IT Executive news

• A fleet of self-driving trucks rumbles across Europe

  07-04-2016 23:24
  
  A caravan of about a dozen self-driving, semi-trailer trucks for the first time finished a trip across parts of Europe this week.
  The autonomous truck challenge was organized by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment and included rigs from six manufacturers, including Volvo, Daimler and Volkswagen subsidiary Scania. The convoy journeyed from manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Sweden to the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
  A Scania semi-trailer trave
  
  Read more

• Tesla's Model 3 now has 325K pre-orders — and $14.5B in potential sales

  07-04-2016 23:16
  
  Just a week after announcing its Model 3 all-electric vehicle, Tesla has received more than 325,000 pre-orders from potential customers, each of whom handed over $1,000 to reserve a car.
  In all, Tesla has now raked in more than $325 million in reservation money for the four-door sedan, which will have a starting price of $35,000 and is expected to begin shipping at the end of 2017. TeslaTesla CEO Elon Musk released this mock up of the Model 3 on Sunday via Twitter.To read this article in full o
  
  Read more

• Open-source vulnerabilities database shuts down

  07-04-2016 23:16
  
  An open-source project dedicated to cataloguing a huge range of computer security flaws has closed its doors as of Tuesday, according to an announcement on the Open-Source Vulnerability Database’s blog.
  The OSVDB, which was founded in 2002, was meant to be an independent repository for security information, allowing researchers to compare notes without oversight from large corporate software companies.
  One of its founders was HD Moore, a well-known hacker and security researcher, best kno
  
  Read more

• Apple's aging Mac Pro is falling way behind Windows rivals

  07-04-2016 22:23
  
  Apple's Mac Pro is aging fast, especially with screaming fast Windows desktops being announced in recent weeks.
  Introduced in 2013, the Mac Pro was a top-of-the-line desktop at that time. It looked exquisite in its sleek cylindrical design, and it sported new features like Thunderbolt 2 ports, plus the latest CPUs, GPUs and NVMe storage.
  More importantly, it was a signal that Apple had not abandoned the professional computing market. The latest Mac Pro was a relief to those clamoring for an upg
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Hyperlinking to unlawfully published copyright images is still legal, says top European judge

  07-04-2016 21:47
  
  Publishing hyperlinks to photos from, say, Playboy magazine is legal -- even if the website linked to doesn't have permission to publish the images, a top European Union judge has said.That's because hyperlinking to a document does not constitute a fresh publication, according to Melchior Wathelet, advocate general of the Court of Justice of the EU, in a legal opinion issued Thursday.But his opinion, on a case brought by the publisher of Playboy magazine, is only advisory, and it still remains f
  
  Read more

• Microsoft's focus on Windows 10 upgrades is a mistake

  07-04-2016 21:17
  
  Microsoft made a mistake at its recent developers conference when it didn't use the opportunity to push customers to buy new hardware, an analyst said today.
  "On behalf of the Windows 10 team, we're happy to welcome all of these customers to Windows 10, whether they have a new PC, a five-year-old PC, or a Mac [emphasis added]," said Terry Myerson, the executive who leads the company's devices and operating systems group, after touting a new number of active Windows 10 users.
  Carolina Milanesi,
  
  Read more

• IBM and Box unveil Expert Seller app for iOS

  07-04-2016 20:52
  
  IBM and Box today announced a low-cost, easy-to-deploy version of Expert Seller to improve the sales and marketing experience for workers using iPads and iPhones.
  The new app combines Box's expertise with content management and IBM's Mobile First for iOS cloud capabilities, the companies said.
  Pricing has not been announced, although an IBM spokeswoman described it as a low-cost app that can be deployed to workers within five days. Prices will be based on a monthly subscription fee.
  Marketing a
  
  Read more

• Sputnik automates code review for Java projects on GitHub

  07-04-2016 20:14
  
  Sputnik, a new service that performs continuous automatic code reviews for Java, can integrate directly with open source projects hosted on GitHub at no charge.
  The service's underlying software is open source and is hosted on GitHub. Users can contribute to the code directly, or they pull a copy to use on premises, although the convenience of plugging into an existing GitHib repository is a big draw.[ Download the Deep Dive: Monitoring in the age of devops. | Get a digest o
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• AI just 3D printed a brand-new Rembrandt, and it's shockingly good

  07-04-2016 19:54
  
  There's already plenty of angst out there about the prospect of jobs lost to artificial intelligence, but this week, artists got a fresh reason to be concerned.A new "Rembrandt" painting unveiled in Amsterdam is not the work of the Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn at all, but rather the creation of a combination of technologies including facial recognition, AI, and 3D printing.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
  Read more

