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Nov 14, 2018
Yesterday Microsoft released security patches for 63 separately identified vulnerabilities and three new Security Advisories. Microsoft rates 12 of the security holes as "critical," and 8 of those are for the Edge scripting engine. Only one has an actively known exploit, discovered by Kaspersky, on 32-bit Win7 and Server 2008 systems in the Middle East.
Martin Brinkmann has his monthly summary on ghacks.net for an overview of the numbers and links. Dustin Childs picks up all the nuances in his Zero Day Initiative post. Short version: As usual, if you avoid Internet Explorer and Edge, you should be fine for now. But, again as usual, you'll have to patch eventually.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 14, 2018
It's the best iPad Pro since the last one with a faster processor than many notebook PCs. With its world-class design, rock-solid operating system and a deluge of apps, Apple's pro tablet is the best tablet you can get.
It's all there
I've been using a new iPad Pro for about a week. I even published a few unboxing pictures.
The entire process begins when you pull a single tab on the side of the box. If you then follow the flow Apple has designed into the packaging, you'll have the device right side up and in your hands in seconds.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 14, 2018
Pilot fish and his classmate are winding up their college degrees in computer programming, and they have one last hurdle to clear: an unpaid internship to get some real-world IT experience.
"We both completed the internship requirement by working for two months at a startup," says fish. "It was a very small startup -- the owner was basically self-employed and had no other employees, and was working on three C# apps."
The three apps share some similarities, and fish can't understand why his new boss doesn't just develop a common code core for all of them. But fish figures he's the boss, so it's his decision to develop them all separately.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 14, 2018
In recent weeks, IBM has changed leadership at its Watson Health division and announced a new business strategy for deployment that relies on a hybrid cloud, not a public- or private-cloud only model.
Over the past year, Watson Health - particularly Watson for Oncology - has come in for criticism that it has underperformed expectations. (Watson for Oncology is IBM's commercial cognitive computing cloud platform that analyzes large volumes of patient healthcare data and published medical studies to offer physicians cancer treatment options.)
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2018
The latest version of Windows 10 has many monikers. Its version number is 1809, its code name was Redstone 5, and its official name, announced by Microsoft at IFA Berlin, is the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.
Windows 10 April 2018 UpdateWindows 10 Fall Creators Update (October 2018)To read this article in full, please click here
(Insider Story)
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Nov 13, 2018
The big twice-a-year Windows 10 update is here ... except this time, it's not so big. The Windows 10 October 2018 Update, a.k.a. version 1809, is perhaps the least impressive of the major updates since Windows 10 was introduced. It sports no big, new capabilities like Timeline, the flagship feature of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. Still, it's got some good sleeper features, a hidden gem or two, a few bombs, and a host of useful if not groundbreaking features.
The release will be rolled out to Windows 10 users in phases, so it might be some time before you see it arrive on your computer. In fact, the rollout was scheduled to begin on October 9, but after some users who upgraded to version 1809 reported problems including the loss of all files in their Documents, Pictures, Music, and Videos folders, Microsoft paused the rollout. After more than a month's delay, the company finally resumed pushing out the release on November 13. If you want to delay the update even longer and then install it on your own schedule, here's how to block it temporarily.
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Nov 13, 2018
Your private data can reveal a lot about you, such as bank information, spending habits, and even the websites you frequent. This makes large companies like Facebook and Yahoo prime targets for data breaches because of their vast library of user data. Nowadays, it's more important than ever for companies to remain vigilant against hackers, lest their customers' privacy and trust be lost.
To defend against such threats, companies hire security professionals who know how to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in security systems. These "ethical hackers" employ the same methods malicious hackers do, but they also patch and report these vulnerabilities to their employers to prevent future intrusions. With data breaches on the rise, the demand for ethical hackers has increased, making this career path both stable and profitable. If you're interested in learning how to hack security systems (legally, of course) then this $39 Ethical Hacking A to Z Training Bundle is for you.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2018
After a 38-day delay, Microsoft today re-released its fall operating system feature upgrade, the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.
The more-than-a-month delay had no precedent in Windows 10, something Microsoft acknowledged. And it lasted significantly longer than instances in earlier editions when updates, security fixes for the most part, had to be pulled and then later re-released.
[ Further reading: How to handle Windows 10 updates ]
"Based on (telemetry) data, today we are beginning the re-release of the October Update by making it available via media and to advanced users who seek to manually check for updates," John Cable, director of program management in the Windows servicing and delivery team, wrote in a post to a company blog.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2018
A friend of mine was considering purchasing an old(ish) MacBook Pro and wanted to check the battery life as they arranged the deal.
That's when I thought it might be worth sharing this little tip, given lots of people will be selling Macs to get hold of a new MacBook Air.
Battery cycles for battery health
That's when I remembered this little-known, but really quite useful (and mercifully short), Mac tip that helps you get some kind of insight into your Mac's battery health.
[ Related: Apple's place is in the enterprise ]
The batteries used inside Macs are built to handle a number of battery cycles.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2018
It's been an interesting morning, in an ancient Chinese curse kind of way. First we saw an official announcement that Windows Server 2019 was released. (Server 2019 is based on the Win10 1809 platform.) Only one problem: The bits weren't available as advertised, and then the page was pulled.
[ Related: Windows 10 October 2018 Update: Key enterprise features ]
Then came an announcement that Microsoft is re-releasing Win10 version 1809 today. The bits finally arrived, sooner or later, accompanied by a lengthy explanation from Microsoft Vice President Michael Fortin of the burdens Microsoft encounters servicing a $10-billion-plus user base:
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2018
iDrive has activated a significant discount on their Remote access software RemotePC in these days leading into Black Friday. RemotePC by iDrive is a full-featured remote access solution that lets you connect to your work, home or office computer securely from anywhere, and from any iOS or Android device. Right now, their 50 computer package is 90% off or just $6.95 for your 1st year. If you've been thinking about remote access solutions, now is a good time to consider RemotePC.
