IT Executive news

• Harvard's 3D-printed heart on a chip could lead to personalized medicine breakthroughs

  25-10-2016 23:38
  
  Harvard University researchers have 3D-printed human heart tissue on a chip with integrated sensors, marking a major breakthrough for personalized medicine.
  Tissue-on-a-chip technology may someday lead to replicating a patient's specific genetic disorder in a laboratory, matching the properties of a disease or even an individual patient's cells for testing and treatment purposes.
  The results of the research by Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the W
  
  Read more

• Dyn attack: U.S. Senator wants to know why IoT security is so anemic

  25-10-2016 23:24
  
  The security around the development of Internet of Things products is weak and U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) today sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ask why and what can be done to fix the problem.
  Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA)
  In the letter Warner, who is member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, asked questions s
  
  Read more

• 18% off Blue Snowball iCE Condenser Microphone - Deal Alert

  25-10-2016 23:05
  
  At home, a dorm, or in the office, the Snowball iCE USB microphone delivers crystal clear high quality audio for vocals, podcasts, narrations, Skype calls, and everything else in between. Simply mount Snowball iCE on the included adjustable stand, plug the USB cable into your Mac or PC and that’s it. You’re ready to sit back and start recording crystal-clear audio for any project. The Snowball iCE mic currently averages 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 1,700 people (r
  
  Read more

• DDoS attack shows dangers of IoT 'running rampant'

  25-10-2016 23:02
  
  A U.S. Senator has joined security officials calling for stiffer cybersecurity for Internet of Things (IoT) devices following a major attack last Friday.
  In a letter to three federal agencies, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Tuesday called for "improved tools to better protect American consumers, manufacturers, retailers, internet sites and service providers."
  Friday's big cybersecurity attack affected 80 major websites and was blamed on the Mirai botnet that largely targeted unprotected IoT device
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Apple sales, profits fall again but a brighter outlook ahead

  25-10-2016 22:58
  
  Apple recorded its third consecutive quarter of lower revenue as it fought lower demand for the iPhone and tough competition from lower-priced competitors.Revenue in the quarter, between July and September, was US $46.9 billion, down 9 percent on the same period last year and exactly in line with analyst estimates. Net income came in at $9 billion, down 19 percent, the company said Tuesday.Apple CEO Tim Cook called the results "strong" and said he was "thrilled with the customer response to iPho
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: Buying the best BPM for your needs

  25-10-2016 22:48
  
  While enterprise applications like ERP, CRM, HRIS and others cover their respective domains, business processes often need information to flow between these systems. An organization may also have specific processes that are not well handled by these enterprise applications, for example, unstructured or partly structured processes, or those touched by people outside the organization. The last thing you want to do is to customize application code to handle these types of processes because that ma
  
  Read more

• AWS quietly launches tool for migrating on-premesis apps to the cloud

  25-10-2016 22:22
  
  Amazon is trying to simplify the process of moving legacy applications to the cloud with a new service that it quietly launched this week.  The aptly named Server Migration Service is designed to help IT teams set up the incremental replication of virtual machines from their on-premises infrastructure to Amazon's cloud.More companies are adopting the public cloud to take advantage of performance benefits and cost savings. But getting legacy apps into the cloud can be a pain, especially for
  
  Read more

• Apple's Mac event: More than just new models

  25-10-2016 22:17
  
  Apple on Thursday is expected to unveil new Mac notebooks at the first event dedicated to its personal computer line since March 2015.
  If Apple follows its well-worn path, company executives will trot out refreshed hardware and trumpet changes while slides on a big screen strut the new specs and prices.
  But some analysts figured Apple may do more than that. Not a "One more thing" moment -- the Jobsian habit that always got cheers from partisans, and a practice that current CEO Tim Cook has some
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Intel wants to make its IoT chips see, think, and act

  25-10-2016 22:10
  
  Rolling out the internet of things means using devices as our eyes and ears and even asking them to make decisions for us. The chips at the heart of those devices play critical roles, and on Tuesday some of them got better at their jobs.While ARM introduced two minuscule processor architectures with security features borrowed from larger chips, Intel unveiled its Atom E3900 chips with improved computer vision and industrial-grade timing.The E3900s are designed for a wide range of applications, i
  
