Amazon.com is still figuring out how to use robots to fill store shelves, but it's about done with clerks. Next year, the company will open a convenience store in Seattle where shoppers can walk in, take what they want -- and leave.The Amazon Go store is on the corner of 7th Avenue and Blanchard Street in Seattle, in the heart of Amazon's new campus development and a few blocks from the company's headquarters.Amazon wants people to walk in to the store and then just walk out with what they want.
It's not giving the goods away, though.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Behavior analytics is one of the more recent buzzwords in enterprise cybersecurity, with more than 35 vendors competing for customers, according to security analysts.Behavior analytics in cybersecurity is roughly defined as using software tools to detect patterns of data transmissions in a network that are out of the norm. The theory is that the analytics tool would detect the anomaly and alert IT managers, who would stop the unusual behavior or cyberattack.Enterprises use behavior analytics to detect intrusions that evade preventive technologies such as firewalls, intrusion-prevention systems and antivirus software. Those conventional tools match fingerprints or signatures identified in prior attacks, while behavior analytics tools study and report anomalies that are judged against a baseline of normal behavior. Among the users of behavior analytics is the National Security Agency, which uses the analytics to detect threats to its private cloud system.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Amazon Web Services' big Re:Invent conference in Las Vegas brought a plethora of new features and upgrades to its cloud platform. But there was one key set of upgrades that set the stage for Amazon's expansion outside its own public cloud data centers.Two years ago, AWS CEO Andy Jassy made a big splash at Re:Invent when he introduced Lambda, a service that lets developers write snippets of code that execute in response to event triggers. Amazon does the work to provision servers to run that code, so developers don't have to think about the infrastructure overhead.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Earlier this year, Microsoft tried an experiment with an AI-powered chatbot called Tay. It was an interesting concept where Tay would learn from its users. Unfortunately it turned into a PR disaster very quickly as the 4chan crowd moved in and taught it all kinds of racist and homophobic comments. Red-faced, Microsoft pulled the chatbot quickly and promised to make adjustments to its AI chatbot so that it doesn’t act like a /b/tard. Fast forward a few months, and Microsoft is ready to try again. Its new chatbot has the equally odd name of Zo. For now, Zo is available only on Kik, a chat service for mobile phones, whereas Tay was on Twitter. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Your business spends a lot of time analyzing the market you sell to, but can you take a step back and instead create the market that you want? Experts in the little-known field of behavioral economics and market design say “yes.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
How do you feel about sharing your location with “trusted contacts”? From Google’s point of view, its new Trusted Contacts app will “help you feel safe and give your friends and family peace of mind.”The “personal safety app” will work even if your phone is offline.Google software engineer Minh Nguyen explained:
Here’s how it works: Once you install the Android app, you can assign “trusted” status to your closest friends and family. Your trusted contacts will be able to see your activity status — whether you’ve moved around recently and are online — to quickly know if you're OK. If you find yourself in a situation where you feel unsafe, you can share your actual location with your trusted contacts. And if your trusted contacts are really worried about you, they can request to see your location. If everything’s fine, you can deny the request. But if you’re unable to respond within a reasonable time-frame, your location is shared automatically and your loved ones can determine the best way to help you out. Of course, you can stop sharing your location or change your trusted contacts whenever you want.To read this article in full or Continue reading
IoT, Machine Learning and trucking data into the cloudImage by AmazonAWS’s 2016 re:Invent conference is a wrap, and if you missed any of the news check out the biggest announcements Amazon made in Las Vegas. From data analytics tools to machine learning platforms and new IoT functions, there was a lot to digest. Amazon will even truck your data into its cloud!To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
In my blog post last month, I wrote about why digital-workplace technology has become a mandate in today’s hyper-mobile world. This month, I explore basics of building a strategy and a business case so you can get budget and make your digital workplace a reality.The other day, I heard a great story about how a colleague of mine got board approval to hire more than two dozen new staff members—and the whole negotiation took less than an hour. He used digital-workplace technology to pull a remote team member into a board meeting on the fly and run ROI scenarios in real time. Without being able to see the specific figures, the decision would have taken weeks and cost millions in potential revenue.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This 40W/8A 4-port output wall charger from iClever detects the charging capacity of each device, and provides the fastest possible charge of up to 2.4 amps per port, charging any four USB-enabled devices simultaneously. Its compact design features a foldable plug. It contains multiple internal protection mechanisms to guarantee the safety of your device. iClever's BoostCube averages 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon from nearly 1,000 people (read reviews). It's typical list price has beed reduced 67% to just $19.99. See it on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