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Nov 13, 2018
When you hear people talk about Google's Pixel 3 and whether it's worth the upgrade over the previous-gen Pixel 2, one consistent theme always comes up: If there's any reason to make the upgrade, it's for the smaller bezels and bigger screen.
What folks are getting at, y'see, is the fact that the Pixel 3 packs more active display space into the same basic footprint as last year's model — which, on the surface, sure seems like a good thing. And it is a good thing! I mean, why wouldn't you want more screen space in the same sized phone, right?
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2018
You don't have to wait for Black Friday. Deals have started to drop early, but you have to know where to look. HP has activated a whopping $330 discount on its Pavilion 15z 15.6" Touchscreen Laptop, which puts it at just $369.99 with Free Shipping, but the deal ends Wednesday 11/14. This laptop comes with Windows 10 Home 64, the AMD Ryzen™ 3 processor, AMD Radeon™ Vega 3 Graphics, 8 GB memory, 1 TB HDD storage, and a 15.6" diagonal HD touch display. See the full spec, customize, and/or buy it here while the deal is active. If you haven't seen it yet, HP has posted a Black Friday deals page right here t
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Nov 13, 2018
Stop me if you've heard this one before: will be the year of the Linux desktop. Even in Linux circles this is greeted with eye-rolling. Here's the funny thing, though: Linux long ago won the hearts and minds of end users, even while the Linux desktop continues to spin its wheels.
How can that be?
The paradox is easily explained. But as for Linux's failure to capture desktop hearts and minds, that's a complicated story. I'll lay it out for you.
First, the paradox: According to the latest Annenberg Surveying the Digital Future report, the average American now spends 24 hours a week online. Meanwhile, Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker's 2018 Internet Trends Report shows the average adult in 2017 spending 5.9 hours a day watching or listening to digital media.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2018
Windows 10 powered to its third anniversary this year, but one branch, identified by the initials L-T-S-B, remained an enigma to most corporate users.
LTSB, which stands for "Long-term Servicing Branch," was among the pillars of Windows 10 in the months leading up to, and for months after, the mid-2015 roll-out of the operating system. For a time, it seemed that it had a shot at becoming the Windows 10 for enterprise because it was seen as a calm port in a storm of radical change.
[ Related: Fix Windows 10 problems with these free Microsoft tools ]
That hasn't happened, in part because Microsoft has steered customers away from LTSB.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2018
In 2019, the most innovative work involving distributed ledger technology (DLT) - blockchain - will focus on the tokenization of assets, or the ability to represent digital or physical assets and fiat currencies as tokens that can be sold or traded on a network.
DLT has the ability to take anything, from a piece of artwork to gems and real estate, and represent them as cryptographically hashed assets on a peer-to-peer, open electronic network that has no central authority, such as a bank, governing their trade or sale.
[ Related: The top 5 problems with blockchain ]
Representing digital or physical assets as tokens on a DLT-based network enables participants to reinvent processes and develop new business models - uncharted territory from both a business and technology perspective, according to a new report from Forrester Research.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2018
Pilot fish is interviewing for an IT job when he learns that many of the company's top technical staffers are actually consultants.
"These were primary technical staff, the subject matter experts," says fish. "Most companies prefer to staff those types of positions with permanent employees due to their importance to the organization with the knowledge they have, so I asked about that.
"I was told that those consultants had been employees there at one time, and chose to switch over to hourly employees.
"This seemed strange to me, being fairly early in my career and not having a deep breadth of knowledge of how organizations work. They seemed to have decent benefits -- why would anyone want to give them up?
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 12, 2018
Thirty-seven days after Microsoft withdrew the Windows 10 October 2018 Update from all distribution, the Redmond, Wash. company has yet to restart delivery.
The delay has no precedent in Windows 10 and has gone on significantly longer than instances in prior editions when updates, most of them security fixes, had to be pulled and then later re-released.
[ Related: Windows 10 October 2018 Update: Key enterprise features ]
Microsoft debuted the fall feature upgrade, also known as 1809 in the firm's yymm format, on Oct. 2. Four days later - Oct. 6 - it retracted the release by yanking it from the Windows Update service and manual download sites, and warning users who had grabbed it to toss the disk image in the trash. The reason: Some users - Microsoft said 1/100th of 1% - reported that the upgrade deleted all files in several folders, including the important Documents and Photos directories.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 12, 2018
[Disclosure: HP is a client of the author.]
My first portable PC (you'd never call it a laptop), was made by Panasonic. It cost something like $7K in today's dollars (allowing for inflation), weighed 35 pounds and included a thermal printer. I also work from home so unlike my office-oriented peers, part of what I think about when I equip or update my home office is the printer — even though it's no longer integrated with my laptop (thankfully).
For much of my career, laptop design has largely been driven by one of two factors. Corporate buyers who had no taste (and resulted in a long period of time when hardware design could best be described as butt-ugly), or Apple, who tended to put form over function resulting in pretty but often unreliable or fragile products. (My first Apple laptop fell off a chair onto carpet and broke both hinges on its screen, something I'd never seen happen before or since.)
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 12, 2018
HTC Vive has launched a handful of enterprise-focused products, with a new standalone "mobile" VR headset, developer tools and a collaboration app that promises to connect remote employees.
The Taiwanese company last week announced that the Vive Focus head-mounted display will now ship in the U.S., following a launch in China earlier this year.
