IT Executive news

• Drupal fixes critical access bypass vulnerability

  20-04-2017 23:09
  
  The Drupal project has released a patch to fix a critical access bypass vulnerability that could put websites at risk of hacking.The vulnerability does not have the highest severity level based on Drupal's rating system, but is serious enough that the platform's developers decided to also release a patch for a version of the content management system that's no longer officially supported.Successful exploitation of the vulnerability can lead to a complete compromise of data confidentiality and we
  
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• 18% off AUKEY SoundTank Bluetooth Water Resistant Speaker with 30-Hour Playtime - DealPost

  20-04-2017 23:05
  
  Weighing in at just over a pound, the AUKEY Sountank is the ideal lightweight, water resistant companion speaker for your all your adventures. The dual 5 watt speaker drivers  are powered by a 2600mAh rechargeable battery delivering up to 30 continuous hours of wireless audio.  Utilizing the latest in Bluetooth audio with A2DP, improved connection stability, faster pairing, lower latency, and lower power consumption from connected devices when wirelessly streaming audio across dis
  
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• Apple will return heat generated by data center to warm up homes

  20-04-2017 22:53
  
  Apple is building a new data center in Denmark, and it has some interesting ideas on how to power the data center with renewable energy, while also giving back to the community.Excess heat generated by the data center will be captured and returned to the local district's heating system, which will warm up homes in the community.The data center in the Jutland region will be partly powered by recycling waste products from farms. Apple is working with Aarhus University on a system that passes agric
  
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• 5 underrated features of the Samsung Galaxy S8

  20-04-2017 22:52
  
  Since receiving my review unit of the Samsung Galaxy S8, I've barely reached for my iPhone 6. And while I test the device for my in-depth enterprise review, I've stumbled across some features I think are underrated.The most prominent features of the S8 are easy to spot and highly publicized -- the bezel-free Infinity Display, the Super AMOLED display with QHD+ resolution and virtual integrated home button. The design and display drew me in, but I've found a lot more to love about the Galaxy S8 -
  
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• Hackers use old Stuxnet-related bug to carry out attacks

  20-04-2017 22:45
  
  Users that run unpatched software beware. Hackers have been relying on an old software bug tied to the Stuxnet worm to carry out their attacks.Microsoft may have initially patched the flaw in 2010, but it's nevertheless become the most widespread software exploit, according to security firm Kaspersky Lab.On Thursday, Kaspersky posted research examining the use of exploits, or malicious programs designed to take advantage of certain software flaws. Once an exploit goes to work, it can typically p
  
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• Blockchain used to power Brooklyn microgrid for solar energy re-sale

  20-04-2017 22:43
  
  Residents of the Park Slope area of Brooklyn are now able to sell power generated from rooftop solar panels via a microgrid enabled by a blockchain ledger that records every transaction made with a local utility.The physical microgrid, set up by Siemens Digital Grid Division, includes network control systems, converters, lithium-ion battery storage and smart electric meters. In  case of another hurricane like Sandy in 2012, residents on the microgrid would continue to have power for a time
  
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• Developer lifts Windows 7's update blockade with unsanctioned patch

  20-04-2017 22:28
  
  An anonymous developer has published a patch that negates Microsoft's barring of security updates from Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs equipped with the very newest processors.The developer, identified as "Zeffy," posted the patch and accompanying documentation on GitHub, the code repository.[ Related: Fix Windows 10 problems with these free Microsoft tools ]"I was inspired to look into these new rollup updates that Microsoft released on March 16 [after reading about the processor-related blocking of Wind
  
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• Apple sets a new environmental goal: No more mining

  20-04-2017 22:15
  
  Apple never used to announce what its roadmap looked like. Instead, the company held its cards close and let the rumor mill run amok. But lately, Apple is being much more open about its future. Expect new iMacs later this year, company executives said earlier this month, but that’s not all: Apple plans to make all of its products with recycled materials.Apple Apple’s environmental goal illustrated.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Microsoft commits to twice yearly updates to Windows 10, Office 365

