With the release of CognizeR, an open source extension for the statistical computing-focused R programming language, Columbus Collaboratory is aiming to simplify data science with IBM Watson."Our goal was to connect data scientists everywhere with cognitive computing in a software environment they already know and love: R," Ty Henkaline, chief analytics innovator at Columbus Collaboratory, said in a statement yesterday. "CognizeR now shortens the journey toward building real cognitive solutions by providing quick and easy access to Watson services. Releasing this code to the open source community advances our mission of delivering accelerated business value to our member companies and beyond."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Responding to security incidents that involve deployments within Amazon Web Services is a lot different from responding to incidents that happen on corporate-owned gear, and two researchers have come up with free tools to make that process easier.Obtaining forensic evidence is different, primarily because security pros can’t obtain physical access to the machines on which their AWS instances are running.+More on Network World: Black Hat: 9 free security tools for defense & attacking+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The developers of open source virtual networking technology Open vSwitch (OVS) said this week they will move future development to the Linux Foundation Project.The move releases Open vSwitch, which usually runs on hypervisors, up to a greater number of developers who can use it to further develop tools and applications for the virtual networking world. OVS works on a wide variety of systems, including Linux, DPDK, Hyper-V, and FreeBSD. The technology is used in a variety of Software Defined Networking applications, including NFV and network virtualization and it is the most widely used networking back-end in OpenStack, the foundation said.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
It’s no secret that Windows, Mac, and Linux are the three major operating systems dominating the market today—and that their incompatibility often creates issues for users. For the inevitable moments when you need to use a Windows app on your Linux or Mac, there’s CrossOver 15 for Mac and Linux, now only $19.99.With CrossOver 15, you can launch Windows apps, from productivity software to games, natively on your Mac or Linux PC. You’ll be able to operate Windows software at native speed and integrate seamlessly with your native desktop environment, as well as backup your software and move it between machines with bottles.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
I love the idea of big data. Being able to derive insights from the ever-increasing stream of information out there is an awesome promise. But alas, a good proportion of the case studies we hear about big data end up being about how big data is used to tailor sales and marketing messages and eke out a few cents extra on every transaction. It may be the reality of our commercial world, but it's sad to see a promising technology applied this way.So, it was nice to receive a pitch from IBM's cloud computing division about how it is partnering with Guiding Eyes for the Blind to bring dogs and data together. While it may sound like an April Fool's joke, IBM is taking structured and unstructured canine data and putting it on the IBM cloud to crunch numbers and generate insights.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Enterprise CISOs are in an unenviable position. Given today’s dangerous threat landscape and rapidly evolving IT initiatives, CISOs have a long list of tasks necessary for protecting sensitive data and IT assets. At the same time, however, most organizations are operating with a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals. According to ESG research, 46 percent of organizations claim they have a “problematic shortage” of cybersecurity skills in 2016.In the past, CISOs (and let’s face it, all cybersecurity professionals) were control freaks often suspicious of vendors and service providers. Faced with today’s overwhelming responsibilities, however, many CISOs I’ve spoken with lately say they’ve changed their tune and have adopted more of a portfolio management approach to their jobs. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
If there were any doubt that IoT is for real, one fact ought to dispel it: For the first time, U.S. mobile operators are adding IoT connections to their networks faster than they’re adding phones.In fact, cars alone are getting connected to cellular networks faster than anything else, according to statistics compiled by Chetan Sharma Consulting for the second quarter of this year. Counting all U.S. carriers, about 1.4 million cars got connected to cellular networks in the quarter, compared with 1.2 million phones and less than 900,000 tablets.The second quarter, between April and June, isn’t a high point for new phone sales like the fourth quarter, when holiday shopping hits and new iPhone models roll out. But IoT growth has been a long-term trend.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
During a typical week, I attend five to 10 video calls, typically using Google Hangouts or Skype. Frequently, these calls are international. Video collaboration is preferable because the other participants’ expression and attentiveness can be observed and data or code can be shared. Except in the United States, where often the group of video callers turns off the video stream due to bandwidth limitations.The high quality of international video calls compared to choppy domestic video calls has me wavering between anger and the verge of total despair. I admit that my story and data are personal and anecdotal, but I don’t think I’m alone because I’ve had many people turn down offers to connect with a video call in favor of plain old telephone service (POTS) calls.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
As the U.S. presidential election nears, Donald Trump is emerging as the clear winner -- at least when it comes to having his name used in spam messages.Spammers and cyber attackers are using Trump's name far more than Hillary Clinton's in emails pushing get rick quick schemes or phishing for personal information, according to an analysis from Proofpoint.The security firm scanned the subject line of emails received by its customers in June and July looking for occurrences of "trump" or "clinton," and found that the Republican nominee appeared in 169 times as many emails as his Democratic opponent.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
