iOS 10: Major changes with every swipeImage by AppleApple’s latest iOS 10 is packed with new features, hidden functionalities, and third-party app integrations. Here are our favorite bells and whistles so far.Photos recognizes faces without being creepyImage by AppleTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The offshore outsourcing of IT grew because of the cost of offshore labor. A software engineer in India is paid but a fraction of what a U.S. worker earns. Payscale puts the median salary for a senior software engineer in India at $10,000.When IT services firms bring in H-1B visa workers, these workers earn substantially more than their overseas counterparts, but often significantly less than American IT employees.This labor cost advantage has been a powerful lure for U.S. customers, but analysts see labor costs diminishing in importance. Customers want more automation, whether it's infrastructure management or business process outsourcing. IT services firms can no longer complete exclusively on lower cost labor.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Falling into the analytics trapImage by ThinkstockAs the latest buzzword in IT, analytics are increasingly spanning various components of IT systems. With use cases to gather analytics around data, networks and user behaviors, there are endless possibilities for utilizing this information. But, when looking to drill down this data to inform security decisions, is a massive amount of information, which could include fall positives, really that useful? To avoid falling into an analytics trap, security professionals provide suggestions for how to best configure security analytics so they drive meaningful and actionable insights for your organization.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
No industry or sector is immune to data breaches, but some are targeted more often than others. Education came ahead of government, retail and financial sectors, and it was second only to healthcare on Trend Micro’s list of the most-breached industries.With more than 500 security breaches across 320 higher education institutions since 2005, higher ed accounts for 35 percent of all breaches, according to an enlightening infographic from SysCloud.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This bundle of courses will prep you for the Network+, Security+, Cloud Essentials, and Cloud+ exams, and is available for only $59-- a significant markdown from its $4,099 value.
WWDC 2016 kicks offImage by AppleOver the course of 2-plus hours in an auditorium in San Francisco, Apple showed off a host of new and refreshed software. Lots and lots of things changed, but here are the initial highlights.watchOSImage by AppleTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Aptly enough, iOS 10 has 10 major features that were revealed by Tim Cook and co. today.On Monday during WWDC, Apple introduced iOS 10, making the iPhone the most integrated it has ever been with third-party apps. Thank to iOS 10, developers can now design apps to directly enhance iMessage, Siri, Maps, and Notifications—as well as offer better integration of VoIP calling and a brand-new Home app.Apple’s most noticeable update comes to Messages, which the company said is the most frequently used app on iOS. In addition to opening up the iMessage platform to third-party developers, Messages in iOS 10 has gone through a major “emojification.” Emoji sent by themselves are three times bigger, and it’s easier to simply tap-and-replace certain keywords with emojis.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Raspberry Pi becomes more powerfulWith the explosion of interest in building Internet of Things (IoT) devices based on boards like the Raspberry Pi comes an explosion of tools that make creating RPi-based IoT systems not only easier, but also more powerful. I’ve hand-picked some of the latest, greatest and coolest tools that will make your Raspberry Pi IoT project killer. (And if you’re contemplating your operating systems choices, make sure you check out my Ultimate Guide to Raspberry Pi Operating Systems, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 -- 58 choices in total!)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
When former CEO Mike Brown left Symantec in April of this year, I wrote a blog about what I would do if I were recruited as Mike’s replacement. While one of my suggestions was for Symantec to resume M&A activities, I was really thinking about a strategy for filling in product gaps – perhaps Symantec could pick up LogRhythm to add a leading SIEM to its portfolio, or grab Carbon Black for endpoint security analytics and forensics.Hmm, I never even contemplated a big-time merger, so I was as surprised as anyone when Symantec announced its plan to acquire Blue Coat. I’ve had a few hours to digest this news and will certainly learn more in the days to come. Nevertheless, as an industry analyst, I can’t help but voice my early opinion on this deal.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
For decades, Windows has remained the gaming platform of choice for PC users. Linux gaming has suffered from poor hardware support and lack of titles, but that could slowly change.
Hardware upgrades, including faster GPUs and CPUs, are poised to improve Linux gaming. The latest gaming titles will come to Linux much faster with Vulkan, a graphics technology that should drive gaming forward on the OS.
