Autonomic offerings set to transform IT, but outsourcing customers beware

Wipro has Holmes, Tata Consultancy Services introduced Ignio, Syntel is selling Synbots. HCL Systems calls its Dry Ice. And Infosys is promoting Mana. With traditional IT outsourcing revenue streams at risk to automation, a number of IT service providers are responding by developing their own homegrown systems which are designed to perform routine tasks and operations otherwise performed by humans.The good news is that CIOs now have a number of automation options to choose from. The bad news? The array of choices can be confusing and the unproven systems can be risky. It may not be immediately clear how these new automation options from traditional IT service providers differ from the solutions of the more well-established robotic systems companies like IPSoft or BluePrism.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cloud player Rackspace goes private in $4.3B deal

A private equity firm has signed an agreement to buy major cloud player Rackspace for $4.3 billion.Rackspace announced today that Apollo Global Management, a U.S.-based investment manager, will acquire the company in a deal that will give Rackspace shareholders $32 per share."Our board, with the assistance of independent advisors, determined that this transaction, upon closing, will deliver immediate, significant and certain cash value to our stockholders," said Graham Weston, co-founder and chairman of Rackspace, in a statement. "We are also excited that this transaction will provide Rackspace with more flexibility to manage the business for long-term growth and enhance our product offerings."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

iPhone 7’s headphone jack removal draws critique from Woz

The big rumor surrounding Apple’s iPhone 7 is that it will completely abandon the 3.5mm headphone jack, a familiar port that has been around in one form or another for decades on end. Needless to say, Apple’s decision won’t be met without controversy. While alternatives like lightning-based audio and Bluetooth do exist, getting rid of a port that’s ubiquitous and as exceedingly reliable as the headphone jack is undoubtedly a risky move.Recently, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak chimed in on the iPhone 7 and articulated that Apple may be going down the wrong path. During an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Woz said that Bluetooth technology isn't yet suitable as a replacement to a wired headphone solution.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Docker Labs Repo Continues to Grow

Back in May, we launched the Docker Labs repo in an effort to provide the community with a central place to both learn from and contribute to Docker tutorials. We now have 16 separate labs and tutorials, with 16 different contributors, both from Docker and from the community. And it all started with a birthday party.

Back in March, Docker celebrated it’s third birthday with more than 125 events around the world to teach new users how to use Docker. The tutorial was very popular, and we realized people would like this kind of content. So we migrated it to the labs repository as a beginner tutorial. Since then, we’ve added tutorials on using .NET and Windows containers, Docker for Java developers, our DockerCon labs and much more.

 

 

Today we wanted to call out a new series of tutorials on developer tools. We’re starting with three tutorials for Java Developers on in-container debugging strategies. Docker for Mac and Docker for Windows introduced improved volume management, which allows you to debug live in a container while using your favorite IDE.

We try our best to continuously update these tutorials and add new ones but definitely welcome external Continue reading

Stuff The Internet Says On Scalability For August 26th, 2016

Hey, it's HighScalability time:

 

 

The Pixar render farm in 1995 is half of an iPhone (@BenedictEvans)

 

If you like this sort of Stuff then please support me on Patreon.
  • 33.0%: of all retail goods sold online in the US are sold on Amazon;  110.9 million: monthly Amazon unique visitors; 21 cents: cost of 30K batch derived page views on Lambda; 4th: grade level of Buzzfeed articles; $1 trillion: home value threatened by rising sea levels; $1.2B: Uber lost $1.2B on $2.1B in revenue in H1 2016; 1.58 trillion: miles Americans drove through June; 

  • Quotable Quotes:
    • @bendystraw: My best technical skill isn't coding, it's a willingness to ask questions, in front of everyone, about what I don't understand
    • @vmg: "ls is the IDE of producing lists of filenames"
    • @nicklockwood: The hardest problem in computer science is fighting the urge to solve a different, more interesting problem than the one at hand.
    • @RexRizzo: Wired: "Machine learning will TAKE OVER THE WORLD!" Amazon: "We see you bought a wallet. Would you like to buy ANOTHER WALLET?"
    • @viktorklang: "The very Continue reading

