Industrial IoT's big future is starting to become a reality, but many companies still don't think they're ready for it.Those are some of the findings in surveys released on Tuesday by the Business Performance Innovation Network and the Eclipse IoT Working Group. They reflect the views of hundreds of executives and developers from a range of industries.More than half of the executives think their industries are already adopting IoT through either pilots or large-scale deployments, and 57 percent are at least in the planning stages themselves, BPI Network said. About 350 executives from around the world responded to the survey by BPI Network, an organization of business leaders.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Oracle's online advertising analytics platform will soon know even more about what you are watching, where and when: The company has agreed to buy Moat, which aims to track how much attention consumers are paying to online media.Moat's platform tracks browsing and viewing habits on desktop and mobile devices, and even connected TVs. It touts its ability to separate out non-human traffic so advertisers don't pay for clicks from bots, and to quantify the audibility and visibility of ads.Oracle plans to add Moat's information about viewing habits to Oracle Data Cloud, which provides analytics tools and data about what consumers do and buy to marketers and publishers. Moat will continue to operate as an independent platform within that division, Oracle said Wednesday.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The iPhone 8 release date may be delayed until November of 2017, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Echoing similar reports we've seen sprout up over the past few months, the report relays that Apple's 2017 iPhone lineup will showcase three brand new devices. Of course, there will be revamped iPhones in the form of a new iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus. But without question, the main attraction in Apple's upcoming iPhone lineup will be its 5.8-inch iPhone 8 that will likely wow users with an edge-to-edge OLED display.As tends to be the case, tremendous mobile innovations aren't always straight-forward affairs, which is to say that Apple is seemingly encountering a few roadblocks in its effort to get the iPhone 8 ready for production. As we highlighted not too long ago, Apple is seeing low yields on the iPhone 8 display, likely due to its desire to embed the home button and the Touch ID sensor into the display itself. While other companies like Samsung have sleek looking edgeless displays, the iPhone 8 will perhaps be the only flagship device with an advanced fingerprint recognition sensor embedded right into the display.To read this article in Continue reading
On Jan. 6, weeks before he was due to become president, Donald Trump sat down with U.S. intelligence officials for a two-hour briefing at Trump Tower on cyberattacks conducted during the U.S. election. The meeting resulted in a pledge: a plan to counter cyberattacks against the U.S. within 90 days of taking office.On Wednesday, President Trump marks his 90th day in office with no sign of a report or indication that one is on the way. That’s a surprise, given the recent string of successful, high-profile cyberattacks against the federal government.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This adjustable desk riser offers a healthy addition to any desk that allows you to sit or stand while you work. The large, 31" x 20" work surface accommodates two monitors or a monitor and a laptop. Its ergonomic keyboard tray moves up and down with the desk and be adjusted out/in to the most comfortable position. Five height adjustments (up to over 16" above your desk) allow a comfortable standing position. A gas spring will allow you to effortlessly move the desk up and down, even with your computer equipment. The riser is fully assembled for use right out of the box. It averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 325 people on Amazon (read reviews), where its typical list price of $169.99 has been reduced 15% to $144.48. See the deal now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
NOTE: This story was originally published in September 2013 and updated in April 2017.Bringing IT in-house and setting up dedicated on-premises servers can be intimidating for a small business, especially given the recent focus on online services. Moreover, resources designed to help tend to assume a medium-sized or enterprise installation, which may not necessarily work well for setting up a small server room or even a closet for a branch office.With some understanding of the basics, though, setting up your own server room for your small business network need not be an arcane process. Here are some tips for getting started.Rack-mount equipment makes sense
