IT Executive news

• Intel fills need for speed in mobile with new Skylake, Xeon chips

  25-01-2016 23:49
  Intel has just started shipping some of its fastest mobile chips to date, meaning new powerful laptops should soon be on the market.The new chips include Core i7 Skylake processors, as well as mobile Xeon chips that are headed for portable workstations used by engineers.Intel shipped the first mobile Skylake chips last year, but they were for mainstream and entry-level laptops. These new chips, just added to Intel's price list, are aimed at the high end.To read this article in full or to leave a
  
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• Google gives administrators more control over sharing Apps files

  25-01-2016 23:10
  
  Google is continuing its push to make the Apps collaboration suite useful for enterprises with a new feature that lets administrators manage how their users are able to share files. When users send a link to a spreadsheet, document or presentation that’s saved in Google Drive to people who don’t have access to it, Google automatically prompts senders to allow those recipients to access the file. The update unveiled Monday makes it possible for Apps administrators to restrict how
  
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• TD Ameritrade’s big data push 1 yr. later: Benefits coming from all corners

  25-01-2016 22:51
  
  Network World Editor in Chief John Dix first spoke to Derek Strauss a year ago when he was about three years into his new new role as TD Ameritrade’s first Chief Data Officer.  He had built a new group, the Enterprise Data and Analytics Group, and just finished 18 months of work to stand up nine new platforms, including a Hadoop data store and a metadata repository.  Dix recently visited Strauss to see how this massive undertaking is working out.
  Derek Strauss, Chief Data Office
  
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• DARPA funds a program so computers can read thoughts

  25-01-2016 22:40
  
  In the future, computers may be able to read your thoughts through a connection with the brain. DARPA wants to create a device that could help make that happen.The device, which will be the size of two stacked nickels, will translate information from a brain into digital signals for use on a computer. The device is being developed as part of a four-year, US$60 million research program funded by DARPA -- the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which operates under the aegis of the U.S. Dep
  
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• Symantec partner caught running tech support scam

  25-01-2016 22:07
  
  Tech support scammers are known for their cheek -- making unfounded claims that PCs are infected to scare consumers into parting with their money -- but a Symantec partner took nerve to a new level, a security company claimed last week.
  According to San Jose, Calif.-based Malwarebytes, Silurian Tech Support ran a scam in which its employees, who billed themselves as support technicians, used obscure but harmless entries in Windows' Event Viewer and Task Manager to claim that a PC had been overw
  
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• Home appliance maker hires its first CIO

  25-01-2016 22:07
  
  Haier America has hired as its first CIO. Deanna Johnston, who joins the home-appliance maker after spending the last seven years as the CIO of Belkin International, will manage IT for a company that is seeking market share and sales growth.Deanna Johnston, Haier America's new CIO.To accomplish those goals, Johnston says she plants to create a business process architecture and technology roadmap that aligns with the company's IT systems, and will improve the company’s use of data analytics
  
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• When big data gets too big, this machine-learning algorithm may be the answer

  25-01-2016 21:56
  
  Big data may hold a world of untapped potential, but what happens when your data set is bigger than your processing power can handle? A new algorithm that taps quantum computing may be able to help.That's according to researchers from MIT, the University of Waterloo and the University of Southern California who published a paper Monday describing a new approach to handling massively complex problems. By combining quantum computing and topology -- a branch of geometry -- the new machine-learning
  
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• Arista countersues Cisco for Antitrust

  25-01-2016 21:28
  
  Two days before a ruling in a patent infringement case between the companies, Arista Networks is suing Cisco Systems for what it alleges are antitrust violations.
  Arista today filed a counterclaim to Cisco’s 13-month-old copyright infringement suit in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, for antitrust and unfair competition. Arista alleges Cisco conducts a “bait and switch” with its command line interface in which it claims it is an industry standard and t
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Reaching an audience

  25-01-2016 20:56
  
  The ability to reach an audience is critical to the success of any business presentation. If you aren't able to reach your audience, it doesn’t matter how important your message is, how flashy your deck is, how well you speak or how much time and energy has been devoted to preparation. You'll fail to transform anyone’s thinking and certainly won't move your audience to action.Stage actors are always curious about the audience before a show. Some will peek out into the house from the
  
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• Will new accounting rule slow adoption of cloud computing?