IDG Contributor Network: Bluetooth rising

We are used to external developments driving progress in enterprise networking. An obvious example is the modern smartphone, born in the consumer market but now the primary client for enterprise WLANs.Another is the move towards white-box networking, an extraordinary change in the way enterprises build data centers that would not have happened but for the activities of the big consumer internet companies.So, it is natural to look to other markets for technologies that may become important in the enterprise over the next few years. In wireless, Bluetooth is the one to watch.Bluetooth Low Energy: wireless technology of choice Bluetooth has enjoyed an extraordinary rise since re-inventing itself with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, also called Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth 4.0) in 2010. Its main benefits are very low-cost chips and very low power, enabling inexpensive battery-powered devices that run for years.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

KiloCore Pushes On-Chip Scale Limits with Killer Core

We have profiled a number of processor updates and novel architectures this week in the wake of the Hot Chips conference this week, many of which have focused on clever FPGA implementations, specialized ASICs, or additions to well-known architectures, including Power and ARM.

Among the presentations that provided yet another way to loop around the Moore’s Law wall is a 1000-core processor “KiloCore” from UC Davis researchers, which they noted during Hot Chips (and the press repeated) was the first to wrap 1000 processors on a single die. Actually, Japanese startup, Exascaler, Inc. beat them to this with the PEZY-SC …

KiloCore Pushes On-Chip Scale Limits with Killer Core was written by Nicole Hemsoth at The Next Platform.

Worth Reading: Go versus Python performance

It may be that I’m doing something in Python that’s an obvious don’t do or that I’m simply using a very computationally expensive way to achieve my goal, and any experienced Python programmer would suggest I did it a different way. However, for something so simple to see an order of magnitude difference between the two languages either makes Python look very slow, or Go look very fast, or maybe a bit of each, at least for this particular calculation. —Moving Packets

LinkedInTwitterGoogle+Facebook

The post Worth Reading: Go versus Python performance appeared first on 'net work.

31% off Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim 2TB Portable External Hard Drive – Deal Post

The Backup Plus Ultra Slim Portable Drive is one of Seagate's thinnest and most eye-catching portable hard drives. Available in stunning gold and platinum colors- style meets storage- and easily slips into your backpack along with your other essentials. At 9.6mm thin, capacity is not sacrificed with 1TB and 2TB options-bring your most important files and head out the door. Back up and manage your favorite files from your computer, tablet and mobile devices using the Seagate Dashboard. Run a one-click backup or schedule an automatic backup plan to help protect your files. Convenient tools for local, mobile, cloud and social media backup at the ready. With high-speed USB 3.0 and 2.0 connectivity, you can depend on seamless plug-and-play functionality. And the USB bus-power eliminates the need for an external power supply, letting you access your files while on the move. The Lyve mobile and desktop app gives you the ability to access a single, consolidated and personalized photo and video library. When you purchase a Backup Plus Ultra Slim Portable Drive, you get 200GB of OneDrive cloud storage for 2 years (US$95 value).   The Backup Plus Portable Drive averages 4.5 out of 5 stars on Continue reading

Mozilla launches free website security scanning service

In order to help webmasters better protect their websites and users, Mozilla has built an online scanner that can check if web servers have the best security settings in place.Dubbed Observatory, the tool was initially built for in-house use by Mozilla security engineer April King, who was then encouraged to expand it and make it available to the whole world.She took inspiration from the SSL Server Test from Qualys' SSL Labs, a widely appreciated scanner that rates a website's SSL/TLS configuration and highlights potential weaknesses. Like Qualys' scanner, Observatory uses a scoring system from 0 to 100 -- with the possibility of extra bonus points -- which translates into grades from F to A+.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Mozilla launches free website security scanning service

In order to help webmasters better protect their websites and users, Mozilla has built an online scanner that can check if web servers have the best security settings in place.Dubbed Observatory, the tool was initially built for in-house use by Mozilla security engineer April King, who was then encouraged to expand it and make it available to the whole world.She took inspiration from the SSL Server Test from Qualys' SSL Labs, a widely appreciated scanner that rates a website's SSL/TLS configuration and highlights potential weaknesses. Like Qualys' scanner, Observatory uses a scoring system from 0 to 100 -- with the possibility of extra bonus points -- which translates into grades from F to A+.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

