IT Executive news

• Microsoft wants to 'holoport' you into a conversation elsewhere

  25-03-2016 23:39
  Microsoft wants to bring HoloLens users into a conversation with other folks who aren't in the room, using a technology developed by its research division that enables "holoportation."It's a product of Microsoft Research's Interactive 3D Technologies group, which released a YouTube video showing different people appearing in a room alongside Shahram Izadi, a partner research manager. While Izadi was being recorded in person, the other people who joined him (including his daughter) were displayed
  
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• Microsoft 'deeply sorry' for Tay chatbot, will bring it back when 'vulnerability' is fixed

  25-03-2016 21:42
  
  A Microsoft executive said Friday that the company was “deeply sorry” for the “unintended offensive and hurtful” tweets the company’s Tay chatbot delivered earlier this week.
  “Tay is now offline and we’ll look to bring Tay back only when we are confident we can better anticipate malicious intent that conflicts with our principles and values,” Peter Lee, the corporate vice president in charge of Microsoft Research, wrote in a blog post. T
  
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• Windows 10 passes 20% share in the U.S.

  25-03-2016 21:16
  
  One in five Windows-powered devices steered to a host of U.S. government websites in March ran Windows 10, according to preliminary data.
  For the first time, Windows 10 accounted for more than one-fifth of the visits to sites tracked by the Digital Analytics Program (DAP), which mines traffic to more than 4,000 websites on over 400 different domains maintained by U.S. government agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service and the National Weather Service.
  The bulk of the visits to DAP websit
  
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• Roboadvisors stand at the vanguard of human-machine collaboration

  25-03-2016 20:02
  
  Pundits opine about how automation technologies will eliminate certain jobs, fueling a rise-of-the-machines kind of fear and loathing among tech workers. Horror story scenarios aside, evidence suggests it's far more likely that automation will augment rather than replace most jobs. Witness the financial services sector, where sophisticated algorithms called “roboadvisors” pair with humans to offer investment advice.Vanguard CIO John Marcante.To read this article in full or to leave a
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Leaving ah... um... and uh... behind

  25-03-2016 19:55
  
  Stage actors memorize their lines. Most playwrights insist that actors deliver their lines exactly as written: nothing added, nothing omitted. For a number of reasons, freely improvising lines during the performance of a play is considered unprofessional. Occasionally an actor will “go up” and forget one of their lines. They may fumble for words as they struggle to recover, but among professional actors going up on your lines is rare.Many technology managers who are called upon to gi
  
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• Microsoft's latest Windows 10 build fixes bugs but has some of its own

  25-03-2016 19:52
  Microsoft pushed out some fresh software to people who are beta-testing the latest versions of Windows 10 on Friday, starting the weekend off with a slate of bug fixes aimed at improving the usability of devices on the new operating system.People who have devices on the Fast ring of the Windows Insider Program for computers and smartphones will get the new bits Friday, including updates to fix several known issues with the previous beta build. The biggest fix for PC users is that this update rep
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Triple Threat to IT Success™

  25-03-2016 18:17
  
  There are many issues that can cause an IT organization to fail, but there are three that are at the root of most IT failures. I named it the “Triple Threat to IT Success™”.
  My first article in the Practical Management Tips for IT Leaders blog last week was titled, 7 reasons IT managers have the toughest management roles. It sets the stage for why IT management is so difficult and provides insight into the unique challenges IT managers are presented with.To read this article i
  
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• 13 ingredients for IT transformation success

  25-03-2016 17:56
  
  Transformation by nature is not formulaic—every business is different, and culture plays a huge role in what can be done, and how. But, there are common elements that, according to members of the CIO Executive Council, CIOs ignore at their own peril.1. Articulate the motivation – Change is tough, so there needs to be a damn good reason to care, to commit and to act. The motivation for IT transformation should tie to business success and jibe with stated business goals. But don’
  
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• New ransomware abuses Windows PowerShell, Word document macros

  25-03-2016 17:22
  A new ransomware program written in Windows PowerShell is being used in attacks against enterprises, including health care organizations, researchers warn.PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework that's included in Windows and is commonly used by systems administrators. It has its own powerful scripting language that has been used to create sophisticated malware in the past.The new ransomware program, dubbed PowerWare, was discovered by researchers from security fir
  
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• Data scientist Hilary Mason wants to show you the (near) future

  25-03-2016 16:18
  
  If you want to get a jump on the latest developments in machine intelligence, head down to where Manhattan's Lower East Side borders Chinatown, a still-gritty but gentrifying neighborhood where hip coffee houses are springing up next to industrial-supply outlets and wholesale stores.The location, an area in the midst of transition and modernization, is a fitting spot for Fast Forward Labs, a startup founded to help companies innovate and compete using what founder and CEO Hilary Mason calls "rec
  
