Free cloud storage buyer beware

There are three things that are certain in life: Death, taxes and volatility in the free cloud storage market. Yes, it turns out free cloud storage comes with a price: putting up with a fickle market. Network World has a running list of the best places in the cloud to find free storage. Many vendors offer their services on a freemium basis, meaning an introductory cloud storage offering, typically of 5 GB is free, with additional storage costing a variety of prices. But businesses don’t typically like to give away their services for free. So, these offers change frequently.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

This company is turning FAQs into Alexa skills

People looking for an easier path to integrating with Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant have good news on the horizon. NoHold, a company that builds services for making bots, unveiled a project that seeks to turn a document into an Alexa skill.It’s designed for situations like Airbnb hosts who want to give guests a virtual assistant that can answer questions about the home they’re renting, or companies that want a talking employee handbook. Bot-builders upload a document to NoHold’s Sicura QuickStart service, which then parses the text and turns it into a virtual conversation partner that can answer questions based on the file’s contents. Right now, building Alexa skills is a fairly manual process that requires programming prowess and time to figure out Amazon’s software development tools for its virtual assistant. People who want to change the way that a bot behaves have to go in and tweak code parameters.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Americans value online privacy but voters do not care when it counts

The rush by Republicans in Congress to kill still-pending Obama-era rules that would put curbs on the ability of ISPs to collect and sell our personal Internet usage data has been met with howls of protest from privacy advocates and citizens.And the outrage is no wonder, as the idea of our browsing habits and histories being hawked to the highest bidder is an affront to any understanding of personal privacy rights.It’s also an affront to public opinion, as a Pew Research Center Survey last year shows: 93% of adults say that being in control of who can get information about them is important; 74% feel this is “very important,” while 19% say it is “somewhat important.” 90% say that controlling what information is collected about them is important—65% think it is “very important” and 25% say it is “somewhat important.” Despite such overwhelming public sentiment, Republican majorities in both the House and Senate have voted in recent days to scuttle the privacy protections authorized last October by the Federal Communications Commission, protections that were scheduled to take effect later this year. That FCC measure passed on a 3-2 party-line vote, with then-Chairman Tom Wheeler and two Continue reading

Americans value online privacy but voters do not care when it counts

The rush by Republicans in Congress to kill still-pending Obama-era rules that would put curbs on the ability of ISPs to collect and sell our personal Internet usage data has been met with howls of protest from privacy advocates and citizens.And the outrage is no wonder, as the idea of our browsing habits and histories being hawked to the highest bidder is an affront to any understanding of personal privacy rights.It’s also an affront to public opinion, as a Pew Research Center Survey last year shows: 93% of adults say that being in control of who can get information about them is important; 74% feel this is “very important,” while 19% say it is “somewhat important.” 90% say that controlling what information is collected about them is important—65% think it is “very important” and 25% say it is “somewhat important.” Despite such overwhelming public sentiment, Republican majorities in both the House and Senate have voted in recent days to scuttle the privacy protections authorized last October by the Federal Communications Commission, protections that were scheduled to take effect later this year. That FCC measure passed on a 3-2 party-line vote, with then-Chairman Tom Wheeler and two Continue reading

IDG Contributor Network: How digital can help create experiences that are truly personal

Each of us has access to more than 10 million products from anywhere at any given time via smartphones and other devices. And companies don’t miss any opportunities to tell us what we personally are supposed to need and use.Typically, this boils down to this: “Many people who are your age or have similar shopping habits were interested in these products or services.” Sometimes, this approach to personalization is helpful, but most of the time, it falls short because it doesn’t get to the bottom of why something is truly relevant to the individual customer.+ Also on Network World: The big picture of digital transformation + In today’s digital world, companies no longer need to rely on this segment-centric and wisdom-of-the-crowd approach. With the technologies at hand, we have the ability to instead look at how individual customers interact with specific products and services and what features they prefer.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

An Opaque Alternative to Oblivious Cloud Analytics

Data security has always been a key concern as organizations look to leverage the operational and cost efficiencies that come with cloud computing. Huge volumes of critical and sensitive data often are in transit and distributed among multiple systems, and increasingly are being collected and analyzed in cloud-based big data platforms, putting them at higher risk of being hacked and compromised.

