Father’s Day 2016 gift ideas for the discerning geek techie

Going above and beyond the typical Dad giftI’ve been a father for a decade now, so I’ve become accustomed to getting a lot of Father’s Day gifts from my wife and kids. At first it was the “Draw something cute for Dad” type of gifts, or my wife took over and got me some really cool stuff. With the kids getting older, though, I’m entering the “Typical gifts for Dad” era of my life, where I’ll end up with things like “Hey, Dad, here’s a tie” or “Hey, want this cool coffee mug?” even though I don’t wear ties or drink coffee.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Join a Conversation on Network Virtualization with Leading NSX Industry Experts on June 15th

As technology continues to rapidly evolve, network virtualization is now applied to every aspect of the data center. Before you virtualize your network, it’s important to understand what makes sense for your business, and why. To give you the tools for your next step, we’ve gathered top VMware NSX® industry experts for an open panel discussion on the importance of the network in a virtualized world.

Sign up for our NSX panel webcast on 6/15 and discover valuable insight from these industry leaders. No slides, no scripts, just an open conversation.

Moderated by Joshua Soto, VMware Sr. Product Marketing Manager in Networking & Security, our NSX team will start the session with a discussion on network virtualization and how it completes the virtualization infrastructure. Then they’ll discuss the evolution of the data center, the role of fluid architectures, and how NSX is the network virtualization platform for the Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC).

Don’t miss this chance to hear from leading network virtualization experts in a relaxed, conversational environment.

Register to attend our NSX panel webcast on 6/15 today!

The post Join a Conversation on Network Virtualization with Leading NSX Industry Experts on June 15th appeared first on The Network Virtualization Continue reading

Docker DHCP

Docker controls the IP address assignment for network and endpoint interfaces via libnetwork’s IPAM driver(s). On network creation, you can specify which IPAM driver libnetwork needs to use for the network’s IP address management.

Libnetwork’s default IPAM driver assigns IP addresses based on its own database configuration. For the time being, there is no IPAM driver that would communicate with an external DHCP server, so you need to rely on Docker’s default IPAM driver for container IP address and settings configuration.

The need for external DHCP server support has been identified, however, there is currently no sign that libnetwork developers are working on it. There are community efforts to produce a DHCP IPAM driver, but are currently not production ready.

If you critically rely on your DHCP for IP address management in your production, you can use pipework for the time being.

Alternatively, you can use both DHCP and Docker’s default IPAM on the same Layer 2 segment (a segment that covers both the physical network and the Docker hosted macvlan), with DHCP server providing data for hosts outside Docker host and IPAM providing data for Docker containers. In this case you should split the IP space Continue reading

I try out MSI’s Backpack PC portable VR gaming rig

When the combined armies of Zorg are firing photon weapons at you, 5 kilograms doesn't seem like much. Even the cables and straps that are a necessary part of MSI's Backpack PC fade into the background when you're immersed in a virtual reality game. That's what I discovered when I took MSI's new Backpack PC for a test spin on Wednesday at Computex in Taipei. The device is an entire gaming PC built into a backpack that allows for completely untethered virtual reality gaming. Current VR games run on a computer that sits on a desk or floor and stubbornly won't move as you jump around in a virtual world. It means long cables are needed and that can be a hazard and a hassle.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Reserved Internal Address Ranges

The
I’ve added a new question to my own network integration checklist, specifically when integrating chassis-based or integrated solutions:

Does the system use any reserved internal address ranges?


Some chassis-based systems reserve private IP address ranges for inter-card communication. This is a perfectly fine setup as long as you, the network integrator, know what ranges are in use. However, you’ll have a frustrating case of ‘disappearing packets’, if you’re not aware that these ranges are in use. 
I first saw this issue  on an IXIA XM12 chassis a few years back. As I later discovered, each line card received a /24 from an RFC1918 address range. The supervisor used an IP address in each range to communicate with each line card. When I used a conflicting range in my testing the chassis would swallow my packets, and I was left scratching my head until I figured this out.
I thought this was a one-off, but I hit it again recently on an Ericsson Call Control Node. Same problem, but a little easier to detect this time. Nevertheless, I’ve been stung twice now on this issue, so I’ve added to my checklist and brought it to your attention.
If an appliance uses a reserved Continue reading

Report: Comcast and T-Mobile up, AT&T down in latest telecom customer service ratings

