IT Executive news

• A few cool tech startups I came across at Boston's HUBweek

  03-10-2016 23:33
  
  "Do you like movies?"
  That was the ice-breaker laid on me by Pilot Analytics CEO and Founder Alan Xie as he caught me spying his start-up's space at last week's HUBweek Demo Day event in Boston, trying to figure out what the heck the company did.
  Being on a shoestring budget, the recent Harvard University grad and his colleagues decided to forego a more elaborate booth set-up, instead relying a a couple of laptops, some basic branding in the form of cardboard cutouts and their story. This outfi
  
  Read more

• 73% off amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector for iPhone 7/6/6s (2-Pack) - Deal Alert

  03-10-2016 23:05
  
  These Amazon best-selling screen protectors from amFilm are specifically designed for iPhone 7, 6S, and 6. Ultra thin-0.3mm thickness is reliable and resiliant, and promises full compatibility with touchscreen sensitivity. Also ultra-clear with 99.9% transparency to allow an optimal, natural viewing experience. Highly durable and scratch resistant/chip resistant, this strong protector will guarantee your cell phone the best protection against drops, bumps, scratches and normal wear and
  
  Read more

• MariaDB reduce admin overhead for DevOps teams

  03-10-2016 23:00
  
  Open source database specialist MariaDB announced today that it has integrated data streaming via Apache Kafka and other data sources with its MariaDB MaxScale 2.0 database proxy. The new version also adds enterprise security and high availability features.Together, MariaDB says the improvements significantly reduce administration overhead for DevOps teams. MariaDB is an open source fork of the MySQL relational database management system (RDBMS). The MaxScale software, released last year, is int
  
  Read more

• Google Fiber confirms Webpass buy for wireless extensions to fiber network

  03-10-2016 21:42
  
  Google Fiber's strategy to use wireless technology to supplant its fiber optic cable installations came into sharper focus Monday with Google's purchase of Webpass.
  Google Fiber President Dennis Kish, in a blog post on the deal, noted that Webpass helps Google Fiber with its strategy "going forward [with] a hybrid approach with wireless playing an integral part.
  "Webpass has proven that point-to-point wireless is a reliable way to connect more people to high-speed Internet in a densely populate
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Facebook Marketplace takes on eBay, Craigslist

  03-10-2016 21:09
  
  If you're spending a lot of time using Facebook, you may as well get a little shopping done, right?
  That's the thinking behind Marketplace, a new online version of a yard sale Facebook announced today in a blog post. Marketplace can be found by tapping on the shopping icon on the bottom of the Facebook app for iPhone and Android.
  The feature is set to roll out to users 18 and older in the U.S., UK, Australia and New Zealand over the next few days, according to the company.
  Facebook bills Market
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: 26 open source projects from Linux's 25 years

  03-10-2016 21:07
  
  Linux is often credited for pioneering the open source development model and it has led to the creation of many open source projects and communities. Here are some of the major open source projects that were created around Linux in the past 25 years.
  1983: Richard M Stallman announces GNU Operating system
  Richard M Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation, announced the GNU project to create a UNIX-compatible, free and open source operating system. The GNU project created many core com
  
  Read more

• Dell EMC patches critical flaws in VMAX enterprise storage systems

  03-10-2016 21:05
  
  Dell EMC has fixed six flaws in its management interfaces for VMAX enterprise storage systems, including three vulnerabilities that are rated critical and could lead to the exposure of sensitive files or a complete system compromise.One of the critical flaws is located in the Unisphere for VMAX enterprise storage arrays, an appliance that provides a web-based management interface to provision, manage, and monitor such systems.More specifically, the flaw is in the GraniteDS library that provides
  
  Read more

• Apple CEO: AR will be an essential part of your daily life

  03-10-2016 20:21
  
  Apple CEO Tim Cook has a hunch about the future of augmented reality, and whether it will ever become mainstream.
  This weekend, Cook said that it will take some time for AR to become “acceptable.” But once that happens, AR experiences will be an integral part of our daily lives, comparing the emerging technology to the iPhone and eating three meals a day.
  “I do think that a significant portion of the population of developed countries, and eventually all countries, will have AR
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Where's the bottom for Microsoft's Internet Explorer?

