Red Hat Gears Up OpenShift For Developers

During the five years that Red Hat has been building out its OpenShift cloud applications platform, much of the focus has been on making it easier to use by customers looking to adapt to an increasingly cloud-centric world for both new and legacy applications. Just as it did with the Linux operating system through Red Hat Enterprise Linux and related middleware and tools, the vendor has worked to make it easier for enterprises to embrace OpenShift.

That has included a major reworking of the platform with the release of version 3.0 last year, which ditched Red Hat’s in-house technologies for

Red Hat Gears Up OpenShift For Developers was written by Jeffrey Burt at The Next Platform.

Facebook’s text understanding AI is coming to a phone near you

Developers have a new tool to help mobile apps understand text, thanks to a Facebook open source project update on Tuesday. The social networking company’s AI research group released a new version of FastText, a programming library that’s designed to make it easier for developers to deploy text-focused machine learning systems.Using a technique the researchers are calling FastText.zip, developers can compact a language recognition model so that it takes up two orders of magnitude less memory while maintaining much of the accuracy they would get out of a non-compacted model. It’s a move that allows those models to be deployed on less powerful devices like smartphones and Raspberry Pis, making them more useful for a broader variety of applications.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Using the Ansible ios_config Module

I get asked often on how to perform specific network automation tasks with Ansible. There were a few questions recently pertaining to the ios_config module within Ansible core, so I decided to record a video to show different options you have when using it to deploy global configuration commands on IOS devices.

Here is a summary of the four (4) options covered:

  1. Embed commands in your playbook and reference them using the commands (or lines) parameter.
  2. Use the src parameter and reference a configuration file with one or more commands in it.
  3. Use the src parameter and reference a Jinja2 template such that it inserts variables into the template, creating a list of commands, and deploys them to a device.
  4. Use two tasks. In Task 1, use the template module and reference a Jinja2 template to auto-generate a configuration file. In Task 2, use the ios_config module and reference the config file built in Task 1 to deploy the commands from the file. This is often used instead of option #3 since it allows you to store/view the config file before deploying fully de-coupling the build and deploy processes.

Using the ios_config module

The video does assume some existing knowledge on using Ansible. The Continue reading

Using the Ansible ios_config Module

I get asked often on how to perform specific network automation tasks with Ansible. There were a few questions recently pertaining to the ios_config module within Ansible core, so I decided to record a video to show different options you have when using it to deploy global configuration commands on IOS devices.

Here is a summary of the four (4) options covered:

  1. Embed commands in your playbook and reference them using the commands (or lines) parameter.
  2. Use the src parameter and reference a configuration file with one or more commands in it.
  3. Use the src parameter and reference a Jinja2 template such that it inserts variables into the template, creating a list of commands, and deploys them to a device.
  4. Use two tasks. In Task 1, use the template module and reference a Jinja2 template to auto-generate a configuration file. In Task 2, use the ios_config module and reference the config file built in Task 1 to deploy the commands from the file. This is often used instead of option #3 since it allows you to store/view the config file before deploying fully de-coupling the build and deploy processes.

Using the ios_config module

The video does assume some existing knowledge on using Ansible. The Continue reading

Verizon.net email addresses are going away — here are 4 alternatives

Verizon has begun warning customers that it’s getting out of the email game and that you need to act soon if you want to keep your Verizon.net email address.One alternative is to actually keep that Verizon.net address, but have Verizon acquisition AOL manage it for you. So your address would be [email protected] on the surface, but AOL underneath due to Verizon ending its email service. (See also: "How to keep your Verizon email account from being killed off")But if this whole situation might be prompting you to make a clean break from your carrier’s email system, here are a few free messaging services that you might want to consider, some more obvious than others. I’ve taken a fresh spin through each of the email systems to collect the latest info on them, figuring at least a good chunk of the 4.5 million email accounts controlled by Verizon will be moving elsewhere sooner than later.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Verizon.net email addresses are going away — here are 4 alternatives

Verizon has begun warning customers that it’s getting out of the email game and that you need to act soon if you want to keep your Verizon.net email address.One alternative is to actually keep that Verizon.net address, but have Verizon acquisition AOL manage it for you. So your address would be [email protected] on the surface, but AOL underneath due to Verizon ending its email service. (See also: "How to keep your Verizon email account from being killed off")But if this whole situation might be prompting you to make a clean break from your carrier’s email system, here are a few free messaging services that you might want to consider, some more obvious than others. I’ve taken a fresh spin through each of the email systems to collect the latest info on them, figuring at least a good chunk of the 4.5 million email accounts controlled by Verizon will be moving elsewhere sooner than later.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Shodan search engine starts unmasking malware command-and-control servers

There's now a new tool that could allow companies to quickly block communications between malware programs and their frequently changing command-and-control servers.Threat intelligence company Recorded Future has partnered with Shodan, a search engine for internet-connected devices and services, to create a new online crawler called Malware Hunter.The new service continuously scans the internet to find control panels for over ten different remote access Trojan (RAT) programs, including Gh0st RAT, DarkComet, njRAT, ZeroAccess and XtremeRAT. These are commercial malware tools sold on underground forums and are used by cybercriminals to take complete control of compromised computers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Shodan search engine starts unmasking malware command-and-control servers

