IT Executive news

• Emergency responders might share their LTE network with the rest of us

  07-06-2016 23:29
  
  A national LTE network for U.S. public-safety agencies would also give consumers better mobile service if a startup gets to build a futuristic network-sharing system.The company, Rivada Mercury, is one of the players that wants to build the so-called FirstNet LTE network, the government's plan to unify mobile communications for first responders. The federal government is allocating a block of spectrum and about $6.5 billion in funding for the network, which is supposed to start going live next y
  
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• Hewlett Packard bundles hardware/software to create an all-in-one cloud package

  07-06-2016 23:00
  
  It’s been a tumultuous past year for Hewlett Packard Enterprise but this week the company is unveiling a series of new offerings intended to solidify its standing in the private and hybrid cloud computing market.
  Key themes for HPE’s new cloud products are bundling software to make it more easily consumable, packaging that software with optional hardware to create an all-in-one cloud and being able to manage not only new, cloud-native workloads and technologies – such as appli
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: SUSE Enterprise Storage 3 brings Ceph support

  07-06-2016 22:35
  
  SUSE has announced the release and availability of SUSE Enterprise Storage 3, a software-defined storage management solution.
  "Bringing Ceph storage innovation to market first — enterprise ready and fully supported—makes our customers more agile and able to take advantage of rapidly emerging innovation in their own enterprises," said Michael Miller, president of strategy, alliances and marketing at SUSE. "SUSE Enterprise Storage 3 lets them transform their storage infrastructure wit
  
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• SIEM: 14 questions to ask before you buy

  07-06-2016 22:31
  
  Demand for security information and event management (SIEM) technology is high, but that doesn’t mean businesses are running these products and services smoothly.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Firefox 47 adds more support for video copy protection

  07-06-2016 22:31
  
  Mozilla today released Firefox 47, which sports multiple under-the-hood changes, several to its ability to play video, and one user experience (UX) enhancement to the browser's synchronization service.
  Users who sync Firefox on Windows and Linux PCs, Macs, and Android smartphones -- but not iOS-powered iPhones or iPads -- now see all open tabs on all devices in the sidebar of the desktop browser. Previously, synced tabs were shown in a separate frame, not the sidebar, which has primarily been f
  
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• Google DeepMind’s kill switch research may ease A.I. fears

  07-06-2016 22:07
  
  With so many people taking their cues from the movies on what a future with artificial intelligence will look like, some who fear one day having robotic overlords will be heartened by research that Google is doing.
  Google DeepMind, a London-based artificial intelligence company that Google acquired in 2014, is working on what will be a kill switch for robots and other A.I. systems.
  The idea is that one day a smart machine might be able to override its own off button. If that’s the case, t
  
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• Only $29 for the Silicon Valley Social Media Marketing Course & Certification - Deal Alert

  07-06-2016 22:03
  
  For a limited time, you can pay only $29 to become a certified social media marketing expert.
  
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• Microsoft's Sprightly lets iPhone users build simple ads on the go

  07-06-2016 22:00
  
  Microsoft has launched an iOS version of its mobile design app, Sprightly, which helps small businesses design snazzy promotional materials without needing a PC or complicated tools.Sprightly helps people create flyers, e-cards, catalogs and price lists on their phones. Designs can then be shared through platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to reach customers. Microsoft has built its business helping companies be productive on PCs, and this tool could be a way for it to stay relevant i
  
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• U.S. gets warnings and advice about the Internet of Things

  07-06-2016 21:28
  
  When it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT), the only agreement in Washington is on its impact: It will be huge --- in both good and bad ways.
  The IoT may become a means to deliver a disabling, global attack. Connected IoT devices have potential to reveal more than a novelist about a person's behavior and bring privacy invasion to a new level. On the plus side, improved automation may save lives, keep people healthy and increase food production.
  That's a broad assessment of more than 130 pape
  
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• By 2035, 21M self-driving vehicles will be on the road

  07-06-2016 20:53
  
  By 2035, the number of self-driving vehicles on roads worldwide is expected to grow to 21 million, according to a new report from IHS Automotive.
  IHS Automotive's updated numbers represent a substantial increase from previous estimates due to what it called "recent research and development by automotive OEMs, supplier and technology companies who are investing in this area." Blair Hanley FrankA self-driving car is displayed at Google I/O on May 19, 2016To read this article in full or to leave a
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How to turbocharge digital transformation

