IT Executive news

• Meet Apple’s complete MacBook lineup

  27-10-2016 23:51
  
  After September’s annual iPhone-focused event, it was time for the Mac to have its turn in the spotlight. And boy, did we get some major Mac news on Thursday: Apple revealed three new MacBook Pros, two of them featuring the Touch Bar, Apple’s brand-new touch control panel at the top of the keyboard. The MacBook Pro got a minimal refresh in October 2015 to introduce the Force Touch trackpad, but it’s been a minute since the line has seen a major update. 
  As new products co
  
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• 7 technologies killed in Apple's new MacBook Pro

  27-10-2016 23:50
  
  Apple’s never been shy about shaving off features in its quest for slimmer, faster computing. The new MacBook Pro lineup is no exception.
  Following in the footsteps of the radical 12-inch MacBook, the revamped MacBook Pro and its slick Touch Bar cull several old standbys from its design—and kill one of its siblings in the process. Here are seven technologies eradicated in the new MacBook Pro notebooks. For more details on whether we think the eliminations are worthwhile, check out M
  
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• 73% off TechMatte Air Vent Magnetic Universal Car Mount for Smartphones - Deal Alert

  27-10-2016 23:05
  
  The MagGrip Vent Car Mount is a sturdy, cradle-less device holding system focused on simplicity. Pop it onto your car's air vent and magnets do all the work. Currently discounted to just $8 and averages 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 7,000 people. Learn more, or buy it now, on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Malware from Friday's DDoS attack continues to harass in short bursts

  27-10-2016 22:48
  It's still unclear who pulled off Friday's massive internet disruption, but the malware largely responsible for the cyber attack has since assaulted new targets -- possibly including video gamers.
  Since last Friday, botnets created by the Mirai malware have been launching distributed denial-of-service attacks at seemingly random targets, in short bursts, according to a security researcher who goes by the name MalwareTech.
  He has tracked Mirai-powered botnets and helped produce a Twitter feed th
  
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• Hands-on: The MacBook Pro's innovative Touch Bar will grab you

  27-10-2016 22:24
  
  It’s thinner, lighter, and smaller all around, but the new MacBook Pro makes a big impression. The trackpad on the 15-inch version is downright ridiculous—twice as large as the trackpad on the previous generation—but I didn’t look down and say, “Holy cow, that is a seriously huge trackpad,” until I’d been using it for a couple of minutes.
  Because it’s really all about that gorgeous Touch Bar.
  Apple doesn’t do touchscreen Macs, but the Touch
  
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• Apple puts toe in touch waters with MacBook Pro remake

  27-10-2016 22:24
  
  Apple today reworked its notebook line, boosting the touch-ability of the MacBook Pro line, not by letting users smudge the screen but with an adaptable bar above the top row of keys.
  The expected replacement for the row of function keys got the name "Touch Bar," without the "Magic" moniker some thought would lead of the label.
  But with the new hardware came new, higher prices: Apple raised the entry-level prices of the new 13- and 15-in MacBook Pros with the Touch Bar by $500 and $400, respect
  
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• Microsoft's offering $650 for Apple MacBooks, to put toward a Surface device

  27-10-2016 22:18
  
  Apple’s new MacBook Pro lineup may offer a nifty new Touch Bar, but the screens are just the same ol', same ol'. For Mac users who were hoping for a more compelling upgrade, Microsoft is making an interesting offer: Trade in your old MacBook and get $650 toward a new, true touch-enabled Surface device.
  It's a canny move by Microsoft that highlights one of the biggest distinctions between its Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book touchscreen devices, and Apple’s newly announced Ma
  
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• The secret behind the success of Mirai IoT botnets

  27-10-2016 21:57
  
  There’s no magic behind the success of Mirai DDoS botnets that are made up of IoT devices: the software enabling them is publicly available, which makes it easy for relatively inexperienced actors to create them and turn them loose on anyone.
  Flashpoint speculates that the attacker in the case of the Dyn DDoS, which had an enormous impact on major Web sites, was the work of low-skilled script kiddies – a frightening prospect that contributes to Trend Micro’s assessment that &l
  
