IT Executive news

• DNC hacker calls on brethren to monitor US election

  04-11-2016 22:10
  
  The hacker who claims to have breached the Democratic National Committee isn't done trying to influence this year's election. On Friday, Guccifer 2.0 warned that Democrats might try to rig the vote next Tuesday.Guccifer 2.0 wrote the statement in a new blog post as U.S. federal agencies are reportedly bracing for cyber attacks on election day.The U.S. has already blamed Russia for allegedly meddling with the upcoming election by hacking into political targets, including the DNC, a
  
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• Amazon Echo Dot, Order 5 and Get One for Free- Deal Alert

  04-11-2016 22:02
  
  Echo Dot is a hands-free, voice-controlled device that uses Alexa to play & control music (either on its own, or through a connected speaker/receiver), control smart home devices, provide information, read the news, set alarms, and more. If you’re looking to buy them as gifts, or for different homes or rooms, Amazon will throw in a free one ($50 value) when you buy 5, or two free ones when you buy 10 (a $100 value). To take advantage of this limited time offer, select 6 or 12 in the qu
  
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• Securing the cloud endpoint

  04-11-2016 21:35
  
  This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.
  In the quest for securing the cloud, one key aspect is often left out of the discussion: the security impact of the cloud endpoint – most notably the imperiled browser.
  As enterprises and individuals increasingly move computing to the cloud, security at the endpoint has been an escalating concern. Takin
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Leaders: Give back to boost employee productivity

  04-11-2016 21:20
  
  Being helpful feels good. Besides the extra bit of dopamine, there’s simply something satisfying about making a difference in the world. That’s why it’s so important for progressive-minded companies to get serious about giving back.The case for giving back
  According to labor statistics, the average rate for employee turnover across all industries is 15.1 percent. That’s an uninspiring figure, but one that could see improvement from an unlikely source: corporate giving and
  
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• This Navy-funded drone is at home in sea and sky

  04-11-2016 20:55
  
  We've all heard of amphibious cars, but what about amphibious drones? Researchers at Rutgers University took on the challenge of building an unmanned vehicle that can soar through the air and seamlessly transition to swim through the water. They call it the Naviator.
  Amphibious aircraft aren't a new concept. In fact, inventors have been playing with the idea since the 1930s, when Boris Ushakov, a student engineer at a Soviet military academy, proposed a three-engine floatplane that could flood i
  
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• What about the personal data on those millions of recalled Note7s?

  04-11-2016 20:54
  
  The users of millions of faulty Samsung Galaxy Note7s, already turned in, face a bigger potential dilemma than whether the devices might blow up: The fate of their personal data on the devices.
  Many of the users of some 3 million Note7 devices sold were told by Samsung and government officials to immediately stop using the devices.They most likely didn't have time to thoroughly wipe sensitive personal data like credit card numbers or medical information.
  Samsung hasn't divulged what it plans to
  
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• White House prepares transition of social media presence

  04-11-2016 20:32
  
  As the White House gets ready to transition to a new presidential administration, it's also getting ready to hand over the reins of its social networking world.
  President Barack Obama is frequently called the "first social media president" since he was the first president to be on Twitter, to go live on Facebook, to host a Google+ hangout and even the first to use a filter on Snapchat.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Apple takes more than 100 percent of smartphone profits after Samsung's Galaxy recall

  04-11-2016 19:55
  
  Apple may not be the biggest smartphone seller in the world, but it is by far the most profitable.
  A new estimate shows Apple took 103.6 percent of the profits from all smartphone sales in the third quarter of 2016. Even though Apple saw a decline in iPhone sales, the company is still hugely profitable in compared to rival smartphone-makers like LG and HTC, which reported significant losses.
  How is that even possible, you might be wondering? Well, the fact that the smartphone industry continues
  
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• The Orange Pi Zero single-board computer ships for $6.99

  04-11-2016 19:51
  
  At US $6.99, a new Raspberry Pi competitor called Orange Pi Zero costs less than some sandwiches in New York City.The Orange Pi Zero can be used to make electronics or robots, or it can fill in as a file or media server. Such developer boards are also used to create and test industrial devices.The computer is a competitor to the minuscule Raspberry Pi Zero, a stripped down version of Raspberry Pi that sells for $5. But Orange Pi Zero has better hardware with a faster processor and Wi-Fi capabili
  
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• Microsoft promises smaller Windows 10 upgrades

  04-11-2016 19:38
  
  Microsoft today promised it will reduce the size of Windows 10 "feature updates," the upgrades the company issues once or twice a year.
  "One of the biggest community and customer benefits of UUP is the reduction you'll see in download size on PCs," said Bill Karagounis, director of program management, in a post to a company blog Friday.
  UUP stands for "Unified Update Platform," Microsoft's name for its new update delivery technologies.
  So far, all Windows 10 feature updates have been issued as
  