  25-01-2016 20:51
  
  The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) changed a rule in December that will make it harder to capitalize the cost of cloud set-up and implementations expenses, a change that may encourage some enterprises to opt instead for traditional on-premise software.
  The FASB Accounting Standards Update to “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – Internal-use Software (Subtopic 350-40)” addresses “Customer’s accounting for fees paid in a cloud computing arrangement.
  
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• Searching for a deal on Windows PCs? They will be harder to find

  25-01-2016 20:39
  
  In 2008, netbooks sparked a PC-buying frenzy as hundreds of low-power laptops were available for as little as $150. But those days are long gone, and low-cost PCs -- particularly with Windows -- are becoming scarce.As the overall PC market shrinks, mobile devices have replaced low-cost PCs for many users. Those who are looking for a new PC more often than not are interested in a high-quality machine; buyers of low-cost PC are currently in the minority.It will be possible to find low-cost laptops
  
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• Bloomberg champions limitless H-1B visas

  25-01-2016 20:26
  
  As a third-party presidential candidate, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg would likely advocate for unlimited H-1B visas and increased availability of green cards. He could easily become the tech industry's favorite presidential candidate.
  Bloomberg is reportedly exploring his options and sees an opening, particularly if Donald Trump wins the Republican nomination for president and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), wins the Democratic nod.
  Bloomberg champions immigration views that
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Is the iPad Pro the best product Apple has ever created?

  25-01-2016 20:20
  
  Before the iPad Pro was finally released, there were many rumors circulating about what it might be like. People were quite curious and there was much speculation about whether or not Apple actually would release a bigger iPad. But now that it's been out for a while, it seems pretty clear that some folks absolutely love the iPad Pro.
  In the MacRumors forum, one iPad Pro owner started a thread he titled "The best product Apple has ever made" and his post spawned a long discussion thread. I'll sh
  
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• Ta-ta to passwords and PINs; faces and fingerprints to rule the future

  25-01-2016 20:08
  
  Facial and fingerprint recognition technologies are expected to see accelerated growth over the next five years as security applications emerge in the government, enterprise, finance, consumer and other markets.
  The market value of facial recognition technologies is expected to nearly double from $230 million in 2015 to $450 million in 2019; that represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 18%, according to market research firm TrendForce.
  Led by Apple's iPhone juggernaut, unit shi
  
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• Microsoft opens up its deep-learning toolkit on GitHub

  25-01-2016 19:23
  Microsoft took another step on its open-source sharing journey Monday by releasing on GitHub a toolkit it uses internally for deep learning.Dubbed CNTK -- short for Computational Network Toolkit -- the open-source software is a unified deep-learning toolkit that describes neural networks as a series of computational steps via a directed graph. It's proven significantly more efficient than Google's TensorFlow tool and other competing tools, Microsoft says.Microsoft has used CNTK internally to hel
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Ecommerce predictions for 2016

  25-01-2016 19:05
  
  As shoppers continue to flock to the January sales, it’s a prime time for retailers to shake off the mistakes of 2015 and look ahead to the next 12 months. Is it finally the year of mobile? What roles are in top demand for in-house teams? Here is the first in a two part piece where I look at predictions for ecommerce in 2016.Optimize without borders
  Perhaps the outage horror stories from Cyber Weekend 2014 finally drove the message home, but 2015 saw a lot of retailers investing heavily in
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Predictive modeling and associated prescriptive (re)actions in healthcare