  Read more

• IBM looks into the future of A.I. at World of Watson

  25-10-2016 21:25
  
  LAS VEGAS -- In the past five years, IBM's artificial-intelligence-fueled Watson has gone from being a game show champion to operating in such industries as finance, retail, health care and pure research.
  In another five years, Watson will be helping a doctor diagnose a patient's symptoms and a company CEO calculate whether to buy a competitor.
  That's the word coming from IBM executives speaking Tuesday at the opening of the IBM World of Watson conference here.
  "The technology is not even movin
  
  Read more

• BlackBerry unveils the DTEK60, pledges a secure Android experience for $499

  25-10-2016 21:04
  
  BlackBerry is back with another Android phone.
  This time it’s the DTEK60, the pricier sibling to the DTEK50 announced in July. This model offers better specs and comes in at $499, compared to the more modest $299 DTEK50.
  For the money you get a Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM, a 3000mAh battery that promises to go 24 hours, 32GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot. The screen comes in at 5.5 inches with a 2560x1440 resolution at 435 PPI. To read this article in full or to leave a
  
  Read more

• Rise of the IoT machines

  25-10-2016 21:00
  
  Friday’s distributed denial-of-service attack on domain name service provider Dyn may have seemed like the end of the world for millions of Netflix, Twitter and Spotify users, but security professionals say the service disruption was merely a nuisance attack – although an eye opening one – compared to the potential damage that can be unleashed by billions of unsecure IoT devices.
  “It’s really just the tip of the iceberg,” says Nicholas Evans, vice president a
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: 5 mistakes to avoid when building the business case for IT

  25-10-2016 20:59
  At Nucleus we’ve been working with clients to build the business case for their technology projects for the better part of two decades. Early on, we issued our “ROI Manifesto,” which outlined the concept of developing business cases around current and planned IT expenditures—ultimately, to align CIOs and IT executives with their peers in finance. While this concept has become more accepted today, at the time, it was radical thinking:Now, more than ever before, companies a
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: IoT and healthcare IT security: from firefighting to building code upgrades

  25-10-2016 20:40
  
  Over this past weekend, a major distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack — technical speak for a cyberattack — crippled parts of the internet by targeting Dyn, a provider of domain name services (DNS). In simple terms, a DNS provider routes internet traffic like an air traffic controller. By targeting a DNS provider with a flood of junk requests by a “zombie army” of botnets (a standard modus operandi for these types of attacks), major services such as Twitter, Netflix
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: Dell and EMC: two worlds become one

  25-10-2016 20:30
  
  Last week, about a year after the merger of Dell and EMC into a company now called Dell Technologies  (I graciously permitted them to use a branding element from my company, Endpoint Technologies), the combined entity held a conference called Dell EMC World. Where there had been two conferences — Dell World and EMC World — a single planet remained.The combination drew several thousand more people to Austin, Dell’s traditional home, than Dell World alone had supported, and
  
  Read more

• Google makes more than Samsung, Apple on flagship phone

  25-10-2016 20:30
  
  Samsung and Apple mark up the costs of their flagship Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7 smartphones more than Google does for its new Pixel XL phone. But Google still makes more profit on Pixel XL, according to IHS Markit, a technology market analytics company. The Pixel XL costs significantly more to make than the two phones from Samsung and Apple, so its comparatively lower percentage markup still translates into more profit.
  More specifically, Google charges $769 for the unlocked 32GB version of its Pi
  
  Read more

• Financial experts forecast more bad news for Apple

  25-10-2016 19:16
  
  Later today Apple will once again announce a sales decline for its biggest product lines, including the iPhone, the company's financial powerhouse, according to more than two dozen analysts.
  The September quarter results will be highlighted by a 6% year-over-year reduction in iPhone sales, making the third consecutive quarter of smartphone slump. The good news? The contraction will be less than half of the two previous quarters.
  Apple's continued problems were spelled out by Philip Elmer-DeWitt
  
