Drowning in data is a real hazard with the Internet of Things (IoT). How should decisions be made with this flood of sensor data? A hybrid approach combining human intelligence and computing power works well. People are good at making decisions that require nuance and judgement, such as identifying hate speech in online postings. Computerized analytics is better at quickly processing large volumes of data. How do you combine the human thought-making process with the scalability of computing power? In machine learning, this is called supervised learning, where a computer program is taught to "mimic" the thought making-process of a human expert. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Looking like the world’s most important and uncomfortable furniture…It’s the six-month anniversary of the last list, which means it’s time for a new one. Terrible shelf-life, these supercomputer lists, but that means there’s a whole new hierarchy of unfathomably powerful computing machines ranked by Top500.org for our ooh-ing and aah-ing pleasure. Here’s a look at the top 10.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This summer, one year after the initial launch of Windows 10, Microsoft will release its first major update: the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. It will be delivered in the usual way -- via Windows Update -- and will install automatically on its own.However, if you're curious (or apprehensive) about the upcoming update, you don't have to wait until the final release date to check it out. Microsoft has been releasing public preview builds, each one a little bit closer to the final version. Anyone can get and install those builds by first becoming part of Microsoft's Windows Insider Program, then joining what's called the Fast Ring.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
For all the talk of rock-star developers, we all know it takes a strong, coherent team working in concert to get the best work done. So here’s the question: What does it take to establish a great team of developers who create great products and work well across departments?We reached out to tech executives and engineering managers who have done exactly that and asked them to share their hard-earned wisdom of team building.[ Find out how to handle the real-world problems faced by developers, with InfoWorld's professional programmer's business survival guide. | Keep up with hot topics in programming with InfoWorld's Application Development newsletter. ]
From finding the best fit for your next hire to keeping your team fresh and motivated, the following collective advice will have your team coding at its best.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Tracking down the phisherImage by REUTERS/Danish IsmailSeveral weeks ago, a key member of the WatchGuard Technologies finance team was targeted by a spear phishing attempt. Spear phishing is a type of phishing attack in which the perpetrator customizes their attack to a particular individual or group of individuals. The attacker gathers information on the victim and then tailors the attack to be more likely to fool the target. The would-be attack arrived as an email appearing to come from the finance employee’s manager, requesting an urgent wire transfer.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Computer maker Acer recently revealed to California’s Attorney General (AG) that hackers broke into the company’s online store and grabbed sensitive customer data. The leaked data includes information such as customer names, addresses, and credit card numbers including expiry dates and three-digit CVC security codes. The hack affects 34,500 customers based in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, as first reported by ZDNet.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
A global study from IDT, conducted in collaboration with SAP, surveyed 81 executives (65 percent of which identified themselves as CIOs) and found that 80 percent of businesses cite digital transformation as a priority. However, according to the report, only 35 percent of respondents said their business actually had a "clearly defined digital transformation strategy."Although digital transformation is important to businesses, companies are still dragging their heels on developing a strategy. One thing that might be holding businesses back the most is hiring, according to a study from The Hackett Group. The study found that for midsized and large businesses, one of the biggest roadblocks with digital transformation has been actually finding and sourcing talent with the right skills.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Apple may finally get clearance to set up its stores in India, following the Indian government’s decision Monday to liberalize rules requiring local sourcing of some products sold in foreign-owned, single-brand stores.The iPhone maker operates in the country through third-party owned, exclusive stores run by partners like Imagine, in addition to selling through retail chains and online e-commerce websites. But Apple considers the design and layout of its own stores a key element of its branding and retail experience.The Indian government, in a statement Monday, said the local sourcing requirements, which had been a hurdle for Apple to get clearance for its own branded stores, have been relaxed for up to three years. The new rules include a relaxed “sourcing regime” for an additional five years introduced for “entities undertaking single-brand retail trading of products having ‘state-of-art’ and ‘cutting edge’ technology."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The business world is full of inventories, catalogs and other lists that sit in spreadsheets or databases that would be more useful if you could take them out of the office. With FileMaker Go and FileMaker WebDirect, you can.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
With great power comes great responsibility -- and also a great big target painted on your head. At least, that's the case lately with corporate boards of directors and cybercriminals launching spearphishing attacks."Since the beginning of the year we have serviced about 350 different clients that have had spearphishing attacks," said Michael Bruemmer, vice president for data breach resolution at Experian Information Solutions. "About a third were specifically targeted at board members."Board members get emails asking them for tax information or requesting bank transfers, which they typically forward to the company employee who is responsible and asking them to take care of it.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
