.S. Government to high paying security jobs in the enterprise (some are promised both a significant increase over their current pay, but guaranteed 20 percent annual raises just to get and hold on to them).N
  
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• Defending against insider security threats hangs on trust

  22-01-2016 17:37
  
  When it comes to security, insider threats are an unfortunate fact of life. But if you're thinking only about combatting malicious insiders, you may be miscalculating the risk."The insider threat is much broader," says Steve Durbin, managing director of the Information Security Forum (ISF), a nonprofit association that assesses security and risk management issues on behalf of its members. "It isn't just about bad apples — people that are deliberately out to steal information or harm organi
  
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• Why did Linux Foundation cut independent board seats?

  22-01-2016 17:19
  
  One of the most powerful organizations in the open-source world faces questions over why it quietly did away with two seats on its board designated for non-corporate members.
  As of Jan. 15, the Linux Foundation’s bylaws were changed to remove a provision that allowed for the election of two board members by the group’s individual affiliates. The entirety of the board’s membership is now selected by the Linux Foundation’s corporate members.
  +ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: Windows
  
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• FortiGuard SSH backdoor found in more Fortinet security appliances

  22-01-2016 16:44
  
  Network security vendor Fortinet has identified an authentication issue that could give remote attackers administrative control over some of its products.
  The issue, which was described as a FortiGuard SSH (Secure Shell) backdoor, was originally disclosed earlier this month by an anonymous researcher, who also published exploit code for it.
  Last week, Fortinet said that the problem was not an intentional backdoor, but the result of a management feature which relied on an undocumented account wi
  
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• Skype now hides your IP address to protect against attacks from online trolls

  22-01-2016 16:34
  
  Skype is adding a new default security feature primarily to protect gamers from their overheated rivals. The Microsoft-owned service recently announced it would start hiding users’ IP addresses by default in the latest update to Skype. Previously, a Skype user’s IP address was not hidden, meaning hackers who knew what to look for could easily obtain your IP address and thus target your computer.
  Why this matters: Online gaming is serious business. So serious that people who los
  
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• Google paid Apple $1B to be default iPhone search engine; Android profits revealed, too

  22-01-2016 16:25
  
  Court documents show that Google paid Apple a $1 billion fee in 2014 in order to remain the default search engine on the iPhone, a report from Bloomberg noted yesterday.
  The revelation came in the form of a hearing transcript that took place earlier this month, part of an Oracle lawsuit against Google that alleges the search giant violated copyright law in its use of Java to develop the Android mobile operating system.
  + ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: IBM's Power systems business is growing for the fir
  
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• New high-end Surface Book, Surface Pro 4 models crank up the firepower

  22-01-2016 16:15
  
  Microsoft’sSurface BookandSurface Pro 4were some of the sleekest new devices of 2015, but they still suffered from some limitations that give power users pause. Namely, theinitial Surface configurationsoffered limited storage and memory options, with no opportunity to crank every aspect of the systems to 11. Good news, deep-pocketed PC enthusiasts: On Friday, Microsoft rolled out potent new Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 configurations with all the firepower you could ask for.To read this
  
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• Logistics company saves big by ditching Oracle support

  22-01-2016 15:53
  
  BDP International is saving hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in maintenance costs for its Oracle database software after switching to a third-party vendor that many CIOs are also turning to trim their support bills. The logistics company’s decision followed close scrutiny of its existing contract with Oracle, as well as the backing of the CIO and the rest of the C-suite, says Jason Bullock, BDP's executive director, IT Global Infrastructure and Support.
  >> Submit your applicat
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Cloud is now a core strategy — are you onboard?

  22-01-2016 15:50
  
  What are clouds?That's a question a child might ask, but for CIOs today, the answer centers on a completely different meaning. Top tech chiefs and company executives are trying to figure out how to use cloud technology and to what degree it should be part of their company strategy.Without a doubt, statistics show the cloud can no longer be ignored:According to a Gartner study cited by Information Age, public cloud spending increased 32 percent in 2015 and is expected to reach $16.5 billion this
  
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• Google says it killed 780 million 'bad ads' in 2015

  22-01-2016 15:32
  
  The scourge of spam, clickbait and phishing attempts that has plagued the Web for years is getting worse. Google says it disabled more than 780 million "bad ads" globally last year, a 49 percent increase over 2014, according to a new Google report. The company said it shut down 524 million misleading or potentially harmful ads in 2014 and removed 350 million bad ads in 2013. For perspective, it would take an individual nearly 25 years to look at the 780 million ads Google removed last year for j
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Should you migrate to Windows 10 in 2016?