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• Start-up creates USB-C-to-MagSafe adapter for new MacBook Pro, other devices

  04-11-2016 19:01
  
  Los Angeles start-up Snapnator.com has created a magnetic power connector for USB-C laptops, including the new MacBook Pro, which eliminated the popular power connector in its latest model.
  The company just launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to raise money to ramp up production of the new adapter. In only a few days, the company has already received about $60,000, more than double its fundraising goal of $25,000.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click
  
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• Democracy has died of dysentery: The Voter Suppression Trail

  04-11-2016 18:39
  Despite a number of potential digital threats, voter fraud remains a mostly imaginary problem in this country, a specter raised by politicians seeking to justify ever-more stringent rules designed to suppress voter turnout in areas unfavorable to them.
  But in a largely post-truth political discourse, simply pointing out that this is a fact doesn’t seem to be enough. What is needed – and what the New York Times Op-Docs project has collaborated with the satirists at GOP Arcade to prod
  
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• Apple's AirPods could deliver audio with multiple wireless protocols

  04-11-2016 18:36
  
  Amazing technology crammed in Apple's AirPods may have made the so-called courageous plan to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 much easier.The earphones haven't shipped yet. It's still unclear whether buyers will want to invest US $159 in AirPods, which are being forced on iPhone 7 buyers, according to critics.Many wireless earphones are already available, but according to one analyst, AirPods are the most advanced. They have unique technologies not found in other earphones, all o
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: First 100 days in the CDO role

  04-11-2016 17:52
  
  The “first 100 days” may be a famed transition period for new U.S. presidents, but isn’t it also a valid time frame for almost any senior leader to lay the groundwork for success? In the business world, we often talk about probationary periods for new employees lasting for the first 90 to 180 days. Their competence and effectiveness are examined at the end of that period of time just as presidential administrations are scrutinized intensely for their work and progress during th
  
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• Intel launches 500 drones for nighttime light show

  04-11-2016 17:45
  
  Could hundreds or thousands of drones in the sky ever replicate the thrill we get from watching a fireworks display?Intel is hoping to reproduce a little of that magic with its Shooting Star drones. They're equipped with lights to provide a show in the night sky, and Intel is offering a whole fleet of them as a service to theme parks, entertainment companies, and cities.Last year, the company managed to get 100 of them flying in formation to produce patterns and, of course, the Intel logo. Now i
  
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• First Look: The no-Touch Bar MacBook Pro still delivers speed, style

  04-11-2016 17:24
  
  Apple unveiled three new radically redesigned Apple MacBook Pro laptops last week, two of which feature a cutting edge function-key replacement -- the new Touch Bar, including Touch ID -- and one of which did not. Guess which one I have?
  I'll have a look soon at the Touch Bar-equipped MacBook Pro (which isn't shipping for two or three weeks), but first, let's talk about the entry-level 13-in. model, unveiled Oct. 27.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• BrandPost: CIO interview with Bask Iyer, CIO and GM, IoT at VMware

  04-11-2016 17:11
  
  What is your primary role as CIO? And as General Manager of the Internet of Things?It comes down to three things. First, it is the traditional CIO role to keep what’s running, running: I’m in charge of protecting strategic assets, IT structure, security, and so on. Second, we use our own products to make sure they run and scale at the right level for our customers. Third, as part of the executive team, I have a customer view. The staff asks, “Would you buy this product, would i
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: If healthcare is so expensive, why are so many hospitals running on such thin margins?

  04-11-2016 17:08
  
  Wading into the debate around healthcare costs can feel like a risky proposition no matter where you fall on the spectrum of opinion. Yet it’s vitally important that we, as American consumers of healthcare, have a frank conversation about costs and revenue. If we don’t, we won’t successfully bridge the gap between today’s world, where many providers are still reimbursed based on each individual test, procedure or office visit, and tomorrow’s world, where nearly all
  
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• Why assuming data is secure is dangerous and stupid

  04-11-2016 16:58
  
  It just annoys the hell out of me every time I hear Hillary Clinton talk about her email, because she says something to the effect that there is no evidence that her email server was ever hacked even though it was poorly secured. This likely speaks to why many of my peers in the IT security business are weary of her even though they are far from Trump fans.What is even more troubling is that she apparently was clearly aware this can’t be true. Why this torques me off is that there was no t
  
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• The NFL's making a behind-the-scenes VR video series for YouTube and Google Daydream

  04-11-2016 16:52
  The National Football League and Google are producing the league’s first virtual reality video series. The upcoming nine-part VR show will debut its first episode on the NFL’s YouTube channel on Thanksgiving Day. Before the end of 2016, the series will also be in the NFL VR app for Google’s upcoming Daydream View headset. The entire series is being filmed with Google’s Jump virtual reality capture system.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click he
  