  20-04-2017 21:51
  
  Microsoft is offering IT pros some new guidance on when they can expect major feature updates for Windows 10, Office 365's client applications, and System Center Configuration Manager.Office and Windows are slated to receive two major patches per year, one in March and the other in September. SCCM will be updated in time with those releases to facilitate deployments. That means the next major update to Windows 10, codenamed Redstone 3, is due out in September.On top of that, Microsoft confirmed
  
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• Microsoft will cut services to standalone Office users so they’ll subscribe to Office 365

  20-04-2017 21:37
  
  When Microsoft launched Office 365 in 2010, Microsoft officials said then that customers were asking to move to the cloud. Beginning in 2020, some Office customers will need to buy Office 365 to do so.In an update to Microsoft’s Office 365 system requirements released on Thursday, Microsoft said that consumers who have already purchased “perpetual”—i.e., standalone—versions of Office, such as Office 2010, Office 2013, and Office 2016, would be cut off from accessing
  
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• OpenStack cloud deployments are up, but Intel scales back

  20-04-2017 21:06
  
  OpenStack Foundation is upbeat about user participation in its cloud endeavor, despite a recent cutback on a related project from key sponsor Intel.According to OpenStack's ninth user survey, the open source cloud project had gained 44 percent more deployments and input from 22 percent more organizations than a year ago. The average age of a deployment was 1.68 years, with 56 percent of deployments launched either this year or in 2016, and a typical deployment runs nine projects. More than 1,300
  
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• Qualcomm: First Windows 10 ARM PC coming in the fourth quarter

  20-04-2017 21:00
  If you want a Windows 10 PC that doesn't have an x86 chip from Intel or AMD, your wish will be granted in the fourth quarter.Qualcomm said the first cellular laptop with Windows 10 and its ARM-based Snapdragon 835 will come by the end of the year."Our Snapdragon 835 is expanding into mobile PC designs running Windows 10," and it's scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter, said Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm, according to a transcript of a Wednesday earnings call posted on Seeking Alpha.
  
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• Nike will sell an exclusive Apple Watch NikeLab not available in most Apple stores

  20-04-2017 20:36
  
  Apple and Nike are launching a new Apple Watch model at the end of the month, but it’s hard to spot any major upgrades in the Apple Watch NikeLab.The Apple Watch NikeLab is a limited-edition model with a Space Grey aluminum case and a “light bone” and black Nike Sports Band. This model sports the “NikeLab Innovation x Innovators” logo on the back.Just like the Apple Watch Nike+ models that were first unveiled in 2016, this is a Series 2 model running the latest watc
  
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• Microsoft commits to a permament schedule for new Windows 10, Office updates

  20-04-2017 19:56
  
  Microsoft said Thursday it will commit to a strict schedule for Windows and Office feature updates: every September and March. It's a concession to IT administrators that will ripple down to all users.The company said it would hew to a “predictable” twice-per-year schedule for both platforms, though there’s still a little wiggle room: Microsoft didn’t specify exact dates within those months. As per the new schedule, the next Windows update, code-named Redstone 3, will be
  
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• Ethernet evolution: Broadcom switches offer Time Sensitive Ethernet

  20-04-2017 19:15
  
  Broadcom this week introduced a family of Ethernet switches that support new technology aimed at helping users address the rising network implications of the Internet of Things, automotive networking and video applications.+More on Network World: Ethernet: Are there worlds left to conquer?+Key to that strategy is that the new family -- Broadcom StrataConnect BCM53570 – features support for an emerging Ethernet protocol technology called Time Sensitive Networks that brings standard determin
  
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• US FCC ends price caps on many business data lines

  20-04-2017 19:06
  
  The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has voted to deregulate the providers of the business data lines connecting broadband service to many small businesses, schools, hospitals, and ATM machines.The deregulation of business data services, or BDS, could mean broadband price hikes for those businesses as well as for mobile phone customers, critics said. BDS provides the backhaul that connects mobile towers to the wired internet.The commission's 2-1 party-line vote ends price caps on much
  
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• Hey Siri, please check on Cher

