Worth Reading: Stacking software to support FPGA’s in the data center

Any substantial change requires a big payoff to be implemented because change is inherently risky. It doesn’t help that the method of programming FPGAs efficiently using VHDL and Verilog are so alien to Java and C programmers, and that the tools for porting code from such high level programming languages, often through an OpenCL parallel framework, down to the logic gates on an FPGA are not as efficient as doing the VHDL and Verilog by hand, from scratch, but these tools are getting better. And finally, the application development and runtime stacks common in the enterprise do not know what to do with FPGAs. —The Next Platform

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Sony’s PlayStation VR tops HTC Vive in headset shipment battle

Virtual reality is emerging as a computing category just like PCs and mobile devices, and VR headset shipments are booming.As Sony's PlayStation VR beat out the more expensive HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, VR headset shipments totaled around 2 million this year, according to research firm Canalys. That is fast growth for a market that was in its infancy last year.Canalys' estimates mainly include head-mounted displays with screens. It excludes headsets without displays such as Google's Daydream View or Samsung's Gear VR, which are shells in which mobile devices need to be attached for VR. The shipment estimates also do not include devices like Lenovo's Phab 2 Pro mobile device, which offers blended reality directly on the screen of mobile devices.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: The beginning of the end for enterprise network VLANs

Many of us cordially detest virtual LANs (VLANs). They require complicated configuration, and consequently they are error-prone. They do not offer fully satisfactory solutions for the problems they are employed to solve, primarily limiting broadcast traffic and segregating devices and their traffic for security purposes. But as the least-worst alternative, they are a fact of life in many networks.Recent developments in WLAN and data center networking offer opportunities to escape VLANs.In the enterprise Wi-Fi world, it has long been important to reduce broadcast traffic over the air, and WLAN vendors have been developing techniques along these lines for years. An early feature allowed an access point to act as an ARP proxy for its client devices, answering on their behalf. The success of proxy-ARP functions engendered intervention in other broadcast/multicast protocols to reduce unnecessary traffic and improve performance.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: The beginning of the end for enterprise network VLANs

Many of us cordially detest virtual LANs (VLANs). They require complicated configuration, and consequently they are error-prone. They do not offer fully satisfactory solutions for the problems they are employed to solve, primarily limiting broadcast traffic and segregating devices and their traffic for security purposes. But as the least-worst alternative, they are a fact of life in many networks.Recent developments in WLAN and data center networking offer opportunities to escape VLANs.In the enterprise Wi-Fi world, it has long been important to reduce broadcast traffic over the air, and WLAN vendors have been developing techniques along these lines for years. An early feature allowed an access point to act as an ARP proxy for its client devices, answering on their behalf. The success of proxy-ARP functions engendered intervention in other broadcast/multicast protocols to reduce unnecessary traffic and improve performance.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Surfers crowdsource oceanic data using Smartfin IoT sensors

Surfers conduct scientific research while surfing. Seriously. And it’s a valuable contribution.Coastal communities are most affected by climate change. The problem is strong waves make it difficult to install sensors close to coastlines to monitor near-shore conditions. Surfers, however, flock to big waves. Is it possible to use surfers to cost-effectively gather near-shore data around the globe—to turn them into citizen scientists? Researchers in the Smartfin project say yes. Background of the Smartfin project Smartfin is the brain child of Dr. Andrew Stern at The Lost Bird Project. It is engineered by Benjamin Thompson of BoardFormula. Surfrider Foundation provides logistical and outreach support for the distribution of fins to its network of surfers worldwide. And researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, one of the world’s leading institutions for oceanographic research, validate the scientific application of Smartfin in the surf zone.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

An unpatched vulnerability exposes Netgear routers to hacking

Several models of Netgear routers are affected by a publicly disclosed vulnerability that could allow hackers to take them over.An exploit for the vulnerability was published Friday by a researcher who uses the online handle Acew0rm. He claims that he reported the flaw to Netgear in August, but didn't hear back.The issue stems from improper input sanitization in a form in the router's web-based management interface and allows the injection and execution of arbitrary shell commands on an affected device.The U.S. CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC) at Carnegie Mellon University rated the flaw as critical, assigning it a score of 9.3 out of 10 in the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

