IT Executive news

• Black Hat security conference trims insecure features from its mobile app

  29-07-2016 22:41
  
  Black Hat has disabled features of its mobile application because attackers could have logged in as legitimate attendees, posted messages in their names and spied on the messages they sent.
  The problem was discovered by mobile security vendor Lookout who detail the problem in a blog that says the method of registration and password resets were flawed.
  “[W]e've removed user-to-user messaging functionality and activity feed updates out of an abundance of caution,” a spokesperson for t
  
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• Windows 7 PCs with free OS upgrade are still available, for now

  29-07-2016 22:22
  
  Many computer users have upgraded from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 as part of Microsoft's free upgrade offer, which ends on Friday.After Friday, holdovers who want to upgrade from Windows 7 will have to shell out US$119.99 to $199.99 for a Windows 10 license.But for those who'd rather buy a new PC, Windows 7 laptops and desktops will still be available with the flexibility to upgrade to Windows 10 for free.PC makers HP, Lenovo, and Dell have stopped selling PCs with home editions of Window
  
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• Microsoft listens and learns, pulls a passing grade for Windows 10's freshman year

  29-07-2016 22:18
  
  The most important ingredient in Windows 10's success during its first 12 months wasn't even a product feature, analysts said today as the operating system completed its freshman year.
  "It was the fact that Microsoft was willing to learn from its mistakes, then make course corrections," Steve Kleynhans of Gartner said when asked to pinpoint Windows 10's most significant accomplishment. "There was a lot more of that with Windows 10. Microsoft made subtle adjustments, like the pace of updating th
  
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• First look: Vikings stadium caters to connected fans

  29-07-2016 22:09
  
  U.S. Bank StadiumA striking vessel of steel and glass, the new home of the Minnesota Vikings is designed for fans with smartphones. The infrastructure and apps are in place: The stadium is blanketed with wireless access points built into handrails and a distributed antenna system to boost mobile coverage, and a Vikings stadium app keeps ticket-holders connected. Fans can order food and drinks from their seats, figure out which restrooms have the shortest lines, and watch instant replays on their
  
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• Tech boosts the fan experience at U.S. Bank Stadium

  29-07-2016 22:04
  
  The new $1.1 billion home of the Minnesota Vikings aims to deliver the space and technology for the ultimate fan experience. It has the requisite modern stadium features – slick club spaces, luxury suites, and a wide range of food and beverage options – plus some unique additions, including an interactive exhibit space that lets visitors test their athletic prowess, a fantasy-football video board so ticket-holders can keep tabs on all the league action, and a transparent roof that h
  
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• Takeaways from Apple, Facebook and Google's latest earnings

  29-07-2016 22:01
  
   Three of the world's largest and most influential technology companies — Apple, Facebook and Google — this week reported their latest earnings results for the quarter ending in June 2016. Facebook closed the week with its stock at an all-time high. Following impressive growth during the previous quarter, it is now among the five most valuable companies in the world. Apple sits atop that list with a market cap of $567.8 billion, and Google is next, with a cap of $546.7 billion.
  
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• How 'super shoppers' shape the future of online retail

  29-07-2016 21:49
  
  I share a front porch with neighbors, a pair of thirty-something professionals, and it's a rare evening when I don't have to navigate a collection of shopping bags and boxes left for them by Amazon, Google Express or another online retailer. They even buy their toilet paper on the web.
  It turns out my neighbors are part of a global cohort of "super shoppers" that accounts for nearly two-thirds of all consumer dollars spent online, according to a recent report, though the group represents only a
  
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• Big batteries for every home and business: Energy storage to double this year

  29-07-2016 21:10
  
  The global energy storage market is expected to double as homes and businesses adopt battery energy storage to supplement rooftop solar and other renewable energy systems, according to a new report by IHS.
  According to IHS, over the next decade, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries will become the mainstream energy-storage technology, with more than 80% of global energy storage installations including it by 2025.
  This year alone, the global energy storage market is expected to double, from 1.4 g
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: With ChakraCore on Linux, Microsoft doesn't discriminate

  29-07-2016 20:47
  
  A few days ago I wrote about Microsoft’s revival of Skype for Linux. I called it "a big deal" — less because of Skype itself and more because it signified Microsoft's recognition that Linux is a platform worth supporting.
  As someone who has been following and covering Microsoft’s professed love of Linux, the Skype news came as a refreshing change.
  Now the company has done it again.
  At Node Summit this week, Microsoft announced the availability of ChakraCore for Linux. ChakraCo
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Kubernetes and OpenStack to collide in Silicon Valley

