IT Executive news

• Best Deals of the Week, October 3rd - October 7th - Deal Alert

  07-10-2016 23:05
  Best Deals of the Week, October 3rd - October 7th - Deal AlertCheck out this roundup of the best deals on gadgets, gear and other cool stuff we have found this week, the week of October 3rd. All items are highly rated, and dramatically discounted.Prime Members Now Get Unlimited Reading On Any Device, Amazon AnnouncesAmazon has just announced one more compelling reason to consider a Prime membership -- "Prime Reading". As a Prime member, you now have unlimited access to over a thousand books, cur
  
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• US officially blames Russian government for election-related hacking

  07-10-2016 22:50
  
  U.S. officials are publicly blaming the Russian government for several high-profile hacks against political groups that they claim were meant to interfere with the upcoming election.U.S. intelligence agencies are confident Russia was responsible, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a statement on Friday.They allege that the Russian government compromised the emails of U.S. officials and institutions and then publicly leaked the
  
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• New Comcast data caps spotlight disturbing trend

  07-10-2016 21:31
  
  More and more Comcast customers today are restricted by data caps, even though the company admits its decision to impose those caps is driven by the potential for profit, not network congestion. Comcast, the largest ISP and cable company in the country, this week said it plans to impose data limits in 23 additional U.S. markets, across 14 states, starting on November 1.The caps are high — 1TB of data — but they open the door for lower caps later on, based on logic that is,
  
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• Why Linux pioneer Linus Torvalds prefers x86 over ARM

  07-10-2016 21:07
  
  Linux pioneer Linus Torvalds is a stand-up guy -- he says what he feels. There's no sugarcoating, and he'll admit to faults, like recent issues with the Linux 4.8 kernel.He was full of surprises at last week's Linaro Connect conference, when he was asked about his favorite chip architecture. He didn't blink before saying it was x86, not ARM.It may have been the long history of x86 with PCs that influenced his answer. There's little fragmentation of software and hardware with x86, and things just
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How to convert video files to mp4 with VLC

  07-10-2016 20:56
  
  At times there is a need to transcode videos from one format to another. There are many expensive and paid solutions like Wondershare, which is awesome but you have to shell out $59 for it. You don't have to spend that money on software. There is a very powerful open source tool that’s like the swiss knife of the multimedia world. It’s called VLC.
  VLC is primarily known as a very powerful multimedia player that can play virtually any video format, however there are many hidden gems
  
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• Terror suspect's locked iPhone could lead to a second Apple-FBI showdown

  07-10-2016 20:54
  
  The FBI could be gearing up for another battle with Apple.
  In the wake of a mass stabbing at a Minnesota mall that was linked to the terrorist group ISIS, the FBI is looking for answers on a passcode-protected iPhone.
  “Dahir Adan’s iPhone is locked,” FBI special agent Rich Thornton told reporters at a press conference, according to Wired. “We are in the process of assessing our legal and technical options to gain access to this device and the data it may contain.”T
  
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• Facebook launches Events app for iOS with a Sunrise-style calendar

  07-10-2016 20:47
  
  Facebook just made a new app that could replace both Eventbrite and Sunrise.
  On Thursday, Facebook launched Events, a standalone app that lets you RSVP to your friends’ events, manage your calendar, and find things to do in your area. The new app lets you see only an event-focused Newsfeed from all your Facebook friends and search for events on a map or in a different city if you’re planning an upcoming trip. The app is available now for iOS with an Android counterpart coming soon.T
  
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• Both Apple and Microsoft take tumble in Gartner's latest device forecast

  07-10-2016 20:33
  
  Shipments of devices powered by Apple's and Microsoft's operating systems will end 2016 down from the year before. But Apple's will recover next year, while Microsoft's will continue to struggle toward growth, research firm Gartner said this week.
  In 2017, Apple's combination of iOS and macOS -- the former powering iPhones, the latter Macs -- will have taken second place from Windows on the devices shipped during the year. The gap between the two will widen slightly in 2018.
  According to Gartne
  
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• Duo is replacing Hangouts in Google's batch of preinstalled apps

  07-10-2016 20:06
  
  Allo may be the future of Google’s messaging efforts, but it’s Duo that will replace Hangouts as one of the preinstalled options on future Android phones.
  An email about the change recently went out to partners that install Google Mobile Services on their phones. This is distinct from the Android Open Source Project, as enabling these services means agreeing to a license with Google that your phone will include this distinct bundle of apps. Basically, all devices with the Google Pla
  
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• Microsoft invites reporters to see what's next for Windows 10—and maybe Surface

  07-10-2016 19:41
  It’s official: Microsoft will hold an event in New York at the end of October where the company is expected to roll out a new Surface all-in-one PC. As we reported on Thursday, photos of a Surface-themed mouse and keyboard have already appeared in FCC filings.
  Interestingly, however, the term “Surface”—or even “hardware”—doesn’t appears anywhere on the invitation, which beckons reporters to a New York event on Oct. 26. Instead, Microsoft has invit
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How to migrate IT to AWS in record time with the extended EC2

