Upgrading CPU performance hasn't been a priority for Intel in many years, but that could be changing.Intel's upcoming Cannonlake chips will deliver a performance improvement of more than 15 percent compared to its Kaby Lake chips, said Venkata Renduchintala, president of the Intel Client and Internet of Things businesses and Systems Architecture Group.Intel didn't provide exact numbers at the company's annual investor day Thursday, but the projection is based on the SysMark benchmark. Detailed performance improvement numbers will emerge over time.The performance improvements from Skylake to Kaby Lake topped out at 15 percent. The CPU performance boost for Cannonlake should be at least that, Intel said.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This Original OEM Apple USB Lightning Cable For iPhone connects your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with Lightning connector to your computer's USB port for syncing and charging or to the Apple USB Power Adapter for convenient charging from a wall outlet. Its typical list price of $79 has been reduced 38% to just $49. See it now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Microsoft introduced a nifty new feature to its Azure public cloud this week called Managed Disks. The idea is that developers will not have to worry about provisioning storage when spinning up virtual machines. Managed Disks automatically adds persistent disk storage for Azure virtual machines as applications demand it.+MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: HPE's Mesosphere reseller agreement heats up the container management market | Rackspace is cutting 6% of its workforce +To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Attackers have started to use Windows and Android malware to hack into embedded devices, dispelling the widely held belief that if such devices are not directly exposed to the Internet they're less vulnerable.Researchers from Russian antivirus vendor Doctor Web have recently come across a Windows Trojan program that was designed to gain access to embedded devices using brute-force methods and to install the Mirai malware on them.Mirai is a malware program for Linux-based internet-of-things devices, such as routers, IP cameras, digital video recorders and others. It's used primarily to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and spreads over Telnet by using factory device credentials.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Network equipment vendor Nokia wants to buy a software company that helps customers make do with less hardware.The Finnish networking giant competes with the likes of Ericsson, Huawei Technologies, and Cisco Systems to sell networking equipment, software, and services to telecommunications operators and large enterprises.On Thursday, it offered to buy Finnish neighbor Comptel, which develops software to help network operators manage their networks and deliver additional services.Nokia said the deal, valuing Comptel at around €347 million (US$370 million) would help it toward its goal of building a standalone software business.The bid is a logical move, said Sylvain Fabre, a research director at Gartner: "The days of proprietary infrastructure from network equipment providers are numbered. Virtualized infrastructure will increasingly be procurable from alternative vendors, so focusing on software and applications for telecommunications functions is the way forward for any large vendor that seeks longevity."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
In March 2015, RSA Conference organizers made news by contractually insisting that vendors pitch their security wares without the help of “booth babes,” a first such ban for the technology industry.Next week’s RSAC in San Francisco will be the third without the babes, so I checked in with event staff to see if the policy had evolved at all and how it has been accepted by various stake-holders. Here’s how the contract language read in 2015:
All Expo staff are expected to dress in business and/or business casual attire. Exhibitors should ensure that the attire of al staff they deploy at their booth (whether the exhibitor’s direct employees or their contractors) be considered appropriate in a professional environment. Attire of an overly revealing or suggestive nature is not permitted. Examples of such attire may include but are not restricted to:To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Perhaps the next iPhone 8 will be Apple's next shot at achieving greatness in China.The current iPhones aren't helping Apple gain market share in China, according to Canalys. Markets like China and India are at the top of Apple's agenda to grow the iPhone business.China accounts for a third of worldwide smartphone shipments. Buyers in the market are leaning toward local brands like Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, which formed the top four smartphone vendors in China in 2016, according to Canalys.Apple was in the fifth spot, and Samsung doesn't figure in the top five.In 2016, Apple's phone shipments in China totaled 43.8 million units, a drop of 18.2 percent compared to 2015. It's not looking any better for Apple in 2017.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
In these days of always-on, but zero trust enterprise applications, concerns over how to keep the bad guys out 24-7 is a huge IT challenge.
In an attempt to address such anxieties Cisco today announced Umbrella, a secure, cloud-based gateway, based on technology from OpenDNS and other technologies it acquired such as CloudLock as well as existing Cisco security services that together ultimately promises to offer secure business access to resources even when users are not using the safety of a VPN.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This folding keyboard from Microsoft pairs with any combination of 2 iPads, iPhones, Android, Windows tablets, and Windows Phones. It features a water repellent keyset and fabric to protect against accidents. Unfold to turn on, and fold to turn off. Pairs quickly and reliably with Bluetooth 4.0 technology. Its built-in rechargeable battery lasts up to 3 months on a single charge. It currently averages 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon (read reviews) from nearly 200 reviewers, and its list price of $100 is currently reduced to $70. See the discounted Microsoft keyboard now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Netgear’s Arlo brand of home security, network-connected cameras continues to improve, defeating every real or perceived criticism about the devices with an upgrade or improvement. Want to place in an area where there’s no network cable? Bam! Wi-Fi connection. Need to place in an area where there’s no power outlet? Bam! Battery powered! Don’t like replacing batteries? Bam! Rechargeable batteries and a quick-charge battery adapter.The latest version of this system is the Arlo Pro – it’s the most flexible camera system I’ve come across so far. After a few weeks of testing, I’ve determined that anyone who has a problem with this system (or think that it can’t do something) is just a cynical old crank.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Cisco today said it would expand its hybrid cloud offerings by integrating Microsoft Azure Stack into its Unified Computing System.
