IT Executive news

• The high price of security shaming [Infographic]

  16-02-2017 23:41
  
  Bad press following a security breach hits companies hard. In fact, it can be so damaging that “two-thirds of companies would pay an average of $124k to avoid public shaming scandals,” according to a recent Bitdefender survey of 250 IT security professionals. What’s more, “some 14 percent would pay more than $500k.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Google opens source TensorFlow 1.0 debuts – vies for platform status

  16-02-2017 23:15
  Google Brain announced release 1.0 of its machine learning (ML) library yesterday at the TensorFlow Developer Summit in Mountain View. ML is a method of programing computers with data to make highly reliable predictions, instead of creating a program in a language like Java, C# or Python.
  ML is a more efficient method of solving problems such as image recognition, language translation and ranking things like comments and recommendations. Google, along with Facebook, IBM and Microsoft has used M
  
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• Stretchy OLED technology could pave way for new smart fabrics, wearables, even tablets

  16-02-2017 22:39
  
  Researchers at Michigan State University have developed a printable OLED circuit within a stretchable material, potentially paving the way for smart fabrics or truly foldable displays.
  Chuan Wang, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MSU, is credited with the development of the OLED fabric, which flexes and stretches. If it can be commercialized, designers could take the techniology in several directions, including phones or tablets whose displays could be “stretc
  
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• PC prices will continue to go up due to shortage of components

  16-02-2017 22:32
  
  PC prices are going up due to a shortage of a number of components, and the situation isn't expected to change in the coming quarters.A shortage of DRAM, SSDs, batteries, and LCDs have conspired to drive up PC prices, Gianfranco Lanci, corporate president and chief operating officer at Lenovo, said during an earnings call on Thursday.The cost of purchasing these components is going up, which is triggering PC prices to also rise, said Lanci, a PC industry veteran. The shortage of components like
  
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• BrandPost: Life—and Data Analytics—on the Network’s Edge

  16-02-2017 22:28
  
  Life—and Data Analytics—on the Network’s EdgeThe Internet of Things (IoT) is growing fast, and that growth will only accelerate in the coming years. Some estimates have as many as 30 billion connected devices worldwide by 2020, according to IDC, with IoT spending to hit $1.29 trillion by that year. And all those connections — among devices, systems, sensors, humans, services and business processes — will help generate zettabytes of traffic that will flow into data c
  
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• Israeli soldiers hit in cyberespionage campaign using Android malware

  16-02-2017 21:45
  
  More than 100 members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the majority of them stationed around the Gaza strip, fell victim to a cyberespionage attack that used malicious Android applications to steal information from their mobile devices.The attack campaign started in July and continues to date, according to researchers from antivirus firm Kaspersky Lab, who cooperated in the investigation with the IDF Information Security Department.The Israeli soldiers were lured via Facebook Messenger and ot
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Where is your real workspace?

  16-02-2017 21:30
  
  How often are you called upon to stand in front of a group of colleagues, employees or senior managers to deliver a presentation?If you are in sales or training, you expect to have to give presentations regularly as a part of your job. But for most of us, giving a presentation is regarded as something outside of our “real” job; something we have to do in addition to our real job.It has become easy to dismiss a business presentation as a distraction. Preparing and delivering a present
  
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• Q&A: Oracle's future lies in cloud, APIs, and microservices

  16-02-2017 21:21
  
  In addition to Java, Oracle has been focusing lately on cloud, chatbots, and APIs. InfoWorld Editor at Large Paul Krill met with Oracle's Amit Zavery, senior vice president of Oracle Cloud, at this week's DeveloperWeek conference in San Francisco to talk about the company's technology directions.[ Docker, Amazon, TensorFlow, Windows 10, and more: See InfoWorld's 2017 Technology of the Year Award winners. | Cut to the key news in technology trends and IT breakthroughs with the InfoWorld Daily ne
  
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• How a bold social media strategy helped Dyson build out its B2B sales

  16-02-2017 21:15
  
  Dyson started selling direct to businesses through the Dyson Professional channel in 2006 following the invention of the now ubiquitous Airblade hand dryer, which could not be sold via existing consumer channels.
  It has since grown its business-to-business portfolio of products to include air purifiers, lighting and hair dryers.
  Unsurprisingly the hospitality industry proved particularly receptive, with hotels like Claridges in London and The Manor House in Castle Combe investing in Dyson light
  