  22-01-2016 15:12
  
  In my previous article I looked at the marketing and hype surrounding the release of Windows 10 in its first six months. Microsoft have vaunted the rapidity of the rollout so far (4 times faster than for Windows 8), the fastest of any OS so far, and that over 200 million users are already on the new operating system according to Yusuf Mehdi, of Microsoft. He goes on to say that 76% of their enterprise customers are in active pilot.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Project managers: Get organized or get out

  22-01-2016 15:03
  
  In my time as a project manager, I've seen a lot of very organized individuals leading projects. Sometimes they are organized to the extreme. That can be good...and it can also be bad. Too much rigidity can lead to project managers who are focusing on the minute details and micromanaging team members rather than focusing on the end goals of the project, engaging the project client, and being flexible enough to handle the bumps in the road that inevitably show up.The other end of the spectrum --
  
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• Apple pushes into virtual reality by hiring top researcher

  22-01-2016 14:36
  
  Apple has lured a top virtual reality researcher away from Virginia Tech, according to the Financial Times. The move could give Apple a chance to catch up with rivals Samsung Electronics, Microsoft, Google and Facebook, which have all made plays in the virtual reality field.The researcher, Doug Bowman, had been a professor of computer science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and director of its Center for Human-Computer Interaction. He recently joined Apple after a short s
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 5 fun action games for iOS newbies

  22-01-2016 14:00
  The iOS App Store has tons of action games, but if you're a newbie it can be tough to figure out where to start. There are just so many different action games to choose from that it can be quite overwhelming as you comb through the App Store to find games worth getting for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.In this roundup, I've included five fun action games that will entertain you and get you started playing on your iOS device. And the best thing is that you won't have to spend a lot of time look
  
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• Who needs a computer science degree these days?

  22-01-2016 13:33
  
  Two candidates apply for a software development position: One has a degree in computer science from a prestigious school. The other is self-taught with several years' experience under his belt.  Who one gets the job?Of course, there's no definitive answer to this question, but it's one that CIO's are increasingly going to have to think about.That's because more and more software developers – and very skilled and competent ones at that – are entering the job market without any de
  
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• Theo Hooghiemstra principal consultant bij PBLQ

  22-01-2016 13:33
  Theo Hooghiemstra, momenteel directeur van de Raad voor Volksgezondheid en Samenleving (RVS), keert begin maart na een periode van ruim drie jaar terug naar PBLQ als principal consultant.Hooghiemstra zal als principal consultant in een vrije, ondernemende en inhoudelijke rol belanden. Hij gaat een adviespraktijk... lees meer
  
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• 10 texting habits you need to break

  22-01-2016 13:00
  
  It seems like texting isn’t even very popular these days—it’s been replaced by Line and whatsapp and Snapchat and Peach…I think. I’m not young and hip anymore.But texting has been around for more than 20 years, guys, so it’s amazing to me that when I do get a text, some people are still just so bad at it. Let me repeat that: Texting is over 20 years old. That’s older than most of the kids on Snapchat!In honor of texting being the oldest of the cool form
  
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• Online dienstverlening en softwareontwikkeling blijven groeien

  22-01-2016 12:41
  De software en services sector is sinds twee jaar in een nieuwe groeifase terechtgekomen met een minimumgroei van 5%. In 2015 is de omzet zelfs met 8% gegroeid en voor dit jaar wordt eenzelfde groeipercentage verwacht. Dit zegt het ING Economisch Bureau in een deze week verschenen rapport.Investeringen in... lees meer
  
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• Helft ict-beslissers bij grote organisaties onbekend met IoT