  07-10-2016 19:11
  
  One of the problems with today's IT transformation is the lack of reliable engineering approaches adapted to fast-paced business environments. Much more than we think, it prevents a productive dialogue between consultants and clients.
  While CIOs expect big pictures that demonstrate changes and benefits, certain consultants continue to address IT transformation through the specifics of the solutions they plan to implement. 
  IT transformation design patterns are the answers, I've been using
  
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• Court reinstates $120M patent award for Apple in Samsung case

  07-10-2016 18:46
  
  A U.S. appeals court has reinstated a US$119.6 million award for Apple in a long-running smartphone design patent dispute with rival Samsung.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled Friday that two Apple smartphone design patents, one related to a slide-to-unlock feature, are valid and Samsung infringed a third patent related to helping smartphone users find phone numbers.The case goes back five years, when Apple first filed a series of patent lawsuits against Samsung, allegi
  
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• Verizon on firm footing to push for discount in Yahoo deal, analysts say

  07-10-2016 18:26
  
  Verizon should push for a big discount off its pending $4.8 billion deal to buy Yahoo, given Yahoo’s recent data breach and reported questionable security practices, several analysts said Friday.
  “Verizon should certainly pay less for Yahoo at this point,” said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “Unfortunately, the property is damaged goods, particularly after the acknowledged security breach.”
  A report on Thursday in the New York Post, q
  
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• French software developer sues Apple, seeking improvements in iOS browser

  07-10-2016 18:16
  
  Software developer Nexedi is so keen to see Apple improve the rendering engine in its iPhone browser that it's filed suit against the company in a French court.Nexedi develops cross-platform business apps in HTML5 that can run unchanged on Windows, Linux, and Android.On Apple's iOS, however, it runs into a problem: The browser rendering engine on iOS, WebKit, doesn't have the same HTML5 capabilities as the rendering engines used on other platforms.Among the HTML5 capabilities missing in the iOS
  
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• White House slates $80M for city tech innovations

  07-10-2016 17:57
  
  The White House last week announced $80 million in new federal funds for its ongoing Smart Cities Initiative while doubling the number of participating U.S. cities to more than 70.
  The funding is meant to spur development of technologies and programs in four primary areas: to reduce energy usage; improve urban transportation with connected and autonomous vehicles; beef up public safety and disaster response; and transform city services such as outreach to the homeless.
  The funding is partly a r
  
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• Why sentient tools will be catastrophic to the job market

  07-10-2016 17:40
  
  My old friend Brian David Johnson, one of the leading futurists in the world, just published a frightening paper on Sentient Tools for Frost & Sullivan. This paper has similar themes to a recent massive GAO report suggesting that the rapid rise of sentient tools is going to have a profound impact on the job market.This impact indicates that many folks across a wide spectrum of jobs are not only going to be displaced, but that they may be unemployable. In addition, we may be looking at the ne
  
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• BrandPost: Artificial Intelligence: Making Us Better At The Things We Do Best

  07-10-2016 17:06
  
  The term “artificial intelligence” sometimes conjures up images of the distant future, and a time when self-aware robots take over the planet and make human capabilities irrelevant, because the computer overlords are way better at everything humans do. While that vision may be workable for a hair-raising Halloween movie script, it’s way off base when it comes to the realities of the current generation of artificial intelligence (AI).If you tackle this story from the highest lev
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Big Data – a roadmap for smarter data

  07-10-2016 17:00
  
  Big Data is a term that is used in the information technology industry to mean building multiple sources of information together into a data lake, a data repository built on relatively inexpensive high performing computer hardware. The value of your data can be extracted from a data lake through existing reporting and business analytic systems. Furthermore, the advent of machine learning capabilities for Big Data solutions provides additional analytical capabilities. Machine learning has derive
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Big data – a road map for smarter data

  07-10-2016 17:00
  
  Big data is a term that is used in the information technology industry to mean building multiple sources of information together into a data lake, a data repository built on relatively inexpensive high performing computer hardware. The value of your data can be extracted from a data lake through existing reporting and business analytic systems. Furthermore, the advent of machine learning capabilities for big data solutions provides additional analytical capabilities. Machine learning has derived
  
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• Dolby Narrate for iOS lets you add voiceover to video

  07-10-2016 16:26
  
  I recently mailed a rather large check to a friend of mine named Susan. As a sort of joke, I also shot a short video, showing the stamped envelope with Susan's address followed by my hand putting the envelope into the mailbox. I wanted to show her that the check was literally in the mail.
  The video captured a lot of the surrounding street noise, so I went home, where it's more quiet, and used Dolby's awesome new Narrate iOS app to remove the original soundtrack and attach own narratio
  
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• Comcast's 1TB data cap starts rolling out across the U.S.

