IT Executive news

• Dropbox Paper is now available to all as an open beta

  03-08-2016 23:56
  
  Ten months after Dropbox first unveiled Paper, the collaborative writing tool entered open beta on Wednesday and is getting mobile versions for iOS and Android.Paper allows teams to work on documents together in the cloud. It makes it easy to add text, images, and embedded videos from YouTube, Google, or Dropbox itself. Users can also add programming code, which gets formatted automatically. And they can create to-do lists and assign tasks on those lists using the @ symbol.Since its debut i
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Digital success starts with digital health

  03-08-2016 23:55
  
  In the race to “go digital,” many global corporations and large enterprises are expanding their C-suites. In recent posts, I’ve shared how the addition of CDOs (chief digital officers) and CIOs (chief innovation officers) have some executive teams bulging with new digital leaders -- and new digital initiatives. But what’s a midmarket or small business to do? Not every company can add sought-after and costly C-level talent to architect and oversee digital transformati
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 3 steps to enhance IT productivity through knowledge transfer

  03-08-2016 23:26
  
  Like data, corporate knowledge is created, stored, distributed and consumed. Unlike data, however, it can also be easily lost. A loss of knowledge is caused by multiple factors, including these:Retiring IT staff.
  Employee attrition.
  Temporary contractors moving on to other assignments.
  Vendors completing their software development engagement and moving on to new clients.
  Employees with technical skills moving into nontechnical roles, causing their technical abilities to diminish.Preventing know
  
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• Intel issues a full recall over Basis Peak fitness watches that may burn you

  03-08-2016 23:14
  
  Intel-owned Basis issued a full recall on Wednesday over its Peak fitness watches that pose a burn hazard.
  “We are issuing this safety recall of the Basis Peak watch because the watch can overheat, which could result in burns or blisters on the skin surface,” said Intel senior VP Josh Walden. “It is important that you stop using your watch immediately and return it.”
  The recall impacts Basis Peak watches manufactured from August 2014 to July 2015, which were sold from No
  
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• Windows 10 moves closer to smart-home centerpiece with IoT deal

  03-08-2016 22:56
  
  Lazy people will love Windows 10 and its ability to automate home tasks, and the operating system's smart-home credentials are getting a serious boost with a recent internet of things pact.Microsoft wants to put Windows 10 at the center of smart homes. The company wants users to be able to tell the operating system's Cortana voice assistant to switch on a light, open a door, release food for a cat, and even check the contents of a refrigerator.For Windows 10 to be successful, the OS will have to
  
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• First Look: Firefox 48

  03-08-2016 22:32
  
  Firefox 48Image by PixabayFirefox, for years now, has been an also-ran in large chunks of the browser market – yet, in terms of its technology, has been catching up to the bigger players fast. Firefox 48 continues the process of making the browser more streamlined, robust and powerful. Take a look.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• How to keep Facebook, Twitter from being terrorists’ hunting grounds

  03-08-2016 22:31
  
  Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said that, if elected, she would try to curb terrorists from using the Internet as a recruiting tool.
  "We will disrupt their efforts online to reach and radicalize young people in our country. It won't be easy or quick, but make no mistake – we will prevail," Clinton said in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
  But Clinton's statement raises questions over what can be done to prevent terrorists from using Facebook, Tw
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Don’t blame it on the PR agency

  03-08-2016 22:24
  
  “A complete waste of $60,000 and 6 months of our time gone down the drain. They should really pay us for missing this great opportunity”.The question of when to hire a PR agency always arises in startup marketing budget discussions. Understandably, every CEO believes that the industry is eagerly waiting her invention with baited breath, so why wouldn’t the journalists and analysts be lining up to speak with her? The answer is quite simple: As magnificent as your product may be,
  
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• BrandPost: The Future of IT Service Management in a World of Digital Transformation

