IT Executive news

• AMD will sneak-peek its high-end Zen CPU in December, starting a new CPU war

  29-11-2016 23:12
  
  That distant drum beat you’re hearing? That’s the sound of the coming CPU war. The latest beat came this morning, when AMD said it was holding a sneak peek of its high-performance Zen CPU in a few weeks. The preview will be streamed at 1 p.m. PST on December 13. You can sign up at AMD’s website to be clued in.
  AMD has been tight-lipped about the CPU ever since shocking the world with a preview showing an 8-core Zen could keep pace with an 8-core Broadwell-E chip. This lat
  
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• 40% off WeMo Wi-Fi Smart Plug, Works with Amazon Alexa - Deal Alert

  29-11-2016 23:05
  
  Did you forget to turn off the window A.C.? How about that curling iron? Want the living room lamp to turn on when the sun goes down—automatically? The Wemo Switch gives you control of your lamps and small appliances whenever you want, wherever you choose, with tons of options for scheduling and automation. Paired with Amazon Alexa, you can control your lamps and appliances with just the power of your voice. When Wemo works with Nest Thermostat, you can set your lights to turn off automati
  
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• A year after separation, HP and HPE are still trying to shed rust

  29-11-2016 22:53
  
  Five years ago, then Hewlett-Packard CEO Leo Apotheker was derided for an abrupt plan to spin off the PC division from the mothership. It happened anyway in 2015, when the idea seemed more logical.The spin-off led to the creation of HP, which focuses on PCs and printers, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, which focuses on enterprise hardware and the cloud. Now a year after the split, the companies are still trying to shed off the rust as they try to stand on their own legs.Growing pains have afflic
  
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• Report: Intel plans to make the Core i7 the brains behind self-driving cars

  29-11-2016 22:46
  
  Sixteen years ago, a small low-power chip startup called Transmeta forced Intel to retool its desktop PC processors to meet the demands of notebooks. Today, Intel is adapting its PC processors to an entirely new market: self-driving cars.
  Intel has joined forces with Mobileye—the former brains behind Tesla Motors’ autopilot system—and auto parts maker Delphi, according to several reports. Specifically, Intel plans to put a Core i7 inside self-driving cars as the primary contro
  
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• Internet Archive, after Trump win, looks to create alternate site in Canada

  29-11-2016 22:46
  
  Fearing that decades of digital data could be threatened by a Donald Trump presidency, the nonprofit Internet Archive today proposed a secondary electronic library in Canada to safeguard its historical information.
  "This year, we have set a new goal: to create a copy of Internet Archive’s digital collections in another country. We are building the Internet Archive of Canada because, to quote our friends at LOCKSS, 'lots of copies keep stuff safe,'" Internet Archive Founder Brewster Kahle
  
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• Sanders launches new attack on offshore outsourcing

  29-11-2016 22:32
  
  Former presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders will introduce legislation to discourage companies from relocating jobs offshore. The legislation would punish offshore decisions with loss of tax breaks and government contracts and impose an "outsourcing tax" on firms that proceed nonetheless.
  The proposal, announced this weekend, singles out United Technologies for its decision to close its Carrier Corp. manufacturing plant in Indianapolis and relocate operations to Mexico.
  Sander's
  
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• New partner programs for AWS are aimed at growing Alexa, IoT, and more

  29-11-2016 22:20
  
  While Amazon Web Services touts the self-service capabilities of its cloud, the company also works with a large number of channel partners to help companies migrate to and use its services.The cloud provider announced a suite of updates to its partner programs at its Global Partner Summit keynote in Las Vegas on Tuesday. The updates are focused on helping customers get increased use of Amazon’s cloud services and getting partners to invest further in AWS.The keynote was an opportunity for
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: The lean journey in IT

  29-11-2016 22:11
  
  Most people have heard the term lean as it pertains to productivity, and while they may not have a solid understanding of lean principles, they do know that it involves some kind of efficient approach that adds value to a process.To gain an understanding of what lean is, it might be best to start out by explaining some of the things lean isn't — for instance, it isn't an acronym; it's more closely related to the relevant dictionary definition of lean, which is "characterized by economy."Le
  
