IDG Contributor Network: An LTE over Wi-Fi spectrum grab is coming

Unlicensed spectrum would be the logical place to expand traffic if, as mobile networks are finding, their licensed spectrum is running out.Why not shift over to unlicensed spectrum? It's unlicensed, after all, so anyone can use it. Who would object?Well, the answer to that question may be a bunch of Wi-Fi users, like you and me, if it doesn't work as promised and stomps on existing use, such as Wi-Fi.Wi-Fi at 5 GHzThe new piggy-backing technology uses the same Wi-Fi band that mobile device users are beginning to take advantage of in the home and workplace. That is 5 GHz—the free-to-use band you'll find in newer routers and mobile devices, like tablets and recent phones.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Uber increases funding round by $1B to meet investor demand

The prospect of government oversight and steady stream of security issues facing Uber haven’t scared investors from the ride-hailing company, which will expand its latest round of venture funding by US$1 billion.In December, Uber initially raised $1.2 billion during a funding round. At that time, Uber estimated there was room for an additional $600 million in investments.Investor interest, though, proved greater. To meet the demand, Uber will expand that round and issue approximately 30 million additional shares valued at $33.31, according to documents filed Wednesday with the Delaware secretary of state. Uber is based in San Francisco and incorporated in Delaware.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Show 224 – HTTP2. Its The Biggest (Network) Thing Happening on the Internet Today – Repost

HTTP/2 is now submitted to the RFC Editor and will bring major changes to networking. Efficient design means smaller firewalls, less bandwidth and faster response times for users. And the default to encryption means that transparent caches, proxies, IDS/IPS and other network security systems will be seriously impacted.

Author information

Greg Ferro

Greg Ferro is a Network Engineer/Architect, mostly focussed on Data Centre, Security Infrastructure, and recently Virtualization. He has over 20 years in IT, in wide range of employers working as a freelance consultant including Finance, Service Providers and Online Companies. He is CCIE#6920 and has a few ideas about the world, but not enough to really count.

He is a host on the Packet Pushers Podcast, blogger at EtherealMind.com and on Twitter @etherealmind and Google Plus.

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The post Show 224 – HTTP2. Its The Biggest (Network) Thing Happening on the Internet Today – Repost appeared first on Packet Pushers Podcast and was written by Greg Ferro.

How to remove the dangerous Superfish adware preinstalled on Lenovo PCs

Lenovo’s been caught going a bit too far in its quest for bloatware money, and the results have put its users at risk. The company has been preloading Superfish, a "visual search" tool that includes adware that fakes the encryption certificates for every HTTPS-protected site you visit, on its PCs since at least the middle of 2014. Essentially, the software conducts a man-in-the-middle attack to fill the websites you visit with ads, and leaves you vulnerable to hackers in its wake.MORE ON NETWORK WORLD: Free security tools you should try You can read all the sordid details here. This article is dedicated to helping you discover whether your Lenovo PC is infected with Superfish, and how to eradicate it if you are.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How to remove the dangerous Superfish adware preinstalled on Lenovo PCs

Lenovo’s been caught going a bit too far in its quest for bloatware money, and the results have put its users at risk. The company has been preloading Superfish, a "visual search" tool that includes adware that fakes the encryption certificates for every HTTPS-protected site you visit, on its PCs since at least the middle of 2014. Essentially, the software conducts a man-in-the-middle attack to fill the websites you visit with ads, and leaves you vulnerable to hackers in its wake.MORE ON NETWORK WORLD: Free security tools you should try You can read all the sordid details here. This article is dedicated to helping you discover whether your Lenovo PC is infected with Superfish, and how to eradicate it if you are.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Network Dictionary – Whitebrand Ethernet

Whitebrand is a term used to describe a type of Ethernet switch that is a whitebox or generic manufacture but sold by a known IT brand. Juniper OCX1100, HP Open Network Switches are example. White-Box Switching + Vendor Branding = Whitebrand switching.  The other term used is “britebox” but this sounds like dishwashing liquid or something you […]

The post Network Dictionary – Whitebrand Ethernet appeared first on EtherealMind.