  22-01-2016 12:02
  Van de ict-beslissers bij grote organisaties heeft de helft nooit van het internet of things gehoord. Hun collega’s bij bedrijven in het mkb en zelfstandigen zijn beter onderlegd: daar is gemiddeld bijna driekwart bekend met de term. Daarop duidt de jaarlijks onderzoek van TNS NIPO in opdracht van KPN.De... lees meer
  
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• Here's where Microsoft is going with mobile

  22-01-2016 12:01
  
  At first glance, Microsoft's mobile strategy seems disjointed.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Facebook retools VR, streaming for video boom

  22-01-2016 12:00
  
  With video becoming increasingly popular on Facebook, the social networking giant has made a series of technology updates involving 360-degree video, VR (virtual reality), and streaming video.
  The improvements, announced at the Video@Scale conference Thursday at Facebook offices in Menlo Park, Calif., are being made to Facebook itself, but anyone can access the 360 transformation code on GitHub.[ See what hardware, software, development tools, and cloud services came out on top in the InfoWorld
  
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• 9 zakelijke ICT-trends volgens Verizon

  22-01-2016 11:32
  Als organisaties optimaal van de digitale transformatie willen profiteren, zullen ze hun bedrijfscultuur, operationele processen, infrastructuur en talenten-pool grondig moeten aanpassen aan nieuwe businessmodellen. Volgens Verizon bepalen dit jaar de volgende – en niet noodzakelijkerwijs technologische... lees meer
  
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• SAP sees cloud, support revenue overtaking software in 2018

  22-01-2016 08:49
  German business software maker SAP expects its revenue from cloud subscriptions and support to be higher than its revenue from software licenses in 2018, reflecting an industry trend.This would be a dramatic shift for a company, which earlier had licenses and support of its business software as its mainstay business. There was considerable skepticism whether it would be able to quickly make the transition to the cloud with a new revenue model based on subscriptions rather than one-time payments.
  
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• The best Google Cardboard VR apps

  22-01-2016 01:50
  
  Don't be Card-boredCardboard is Google’s do-it-yourself gateway into virtual reality, letting you strap your Android phone into a cardboard shell (with a couple of lenses) and immerse yourself in 3D worlds. It’s pretty cheap and easy to get started, and there are many dozens of apps to download.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Researchers move closer to charging an EV as fast as filling a tank of gas

  22-01-2016 01:47
  
  One of the drawbacks of electric vehicles (EV) is that it can take up to 8 hours to fully charge their lithium-ion batteries.
  Swiss researchers, however, say that by increasing the electrical charge, EVs can potentially be fully charged in about 15 minutes.
  In a paper published today, researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EFPL) (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne) said an EV charging station with 4.5 megawatts (MV) of power could charge a vehicle in 15 mi
  
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• U.S. military wants to create cyborg soldiers

  22-01-2016 01:45
  
  The U.S. military is working to create a chip that can be implanted in a soldier's brain to connect it directly to computers that can deliver data on an enemy's position, maps and battle instructions.
  The implanted chip would essentially create soldier cyborgs that would be safer and better fighters.
  "Today's best brain-computer interface systems are like two supercomputers trying to talk to each other using an old 300-baud modem," said Phillip Alvelda, manager for DARPA's Neural Engineering Sy
  
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• IBM's Power systems business is growing for the first time in years

  22-01-2016 01:40
  
  A few years ago, you wouldn't have bet much on IBM's Power systems having a bright future. The major Unix platforms have all been on the decline for more than a decade, giving way to Linux servers powered by increasingly capable x86 processors from Intel.The jury is still out on Power, but there are signs that a bold push by IBM to revive the technology has started to pay off. Oracle's Sparc platform is also proving surprisingly resilient, raising a question about whether Hewlett-Packard sh
  
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• Windows Phone can now work on smartphones with Intel x86 chips

  22-01-2016 00:40
  
  After years, the wait for Intel-based Windows smartphones could be coming to an end.The Windows 10 Mobile OS -- popularly known as Windows Phone -- can now run on x86 chips, according to a Microsoft Web page. It's the first version of Windows Phone to be compatible with x86.The information on the website was confirmed by a Microsoft spokeswoman as being accurate. Up to now, Windows smartphones have only run on ARM-based chips from Qualcomm.Intel and Microsoft last year joined forces in an effort
  
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