IT Executive news

• Why Facebook is overhauling video (again)

  27-02-2017 23:29
  
  Facebook is overhauling its video platform in a bid to outmaneuver its competitors in social media and elevate itself as a premier video destination on large screens. Facebook this month has introduced new video formats, a refined viewing experience in the News Feed and announced plans to release a video app for set-top boxes. The company is also starting to put ads in the middle of live and uploaded video on Facebook and publishers’ sites.“These changes reflect more seamless integra
  
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• Up to 30% Discount On Otterbox Cases For iPhone, Galaxy and Other Devices - Deal Alert

  27-02-2017 23:13
  
  Otterbox is currently having a winter sale, and they've discounted many of their popular cases up to 30% for a limited time. Commuter, Defender, Symmetry series and more are included, in various colors and for various phone models including iPhone 6 and various Galaxy models. Jump over to the Otterbox winter sale page to explore options and current discounts available.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Shopify takes aim at Wix and WordPress for top dog in the ecommerce space

  27-02-2017 23:05
  
  Every business today needs a website to connect with the many customers who conduct online research for every product and service they need. It’s no longer enough to have a simple informational site. Customers need to be able to make appointments, purchase products, and interact with companies online. If they can’t find the information they need on a site, they may seek out a competitor.As many business leaders know, though, website design can be extremely expensive. Fortunately, the
  
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• Coming up: Cool new phones being shown at MWC

  27-02-2017 23:04
  
  Mobile World Congress shows us the future of phoneImage by Stephen LawsonAt the Mobile World Congress 2017 show taking place this week in Barcelona, the major (and minor) smartphone manufacturers are all competing to show the visiting press and professionals that they have the latest and greatest mobile tech. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• First impressions of Samsung's Galaxy Book with Windows 10

  27-02-2017 22:54
  
  The Galaxy Tab Pro S was an impressive first hybrid from Samsung. It grabbed headlines as the first device from the company to run Windows 10 instead of Android. However, while the Tab Pro S was a great first stab at a Windows hybrid, it missed the mark in a few areas -- most notably, performance.Taking customer feedback into account, Samsung has announced its latest Windows 10 hybrid -- the Galaxy Book. It's follows the same design as its predecessor, featuring a keyboard portfolio that also ac
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Gnome Foundation executive director wants you to think beyond the desktop

  27-02-2017 22:37
  
  Neil McGovern was recently elected as the Executive Director of the Gnome Foundation, a position that was previously held by Karen Sandler.
  Prior to joining the Gnome Foundation, McGovern was working with Collabora Productivity, a UK-based company that offers enterprise solutions based on the fully open source LibreOffice project. He spent five years at Collabora before taking over the full-time role at the Gnome Foundation.
  As you may already know, Gnome is one of the major open source project
  
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• Google shifts on email encryption tool, leaving its fate unclear

  27-02-2017 22:23
  
  Google is asking developers to take over its effort to make end-to-end email encryption more user-friendly, raising questions over whether it'll ever become an official feature in the company’s browser.On Friday, the search giant said its email encryption tool, originally announced in 2014, was no longer a Google product. Instead, it's become a "full community-driven open source project," the company said in a blog post.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Coolest new Android phones at Mobile World Congress 2017

  27-02-2017 22:13
  
  MWC 2017 Smartphone CentralImage by LenovoNo, Apple isn’t at Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona teasing its iPhone 8 and Samsung isn’t formally unveiling its Galaxy S8, but plenty of other big name vendors are using the annual wireless network confab to show off their latest and greatest Android smartphones. (This roundup includes reporting from IDG News Service.)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Porsche Design's Book One looks to outrace Microsoft's Surface Book

  27-02-2017 21:45
  
  As with its cars, Porsche Design loved what it has created with its new Book One 2-in-1, made to challenge Microsoft's Surface Book.The 2-in-1 device is unique in that it is both a convertible and a detachable computer. The Book One can become a tablet by detaching the 13.3-inch screen or folding the screen 360 degrees onto the keyboard.The folding functionality exists because of the hinge, which has been borrowed from the Porsche cars' gearbox. The flexible folding and detaching mecha
  
