Microsoft Surface beats Apple iPad in JD Power tests

History repeats itself as Microsoft, late to the tablet party and needing a few revisions to make Surface a success, has beaten all of its tablet rivals in the JD Power 2017 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study. It's the first time Microsoft has topped the charts since the survey was first introduced by JD Power.Overall, Microsoft scored 855 out of a possible 1,000 points, narrowly beating Apple with 849 and Samsung with 847. JD Power said Microsoft was the top performer in three areas: pre-loaded applications, internet connectivity and availability of manufacturer-supported accessories. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

US FCC said to have a plan for rollback of net neutrality rules

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has disclosed preliminary plans to roll back some of the net neutrality provisions in the U.S., which could be put to vote as soon as May or June, according to news reports.In a meeting this week with industry associations, Pai is said to have outlined a plan that would do away with the classification of broadband providers as common carriers subject to the oversight of the FCC.The new proposal would, however, require the broadband providers to promise to preserve net neutrality principles such as by not blocking or prioritizing Internet traffic, according to the news reports.The reclassification of broadband as a public regulated utility was part of a move by the previous administration of President Barack Obama to preserve net neutrality in the U.S. The FCC voted 3-2 in February 2015 to reclassify broadband as a regulated public utility by invoking Title II of the Communications Act, thus prohibiting providers from selectively blocking or throttling or offering paid prioritization of Internet traffic.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

US FCC said to have a plan for rollback of net neutrality rules

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has disclosed preliminary plans to roll back some of the net neutrality provisions in the U.S., which could be put to vote as soon as May or June, according to news reports.In a meeting this week with industry associations, Pai is said to have outlined a plan that would do away with the classification of broadband providers as common carriers subject to the oversight of the FCC.The new proposal would, however, require the broadband providers to promise to preserve net neutrality principles such as by not blocking or prioritizing Internet traffic, according to the news reports.The reclassification of broadband as a public regulated utility was part of a move by the previous administration of President Barack Obama to preserve net neutrality in the U.S. The FCC voted 3-2 in February 2015 to reclassify broadband as a regulated public utility by invoking Title II of the Communications Act, thus prohibiting providers from selectively blocking or throttling or offering paid prioritization of Internet traffic.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Robots: Lots of features, not much security

Robots are supposed to do good things for us, not bad things to us.But there is plenty of evidence that, like the billions of other connected devices that make up the Internet of Things (IoT), the growth of robot technology is coming with loads of features, but not much of a security blanket.More evidence came in a report on home, business and industrial robots released last month by security research firm IOActive, which found that “most” of them lacked what experts generally call “basic security hygiene.”Those included the predictable list: Insecure communication channels, critical information sent in cleartext or with weak encryption, no requirement for user names or passwords for some services, weak authentication in others, and a lack of sufficient authorization to protect critical functions such as software installation or updates.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Robots: Lots of features, not much security

Robots are supposed to do good things for us, not bad things to us.But there is plenty of evidence that, like the billions of other connected devices that make up the Internet of Things (IoT), the growth of robot technology is coming with loads of features, but not much of a security blanket.More evidence came in a report on home, business and industrial robots released last month by security research firm IOActive, which found that “most” of them lacked what experts generally call “basic security hygiene.”Those included the predictable list: Insecure communication channels, critical information sent in cleartext or with weak encryption, no requirement for user names or passwords for some services, weak authentication in others, and a lack of sufficient authorization to protect critical functions such as software installation or updates.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

U.S. businesses jump on trend to buy unlocked smartphones

Cost-conscious businesses are increasingly buying unlocked smartphones for their workers, instead of more expensive smartphones with two-year service plans that are locked to a certain wireless U.S. carrier."Unlocked makes more sense," said Craig Riegelhaupt, direct of product marketing for mobile at Tangoe, an IT and telecom expense management software and services vendor that functions as a consultant to thousands of large businesses.There's a "definite" trend among Tangoe customers toward buying unlocked smartphones, as more procurement officers and managers for lines of business vie to reduce costs, he added. "They are always cost-conscious."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Today Get 36% off JBL Flip 3 Splash Proof Portable Bluetooth Speaker – Deal Alert

The all-purpose, all-weather companion JBL Flip 3 is the next generation wireless speaker in the award-winning Flip series. It is a comprehensive portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers surprisingly powerful, room-filling stereo sound everywhere. This ultra-compact speaker is powered by a 3000mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery that offers up to 10 hours of continuous playtime. Sporting a durable, splashproof fabric and available in 8 vibrant colors, Flip 3 is the all-purpose, all-weather companion that integrates music into every aspect of your life - from tabletop to poolside, from sunny mornings to rainy nights. Flip 3 also features a built-in noise and echo cancelling speakerphone for crystal clear conference calls, and JBL Connect technology that can wirelessly link multiple JBL Connect-enabled speakers together to amplify the listening experience.  The JBL Flip 3 Speaker averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from 3,200+ people on Amazon (read reviews) and its typical list price of $99.50 is currently reduced to just $63.99.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Zenzeleni – Do it Yourself! – How a rural community in South Africa became a telecommunication operator.

Mankosi, in the Eastern Cape Province, is one of South Africa’s most economically disadvantaged communities. Most of the 3,500 residents live on less than $2 per day. In spite of this, residents spend an average of 22 percent of their income on the ability to connect and communicate. Unfortunately, less than a quarter of residents are online in any given month. Mankosi needed an alternative to expensive, spotty service. Zenzeleni Network was set up in 2012 to provide voice service to the community, using analog phones connected to WiFi routers and Voice over IP (VoIP) technology.

