IT Executive news

• Mozilla scraps Firefox's 'Aurora' dev track

  17-04-2017 23:23
  
  Mozilla today announced it would drop one of Firefox's preview tracks that have let customers test early versions of the browser before wider deployment.Companies running Firefox, and testing the browser using the "Aurora" track, will be automatically migrated to the "Beta" channel today.[ Further reading: See the latest tech reviews on Computerworld ]"It became clear that Aurora was not meeting our expectations as a first stabilization channel," wrote Dave Camp, director of engineering for Fire
  
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• Anyone can control these live, streaming bots through a chat room

  17-04-2017 23:10
  
  Have you ever had a friend or a family member go on an exotic vacation only to find yourself living vicariously through their social media posts? Well, now you can also live vicariously through a robot. Bay area start-up Let's Robot allows users to control its robotic fleet through a chat room. Users type commands into the chat room to move the robots in a certain direction or to play around with their LED lights. You can think of it as a collaborative, interactive avatar. "When I star
  
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• Find My iPhone helps nab a thief at Coachella with 100 phones in his backpack

  17-04-2017 22:05
  
  The biggest bummer at a festival like Coachella should be a spilled beer or a long bathroom line, not having your iPhone stolen by a highly ambitious but also bumbling criminal. Awful person Reinaldo De Jesus Henao found himself in handcuffs on Easter Sunday, arrested with more than 100 smartphones in his backpack, nabbed with the help of Find My iPhone.According to reports by KMIR and Consequence of Sound, victims noticed their phones missing and quickly used Find My iPhone on their friends&rsq
  
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• Unsubsidized wind and solar now the cheapest source for new electric power

  17-04-2017 21:31
  
  While investments in renewable energy slumped last year, a big drop in unsubsidized costs for new wind and solar power installations indicated that they remain popular energy alternatives.Last year, the average "levelized cost" or total cost of generating power from solar worldwide dropped 17% percent, onshore wind costs dropped 18% and offshore wind turbine power costs fell 28%, according to a new report from the United Nations and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). Department of Energy"Well,
  
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• Intel scraps annual IDF event as it looks beyond PCs

  17-04-2017 21:12
  
  After 20 years, Intel is scrapping its marquee annual Intel Developer Forum event, where tech enthusiasts gathered to load up on the chipmaker's news and technologies.IDF started off in 1997 as a small event in Palm Springs, California. The show was later moved to San Francisco and vastly expanded during a boom in the PC market.But with the PC market slowing down, the attraction of IDF has also dwindled. Intel's future isn't tied to PCs but instead to areas like data centers, autonomou
  
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• Microsoft confirms it's patched most of the NSA's Windows exploits

  17-04-2017 21:05
  
  Microsoft on Friday said it had patched most of the Windows vulnerabilities purportedly exploited by the National Security Agency (NSA) using tools that were leaked last week.The Windows flaws were disclosed by the hacking gang Shadow Brokers in a large data dump earlier Friday. The group has released several collections of documents about the internal operations of the NSA, and the code it allegedly has used to compromise computers and other devices worldwide.[ Related: Fix Windows 10 problems
  
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• IoT malware clashes in a botnet territory battle

  17-04-2017 20:55
  
  Mirai -- a notorious malware that's been enslaving IoT devices -- has competition.A rival piece of programming has been infecting some of the same easy-to-hack internet-of-things products, with a resiliency that surpasses Mirai, according to security researchers."You can almost call it Mirai on steroids," said Marshal Webb, CTO at BackConnect, a provider of services to protect against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.Security researchers have dubbed the rival IoT malware Hajime,
  
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• 21% off ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent Pest Control Outdoor and Camping Lantern - Deal Alert

  17-04-2017 20:10
  
  The Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Lantern effectively repels mosquitoes and other biting insects in a 15 x 15-foot zone. It has no open flames, operates on a single butane cartridge, and is perfect for a deck, porch or campsite. It averages 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon and is currently discounted to $31.46. See it now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: The destruction of United’s brand highlights the role of employees in cyber defense

