IT Executive news

• Yahoo reports massive data breach involving 1 billion accounts

  14-12-2016 23:41
  
  In what is likely the largest data breach ever, Yahoo is reporting that data associated with more than 1 billion user accounts was stolen in August 2013.The incident is separate from a breach Yahoo reported in September involving at least 500 million users that originally occurred in late 2014 and shook public trust in the company.Stolen user data from this new breach involves names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and hashed passwords using an aging algorithm known as MD5 th
  
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• MariaDB adds support for big data analytics

  14-12-2016 23:19
  
  MariaDB today moved to unite transactional and analytical processing in a single relational database with the announcement of the general availability of its open source MariaDB ColumnStore 1.0."What we're offering is a single SQL interface for both OLTP and analytics," says David Thompson, vice president of Engineering at MariaDB."MariaDB ColumnStore is the future of data warehousing," Aziz Vahora, head of Data Management at Pinger, a specialist in mobile communication apps, added in a statemen
  
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• 51% off Apple MK0X2AM/A USB-C to Lightning Cable - Deal Alert

  14-12-2016 23:05
  This USB-C cable connects your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with Lightning connector to your computer's USB-C port for syncing and charging.(amazon.com)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Microsoft sets Windows 10 PC requirements for tethered VR headsets

  14-12-2016 22:43
  
  Microsoft's sending a strong message: You don't need high-end hardware to plug most VR headsets into PCs.The company has established an amazingly modest set of minimum hardware requirements for upcoming VR headsets to be used with PCs. Microsoft believes mixed reality is the future of computing and wants to bring VR as many PCs as possible.The requirements for Windows 10 PCs for tethered VR headsets do not apply to fully integrated headset computers like Microsoft's HoloLens. Companies
  
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• Bye, privacy: Evernote will let its employees read your notes

  14-12-2016 22:33
  
  Evernote is changing its privacy policy to let employees read its customers' notes, and they can't opt out. Users have until Jan. 23 to move their notes out of the company's system and delete their accounts if they want to avoid the sanctioned snooping. Companies using Evernote Business can have their administrators opt out, but users won't have individual control over it.The change a push by the company to enhance its machine learning capabilities by letting a select number of employees vi
  
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• Apple answers MacBook Pro battery gripes -- by yanking time-remaining estimate

  14-12-2016 22:04
  
  Apple yesterday responded to complaints about too-short battery life in its new MacBook Pro with an update that removed the time-remaining estimate from macOS.
  The Cupertino, Calif. company has dealt with battery estimate issues before, notably in 2012 when it said that the feature in iOS was imprecise by design.
  MacBook Pro users have griped online that their new laptops were telling them that the battery had much less time left than the promised 10 hours, even when the indicator showed a full
  
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• Trump to tech CEOs: We're there for you

  14-12-2016 21:52
  
  President-elect Donald Trump kicked off a meeting with U.S. tech leaders on Wednesday by promising his administration was there to help them do business and make money."We want you to keep going with the incredible innovation," Trump said. "There’s nobody like you in the world, in the world, there’s nobody like anyone in this room. And anything we can do to help this go along, and we’re going to be there for you."Among the issues the tech CEOs might discuss with Trump is his pr
  
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• A hefty fine is just part of penalties for the Ashley Madison adultery site

  14-12-2016 21:02
  
  A hefty judgement against Ashley Madison, the dating site for adulterers, is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to penalties the company must pay as a result of the theft and public posting of its customers' data when the company was hacked last year.
  Ruby Corp., the parent company of Ashley Madison agreed to pay $8.75 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission and another $8.75 million to 13 states that also filed complaints. It will wind up paying just $1.6 million because it is stra
  
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• Microsoft Edge will give you the option to block Flash where you want

  14-12-2016 20:46
  
  Microsoft said Wednesday that it has chosen a strategy for its Edge browser similar to that of Google Chrome. Flash will be a click-to-play option in future builds, allowing users to turn it off entirely if they so wish.
  For now, the new Flash-blocking capability will be limited to members of its Windows Insider program running Edge (with EdgeHTML 15) within Windows 10. Eventually, those features will make it into the mainstream Edge browser used by the majority of users. According to Kyle
  
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• IBM releases GA of OpenWhisk – its serverless computing platform