  29-07-2016 20:46
  
  Mirantis, the pure play OpenStack company, is one of the sponsors of OpenStack Days - Silicon Valley. I caught up with Mirantis co-founder and CMO Boris Renski to learn more about the upcoming event. Here is an edited version of that interview...
  Can you tell us more about the event?
  OpenStack - Silicon Valley is the event that we started three years ago. This is the third in the series. The OpenStack community in general, as you know, has a summit twice a year and then it has this concept of O
  
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• BrandPost: Thinking Lean: Four Keys to Trim Manufacturing

  29-07-2016 20:42
  
  Lean manufacturing isn’t something manufacturers can achieve overnight; and it’s certainly not a one-and-done process executed in a vacuum. To the contrary, waste elimination is achieved through enterprise-wide “lean thinking” and continuous, thoughtful improvement.Here are four “musts” that will ensure your ongoing success in lean manufacturing.1.       Stability and Standardized WorkStability throughout the organization can be g
  
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• Meet OPPO, the fastest-growing smartphone brand in the world

  29-07-2016 20:25
  
  The fastest-growing smartphone maker globally — by far — is a little-known electronics company based in China called OPPO.
  OPPO grew by 137% in the second quarter of 2016, compared to a year ago, according to market research firm IDC. The company finished fourth overall, behind Samsung, Apple and Huawei, in that order.
  OPPO shipped 22.6 million smartphones in the second quarter and grabbed 6.6% of the market, well behind the 77 million shipped by Samsung and the 40.4 million from Ap
  
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• SwiftKey's typing predictions may have leaked users' emails

  29-07-2016 20:24
  
  SwiftKey, a popular keyboard app, has suspended a syncing feature that may have leaked users’ emails to strangers.The problem has been popping up through the app’s prediction bar. A few users on Reddit have noticed that it’s been offering strange suggestions -- including emails they’ve never seen and foreign language terms they’ve never used.“And now, I'm getting someone else's German predictions,” wrote one user, who recently rooted a Samsung Galaxy S6
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 8 reasons LinuxCon is a must-attend event

  29-07-2016 20:16
  
  This year LinuxCon North America will be held in Toronto. I have attended and covered LinuxCon every year since 2009, and I will be there again this year.
  It is the only tech event that I bring my whole family to. Last year I met Linus Torvalds again and told him that my son is big enough now to run around. He said he knew and pulled out his phone to show me picture of my son chasing Tux the penguin around the venue. My son was more popular than I was...a proud moment for any dad. Swapnil Bhart
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Successful cloud migration isn’t about strategy or technology

  29-07-2016 20:00
  
  At this point in time, every CIO knows that the cloud is a more agile, faster and cheaper place to be. But they have a tremendous amount of technical debt in legacy ecosystems, which, so far, has proved to be largely resistant to moving into cloud. There are a lot of companies, like AWS, that will help you — for free — evaluate your applications portfolio and help you calibrate which applications can move to the cloud. So it’s not that we lack the knowledge or the technology to
  
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• CBT Nuggets offers IT training Netflix style

  29-07-2016 18:59
  
  Every once in a while I run into a company that is particularly interesting, relatively unique and useful. Such was the case when I took a briefing from the IT Training company CBT Nuggets.   I know that keeping certifications current and making sure you and your folks have them when needed is not only a pain, but it can be wickedly expensive.   I also know that a lot of IT people have experience they can share, and because raises in staff organizations are an infrequent thin
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: The tech marketer’s guide to getting acquired

  29-07-2016 18:45
  
  It’s often said that tech companies are bought — not sold. There is something to this. After all, you won’t be driving a “For Sale” sign into your front lawn for customers, suppliers and competitors to see.But while this is a time for discretion, that doesn’t mean you can just sit back and passively wait for offers to roll in.The road to acquisition is different for every company, but the smoothest ones come from blazing a trail that kindles interest along the
  
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• New Android Trojan SpyNote leaks on underground forums

  29-07-2016 17:54
  
  A new and potent Android Trojan has been leaked on several underground forums, making it available for free to less resourceful cybercriminals who are now likely to use it in attacks.The Trojan app is called SpyNote and allows hackers to steal users' messages and contacts, listen in on their calls, record audio using the device's built-in microphone, control the device camera, make rogue calls and more.According to researchers from Palo Alto Networks, SpyNote does not require root access to a de
  
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• Windows 10 upgrade: Don't use Express settings if you value your privacy

  29-07-2016 17:19
  
  When you’re setting up a new or existing PC with Windows 10, Microsoft will offer to install the operating system with “Express settings.”
  Although Windows 10 Express settings will get you up and running quickly, that convenience comes at a cost: By skipping over custom settings, you’re agreeing to all kinds of data collection and behavior tracking, much of which didn’t apply in earlier versions of Windows.
  Here’s our advice: Instead of blindly enabling Expre
  