  07-06-2016 20:30
  
  The story of how H. D. Smith, a pharmaceutical distributor since 1954, transformed its business to the digital world and expanded to providing innovative services and solutions is remarkable. Progress in strategic business transformations always takes place outside of people’s comfort zone, so it requires excellence in leadership to drive extensive change. The firm’s leadership team understood several years ago that the pharmaceutical business would go digital; but as I described in
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Innovation and the Law of the 3 Mirrors

  07-06-2016 20:23
  
  Understanding what capabilities and deficiencies a company has for Innovation is one of the most critical questions you need to answer before embarking on an innovation journey. But how do you do go about doing that? Introducing the Law of the 3 Mirrors. (8 Mins)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Cloud delivers on outsourcing’s promise—but results may vary

  07-06-2016 20:19
  
  I try always to avoid answering an enterprise client’s question with “it depends” because it makes me sound like, well … a consultant. Companies searching for answers to their problems may want a range of possibilities, but they don’t want an imprecise answer.The reality is, sometimes “it depends” is the best answer. Let’s take, for example, the cloud—the most tested and most proven of the new digital technologies. It used to be I could answ
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Outsourcing the fast speed of two-speed IT

  07-06-2016 20:16
  
  Many companies have embarked on a digital transformation of their business in an effort to increase sales and support customers through online systems, apps and social media. IT organizations are encouraged to develop a “fast” or “second gear” mindset capable of operating at internet speed and being focused on a digital transformation. Carrying out this shift while simultaneously supporting legacy systems that cannot be changed as rapidly is a tall order for many IT organ
  
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• The T-Mobile Tuesdays #getthanked app gets tanked, depriving customers of their freebies

  07-06-2016 20:14
  
  T-Mobile chief executive John Legere is known for his colorful language. But after the mobile carrier's T-Mobile Tuesdays app failed to deliver the freebies Legere promised, customers probably dropped a few F-bombs of their own.
  As of about 9:45 a.m. PT, the T-Mobile Tuesdays app failed to hand out coupon codes for the Domino’s pizza, Wendy’s Frosty, and Vudu video rental that Legere promised a day ago as part of T-Mobile’s Uncarrier 11 promotion. Some users, including PCWorld
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Why Gartner's definition of BI Visionaries needs an extension

  07-06-2016 20:14
  
  Self service, business led BI is big and getting bigger. Gartner predicts that market will be worth billions and the number of vendors offering these products will constantly grow and expand. Gartner’s report correctly points out that we are in state of more data from more sources; where enterprises want more users enabled to explore, search and discover insights. At the same time, enterprises have more data needs to be converted into business insights and strategic action. However, t
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: The new gig economy: Shared and collaborative

  07-06-2016 20:11
  
  The gig economy is in full swing. Ride-hailing apps, home-sharing services, and collaborative crowdfunding platforms are working their way into the lives of Americans creating a digital divide.The freelance economy benefits from the rise of independent contractors and the increase in short-term jobs which workers find appealing as the workforce becomes increasingly mobile. Changing jobs every several years is an outcome of the gig economy. The current reality of how firms hire and engage talent
  
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• Lenovo just signed a chip deal that points to a VR future

  07-06-2016 19:54
  
  On the eve of its Tech World conference in San Francisco, Lenovo has signed a deal that will allow it to bring virtual reality to more of its products in the future.The deal allows Lenovo to use Movidius's Myriad 2 vision-processing chip in upcoming devices, bringing capabilities like head tracking, motion sensing, and image and gesture recognition to Lenovo products.Tech World takes place Thursday, and among other announcements Lenovo is expected to provide more details about its Project Tango
  
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• Turns out Siri isn't just a creepy robo wench — she's a hero

  07-06-2016 19:47
  
  Siri and I don't get along.
  Every time I ask her to start a workout on my Apple Watch, she either just ignores me — because she thinks she's better than me — or she says something like, "Ohhhh, sorry Al, I didn't understand you. Why don't you just take your fat ass back inside and grab another beer?" OK, the AI ice queen doesn't actually insult me, but the slights are implied in her snide tone.
  I do, however, try to deliver credit where it's due, and it appears that Siri is a h
  
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• PrecisionHawk eyes an air traffic control system for drones

  07-06-2016 19:17
  
  With companies like Amazon and Google pushing for commercial use of drones, the U.S. government is under tremendous pressure to develop a control system that keeps order when hordes of drones flock to the skies.Professional drone-maker PrecisionHawk is one of the companies working on this problem. At the drone Data X Conference in San Francisco last week, the company showed off LATAS (Low Altitude Traffic and Airspace Safety), a system which uses cell networks and satellites to ma
  
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• MapR shows off enterprise-grade Spark distribution

