IT Executive news

• IDG Contributor Network: Blockchain will drive demand for decentralized apps

  20-07-2016 23:32
  
  Most of the transactions we do on a daily basis involve a third party. Whether in person or over the internet, transactions involve ourselves, the consumer or business, and a financial institution to do the processing. This means that our currency and, at times, our personal information is passed through multiple third parties as it travels from Point A to Point B. But what if you could eliminate third parties altogether?
  That’s exactly what blockchain, the technology behind Bitcoin, has
  
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• Google's DeepMind A.I. can slash data center power use 40%

  20-07-2016 23:23
  
  Google tapped into the superior intelligence of its DeepMind neural network to find ways to vastly reduce the energy it uses in its data centers, which make up 40% of the worldwide Internet.
  "This will also help other companies who run on Google's cloud to improve their own energy efficiency," Google said in a blog about the achievement. "While Google is only one of many data center operators in the world, many are not powered by renewable energy as we are."To read this article in full or to le
  
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• Intel profit slides on costs related to layoffs

  20-07-2016 23:12
  
  Intel's profit dropped sharply last quarter due to heavy costs from a restructuring announced in April, though sales were up thanks to the company's powerful data center group.Intel's profit for the quarter, ended July 2, was $1.3 billion, down from $2.7 billion a year earlier, the company announced Wednesday. Revenue climbed 3 percent to $13.5 billion.Intel said in April that it would axe 12,000 jobs worldwide, or 11 percent of its staff, in a plan to cut costs and focus on growing businesses l
  
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• Wireless on wheels? Cable can play at that game, too

  20-07-2016 23:06
  
  When lots of people gather for concerts or sports events, cellular carriers often bring their networks to the scene with cell towers mounted on trucks, or COWs (cells on wheels). Not to be outdone, Comcast is joining the fray using Wi-Fi.The U.S. cable giant will bring WoW (Wi-Fi on Wheels) to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia next week. WoW is what it sounds like: a van with six access points (APs) mounted on a 40-foot mast.Each AP points in a different direction so the truck c
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Microsoft's blockchain project Bletchley offers services to access off chain data

  20-07-2016 23:04
  
  Marley Gray, director of blockchain business development and strategy at Microsoft, posted an update to GitHub in June 2016 providing an overview of Bletchley. This white paper was published six days after Microsoft's announcement of Project Bletchley on June 15, 2016, and goes on to say that Project Bletchley is a set of tools for supporting SmartContracts on the blockchain, enabling secure access to off-chain information. The project supports open standards for protocol-level implementations o
  
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• Hackers are targeting the Rio Olympics, so watch out for these cyberthreats

  20-07-2016 22:22
  
  The Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will attract more than just athletes and tourists this year. Hackers from across the world will also be on the prowl, trying to exploit the international event.  That means visitors to the Olympics and even people watching from home should be careful. Cyberthreats related to the games will probably escalate over the coming weeks and could creep into your inbox or the websites you visit.Don't click if it's too good to be true
  The Olympics have become a bea
  
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• Netflix vs. Hulu: How to choose a streaming service

  20-07-2016 21:55
  
  You’ve had it with your cable or satellite TV provider and you’re ready to cut the cord and go full-on streaming. But if you’re like millions of others you’re suddenly faced with the question: How do I continue to watch programs and movies I like while still reducing my monthly video entertainment bills?You have a multitude of options these days, and over the next few weeks I’ll be reviewing all of the major ones by using them at home. (Yeah, cool job. Getting paid
  
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• 39% off Pebble Time Smartwatch - Deal Alert

  20-07-2016 21:55
  
  With this deal, the Pebble Time smartwatch is currently sub-$100, which for some may make this a worthwhile purchase considering everything it can do. First off, the Pebble Time gives you all of your notifications in a glance, from calendar items to texts, emails and incoming call data. Pebble Health comes built-in, and tracks your activity and sleep with daily and weekly reporting. A built-in mic lets you take voice notes or give quick responses. Choose from thousands of watch faces and ap
  
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• Windows revenue ticks up slightly in June quarter

  20-07-2016 21:34
  
  Microsoft yesterday reported that second-quarter revenue for its More Personal Computing division was down 4% even though Windows revenue was up over the prior year.
  Analysts on the company's earnings call Tuesday didn't seem to care: None of those who questioned CEO Satya Nadella or CFO Amy Hood bothered to ask about the division, Windows, or the Surface hardware -- much less about the plummeting revenue of the nearly-abandoned mobile handset strategy.
  More Personal Computing (MPC) -- one of t
  
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• BrandPost: Are You Worried about Cyber Security?