  17-04-2017 20:05
  
  By now we all know that Oscar Munoz (CEO of United Continental Holdings) is Satan incarnate and his employees are the minions of hell. At least, that is what people are thinking after viewing the video taken over the weekend, which shows passenger David Dao being beaten and forced off a flight from Chicago to Louisville. The short clip taken by a passenger with a cell phone has permeated almost every social media site in the world and United has been tried, convicted, and sentenced in the court
  
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• New Google Wi-Fi spotted at the FCC

  17-04-2017 20:03
  
  We only looked at the first iteration of Google Wifi, the company’s mesh networking set-up, a few months ago and already it looks like version two is in the works. A Google filing recently spotted at the FCC describes a new dual-band router, possibly an update to the company’s Google Wifi.PDFs included with the filing mention a model number AC-1304—compared to the current model, which is NLS-1304-25. The most notable change, as first spotted by Android Police, is that this rout
  
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• GitHub free account holders can now join developer program

  17-04-2017 19:37
  
  GitHub is opening up its developer program to developers who do not have paid accounts.The popular code-sharing service is looking to attract the open source community with the move. "That means if your free account was holding you back, you can join the program no matter which stage of development you're in,” said Jared Jones, GitHub Developer Program manager.[ Find out how to get ahead with our career development guide for developers. | The art of programming is changing rapidly. We help
  
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• BrandPost: Digital Transformation: It All Starts With The Network

  17-04-2017 19:09
  
  Digital Transformation—also known as DT, digitalization, DX, DE (Digital Everything) and Industry 4.0—is the next revolution that will change everything, only faster and more pervasively than perhaps anything we’ve experienced to date. While elements like big data, analytics, social, mobility, cloud, IoT, and security will all play their roles in the emergence of DX, the transformation all starts with the network—the very framework that connects and supports every other e
  
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• BrandPost: PaaS Considerations for Building New Digital User Experiences

  17-04-2017 18:59
  
  Enterprise users continuously demand enhanced digital experiences to increase productivity, and IT is faced with the ongoing challenge of building the infrastructure and services necessary to power those experiences. PaaS (Platform as a Service) is changing the way IT organizations deliver underlying application and micro services to drive these innovative digital experiences. But there is a great deal to consider when evaluating a shift to a PaaS cloud solution.Today, many organizations are dep
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Smartphone sensors pose a serious security risk

  17-04-2017 18:23
  
  As more people look for ways to protect their smartphones from hackers and criminals, we look for additional means beyond typing in a PIN. A popular method now is fingerprint analysis, where users can place a finger on their phone to unlock it or to make a purchase. And as crime shows and police officers have told us for decades, every fingerprint is completely unique and is an absolutely certain method to identify different people.However, researchers with the NYU Tandon School of Engineering a
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: A new model for business presentations

  17-04-2017 18:00
  
  Joi Ito, the director of the MIT Media Lab, and Jeff Howe wrote a book called Whiplash: How to Survive our Faster Future. The book concerns itself with a set of basic management principles that they believe govern the successful development and evolution of new technology. I think these principles fairly represent current perception and support what are generally accepted in tech today as virtuous practices. The principles are presented in a kind of yin and yang pairing of binary and opposing fo
  
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• People are disappearing from Google Photos albums, but a fix is coming

  17-04-2017 16:36
  
  We’ve become accustomed to Google adding features and interface tweaks to constantly improve the Photos app, but over the weekend it might have seemed like one of the most-used features was being changed for the worse. But rest assured, it’s just a bug and Google is already working on squashing it.Over on the Google Photos support forum, numerous users have noted that their People albums aren’t quite as populated as they once were. According to the posters, the problem wasn&rsq
  
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• Google won't preload its apps in Russia after antitrust settlement