Vendors lay groundwork for 5G with greener and faster mobile networks

A new generation of mobile network equipment comes with lofty promises of better coverage and performance for subscribers, by making it easier for operators to add more capacity and support for new radio technologies.Mobile operators are facing a number of challenges, starting with building networks that won’t get overwhelmed by traffic growth mainly driven by video. The most straightforward way of doing this is adding more spectrum—or lanes, if you will—to their networks. It isn’t a coincidence that the recent AWS (Advanced Wireless Service) spectrum auction in the U.S. was a blockbuster and that operators want to use Wi-Fi frequencies for LTE.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Sprint and T-Mobile defend unlocking policies

Sprint and T-Mobile separately defended their smartphone and tablet unlocking policies on Wednesday following criticism from independent researcher Sina Khanifar.Sprint in a short statement said that as of Feb. 11, it had "implemented all six of the principles contained in the CTIA [Consumer Code] unlocking agreement, and we appreciate the FCC's recognition that the country's major providers have met their commitment."The FCC last week applauded carriers for meeting voluntary unlocking principals by the Feb. 11 deadline.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The Cisco CNPES Cert, First Exam (600-504) and Course

Do you think of yourself as a network engineer? Cisco’s Network Programmability Engineer Specialist (CPNES) certification represents Cisco’s first crack at a certification focused on network engineering in an SDN world. Today’s post begins to examine this certification by looking at the first of the two required exams: the 600-504 NPENG exam. We’ll look at both the exam and a related video course.

Other posts in this series:

• Introduction to Cisco’s SDN Certifications
• Cisco Network Programmability (SDN) Intro Course

Overview

First, to set the stage, Cisco currently offers four network programmability certifications. Loosely you can think of these as two networking-focused certs, and two development-focused certs, based on job roles. For the two networking-focused certs, one focuses on design, while one (the one discussed here) looks at engineering and implementation.

Figure 1: Overview of Cisco SDN Certifications

Today’s post focuses on the cisco network programmability engineering specialist (CNPES) cert, and specifically the first exam: the 600-504 NPENG exam. Basically, the NPENG exam covers SDN implementation but excludes ACI, while the second required exam, 600-512 NPENGACI, includes ACI.

This list provides the links for more details – for the certification, each of the two exams, and each of Cisco’s two Continue reading

Lenovo PCs ship with adware that puts computers at risk

Some Windows laptops made by Lenovo come pre-loaded with an adware program that exposes users to security risks.The software, Superfish Visual Discovery, is designed to insert product ads into search results on other websites, including Google.However, since Google and some other search engines use HTTPS (HTTP Secure), the connections between them and users’ browsers are encrypted and cannot be manipulated to inject content.To overcome this, Superfish installs a self-generated root certificate into the Windows certificate store and then acts as a proxy, re-signing all certificates presented by HTTPS sites with its own certificate. Because the Superfish root certificate is placed in the OS certificate store, browsers will trust all fake certificates generated by Superfish for those websites.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

9 futuristic display technologies

9 far-out future display technologiesImage by Pawel GaulFor decades, there was exactly one way to look at electronically displayed text and images: the cathode ray tube. This hardworking, stalwart technology was the display of choice for everything, from radar systems in the 1940s all the way to desktop PCs in the 1990s, with millions of heavy, fragile cabinet TVs in between.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How machine learning ate Microsoft

At the Strata big data conference yesterday, Microsoft let the world know its Azure Machine Learning offering was generally available to developers. This may come as a surprise. Microsoft? Isn't machine learning the province of Google or Facebook or innumerable hot startups?In truth, Microsoft has quietly built up its machine learning expertise over decades, transforming academic discoveries into product functionality along the way. Not many businesses can match Microsoft's deep bench of talent.[ See what hardware, software, development tools, and cloud services came out on top in the InfoWorld 2015 Technology of the Year Awards. | Download the entire list of winners in the handy Technology of the Year PDF. | Stay up on key Microsoft technologies with InfoWorld's Microsoft newsletter. ] Machine learning -- getting a system to teach itself from lots of data rather than simply following preset rules -- actually powers the Microsoft software you use everyday. Machine learning has infiltrated Microsoft products from Bing to Office to Windows 8 to Xbox games. Its flashiest vehicle may be the futuristic Skype Translator, which handles two-way voice conversations in different languages.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Salesforce brings more analytics power to mobile business users

Analytics is not a domain everyone’s brain can adapt to easily. Combining statistics, data visualization, operations research, programming savvy and more, the field has relied largely on specialists to make its data-focused interpretations useful in the practical sphere.That, however, is slowly changing. Along with the rise of Big Data, efforts are increasingly emerging to put the power of analytics in the hands of business managers, often using the tools for mobile devices that are popular today.A case in point is Salesforce.com’s Wave Analytics Cloud, which the company updated Thursday.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

NTT to roll out indoor navigation using smartphone sensors

Japanese mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo wants to go beyond GPS with a more granular smartphone navigation system for complex indoor spaces.DoCoMo has partnered with mapping company Zenrin DataCom to develop the navigation system that makes use of sensors in smartphones. It’s designed to help users find their way through Japan’s dense indoor spaces such as subway complexes or underground malls where GPS signals may not reach.Japan has some of the busiest and largest rail hubs in the world, with multiple floors, overlapping rail lines and subterranean shopping arcades. The new platform uses smartphone motion sensors to track direction when a user walks around. The data is plotted against preloaded maps from Zenrin, which supplies mapping apps for all DoCoMo mobile phones.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