  03-08-2016 22:17
  
  Digital transformation is on top of every CIO’s agenda these days. However, the increasing level of complexity that accompanies the fast-paced, cloud-based world of digital requires going back to basics — that is, implementing a solid, modernized IT service management strategy (ITSM), in order to make sure that digital transformation coincides with operational excellence, customer satisfaction and IT agility.Service management is a collection of capabilities and methodologies an IT o
  
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• Think older workers struggle with technology? Think again

  03-08-2016 21:30
  
  Conventional thinking assumes that older workers have trouble adapting to new technologies.That notion is nothing more than a stereotype, but it’s a harmful one that could make life difficult for IT professionals over the age of 50 who are searching for new jobs. And now the results of a new survey suggest that the stereotype might not be accurate after all.Cloud storage provider Dropbox and Ipsos Mori, a London-based market research firm, surveyed more than 4,000 information workers in th
  
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• BlackBerry is bringing its Hub software to the Google Play Store

  03-08-2016 20:28
  
  BlackBerry is wading into the Android software pool. The once-dominant smartphone company announced its BlackBerry Hub+ service is now available for all Android phones.
  This feature was previously an exclusive to the BlackBerry Priv and freshly released DTEK50. It gathers all of your communications and scheduling notifications into a central dashboard for easy access to emails, calendar notifications, social media, and productivity apps like Slack.To read this article in full or to leave a comm
  
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• Mozilla supplies multi-process Firefox to <1% of users

  03-08-2016 20:00
  
  Mozilla on Tuesday began a limited release of a multiple-process Firefox by outfitting fewer than one in every 100 users with the improved browser.
  The reworked Firefox 48 was the culmination -- or at least the beginning of that -- of a seven-year effort to boost the browser's performance and improve its stability.
  "Users should experience a Firefox that is less susceptible to freezing and is generally more responsive to input," said Nick Nguyen, who leads the Firefox team, in a post to a compa
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Becoming the ITDM (IT diplomat)

  03-08-2016 19:49
  
  Unless you’re deeply involved in the world of peacekeeping, you probably haven’t heard of Alan Baker. He is an expert in international law and former Israeli ambassador to Canada. He recently gave an address in Istanbul called “Conflict Resolution Through Cultural Diplomacy.”Baker’s powerful observations prove true of clashes like those often experienced in the Middle East, but they’re especially valuable because they can be applied to just about any situation
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: IT must think like an app developer

  03-08-2016 19:45
  
  With the cloud becoming more pervasive by the day, we are currently living the end game of something Nicholas Carr predicted in his controversial — but prophetic — 2003 article “IT Doesn’t Matter.”
  More and more, companies are fulfilling their IT requirements by purchasing fee-based “web services” from third parties — similar to the way they currently buy electric power or telecommunications services.
  In turn, virtually every aspect of the IT orga
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Why the time is right for open source to meet hardware

  03-08-2016 19:34
  
  SiFive is a San Francisco-based fabless chip manufacturing startup that is developing the first fully open source chips. The company, which launched earlier this month, announced two chips of their flagship platform:  Freedom U500 and Freedom E300, each targeting different audience. We caught up with Kang to talk about the Freedom platform, the challenges of starting an open source hardware company, SiFive’s business model and more. Following is an edited version of that interview.
  H
  
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• Wireless charger also levitates your smartphone, tablet in midair

  03-08-2016 19:27
  
  A Canadian design company is offering a mobile device stand that not only wirelessly charges your phone or tablet but levitates the device at the same time.
  The OvRcharge, by 15-year-old AR Designs Canada, combines magnetic induction charging with electromagnetic suspension to levitate your Android or iOS mobile device a few centimeters above a square, wooden platform.
  The charger comes in two sizes: the smaller OvRcharge platform is about 5.5 inches square for smartphones, and the larger OvRch
  
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• New PCs will be more desirable with Windows 10 Anniversary Update