  17-04-2017 16:28
  
  Google will pay 438 million rubles (US$7.8 million) and will stop requiring its apps be preloaded on Android smartphones in Russia, in an antitrust settlement with the country's Federal Antimonopoly Service.The settlement, announced Monday, ends a nearly two-year investigation by FAS into Google's control of the Android operating system. FAS had accused Google of abusing its monopoly position in mobile app stores serving the Android operating system. The fine amounts to 9 percent of Google'
  
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• 30% off Magic Bullet NutriBullet Rx N17-1001 Blender - Deal Alert

  17-04-2017 16:24
  
  The NutriBullet Rx’s 1700-watt motor uses hands-free SMART Technology to run at the perfect speed for the exact amount of time needed to break down even the most difficult foods, creating silky-smooth NutriBlast smoothies that nourish your system from the inside out. The machine also features a 7-Minute Heating Cycle, which transforms raw vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, and spices into warm, hearty puréed soups, sauces, dips, and beverages. All units include the Nature’s
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Why is Apple building its own GPU architecture?

  17-04-2017 16:01
  
  Apple is a company known for springing surprises on its users and on the media that follows the company’s every move. The latest shocker from Apple involves the company’s decision to stop licensing GPU designs from Imagination Technologies.Apple has been using technology from Imagination Technologies in its iPhones and iPads for years. So why would the company suddenly decided to stop doing so?A writer at AppleInsider has a deep look inside the reasons behind Apple’s decision,
  
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• Move to public cloud displays CIO’s clout

  17-04-2017 16:00
  
  In December 2016, Steve Randich took the stage at Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) re:Invent conference to tell the story of how his organization made a daring move to the public cloud.He ticked through a series of benefits to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the privately held, independent regulator of financial markets. One of them — the performance gain of 400 times — must have been mind-boggling to many (including the headline writer for the official YouTube v
  
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• 12 digital marketing and customer experience tips for success

  17-04-2017 15:42
  
  You put on a show in Vegas, you gotta give the crowd glitz. And that’s exactly what Adobe did with its recent Adobe Summit 2017, which featured a motivational talk from Peyton Manning, surprise appearances from Ryan Gosling and Penn & Teller, and Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon showing off her improv genius.But marketers were there to learn, and the conference delivered on that front, too. Here are 12 digital marketing ideas, best practices, strategies and nuggets of wisdom s
  
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• The human side of the data revolution

  17-04-2017 15:17
  
  For over a decade, data has been at or near the top of the enterprise agenda. A robust ecosystem has emerged around all aspects of data (collection, management, storage, exploitation and disposition). And yet in my discussions with Global 2000 executives, I find many are dissatisfied with their data investments and capabilities. This is not a technology problem. This is not a technique problem. This is a people problem. Those enamored of data often want to eliminate the human from the equat
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: I have seen the future of Ubuntu: Ubuntu Gnome 17.04 review

  17-04-2017 15:06
  
  Canonical’s announcement to ditch Unity and move back to Gnome Stack and Gnome Shell has put Ubuntu Gnome in the spotlight. Canonical won’t have to do any work in ‘going back to Gnome’ because Ubuntu Gnome has done all the needed legwork.Jeremy Bicha, an Ubuntu Gnome developer, wrote in a blog post that “the development teams from both Ubuntu GNOME and Ubuntu Desktop will be merging resources and focusing on a single combined release, that provides the best of both
  
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• 13 ways to make your inbound marketing stand out

  17-04-2017 14:24
  
  Converting leads and contacts into customers continues to be the top marketing priority for many companies, according to HubSpot research,. And organizations that focus on inbound – e.g. using content marketing, social media and SEO to attract customers -- (vs. outbound) marketing are more likely to be effective.Here are 13 things your business can do to make your inbound marketing efforts more effective – and convert more prospects into customers.[ Related: How gamification improves
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Technology coordinates rideshares to get voters to the polls