  20-04-2017 19:03
  
  And definitely unplug the microwave. And maybe consider going to Settings > Siri and turning off the switch for “Allow Hey Siri.”Best of luck, Cher, we love you!
  NO JOKE…SIRI,OUT OF NOWHERE STARTS WRITING DOWN WHAT IM SAYING🙊
  MY PHONE ISNT IN MY HAND,&
  SEEMS “OFF”‼️OMG SHES IN LEAGUEWITH MICROWAVE😱— Cher (@cher) April 20, 2017 To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• OK Google, let's get personal

  20-04-2017 18:45
  
  A hotly anticipated upgrade to Google Home will let users train the company’s virtual assistant to recognize different voices and provide personalized responses to each person.When users set up speaker recognition, their Home devices will ask that they say “OK Google” and “Hey Google” two times each. Whenever someone uses one of those phrases in the future to ask the Google Assistant a question, the Home device being addressed will check to see if that person is one
  
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• 20% off AIRFREE HD Indoor Antenna 50 Miles Range, USB Power Supply - Deal Alert

  20-04-2017 18:02
  
  Cut the cable and get access to your local news, weather, sitcoms, kids and sports programs, educational programs and more for free. Enjoy crystal clear HDTV shows in 1080p. The antenna boasts a 50-mile range, and a generous 10-foot cable gives you the flexibility to find the best placement for maximum reception. The AIRFREE antenna currently averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 170 people on Amazon, where its typical list price of $19.99 has been temporarily reduced 20% to $15.99. See this dea
  
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• Now it's personal: Google Home picks up support for multiple accounts, voice recognition

  20-04-2017 18:00
  
  The assistants in our living rooms are supposed to be as personal as they are on our phones, but it’s never really felt that way. Anyone who walks into our homes can say, “OK, Google,” or “Hey, Alexa” and get access to whatever they want, from upcoming appointments to the kind of music we like, even addressing them by your name. But a new feature rolling out to Google Home looks to add a personal touch to the impersonal home speaker.Instead of being tied to a single
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Adaptive intelligence for improved human-robot interactions with patients

  20-04-2017 18:00
  
  Humans are collaborating with unlikely partners to improve infectious disease environments. They are partnering with robots. Human-robot interaction (HRI) is the study of the interactions between humans and robots. This field is multidisciplinary and covers human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, robotics, natural language understanding, design and social sciences. Combining the best of science fiction, academic speculation and healthcare optimism, we are ready to explore the future
  
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• By Djingo, there's a new virtual assistant

  20-04-2017 17:40
  
  How many virtual assistants can you fit in one smartphone? European network operator Orange is hoping there's room to squeeze in one more.With the right apps, you can already talk to Alexa, Cortana and Google through your smartphone -- and maybe also to Siri or Bixby if you went with one of the big brands.Orange wants to add Djingo to that list.Djingo will be able to answer questions, send text messages, place calls, play music and video from Orange's set-top box, and control smart home devices.
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: How and why to own your branded search results

  20-04-2017 17:26
  
  Have you ever Google'd a company and found a number of front page results that were negative to the brand in question?That happened to me a couple of years ago when I put Walmart into the search engine. It came back with the main site, but also People of Walmart (a photo site showing unflattering photos of unique customers at the chain of stores), and Walmart Sucks, (a website dedicated to exposing bad business practices and complaints about the company) in the second and third spots.Since then
  
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• MongoDB database as a service offering goes global

  20-04-2017 17:14
  
  MongoDB today announced that it has expanded support for its MongoDB Atlas database as a service offering to 14 Amazon Web Services (AWS) regions across the globe. MongoDB Atlas is a cloud-based version of the company's open source, NoSQL document-oriented database.When it launched the service in June of 2016, MongoDB made it available only in the five AWS regions that offered three availability zones to ensure the best availability and performance. But its users' global footprint, the pressures
  
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• Dell's luscious new 4K monitor is bold, bright, and HDR-infused

