Apple hires NFL lobbyist and former Biden aide to oversee public policy

Apple just added a big-league player to its executive lineup—literally. The company just named National Football League lobbyist Cynthia Hogan its vice president for public policy and government affairs in Washington DC, overseeing the Americas. Politico Cynthia Hogan starts at Apple on April 29. Before she joined the NFL, where she dealt with huge issues like concussion controversies and Deflategate, Hogan served as counsel to Vice President Joe Biden. It’s unclear if Hogan’s Biden connection will come in handy for Apple’s dealings with the White House, but it certainly couldn’t hurt.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The Golden State Warriors demonstrate how to use group chat technology for success

By now even casual sports fans know that the Golden State Warriors just eclipsed Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls for the best regular season in NBA history. Many even realize the team is owned by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Joe Lacob, and that it relied heavily on technology and advanced analytics to construct its roster and set its strategy and tactics.Even with all that, winning 73 games in an 82-game season was far from a foregone conclusion. Many observers—and team officials—worried that the ongoing effort required to set the record would fatigue the players and increase the risk of injury. That could jeopardize the ultimate goal, winning the franchise’s second-consecutive championship.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Secretive Intel quietly woos makers in China

Intel is in transition right now: An executive shakeup this month laid the path for new boss Venkata Renduchintala to put his imprint on the company's PC, Internet of Things and software operations.So no wonder the vibe at this week's Intel Developer Forum in Shenzhen was mellow. Intel kept the show a low-key affair, choosing not to bring it to the attention of a worldwide audience, unlike previous years.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Werewolf and Trust Security

There are, however, a number of interesting lessons that come out of Werewolf that make it a fun tool for thinking about trust, organization and cooperation. And many strategies – including some that are quite ruthless – are quite rational under these conditions. -via eaves.ca

The post Werewolf and Trust Security appeared first on 'net work.

Power9, GPUs, FPGAs will have a profound effect on the data center

Last week brought us, in my opinion some of the biggest news that I’ve read recently. In a nutshell the news was that Google is working with Rackspace and IBM and that they have created an OpenPower Foundation. In a nutshell, they’re collaborating on open hardware designs based on the Power9 architecture from IBM and, at […]

The post Power9, GPUs, FPGAs will have a profound effect on the data center appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Power9, GPUs, FPGAs will have a profound effect on the data center

Last week brought us, in my opinion some of the biggest news that I’ve read recently. In a nutshell the news was that Google is working with Rackspace and IBM and that they have created an OpenPower Foundation. In essence, they’re collaborating on open hardware designs based on the Power9 architecture from IBM and, at the […]

The post Power9, GPUs, FPGAs will have a profound effect on the data center appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Microsoft sues US government over secret requests for user data

Microsoft has sued the U.S. government in an attempt to strike down a law allowing judges to gag tech companies when law enforcement agencies want access to their users' data.The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, argues that a section of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act is unconstitutional for requiring tech companies to keep requests for data under wraps. Microsoft argued the law is unconstitutional under the First Amendment, by limiting the company's freedom of speech, as well as under the Fourth Amendment's due process protections. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: The impact of globalization on networks

Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the amount of enterprise network traffic to and from Asia Pacific due to globalization. In my recent visit to the region, I engaged in some interesting discussions around the WAN. For example, one of the biggest costs for large financial institutions are point-to-point dedicated leased lines between their regional and global offices called International Private Leased Circuit (IPLC). These circuits are typically provided by a carrier to offer auto re-routable network for maximum uptime and data protection.One of my recommendations to executives I spoke with was to consider the internet as an alternate transport. The typical response I received was, “I’m not conformable moving my real-time applications to the Internet because of its best effort model and lack of quality of service.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: The impact of globalization on networks

Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the amount of enterprise network traffic to and from Asia Pacific due to globalization. In my recent visit to the region, I engaged in some interesting discussions around the WAN. For example, one of the biggest costs for large financial institutions are point-to-point dedicated leased lines between their regional and global offices called International Private Leased Circuit (IPLC). These circuits are typically provided by a carrier to offer auto re-routable network for maximum uptime and data protection.One of my recommendations to executives I spoke with was to consider the internet as an alternate transport. The typical response I received was, “I’m not conformable moving my real-time applications to the Internet because of its best effort model and lack of quality of service.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Maturing End-to-End Wi-Fi Service Monitoring

Aruba Networks introduced Clarity Live and Clarity Synthetic during their Atmosphere 2016 conference in March. These solutions usher in the beginning of end-to-end Wi-Fi service monitoring by both the infrastructure and client agents to provide Wi-Fi administrators with greater network visibility, proactive monitoring, and synthetic testing in order to minimize Wi-Fi service disruptions. Knowing is half the battle, and quickly narrowing scope and diagnosing problems is one problem the industry has faced since inception. 

