Three Months with Google Fiber

I'm one of the lucky few to benefit from Google Fiber's recent expansion into new regions (before they nixed the whole thing). I've had the service fire three months now and figured I should write up my experience with it thus far.

The Installation

Google Fiber announced that it would be expanding to the Raleigh-Durham metro area, known locally as "The Triangle", in January 2015. It's been a long game of hurry-up-and-wait since then, watching crews laying fiber all over town without hearing a peep from Google regarding availability. But in the fall of 2016, people were finally able to start signing up for service. Here's how my installation went.

September 3

Google Fiber registration opens! I sign up for service and pay a paltry $10 deposit, which gets credited toward my first bill. Over the next couple weeks, various utilities swing by to mark their lines in the ground. (Here's the color code for utility markings in the US, if you're curious.)

September 24

Google's contractor arrives on site to lay fiber from the curb to my house and to many of my neighbors' houses. Surprisingly, they cut my trench by hand, possibly due to the steep Continue reading

Mac’s share falls to five-year low

Apple's Mac share of personal computers worldwide fell to a five-year low in December, mimicking the company's own numbers that have portrayed a four-quarter sales slowdown.According to web analytics vendor Net Applications, Apple's desktop and notebook operating system -- formerly OS X, now macOS -- powered just 6.1% of all personal computers last month, down from 7% a year ago and a peak of 9.6% as recently as April 2016.Net Applications measures operating system user share -- an estimate of the proportion of all personal computer owners who run a device powered by a specific OS -- by counting systems whose browsers reach websites of its clients.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Microsoft closes the door on Visual Studio’s Team Rooms

Microsoft's Team Room collaboration capability for application lifecycle management soon will be no more. Instead, developers will need to rely on other options, such as Slack or Microsoft Teams.The company said this week that Team Rooms is to be deprecated from the on-premise Visual Studio Team Foundation Server at the next major version, and from the online Visual Studio Team Services platform later this year.[ Give yourself a technology career advantage with InfoWorld's Deep Dive technology reports and Computerworld's career trends reports. GET A 15% DISCOUNT through Jan. 15, 2017: Use code 8TIISZ4Z. ] "We don't have a name yet for this release, but it will be the version beyond TFS 2017 and associated updates," Microsoft's Ewald Hofman, TFS program manager, said.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Why France’s new ‘right to disconnect’ law matters

France recently implemented a law giving workers "a right to disconnect" from email, messaging and calls after work. It may ultimately be ignored by many workers in France and scoffed at in the U.S., but it addresses a problem many employees deal with.Emails arriving at night, on weekends and during vacation can create stress and interrupt family life. An "always on" culture can hurt productivity in the long run because employees don't get time to rest and recharge, say researchers. Some companies see the problem.Daimler AG, the German automotive giant, has an optional email feature called "Mail on Holiday." It automatically deletes incoming emails during time off. An auto reply offers alternative contacts or suggests resending messages once the employee returns. It's available to 100,000 workers in Germany.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Can government really fix the IoT mess?

The private sector often views government as the problem, not the solution. But, in the view of a growing number of experts, the opposite is true when it comes to addressing the rampant and increasing security risks of the Internet of Things (IoT).While it is not a unanimous view, there is general agreement that the blessings the IoT brings to modern life are being undermined by its curses – and that the market will not correct those curses.Its almost magical benefits are well documented and well advertised – self-driving cars and the ability to lock or unlock doors or adjust a home thermostat from hundreds of miles away were fantasies only a few years ago. But its billions of connected devices are so lacking in security that they are putting not only individual users at risk, but public and private infrastructure as well, including the infrastructure of the internet itself.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Can government really fix the IoT mess?

The private sector often views government as the problem, not the solution. But, in the view of a growing number of experts, the opposite is true when it comes to addressing the rampant and increasing security risks of the Internet of Things (IoT).While it is not a unanimous view, there is general agreement that the blessings the IoT brings to modern life are being undermined by its curses – and that the market will not correct those curses.Its almost magical benefits are well documented and well advertised – self-driving cars and the ability to lock or unlock doors or adjust a home thermostat from hundreds of miles away were fantasies only a few years ago. But its billions of connected devices are so lacking in security that they are putting not only individual users at risk, but public and private infrastructure as well, including the infrastructure of the internet itself.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

T-Mobile’s Legere ‘rescues’ volunteer fire department, sticks finger in Verizon’s eye