At E3 this week, Dell announced new Linux-based Alienware Steam Machines gaming PCs with Intel's latest Skylake CPUs and Nvidia GTX 960 GPUs. The catalog of top-line titles -- also called AAA titles -- for the Linux-based SteamOS will grow by the end of the year, said Chris Sutphen, senior marketing manager at Alienware.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Don’t call it OS X anymore, and if you do, Siri will probably correct you. Apple unveiled on Monday at its 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference that the Mac operating system is now called macOS, and the next version will feature the Siri vocal interface and digital assistant.Siri is the headline feature in what will be macOS Sierra. As had been rumored, a new Siri icon will be accessible in the Dock; clicking on it will launch a Siri window that iOS users will be familiar with. During the macOS Siri demo at WWDC, Apple VP Craig Federighi used Siri to find files and followed up the search to refine the results. Federighi also showed how Siri results can be integrated into other Apple apps, such as Reminders.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Amazon is currently discounting its Tap speaker by 15% to $109.99. It averages 4 out of 5 stars from 1,300 customers (read reviews). The Tap is a more portable version of their popular Echo speaker. The tap lasts for up to 9 hours on a single charge and is Alexa-Enabled, so you just "tap" and ask it to play your favorite music from most streaming music services, check sports scores, request an Uber, order a pizza, and much more. Learn more about the discounted Tap and explore buying options now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Dell had high hopes for the Alienware Steam Machine after its delayed release last year, but it did not become as popular as its twin, Alienware Alpha, a Windows-based PC gaming console.The viability of Steam Machines, a family of Linux-based PC gaming consoles with SteamOS, has been questioned, but Dell isn't giving up yet. With better hardware and an expanding list of gaming titles, Dell is hoping that interest in Alienware Steam Machines will grow.The Steam Machine's rectangular console is based on a concept design from Valve, the world's largest independent game distributor. At the E3 show this week, Dell is announcing Steam Machines with faster graphics processors and chips. The systems will start shipping this week. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Apple Pay will soon be let users make online purchases, the company announced Monday at the WWDC 2016 keynote speech.“Now when you’re shopping online, you’ll have a ‘Pay with Apple Pay’ button,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering. The new feature will be available when the latest version of macOS, Sierra, becomes available to Mac users this fall.Federighi said the online “Apple Pay” button will require users to authenticate their identity from a TouchID device—iPhone or Apple Watch—to preserve the security of their transactions.Apple Pay first went into operation in October 2014, but it’s been confined to real-world brick-and-mortar transactions—with iPhone owners using that device to pay for items when checking out at such stores—as well as purchases made from iOS apps. Today’s announcement expands the service to the broader realm of e-commerce—putting the service in broader competition with online pay services like PayPal.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
5 reasons Microsoft is buying LinkedIn, in picturesImage by MicrosoftMicrosoft is making its biggest tech acquisition ever, spending $26.2 billion for enterprise-focused social networking company LinkedIn. Why did it do it? On Monday, Satya Nadella and LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner discussed five compelling reasons. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The image above says it all: Microsoft spent $26.1 billion to ensure that you’ll never walk into a meeting “cold” again.Picture a typical business trip: meetings all day, drinks at night. A good salesperson knows his or her contacts before he or she steps foot in the door. But that goes for coworkers as well: How you you make them feel comfortable? How do you make them part of a team? How do you let them know who to approach, both inside and outside the company?All of this usually takes some effort on your part, or at least a competent assistant. And that’s the role that Microsoft hopes to play, especially with its digital assistant, Cortana, and Office 365.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Cybersecurity would seem to be a top priority for enterprises, but there are still breaches and apparent gaps in their defenses and the way that companies respond to attacks.In separate announcements on Monday, both AT&T and Samsung drew attention to the dilemma. They recommended new enterprise security assessments that build on the services already offered by both companies.Samsung announced a new partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton to help enterprises find and address gaps in their mobile security. This approach includes a two-day, on-site mobile security assessment for each client, using a model based on security standards from the bodies like the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, among others.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Rivers in Honduras flood frequently and suddenly, wreaking havoc, washing away houses, ruining crops and displacing families. Could IoT help provide early warning of floods?Robert Ryan-Silva took on this challenge with the Hidrosónico project. As director of the DAI maker lab, he’s an expert in applying technology for humanitarian projects around the world.Many villages and farms in Honduras are prone to flooding because they are on river banks. Designing a solution was challenging. It had to detect rising flood waters and alert families to evacuate in time. The solution had to be affordable, rugged and easy to install. Making things harder was the fact that mobile phones had only 20 percent penetration in Honduras.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Microsoft is buying LinkedIn for a whopping $26.2 billion. Both companies are hyping the angle of combining the “world's leading professional cloud with the world's leading professional network.” Satya Nadella
In Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s memo to employees, he wrote:To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Imagine you’re a parent, living with your family in a quiet suburban subdivision. With very little traffic, your kids happily play in the street in front of your house. And then one day, construction begins on a distant thoroughfare, and suddenly hundreds of cars are racing down your formerly sleepy side street seeking to avoid the backup. And those cars didn’t arrive there randomly, they were sent there by traffic and navigation apps like Google’s Waze.For increasing numbers of people around the country, there’s no need to imagine this scenario, they’re already living it. And it brings up a couple of important questions: Who’s fault is this problem, and what can—and should—be done about it? The answers, unfortunately, aren’t simple.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here