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• Update of macOS Sierra 10.12.4 beta with Night Shift now available to developers

  27-02-2017 21:39
  
  Mondays are all about having a fresh start of the week ahead, so how about a fresh new version of macOS for your Mac (if you’re a developer)? Apple on Monday released the fourth beta of mac OS Sierra 10.12.4 to developers. If you happen to be one, you can get the update through the Mac App Store.
  The major new feature in macOS 10.12.4 is Night Shift, another feature from iOS that Apple is bringing over to the Mac. Night Shift changes the color temperature of your Mac’s screen based
  
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• How Cisco wants to become the Switzerland of the cloud

  27-02-2017 21:17
  
  After years of juggling with different strategies of how to pursue the cloud computing market, Cisco now has what it believes will be a winning one: Become a so-called Switzerland of the cloud.
  Cisco is not spending billions of dollars to build a public cloud to compete with Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform. “That ship has sailed,” says Fabio Gori, head of cloud marketing at Cisco.
  +MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: Cloud comparison Amazon Web Services vs. Microso
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Reimagining your software factory for the road ahead

  27-02-2017 21:04
  
  One of the old expressions for frustration with every day design begins like this: “If they can put a man on the moon, then why can’t they….” Fill in the blank. Make bike tires that don’t go flat. Cure the common cold. Make remodeling projects finish on time. Make dogs that walk themselves.  If you’re a technologist, it’s deeply interesting to talk about quantum computing, augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, robots everywhere, computer-based in
  
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• Digitization inches towards the mainstream

  27-02-2017 20:50
  
  Business transformations that leverage digital technologies may sit atop most CIOs' priority lists, but the reality is that digitization is far from mainstream. Industries remain less than 40 percent digitized on average, according to research McKinsey & Co. released earlier this month.McKinsey defines digitization as technologies that virtualize and automate products, services and supply chains. They may include new digital business models and marketplaces, such as online and mobile distrib
  
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• WD ships 256GB Lightning-attached storage for iPhone and iPad

  27-02-2017 20:13
  
  Western Digital today announced it has doubled the capacity of its line of iOS mobile flash drives with the introduction of the256GB SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive and 256GB SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick.
  The new thumb drives now match the top-capacity offered in iPhones and iPads and retail for $280 ($199 Amazon price).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Into HIIT and don't mind looking dorky? This activity tracker is for you

  27-02-2017 19:46
  
  Are you into High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts? Trying to up your game? Don’t mind a robotic voice nagging you to move faster? Don’t care if you look like a 1980s fashion victim at the gym? Then the new Moov HR Sweat ($100) was made for you.Moov HR Sweat differs from wristband devices that track your heart rate, like Fitbit Charge 2 or Apple Watch. Instead, Moov’s product features a quarter-sized sensor that slips into a silicon rubber case, which itself is tucke
  
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• Alienware 13 Gaming Notebooks Discounted Up To $169 For a Limited Time - Deal Alert

  27-02-2017 19:44
  
  Alienware’s first 13-inch VR gaming laptop features up to 7th Gen Intel Quad Core H- Class processors and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-Series graphics. For a limited time various configurations have been discounted up to $169, with free shipping. See the various configurations and discounts now on Dell. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• SK Telecom pushes for interoperable quantum crypto systems

  27-02-2017 19:10
  
  SK Telecom and Nokia have developed a prototype quantum cryptography system that combines the South Korean company's quantum key server with an encryption device from Nokia.The system, shown Monday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, was put together to demonstrate interoperability between the two vendors and comes as SK Telecom kicks off a push to get telecom carriers and equipment vendors working together on next-generation quantum-secured networks.Quantum cryptography involves the transmis
  
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• VR could help transform remote work