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• Intel races to put autonomous cars on streets

  29-11-2016 22:00
  
  As the PC market levels out, Intel believes it has a big future in autonomous cars. It's the new hot market the company is chasing, much like it did with mobile devices in recent years.Autonomous cars are so significant to Intel that the company on Tuesday said it is establishing the Automated Driving Group, which will focus on developing hardware and software technology for self-driving vehicles.Intel has already acquired a handful of companies developing autonomous vehicle technology. Intel ha
  
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• Splice Machine boosts hybrid relational data platform

  29-11-2016 21:38
  
  Building on its capability to concurrently run enterprise-scale transactional and analytical workloads, Splice Machine today announced the release of version 2.5 of its platform at AWS re:Invent 2016.The startup's platform is a dual-engine relational database management system (RDBMS) powered by Apache Hadoop and Apache Spark that specializes in hybrid transactional and analytical processing (HTAP). Splice Machine uses resource isolation — separate processes and resource management for its
  
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• U.S. auto regulators want to block mobile apps while driving

  29-11-2016 21:26
  
  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed industry guidelines that ask automakers to create a way to block applications on smartphones or tablets that can distract drivers.
  Currently no safety guidelines exist for mobile devices when they are used while driving, the NHTSA said.
  The new guidelines, which were published last week and are in a comment period, instruct automakers to create a "Driver Mode" similar to Apple's Airplane Mode on iPhones, which takes the sma
  
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• Microsoft's decision to retire security tool is myopic

  29-11-2016 21:26
  
  Microsoft's claim that Windows 10 made obsolete an important enterprise anti-exploit tool was inaccurate, said a security analyst at the center that coordinates with the United States' cyber-alert organization.
  "Windows 10 does not provide all of the mitigation features that EMET administrators have come to rely on," Will Dormann, a vulnerability analyst at CERT/CC (Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center), wrote in a post to the group's blog last week. CERT/CC is a partner of US-C
  
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• Update to Office 365 eliminates the hassle of large attachments in Outlook

  29-11-2016 20:21
  
  At some point in your life, you’ve been forced to send a massive file as an email attachment, wondering all the while if it will end up being too big to get through. Microsoft’s recent Office 365 updates include a feature to address that problem.
  Microsoft continually updates Office 365, and the company’s November updates include a new feature that allows users to upload a file to OneDrive at the time they’re writing an email. Furthermore, collaborative editing has arriv
  
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• Report: Google on pace to sell 3 million Pixels by the end of the year

  29-11-2016 20:18
  
  Google’s Pixel is no doubt a hit, with some models still out of stock a couple of months after launch. An analysis by Morgan Stanley gives us an even more detailed picture about just how well the phone is doing and what it may mean for Google’s place in the smartphone market.
  According to the report, Google’s on track to sell three million phones with revenues around $2 billion. The biggest moneymaker is of course the 128GB Pixel XL, with a gross profit margin of 25 percent. T
  
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• How digital workplaces keep workers connected

  29-11-2016 20:01
  
  High-performing companies are moving to open seating and implementing social software in the interest of enhancing employee connectedness, according to MIT’s Center for Information Systems Research (CISR). Such initiatives reflect a growing emphasis on digital technologies and a desire to better align with customer preferences.“We’ve talked for years about employee engagement but we still create pretty miserable places for people to come to work,” says MIT research scient
  
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• Raspberry Pi 3 gets low-bandwith LTE with add-on chip

  29-11-2016 19:35
  
  Raspberry Pi 3 today has only Wi-Fi connectivity, but soon it will also be able to handle low-throughput cellular communications and let users control devices over long distances.Altair has completed testing of its ALT1160 Category 1 LTE chip on Raspberry Pi, and is now making it available, a company representative said. That's significant, as it will bring much-needed, long-range communications to the popular board computer.The LTE chip is ready for sale by Altair and its partners, a company re
  
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• Save on Steam Gaming Gear With These Active Discounts - Deal Alert

