|
Sep 17, 2019
Mozilla earlier this month quietly outlined paid support for enterprise users of Firefox, but last week scrubbed the reference from its website, saying that it is "still exploring that option."
The offering - labeled "Mozilla Enterprise Client Support" - was to start at $10 per "supported installation," which likely referred to per-device, not per-user, pricing. It's unclear whether that was an annual or monthly fee, and Mozilla declined to say which it was when asked.
In return for the fee, Mozilla said on the now-absent Firefox enterprise site - still visible through the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine - customers would be able to privately report bugs via a new web portal and receive fixes on a timeline dependent on the impact and urgency of the problem. Customers would also be able to file requests for help with Firefox's installation and deployment, management policies, functionality and customization.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 17, 2019
Look, Google's Android 10 gestures aren't perfect — no two ways about that. But for all the negative attention the new navigation system rightfully receives, it's actually come a long way since its painfully awkward debut in an early Android 10 beta.
And you know what? At this point, warts and all, the Android 10 gestures are actually pretty pleasant to use — once you give yourself the chance to get used to 'em.
Part of that simply boils down to a matter of adjustment, as a change like this is inevitably gonna be a bit of a shock at first. But part of it is also a matter of figuring out some subtle tricks to make the most of Android 10's gesture setup. Some of the tricks may seem obvious, once you consider them, while others seem almost like unintentional inclusions. But all of them go a long way in making the new gestures faster, smoother, and more effective to use.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 17, 2019
With Microsoft embracing Linux ever more tightly, might it do the heretofore unthinkable and dump the NT kernel in favor of the Linux kernel? No, I'm not ready for the funny farm. As it prepares Windows 11, Microsoft has been laying the groundwork for such a radical release.
I've long toyed with the idea that Microsoft could release a desktop Linux. Now I've started taking that idea more seriously — with a twist. Microsoft could replace Windows' innards, the NT kernel, with a Linux kernel.
It would still look like Windows. For most users, it would still work like Windows. But the engine running it all would be Linux.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 17, 2019
This IT consultant pilot fish gets an email from a client saying that the hard drive has died in one of the company's PCs, a perfectly legitimate problem, considering that the PC won't boot and they're getting the message, "Insert system disk."
But then the client asks if they could connect in over the internet to fix the problem.
Sharky wants your legitimate and true tales of IT life. Send them to me at sharky@computerworld.com. You can also subscribe to the Daily Shark Newsletter.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 16, 2019
Microsoft today issued a support reprieve to Exchange Server 2010, saying it would continue to service the on-premises enterprise software for an extra nine months.
"After investigating and analyzing the deployment state of an extensive number of Exchange customers, we have decided to move the end of Extended Support for Exchange Server 2010 from January 14, 2020, to October 13, 2020," wrote Greg Taylor, director of product marketing for the Exchange team, in a Monday post to the group's blog.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 16, 2019
During the next two to three years, all major ERP and CRM vendors will offer blockchain capabilities as an add-on feature for their software and SaaS products, according to a new report from Gartner.
During that same time, fragmented blockchain standards are likely to inhibit adoption of the distributed ledger technology in real-world systems by financial services firms, which have been rolling out a variety of test beds and pilot projects in recent years.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 16, 2019
With Siri set to see some significant improvements once iOS 13 ships, Apple is appearing at a key voice AI tradeshow and has published a study explaining some of the details of a first of its kind machine learning tech it calls "Overton".
Defining a machine learning window
This week, Apple is sponsoring the world's largest spoken language processing conference, Interspeech 2019.
As part of its work at this event it has submitted multiple research papers and members of its growing machine learning teams will meet attendees there.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 16, 2019
Data comes in from an increasing number of sources these days. For decades, data stores were primarily built by good old data entry. But today we cull data from a range of sources including IoT devices, social media feeds, email, and other sources outside of traditional database platforms. That means the data isn't always free of errors, blank spaces, or junk characters, and it may be inconsistently formatted from source to source.
