IT Executive news

• Watch: Boeing's new 737 Max has first test flight

  29-01-2016 22:57
  
  Boeing's newest airliner, the 737 Max, successfully completed its first test flight on Friday.It took off from Renton, Washington, a little before 10 a.m. PT, and returned around 12:30 p.m. after completing loops over the Olympic Peninsula.The aircraft features engines that are more fuel efficient, new winglets that make it more aerodynamic and an improved cockpit with fewer but larger flat screens.The airliner is Boeing's challenge to the Airbus 320 neo and the first one is scheduled to be
  
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• BrandPost: Managing the Risks of Hybrid Cloud

  29-01-2016 22:55
  
  Cloud-based enterprise applications are now mainstream as more companies adopt them to gain flexibility, speed and a better end-user experience.
  While shifting enterprise applications to the cloud can bring quick benefits - fast access to new technology in a simpler, more cost-efficient landscape - it also creates a unique set of challenges. This is especially true in hybrid environments, where on-premise and cloud applications are used together, and may include both private and public clouds w
  
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• The Internet of Things has a vision problem

  29-01-2016 21:09
  
  We’ve had a series of problems of late with core technology initiatives largely because we tend to get excited about the technology and not think through what an acceptable solution would be. For instance, we are still struggling with the problem of big data. We grew repositories and didn’t think through that it wasn’t the amount of data that was important, it was the decision support we could get from it.This was most noticeable with the U.S. Security Services who, after 911,
  
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• Presidential hopeful John Kasich: Work out encryption backdoors in backroom deals

  29-01-2016 21:09
  
  Presidential candidate Gov. John Kasich thinks granting encryption backdoors is something that ought to be worked out in private by the president.
  During the Republican presidential debate last night the Ohio governor responded to a question about whether cryptographic experts were wrong when they say opening up secret messages to third-party decryption would cause more problems than it would solve.INSIDER: Techies back Democrats in Presidential race
  “Well, look the Joint Terrorism Task F
  
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• Microsoft's Windows-and-devices group again records lower revenue

  29-01-2016 20:51
  
  Microsoft yesterday again reported a decline in revenue for the group responsible for Windows, the Surface line of 2-in-1s and notebooks, and smartphones, in 2015's fourth quarter. But the contraction was smaller than the period immediately prior.
  Total revenue for the More Personal Computing (MPC) division -- a 2015 creation in another Microsoft reshuffling of both the company's org chart and how it reported earnings -- in the December quarter was $12.7 billion. That was down 5% from the same
  
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• Where Starry Internet dreams of a gigabit, others have found a harsh reality

  29-01-2016 20:45
  
  The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said Thursday that broadband networks are growing too slowly to meet the country's needs. A startup called Starry launched this week promising to roll out broadband faster using wireless, but the track record for companies doing that isn't good.The FCC reported that 34 million U.S. residents still can't get broadband, which it defines as at least 25Mbps (bits per second) for downloads and 3Mbps for uploads. The problem is worst in rural areas and tribal
  
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• Encryption bills pose challenges for Congress

  29-01-2016 20:44
  
  Breaking encryption technology used by terrorists and criminals poses a frustrating dilemma for intelligence agencies and, most recently, congressional lawmakers.
  Bipartisan legislation to create a commission to study U.S. encryption policies and practices is still weeks away from being introduced as discussions continue, congressional aides familiar with the plan told Computerworld.
  The commission approach, backed by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Micha
  
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• Microsoft extends Cordova mobile dev to Visual Studio Code editor

  29-01-2016 20:31
  
  With its Cordova Tools extension for Visual Studio Code, Microsoft this week is extending editing options for developers using Apache's mobile development framework.
  The extension will enable developers building Cordova apps with Visual Studio Code to debug projects, find commands in the Command Palette, and use IntelliSense to browse objects, functions, and parameters in plug-in APIs. Since it's available as open source on GitHub, developers can track issues and submit pull requests.To read th
  
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• OneNote for Mac gets new ability to insert shapes, search capabilities

  29-01-2016 20:27
  
  Microsoft updated its OneNote notetaking software on Friday, releasing a handful of updates primarily aimed at improving the experience of using the product on the Mac.Mac users can now insert a handful of shapes into their notes to draw simple diagrams and charts on the fly, something that's especially important for students and teachers in graph-heavy classes. The PC, iPad and Windows 10 versions of OneNote all support adding shapes to one degree or another, with the tablet editions allow
  