  29-11-2016 19:19
  
  Save 60% on Steam LinkThe Steam Link allows existing Steam gamers to expand the range of their current gaming set up via their home network. Just connect your Steam PC or Steam Machine to your home network, plug into a TV, and stream your games to the Link at 1080p. It's a #1 best seller on Amazon where it averages 4 out of 5 stars from 800 people, and its typical list price of $50 has been discounted to $20.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• UK's internet surveillance law receives royal approval

  29-11-2016 18:22
  Britons hoping that a quaint historical tradition might stop a Draconian internet surveillance law in its tracks were disappointed on Tuesday morning, when the Queen gave her approval to the Investigatory Powers Act 2016.In theory, the Queen has the power of veto over all U.K. legislation as bills do not become law until they receive royal assent.In practice, though, it's just a formality: no reigning British monarch has rejected a piece of legislation since 1707. Besides, given the post-Brexit
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: What’s in your architecture?

  29-11-2016 17:54
  
  What would your business look like once a proposed technology is deployed? The picture is in what we will call business architecture. This architecture is the most important output from a process starting with technology selection and ending with definition of changes to business. Why is it so important?Why architecture is the real thing
  Business architecture has the most far-reaching effects. It indicates the presence or absence of fit between tech project and organizational strategic agen
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Get a better grip on your iPad Pro without a case

  29-11-2016 17:53
  
  Have I told you lately how much I hate having a case on my iPad Pro? I really, really hate cases. They add extra weight, and they cover up a beautiful device thus making it look pedestrian at best.Unfortunately, the iPad Pro is also thin and very slippery because of its aluminum back. So I’ve been using a light black case that has a textured back to make it easier to hold and use my iPad Pro.I recently decided to dump the case so I could use the iPad Pro the way Apple meant it to be used.
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 5 tips for developing interpersonal trust in your marketing department

  29-11-2016 17:30
  
  As you’re well aware, developing trust between customers and your brand is supremely important. But if you’ve tried to develop trust for years to no avail, then you need to be vulnerable enough to recognize that there’s an issue festering deep below the surface. In all likelihood, there’s no trust inside your organization.Trust is cultivated within
  In order to properly understand employee engagement and how certain behaviors influence emotional responses, it’s neces
  
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• How to defer Windows 10 updates

  29-11-2016 17:12
  
  Forced updates in Windows 10 have their appeal. For Microsoft, it helps keep the majority of its users on the same build of Windows 10, reducing legacy support issues. For users, it keeps your system up-to-date and reduces the chances of getting hit with malware that takes advantage of unpatched systems.
  But some folks resent the idea of having updates forced on them—especially when some of those updates cause problems or won’t install properly. If you’re running Windows 10 Ho
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 4 critical questions for every professional relationship

  29-11-2016 17:00
  
  Have you ever been blindsided by a colleagues words or actions? Or maybe been part of a team that spent more time complaining about others in the business rather than collaborating and solving the business decision at hand?If you have answered yes to either or both questions then you are probably not in an Ally relationship, or even on a team of allies. You have yet to reach what I call the “four yeses.”What do I mean by the four yeses? Well in any interaction, we are sizing each oth
  
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• Senators plan last-ditch push to curb US law-enforcement hacking power

  29-11-2016 16:53
  
  Unless Congress takes 11th-hour action, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies will gain new authority this week to hack into remote computers during criminal investigations.Proposed changes to Rule 41, the search and seizure provision in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, would give U.S. law enforcement agencies the authority to cross jurisdictional lines and hack computers anywhere in the world during criminal investigations.The rules, in most cases, now prohibit federal ju
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Productivity linking and mapping

  29-11-2016 16:33
  
  Every department within IT is part of an overall technical ecosystem that is connected to all other departments in some way. For example, business analysis provides functional specifications to the programmers. Trainers provide classes that help programmers learn their craft. Database administrators design database schemas for use by the programmers and oversee the storage and movement of data in cooperation with enterprise architects and production operations. At a macro level, data security pr
  
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• 40% off Garmin vívosmart HR+ Regular Fit Activity Tracker - Deal Alert

