IT Executive news

• ARM pact will help Intel woo Apple into new chip deal

  16-08-2016 23:24
  
  The chances of Apple using Intel's factories to manufacture iPhone and iPad chips have just rocketed upward.Intel on Tuesday expanded its custom manufacturing business so it can fabricate chips based on ARM architecture.Apple's cutting-edge A-series chips, used in the iPhone and iPad, are based on ARM architecture. Intel will provide state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities with the 10-nanometer process, and that could be attractive to Apple.The deal between ARM and Intel increases the chance
  
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• Suspected spycraft, not hacktivism, swirls around alleged NSA hack

  16-08-2016 22:45
  Not even the National Security Agency is immune to carelessness, according to noted leaker Edward Snowden. The agency’s operatives can get lazy, and sometimes they leave behind files inside the servers they’ve hacked.That could explain how an anonymous group managed to obtain hacking tools that may belong to the NSA. The files are up for auction to the highest bidder, and allegedly include cyber weapons that rival the Stuxnet computer worm.Counterhacking
  On Tuesday, Snowden, a former
  
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• Trump's 'extreme' anti-terrorism vetting may be H-1B nightmare

  16-08-2016 22:39
  
  Donald Trump’s call for "extreme vetting" of visa applications, as well as the temporary suspension of immigration from certain countries, would raise fees and add delays for anyone seeking a visa, including H-1B visas, immigration experts said.
  In particular, a plan by Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, to stop issuing visas -- at least temporarily -- "from some of the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world" may make it difficult for a significant number of people to
  
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• Google details security features in Android 7.0 'Nougat'

  16-08-2016 22:26
  
  During an hour-long Hangouts web chat for the media and select IT professionals, Google today provided a glimpse of some of the new security features in its upcoming mobile OS, Android 7.0 "Nougat," which shouldbe available on Google Nexus devices "in a few weeks," according to the company.
  The online briefing wasn't meant to be exhaustive. Instead, it provided a top-level look at a set of new security and management tools in Android Nougat and Android for Work. Here's a breakdown of some of th
  
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• Ford to offer self-driving cars without steering wheels by 2021

  16-08-2016 22:15
  
  Ford Motor Co. today announced its plans to begin mass producing a fully autonomous vehicle by 2021 that it will sell for ride hailing markets such as Uber.
  Ford's vehicle will be manufactured with no steering wheel, no gas or brake pedal. In other words, a driver will not be required.
  "The world is changing, and it's changing quickly. We're not sitting on the sidelines. Ford will be actively driving that change," Ford CEO Mark Fields said during a news  conference held at the company's Pa
  
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• U.S. senators want airline IT meltdowns to end

  16-08-2016 22:05
  
  Two high-profile airline technology meltdowns stranding thousands of travelers in the recent weeks have prompted two US senators to push carriers to bolster their technology.
  Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.)this week sent a letter to the most recent offenders -- Delta and Southwest -- as well as 11 other airlines to get a better handle on whether or not their information technology systems are reliable and resilient.
  +More on Network World: Not dead yet: 7 of
  
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• CIOs must learn how to share good news, bad news

  16-08-2016 22:05
  
  The key to improving communications between IT groups and the rest of the business is building trust through transparency, according to IT executives at a CIO Executive Council (CEC) virtual meeting about effective IT communications.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Intel challenges Raspberry Pi 3 with tricked out Joule board

  16-08-2016 22:01
  
  Intel has unleashed a new competitor to Raspberry Pi 3 with its new Joule development board, which packs in superior graphics and wireless connectivity.The chipmaker has loaded the development board with technology found in regular PCs: a 64-bit quad-core Atom processor, 4K graphics, 802.11ac connectivity, and DDR4 memory features.However, Joule doesn't compete on price with the Raspberry Pi, which sells for US$35. A high-end version of the Joule board is on sale at the Intel Developer Forum thi
  
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• Snowden: Auction of stolen NSA malware likely political