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• Apple expected to finally introduce wireless charging with the iPhone 7

  29-01-2016 20:21
  
  As wireless charging adoption continues to show double-digit annual growth rates, industry pundits have openly wondered when Apple's iPhone would finally take the plunge.
  This month, market research firm IHS predicted that Apple would introduce some form of wireless charging on the iPhone 7 expected to arrive in September; that move seems more likely given that Apple introduced an inductive, proprietary charging solution in 2015 on the Apple Watch.
  Adding fuel to the wireless charging fire
  
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• Monster gaming laptop from CybertronPC packs latest desktop hardware

  29-01-2016 19:58
  
  Plugging high-end gaming desktop hardware into a laptop may seem like a crazy idea, but CybertronPC has pulled it off.It's hard to believe the CLX Osiris 17 and 17x PCs from CybertronPC are actually laptops when when you read the basic specifications. Don't expect much battery life from these desktop-replacement laptops, which have 17-inch screens.The Osiris 17 can be configured with Intel's "Skylake" Core i7-6700K, a high-end desktop chip that can be overclocked to crank up gaming performa
  
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• Buying a Refurbished iPad is Actually a Good Idea

  29-01-2016 19:53
  
  If you're in the market for an iPad, chances are you're not considering a refurbished model. Why would you want to inherit someone else's problems when you could buy new and be guaranteed that it's clean and trouble-free? That's where Apple's "certified refurbished" program comes in.
  According to Apple, before a model gets their "certified refurbished" stamp, it will undergo a thorough test and inspection process. The device is cleaned, the battery is replaced, and all parts identified in the t
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Concentric use of information

  29-01-2016 19:36
  
  The health care industry has a lot to gain from the fruits of big data. There’s more potential than ever before as we begin to analyze and use the wealth of data that is available to us today.Careful and timely collection of massive data as it relates to person, place, and population can reveal new and exciting insights that will result in more intelligent and effective patient care globally.Person
  In the near future, a full set of all available information from multiple systems should be
  
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• Hoping to land this year's 'hottest job'? Here's what you need to be a data scientist

  29-01-2016 19:20
  
  Now that "data scientist" has been named this year's hottest job, it's only natural to wonder if you've got what it takes to fill it.With a median base salary of $116,840 and top rankings from recruiting site Glassdoor for job and career opportunities, the position currently suffers from a chronic shortage of supply, despite universities' best efforts to launch new training programs.It's a wide-open opportunity for people with the right stuff, in other words. Could that include you? It all depen
  
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• Cisco patches authentication, denial-of-service, NTP flaws in many products

  29-01-2016 19:07
  
  Cisco Systems has released a new batch of security patches this week for flaws affecting a wide range of products, including for a critical vulnerability in its RV220W wireless network security firewalls.
  The RV220W vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation of HTTP requests sent to the firewall's Web-based management interface. This could allow remote unauthenticated attackers to send HTTP requests with SQL code in their headers that would bypass the authentication on the targeted
  
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• Apache Hadoop turns 10

  29-01-2016 17:56
  
  Happy birthday Apache Hadoop!Ten years ago, on Jan. 28, 2006, Doug Cutting and Mike Cafarella split the distributed file system and MapReduce facility from their open source Web crawler project (Apache Nutch) and spun it off as a subproject called Hadoop. The subproject was named after Cutting's son's stuffed elephant toy.Cloudera Hadoop project co-creator Doug Cutting.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Inside Verizon's Super Bowl Control Center

  29-01-2016 17:35
  
  With banks of big-screens high along three walls and a huge TV on the fourth, it could be a great spot to watch The Super Bowl. But when the Denver Broncos take on the Carolina Panthers on Feb. 7, the people in this room won't be concerned with touchdowns, running yards and time outs. They'll be analyzing gigabits, latency and capacity to make sure Verizon's cellular network holds up for fans.This is Verizon's Super Bowl command room -- a temporary, purpose-built nerve center in the shadow of Le
  
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• Marketing tech firm wins $56 million in VC funding

  29-01-2016 16:58
  
  In the age of Amazon, which now captures nearly half of consumers' first product searches, it's no wonder that digital businesses seeking to reach customers have been investing heavily in marketing technology.The rise of new data storage and analytics technologies have contributed to making marketing technology one of the fastest-growing segments in the tech space. But the market has also become flooded with competitors and products: According to VentureBeat, there has been year-on-year triple-d
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Sarah Sharp talks about increasing diversity in open source