Even as encryption methods and security procedures have improved, the data is still at risk of being attacked through such vulnerabilities as access pattern leakage through memory or the network. It’s the threat of an attack via access pattern …

An Opaque Alternative to Oblivious Cloud Analytics was written by Nicole Hemsoth at The Next Platform.

The granular control over Layer 2 in today’s smart switches might surprise net veterans

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.

In the gap between plug and play unmanaged Ethernet switches and fully managed enterprise switches, vendors added the so called “smart switch,” which offer light management features to unmanaged gigabit Ethernet devices. Today, smart switches targeted at small-to-medium-size business run the gamut in terms of manageability and feature sets. 

The appeal of basic network management features for a small business stems from the need for performance and security. Plug and play and start right away—that’s what every start up wants—then later on, they need basic configurations and features to accommodate growth as needed.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The granular control over Layer 2 in today’s smart switches might surprise net veterans

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.In the gap between plug and play unmanaged Ethernet switches and fully managed enterprise switches, vendors added the so called “smart switch,” which offer light management features to unmanaged gigabit Ethernet devices. Today, smart switches targeted at small-to-medium-size business run the gamut in terms of manageability and feature sets. The appeal of basic network management features for a small business stems from the need for performance and security. Plug and play and start right away—that’s what every start up wants—then later on, they need basic configurations and features to accommodate growth as needed.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The granular control over Layer 2 in today’s smart switches might surprise net veterans

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.In the gap between plug and play unmanaged Ethernet switches and fully managed enterprise switches, vendors added the so called “smart switch,” which offer light management features to unmanaged gigabit Ethernet devices. Today, smart switches targeted at small-to-medium-size business run the gamut in terms of manageability and feature sets. The appeal of basic network management features for a small business stems from the need for performance and security. Plug and play and start right away—that’s what every start up wants—then later on, they need basic configurations and features to accommodate growth as needed.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What makes IT pros happy? One thing ranks higher than pay

Coworkers can make or break a good job. For IT pros, it’s all about their peers, managers, and end users.“I tossed out money as a contributor to happiness a long time ago,” said IT pro Michael Studte. “Although my salary, work hours, and vacation time are important to the equation, I’ve been the happiest in companies where management will listen and take my recommendations seriously, and where I’m able to build a good rapport with my users.”Spiceworks shared Studte’s comments along with results of its latest survey, which polled IT pros from the U.S. and U.K. on the topic of job satisfaction. (Related: 10 reasons to look for a new job)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Ed Meyercord’s plan for Extreme Networks proves to be ‘better than most’

Any fan of the PGA Tour will never forget the “better than most” call by NBC’s Gary Koch. On March 24, 2001, Tiger Woods stepped up to execute one of the most difficult putts of his career. Halfway to the hole, Koch uttered the words “better than most” as it looked like his putt was going to be a good one. It wound up going in, and that become yet another notable moment in Tiger’s illustrious career where great execution was becoming the norm. In the highly tumultuous networking market, Extreme Networks’ CEO, Ed Meyercord, continues to make moves that are “better than most,” putting his company in a position to be a long-term share gainer in a market that badly needs more strong vendors. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Ed Meyercord’s plan for Extreme Networks proves to be ‘better than most’

Any fan of the PGA Tour will never forget the “better than most” call by NBC’s Gary Koch. On March 24, 2001, Tiger Woods stepped up to execute one of the most difficult putts of his career. Halfway to the hole, Koch uttered the words “better than most” as it looked like his putt was going to be a good one. It wound up going in, and that become yet another notable moment in Tiger’s illustrious career where great execution was becoming the norm. In the highly tumultuous networking market, Extreme Networks’ CEO, Ed Meyercord, continues to make moves that are “better than most,” putting his company in a position to be a long-term share gainer in a market that badly needs more strong vendors. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Ed Meyercord’s plan for Extreme Networks proves to be ‘better than most’