Read the entire blog post on the Aruba Airheads Technology Blog.

Docker Engine Aligns With Open Container Initiative

Down the road, this could mean a lot for container uptime.

Ransomware authors use the bitcoin blockchain to deliver encryption keys

Ransomware authors are using the bitcoin blockchain, which serves as the cryptocurrency's public transaction ledger, to deliver decryption keys to victims.The technique, which removes the burden of maintaining a reliable website-based infrastructure for cybercriminals, was observed in a recent version of the CTB-Locker ransomware that targets Web servers.CTB-Locker has targeted Windows computers for a long time, but a PHP-based variant capable of infecting websites first appeared in February, marking an interesting evolution of this ransomware threat.The decryption routine in the original PHP-based CTB-Locker version involved a script called access.php that served as a gateway to the attackers' back-end server. This gateway script was hosted on multiple hacked websites and was necessary to obtain the decryption key after victims made a payment.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Ransomware authors use the bitcoin blockchain to deliver encryption keys

Ransomware authors are using the bitcoin blockchain, which serves as the cryptocurrency's public transaction ledger, to deliver decryption keys to victims.The technique, which removes the burden of maintaining a reliable website-based infrastructure for cybercriminals, was observed in a recent version of the CTB-Locker ransomware that targets Web servers.CTB-Locker has targeted Windows computers for a long time, but a PHP-based variant capable of infecting websites first appeared in February, marking an interesting evolution of this ransomware threat.The decryption routine in the original PHP-based CTB-Locker version involved a script called access.php that served as a gateway to the attackers' back-end server. This gateway script was hosted on multiple hacked websites and was necessary to obtain the decryption key after victims made a payment.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Marines launch cyberspace warfare group

The U.S. Marine Corps intends to protect its networks and communications with a new cyberspace operations team. Notably, the organization said its new unit will have an “offensive” element.“The Marine Corps is seeing the need for defense of its networks and communications,” a press release on the Marines Corps’ website explained. That will include “what can we do to hinder an enemy,” said Sgt. Brian Mueller, a digital network exploitation analyst with the new Marine Corps Cyberspace Warfare Group (MCCYWG), in the release. He is referring to the “offensive” element.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Marines launch cyberspace warfare group

The U.S. Marine Corps intends to protect its networks and communications with a new cyberspace operations team. Notably, the organization said its new unit will have an “offensive” element.“The Marine Corps is seeing the need for defense of its networks and communications,” a press release on the Marines Corps’ website explained. That will include “what can we do to hinder an enemy,” said Sgt. Brian Mueller, a digital network exploitation analyst with the new Marine Corps Cyberspace Warfare Group (MCCYWG), in the release. He is referring to the “offensive” element.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Marines launch cyberspace warfare group

The U.S. Marine Corps intends to protect its networks and communications with a new cyberspace operations team. Notably, the organization said its new unit will have an “offensive” element.“The Marine Corps is seeing the need for defense of its networks and communications,” a press release on the Marines Corps’ website explained. That will include “what can we do to hinder an enemy,” said Sgt. Brian Mueller, a digital network exploitation analyst with the new Marine Corps Cyberspace Warfare Group (MCCYWG), in the release. He is referring to the “offensive” element.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Lack of confidence proving to be real killer for women in technology

A pair of studies released this week shed light on challenges  -- including career advancement and equal pay -- facing women in technology.Tech learning site Pluralsight and the nonprofit Women Who Code joined forces on an online survey of 1,500 women working in tech and have shared the results here.The biggest challenges facing those women surveyed involve things that are lacking: opportunities for advancement, role models, mentors and work-life balance.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Internet of pants? This ultrathin thread could make your clothes part of the IoT

Your clothes could one day monitor your fitness levels or boost your smartphone reception thanks to a new technique that uses ultrathin electronic thread to embroider circuits into fabric.Measuring just 0.1 mm in diameter, the thread comprises seven filaments made of copper and silver. Using it, researchers at Ohio State University have found a way to embroider circuits into fabric with enough precision to integrate electronic components such as sensors and memory devices into clothing. Ultimately, such "e-textiles" could be used to create shirts that act as antennas, bandages that tell your doctor how well a wound is healing, or even caps that sense activity in the brain.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

NANOG 66 Attendance Statistics

More than 43,000 sign petition against U.S. encryption-breaking bill

More than 43,000 people have signed a petition against proposed U.S. legislation that would require tech companies to break into their users' encrypted data when ordered to by a judge.The proposal, from Senators Richard Burr and Dianne Feinstein, would require smartphone OS developers and other tech vendors to assist law enforcement agencies by breaking their own security measures.CREDO Action, a progressive activist group, launched a petition opposing the Compliance with Court Orders Act on Tuesday, and more than 43,000 people had signed it by early Thursday afternoon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here