  17-04-2017 14:19
  
  Getting to the polling station keeps many people from voting. It’s especially hard when you don’t own a car or are disabled. This is a big issue when just over one in two eligible American voters turn out.How are rides arranged when many of the voters have neither an internet connection nor an email address? How is scalability ensured with peak demands at elections? How are the right vehicles assigned for elderly or disabled voters?This article describes how a volunteer team prepared
  
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• What it takes to be a security consultant

  17-04-2017 13:00
  
  IT security consultants tend to be busy people. Given the widespread shortage of professionals with skills in many different aspects of cyber security, organizations frequently need help from outside experts.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• 10 tips to make the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 the best it can be

  17-04-2017 13:00
  
  Make the most of that slick new tabletImage by Ryan WhitwamSome Android OEMs have backed off making tablets over the last couple years. Not Samsung, though. It always seems to have another Android slate in the pipeline, boring though many of them are. The Galaxy Tab S3 certainly isn't. This is a premium tablet with a sleek metal and glass chassis, and it ships with a redesigned S Pen stylus. It's not cheap, though. Here are ten tips to help you take full advantage of your spendy new tablet.To re
  
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• BrandPost: DIA CIO Discusses Automation Benefits & Challenges

  17-04-2017 12:48
  
  Janice Glover-Jones, CIO of the Defense Intelligence AgencyJanice Glover-Jones is chief information officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), where she provides support to customers around the globe and manages thousands of employees. Ms. Glover-Jones became Deputy CIO at DIA in July 2012 and was promoted to CIO in December 2014.How is your CIO job different than that of a private sector CIO?It is the same in that providing security and preventing cyber intrusions is a paramount concern
  
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• Windows 10 privacy settings: What's new in the Creators Update

  17-04-2017 12:30
  
  Windows 10 privacy is a contentious issue. This is in part because Windows 10 is integrated with cloud-based features like Cortana, and it has features influenced by mobile such as determining your location. Then there's Microsoft's more questionable goals, like scooping up diagnostic data and gathering information for better ad-targeting.In previous versions of Windows 10, managing privacy was, to put it mildly, an insane process. Settings were strewn all over the operating system and the web.P
  
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• The rising security risk of the citizen developer

  17-04-2017 12:23
  
  While shadow IT was always a challenge for enterprise IT teams, it rapidly started to accelerate with the growth of the smartphone, and then cloud computing with the incredible expansion of public cloud infrastructure and software as a service offerings that made it as easy as providing a credit card to access a cloud service. Today, shadow IT has spread beyond smartphones, tablets, and cloud services and is rapidly extending into the domain of the enterprise developer.The trend could create pro
  
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• How to jumpstart your infosec career

  17-04-2017 12:17
  
  It would sure make things simple if there was one easy and obvious way to get a job or start a successful business in IT security. But it would also cut off a lot of potential career paths. We spoke to a host of different IT security pros and found that indeed there wasn't just one route to that coveted job.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Secrets of bimodal IT success: Tiger teams, skunkworks and the camel’s nose

  17-04-2017 12:08
  
  For such a seemingly obvious idea, Gartner ignited quite a firestorm with its proposition that, to remain relevant, IT must be broken into two distinct realms: one focused on keeping the lights on, or, in Gartner parlance, Mode 1, and one devoted to the cool stuff that business people want, or Mode 2.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Tips and tricks for a successful SD-WAN

  17-04-2017 12:07
  
  Software-defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) technology promises enterprises true transport independence and flexibility. SD-WAN adopters can turn to any transport protocol -- 3G, 4G LTE, MPLS, Internet or Wi-Fi -- to provide the best cost and performance benefits for specific applications.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Top 30 free apps for Windows 10

  17-04-2017 12:00
  
  Top 30 free apps for Windows 10Image by IDGWith Windows 10 adoption ramping up, many folks are looking for ways to further improve the Win10 experience. So why not make the most of your transition by reconsidering your old app habits and getting Win10 tools that will help you work smarter, faster, and more productively?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• New React version promises near-native performance