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• How API adoption can boosts annual profits

  04-11-2016 16:30
  
  The success of digital platforms can be measured by many metrics, including increased customer adoption, network effects and revenue, and profit hikes. Less clear, however, is how much value the application programming interfaces (APIs) underpinning such platforms contribute to the calculus.New research suggests the use of APIs to facilitate digital transactions increases annual net income by more than $250,000, with potential profit boosts growing as platforms generate and exchange more data, s
  
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• How API adoption can boost annual profits

  04-11-2016 16:30
  
  The success of digital platforms can be measured by many metrics, including increased customer adoption, network effects and revenue, and profit hikes. Less clear, however, is how much value the application programming interfaces (APIs) underpinning such platforms contribute to the calculus.
  New research suggests the use of APIs to facilitate digital transactions increases annual net income by more than $250,000, with potential profit boosts growing as platforms generate and exchange more data,
  
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• Skills deficit hampers IoT growth in 2017

  04-11-2016 16:25
  
  The allure of IoT is strong. Companies are eager to explore the potential for connected products and business processes. But technologies and use cases for the IoT vary wildly, and the vendor landscape is rapidly changing, warns research and advisory firm  Forrester. Adding to the hurdles IT teams face is the demand for IoT skills – including data analytics, security and wireless networking expertise – that are already in short supply in many organizations.IoT technology uses ne
  
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• Intel's first commercial drone lands in the US

  04-11-2016 16:13
  
  Intel began promoting its first commercial drone in the U.S. this week, as it seeks to carve out a place for itself in the fast-expanding market.The Falcon 8+ drone, which was announced two weeks ago, was on show at the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas that opened on Tuesday. Intel has been building its drone expertise throughout the year with a series of acquisitions, and the Falcon 8+ has grown out of its January purchase of Germany's Ascend Technologies.To read this article in full or to leav
  
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• 49% off Microsoft Foldable Keyboard for iOS, Android, and Windows devices - Deal Alert

  04-11-2016 16:05
  
  This folding keyboard from Microsoft pairs with any combination of 2 iPads, iPhones, Android, Windows tablets, and Windows Phones. It features a water repellent keyset and fabric to protect against accidents. Unfold to turn on, and fold to turn off. Pairs quickly and reliably with Bluetooth 4.0 technology. Its built-in rechargeable battery lasts up to 3 months on a single charge. It currently averages 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon (read reviews) from nearly 200 reviewers, and its list price o
  
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• 5 ways enterprise networkers can - and can't - be like webscale stars

  04-11-2016 15:57
  
  Everybody wants to be a winner. One way to get there is to follow the leaders.In networking these days, big cloud companies like Google and Facebook are at the top of their game. They run giant data centers, continually launch and modify large-scale applications, and don’t seem to be bound to big system vendors. Many ordinary enterprises would love what the internet heavyweights have: standardized networks that can support any application without administrators having to configure a lot of
  
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• Robotic process automation is killer app for cognitive computing

  04-11-2016 13:20
  
  Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is an increasingly hot topic in the digital enterprise. Implementing software robots to perform routine business processes and eliminate inefficiencies is an attractive proposition for IT and business leaders. And providers of traditional IT and business process outsourcing facing potential loss of business to bots are themselves investing in these automation capabilities as well.[ Related: Why automation doubles IT outsourcing cost savings ]While the basic benef
  
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• 4 things you didn't know your GPS apps could do

  04-11-2016 13:00
  
  Today's mobile GPS apps do a lot of interesting things, such as offer turn-by-turn directions voiced by Madea from the Tyler Perry films, and provide quick and easy dinner delivery. Here are four of the newest and coolest features in the most popular GPS apps — Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps — just in time for the holiday travel season.Order dinner using Google MapsIn addition to offering seemingly endless driving directions, Google Maps has evolved into a database of local r
  
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• Chris Nickerson: Bring a bit more Zen to cybersecurity

  04-11-2016 12:53
  
  Chris Nickerson is CEO of Lares, which focuses in hyper-competitive areas of cybersecurity like penetration testing, red-team testing and adversarial attack modeling.
  But delivering the closing keynote at UNITED2016, the Rapid7 Security Summit in Boston this week, he came across as more Zen master than battle-tested general.
  Nickerson never actually said the “Z” word. But he said real empowerment in cybersecurity isn’t a matter of being “bullied” into a decision by
  
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• Evaluatie ict-projecten overheid: ‘Meer vorm dan inhoud’

  04-11-2016 12:07
  Binnen de overheid worden ict-projecten regelmatig onvoldoende geëvalueerd, waardoor er geen kans is om te verbeteren en te leren. Dit stelt promovendus Wouter Bronsgeest RI van de Universiteit Twente.“Ik pleit voor vaker evalueren en reflecteren, de toepassing van meer creatieve werkvormen en het scherper... lees meer
  
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• What these CSOs did on their first days

  04-11-2016 11:30
  
  The situation often dictates how to approach a new job. Did the company just have a humiliating experience with a data breach? Did they not have a CSO previously and that is why they are looking for security help to lock down their network?She doesn’t believe it is security’s job to come in and tell every other department how to do their job. Instead the security team should advise management on the risks to information and technology.To read this article in full or to leave a commen
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Should I judge a system based on requirements or outcomes?