  07-10-2016 16:24
  Comcast said bandwidth caps would be back before 2019, and now the company's living up to its promise.
  The cable provider recently announced that its 1 terabyte bandwidth cap for Xfinity Internet subscribers would start rolling out more broadly. Comcast’s data caps are currently in effect in 16 regions with another 18 regions getting the bandwidth cap on November 1. You'll find the complete list of current and upcoming bandwidth cap regions at the bottom of this post.
  The company settled
  
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• Nadella points to machine learning as battleground in cloud computing

  07-10-2016 16:21
  
  Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has identified machine learning as the firm's key focus as cloud computing usage becomes more widespread.
  It is an area that is fast becoming the battleground for the big cloud providers. Google and Amazon Web Services both offer a range of tools that make it easier for developers to create "intelligent' applications, while the likes of Salesforce are keen to incorporate artificial intelligence into their software services.
  Speaking at an event in London's Canary Wha
  
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• I’ll have what she’s having… Tech design that leads to 'positive' addictions at work

  07-10-2016 16:12
  
  Imagine that you just learned that you have to go the whole day without using your smartphone. How does it make you feel?  Do you ever feel like you’re addicted to your devices? That’s because you are! Successful desktop, mobile and gaming apps are designed to appeal to the neurotransmitters in our brains that make us feel happy and connected — and make us want to come back for more.What if we could use these same concepts consciously to get ourselves “addicted&rdquo
  
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• Deloitte leaders detail new iOS partnership with Apple

  07-10-2016 14:40
  
  Apple will soon expand its enterprise roadmap thanks to a partnership that should result in the release of a new set of industry-specific iOS apps. The deal with Deloitte is designed to increase the value and appeal of Apple devices in the workplace with new specialized applications, network integrations and mobile-first processes for businesses. [Related: Should Apple worry about Microsoft-IBM deal]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Watson's the name, data's the game

  07-10-2016 14:33
  
  There's a data expert making a name for himself in the corporate world today, and he's attracting a lot of attention. He's a lightning-fast learner, he speaks eight languages and he's considered an expert in multiple fields. He's got an exemplary work ethic, is a speed reader and finds insights no one else can. On a personal note, he's a mean chef and even offers good dating advice. 
  The name of this new paragon? Watson. IBM Watson.
  Named after IBM's first CEO, Watson was born back in 2007
  
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• It's (not) elementary: How Watson works

  07-10-2016 14:33
  What goes into making a computer understand the world through senses, learning and experience, as IBM says Watson does? First and foremost, tons and tons of data.
  To build a body of knowledge for Watson to work with on Jeopardy, researchers put together 200 million pages of content, both structured and unstructured, including dictionaries and encyclopedias. When asked a question, Watson initially analyzes it using more than 100 algorithms, identifying any names, dates, geographic locations or o
  
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• Milestones along the way in Watson's colorful history

  07-10-2016 14:32
  
  How did IBM's Watson get to where it is today? Here are some key events that happened along the way.
  May 1997: Deep Blue conquers chessIBM's Deep Blue computer beats world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game match that lasts several days and receives massive media coverage around the world. It also inspires researchers at IBM to undertake an even bigger challenge: build a computer that could beat the champions at Jeopardy.
  February 2011: Victorious at JeopardyWatson competes on Jeopardy
  
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• Here's to our health, with help from Watson

  07-10-2016 14:32
  
  IBM may have originally built Watson to win at Jeopardy, but it saw potential applications in healthcare early on. Eventually, it formed a dedicated business unit focused squarely on making those applications happen.
  As far back as 2012, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and IBM teamed up to develop a Watson-based system that could help doctors create individualized cancer treatment recommendations for their patients.
  The following year, IBM, Memorial Sloan-Kettering and WellPoint introduc
  
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• 4 ways Cognizant customers can protect themselves amid corruption probe

  07-10-2016 14:24
  
  Following Cognizant’s announcement late last week that it had launched an internal investigation into possible anti-corruption violations, there have been more questions than answers about what may have occurred at the Teaneck, N.J.-headquartered provider of offshore IT services. Particularly perplexing to some was the attendant news that the company’s long-time president Gordon Coburn was stepping down.Cognizant gave no reason for the departure of Coburn, who has been replaced by he
  
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• Omron's table tennis robot gets machine learning smarts

  07-10-2016 13:16
  
  Omron's table tennis robot is getting smarter. At this week's Ceatec electronics show in Japan, the company has unveiled a new version that uses machine learning to assess the strength of an opponent and ramp up its game accordingly.The robot, named Forpheus, was first shown at the event in 2014 to impressive reviews. A series of robotic arms manipulate a table tennis bat, guided by cameras that watch the ball and predict where it's going to land.Omron developed the robot to promote the company'
  