HP latest to unbundle switch hardware, software

HP has joined the disaggregation party through two partnerships that will produce a branded white box switch capable of running multiple network operating systems.HP has expanded a relationship with Accton Technology to offer two new switches initially, and more later this year. The switches will be low-cost, software-independent white box hardware targeted at Web scale data centers supporting cloud, mobile, social media and big data workloads.Under a second arrangement, HP will offer Cumulus Networks’ Cumulus Linux network operating system on the Accton switches. Cumulus Linux runs on a variety of white box and branded switching hardware based on merchant silicon, and is intended to make the software side of networking hardware independent.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

HP latest to unbundle switch hardware, software

HP has joined the disaggregation party through two partnerships that will produce a branded white box switch capable of running multiple network operating systems.HP has expanded a relationship with Accton Technology to offer two new switches initially, and more later this year. The switches will be low-cost, software-independent white box hardware targeted at Web scale data centers supporting cloud, mobile, social media and big data workloads.Under a second arrangement, HP will offer Cumulus Networks’ Cumulus Linux network operating system on the Accton switches. Cumulus Linux runs on a variety of white box and branded switching hardware based on merchant silicon, and is intended to make the software side of networking hardware independent.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The cloud journey continues: HP and Cumulus Networks

Is open networking mainstream?

If the HP announcement of new data center networking solutions with Cumulus Linux is any indication, then we will venture to answer.

Yes.

On Feb. 19, HP announced a partnership with Cumulus Networks for new HP open network switches with Cumulus Linux, the operating system for open networking. HP has designed an efficient supply chain model including a joint venture with Accton, delivery worldwide via HP logistics centers, and HP local sales and support.

Open networking was born when web-scale providers developed proprietary cloud networking that reduced CapEx costs while improving OpEx and enabling automation.  Similarly, hosting companies, service providers and high-tech firms re-architected their data centers realizing similar benefits.  Next, financials, government, and education entities found affordable capacity and new innovation opportunities with their cloud journey.  Today, a broad range of enterprises are adopting open networking for a wide set of use cases – and for automation and rapid service delivery using Linux tools already standardized for servers.

In that context, the new HP open network switch offerings with Cumulus Linux address a range of use cases but the sweet spot is hyper-scale data center operators. Of course HP also offers the servers, storage and Continue reading

The Upload: Your tech news briefing for Thursday, February 19

Samsung pushes into mobile payments with LoopPay acquisitionSamsung Electronics is stepping up to Apple and Google on the mobile payments front: On Wednesday it said it would buy LoopPay and roll it into its mobile division. The Massachusetts startup’s technology is, like competitors, basically a virtual wallet for payment cards, but it works with existing magnetic card readers in the U.S.Qualcomm getting set to roll out 64-bit mobile chipsQualcomm is readying new chips for mobile devices that are the first to implement its homegrown 64-bit architecture. The design will appear first in high-end Snapdragon chips for premium products, and test units will be shipping by the end of the year.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The Upload: Your tech news briefing for Thursday, February 19

Samsung pushes into mobile payments with LoopPay acquisitionSamsung Electronics is stepping up to Apple and Google on the mobile payments front: On Wednesday it said it would buy LoopPay and roll it into its mobile division. The Massachusetts startup’s technology is, like competitors, basically a virtual wallet for payment cards, but it works with existing magnetic card readers in the U.S.Qualcomm getting set to roll out 64-bit mobile chipsQualcomm is readying new chips for mobile devices that are the first to implement its homegrown 64-bit architecture. The design will appear first in high-end Snapdragon chips for premium products, and test units will be shipping by the end of the year.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Japan’s curious love for old-school flip-phones continues

Outmoded technology dies hard in futuristic Japan.Telegrams remain popular, the fax machine industry is alive and well and now shipments of feature phones are on the rise.For the first time in seven years, shipments of old-school flip phones increased in 2014 while those of smartphones fell. While it may be a statistical anomaly, Japan’s flip phones are highly evolved devices with unique features that keep them popular.Feature phones notched a 5.7 percent gain last year to 10.5 million units, compared to a 5.3 percent drop in smartphone shipments to 27.7 million, according to MM Research Institute (MMRI), which noted that Apple retains a dominant smartphone share of about 60 percent. The MMRI study followed feature phones, which in Japan consist mainly of flip phones,To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here