Japanese government officials have denied reports that a secure network used by the country's defense forces was attacked earlier this year.An attacker was able to break into the Ground Self-Defense Force's computer systems, sources at the Japanese Ministry of Defense told Kyodo News on Sunday. The ministry and the Self-Defense Forces discovered the attack in September, said the report, which was also relayed by The Japan Times.Kyodo's sources said the hack was believed to be the work of a nation state, and that information may have been leaked in the attack.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Every year, tech companies come up with fantastic ideas for cutting edge, futuristic products. Some of these products turn into huge hits. Others end up bombing. And still others become precursors or inspirations for the next generation of innovations. Here’s our list of eight products that caught our eye this year.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
New products of the weekImage by CAOur roundup of intriguing new products. Read how to submit an entry to Network World's products of the week slideshow.CSTAR for Google ChromeImage by UpGuard To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
San Francisco’s Muni transit system was reportedly hit by ransomware since Friday, leading to the message “You Hacked, ALL Data Encrypted” being displayed on the computer screens at stations, according to newspaper reports.The message asked that cryptom27 at yandex.com should be contacted for the key to unlock the data.Fare payment machines at stations also displayed that they were “out of service,” and San Francisco's Municipal Railway, widely known as Muni, was allowing free rides on its light-rail vehicles as it was unable to charge customers, according to the Examiner.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Amazon has kicked off Cyber Monday 2016 with a slew of sales this coming week on its own products, such as the Echo and Fire tablets, as well as on items from others, ranging from Exploding Kittens card sets to Nest thermostats.(Black Friday & Cyber Monday watchers such as BFads and Best Black Friday have been a big help in keeping tabs on deals.)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The ThermoPro TP-03 is an effective solution to achieve the most accurate temperature in a matter of seconds. With a simplistic yet practical design, and at the push of the button, the foldaway probe will pop open for quick an easy temperature reading, and when you're done taking the temperature measurement you can fold the probe back into the holding to ensure the probe is kept safe and clean. Stop overcooking or under-cooking your meat and perfect meat temperatures like a professional, ensuring the perfect temp every time you're grilling or cooking. It typically lists for $25.99 and is being discounted 72%, down to $6.99. Learn more or purchase the discounted ThermoPro TP03 Thermometer at Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The ThermoPro TP-03 is an effective solution to achieve the most accurate temperature in a matter of seconds. With a simplistic yet practical design, and at the push of the button, the foldaway probe will pop open for quick an easy temperature reading, and when you're done taking the temperature measurement you can fold the probe back into the holding to ensure the probe is kept safe and clean. Stop overcooking or under-cooking your meat and perfect meat temperatures like a professional, ensuring the perfect temp every time you're grilling or cooking. It typically lists for $25.99 and is being discounted 72%, down to $6.99. Learn more or purchase the discounted ThermoPro TP03 Thermometer at Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Amazon has released more deals on some of their most popular products and we have them all listed below. These discount runs through 11/28.
$40 off Echo
$40 off Tap
$10 off Echo Dot
$16.66 off 7" Fire Tablet (price will be $33.33 after reduction)
$30 off Fire HD 8
$20 off Fire Essentials Bundle when purchased separately (final price $51.31)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Meet BB-8 - the app-enabled Droid that's as authentic as it is advanced. BB-8 has something unlike any other robot - an adaptive personality that changes as you play. Based on your interactions, BB-8 will show a range of expressions and even perk up when you give voice commands. Set it to patrol and watch your Droid explore autonomously, make up your own adventure and guide BB-8 yourself, or create and view holographic recordings. It currently averages 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon (read reviews). With a regular list price of $129.99, you can buy it now with this deal for just $99.99.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Fitbit trackers come in various models and fitting each individuals fitness needs. Discounts are now being offered for many of these models. Below are several of the models that are currently discounted on Amazon.Charge 2 Heart Rate + Fitness Wristbandh—Make every beat count with Fitbit Charge 2-the all-new heart rate and fitness wristband built for all-day, workouts and beyond. PurePulse continuous heart rate makes it easy to maximize workouts, better track calorie burn and get a snapshot of your cardio fitness level, while all-day activity and auto sleep tracking, lets you see how your whole routine adds up. Record your workouts with multi-sport modes to see real-time workout stats on screen, or rely on SmartTrack to automatically record select exercises for you. The large OLED display helps you stay connected with call, text and calendar alerts, stay active with Reminders to Move, and find moments of calm with personalized guided breathing sessions. Plus, you can find a look that fits your style with customizable clock faces and interchangeable bands. With more advanced features in a sleeker package, it's the motivation you need to push yourself further-every step, every beat, every day. Currently available on Amazon at the Continue reading