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• How Shodan helped bring down a ransomware botnet

  07-10-2016 12:35
  
  Shodan is a search engine that looks for internet-connected devices. Hackers use it to find unsecured ports and companies use it to make sure that their infrastructure is locked down. This summer, it was also used by security researchers and law enforcement to shut down a ransomware botnet.
  The Encryptor RaaS botnet offered ransomware as a service, allowing would-be criminals to get up and going quickly with their ransomware campaigns, without having to write code themselves, according to repor
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: A.I. strikes back

  07-10-2016 12:30
  
  The term artificial intelligence (A.I.) was first coined by John McCarthy. McCarthy was teaching mathematics at Dartmouth at the time. The year was 1956. Now, 60 years later, we are at the dawn of a new age of artificial intelligence. The first age passed without bringing the world domination by super human robots that we saw in the movies. This time, things could be different.McCarthy had a saying about artificial intelligence: “As soon as it works, no one calls it A.I. anymore.&rdqu
  
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• Down but not out of options: How to keep IT security together in a company that's gone bankrupt

  07-10-2016 12:22
  
  Corporate chaosImage by peteThe supply chain upon which modern multinational commerce depends was thrown into chaos earlier this year when South Korea's Hanjin Shipping filed for bankruptcy. Dozens of container ships with hundreds of crew and thousands of pounds of cargo onboard were essentially stranded at sea, as ports barred the ships' entry for fear that they wouldn't be able to pay for docking services.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Deep-dive review: The iPhone 7 Plus is the best iPhone yet

  07-10-2016 12:01
  
  Apple has to out-execute itself (and its rivals) every year to coerce millions of users to upgrade and get Android users to switch. The latest iPhone offers enough advances to make the upgrade worth it.
  
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• The Windows weakness no one mentions: speech recognition

  07-10-2016 12:00
  
  Windows has a feature it doesn’t like to talk about. While the OS lets you scrawl notes with a stylus, log in with you face (or secure the Web) via Windows Hello, and even order Cortana to set a reminder, what it’s not so eager for you to do, apparently, is use its speech recognition engine to issue commands or take voice dictation.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• 40% off Weight Gurus Bluetooth Smart Connected Body Fat Scale with Backlit LCD - Deal Alert

  07-10-2016 12:00
  
  This Bluetooth scale from Weight Gurus supports and auto-detects up to 8 users. The scale syncs results separately and securely, and integrates with FitBit, Apple’s Health app, Google Fit, and other popular apps. It measures weight, BMI, body fat, lean mass, water weight, & bone mass, displaying them on an extra-large, backlit LCD screen. Non-slip, scratch-resistant feet. 4 precise weighing sensors ensure an accuracy of +/- 0.2 lb. Large, tempered glass weighing surface holds up to 400
  
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• AWS September roundup: EC2 changes, new France region, and more

  07-10-2016 03:25
  The days may be getting shorter up in the northern hemisphere, but that hasn't slowed the pace of updates to AWS. Amazon has kept on updating its cloud platform with a handful of quality-of-life changes, plus some major tweaks to how it handles Reserved Instances. Here's the rundown:Major changes to EC2 Reserved InstancesOne of the ways for customers to get discounts on compute capacity with Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud is to sign up for Reserved Instances. Then they pay a set amount of money
  
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• Verizon may want a $1 billion discount on Yahoo

  07-10-2016 02:40
  
  Verizon may be getting cold feet with its acquisition of Yahoo. Reportedly, it's asking for a $1 billion discount on the original $4.8 billion deal for the Internet company.Recent news about Yahoo's massive data breach and its alleged secret email scanning program has diminished the company's value in the eyes of Verizon, according to a Thursday report by the New York Post.Tim Armstrong, the head of AOL, which Verizon acquired in 2015, reportedly has met with Yahoo executives about reducing the
  
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• How companies can deal with insider data theft

  07-10-2016 01:40
  To learn that your company's confidential data was stolen -- not by any hacker, but by an employee -- is a nightmare scenario that no one wants to face.But it's also a risk that's very real. The recent arrest of a former NSA contractor suspected of stealing classified government files is just the latest high-profile example, and security experts say all companies need to be on guard against potential insider threats.How serious is the threat?
  It's not every day that thieving employees take
  
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• Salesforce takes another swing at Microsoft with chatbot building tools

  07-10-2016 00:18
  
  Companies have another set of tools at their disposal to build chatbots. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has begun touting a new LiveMessage service that's aimed at connecting his company's Service Cloud with messaging services like Facebook Messenger and SMS.  Benioff is pitching the new service as a way to turn messaging apps into a user interface for Salesforce, in addition to serving as a tool for connecting people with their friends. It will power bots, in addition to direct communications
  
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