  03-08-2016 18:58
  
  Windows 10 was expected to save the slumping PC market, but it hasn't. PC shipments are still declining, and people haven't bought new hardware just to get Windows 10.But the Windows 10 Anniversary Update has features that will make new hardware desirable. Moreover, the period to upgrade for free to Windows 10 from older versions has ended, and analysts believe people will buy a new PC instead of shelling out $119.99 to $199.99 for a Windows 10 license.PC makers hope for nothing more than the de
  
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• 27% off Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air - Deal Alert

  03-08-2016 18:40
  
  Turn your iPad Air into a laptop with the Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case. The well-spaced keys offer the movement and response of a laptop keyboard, making emails and word processing far easier and more comfortable than typing on a tablet's touchscreen. Smart sensing technology automatically turns the keyboard on when you need to use it, and off when you don't. The case supports multiple viewing angles to help you find the most comfortable position for watching videos or reading blogs. Made
  
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• What the designer of Samsung's sexiest phones thinks about your ugly case

  03-08-2016 18:31
  
  I first met Samsung's Senior Industrial Designer Hong Yeo last year, shortly after he and his team finished designing what was at the time, Samsung's best looking smartphones ever: the Galaxy S6 and GS6 edge phones. LinkedInSamsung Senior Designer Hong YeoTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• 53% off Inateck USB 3.0 Dual-Bay Hard Drive Cloning Station - Deal Alert

  03-08-2016 18:03
  
  This gadget from Inateck will duplicate any 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch SATA HDD/SSD drive quickly and automatically without the need for a computer, by just pushing a button. Once cloning has started, an LED indicator shows you 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% completion status. Or don't kick off the cloning process, and the unit allows you to move files freely between drives as you would an external HDD/SSD. Built-in safeguards protect against overheating, overvoltage, current leaks, short circuits,
  
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• Stealing payment card data and PINs from POS systems is dead easy

  03-08-2016 17:52
  
  Many of the large payment card breaches that hit retail and hospitality businesses in recent years were the result of attackers infecting point-of-sale systems with memory-scraping malware. But there are easier ways to steal this sort of data, due to a lack of authentication and encryption between card readers and the POS payment applications.POS systems are specialized computers. They typically run Windows and have peripherals like keyboards, touch screens, barcode scanners and card readers wit
  
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• How tech’s all-stars are playing the Olympics

  03-08-2016 17:36
  
  From Aug. 5 to Aug. 21 the world will be watching Brazil as it hosts the Games of the XXXI Olympiad; and some of the biggest names in technology are helping put on the show.
  More than 10,500 athletes from 206 countries (including 555 U.S. Olympians) are expected to compete in 28 sports and 306 events at 37 venues over the course of the 16-day event.
  Technology companies aren’t just supplying technology; they’re also helping to sponsor the games. Atos, a European IT services company
  
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• How companies are training tomorrow’s IT leaders

  03-08-2016 17:29
  
  Companies face demographic change as Baby Boomers continue their steady departure from the workplace. At the same time, recruiting and retaining employees to work in large companies is becoming more difficult as freelance and entrepreneurial ventures become more popular, especially among Millennials. These challenges make attracting and developing talent critical for organizations that seek to keep pace.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Black Hat: Be wary of HTTP/2 on Web servers

  03-08-2016 17:21
  
  Researchers at Black Hat describe finding four flaws – now fixed - in the way the major server vendors implemented HTTP/2, but warn that the year-old Web protocol remains fertile ground for hackers seeking weaknesses in the way it’s rolled out.
  +More on Network World: IRS warns on super summer scam scourge | Follow all the coverage from Black Hat +
  A team at security vendor Imperva says they found nothing vulnerable about the protocol itself, but that they created distributed denial
  
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• Toshiba raises SSD storage capacity to 7.68TB

  03-08-2016 17:05
  
  Toshiba's been lagging in the race to raise storage capacity in solid-state drives, but has taken a step forward with its new 7.68TB ZD6000 SSD.
  The new drive is the highest-capacity SSD announced by Toshiba to date, up from its prior high of 4TB.
  But it's still way behind Samsung, which started shipping a 15.36TB SSD earlier this year.
  The ZD6000 is exactly half the size of Samsung's highest capacity drive, but Toshiba could exceed 8TB soon. It's a matter of cramming more chips in a drive, and
  