  27-02-2017 18:38
  
  Although remote work is on the rise — 37% of U.S. workers have worked remotely for their job in some capacity, according to a recent Gallup poll, and telecommuting has elements that appeal to both employees and employers — it still poses challenges.
  For instance, although employees work more efficiently at home, they are less likely to be promoted as quickly as their on-site counterparts. This could perhaps be attributed to the lack of physical interaction they have with their colle
  
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• Facebook's Telecom Infra Project is a year old

  27-02-2017 18:21
  
  Facebook's Telecom Infra Project is already pulling in a significant proportion of the world's telecommunications industry, just a year after it launched with the goal of dramatically cutting the cost of building networks needed to get the next billion users online.In that time, it has grown from five members to 450, and now encompasses technologies for delivering internet access by fiber, Wi-Fi, 2G and 4G networks, relay towers, drones, and satellites.To read this article in full or to leave a
  
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• Save 38% on the TP-LINK Wi-Fi Smart Plug, Works with Amazon Alexa - Deal Alert

  27-02-2017 18:18
  
  The TP-LINK HS100 smart plug is quite simply a power outlet that you can control from anywhere. Using your smartphone, you can turn devices on & off, set programs to turn them on & off at set times while you're away, or engage a "countdown timer" which powers the switch off after a set amount of time. Installation is simple -- just plug a device into your smart plug and connect to your wifi network. The HS100 is also compatible with Amazon Alexa, for voice control. Buy multiple plug
  
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• How to remain relevant in a changing IT world

  27-02-2017 18:04
  
  Brian LeClaire exercises, in his words, “like there’s no tomorrow.”And while he does, LeClaire tracks his workout stats through Polar and FitBit workout devices, which tie back to Go365, Humana’s new health and wellness app. The more his heart rate hits, say, 60 percent of its maximum for 30 minutes, the more rewards he reaps.[ Related: Fitness apps moving up to the big leagues ]But this isn’t some executive perk: Go365 is one of the latest initiatives that Humana,
  
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• Cog Systems offers more secure version of HTC A9 smartphone

  27-02-2017 18:00
  
  It sounds like a smartphone user's worst fear: Software that starts up before the phone's operating system, intercepting and encrypting every byte sent to or from the flash memory or the network interface.
  This is not some new kind of ransomware, though, this is the D4 Secure Platform from Cog Systems.
  The product grew out of custom security software the company developed for governments, and which it saw could also be put to use in the enterprise as a way to make smartphones more productive wh
  
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• Intel isn't yet done with x86 smartphone chips

  27-02-2017 16:58
  
  Smartphones with Intel-based x86 chips aren't dead yet. Intel may have stopped making Atom chips for smartphones, but a partner is keeping that effort alive.Chinese chip maker Spreadtrum is still making x86 smartphone chips based on the Atom architecture named Airmont. The company will ship a powerful eight-core Atom variant for smartphones in the second half of this year.Smartphone makers will be able to use the Spreadtrum SC9861G-IA chip in mid-range handsets. It will have a PowerVR GT7200 gra
  
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• Android struggling in tablets as Windows 10 2-in-1s come on strong

  27-02-2017 16:30
  
  In 2010, Apple's Steve Jobs welcomed the post-PC era when it introduced the iPad.
  Now in 2017, PCs are still around and on their way to recovery, while slate-style tablets are struggling. Apple remains the top tablet seller, but its shipments are diving, and Android tablets aren't as hot as they used to be.
  Unlike its heyday, tablets aren't expected to be huge presence at this year's Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona. Lenovo and Samsung are launching some Android tablets, but more attenti
  
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• 50% Discount On Doom PC - Deal Alert

  27-02-2017 16:14
  
  Developed by id Software, the studio that pioneered the first-person shooter genre and created multiplayer Deathmatch, DOOM returns as a brutally fun and challenging modern-day shooter experience. Relentless demons, impossibly destructive guns, and fast, fluid movement provide the foundation for intense, first-person combat – whether you’re obliterating demon hordes through the depths of Hell in the single-player campaign, or competing against your friends in numerous multiplayer mod
  