  20-07-2016 21:33
  I recently watched a Jimmy Kimmel skit regarding cyber security in which he sent a TV crew out on the streets to interview folks like you and me about their passwords. I admit, it was pretty funny, but I was also alarmed at how easily people were manipulated into telling a complete stranger their passwords. It’s no wonder cyber attacks have been on the rise in the last few years—so much so that the FBI ranks cyber crime as one of its tops law enforcement activities. If you don&rsquo
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How to install Arch Linux on Dell XPS 13 (2016) in 7 steps

  20-07-2016 21:31
  
  A tutorial for installing Arch Linux on Dell XPS 13 (2016)Image by DellI love the Dell XPS 13 (2016) that Dell gave me on loan. But installing Arch Linux with UEFI enabled can be challenging for new users — especially since ‘grub’ doesn’t work on this system with Arch Linux. I talked to a lot of people in the Arch community and resorted to using systemd-boot for successful install.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Cisco patches critical exposure in management software

  20-07-2016 21:16
  
  Cisco has patched what it called a critical vulnerability in its Unified Computing System (UCS) Performance Manager software that could let an authenticated, remote attacker execute commands.+More on Network World: Quick look: Cisco Tetration Analytics+Cisco UCS Performance Manager versions 2.0.0 and prior are affected and the problem is resolved in Cisco UCS Performance Manager versions 2.0.1 and later. UCS Performance Manager collects information about UCS servers, network, storage, and virtua
  
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• Microsoft wants to help small businesses book appointments online

  20-07-2016 21:07
  
  Small business owners are getting a new feature tailored just for them in Microsoft Office 365 -- a full-service system for scheduling appointments for their services over the internet.Microsoft Bookings is a new service that makes it possible for business owners to create their own scheduling page, and then let potential customers make an appointment online. It's supposed to be a boon for businesses used to running that process through a series of emails, phone calls, or text mes
  
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• For SEO, links are even more important than you think

  20-07-2016 20:53
  
  It's a rare business today that doesn't take at least some steps to optimize its website for search-engine rankings, but how best to do that remains an open question. A new study published Wednesday suggests that inbound links -- those leading from other websites into your own -- are even more critical than you may think.Search engine optimization, or SEO, essentially refers to all the things you can do to give your website the best possible placement in unpaid search results. If you sell widget
  
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• Hackers have targeted 130 restaurants at Cicis pizza chain

  20-07-2016 20:37
  
  More than 130 restaurants at the Cicis pizza chain were the recent target of hackers, and customers' credit card data may have been stolen.The company reported the data breach on Tuesday and posted a list of the restaurants affected, most of which are located in Texas.The hackers struck by secretly installing malware into the restaurant’s point-of-sale systems. Other companies, including fast-food chain Wendy’s and retailer Target, have been attacked in the same way in order to steal
  
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• Samsung files artificial muscle patent for use in flexible smartphones

  20-07-2016 20:26
  
  Samsung has filed two U.S. patents for a smartphone that can bend using what it calls "artificial muscle," which when voltage is applied through an internal controller can hold virtually any shape.
  Originally noted by Korean IT News, the first patent (US20160195902) describes a flexible display panel; a flexible image processing board that controls the video signal to the panel; and "a support member provided between the display panel and the image processing board...and at least one artificial
  
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• Prime Members: 50% off Nintendo 3DS amiibo NFC Accessory - Deal Alert

  20-07-2016 20:00
  
  Wish your (or your kids) Nintendo 3DS, 3DS XL or 2DS could support amiibo? It can, with this nifty NFC reader/writer accessory from Nintendo. After a simple pairing process, your game system is ready to unlock new game modes, characters, bonuses and more with just a tap from an amiibo accessory. It's true -- go ask your kids! It may just save you the upgrade to the new 3DS, for now. Typically listed for $20, it's currently slashed 50% down to just $10 for Amazon prime members only. Che
  
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• Windows 10 migration a low priority for some CIOs

  20-07-2016 19:54
  
  Microsoft said last week that it won’t hit its target of one billion Windows 10 devices in use by June 2018, claiming that jettisoning its smartphone business is reducing the number of devices that could run its new operating system. However, with more employees electing to use other computing devices for work, migration to Windows 10 is not a priority for some CIOs who are busy procuring cloud services, honing their analytics software and otherwise tackling more pressing projects.Thanks t
  
