IT Executive news

• 30% off TP-Link Wi-Fi Smart Plug Mini - Deal Alert

  12-04-2017 23:14
  
  This gadget from TP-Link plugs into a standard outlet and allows you to control it from anywhere using your smartphone, or with your voice through an Alexa device. Program on/off times or put it in "away mode" to simulate being home while you're away. The typical list price of $49.99 has been reduced 30% to $34.99. See this deal on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• 33% off ThermoPro Wireless Digital Cooking Thermometer with Timer and 300 Feet Range - Deal Alert

  12-04-2017 23:05
  
  ThermoPro's wireless cooking thermometer lets you monitor the temps of your food remotely, up to 300 feet away. It includes a built-in timer and programmable temperature alarms. Or if you're unsure, it comes pre-programmed with USDA approved temperatures for various meats. The probe is capable of accurately measuring temps from 16°F to 482°F and comes with a lifetime replacement warranty. ThermoPro's TP07 thermometer averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 1,300 people on Amazon (read
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Hands-on review: Dell Chromebook 11 3180 Education laptop

  12-04-2017 22:59
  
  Google’s Linux based operating system, Chrome OS, is taking a bite out of Apple. In 2016, Chromebook overtook the sales of MacBooks, although Chromebooks are still a US K-12 story as IDC analyst Linn Huang told the Verge.Many schools in the US are switching away from iPads to Chromebooks, for various reasons. According to Phys.org, “Google sold the Chromebook on convenience. They're easier for classrooms to share; just sign in with a Google account, and a student's apps and documents
  
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• Spotify enlists third-party competitor to develop its official Apple Watch app

  12-04-2017 22:35
  
  It seems there’s no longer any bad blood between Spotify and a third-party app developer that intended to bring the streaming service to Apple Watch.Snowy developer Andrew Chang announced that he’s “working closely” with Spotify to make Snowy the official Spotify companion app for Apple Watch. Chang made the announcement on the Apple Watch subreddit, and it was covered by 9to5Mac. The developer did not reveal which Snowy features would be adopted by the official Spotify A
  
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• Synack: Hackers wanted after firm gets $21.25M funding from Microsoft, HPE

  12-04-2017 22:24
  
  Penetration testing provider Synack is getting an infusion of $21.25 million from the investment arms of Microsoft and HP, among others, and some of it will be used to hire more security analysts to fuel what it calls its hacker-powered intelligence platform.The investment is the Series C round of funding and is led by Microsoft Ventures, but also includes Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Singtel Innov8 to bring total investment in the company to $55 million.+More on Network World: 6 vulnerabiliti
  
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• Microsoft kills off security bulletins after several stays

  12-04-2017 22:21
  
  Microsoft this week retired the security bulletins that for decades have described each month's slate of vulnerabilities and accompanying patches for customers -- especially administrators responsible for companies' IT operations.One patch expert reported on the change for his team. "It was like trying to relearn how to walk, run and ride a bike, all at the same time," said Chris Goettl, product manager with patch management vendor Ivanti.[ Further reading: Fighting ransomware: A fresh look at W
  
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• Shadow Brokers dump contained Solaris hacking tools

  12-04-2017 21:30
  
  After the Shadow Brokers group opened up its archive of exploits allegedly stolen from the United States National Security Agency, security experts found a nasty surprise waiting for Solaris administrators.The Register reported that the dumped Shadow Broker files reference two programs, Extremeparr and Ebbisland, that would let attackers obtain root access remotely over the network on Solaris boxes running versions 6 to 10 on x86 and Sparc architectures.To read this article in full or to le
  
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• Microsoft plies corporate customers with Windows 10 Creators Update free trial

  12-04-2017 21:17
  
  Microsoft this week offered corporate customers a free 90-day trial of the enterprise-grade edition of Windows 10's latest version, continuing its pitch to businesses that have yet to deploy the new operating system.Yesterday marked the official launch of Windows 10 Creators Update, the latest feature upgrade in the OS's software-as-a-service model. Microsoft also tagged Creators Update as 1703 using its yymm alternate nomenclature.[ Related: Fix Windows 10 problems with these free Microsoft too
  
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• Raspberry Pi roundup: Searching for Pi, steampunk laptops, Code Angels, and a visit to Competitor Corner