  16-08-2016 21:47
  
  A public auction of stolen NSA malware may be a warning to the U.S. that blaming Russia for the hack of the Democratic National Committee could have dire consequences, says Edward Snowden, who also famously breached NSA security.
  In a series of tweets, Snowden spelled out his interpretation of what’s behind the auction of hacking tools allegedly stolen from the NSA, and he concludes that Russia is trying to demonstrate it has ammunition to strike back if the U.S. exacts penalties for the
  
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• Microsoft to end decades-old pick-a-patch practice in Windows 7

  16-08-2016 21:09
  
  Microsoft yesterday announced that beginning in October it will offer only cumulative security updates for Windows 7 and 8.1, ending the decades-old practice of letting customers choose which patches they apply.
  "Historically, we have released individual patches ... which allowed you to be selective with the updates you deployed," wrote Nathan Mercer, a senior product marketing manager, in a post to a company blog. "[But] this resulted in fragmentation where different PCs could have a different
  
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• 28% off Moonrays Solar Weatherproof Outdoor LED Landscape Lights - Deal Alert

  16-08-2016 21:09
  
  If you're looking for curb appeal after the sun goes down, or an added element of safety along pathways, you may want to consider this deal. This stylish set of 8 landscape lights is solar powered and designed for all-weather operation. Its internal batteries charge during the day, and is completely removeable and replaceable if needed (standard rechargeable AA's). They currently average 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 1,100 customers (read reviews). The list price of $43.99 has been reduce
  
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• High-end banking malware hits Brazil

  16-08-2016 20:45
  
  Brazil just can't catch a break. We've already seen flesh-eating bacteria in the water, athletes getting robbed on the streets, and police officers holding up a "welcome to hell" sign at the airport. Plus a wide variety of cybercrime, including phishing attacks and credit card skimming machines.
  Now the criminals are getting even more sophisticated. In the past two weeks, IBM's X-Force security team has spotted the high-end banking trojans Zeus Sphinx and Zeus Panda, according to a new report.
  
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• Intel's new computer can serve as the brains of robots

  16-08-2016 20:40
  
  A compact computer called Euclid from Intel should make the development of robots much easier.
  Euclid looks much like the Kinect camera for Xbox consoles, but it's a self-contained PC that can be the guts of a robot.
  It's possible to install the Euclid computer where the "eyes" of a human-like robot would be typically placed. Intel demonstrated the Euclid computer in a robot moving on stage during CEO Brian Krzanich's keynote at the Intel Developer Forum on Tuesday.
  Euclid has a 3D RealSense ca
  
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• Microsoft will bring holographic 'mixed reality' to every Windows 10 PC

  16-08-2016 20:20
  
  Microsoft is bringing Windows Holographic to the masses with a forthcoming update to Windows 10, in a move to make it easier to blend physical and digital reality on any PC. Windows Holographic will be made available through a software update sometime in 2017, Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and Devices Group, said at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco on Tuesday. Microsoft and Intel are working together to provide minimum hardware specifications for Wind
  
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• Intel will provide early access to fast Optane SSDs via the cloud

  16-08-2016 20:00
  
  Intel isn't yet shipping its Optane SSDs, but they soon will be available for testing over the cloud.
  This is good news for enterprise users, who are eagerly awaiting the new class of storage and memory shown to break SSD speed records.
  Optane is based on 3D Xpoint technology, which is 10 times faster than the technology in standard SSDs. It also can serve as a substitute to traditional DRAM, but software needs to be written so parts of Optane operate like memory tiers.
  Optane SSDs will be avai
  
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• Intel's Kaby Lake chips will include integrated 4K graphics processors