  20-04-2017 17:13
  
  Yet another HDR monitor will soon be available for PC users, but don’t get too excited, gamers—this one’s aimed at the pro market. Dell announced its first HDR10 monitor, the UltraSharp UP2718Q, on Thursday. Based on the specs, this is one impressive display, and it has an equally impressive $2,000 price tag to go with it. The 27-inch HDR monitor features the usual 4K resolution of 3840-by-1260, but what really makes this monitor stand out is its adherence to the
  
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• Flaws let attackers hijack multiple Linksys router models

  20-04-2017 17:12
  
  Two dozen Linksys router models are vulnerable to attacks that could extract sensitive information from their configurations, cause them to become unresponsive and even completely take them over.The vulnerabilities were discovered by senior security consultant Tao Sauvage from IOActive and independent security researcher Antide Petit while working together to analyze the Linksys EA3500 Smart Wi-Fi wireless router.The two researchers found a total of 10 vulnerabilities that affect not only the EA
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Fog is coming, and that's good news for the cloud

  20-04-2017 16:36
  
  The cloud has been in the news a lot lately, and mostly for bad behavior. It’s been slow, expensive, insecure or simply MIA — taking major corporations offline for hours and raising questions about the future of cloud computing.Is cloud computing going away? Absolutely not, but a rapidly emerging new technology may mean that we won’t be stuck with our cloudy blues for long.Imagine enabling organizations to leverage the benefits of both cloud and on-site IT, with the speed, resi
  
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• HTC looks to put the squeeze on the S8 with a new grip-sensing flagship phone

  20-04-2017 16:09
  
  Updated, 4/20/17: This article has been updated with more details on the phone  including release date information.Even before the U Ultra was available for purchase, HTC was already teasing a better phone on the horizon, one that takes full advantage of the next-generation Snapdragon 835 processor. Now it looks like it will arrive on the heels of the Galaxy S8, and it could be one of the most interesting handsets of the year.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, ple
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: Why Docker created the Moby Project

  20-04-2017 16:08
  
  With going mainstream comes great responsibilities. — Solomon HykesDocker has experienced exponential growth in the last two years. DockerHub downloads have gone from 100 million to 6 billion. To keep up with this growth, Docker broke its monolithic model into smaller open source components, including containerd, libnetwork, swarmkit and LinuxKit.Open sourcing these components allowed Docker and its ecosystem to collaborate on each component and make them more efficient. It also helped Doc
  
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• User-created patch lets Kaby Lake and Ryzen PCs receive Windows 7 updates

  20-04-2017 16:01
  
  Less than a week ago, Microsoft began actively blocking users from receiving updates on PCs running Windows 7 or 8 with a modern Intel Kaby Lake or AMD Ryzen processor. Surprise! An open-source patch is already available that lets affected users start snagging Windows updates yet again. That sure didn't take long. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Most employees willing to share sensitive information, survey says

  20-04-2017 15:00
  
  According to an end user security survey released this morning, 72 percent of employees are willing to share confidential information. In the financial services sector, the percentage was even higher -- 81 percent said they should share sensitive, confidential or regulated information.This is despite the fact that 65 percent said that it was their responsibility to protect confidential data."There is an acknowledgment by employees that security is important," said Brett Hansen, vice president fo
  
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• Trump’s H-1B reform resolves few questions

  20-04-2017 14:58
  
  U.S. President Donald Trump signed his so-called “Buy American, Hire American" executive order on Tuesday, aimed in part reforming the H-1B visa process for temporary foreign workers. The order clarifies that the new administration does indeed intend to address the visa program -- heavily used by IT outsourcers both foreign and domestic — this year. However, the details of the proposed reforms — and the powers of the executive branch to compel changes to the system — rema
  
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• Toward a bigger, faster, denser Wi-Fi world

  20-04-2017 14:45
  
  Some 350 Wi-Fi true believers have gathered in Tysons Corner, Va., this week to sing the wireless networking technology’s praises, peek into its future and warn of its challenges.The Wi-Fi Now event featured sessions and exhibitors focused on consumer, enterprise and service provider technologies, though I mainly concentrated on the enterprise technology in the sweet spot for Network World’s target readers. This included the latest alphabet soup of new and emerging IEEE 802.11 standa
  