[ Related: 7 Trello alternatives for visual task management ]
The Vive Focus is a standalone headset that functions without a PC connection, unlike the company's tethered Vive Pro device. It features similar specs to the "professional-grade" Vive Pro, with 2880-x-1600-pixel resolution. Unlike other mobile VR headsets, the Vive Focus does not require a smartphone be inserted; it relies on embedded hardware - powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 chip - supports a 110-degree field of view and lasts up to three hours on a single charge.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 12, 2018
Rumors swirling all over the blogosphere have Microsoft re-releasing the ill-fated Win10 version 1809 on Patch Tuesday this month. Personally, given the dearth of worthwhile features in 1809 and the painful first release last month, I'd rather that they just wait a week or a month or six, until it's fully baked, but that probably won't happen.
Better still, I wish they'd wait a year or two, roll in some new features worthy of a full reinstall, and then unleash something new and worthwhile. If wishes were horses ...
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 12, 2018
CES 2019 is coming to Las Vegas in early January and every year around this time, my email goes nuts. As a high-profile wireless analyst, I typically get more email every day than I have time to read, from a wide variety of competitors who want me to learn about them, write about them and talk about them. This time of year, it doubles. So, what's coming in 2019?
As I have to explain to each company who wants to get on my radar, it's not that easy. Over the last thirty years I have built a strong reputation as an independent wireless industry analyst, so I must take my time and learn about them before I consider talking or writing about them.
Wireless plays an increasingly larger role at the Consumer Electronics Show
I've been attending the Consumer Electronics show for the last several decades and have watched it change dramatically and grow over time. When I attend, I meet with countless company executives either at their booth or in their hotel rooms where they give me a demonstration and briefing.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 12, 2018
Microsoft has figured out how to stymie enterprises that cut costs by licensing Office the old-fashioned way, a pair of researchers said.To read this article in full, please click here
(Insider Story)
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Nov 12, 2018
This pilot fish starts his mainframe programming career at a state agency, but soon moves on to a job at a company in the record industry -- which turns out to be much more, um, challenging.
"The environment is totally different," fish says. "I'm responsible for supporting several high-profile production and revenue applications.
"All is well until there's a coding update request, and my manager wants to review the code before it's even tested, much less implemented.
"I have the compiled output ready to review with my manager, but he takes it away to review alone so he's not interrupted.
"Other members of my group are laughing when I return to my desk, but they don't explain why.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 09, 2018
Tech Events
Event
Description
Starts
Ends
Location
Splash 2018
ACM SIGPLAN conference on Systems, Programming, Languages and Applications: Software for Humanity embraces all aspects of software construction and delivery. At the intersection of programming, languages, and software engineering.
2018-11-04
2018-11-09
Boston, MA EARL Houston
Enterprise Applications of the R Language conference
2018-11-09
2018-11-09
Houston, TX EARL Boston
Enterprise Applications of the R Language conference
2018-11-13
2018-11-13
Cambridge, MA IT Roadmap
This one-day event focused on powering the agile enterprise looks at the latest approaches to make IT more responsive, nimble, and robust.
2018-11-15
2018-11-15
Fort Worth, TX AWS re:Invent
AWS Re:invent is Amazon's opportunity to update IT and business leaders on the latest features of its cloud service.The event features keynote
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Nov 09, 2018
One of the great things about R is the thousands of packages users have written to solve specific problems in various disciplines -- analyzing everything from weather or financial data to the human genome -- not to mention analyzing computer security-breach data.
[ Need to learn R or brush up on basics? Download our free Beginner's Guide to R or the Advanced Beginner's Guide to R ]
Some tasks are common to almost all users, though, regardless of subject area: data import, data wrangling and data visualization. The table below show my favorite go-to packages for one of these three tasks (plus a few miscellaneous ones tossed in). The package names in the table are clickable if you want more information. To find out more about a package once you've installed it, type help(package = "packagename") in your R console (of course substituting the actual package name ).
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 09, 2018
I'm trying to show how Apple's iPad Pro sets new boundaries for mobile computing and offers a real alternative to a laptop for many of us.
Today we're taking a look at the Files app and how to use it effectively with an iPad.
[ Related: Apple's place is in the enterprise ]
Episode guide:
Part One: iPad Equipment
Part Two: Keyboard, Typing, Shortcuts, and Dictation tips
Part Three: How to multitask on iPad Pro
Part Four (this episode): How to use Apple's Files app and tags
What is Files?
Files is a cloud-based data storage system that is compatible with Macs, iPhones, and iPads and works to make sure all your information is accessible to you when you are logged in with your Apple ID.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 09, 2018
I hate lock-in. Lock-in is when you wrap a product up with so much proprietary stuff that the customer can't move to a competing offering. The advantage to the company is that they dramatically reduce customer churn—thus reducing the need for marketing—and can focus sales efforts more on acquiring new customers, rather than keeping existing customers happy.
That last part is also the problem, because once lock-in is achieved, companies tend to defund efforts to keep customers happy…and increasingly focus on raising prices as a way to raise revenues. Companies that embrace this strategy effectively morph from being customer-focused to being more like organized crime and a protection racket. You don't buy because you want to, you buy because you don't have a choice.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 09, 2018
Alexa debuted on select Windows 10 laptops earlier this year - built into a range of newly launched HP, Asus, Acer and Lenovo notebooks - and is now available for download on all compatible devices.
There are no PC-specific controls for Alexa at this point, but Amazon said it plans to add "PC-specific capabilities" early in 2019.
Moving beyond managing entertainment and smart home apps, Alexa's presence on Windows 10 is aimed at work productivity and serves to highlight the AI assistant's rise in office environments - much as the iPhone in 2007 moved quickly from individual users to become a mainstay of the workforce.
There are now more that 25,000 Alexa skills available, including a growing list targeted specifically at business users.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 24, 2018
Late last night — on a Monday, mind you — Microsoft released its second big cumulative update for Win10 version 1709. This completes the triumvirate of second cumulative updates, since last week, on the third Tuesday of the month, Microsoft released second cumulative updates for Win10 1703 and 1607.