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• SAP sets March 30 as launch date for its Cloud Platform SDK for iOS

  27-02-2017 16:00
  
  Almost a year after SAP teamed with Apple to develop business applications for smartphones and tablets, the German enterprise software developer is ready to unveil the first fruits of their partnership.On March 30, it plans to release the first version of SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS, a tool to enable businesses to integrate Apple's handheld devices with their back-end information systems. And at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week it opened enrollment for SAP Academy for iOS, a mix o
  
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• Smart cities at the center of Mobile World Congress

  27-02-2017 15:38
  
  BARCELONA -- The big themes of Mobile World Congress (MWC) so far center around the internet of things, artificial intelligence and 5G wireless.
  But you can add in more than 35 new smartphones and a smattering of products and services related to just about anything in wireless communications and mobility.
  There are 100,000 visitors at MWC this year and thousands of vendors. There is something, it seems, for everybody.
  Major companies like Samsung have mega-booths, but there are some thematic ex
  
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• Nokia, Sprint show a massive MIMO antenna to boost cell service

  27-02-2017 15:37
  
  A cellular base station with 128 antennas may soon help some mobile operators serve many more subscribers in crowded areas.Nokia demonstrated the technology, called massive MIMO (multiple in, multiple out) with Sprint at Mobile World Congress on Monday. It’s one of several types of advances in LTE that could eventually come into play with 5G, too.Massive MIMO uses a large number of small antennas to create dedicated connections to multiple devices at once. In this case, the base station ha
  
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• Hands on with the Moto G5 and G5 Plus: Almost like budget Nexus phones

  27-02-2017 15:00
  
  Motorola's G series phones have been darlings of the Android community for their ability to deliver exceptional value. You can't expect the world from a $200 phone, but Moto G phones are usually "good enough" to make budget-conscious buyers balk at spending two or three times as much for a premium phone.
  The company is looking to continue that trend with the Moto G5 and G5 Plus. The G5 will cost only 199€ (it's not coming to the U.S.), while the G5 Plus will be only $229 when it ships here
  
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• HTC's new Vive payment plans diffuse the high cost of PC virtual reality

  27-02-2017 14:52
  
  The annual Game Developers Conference is underway this week in San Francisco and you can expect a lot of virtual reality news. And it’s HTC first out of the gate with a bevy of Vive updates—mostly concerning developers, but at least one very important new program for consumers.
  Let’s start with the latter, as it’s perhaps the biggest Vive news:“For the first time, Vive is launching a financing program in North America. For $66 a month and no-interest financing for
  
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• Verizon and Cisco team to bring 5G network pilot program to the masses

  27-02-2017 14:42
  
  The 5G hype from the World Mobile Congress started early as Verizon said it would roll out pilot 5G network services on the back of Cisco communications gear.
  Verizon said its 5G pilot will be one of the world’s largest and will feature “several hundred cell sites that cover several thousand customer locations.”
  +More on Network World: Cisco execs foretell key 2017 enterprise networking trends+
  Verizon said it will begin offering 5G to pilot customers during the first half of
  
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• BrandPost: Network Automation: Adding Up the Cost Savings and Benefits

  27-02-2017 14:32
  
  “To unlock exponential growth and business transformation, companies
  need to create a network that’s responsive, agile, and easily managed – one that is automated to help companies adapt to shifting business needs.”
  Juniper Report:  Will Your Company Survive The Next Big Disruption? IT As The Great Enabler To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• NTT DoCoMo demos VR control of robots over 5G

  27-02-2017 14:14
  
  While next-generation 5G cellular will bring faster downloads for consumers, the new networking technology is poised to bring big benefits to business users enabling new uses for cellular networks.At this week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Japan's NTT DoCoMo is demonstrating one such use: remote control of robots via a wireless virtual reality system.In one corner of the company's booth was a simulated factory floor with three robots. The area was surrounded by four depth-sensing 3D came
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Why aren't Digital First banks there yet?