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• You just might find your next job on Facebook

  16-02-2017 20:47
  
  Facebook is adding features to its site that may help companies fill job openings.
  The social network announced on Wednesday that it is rolling out features that will help companies post job openings and applications directly on Facebook.
  The site also is trying to make it easy for individuals to apply for those jobs.
  "We know that finding the right talent can be a challenge," the company said in a blog post. It also said that 40% of U.S. small businesses report that filling jobs is more diffic
  
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• Pondering post-PC life, Intel dabbles in drones with $1,099 quadcopter

  16-02-2017 20:41
  
  Intel has made a name for itself in PCs and servers but is now dabbling in a new product category with its first-ever quadcopter now on sale.The chipmaker's US$1,099 Aero Ready to Fly Drone comes fully assembled, with an integrated flight controller. It also comes with a remote control receiver and transmitter.The drone has cool features like auto-pilot, with the ability to self-navigate by coordinating GPS and recognizing surroundings to avoid collisions. It has a 3D RealSense depth camera
  
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• Microsoft expands developer features for its Teams chat app

  16-02-2017 20:31
  
  Third-party developers have new tools to play with when building integrations with Microsoft’s Teams group chat app. The company announced a pair of new developer-oriented features on Thursday, aimed at giving greater utility to services that work with Teams.
  Using the Microsoft Bot Framework, developers can now build bots that interact with users inside a channel, in addition to interacting with users in one-on-one private chats. In addition, developers integrating their applications dir
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Are your 3D prints failing? Try this first

  16-02-2017 20:28
  
  I took up the hobby of 3D printing last year with the purchase of the fully open source Prusa i3 MK2 printer. However, two months into printing I hit the #1 nightmare of 3D printing enthusiasts: failing prints.
  Seemingly randomly, the extruder would sometimes fail to push the filament through the nozzle. I tried a filament cleaner, different filaments, different materials and different temperatures. Increasing the temperature did work for a while, but I ended up damaging my thermistor.
  In order
  
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• ‘CIO’s verheffen tot helden van het digitale tijdperk’

  16-02-2017 20:11
  Door Volkert Deen – CEO Kirill Tatarinov staat nu tien maanden aan het roer van Citrix. Eind november bezocht hij Nederland, waar hij de tijd nam om te reflecteren op een veranderende wereld en de hernieuwde focus van het bedrijf – dat volgens hem gezien wordt als ‘the nice guy of the high tech... lees meer
  
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• Up next for Apple TV: 4K streaming reportedly in the works

  16-02-2017 19:37
  
  The Apple TV is a solid product, but it doesn’t do a whole lot more than rival streaming set-top boxes on the market. But there were big plans for the device, according to a new Bloomberg report. Some of those plans are still on the roadmap, like an upgraded device that can stream 4K content. Others, like a skinny bundle of TV networks that could replace a cable subscription, seem like a lost cause.
  Apple just hired former Amazon Fire TV chief Timothy Twerdahl to take over Apple TV market
  
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• Why is Apple hyping augmented reality?

  16-02-2017 19:11
  
  Augmented reality has a powerful ally, and apparently ardent supporter, in Apple CEO Tim Cook. The leader of the most valuable publicly traded company in the world reiterated his optimistic outlook for the future of augmented reality (AR) and highlighted the technology’s capability to layer improvements in the physical world.“I’m excited about augmented reality because unlike virtual reality, which closes the world out, AR allows individuals to be present in the world but allow
  
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• Dell EMC combines hyperconvergence and cloud in latest VxRail offering

  16-02-2017 19:02
  
  Dell EMC is now offering a combination of its VxRail hyperconverged infrastructure and the EMC Enterprise Hybrid Cloud (EHC) platform to make it easier for mid-size organizations to build private clouds.
  +MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: This DARPA-backed Machine Learning program is a quick thinker | Hot Products at RSA 2017 +
  VxRail, which combines compute, network and virtual storage, is based largely on VMware management software, including the vRealize Suite, which allows for self-provisioning of vir
  
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• Cisco reserves $125 million to pay for faulty clock component in switches, routers

  16-02-2017 18:51
  
  In its quarterly financial results announcement this week, Cisco said it had set aside $125 million to help cover the cost of replacing networking gear impacted by a fatal clock component.
  Cisco was the first vendor to post a notice about the clock technology problem earlier this month saying the fatal glitch includes some of the company’s most widely deployed products, such as certain models of its Series 4000 Integrated Services Routers, Nexus 9000 Series switches, ASA security devices
  