  14-12-2016 20:42
  
  IBM today made its serverless computing platform named OpenWhisk – which is also an open source project – generally available in the company’s BlueMix cloud.
  Serverless computing is one of the most discussed emerging technologies in the IaaS public cloud market, so IBM making its flagship serverless product generally available marks a milestone for the technology.
  +MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: Serverless use case: How this company runs its app without provisioning any servers or vir
  
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• IBM already planned to hire 25,000 US workers

  14-12-2016 20:39
  
  IBM's pledges to hire 25,000 professionals in the U.S. and invest US$1 billion in employee training and development over four years don't represent new plans, the company confirmed late Tuesday.CEO Ginni Rometty gave those figures in a commentary for USA Today on Tuesday, the eve of a meeting on Wednesday between President-Elect Donald Trump and tech industry executives. Trump made preserving U.S. tech jobs and bringing them back from overseas a major theme of his campaign.To read this article i
  
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• Ashley Madison to pay $1.6M settlement related to data breach

  14-12-2016 20:12
  
  The company behind Ashley Madison, the adultery enabling website, has agreed to pay a US$1.6 million settlement related to a major data breach last year that exposed account details of 36 million users.Ashley Madison's operator, Toronto-based Ruby, is making the settlement for failing to protect the account information and for creating fake user profiles to lure in prospective customers, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday.In July 2015, a hacking group called Impact Team managed
  
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• 10 examples of the AWS path of disruption

  14-12-2016 20:07
  
  How AWS has disrupted companies and sectorsImage by ThinkstockWhen Amazon.com launched Amazon Web Services a decade ago no one could have imagined that the business, viewed largely as a sideshow geared to serve the ecommerce company’s e-tailing interests, would become a significant player in corporate computing. But as CIO.com noted last week, AWS’ public cloud software, now a $13 billion business, has become a serious contender in the enterprise.To read this article in full or to le
  
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• NASA embraces IBM’s Watson for future space, aerospace technology development

  14-12-2016 19:54
  
  IBM and NASA have had one of the longest, most successful relationships in the high-tech world and it looks like the future holds much the same.
  While the relationship has its roots in the very beginnings of the space program as well as large-scale computing, its current incarnation in many cases revolves around the cognitive computing specialties found in IBM’s Watson system.
  +More on Network World: NASA: Top 10 space junk missions+
  Watson uses machine learning and natural language and i
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Tip No. 2: Create an enabling team structure

  14-12-2016 19:52
  
  A key success factor in agile data management is self-managing teams. As a leader of self-managing teams, you need to develop a unique set of skills, moving from command and control to communication and enablement.This is the second installment of my series entitled “Five Tips for Leading Agile Data Management Development Teams.” Here I discuss Tip No 2: Create an enabling team structure.'A' players are a challenge
  A self-managing team of “A” players is a challe
  
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• Docker open-sources key tools for running containers

  14-12-2016 18:24
  
  Docker is releasing Containerd (pronounced container-dee), a set of basic components designed to run containers, as part of an open source project.Containerd includes supervisor and executor components that work together to function as the core container runtime that underpins the company's Docker Engine software. It's designed to allow companies to build their own software for managing containers while using a consistent foundation.As the name implies, containers provide applications with a lig
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Reviews: Are Apple's AirPods worth buying?

  14-12-2016 17:58
  
  When Apple first announced its new AirPods there was a lot of excitement among the company's customer base. Then the release of the AirPods was delayed and some of the wind got taken out of Apple’s sails. Thankfully, the company is now shipping AirPods to eager buyers.But are Apple’s AirPods worth buying?So far two reviews have of the AirPods have appeared, one from Rolling Stone and the other from Pocket-lint. Find out below what the reviewers said about Apple’s leap into a wi
  
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• BrandPost: Cloud ERP is the Cure for Manufacturers with IT Headaches

  14-12-2016 17:49
  
  Let’s face it. The last thing you need is another IT headache. You’re already dealing with suppliers, demand, inventory, and the other complexities of running a successful manufacturing business. You need to know how your plant floor is operating at any given time to respond to fluctuations in markets or material availability so you can adjust production. But if you’re running multiple systems that don’t integrate or that are out of date, you won’t be able to get t
  
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• BrandPost: LNS Report: Manufacturers Struggle with Quality Management

  14-12-2016 17:48
  
  Delivering high quality products to the market is no longer a differentiator—it’s an imperative. Yet, a recent LNS Research report reveals that manufacturing companies have reached a plateau in their quality maturity and are struggling to address the challenges of changing global markets.
  To solve the problem, LNS points to aligning investments with strategic objectives, especially those that target operational excellence. Quality is obviously a top priority of executives, so you&rs
  