  03-10-2016 20:20
  
  Millions more deserted Microsoft's browsers last month, adding to what can only be described as a collapse of the company's place in the browser world.
  According to analytics vendor Net Applications, the combined user share of Internet Explorer and Edge fell 1.9 percentage points in September, ending the month at 30.6%.
  The string of losses showed no sign of letting up: September's decline was the sixth in a row of 1.9 percentage points or more. IE and Edge have shed 18 percentage points so far
  
  Read more

• Hackers find little demand for their stolen NSA hacking tools

  03-10-2016 20:13
  The hackers who are auctioning off cyberweapons allegedly stolen from the National Security Agency are growing annoyed and want cash.The ShadowBrokers' sale of the stolen tools has so far generated little interest, and over the weekend, the hackers complained in a message posted online, using broken English."TheShadowBrokers is not being interested in fame. TheShadowBrokers is selling to be making money," the hackers said.As of Monday, their auction only had one substantial bid at 1.5
  
  Read more

• Microsoft points to a transition of Windows 10 Mobile to 64-bit

  03-10-2016 19:20
  
  There's a lot to like in Microsoft's Windows 10 Mobile for smartphones, but it has one glaring weakness: It still is a 32-bit OS.But a transition to 64-bit for the OS was inevitable as memory capacity in smartphones goes up, Microsoft said during a presentation at the Ignite conference last week. Windows 10 Mobile lags behind Apple's iOS and Google's Android, which transitioned to 64 bits a few years ago. Many new Windows phones already have 64-bit ARM-based Qualcomm processors, b
  
  Read more

• Machine analytics fuel Cardinal Health's IT transformation

  03-10-2016 18:59
  
  Companies struggling with the large volumes of data their computer systems generate are turning to a new crop of software that uses algorithms to analyze their IT operations. It's a decidedly big data approach to the challenge of finding and fixing technology glitches that hamper service production.Cardinal Health, a Fortune 21 health products company generating $125 billion in revenues across 60 countries, knows this scenario all too well. A glut of acquisitions had rendered Cardinal's technolo
  
  Read more

• Facebook's new Marketplace aims to become the world's largest yard sale

  03-10-2016 18:38
  
  Facebook is getting into the Craigslist business. The world’s most populated social network recently announced a new feature called Marketplace, which allows Facebook users to buy and sell items for other users nearby. At launch Marketplace will be a mobile-only feature for Android and iOS, and only in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.
  Facebook says it will not be facilitating payment or delivery for Marketplace items. That’s left up to buyers and sellers who can work out
  
  Read more

• Apple Maps now supports Amtrak routes across the U.S.

  03-10-2016 18:37
  
  Close to a year after support for Amtrak routes in the U.S. Northeast rolled out to Apple Maps, the company is finishing the job. Apple’s navigation app now supports information for Amtrak routes in the Midwest, Northwest, South, and West, as first spotted by Macrumors. Amtrak offers 34 routes overall and they all appear to be supported now by Apple Maps.
  The new Amtrak routes also include Amtrak trips to Montreal and Vancouver. The other Canadian route—the Maple Leaf between New Yo
  
  Read more

• Microsoft follows AWS into France with plan for new Azure data center

  03-10-2016 18:22
  
  Microsoft is adding to its European cloud infrastructure, with plans to open new data centers in France next year, CEO Satya Nadella said Monday.The company has already spent US$3 billion growing its European cloud capabilities. These include data centers in the U.K. hosting Azure and Office 365 services, and in Germany hosting Azure.The French data centers will host Dynamics 365, Microsoft's new ERP and CRM offering, in addition to Azure and Office 365.The company has already won over the the U
  
  Read more

• 37% off Elite Tactical Waterproof Flashlight 1200 Lumen Cree LED with Zoom For Self Defense - Deal Alert

  03-10-2016 18:02
  
  The Elite Tactical Pro 300 Series Tactical Flashlight is constructed from heavy-duty, military grade material, and claims to be the best and brightest flashlight on the market with a powerful 1200 lumen intensity. It's built with Cree LED technology and is complete with a zoomable feature that allows you to concentrate light into specific areas, something they've indicated could be useful in situations requiring self-defense. The design is waterproof and shockproof making it ideal for rainy nigh
  