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• First Look: Apple’s new MacBook Pro lineup, and more

  27-10-2016 21:38
  
  Run your fingers over this!Apple rolled out the newest generation of the MacBook Pro today at a showcase event at the company’s Cupertino campus. Along with – get this – thinner and sleeker construction, Apple’s latest MacBook Pros have had several important features redesigned, and one big new feature added. Have a look.The Touch BarImage by AppleTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• T-Mobile's Google Pixel offer has 3 hidden gotchas

  27-10-2016 21:30
  
  T-Mobile is trying to lure fans of Google's new Pixel Android smartphones away from Verizon Wireless with an offer to refund half the device's purchase price. If you read the fine print, however, at least three gotchas make the offer less attractive than it seems.T-Mobile isn't the only one making misleading comments about the two Pixels. Verizon touts its hold on the new phones with ads that say "only on Verizon." That's not exactly true. Verizon is the only carrier that sells the Pixel an
  
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• T-Mobile's Google Pixel offer has 2 hidden gotchas (updated)

  27-10-2016 21:30
  
  (Editor's note: This story has been update to correct an inaccuracy regarding the storage capacities available as part of T-Mobile's Pixel promo. Changes are marked below in bold and strikethrough text.)T-Mobile is trying to lure fans of Google's new Pixel Android smartphones away from Verizon Wireless with an offer to refund half a significant portion of the device's purchase price. If you read the fine print, however, at least three two gotchas make the offer less attractive than it seems.T-Mo
  
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• Check out these 11 new Windows 10 features Microsoft sneakily revealed

  27-10-2016 21:22
  
  Microsoft was quiet about several planned features in the Creators UpdateImage by Blair Hanley FrankMicrosoft showed off a handful of marquee features for next year's Windows 10 update on Wednesday, but the company sneakily hid 11 more new releases in its sizzle reel preview of the Creators Update. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• To solve IoT security, look at the big picture, ARM says

  27-10-2016 20:16
  
  The recent DDoS attacks launched from IoT devices demonstrate that the internet of things spans all parts of IT and that most companies deploying it still need a lot of help.That's the message from ARM, the chip design company behind nearly every smartphone and a big chunk of IoT, at its annual TechCon event this week in Silicon Valley.Small, low-power devices like sensors and security cameras are the most visible part of IoT, and they’re right in ARM’s wheelhouse as the dominant for
  
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• 60% off Anker 60W 10-Port USB Charger - Deal Alert

  27-10-2016 20:09
  
  PowerIQ and VoltageBoost technology combine to provide the fastest possible charge of up to 2.4 amps per port on this charging station from Anker. A total of ten ports pump out 60 watts of power, enabling simultaneous multi-device charging, from smartphones to tablets and everything in between. Built-in safety features protect you and your devices. This powerful 10-port charging station currently averages 5 out of 5 stars from 900 people on Amazon (read reviews). Its typical list price has been
  
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• Hands-on: Paint 3D Preview remixes Paint for the HoloLens generation

  27-10-2016 19:58
  
  Floating somewhere on the Internet is a PCWorld burrito truck, thanks to the power of Microsoft’s Paint 3D Preview. One version even has wings.
  Virtually everyone who’s used Windows is familiar with Paint, the default drawing program that’s shipped with generations of Windows. Microsoft needed a bridge between Paint and a new generation of users that Microsoft wants to get hooked on HoloLens and 3D printing, so it created the 3D Builder app in Windows 10. That app got no tract
  
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• Formula One puts you in the Grand Prix with VR and AR

  27-10-2016 19:47
  
  When it comes to cars, there can be little question that Formula 1 is at the bleeding edge, pushing the limits of engineering. So, it is fitting that it is now helping to push the limits of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).For the third year running, the motor racing competition's "Official Connectivity Provider," Tata Communications (also the Official Managed Connectivity Supplier of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team), operated the F1 Connectivity Innovation Prize &mdash
  