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• ISP groups appeal net neutrality court defeat

  29-07-2016 17:09
  Trade groups representing many U.S. ISPs have filed an appeal challenging a court ruling that upheld the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules.Trade groups CTIA, USTelecom, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, and the American Cable Association on Friday asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to rehear their challenge of the net neutrality rules after a three-judge panel upheld the rules in June. The challenge isn't t
  
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• U.S. IT employment grows, with IT services jobs leading the way

  29-07-2016 15:33
  
  The U.S. IT sector added a total of 32,100 new jobs in June, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by technology industry association CompTIA, and continues to grow at a faster rate than overall national employment. Indeed, every category except technology manufacturing, experienced positive job growth.CIO.com talked to Tim Herbert, CompTIA’s senior vice president of research and market intelligence, about what this labor data reveals about the state of the domestic I
  
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• The dangerous cost of ‘free’ Wi-Fi

  29-07-2016 15:25
  
  So you go to a political convention. Do a little politicking and listen to some speeches. While taking a break from the handshaking and schmoozing you decide to do a little work on your laptop. Then you get hacked.During the Republican National Convention, IT security company Avast security set up fake Wi-Fi hotspots to see who would fall for their trick. As it turns out, a lot of people fell for it. Avast estimated more than 1,200 people logged into the fake hotspots, some with politically lean
  
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• EMV transition involves many moving parts

  29-07-2016 15:00
  
  The shift from magnetic stripe to chip-based payment cards was first announced in 2011, with a deadline of October 2015, but most merchants still have not upgraded, and are paying the price in that they are now having to cover the costs of fraudulent transactions.
  According to EMVCo, the international consortium responsible for the EMV chip card standard, the U.S. also lags far behind other countries. In Africa and the Middle East, for example, 87 percent of in-personal payments were with chip
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Business or tech: Who should do strategy translation?

  29-07-2016 14:59
  
  Unlike conventional practice, where discovery is about gathering requirements and design is predominantly about technical design and human factors design, discovery-and-design for strategy translation is a very business-centric activity. We must discover stuff having strategic potential and then design the stuff to realize strategic potential. The objective is to improve the organization in specific ways to contribute to business strategy.Given such a strong business focus, the answer to the que
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: The executive guide to onboarding yourself

  29-07-2016 14:45
  "Before machines the only form of entertainment people really had was relationships." – Douglas Coupland
  Onboarding used to be an afterthought (or a non-thought) with many companies. Most people’s experience with corporate onboarding reminds of the scene in Being John Malkovich where John Cusack watches a silly looking, amateurishly produced film about his new employer’s mythical founding.Nowadays many companies have instituted formal, onboarding processes that are suppos
  
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• IBM's Cloud CTO: 'We're in this game to win'

  29-07-2016 14:00
  
  IBM saw from the get-go that the cloud was going to cause a major disruption to its business.
  "We knew it was a massive opportunity for IBM, but not in a way that necessarily fit our mold," said Jim Comfort, who is now CTO for IBM Cloud. "Every dimension of our business model would change -- we knew that going in."
  Change they have, and there's little denying that the cloud businesses is now a ray of sunshine brightening IBM's outlook as its legacy businesses struggle. In its second-quarter ear
  
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• 6 things you'll love about the Moto Z Droids — and 6 you won't

  29-07-2016 13:31
  
  Lenovo's Motorola Mobility division this week launched the latest "Droid" Android smartphones from Verizon Wireless, the sleek and slim Moto Z Droid and the durable, long-lasting Moto Z Force Droid.
  Following a lavish unveiling ceremony in San Francisco last month, Motorola sent me both devices, and I've been putting them through some serious trials ever since. The devices are similar, but the Moto Z Droid is designed to be as slim as possible, while the Z Force Droid has a "shatterproof" displ
  
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• The evolution of DevOps: the perfect storm for instituting secure coding practices

  29-07-2016 12:26
  
  Happy Appetite!
  Software is eating the world, or so say DevOps leaders such as Marc Andreessen, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz as most companies are becoming software companies as well as purveyors of their primary goods and services in order to be more competitive.
  Experts agree that DevOps is eating software, too. “I believe that in five to 10 years DevOps practices will be mainstream. People will view DevOps as the correct way to do software development,” says Tom Stiehm,
  
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• The future of Node.js: Stable, secure, everywhere