  17-04-2017 12:00
  
  Facebook's plans for its React JavaScript library include rewriting the library's internals to improve visual performance and make web apps more like native ones.The React 16 upgrade will feature Fiber, a new reconciliation algorithm that improves responsiveness. GitHub notes on React written in January say, "Fiber gives us a solid foundation to improve React core in numerous ways.... We intend to ship it with React 16 by default."[ Use JavaScript in your dev shop? InfoWorld looks at 17 JavaScri
  
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• New AI language hides TensorFlow complexity

  17-04-2017 12:00
  
  Bonsai's Inkling programming language, which makes it easier to build artificial intelligence applications, is moving closer to a 1.0 release.Part of the Bonsai Platform for AI, Inkling is a proprietary higher level language that compiles down to Google's open source TensorFlow library for machine intelligence. Inkling is designed to represent AI in terms of what a developer wants to teach the system instead of focusing on low-level mechanics. It abstracts away from dynamic AI algorithms th
  
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• Microgrids: Energy independence (and money saved) for companies

  17-04-2017 12:00
  
  ANDOVER, Mass. -- At the end of a heavily wooded, sparse industrial park here sits the North American headquarters and R&D center for Schneider Electric, which earlier this month unveiled its own campus power microgrid.The microgrid for the global energy management conglomerate is expected to produce 520,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year, or 10% of Schneider Electric's power needs. It's also expected to reduce its energy costs by 20%.Perhaps more importantly, the microgrid inc
  
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• How to overclock your PC's CPU

  17-04-2017 12:00
  
  If you think that overclocking is solely for performance-obsessed geeks armed with bottles of liquid nitrogen, it’s time to reconsider! Even a small bump in PC performance can delay the need to upgrade your CPU, keeping money in your pocket.Today I’ll walk you through simple overclocking steps that can boost processor speeds 10 percent or more. If you’re a gamer, video artist, or media streamer, that’s a useful, no-cost upgrade. Read on if you want your PC to go faster!Wh
  
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• 5 must-have security tools

  17-04-2017 12:00
  
  New York’s Montgomery County, located at the foot of the Adirondacks, consists of 10 towns, one city and 50,000 residents. To protect the data that pertains to its citizens and operations, Montgomery County added DatAdvantage from Varonis to its arsenal of security wares. The data security platform is designed to show organizations where sensitive data exists, who is accessing it, and how to keep it safe.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• 31 tech pros share favorite IT products

  17-04-2017 12:00
  
  What's to like? Image by Vicki Lyons, Prakash Kota, Julie Ulrich and David LeDouxEvery year we ask IT pros to share their favorite enterprise products, and every year we learn what it takes to win them over — including gear that saves time and money, bolsters security, and streamlines digital transformations. Read on to learn what 31 tech pros like best, in their own words.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Why AI will both increase efficiency and create jobs

  17-04-2017 11:00
  
  Artificial Intelligence is already impacting every industry through automation and machine learning, bringing concerns that AI is on the fast track to replacing many jobs. But these fears aren't new, says Dan Jackson, director of Enterprise Technology at Crestron, a company that designs workplace technology."I'd argue this is no different than when we moved from an agricultural to an industrial economy at the turn of the last century. The percentage of people working in agriculture significantly
  
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• How a job candidate’s experience affects your brand

  17-04-2017 11:00
  
  The internet is forever. Memes, Tweets, blog posts, PR wins and gaffes -- once published, these things won't ever go away. Nowhere is this fact more important than on employer review sites, where candidates and employees turn to share their thoughts, feelings and personal experiences interacting with a company, says Dan Schawbel, research director at Future Workplace.The research, "The Future of Recruiting," from Future Workplace and HR and social media recruiting technology solutions company Ca
  
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