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• You can live stream on Twitter without the Periscope app now

  14-12-2016 17:29
  
  Twitter has been struggling to regain its identity in the face of acquisition rumors and staff layoffs, but there’s one thing it’s always been great at: instant engagement. Now it's bringing the same in-app connectivity you get with your tweets and timeline to live video.
  Broadcasts aren’t entirely new to Twitter. Last year it spent a sizable sum to bring live-video pioneer Periscope into its fold, but the two apps have never been fully integrated. Twitter had previously built
  
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• Microsoft rushes out Windows 10 patch to fix broken internet connections

  14-12-2016 16:48
  
  An odd thing happened this morning. My Windows 10 PC notified me I had another system update ready and waiting for a reboot—the second update in less than a week! Turns out, this latest update fixes a big mistake that may (or may not) have rolled out earlier this month.
  Several Windows 10 users recently reported difficulty connecting to the Internet, with the presumed culprit being the December 9 update KB3201845.
  That may not be the case, however. Woody Leonhard, our colleague over at In
  
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• Lessons learned from the 7 major cybersecurity incidents of 2016

  14-12-2016 16:41
  
  Cyber incidents dominated headlines this year, from Russia’s hacking of Democrat emails to internet cameras and DVRs launching DDoS attacks, leaving the impression among many that nothing should be entrusted to the internet.
  These incidents reveal technical flaws that can be addressed and failure to employ best practices that might have prevented some of them from happening.
  +More on Network World: Gartner Top 10 technology trends you should know for 2017+To read this article in full or t
  
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• Know your (cyber) enemy

  14-12-2016 16:40
  
  Picture this: Your company's network is facing a DDoS attack, but you have no idea who is responsible or what their motivation might be. Without this knowledge, you can't tell if they want money in exchange for stopping the attack or if the attack is a diversion to occupy your security team while your network is being penetrated and commercial secrets are stolen.In the aftermath of a network breach it can also be incredibly useful to know some information about the likely attackers. That's becau
  
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• 14 email marketing mistakes to avoid

  14-12-2016 16:39
  
  Despite the rise of social media and texting, email marketing is still an effective way to reach prospective and existing customers. But if you want your email to stand out in the inbox, and not wind up in the trash, avoid making these 14 email marketing mistakes.[ Related: 15 ways to improve your email marketing campaigns ]Mistake No. 1: Not optimizing your emails for different platforms and mobile devices.
  “Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, etc., all display emails slightly differently, and all loo
  
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• Adobe fixes actively exploited critical vulnerability in Flash Player

  14-12-2016 16:35
  
  Adobe Systems has released security updates for several products, including one for Flash Player that fixes a critical vulnerability that's already known and exploited by attackers.
  The Flash Player update fixes 17 vulnerabilities, 16 of which are critical and can be exploited to execute malicious code on affected systems. One of those vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2016-7892 in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) catalogue, is already being used by hackers.
  "Adobe is aware of a rep
  
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• Knowing the manager you really are

  14-12-2016 16:21
  
  Nearly everyone thinks his or her performance is above average. You don’t have to be a statistician to know that nearly half of them must be wrong.
  Managers are no different when it comes to this distorted self-perception. The problem is that managers’ misconceptions prevent them from learning and becoming better at their jobs. Worse than that, their deficiencies impose burdens on so many others: subordinates, peers, supervisors and outside stakeholders. If you’re a manager, i
  
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• Google Drive update makes it a little easier to switch from iPhone to Android

  14-12-2016 16:00
  
  Google made it clear that it's targeting iOS users when the company released its Pixels with a dongle designed to easily transfer data between the two phones, and now Google’s making it easier for iPhone users to move to other Android devices, too.
  Built right into the latest version of Google Drive on iOS, the process is about as easy as it can be. When you launch the app, simply open the menu, scroll down to Settings, and tap Backups. Inside you’ll see three options for storing yo
  
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• How to tweak your benefits package to find and retain talent

  14-12-2016 14:07
  
  In today's competitive war for talent, employers are using substantial benefits packages to give them an edge when recruiting and retaining talent, according a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey report.The report, which surveyed 738 randomly selected HR professionals, showed that 95 percent rated healthcare as one of the three most important benefits to employees; 71 percent say retirement savings and planning are top-rated employee benefits and 50 percent say leave is an import
  