  12-04-2017 21:12
  
  One of the first big stories about the Raspberry Pi when it hit retail shelves more than five years ago was that it didn’t actually hit most retail shelves. Availability was a serious issue at launch, as the Raspberry Pi Foundation didn’t yet realize what a hit it had on its hands, and initial supplies didn’t last long. Pis began popping up on eBay for substantially inflated prices.The situation has gotten a lot more reasonable these days, but, for those of you having Pi sourci
  
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• Go language group aims for a better newbie experience

  12-04-2017 21:03
  
  Advocates of Google's Go have put together a working group to take the open source language forward in areas like installation and helping new users.The DXWG (Developer Experience Working Group) will work on streamlining the experience for first-time Go users. Initial tasks include improving the Go installation experience, providing better guidelines to help new users, and offering guides on tooling and developer experiences, including editors and IDEs.[ The art of programming moves ra
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: The one sales skill you must master as a leader

  12-04-2017 20:45
  
  I made thousands of cold calls to learn a crucial sales lesson. But the lesson is valuable beyond sales. It matters for everyone. Especially if you are (or want to be) a better leader.I’m going to share that crucial lesson with you now.But first, I need to let you know a little bit more about what I learned along the way.I learned that when you call someone out of the blue, it’s hard to get their attention. This is true even after you manage to get past the screeners and voicemail bo
  
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• Microsoft Word exploit linked to cyberspying in Ukraine conflict

  12-04-2017 20:02
  
  A previously unknown Microsoft Office vulnerability was recently used to deliver spyware to Russian-speaking targets, in a possible case of cyberespionage.Security firm FireEye noticed the intrusion attempt, which taps a critical software flaw that hackers are using to craft malicious Microsoft Word documents.On Wednesday, FireEye said it uncovered one attack that weaponized a Russian military training manual. Once opened, the malicious document will deliver FinSpy, a surveillance software that&
  
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• 6 vulnerabilities to watch for on the factory floor

  12-04-2017 20:01
  
  Industrial control systems (ICS) that run the valves and switches in factories may suffer from inherent weaknesses that cropped up only after they were installed and the networks they were attached to became more widely connected.FireEye iSIGHT Intelligence Sean McBrideThe problems are as far ranging as hard-coded passwords that are publicly available to vulnerabilities in Windows operating systems that are no longer supported but are necessary to run the aging gear, says Sean McBride, attack-sy
  
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• Microsoft to host education event May 2

  12-04-2017 19:04
  
  Microsoft is hosting an education-focused event in New York City on May 2, and the tech titan is expected to reveal new software and hardware. The company sent out invitations a day after it launched the Windows 10 Creators Update, the latest major feature release for its current operating system.Microsoft is working to make its devices and services appeal to educators, especially as the company faces increased competition from Google’s G Suite and Chromebooks. Both companies are locked in
  
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• Samsung's Bixby voice assistant won't ship with Galaxy S8 on April 21

  12-04-2017 19:03
  
  Samsung's highly promoted Bixby voice assistant won't be shipping with the Galaxy S8 smartphone on April 21, as previously announced.The company released a statement Tuesday night that said Bixby will be available in the U.S. on the Galaxy S8 "later in the spring." Samsung didn't explain the delay.The Bixby will join a pack of artificial intelligence assistants that includes Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri and the Google Assistant that are changing the way people interact with their devices. [
  
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• Just for fun: Program Commodore 64 games for Windows 10 PCs

  12-04-2017 18:27
  
  You don't need to go searching for a Commodore 64 on Ebay to relive the vintage PC's glory days.Avid gamer Petri Wilhelmsen is providing a way to write and run C64 programs on Windows PCs for tech-savvy gamers who want to go old-school.Wilhelmsen has put up a primer on Github for coding Commodore 64 applications for Windows PCs. Wilhelmsen holds a day job as a senior program manager for gaming at Microsoft.The guide provides basic instructions on how to put a game together by writing application
  
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• 33% off Corsair Gaming M65 Pro RGB FPS Gaming Mouse - Deal Alert

  12-04-2017 18:09
  
  The M65 PRO RGB is a competition-grade FPS gaming mouse with the technology you need to win, the flexibility to make it your own, and the build quality to last. The high-accuracy 12000 DPI sensor provides pixel-precise tracking and advanced surface calibration support, and the aircraft-grade aluminum frame gives it low weight and high durability. Use the advanced weight tuning system to set the center of gravity to match your play style, and harness the power of CUE for advanced button configura
  
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• Microsoft's new software tool helps enterprises evaluate cloud move