A flaw in the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) used by Linux since late 2012 poses a serious threat to internet users, whether or not they use Linux directly.That's the key finding of a research study that's scheduled to be presented Wednesday at the USENIX Security Symposium in Austin, Texas.The TCP weakness, identified by researchers from the University of California at Riverside, enables attackers to hijack users’ internet communications completely remotely. It could be used to launch targeted attacks that track users’ online activity, forcibly terminate a communication, hijack a conversation between hosts or degrade the privacy guarantee of anonymity networks such as Tor, the researchers said.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
HP wants to add augmented reality to its Elite x3 smartphone, and it's looking at Microsoft's HoloLens as one way to do it.The Elite x3, which runs Windows 10 Mobile, was scheduled to ship last month starting at US$699.99 but has been delayed. HP believes the smartphone has the horsepower to be a PC in a pinch. It might also become an AR device that could be used in enterprises.Universal Windows applications made for the HoloLens AR headset will work on smartphones, and they could be used on the Elite x3, said Michael Park, vice president and general manager of mobility at HP.The Elite x3 won't do AR right out of the starting gate, but it will eventually, Park said.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Black Hat & Def Con provided plenty of fodder for our new installment of Bugs & Bugs, as seen in our Facebook Live stream on the latest news about computer bugs and real insects.Network World's Bob Brown and Tim Greene discussed, as you can see in the saved edition of the video below, new research that shows affluent communities tend to attract more different species of insects and other arthropods -- and that's a good thing. We also explored the DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge that took place in Las Vegas on the eve of Def Con and resulted in a $2M first prize for the grand winner of this computer-on-computer Capture the Flag contest.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.Fitbit Flex—a slim, stylish device that tracks all-day activity like steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes. See how every day stacks up with LEDs that light up like a scoreboard as you get closer to your goal. Then wear it at night to measure your sleep quality and wake with a silent, vibrating alarm. Currently available on Amazon at the discounted price of $79.95To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Encryption backdoors don’t work; the latest proof of that was discovered by security researchers Slipstream and MY123. This time, the security flub-up involves “golden keys” which can unlock Windows devices allegedly protected by Secure Boot.The researchers sounded the alarm, saying Microsoft messed up and accidentally leaked the security key which is supposed to protect Windows devices from attackers as a box boots up. This same flaw could be used by the machine’s owner to jailbreak a locked box and run a different OS like Linux – anything really, so long as it is cryptographically signed.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
One reason the Raspberry Pi’s runaway success has been a fun story to cover is that it’s very non-corporate – there’s relatively little branding silliness or careful PR stage management involved, and journalists like me instead get to write about an inventive little tool that is letting normal people around the world accomplish interesting and creative things.Yet the business side does, occasionally, rear its ugly head – late last month, U.S.-based electronics vendor Avnet purchased Premier Farnell, one of two licensed manufacturers of the Raspberry Pi, for about $900 million.+ ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: How a 96-year-old company modernized its infrastructure by embracing innovation | Oracle says it didn’t ask employee to cook cloud accounts+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol (WPAD), enabled by default on Windows and supported by other operating systems, can expose computer users' online accounts, web searches, and other private data, security researchers warn.Man-in-the-middle attackers can abuse the WPAD protocol to hijack people's online accounts and steal their sensitive information even when they access websites over encrypted HTTPS or VPN connections, said Alex Chapman and Paul Stone, researchers with U.K.-based Context Information Security, during the DEF CON security conference this week.WPAD is a protocol, developed in 1999 by people from Microsoft and other technology companies, that allows computers to automatically discover which web proxy they should use. The proxy is defined in a JavaScript file called a proxy auto-config (PAC) file.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.Hyperscale public cloud providers and social media giants have already made the jump to 40Gbps Ethernet for their server and storage connectivity for lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and operational efficiency, and now they are migrating to 50 and 100Gbps Ethernet.Forward thinking enterprises are looking at these hyperscale giants and trying to understand how to achieve Webscale IT efficiencies on an enterprise scale IT budget. Rather than bolting from 10Gbps server connectivity straight to 100Gbps, many are considering 25Gbps as an affordable and less disruptive step that will still provide significant performance improvements.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
When businesses hire outside contractors for a job, they always try to ensure that there are clear measures of whether the contractor is doing the job. Whether it be expanding office space, ensuring the office is cleaned regularly, having the bookkeeping up to date or reviewing HR procedures, any sound management decision always depends on independently measurable performance goals. Otherwise, you're just hiring someone with the conditions, "It's OK, we trust you."+ Also on Network World: Measurement is key to cloud success +To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Will we be able to take a nap behind the wheel of a future autonomous car? Probably not. Autopilots and other automated machinery require forms of human-operator supervision.Autonomy, for example, is dependent on chips and sensors, such as GPS for position and magnometers for directional bearing, among others. That tech, at least in the near-term, has to be monitored by humans in real time in case the sensors become glitchy.+ Also on Network World: Self-driving warehouse robots give Giant Eagle a lift +To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
It's for times like this that you really wish Apple would waterproof its iPads (and iPhones). Don't be surprised if a competitor works out something with the video creator here to use this footage of a dolphin snagging a women's iPad at SeaWorld Orlando in a marketing campaign...
In case you didn't know, animals have quite a long track record of playing with iPads. This includes everything from penguins...to cats...To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here