It's not uncommon for small businesses to begin operation by stacking server hardware and network appliances on a desk or shelf. Though such a deployment is inexpensive, the pile of equipment invariably expands into an unmanageable mess with the growth of the company. Exposed equipment is also completely open to physical tampering and is a ticking time bomb for accidents such as coffee spills, dust or even workers tripping over wires.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
If you want to be successful in your digital transformation initiatives, clean up your data first. That’s the message from Anil Chakravarthy, CEO of Informatica, whose master data management products help companies get a 360-degree view of customers, suppliers and other key assets. In this installment of the IDG CEO Interview Series, Chakravarthy spoke with Chief Content Officer John Gallant about the data quality and integration issues that hamstring innovation and digital transformation efforts. He also discussed how the nearly 25-year-old company’s decision to go private in 2015 was spurred by its own digital transformation strategy.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
Microsoft delayed its February security update slate to finish patching critical flaws in Windows that a hacker gang tried to sell, several security experts have argued."Looks like Microsoft had been informed by 'someone,' and purposely delayed [February's] Patch Tuesday to successfully deliver MS17-010," tweeted Matt Suiche, founder of Dubai-based security firm Comae Technologies.MS17-010, one of several security bulletins Microsoft issued in March, was just one of several cited Friday by the Redmond, Wash. developer when it said it had already patched most of the vulnerabilities exploited by just-leaked hacking tools.Those tools -- 12 different Windows exploits -- had been included in a large data dump made April 14 by a hacker group dubbed Shadow Brokers, which is believed to have ties to Russia. The exploits, as well as a trove of documents, had been stolen from the National Security Agency (NSA), Shadow Brokers claimed.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
New intelligence can be added to mobile devices like the iPhone, Android devices, and low-power computers like Raspberry Pi with Facebook's new open-source Caffe2 deep-learning framework.Caffe2 can be used to program artificial intelligence features into smartphones and tablets, allowing them to recognize images, video, text, and speech and be more situationally aware.It's important to note that Caffe2 is not an AI program, but a tool allowing AI to be programmed into smartphones. It takes just a few lines of code to write learning models, which can then be bundled into apps.The release of Caffe2 is significant. It means users will be able to get image recognition, natural language processing, and computer vision directly on their phone. That task is typically offloaded to remote servers in the cloud, with smartphones then connecting to it.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Cybercriminals have another easy-to-use ransomware kit to add to their arsenals, thanks to a new variant called Karmen that hackers can buy on the black market for $175.A Russian-speaking user called DevBitox has been advertising the ransomware in underground forums, security firm Recorded Future said in a blog post on Tuesday. Karmen is what experts call ransomware-as-a-service -- a particularly worrisome trend. Amateur hackers with little technical know-how can buy access to them, and in return, they’ll receive a whole suite of web-based tools to develop their own ransomware attacks.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Facebook is making it possible to hang out with your friends in virtual reality using Spaces, a new app the company launched Tuesday for the Oculus Rift. The app will allow people to join a shared, immersive video call, represented by a personalized avatar.Using Spaces, people can hang out around a virtual reality table, share three-dimensional drawings and use the Rift’s built-in microphone to chat with one another. Users can also surround themselves and their friends with 360-degree photos and videos from Facebook’s library of content.People who don’t have a Rift headset can also be included in a Spaces hangout by using Facebook’s Messenger video calling functionality. Users will be able to view a Space from their smartphone, and have their video call shown inside the virtual reality environment.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Amazon is featuring discounts of up to 44% on various HP OfficeJet Pro and Envy wireless printers with mobile printing, for a limited time. Prices and discounts will be hidden until you add them to your cart, so jump over to Amazon to learn more and review buying options.
