6 tips to find and retain freelance tech workers

It's easier than ever to take on freelance work thanks to apps and sites dedicated to connecting temp workers with hiring companies. On the employer side, hiring freelancers can help fill gaps in skills and expertise without hiring a full-time employee. However, while finding qualified freelance talent is one step, retaining your best workers and establishing a reliable base of gig-workers takes time and effort.In the case of Darren Kall, managing director of Specific Clairity, a UX design consulting company, his business relies entirely on freelance UX designers, engineers and experts. The company builds and runs customized teams of UX workers for clients and using freelancers lets them cherry-pick specific skills to suit each project.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Trump turns to H-1B advocates for advice

In his campaign for president, Donald Trump tapped into the viral anger over H-1B use. The outsourcing of high-skill jobs is a "tremendous threat," he said. Disney workers who trained visa-holding replacements spoke at some of his rallies.But soon after the election, President-elect Trump assembled a 16-member team of CEO-level executives to advise him on job creation, including many from firms that send jobs overseas and have advocated for an H-1B cap increase.[To comment on this story, visit Computerworld's Facebook page.]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Stratoscale shows you how to run your own Amazon ‘region’

Stratoscale is a small company with a very big ambition: to turn your datacenter into an Amazon Web Services (AWS) region. Forget OpenStack, forget VMware. Stratoscale aims to help IT shops get beyond device-level virtualization and deliver the same app-friendly building blocks AWS provides. In the process, the company promises to cut the cost of operating datacenters by more than 80 percent.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

Stratoscale shows you how to run your own Amazon ‘region’

Stratoscale is a small company with a very big ambition: to turn your datacenter into an Amazon Web Services (AWS) region. Forget OpenStack, forget VMware. Stratoscale aims to help IT shops get beyond device-level virtualization and deliver the same app-friendly building blocks AWS provides. In the process, the company promises to cut the cost of operating datacenters by more than 80 percent.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

Is antivirus getting worse?

Is anti-virus software getting worse at detecting both known and new threats?Earlier this week, Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of security awareness training company KnowBe4, looked at the data published by the Virus Bulletin, a site that tracks anti-virus detection rates. And the numbers didn't look good.Average detection rates for known malware went down a couple of percentage points slightly from 2015 to 2016, he said, while detection rates for zero-days dropped in a big way - from an average of 80 percent down to 70 percent or lower.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Is antivirus getting worse?

Is anti-virus software getting worse at detecting both known and new threats?Earlier this week, Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of security awareness training company KnowBe4, looked at the data published by the Virus Bulletin, a site that tracks anti-virus detection rates. And the numbers didn't look good.Average detection rates for known malware went down a couple of percentage points slightly from 2015 to 2016, he said, while detection rates for zero-days dropped in a big way - from an average of 80 percent down to 70 percent or lower.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cumulus Offers Turn-Key Hardware/Software on EdgeCore Switch

This arrangement won't impact its relationships with other hardware vendors.

Switches coming out this year will drive open networking forward

Two moves by open networking vendors this week are likely to chip a little bit more off the monolith of proprietary, appliance-like equipment that still moves most packets around enterprise data centers.On Thursday, network OS supplier Cumulus Networks introduced turnkey switches based on standard hardware from Edgecore Networks running Cumulus software. They’re designed to allow customers who are new to open networking to get started quickly and easily.Earlier in the week, on the cutting edge of the movement, Barefoot Networks announced that Edgecore and another Taiwan-based manufacturer called WNC would start shipping switches that use the company’s fully programmable chips.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Switches coming out this year will drive open networking forward

Two moves by open networking vendors this week are likely to chip a little bit more off the monolith of proprietary, appliance-like equipment that still moves most packets around enterprise data centers.On Thursday, network OS supplier Cumulus Networks introduced turnkey switches based on standard hardware from Edgecore Networks running Cumulus software. They’re designed to allow customers who are new to open networking to get started quickly and easily.Earlier in the week, on the cutting edge of the movement, Barefoot Networks announced that Edgecore and another Taiwan-based manufacturer called WNC would start shipping switches that use the company’s fully programmable chips.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Software may be eating the world, but Cumulus Networks is still keen on hardware

I’ve been following Cumulus Networks almost since its inception. The company was co-founded by J.R. Rivers, something of a legend in the networking space. Cumulus Networks’ raisan d’etre was to provide an open source operating system (eponymously called Cumulus Linux) that organizations could install on different networking hardware devices and, in doing so, gain all the benefits of software-defined networking (SDN) without any of the hassles of proprietary and locked-down software.It was a compelling story (at least for this commentator). And given the credibility that Rivers bought to the table, I was sold.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Software may be eating the world, but Cumulus Networks is still keen on hardware

I’ve been following Cumulus Networks almost since its inception. The company was co-founded by J.R. Rivers, something of a legend in the networking space. Cumulus Networks’ raisan d’etre was to provide an open source operating system (eponymously called Cumulus Linux) that organizations could install on different networking hardware devices and, in doing so, gain all the benefits of software-defined networking (SDN) without any of the hassles of proprietary and locked-down software.It was a compelling story (at least for this commentator). And given the credibility that Rivers bought to the table, I was sold.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