8 cool “habitable” planets

Goldilocks?Image by NASAWith the discovery of a possibly habitable Earth-sized orbiting around our own nearest star some four light-years in the distance, we thought we’d take a look at some of the other potential Goldilocks planets discovered over the past years. Have a look…To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Best Deals of the Week, August 22-26 – Deal Alert

Best Deals of the Week, August 22-26 - Deal AlertCheck out this roundup of the best deals on gadgets, gear and other cool stuff we have found this week, the week of August 15th. All items are highly rated, and dramatically discounted!72% off Cambridge SoundWorks OontZ Angle 3 Wireless Bluetooth SpeakerThe Cambridge SoundWorks OontZ Angle 3 Next Generation Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker currently averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 8,300 people on Amazon (read reviews).  It's regular list price is $99.99, but with the current 72% discount you can get it for just $27.99. The OontZ Angle 3 connects effortlessly to your device via bluetooth. It is designed to be loud and clear, with rich bass delivered through their proprietary passive subwoofer design. Its high capacity rechargeable 2200 mAh battery lasts for up to 7 hours of playtime.  Check out the dramatically discounted OontZ Angle 3 from Cambridge Soundworks now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Best Deals of the Week, August 22-26 – Deal Alert

Best Deals of the Week, August 22-26 - Deal AlertCheck out this roundup of the best deals on gadgets, gear and other cool stuff we have found this week, the week of August 15th. All items are highly rated, and dramatically discounted!72% off Cambridge SoundWorks OontZ Angle 3 Wireless Bluetooth SpeakerThe Cambridge SoundWorks OontZ Angle 3 Next Generation Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker currently averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 8,300 people on Amazon (read reviews).  It's regular list price is $99.99, but with the current 72% discount you can get it for just $27.99. The OontZ Angle 3 connects effortlessly to your device via bluetooth. It is designed to be loud and clear, with rich bass delivered through their proprietary passive subwoofer design. Its high capacity rechargeable 2200 mAh battery lasts for up to 7 hours of playtime.  Check out the dramatically discounted OontZ Angle 3 from Cambridge Soundworks now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Micro-segmentation Benchmark – NSX Securing “Anywhere” Part VI

Welcome to part 6 of the Micro-segmentation Defined– NSX Securing “Anywhere”  blog series. Previous topics covered in this series include

• Part I –    Micro-segmentation Defined
• Part II –  Securing Physical Environments
• Part III – Operationalizing Micro-segmentation
• Part IV – Service Insertion
• Part V – Context, Visibility, and Containment

Previous posts set the stage by introducing and defining the characteristics of micro-segmentation; showing how it has utility in the modern data center; how we might apply it to our existing software-defined and physical networks; how policy-driven NSX management may be used to deliver comprehensive security; and, that we can use physical and virtual third-party security appliances in conjunction with NSX to create a service chain and apply special processing to our vital network flows.

In this sixth part of the NSX Securing “Anywhere” blog, Chris Krueger of Coalfire Systems will preview some of our work in comprehensively benchmarking VMware NSX micro-segmentation. The Micro-segmentation Benchmark is a project being delivered by Coalfire Systems, Inc. an internationally recognized third party audit organization (3PAO) and leading provider of IT advisory services for security in retail, payments, healthcare, financial services, higher education, hospitality, government,and utilities. Coalfire has Continue reading

Apple may be too late to make a big social impact

Amid reports that Apple is working on a social app, if not an outright foray into a social network, analysts wonder whether the company is already too far out of the social loop to make a difference."Apple would have to come up with a very solid social app in order to compete with what's available today," said Dan Olds, an analyst with OrionX. "Even with Apple's very large installed base of users, I think it would be very difficult for Apple to compete head-on with Facebook, Twitter or Google. I'm not sure people want to add yet another social network to manage and maintain. The market seems fairly well satisfied right now."At this point in the progression of social media - with users ensconced in Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest - what would it take for Apple to make a real difference, or even a dent, in the market?To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

1 … 2,715 2,716 2,717 2,718 2,719 … 3,842