• Outlook for iOS and Android gets new calendar integrations

  07-04-2016 17:00
  
  Users of Outlook for iOS and Android now have new ways to get important reminders and events into their calendars, thanks to integrations that Microsoft unveiled Thursday morning.The new Calendar Apps feature allows users to add reminders and events from Wunderlist, Evernote and Facebook into their calendars and view key information from those sources alongside calendar details from Exchange, Google Calendar and iCloud.For Evernote users, reminders that they've set inside the note-taking app wil
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: Linus Torvalds still wants Linux to take over the desktop

  07-04-2016 16:49
  
  We all know Linus Torvalds doesn’t like keynotes. This year was the first time he kind of delivered a keynote at the Embedded Linux Conference. It took the form of a discussion with friend, fellow scuba diver and chief Linux and Open Source Technologist at Intel, Dirk Hohndel.
  Here are some of the most interesting things Torvalds said during that discussion.On Linux kernelThe latest Linux kernel release 4.6 -rc2, which was released just before the event, is one of the larger releases Torv
  
  Read more

• It’s 2016, and Reddit just launched official iOS and Android apps

  07-04-2016 16:34
  
  Reddit has finally joined pretty much every other major site on the Internet in offering mobile apps.
  The official Reddit apps are available now for iOS and Android. While the design differs somewhat between the two platforms—with iOS using bottom menu buttons for navigation and Android embracing Material Design—they both offer quick way to swipe or scroll through Reddit posts. These apps will likely have ads, but new users are getting three months of premium “Reddit Gold&rdqu
  
  Read more

• Newegg customer service comes to Facebook Messenger

  07-04-2016 16:05
  PC component retailer Newegg likes to experiment with new features for customer service. It was an early adopter of Bitcoin as payment, and now the company is joining the chat revolution. Newegg recently announced that you can now contact the company via Facebook Messenger.
  The addition is not part of the new bot craze, but plain old standard live customer service—a program Facebook announced nearly a year ago.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
  Read more

• Up to 84% off Dragon NaturallySpeaking Today Only - Deal Alert

  07-04-2016 15:53
  
  Today only, Amazon is offering Dragon NaturallySpeaking software at discounts of up to 84%. 
  Dragon NaturallySpeaking is the world's best-selling speech recognition software. Dictate and edit documents, send email, search the Web and use social media with unparalleled speed, ease and comfort. Dragon literally gets smarter as you use it, picking up on the words, names and phrases you use the most to convert your voice into text and commands with up to 99% accuracy.To read this article
  
  Read more

• White House won't support encryption unlocking legislation

  07-04-2016 15:44
  President Barack Obama's administration won't support legislation to force device makers to help law enforcement agencies defeat encryption, according to a news report.Two senior members of the Senate Intelligence Committee have been floating draft legislation to require device makers and other tech companies to provide workarounds for encryption and other security features, but the White House won't offer public support for the proposal, according to a report from Reuters.FBI Director James Com
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: Which is best – Waterfall or Agile?

  07-04-2016 15:24
  
  "Which is best – Waterfall or Agile?" a client asked this week.For me, ineffective project management, a better question would be "Which is the best methodology for THIS specific part of THIS specific project?"You probably have many pairs of shoes ... formal shoes, hiking boots, sports shoes, slippers, etc. When you choose which shoes to wear you do so based on what you're about to do. If you were to head off on a vacation that you knew was going to include hiking in the foothills, laying
  
  Read more

• Facebook Live revamp hints at what's to come at F8

  07-04-2016 15:21
  
  Facebook detailed an upcoming overhaul of its "Facebook Live" video service yesterday, just four months after it first publicly released the features. Facebook Live will soon have its own dedicated tab in the middle of the Facebook mobile app that you can use to find live or archived video broadcasts from Friends or Pages you follow, search other video by topic, and view maps of live broadcasts from the 60 countries where Facebook Live will be available.
  [Related Feature: Facebook, Snapchat and
  
  Read more

• Your car's computers might soon get malware protection

  07-04-2016 15:00
  
  Modern cars contain tens of specialized computers that control everything from infotainment functions to steering and brakes. The pressing need to protect these computers from hackers will likely open up a new market for car-related software security products.Karamba Security, a start-up based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is one of the companies that has stepped up to answer this demand. The company's anti-malware technology, unveiled Thursday, is designed to protect externally accessible electronic
  
  Read more

• Is there or isn't there a gender pay gap in tech?