  12-04-2017 18:00
  
  IT professionals who want help getting a handle on a potential cloud migration have a new tool from Microsoft. The company is offering a Cloud Migration Assessment service that walks customers through an evaluation of the resources they currently use, in order to determine what a move to the cloud would cost.Microsoft’s cost calculation is driven in part by the Azure Hybrid Use Benefit , which lets customers apply their existing Windows Server licenses with Software Assurance to virtual ma
  
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• Windows as a service? Now, there’s an argument for Linux

  12-04-2017 17:56
  
  Expert Windows writer Ed Bott recently pointed out that the “Windows as a Service” tagline for Windows 10 isn’t just a marketing line. He’s right.Now, Microsoft is not ready to offer a true Windows-as-a-service offering where you’d be running your desktop from the cloud. Not yet, anyway. But if Microsoft were to buy Citrix, that would be another story.Yes, you’ve heard that Citrix rumor forever and a day, but it looks as if Microsoft may finally do it. The com
  
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• How IoT helps insurers mitigate the risks of climate change

  12-04-2017 17:24
  
  Insurance companies are on the front lines when it comes to exposure to the financial risks of climate change. The internet of things (IoT) is shaping up to be a key component in mitigating those risks."Insurance companies rely upon historical loss records to guide their underwriting and set their prices," Washing Insurance Commission Mike Kreidler and California Insurance Commission Dave Jones wrote in the forward of Insurer Climate Risk Disclosure Survey Report & Scorecard: 2016 Findings &
  
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• 17% off UBTECH Jimu Robot DIY Buzzbot/Muttbot Robotics Kit - Deal Alert

  12-04-2017 17:23
  
  Build and program your own robot. The Jimu Robot BuzzBot & MuttBot Kit is a do it yourself, robotics building kit with Bluetooth. The BuzzBot & MuttBot Kit includes a central control unit, six digital servo motors that allow movement, wiring, a rechargeable lithium battery and power adapter, 249 interlocking parts with easy snap-in design and quick links to the Jimu App that shows you how to build and program easily. The Jimu App gives you step-by-step building instructions with 360
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Thor: Ragnarok trailer kicks butt!

  12-04-2017 17:15
  
  I’ve always been a huge fan of Marvel’s Thor character. I’ve read Thor comics since I was a kid, and I’ve mostly enjoyed the recent Thor movies from Marvel. They've brought the God of Thunder to life in a way that I never thought I'd see when I was growing up.Now the company has released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok movie and it looks like a doozy of a film! In the new film Thor has to battle the Hulk in a gladiator fight, and he has to save As
  
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• Samsung's Bixby won’t support voice commands when it debuts on the Galaxy S8

  12-04-2017 16:27
  
  One of the marquee features of the Galaxy S8 is Bixby, Samsung’s response to the Siris, Google Assistants, and Cortanas of the world. Billed as “a new way to interact with your phone,” Samsung has gone so far as to add a dedicated button on the side of the phone to summon its new assistant, and has integrated it deeply into the S8’s interface. There’s just one problem: You won't be able to talk to Bixby at launch.In a statement released about a week before the
  
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• New Garmin vivosmart 3 adds stress tracking and fitness age

  12-04-2017 15:48
  
  Feeling stressed a lot? Wondering what your "real age" is? Garmin’s vivosmart 3 might be the wearable for you.The company’s newest activity tracker, introduced today and listing for $140, has a few features designed to set it apart from competitors such as Fitbit’s $150 Charge 2.All-day stress tracking reads your heart rate when you’re at rest and figures out how stressed (or not) you are. Your current stress level (and score) is displayed in a wedge graph on the device,
  
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• Microsoft fixes 45 flaws, including three actively exploited vulnerabilities

  12-04-2017 15:42
  
  Microsoft released its monthly security-patch bundle Tuesday, fixing 45 unique vulnerabilities, three of which are publicly known and targeted by hackers.The top priority this month should be given to the Microsoft Office security update because one of the fixed flaws has been actively exploited by attackers since January to infect computers with malware. Over the past few days this vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2017-0199, has seen widespread exploitation.To read this article in full or to leave
  
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• Why you should (sometimes) let software run your business

  12-04-2017 15:36
  
  Changing your business processes to match your software sounds like a classic case of the tail wagging the dog. After all, business leaders are responsible for deciding how their company is run, and software is supposed to support that, helping the company run as efficiently as possible.Yet this is exactly what is happening in 82 percent of enterprises, according to a survey by TrackVia, maker of a low-code software development platform. These companies report changing a part of their business o
  