Ever a social-media showman and tormenter of his competitors, T-Mobile CEO John Legere last night took to Twitter to lambaste Verizon’s decision to ding a volunteer fire company for $73,000 and offered to pick up that tab himself if necessary. And we don’t even know if the ponies played a part. Legere made his pledge on Twitter in response to yesterday’s Buzzblog post about a tiff between Verizon and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which serves an island town of 3,000 in Virginia and is renowned for being caretakers of a herd of 150 wild horses, the Chincoteague Ponies, that has been the subject of a popular children’s book and movie. Legere’s tweet:To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

T-Mobile’s Legere ‘rescues’ volunteer fire department, sticks finger in Verizon’s eye

Ever a social-media showman and tormenter of his competitors, T-Mobile CEO John Legere last night took to Twitter to lambaste Verizon’s decision to ding a volunteer fire company for $73,000 and offered to pick up that tab himself if necessary. And we don’t even know if the ponies played a part. Legere made his pledge on Twitter in response to yesterday’s Buzzblog post about a tiff between Verizon and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which serves an island town of 3,000 in Virginia and is renowned for being caretakers of a herd of 150 wild horses, the Chincoteague Ponies, that has been the subject of a popular children’s book and movie. Legere’s tweet:To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

When anti-malware vendors get into a slap fight, users lose

All is quiet on the Microsoft front, but there are other technology issues to address, which I will be doing in the next few blogs. The first is about a battle between two anti-malware vendors: PC Pitstop and Malwarebytes. --------------------------------------------------------Most software markets tend to consolidate around a handful or even one or two vendors. How many competitors are there for Photoshop, after all? But there are two markets that thrive and have a large number of players: gaming and anti-virus/anti-malware. It started about a month ago. On Dec. 7, PC Pitstop, maker of the PC Matic repair software and those obnoxious TV commercials, posted a ransomware test performed by AV Comparatives that included its PC Matic product and its many competitors, including Malwarebytes, the latter included for the first time. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

When anti-malware vendors get into a slap fight, users lose

All is quiet on the Microsoft front, but there are other technology issues to address, which I will be doing in the next few blogs. The first is about a battle between two anti-malware vendors: PC Pitstop and Malwarebytes. --------------------------------------------------------Most software markets tend to consolidate around a handful or even one or two vendors. How many competitors are there for Photoshop, after all? But there are two markets that thrive and have a large number of players: gaming and anti-virus/anti-malware. It started about a month ago. On Dec. 7, PC Pitstop, maker of the PC Matic repair software and those obnoxious TV commercials, posted a ransomware test performed by AV Comparatives that included its PC Matic product and its many competitors, including Malwarebytes, the latter included for the first time. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Packet Blast: Top Tech Blogs, Jan. 6

IDG Contributor Network: Using artificial intelligence to teach computers to see

Creating a self-driving car should not be difficult, but it’s taking a while. Autonomous vehicles have been making headlines for years now, yet few of us have ever been in one or even seen one. We know that flying planes is more difficult than driving cars, yet pilots have enjoyed autopilot for decades. What gives?The answer is clear, or more precisely, clear vision. Pilots have used autopilot for decades in clear, open skies. Roads are more complex.The actual mechanics of operating a vehicle (accelerating, braking, steering, etc.) are all well understood and programmable. Most of the rules and logic of driving are programmable, too. But understanding and instructing vision is very complex. The good news is that incredible progress is being made, and the technology will have far-reaching implications.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Samsung expects big profit despite Note7 crisis

The financial impact of the Note7 recall seems to be largely behind Samsung Electronics, which on Friday forecast that its profit has grown year-on-year by close to 50 percent in the fourth quarter.A major proportion of the profit of the largest smartphone company is expected to come from components such as memory chips and display panels, rather than from smartphones, according to analysts, a shift that was noticed in the third quarter as well."They were fortunate that their memory and displays businesses could offset the doom and gloom resulting from the Note 7 debacle last quarter," said Bryan Ma, vice president for devices research at IDC.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

FBI dispute with DNC over hacked servers may fuel doubt on Russia role

The FBI may have been forced into a misstep when investigating whether Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee -- the agency never directly examined the DNC servers that were breached.Instead, the FBI had to rely on forensic evidence provided by third-party cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which the DNC hired to mitigate the breach.“The FBI repeatedly stressed to DNC officials the necessity of obtaining direct access to servers and data, only to be rebuffed,” the agency said on Thursday in a statement.The incident threatens to spark more skepticism over whether the U.S. properly arrived at its conclusion that Russian cyberspies were responsible for the breach.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