  Read more

• Self-driving 18-wheeler delivers the first shipment: Beer

  25-10-2016 19:04
  
  A self-driving semi-tractor trailer has made its virgin journey across Colorado to deliver, what else, a load of beer.
  In partnership with Anheuser-Busch, self-driving truck maker Otto said the driver of its 18-wheeler spent most of the 120-mile journey from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs viewing the road from the sleeper berth.
  The truck hauled 51,744 cans of Budweiser down I-25 through downtown Denver on its way to Colorado Springs. Otto claimed it was the world's first commercial shipment
  
  Read more

• Workstation software flaw exposes industrial control systems to hacking

  25-10-2016 19:00
  
  The software used to program and deploy code to various Schneider Electric industrial controllers has a weakness that could allow hackers to remotely take over engineering workstations.The software, known as Unity Pro, runs on PCs used by engineers and includes a simulator for testing code before deploying it to programmable logic controllers (PLCs). These are the specialized hardware devices that monitor and control mechanical processes -- spinning motors, opening and closing valves, etc. -- in
  
  Read more

• How to approach keeping your IoT devices safe

  25-10-2016 18:58
  
  Nothing is safeImage by Shardayyy With the recent take down of DYN and Brian Krebs’ web site, cybercriminals have found a way to use your own devices to bring the Internet to its knees. Portnox’s CEO Ofer Amitai provides some ways to keep those devices safe from these attacks.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
  Read more

• ARM builds up security in the tiniest IoT chips

  25-10-2016 18:25
  
  IoT is making devices smaller, smarter, and – we hope – safer. It’s not easy to make all those things happen at once, but chips that can help are starting to emerge.On Tuesday at ARM TechCon in Silicon Valley, ARM will introduce processors that are just a fraction of a millimeter across and incorporate the company’s TrustZone technology. TrustZone is hardware-based security built into SoC (system on chip) processors to establish a root of trust.It’s designed to prev
  
  Read more

• Beleaguered Samsung now fending off reports of Galaxy S7 Edge phones catching fire

  25-10-2016 18:21
  
  The smoke still hasn’t cleared from Samsung’s Note7 debacle, and along come new reports that Galaxy S7 Edge phones are also catching fire.
  There are two recent incidents to go on. PhoneArena says someone from a “big U.S. wireless carrier” contacted the site about a Galaxy S7 Edge that exploded while charging overnight using Samsung’s official charger. 
  Another S7 Edge user in Canada posted pictures of his phone, which he said “burst into flames” wh
  
  Read more

• Google is trying to reinvent the whiteboard

  25-10-2016 18:00
  
  What's big, red, and supposed to be the next big thing in workplace collaboration? Google's new Jamboard, a massive touch display and accompanying cloud service that's supposed to help business users brainstorm together. Jamboard works like a digital whiteboard, letting users sketch out ideas, attach digital sticky notes, plus bring in content from the web into a single, constantly updating workspace. People can use Jamboard to collaborate both on the 55-inch mega-display of the same name,
  
  Read more

• Google buys eye-tracking VR firm Eyefluence

  25-10-2016 17:35
  
  Google has acquired a 3-year-old eye-tracking company for virtual and augmented reality headsets, signaling the tech giant's interest in the immersive technologies.Eyefluence, founded in 2013 by serial entrepreneurs Jim Marggraff and David Stiehr, develops eye-interaction technologies to control VR and AR headsets. "Eyes can instantaneously transform intent into action, enabling communication as fast as you can see," the company says. The deal with Google was announced Tuesday. "With o
  
  Read more

• IBM is folding SoftLayer into its Bluemix cloud services portfolio

  25-10-2016 17:28
  
  OpenStack users running their workloads on IBM's SoftLayer public cloud infrastructure took it calmly when the company's object storage development lead, Brian Cline, announced that SoftLayer is going away.Cline opened his presentation with the news at the OpenStack Summit in Barcelona on Tuesday.But it's not as bad as it sounds. The same services will still be available from the same servers, managed through the same SoftLayer control portal: Only the brand is going away.IBM is going to replace
  
  Read more

• Does privacy exist anymore? Just barely.