There's a pattern emerging. Microsoft is now showering Win10 customers with two (sometimes more) cumulative updates a month, and they're big. The first cumulative update contains security patches and a big hodgepodge of additional bug fixes. The first one is (usually) released on the second Tuesday of the month. The second cumulative update arrives, uh, whenever, and it contains massive amounts of bug fixes in addition to those in the first — including, if we're lucky, fixes for the bugs introduced by the month's first cumulative update.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 24, 2018
The launch of a big Microsoft Windows 10 update like the Fall Creators Update isn't the end of a process — it's really just the beginning. As soon as a major update is released, Microsoft quickly gets to work on improving it by fixing bugs, releasing security patches, and occasionally adding new features.
Here we've summarized what you need to know about every Windows 10 update being released to the public. First come updates to the currently shipping version of Windows 10 — version 1709, known as the Fall Creators Update — with the most recent updates on top. (Note that the Fall Creators Update is on a phased rollout, so you may not have received it yet.) Below that are updates to version 1703, known as the Creators Update. For each build, we've included the date of its initial release and a link to Microsoft's announcement about it.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 24, 2018
Apple's growing place in enterprise IT means you're already seeing more of its logos appear in meetings, conferences, and in the field. What do enterprise CIOs need to understand today as they make decisions for tomorrow?
Complexity sucks
It doesn't matter how important your business process is, there really is no excuse for fiddly and complex user interfaces, often used features that are nested deep in the innards of the app, or inconsistent software behavior. If your workers are using better computers at home, or better mobile devices, then they will use consumer applications to do the same task no matter how much you warn them about "Grey IT."
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 24, 2018
There always are all sorts of crazy rumors always floating around the wireless industry. One is that Palm is coming back, and that Verizon Wireless will introduce it later this year. That's right. Palm, one of the two original smartphones. Before the Apple iPhone, Google Android and Samsung Galaxy, there was Palm and Blackberry. The last was the Palm Pre. That was their last gasp, then they faded into the sunset.
So, will Palm be reborn? And if it is, will it make an impact?
In the 1990s, smart phones were not a big deal. They were a business device. There were only a couple hundred business-oriented apps. We all carried a plain wireless phone like we all had a POTS phone on the wall in our kitchen. If you recall, POTS meant plain old telephone service.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 24, 2018
One of the many topics techies like to debate is whether Google's Android or Apple's iOS is more inherently secure. Sure, Apple has a closed system that makes it harder for iPhone users to get into trouble. But the frequent headlines about Android malware usually miss the point.
As Computerworld's JR Raphael explains, an Android user would really have to work at picking up malware. Android has multiple layers of defense; malware doesn't install itself without user intervention; and the chances of actually coming across damaging malware is really, really small.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 24, 2018
Let's get one thing out of the way right off the bat: If you're looking for recommendations about Android security suites or other malware-scanning software, you've come to the wrong place.
Why? Because, like most people who closely study Android, I don't recommend using those types of apps at all. Android malware isn't the massive real-world threat it's frequently made out to be, and Google Play Protect and other native Android features are more than enough to keep most devices safe.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 24, 2018
This pilot fish's employer is developing a disaster recovery plan for a client's business operations -- and, naturally, it's by the book every step of the way.
"The client's call center was designated as the backup operations site in our plan," says fish. "My role was Technical Delivery Manager there.
"The disaster recovery/business continuity planning happened over 18 months, and at the end of the 18 months our area experienced several brushes with hurricanes.
"The first hurricane missed our city, hitting further eastward. We implemented the plan, but I stayed at home during that hurricane. We were not required to stay onsite.
"Several months later, a second hurricane warning was raised for our city. We once again implemented the plan, and I went home again, not expecting to stay at work.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 24, 2018
Reports of tech support scams jumped by 24% last year, Microsoft said, with losses by the bilked averaging between $200 and $400 each.
"Scammers continue to capitalize on the proven effectiveness of social engineering to perpetrate tech support scams," Erik Wahlstrom, Windows Defender research project manager, wrote in a post last week to a Microsoft blog. "These scams are designed to trick users into believing their devices are compromised or broken. They do this to scare or coerce victims into purchasing unnecessary support services."
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 23, 2018
Microsoft has ceded a major asset of its Edge browser to rival Google by releasing an add-on that boosts Chrome's phishing detection skills.
The Redmond, Wash. company had little choice, according to one analyst. "Phishing is a huge problem, and people are going to use the browser they use," said Michael Cherry of Directions on Microsoft. "They're doing this to protect the Windows ecosystem."
[ Related: How to replace Edge as the default browser in Windows 10 — and why you should ]
Dubbed "Windows Defender Browser Protection" (WDBP) the free extension can be added to Chrome on Windows or macOS, and after a post-launch fix, Chrome OS as well. Like the defenses built into Edge, the add-on relies on Microsoft's SmartScreen technology that warns users of potentially malicious websites that may try to download malware to the machine or of sites linked in email messages that lead to known phishing URLs.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 23, 2018
If you happen to be multilingual, a developer, a statistician or a data scientist, it's likely you already know how to unlock additional symbols when typing on your Mac. But if you aren't, you'll need to take a moment to learn.
How to type a check mark
Want this? v Type Option and v (or type Option-4 for a cent sigil).
How to type a copyright symbol
The Mac shortcut to type a copyright (©) symbol is Option g.
[ Further reading: 10 super useful Mac Finder tips ]
To infinity and beyond
Tap Option 5 to reach infinity: 8
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 23, 2018
Programmer pilot fish for a big electronics company has a small software fix for one of his programs.
"I needed to push an incremental update to one of my applications that solved a minor issue in how it reported data errors," says fish. "It wasn't a show stopper -- in fact, the problem was so minor it had been around for several years and I only addressed the issue when I remembered it existed.
"So I told my manager I was going to submit the change to be pushed out through our corporate IT group, and she told me she wanted to have a meeting.