  16-08-2016 19:37
  
  Intel isn't known for its graphics processors, but the company is promising a big improvement with its 7th generation Core processors, code-named Kaby Lake.The Kaby Lake chips, which will succeed Skylake, will feature integrated 4K graphics processors, the company said at the Intel Developer Forum on Tuesday.Intel showed off Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch shooter game running smoothly on a Dell XPS with a Kaby Lake chip during Intel CEO Brian Krzanich's keynote.Intel also showed off an HP 2-
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Healthcare data breaches: It's no longer about healthcare or medical data

  16-08-2016 19:31
  
  If you are a B2B software company that works in healthcare IT, this may be pertinent to you. The giant sucking sound of healthcare data breaches may be from one of your systems. 
  This month, two major health systems reported massive healthcare data breaches.
  Arizona-based Banner Health discovered that personal information of around 3.7 million patients might have been compromised in a cyberattack through unauthorized access to payment card data at food and beverage outlets at some Banner H
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Don't do what I say, do what I mean!

  16-08-2016 19:30
  
  Today, personal assistants do a good job with simple tasks like setting reminders, playing a favorite playlist, even calling your significant other when you direct the personal assistant to “call spouse.” The challenge is to perform more advanced tasks like understanding what we mean, as in ordering pizza for delivery. The concepts of ordering pizza will require the understanding of product choice, payment and delivery. Linking fundamental product concepts to spatial, temporal and pa
  
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• 50% off TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp, (Dimmable, Touch Control, 5 Color Modes, USB Charging Port) - Deal Alert

  16-08-2016 19:08
  
  The TaoTronics energy-saving LED Desk Lamp comes with vision-friendly, low power consumption LED light source, adjustable color modes, and dimmable brightness settings, making this ideal for your dorm room, home or office. With a slight touch from your finger tips, you can switch between a strong white light to soft yellow light. 5 different color temperatures and 7 brightness levels for you to fine tune your illumination. This new generation of eco-friendly LED lighting consumes 75% less power
  
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• LinkedIn's Gradle plug-in brings build automation to Python

  16-08-2016 19:00
  
  LinkedIn today is releasing via open source {py}gradle, a plugin for running Python builds in the popular Gradle software build automation system.
  With {py}gradle, Python and Java shops can use the same build system, said Stephen Holsapple, lead on Python development at LinkedIn. The plugin is accessible under an Apache 2 license.[ The InfoWorld review: 13 primo Python web frameworks. | 10 hard-core coding tips for faster Python. | Keep up with hot topics in programming with InfoWorld's Applica
  
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• Windows 7 and 8.1 updates switching to cumulative monthly rollups starting in October

  16-08-2016 18:20
  
  Microsoft is getting into the Windows 10 spirit for Windows 7 and 8.1 users. No, the company is not returning to its nagging tactics for the (now expired) free upgrade to Windows 10. What Microsoft is doing is making updates to Windows 7 and 8.1 much easier and similar to how it handles Windows 10 updates. Beginning in October 2016, both older operating systems will receive a cumulative rollup patch available each and every month via Windows Update.To read this article in full or to leave a com
  
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• Google says its databases are enterprise ready

  16-08-2016 18:20
  
  Google is continuing its campaign to entice enterprises to its public cloud platform by rolling out database services stable enough to serve businesses' production workloads.  To that end, the company announced the general availability of three database-focused products: the second generation of Cloud SQL, its managed database service; Cloud Datastore, its NoSQL document database; and Cloud Bigtable, its NoSQL database service that powers products like Gmail. Each of those products has a se
  
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• FCC urged to crack down on Baltimore police for using phone trackers

  16-08-2016 18:09
  
  Three civil rights groups have filed a formal complaint against Baltimore City police for using cell site simulator technology to investigate potential crimes, calling the process racially biased and unauthorized.
  The groups called the use of Stingray phone tracker technology "racially discriminatory," and even a disruption of emergency calling services, according to the complaint filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) early today.
  The 37-page complaint by the Center for Media J
  
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• Tech industry desperate for US action on the Trans-Pacific Partnership