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• Google launches new cloud service for understanding human language

  20-07-2016 19:53
  
  Google's intelligent cloud developer tools are expanding with the launch of a new Cloud Natural Language API on Wednesday. The service is aimed at helping developers create applications that understand human language.It's an important move for Google, as public cloud providers are racing to host new applications built with intelligent capabilities. Natural language processing allows developers to build apps that can tackle the challenging task of understanding how humans communica
  
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• BrandPost: Outsourcing and Contingent Labor: CIOs look beyond cost savings towards gaining skills and flexibility

  20-07-2016 19:47
  
  As IT organizations transform rapidly to a digital model through the use of cloud and Big Data, the practice of outsourcing is shifting, too.On the one hand, outsourcing is booming: Half of CIOs (50 percent) will increase their investment in outsourcing this year, up 4 percent from 2015, according to the 2016 Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey, The Creative CIO.  And in the last five years the use of contingent workers has grown by 25 percent, while the number of IT leaders using flexible continge
  
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• Windows 10 personal data collection is excessive, French privacy watchdog warns

  20-07-2016 19:38
  Windows 10 breaches French law by collecting too much personal information from users and failing to secure it adequately, according to the French National Data Protection Commission (CNIL).Some of the privacy failings identified can be remedied by users willing to delve deep into the Windows 10 settings, but one of the commission's gripes is that better privacy should be the default setting, not one users must fight for.CNIL served Microsoft with a formal notice on June 30, giving it three mont
  
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• Virtual flying with Superman: How Six Flags New England added more thrills to its top coaster

  20-07-2016 19:30
  
  You take your seat on the roller coaster and a large belt is locked into place. A Six Flags ride attendant places a virtual reality headset over your eyes. A chin strap is tightened, and you look forward in the headset.Suddenly, you’re inside Superman’s Metropolis in an immersive experience. You can’t see the coaster, the ride attendants or even the person next to you. You only see the virtual Sky Tours seat, which looks like the pod of a large Ferris wheel. As the ride begins
  
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• Superman VR roller coaster in pictures

  20-07-2016 19:30
  
  Superman battles Lex Luthor in virtual MetropolisImage by Six FlagsAt the Six Flags New England amusement park in Agawam, Mass., visitors can now experience virtual reality on one of the park's most popular roller coasters - Superman The Ride.The first drop is a doozyImage by Six FlagsTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Tech groups want Trump to actually notice their industry

  20-07-2016 19:09
  
  Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for U.S. president, has antagonized much of the tech industry by opposing free trade and immigration but has otherwise nearly ignored this vital segment of the nation's economy.As Republicans meet in Cleveland this week to officially declare Trump as their presidential candidate, several tech groups have called on him to release a tech agenda. The huge Consumer Technology Association has issued three press releases in the past week calling on Trump to outline
  
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• Microsoft, IBM tout cloud services as key drivers of earnings strength

  20-07-2016 18:32
  
  It’s earnings season, which for publicly-traded technology vendors in the cloud market means it’s time to update investors on the momentum of emerging products helping to displace eroding revenue from legacy offerings.
  For two technology vendor stalwarts – Microsoft and IBM - cloud computing has played a significant role in their earnings this quarter.
  +MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: 4 Numbers that stood out in VMware’s earnings
  | Who’s right behind Amazon in IaaS revenue?
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: macOS: Metal API makes a big difference in World of Warcraft

  20-07-2016 18:30
  
  Yesterday I wrote about a confirmation by Blizzard that it has implemented Apple’s Metal API in the Legion pre-expansion patch of World of Warcraft. While I was very glad to find out about Metal being included in the Legion expansion, I wasn’t sure if it would make a difference in terms of graphics performance.I spent most of yesterday playing World of Warcraft after the pre-expansion patch was installed. And I’m very pleased to report that the Metal API makes a big difference
  
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• Auto parts supplier has big plans for its nascent IoT effort

  20-07-2016 18:24
  
  Hirotec America recently embarked on its first IoT effort and, as new as it is, the effort is already paying dividends, says Justin Hester, Research & Development Project Manager.  Hirotec is a $1.4 billion tier one parts and tooling supplier to automakers, specializing in closures (such as doors and hoods) and exhaust systems.  Hester was instrumental in getting the IoT effort off the ground at the company’s US headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, but has since moved to J
  