An annual customer satisfaction survey says that T-Mobile is now the highest-rated of America’s big four wireless carriers, and that Comcast is no longer the least-popular ISP in the country, among other results.+ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: New JavaScript spam wave distributes Locky ransomware + Google cleared of infringement in Oracle lawsuit over JavaThe American Customer Satisfaction Index, released today, found that the percentage of users satisfied by T-Mobile’s service rose 6% in year-over-year terms to 74%, while the wireless service provider industry as a whole saw a 1.4% improvement, to 71%. The only named provider to lose ground was TracFone, which dropped to 75% from 77% in 2015, though that still makes it the highest-rated in the category.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

You’ve been warned: FCC emphasizes that users of authorized wireless gear must obey rules

Just because your wireless equipment is authorized for use by the FCC doesn't mean you can do whatever the heck you please with it, according to an enforcement advisory issued by the commission just before the long weekend (see the entire warning below)."Authorized equipment must be used in a manner that complies with federal law and the Commission’s rules," reads the advisory, in part.While the advisory might appear to be stating the obvious, an FCC spokesman elaborates that "the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau is taking proactive measures to decrease the number of complaints about the use of authorized equipment in a manner that is not compliant with their authorizations.  Reducing complaint volume helps us handle those that do come in in a timely manner. The issue is an ongoing, steady problem."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Report: Comcast and T-Mobile up, AT&T down in latest telecom customer service ratings

An annual customer satisfaction survey says that T-Mobile is now the highest-rated of America’s big four wireless carriers, and that Comcast is no longer the least-popular ISP in the country, among other results.+ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: New JavaScript spam wave distributes Locky ransomware + Google cleared of infringement in Oracle lawsuit over JavaThe American Customer Satisfaction Index, released today, found that the percentage of users satisfied by T-Mobile’s service rose 6% in year-over-year terms to 74%, while the wireless service provider industry as a whole saw a 1.4% improvement, to 71%. The only named provider to lose ground was TracFone, which dropped to 75% from 77% in 2015, though that still makes it the highest-rated in the category.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Xiaomi acquires patents from Microsoft ahead of US entry plans

Microsoft has agreed to transfer some patents to Xiaomi, ahead of plans by the Chinese smartphone maker to enter the U.S. and other advanced markets.The deal with Microsoft also involves Xiaomi bundling Microsoft Office and Skype on its Android smartphones and tablets, according to a statement issued by Microsoft on Tuesday.The smartphone company has agreed to buy about 1,500 patents from Microsoft, according to news reports. Xiaomi is also signing a cross-licensing agreement for some other patents with Microsoft."Expanding the Xiaomi-Microsoft partnership: new deal for Office & Skype pre-install, IP cross-license and patent transfer agreement,” Hugo Barra, vice president for  Xiaomi's global division, wrote in a twitter message.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Expanding the Options for Wave 2

By: Richard Watson, Product Marketing Manager 802.11ac has promised us a lot: faster data rates, more efficient use of RF spectra and transmission to multiple clients in the same instance. Now, 802.11ac’s full promise has come in the Wave 2...

No, it wasn’t just you: Super Mario Bros. is tougher than NP-hard

It’s OK, you’re old enough to admit it – you stunk at Super Mario Bros. The vaunted “feel” of Mario’s movement had you skidding into Koopas and off of cliffs, and the game eventually made you so frustrated that you eventually just played outside instead.And hey, now there’s scientific proof that the game really is just that hard, despite what your friend Jesse – who beat the whole thing with sickening ease – told you. A new paper co-written by researchers at MIT, the University of Ottawa, and Bard College at Simon’s Rock says that Super Mario Bros. belongs to the complexity class PSPACE, meaning it’s more difficult to “solve” algorithmically than the famous traveling-salesman problem or factoring large numbers, which are referred to as NP-hard.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Sirin Labs unveils luxury smartphone for security-conscious traveling executives

Today, Sirin Labs announced an ultra-secure luxury smartphone called the Solarin for the international business person who wants both style and security. It will compete with the category of phones produced by Silent Circle, GranitePhone, BlackBerry and Samsung phones with KNOX mobile security software.This is a well-timed introduction, matching the shift to mobile from PCs.Even with price of the Solarin starting at £9,500 (~$13,750), there is a market for smartphones that prove to be impenetrable. That’s because the cost of providing managed services to secure executives’ devices can be quite high. Also, the price of the phone is far less than the cost of a breach should a phone fall into the wrong hands.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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