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• BlackBerry wins $815 million in overpaid royalty to Qualcomm

  12-04-2017 15:31
  
  BlackBerry said Wednesday it has been awarded US$815 million in an arbitration decision for excess royalties it had paid to chip company Qualcomm.Qualcomm and BlackBerry had entered into an agreement in April last year to arbitrate a dispute over whether Qualcomm's agreement to cap certain royalties applied to payments made by BlackBerry under a license agreement between the two companies.Qualcomm has faced charges of excessive royalty rates by regulators as well as other companies. Apple filed
  
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• 33% off Sniper Elite 4 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One - Deal Alert

  12-04-2017 15:30
  
  A third-person tactical shooter combining genre-defining ballistics and emergent stealth tactics across the largest and most diverse environments ever seen in a Sniper Elite game. 1-2 player, dedicated co-op, and adversarial multiplayer modes.
  
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• InfoSec pros feel less external pressure, take security more personally

  12-04-2017 14:49
  
  Security professionals are feeling less pressure from management, less pressure to approve IT projects early, and are less worried about emerging technologies, according to a report released this morning. But they are also putting more pressures on themselves."The pressure is still high," said Chris Schueler, senior vice president of managed security services at Trustwave Holdings, which sponsored the survey of 1,600 InfoSec professionals from around the world. "But it's shifted from it's someon
  
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• Why you still need a dedicated GPS navigation device

  12-04-2017 14:26
  
  I have a place in my heart for personal navigation devices (PNDs). In years past, they got me where I was going, even if they sometimes steered me onto a circuitous path. And weirdly, I miss having a Garmin tell me it’s “recalculating” when I take a wrong turn.But in the age of Waze, does anyone still need a PND? My conclusion: In most cases, probably not. Unless you’re into dash cams.Consider Garmin’s DriveAssist 51 ($300), introduced at CES 2017. It’s as goo
  
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• Face-off: Cisco vs. Fortinet for enterprise firewalls

  12-04-2017 13:21
  
  Firewalls have been on the front lines of network security for 25 years. Over time they’ve evolved beyond simple packet filtering to take on a wider and deeper variety of tasks to block modern threats. Today, two of the top enterprise firewalls are Cisco’s Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Fortinet’s Fortigate, according to reviews by users in the IT Central Station community.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• What prevents breaches: process, technology or people? One answer is PC, and one is right.

  12-04-2017 13:00
  
  When I served on a panel about data breaches at the ISACA Silicon Valley chapter conference recently, the moderator asked, “To prevent data breaches, which is more important: process, technology or people?”My fellow panelists (three CISOs and two highly experienced consultants) all answered ahead of me: “People.” I was surprised. Here I was the only awareness specialist on the panel, yet my answer was process.Without process, I explained, the people don’t know what
  
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• VMware, Splunk & Juniper among highest paying networking companies

  12-04-2017 13:00
  
  Networking and other technology businesses are among the highest paying companies in America, according to a new report from jobs marketplace Glassdoor. And if you find yourself out of a tech job, well, there’s always consulting, where the pay isn’t too shabby either. In fact, the top two companies on the list, A.T. Kearney and PwC’s Strategy&, are both consulting firms, and two others are on the Top 25 List as well. A.T. Kearney and Strateg& offer median total com
  
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• 3 Chrome extensions that let you track to-do's from your browser

  12-04-2017 13:00
  
  The first thing most of us do each morning when we sit down at our computers is launch a browser. A few apps have capitalized on this common routine by providing all all the productivity tools we need right in Chrome’s home tab. The following Chrome extensions can really streamline your workflow by either unifying all your favorite web services and apps into one webpage so you don’t have to toggle between multiple tabs all day, or by eliminating the need for many third-party tools al
  
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• Detecting insider threats is easier than you think

  12-04-2017 12:20
  
  When it came to the physical plant, it used to be easy with surveillance cameras and access badges to tell if an insider was up to no good. Now with a more virtual network, you can’t always know if the person sitting in the next cubicle is gaining access to confidential documents.While the insider threat still connotes an employee of the company, the intruder is no longer someone located within the confines of the building. Accessing the network can happen from such public places as the lo
  
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• Can AI and ML slay the healthcare ransomware dragon?