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• BrandPost: The Self-Driving Network: SDN On Steroids

  20-04-2017 14:32
  
  By now the concept of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) — the emerging architecture that decouples the network control and forwarding functions enabling the network control to become directly programmable and the underlying infrastructure to be abstracted for applications and network services — has become widely known, if not widely adopted. Its market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 53% from $3.27 billion in 2016 to $42.157 billion in 2021.But there is another SDN, the self-driv
  
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• Microsoft's ad missed the mark but opened eyes

  20-04-2017 13:12
  
  Microsoft's diversity and inclusion page starts off with this sentence, "In over 20 years of committed diversity and inclusion efforts, we've learned that diversity is not a finite goal; it is a journey that requires constant self-assessment and recommitment."That's cool. They might want to "reassess" their latest ad campaign, however, aimed at encouraging young girls to stay in STEM fields.The ad starts out innocently enough. Young girls express their desire to use innovations and advancements
  
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• Samsung Galaxy S8 review: The best phone ever made, only smaller

  20-04-2017 13:00
  
  If you haven’t yet read our extensive review of the Galaxy S8+, you should. Nearly everything said about that phone applies to the smaller Galaxy S8. It’s got the same gorgeous design, the same best-ever display, the same awesome camera, same processor, memory, storage, features...it’s just smaller.The display is 5.8 inches instead of 6.2, and the battery is 3,000 mAh instead of 3,500. These differences, and a price tag about $130 lower, are all the separate the Galaxy S8 from
  
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• 3 new Cortana features that can tackle common tasks

  20-04-2017 13:00
  Cortana is one of our favorite tools for getting things donemore quickly and easily in Windows 10. So we’re pretty pleased that Windows 10 Creators Update brings a handful of improvements to our favorite digital assistant. After using them for a few days, we’ve pinpointed three that can help improve your productivity right now.Full-screen mode
  As helpful as it is to have Cortana at arm’s reach, it’s now useful when you’re across the room, too, thanks to a new full-s
  
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• How startups recruit, hire and retain software developers

  20-04-2017 12:42
  
  Coding Sans, a software development company, released its State of Software Development at Startups survey looking at 126 tech workers at startup companies. Of those polled, 35 percent cited hiring talent as one of the "biggest challenges in software development," and 90 percent expect the demand for software developers will only grow in the next five years.The survey also uncovered some interesting tactics startups use to compete with bigger, more established tech companies. Here are seven real
  
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• Are we ready to bid the SIEM farewell?

  20-04-2017 12:38
  
  At this year's Infiltrate Security Conference in Miami, John Grigg walked the audience through a common target network where a known and commonly used SIEM had been integrated in order to show participants how to exploit onto the SIEM, find intel, and cover their tracks.Though SIEM technologies are supposed to help secure the networks, Grigg said that they are often misconfigured, which creates more vulnerabilities.Even though some of the legacy tools are pretty cool, Grigg said the problem is t
  
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• NoSQL grudge match: MongoDB vs. Couchbase Server

  20-04-2017 12:00
  
  Choosing the right database for the job can be a daunting task, particularly if you’re entertaining the full space of SQL and NoSQL options. If you’re looking for a flexible, general-purpose option that allows for fluid schemas and complex nested data structures, a document database might be right for you. MongoDB and Couchbase Server are two popular choices. How should you choose?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
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• Machine-to-machine 'voice' has a name, a chirp, and a niche

  20-04-2017 12:00
  
  Machines communicating by voice with other machines is a science fiction staple. But it's already being used by a bus service, Shuttl, to ease passenger boarding.Instead of scanning a device with a barcode or using Near Field Communications (NFC), a Shuttl passenger uses her smartphone to transmit an R2D2-like sound to the driver's phone. An app sends a melodic and swift sound that completes the transaction. It doesn't need wireless connectivity -- or patience.The technology is made by a U.K.-ba
  
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• IDG Contributor Network: 6 HTML tweaks that can boost your search visibility

