IT Executive news

• These are the lessons Trulia learned from building a chatbot

  19-08-2016 23:46
  
  It's a competitive real-estate rental market out there, and Trulia wanted to capitalize on the interest with a new Facebook Messenger bot it launched earlier this month.The bot lets users search for rental properties and keep up to date on new properties when they become available. Trulia's bot came out of a quarterly hackathon project hosted by at real estate tech firm this past May, and the company learned a lot about bot-building. The experience showed that businesses should give bo
  
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• How cyberattacks work [Infographic]

  19-08-2016 22:49
  
  For their 2016 Cyber Weapons Report security startup LightCyber used network analysis to understand what tools hackers use "to expand their footprint," that is, the tools they use to communicate with command and control servers, gain access privileges, and access new hosts.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• The NBA is holding its first hackathon - should your company, too?

  19-08-2016 22:17
  
  Companies large and small have already embraced the hackathon as a way to foster collaboration and innovation, and now the NBA has announced that it's jumping on board.
  Scheduled to take place next month in New York, the NBA's first-ever event is open to undergraduate and graduate student statisticians, developers and engineers in the U.S. who are interested in building basketball analytics tools. Participants will present their work to a panel of expert judges and an audience of NBA League Off
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Belkin's keyboard turned my iPad Pro into a writing machine

  19-08-2016 22:01
  
  Ever since the iPad Pro was released, I have been looking for a keyboard that would turn it into a writing device. To no avail. And adding to the misery was the fact that the 12.9" iPad Pro had all the cons of a laptop and not many pros of a tablet.I gave up on the 12.9” iPad Pro and upgraded to the 9.7" iPad Pro under T-Mobile’s Jump on Demand program. The smaller tablet is portable (as a tablet should be), but can also be used as a laptop replacement in a few cases, writing being o
  
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• New law in Mass. attempts to raise IT pay for women

  19-08-2016 21:57
  
  Women who work in information technology are paid less than men -- that much is clear. The problem is why, and whether IT managers can fix it.
  The Census Bureau, in a report this week, found that women who work in IT were paid, at the median, $10,000 below men in 2014. Similarly, IEEE-USA found that women's salaries trailed men’s by an average of $13,635 in 2014. Although that deficit was down from $16,500 in 2013, the gap remains wide.
  The gender wage gap is no secret, but employees are
  
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• See the powerful megachips that will clash at Hot Chips

  19-08-2016 21:38
  
  Speed is kingImage by University of California, DavisThis year's Hot Chips conference is all about chips that can rake, power efficiency be damned. That's because virtual reality, machine learning, and self-driving cars demand heaps of processing power, not low power consumption. Here are some the fastest chips being detailed at the conference, starting Sunday in Cupertino, California.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Chinese approval clears the way for Dell's huge EMC buy

  19-08-2016 21:02
  
  Dell’s massive acquisition of EMC reportedly has passed legal muster in China, clearing what is expected to be its last hurdle.The acquisition, announced last October with an estimated value of US$67 billion, has been approved by Chinese regulators, according to the New York Post. That’s expected to be the last step toward closing the deal, though the companies may not announce its completion formally until next week. The combined company will be called Dell Technologies, while its P
  
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• BrandPost: Verizon 2016 DBIR: Known Attack Methods Remain Security’s Achilles' Heel

  19-08-2016 20:54
  
  Companies are doubling down on IT security efforts, yet known areas of susceptibility and human error remain the main source of enterprise cyberattacks, according to Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR).In fact, the latest edition of the Verizon DBIR found that lost or stolen credentials are responsible for 63 percent of confirmed data breaches. The ninth edition of this comprehensive security guide analyzed more than 100,000 security incidents, including 2,260 confirmed
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 4 tools that give marketing consultants peace of mind

  19-08-2016 20:19
  
  Navid Moazzez, a speaker, podcaster and marketing consultant, left his demanding part-time job to become the world’s leading expert in virtual summits. He was a law school student in Sweden but not for long: “I started to realize that I didn't want to be tied to a desk all my life, without much freedom,” he said in an interview almost a year ago. Today he is a successful marketing consultant helping entrepreneurs across the globe host virtual summits and earning a sizeable inc
  
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• New battery technology could double capacities for consumer electronics