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• 24% off Fitbit Alta Fitness Tracker - Deal Alert

  16-02-2017 18:43
  
  Fitbit Alta is a customizable fitness tracker designed to fit your personal style and keeps you motivated by tracking all-day activity like steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes, and get credit for your workouts with Smart Track automatic exercise recognition. At night, track your sleep and set a silent alarm to wake better and get your best rest. No matter where you're headed, the easy-to-read OLED screen keeps your goals in focus with stats, time, and call or text notifications o
  
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• Google Home can now buy stuff for you on command

  16-02-2017 18:37
  
  Update, 09:30 a.m.: Google has officially announced shopping through Google Home. This article has been updated with the news.
  Google Assistant already helps us organize our shopping lists and find out about things we’re interested in, but it stops short at actually letting us buy items. With a new feature rolling to Google Home, that’s about to change.
  Google has announced that it is adding hands-free shopping to Google Express, letting you order household staples through the Home
  
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• Microsoft's monthlong delay of patches may pose risks

  16-02-2017 17:55
  
  Microsoft has decided to bundle its February patches together with those scheduled for March, a move that at least some security experts disagree with."I was surprised to learn that Microsoft wants to postpone by a full month," said Carsten Eiram, the chief research officer at vulnerability intelligence firm Risk Based Security, via email. "Even without knowing all the details, I find such a decision very hard to justify. They are aware of vulnerabilities in their products and have developed fix
  
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• Amazon Echo and Google Home want to replace your home phone

  16-02-2017 17:50
  
  Amazon’s Echo smart speakers and Google Home can already turn on your lights, adjust your thermostat, play music, and even unlock August Smart Locks. But the next skill coming to your smart home speaker could be the biggest yet: phone calls.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• BrandPost: IT needs to get great at mastering change

  16-02-2017 17:45
  
  Portions of this post were originally posted on the Puppet blog, and are republished here with Puppet's permission.Change is constant and necessary in IT, even if it’s an uphill battle. Fortunately, you can purposefully drive change through collaboration, automation and DevOps practices.
  In a recent Puppet-sponsored webinar, we discussed the complexity and accelerating rate of change in IT, and how it impacts user expectations and tool evolution.To read this article in full or to leave a c
  
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• Amazon's Alexa gains support for Outlook calendars

  16-02-2017 17:42
  
  Users of Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant can now ask it questions about the contents of their Microsoft-hosted calendars. On Wednesday, the assistant gained the ability to interact with calendars from Outlook.com and Office 365, similar to how it works with Google Calendar.Amazon didn’t make an announcement for the new feature. When asked about the change, a spokesperson for the company said that it was designed to only work with personal calendars.That said, it was possible for me
  
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• Twitter starts putting abusive users in the corner by reducing their reach

  16-02-2017 16:59
  
  Twitter recently introduced a new weapon to combat trolls on its network: the timeout.
  Last week, the social network rolled out a new feature that tries to detect abusive behavior from user accounts, as first reported by BuzzFeed. When abuse is suspected, Twitter reduces the number of people who can see that person’s tweets for a pre-determined period of time.  Ian Pau/PCWorldA Twitter search result showing users reacting to temporary limits on their account.To read this article
  
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• Tech groups gear up for FISA surveillance fight

  16-02-2017 16:36
  A controversial provision in U.S. law that gives the National Security Agency broad authority to spy on people overseas expires at the end of the year, and six major tech trade groups are gearing up for a fight over an extension.Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expires on Dec. 31, and Congress almost certain to extend it in some form. The tech trade groups, including BSA, the Consumer Technology Association, and the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a
  
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• How Philips is turning toothbrushes and MRI machines into IoT devices

  16-02-2017 16:36
  
  The Philips FlexCare Platinum Connected toothbrush is more than just a device for keeping your mouth clean – it’s an IoT machine.
  Wireless sensors measure the location, pressure and scrubbing patterns of the 31,000 strokes-per-minute vibrating bristles. The data is transferred via Bluetooth to a mobile app that provides a three-dimensional post-brush analysis of coverage, recommending areas of the mouth that should be “touched up” or given extra attention. There’s
  
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• WWDC dates announced: Apple is moving its annual conference to San Jose in June