  07-06-2016 18:46
  
  At Spark Summit in San Francisco, Calif., yesterday, Hadoop distribution vendor MapR Technologies announced a new enterprise-grade Apache Spark distribution.The new distribution, available now in both MapR Converged Community Edition and MapR Converged Enterprise Edition, includes the complete Spark stack, patented features from MapR and key open source projects that complement Spark.[ Related: MapR delivers support for containers, security ]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, pl
  
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• Hell no, Apple shouldn't go slow on iPhone tempo

  07-06-2016 18:24
  
  Apple would be making a mistake slowing down the cadence of major upgrades to its iPhone, said a pair of analysts today, who argued that the company should instead try to speed up the pace.
  Their comments were sparked by a Nikkei Asian Review report last week that asserted Apple was shifting to a three-year interval between significant iPhone upgrades. The business paper's proof was thin: That the upcoming iPhone 7 will "look almost identical to the current iPhone 6."
  If accurate, Apple would a
  
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• How Windows 10 became malware

  07-06-2016 17:43
  
  Several weeks ago my wife came fuming into my office.“Windows 10 just hijacked my computer,” she complained. “Without asking, Microsoft upgraded me from Windows 7, even though I didn’t want Windows 10, and I had to wait for the installation to finish before I could get any work done.”I asked her whether she had accidentally clicked “OK” on any upgrade notifications, ignored any warnings that she had received or gotten any other notices about the upgrade.
  
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• To Wave 2 or not to Wave 2?

  07-06-2016 17:06
  
  The second wave of wireless networking gear based on the 802.11ac standard – collectively, “wave 2” – is the current cutting edge of Wi-Fi technology.
  Boasting multi-user MIMO (meaning that it can service multiple client devices using its multiple antennae), wider channels, and a number of other bells and whistles, wave 2 hardware offers more throughput and better handling of multiple connections.
  But is it really necessary? Generally, connection speeds are limited by ot
  
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• HPE invites open-source developers to pitch in on 'The Machine'

  07-06-2016 17:00
  
  Hewlett Packard Enterprise on Tuesday stepped up its efforts to develop a brand-new computer architecture by inviting open-source developers to collaborate on the futuristic device it calls "The Machine."Originally announced in 2014, The Machine promises a number of radical innovations, including a core design focus on memory rather than processors. It will also use light instead of electricity to connect memory and processing power efficiently, HPE says.A finished product won't be ready for yea
  
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• Hot security startups to watch

  07-06-2016 16:48
  
  While there’s talk that investment dollars for security startups are getting harder to find, entrepreneurs still manage to deliver a range of hardware, software and services that protect data, networks and corporate reputations.
  This roundup of 13 such companies that we’re keeping an eye on runs the gamut from cloud security services to fraud prevention to protecting supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and Internet of Things devices.
  + SEE LAST YEAR'S LIST of Security s
  
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• BrandPost: As Business Data Growth Explodes, Complete Backup is Essential

  07-06-2016 16:46
  
  The exponential increase in data from the Internet, mobile devices, digital business processes, and the Internet of Things provides businesses with invaluable potential assets that can be leveraged for competitive gain.
  Without the right tools and strategies, however, the value of these assets usually goes unrealized. Worse, the deluge of data flooding enterprise systems can create expensive storage management and backup nightmares. Most legacy data centers simply weren’t built to handle
  
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• Check your BITS, because deleting malware might not be enough

  07-06-2016 16:40
  Attackers are abusing the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) to re-infect computers with malware after they've been already cleaned by antivirus products.The technique was observed in the wild last month by researchers from SecureWorks while responding to a malware incident for a customer. The antivirus software installed on a compromised computer detected and removed a malware program, but the computer was still showing signs of malicious activity at the network level.Upon f
  
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• Blockchain’s hype exceeds its grasp – for now

  07-06-2016 16:27
  
  Blockchain has been touted by venture capitalists, technophiles and pundits as the Next Big Thing in computer science. The reality, however, is that the digital ledger software at the heart of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has a long way to go before it gains mainstream adoption.That was a key takeaway from a blockchain panel at last month’s MIT Sloan CIO Symposium. Noting that blockchain enables parties to ferry financial transactions, contracts and other digital records over the Int
  
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• What CIOs don't know about open source software

  07-06-2016 15:47
  
  More companies are contributing to open source projects, but the management of open source software is still chaotic.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How one CIO turned a corporate spinoff into IT success

  07-06-2016 15:47
  
  Companies spin off divisions for any number of reasons, including nonalignment with revised strategy, waning profitability, or inadequate competitive advantage. Regardless of the reason, the challenges for the new companies are enormous. They must quickly reposition themselves in the marketplace, create brand recognition, and develop a technology strategy that aligns with the new market strategy. As part of all that, spinoffs need to develop self-sufficient infrastructure and services to support
  