If you work with data, at some point you will have the unenviable task of cleaning it. Data cleaning, or cleansing, is a method to get rid of syntax errors, typographical errors, and broken or fragmented records; remove duplicate records; and/or reformat data so it's easier to work with. It's also a means to extract specific bits of data from a larger set.
To read this article in full, please click here
(Insider Story)
|
|
Sep 16, 2019
This pilot fish IT guy gets a call from an irate client one day complaining (incorrectly) that we had changed his administrative password on his Windows 2000 server without his knowledge.
"As I walked him through the logon process, I asked if the username in the login prompt was ‘Administrator,' says fish. "His reply: "Oh, do I need to change that?"
Feed the Shark! Send me your true tales of IT life at sharky@computerworld.com. You can also subscribe to the Daily Shark Newsletter.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 15, 2019
Google last week updated Chrome to version 77, patching 52 security flaws, offering tab sharing and dumping an address bar indicator that the destination site was using more expensive digital certificates.
The company paid out $34,500 in bug bounties to the researchers who reported some of those vulnerabilities. Eight of the flaws were ranked "High," the second-most-serious category in Google's four-step ratings, and one was marked with rarely-used top-most "Critical." The latter was submitted to Google by a security researcher with Qihoo 360, a company based in the People's Republic of China that distributes a browser by the same name. (The Qihoo 360 browser relies on the same Chromium-developed technologies as does Chrome.)
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 14, 2019
Apple introduced the new iPhones this week. It was all about the cameras.
But no matter how good Apple's lenses, camera electronics and computational photography AI gets, that's all still an evolution of what everybody is already doing: taking selfies and cat videos.
Apple didn't even mention the real revolution, which will change everything.
The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro will contain an Apple-designed chip called the U1. The U1 chip enables ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning, which means it's designed to pinpoint the locations of nearby objects.
Ultra-wideband used to be called pulse radio. It's been used for years in military and medical applications. But UWB is uniquely suited to real-time locating systems (RTLS), which is what Apple is going to use it for.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 13, 2019
Tech Events
Event
Description
Starts
Ends
Location
The AI Summit
With more than 250 expert speakers and 200 sessions, this event demystifies AI's core challenges for both tech and business pros.
2019-09-25
2019-09-26
San Francisco, CA API World 2019
API World bills itself as "the world's largest API & Microservices conference and expo, offering insights and learning on the latest technology and trends in API Platforms, Design, Security, Scalability & Management, Microservices, Service Mesh, Containers, Kubernetes, the business of APIs and more.
2019-10-08
2019-10-10
San Jose, CA FiRe 2019
This year's "Future in Review" conference offers deep dives on a variety of cutting-edge technologies, including autonomous driving, CRSPR, facial recognition, neural networks and other topics.
2019-10-08
2019-10-11
La Jolla, CA MSPWorld
MSPWorld offers a vendor-agnostic focus on Managed Service providers and their respective ecosystems, based on real-world experiences and successes in the managed services industry.
2019-10-09
|
|
Sep 13, 2019
With iPhone 11 ordering about to begin, the world may be waiting to join the iPhone Upgrade Program, it is becoming clear Apple is slowly but inexorably moving to a business model in which its products and services are available for a monthly fee.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 13, 2019
As the supervisor of the help desk, this pilot fish is in on the interviews of new applicants.
"And I've decided to learn from my mista— I mean, my experiences," says fish.
Case in point: Fish's department hires a tech from another part of the organization. She's worked as a tech at the other department for a few years, has the right certifications, knows the organization and will be able to hit the ground running — which makes her an apparently perfect candidate.
A few weeks into the job, a fix is released to enable use of a VPN. The change: just modify two registry entries. Simple enough, right?
But when fish tells the tech to apply the fix to a user's laptop, she tells him that she has never edited a registry entry.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 13, 2019
Research firm Gartner, whose past evaluations of blockchain have been conservative to say the least, expects the distributed ledger technology to transform the ways businesses operate in most industries within five to 10 years.