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• CIO security lessons: Dark thinking on IoT & exploding enterprise networks

  27-10-2016 19:29
  
  “How many of you or your staff had trouble getting on the internet Friday?”
  That was how cybersecurity consultant Bryce Austin kicked off his talk Tuesday at SIMposium 2016, a big gathering of CIOs and IT execs at the Mohegan Sun resort in Connecticut, on the "Unintended Consequences of the Internet of Things."
  Uncomfortable laughter ensued.
  Austin, who then went on to make attendees even more uncomfortable, swears that even though his session didn't make the original program, it wa
  
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• Facebook is bringing Snapchat-like selfie filters to Live video

  27-10-2016 18:40
  
  In a bid to get more people using Facebook’s Live video feature, the network is shamelessly snagging Snapchat’s selfie filters for its iOS app.
  The new feature, called Masks, is timed around Halloween, so if you open Facebook on your iPhone over the next few days (and you happen to live in the U.S., U.K., or New Zealand), you’ll see a new mask option when you start shooting a live video from your front-facing camera.
  Specifically, you have to tap on the Live Video icon at the
  
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• Twitter kills Vine

  27-10-2016 18:38
  
  The axe is falling at Twitter today after attempts to sell the company proved fruitless, and it’s falling hard. During an earnings call this morning, Twitter announced plans to lay off 9 percent of its workforce, and around noon Eastern time, the company followed that up by revealing that it’s killing Vine, the popular app dedicated to sharing short loops of video.
  Twitter didn’t provide a specific timeline for the retirement, saying only that the mobile app will be shut down
  
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• BrandPost: How to Prevent CEO Fraud

  27-10-2016 18:37
  
  The number of “Business Email Compromise” (BEC) incidents, also known as “CEO fraud” scams, is on the rise. The scam is simple: cyber thieves use sophisticated social engineering tactics to trick business professionals or executives into wiring funds to fraudulent overseas accounts. And the impact of CEO fraud is significant. Technology company Ubiquiti Networks, for example, was swindled out of almost $47 million. Since the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Cente
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: A note about teams

  27-10-2016 18:34
  
  I'm writing a series of posts that discuss five tips for creating and leading agile data management development teams. My previous post focused on tip No. 1: "Hire 'A' Players and Empower Them." Before moving on to tip No. 2, I wanted to take a moment to discuss team dynamics.Way back in 1965, psychologist Bruce Tuckman came up with the concept of “forming, storming, norming and performing.” This phrase refers to the path that most teams follow on their way to high performance.
  
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• T-Mobile is offering $325 to anyone who brings a Pixel to its network

  27-10-2016 18:31
  
  Ever the dealmaker, T-Mobile CEO John Legere is at it again with an attempt to lure Pixel owners over to his network.
  The latest stunt offers you half the cost of Google’s phone, or $325, if you bring your Pixel to the company’s T-Mobile One unlimited plan. He took to his favorite platform, Twitter, to make the announcement and of course take a few shots at the competition.
  5/ Starting tomorrow, @TMobile will credit you $325 when you #BYOPixel & sign up for #TMobileONE https://t
  
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• BrandPost: Tough Economy Got You Down? Not These Manufacturers.

  27-10-2016 18:19
  
  The U.S. economy isn’t exactly soaring. In fact, it grew only 1.4 percent in the second quarter of 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. That’s up from 1.1 percent in the first quarter. Times are especially tough for the manufacturing industry, which faces its own set of challenges, per a recent National Association of Manufacturers economic report. Sales have decreased 1.3 percent since August 2015 (on a year-over-year basis) and demand for core capital goods decl
  
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• Microsoft's $300 Windows VR headsets: 6 things we know (and 1 big question)