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• U.S. Cyber Command struggles to retain top cybersecurity talent

  07-06-2016 15:26
  
  At U.S. Cyber Command, the top brass has made recruiting top talent a leading priority, but those efforts have been slowed by challenges in attracting and retaining the next generation of cyber warriors.Maj. Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander of Cyber Command's Cyber National Mission Force, spoke to those struggles in a recent online event hosted by Federal News Radio.[ Related: 'HACKERS WANTED' Report: NSA Not Having Trouble Filing Cybersecurity Jobs ]To read this article in full or to leave a comme
  
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• Egnyte wants to protect business data, wherever it's stored

  07-06-2016 15:00
  
  Egnyte, an enterprise-focused file sync and sharing startup, is expanding beyond its roots in holding onto companies' data for them, and now aims to protect any data a company has, no matter where it's stored.
  Egnyte Protect is a service that aims to provide a single tool for controlling and securing company data that's stored in private data centers and in the public cloud.
  It's based on the content protection capabilities that are built into Egnyte's file sync and share product, and works wit
  
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• Annotable is a must-have app for iPad Pro, Apple Pencil owners

  07-06-2016 14:39
  
  If you're still looking to justify your purchase of that pricey iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, Annotable, a new iOS app for image annotation, may help.Annotable is a freemium app for iPhone and iPad, designed for use by businesspeople and consumers. The app makes it easy to add basic annotations to high-resolution screenshots and photos. (You don't need an Apple Pencil to use Annotable, but the app works well with the stylus.)Why use Annotable?
  If you're in a meeting room, for instance, yo
  
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• 10 cities with fast emerging tech hubs

  07-06-2016 14:10
  
  Cities with fast emerging tech hubsImage by ThinkstockWhile Silicon Valley remains the heart of the U.S. technology industry, emerging cities across the country claim growing tech scenes and plenty of opportunity for IT professionals and their families.
  The 2016 Homes.com New Tech City Index ranks these emerging cities based on a number of metrics including the number of technology jobs per thousand; the average technology job wage; total number of people employed within the technology industry;
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How software drives innovation and enables digital business

  07-06-2016 14:02
  
  Twenty years ago, businesses and consumers were focused on the computer or gadget. Today, everyone recognizes that it’s the software – the platform if you will – where the greatest amount of innovation is occurring. Three keystone trends are making software the primary driver of business innovation and agility – hardware commoditization, cloud computing and open source.Since the invention of the modern computer, the hardware side of the technology drove most of the innova
  
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• Shaming is a step forward, but more work is needed for faster smartphone patching

  07-06-2016 14:00
  
  Shaming carriers and smartphone manufacturers into applying patches faster is a step forward, but a lot more needs to be done to improve security of the Android platform, security experts say.
  Last month, Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, is considering releasing a list of vendors ranked by how up-to-date their headsets are.
  This has long been a problem for Android. Unlike Apple, which can unilaterally push out updates to its customers as they come out, the situation with Android is a lot more
  
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• 7 reasons mobile payments still aren't mainstream

  07-06-2016 14:00
  
  Despite the fact that they received plenty of media attention during the past few years, "proximity" mobile payments, or mobile payments made at retailers' points of sale (PoS), have yet to hit the mainstream. Multiple reasons why exist, but perhaps the most significant roadblock thus far: Today's mobile payment systems simply don't offer a strong enough value proposition to compel consumers to use them consistently.To date, the market has seen four alternative-payment success stories, according
  
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• How agile helps attract and retain millennial tech pros

  07-06-2016 13:52
  
  For IT organizations hungry for talent, agile is key to helping attract and retain the next generation of engineers and developers, because the principles of the methodology dovetail with millennials' intrinsic motivation.
  Autonomy, mastery and purposeOne of the hallmarks of the millennial generation is its need for autonomy, mastery and purpose in the work they're doing, and a demonstrable impact on the success of the companies they work for and the larger world around them. It's one of the rea
  
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• Massive DDoS attacks reach record levels as botnets make them cheaper to launch

  07-06-2016 13:29
  There were 19 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that exceeded 100 Gbps during the first three months of the year, almost four times more than in the previous quarter.
  Even more concerning is that these mega attacks, which few companies can withstand on their own, were launched using so-called booter or stresser botnets that are common and cheap to rent. This means that more criminals can now afford to launch such crippling attacks.
  "In the past, very few attacks generated with booter
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Why do Windows users switch to Macs and iPhones?