Right now, however, blockchain for most industries remains mired between inflated industry expectations and general disillusionment with regard to how it can improve business processes, according Gartner's latest "Hype Cycle" report.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 13, 2019
Google Assistant may not be perfect, but goodness gracious, is it ever growing.
Seems rarely a month goes by these days where Google doesn't announce some new capability for its platform-defying (and, some would argue, platform-creating) virtual assistant. But Assistant's most significant growth spurt may still be ahead of us.
A handful of new and upcoming Assistant features really jump out at me as having the potential to collectively catapult the service's utility to some impressive new heights. Only time will tell if they end up being as impressive in the real world as they seem in theory, of course, but these four features are absolutely worth keeping an eye on:
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 13, 2019
What a long, strange trip it's been.
From its inaugural release to today, Android has transformed visually, conceptually and functionally — time and time again. Google's mobile operating system may have started out scrappy, but holy moly, has it ever evolved.
Here's a fast-paced tour of Android version highlights from the platform's birth to present.
Android versions 1.0 to 1.1: The early days
Android made its official public debut in 2008 with Android 1.0 — a release so ancient it didn't even have a cute codename.
Things were pretty basic back then, but the software did include a suite of early Google apps like Gmail, Maps, Calendar, and YouTube, all of which were integrated into the operating system — a stark contrast to the more easily updatable standalone-app model employed today.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 12, 2019
Mozilla this week resurrected its Test Pilot preview program, offering Firefox users a free VPN-like service to encrypt browser-to-site-and-back transmissions over public networks.
"The Firefox Private Network is an extension which provides a secure, encrypted path to the web to protect your connection and your personal information anywhere and everywhere you use your Firefox browser," wrote Marissa Wood, vice president of product, in a post to the Mozilla blog.
[ Related: Get serious about privacy with the Epic, Brave and Tor browsers ]
The free service is available immediately, but only to U.S.-based users running the desktop version of Firefox. A Firefox account - typically used for syncing copies of the browser on multiple devices - and an accompanying add-on are required.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 12, 2019
LONDON - Artificial intelligence (AI) will be widely adopted in office environments in a variety of ways over the next few years as businesses invest in digital workplace initiatives, Gartner analysts said today.
The trend is expected to gather steam as voice-activated personal assistants that have proved a hit at home begin to make inroads in the office.
[ Related: How AI is changing office suites ]
By 2025, the technology will "certainly be mainstream," said Matthew Cain, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner - even though privacy and security concerns have limited deployments so far. Cain was among the analysts who spoke at Gartner's Digital Workplace Summit here.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 12, 2019
Microsoft never sleeps. Even before the Windows 10 May 2019 Update (version 1903) started to roll out, the company began working on upcoming feature updates to Windows 10. As it did with version 1903, Microsoft has been releasing a series of public preview builds to members of Microsoft's Windows Insider Program.
After years of using "Redstone" in its code names, Microsoft switched to a new format with the May 2019 Update. The new code names use a YYH1/YYH2 format, with the YY standing for the last two numbers of the year and H1 or H2 referring to the first or second half of the year. So Windows 10 version 1903, which was released in May 2019, was code-named "19H1" (for first half of 2019) rather than "Redstone 6." The next feature update, due in the fall of this year, is code-named "19H2," and the feature update that's coming in the spring of 2020 is code-named 20H1.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 12, 2019
Back to school, back to work…and now back to Microsoft updates. I hope that you got some rest this summer, as we are seeing an ever-increasing number and variety of vulnerabilities and corresponding updates covering all Windows platforms (desktop and server), Microsoft Office and a widening array of patches to Microsoft development tools.
This September update cycle brings two zero-days and three publicly reported vulnerabilities in the Windows platform. These two zero-days ( (CVE-2019-2014 and CVE-2019-1215) have credibly reported exploits which could lead to arbitrary code execution on the target machine. Both browser and Windows updates require immediate attention and your development team will need to spend some time with the latest patches to .NET and .NET Core.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 12, 2019
Two months ago, the July Win7 security-only patch was found to install telemetry software, triggered by newly installed scheduled tasks called ProgramDataUpdater, Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser, and AitAgent. As best I can tell, Microsoft never admitted that its security-only patch dropped a telemetry component.