  27-10-2016 17:36
  
  Everybody expected mixed-reality technology to play a part in Microsoft’s big Windows 10 event on Wednesday—but nobody expected what we got. Rather than showing yet another HoloLens demonstration, Microsoft instead announced a small army of virtual reality headsets unlike anything available today, and they’re all powered by the forthcoming Windows 10 Creators Update.
  The demo raised more questions than it supplied answers, but there was still plenty of info to glean if you wer
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Healthcare’s blue ocean strategy for blockchain

  27-10-2016 17:20
  
  Blockchain can be used for organizational differentiation, by creating new market spaces with unique organizational positions leading to strategic advantages over time. We’ll explore how blockchain can unlock new blue ocean strategies for healthcare.First, briefly what are blockchains?
  In 2008, in response to the global financial crisis of 2007-08, Satoshi Nakamoto wrote a paper titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System." The paper suggested that "trusted third parties" could
  
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• FCC tells ISPs to get customer permission before sharing sensitive info

  27-10-2016 17:04
  
  The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has passed rules requiring broadband providers to receive opt-in customer permission to share sensitive personal information, including web-browsing history, geolocation, and financial details with third parties.The FCC on Thursday voted 3-2 to adopt the new broadband privacy rules, which also include requirements that ISPs promptly notify customers of serious data breaches.Broadband customers need transparency and control over how their data is used, s
  
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• 4 can't-miss, must-have gadgets and apps of fall 2016

  27-10-2016 16:01
  
  I test lots of apps and mobile products. The worst of them never make it into this blog, because I'd rather fill the space with something you'll actually want.That said, most of the time, I don't continue to use products I test after my review posts. My life is awash in endless apps and gadgets. To add one more, it has to be (a) useful on an ongoing basis and (b) pretty friggin' awesome.With that criteria in mind, here are my four favorite mobile apps and gadgets I tested during the past three m
  
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• No need to shoot down drones! Many of them can now be hijacked

  27-10-2016 15:45
  
  A security researcher has devised a method of hijacking a wide variety of radio- controlled airplanes, helicopters, cars, boats and other devices that use a popular wireless transmission technology.
  The attack was developed by Jonathan Andersson, manager of the Advanced Security Research Group at Trend Micro DVLabs, and targets a "wideband, frequency-agile 2.4GHz signal protocol" called DSMx. This protocol is used in radio-control (R/C) toys, including in drones, that are owned by millions of u
  
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• Apple predicts growth in near term despite down year

  27-10-2016 15:35
  
  Apple this week reported a decline in both annual sales and profit for the first time in 15 years. The company banked $45.7 billion in profit on revenues of $215.6 billion during the last year, an annual profit decline of nearly 15 percent and an 8 percent drop in revenue compared to the company's fiscal year 2015 results. Apple saw its first year-over-year decline in revenue last April, and that downward trend continued despite new product releases and steady growth in its services busines
  
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• Why IoT devices are the 'unusual suspects' in DDOS attacks

  27-10-2016 15:32
  
  Recent cyberattacks that harnessed digital devices to cripple websites confirm the concerns cybersecurity experts have long expressed about the threat posed by the internet of things (IoT). Many connected corporate devices, from VoIP phones and connected printers to smart video conferencing systems, have outdated firmware and can be hacked in minutes, according to new research from ForeScout Technologies."The IoT is the new battleground for security," says Pedro Abreu, chief strategy officer at
  
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• Qualcomm agrees to buy NXP for over $37 billion

  27-10-2016 15:28
  
  Microprocessor maker Qualcomm is spending its way out of a stagnating mobile phone industry, offering to buy NXP Semiconductors, a company with a strong position in automotive chips, for more than US$37 billion.Qualcomm formalized its offer Thursday, barely a month after rumors began circulating that a deal was in the offing.NXP has only just digested its own multibillion acquisition, of Freescale Semiconductor, which closed in December 2015.The combination of Qualcomm and NXP will have annual r
  
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• 3 conditions for driving organizational change