Any fan of the PGA Tour will never forget the “better than most” call by NBC’s Gary Koch. On March 24, 2001, Tiger Woods stepped up to execute one of the most difficult putts of his career. Halfway to the hole, Koch uttered the words “better than most” as it looked like his putt was going to be a good one. It wound up going in, and that become yet another notable moment in Tiger’s illustrious career where great execution was becoming the norm. In the highly tumultuous networking market, Extreme Networks’ CEO, Ed Meyercord, continues to make moves that are “better than most,” putting his company in a position to be a long-term share gainer in a market that badly needs more strong vendors. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

8 great testing tools for mobile app developers

8 great testing tools for mobile app developersImage by geralt via PixabayThe rapid proliferation of mobile devices presents a particular nasty testing issue for mobile app developers. With so many operating system versions, browsers, and devices in circulation, ensuring a quality experience across all combinations can be nearly impossible, especially when you have a limited number of devices on hand.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What Microsoft failed to deliver in the Windows 10 Creators Update

If the Windows 10 Creators Update had worked out as Microsoft had promised, we all would be taking 3D selfies, importing them to Windows, and then sharing them among our closest friends and coworkers via Office presentations and mixed-reality headsets.Microsoft sold us that vision as part of the Creators Update launch last fall. But somewhere between then and the Creators Update rollout announcement April 29, key pieces went missing. Microsoft previously said that its My People experience would be left for the “Redstone 3” update in the fall. The company never warned us, however, that we wouldn't see the Windows Capture app, which creates 3D objects simply by tapping your smartphone. If there’s a way to share 3D objects within the Holotour app within the HoloLens, I haven’t seen it. And, of course, neither the HoloLens nor the third-party mixed-reality devices are commercially available yet.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IP theft: Declining, or just more stealthy?

Eighteen months ago, President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced, with considerable fanfare, an agreement aimed at curbing economic espionage.According to the Sept. 25, 2015 White House press release, “neither country’s government will conduct or knowingly support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, including trade secrets or other confidential business information, with the intent of providing competitive advantages to companies or commercial sectors.”So, with Xi due to meet with President Trump in early April, an obvious question is: Has the agreement been effective?The reviews on that are mixed, but there is general agreement that while it hasn’t stopped, the theft of intellectual property (IP) by the Chinese against the US is not as rampant as it was several years ago when The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property estimated total losses, including jobs, competitiveness, stock value, market share, in the hundreds of billions, and former National Security Agency director Gen. Keith Alexander famously called it, “the greatest transfer of wealth in human history.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IP theft: Declining, or just more stealthy?

Eighteen months ago, President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced, with considerable fanfare, an agreement aimed at curbing economic espionage.According to the Sept. 25, 2015 White House press release, “neither country’s government will conduct or knowingly support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, including trade secrets or other confidential business information, with the intent of providing competitive advantages to companies or commercial sectors.”So, with Xi due to meet with President Trump in early April, an obvious question is: Has the agreement been effective?The reviews on that are mixed, but there is general agreement that while it hasn’t stopped, the theft of intellectual property (IP) by the Chinese against the US is not as rampant as it was several years ago when The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property estimated total losses, including jobs, competitiveness, stock value, market share, in the hundreds of billions, and former National Security Agency director Gen. Keith Alexander famously called it, “the greatest transfer of wealth in human history.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Windows 10 Creators Update: The 5 biggest changes

Windows 10 just keeps getting bigger and better.Microsoft just announced that the Windows 10 Creators Update will start rolling out on April 11, building upon the foundation laid by vanilla Windows 10 and its subsequent “November” and “Anniversary” updates. While not every feature that Microsoft promised at the Creators Update’s reveal last fall actually made the final cut, it’s still overflowing with helpful new extras that polish rough edges and just plain make things more fun.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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