  19-08-2016 19:55
  
  A startup called SolidEnergy says that it has developed a new design for a safe, rechargeable lithium metal battery, potentially revolutionizing energy storage for small devices like smartphones and wearables.
  Breakthroughs in materials science mean that former MIT post-doctoral student Qichao Hu’s company can produce batteries with double the energy density of current-generation lithium ion batteries. This means that they can either be twice as powerful as a lithium ion battery of equiva
  
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• One smart plug isn't so bright when it comes to security

  19-08-2016 19:43
  Smart sockets that let you control an electrical plug over the internet may sound cutting edge, but they can also be rife with security flaws.
  One such plug was found vulnerable to hacks. Security firm Bitdefender said that it could steal user email logins from the device, control it over the Internet, and potentially use the socket to launch other malware attacks.“This is a serious vulnerability, we could see botnets made up of these power outlets,” Alexandru Balan, chief security
  
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• Hyundai in talks with Google on developing self-driving cars

  19-08-2016 18:47
  
  Hyundai President Jeong Jin Haeng said this week his company is talking to Alphabet's Google unit about helping it develop a self-driving car.
  The world's fifth largest automaker hopes to enter into a symbiotic relationship, where it will bring its manufacturing prowess to Google and the Silicon Valley giant will help the automaker's autonomous technology development.
  "Hyundai is lagging behind the competition to develop autonomous vehicles," Ko Tae Bong, senior auto analyst at Hi Investment &a
  
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• Shared code in Snowden leaks and NSA breach support hackers' claims

  19-08-2016 18:24
  Documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden share a malware tracking code with several files released this week by hacking group Shadow Brokers, according to a news report.Shadow Brokers claimed they had hacked a cyberespionage team linked to the U.S. spy agency when they released a group of sample files earlier this week. Similarities between the Shadow Broker files and information in documents leaked by Snowden give credence to the claims by the anonymous hack
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Where are your users learning about the birds and the bees of cloud?

  19-08-2016 17:57
  
  Where did you learn about the birds and bees? From your adolescent peers? How did that work out for accuracy? Today, kids learn the facts of life from their peers and the internet.The same is true for your users when it comes to learning about the cloud — with the same, sometimes disastrous, consequences. You’re the CIO, shouldn’t they be learning cloud from you? Stop making like Rodney Dangerfield and lamenting that IT gets no respect. Step up and reach out.Cloud use is spread
  
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• The Windows 10 Anniversary Update is breaking webcams

  19-08-2016 17:16
  
  Microsoft’s got another Windows 10 Anniversary Update problem to fix following the login freeze issue that came to light in mid-August.
  Many users are now complaining that they can no longer use their USB-based webcams since updating to the latest version of Windows 10. The source of the problem is that Microsoft decided to filter out two common video compression formats for connected webcams in the Anniversary Update, as first reported by Thurrott.com.To read this article in full or to l
  
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• Jump-starting population health management

  19-08-2016 17:01
  
  Aurora Health Care, a healthcare system with 15 hospitals and over 150 clinics in eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, has just entered the second phase of an effort to use startup software developers to create the applications it needs for population health management.On July 20, Aurora and Startup Health, an accelerator in which Aurora has made a significant investment, announced a “call for innovations” that was expected to attract responses from a diverse collection of startu
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Is Apple’s Mac mini worth buying?

  19-08-2016 16:46
  
  When the topic of Apple’s computers comes up, quite a lot of attention is given to the the company’s MacBook or iMac machines. While the iMac and MacBooks are fine computers, not everybody needs a laptop or an all-in-one desktop.Enter the Mac mini.The Mac mini has been around for a long time, but for some reason it is still overshadowed by its better known siblings. That’s a shame because it can be a great alternative to MacBooks and iMacs for the right user.The different Mac m
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 10 ways to think like your client

  19-08-2016 16:45
  
  IT support clients don't think like we do in IT — big surprise! They are a different animal, something they would also say about you and your IT staff.IT support clients have different priorities, they have different backgrounds and experiences, and they have completely different missions in the company than their IT support counterparts. It's not only OK that they look at things differently than we do in IT, it's appropriate.To support your clients effectively, it helps to understand how
  
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• How to turn on Twitter's quality filters and silence trolls