  25-01-2016 19:02
  
  In the context of healthcare, the analogy of a pinball machine gives one pause. The very juxtaposition is arresting—and to be certain, only one is a game.Nonetheless, it can be useful to leverage (yet not tilt) the iconic American pinball machine in the discussion of healthcare predictive analytics, as it is a tangible example of a self-contained system, subject to outside forces, in which millions of independent and interdependent actions occur. These instances combine to form iterative c
  
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• Global launch of latest Samsung smartwatches starts in China

  25-01-2016 17:49
  
  Samsung announced on Monday the global launch of its Gear S2 Classic New Edition smartwatches, which first appeared at CES 2016 with 18K rose gold and platinum finishes.
  The New Edition rose gold version incorporates gold plating atop stainless steel, not solid gold, according to Samsung.
  That distinction would explain a price of 480€ (about $520 US), as seen as available for pre-order on the Dutch Cool Blue retail website.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click he
  
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• Planning for security breaches: What CIOs need to know to stay out of the hot seat

  25-01-2016 17:05
  
  Foley & Lardner LLPMatthew Karlyn, Partner, Technology Transactions & Outsourcing Practice, Foley & Lardner LLPTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Critical vulnerabilities patched in Magento e-commerce platform

  25-01-2016 16:36
  If you're running an online shop based on the Magento e-commerce platform, it's a good idea to update it as soon as possible. The latest patches fix critical vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to hijack administrative accounts.
  One issue was discovered by researchers from Web security firm Sucuri and stems from improper validation of email addresses in the customer registration form.
  The flaw allows a malicious user to include JavaScript code in the email field, leading to a so-called s
  
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• Windows 10's Cortana will remind you to keep promises made in emails

  25-01-2016 16:32
  
  Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant is digging deeper into users’ email accounts in hopes of creating more useful reminders.
  With the latest Windows 10 Insider build, Cortana will scan for commitments that users make via email, and then offer to create a reminder. For instance, emailing “I’ll get you this report by the end of the day” to your boss will create a reminder card in Cortana’s main menu.
  As The Verge points out, this reminder process isn’t
  
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• Google will be asked to explain 'cosy' UK tax deal to lawmakers

  25-01-2016 16:30
  
  British politicians want to know why Google is paying so little in back taxes, and will demand that the search giant come in for a talk.The company and the tax authority, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, will be summoned by the U.K. Parliament's Public Accounts Committee to justify a settlement in which Google UK will pay £130 million (US$186 million) in back taxes. On Saturday, Committee chairwoman Meg Hillier said in a tweet, "Bet individual taxpayers wouldn't get off as lightly as Goo
  
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• Office updates make iPad Pro, Apple Pencil awesome for annotation

  25-01-2016 16:16
  
  Believe it or not, Microsoft just provided a great reason to buy both an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.In 2007, Microsoft first released "digital inking" tools in its Office software for Windows. Last week, the company debuted similar drawing tools in Office for iPad. Based on my early experience, they rock.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• 6 analytics trends that will shape business in 2016

  25-01-2016 15:46
  
  In its recently released Analytics Trends 2016 report, consulting firm Deloitte predicts six major trends will significantly shape business in 2016."Business leaders continue to face many varying challenges and opportunities, and staying ahead of these trends will have a lasting impact on how their organizations will operate in the future," says John Lucker, principal, Deloitte Consulting. "By going on the offensive with issues such as cybersecurity, organizations are making a strategic shift in
  
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• LeaseWeb kiest voor SAP C4C en Acorel

  25-01-2016 15:45
  Aanbieder van cloud services LeaseWeb Nederland gaat werken met de crm-oplossing van SAP, Cloud for Customer (C4C), en laat dit implementeren door SAP partner Acorel. Daarmee is het de eerste csp die met deze oplossing gaat werken. Vanwege flinke groei over de afgelopen jaren heeft LeaseWeb Nederland behoefte... lees meer
  