  25-10-2016 17:03
  
  Privacy is a critical area for IT, and as social media and mobile extend potential privacy invasions into areas once considered safe, reasonable safeguards must be taken. But it has to be acknowledged that many restrictions — you’re not allowed to save this or to track that — are simply not going to work. If data can be accessed, it will be used and retained, and no rules or laws to the contrary will make any difference.
  Two recent events make it clear how such attempts are fu
  
  Read more

• Microsoft adds Python to deep learning toolkit

  25-10-2016 17:00
  
  Microsoft is adding Python language support to its open source deep learning toolkit for developers. The kit, formerly known as Computational Network Toolkit (CNTK) and now called Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit, goes into a beta release today and features reinforcement learning for neural networking. 
  The Python backing extends the toolkit beyond C++ development for better accessibility. C++ "was good for really serious programmers," said XD Huang, Microsoft chief speech scientist, but "
  
  Read more

• Azure brings SQL Server Analysis Services to the cloud

  25-10-2016 17:00
  
  SQL Server Analysis Services, one of the key features of Microsoft's relational database enterprise offering, is going to the cloud. The company announced Tuesday that it's launching the public beta of Azure Analysis Services, which gives users cloud-based access to semantic data modeling tools.The news is part of a host of announcements the company is making at the Professional Association for SQL Server Summit in Seattle this week. On top of the new cloud service, Microsoft also released new t
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: Civilization VI released for Mac

  25-10-2016 16:14
  
  Civilization VI is the latest installment to the incredibly popular series of strategy games. The PC version was released three days ago, and now the Mac version is already available.But in order to play Civilization VI on your Mac, you’ll have to get it from Steam. Aspyr says it will release a version of the game in the Mac App Store soon, but until that happens you’ll need to fire up your Steam client to get the game.There are two versions of the game available on Steam. The regula
  
  Read more

• BrandPost: How Has Mobile Changed Multi-factor Authentication?

  25-10-2016 16:05
  
  Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) has always been a challenge for end users. Requiring a dedicated token for accessing business resources is cumbersome, and it has often derailed deployments. Mobile push notifications, SMS-based approvals, and more have all changed that paradigm.But is mobile as secure as a dedicated token? Secure application access starts with securing and managing mobile devices, whether they are corporate-owned or bring-your-own-device (BYOD). The influx of mobile devices acr
  
  Read more

• What awareness is supposed to be

  25-10-2016 16:01
  
  In a recent article that highlights why security awareness programs frequently fail, the top reason cited was poor governance. In reviewing and implementing dozens of awareness programs, I have come to believe that the poor definition and implementation of security governance is the fundamental reason for security awareness program failures.
  First consider what governance is. At a high level, governance is definition of how people should perform their daily functions. Notice that this doesn&rsq
  
  Read more

• Martijn Schilperoort, Appian: Nieuwe kijk op processen en toepassingen

  25-10-2016 15:54
  In het digitale tijdperk worden organisaties tot het uiterste uitgedaagd om onderscheidende waarde te leveren. Bovendien worden bedrijven door de opkomst van nieuwkomers en een almachtige consument gedwongen om hun benadering van de markt continu aan te passen aan de veranderende eisen van de tijd. Dat vraagt om een... lees meer
  
  Read more

• Best Deals of the Week, October 17th - October 21st - Deal Alert

  25-10-2016 15:46
  
  Best Deals of the Week, October 17th - October 21st - 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 17th. All items are highly rated, and dramatically discounted.75% off DKnight MagicBox II Bluetooth 4.0 Portable Wireless speaker, 10W Output Power with Enhanced BassThe DKnightMagicBox II Bluetooth speaker offers great quality sound with the latest Bluetooth 4.0 technology. It features two highly pow
  
  Read more

• 8 tips for managing without authority

  25-10-2016 15:39
  
  Managing teams without direct authority over the participants isn't a new concept, and professionals charged with organizational leadership responsibilities are almost certain to find themselves managing indirect reports at some point in their careers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
  Read more