  19-08-2016 16:24
  
  Twitter has finally come up with a solution to muzzle trolls.
  The company published a blog post on Thursday announcing two new controls for filtering your notifications. Twitter notifications are the primary method through which trolls can contact and harass users.
  The first new setting reduces the noise in your notifications stream. By default, anyone who mentions your Twitter username with the “@” symbol shows up in your Twitter notifications. It doesn’t matter if they&rsquo
  
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• 2 ways to rebook cancelled flights with a smartphone or tablet

  19-08-2016 16:21
  
  Given all the recent flight cancellations and delays, last week was a terribly bad, no good week for Delta Air Lines passengers. Unfortunately, cancellations and delays are a part of modern air travel, and that's not going to change in the foreseeable future. "Airlines will likely suffer more disruptions like the one that grounded about 2,000 Delta flights [last] week because major carriers have not invested enough to overhaul reservations systems based on technology dating to the 1960s,"
  
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• T-Mobile One 'unlimited' data plan is rife with gotchas

  19-08-2016 15:45
  
  Not too long ago, unlimited data plans nearly went extinct, but on Thursday T-Mobile launched a new unlimited plan and Sprint cut the cost on another. Before you get too excited, you should know that T-Mobile's offer has more gotchas than a game of hide and seek.How T-Mobile One works
  The new plan is called T-Mobile One, and it offers "unlimited" talk, text, and high-speed 4G LTE data for new and existing customers who want to scrap their old plans. A single T-Mobile One line costs $70, plus the
  
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• Why Vietnam is an attractive IT offshoring destination

  19-08-2016 15:37
  
  Vietnam’s technical talent, retention rates and modern tech infrastructure has attracted the likes of IBM, Microsoft and Intel to set up operations there. While it will never be able to offer the scale of IT services hubs in India and China, Vietnam is increasingly an attractive alternative for IT organizations that are frustrated with high turnover and rising costs in the usual offshore locations.[ Related: Is Vietnam a viable offshore outsourcing alternative? ]To read this article in ful
  
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• Best Deals of the Week, August 15-19 - Deal Alert

  19-08-2016 15:25
  Best Deals of the Week, August 15-19 - Deal AlertCheck out this roundup of the best deals on gadgets, gear and other cool stuff we have found this week, the week of August 15th. All items are highly rated, and dramatically discounted!34% off Lumsing 5 Port 40W USB Charging Station, with Quick Charge PortInexpensive, highly rated and discounted. That's the situation with this Lumsing charging station. This compact device will be the central charging hub in your dorm room, kitchen, bedroom, etc, a
  
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• GE CIO Jim Fowler talks collaboration and IT transformation

  19-08-2016 15:05
  
  General Electric's (GE) CIO isn't interested in picking a winner or loser when it comes to collaboration apps. Nor does he want to preclude any of GE's 333,000 employees from using the collaboration tools that work best for them. "Collaboration is a noisy space right now because there are so many different tools," Jim Fowler said during an interview this week at CIO.com's CIO 100 event in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. "I'm not going to get in the middle of it. I'd like to see how it works itself o
  
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• Why the NSA should be considered a hostile agency

  19-08-2016 15:04
  
  This last week we had yet another NSA event. This time it was the leak of advanced tools that could be used to exploit unreported defects in networking gear from U.S. manufacturers. This seems to further enforce a position by a variety of U.S. agencies to focus on breaking into things rather than help secure them. However, given that these break-ins are largely illegal and this practice appears to be doing massive damage to the technology market, not to mention exposing our firms to attack by a
  
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• Performance management naar een hoger plan: van APM naar ITOA

  19-08-2016 14:21
  Door Martin van den Berge – Steeds vaker spelen IT-systemen niet alleen op de werkvloer een prominente rol, maar drijft ook de dienstverlening richting klanten voor een groot deel op technologie. Te meer reden om zorg te dragen voor een goed geoliede machine waarbij de performance van IT centraal staat.... lees meer
  
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• Note7 iris scanner not quite ready for prime time (video)