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• The best OneNote 2016 tips: 10 ways anyone can get organized

  14-12-2016 14:00
  Microsoft’s OneNote is a surprisingly versatile tool for jotting down and organizing notes, random facts, and anything else that doesn’t fit into a spreadsheet or organized database. To keep it from turning into a virtual junk drawer, take advantage of its hierarchies of pages and outlines, sections and section groups, and notebooks. I'll walk you through those fundamentals and then show you my other favorite features. 
  I’m concentrating here on OneNote 2016—the ver
  
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• Making sense of Microsoft's messy collaboration strategy

  14-12-2016 14:00
  
  The enterprise collaboration market is increasingly crowded with apps and services that target distinct needs for messaging and communication. With its growing suite of apps that target the market from many different angles, Microsoft represents the challenge of modern collaboration.Collaborative work-related activities increased significantly during the last five years, and apps such as Microsoft's Yammer, Skype for Business and the recently launched Teams are quickly becoming a bigger part of
  
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• Why soft skills outweigh hard skills for IT-business collaboration

  14-12-2016 13:51
  
  For most businesses, IT has traditionally operated separately from the rest of the business -- employees knew to submit a ticket when something wasn't working, but for the most part, IT worked behind the scenes.Now, technology is in the hands of every employee, which means IT can no longer control all the hardware, software and apps coming through the door. With more departments relying on technology, it will require more collaboration with IT to help find the best products and to educate worker
  
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• Tested: 4 rugged travel bags ready for your next adventure

  14-12-2016 13:44
  
  Hello from Montana! I’ll be traveling this gorgeous state for the next five days to prepare for a special two-part series on travel photography hardware, that you’ll see here soon (It’s a rough gig, but someone’s gotta do it.) In the meantime, let’s talk about luggage.
  You likely have a mental list of everything you’re going to take on your next business trip or vacation. But how much thought do you give to the pack you’ll be carrying? The design and ma
  
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• Insecure pagers give hackers an entry way into voice mails, conference calls

  14-12-2016 13:31
  
  All it takes is a $20 dangle and some patience, and an attacker can listen into a company's pager communications -- including transcribed voice mail messages and dial-in instructions for conference calls.
  There are many voicemail services that automatically transcribe voice mail messages, according to a new report by Trend Micro. In some cases, those messages are forwarded to employees via their pagers.
  "It lets them be away from their desk in an environment where they can't bring their cellpho
  
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• Deadlocked FCC could mean the death of net neutrality

  14-12-2016 13:15
  
  I don't often write about politics in this blog, but some recent under-the-radar moves in the Senate have the potential to affect every consumer who uses the Internet. By the end of this month, the U.S. FCC will be evenly divided between two Democrat and two Republican representatives, a recipe for paralysis.The split commission will not be able to:Pass regulations to force cable and satellite TV providers to make services available without expensive, rented set-top boxes.
  Block the anti-co
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Holiday gift guide for the techie female in you life

  14-12-2016 13:00
  
  Finding the perfect gift is never easy, especially for the female in your life. It doesn't matter whether she's your colleague, boss, intern or even your own mom. Shopping for women who already have everything is daunting. Thankfully, this has been quite a year in tech. From classic, to glam, to edgy, some of your favorite brands are offering more accessories that are a whole lot “smarter”. Google launched their new AI-powered Home speaker, Apple released their updated Series 2 smart
  
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• Top 15 security predictions for 2017

  14-12-2016 12:44
  
  Looking into the crystal ballImage by ThinkstockIt is once again, as the song doesn’t quite say, “the most predictive time of the year.” Not that anybody knows for sure what will be happening even a month from now, never mind six months to a year.But that does not, and should not, stop organizations from trying. The way to get ahead and stay ahead, especially in online security, is to look ahead.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Tech Forecast 2017: 5 key technologies to double down on now

  14-12-2016 12:30
  
  With digital transformation dominating the business agenda, IT pros are under pressure to create a modern-day tech foundation sturdy enough to drive that change as they head into 2017. What milestones are they aiming for in the year ahead? Where should they direct their limited resources?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• The top 2016 drones to zoom across our radar