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• Nvidia's next-generation Tegra mobile chip is on its way

  20-07-2016 18:04
  
  From smartphones to self-driving cars, Nvidia's Tegra chips have been used in a wide variety of devices and products. Now, the next-generation Tegra is just around the corner.Details about a chip called "Tegra-next" will be shared next month at the Hot Chips conference in Cupertino. Tegra-next will succeed the Tegra X1 chip, which was announced in early 2015. An Nvidia spokesman confirmed the talk will be about the next-generation Tegra chip, but didn't share further details. It is likely t
  
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• BrandPost: Securing the World with Hadoop

  20-07-2016 17:17
  
  At Dell SecureWorks, big data is getting bigger all the time. We process more than 185 billion logs per day. Our data volumes are growing 66% every year. We are just a few years away from processing trillions of logs per day and needing to store hundreds of petabytes of data. These enormous and ever-growing data volumes were one of the drivers for our move to the Dell | Cloudera Hadoop big data platform.In this first post in a two-part blog series, I will summarize our journey to Hadoop, in the
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How do you put your project team in the zone?

  20-07-2016 16:50
  
  "Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." – Vince LombardiWhen you hear about flow and being in the zone, you almost always associate that with sports. The performance improvement of an individual athlete or sports team is increasingly based on science and technology, along with the deep practice and motivational triggers. For a project team it shouldn't be much different you would say. Have y
  
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• What CIOs need to know about SQL Server 2016

  20-07-2016 15:58
  
  With SQL Server 2005 now out of support, if you haven’t already started migrating your older databases onto a newer, supported release to stay in compliance with regulations like PCI DSS, that’s now urgent.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Latest leap second plan poses a dilemma for conscientious sysadmins

  20-07-2016 15:50
  Conscientious sysadmins face a dilemma on December 31, when a new leap second will threaten the stability of computer systems and networks.Scientists occasionally add a leap second to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the time reference most clocks are set by, so as to keep it in step with the earth's gradually slowing rotation. If they didn't, then clocks would be off by about a minute at midday by 2100.Computer systems don't like leap seconds as they are programmed to expect the same number of
  
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• Oracle issues largest patch bundle ever, fixing 276 security flaws

  20-07-2016 15:45
  
  Oracle has released a new quarterly batch of security updates for more than 80 products from its software portfolio, fixing 276 vulnerabilities.
  This is the largest Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) to date. The average number of flaws fixed per Oracle update last year was 161, according to security vendor Qualys. Furthermore, out of the 276 security flaws fixed in this update, 159 can be exploited remotely without authentication.
  At the top of the priority list should be the Java patches, whi
  
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• 5 things you need to know about account-based marketing

  20-07-2016 15:43
  
  At the spring Marketing Nation Summit in Las Vegas, account-based marketing (ABM) shared the keynote spotlight with the likes of Will Smith and famed author and Mount Everest climber Alison Levine. ABM's prime stage time was partly due to the announcement from Marketo CEO Phil Fernandez that his company is building an ABM ecosystem with its partners. (Marketo, recently acquired by Vista Equity Partners, produces the annual Marketing Nation Summit.)  In addition to Fernandez's announcem
  
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• Skype sets a course for the cloud, ditching some apps on the way

  20-07-2016 15:00
  
  Skype is leaving behind its peer-to-peer roots and going all in on the cloud. While the popular messaging app made it this far by facilitating connections between computers for video calls and other communications, it's moving to a cloud architecture that is supposed to improve performance and expand the service's capabilities.According to Skype Corporate Vice President Amritansh Raghav, the architecture shift has taken three years of work. It is supposed to provide a number of benefits, includi
  
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• Feds shut down tech support scammers, freeze assets

  20-07-2016 14:06
  
  Federal authorities have shut down several alleged tech support scammers working out of Florida, Iowa, Nevada and Canada, freezing their assets and seizing control of their businesses.
  The action was one of the largest in the U.S. against scammers, who bilk consumers out of an estimated $1.5 billion annually with bogus tales of infected Windows PCs and Apple Macs, high-pressure sales tactics, and grossly overpriced services and software.
  After the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed complaints
  
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• 5 tips to avoid summer's plummeting productivity