  07-06-2016 13:00
  Apple’s Mac computers and iOS devices have always been popular with certain segments of users. But over the years many Windows users have opted to switch entirely to the Mac, and have also bought iPhones and iPads too.Have you ever wondered why some Windows users opt to switch to Apple’s products? An Apple redditor recently asked that question and got some very enlightening answers.Designerspit started the thread with some questions:
  Those who switched from Windows PCs, who used to h
  
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• Just for show: 11 theatrical security measures that don't make your systems safer

  07-06-2016 12:26
  
  Theater of the absurdImage by REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniThe term "security theater" was coined to describe the array of security measures at U.S. airports -- taking off shoes, patting down children and the elderly -- that project an image of toughness without making commercial aviation any safer. But the man who came up with the phrase is famous cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier, and it could just as easily apply to a number of common tech security measures. We talked to an array of tech experts to
  
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• Former Apple ad man Ken Segall on Steve Jobs, simplicity, and why an Apple car wouldn't be so crazy

  07-06-2016 12:12
  
  As creative director of advertising agency TWBA/Chiat/Day, Ken Segall crafted ads for NeXT Computer and then Apple. He helped create the iconic “Think Different” campaign upon Steve Jobs’s return to Apple and gave the iMac its name when Jobs preferred a pretty terrible alternative. Segall spent 12 years working alongside Jobs, in the process picking up enough tips on running a successful business that he wrote two books behind Apple’s guiding principle: simplicity above
  
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• WWDC wish list: Predicting the next version of OS X

  07-06-2016 12:04
  
  Not many people get a new computer every single year, but now that Apple has OS X on a yearly update cycle, our computers can feel refreshed and renewed while we bide our time waiting for new MacBook Pros or MacBook Airs.
  New features add convenience and speed up tasks we do all the time, and developers can get new tools todelight us with their own apps too. This year’s WWDC keynote is bound to hold some surprises, and here’s what we could see in the next OS X—er, excuse me, M
  
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• The advanced beginner's guide to R

  07-06-2016 12:00
  
  So you’ve gone through the Computerworld Beginner’s Guide to R and want to take the next steps in your R journey? In this advanced beginner’s guide, you’ll learn data wrangling, best packages to use for different tasks, how to make maps with R and much more.(computerworld.com)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Security blindspots: websites, network architects, and third-party code

  07-06-2016 12:00
  
  It is no easy task to secure today's digital enterprise. With all of the irons in the fire of the digital ecosystem, there is a lot that can compromise the corporate website. Both website visitors and Internet users are vulnerable to web-based malware, and it is increasingly more difficult for security practitioners to thwart web-based attacks.
  Even with the daily occurrence of breaches, some organizations are not thinking about security, especially those enterprises for whom a large perce
  
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• Make room, Java: New languages take a slice of the pie

  07-06-2016 12:00
  
  The ongoing development of more and more languages is impacting the most widely used languages, which find their popularity decreasing in the Tiobe language index.
  Choice and the growing number of programmers are likely driving the development of new languages, said Paul Jansen, managing director at software quality services vendor Tiobe. “There is a huge amount of programming languages available nowadays, and more and more people are into programming. As a consequence, communities for le
  
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• Is there still time for 2016 to be the year of the smart home? Maybe

  07-06-2016 12:00
  
  When it comes to predicting when the smart home will become a mainstream phenomenon, we’ve repeatedly missed the mark. Some of us have enjoyed the benefits—and dealt with the few headaches—of living in smart homes for years. And since today’s technology is so much better than what we started with, we’re always surprised to hear statistics like this one from the market-research firm Parks Associates: Just one of every five broadband household owns a smart-home devic
  
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• Prezi tries again to get companies to change their presentations

  07-06-2016 09:05
  
  Prezi, the seven-year-old startup that aims to reinvent the way that people make presentations, has launched a new business-focused offering that's aimed at getting companies to use its software instead of rivals like PowerPoint. Teams that sign up for Prezi Business will get several new features, including the ability to present over the Web, analytics to understand how different parts of presentations fly with audiences, and real-time collaboration. It's a major push for the presenta
  
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• Verizon to bid $3B for Yahoo’s core Internet business

  07-06-2016 08:45
  
  Verizon Communications will be bidding about US$3 billion for the Internet assets of ailing Yahoo, according to a newspaper report.The communications company will try to beat other potential bidders  such as private-equity firm TPG with a deal that would likely aim to combine Yahoo Web properties, with over 1 billion users a month, with Verizon’s growing business in online ads, the Wall Street Journal reported late Monday.The bidding is far from final and Yahoo is expected to hold at
  
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