  14-12-2016 12:00
  
  What does it take to fly high in the world of drones? Is it convenience, safety, beauty, or adaptability? Our picks for the coolest drones of 2016 have it all.DHL's Parcelcopter and Rakuten's delivery drone will distribute goods to the most remote regions, while Altus Intelligence's drones will sail to safety on a parachute.And bumping into things? That's so last year thanks to obstacle avoidance systems developed by Intel and DJI. Intel's Shooting Star drones take the fire out of fireworks. Pl
  
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• Microsoft: We will democratize AI

  14-12-2016 12:00
  
  Is artificial intelligence and conversational computing the next great frontier in IT? Microsoft believes so; the company is bullish on AI and is doubling down on opportunities it sees for the technology.
  At an event in San Francisco, Microsoft paraded a multitude of technologies focusing on bots, the Cortana personal digital assistant, and application development in these realms. "Our goal here is democratizing AI so that we make AI available for everyone," including developers, consumers, and
  
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• 10 tech toys to help kids learn as they play

  14-12-2016 12:00
  
  Tech toys that teachImage by ThinkstockBuying a great holiday gift for the kids in your life can, at first, seem easy ("Of course they would love another LEGO set!"). But the problem with so many of the toys out there is that they lack an educational component, especially one that teaches about a subject that's increasingly important in our lives: tech.  To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Riverbed stabs at Cisco’s heart with next-gen routing

  14-12-2016 10:08
  Riverbed, with its highly successful WAN optimization technology, has long competed with Cisco – but in a niche fashion, acknowledges CEO and co-founder Jerry Kennelly. Now, the company is taking its fight to the core of Cisco’s business with new SD-WAN routing technology that could make existing routers obsolete in the world of hybrid clouds and virtual networks. 
  I want to talk more specifically about how SteelConnect makes hybrid cloud easier?To read this article in full or
  
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• 53% off Apple USB-C to USB Adapter - Deal Alert

  14-12-2016 09:06
  
  This USB 2.0 cable connects your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with Lightning connector to your computer's USB port for syncing and charging, or to the Apple USB Power Adapter for convenient charging from a wall outlet. It's currently discounted 53% on Amazon from Apple, taking its typical list price down to just $9. See the discounted adapter on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• John McAfee asks court to block Intel’s security spin-out

  14-12-2016 08:36
  
  Intel’s plan to spin out its security business under the McAfee name could run into rough weather with security expert John McAfee asking a court in New York to order an injunction on the deal until a dispute over the use of his personal name for another company is resolved.In a court filing on Tuesday, John McAfee and MGT Capital Investments claimed that there is a high likelihood that Intel intends to sell the rights to the use of his full name to the new venture. “Should the sale
  
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• BrandPost: Building Resilience in Critical Infrastructure

  14-12-2016 03:24
  
  Resiliency is the key to surviving after a cyberattack, especially in critical infrastructure. Having an emergency response plan will help you to prepare and respond to an incident so that your organization can return to business as usual with as little impact as possible.But how do you build resiliency into your critical infrastructure?  It’s a crucial question, given the results of the second annual RSA Cybersecurity Poverty Index[1], which compiles survey results from 878 responden
  
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• BrandPost: What’s New in Windows Server 2016

  14-12-2016 03:09
  
  With Windows Server 2012, there wasn’t much that distinguished Windows Server Standard and Windows Server Datacenter beyond the licensing details. Microsoft really decided to shake things up and introduce new features that would change that with their release of Windows Server 2016.While nothing was removed from Windows Server Standard, new features were added and some of those new features are now exclusive to Windows Server Datacenter.New Features to Standard and Datacenter: Windows
  
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• IBM goes to Trump Tower pledging 25,000 US hires

  14-12-2016 02:14
  
  IBM will hire 25,000 workers in the U.S. over the next four years, the company's CEO said Tuesday on the eve of a meeting between technology industry leaders and President-Elect Donald Trump. The pledge comes just over a month after Trump criticized IBM for moving some jobs out of the country, an allegation IBM denied.Domestic job creation is likely to be a major topic at the meeting. Trump has called for U.S. corporations to keep jobs in the country and last month asked
  
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• Google publishes national security letters for the first time

  14-12-2016 02:01
  
  Google is providing for the first time a look into the world of national security letters -- demands from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to hand over details about account holders and keep quiet about it.The letters are a part of business for Google and other major internet companies, but  traditionally they have been barred from acknowledging the letters' existence. That changed in 2013 when, in light of revelations about Internet surveillance by U.S. intelligence agencies, Google and
  
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