The August security-only update didn't include that bit of snooping, so it looked like the July snooping was a one-off aberration.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 12, 2019
Maintaining its focus on machine learning and imaging, Apple's Deep Fusion technology will help you take better pictures when you use iPhone 11 series smartphones.
What is Deep Fusion?
"Computational photography mad science," is how Apple's SVP Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller described the capabilities of Deep Fusion when announcing the iPhone.
Apple's press release puts it this way:
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 12, 2019
Remember last month, when Microsoft kinda-sorta announced there was a Cortana/SearchUI redline bug in its second August cumulative update, KB 4512941? Although complaints about the bug poured in within hours of the patch's release, it took Microsoft four days to 'fess up, with the first notification in a tweet. Several more days would pass before we had any details.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 12, 2019
Confused about how updates work in Windows 10? Join the club. Over the years, Microsoft has transformed what was once a straightforward procedure into an ever-changing, often complicated process that varies according to whether you have Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro or an enterprise or education edition — and that varies according to the specific version number of the operating system. As a result, there have been lots of misperceptions about how Windows Update works in Windows 10, and how to best use it.
With this article, we hope to make things clearer for you. We've delved deep into Windows 10 Update and come up with answers to users' most pressing questions: whether you have to accept all updates, whether you can uninstall existing updates, and how to reduce the bandwidth some updates use. We've also included some extras, like how to stop all updates if you want.
To read this article in full, please click here
(Insider Story)
|
|
Sep 12, 2019
Card-reader door locks are installed at this pilot fish's company, and she's tasked with setting up the software, configuring the locks and assigning employee access and times.
A VP gives her a handwritten sheet of paper with the employee door access and times, reports fish. Then he promptly takes a one-week vacation.
"The day the system goes live, the employees are standing in front of me yelling because their cards won't let them in the door they want to use. They now have to use the main door instead.
"The VP comes along hearing all the complaints, then starts yelling at me that this is not the way it should be set up.
"I pull out his handwritten instructions. He looks at it and says, ‘That's not my handwriting!'"
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 12, 2019
Zoho has added a range of new tools to its Zoho One suite as it seeks to attract new mid-size and enterprise customers. The changes include a new phone bridge system, a workflow management app, single sign-on service and a blockchain time-stamping feature for Zoho Sign.
Zoho One was launched two years ago, taking on more expensive suites from the likes of Google and Microsoft, with the aim of becoming the "operating system for business." It packages 45 apps spanning CRM, HR, business analytics, office tools and others, with subscriptions that start at $30 a month per employee.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 11, 2019
This fall's update for Windows 10 may not include a raft of new features, but it does offer something even more important to enterprise IT: extended support that should make future upgrades easier to manage.
|
|
Sep 11, 2019
An Apple executive last week confirmed the company is interested in cryptocurrency, a revelation that came months after the company launched its CryptoKit for iOS 13.
While still speculative, Apple's CryptoKit is likely the first step in enabling the exchange of private and public keys that could allow users to make purchases with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies stored on an iPhone.
[ Read the Download: Beginner's guide to blockchain special report ]
Apple would be only the latest in a flurry of financial services, ecommerce and social media giants establishing stable coin technology or cryptocurrency backed by traditional fiat money. Those companies include JP Morgan Chase, Visa and Facebook, which unveiled its Libra Coin and Calibra digital wallet earlier this year.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 11, 2019
Apple is trading up 1.79% this morning on strength of its iPhone 11announcements September 11. I've gathered together most available analyst and industry comment in reaction to Apple's news.
How are iPhone users reacting?
Analysts don't know everything and it's worth noting that interest in the new devices drove a 189% increase in trade-in valuations from iPhone users seeking to upgrade, according to data from BankMyCell.
