Apple has been doomed for decades, if the steady stream of headlines about the company, its stock price, and its product lineup are to be believed. If The Macalope has taught us anything, it's that the Apple deathwatch business is a brisk (and bizarre) one. The truth is much more complex. But by any measure, 2016 was a particularly tough year for Apple.The company endured a bitter legal fight with the FBI, saw its first revenue decline in more than a decade, and faced backlash over hardware tweaks in its upgraded flagship products: the iPhone 7’s lack of a 3.5mm audio jack and the overhauled MacBook Pro’s less-than-pro specs for a decidedly pro price.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Getting duped online by a cybercriminal is infuriating. You let your guard down for a minute and the thieves find their way in to your machine.And then the “fun” begins if ransomware is involved. Hopefully you have your data backed up, but if not now starts the dance with those who have ultimately taken you hostage. Ransomware is obviously analogous to kidnapping, and dealing with the perpetrators can feel much like negotiating with a jumper standing on the edge of high-rise roof.Look no further for help than the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology report that in part describes how to deal with criminals when they are holding your data hostage. The report talks of what to do once a breach has been found.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Logitech's K400 Wireless Keyboard for internet-enabled TVs is designed to be compact, comfortable, quiet, and easy to use from the comfort of your couch. It features a familiar key layout and a large 3.5-inch touchpad. A 33-foot range makes for a trouble free connection even in large rooms, and its battery is strong, lasting up to a year and a half without needing a charge, even with 2 hours of typing per day. The keyboard averages 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 1,700 customers (read reviews). It's regular list price of $39.99 has been reduced by 30% to just $27.99. See the discounted K400 wireless keyboard now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
A critical remote code execution vulnerability in PHPMailer, one of the most widely used PHP email sending libraries, could put millions of websites at risk of hacking.The flaw was found by a security researcher named Dawid Golunski and an initial fix was included in PHPMailer 5.2.18, which was released Saturday. However, it turns out that the patch was incomplete and can be bypassed.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Designed to be the heart of your smart home, the Samsung SmartThings Hub connects wirelessly to hundreds of compatible smart devices, so you can monitor, manage, and secure your home from anywhere. Simply pair other Samsung SmartThings devices with the Hub and enjoy full control and customization of all your devices via the free Samsung SmartThings app, or even with your voice via Amazon's Alexa service. The hub currently lists for $100, but Amazon has it for 25% off, so you can grab it for just $75. Check it out on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Looking back, moving forwardThe modern-day Apple isn't afraid to stop making a product. The company has its reasons to do so: outdated technology, what it contributes to the bottom line, resource allocation, whatever. And as far as Apple history goes, 2016 may be remembered more for the products Apple discontinued than what the company released.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Companies are investing more money in emerging technologies that can help anticipate and detect a variety of threats, including phishing scams and advanced persistent threats, both of which are weighing heavily on the minds’ of corporate board members. For 2017 CIOs are eyeing tools that use anomaly-detecting analytics and machine learning algorithms to protect their companies’ data.“Our level of investments is increasing because of the increasing capabilities of the threat actors,” says Bob Worrall, CIO of Juniper Networks, who spent 12 percent more on cybersecurity tools in 2016 that he spent in 2015. His budget will increase more in 2017 as he purchases tools to shield Juniper’s corporate data and intellectual property. “As the bad guys get smarter we have to as well.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Despite some significant arrivals, 2016 also failed to deliver some long-awaited technologies. And some of what we eagerly ripped the wrapping paper off proved to be a letdown.Here’s a rundown of the gifts IT didn’t get in 2016.Professional-grade 3D printing
If you want to print out a stand for your phone or a model for a new product, you can easily find a 3D printer for the office that can do that — as long as you want to print them out in plastic. You can spend more and get a 3D printer that can UV cure resin and make small objects like custom-fit earplugs in about 10 minutes (I watched my ACS Custom in-ear monitor headphones get printed from digital scans of my ear canals earlier this year). Even HP’s $140,000 Multi Jet Fusion printers — promised for this year and offering multi-color printing — only just went on sale, and they still only print nylon. You can prototype a (plastic) circuit board with conductive ink circuits with the Voxel8 Developer Kit, as long as you pause the printing and add the chips by hand.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please Continue reading
In 2016, recruiters grappled with an evolving job market, an incredibly competitive hiring landscape, a shortage of IT talent and sky-high salaries for in-demand roles. Those trends are likely to continue into 2017 as recruiters continue to adapt to the this high-demand, low supply hiring landscape, says Dave Morgan, president of IT and engineering for professional recruiting and staffing services firm Addison Group.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
Technology development seems to gallop a little faster each year. But there's always one laggard: encryption. Why the deliberate pace? Because a single, small mistake can cut off communications or shut down businesses.Yet there are times when you take stock—only to discover the encryption landscape seems to have transformed overnight. Now is that time. Although the changes have been incremental over several years, the net effect is dramatic.[ Give yourself a technology career advantage with InfoWorld's Deep Dive technology reports and Computerworld's career trends reports. GET A 15% DISCOUNT through Jan.15, 2017: Use code 8TIISZ4Z. ]
Some of those changes began shortly after Edward Snowden's disclosures of the U.S. government’s extensive surveillance apparatus. Others are the natural result of cryptographic ideas reaching the marketplace, says Brent Waters, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin and the recipient of the Association for Computing Machinery’s 2015 Grace Murray Hopper Award.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
We now know at least one recipient of Masayoshi Son's massive $50 billion investment for the U.S. He ponied up $1.2 billion for OneWeb, the global satellite project for worldwide internet coverage. OneWeb is a project from English entrepreneur Richard Branson. The goal is to put as many as 2,400 small satellites in low orbit to provide complete global coverage for broadband internet access in many places where it's not available. According to SpaceNews, that number has been reduced to 900. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
AutomationImage by ThinkstockThere’s no doubt about it, networks are becoming increasingly complex, and between connecting to high-powered data centers, spinning up cloud deployments and ensuring constant connectivity – all while keeping costs down – IT teams are feeling the pressure. So, how can they do it all, do it well and keep within a tight budget? Automation.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Lenovo is starting its CES party a bit early, announcing new and upgraded ThinkPad laptops and a 2-in-1 with Intel's new Kaby Lake chips and a slew of new features.