If you live in the U.S. or Canada and purchased an Acer device from the company within the last year from its online store, then your credit card information is likely in the hands of cyber thugs. According to a sample breach notification letter sent to the California Attorney General’s office, Acer said, “We recently identified a security issue involving the information of certain customers who used our ecommerce site between May 12, 2015 and April 28, 2016, which resulted in unauthorized access by a third party.” Acer
Mark Groveunder, Acer’s vice president of customer service, warned affected customers that the data stolen included names, addresses, credit card numbers as well the associated expiration date and three-digit CVV security code.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
As more and more Internet-connected devices find their way into our homes and businesses, it’s important to remember that they represent a security risk. The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing rapidly, and in the rush for convenience, our privacy and safety is often an afterthought. Leaving them unsecured is the digital equivalent of leaving the back door unlocked.INSIDER: 5 ways to prepare for Internet of Things security threats
There are 5.5 million new things getting connected every day in 2016, as we head toward more than 20 billion by 2020, according to Gartner. That’s an awful lot of devices. They might bring all sorts of handy new features, but, whether it’s the latest cutting-edge baby monitor or a wireless doorbell camera that links to your phone, it’s also a network-connected computer and should be treated as such. Here are eight tips to help you secure those IoT devices.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The Docker initiative has been an amazing thing to watch.Over only a few short years, Docker has taken a pre-existing technology (the concept of Linux containers) and built a massive ecosystem around it. In the process, Docker (the company, as distinct from the open source project) has built itself an incredible valuation that it needs to try and live up to.+ Also on Network World: How Docker can transform your development teams +But that valuation, and attempt to justify it, are somewhat countered by the fact that Docker also relies on an ecosystem of vendors that all try to justify their existence. Thus the challenge remains: what should Docker (the company) do for itself, and what should it leave for third-party vendors to resolve?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Wireless mesh networking has been around for many years with business-level products and services, but it’s been pretty scarce in the home network space. The most famous user of a wireless mesh network (in which Wi-Fi clients talk to access nodes that can talk to other nodes, instead of a single router) is the wireless audio provider Sonos. But for the most part, improvements in Wi-Fi meant you still bought a singular router that you’d connect to a modem (or you have a combination modem/router given to you by your broadband provider). If you wanted to extend your network or improve coverage in parts of your house, you would need to buy a repeater/extender, which created an extra “hop” for network traffic (not optimal for services/apps that have a need for speed).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
I have a particular interest in the manufacturing of physical goods. For close to 25 years, I have been involved with a boutique, New Zealand-based manufacturer of backpacks and workwear. Cactus Equipment has been designing and making its own products for years.As opposed to the regular model of spec'ing a product from Far Eastern design and manufacturing houses, Cactus designs in house and then manufacturers in its own New Zealand factory, as well as a number of outsourced but still New Zealand-based facilities. So, the realities of trying to get a product designed and prototyped is something I'm well aware of. The design and sourcing combined with the difficulty in accessing resources makes product engineering a difficult task.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Despite a slew of new broadband satellite projects up and running and in the pipeline, there’s a still a drawback to mobile satellite Internet compared to traditional wireless mobile networks. One big problem with satellite has always been that it’s hard to stay locked onto the transmission beam when you’re moving.Airlines get away with it for their cabins because the aircraft moves in a relatively stable manner, making it easier to point the antenna and grab the signal. But automobiles don’t move like that, explains the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits in a press release.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Computer science graduates are in demand. Last year, 76% of computer science graduates were working full time within six months of finishing school -- the highest full-time employment rate among new college graduates and well above the 58% average across all majors, according to a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).But as veterans in the tech world know, earning a degree is just the beginning of a new professional’s education. To help this year’s newcomers navigate the transition from academic life to the professional world, we asked tech pros to share their best advice for computer science graduates entering the workforce. Here’s what they had to say.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
These days, it seems like there are two kinds of employees – those who work from home at least part of the time and those who want to.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
New products of the weekOur roundup of intriguing new products. Read how to submit an entry to Network World's products of the week slideshow.BetterCloud WorkflowsKey features: BetterCloud Workflows automate user provisioning, deprovisioning and access management within Google for Work applications, giving IT greater control over data, costs and time in the modern, cloud-first workplace. More info.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
For a long time there was a commonly held belief that open source products were inherently more secure because there was nothing hidden. The thought was that with the code for popular applications out in the open, there’d be scores of good guys looking at every line and bugs and flaws would be few and far between. Alas, this turned out to be a pipe dream because even the most examined code can still contain flaws so obscure and arcane, even highly skilled and incredibly talented coders can’t find them. Why? It’s usually because the good guys don’t have the time to play hacker as intensely as the real hackers do. For the bad guys, the rewards for finding exploitable flaws are tangible while for the good guys, the cost of not finding flaws far exceeds, by orders of magnitude, the value of the few flaws they do find because those flaws are the most easily found.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here