They warn that Apple's decision to reduce the cost of iPhone XR and iPhone 8 is also having an impact, predicting a 24.7% fall in resale value of the XR and 26.6% decline in iPhone 8 resale value across the next 12-weeks as resale activity climbs.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 11, 2019
Apple is trading up 1.79% this morning on strength of its iPhone 11 announcements on Sept. 10. But what do those who closely track the tech industry think?
I've gathered together available analyst and industry comment in reaction to Apple's news about the new iPhone 11 and iPhone Pro models. Pre-orders for the devices begin Friday, and they'll be available on Sept. 20.
[ Related: Apple's place is in the enterprise ]
How are iPhone users reacting?
Analysts don't know everything and it's worth noting that interest in the new devices drove a 189% increase in trade-in valuations from iPhone users seeking to upgrade, according to data from BankMyCell.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 11, 2019
Your home can be broken into or destroyed by a natural disaster when you least expect it. When that happens, how will you get back on your feet? Ideally, you would've been paying homeowner's or renter's insurance to cover your losses. Unfortunately, it can take weeks or even months to receive your money after filing a claim.
Lemonade is here to save the day in less than a day. With rates starting as low as $5/mo for renter's insurance and $25/mo for homeowner's insurance, you can rest assured that your property claims can be approved and reimbursed within seconds.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 11, 2019
Steve Malaglowicz was hired 25 years ago by Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nev. to oversee the rollout of Novell ZENworks and to bring desktop imaging to the institution. Over time, Malaglowicz, the school's senior technician, said ZENworks became too expensive and Novell too difficult to work with for a college with a tight IT budget.
In 2009, the college chose to replace Novell ZENworks with a less expensive application and virtualization management product from Quest KACE, which the IT team used to help unify its approach to endpoint management. Today, the school can use a single console to manage 3,300 desktop or mobile endpoints across five campuses; it has four full time IT staffers, and trains and mentors three to six student workers who do more of the physical tech labor.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 11, 2019
Pilot fish and IT consultant crew arrive to connect up a client's system after a move to a new office. One tech finds the hub, then goes in search of its power cord. After much looking and discussion, the owner business finally overhears them and says, "Isn't this it?"
And by golly, it is. Explains fish, "The owner had jammed the small power connector from the transformer into the RJ45 jack on his NIC and expected it to power up his LAN."
Sharky knows you're plugged in and have great true tales of IT life to send to me at sharky@computerworld.com. You can also subscribe to the Daily Shark Newsletter.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 10, 2019
The iPhone, then and now The Evolution of the iPhone [cover]" data-license="IDG"/Image by IDG / Apple
The iPhone has come a long way since its arrival in 2007.
First iPhone The Evolution of the iPhone The Original iPhone" data-license="IDG"/Image by IDG / Apple
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 10, 2019
The launch of a major Windows 10 update like the May 2019 Update isn't the end of a process — it's really just the beginning. As soon as a big feature 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 1903, known as the May 2019 Update — with the most recent updates on top. (Note that the May 2019 Update is on a phased rollout, so you may not have received it yet.) Below that are updates to version 1809, known as the October 2018 Update; version 1803, the April 2018 Update; version 1709, the Fall Creators Update; and finally updates to version 1703, 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
|
|
Sep 10, 2019
Apple is listening to you, and while it wants to strut its tech stuff by showing us some of the most sophisticated computing devices the world has ever seen, the company delivered several counterpoints that should interest every consumer - and every enterprise pro.
The high end gets attention, but look at the breadth
As I see it, Apple has once again made its annual case for tech industry leadership. The iPhone 11 Pro will inevitably build on the company's existing hold in broadcast and mobile journalism and takes it into new territories.
The Filmic Pro demo shows that iPhones aren't just going to be distributing movies in future, they'll be making them.
The A13 Bionic chip with its powerful Machine Learning support and off-the-hook power management isn't just delivering performance, it's also delivering battery life management I believe will spread across Apple's entire ecosystem.