  12-04-2017 12:08
  
  It’s common knowledge that healthcare organizations are prime – and relatively easy – targets for ransomware attacks. So it is no surprise that those attacks have become rampant in the past several years. The term “low-hanging fruit” is frequently invoked.But according to at least one report, and some experts, it doesn’t have to be that way. ICIT – the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology – contends in a recent whitepaper that the power
  
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• Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V: More secure, but not faster

  12-04-2017 12:00
  
  With Windows Server 2016, Microsoft has introduced a lengthy list of improvements to Hyper-V. Along with functional additions like container support, nested virtualization, and increased memory and vCPU limits, you’ll find a number of new features, including production-grade checkpoints and the ability to hot-add memory and network adapters, that ease administration.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Microsoft sets end date for Visual Studio 2008 support

  12-04-2017 12:00
  
  Microsoft is giving Visual Studio 2008 one more year of support, and that's it.Visual Studio 2008 debuted in late 2007, and in keeping with the company's 10-year support policy, Microsoft's support for the IDE, associated runtimes, and components will end on April 10, 2018.[ The art of programming moves rapidly. InfoWorld helps you navigate what’s running hot and what's going cold. | Keep up with main topics in programming with InfoWorld’s App Dev Report newsletter. ]"Though your Vis
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How AT&T is transforming Dallas into a smart city

  12-04-2017 12:00
  
  Urban developers have bandied the term “smart city” around for some time, and now residents in Dallas’s West End district are seeing those words become reality with the launch of a “living lab” on March 27. Residents may soon notice kiosks containing information for travelers, street lights which brighten up when there are more people, and other technological changes caused with smart devices and the internet of things (IoT).These efforts in Dallas have been led by
  
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• How Brexit will impact global CIOs and IT services

  12-04-2017 12:00
  
  The countdown to the United Kingdom’s separation from the European Union began in late March when U.K. prime minister Theresa May officially triggered the “Brexit.” With just less than two years until the U.K. is officially out of the EU, the date of departure is one of the few certainties regarding the situation. “No country has ever travelled this path, and there is no turning back,” says Craig Wright, managing director for business transformation and outsourcing
  
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• AI in the driver’s seat with the enterprise

  12-04-2017 12:00
  
  Artificial intelligence will be a critical driver of U.S. economy. This package shows how three companies are using IBM’s Watson A.I. in innovative ways.GlaxoSmithKline is using Watson to better connect with customers. GSK is rolling out a Watson-based question-and-answer feature first for its Theraflu cold and flu medication, enabling customers to ask questions by voice or text through GSK's online ads.Staples is testing a smart assistant device that looks like its Easy But
  
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• 7 ways Android and Windows 10 can work well together

  12-04-2017 12:00
  
  If you regularly use a Windows 10 PC and an Android phone or tablet, there are several Android apps you can install that can seamlessly link the flow of information between the two. For instance, you can start a quick note on your phone, then finish it later on your Windows 10 PC, or you can receive the same alert on both devices for an appointment.The following Windows 10-friendly Android apps are all from Microsoft -- and all free. To get the kind of interoperability described above, you need
  
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• Why a move to chief digital officer was a promotion for one CIO

  12-04-2017 11:00
  
  When a CIO becomes chief digital officer (CDO), the company benefits from an innovator who is well acquainted with little things like information security, enterprise scale and the back-end. Richard Maranville joined the event services business, Freeman Company, as CIO in 2009 and has been executive vice president, CDO since August 2015. He manages the Digital Product and Technology organizations across the enterprise. Previously, he was with FedEx Kinko’s for more than nine years, and hel
  
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• Salaries for storage, networking pros continue to rise

  12-04-2017 10:33
  
  While 2016 saw U.S. tech salaries remain essentially flat year-over-year, key skills, especially in the areas of storage and networking, did warrant increases, according to the annual tech salary report from careers site Dice.com.
  Their recent survey polled 12,907 employed technology professionals online between October 26, 2016 and January 24, 2017. The survey found that, overall, technology salaries in the U.S. were essentially flat year-over-year (-1 percent) at $92,081 in 2016, a slight dip
  
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• Dropbox Paper's mobile apps now work offline, support new languages

  12-04-2017 01:24
  
  Dropbox Paper users will now be able to edit their documents offline while using mobile devices, thanks to an update released Tuesday. The change means that people can work on the documents they have stored in the service while on a plane and riding a subway, for example.The feature will allow users of the Paper apps on iOS and Android to view, comment on and edit their favorite and recent documents stored in Paper. In addition, those users will also be able to create new documents while offline
  
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