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• Why 6 Republican senators think you don't need faster broadband

  25-01-2016 15:41
  
  An effort by the big ISPs and a group of Republican senators to change the definition of broadband could affect millions of consumers and small businesses that are still stuck in the Internet's slow lane.For years, broadband was defined as a barely satisfactory 4 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream. Early last year, however, the FCC said that's far too slow for an era in which consumers and businesses often stream video and use other demanding applications on multiple devices
  
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• Put it in writing: Contractors need contracts

  25-01-2016 15:31
  
  IT professionals and the gig economy seem to be made for each other. As this recent ITWorld article points out, the tech industry was one of the first to make heavy use of independent contractors, and now more people are taking advantage of the benefits that freelancing offers.Working as an IT contractor, however, has its risks. One of the most common is conducting business without formal agreements. In a world that prizes agility and speed, writing up contracts and outlining procedures may seem
  
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• Microsoft, OEMs supply lists of Skylake PCs that will receive Windows 7 and 8.1 support

  25-01-2016 15:23
  
  Microsoft on Friday posted links to lists of almost 190 PCs eligible to receive Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 support until July 2017, making good on a promise the week before when it abruptly altered its operating system's support policy.
  The lists of systems from Lenovo, Dell, HP and NEC -- the latter is Japan's largest PC maker -- included 185 devices when individual variations of each model line were tallied.
  On Jan. 15, Microsoft unexpectedly announced that it would shorten support for Windows
  
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• Telephonic DoS a smokescreen for cyberattack on Ukrainian utility

  25-01-2016 14:14
  
  The late December telephonic denial-of-service attack against a Ukrainian power company was a smokescreen to cover up a cyber attack, experts say.
  "This is one of the more common reasons why these attacks are done," said Rene Paap, product marketing manager at security vendor A10 Networks.
  According to Paap, telephonic DoS attacks have been around for a while, but don't get as much attention as the big DDoS attacks.
  Just like a regular DDoS attack, telephonic DoS works by overwhelming the victi
  
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• 10 tech giants leading the parental leave policies pack

  25-01-2016 13:51
  
  Tech giants leading the parental leave policies packImage by ThinkstockThe U.S. is part of an elite group: It's one the few industrialized nations that does not offer some form of mandated parental leave.However, many of the most innovative and progressive companies, in an effort to better attract and retain critical and valuable IT talent -- including more women -- are taking matters into their own hands and offering generous, fully paid parental leave policies for employees. Not surprisingly,
  
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• Why paper still rules the enterprise

  25-01-2016 13:20
  
  Printing, scanning and other paper-based activities are alive and well in the corporate office. While there’s been a shift away from the gargantuan multi-function device for some companies, mostly because employees prefer to stay in their work-pods, we’re still reliant on paper for our daily routines, according to a study by Wakefield Research and Infotrends. The concurrent studies, released this month, show that 73 percent of the “owners and decision-makers” at comp
  
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• UA Band review: HTC's first ever wearable is a fitness tracking device

  25-01-2016 13:00
  
  If it’s one thing this world doesn’t need more of, it’s fitness trackers. And yet, here’s HTC, the struggling Taiwanese smartphone maker, using Under Armour as the bait for it’s very first wearable device.
  The wearable is called the UA Band and it is the second iteration of the fitness band HTC announced in partnership with Under Armour last year. The first one got scrapped over the summer, which is likely when HTC went back to the drawing board.To read this a
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Shall we play a game?