  16-02-2017 15:57
  
  In a departure from the norm, Apple just announced the dates and location of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. This year, the event will be at San Jose’s McEnery Convention Center instead of San Francisco’s Moscone Center, though Apple is keeping its usual June time slot.
  Apple unveiled the dates and venue change in a Thursday press release. The company typically holds off on revealing WWDC details until much closer to the event, but Apple execs wanted to give developers p
  
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• 63% off Kidde Battery-Operated Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Digital Display - Deal Alert

  16-02-2017 15:49
  
  The KN-COPP-LPM is an essential device to help warn you and your family of dangerous carbon monoxide levels in your home. This alarm measures the exposure to carbon monoxide over time; it is designed to sound at 85 decibels at 10 feet when it detects 70 ppm (parts per million) of CO for 60 to 240 minutes, 150 ppm for 10 to 50 minutes, or 400 ppm for 4 to 15 minutes. The easily visible digital display indicates the level of CO that the unit is sensing, and it updates the status every 15 seconds f
  
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• CIO sees mobile platform as patient engagement cure

  16-02-2017 15:06
  
  St. Luke’s Healthcare Systems is tucking several mobile applications for its patients into a platform typically used by professional sports stadiums. Picking a platform designed to help fans find their seats and order hot dogs and beer may seem odd for a hospital system tasked with delivering patient care, but CIO Deborah Gash insists on providing people the convenience they are accustomed to getting from entertainment, retail and other sectors.In other words, Gash wants to treat patients
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Apple: Is Tim Cook turning into Steve Ballmer?

  16-02-2017 15:03
  Apple’s stock is flying high right now, and there’s quite a bit of buzz surrounding the upcoming iPhone 8. Many in the media are predicting monster sales of the redesigned iPhone when it hits in the fall.But is all of this positive chatter about Apple ignoring the possibility that the company is sliding into the same abyss that Microsoft did when Bill Gates left and Steve Ballmer became CEO?A writer at Forbes considered the possibility that Tim Cook is leading Apple into a similar si
  
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• Unified communications firm Fuze hires well-traveled CEO to lead it to IPO promised land

  16-02-2017 15:00
  
  Fuze, the Cambridge, Mass., unified communications-as-a-service company that recently scored an additional $104 million in funding, has named 25-year-plus tech industry veteran Colin Doherty as its CEO.
  Most recently Doherty oversaw internet performance management and DNS service provider Dyn during exciting times: He joined in October, later that month the company got hit with a massive DDoS attack and then Oracle bought the vendor in November. To read this article in full or to leave a c
  
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• Chromebook power tips: How to work smarter online and offline

  16-02-2017 14:51
  Chromebooks may have cornered a niche market as lightweight laptops and desirable computers for education, but Google’s ambitions are far bigger. The release of two new flagship Chromebooks from Samsung and the arrival of Android apps illustrate that Google envisions its operating system as a full-blown competitor to Windows and MacOS.
  They do involve a learning curve, though. Chrome OS somewhat resembles Windows in appearance and functionality, but some small differences can trip up a ne
  
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• Tips for negotiating with cyber extortionists

  16-02-2017 13:29
  
  Paying ransom to a cyber extortionist holding enterprise data hostage might seem like a poor idea in principle but sometimes it might the best, or even only, option for extricating your organization from a crisis.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• How to use your smartphone to get politically active

  16-02-2017 13:00
  
  A new presidential administration usually fires up political passions from those on the winning and losing sides of the recent election.
  Bitter and cynical partisanship is sadly the norm, but it isn’t very constructive. Genuine civic engagement, however, can both empower you and encourage others to lobby and engage with your government about issues that matter.
  The big question for anyone considering doing something as simple as contacting an elected official or lobbying for or against a
  
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• Hands on with the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 hybrid

  16-02-2017 13:00
  
  Dell announced the XPS 13 2-in-1 hybrid at CES 2017, unveiling the device as an updated take on the original XPS 13 2-in-1 clamshell notebook. The XPS 13 2-in-1 borrows the design of its predecessor, adding screen hinges that allow the display to rotate and lie flat against the keyboard -- a popular design for current 2-in-1 notebooks.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• HR and IT combine efforts on workforce analytics

  16-02-2017 12:53
  
  Human resources is, by definition, all about managing people — historically considered the softer side of business. But companies are increasingly tying staffing decisions directly to specific business problems, strategies and goals, an approach popularized in part by tech companies such as Google. And to do that, they need data — lots of data.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Why happy developers equal happy customers