  27-02-2017 14:00
  
  Myth or reality?Those of us who have used banks for a few decades have seen banks evolve. However in all my professional pursuits globally, I am yet to encounter a bank that thinks digital first. Banks have started to gradually invest in digital, and surely digital has become another popular channel; but it's still not the primary channel for customer engagement and service. Can it be? Yes, it surely can, but it needs disruptive thinking and relationship focus.Digital one-on-one relationships
  "A
  
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• RSA Conference is a timesaver

  27-02-2017 13:23
  
  I spent several days in San Francisco on my annual pilgrimage to the RSA security conference.Trouble TicketAt issue: Another year, another RSA security conference.
  Action plan: Spend time with vendors and colleagues while investigating the best ways to mature the company’s security program.
  This year, I attended a few sessions related to cloud security, privacy and compliance, since my world these days is consumed with enhancing the security of our cloud platform and addressing the never-
  
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• Sony's Xperia XZ Premium has a 4K HDR screen, super slow-mo

  27-02-2017 13:18
  
  Sony's Xperia XZ Premium shines, quite literally. The first thing you notice about the new phone is the mirror-finish that surrounds the device giving it a sparkly appearance that seems destined to require lots of polishing.
  But the innovation in the phone is found below the surface. Its primary features are both firsts on a smartphone: a 4K HDR display and super slow-motion video.
  The 4K screen is 5.5-inches across, which means it's small enough that the 4K resolution shouldn't make too much o
  
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• Who should be on an insider risk team?

  27-02-2017 13:00
  
  Left to chance, unless you happen to bump into someone leaving the building with a box full of documents, you might never catch an insider red-handed. That is where an insider risk team comes in — group of employees from various departments who have created policies that create a system to notice if those confidential items have left the building.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• What should an insider risk policy cover?

  27-02-2017 13:00
  
  Just before the holidays, a company was faced with cutting the pay of their contracted janitors. That didn’t sit well with those employees.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: The impact of new digital business models on IT services

  27-02-2017 13:00
  
  Suddenly, on-shoring is becoming more in vogue. Like many U.S. CIOs and their C-suite colleagues, you may be actively exploring how to duplicate or offset the loss of cost benefits from offshore/labor-arbitrage services. I have good news for you, along with a crucial tip.Four primary factors are driving U.S. companies to make the move to onshore service delivery:Uncertainty associated with the potential of changing tax laws and border taxes, which could introduce a tax of 20 to 30 percent on ser
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Apple Watch: Mute Activity app sharing notifications

  27-02-2017 13:00
  
  The Activity app in watchOS 3 is a great way to encourage people to become more active. And one of the new ways to do that is sharing your activity with family and friends.
  When you share your Activity data with friends and family members, you will get a notification when they close their rings, finish a workout or complete an achievement. So you can easily see what they've done that day.
  Sharing your Activity data can be quite useful in encouraging your circle of friends and family members to
  
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• What’s new in Rails 5.1: Better JavaScript, for one

  27-02-2017 12:00
  
  Ruby on Rails, the veteran server-side web framework, is playing nice with JavaScript in an upgrade that has recently moved to a first beta release.
  Rails 5.1 offers multiple improvements, including encryption, system tests, and managing JavaScript dependencies from NPM via Facebook's new Yarn package manager.[ Use JavaScript in your dev shop? InfoWorld looks at 17 JavaScript editors and IDEs and 22 JavaScript frameworks ready for adoption. | NPM or Yarn? Node.js devs pick their package manager
  
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• U.S. computing leadership under threat, says House science chair

  27-02-2017 12:00
  
  U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, the chair of the House Science, Space and Technology committee, believes the U.S. is losing its leadership position in computing. That may sound good for funding, but Smith's solution is controversial.
  Smith wants to shift National Science Foundation (NSF) R&D funding from efforts he believes may be "frivolous" or "low risk," to "biology, physics, computer science and engineering."
  What Smith is outlining is a change in research priorities, such as moving research fun
  
