Dell EMC combines hyperconvergence and cloud in latest VxRail offering

Dell EMC is now offering a combination of its VxRail hyperconverged infrastructure and the EMC Enterprise Hybrid Cloud (EHC) platform to make it easier for mid-size organizations to build private clouds.+MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: This DARPA-backed Machine Learning program is a quick thinker | Hot Products at RSA 2017 +VxRail, which combines compute, network and virtual storage, is based largely on VMware management software, including the vRealize Suite, which allows for self-provisioning of virtual machines, and vSAN, which is VMware’s virtual storage array. EMC introduced VxRail about a year ago and Thursday said that to date it has sold 8,000 nodes to 1,000 customers, reaching over 65 Petabytes of scale.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cisco reserves $125 million to pay for faulty clock component in switches, routers

In its quarterly financial results announcement this week, Cisco said it had set aside $125 million to help cover the cost of replacing networking gear impacted by a fatal clock component. Cisco was the first vendor to post a notice about the clock technology problem earlier this month saying the fatal glitch includes some of the company’s most widely deployed products, such as certain models of its Series 4000 Integrated Services Routers, Nexus 9000 Series switches, ASA security devices and Meraki Cloud Managed Switches. Clock components are critical to the synchronization device functions. +More on Network World: Cisco: Faulty clock part could cause failure in some Nexus switches, ISR routers, ASA security appliances+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cisco reserves $125 million to pay for faulty clock component in switches, routers

In its quarterly financial results announcement this week, Cisco said it had set aside $125 million to help cover the cost of replacing networking gear impacted by a fatal clock component. Cisco was the first vendor to post a notice about the clock technology problem earlier this month saying the fatal glitch includes some of the company’s most widely deployed products, such as certain models of its Series 4000 Integrated Services Routers, Nexus 9000 Series switches, ASA security devices and Meraki Cloud Managed Switches. Clock components are critical to the synchronization device functions. +More on Network World: Cisco: Faulty clock part could cause failure in some Nexus switches, ISR routers, ASA security appliances+To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How Yahoo’s Internal Hadoop Cluster Does Double-Duty on Deep Learning

Five years ago, many bleeding edge IT shops had either implemented a Hadoop cluster for production use or at least had a cluster set aside to explore the mysteries of MapReduce and the HDFS storage system.

While it is not clear all these years later how many ultra-scale production Hadoop deployments there are in earnest (something we are analyzing for a later in-depth piece), those same shops are likely on top trying to exploit the next big thing in the datacenter—machine learning, or for the more intrepid, deep learning.

For those that were able to get large-scale Hadoop clusters into …

How Yahoo’s Internal Hadoop Cluster Does Double-Duty on Deep Learning was written by Nicole Hemsoth at The Next Platform.

24% off Fitbit Alta Fitness Tracker – Deal Alert

Fitbit Alta is a customizable fitness tracker designed to fit your personal style and keeps you motivated by tracking all-day activity like steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes, and get credit for your workouts with Smart Track automatic exercise recognition. At night, track your sleep and set a silent alarm to wake better and get your best rest. No matter where you're headed, the easy-to-read OLED screen keeps your goals in focus with stats, time, and call or text notifications on display. Available accessory wristbands in metal, leather and sport, help you find the right style for every occasion. The Fitbit Alta currently averages 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 7,700 people (read reviews), and its typical list price of $129.95 has been reduced to $99. See it now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Microsoft’s monthlong delay of patches may pose risks

Microsoft has decided to bundle its February patches together with those scheduled for March, a move that at least some security experts disagree with."I was surprised to learn that Microsoft wants to postpone by a full month," said Carsten Eiram, the chief research officer at vulnerability intelligence firm Risk Based Security, via email. "Even without knowing all the details, I find such a decision very hard to justify. They are aware of vulnerabilities in their products and have developed fixes; those should always be made available to customers in a timely fashion."Microsoft took everyone by surprise on Tuesday when it announced that this month's patches had to be delayed because of a "last minute issue" that could have had an impact on customers. The company did not initially specify for how long the patches will be postponed, which likely threw a wrench in some systems administrators' patch deployment plans.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Microsoft’s monthlong delay of patches may pose risks

Microsoft has decided to bundle its February patches together with those scheduled for March, a move that at least some security experts disagree with."I was surprised to learn that Microsoft wants to postpone by a full month," said Carsten Eiram, the chief research officer at vulnerability intelligence firm Risk Based Security, via email. "Even without knowing all the details, I find such a decision very hard to justify. They are aware of vulnerabilities in their products and have developed fixes; those should always be made available to customers in a timely fashion."Microsoft took everyone by surprise on Tuesday when it announced that this month's patches had to be delayed because of a "last minute issue" that could have had an impact on customers. The company did not initially specify for how long the patches will be postponed, which likely threw a wrench in some systems administrators' patch deployment plans.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

BrandPost: IT needs to get great at mastering change

Portions of this post were originally posted on the Puppet blog, and are republished here with Puppet's permission.Change is constant and necessary in IT, even if it’s an uphill battle. Fortunately, you can purposefully drive change through collaboration, automation and DevOps practices. In a recent Puppet-sponsored webinar, we discussed the complexity and accelerating rate of change in IT, and how it impacts user expectations and tool evolution.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Amazon’s Alexa gains support for Outlook calendars

Users of Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant can now ask it questions about the contents of their Microsoft-hosted calendars. On Wednesday, the assistant gained the ability to interact with calendars from Outlook.com and Office 365, similar to how it works with Google Calendar.Amazon didn’t make an announcement for the new feature. When asked about the change, a spokesperson for the company said that it was designed to only work with personal calendars.That said, it was possible for me to connect my Office 365 calendar, which is provided through an enterprise subscription. When asked about what’s on my schedule, Alexa answered with the contents of my work calendar. It’s unclear if Amazon plans to continue supporting that functionality, and it may break at any time.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Worth Reading: Intel’s ticking time bomb

It started somewhat innocently. Cisco released a field notice that there was an issue with some signal clocks on a range of their networking devices. This by itself was a huge issue. There had been rumblings about this issue for a few months. Some proactive replacement of affected devices to test things. Followed by panicked customer visits when the news broke on February 2nd. Cisco looked like they were about to get a black eye. —The Networking Nerd

The post Worth Reading: Intel’s ticking time bomb appeared first on 'net work.