  07-04-2016 14:48
  
  What do women want most in the workplace? It turns out, two out of five women say equal pay is their top workplace wish. Last week, I talked with Jeff Weber, who's the vice president of people and places at enterprise learning and training software company Instructure, an educational software manufacturer, about a survey they conducted which polled more than 1,000 working men and women across the U.S. The results revealed that equal pay is the issue most women want, and the one both women and me
  
  Read more

• The rise of the citizen data scientist

  07-04-2016 14:00
  
  When Mark Pickett was a captain in the Marines, he knew he couldn't be there to make every decision for his soldiers.
  "You can't rehearse every scenario, and there will be times when you can't communicate," he explained. "You want to groom your Marines to be able to rely on themselves and their unit."
  It's not so different in the business world in this era of big data.
  Now senior director for online analytics and business intelligence at Sears, Pickett has been an early champion of the so-calle
  
  Read more

• Puppet expands support for Docker, Kubernetes

  07-04-2016 14:00
  
  Devops staple Puppet, formerly Puppet Labs, is upgrading its Puppet Enterprise IT automation platform and offering new and expanded support for infrastructure like Docker containers and Kubernetes container management.
  Puppet automates the software delivery process to bridge traditional infrastructure with more contemporary technology, including public and private clouds and microservices architectures. It even has been suggested as a tool for users to build their own PaaS clouds.To read this a
  
  Read more

• Uit de comfortzone tijdens Change Challenge

  07-04-2016 13:59
  Verandertrajecten zijn nooit zonder risico, maar met de nodige kennis in het achterhoofd is de kans op succes aanzienlijk groter. Naast succes- en faalfactoren kwamen tijdens de zogeheten Change Challenge van adviesbureau Novius de nodige praktische handvatten aan de orde. De deelnemers moesten daarbij zo nu en dan... lees meer
  
  Read more

• How Apple is grooming the iPad to take over the Mac

  07-04-2016 13:47
  
  As Apple’s first truly new tablet in years, the iPad Pro is every bit the beast it was rumored to be. Built around a gorgeous 12.9-inch screen, it doesn’t skimp on the pixels or the power. With its eye-popping 2732-by–2048 resolution and the cutting-edge A9X chip, the big iPad Pro drew a clear line in the sand between it and the Air. As Steve Jobs might have said, it was a screamer.
  With the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro, however, Apple has blurred those lines a bit. With the same scr
  
  Read more

• Project managers, tech sales pros are in high demand

  07-04-2016 13:12
  
  What are the hardest jobs to fill in tech? Not surprisingly, developers and engineers top the list. According to Edward Flynn, senior enterprise technical recruiter at technology recruiting and staffing firm Mondo. DevOps engineers, mobile developers, front-end developers, security engineers and cloud architects continue to be in huge demand. But after engineers, IT companies also are struggling to fill open roles for technical sales jobs and IT project managers.A hard sellAccording to a recent
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: Is the iPhone 6s a pinky torture device?

  07-04-2016 13:00
  The release of the 4-inch iPhone SE has many people comparing it to the iPhone 6s. And one-handed use is one of the biggest comparison metrics being used by writers and commenters all over the web.A writer at AppleInsider has written a post about the differences between one-handed use of the iPhone SE and the iPhone 6s. He actually went so far as to remark that the iPhone 6s is torture on his pinky:
  …I developed my own, carpal-tunnel-inducing method of using the 4.7-inch display: My pinky
  
  Read more

• How data science is changing the energy industry

  07-04-2016 13:00
  
  Recent declines in oil prices have hit the world economy hard. Alberta, Canada’s major oil region, has witness increased unemployment due to declining commodity prices. In January 2016, Saudi Arabia increased the price of gasoline for its citizens by 50 percent given the situation. With major fluctuations in prices and the high cost of energy projects, quality information has never mattered more.The energy industry uses data science to cut costs, optimize investments and reduce risk. Reduc
  
  Read more

• LG Gram 15 review: You won't find a more portable 15-inch laptop

  07-04-2016 12:30
  
  The LG Gram 15 is astoundingly light. While many rival 15.6-inch laptops tip the scales at 4 pounds or more, this featherweight ultrabook weighs just under 2.2 pounds.
  It’s an absolute delight to hold. When balanced on two hands, the Gram 15 [ Find it on Amazon – *What’s this?* ] feels like almost nothing. And because of this lack of heft, you can easily use it while walking, cart it around on your back for very long periods of time, and breeze through TSA security lines witho
  
  Read more

• Crash Course: Mastering Evernote as groupware

  07-04-2016 12:30
  
  This free download has oodles of tips and advice for business users of this handy content storage and research tool.(computerworld.com)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
  Read more

• FBI says hack tool only works on iPhone 5c

  07-04-2016 12:03
  
  Only the iPhone 5c running iOS 9 can be unlocked by the tool the FBI bought to crack the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers.The tool does not work on the iPhone 5s or 6, so it only addresses a "narrow slice" of iPhones, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said late Wednesday at Kenyon College.The government is considering whether it should disclose to Apple the flaw that aided the hack: "We just haven't decided yet," he said at the Ohio college's Center for the Stu
  