The new location detection features in Apple Watch and iPhone are fairly compelling, but I can't help but see them as chapter headings for a story Apple hasn't even begun telling us yet.
The hardware capabilities are second to none (or at best, a very small few). The 99% customer satisfaction rating exposes that even in that latter comparison, Apple's still the firm with bragging rights.… But what about the news it made little song and dance about?
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 10, 2019
Today's the day of Apple's big fall event, where the company is expected to unveil new iPhones and an updated Apple Watch, talk up iOS 13 and macOS Catalina and - maybe - offer up unexpected hardware announcements.
Macworld's Michael Simon, Computerworld's Ken Mingis, and TECH(feed)'s Juliet Beauchamp will be watching, along with the rest of Apple's fan base, to see what Apple actually rolls out. We'll weigh in with insights and thoughts along the way, and help Ken decide whether he's ready to upgrade to the new phone.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 10, 2019
Well, gang, it's here. In case you've been hibernating over the past week (or maybe just, ahem, on an unfortunately timed week off), Google brought Android 10 into this wacky ol' world of ours this past Tuesday.
There's really only so much to say about the Android 10 basics at this point — because, quite frankly, it's the same software we've seen evolving in plain view over the past several months.
Yes, Android 10 has new gestures for getting around your phone. Yes, it has a new system-wide switch for making the entire operating system dark. And yes, it has a nifty new Focus Mode for limiting distractions on an app-by-app basis.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 10, 2019
The final few days before any big Apple event usually see a lot of fresh speculation; here's a rundown of the latest rumors as we roll toward the big iPhone reveal during a year of major product introductions.
What we know so far
The main expectations are that Apple will introduce new iPhones, Apple Watch, its Apple tag Tile competitor and (potentially) a souped-up Apple TV.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 10, 2019
Message left on pilot fish's office voicemail: "I'm having a problem with the tape backup. It detects a ‘defective or damaged area' on the media. I need to know how to get to that area to delete it."
Fish wishes he had taken a longer lunch.
Sharky doesn't do voicemail. Email me your true tales of IT life at sharky@computerworld.com. You can also subscribe to the Daily Shark Newsletter.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 09, 2019
After cancelling plans earlier this year to launch a wireless charging pad, Apple appears poised to release an iPhone that will not only charge other Qi-enabled mobile phones, but also Apple AirPods and the Apple Watch.
[ Related: Wireless charging from A to Z: What you need to know ]
Apple's version of phone-to-Qi-enabled-device wireless charging has been expected in what's likely to be called the iPhone 11, according to Bloomberg. The Apple event at which the device, and perhaps other hardware, will be unveiled begins Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 09, 2019
After cancelling plans earlier this year to launch a wireless charging pad, Apple appears poised to release an iPhone that will not only charge other Qi-enabled mobile phones, but also Apple AirPods and the Apple Watch.
[ Related: Wireless charging from A to Z: What you need to know ]
Apple's version of phone-to-Qi-enabled-device wireless charging is expected to be included in what's likely to be called the iPhone 11, according to Bloomberg. The Apple event at which the device, and perhaps other hardware, will be unveiled begins Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 09, 2019
Apple's big event is coming, and it's time to take a look at Apple TV. Two years since Apple introduced Apple TV 4K the company's upcoming upgrade is expected to deliver more of the same, with a plus.
What's the business case?
It's fair to say the introduction of app support in Apple TV didn't really meet the high expectations many had for the device.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 09, 2019
If you haven't patched your Windows machine since May, you're in harm's way and need to get your BlueKeep inoculation right away. That goes for PCs running Windows XP (!), Vista, Win7, Server 2003, Server 2008 or Server 2008 R2. There's a working-but-not-yet-fully-armed exploit for the BlueKeep hole making the rounds right now, and it's only a matter of time before it's fully weaponized. With 700,000 machines unpatched and immediately accessible, BlueKeep is a disaster waiting to happen. Tell your friends.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 09, 2019
[Disclosure: NVIDIA is a client of the author.]