  16-08-2016 17:28
  
  The Trans-Pacific Partnership, a controversial trade deal supported by many U.S. tech companies, is on death row, with both major party presidential candidates opposed. 
  It's a long shot, but some tech trade groups are hoping for last-minute clemency from Congress and outgoing President Barack Obama. The trade groups are pushing for Congress to vote to approve the deal after November's general election, in the lame-duck session before a new Congress and a new president takes office.
  T
  
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• Samsung Galaxy Note7: An excellent phone for the high-price market

  16-08-2016 17:28
  
  If you've been watching the Olympics in the U.S., you have certainly seen the inescapable ads for Samsung's Galaxy Note7 phone. But these crushingly ubiquitous ads emphasize the phone's stylus without mentioning two of its prime attractions: its terrific screen and its enhanced security features.Fast and fashionableThe Note7 measures 6.0 x 2.9 x 0.3 in. and weighs just shy of 6 oz. The superb Super AMOLED screen, curved at the long edges, is 5.7 inches diagonal with QuadHD resolution of 2560 x
  
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• 5 things to know about the Trans-Pacific Partnership

  16-08-2016 17:28
  
  The U.S. presidential campaign has shined a spotlight on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposed trade deal that's simmered on the back burner for years.
  Both major-party presidential candidates oppose the deal, negotiated in secret among 12 Pacific Region countries, including the U.S., Japan, Australia, Canada, and Singapore. China and Russia are notably absent from the negotiations.
  While negotiators approved the final language in October, the U.S. has not yet ratified the deal.
  Here are fi
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Will iOS users dump FaceTime for Google's Duo?

  16-08-2016 17:01
  
  Google has released a new video calling app called Duo for iOS and Android. The app offers a very simple video calling experience that seems designed to compete with Apple’s popular FaceTime app. FaceTime, as you probably already know, comes with every Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.Dieter Bohn reports on Duo for The Verge:
  First, a bit about how Duo works. It’s available on both Android phones and iPhones. When you sign up, the app checks your phone number from your SIM and then s
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Calling all coders: is AI coming for your job?

  16-08-2016 17:00
  
  Forecasting the future isn’t easy but some things are predictable. It is predictable, for example, that every now and then everyone will get excited about the imminent arrival of machines that think like people and that will therefore destroy people’s jobs. This triggers a mix of enthusiasm and paranoia. But after the humanoid machines fail to materialize as predicted, everyone calms down and gets back to work.In 2016, we are approaching the end of one of those periodic bouts of exci
  
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• 6 things you need to know about hiring software developers

  16-08-2016 16:07
  
  What do software developers want? It's an important question for CIOs looking to attract the best coding talent, but it's a hard question to answer. That's because software developers tend to be fiercely individualistic and defy generalization.As a result, many developer surveys concentrate on the skills that are in demand, and the languages developers plan to learn. But a new survey of 1,400 developers called State of Stack attempts to gauge developers' wants and needs. It was conducted by Netg
  
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• Nuance taps into deep learning to improve Dragon speech recognition by 24 percent

  16-08-2016 15:30
  With the trends in personal computing favoring software that gets to know its users, the newest version of Nuance’s Dragon voice dictation suite of software—Dragon 15, announced Tuesday—is right on track. 
  Dragon 15—including Dragon Professional Individual ($300), Dragon Professional Individual for Mac ($300), Dragon Legal ($500), and Nuance Dragon Anywhere (free to install; subscriptions run $15/month or $150/year)—is based on Nuance’s new machine-learn
  
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• Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review: A pricey phablet made for power users

  16-08-2016 15:00
  
  The Galaxy Note 7 is Samsung’s phablet darling and the sixth version of the smartphone that started the Big Phone craze. But since the first Galaxy Note launch launch in 2011, phones with screens larger than 5.5-inches have become more common. Android and Windows phone makers have jumped on the bandwagon with their own Big Phone variants, and even Apple started to offer plus-sized iPhones.
  Despite all the competition, Samsung’s Galaxy Note is still the best. This year’s Note 7
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: ONC blockchain challenge and the birth of the cryptocitizen for healthcare