• 20% off APC Back-UPS 600VA 7-outlet Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) with USB Charging Port - Deal Alert

  25-10-2016 15:38
  
  The new APC Back-UPS BE600M1 provides instant battery power to your critical electronics when the power goes out, keeping you connected and available both personally and professionally. Designed specifically to enhance the features that matter most to you, including more runtime, more battery backup outlets, and a USB port for charging convenience, the BE600M1 is also smaller and lighter than the previous model. APC's BE600M1 offers guaranteed surge and lightning protection for attached devices.
  
  Read more

• Quantum security showcase geopend in VK

  25-10-2016 15:20
  BT en Toshiba hebben samen de eerste kwantum security showcase in het Verenigd Koninkrijk geopend. De twee partners demonstreren vooruitstrevende kwantumcryptografie die de digitale informatie bij financiële dienstverleners tegen hackers moet beschermen.
   
  Kwantumcryptografie werkt door geheime sleutels via... lees meer
  
  Read more

• TV companies can drop your favorite channels without refunds

  25-10-2016 15:13
  
  Suppose you went to a movie theater to see a new hit film, but when the trailers ended, the screen showed an old movie you'd never heard of. Now imagine that when you went to the box office to demand your money back, the clerk refused and cited a clause in tiny type on the back of your ticket stub that says the theater reserves the right to change its program. You'd be furious, right?
  This situation sounds absurd, but it's similar to what cable and satellite TV providers such as Dish Network an
  
  Read more

• Yours.co will save permanent copies of photos, videos posted on social media

  25-10-2016 14:00
  
  A new service is offering to store permanent copies of photos and videos posted to social media sites on archive-grade optical discs that they claim will last 1,000 years.
  For an $8 monthly charge or an annual fee of $89, Yours.co will automate the secure archive of up to one terabyte (1TB) of data stored on Instagram, Flickr, Google Photos, Smugmug, Dropbox, Facebook and Google Drive. The data is burned to MDISC DVDs or Blu-ray discs, which are made of a "glassy carbon" material that's substan
  
  Read more

• Capital One shifts to DevOps to keep pace with customers

  25-10-2016 13:53
  
  Capital One is accelerating its move to DevOps, an application development model popularized by technology companies to gives engineers more control over the software they create. The bank, which manages more than 70 million credit card accounts, believes putting responsibility for code in the hands of developers will help it keep up with consumers’ preferences for the latest digital products and services.Capital One CIO Rob Alexander.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, ple
  
  Read more

• Platforms in the cloud take heavy lifting out of architecture tasks

  25-10-2016 13:30
  
  For six years, Watchfinder, a U.K.-based global buyer and seller of pre-owned luxury watches, split the role of DevOps between application development and management of a virtual infrastructure environment. But the company's ambitious growth plans, which included expansion to the U.S. earlier this year and an expected doubling of monthly watch sales, required IT director Jonathan Gill to think differently.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
  Read more

• Cybersecurity staffing issues may be putting you at risk

  25-10-2016 13:05
  
  A study from Spiceworks found that even though 80 percent of organizations experienced a "security incident" in 2015, only 29 percent of companies have a cybersecurity expert working in their IT department and only 7 percent have a cybersecurity expert on their executive team. And a majority -- 55 percent to be exact - said that their business didn't have "regular access"to any IT security experts at all, internal or third-party, with the majority of companies also reporting they had no plans to
  
  Read more

• How much does 'Free Wi-Fi' cost your business?