  Read more

• We're Hiring Digital Customer Experience Leads

  03-10-2016 17:30 via linium.com
  
  Linium is offering an exciting opportunity as a Digital Customer Experience Lead.  The right candidates will have a strong digital and e-commerce background.  **This is a remote opportunity.  Candidates may be located anywhere in the US, but must be willing to travel.**
  
  Read more

• Trump calls for US to use offensive cyberweapons

  03-10-2016 17:27
  
  The U.S. government needs to be ready to use its offensive cyberweapons in response to attacks from other nations, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Monday.The U.S. has significant offensive cybercapabilities, but it has been shy about deploying them, Trump said during a speech in Herdon, Virginia. "This is the warfare of the future," he said. The U.S. should also increase its use of cyberweapons to attack terrorists, Trump said. President Barack Obama has f
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: Why are so many people buying the iPhone 7 Plus?

  03-10-2016 16:39
  
  Apple’s launch of the iPhone 7 can certainly be regarded as a big success, with pre-orders having sold out online. Some models such as the Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus are still in short supply, with some Apple customers still waiting to get their phones.But one of the interesting tidbits about the launch of the iPhone 7 is that the larger version is outselling its smaller sibling, according to 9to5Mac:
  Pre-order data shows that more people have ordered the iPhone 7 Plus than the smaller 4.7-in
  
  Read more

• Designing a 21st century business? Ask an 8-year-old

  03-10-2016 16:31
  
  “If you ever happen to find yourself in Indonesia, there are two important things you need to know about the way the internet operates there. The first thing is before anyone can look at anything online all of the content first has to pass through this tiny, disorganized, chaotic server room in Jakarta. The second thing you need to know is that there’s a man in charge of that room” — and he can take anything offline at any time.To read this article in full or to leave a c
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: 5 reasons every business needs buyer personas

  03-10-2016 16:30
  
  Over the years, one of the biggest challenges for businesses — small and large alike — has been understanding who customers are and what makes them tick. And while every brand has its own way of tapping into customers to gain buyer insights, the vast majority of organizations are using buyer personas to guide their marketing and sales efforts.What are buyer personas?
  Ask five people for the definition of a buyer persona and you’ll get five different answers, but one of the orig
  
  Read more

• ICANN transition moves forward, despite last-minute attempt to block it

  03-10-2016 16:15
  
  The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the long-time coordinator of the internet's Domain Name System, is independent of U.S. government oversight, at least for now.The U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration's planned turnover of ICANN oversight to the wider internet community happened early Saturday morning, despite a last-ditch lawsuit filed by four state attorneys general attempting to block the move.Late Friday, a judge in Texas refused to issu
  
  Read more

• IoT malware behind record DDoS attack is now available to all hackers

  03-10-2016 16:02
  
  The source code for a trojan program that infected hundreds of thousands of internet-of-things devices and used them to launch distributed denial-of-service attacks has been published online, paving the way for more such botnets.The code for the trojan, which its creator calls Mirai, was released Friday on an English-language hackers' forum, cybersecurity blogger Brian Krebs reported over the weekend. Krebs' website was the target of a record DDoS attack two weeks ago that was launched from the
  
  Read more

• Data leaks evolving into weapons of business destruction

  03-10-2016 15:06
  
  Most of the recent data breaches involve customer information such as user names and passwords, credit card numbers, and medical histories. The companies hacked are hurt -- they have to contact victims, pay for credit monitoring services and fines, and may lose customers, brand reputation, and market value -- but that is collateral damage.
  Or it has been.
  Increasingly, attackers are using data leaks to target the companies themselves, going after proprietary or embarrassing information and rele
  
  Read more

• Data center management in the cloud can predict downtime, vendors say

  03-10-2016 15:05
  
  Data center power management vendor Eaton’s newest product has sensors that that the company says will proactively warn customers of when equipment component failures are likely to occur.
  Eaton’s announcement today of PulseIngisht Analaytics is part of a broader trend in the data center infrastructure management (DCIM) market moving to cloud-based platforms, says 451 Research director for data center technologies Rhonda Ascierto. Vendors such as Eaton, Schneider Electric and Emerson
  