  16-02-2017 12:49
  
  In today's digital, technology-driven marketplace, a company's greatest competitive advantage is its ability to offer an incredible customer experience. But delivering that starts in what, on first blush, seems like an unlikely place: with your software development teams.
  "We've all been there, right? You're trying to do your job, get work done and the software you're using isn't working right. Or it has a glitch or a bug that you have to work around. Or it doesn't have quite the right set of fe
  
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• 7 ways MDM threatens employee privacy

  16-02-2017 12:49
  
  Controlling BYODImage by PexelsFor years, organizations have turned to Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions with the hope of wrapping their arms around BYOD. MDM is a technology that enables organizations to control every aspect of a mobile device, from permitted apps to outbound communications. But with that complete control comes the potential for abuse.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Where in the world are the best female developers?

  16-02-2017 12:39
  
  As of 2015, women made up only about one-third of the tech talent pool in Silicon Valley. And despite much-ballyhooed diversity initiatives, the gender gap in tech isn't growing noticeably smaller.Coding skills challenge platform HackerRank decided to analyze its data and figure out where, exactly, the best female developers in the world could be found, and which countries had the highest percentage of female tech talent. HackerRank uses coding skills challenges to help developers practice their
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Let's great ready for HIMSSanity

  16-02-2017 12:30
  
  As we approach the 2017 HIMSS Annual Conference and Exhibition (HIMSS17), it is imperative that you go in with a targeted plan of attack to get the most of out the event, which is expected to draw more than 40,000 attendees to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Feb. 19-23.Last year I walked in with a focus on three areas:Innovation
  Consumerism in healthcare
  Analytics
  These are still three hot areas to focus on in healthcare, but I also reached out to a few industry leaders to see whe
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Let's get ready for HIMSSanity

  16-02-2017 12:30
  
  As we approach the 2017 HIMSS Annual Conference and Exhibition (HIMSS17), it is imperative that you go in with a targeted plan of attack to get the most of out the event, which is expected to draw more than 40,000 attendees to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Feb. 19-23.
  Last year I walked in with a focus on three areas:Innovation
  Consumerism in healthcare
  AnalyticsThese are still three hot areas to focus on in healthcare, but I also reached out to a few industry leaders to see wh
  
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• Voorkomen downtime belangrijker dan security

  16-02-2017 12:29
  Goede cybersecurity mag cruciaal zijn, het vermijden van downtime krijgt in diverse onderzoeken die zijn uitgevoerd in 2016 een hogere prioriteit. Ook KPN Security Services zag in 2016 een toename in het aantal uitwijktesten. De dienstverlener ziet tevens dat klanten vaak in dezelfde valkuilen stappen.
   
  KPN... lees meer
  
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• Should security pros get special H-1B visa consideration?

  16-02-2017 12:07
  
  New U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions may disagree about whether there is a shortage of skilled IT workers in America, as he has asserted at hearings over the past two years, but talk to most CISOs and they will confirm that when it comes to cybersecurity talent in particular, the skills shortage is very real.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Behold the awesome office of the future

  16-02-2017 12:00
  
  The office of the futureImage by JAKO5D via PixabayThe workplace environment known as “the office” has gone through a good deal of change over the years. Consider the timeline of props: Typewriters. Switchboards. File cabinets. Mimeographs. Desktop computers. Fax machines. Cubicles. Exercise desks. Nap stations. The coffee maker seems to have endured. And, of course, the stapler.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• US legislation revived to curb warrantless geolocation tracking

  16-02-2017 08:38
  
  U.S. legislators have reintroduced bills that would place curbs on warrantless access by the government to electronically generated geolocation information of Americans, including on the use of cell-site simulators that can capture cellphone data.Bicameral legislation introduced Wednesday, called the Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance Act, aims to create clear rules for when law enforcement agencies can acquire an individual’s geolocation information, generated from electronic devices li
  
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• 5G progress at Ericsson could help enterprises work worldwide

  16-02-2017 02:35
  
  The Swedish network giant Ericsson will have a lot of prospective 5G equipment to show to gearheads at Mobile World Congress later this month, but the future cloud capabilities it demonstrates may be just as important for a subscriber’s experience.In addition to fast broadband speeds, Ericsson’s technologies for next-generation networks will be able to guarantee enterprises the same type of service around the world and shift applications to the edge of a network to shrink transmissio
  
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