  27-10-2016 15:17
  
  To get a sense of the degree to which companies struggle with innovation and change, consider these two points: 1) despite great technological advances, we struggle with many of the same problems that we faced years ago, and 2) few companies are able to hold their positions on the Fortune 500 list.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Microsoft adds macro blocker to Office 2013 to stymie old-school attackers

  27-10-2016 15:12
  
  Microsoft yesterday said that it had added a malware-in-macros blocker to Office 2013 after customers demanded that it expand the feature beyond the latest version, Office 2016.
  "The predominant customer request we received was for this feature to be added to Office 2013," the Microsoft Malware Protection Center team wrote in an unsigned blog post Wednesday.
  IT administrators have been able to block macros from running in Office 2016 since March. Enterprise IT staff can craft group policies to
  
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• Woningcorporatie Woonpunt besteedt ICT-dienstverlening uit

  27-10-2016 14:48
  Woningcorporatie Woonpunt heeft haar ICT uitbesteed aan Valid, specialist in het bouwen en beheren van hybride cloud-omgevingen. De transitie is begin oktober gestart en wordt naar verwachting begin 2017 afgerond.Woonpunt is de grootste sociale huisvester in Zuid-Limburg en heeft ruim 18.000 woningen in beheer. Begin... lees meer
  
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• NS sluit mantelovereenkomst met combinatie

  27-10-2016 14:41
  Na een Europese aanbesteding hebben de Nederlandse Spoorwegen SQS Benelux, Bartosz ICT en Alten Nederland een opdracht gegund voor software kwaliteit en softwaretesten. De combinatie gaat gedurende de drie jaar dat de mantelovereenkomst loopt software kwaliteitsspecialisten inzetten bij NS.
   
  De medewerkers van de... lees meer
  
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• When coffee makers attack

  27-10-2016 14:16
  
  It was shocking to learn that the recent distributed denial-of-service attack of the nation’s internet infrastructure via DNS provider Dyn was aided and abetted by a hijacked army of products from the internet of things. It is thought to be the first DoS attack to rely overwhelmingly on a lot of “dumb” appliances that have little processing power of their own but are connected to the internet. That’s right, the internet was crippled because our coffee makers, washing mac
  
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• IT-beveiligers hebben moeilijke gesprekken met management na incidenten

  27-10-2016 14:11
  IT-beveiligingsprofessionals zijn zelfverzekerd over hun vakgebied, maar ervaren gesprekken met het senior management regelmatig als ongemakkelijk. Hierop duidt Europees onderzoek in opdracht van Palo Alto Networks.Security professionals staan onder zware druk door de stijgende aandacht voor cybersecurity, is de... lees meer
  
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• Privacy group shoots legal arrow at Privacy Shield

  27-10-2016 14:03
  
  Privacy Shield, the legal agreement allowing businesses to export Europeans' personal information to the U.S., is under fire.An Irish privacy advocacy group has challenged the adoption of the decision in the EU's second-highest court, Reuters reported Thursday, citing sources familiar with the case.Privacy Shield entered effect in July, replacing the Safe Harbor framework, which had itself fallen victim to a legal challenge in October 2015. The new agreement supports transatlantic commerce worth
  
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• Protection is dead. Long live detection.

  27-10-2016 14:00
  
  When it comes to security, protection will fail. USB drives will be lost. Users will click on and respond to phishing messages. Malicious insiders will abuse their privileges to steal information and cause damage. Well-meaning insiders will accidentally delete data. Russia, China, organized crime and other traditional advanced persistent threats will compromise even the most sophisticated protection mechanisms. And all of that is OK.
  What isn’t OK is to not expect failure and not plan for
  
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• IBM: In 5 years, Watson A.I. will be behind your every decision

  27-10-2016 13:30
  
  LAS VEGAS -- In the next five years, every important decision, whether it's business or personal, will be made with the assistance of IBM Watson. That's the vision of IBM president and CEO Ginni Rometty, in a keynote speech at IBM's World of Watson conference Wednesday.
  Watson, the company's artificial intelligence-fueled system, is working in fields like health care, finance, entertainment and retail, connecting businesses more easily with their customers, making sense of big data and helping
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How to take your PowerPoint presentation to the next level