  29-11-2016 16:27
  
  Turn your steps into strides with vívosmart HR+, the GPS activity tracker with Elevate wrist heart rate technology. Not only does it count steps, calories, floors climbed and intensity minutes, it uses GPS satellites to track how far and how fast you go during almost any activity — from running to rollerblading. Also includes a move bar that gives you a vibrating reminder to get up and move when you've been inactive for too long. Stay connected with smart notifications that include
  
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• Amazon's next-gen Echo may be a giant speaker with a touchscreen

  29-11-2016 16:21
  
  Between smart home gear and digital assistants, it's looking like consumer technology's future may lie in voice controls—but one leader in the field might be taking a step backwards.
  Amazon's reportedly working on an “Echo-like speaker” with a 7-inch touchscreen, according to Bloomberg’s Marc Gurman. That follows a Wall Street Journal report in May that said Amazon’s Lab126 was working on a voice-activated “tablet-like computer screen.”To read
  
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• 5 tips for succeeding with a virtual workforce

  29-11-2016 15:39
  
  With the rise of technology, the availability of instant communication and collaboration tools that bring the virtual world into the boardroom, the face of the modern office is rapidly changing. According Gallup's most recent Work and Education poll, 37 percent of U.S. workers say they have telecommuted. And with GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com reporting that at least half of all jobs in the U.S. lend themselves to telecommuting that number is likely to continue to rise. Already, in Fortune 1000 co
  
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• 11 tips for using Facebook for business

  29-11-2016 15:10
  
  Over a billion people from around the world visit Facebook every day to connect with friends and family – and visit their favorite businesses. That’s a billion potential opportunities to get your products or services noticed.And while having a Facebook page for your business is a good start to building an online community (and attracting new customers), to successfully leverage Facebook for business, follow these 11 tips.1. Enable native checkout
  “For retailers who are trying t
  
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• Node.js update makes JavaScript VMs future-proof

  29-11-2016 15:00
  
  The Node.js Foundation and NodeSource are moving the Node.js platform toward greater module stability, better security, and more independence in the use of JavaScript virtual machines.
  Working with IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Mozilla, the Node.js Foundation today unveils Node.js Abstract Binary Interface (ABI) Stable Module API. This effort would define a stable module API independent from changes in V8, which has anchored Node. In addition to the API work, the Node.js build system will begin pr
  
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• HPE sees Synergy in hybrid cloud infrastructure

  29-11-2016 15:00
  
  For Hewlett Packard Enterprise, turn-about is fair play in the cloud.
  HPE originally pitched its Synergy line of "composable" IT infrastructure as a way to bring the flexibility of cloud services to on-premises systems. Now it's turning that story around, putting those same Synergy components -- and some new ones -- into the public cloud with the goal of simplifying hybrid IT management.
  The new components of Synergy made their debut in London on Tuesday, at HPE Discover, an event for the compa
  
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• SAP CIO on leading IT when the business is IT

  29-11-2016 14:34
  
  I recently spoke with Michael Golz, CIO of the Americas at SAP, about his role as an IT leader and how it differs from those of his peers in other industries. Martha Heller: SAP is a technology solutions provider. Does that make the CIO role different than if you were in a different industry? Michael Golz: At SAP, IT implements what SAP builds. As a result, everyone in the company has high expectations for the kind of solutions IT provides, from their individual work environment to the solu
  
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• How to compare cloud costs between Amazon, Microsoft and Google

  29-11-2016 14:26
  
  Comparing prices among the major IaaS cloud vendors is not as easy as simply checking the cost of one virtual machine versus another. Myriad factors influence price: Size of the virtual machine, type of VM and contract length, to name a few.
  So how are you supposed to know which vendor offers the best deal? The key is to understand the different offers from Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform and then determine which is best for your use case.
  “Comparing cloud p
  
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• Mobile ads are now as effective as desktop ads

  29-11-2016 14:00
  
  The mobile advertising game, which has been a bit like a match of Whac-a-mole in the past, finally turned to favor the house. Marketers today reach their intended audiences in the United States with more than half of all mobile ads, according to a new report from Nielsen. [ Related: 1 in 4 desktop owners use ad blockers ]During the second quarter of 2016, people of the age and gender marketers targeted viewed 60 percent of mobile ads, according to Nielsen. Marketers reached their intended a
  
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• How to watch offline Netflix on a plane (or anywhere else)

  29-11-2016 14:00
  
  Netflix on a flight? No way, you say?The idea has seemed out of reach for years, because Netflix doesn't let its U.S. subscribers download video for offline viewing. (However, rumors suggest customers in countries with unreliable broadband may soon get the feature.)Meanwhile, in-flight Wi-Fi provider Gogo is working to upgrade the speed of its service on airplanes to support streaming video. Other competitors, including Viasat, offer fast, video-friendly service via satellite. And Amaz
  
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• Hiring the hidden gems: Should InfoSec hire from other industries?