The turnkey package, officially known as the Cisco Integrated Solution for Microsoft Azure Stack, grows Cisco’s Microsoft portfolio and let application developers and IT managers more easily deploy, manage and grow enterprise applications.
Azure Stack expands Cisco’s hybrid cloud offerings for customers who want the advantages of a single API for private and public cloud applications.
+More on Network World: Cisco: Faulty clock part could cause failure in some Nexus switches, ISR routers, ASA security appliances+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Microsoft will stop all support for Windows Vista in two months, ending the problem-plagued operating system's usefulness when it issues final patches on April 11.The OS won't be missed: According to analytics vendor Net Applications, which estimated user share by counting unique visitors to tens of thousands of websites, Vista ran on less than 1% of all personal computers powered by Windows last month. Still, even that small percentage translated into approximately 14 million PCs when using Microsoft's claim that 1.5 billion devices run Windows.Vista was never a break-out hit for Microsoft, as were both its Windows XP predecessor and its successor, Windows 7.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
A move by a watchdog group and a small group of shareholders to oust Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg from his post as chairman would be an uphill battle that would be unlikely to succeed and could hurt the company, analysts said.It would completely destabilize Facebook," said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy. "Zuckerberg still makes most of the key decisions and without him it would be a major risk… I don't see a single piece of upside in removing Zuckerberg from the board."It's also unclear whether Zuckerberg could even be removed as chairman, since any shareholder vote would be advisory only.The proposal is being led by Facebook shareholders who are members of SumOfUs, an international consumer watchdog group focused on "curbing the growing power of corporations."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Kim Stevenson, who served as the second-in-command at Intel’s PC chip division, has left the company after just six months in her new role.Stevenson tweeted last week that she had left the company after serving more than seven years at Intel, and she would move “on to new adventures.” She served as the chief operating officer for its Client and Internet of Things Business and Systems Architecture group—a catchall for Intel’s consumer-focused products, including its traditional PC business. Stevenson reported to Murthy Renduchintala, the group’s president. LinkedIn
Kim Stevenson has left Intel for "new adventures."ent.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Samsung is expected to announce its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, in April, but it looks like we won't have to wait that long to see the final product. Evan Blass from VentureBeat, who has a reputation for reporting legitimate smartphone leaks, published images last week showing the designs of the two forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 models.Based on the images, it looks like past reports from The Guardian were correct: The new Galaxy S8 will be available in two sizes, featuring thin bezels allowing for more screen real-estate than the Galaxy Note 7 in a smaller form factor.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
It’s a classic Hollywood plot: the battle between two old friends who went separate ways. Often the friction begins when one pal sparks an interest in what had always been the other pal’s unspoken domain. In the programming language version of this movie, it’s the introduction of Node.js that turns the buddy flick into a grudge match: PHP and JavaScript, two partners who once ruled the internet together but now duke it out for the mind share of developers.In the old days, the partnership was simple. JavaScript handled little details on the browser, while PHP managed all the server-side tasks between port 80 and MySQL. It was a happy union that continues to support many crucial parts of the internet. Between WordPress, Drupal, and Facebook, people can hardly go a minute on the web without running into PHP.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
In the sports world there is no team more revered by its city than the Montreal Canadiens. With all due respect to Green Back Packer, New York Yankee or New England Patriots fans, you don’t know the absolute die-hard devotion of a Canadiens supporter. The team has also had an unparalleled level of success in North American sports with 24 Stanley Cup Championships and an equal number of players in the recently released NHL's top 100 players of all time. The home of this storied franchise is the Bell Centre in downtown Montreal. When one walks into the building, its easy to understand what “Canadiens tradition” means, as there are reminders of the legends who played for this franchise and the promise of future greatness, which is why the fans come out in droves no matter what. Through success and failure, good times and bad, the seats always sell out. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
It’s not often enterprises get direct evidence of a shadow IT operation but a recent audit of NASA’s IT realm came up with 28 unsanctioned cloud services operating in its environment.NASA’s own CIO office found eight such services while the NASA Office of Inspector General discovered another 20, as part of an overall cloud security audit done by the NASA OIG.+More on Network World: NASA’s “Human Computers” and the Hidden Figures movie story+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Which IT roles earn the biggest salaries? Thirteen tech jobs can pull in salaries of $200,000 or more, according to new data from a tech staffing firm.The jobs that top $200,000 are the highest paying titles included in Mondo’s annual Tech Salary Guide, which lists salary ranges for 95 IT jobs. Most jobs in the $200,000 range are high-level IT leadership or technical positions related to hot areas such as security and big data. Two of the highest-paying jobs are developer roles tied to specific vendor platforms: Demandware and iOS.
RELATED: 25 CIO pay packages revealed | Want to boost your CIO pay? Switch jobs | Bonuses, stocks, perks lift CIO compensation | 20 highest paid tech CEOsTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
A wave of attacks that have recently affected banks and other enterprises used open-source penetration testing tools loaded directly into memory instead of traditional malware, making their detection much harder.Researchers from antivirus vendor Kaspersky Lab started investigating these attacks after the security team from an unnamed bank found Meterpreter in the random access memory (RAM) of a server that acted as the organization's Windows domain controller.Meterpreter is an in-memory attack payload that can inject itself into other running processes and is used to establish persistency on a compromised system. It is part of the Metasploit penetration testing framework, a popular tool used both by internal security teams and by malicious hackers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here