  29-01-2016 16:33
  
  The Southern California Linux Expo 14x (SCaLE 14x) concluded on January 24 with a keynote from open source developer Sarah Sharp, who made waves in October, 2015 with a blog post explaining why she stepped down as a Linux kernel developer. Here are some highlights from her presentation.
  Sharp opened her talk by giving a nod to SCaLE for being one of the most diverse Linux and open source conferences. She then called on white males in the audience to repeat after her: “Increasing diversity
  
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• HP and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi team up on a crystal-laden smartwatch for women

  29-01-2016 16:14
  
  HP is adding another luxury, designer smartwatch to its Engineered by HP line. This time around the company's teaming up with Issac Mizrahi for the aptly named Isaac Mizrahi Smartwatch. The wearable comes in either silver or gold, and offers swappable watch bands for those who need to mix and match colors.
  Taking a look at the device’s product page, it’s clear the new watch is aimed squarely at women—one of the few smartwatches to do that. The watch face is a standard, physica
  
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• Identity theft victim? This site helps you reclaim your life

  29-01-2016 16:03
  
  The Federal Trade Commission yesterday unveiled a revamped online hub where victims of identity theft can file complaints and receive a personalized recovery plan to regain control of their personal and financial information and accounts.[ Related: Identity theft hit 7% of U.S. population last year ]At IdentityTheft.gov, consumers can navigate through a series of questions about how their information was compromised (e.g. data breach, lost wallet, etc.) that will then produce a list of steps to
  
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• Flexibele medewerkers dragen innovatie

  29-01-2016 15:53
  Technologie mag dan de drijfveer zijn achter veel innovatie, mensen zijn de drager. Bedrijven die een ‘people first’ aanpak ontwikkelen, trekken aan het langste eind in de digitale economie. Dat is de boodschap van Accenture in een deze week gepubliceerd rapport. Alleen organisaties die hun... lees meer
  
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• Why zero-rating services like T-Mobile Binge On are a real threat to the Net

  29-01-2016 15:52
  
  Everybody likes free stuff. And free stuff is even better when it comes from wireless carriers, a bunch not known for doing their customers any favors.For this reason, I feel like a bit of a wet blanket when I say programs such as T-Mobile's Binge On video-streaming service could represent a slippery slope that leads to an industry in which large, established companies that can afford to give away bandwidth squeeze out the newest and most innovative Internet organizations.Binge On lets T-Mo
  
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• Hack for Her Summit promoot ‘gendered innovation’

  29-01-2016 15:31
  Half januari heeft Microsoft zijn eerste Hack for Her Summit georganiseerd om het bewustzijn van gender-inclusieve productontwikkeling te verhogen. Hack for her is een door Microsoft geleide beweging die mensen van verschillende achtergronden, vaardigheden en beroepen samenbrengt om ervaringen die goed werken voor... lees meer
  
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• No agreement as deadline to replace Safe Harbor nears

  29-01-2016 15:30
  
  Two days from their deadline, U.S. and European Union negotiators still have no replacement for the transatlantic data-transfer agreement overturned last year by the EU's top court.The original Safe Harbor agreement enabled companies to store and process EU citizens' personal information in the U.S. in compliance with strict European data protection laws, and its invalidation by the Court of Justice of the European Union last October in a case relating to Facebook's activities has called into qu
  
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• 6 outsourcing questions to ask during an M&A

  29-01-2016 15:12
  
  Merger and acquisition deal announcements hit an all-time high of in 2015, from Anthem and Cigna to EMC and Dell. And experts expect robust M&A activity this year. But just as major mergers lead to major integration efforts for IT, they also spell significant work around outsourcing arrangements. In fact, the selling company is typically responsible for negotiating new sourcing services agreements before a divestiture is complete. [ Related: New IT outsourcing model boosts bottom line ]
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Beyond bitcoin: Can the blockchain power industrial IoT?