7 (more) security TED Talks you can’t miss

Second editionImage by Thomas XuThe first list 10 security Ted Talks you can’t miss was so popular we decided to serve another. So here is another batch of must see security and privacy videos. In this selection you’ll find speakers taking on some of the most pressing, and persistent, security and privacy challenges of our time, from how society can fight the war on terror while maintaining the social values we cherish to Bruce Schneier’s talk on how challenging it is for us to evaluate and understand risk. It’s a must-see talk. Well, we think they all are, so enjoy.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)

IDG Contributor Network: Software may be eating the world, but Cumulus Networks is still keen on hardware

I’ve been following Cumulus Networks almost since its inception. The company was co-founded by J.R. Rivers, something of a legend in the networking space. Cumulus Networks’ raisan d’etre was to provide an open source operating system (eponymously called Cumulus Linux) that organizations could install on different networking hardware devices and, in doing so, gain all the benefits of software-defined networking (SDN) without any of the hassles of proprietary and locked-down software.It was a compelling story (at least for this commentator). And given the credibility that Rivers bought to the table, I was sold.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

7 (more) security TED Talks you can’t miss

(Insider Story)

Introducing Cumulus Express — open networking hardware & software all in one

In the last few months at Cumulus Networks, we’ve put a lot of focus on finding innovative ways to make web-scale networking accessible to data centers of all sizes and engineers of all backgrounds. We released features like NCLU, EVPN and PIM to make that happen.

In our minds, web-scale networking principles make data centers more powerful and make engineers’ lives easier. We take great pride in helping organizations accelerate their journey to web-scale in the fastest, simplest way possible. That’s why we are super excited to announce that web-scale networking with Cumulus Networks just got EVEN BETTER. We know, you didn’t think it was possible.

Allow us to formally introduce Cumulus Express — your turnkey solution featuring an open networking switch preloaded and licensed with Cumulus Linux. Each Cumulus Express switch is ready to go as is, improving your time to market by eliminating steps to install and research optics. That’s right, you can now deploy switches running Cumulus Linux in one easy step.

With Cumulus Express you get:

• 1G to 100G platforms: Available in 1G-T, 10G/10G-T, 25G (coming soon), 40G & 100G speeds
• NOS & license preloaded: Each switch comes preloaded with Cumulus Linux with an active license Continue reading

21% off Polaroid ZIP Mobile Photo Printer with ZINK Zero Ink Printing Technology – Deal Alert

Enjoy the power and fun of a Polaroid camera without the Polaroid camera. This little standalone photo printer connects to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth, and is powered by a rechargeable lithium polymer battery, so it's designed to be portable, easy and fun to use. On a single charge the gadget will print 25 photos -- without ink. Instead, it uses heat to produce deep, vibrant colors that are completely smudge-proof, on 2x3 paper that is waterproof, tear-proof and backed with adhesive so you can peel-and-stick for added fun. Paper is easy to find on Amazon and comes in packs of 20, 30 or 50 (on sale here). A compact and protective carrying case is also available at what seems to be a reasonable price (found here).  The Polaroid ZIP mobile printer currently averages 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 1,400 customers (read recent reviews). Its typical list price of $129.99 has been reduced by 21% to $102.14, a price you'll reveal only after adding the product to your cart. If you're looking for a fun and unusual summer gift idea for yourself or someone on your list, see Continue reading

Facebook plans new data center in Denmark

Facebook has chosen Odense in Denmark as the site of its third data center outside the U.S.Denmark's moderate climate will allow the company to use outdoor air and indirect evaporative cooling to keep temperatures in the data center down, and servers will be powered entirely with renewable energy, the company said Thursday.Most of Denmark's renewable energy comes from wind power, a highly variable resource. On one day in 2015, it was able to satisfy the nation's entire electricity demand with wind power, and also become a net exporter of electricity. At other times, around a quarter of the country's electricity demand is met by wind power, according to the latest figures from Eurostat, the European Union's statistical agency.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Facebook plans new data center in Denmark

Facebook has chosen Odense in Denmark as the site of its third data center outside the U.S.Denmark's moderate climate will allow the company to use outdoor air and indirect evaporative cooling to keep temperatures in the data center down, and servers will be powered entirely with renewable energy, the company said Thursday.Most of Denmark's renewable energy comes from wind power, a highly variable resource. On one day in 2015, it was able to satisfy the nation's entire electricity demand with wind power, and also become a net exporter of electricity. At other times, around a quarter of the country's electricity demand is met by wind power, according to the latest figures from Eurostat, the European Union's statistical agency.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Using Containers For Persistent Storage

Meet me in the parking lot: Walking meetings hit their stride

“Software engineer” might sound like a sedentary role, but it doesn’t have to be. Janice Lan schedules walking meetings to break the sitting habit.“Walking meetings are preferable for one-on-ones because it actually gives you a break from staring at a computer screen,” says Lan, a software engineer at Sift Science, which develops machine learning technology to detect fraud. “I walk with either a manager or a peer, usually when we talk about high-level things.”A walking meeting is just what it sounds like: a meeting that takes place during a walk rather than in a conference room or office. People can hold walking meetings on sidewalks and park trails or inside shopping malls and convention centers if the setting isn’t too noisy.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here