  20-07-2016 14:04
  
  Avoid summer's plummeting productivityImage by Thinkstock Investment in employee education and learning increases engagement and makes employees more productive. If you find your workload is a bit light during the summer months, consider sitting down with your manager to identify existing professional development programs or courses to add to your skill set, Battles says. If you can't physically attend courses, take advantage of virtual training tools and online massive open online courses.
  1. T
  
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• New HIPAA guidance addresses ransomware

  20-07-2016 13:00
  
  The U.S. Department of Human Services has released new guidance for health care organizations that focuses on the growing threat of ransomware, stresses the need for better education and regular backups, and confirms that a ransomware attack against plain-text health information is, in fact, a breach that must be disclosed.
  The guidance recommends that organizations identify the risks facing their patient information, create a plan to address those links, set up procedures to protect systems fr
  
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• IBM's Watson just landed a new job: helping Macy's shoppers

  20-07-2016 13:00
  
  IBM's Watson may be putting its cognitive muscle to work battling cancer and cybercriminals, but it's no slouch at shopping, either. On Wednesday, retail brand Macy's announced that it's testing out a new mobile service that lets in-store shoppers ask Watson for help.Dubbed Macy’s On-Call, the tool gives smartphone-equipped shoppers a way to ask Watson questions about a store's products, services and facilities by typing their questions into a mobile browser. It's delivered through locatio
  
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• 10 must-know tips for mastering Android TV

  20-07-2016 13:00
  
  Smart TV is the best TVImage by Derek WalterAndroid TV is the lesser known of Google’s living room ambitions. Chromecast gets all the attention since it’s easy to set up, has millions of users, and comes at an impulse buy price of $35.But Android TV is worth getting to know a little better. Despite the death of the Nexus Player, the platform is slowly making some strides as it serves as the interface for many new televisions. And for gamers or those who’s cut the cord, the best
  
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• The history of ransomware

  20-07-2016 12:33
  
  Suprisingly long historyImage by ThinkstockRansomware has been the most pervasive cyber threat since 2005. According to publicly available information, ransomware infections have outnumbered data breaches 7,694 to 6,013 over the past 11 years.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Review: 4 mini-PCs give you full power in a very small package

  20-07-2016 12:30
  
  There is a new generation of mini-PCs out there -- small, inconspicuous but powerful. They offer a number of advantages for businesses over laptops or more traditional desktop systems.
  First, they can be placed where most traditional desktops and laptops won't fit, and can be set up in creative ways, such as in a drawer, on the underside of a desk or on the back of a display. As a result, they are perfect for places like call centers or school computer labs, where you want to maximize space and
  
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• Want happier, more productive employees? Be flexible

  20-07-2016 12:23
  
  Autonomy is changing the landscape of work and it's upending the concept of a traditional 9-5 office job. With technology enabling us to work from anywhere -- more employees are itching for the flexibility and freedom that come along with mobility.
  A study from PricewaterhouseCooper looked at two focus groups in New York City -- one with workers only and the other with executives who have direct influence and decision-making abilities within the company. The study found that for baby boomer empl
  
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• Review: Windows 10 Anniversary Update fails to excite

  20-07-2016 12:00
  
  One year after the initial, faltering release of Windows 10 “RTM” (build 10240) and almost nine months after the arrival of Win 10 Fall Update (version 1511), we finally have a new tenant at the apex of the Windows 10 “as a service” heap. Windows 10 Anniversary Update, aka Redstone 1, aka version 1607, is available to Windows Insiders.Ready for Action CenterTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Internet of Things in healthcare: What's next for IoT technology in the health sector

  20-07-2016 09:51
  
  Internet of Things (IoT) refers to any physical object embedded with technology capable of exchanging data and is pegged to create a more efficient healthcare system in terms of time, energy and cost. One area where the technology could prove transformative is in healthcare - with analysts at MarketResearch.com claiming the sector will be worth $117 million by 2020.
  By embedding IoT-enabled devices in medical equipment, healthcare professionals will be able to monitor patients more effectively
  
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• Businesses are rushing into IoT like lemmings

  20-07-2016 02:54
  
  Companies are rapidly adopting IoT even though many don’t know if they’re getting a good return on their investment.
  Two-thirds of companies are now using or planning to use IoT, according to a global survey by research firm Strategy Analytics. That’s up from just 32 percent last year.
  But 51 percent of those aren’t sure whether the new technology is paying off, said Laura DiDio, an analyst at the firm.
  That doesn’t necessarily mean the internet of things isn&rsquo
  
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