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• Black Hat: Kaspersky is seeking white hats

  03-08-2016 17:04
  
  Kaspersky Lab is using Black Hat’s hacker-rich environment as the launch pad for its first bug-bounty program that seeks talent to hack the company’s anti-malware software.
  It’s dipping its toe into the program by staking an initial $50,000 kitty for a six-month effort to find flaws in its two most popular products, Kaspersky Internet Security and Kaspersky Endpoint Security.
  +More on Network World: Hot products at Black Hat 2016 | Follow all the stories from Black Hat +To rea
  
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• Dell Services innovation lab for SAP-HANA creates superior solutions for customers

  03-08-2016 15:52
  
  Dell Services on Tuesday unveiled its new innovation lab for SAP HANA, intended to help its customers evaluate the SAP HANA in-memory relational database management system (RDBMS) and SAP S/4HANA business suite.The lab will also include a co-innovation lab to help customers develop and test solutions, and temporarily use the environment for upgrades and rollout projects. Dell Services is also offering a set of consulting services around the innovation lab to help customers identify potential val
  
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• Iranian hacker group knows who is on Telegram

  03-08-2016 15:14
  
  Hackers obtained the mobile phone numbers of 15 million Iranian users of the Telegram encrypted messaging app, and hacked the accounts of more than a dozen of them, security researchers say.The accounts were hacked through interception of SMS confirmation codes sent to the associated phone numbers, security researchers Claudio Guarnieri and Collin Anderson told Reuters.The revelations show once again how use of encryption can pit technology companies against governments. Telegram founder Pavel D
  
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• Amazon Echo could change the way you view the 'smart home'

  03-08-2016 14:48
  
  I roll my eyes at the concept of the "smart" refrigerator. I don't need a 'fridge tweet to tell me I'm out of orange marmalade. Smart toaster oven? I scoff. And smart locks on the doors to your home seem like a particularly dumb idea — unless you crave the company of criminals.
  In other words, I'm a smart home skeptic. However, my days of completely resisting the technology have ended. Before I explain why, consider these three reasons why you might want to remain skeptical about sma
  
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• Where does the Apple TV go next?

  03-08-2016 14:01
  
  For as long as it’s been in existence, Apple TV has wanted to be something more than what it is. Whether it was purchasing and renting movies, downloading games and apps, or simply watching live programming, Apple’s digital media player has always been a step or two behind its expectations. Even as it’s matured from a Mac-reliant box to a standalone streaming dynamo, there’s always been a sense that Apple TV’s potential is greater than its reality. And while it may
  
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• De cloud: van een goed verhaal nu naar de praktijk

  03-08-2016 14:01
  Door Eric Otten – Ofschoon het Internet of Things en augmented reality vaak onderwerp van gesprek zijn, zijn er maar weinig voorbeelden van ondernemingen die er in de praktijk iets mee doen. Voor cloud computing gold dat lange tijd ook. Dit was tien jaar geleden 'the next big thing’ en vijf jaar geleden... lees meer
  
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• Wi-Fi, LTE-U enter new phase of coexistence debate

  03-08-2016 14:00
  
  The long-running contretemps between the supporters of LTE-U and regular Wi-Fi, over the idea of the two wireless standards co-existing on the same frequencies, has moved into a new phase, as test plan parameters are expected to be rolled out at Wednesday’s coexistence workshop in San Jose.
  The workshop is a meeting of interested stakeholders from both parties. The LTE-U camp, primarily made up of Qualcomm, Ericsson and the major U.S. wireless telecoms, has long insisted that LTE-U techno
  
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• Report: Only 3 percent of U.S. companies pay attackers after ransomware infections