Apple, which last year was too cool to have a Black Friday sale, has revealed its one-day deals for Black Friday 2016 this Nov. 25.You can get up to a $150 gift card when purchasing select Apple products, with Macs earning the biggest rewards.The $150 gift card rewards apply to purchases of MacBook Airs starting at $1,000, MacBooks and MacBook Pros (13-inches) starting at $1,300, and MacBook Pros (15-inches) starting at $2,000, among others.MORE: Best Black Friday 2016 deals on Apple iPhones, iPads, Watches & moreTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Apple, which last year was too cool to have a Black Friday sale, has revealed its one-day deals -- focused on older products -- for Black Friday 2016 this Nov. 25.You can get up to a $150 gift card when purchasing select Apple products, with Macs earning the biggest rewards.The $150 gift card rewards apply to purchases of MacBook Airs starting at $1,000, MacBooks and MacBook Pros (13-inches) starting at $1,300, and MacBook Pros (15-inches) starting at $2,000, among others.MORE: Best Black Friday 2016 deals on Apple iPhones, iPads, Watches & moreTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
It may take several years or even decades, but hackers won't necessarily always be human. Artificial intelligence -- a technology that also promises to revolutionize cybersecurity -- could one day become the go-to hacking tool. Organizers of the Cyber Grand Challenge, a contest sponsored by the U.S. defense agency DARPA, gave a glimpse of the power of AI during their August event. Seven supercomputers battled each other to show that machines can indeed find and patch software vulnerabilities.Theoretically, the technology can be used to perfect any coding, ridding it of exploitable flaws. But what if that power was used for malicious purposes? The future of cyberdefense might also pave the way for a new era of hacking.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Japan plans to build a super-efficient computer that could vault it to the top of the world's supercomputer rankings by the end of next year.With a processing capacity of 130 petaflops, the planned computer would outperform the current world leader, China's Sunway TaihuLight, which delivers 93 petaflops. One petaflop is one million billion floating-point operations per second.Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) isn't just aiming to build the world's fastest supercomputers, it also wants to make one of the most efficient. It is aiming for a power consumption of under 3 megawatts -- a staggering figure, given that Japan's current highest entry in the Top500 supercomputer list, Oakforest-PACS, delivers one-tenth the performance (13.6 petaflops) for the same power.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Smartphone buyers have a lot to look forward to in 2017. Devices will be thinner, faster, and perhaps a bit more intelligent than you'd like.
Virtual reality will spread to budget smartphones, and they will also have better graphics, higher resolution screens, and more storage. More than ever, you'll be using your smartphone to pay for products and log into websites.
Deep learning could help smartphones get a fix on user behavior and improve the mobile experience. We could see a renaissance in smartphone designs, and wireless audio could replace headphone jacks in more handsets. USB-C will replace older connector and charging cables.
Here are 10 smartphone trends to watch out for in 2017:To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
AMD's Zen chip is just around the corner; it'll first come to gaming systems any day now. There's a lot of excitement about Zen, which AMD believes is its most important chip this decade.The high-performance Zen could put AMD back on the map as a legitimate competitor to rival Intel. AMD's chips in recent years haven't been as sophisticated as Intel's offerings, but Zen could bring AMD up to par. The AMD faithful are salivating over Zen, and even some Intel chip enthusiasts can't wait to give it a try.AMD CEO Lisa Su has said Zen would be available in a few gaming systems by the end of the year, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. A more likely scenario is that systems will start coming early next year. Zen chips for servers will follow in the first half of next year, with Zen for laptops and other desktops coming later.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Apple's Mac and Apple II computers have been used in classrooms for more than 30 years, but cheaper hardware from rival Google is putting the squeeze on Apple's dominant position in education. The two companies target education from very different perspectives that play to their respective strengths. Google's objective is also slightly different than Apple's, because it primarily focuses on selling hardware for students that promotes its software services, while Apple pursues a more hardware-specific approach along with tools for teachers, according to a set of analysts who follow the education tech market."The momentum is definitely swinging in Google's favor," says Van Baker, research vice president, Gartner. "Chromebooks are doing quite well in the education sector." To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Engagement isn't something you only need to worry about during an employee's onboarding process, says Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of LaSalle Network, a professional staffing and recruiting firm. Instead, he says that engagement is a metric you need to track and measure throughout an employee's career.He says that during an employee's first year with a company, they're typically performing at their highest levels -- they're excited about the opportunity and constantly learning new things. It's the "sophomore slump" stage that employers need to worry about the most. After an employee, has been with the company for a year or two, "it's lost its glamour and that excitement fades," he says.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Less than half of the world's population still isn't using the Internet, although the numbers are improving, according to a United Nations report.A report released this week by the United Nation's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) found that 47.1% of the population is online, an increase from 2015's figure of 43%.The spread of mobile networks around the globe has played an important role in increasing Internet connectivity, the report said. Mobile-broadband networks cover 84% of the world's population this year, but the number of users, at 47.1%, is well below those who have access.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here