  Read more

• AMD provides upgrade path to Zen with new business PC chips

  03-10-2016 15:05
  
  AMD's new 7th Generation Pro chips have hooks to let PC users easily upgrade to next-generation Zen chips that could come out next year.The new Pro chips, code-named Bristol Ridge, are for business desktops, and will appear in PCs from HP and Lenovo. The ability to easily upgrade is a big deal because it lets users avoid buying new PCs in order to get the Zen chips when they come out.It'll work like this: users buy a desktop with the new AMD Pro chip, but upgrade to Zen later on by replacing chi
  
  Read more

• Waratek upgrades Java protection

  03-10-2016 14:50
  
  Waratek is introducing a feature to its Java-protection platform that enables upgrading to the current version of Java without having to install Java updates or touch the apps running within the Java virtual machine.
  The latest version of its AppSecurity for Java uses secure virtual containers around the entire Java application stack to apply the security and performance features of the current Java 8 platform’s security and performance levels without having to install Java 8, the company
  
  Read more

• EU gets ready to fine Google in Android antitrust suit

  03-10-2016 14:41
  
  The European Commission is preparing to fine Google for paying smartphone makers to exclusively use its search engine on their mobile devices, according to Reuters.The European Union's antitrust authority filed a so-called statement of objections against Google in April, accusing it of forcing smartphone makers to exclusively use its search engine if they want access to the Play Store, through which phone users can download and purchase other apps.Now the Commission has sent a redacted copy of t
  
  Read more

• New iOS apps for iMessage

  03-10-2016 13:51
  iMessage offeringsiOS 10 has brought apps to iMessage—this week’s roundup features some of the new offerings. Read on!Chess42If you enjoy playing chess with friends, Chess42 ($1) offers the game as an iMessage app. No account is needed; just tap and play. And you can play on multiple devices—start a game on an iPhone, then shift to iPad and keep going until somebody yells “Checkmate!”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
  Read more

• Origin Omni is the first true enthusiast all-in-one PC

  03-10-2016 13:49
  
  Let’s be honest, all-in-one PCs have always been a pretty compromised lot, sacrificing performance for a sleek, compact form factor.
  Sure, you get a clutter- and wire-free work area, but the internals are usually a disappointing collection of underpowered parts. And getting inside that AiO to service or upgrade it? It would be easier to stroll into the iPhone prototype room at Apple HQ wearing a Samsung shirt.
  Origin PC’s Omni defies that stereotype. It’s so powerfully ov
  
  Read more

• 10 hidden features of Google office apps

  03-10-2016 13:49
  
  Useful elementsImage by Google/ThinkstockGoogle’s cloud-based office apps, officially called Google Apps for Work, are frequently updated with necessary improvements to their feature set and UI. Here are 10 useful elements that have been added recently which may have been overlooked by end users. Check them out.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
  Read more

• Major Rust rev overhauls error messages

  03-10-2016 13:47
  
  Rust, positioned as a fast programming language for systems and native applications, is getting a new error message format and improved compilation with the newly released version 1.12.
  Out Sept. 29, Rust 1.12 is the 12th update to the language since Rust 1.0 arrived in May 2015. "The release of 1.12 might be one of the most significant Rust releases since 1.0," the Rust Core Team said.[ Find out how to get ahead with our career development guide for developers. | The art of programming is chan
  
  Read more

• Seattle substation is cool enough to draw a crowd

  03-10-2016 13:46
  
  Welcome to the substationImage by NBBJThe typical substation is a high-voltage blot on the landscape. But not this one. Seattle’s Denny substation is under construction in a dense urban neighborhood instead of being screened from the public, and it aims to welcome pedestrians rather than fence out trespassers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
  Read more

• Can you hack the vote? Yes, but not how you might think

  03-10-2016 13:45
  
  With Donald Trump already talking about the presidential election being rigged, Symantec has set up a simulated voting station that shows how electronic systems might be hacked to alter actual vote tallies for just a few hundred dollars.
  +More on Network World: Was Trump bitten by Twitter time-stamp bug that stung Alec Baldwin’s wife?+
  They found that while it’s possible to change the number of votes cast for each candidate, it would be very difficult to do so on a large enough scal
  