"We had a 30-minute meeting discussing the issue when she decided she needed to add her boss.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 23, 2018
When Walmart rolled out its mobile Check Out with Me program last week, it made a meaningful first step toward the retail nirvana of full in-aisle mobile checkout.
Some quick background: For more than a decade now, ever since mobile applications were first taken seriously in retail, the ultimate goal has been to do away with checkout lanes and have all purchases paid either as you go (think loading items into smart carts that total prices or purchasing through the shopper's own mobile device) or all at once but through a mobile-armed associate in whatever aisle the shopper's last item was grabbed.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 21, 2018
What in the heck is going on?
The world of mobile and IoT operating systems used to be pretty stable and comprehensible. Suddenly, however, surprising events and weird changes have left everyone scratching their heads.
Here are the questions I'm hearing about these operating systems — and the answers.
[ Further reading: How AR and VR will change enterprise mobility ]
Will Pixelbooks run Windows?
All of a sudden, Chromebook-using IT pros and developers are wondering whether Google's Pixelbook will soon dual-boot into Microsoft Windows.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
States and the federal government are increasing their scrutiny of cryptocurrencies in an attempt to bring more transparency to a market where buyers and sellers are anonymous and regulatory oversight is light.
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ether, LiteCoin, and Ripple skyrocketed in value last year as investors sought to get in on what many see as the future of global currency - one that for trade and commerce knows no borders. Bitcoin generated massive hype among investors as its value surged more than 1,900% to nearly $20,000 last year, before tumbling back down below $11,000.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Almost every R user knows about popular packages like dplyr and ggplot2. But with 10,000 packages on CRAN and yet more on GitHub, it's not always easy to unearth libraries with great R functions. One of the best way to find cool, new-to-you R code is to see what other useRs have discovered. So, I'm sharing a few of my discoveries -- and hope you'll share some of yours in return (contact info below).
Choose a ColorBrewer palette from an interactive app. Need a color scheme for a map or app? ColorBrewer is well known as a source for pre-configured palettes, and the RColorBrewer package imports those into R. But it's not always easy to remember what's available. The tmaptools package's palette_explorer creates an interactive application that shows you the possibilities.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
One of the most exciting days I had at work was the day I came into the office, sat down at my desk, logged into my PC…and there in glorious detail were all my emails, voice mails (with pictures of the senders and text describing content), instant messages and all my social media feeds.
All my communications in one place, and easy to manage. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. That was back in 1989 (I was only joking about the social media, which obviously didn't exist back then). I was co-running a telephony lab for IBM and, sadly, a few months later transferred to another IBM site. They took away my PC and gave me a color terminal, and I was back to the dark ages - they were literally dark, because my new, larger office had no window and I felt like I was in prison.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Stop me if you've heard this one: Google has a new plan for fixing its mess of messaging apps and bringing clarity, consistency, and order to an area that's been chaotic for far too long.
As reported in a novel-length story by The Verge last night, Google is "pausing" all work and investments in Allo — the standalone chat service announced with great fanfare in 2016 — and moving the entire Allo team over to Android Messages, the company's current default SMS app for Android devices.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
There are over five billion mobile phone subscribers, and an even greater number of wireless devices competing for access in the unlicensed bands. Every tech giant--from Amazon to ZTE--wants to be the leading force in mobile platforms, networks, and cloud services in what could be a winner-takes-all contest.
Unfortunately, spectrum crowding threatens dreams of a future filled with ubiquitous access to content and services. As connectivity is extended to "things" (both indoors and outdoors) and consumers get their first taste of ultra-high definition TV and broadcasts in virtual reality, the growth in demand for wireless access could overwhelm spectrum resources.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Apple's 2018 Environmental Responsibility Report reveals dozens of fascinating details about the company's products, including deep insights into the care and attention it puts into their design.
‘Climate change is undeniable'
Apple's report includes a sizeable collection of interesting data concerning the company's efforts to reduce the impact of its business.
Apple is a huge business and it understands that even small reductions in its environmental footprint can have huge consequences, even as it moves toward closed-loop manufacturing processes.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Yesterday, I talked about the weird bug that makes April's Win7 Monthly Rollup, KB 4093118, re-install itself over and over, even when Windows Update says that it's been installed successfully. Windows sleuth abbodi86 has discovered the source of the problem, and it should give you patching pause.
To understand how we got into this mess, you need to understand the bugs that Microsoft introduced in the March Win7 patches and their kludgey patches. Installing either the March Monthly Rollup (KB 4088875) or the March Security-only patch (KB 4088878) may knock your machine off the network. As Microsoft says:
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
Google this week released Chrome 66 for Windows, macOS and Linux, patching 62 vulnerabilities, banning older site certificates issued by security giant Symantec, and refusing to run auto-play content unless the volume was muted.
Chrome updates in the background, so users only need relaunch the browser to install the latest version. (To manually update, select "About Google Chrome" from the Help menu under the vertical ellipsis at the upper right; the resulting tab either shows the browser has been updated or displays the download-and-upgrade process before presenting a "Relaunch" button.) Those new to Chrome can download it from this Google site.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 20, 2018
It's 1988, and this pilot fish is the entire IT team for the 250 users in the IC design department of a chipmaker in Arizona. But his biggest problem isn't his very tech-smart users.
"Occasionally I had to do a 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. shift to get all the big-box computers updated," says fish. "This was Arizona in July, so I parked in one of the few shaded spots -- that way my car wouldn't be 140 degrees at 1 p.m.
"Turned out we had a senior sales-dude who had decided that was his spot. He would leave business cards with nasty notes if you parked there. Some young designers who came in early had a contest going for how many of the cards they could collect.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 19, 2018
You might not know it from all the panic-inducing headlines out there, but Android is actually packed with powerful and practical security features. Some are activated by default and protecting you whether you realize it or not, while others are more out of the way but equally deserving of your attention.