  25-01-2016 13:00
  
  A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?- Joshua/WOPR - War GamesI wrote several months ago about rogue IT and how to work with users who sign up for cloud-based solutions without working with you in IT. This still seems true to me, but it may be a little more complicated and a little more contentious than it needs to be.I've continued to think about end-user IT since then and have simplified my approach to it into six words:Ban it. Embrace it. R
  
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• CISOs should take security training seriously

  25-01-2016 12:40
  
  In many ways, security awareness training exemplifies the way information security is seen and tackled by senior management.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Review: 5 prepaid mobile hotspots fire up business travel

  25-01-2016 12:30
  
  On a recent trip to Philadelphia, I paid my hotel $14 a night for spotty Wi-Fi access that topped out at a mere 2Mbps and often stopped dead in its tracks. I was constantly waiting for emails and small files to download to my laptop, and video streaming was, to put it charitably, less than smooth. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm these days: Hotels are charging for Wi-Fi service that's mediocre at best.
  There is a better way, and it involves bringing your own mobile network with you. "H
  
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• Photographic memory made easy

  25-01-2016 12:15
  
  Lifelogging is awesome.Lifelogging is nothing more than the automatic capture and retention of what happens in one's life. This can be accomplished by wearing body cameras to automatically shoot pictures, using sensors to capture biometric data to monitor your location, activity and physical state, or saving every communication you send or receive.The purpose of lifelogging with photos is, quite literally, to use technology to give ourselves a photographic memory. The pictures are prosthetic mem
  
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• REVIEW: Cyphort makes advanced threat protection easier than ever

  25-01-2016 12:00
  
  Over the past few months, we’ve reviewed a variety of cutting-edge security tools that combat advanced persistent threats (APTs); everything from threat intelligence to virtual sandboxing to privileged identity management. And while all of these programs have been powerful, they all had varying degrees of complexity when it came to usability and customization.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• GitLab rev zeroes in on speed, search, and GitHub

  25-01-2016 12:00
  
  GitLab, a code-hosting alternative to GitHub, is adding performance monitoring and "super-powered" search to the 50th release of the platform. Version 8.4, unveiled late last week, also makes it easier to work with large files or large volumes of artifacts.Performance monitoring gathers data on the time it took to complete a transaction, time spent running SQL queries, time spent executing Ruby methods, and system statistics like process memory usage. "We've said in multiple places that improvin
  
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• 9 hidden talents of devops ninjas

  25-01-2016 12:00
  
  Devops is all about culture, with groups of teams working in concert toward a common goal. But as opposed to some workplace cultures, there are certain traits and talents all devops team members must have in common. You could be the best software developer or system administrator in the world, but if you don't possess "devops talents" you'll soon find that you stick out like a sore thumb and any devops shop worth its salt will likely give you the boot.
  High-performing devops shops fire on all c
  
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• Facebook to set up second data center in Europe

  25-01-2016 08:06
  
  Facebook is setting up a data center in Clonee, Ireland, which will be its sixth in the world and its second outside the U.S.The new data center will be equipped with servers and storage from the Open Compute Project, a Facebook initiative that shares designs as open source with other data center operators to standardize and drive down the costs of equipment."We will outfit this data center with the latest OCP server and storage hardware, including Yosemite for compute," Facebook's Vice Presiden
  
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• Twitter may see reshuffle in top management, add board members

  25-01-2016 04:29
  
  Faced with flagging growth in its user base, Twitter could face a reshuffle of some of its top managers and is adding new board members.In a shakeout in top positions at the company, senior vice president of engineering Alex Roetter, vice president of global media Katie Jacobs Stanton, senior vice president of product Kevin Weil, besides Jason Toff, general manager at video-sharing app Vine, are leaving the company, according to news reports. At least one of them was asked to leave, according to
  
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• Struggling Twitter sees exit of key executives

  25-01-2016 04:29
  
  Twitter is facing the exit of key managers, even as the company struggles with flagging growth in its user base.
  CEO Jack Dorsey said in a tweet late Sunday that senior vice president of engineering Alex Roetter, vice president of global media Katie Jacobs Stanton, senior vice president of product Kevin Weil, and Brian Schipper, vice president of human resources were quitting the company.
  "All four will be taking some well-deserved time off. I'm personally grateful to each of them for everythin
  
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