  Read more

• The power user's guide to PowerShell

  03-10-2016 13:43
  
  If you’ve wrestled with Windows 10, you’ve undoubtedly heard of PowerShell. If you’ve tried to do something fancy with Win7/8.1 recently, PowerShell’s probably come up, too. After years of relying on the Windows command line and tossed-together batch files, it’s time to set your sights on something more powerful, more adaptive -- better.
  PowerShell is an enormous addition to the Windows toolbox, and it can provoke a bit of fear given that enormity. Is it a scriptin
  
  Read more

• ICANN will generate new DNSSec key

  03-10-2016 13:42
  
  Rotating cryptographic keys is a security best practice, so it's good news that ICANN has begun the process to change the root key pair underpinning the security of the DNS. While the chances of a misstep is small, the fact remains that changing the root key pair has never been done before. A mistake can potentially -- temporarily -- break the Internet.
  No pressure, ICANN.[ Safeguard your data! The tools you need to encrypt your communications and web data. • Maximum-security essentia
  
  Read more

• Tapping into IT’s in-house entrepreneurs

  03-10-2016 13:33
  
  The tech world is famous for producing entrepreneurs who turn startups into corporate empires while radically changing the way people work, play and interact.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
  Read more

• 5 tips for protecting your brand on social media

  03-10-2016 13:33
  
  This summer, online payment service giant Paypal learned that bad guys had set up a fake Paypal Support page on Twitter, and then monitored the real Paypal Support page for remarks from customers. The bad guys responded to those inquiries and pointed users to the fake site where they would ask for, and sometimes receive, personal and account information – an attack called angler phishing.
  Paypal’s Information Security Director Trent Adams likens the ongoing battle to protect its bra
  
  Read more

• iPhone 7 Plus review: The dual-lens camera makes it a winner

  03-10-2016 13:31
  
  The iPhone 7 Plus is the best iPhone money can buy, hands down. Like the iPhone 7, it’s not an essential upgrade if you have an iPhone 6s Plus that you’re happy with, or you want to hold out for the 2017 iPhone, which will be the 10th anniversary and, rumor has it, the big switch to OLED. But thanks to the iPhone 7 Plus’s beautiful screen, long battery life, and impressive dual-lens camera, it’s hard to find fault with it today.
  Hard, but not impossible: The 7 Plus has t
  
  Read more

• 10 things that tick off software developers

  03-10-2016 13:08
  
  Things that tick off software developersImage by ThinkstockHave you noticed that your software developers seem a bit cranky lately? If you're a project manager, their boss, a recruiter or a QA professional, you might be the reason.That's according to new data from devRant, an online community built to encourage bonding, knowledge-sharing, networking and, yes, ranting, between software developers.Co-founders David Fox and Tim Rogus, both software developers themselves, founded the devRant communi
  
  Read more

• How to know if workers are engaged (don’t ask them)

  03-10-2016 12:54
  
  A survey from Rapt Media (registration required for survey) of 400 full-time employees working at large organizations reports that 69 percent of employees are "open to other opportunities or already seeking their next jobs." And if that news has you scrambling to figure out engagement-levels within in your own office, know that one in four employees also admitted to "fibbing or outright lying" on employee engagement surveys. That means you'll need to get serious about engaging employees and fost
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: What is the biggest threat to internal IT departments?

  03-10-2016 12:35
  
  “What the hell do all these IT people do all day anyway?” That's a great question often posed by staff members, CEOs, CFOs and line-of-business managers. As a senior IT executive or manager, can you answer that question?The Problem
  I often see IT staffers engaged in ridiculous pursuits that provide no value to an organization — printing business cards, acting as intermediaries for support calls to external vendors, repairing equipment that is under a service contract, and gener
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: How today’s CIOs are getting sales cycles ‘Back in Black’

  03-10-2016 12:35
  
  In its 30 years of existence, the role of the CIO has evolved from strictly tactical to more strategic. The rapid pace of business adoption of cloud computing, paired with the cultural shift to "SoLoMo" living (a reference to the collision of social media, local search and mobile search), have forced CIOs to touch more points across the enterprise. In a 2015 Gartner survey of 2,810 CIOs, nearly half of the respondents said their organizations have a "chief operating officer of IT" who performs o
  
  Read more

Follow @ITExecutiveNews on Twitter!