FBI dispute with DNC over hacked servers may fuel doubt on Russia role

The FBI may have been forced into a misstep when investigating whether Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee -- the agency never directly examined the DNC servers that were breached.Instead, the FBI had to rely on forensic evidence provided by third-party cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which the DNC hired to mitigate the breach.“The FBI repeatedly stressed to DNC officials the necessity of obtaining direct access to servers and data, only to be rebuffed,” the agency said on Thursday in a statement.The incident threatens to spark more skepticism over whether the U.S. properly arrived at its conclusion that Russian cyberspies were responsible for the breach.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

MP on Vertitech IT’s “Best IT Blogs 2017”

This is a quick post to say thanks to the folks at Vertitech IT for listing movingpackets.net among their Best IT Blogs for 2017 (“Must-Read Resources for CIOs, IT & Security Pros”).

In their own words:

VertitechIT’s top 50 IT blogs were selected because they are among the most current, frequently updated, credible, and informative sources of information related to IT on the web today. From musings of industry leaders, to the veteran guys and gals in the trenches who chronicle their IT journeys, these 50 blogs all have something important to say about the IT world of today, and tomorrow.

Vertitech’s list is definitely worth a browse; I’m very flattered to be listed in such amazing company. I was also delighted to see that NetworkingNerd, Jeremy Stretch and Chris Wahl were featured as well; are all blogs I follow from people I respect.

Some other highlights include Cisco, Gigaom, the Forrester Blog for CIOs, Solarwinds’ Geek Speak (for whom – along with other contributors – I have written a number of blog posts), SC Magazine and TechCrunch Enterprise.

I’m delighted to even be on the same page as these other outlets. Go check the list out and perhaps you’ll also find some great Continue reading

A new Wi-Fi spec will help smart homes run like clockwork

Wi-Fi is an obvious candidate for connecting almost any device that can be plugged into a wall, because it’s already running in nearly every home that has broadband. But can all those products work in lockstep when timing matters, like while video and audio are streaming on several devices?The Wi-Fi Alliance says it has a way to make sure they do. On Thursday at CES, the industry group announced Wi-Fi Certified TimeSync, a specification for precise time synchronization among Wi-Fi devices. It’s expected to be available in the middle of this year.When Wi-Fi began as a wireless way to send packets of data between computers, synchronized clocks didn’t matter. When the packets arrived, the screen appeared or the page was printed. But now that Wi-Fi has a growing role in home entertainment, timing matters.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

KillDisk cyber sabotage tool evolves into ransomware

A malicious program called KillDisk that has been used in the past to wipe data from computers during cyberespionage attacks is now encrypting files and asking for an unusually large ransom.KillDisk was one of the components associated with the Black Energy malware that a group of attackers used in December 2015 to hit several Ukrainian power stations, cutting power for thousands of people. A month before that, it was used against a major news agency in Ukraine.Since then, KillDisk has been used in other attacks, most recently against several targets from the shipping sector, according to security researchers from antivirus vendor ESET.However, the latest versions have evolved and now act like ransomware. Instead of wiping the data from the disk, the malware encrypts it and displays a message asking for 222 bitcoins to restore them. That's the equivalent of $216,000, an unusually large sum of money for a ransomware attack.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

KillDisk cyber sabotage tool evolves into ransomware

A malicious program called KillDisk that has been used in the past to wipe data from computers during cyberespionage attacks is now encrypting files and asking for an unusually large ransom.KillDisk was one of the components associated with the Black Energy malware that a group of attackers used in December 2015 to hit several Ukrainian power stations, cutting power for thousands of people. A month before that, it was used against a major news agency in Ukraine.Since then, KillDisk has been used in other attacks, most recently against several targets from the shipping sector, according to security researchers from antivirus vendor ESET.However, the latest versions have evolved and now act like ransomware. Instead of wiping the data from the disk, the malware encrypts it and displays a message asking for 222 bitcoins to restore them. That's the equivalent of $216,000, an unusually large sum of money for a ransomware attack.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Microsoft is bundling cloud services to make cars smarter

CES has turned into the first car show of the year, with major automakers choosing to show off upcoming features in Las Vegas. Microsoft wants to help make cars more intelligent, and it unveiled a new suite of services Thursday to do so.The Connected Vehicle Platform brings together a smorgasbord of services from Microsoft, including Azure IoT Hub, Cortana Intelligence Suite, Microsoft Dynamics and many others. In addition, Office 365, Skype for Business and Cortana can be integrated with the platform.It’s not a surprising move. Microsoft frequently packages cloud services as suites, then markets them for kick-starting particular applications. Furthermore, the company has been saying for some time that its goal in car tech is to support carmakers rather than build its own connected cars.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here