  29-11-2016 13:36
  
  The InfoSec market is predicted to grow from $75 billion in 2015 to $170 billion by 2020, but – like any child star – it finds itself struggling with growing pains.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: A thought on making service design better

  29-11-2016 12:45
  
  I have a theory to share with you: I think that many IT organizations are short-changing themselves by not thinking about service design in a holistic manner. Specifically, they don’t think about how "solving to the left" -- that is during design -- can prevent problems during transition and operations.First, there is no realization as to what the end result of the design phase is. According to ITIL, what leaves the design phase is a new or updated service design package (SDP) which is, in
  
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• 7 must-have gifts for iPhone lovers and Apple fans

  29-11-2016 12:41
  
  Cross the Apple lover off your listChoosing the perfect gift for an Apple lover may be daunting, but it's actually easier than you think. Here are the very best accessories that will thrill anyone who loves their iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.Mujjo Double Layer Touchscreen GlovesWinter time means extra layers, but thankfully this extra layer by Mujjo won’t get in the way of accessing all your touchscreen devices. The company’s new Double Layer Touchscreen Gloves ($34.95, available on
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Why senior executives neglect project management

  29-11-2016 12:30
  
  The following post is an edited excerpt from my book The Focused Organization.Introduction 
  I have spent the past 10 years trying to understand why senior executives seem to neither understand project management nor regard it as an important means of strategy execution. While conducting my research, I discovered that most heads of organizations view project management as a highly technical discipline -- an area for engineers and IT professionals. Consequently, they:
  Lack a basic unders
  
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• Top 10 most popular companies for job seekers

  29-11-2016 12:06
  
  Most popular companies for job seekersImage by Thinkstock/UnsplashIt's no surprise that IT jobs are some of the hottest, most lucrative and exciting careers around, but some companies are more alluring than others. Job search site Indeed.com searched through its more than 16 million job postings last month, filtered results to focus on only the IT industry jobs, and then ranked each company based on viewer impressions and click-through rate to gauge how appealing each company is to potential can
  
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• San Francisco Muni says server data not accessed in ransomware hit

  29-11-2016 07:49
  
  The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said late Monday that no data had been accessed from its servers in a ransomware attack on the Muni transit system and the agency has never considered paying the ransom asked by the attacker.The statement by the SFMTA follows reports that the alleged attacker has threatened to dump 30GB of data stolen from the agency, if the ransom of the equivalent of about $73,000 in bitcoin was not paid.“The SFMTA network was not breached from the outsid
  
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• Hands on: AT&T's DirecTV Now service provides a reason to cut cable TV

  29-11-2016 03:03
  
  I cut cable TV earlier this year and switched over to online streaming services. I've tried Dish's Sling TV and Sony's PlayStation Vue, but will switch to AT&T's new DirecTV Now service after it starts streaming on Nov. 30.
  The service was demonstrated at a media event in New York City on Monday, where I tried it out. You don't need a cable box for it; broadcast content streams over the internet to streaming TV devices like Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast or Amazon's Fire TV. It also works on PC
  
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• How to clear unwanted autofill entries in Google Chrome

  29-11-2016 02:00
  
  A reader asks:“How do I clear autofill in a Chrome browser? I let a friend use my laptop and apparently he filled out some online forms. Now whenever I—the actual owner of the laptop—try to fill out forms, his information comes up in autofill. How can I get rid of unwanted information in autofill?”There’s an easy fix for this—you’ll just need to head over to Chrome’s settings. If you want to delete all autofill entries and saved text, follow these
  
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