  16-08-2016 15:00
  
  Who spends the time to write a 10-page proposal paper that is going to a government agency? Everyone knows that even if the paper is read nothing will happen, right? We as a society have to believe in something, and if we are going to invest time, working towards improving the health of a nation is a noble first step.The ONC and NIST partnershipThe National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in partnership with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (
  
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• Cerber ransomware rakes in cash by recruiting unskilled hackers

  16-08-2016 15:00
  A ransomware strain has been making a pretty penny by opening its doors to unskilled hackers. 
  Security firm Check Point gained a rare look at the inner workings of the Cerber ransomware and found that its developers are building a network of partners to attack more targets -- and rake in more cash. 
  Check Point also warned that because of Cerber, more unskilled cybercriminals might choose to participate in ransomware schemes. 
  "Even the most novice hacker can easily reach out in
  
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• Cerber ransomware earns $2.3mil with 0.3% response rate

  16-08-2016 15:00
  
  The fast-growing Cerber ransomware earned nearly $200,000 in July despite a payment rate of just 0.3 percent as a result of its affiliate distribution model, according to a new report by Check Point and IntSights Cyber Intelligence.
  That puts it on track to make $2.3 million this year, said Maya Horowitz, group manager of threat intelligence at Israel-based Check Point Software Technologies Ltd..
  In the affiliate model, non-technical customers can run their own campaigns using the platform and
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How cognitive computing will change project management

  16-08-2016 14:58
  
  You aren’t going to stop it. The trend is going to keep moving - Ginni Rometty
  For many years, IBM is the leader in the field of cognitive computing with IBM Watson.  According to IBM, the purpose of cognitive computing is to enhance and scale human expertise, rather than an attempt to replicate human intelligence. IBM prefers to call it augmented intelligence (AI) instead of artificial intelligence.The underlying thought is that cognitive computing functions in an assisting, su
  
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• Why you should buy AppleCare+ for your Apple Watch

  16-08-2016 14:51
  
  In April 2015, shortly after Apple made its first smartwatch available for preorder, I wrote a post that posed the question, "Is AppleCare+ for your Apple Watch worth the price?"
  Fast-forward to August 2016, when my stainless steel Watch (which I've worn since late April 2015) broke. Obviously, I was glad I had purchased AppleCare+ for my Apple Watch, even though I don't normally buy extended warranties. Apple will reportedly announce a new version of the Watch at its big September pr
  
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• Is emotional intelligence the key to customer service training?

  16-08-2016 14:34
  
  While studying at MIT, Josh Feast, founder and CEO of Cogito, worked with MIT Professor Alex "Sandy" Pentland, founder and director of Human Dynamics Research within the MIT Media Laboratory, to develop emotional intelligence software. The software was originally implemented within the healthcare industry and the military to help diagnose veterans with PTSD and the company eventually broke off from MIT and opened up shop in downtown Boston.Now, Cogito is focused on expanding its reach in the bus
  
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• RiskSense lands $7M for assessment service

  16-08-2016 14:28
  
  RiskSense, software-as-a-service that evaluates the security of corporate networks and generates a risk score, has been self-financed since its launch last year, but now has harnessed venture funding to help boost its R&D and hire marketing and sales staff.
  The $7 million funding round includes Paladin Capital Group, Sun Mountain Capital, EPIC Ventures, and other strategic and private investors.Tim GreeneRiskSense CEO Srinivas MukkamalaTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, ple
  
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• Why it’s time to dump your outdated applicant tracking system

  16-08-2016 14:11
  
  Organizations that are successfully winning the war for talent and consistently making great hires aren't using an outdated, clunky, inefficient and ineffective applicant tracking system (ATS) Instead, they're turning to software that approaches the practice of recruiting in the same way that CRM software approaches marketing and sales -- but instead of inquiring, marketing and selling a product or a service, you're "selling" your company and a potential career and emphasizing candidate experien
  
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• Why doesn’t my cybersecurity insurance cover that?