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• The top 8 new open source projects

  27-02-2017 12:00
  
  Open Source Rookies of the YearImage by Black DuckFor nine years, the Black Duck Open Source Rookies of the Year awards have recognized the most innovative and influential open source projects launched during the previous year. This recognition is a tribute to the success and momentum of these projects, as well as an affirmation of their prospects moving forward.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Get started with functional programming and F#

  27-02-2017 12:00
  
  We all learned about mathematical functions when we studied algebra: y = f(x), where f(x) = ax2+…. In the abstract world of mathematics, functions are pure and reproducible and have no side effects.
  Fold, reduce, map, and iterateTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• IT project success rates finally improving

  27-02-2017 11:34
  
  After years of stagnating IT project success rates and project failures, a new Pulse of the Profession report from the Project Management Institute (PMI) shows that success rates for IT projects are finally on the rise.In 2013, a survey from cloud portfolio management provider Innotas (now Innotas by Planview) revealed that 50 percent of businesses surveyed had experienced an IT project failure within the previous 12 months. Three years later, those numbers had actually increased; the 2016 Innot
  
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• Oldies but goodies make presence felt amid glitzy startups at RSAC

  27-02-2017 11:15
  
  SAN FRANCISCO -- The sprawling show floor at this year’s RSA Conference featured hundreds of shiny, new companies, from Acalvio to ZingBox. It seemed like every vendor in the hall managed to incorporate into its marketing pitches at least one of the 2017 hot buzzwords – Advanced Threat Protection, machine learning, AI, threat intelligence, IoT.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• 5G is coming, but don't get carried away, T-Mobile USA's CTO says

  27-02-2017 10:54
  
  T-Mobile USA's Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray prescribed a dose of reality for the 5G mania overtaking Mobile World Congress this week, telling Ericsson’s kickoff press briefing Monday morning he’s still in the LTE business.“5G is not ready yet,” Ray said. “It’s maturing quickly, but it’s not real today, and I can’t go and deploy a 5G radio to serve my customers with and give them a handset.”For one thing, using millimeter-wave frequenc
  
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• Lenovo's $199 Miix 320 laptop may challenge cheap Chromebooks

  27-02-2017 08:00
  
  Lenovo’s Miix 320 is a $199 Windows laptop that could have a chance of combating cheap Chromebooks. While HP’s Stream devices are a decent stab at the same effort, the Miix 320 includes various features that help it feel a little special, even if it’s still a pretty bare-bones machine. Announced Monday at Mobile World Congress, the laptop will ship in April, with a pen-enabled version coming in July. 
  The Miix 320’s best feature is its form factor: a 2-in-1 detachab
  
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• Lenovo innovation goes on a break with Tab 4 Android tablets

  27-02-2017 08:00
  
  Lenovo says it wants to redefine Android tablets, but you won't find anything spectacular or innovative in its new Tab 4 tablets.The four new tablets, which come in 8- and 10- inch screens, are incremental upgrades to the Tab 3 devices. The new tablets are faster, have better screens and deliver better special effects with improved graphics processors.One unique feature in the new devices is the inclusion of Dolby Atmos speakers, which delivers booming sound. Lenovo also included Atmos in its Le
  
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• MediaTek wants to put its new 10-core chip in $300 VR smartphones

  27-02-2017 07:00
  
  The smartphone world will be rocked with MediaTek's new 10-core Helio X30 chip, which will bring premium features like Google's DayDream virtual reality platform to Android handsets with prices starting at US$300.The Helio X30 has the most cores of all smartphone chips, and that makes it blazing fast. With the chip, low-cost Android handsets will also get high-resolution cameras and screens, fast LTE, and high-end GPUs.The goal with the X30 is to bring the power, performance, and features in pri
  
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