So stop wasting your time worrying about the Android malware monster du jour and which security company is using it to scare you into an unnecessary subscription, and take a moment instead to look through these far more impactful Android security settings — starting with the core elements and moving from there into some more advanced and easily overlooked options.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 19, 2018
Last week, Microsoft quietly re-released its buggy April Win7 Monthly Rollup patch, KB 4093118. You may recall the patch as a reaction to the Carnak the Magnificent situation we had with the original version of KB 4093118.
With the re-release earlier this week of the original Carnak patch, KB 4099950, it's not clear to me what the recommended installation sequence might be. But this much I know for sure. People all over the internet are complaining that this new version of KB 4093118 installs itself over and over again.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 19, 2018
Office 365 subscribers always have the latest version of Microsoft Office — currently Office 2016. They also get more frequent software updates than those who have purchased Office 2016 without a subscription, which means subscribers have access to the latest features, security patches and bug fixes. But it can be hard to keep track of the changes in each update and know when they're available. We're doing for you, so you don't have to.
Following are key updates to Office 365 for Windows since Office 2016 was released in September 2015 — all the 2017 updates and the most important ones from 2016 and late 2015, with the latest releases shown first. We'll add info about new updates as they're rolled out.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 19, 2018
Apple's iPhone has become a key factor for global economic growth, claims the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — but the boom times may be over, it warns.
'An iPod, a phone, Internet Communicator and economic saviour'
Noting that in 2017, global smartphone sales reached 1.5 billion units (one smartphone for every five people on the planet), the IMF World Economic Outlook April edition makes lots of observations around Apple, the iPhone, technology, and the post-smartphone era.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 19, 2018
Consultant pilot fish gets the order to build an online store for one of the company's major clients. "I'm told to use an off-the-shelf e-commerce system to save time," he says. "When I ask for the specifications, I'm told it's a basic shopping cart, nothing special.
"This worries me, but foolishly I move forward."
After scoping out the project, fish reports to his manager that he can get the off-the-shelf system ready for customer review by a particular date.
Shortly after that, fish learns that the sales rep has promised the entire site by that date, including migrating all data.
And fish still has no specifications or feature list, nor has he been told what data he needs to migrate.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 19, 2018
There are tons of Chrome extensions that enhance and add features to the Gmail interface. The extensions in this article are the ones we've come to like the best. They do everything from making handy little interface tweaks to adding sophisticated functions to Gmail. Some have been around for several years, while some were released a few months ago — but all can be useful additions to your Gmail experience.
To be clear: We don't recommend installing these extensions all at once — too many extensions installed on any browser can slow its performance. Instead, consider our list and choose the ones that give you the features you want most in Gmail.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Apr 18, 2018
Microsoft has postponed the release of the next Windows 10 feature upgrade for an unspecified period, saying that, among other things, the code harbored a bug that crippled some personal computers.
"In certain cases, these reliability issues [we discovered] could have led to a higher percentage of (BSOD) on PCs," wrote Dona Sarkar, the head of Microsoft's Windows Insider preview program, in a Monday post to a company blog. She was using the acronym for "Blue Screen of Death," the crash error screen made infamous by Windows.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 27, 2018
Android upgrades have been a source of frustration for years now — but it's rare to get a glimpse at just how extensively the various manufacturers' performance has been degrading over the past few years.
I've been tracking Android upgrade progress closely since the platform's earliest days. Each year, I publish the results in an Android Upgrade Report Card that measures how long different device-makers take to get the most recent major Android OS update onto their current and previous-gen flagship phones (using the first availability of the software in the U.S. as a metric).
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 27, 2018
Apple has launched a new subsidiary company tasked with providing healthcare clinics to Apple employees: AC Wellness.
Healthy living through technology
According to the AC Wellness website, the company is based at the Apple health center in Cupertino, California, between its original headquarters at Infinite Loop and Apple Park.
CNBC's Christina Farr, who broke the news, claims the new primary care clinics will launch in earnest this spring at locations in Santa Clara County.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 27, 2018
Manager sends out an email to an IT team at this government agency, informing the group that several members have missed mandatory weekly meetings, reports a pilot fish on the team.
"The manager said they would be written up for disciplinary actions if that continued," fish says. "Nothing unusual about that.
"Then one of the remote team members replied that he hadn't missed any meetings, as the meetings were not on his calendar. To prove it, he provided a screen capture of his calendar -- which clearly showed the meetings.
"In his defense, the meetings were grayed out because the individual had not accepted the meeting invite. But it was very obvious the meetings were on the calendar.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 26, 2018
Microsoft is due to release the next major update for Windows 10 in March or April. Rumor has it that the release, code-named Redstone 4, may be called the "Spring Creators Update," following in the tradition of the October 2017 Fall Creators Update and the April 2017 Creators Update before that.
Key enterprise features in the Windows 10 Fall Creators UpdateTo read this article in full, please click here
(Insider Story)
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Feb 26, 2018
The January 2018 Microsoft patching cycle may have been the worst and most invasive set of Microsoft releases in recent memory. The February updates, by marked contrast, only clobber a limited number of machines. How many? We don't know — and Microsoft isn't saying.
Bad Win10 Fall Creators Update patch
What we do know for sure is that the buggy Win10 Fall Creators Update cumulative update KB 4074588 tossed many PCs into bluescreen hell and disabled USB devices of various stripes. That's quite an accomplishment for version 1709 which, according to AdDuplex, is now said to run on 85% of all Windows 10 machines. To look at it a different way, Microsoft blew the cumulative update to the most-used version (1709) of the most-used Windows (Win10 now surpasses Win7).
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 26, 2018
In May of last year Xfinity Mobile entered the wireless marketplace as a competitor. Since that time, everyone is wondering how they are doing. After meeting with them, getting a better understanding of their strategy and seeing their performance, I would say, so far, they are on target. However, their growth strategy is different than you may think.