The new ThinkPads are getting better screens, faster DDR4 memory and more storage capacity. Features like USB-C ports, optional LTE connectivity, precision touchpads and optional infrared cameras for Windows Hello are being offered across the ThinkPad X, L and T series.
Lenovo also introduced the ThinkPad Yoga 370 2-in-1, which is the first model in the brand with a 13.3-inch HD screen and a Thunderbolt 3 port.
The upgraded products are mainly workhorse ThinkPads, but Lenovo is also expected to separately announce flashier laptops and 2-in-1s at CES.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Lenovo's ThinkPad T570 is a loaded laptop that boasts a range of whiz-bang technologies, but the ability to run Intel's secretive Optane memory stands out.When it ships in March, the T570 will be ready to run Intel's Optane, a new class of memory and storage that promises to be significantly faster than today's SSDs and DRAM.The T570 is the first laptop announced with support for Optane. Intel has not said when it will ship Optane memory, but the T570 has the hooks to support the technology.The T570 also can be configured with a 4K touch display, Nvidia's GeForce 940MX discrete graphics and up to 32GB of DRAM. The laptop is targeted at business users, but it could be a dream machine for enthusiasts.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
New products of the weekImage by DabkicksOur roundup of intriguing new products. Read how to submit an entry to Network World's products of the week slideshow.Cumulus Linux 3.2Image by Cumulus NetworksTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Major cyberattacks against organizations of all sizes seem to happen almost weekly. On Dec. 14, Yahoo announced the largest-ever data breach, involving more than 1 billion customer accounts.Despite the scale and potential harm from such attacks, there's wide recognition that corporate leaders, especially boards of directors, aren't taking the necessary actions to defend their companies against such attacks. It's not just a problem of finding the right cyber-defense tools and services, but also one of management awareness and security acumen at the highest level, namely corporate boards.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Look after your home 24/7 in crisp 1080p HD. With Nest Cam Indoor, you can check in, even when you’re out, and even at night with its built-in high-quality night vision. Nest Cam features a versatile magnetic stand that lets you put it anywhere. See who’s there, listen in and speak up to get their attention. With Nest Aware, you can get a special alert if Nest Cam sees a person, and save 10 or 30 days of continuous video history in the cloud. Then speed through it in seconds and quickly find the moment you’re looking for in Sightline. Nest's indoor camera is a best-seller on Amazon with 4 out of 5 stars from over 4,300 people (read reviews). Its typical list price of $199 has been reduced 15% to $169.99 on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Did you forget to turn off the window A.C.? How about that curling iron? Want the living room lamp to turn on when the sun goes down—automatically? The Wemo Switch gives you control of your lamps and small appliances whenever you want, wherever you choose, with tons of options for scheduling and automation. Paired with Amazon Alexa, you can control your lamps and appliances with just the power of your voice. When Wemo works with Nest Thermostat, you can set your lights to turn off automatically when you leave the house, and on when you get home again. No central hub or subscription is required. Wemo also has an on/off switch on the unit, in case the Wi-Fi goes down. This smart plug is currently discounted 40% down to just $29.99. For more information and buying options, see the discounted WiFi Smart Plug on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This year, Microsoft pushed users on taking advantage of its offer to upgrade their PCs to Windows 10 for free. That meant the company used a variety of tactics to get people to install an updater and run it to replace their old operating systems with the new one. Overall, Microsoft got the balance right between being too aggressive and getting users to upgrade, Microsoft Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela said in a Windows Weekly interview. But he did admit that Microsoft stepped out of line at one point with a change that confused and dismayed a number of users. "There was one particular moment ... where the red 'x' in the dialog box, which typically means, you know, 'cancel,' didn’t mean cancel," he said. "And within a couple of hours of that hitting the world, with the listening systems we have, we knew that we had gone too far.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
New hardware needs new softwareMore than a mere blank slate, a new PC is a fresh opportunity—a collection of components that, with the right software installed, could accomplish anything from balancing your household budget to helping to cure cancer.Yes, stocking your PC is an intensely personal task. Even still, some programs are so helpful, so handy, so useful across the board that we heartily recommend them to everybody. These are the programs you want to install on a new PC first.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here