  04-11-2016 11:30
  
  When a company thinks about selecting a new finance and accounting system, there are many key criteria to consider, including vendor reputation, security, cost, technical architecture and functional fit. All of those are equally important and need to be taken into account.When companies evaluate functional fit, they typically start by listing a set of requirements that the system must do. But that approach could be a trap. Here are three pitfalls you should avoid when determining functional fit
  
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• Here we go again: Microsoft's popping up ads from the Windows 10 toolbar

  04-11-2016 11:30
  
  When Microsoft’s Windows 10 deadline passed, many heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that Microsoft’s obnoxious popup reminders had finally been laid to rest.
  Surprise! Microsoft’s at it again, reminding users to sign up for Bing Rewards by using Edge, Windows 10’s built-in browser. My colleague Brad Chacos was hit by the ad above after hours, reported it, and immediately erased Edge from his toolbar.
  Here’s what we know: The popup doesn’t seem to appear
  
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• Scala upgrade brings closer alignment with Java 8

  04-11-2016 11:00
  
  Scala, a trendy object-oriented and functional language for the Java Virtual Machine, is now aligned with Java 8, the latest release of the standard Java platform.
  Version 2.12.0, released Wednesday, features a complete overhaul of its compiler to take advantage of VM features in the Java upgrade, according to scala-lang.org. With Scala 2.12.0, a trait compiles directly to an interface with default methods, to improve binary compatibility and Java interoperability. And with Java 8 allowing conc
  
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• How to speed up Windows 7 Update scans—forever

  04-11-2016 11:00
  
  Microsoft has changed the way it deploys patches, adding a new twist to an old problem. For many folks, Windows 7 Update scans still take hours—even days. How do you knock your Win7 machine upside the head, so it will find new patches in less than glacial time? We have a new Microsoft-sanctioned approach that only needs to be tempered a little.
  Note that, in the new patching paradigm, even those who manually download monthly security patches (“Group B”) still need to use Windo
  
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• Cloud adoption keeps moving ahead, survey says

  04-11-2016 11:00
  
  Companies continue their migration of both applications and computing infrastructure to the cloud at a steady pace. They have moved 45% of their applications and computing infrastructure to the cloud already, and they expect well over half of their IT environment to be cloud-based by 2018, according to a recent IDG Enterprise survey of 925 IT decision makers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• 8 digital turntables give old records a modern spin

  04-11-2016 11:00
  
  Dust off your recordsImage by Moehre1992Wondering what to do about that pile of records that's collecting dust in your attic or basement? With one of these turntables, your records -- from Shostakovich to Black Sabbath -- can live again. This new generation of record players can play 33⅓ rpm (also known as LP), 45 rpm and sometimes even 78 rpm records -- and most can also turn your favorite old vinyl into crisp new digital files.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please cl
  
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• Vogelbewegingen voorspellen met big data

  04-11-2016 10:41
  Eind oktober werkten vijf teams met data scientists tijdens de Schiphol Data Science Hackathon met diverse datasets van de luchthaven om tot innovatieve inzichten te komen. De data scientists konden aan de slag met datasets van onder meer de vogelradar en de baggagestromen op de luchthaven. Daaruit kwamen verschillende... lees meer
  
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• 6 machine learning misunderstandings

  04-11-2016 09:57
  
  MisstepsMachine learning isn’t confined to science fiction movie plots anymore; it’s fueled the proliferation of technologies that touch our everyday lives, including voice recognition with Siri or Alexa, Facebook auto-tagging photos and recommendations from Amazon and Spotify. And many enterprises are eager to leverage machine learning algorithms to increase the efficiency of their network. In fact, some are already using it to enhance their threat detection and optimize wide area n
  
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• US government's Code.gov software sharing website launched

  04-11-2016 08:15
  
  Code.gov, a U.S. government website for promoting the sharing of custom-developed software code, was launched Thursday with listings of nearly 50 open-source projects from various government agencies.The move follows the announcement by the White House in August of a Federal Source Code policy that would promote reuse of new custom source code developed by government agencies across the federal government to prevent replication of work and expense. The agencies are also required to make some of
  
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