IDG Contributor Network: Why big data projects fail and how to make 2017 different

Major shifts are happening in our ecosystem as companies strive to become fully data-driven in the digital era. Gathering insights from data has become increasingly complicated due to a tidal wave of enterprise applications generating data.In addition, billions of users and trillions of connected “things” generate exponentially more data outside the enterprise. At the center, enterprises deploy cloud, mobile, and analytics technologies to hopefully turn that data into insight. Unfortunately, Gartner predicts that 2017 will see  60 percent of big data projects fail. They won’t go beyond piloting and experimentation phases, and will eventually be abandoned. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Tech groups gear up for FISA surveillance fight

A controversial provision in U.S. law that gives the National Security Agency broad authority to spy on people overseas expires at the end of the year, and six major tech trade groups are gearing up for a fight over an extension.Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expires on Dec. 31, and Congress almost certain to extend it in some form. The tech trade groups, including BSA, the Consumer Technology Association, and the Computer and Communications Industry Association, are asking lawmakers to build in new privacy protections for internet users. "It is critical that Congress takes a balanced yet focused approach with respect to Section 702," the groups said in a letter sent to top lawmakers Wednesday. "We urge your committees to ensure that any reauthorization includes meaningful safeguards for internet users' privacy and civil liberties."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Tech groups gear up for FISA surveillance fight

A controversial provision in U.S. law that gives the National Security Agency broad authority to spy on people overseas expires at the end of the year, and six major tech trade groups are gearing up for a fight over an extension.Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expires on Dec. 31, and Congress almost certain to extend it in some form. The tech trade groups, including BSA, the Consumer Technology Association, and the Computer and Communications Industry Association, are asking lawmakers to build in new privacy protections for internet users. "It is critical that Congress takes a balanced yet focused approach with respect to Section 702," the groups said in a letter sent to top lawmakers Wednesday. "We urge your committees to ensure that any reauthorization includes meaningful safeguards for internet users' privacy and civil liberties."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How Philips is turning toothbrushes and MRI machines into IoT devices

The Philips FlexCare Platinum Connected toothbrush is more than just a device for keeping your mouth clean – it’s an IoT machine. Wireless sensors measure the location, pressure and scrubbing patterns of the 31,000 strokes-per-minute vibrating bristles. The data is transferred via Bluetooth to a mobile app that provides a three-dimensional post-brush analysis of coverage, recommending areas of the mouth that should be “touched up” or given extra attention. There’s an option to send a month-long history of brushing patterns to your dentist to keep them informed of your brushing habits. And all of this data, along with many of Philips’ other connected device efforts, run out of Amazon Web Services’ cloud. It’s a new era of Intenet of Things-enabled machines, and Philips wants to be on the cutting edge of offering its consumer and business customers access to more data, which they hope will help keep patients more healthy and the machines running more smoothly.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

63% off Kidde Battery-Operated Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Digital Display – Deal Alert

The KN-COPP-LPM is an essential device to help warn you and your family of dangerous carbon monoxide levels in your home. This alarm measures the exposure to carbon monoxide over time; it is designed to sound at 85 decibels at 10 feet when it detects 70 ppm (parts per million) of CO for 60 to 240 minutes, 150 ppm for 10 to 50 minutes, or 400 ppm for 4 to 15 minutes. The easily visible digital display indicates the level of CO that the unit is sensing, and it updates the status every 15 seconds for timely and accurate readings. Its free-standing design allows for attachment to a wall or placement on a counter or nightstand for convenient and comprehensive protection. This device has an expected 7-year lifespan and comes equipped with a five-year manufacturer’s limited warranty. It averages 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 2,100 people on Amazon (read reviews), where the list price has been reduced 63% to just $19.98. See it now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Private jets and private clouds

What’s your reaction when you learn that a company keeps a fleet of private jets? Does it suggest that the company is generally frugal and prudent with shareholder money? Or does it raise concerns that perhaps the company is spending in ways that wouldn’t withstand closer scrutiny? Given the tremendous expenses involved, objective financial analysis usually recommends against it, instead using commercial air travel services, maybe with upgrades in certain exceptional circumstances.Similar concerns should arise when you learn that a company keeps private data centers. Objective financial analysis of owning and operating such complicated systems increasingly shows that other choices make more sense. That’s because of the growing availability of so many attractive commercial information technology services, ranging from software-as-a-service to public cloud infrastructure.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Private jets and private clouds

What’s your reaction when you learn that a company keeps a fleet of private jets? Does it suggest that the company is generally frugal and prudent with shareholder money? Or does it raise concerns that perhaps the company is spending in ways that wouldn’t withstand closer scrutiny? Given the tremendous expenses involved, objective financial analysis usually recommends against it, instead using commercial air travel services, maybe with upgrades in certain exceptional circumstances.Similar concerns should arise when you learn that a company keeps private data centers. Objective financial analysis of owning and operating such complicated systems increasingly shows that other choices make more sense. That’s because of the growing availability of so many attractive commercial information technology services, ranging from software-as-a-service to public cloud infrastructure.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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