  Read more

• 11 mobile tools for IT heroes on the go

  07-04-2016 12:00
  
  11 mobile tools for hardcore IT pros on the goImage by WikipediaThe need to provide more services, with fewer colleagues to help cover them, has meant being able to respond to user needs from nearly anywhere on earth at nearly any hour of the day. To this end, I’ve been collecting tablet-based IT tools that work well over lower-speed connections to ensure the work gets done wherever I roam.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
  Read more

• Galaxy S7 and mid-range phones boost Samsung’s profit

  07-04-2016 04:45
  
  Samsung Electronics’ flagship Galaxy S7 smartphones and sales of its mid-range devices in emerging markets have likely helped the company boost its operating profit in the first quarter.The South Korean company forecast Thursday that its operating profit for the quarter was likely to be 6.6 trillion won (US$5.7 billion), an over 10 percent increase from close to 6 trillion won in the same quarter last year.Revenue likely increased 4 percent in the quarter to 49 trillion won, according to t
  
  Read more

• New browser Vivaldi targets those tired of UI austerity

  07-04-2016 03:02
  
  Vivaldi today launched its same-named browser, adding another to the accumulating collection of boutique browsers hoping to steal some share from the big names in the business.
  The Vivaldi browser reached version 1.0 Wednesday after a 14-month beta gestation.
  Billed as a "modern classic" on one hand, and a "throwback" on another, Vivaldi was created by a team mostly made up of former Opera engineers, with the company headed by Jon von Tetzchner, co-founder of Opera Software. Von Tetzchner left
  
  Read more

• Facebook's live video moves could lure back elusive younger users

  07-04-2016 03:01
  
  Facebook today announced new features for Facebook Live to make it easier for mobile users to create, find and share live videos.
  In an assault on rival YouTube and to target Facebook's own struggle to increase its younger user base, the social network is giving its users new features to stream their live videos to a Facebook Group and schedule a live Q&A session via Events.
  Think of it this way: If you're at an event with friends, you might want to live stream the fun you're all having to
  
  Read more

• Nest’s Revolv and the Internet of Broken Things

  07-04-2016 02:16
  
  When Google’s Nest acquired Revolv in 2014, it was buying what was thought of as the Rosetta Stone of the Internet of Things (IoT). Revolv enabled users and vendors to connect their gear together regardless of their connection protocols, from Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to ZigBee and Z-Wav.Consumers who had bought Revolv’s $300 device might have felt a bit queasy when the first thing that Nest did with Revolv was to discontinue the product. Things would only get worse. Now they have.This mon
  
  Read more

• New Azure tool helps IT tame SaaS apps

  07-04-2016 01:44
  
  More organizations are moving their data out of their data centers and into the cloud, which complicates IT’s efforts to keep track of applications in use. With the new Microsoft Cloud App Security within Microsoft Azure, IT and security teams can step up application discovery and apply controls in line with existing security, privacy, and compliance policies.Most enterprises rely on cloud applications, whether or not they are officially sanctioned. Shadow IT is pervasive, with employ
  
  Read more

• Nvidia's screaming Tesla P100 GPU will power one of the world's fastest computers

  07-04-2016 01:39
  
  It didn't take long for Nvidia's monstrous Tesla P100 GPU to make its mark in an ongoing race to build the world's fastest computers.Just a day after Nvidia's CEO said he was "friggin' excited" to introduce the Tesla P100, the company announced its fastest GPU ever would be used to upgrade a supercomputer called Piz Daint. Roughly 4,500 of the GPUs will be installed in the supercomputer at the Swiss National Supercomputing Center in Switzerland.Piz Daint already has a peak perform
  
  Read more

• IBM's Power chips hit the big time at Google

  07-04-2016 01:05
  
  Google and Rackspace are designing a server based on IBM's upcoming Power9 processor, a sure sign that Intel is no longer the only game in town for cloud service providers.The companies announced plans for the system, which they call Zaius, at IBM's OpenPower Summit in Silicon Valley on Wednesday. It's one of several new Power servers on show at the event.They plan to submit the design to the Open Compute Project, meaning other companies will be able to use the design as well.To read this articl
  
  Read more

• With this new 3D printing technique, robots can 'practically walk right out of the printer'

  07-04-2016 00:34
  
  Imagine you could use a standard 3D printer to create your next robotic assistant. Just snap in a motor and battery, and it's ready to go.
  That's precisely the scenario made possible by a new 3D printing technique developed at MIT.
  Liquids have long been a challenge for 3D printing, and they're necessary for hydraulic devices like moving robots. On Wednesday, researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) announced what they call the first-ever techni
  
  Read more

Follow @ITExecutiveNews on Twitter!