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Brocadecom

The news is public: Broadcom is acquiring Brocade, my employer. Official announcement here, and some (unofficial) commentary here. What’s happening, and what does it mean for me? There’s limits to what I can say - either because I don’t have the answers, or because it’s not public. But here’s a little bit of info for readers wondering what will happen to me.

Update: We now have news: It’s Extreme Networks

What’s Happening?

Broadcom has announced its intention to acquire Brocade for approximately $5.5 billion:

This morning we announced a definitive agreement under which Broadcom will acquire Brocade. Broadcom believes the SAN business is a strong complement to its portfolio of enterprise storage and networking solutions, and its intention is to continue to deliver the market-leading storage networking solutions and innovation for which Brocade is so well known.

When will this happen?

Closing of the transaction is presently expected in the second half of Broadcom’s fiscal year 2017, which ends in October 2017, and is subject to regulatory approvals in various jurisdictions, customary closing conditions as well as the approval of Brocade’s stockholders.

What about the IP business?

This is the tricky bit. Broadcom is well-known as a maker Continue reading

Black Friday deals on the iPhone 7 offer up incredible savings

There's no better time to get a new iPhone than in November. Not only have all the kinks associated with iOS presumably been ironed out by then, but Black Friday promotions across a number of big name retail outlets makes finding incredible deals on Apple smartphones surprisingly easy.In what's become something of a tradition, many retailers have started publishing their Black Friday deals weeks in advance, presumably so that shoppers can take stock of what's available and plan accordingly. While Black Friday may be more closely associated with finding tremendous deals on HDTVs, it's also a great time to pick up all types of consumer electronics.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

GameStop touts cool blue Xbox One for Black Friday 2016, Toys R Us geeks out too

Plenty of retailers are cutting the price of Microsoft Xbox One S 500GB bundles from $300 to $250 this Black Friday and holiday shopping season, but GameStop is offering a cool blue console on an exclusive basis. GameStop, which is closed on Thanksgiving day, but will have deals on the Xbox and dozens of other gaming items available online before Black Friday formally commences on Nov. 25. The Toys R Us Black Friday 2016 ads have been revealed, too, and while the retailer is promoting lots of LEGOS, dolls and sports toys, it geeks out with tablets, robots and drones as well. Toys R Us stores open at 5pm on Thanksgiving day. Black Friday watchers such as BFads and Best Black Friday have been tracking new ads such as these closely and we've been watching them closely.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Election Data Models Lesson for Cybersecurity

If you are like me, you were pretty convinced that Secretary Clinton was poised to be the President elect.  Confidence in this opinion was based on reviewing numerous big data analytics models from the fivethirtyeight.com, the New York Times, Princeton, etc.  The lowest percentage gave Mrs. Clinton roughly a 65% chance of winning on November 8. So, what happened?  Every database jockey recognizes the old maxim of garbage in/garbage out.  In other words, killer algorithms and all the processing power in the world are rather useless if your model is built on the back of crappy data.  Obviously, all the brainiacs building these models made a critical mistake in not gathering data from disenfranchised white voters in rural areas.  The result?  A stunning election result and lots of eggs on ivy league elitist faces.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Election Data Models Lesson for Cybersecurity

If you are like me, you were pretty convinced that Secretary Clinton was poised to be the President elect.  Confidence in this opinion was based on reviewing numerous big data analytics models from the fivethirtyeight.com, the New York Times, Princeton, etc.  The lowest percentage gave Mrs. Clinton roughly a 65% chance of winning on November 8. So, what happened?  Every database jockey recognizes the old maxim of garbage in/garbage out.  In other words, killer algorithms and all the processing power in the world are rather useless if your model is built on the back of crappy data.  Obviously, all the brainiacs building these models made a critical mistake in not gathering data from disenfranchised white voters in rural areas.  The result?  A stunning election result and lots of eggs on ivy league elitist faces.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Election data models provide a lesson for cybersecurity

If you are like me, you were pretty convinced that Secretary Clinton was poised to be the President elect. Confidence in this opinion was based on reviewing numerous big data analytics models from the fivethirtyeight.com, The New York Times, Princeton, etc. The lowest percentage gave Mrs. Clinton roughly a 65 percent chance of winning on November 8. So, what happened? Every database jockey recognizes the old maxim of garbage in/garbage out. In other words, killer algorithms and all the processing power in the world are rather useless if your model is built on the back of crappy data. Obviously, all the brainiacs building these models made a critical mistake in not gathering data from disenfranchised white voters in rural areas. The result? A stunning election result and lots of eggs on Ivy League elitist faces.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

75% off Phaiser BHS-730 Bluetooth Sweatproof Sport Earbuds, Magnetic – Deal Alert

Phaiser's BHS-730 Bluetooth Sport earbuds are both highly rated and dramatically discounted on Amazon. Averaging 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 4,600 people (read reviews), the list price of $160 has been reduced a significant 75% to just $39.99.  The BHS-730 uses the highest quality hardware, as well as Bluetooth 4.1 and A2DP stereo transfer protocols to produce bigger bass, lighter-than-air treble, and perfect phone call clarity every time. Bullet-shaped Comply T-400 M memory foam tips provide total isolation from external noise. It's designed to withstand the toughest environments, and the earbuds are made from Aviation Grade Aluminum-Magnesium-Alloy which doesn't add weight. And a LiquipelTM Nano-Coating means it can be dropped into water and will live to see another day. The BHS-730's are magnetized, so they stick to each other and stay securely around your neck when you need to take them out of your ears. Along with the earbuds you get a generous 7 sets of ear tips, a 60-day "no questions asked" return policy, and a lifetime sweatproof warranty as well. See the discounted Phaiser BHS-730 now on Amazon. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Surface Book i7 review: Still unique and still blazing fast

It’s always been difficult trying to find the right category for Microsoft’s hybrid tablet/laptop Surface Book. And now with the new Surface Book i7 in hand, it’s even harder to figure out just what square hole to put this round peg into.Before we get too far into the review, let me say that the Surface Book i7 is incredibly fast for a laptop in its class, offering no less than twice the performance of the original Surface Book, which itself outstripped all others in its day. Even better, it has stupidly long battery life that bests all the laptops we’ve tested.Done. Fini. Move along, right? Well, not quite. The world isn’t the same as it was a year ago and the Surface Book i7’s competitors have been hard at work too, and there are aspects of Microsoft’s hybrid device that aren’t perfect.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here