  16-08-2016 13:00
  
  Still some risk to customerImage by kuchingboyCybersecurity insurance is designed to alleviate losses from various cyber incidents, including data breaches, damage to networks, and any interruptions to business operations. But while billion-dollar companies are all in desperate need of cybersecurity insurance and can afford to spend millions without thinking twice, cybersecurity insurance only transfers some of the risk of a breach to the insurer. It does not cover lost data, reputation damage o
  
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• 4 keys to getting funding for your IT project

  16-08-2016 13:00
  
  Many IT leaders complain constantly that they can’t satisfy their users because their budget doesn’t provide enough money for new services. Meanwhile, many unsatisfied users complain that IT should not be given more money until new services are delivered. It’s a vicious circle.
  But there is always money somewhere, especially in a large and established enterprise. According to a recent Fortune magazine survey of private companies’ CEOs, 92% said they have all the cash the
  
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• How 3 fintech startups are shaking up security

  16-08-2016 12:35
  
  Today’s financial technology startups (“fintech” for short) are taking on some of today’s greatest security challenges. Armed with drive and a need for innovation, these companies have created new services and security approaches that are changing the financial industry. Here’s how three such companies are competing based on security.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: These platforms will make your bots language-intelligent

  16-08-2016 12:30
  
  Natural language is a fundamental element of bot technologies. As a result, there has been a direct correlation between the evolution of bot platforms and natural language processing platforms. While the evolution of bot technologies has mostly been driven by messaging platform vendors such as Facebook or WeChat, the main advancements in natural language processing technologies seem to be coming from cloud platform and service providers like Google or IBM. Consequently, most bot developers spend
  
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• Vergeet big data, fast data heeft de toekomst

  16-08-2016 12:10
  Door Bart Schouw – Als je denkt dat big data-projecten uitdagend zijn, dan heb je waarschijnlijk nog niet gezien wat Internet of Things (IoT)-projecten met zich meebrengen. Het draait bij het IoT niet meer alleen om omvang, maar ook om snelheid. Big data gaat om het aantal gegevens in combinatie met de... lees meer
  
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• Review: 6 slick open source routers

  16-08-2016 12:00
  
  Hackers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but the lousy stock firmware your routers shipped with.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Microsoft's .Net Framework will get its own Patch Tuesday

  16-08-2016 12:00
  
  Microsoft in October is introducing .Net Framework Monthly Rollup to provide security and quality updates to its programming model for Windows. The move aligns with the Windows Monthly Rollup, which does the same thing for the Windows OS.
  Both rollups were unveiled on Monday and will be available on Patch Tuesday each month, according to Microsoft.[ Solve your Win10 installation headaches with our Windows 10 Installation Superguide. Download it today! | Stay up on key Microsoft technologies wit
  
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• Salesforce snaps up analytics startup BeyondCore

  16-08-2016 05:12
  
  Salesforce.com has acquired business intelligence and analytics startup BeyondCore, as part of its strategy to make its software more intelligent.“I am thrilled [to] announce @Salesforce has acquired @beyondcoreinc to enhance the AI capabilities of Analytics Cloud,” wrote Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff in a tweet on Monday.The financial terms of the deal were not not disclosed.BeyondCore in San Mateo, California, had already started integrating its product with the Salesforce platform.
  
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• Software-defined storage hits the bargain rack

  16-08-2016 00:50
  
  Some small and medium-sized businesses need fast, and flexible storage gear as much as large enterprises. The need to quickly spin up new applications, even without a storage specialist on staff, can drive those demands. The gear for doing so is gradually getting more affordable.On Monday, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise extended two of its storage product lines into more affordable territory, in one case adopting an ARM processor to help cut the cost of a system.HPE says the new systems give smaller
  
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