Catastrophic cyber attack on U.S. grid possible, but not likely

Warnings about U.S. critical infrastructure’s vulnerabilities to a catastrophic cyber attack – a cyber “Pearl Harbor” or “9/11” – began more than 25 years ago. But they have become more insistent and frequent over the past decade.Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned in a 2012 speech of both a “cyber Pearl Harbor” and a “pre-9/11 moment.”They have also expanded from within the security industry to the mass media. It was almost a decade ago, in 2007, that the Idaho National Laboratory demonstrated that a cyber attack could destroy an enormous diesel power generator – an event featured in a 2009 segment on the CBS news magazine “60 Minutes.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Obama announces computer science initiatives

Computer science is a fundamental skill in the modern economy, President Obama declared on Tuesday as the White House announced a series of initiatives aimed at advancing education in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.That includes a $200 million investment from Oracle to extend computer science education to 125,000 U.S. students, along with a host of commitments from federal agencies, schools and other groups to promote STEM training.[ Related: Obama expands STEM education and training efforts ]To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Intel claims storage supremacy

Intel wants you to know just how real and just how fast its game-changing Optane storage technology is, so it demonstrated how its new pervasive memory technology leaves a conventional NAND SSD in the dust.The demo, the first public one using a traditional desktop environment, took place Wednesday morningat the company’s annual developer forum in Shenzhen, China. Intel executive Rob Crooke showed identical desktop computers performing a simple file copy.+ MORE INTEL: What's happening with the Intel executive turnover? +To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) and Avaya Fabric on Software Gone Wild

A few months ago I met a number of great engineers from Avaya and they explained to me how they creatively use Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) to create layer-2, layer-3, L2VPN, L3VPN and even IP Multicast fabrics – it was clearly time for another deep dive into SPB.

It took me a while to meet again with Roger Lapuh, but finally we started exploring the intricacies of SPB, and even compared it to MPLS for engineers more familiar with MPLS/VPN. Interested? Listen to Episode 54 of Software Gone Wild.

Listen to the podcast

It’s Here: ‘Network Virtualization For Dummies’

Today, just about all enterprise data centers have virtualized a significant portion of their server resources, and a large percentage are moving to virtualize their storage resources as well.

 

That’s because the majority of IT organizations are realizing the payoff that comes with virtualization—things like better utilization of resources, increased IT agility, and lower capital and operational costs. Organizations have not yet virtualized their network resources, meanwhile, are leaving a lot of money on the table—in terms of potential capital and operational cost savings, increased data center security, and greater business and IT agility.

 

But could that payoff be even bigger? That’s the question asked in the new reference book “Network Virtualization for Dummies,” which explores the benefits of network virtualization in depth. Published by Wiley and sponsored by VMware, the book offers a crash course on the new, virtualized approach to the network, which is a key building block for the software-defined data center.

 

In simple, straightforward language, “Network Virtualization For Dummies” explains the fundamentals of network virtualization, including its core concepts, key technology components, use cases, and business and IT benefits. Spend a little time with the book—and a little time is really all you’ll Continue reading

Declaring IPv6 an Internet Standard

At the recent IETF meeting the topic of making IPv6 an Internet Standard came up. What is perhaps a little surprising is that it is not an Internet Standard already. Equally surprisingly, strictly speaking it is probably not quite ready to be an Internet Standard. And I think that's a good thing!