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I spoke to a 5th grade class about identity theft the other day. I quickly discovered that these kids were struggling with EXACTLY the same problems most of us struggle with in our workplace and our personal lives. They were swimming in a sea of dubious information, not able to tell what was real and what was not, or if they were being scammed or by whom.“Sometimes I’m gaming,” said one kid, “and someone asks ‘What’s your real name?’ and I’m like, why does he need to know?”“I was on this chat board, and I could just tell this person was totally fake, but I didn’t know what to do,” said another kid.+ Also on Network World: What fake news means for IT—and how IT security can help fight it +
The truth is, every day, in every possible way, we get bombarded with fake information. It doesn’t matter how old we are, how smart we are, whether we’re at home or at work. The world is full of falsity, whether it’s phishing, fake news or some weirdo trying to learn more about us when we’re playing a video game.To read this article Continue reading
Place Philips Hue Lightstrips under furniture or kitchen cabinets, into coves or highlight architectural features with indirect white light. Control color, dimming and shading through the app, or with your voice via an Alexa compatible device. Shape, bend or extent these 6-foot strips as needed. Sync lighting effects to music, movies, or games to take your experience to the next level. A hub is required and sold separately. The typical list price of $89.99 is currently being discounted 20% in a promotion for Amazon Prime members only (or those with a free trial: get one here). See this deal now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
I have read a dozen or more Stephen King books over the years, but ‘It’ – the one upon which an upcoming movie is based and named -- is not among them. So I could relate right away to this observation posted to the section of Reddit devoted to sysadmins:“I keep seeing posts and advertisements for the movie IT. Every time, I think of it as I-T and have to reread it. … Is it just me?”No, it’s not just you. And, speaking at least for myself, this isn’t the first time I’ve been momentarily confused by an uppercase IT. My mind reads that as “an acronym for information technology,” not “the creepy clown from a Stephen King novel,” or any other meaning more commonly attached to the word it.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Serial space tourist Charles Simonyi is going back again -- to his former employer, Microsoft.When Simonyi quit as Microsoft's Chief Software Architect in 2002, it was to create a start-up devoted to making programming simpler. Now Microsoft has agreed to acquire that company, Intentional Software.During his absence from Microsoft, Simonyi also found time to fly to the International Space Station -- twice. He made his first trip in 2007 and liked it so much that he went back again two years later.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Cloud computing is all well and good for enterprises with big-data applications and consumers with virtual assistants, but it runs into some limits in an isolated cornfield.On farms and other places far from powerful computers and network connections, there's a trend away from centralized computing even while most of the IT world is embracing it. In remote places, the internet of things requires local processing as well as data-center analysis. So-called edge computing is coming to industries including manufacturing, utilities, shipping, and oil and gas. Agriculture is getting it, too.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Microsoft has crazy quantum computing plans. It is building hardware based on a particle that hasn't been discovered, and the company now wants to make super-cool memory for quantum computers.The company is working with Rambus to develop and build prototype computers with memory subsystems that can be cooled at cryogenic temperatures. Cryogenic temperatures typically are below minus 180 degrees Celsius or minus 292 degrees Fahrenheit.Quantum computers could eventually replace today's PCs and servers and promise to be significantly faster. But the systems are notoriously unstable and need to be stored in refrigerators for faster and secure operation. As an example, D-Wave's 2000Q quantum computer needs to be kept significantly cooler than supercomputers so operations don't break down.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
What could go wrong with IoT devices? A lot when it comes to dozens of such devices working close to one another if not tested for interoperability first. Is the connected thermostat interfering with the smart TV? Or has the IoT-enabled door lock been hacked through the security camera?How do you to test if the smart appliances from different vendors work with your smart home ecosystem? Is one compromising the security of another? How do consumers really use their IoT devices?Underwriters Laboratories (UL) uses a real home fitted with IoT appliances and devices as a testing lab to find out.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
In the school district of La Crosse, Vicki Lyons depends on mobile device management software from Jamf to manage the Wisconsin district’s fleet of iPads and MacBook Air devices. The Apple device management platform plays a key role in the district’s efforts to provide equitable access to technology to all of its students.“We use Jamf Pro as our device management solution for our 1:1 iPad program district-wide. As a result, we are driving student success with iPads and meeting their individual needs via personalized learning — something we weren’t able to previously do,” says Lyons, technology service director for the School District of La Crosse.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here