  27-10-2016 13:08
  
  At some point during the past couple of decades, presentations and speeches have turned into slideshow competitions, with each professional trying to add the best effects. In the process, meetings have gradually veered off course, with every presentation coming across as more of a sales pitch than an informational session.Whether you’re planning a speaking engagement at a large industry conference or preparing for a big staff meeting, it’s important to realize the benefits of speakin
  
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• 11 things Android phone makers should copy from the Pixel

  27-10-2016 13:00
  
  School is in sessionGoogle has turned up the heat on its Android partners by controlling every aspect of software and hardware for its Pixel line. While it doesn't have every single feature you'd find in comparably-priced phones from LG, Samsung, HTC, or Sony, it does so many things right that it's currently the phone to beat.Here are some of the things we like about the Pixel that we hope to see in future premium phones.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Why studying security in college is a waste of time

  27-10-2016 12:55
  
  (Insider Story)
  
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• Review: 7 PDF editing tools for iOS and Android

  27-10-2016 12:30
  
  When you’re on the go, it’s often not enough to just read a PDF on your mobile device -- you have to be able to sign it, copy it or edit it.These iOS and Android apps can help.
  (Insider Story)
  
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• Rust language puts ease ahead of features for 2017

  27-10-2016 12:00
  
  The Mozilla-sponsored Rust language would become more approachable and productive next year, based on a road map published for the platform.
  The focus for the upcoming year is improving productivity while retaining an emphasis on fast, reliable code, the road map states. High-level goals include a lower learning curve, a "pleasant" edit-compile-debug cycle, and a solid, but basic, IDE experience. Rust also should provide easy access to high-quality crates, or packages, and be well-equipped for
  
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• Review: HP's Elite x3 is too much smartphone, not enough PC

  27-10-2016 12:00
  
  We've seen this 'one device for everything' movie before, and it ends just as badly this time
  
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• IT spending on ‘innovation’ is now a priority

  27-10-2016 12:00
  
  Businesses are increasing their spending on technology, with cloud services as the big beneficiary.
  Hardware and software spending is declining as spending on cloud services rises, particularly on SaaS, according to the most recent annual survey from the Society for Information Management (SIM).
  Analytics/business intelligence and cybersecurity are the top two IT spending priorities, something that has been true for the several years. But marching into this mix now is "innovation" spending, an
  
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• Microsoft unveils Creative Update and the Surface Studio

  27-10-2016 11:40
  
  NEW YORK -- Microsoft yesterday announced a slew of software and app updates, as well as both improved and entirely new hardware devices. While rumors have floated around about the next Windows 10 update from Microsoft, suggesting it would carry the name "Redstone 2," the update Microsoft unveiled is called Creators Update.As its name suggests, it's aimed at creators, which Panos Panay, chief of devices at Microsoft, emphasized extends to more than artists or those with jobs traditionally consid
  
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• AT&T en AWS gaan samenwerken

  27-10-2016 11:02
  De Amerikaanse telecomoperator AT&T en Amazon Web Services (AWS) hebben getekend voor een meerjarige strategische alliantie voor de levering van geïntegreerde oplossingen gebaseerd op de respectievelijke netwerk- en cloudoplossingen van beide bedrijven. De samenwerking is bedoeld om zowel bestaande als... lees meer
  
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• Samsung's smartphone share hit by Note7 debacle, stiff competition

  27-10-2016 07:39
  
  Samsung Electronics continued on top of the smartphone market in the third quarter but was battered by the impact of the Galaxy Note7 recall and increased competition in India, China and the U.S., according to Strategy Analytics.Overall the market grew by 6 percent annually to reach over 375 million units in the quarter, which was the smartphone industry’s fastest growth rate for a year, according to the research firm. Chinese brands Huawei, Oppo and Vivo posted strong growth rates in ship
  
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