  19-08-2016 14:00
  
  Samsung's impressive new Galaxy Note7 smartphone is a genuine tech-spec powerhouse.Across the board, the Note7's hardware is top of the line. Its large display is glorious, for example. It comes with 64GB of built-in storage — and it supports microSD memory cards. The phone is made with premium materials, such as Corning Gorilla Glass and steel. The Note S Pen stylus has never felt more like a real ballpoint pen. Despite the thin, trim design, the Note7 packs a good-size 3,500-mAh battery.
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 3 ways to improve employee engagement

  19-08-2016 12:30
  
  Have you seen headlines like these?"5 ways to boost employee engagement with video."
  "Want increased employee engagement? Incentives and recognition are the way to go."
  "Struggling to find the time for employee engagement? Our e-learning technology preserves your time as a leader and increases employee engagement by 50%."
  There's a place for videos, recognition programs and incentives. But I don’t know if they are going to lead to improved employee engagement. Employee engagement seems to
  
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• Ford remains wary of Tesla-like autonomous driving features

  19-08-2016 12:01
  
  At a time when Tesla has already rolled out advanced autonomous driving features in its cars, Ford is proceeding more cautiously because it believes the industry is not ready to hand over such features to consumers.
  On Tuesday, Ford announced that by 2021 it plans to offer a fully self-driving (autonomous) vehicle for multi-passenger shuttles and ride-hailing services such as Uber. The vehicle will be manufactured with no steering wheel, no gas or brake pedal. In other words, no driver nec
  
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• Keep using password managers -- bugs and all

  19-08-2016 12:00
  
  Bugs in several password managers, including the vulnerabilities discovered in LastPass in late July, have scared away some users. But such fears go too far. Millions of users rely on password managers to keep track of passwords for applications and online services, and by all indications, they work better than trying to do it on your own.
  Security victories should be embraced -- including password managers, which automatically generate complex strings of characters as passwords and deploy
  
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• IDF 2016: Powerful chips, robot brains, and super-fast data lasers

  19-08-2016 12:00
  A diversified future of computingThe Intel of today isn’t the Intel you know, and that truth was hammered home at the annual Intel Developers Forum in San Francisco this week.Sure, Intel’s still the most prodigious PC chip maker in the world—by far—but its focus hasshifted away from computersalone to embrace the idea of bringing smarts to all sorts of devices. While the IDFs of yesteryear leaned heavily on PC processors and new tech designed to make computers more potent,
  
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• Judge rejects Uber’s settlement with drivers over employee classification

  19-08-2016 08:22
  
  A federal judge in California has rejected a proposed settlement between Uber Technologies and drivers in Massachusetts and California, in lawsuits that claimed that they should be classified as employees with full benefits rather than as independent contractors.The ride-hailing company has insisted that its model, based around freelance contractors over whom it says it has minimal control, gives drivers flexibility to choose when to work and be their own bosses. Recognizing the drivers as emplo
  
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• Eddie Bauer is latest retailer to be hit by point-of-sale malware

  19-08-2016 06:57
  
  Clothing retailer Eddie Bauer has informed customers that point-of-sale systems at its stores were hit by malware, enabling the theft of payment card information.All the retailer’s stores in the U.S. and Canada, numbering about 350, were affected, a company spokesman disclosed Thursday. He added that the retailer is not disclosing the number of customers affected. The card information harvested included cardholder name, payment card number, security code and expiration date.The retailer sa
  
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• Are your fragile packages safe? Ask Intel's tiny IoT chip

  19-08-2016 02:40
  
  Tags on a fragile packages may someday be able to say whether the goods are riding safely in the back of a truck or bouncing around in a hazardous way.If Intel follows through on an IoT research project it demonstrated at Intel Developer Forum this week, those tags could report on shipping conditions in real time without needing a battery to stay powered. After the package is delivered, the label might even be disposable.Stephen Lawson Intel demonstrated a prototype "smart tag" for packages at I
  
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• The NSA's hoard of cyber weapons makes some experts nervous

  19-08-2016 02:30
  The disclosure this week of a cache of files supposedly stolen from the National Security Agency has put a spotlight on secret cyber weapons the NSA has been holding -- and whether they should be disclosed.Security researchers have been poring over a sample set of hacking tools that may have been stolen from the NSA.An anonymous group called the Shadow Brokers has posted the samples online and is auctioning off the rest, claiming they contain cyber weapons that rival the Stuxnet computer worm.Ex
  
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