  20-04-2017 12:00
  
  You spend hours on your business’s website, making sure visitors can find the information they need to make a buying decision. But in recent years, most marketers have realized that a well-crafted website is only one part of online marketing. If customers can’t find your page, you’ll never convince them to buy from you.At one time, businesses offloaded their website design to professional firms, who charged a lump sum for a design that mostly remained stagnant for years. Howeve
  
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• Facebook's Relay JavaScript framework gets GraphQL

  20-04-2017 12:00
  
  Facebook has reconstructed its Relay JavaScript framework for building data-driven applications for easier use.Renamed Relay Modern, the updated framework features a GraphQL framework incorporating best practices from classic Relay, Facebook's native mobile GraphQL clients, and the GraphQL community, Facebook software engineers Lee Byron and Joe Savona said this week.[ Use JavaScript in your dev shop? InfoWorld looks at 17 JavaScript editors and IDEs and 22 JavaScript frameworks ready for adopti
  
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• Don't get bit by zombie cloud data

  20-04-2017 12:00
  
  The internet never forgets, which means data that should have been deleted doesn't always stay deleted. Call it "zombie data," and unless your organization has a complete understanding of how your cloud providers handle file deletion requests, it can come back to haunt you.Ever since the PC revolution, the concept of data deletion has been a bit misunderstood. After all, dragging a file to the Recycle Bin simply removed the pointer to the file, freeing up disk space to write new data. Until then
  
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• AWS CodeStar offers templates to ease cloud app deployments

  20-04-2017 12:00
  
  Amazon looks to simplify building and deploying apps on its cloud platform with the introduction of the AWS CodeStar service this week.The cloud service eases project setup by using templates for web applications, web services, and other projects on common development platforms. Developers can provision projects and resources for software development processes ranging from coding to testing and deployment. Templates are featured for such AWS options as EC2, Elastic Beanstalk, and Lambda, and sup
  
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• 12 tips to curb data usage in Android

  20-04-2017 12:00
  
  At a time when a great deal of business is conducted on the go using smartphones, it's become even more important to be conscious of how much data you're using. Whether you're using your own phone or one issued by your company, mobile data is money -- and if you don't optimize your phone to handle it intelligently, you're throwing dollars down the drain.After all, whether you have a plan with a monthly data cap or a setup where you're billed for the data you use, you're essentially paying for al
  
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• 10 ways Trusted Identities are used

  20-04-2017 12:00
  
  To transform the user experienceImage by ThinkstockTrusted identities turn smartphones into ID cards, keys and computer logon tools that connect users to more applications, on-the-go, than ever before. They give people secure and convenient access to physical and digital places and connect things that can be accurately identified, verified and tracked digitally. Combining security, privacy and convenience, trusted IDs make interactions in the physical and digital worlds more personal, contextual
  
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• Raspberry Pi Roundup: Pi-se of the Machines, keeping the ball up, and GOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLL

  20-04-2017 11:18
  
  The Raspberry Pi is a computer of relatively modest raw capability, but it’s limited much more by our own creativity than it is by its hardware. We’ve seen Pis be everything from video game emulators to fantastic wedding proposal aides to fruit sniffers. Sure, it’s not a powerhouse, but that’s missing the point.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
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• Google reportedly plans ad blocking feature for Chrome browser

  20-04-2017 08:43
  
  Google makes a lot of money from online advertisements. In what appears to be a surprising move at first glance, the company is likely to introduce an ad blocking feature that could be turned on by default in desktop and mobile versions of its Chrome browser, according to a news report.The move by Google is seen as more defensive rather than a change of heart by the company on the issue of ad blockers, reported The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the company’s plans.By bun
  
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• Facebook aims to let people type from their brain, hear with skin

  20-04-2017 06:43
  
  Facebook revealed Wednesday that it is working on technology to let people type straight from their brains at 100 words per minute.A team of over 60 scientists, engineers and others at its secretive Building 8 research lab are working in the area Facebook describes as silent speech communications. Another project is directed at allowing people to hear with their skin, for which the company is building the necessary hardware and software.“So what if you could type directly from your brain?&
  
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