  29-07-2016 12:00
  
  Server-side JavaScript platform Node.js remains on the rise in enterprise IT, as its usage has been doubling every year for four years now, according to the Node.js Foundation. Now, developers overseeing Node's future are mapping out future priorities like stability and security, and they're exploring threaded workloads and engagement with the JavaScript language itself.
  Looking to spread Node "everywhere," proponents are pushing for increased adoption across servers and the desktop as well as
  
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• Review: 3 Bluetooth headsets for stereo sound

  29-07-2016 12:00
  
  These days, we use our phones for music, podcasts, news and phone calls -- but when we want to do it wirelessly and privately, we only have a few options. Headphones can give you great sound, but they're not exactly inconspicuous -- or easy to drop into a small bag.Single-ear headsets are fine for keeping in contact, but don't make listening to your favorite band or a Beethoven symphony a really uplifting experience.
  If you want something very portable but with good stereo sound, you want a pai
  
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• Democrats give thumbs up to Silicon Valley

  29-07-2016 12:00
  
  It wasn't what Michael Bloomberg said Wednesday night on the stage of the Democratic National Convention that was important to Silicon Valley. His speech was mostly generalities and attacks on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. It was Bloomberg's presence that was the message.
  Bloomberg is a strong and well-known champion for reducing barriers to highly skilled immigrants andfor raising visa caps.He co-chairs the high-skilled immigration advocacy group, Partnership for a New American
  
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• Sony does well in games but smartphone business shrinks

  29-07-2016 10:39
  
  An increase in games revenue helped Sony counter to an extent shrinking business in smartphones and the impact of earthquakes in Japan's Kumamoto region on production of the camera sensors that the company supplies to Apple and other smartphone vendors.Sony reported Friday that its revenue was down 10.8 percent to 1.61 trillion yen (US$15.73 billion) in its first quarter ended June 30, while its profit decreased by 74.3 percent year-on-year to 21.2 billion yen.The revenue of its game and network
  
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• WikiLeaks' methods questioned by whistleblower Edward Snowden

  29-07-2016 07:31
  Former U.S. National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden, has censured WikiLeaks’ release of information without proper curation.On Thursday, Snowden, who has embarrassed the U.S. government with revelations of widespread NSA surveillance, said that WikiLeaks was mistaken in not at least modestly curating the information it releases. “Democratizing information has never been more vital, and @Wikileaks has helped. But their hostility to even modest curation is a mistake,”
  
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• FBI said to investigate possible hack of another Democratic Party organization

  29-07-2016 04:02
  
  The FBI is said to be investigating yet another suspected hack of a Democratic Party organization, this time of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that raises funds for Democrats running for the House of Representatives.The previously unreported hack of the DCCC is likely to have been aimed at gathering information on donors rather than steal funds, four sources told Reuters.The intrusion is likely to raise fresh concerns about Russia trying to meddle in the U.S. elections. Another
  
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• Microsoft will cut 2,850 more jobs by the end of the year

  29-07-2016 02:23
  Satya Nadella isn't stopping the job cuts train at Microsoft any time soon. The company revealed Thursday that 2,850 people will lose their jobs by the middle of 2017, on top of the 1,850 cuts announced earlier this year.According to a regulatory filing, those impacted will primarily be in its phone hardware business, which has already been hit hard by layoffs, and in global sales.The cuts are more fallout from Microsoft's decision to downsize its smartphone business, which it acquired from
  
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• Trump's hacking comment rattles the cybersecurity industry

  29-07-2016 01:28
  
  Donald Trump’s muddled stance on hacking has disturbed security experts at time when the tech industry is looking for clarity on the U.S.'s cyber policy.On Wednesday, the outspoken presidential candidate seemed to call on Russia to break into rival Hillary Clinton’s email system.“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Trump said, referring to emails Clinton had deleted from a private email server. On Thursd
  
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• Black Hat: 9 free security tools for defense & attacking

  29-07-2016 00:33
  
  When Black Hat convenes next week in Las Vegas, it will be a rich environment for gathering tools that can be used to tighten security but also - in the wrong hands - to carry out exploits.
  Researchers presenting generally point out the value these releases hold for researchers like themselves who operate in experimental environments as well as for enterprise security pros who want to build better defenses against such attack tools.
  Presenters will detail a broad range of exploits they’ve
  
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• Alphabet will work with more auto makers on self-driving cars

  29-07-2016 00:19
  Alphabet's recent partnership with Fiat Chrysler to build self-driving car technology into a Chrysler mini van will be the first of many such deals, the Google parent company said Thursday.
  The Fiat Chrysler deal, announced in May, will see around 100 of the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans outfitted with self-driving technology for use in tests by Alphabet. The first cars are expected to hit public streets later this year and will more than double Alphabet's current fleet of se
  
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