IT Executive news

• Stuxnet the movie: The U.S. has pwned Iran

  08-07-2016 23:59
  
  The new documentary about Stuxnet, ‘Zero Days’, says the U.S. had a far larger cyber operation against Iran called Nitro Zeus that has compromised the country’s infrastructure and could be used as a weapon in any future war.
  Quoting unnamed sources from inside the NSA and CIA, the movie says the Nitro Zeus program has infiltrated the systems controlling communications, power grids, transportation and financial systems, and is still ready to “disrupt, degrade and destroy&
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Kubernetes becomes more scalable, gets support for hybrid clouds

  08-07-2016 22:27
  
  Earlier this week, Google released version 1.3 of Kubernetes, the open source container orchestration software.
  The release brings support for deploying services across “multiple clouds (including on-prem), support for multiple node types, integrated support for stateful services (such as key-value stores and databases), and greatly simplified cluster setup and deployment on your laptop. Now, developers at organizations of all sizes can build production scale apps more easily than ever be
  
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• Mozilla wants to build web recommendation engine into Firefox

  08-07-2016 22:26
  
  Mozilla on Thursday announced a new initiative designed to guide Firefox users to relevant websites without relying on search engines.
  Dubbed "Content Graph," the project was characterized by a Mozilla executive as "a better forward button" for the browser.
  "What if there was a better forward button? One that helps you understand a topic better or find alternative solutions to a problem you're solving?" asked Nick Nguyen, who leads Firefox's product and user experience (UX) teams, in a piece on
  
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• With Minnesota shooting, power of live streaming takes center stage

  08-07-2016 22:19
  
  Live streaming, a technology that has been around for years, became white hot this week after it was used to capture the aftermath of the fatal shooting of a black man by a police officer in Minnesota.
  Diamond Reynolds opened her Facebook Live app andlive-streamed what happened after the shooting that left her boyfriend Philando Castile dead and a country in turmoil.
  "Live streaming is quite different ... than what we've seen before," said Dan Olds, an analyst at Gabriel Consulting Group. "Skyp
  
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• Microsoft, university researchers break DNA data storage record

  08-07-2016 22:07
  
  Researchers at Microsoft and the University of Washington (UW) said they have broken a world record by storing 200MB of data on synthetic DNA strands.
  Researchers said the impressive part about reaching the 200MB milestone is not just how much data they were able to encode onto synthetic DNA and then decode, it's also the space they were able to store it in.
  Once encoded, the data occupied a spot in a test tube "much smaller than the tip of a pencil," Douglas Carmean, the partner architect at M
  
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• 68% off Carllte Omnidirectional Condenser Lapel Microphone - Deal Alert

  08-07-2016 21:00
  
  The Carllte Omnidirectional lapel mic has an extra long 59-inch cable and TRRS 3.5mm Jack, making it compatible with most phones, tablets and computers and suitable for a wide range of applications from live-streaming to kareoke. It is made from professional grade polished and protected steel, and captures crystal clear audio without batteries or external power. It averages 4 out of 5 stars from over 100 reviewers (read reviews). Amazon indicates that its $40 list price has been reduced by
  
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• A SWOT analysis of Trump vs. Clinton

  08-07-2016 20:23
  
  One of the things I’m often asked is what do analysts actually do? The answer depends on what kind of analyst you are talking about. Generally, industry inquiry analysts are brought in to answer questions on a variety of subjects having to do with the market, what customers want, what has historically worked, and to help strategize about competition. In many cases we effectively replaced competitive analysis departments with an outsourced shared resource. This is often desired because our
  
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• Microsoft finally moves Mac Office apps to 64-bit

  08-07-2016 19:54
  
  Microsoft has released an early 64-bit version of Office 2016 for the Mac, giving adventurous users a chance to finally make the move off 32-bit, as their Windows colleagues have long done.
  "The Mac Office team has been working on the transition and we're currently preparing to release the Office apps in full 64-bit," the Office for Mac team announced in an undated post to a company blog.
  At the same time, Microsoft issued updates to the Office 2016 applications -- Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint an
  
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• The truth about bug finders: They're essentially useless

  08-07-2016 19:35
  
  Today's popular bug finders catch only about two percent of the vulnerabilities lurking in software code, researchers have found, despite the millions of dollars companies spend on them each year.
  Bug finders are commonly used by software engineers to root out problems in code that could turn into vulnerabilities. They'll typically report back how many bugs they found -- what you don't know is how many were missed, leaving success rates an open mystery.
  So researchers at New York Univ
  
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• Businesses struggle to hire workers with cloud skills