  29-01-2016 14:36
  
  Bitcoin has become one of the most interesting technologies of the past few years. The magic behind bitcoin is powered by an equally exciting technology known as the blockchain. While the Bitcoin is certainly the most famous application of the blockchain, it is far from being the only one. The decentralized, trustless and secured capabilities of the blockchain have the potential of redefining many traditional business solutions including those powering the enterprise Internet of Things (IoT).The
  
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• GoEuro werkt samen met SNCF

  29-01-2016 14:16
  GoEuro, een zoekservice waarmee reizigers rail-, bus- en vliegverbindingen in Europa met elkaar kunnen vergelijken en boeken, heeft een partnerschap gesloten met de Franse spoorwegmaatschappij SNCF. Reizigers kunnen nu hun reis uitstippelen naar meer dan 30.000 bestemmingen in Europa. Gebruikers zoeken niet... lees meer
  
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• iPad Pro vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 4 for business supremacy

  29-01-2016 14:15
  
  The Surface line up once stood alone as one of the only proven hybrid tablet-notebook devices on the market. And, for a while, no one took it that seriously. But as it grew in popularity, other companies followed suit, including Apple with its latest iPad Pro. Both devices are sleek and high-end, but when it comes to their biggest demographic - business users - which one takes first place?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Why have so many 4-inch iPhone owners refused to upgrade?

  29-01-2016 14:00
  Apple's recent earnings call revealed a curious number for the first time: 60 percent of iPhone owners from before the release of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are still using their 4-inch iPhones. These Apple customers adamantly refuse to upgrade to larger size iPhones, and are sticking with their iPhone 4s, 5 and 5s models.This number is quite significant and no doubt it's the main reason why rumors are flying that a new 4-inch iPhone is coming in March. Apple seems to finally understand that larger
  
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• Despite solid Office upgrades, Google still beats Microsoft at collaboration

  29-01-2016 14:00
  
  Going mobile often means tradeoffs, at least when it comes to productivity. Slowly, however, mobile collaboration apps are catching up to their desktop counterparts. During the past few days, for example, both Google and Microsoft added valuable new real-time collaboration tools to their document suites.New comment tools for Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
  Google's Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android and iOS haven't exactly excelled in the past when it came to adding, viewing, and resolving
  
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• 27% of all malware variants in history were created in 2015

  29-01-2016 14:00
  
  Last year was a record year for malware, according to a new report from Panda Security, with more than 84 million new malware samples collected over the course of the year.
  That averages out to around 230,000 new malware samples a day, said Luis Corrons, technical director of Panda's PandaLabs unit. Or 27 percent of all malware ever created.
  Trojans continued to account for the main bulk of malware, at 51.45 percent, followed by viruses at 22.79 percent, worms at 13.22 percent, potentially unwa
  
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• 10 top jobs by salary for social media pros in 2016

  29-01-2016 14:00
  
  Highest paying social media jobsImage by ThinkstockThe value of many social media skills to employers declined during the last 18 months, according to data provided exclusively to CIO.com from PayScale, a company that performs corporate compensation analysis. Of the 20 most common social media jobs, nine pay more than the 2016 U.S. national average salary of $51,300, the company says. The highest concentration of social media jobs is in California, but the average pay in regions such as the San
  
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• Storied Xerox to split its business into separate document and BPO companies

  29-01-2016 13:32
  
  Over 50 years ago, Xerox introduced photocopiers based on a dry process called xerography that largely did away with the requirement of carbon copies of documents. So popular was the concept and the technology that in many markets users didn't ask for a photocopy but a 'xerox' of a document.
  Meanwhile, researchers at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center developed technologies, such as Ethernet and the graphical user interface, that were the basis of many key subsequent technology developments.
  Xer
  
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• Microsoft’s TypeScript gets fitted with better compilation

  29-01-2016 13:04
  
  Microsoft has gone to a beta release with TypeScript 1.8, the latest upgrade to the company's typed superset of JavaScript, featuring improvements in compilation and the usage of third-party libraries.TypeScript compiles to JavaScript. In version 1.8, available for the Visual Studio 2015 IDE, the compiler can consume JavaScript files alongside TypeScript files. In a blog post, Microsoft's Bowden Kelly said the conversion process from JavaScript to TypeScript at times could be "menacing" for larg
  
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• Villeroy & Boch migreert IT-infra naar OVH

  29-01-2016 13:01
  Keramiekproducent Villeroy & Boch heeft zijn IT-infrastructuur gemigreerd naar OVH, specialist op het gebied van cloud- en internet-infrastructuren. De vorige infrastructuuroplossing van het bedrijf was niet schaalbaar genoeg en kon de groei van e-commerce niet bijhouden. Het gehele serverlandschap van de fabrikant... lees meer
  
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• Tweedeling tussen grote en kleine online dienstverleners