Energy Dept. serves-up $30M for future connected, automated cars

Developing advanced auto communications and automation is the central notion behind a new $30 million project announced today by the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). +More on Network Wolrd: Six key challenges loom over car communication technology+ The program, known as NEXTCAR or NEXT-Generation Energy Technologies for Connected and Automated on-Road vehicles will develop technology that will result in a 20% reduction in the energy consumption of future so-called Connected and Automated Vehicles, compared to vehicles without these technologies, ARPA-E stated.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Energy Dept. serves-up $30M for future connected, automated cars

Developing advanced auto communications and automation is the central notion behind a new $30 million project announced today by the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).+More on Network Wolrd: Six key challenges loom over car communication technology+The program, known as NEXTCAR or NEXT-Generation Energy Technologies for Connected and Automated on-Road vehicles will develop technology that will result in a 20% reduction in the energy consumption of future so-called Connected and Automated Vehicles, compared to vehicles without these technologies, ARPA-E stated.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

39% off GolfBuddy VS4 Talking Golf GPS – Deal Alert

If you're a golfer, or need a gift for one, you may want to take advantage of this 39% off deal. With a regular price of $179.99, you can buy the GolfBuddy VS4 Talking Golf GPS for just $109.99.Just press a button and the the VS4 from GolfBuddy tells you the distance to the front, center and back of the green. It's as simple as that. The product currently averages 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 325 people (see reviews), and most reviewers seem to agree that it's accurate and easy to use.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Apple probably won’t find out how the FBI hacked the San Bernardino iPhone

The strange tale of the San Bernardino iPhone seems like it’s almost over, although it touched off a national debate about encryption that’s just getting started. Apple probably won’t find out what method was used by the third-party firm that broke into the iPhone 5c used by shooter Syed Rizwan Farook, reports Reuters.The government says that the unidentified international firm that did the hack has legal ownership of the method, so while the FBI got the data it wanted, it’s unable to disclose the method to Apple. There’s actually a system in place, known as the Vulnerabilities Equities Process, that’s designed to evaluate flaws discovered by the government’s own agencies to determine if they should be disclosed to the technology companies who can patch them, or if the vulnerabilities can remain secret to be used by the NSA, FBI, or other agencies.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Apple probably won’t find out how the FBI hacked the San Bernardino iPhone

The strange tale of the San Bernardino iPhone seems like it’s almost over, although it touched off a national debate about encryption that’s just getting started. Apple probably won’t find out what method was used by the third-party firm that broke into the iPhone 5c used by shooter Syed Rizwan Farook, reports Reuters.The government says that the unidentified international firm that did the hack has legal ownership of the method, so while the FBI got the data it wanted, it’s unable to disclose the method to Apple. There’s actually a system in place, known as the Vulnerabilities Equities Process, that’s designed to evaluate flaws discovered by the government’s own agencies to determine if they should be disclosed to the technology companies who can patch them, or if the vulnerabilities can remain secret to be used by the NSA, FBI, or other agencies.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Apple hires NFL lobbyist and former Biden aide to oversee public policy

Apple just added a big-league player to its executive lineup—literally. The company just named National Football League lobbyist Cynthia Hogan its vice president for public policy and government affairs in Washington DC, overseeing the Americas. Politico Cynthia Hogan starts at Apple on April 29. Before she joined the NFL, where she dealt with huge issues like concussion controversies and Deflategate, Hogan served as counsel to Vice President Joe Biden. It’s unclear if Hogan’s Biden connection will come in handy for Apple’s dealings with the White House, but it certainly couldn’t hurt.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

The Golden State Warriors demonstrate how to use group chat technology for success

By now even casual sports fans know that the Golden State Warriors just eclipsed Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls for the best regular season in NBA history. Many even realize the team is owned by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Joe Lacob, and that it relied heavily on technology and advanced analytics to construct its roster and set its strategy and tactics.Even with all that, winning 73 games in an 82-game season was far from a foregone conclusion. Many observers—and team officials—worried that the ongoing effort required to set the record would fatigue the players and increase the risk of injury. That could jeopardize the ultimate goal, winning the franchise’s second-consecutive championship.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Secretive Intel quietly woos makers in China

Intel is in transition right now: An executive shakeup this month laid the path for new boss Venkata Renduchintala to put his imprint on the company's PC, Internet of Things and software operations.So no wonder the vibe at this week's Intel Developer Forum in Shenzhen was mellow. Intel kept the show a low-key affair, choosing not to bring it to the attention of a worldwide audience, unlike previous years.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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