  08-07-2016 19:22
  
  Cloud services are becoming the cornerstone of an enterprise's IT infrastructure. However, IT leaders are finding it difficult to not only plan for and implement cloud technology, but also to hire qualified candidates. And part of that struggle, according to a recent study from Softchoice of 250 line of business managers and 250 IT decision makers, is a lack of qualified candidates as well as a general misunderstanding of how to create a successful cloud strategy.“There’s incredible
  
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• Screens that fold and roll will arrive as early as next year

  08-07-2016 17:57
  
  Displays that can be folded and rolled up have been shown in prototype smartphones, wearables and other devices -- but when will such products be available?Advances in technology suggest they aren't too far off in the future. Such devices could start showing up as early as next year or 2018, said Jerry Kang, senior principal analyst for emerging display technologies and OLED at IHS.Manufacturers are trying to launch them in devices like tablets that can fold into a smartphone-size device.It's po
  
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• Facebook brings end-to-end encryption to Messenger with ‘secret conversations’

  08-07-2016 17:34
  
  Facebook’s following the encrypted messaging trend set by other apps including Facebook-owned WhatsApp, Viber, and Google’s Allo. On Friday, the social network announced a limited beta version of Messenger for Android and iOS with an end-to-end encryption (E2EE) feature dubbed secret conversations.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• 4 ways to make agile and waterfall work together

  08-07-2016 17:16
  
  Whether it’s a consulting engagement or an internal software project, IT departments like the flexibility and productivity of an agile project. But in selling the project to upper management and the finance organization, waterfall concepts will nearly always be introduced as requirements. If you think hard about it, agile and waterfall are nearly contradictory philosophies. So how do you get them to work together? In too many software projects, particularly those involving consultants, it&
  
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• Amazon teases Prime Day deal bash with free Prime trials

  08-07-2016 17:00
  One year ago, Amazon celebrated its 20th anniversary with a sale event/Prime membership promotion dubbed Prime Day. Now the online retailer wants to make Prime Day an annual tradition. Amazon recently announced that Prime Day for 2016 would take place on Tuesday, July 12.
  The catch? Only Amazon Prime members can partake in Prime Day deals. As with last year’s promotion, if you’re not a Prime member you can get the deals by signing up for a Prime 30-day free trial.To read this articl
  
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• Microsoft lets AI experiments loose in world of Minecraft

  08-07-2016 16:18
  
  Microsoft has published the source code for its Project Malmo, allowing anyone to conduct artificial intelligence experiments in the world of Minecraft with a little programming.It unveiled the project, then known as AIX, back in March, but at the time only a few academics had access to the code. On Thursday the company made good on its promise to open up the source code by publishing it on Github.Minecraft, the blocky world-building game that Microsoft paid US$2.5 billion for two years ago, is
  
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• Confusion over cyber insurance leads to coverage gaps

  08-07-2016 16:16
  
  Assessing damage after a major cybersecurity breach is one of the most harrowing things a CIO or CISO can face. There is plenty of blame to go around but rarely enough people to accept it evenly. And when it comes to recouping money from cyber insurance claims, this blame game is further complicated by confusion.A typical corporate cyber insurance discussion goes like this: The CEO or board chairman calls the CISO into the room and tells him that their insurers is going to pay out only 38 percen
  
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• Why Snapchat's Memories broadens snap appeal

  08-07-2016 15:27
  
  Snapchat plans to move away from its most defining characteristic and make other changes that should broaden its appeal but still satisfy existing users. In the future, the disappearing or ephemeral nature of "snaps" may not be the difference maker for Snapchat.Fleeting content and messages will continue to be the default setting, but Snapchat users will soon be able to store and archive their snaps within the app for future viewing and sharing. The new Snapchat Memories is an evolutionary chang
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: To avoid IT project management failure, strip rank of its privileges

  08-07-2016 15:15
  
  As you climb the IT Project Management career ladder you may find that your experience and seniority brings you benefits that you didn't enjoy back at the start... Rank has its privileges after all. However, could it also have its problems?
  In my experience, there are numerous instances where a senior manager's greater experience has gotten in the way of them actually listening to their team's instincts or concerns and as a result, sometimes, problems can arise. When teams feel inhibited about
  
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• Dropbox for iOS gets barebones scan feature

  08-07-2016 14:59
  
  The ability to scan documents into PDFs using a smartphone camera is not exactly a dazzling new technological breakthrough. Being able to scan, say, a six-page legal document into a PDF and then store it directly in a specific Dropbox folder is, however, more intriguing. Dropbox's latest iOS app update includes a helpful new scan feature which lets you do just that.Scanning docs in Dropbox for iOS
  To initiate a Dropbox scan, you tap the prominent new "+" button in the mobile app, and a
  