  29-01-2016 12:45
  Het dienstenaanbod van kleine en grote IT service providers drijft uit elkaar. Kleinere aanbieders gaan in het defensief en richten zich noodgedwongen op niches met een beperkt, maar op maat gesneden aanbod, terwijl grotere dienstverleners inzetten op uitbreiding en integratie van producten en diensten. Hierop duidt... lees meer
  
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• Windows 10 quick tips: How to protect your privacy

  29-01-2016 12:30
  
  There has been some concern that Windows 10 gathers far too much private information from users. Whether you think Microsoft's operating system crosses the privacy line, or just want to make sure you protect as much of your personal life as possible, we're here to help. Here's how to protect your privacy in just a few minutes.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• How to protect security product investments

  29-01-2016 12:09
  
  Simply buying additional expensive security products and configuring them no more completely or precisely than you did the last slew of protection tools you purchased is a road map to recurring breaches. Misconfigured tools fail to shield your existing attack surface and add vulnerabilities to it. The quality of the tools, the intent of the enterprise, and the discipline of the employees are not typically the issues.
  The needs of the enterprise have stacked so many security products against a c
  
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• Radical PCs and cutting-edge components: January's most powerful new PC hardware

  29-01-2016 12:08
  A January to rememberImage by Brad ChacosYou might think the PC industry would take it easy after the holidays. You’d be wrong. This January was one of the most hectic months for PC hardware announcements in recent history, with the annual CES electronics show resulting in a veritable deluge of radical, powerful new gear. From butt-kicking PCs that look like knight helmets to ultra-potent new Surface devices to some of the fastest memory ever announced, there was something for everybody to
  
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• OpenSSL patches a severe but not widespread problem

  29-01-2016 05:59
  The OpenSSL project has patched a problem in the cryptographic library but one that likely does not affect many popular applications.
  OpenSSL enables SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption. Most websites use it, which is indicated in Web browsers with a padlock symbol.
  It's an open-source library that is widely used in applications for secure data transfers. After serious vulnerabilities were found in OpenSSL over the last couple of years, the application has be
  
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• LG patches data theft bug affecting millions of Android phones

  29-01-2016 03:24
  
  LG has patched a security flaw in an application preinstalled on millions of its Android G3 smartphones that researchers found could be used to steal a variety of data.
  The application, called Smart Notice, is a kind of multifunctional widget, managing contacts, notifications, and weather and traffic alerts.
  Researchers from BugSec and Cynet, two computer security companies, found that they could attack a person's phone by sending them a contact with malicious JavaScript contained in the name f
  
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• Node could bring JavaScript to the Internet of things

  29-01-2016 03:23
  
  With the availability of boards like Raspberry Pi and Npm-based communications modules, Node.js is becoming more of an option for developers building applications for the Internet of things, an industry executive stressed on Thursday.
  Speaking at the Node Community Convention in San Francisco, Charlie Key, CEO of IoT PaaS platform provider Structure, made the case for the server-side JavaScript platform in IoT. He sees it as appropriate even if it currently offers too large a memory footprint f
  
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• Laid-off IT workers muzzled as H-1B debate heats up

  29-01-2016 03:21
  
  IT workers are challenging the replacement of U.S. employees with foreign visa holders. Lawsuits are on the rise and workers are contacting lawmakers. Disney workers who lost their jobs on Jan. 30, 2015, are especially aggressive.
  There's a reason for this. 
  The Disney severance package offered to them did not include a non-disparagement clause, making it easier for laid-off workers to speak out. This is in contrast to the severance offered to Northeast Utility workers.To read th
  
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• Microsoft's Lumia may be a dead phone walking, as sales continue to fall

  29-01-2016 02:33
  
  Microsoft said Thursday that it sold half as many Lumia smartphones as it did a year ago, and that the trend will continue—what some might call a virtual death sentence for Microsoft’s Lumia smartphone line.
  In its quarterly earnings call Thursday, Microsoft said that it sold 4.5 million Lumia phones during the fourth calendar quarter, down a whopping 57 percent compared to  the 10.5 million sold during the same period a year ago. Phone revenue as a whole declined 53 percent, o
  
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• Facebook is shuttering the Parse developer platform

  29-01-2016 00:50
  
  Facebook has just given developers a year to stop relying on its hosted Parse services, announcing it will shut down the services it acquired when it purchased the company of the same name in 2013. 
  That's bad news for people who have come to rely on the developer platform for things like providing push notifications, analytics and a server back end for applications. On Jan. 28, 2017, Facebook will stop providing those services. 
  Developers who don't want to rewrite their applications
  
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