Nicoletta Metri

Apple orders 92 million OLED panels from Samsung for iPhone 8

Speaking to the immense demand Apple is forecasting for the iPhone 8, the Cupertino, California-based company recently inked a deal for a whopping 92 million OLED panels from Samsung.While reports from earlier in the week pegged Apple's OLED order in the 70 million range, a more recent from Digitimes relays the figure has since been bumped up."Based on the contract," the report notes. "Samsung Display will ship 70-92 million small-size OLED panels to Apple in 2017. ... This means that about 30 percent of iPhone devices shipped in 2017 will come with curved OLED panels, given that Apple currently ships about 200 million iPhone devices a year."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Apple orders 92 million OLED panels from Samsung for the iPhone 8

Speaking to the immense demand Apple is forecasting for the iPhone 8, the Cupertino-based company recently inked a deal for a whopping 92 million OLED panels from Samsung. While reports from earlier in the week pegged Apple's OLED order in the 70 million range, a more recent from Digitimes relays that the figure has since been bumped up."Based on the contract," the report notes. "Samsung Display will ship 70-92 million small-size OLED panels to Apple in 2017... This means that about 30% of iPhone devices shipped in 2017 will come with curved OLED panels, given that Apple currently ships about 200 million iPhone devices a year."Hardly a surprise, many analysts are anticipating that the iPhone 8 will anchor the largest iPhone upgrade cycle in history. Not only will the iPhone 8 introduce a long overdue change to a form factor that has largely remain stagnant since 2014, but the current pool of iPhone owners in the market for an upgrade is larger today than it's ever been before. Taken together, demand for the iPhone 8 will presumably be off the charts.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Samsung’s profit soars after recovery from Note7 debacle

The costly Galaxy Note7 debacle, which led to the recall of about 3 million smartphones because of overheating batteries, seems to be behind Samsung Electronics, with the company forecasting a 48 percent growth in operating profit in the first quarter.Samsung has not had a new flagship smartphone on the shelves ever since it stopped production of the Note7 in October after replacement phones shipped by the company were also found in some cases to have the battery issue. The company now has its hopes for the high-end of the smartphone market pinned on the new Galaxy S8 and S8+, which is expected to reach shelves later this month.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Technology Short Take #81

Welcome to Technology Short Take #81! I have another collection of links, articles, and thoughts about key data center technologies, and hopefully I’ve managed to include something here that will prove useful or thought-provoking. Enjoy!

Networking

10 steps to cut through the data management complexity

The modern enterprise is data-driven. The capability to quickly access and act upon information has become a key competitive advantage. But business data is often siloed and fragmented. To gain a competitive edge from your information, you need a single view of your data.Most organizations today have a complicated process for managing their data, one that usually involves multiple data sources of variable structure, ingestion and transformation, loading into an operation database and supporting the business applications that need the data. Analytics, business intelligence (BI) and reporting tools require access to the data, which frequently requires a separate data warehouse or data lake. These layers all need to comply with security protocols, information governance standards and other operational requirements.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

U.S. seeks curbs on use of entry-level H-1B programmers

The U.S. government is taking action that will likely increase the visa denial rates of H-1B programmers, a move that could help U.S. nationals, both in terms of wages and jobs.The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) wants programmers who offer skills that are specialized or unique. That means firms seeking to hire programmers at entry-level wages may see their H-1B visa requests denied.There's a reason the U.S. doesn't want entry-level visa workers.[ Further reading: 8 project management skills in high demand ] Take for instance, Michigan, a state that President Donald Trump won. The prevailing wage for an entry-level computer programmer in Flint is $38,000, while the mean wage for that occupation in the city is $60,000.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Apple breaks with secrecy to rebut negative narrative

In a very unusual move, Apple this week renounced its usual secrecy about future products to counter questions about its commitment to the Mac, analysts said today.At an invite-only meeting with a handful of Apple bloggers and reporters, two of Apple's top executives -- marketing head Philip Schiller and Craig Federighi, who leads software engineering -- acknowledged that the firm's strategy for the Mac Pro, the company's top-of-the-line desktop, had been a mistake. While a refreshed Mac Pro will not ship this year, Schiller and Federighi promised that one is in the pipeline.[ Further reading: 15-in. MacBook Pro delivers on speed and design – for a price ] Along with talk of the Mac Pro -- a niche item in Apple's Mac line, which in turn has been dwarfed by the iPhone -- the executives stressed that the company was committed to the professional part of its customer base. Apple will ship new iMacs this year, they said, some configured for the "pro" users at the advanced end of the spectrum.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Raspberry Pi roundup: The unbearable Pi-NAS of being; Pi takes rook; and a little teeny Mac

If you haven’t read the story of the original mechanical Turk, you really should. This was a 1770s machine that appeared to use complicated mechanisms to play competent chess against even very good human players, and it has fired the imaginations of everyone from computing pioneer Charles Babbage to today’s steampunk nerds. Here’s a great summary from Atlas Obscura.The Turk has lent its name to many things over the years, including Amazon’s Mechanical Turk micro-job service, but the latest is the Pi-powered Raspberry Turk, which works like this: The heart of the machine is a Raspberry Pi 3 running an open-source chess engine called Stockfish. A Pi camera module and a lot of custom Python code let the system translate the physical pieces into a chess position that the Stockfish engine can digest, and little tiny magnets embedded in the tops of the pieces let the robotic arm actually move things around.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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