It's important to understand the reasons Comcast entered wireless and why they have different goals. They are not taking the same strategy as the top four wireless competitors, namely Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile and Sprint. These four are all competing with each other, trying to win market share in more traditional ways.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 26, 2018
Developers should be excited that Khronos today introduced new open-source tools to port Vulkan applications to Apple's platforms. I caught up with Khronos Group President Neil Trevett to find out more about the project and why it matters.
Introducing Vulkan
Vulkan is an open standard for 3D graphics developed by the Khronos Group, an industry consortium dedicated to the creation of open standards for the graphics industry.
Vulkan is supported by a large number of major industry participants, including hardware vendors, driver implementers, and tool vendors, across many hardware and operating system platforms.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 26, 2018
Fresh-from-school pilot fish gets a job as a network administrator in the late 1980s that includes importing data from 9-track tapes to a newfangled relational database -- preferably using Fortran.
"My manager was taught and knew Fortran, so that's what I had to learn," says fish. "I picked it up and was able to write code to read in the tapes, but it was very painstaking.
"I thought C would be better suited to the task, since it handled character strings better than Fortran, so I went about the task of teaching myself C. I thought, what better way to do it than to also learn low-level graphics programming for our Unix workstations?
"My 'learning project' ended up being a little program that cleared the display buffer to black and displayed a large red flashing banner at the top and bottom of the screen, stating that the computer hard drive would be erased if the user did not call the displayed phone number before a five-minute countdown timer expired.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 26, 2018
Even though some companies are hesitant to adopt G Suite, such cloud-based tools are on the rise in the workplace. Google estimates that 3 million businesses now use its productivity suite. If your company is one, we've got some ideas on how you and your colleagues can get the most out of the apps.To read this article in full, please click here
(Insider Story)
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Feb 25, 2018
A better camera and personalized emojis might headline the new features on Samsung's Galaxy S9, but there are good reasons for enterprise users to take notice: a new version of its innovative DeX dock and upgrades to Knox.
DeX was introduced with the Galaxy S8 last year and connects to a monitor, keyboard and mouse for a PC-like experience powered by the smartphone. Software in the phone detects when it's connected and replaces the typical smartphone homescreen with a computer-like desktop on the monitor.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 24, 2018
The trickle of smart glasses entering enterprises on the faces of employees this year will become a flood in the years ahead.
As the use of smart glasses becomes more ubiquitous in the workplace, the challenges for IT departments and, indeed, for enterprises generally will grow.
And while the future of smart glasses is just now coming into focus, the unexpected consequences of this trend remain unclear.
What I believe is certain is that smart glasses are coming, they're going mainstream, and very few organizations are ready for what's coming. Let's take a look.
Apple Glasses
In order to go mainstream, smart glasses have to look like ordinary eyewear. Apple is working on smart glasses designed to go mainstream.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 23, 2018
Microsoft never sleeps. Even before the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update was rolled out, the company began work on the next major update to Windows 10, code-named Redstone 4. As it did with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft has been releasing a series of public preview builds to members of Microsoft's Insider Program.
What follows is a list of every preview build of Redstone 4, starting with the most recent. For each build, we've included the date of its release and a link to Microsoft's announcement about it. We've also kept the list of all the preview builds that led up to Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (Redstone 3) and the Windows 10 Creators Update (Redstone 2), which are below the builds of Redstone 4.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 23, 2018
A series of Apple whispers suggests a series of interesting launches this spring. Essential software updates, the introduction of AirPower, an important HomePod improvement and new devices appear to be in the frame.
Let's look at the evidence
Apple has already told us what to expect in iOS 11.3. This exciting software update introduces a host of useful improvements, including:
The Battery Health tool, which enables customers to take control of sneaky device throttling.
Huge improvements in ARKit, including introduction of the vertical surface recognition and image recognition for signs, posters and artwork. This will accelerate ARKit development.
Health records for iPhones. Doing this right and at scale may actually enable some of the efficiencies electronic health records have promised but seemingly failed to deliver so far.
iMessages in iCloud.
Business Chat, an enterprise feature that connects customers with brands
New Animoji's for all you karaoke fans out there.
Advanced Mobile Location (AML) support.
Apple Music enhancements?
There is one other iOS 11.3 enhancement that I think may turn out to be quite significant, particularly as the company continues to invest deeply in producing original video content. Apple Music will soon offer music videos.
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Feb 23, 2018
Microsoft last night released a flood of unexpected patches. Yes, that's a Thursday night dump. No, there weren't any pressing security fixes - at least, none that were advertised. I have no idea why Microsoft's pushing this offal out the Automatic Update chute.
In addition to a scattering of Preview patches for Win7, 8.1 and Server 2002 - which are usually posted on the third "Week C" Tuesday of the month - and the Surface Pro 3 firmware patch that was announced, but not delivered, Wednesday, we have two new cumulative updates: one for Win10 Anniversary Update (version 1607) and one for Win10 Creators Update (version 1703). Susan Bradley has a full list with links on the AskWoody site.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 23, 2018
For the first time ever, Google has established a baseline for what constitutes an Android smartphone that's ready for use by enterprises.
"Some of the top concerns we've heard from customers include the need for frequent security updates, reliable and consistent software experiences and simplified device selection," David Still, Google's director of Android Enterprise, said in a blog post.
[ Free download: Mobile management vendors compared ]
To address those needs, Google this week launched the Android Enterprise Recommended program, a global initiative that raises the bar for what passes as an enterprise-level device and service.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 23, 2018
It's the 1990s, and this pilot fish is hired at a big international company to maintain a group of Linux servers -- and they definitely need help.
"My initial survey of the systems uncovered some serious security problems," says fish. "Everything had been set up and users added with no regard to security.
"As a temporary holding action, I set all the users' login shells to a custom restricted shell that allowed each user access to only the directories and commands necessary for their work while I analyzed all the systems, planned a decent security configuration for each, got approvals, did testing and, finally, implemented the new security."