There's now a new tool that could allow companies to quickly block communications between malware programs and their frequently changing command-and-control servers.Threat intelligence company Recorded Future has partnered with Shodan, a search engine for internet-connected devices and services, to create a new online crawler called Malware Hunter.The new service continuously scans the internet to find control panels for over ten different remote access Trojan (RAT) programs, including Gh0st RAT, DarkComet, njRAT, ZeroAccess and XtremeRAT. These are commercial malware tools sold on underground forums and are used by cybercriminals to take complete control of compromised computers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Google’s surging Chromebooks will test Microsoft’s new Windows 10 S PCs

Microsoft for years has been trying to tackle the growing threat of Google's Chrome OS, which is siphoning PC market share away from Windows.The company's new Windows 10 S operating system, announced on Tuesday, will be Microsoft's latest attempt to tackle Google's surging Chrome OS. The OS is targeted at the education market, which in the U.S. is dominated by Chromebooks.Even with the new Windows OS, worldwide Chromebook shipments are expected to grow by double digits this year, analysts from IDC and Gartner said. The market share of Chromebooks has been growing up consistently since 2015.The new Windows OS is built like Chrome OS. PCs with Windows 10 S will be able to download apps only from the Windows App store. The OS is more like a "container" that will run apps secured and verified by Microsoft. A version of Microsoft's Office Suite will also come to Windows 10 S.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

46% off Razer Kraken Pro Gaming Headset for PC, Xbox One and Playstation 4 – Deal Alert

On top of being optimized for extended wear, the Razer Kraken Pro is outfitted with a fully retractable microphone, in-line volume controls and mute toggle, giving you easy access to all its features. Powered by large, high-quality drivers, this full-sized headset provides you with immersive gaming audio for hours on end.  The 3.5mm combined audio jack and splitter cable ensure that you have mic support on your mobile devices as well as full connectivity to any gaming setup.This gaming headset currently averages 4 out of 5 stars from over 1,400 people (read reviews) on Amazon, where its typical list price of $79.99 has been recently dropped 46% to just $42.99.  See this deal now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Lessons Learned From Facebook’s Split Network Backbone

Distributed applications, whether they are containerized or not, have a lot of benefits when it comes to modularity and scale. But in a world of feature creep on all applications, whether they are internally facing ones running a business or hyperscale consumer applications like Google’s search engine or Facebook’s social media network, these distributed applications put a huge strain on the network.

This, more than any other factor, is why network costs are rising faster than any other aspect of the datacenter. Gone are the days when everything was done in three or four tiers, with a Web server like

Lessons Learned From Facebook’s Split Network Backbone was written by Timothy Prickett Morgan at The Next Platform.

Sketchy report claims iPhone 8 won’t launch this year

In a brand-new research report that you might want to take with a huge grain of salt, analysts at Deutsche Bank say the release of Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 8 may be pushed back until 2018.While we've seen reports that the iPhone 8 release date might be delayed sometime until October or November, this is the first projection we've seen claiming we might not  see a brand-new iPhone 8 model in 2017 at all.The research note, obtained by Business Insider, reads in part: Report suggests no new iPhone 8 this calendar year. As we have written in previous [research notes], several supply chain reports have suggested that key component shortages and technical challenges could delay the release of a high-end iPhone 8 device this fall. We believe this report further underscores the uncertainty around the timing of Apple's next- generation iPhone model.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Quick guide to where AR stands today

It has been a busy 2017 for augmented reality (AR). Often perceived as the lesser-known cousin to virtual reality (VR), AR is now stealing the spotlight. Over the past few months, there have been augmented reality developments from nearly all the leaders in tech. From Facebook’s announcements at its F8 developer conference to Apple’s rumored AR glasses, there is no doubt that the AR space is heating up.However, with so many newsworthy happenings, it can be challenging to keep up with it all. To help you, here’s your quick guide to where the big AR players stand today.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

15 ways to make meetings more productive

Let’s be honest, almost no one likes meetings. They can be disruptive, tend to go on for too long and often feel like a waste of time.But meetings don’t have to be boring, drawn out affairs. Meetings, when done right, can produce new ideas, solve problems and help move projects forward.Here are 15 ways you can make your organization’s meetings must-attend gatherings that make attendees feeling like they accomplished something.[ Related: How to make meetings more productive ]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Why AI careers can start with a degree in linguistics

A linguistics degree traditionally prepares students for careers in academia, professional writing or translation, but as technology continues to advance, these graduates are finding their skills in high demand from an unlikely place-positions in artificial intelligence.Companies in the AI market are turning to those with linguistic backgrounds to help aid in things like product development and customer service, says Caterina Balcells, chief linguistic officer at conversational search technology company Inbenta."Linguistics is important to better understand users and how they're communicating with a company. If we can develop tech that uses natural language processing to help customers find what they're looking for, then that reduces the need to have a person do that, and it improves customer satisfaction at the same time," Balcells says.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here