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• A CIO's guide to understanding analytics

  08-07-2016 14:43
  
  Wherever you turn, businesses are putting analytics into action. Retailer American Eagle outfitters, for example, uses an algorithm to figure out how best to fulfill online orders with products shipped from physical stores. Insurance company Allstate calculates premiums using an algorithm that weights different risk factors. Even beverage maker Minute Maid is applying algorithms to its orange juice, taking into account not just consumer preferences but its supply chain.To read this article in fu
  
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• Dataverlies kost NL-bedrijven gemiddeld half miljoen euro per jaar

  08-07-2016 14:05
  Bedrijven zijn succesvol in het reduceren van de vier grootste, meest bekende risico’s op dataverlies: falende hardware, onderbrekingen in de elektriciteitstoevoer, falende software en corrumpering van data. Organisaties zijn echter niet zo goed voorbereid op nieuwe, onbekende dreigingen. Hierop duidt nieuw... lees meer
  
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• BrandPost: The Advantages of Infrastructure and Platform as a Service

  08-07-2016 14:04
  It’s probably on your to-do list to design a go-forward strategy for your Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) deployment. But it’s probably behind the 103 other things also on that list. At PC Connection, our experts will tell you that IaaS is the true foundation for shifting your infrastructure to a cloud computing platform. So how do you get started on the path to IaaS? Read on to learn more.Many organizations want to free themselves from maintaining at least some of their IT infra
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ultimate Edition) is the version fans wanted all along

  08-07-2016 14:00
  Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice has been a controversial film since before it was released. Everything from Ben Affleck being cast as Batman, to the inclusion of Wonder Woman and even a battle with Doomsday caused comic book fans to debate the merits of the film.Now you can get the Ultimate Edition of Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice for $19.99 in iTunes. The Ultimate Edition includes 30 minutes of additional footage, along with more than 2 hours of extras.Fans of the film will certainl
  
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• BrandPost: Office 365 Transition Potholes

  08-07-2016 13:55
  It’s a question I get asked just about every time I speak to someone regarding Office 365. What questions should I be asking about the transition? What should I look out for? What is going to happen that I am not expecting? Well that’s the thing: not knowing what to expect makes it awfully hard to plan what to do when it happens. But what if you had a Magic 8-Ball? Something that could warn you of what might happen, before it does. Sadly, such a device doesn’t exist. But where
  
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• EU prepares to raise Privacy Shield over data transfers to U.S.

  08-07-2016 13:53
  European Union officials are set to give final approval to a new EU-U.S. data transfer agreement early next week, after member states gave their approval to an updated text on Friday.Privacy Shield is intended to replace the Safe Harbor Agreement as a means to legalize the transfer of EU citizens' personal information to the U.S. while still respecting EU privacy laws.A new deal is needed because the Court of Justice of the EU invalidated the Safe Harbor Agreement last October, concerned that it
  
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• How IT outsourcing customers should prepare for HPE-CSC merger

  08-07-2016 13:00
  
  How the recently announced “spin-merger” between HPE’s spun-off enterprise services unit and CSC to create a $26 billion global services giant (the third largest in the U.S) will actually shake out once its completed next spring is uncertain. What is clear is that the two service businesses had been struggling for some time.[ Related: HPE to spin out its huge services business, merge it with CSC ]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• How IT outsourcing customers should prepare for HPE-CSC

  08-07-2016 13:00
  
  How the recently announced “spin-merger” between HPE’s spun-off enterprise services unit and CSC to create a $26 billion global services giant (the third largest in the U.S) will actually shake out once its completed next spring is uncertain. What is clear is that the two service businesses had been struggling for some time.[ Related: HPE to spin out its huge services business, merge it with CSC ]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• The 10 best PC games you haven't played in 2016 (so far)

  08-07-2016 12:29
  The rest of the bestLast week we published our list of the best PC games of 2016 (so far), a.k.a. our Game of the Year list if Game of the Year lists were decided in June. Now, here’s its annual counterpart: The best PC games you might have missed so far this year.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Tata’s Buffalo office, Clinton’s ‘brainchild,’ since closed

  08-07-2016 12:00
  
  In 2003, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), one of the world's largest IT services firms, opened an office in Buffalo, New York. Among those attending the opening event was Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), who played a role in convincing Tata to establish an office in upstate New York.
  The TCS Buffalo office is now closed, but the circumstances around it resonate today. Clinton's interest in TCS was controversial because of its connection to offshore outsourcing. It is also a major user of H-1B visa
  