  03-08-2016 14:00
  
  Almost half of all companies have been the victims of a ransomware attack during the past 12 months, according to a new report. And while globally, 40 percent of them have paid the ransom, 97 percent of U.S. companies did not.
  Specifically, 75 percent of enterprise victims paid up in Canada, 58 percent in the U.K., and 22 percent in Germany, according to an Osterman Research survey of hundreds of senior executives in the U.S., Canada, German and the U.K.ALSO ON CSO: How to respond to ransomware
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Apple jumps the shark by removing the handgun emoji

  03-08-2016 14:00
  Apple released another beta of iOS 10 yesterday, and among the changes in that release was the introduction of a squirt gun emoji that replaced the hand gun emoji that had previously been available. I'm running beta four of iOS 10 so I verified the change yesterday after doing my upgrade, the handgun emoji is no longer available.Before I get any further into this post, you should know that I’m a life member of the NRA, so my perspective on guns certainly does not match Apple’s. I&rsq
  
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• How to protect yourself from common hotel security threats

  03-08-2016 14:00
  
  Hotels are digitally dangerous places these days. And that's not idle speculation. Security researchers have been sounding the alarm on sophisticated attacks directed at hotel users for years.Most of the earliest reports pointed to surgical strikes on high-profile executives or representatives of government agencies, but they could prove to be precursors for more wide-ranging attacks on the general public. Modern business travelers, with their treasure troves of files and personal information, w
  
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• Almost half of US businesses hit by ransomware, says study

  03-08-2016 14:00
  
  The threat of ransomware is becoming widespread among corporations, with almost half of U.S. businesses suffering an attack from the nasty form of malware recently, according to a new survey.Security firm Malwarebytes sponsored the study, which found in June that 41 percent of U.S. businesses had at least encountered between one to five ransomware attacks in the previous 12 months.Another 6 percent saw six or more attacks.The study surveyed corporations in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Germany to g
  
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• Oost-Europese developers komen voor persoonlijke ontwikkeling

  03-08-2016 13:20
  Voor het merendeel van de ontwikkelaars uit Oost-Europa die overwegen in Nederland te gaan werken, is persoonlijke ontwikkeling de belangrijkste reden, aldus een enquête door recruiter Huxley IT, dat 260 developers ondervroeg.De inhoud van het werk blijkt voor een klein deel (9%) van de developers... lees meer
  
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• Beveiliging gegevens in cloud blijft problematisch

  03-08-2016 13:03
  Ondanks het toenemende belang van de cloud voor de bedrijfsvoering neemt een meerderheid van organisaties onvoldoende governance- en beveiligingsmaatregelen om gevoelige gegevens te beschermen, terwijl deze doorgaans simpel zijn te implementeren. Dat zegt Gemalto naar aanleiding van onderzoek door het Ponemon... lees meer
  
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• Slideshow: LibreOffice ups its enterprise game in this major new release

  03-08-2016 13:00
  
  A business-ready Office alternativeImage by LibreOfficeLibreOffice is a free and open source alternative to Microsoft's Office productivity software that boasts some 120 million users around the globe. Version 5.2 made its debut on Wednesday, and it's packed with new business features. Here's a look at what you'll find.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Insurers working to fill cyberinsurance data gaps

  03-08-2016 12:58
  
  Insurance companies typically have decades of data, if not more, on which to base their risk estimates.
  That's not the case with cyber risk, however. There's very little historical data available, the data is not complete, and the threat landscape doesn't just change year by year, but day by day. There isn't even a standard set of definitions that everyone can agree on.
  That's starting to change, as insurers expand their services so that they can better educate their customers about cyber risk
  
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• 4 laptop security trends you should know about

  03-08-2016 12:41
  
  For most business users, there’s one common device we all use that is still a common attack vector for hackers. We carry them with us everywhere, and we store most of our important files on the local drive, even if it’s just temporary. A laptop has more storage, more connection options, and more legacy apps than any smartphone or tablet.
  For any business, it’s important to take laptop security seriously, even if you already have an endpoint security product in place and teach
  
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• Why the attack on the DNC won't be the last one like it

