South China Sea conflict could be IT’s Black Swan

The vast majority of the world’s electronics -- its servers, PCs, mobile phones -- are now manufactured in China. This means any inadvertent escalation over the on-going South China Sea territorial dispute could do more than raise geopolitical tensions.It could easily disrupt electronics manufacturing for the world.About 84% of the world’s electronics are made in Asia, and about 85% of those goods are made in China, said Michael Palma, an analyst at IDC. “All that product flows through the South China Sea,” said Palma.China is claiming much of the South China Sea as its own territory after building artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago -- and it's ignoring a recent international tribunal ruling against its territorial claims, further stirring regional tensions.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

U.S. intelligence to share supply chain threat reports with industry

The U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center will soon provide classified supply chain threat reports to critical U.S. telecommunications, energy and financial businesses.The effort is designed to reduce threats against a vast private supply chain of equipment and services that could result in the theft of vital data or disrupt operations in critical systems. Supply chain threats are not well understood by security professionals, yet the supply chain is relatively easy to manipulate by foreign governments like Russia and China, as well as criminal gangs, hackers and even disgruntled workers, according to NCSC officials.The Office of the Director of National Intelligence described the threats to private sector supply chains in a press release on Thursday and released a video on supply chain risk management.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

10 acquisitions driving Oracle’s cloud strategy

Oracle craves cloud companiesImage by ThinkstockSince 2010, Oracle has been steadily acquiring cloud software companies, particularly SaaS providers that can help the business software maker grow its market share for software rented over the internet. The deals, including last month’s $9.3 billion blockbuster bid for NetSuite, are crucial for the company’s ability to keep pace with challengers such as SAP, Salesforce.com and Microsoft, all of which are forging their own aggressive strategies in the cloud.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

U.S. intelligence to share supply chain threat reports with industry

The U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center will soon provide classified supply chain threat reports to critical U.S. telecommunications, energy and financial businesses.The effort is designed to reduce threats against a vast private supply chain of equipment and services that could result in the theft of vital data or disrupt operations in critical systems. Supply chain threats are not well understood by security professionals, yet the supply chain is relatively easy to manipulate by foreign governments like Russia and China, as well as criminal gangs, hackers and even disgruntled workers, according to NCSC officials.The Office of the Director of National Intelligence described the threats to private sector supply chains in a press release on Thursday and released a video on supply chain risk management.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Respect: Windows 10 security impresses hackers

So long as Windows remain a popular attack target, researchers and hackers will keep pounding the platform to uncover advanced strategies to subvert Microsoft's defenses.The bar for security is much higher than it used to be, as Microsoft has added multiple advanced mitigations in Windows 10 that take out entire classes of attacks. While hackers at this year’s Black Hat conference came armed with sophisticated exploitation techniques, there was tacit recognition that developing a successful technique is now much harder with Windows 10. Breaking into Windows through an OS vulnerability is harder than it was even a few years ago.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

7 bad programming ideas that work

Anyone who has listened to a teenager, sports commentator, or corporate management knows the connection between words and meaning can be fluid. A new dance craze can be both “cool” and “hot” at the same time. A star player’s “sick moves” don’t necessarily require any medical attention. And if a company is going to “reorganize,” it’s not good for anyone, except perhaps the shareholders -- even then it’s not always clear.The computer world has always offered respite from this madness. No one stores “one” in a bit when they mean “zero.” No one types if x = 0 when they really want to say if x != 0. Logic is a bedrock that offers stability in a world filled with chaos and doublespeak.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Windows 10 Anniversary Update freezing on you? Microsoft’s looking into it

Have you encountered problems with your computer freezing upon logging in since you installed the Windows 10 Anniversary Update? If so, you’re not alone. And while there’s no proper fix for the issue yet, Microsoft is aware of the problem and is addressing it.According to a thread started by a Microsoft rep and posted on the company’s discussion forums, the freezing issue occurs on machines “with the operating system stored on a solid-state drive (SSD) and apps and data stored on a separate drive.” The issue does not present itself when you boot your PC into Safe Mode.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Intel’s VP of Datacenter Group on “AI—and More—on IA”

Rajeeb Hazra, VP of Intel’s Datacenter Group, is a car buff. Why is that important to HPC? Because autonomous cars are the future, and it will take a phenomenal amount of compute to support them.

Hazra recently shared that some estimates to accurately support 20,000 autonomous cars would require an exaflop of sustained compute. This level of supercomputing is needed, considering the network of millions of sensors inside and outside the cars and their interpretation, plus the deep learning needed to constantly stay aware of the world around them and the drivers inside them, and repeatedly pass new models to …

Intel’s VP of Datacenter Group on “AI—and More—on IA” was written by Nicole Hemsoth at The Next Platform.

25 surprising facts about Facebook

25 things you probably don’t know about FacebookImage by ThinkstockFacebook may have started out as a small website available only to Harvard students, but the site has enjoyed what is arguably an unparalleled level of growth over the past 12 years. Whereas some social networks of years past have tended to cater to one particular demographic, Facebook is unique insofar that it is used and enjoyed by both teens and adults alike, not to mention the many businesses and organizations use it to engage with customers and patrons. Indeed, for many people across the globe, Facebook is the one site that they tend to spend the most time on a day-to-day basis.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: Got skills? Volunteer your IoT expertise to make a difference

Sometimes a little help is all it takes, especially when you have technical skills to offer.You may have exactly the skills a non-profit needs to expand its social impact. Or perhaps you could help a motivated youth get his or her first technical job. Your technical expertise becomes even more meaningful when volunteered for the greater good. How do you start?Answer these questions to find the volunteering opportunities that could make the most of your skills. What social cause inspires you? Education? Environmental issues? Helping the disadvantaged? Disaster relief? What skills do you have to share? Programming? Systems design? Training? How much time can you allocate to volunteering? Could you volunteer onsite or only online? Your answers will help narrow the search of non-profits to research. The Idealist directory lists thousands of non-profit organizations. Here are three I’ve volunteered with that look for technical experts. Perhaps one might be right for you, too?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

New products of the week 8.15.16

New products of the weekOur roundup of intriguing new products. Read how to submit an entry to Network World's products of the week slideshow.24-Port Dual GigE Console ServerKey features: A 24-port, out-of-band console access solution.  Includes dual 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet ports to allow connection to both a primary production network and a secondary maintenance network.  Also features dual power inlets. More info.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

New products of the week 8.15.16

New products of the weekOur roundup of intriguing new products. Read how to submit an entry to Network World's products of the week slideshow.24-Port Dual GigE Console ServerKey features: A 24-port, out-of-band console access solution.  Includes dual 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet ports to allow connection to both a primary production network and a secondary maintenance network.  Also features dual power inlets. More info.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Relocated at last

Just a quick note to let you know that I am now based in the San Francisco Bay Area. After much preparation, and administrative hassle, everything is now sorted. My company has relocated me to the Bay Area, where I will work at the San Jose HQ.

Anna has of course joined me. We’re living in short-term accommodation in San Francisco right now, and over the next couple of months we’ll figure out where we want to stay long-term.

Lots to do, and lots to learn. But I think it will be a good move for me professionally, and I hope that Anna enjoys it too.

If you live in the Bay Area, or you’re passing through, I’d love to catch up with you, once we get settled. I’m looking forward to being able to unpack my bags in about a week or so!

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