If you've encountered errors over the past month when trying to access HTTPS-enabled websites on your computer or Android phone, it might have been due to a bug in Chrome.The bug affected the validation for some SSL certificates issued by Symantec, one of the world's largest certificate authorities, as well as by GeoTrust and Thawte, two CAs that Symantec also controls.The bug was introduced in Chrome version 53, but also affected the Android WebView component that Android apps use to display Web content, said Rick Andrews, senior technical director at Symantec in a blog post Friday.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research company, wants to let AIs loose in their own universe, where they can learn to play games, use apps and interact with websites.Universe is the name of OpenAI's tool for training AIs on, as it puts it, "any task a human can complete with a computer." Using a VNC (Virtual Network Computing) remote desktop, it allows the AI to control the game or app using a virtual keyboard and mouse, and to see its output by analyzing the pixels displayed on the screen. It's essentially an interface to the company's Gym toolkit for developing reinforcement algorithms, a type of machine learning system.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Are you listening to streaming music right now?Spotify, SoundCloud or Pandora?You’re not alone. Streaming is the most popular way to listen to music. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reports that music streaming services are its biggest source of revenue—ahead of digital downloads and CDs.The streaming music trend is a challenge and opportunity for the music industry. D+M Group (also often referred to as Denon + Marantz Electronics), with over 100 years of audio heritage, is no stranger to changing trends. It designs, manufactures and sells consumer and professional audio, video and media equipment. Its amplifiers and speakers and multi-room audio are used around the globe.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The announcement that outsourcing consultancy Information Services Group (ISG) will acquire competitor Alsbridge marked the biggest M&A announcement in the IT services advisory industry since KPMG bought EquaTerra in 2011. The two large independent outsourcing advisors are joining forces to create a 1,300-person firm with offices in 20 countries revenues targeted at between $285 and $300 million in 2017.[ Related: Cloud services now account for a third of IT outsourcing market ]The combined firm, with its expanded services, data and market intelligence, could put pressure on the big consultancies who offer IT outsourcing advisory services. “ISG's principle competitors — KPMG. Deloitte, EY and PwC — now have a bigger, badder ISG to contend with that can not only undercut them on fees but also can boast competencies in the emerging area of RPA, where the Big Four are currently winning out,” HfS Research CEO Phil Fersht recently wrote in a blog.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
LAS VEGAS -- Capital One Financial Corp. is taking big steps in its transformation into a tech company.The Fortune 500 company, one of the top 10 largest banks in the U.S. with $313 billion in total assets, wants to be a tech company that also is a top financial services provider.It's a change in strategy and focus, said Rob Alexander, CIO of Capital One, based in McLean, Virginia. Among its plans as it transitions to a "tech" company are an open, collaborative workspace, IT workers with new skill sets, fast-paced apps and a service evolution, and a focus on leading with cutting-edge technologies.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
2016 was full of surprises, but in the world of programming, among the biggest was the breakthrough of Go. Once a tiny niche tool, Go has officially joined the ranks of real programming languages, evidenced by its meteoric rise up the Tiobe index, a complex amalgam of search rankings and programmer preferences. Still a ways behind stalwarts like Java, C, and Python, Go hit 16th in October 2016, up 49 spots from a year prior. That’s a big change that’s caught the eye of programmers and project managers alike.Go’s jump is likely due in large part to Docker, a package management system for deploying code that is taking over stacks everywhere. The fact that one of the hottest dev technologies in years is written in Go in a positive sign for the language’s viability. A better one may be the fact that Docker is quite solid and very successful. That’s bound to win over converts by showing that the language can support real infrastructure.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Believe it – you too can become a successful cyber criminal! It’s easy! It’s cheap! It’s short hours for big bucks! No need to spend years on boring things like learning how to write code or develop software.Just download our simple ransomware toolkit and we can have you up and running in hours – stealing hundreds or thousands of dollars from people in other countries, all from the comfort of your home office – or your parents’ basement. Sit back and watch the Bitcoin roll in!OK, that’s not the literal pitch coming from the developers of ransomware. But, given the rise of Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) – a business model in which malware authors enlist “distributors” to spread the infections and then take a cut of the profits – it sounds like it could be a candidate for the kind of “direct-response” TV ads that made the late pitchman Billy Mays famous.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
If you want to get serious about transforming your business digitally, start with recognizing all of your competitorsIt is time to acknowledge that our customers’ digital experience expectations are being increasingly influenced by both their everyday B2C experiences, as well as by disruptive experiences that are jumping industry boundaries.Brands and businesses are now judged not only on how well they perform in their industry, but also on how well they perform based on overarching categories such as relevancy, social awareness, ease of use and engagement. Gone are the days of solely using the Net Promoter Score to measure customer experiences of your brand. It’s just not good enough.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Congratulations -- you've got an offer for an executive level role! Whether it's your first foray into upper management or you've been a C-suite stalwart for years, negotiating a compensation package can be nerve-wracking. And while the mechanics of the negotiation might be similar whether you're an entry-level worker or a C-level executive, there are specific components of executive compensation that could throw you for a loop if you're not careful, says Howard Seidel, partner, Essex Partners."In a lot of cases, executives can have a lot more leverage when negotiating an offer, and they also can have a lot more options to consider when putting together the terms of their compensation package. What I always tell my clients is that they have to have a strategy in place to decide what their priorities are when entering into negotiations," says Seidel.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Digital transformation is sparking change on many fronts, which means IT professionals have a lot to tackle as they head into 2017. As part of this march toward IT-driven reinvention, tech leaders are keeping watch on several emerging technologies that they believe will be catalysts for long-term innovation.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
Absurd gifts for Apple fansImage by VioNetBuying a straightforward tech gift for your friends or family members is easy. There are a slew of affordable fitness trackers, laptop bags, and all the other gadgets and accessories your iPhone-addicted loved ones could ask for.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here