  03-08-2016 12:36
  
  The great DNC email caperImage by REUTERS/Mark KauzlarichThe tech news cycle dovetailed with the political news cycle last week when first emails and then voice mails from the Democratic National Committee were released via WikiLeaks. And with the possibility of Russian involvement, the incident went from a domestic squabble to a potentially international incident.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Priorities for an ERP Selection

  03-08-2016 12:30
  
  Companies undergoing ERP selections should not just worry about what system to implement. The selection process should really focus on equipping the organization for the change that accompanies implementation. Sufficient implementation preparation during ERP selection increases the chances of a successful ERP rollout.In addition to selecting the ERP software, the ERP selection process must include determining the future state, picking the right elements and involving the best people.Determine th
  
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• 7 Android apps that could transform Chromebooks

  03-08-2016 12:26
  
  Putting Chromebooks to workImage by Hiroshi LockheimerThe Google Play Store is coming to a Chromebook near you. But for this to really make a major difference in how we use Chrome OS, it’s going to take the right apps.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Politics blamed for feds' reliance on old IT

  03-08-2016 12:05
  
  The U.S. government is spending more than $81 billion on information technology. But only about 24% is spent overall on new systems, with the rest being used to maintain old systems.
  The Social Security Administration, for instance, has more than 60 million lines of Cobol, the agency’s Office of Inspector General reported last month.
  And the U.S. Defense Department is running some nuclear weapons support systems on an IBM Series/1 Computer, circa 1970s, the U.S. Government Accountability
  
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• Driekwart bedrijven acht zich zeer kwetsbaar voor cyberincidenten

  03-08-2016 12:05
  Bedrijven blijven moeite houden hun cyberbeveiliging te versterken. Daarop duidt  onderzoek van RSA, de beveiligingstak van EMC. Voor het tweede opeenvolgende jaar gaf driekwart van de respondenten aan een significante blootstelling aan risico’s te ervaren.Organisaties die investeren in... lees meer
  
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• GitHub Atom 1.9 picks up speed, drops API

  03-08-2016 12:00
  
  It's two steps forward, one step back for GitHub's Atom editor.
  GitHub is moving ahead with the text editor, releasing a speedier upgrade, version 1.9, this week and revealing intentions for the follow-up edition, now in a beta stage. But the company nixed the GitRepositoryAsync API for interaction with Git repositories and apologized to package authors about the deletion.[ Get the most out of collaborative programming with InfoWorld's 20 essential pointers for Git and GitHub. | Keep up wi
  
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• 15 low-code tools for building mobile apps fast

  03-08-2016 12:00
  
  More no-code and low-code development toolsThe debates over mobile web, native code, and hybrid mobile apps may never end, but one thing everyone can agree on is that we can’t build mobile apps fast enough. Low-code development platforms take a visual, drag-and-drop approach to building apps, allowing developers to deliver applications faster at lower costs. So-called no-code tools even promise to put app building within reach of nondevelopers.To read this article in full or to leave a com
  
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• IBM creates artificial neurons from phase change memory for cognitive computing

  03-08-2016 10:01
  
  IBM scientists have created artificial neurons and synapses using phase change memory (PCM) that mimics the brain's cognitive learning capability.
  It is the first time the researchers were able to create what they described as "randomly spiking neurons" using phase-change materials to store and process data. The discovery is a milestone in developing energy-sipping and highly dense neuro networks that could be used for cognitive computing applications.
  In short, the technology can be used to im
  
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• Bitcoin exchange Bitfinex apparently loses $63 million to hackers

  03-08-2016 02:01
  
  A digital currency exchange in Hong Kong has suspended trading after a security breach in which thieves made off with an apparent $63 million worth of bitcoin.The exchange, Bitfinex, reported the intrusion on Tuesday and said it was working with law enforcement.“We are investigating the breach to determine what happened, but we know that some of our users have had their bitcoins stolen,” the exchange said.Its statement doesn't say how many bitcoins are missing, but Zane Tackett, the
  
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