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• Malware authors quickly adopt SHA-2 through stolen code-signing certificates

  25-03-2016 15:06
  As the IT industry is working to phase out the aging SHA-1 hashing algorithm it's not just website owners and software developers who are scrambling to replace their digital certificates: Cybercriminals are following suit too.Researchers from Symantec have recently found new samples of the Carberp.B online banking Trojan that were digitally signed with not one, but two stolen certificates: one using a SHA-1 signature and one using a SHA-2 signature."It can be safely surmised that the malware aut
  
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• Belgium attacks reinforce that security is everybody’s problem

  25-03-2016 14:05
  
  I’ve had some rather unusual security training over the years. One of my earliest jobs was in security and law enforcement, and my course of study in graduate and undergraduate school included covering some of the largest security disasters in corporate history. Oh, and I was an internal auditor leader for a time when we had a tight emphasis on security. And, I’ve actually been a body guard.One of the things I’ve learned is that security is as much a mindset as anything else. W
  
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• How to pick between the Galaxy S7 and GS7 edge (video)

  25-03-2016 13:29
  
  Immediately after Samsung showed me its new Galaxy S7 and GS7 edge smartphones in mid-February at a business-focused media event in Manhattan, I wrote a GS7 first impressions story on the Acela train back home to Beantown. (Hatechu Amtrak Wi-Fi; Luvyou Verizon mobile hotspot.) 
  The next day, I published a blog post with some important details on the two new Galaxys' 15w Qi wireless charging features. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Searching for a path to IoT security

  25-03-2016 12:59
  
  We probably see 5-10 Internet of Things (IoT) security posts or news feeds every day.  I read one last week that said that “real IoT security is over 10 years away.” The article was an accounting of a panel discussion between experienced security experts so their analysis was a downer for someone like me who believes that the IoT has so much potential in everyday human endeavors.  Panelist Eugen Kaspersky summarized the problem from the point of view of critical infrastruct
  
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• People are (still) the biggest security risks

  25-03-2016 12:52
  
  "We're battling thousands of years of evolution," says Kevin Epstein, vice president of the Threat Operations Center at Proofpoint. "It's natural to be curious about things. Unfortunately, with email scams, it's better to think before you click." One more reason we – the collective “we,” that is – continue clicking on malicious links or downloading bogus attachments, despite being told not to: hackers have gotten much better at pretending to be someone they're n
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: iPhone SE reviews: A terrific little phone that is worth buying

  25-03-2016 12:13
  Apple caught the attention of many users and critics when it announced the new 4-inch iPhone SE. And now reviews have started to come in from around the web. So far Apple’s new smaller iPhone has been getting mostly rave reviews from critics. The consensus seems to be that it offers a great deal of power in a tiny package.Read on to see what some of the critics are saying about the iPhone SE.The Daily Mail: A familiar old friend that could be the perfect starter phone
  Mark Prigg at the Dai
  
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• CIO kiest hybride cloud vanwege security en privacy

  25-03-2016 11:41
  Bedrijven in de Benelux willen ICT-diensten naar de cloud brengen, maar zien obstakels op het gebied van beveiliging en privacy. Zeven op de tien IT-beslissers zien deze aspecten als de belangrijkste aandachtspunten bij de keuze van een nieuwe IT-infrastructuur. Hierop duidt onderzoek naar de toekomstbestendigheid van... lees meer
  
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• Why IT can’t handle data breaches alone

  25-03-2016 11:21
  
  In his keynote address at the CIO Perspectives event in Dallas last month, attorney Matthew Karlyn instructed the crowd about what CIOs and other business leaders need to know about the laws surrounding data breaches and preparing for the worst before a breach happens.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Turn your smartphone into a 3D printer for $99

  25-03-2016 11:00
  
  A new 3D printer that uses light from a smartphone display to create objects has already garnered more than $800,000 four days into a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.
  OLO 3D Inc. created a three-piece cube with a transparent bottom that rests atop any smartphone with a display of up to 5.8-in, including the iPhone 6S and Galaxy A7.
  When activated, OLO's smartphone app turns any 3D design into a bright light that hardens resin in the cube into an object.
  The OLO app also allows users to send p
  
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• OS X tips and tricks

  25-03-2016 11:00
  
  These utilities, tricks and tips will make life with El Capitan, also known as OS X 10, much easier. Courtesy of Mac guru Jonny Evans. (computerworld.com)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Make the most of free Amazon Web Services