  25-10-2016 13:00
  
  Everywhere you go, you see signs for "Free Wi-Fi." And oftentimes, that free Wi-Fi is useless. The problem is that the free Wi-Fi in the airport or Starbucks often isn't very good, especially if you have a lot of data to download. It's usually so slow you can't get anything done. So you either turn to a 4G connection, if you are so fortunate, or pay for a premium Wi-Fi service. Usually this comes in the form of a $10 per night fee in your hotel.The cost of that, plus other intangibles, costs bus
  
  Read more

• Meldplicht datalekken leidt tot onoverbrugbaar tekort ICT-juristen

  25-10-2016 12:53
  Sinds januari hebben bedrijven en overheden zo’n 4.000 datalekken aan de Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens gemeld. Om het gebruik van data in lijn te brengen met de nu nog nationale en straks Europese wetgeving (de GDPR) zijn er wel 25.000 privacy-specialisten nodig, denkt juridisch adviesbureau Considerati.De... lees meer
  
  Read more

• London is next in line for Google-backed gigabit Wi-Fi

  25-10-2016 12:51
  
  London is next in line to receive the Link high-speed Wi-Fi service that briefly brought high-speed porn to the streets of New York.Intersection, the company behind LinkNYC, is partnering with British telecommunications operator BT and outdoor advertising company Primesight to deliver the service in London. Intersection is partly funded by Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Google's parent Alphabet.Next year, BT will replace 100 of its phone booths with the LinkUK pillars, delivering gigabit Wi-Fi,
  
  Read more

• REVIEW: BIO-key’s plug-in fingerprint readers for Windows 10 computers

  25-10-2016 12:49
  
  A biometric fingerprint reader makes it convenient to sign into your computer, by just pressing or swiping your finger on the reader which scans your fingerprint. It bypasses the need for entering a password while increasing the level of security for the computer -- anyone can enter your password if they get it somehow, but not your finger, after all. It can also be a convenient and secure system to set up on a computer at work that should be accessed by only a specific person or persons.To rea
  
  Read more

• The future of Windows: We vet the rumors of what Microsoft may announce this week

  25-10-2016 12:00
  Microsoft’s press event on October 26 should reveal that all is not quiet on the Microsoft front. For months we've watched rumors fly about new or updated hardware, Windows upgrades, and more—some likely, others not. Here’s what we’re hearing, and how likely each rumor could come true. Rumor: a Surface all-in-one desktopWhat we’ve heard: Microsoft set out to define new product categories with its Surface line, and the Surface tablets clearly succeeded&mda
  
  Read more

• Friday's IoT-based DDoS attack has security experts worried

  25-10-2016 12:00
  
  The Friday cybersecurity attack using connected devices, or the Internet of Things, was serious, unusual and even historic. It also is a taste of the disruptions to come, say security experts.
  The attack, which affected a number of major Web sites, reportedly used Internet-enabled cameras as a platform for a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. The attackers exploited manufacturer-set passwords that hadn't been reset by users.
  "This is just the beginning," said Sanjay Sarma, a professor
  
  Read more

• Early adopters IoT worstelen met data-analyse en cultuur

  25-10-2016 11:59
  Ondanks de belangstelling voor het Internet of Things (IoT) kunnen nog maar weinig bedrijven concrete successen melden. Organisaties zien real-time data-analyse als grootste uitdaging en ook zijn ze vaak nog niet klaar voor de aanpassingen in de werkwijze die het IoT vereist. Daarop duidt een enquête door... lees meer
  
  Read more

• Microsoft Graveyard: What Microsoft has killed in 2016

  25-10-2016 10:09
  
  RIPMicrosoft has rolled out plenty of new things in 2016, including the latest edition of Windows Server, additions to its Azure cloud platform and increased availability of its futuristic HoloLens mixed reality technology. But as always, the company has had to make room for the new by ditching some of the old. Here’s a roundup of products, services and more that Microsoft rid itself of in 2016. (Here’s our broader 2016 Tech Industry Graveyard and our 2016 Google Graveyard)To read th
  
  Read more

• US transport agency guidance on vehicle cybersecurity irks lawmakers

  25-10-2016 08:10
  
  Guidance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for improving motor vehicle cybersecurity has attracted criticism from lawmakers who said that mandatory security standards were required.“This new cybersecurity guidance from the Department of Transportation is like giving a take-home exam on the honor code to failing students,” said Senators Edward J. Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, who are both members of th
  
  Read more

Follow @ITExecutiveNews on Twitter!