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• 10 reasons why you shouldn't upgrade to Windows 10

  08-07-2016 12:00
  An offer you can refuseThe clock is ticking, folks. If you want to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, you only have until July 29, 2016 to do so. And most people should! Windows 10 isthe best Windows yet, chock full of handy new features, sleekunder-the-hood improvements, andheadache-killing extras.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Snapchat sued over ‘sexually offensive’ content in its Discover channels

  08-07-2016 08:49
  
  Snapchat is being sued for exposing minors to sexually offensive content on the Discover feature it offers in tandem with media partners.The messaging and multimedia sharing service, which was at one point at the center of a controversy over surreptitious “sexting” by users with disappearing text and images, is now being charged with engaging through Discover “in an insidious pattern and practice of intentionally exposing minors to harmful, offensive, prurient, and sexually off
  
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• Google Cloud acquires video software company Anvato

  08-07-2016 06:33
  
  Google has acquired Anvato, the developer of a video software platform, to shore up its cloud offering in the area of video delivery.Anvato’s Media Content Platform, used by many large media and entertainment companies including NBCUniversal, Univision and Fox Sports, will complement the efforts of Google Cloud Platform to offer scalable media processing and workflows in the cloud, Belwadi Srikanth, senior product manager for Google Cloud Platform, wrote in a blog post.The Mountain View, C
  
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• Deep Discounts on Amazon Leading Into Prime Day - Deal Alert

  08-07-2016 06:02
  
  For today only Amazon has significant discounts on a few select items, just a small taste of what's to come when Amazon unleashes 100,000+ discounts on "Prime Day" this Tuesday, July 12th, for Amazon Prime members only. If you're not a Prime member, you should at least sign up for the free 30 day trial so you're ready when the deals start to drop: sign up here. The powerful 20000mAh PowerCore 20100 from Anker weighs just 12.5 oz, but fully charges most phones and tablets to 1
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: The understated elegance of IT service scope

  08-07-2016 03:07
  
  It is very unfair to compare IT with other industries out there. IT deals with IT things, as opposed to every one else. But I can’t help in looking at other industries, like the food industry, and feeling a little bit of envy as to the way they execute and deliver on their services, if you’d call them that. Stranger, still, is that when you think about it there isn’t the equivalent to an ITIL, a CoBIT, an IT4IT or anything over there (AFAIK. If there is, I will be glad to be co
  
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• Google hopes to thwart quantum computers from cracking today's Internet encryption

  08-07-2016 03:01
  
  The encryption methods used to secure today’s Internet communications won’t be impenetrable forever. More powerful “quantum computers” on the horizon could very well crack them.That’s why Google is testing out new cryptography that computers in the future might not be able to break.  The processing power offered by "hypothetical, future" quantum computers could  be enough to “decrypt any internet communication that was recorded today,” wrote Ma
  
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• IT spending will shrink worldwide due to Brexit, Gartner predicts

  08-07-2016 02:07
  
  Britain's vote to exit the European Union will depress global IT spending this year, as companies cut back spending over uncertainty about what the future holds, Gartner has predicted.
  "We're looking at a 2-5 percent reduction in IT spending in the UK," compared to Gartner's previous forecast of a 1.7 percent decline, analyst John-David Lovelock said in an interview.
  "That's going to be enough to tip the worldwide IT spending negative this year," he said.
  The "Brexit" vote has led to massi
  
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• FBI chief says Guccifer lied about hacking into Clinton's email server

  08-07-2016 00:40
  
  A Romanian hacker's claim that he broke into Hillary Clinton's private email server in 2013 was a lie, according to the FBI. Marcel Lehel Lazar, also known as Guccifer, has boasted about the breach to various media outlets, saying in May that it had been "easy."But on Thursday, FBI director James Comey said that Lazar, who is now in U.S. custody, has admitted the claim was false."He admitted that was a lie," Comey said during a congressional hearing on Clinton's use of her own private email
  
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• 10 features to try first in the public beta of iOS 10

  08-07-2016 00:00
  Along with macOS Sierra, Apple has unleashed iOS 10 onto the public.
  We’ve been playing around with iOS 10 for some time now, and Apple’s latest mobile software release has given us enough reasons to get excited, as well as some hidden surprises that are total game-changers. If you want to experience iOS 10, you can sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program. Just make sure to back up first and be aware that since this is beta, you’re bound to run into some bugs. Once you&rsq
  
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