  25-03-2016 11:00
  
  The best way to think of the free tier to Amazon Web Services is as a stepping-stone. It allows you to get your feet wet with the basic mechanisms of AWS and EC2; to understand Amazon's handling of virtual machine instances, storage, data, and networking; and to create an item that can eventually be hosted on a full-blown, for-pay AWS instance. It also lets you learn how to manage and constrain AWS usage. If you're not careful, you may end up paying for your "free" AWS usage after all.To read t
  
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• How virtual reality will shape the future of your PC hardware

  25-03-2016 11:00
  Strapping a pair of virtual-reality goggles to one’s face used to be the province of bad science fiction. Now, seemingly overnight, VR is here in the real world and dictating the future of the PC.
  Why? Because virtual reality—and its cousin, augmented reality—is something of a Holy Grail for the PC industry: a device with potentially mass-market appeal, and one that demands premium components that Silicon Valley has historically struggled to justify. Customers and vendors
  
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• DevOps als antwoord op digitale disruptie

  25-03-2016 10:15
  DevOps, de methode waarbij ontwikkeling en beheer van digitale diensten in één team zijn verenigd, is de manier voor traditionele organisaties om mee te komen in de digitale transitie. Dat is de conclusie van het deze week gepubliceerde trendrapport van het Verkenningsinstituut Nieuwe Technologie (VINT)... lees meer
  
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• Lyft drivers lawsuit may end without addressing worker reclassification

  25-03-2016 08:33
  A lawsuit filed by drivers against Lyft may not address the key and contentious issue of whether the drivers should be reclassified as employees with all the attendant benefits.The app-based ride hailing company is offering a US$12.25 million settlement fund, including attorney fees and other costs, besides non-monetary relief to the about 100,000 drivers, but will not be required to reclassify its drivers as employees.Their classification as employees would raise costs for Lyft in terms of empl
  
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• Admitting to throttling video, Netflix now promises more control for users

  25-03-2016 05:33
  
  Netflix admitted Thursday to throttling video streams worldwide for its mobile users, but said it hasn't been an issue for customers.The video streaming company plans to roll out to its members sometime in May a 'data saver' feature, allowing them greater control over their data usage when streaming on mobile networks.Users will then be able to “either stream more video under a smaller data plan, or increase their video quality if they have a higher data plan,” wrote Anne Marie Squeo
  
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• Comcast offers low-cost Internet service to public housing residents in 4 cities

  25-03-2016 02:53
  
  Comcast announced a pilot program on Thursday to bring low-cost Internet service to public housing residents in Miami-Dade County, Nashville, Philadelphia and Seattle.
  Comcast and the ConnectHome initiative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development set up the program to reduce the digital divide.As many as 40,000 public housing residents in all four cities may be eligible, Comcast said.
  At a kickoff ceremony at Rainbow Village, a 90-unit housing development in Miami, Comcast techn
  
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• FBI chief shoots down theory that NAND mirroring will be used to crack terrorist's iPhone

  25-03-2016 02:52
  
  The head of the FBI today denied that the agency's mysterious "outside party" had proposed digitally copying the contents of the processor in the San Bernardino terrorist's iPhone as the solution to gaining access to the device's data.
  "It doesn't work," said Director James Comey when asked about the technique, called "NAND mirroring," during a press conference announcing the indictment of seven Iranian nationals on charges of launching cyberattacks against U.S. banks and accessing the computer
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: The art and science of digital crystal ball predictions

  25-03-2016 02:37
  
  Wheels on a horse-drawn carriage was a horrible idea until it wasn't. Hoverboards were a fantastic idea until they weren't. There is a nondescript quality held by leaders who can predict the adoption of visionary and futuristic technologies.The cystal ball tech predictions
  New technology is spawning every day. CIO’s are under constant pressure to evaluate capabilities, explore new products, redesign existing processes, and formulate useful applications that are cost-effective and add value
  
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• How machine learning will take off in the cloud

  25-03-2016 00:39
  
  A company that helps users to create their own websites now knows what kind of sites their 80 million users are building without pestering them with repeated questions.
  Wix, a Tel Aviv-based web development company, is using machine learning on Google's cloud platform to learn more about its users so it can help them find the images they need to build interesting and useful websites.
  That's just the beginning of how machine learning will be used in the cloud, according to industry analysts who
  
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• How Apple stomped on Intel's plans to make RealSense emotionally smart

  25-03-2016 00:18
  
  Intel has grand plans for computers that will recognize human emotion using its RealSense 3D camera, but Apple appears to have dealt it a setback.RealSense uses a combination of infrared, laser and optical cameras to measure depth and track motion. It's been used on a drone that can navigate its own way through a forest, for example.It can also detect changes in facial expressions, and Intel wanted to give RealSense the ability to read human emotions by combining it with an emotion recognition t
  
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