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 22, 2018
Google, as promised, has launched the Chrome browser ad-blocking feature it has touted for nearly a year.
Although not the first such effort by a browser maker, Google's decision - effectively a pre-emptive strike against even more users turning to independent add-ons for killing online advertisements - has both import and impact by virtue of Chrome's dominance.
With more than 61% of all browser users running Chrome as of January, according to analytics vendor Net Applications, when Google's browser whispers, the web listens. Sites that instead tune out last week's move do so at their peril.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 22, 2018
I'll go ahead and end the suspense for you now: Android upgrades are a big, hot mess — and the situation with Oreo is the worst we've seen to date.
It's kind of embarrassing, actually. But it's important. And that's why I take the time to track manufactuers' performance in this area so closely year after year — because software matters. It affects your experience more significantly on a day-to-day basis over the life of a modern mobile device than any other feature or element. And yet, it tends to get the least amount of attention.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 22, 2018
iPhones will eventually become trucks — the people who use them will do lots with them, but many of the tasks we once needed PCs to achieve will become available to us through wearable devices, working together.
Sound connections
Think of it this way. iPhone appealed to millions because it combined connectivity with ubiquity and ultra-personalization. The list of things we can do with iPhones continues to expand.
These days, we also get to access many of the tools we most use on our smartphone through wearable devices. More recently, we have begun to leave our smartphone at home, thanks to the SIM inside Apple Watch Series 3.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 22, 2018
This organization's IT security officer leaves and isn't replaced. "A year and a half goes by and the organization suffers a web page defacement," says a pilot fish on the scene. "During the course of the remediation, another server that has a couple of Trojans on it is found."
That's not really a big surprise. Since the infosec guy's departure, the CIO has repeatedly demanded that ports be opened in the firewall, external connections be made to servers bypassing the firewall and servers in the DMZ be connected to internal servers.
The support manager objects every time -- and is always overruled.
"Worse, support isn't part of the process of selection or meetings with potential vendors for the new web services," fish says. "Support only finds out about the requirements when they are directed to create the holes."
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 21, 2018
Everyone knows the secret to success — personal and business alike — is good communication. But in what form? If you're trying to communicate with a group in real time, you're no doubt familiar with the old standby: conference calls. You know: those mind-numbing phone meetings in which talkers overlap, voice quality is terrible, half the people aren't paying attention and somebody's dog barks intermittently throughout the call.To read this article in full, please click here
(Insider Story)
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Feb 21, 2018
iCloud sync is usually reliable, but sometimes you'll find contacts, calendar events or other content fails to sync between all your devices in the few seconds it should take. If this seems to be happening to you, these simple tricks can help get things running smoothly again.
Is everything up-to-date?
First, check to make sure you are running the latest version of macOS on your Mac, iOS on your iPad or iPhone, or Windows on a PC.
Check that iCloud is working
It also makes sense to double-check that iCloud services are working correctly before running through any other changes. You can visit Apple's System Status page to make sure things are indeed up and running.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 21, 2018
One month ago today, Intel told the world that their Meltdown/Spectre patches were a mess. Their advice read something like, "Ooopsie. Those extremely important BIOS/UEFI firmware updates we released a coupla weeks ago are causing Intel machines to drop like bungee cows. In spite of what we told you then, stop installing them now. And if you installed a bad BIOS/UEFI patch, well golly, contact your PC manufacturer to see if they know how to get you out of the mess."
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 21, 2018
I thought it might be time to share some of the commands I think most people will want to use most often with Apple's HomePod.
Making streaming music great again
All these commands begin with the phrase, "Hey Siri," so you might say, "Hey Siri, play Ray LaMontagne." I've left the prefix out in the commands below, but please remember to say "Hey Siri" first.
I'll make no secret that both myself and my non-techy (former music teacher) partner think the HomePod is one of the best small home audio systems we've come across.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 21, 2018
Apple has in recent years made healthcare a major focus of its mobile OS, allowing iPhone and iPad users to more easily collect and share healthcare information on everything from workouts to emergency medical info to basic health stats.
The company in late January unveiled plans to move far beyond what its Health app - now nearly four years old - can do: With the upcoming release of iOS 11.3 patients will be able to view electronic medical records (EMRs) and other clinical information about themselves on their iOS devices.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 21, 2018
It's early days in this pilot fish's career as an IT contractor, and he gets hired for a gig that's just three months long -- but the recruiter for the consulting company tells him not to fret.
"I was a bit concerned about the brevity of the contract," says fish. "The recruiter assured me, 'Don't worry, when your contract is close to completion, we start looking for another contract for you. Then when you roll off one contract, we're ready to roll you onto the next one.'
"I believed her, so when I completed the project early -- coded, tested, fully documented == and the client said, 'Thanks! Great work! We're ending your contract today and you can leave at lunch,' I immediately contacted the recruiter."
To read this article in full, please click here
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Feb 21, 2018
Microsoft's cloud storage service, OneDrive, can back up your personal and work files online. It's built into Windows 10. With it you can sync files on your Windows 10 PC to the cloud and to your other Windows PCs, smartphone or tablet (with the OneDrive app for Android or iOS installed on either). It can even sync your cloud files to your Mac (via the OneDrive desktop app).To read this article in full, please click here
(Insider Story)
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Feb 20, 2018
While blockchain may have cut its teeth on the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, the distributed electronic ledger technology is quickly making inroads across a variety of industries.
That's mainly because of its innate security and its potential for improving systems operations all while reducing costs and creating new revenue streams.
David Schatsky, a managing director at consultancy Deloitte LLP, believes blockchain's diversity speaks to its versatility in addressing business needs, but "the impact that blockchain will have on businesses in various industries is not yet fully understood."
To read this article in full, please click here
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