An unpatched vulnerability exposes Netgear routers to hacking

Several models of Netgear routers are affected by a publicly disclosed vulnerability that could allow hackers to take them over.An exploit for the vulnerability was published Friday by a researcher who uses the online handle Acew0rm. He claims that he reported the flaw to Netgear in August, but didn't hear back.The issue stems from improper input sanitization in a form in the router's web-based management interface and allows the injection and execution of arbitrary shell commands on an affected device.The U.S. CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC) at Carnegie Mellon University rated the flaw as critical, assigning it a score of 9.3 out of 10 in the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Now you can try Microsoft’s supersized Surface Hub before buying

Microsoft's Surface Hub large-screen PC isn't your regular computer, and it takes a bit of practice to fully exploit it. With that in mind, Microsoft is starting a program in which users can try the Surface Hub for 30 days before buying it.No such program is offered for other Surface devices. The supersized Surface Hub -- which comes in screen sizes of 55-inch and 84-inches, is mostly designed as a centerpiece for conference rooms to be used for video conferencing, collaboration, and digital whiteboarding.The Surface Hub is off to a fast start, said Julia Atalla, senior director of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft. The company has 600 Hub customers and expects more than 2,000 customers by the end of the year.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Tech predictions for 2017: What I expect to happen

Yes, it's that time of the year again. Where does the time go? Anyway, it's time for us in the news business to make our annual predictions for the coming year. Unlike some, I own up to my misfires by leading off with the predictions made a year ago and admitting what came true and what didn't. So let's get into that. How good were my 2016 predictions? 1. IBM becomes a major cloud player.Not really. The most recent numbers, which covered Q2 of this year, put IBM at under 10 percent share. It's still an Amazon and Microsoft world. The good news is IBM grew 57 percent year over year, so it is making up for lost ground. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Tech predictions for 2017: What I expect to happen

Yes, it's that time of the year again. Where does the time go? Anyway, it's time for us in the news business to make our annual predictions for the coming year. Unlike some, I own up to my misfires by leading off with the predictions made a year ago and admitting what came true and what didn't. So let's get into that. How good were my 2016 predictions? 1. IBM becomes a major cloud player.Not really. The most recent numbers, which covered Q2 of this year, put IBM at under 10 percent share. It's still an Amazon and Microsoft world. The good news is IBM grew 57 percent year over year, so it is making up for lost ground. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Tech predictions for 2017: What I expect to happen, and what I hope will happen

Yes, it's that time of the year again. Where does the time go? Anyway, it's time for us in the news business to make our annual predictions for the coming year. Unlike some, I own up to my misfires by leading off with the predictions made a year ago and admitting what came true and what didn't. So let's get into that. How good were my 2016 predictions? 1. IBM becomes a major cloud player.Not really. The most recent numbers, which covered Q2 of this year, put IBM at under 10 percent share. It's still an Amazon and Microsoft world. The good news is IBM grew 57 percent year over year, so it is making up for lost ground. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Tech predictions for 2017: What I expect to happen, and what I hope will happen

Yes, it's that time of the year again. Where does the time go? Anyway, it's time for us in the news business to make our annual predictions for the coming year. Unlike some, I own up to my misfires by leading off with the predictions made a year ago and admitting what came true and what didn't. So let's get into that. How good were my 2016 predictions? 1. IBM becomes a major cloud player.Not really. The most recent numbers, which covered Q2 of this year, put IBM at under 10 percent share. It's still an Amazon and Microsoft world. The good news is IBM grew 57 percent year over year, so it is making up for lost ground. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Trump says mergers like AT&T/Time Warner ‘destroy democracy’

When President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month, one of the biggest items awaiting his Justice Department will be the antitrust review of the proposed $85 billion merger of AT&T and Time Warner, a deal that could have major ramifications for online video and TV distribution arrangements.Trump addressed the proposed acquisition when it was announced in October while on the campaign trail, saying in no uncertain terms that he opposed the deal on the grounds that the combined entity would hold too much market power. Many consumer advocates feel the same way.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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