NVIDIA is one of the companies that (rightly) believes if you want to change a market locked into a design, you have to be willing to lead with a reference design - or sell the result yourself, like they did with their AI-focused DGX workstation.
NVIDIA recently howcased their ACE concept, which massively rethinks the mobile workstation making it something nearly equivalent to a tower. Benchmarks show a comparative performance range of 3% better to around 10% worse than an equivalent tower configuration. That's pretty impressive, given users typically can't notice a difference less than 20%. Asus has picked up the design, and this forms the top of what looks like an impressive performance laptop line from them.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 09, 2019
Pilot fish recalls the days before ATX power supplies connected to the motherboard. Back then, all PC technicians eventually had to replace a power switch when replacing a power supply, and almost all managed to pop a circuit breaker at some point by connecting the switch leads incorrectly.
It happened to a tech whom fish worked with in a most unfortunate way. He laid the new switch down while reaching to turn on the power, and when it shorted, the switch welded itself to the inside of the metal case.
Tech wasn't looking forward to explaining what happened to the client, but in the end, the fused switch was removed with a little effort, and with a new switch in place, the PC was fine.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 09, 2019
Microsoft has built itself into the company with the world's highest valuation, while managing to avoid (for the past several years, anyway) the attention of the U.S. Justice Department, federal regulators and Congress. Its peers, meanwhile, including Facebook, Amazon, Google and Apple, have found themselves embroiled in time-consuming and energy-sapping investigations.
But for Microsoft, those days of freedom may be coming to an end. Windows 10 and Office have fallen afoul of the European's GDPR privacy regulations, and the consequences may be serious, and even spur investigations in the United States.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 09, 2019
Microsoft has acknowledged that this fall's "feature upgrade" for Windows 10 will be virtually identical to the already-available version 1903 released in May.
"19H1 and 19H2 share the same servicing content. That means they share the same Cumulative Update package," Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc, the spokespeople for Microsoft's Windows Insider beta testing program, wrote last week in a post to their group's blog.
[ Related: How to clean up your Windows 10 act ]
Sarkar and LeBlanc referenced 19H1 and 19H2 - better known perhaps as 1903 and 1909, respectively, in Microsoft's four-number labeling format - because their team had just released those builds to the Release Preview ring, where a subgroup of all program participants do a last test of betas.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 06, 2019
There's been a lot of discussion about BlueKeep, its ramifications and various strategies for blocking it. In a nutshell, it's a security hole in the Windows Remote Desktop Protocol that allows a malicious program to enter your machine - if you have Remote Dekstop turned on, it's accessible directly from the internet, and you haven't installed the May patches.
[ Related: Microsoft Windows 10 vs. Apple macOS: 18 security features compared ]
Two weeks ago, Susan Bradley posted a CSO article that details ways admins can avoid using RDP. I've seen reams of advice about blocking ports, disabling services, setting authentication levels, deploying voodoo dolls, reading chicken entrails…, but the simplest way for almost everybody to avoid the problem is to install the May (or later) Windows patches.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 06, 2019
After announcing support for digital signatures and public and private encryption keys, which could be used to represent cryptocurrencies, an Apple executive on Thursday made it clear the company is watching blockchain-based digital currencies.
This past spring, Apple announced CryptoKit for iOS 13, which will allow developers to easily create hashes for digital signatures and public and private keys that can be stored and managed by Apple's Secure Enclave. Those keys, which can represent cryptocurrencies, can then be exchanged by iPhone owners as a form of payment through an app.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 06, 2019
August brought loads of drama to the Windows and Office patching scene. Microsoft's first round of patches killed Visual Basic, Visual Basic for Applications and VBScript in certain situations — on all versions of Windows. Fixes for the bugs dribbled out three, four, six and 17 days after the original infection.
Those Microsoft-introduced bugs were all the more daunting because the August patches are the ones intended to protect us from DejaBlue — the recently announced "wormable" malware infection vector that (thankfully!) has yet to be exploited. The mainstream press picked up the Chicken Little cry to install August patches right away. Then the buggy offal hit the impeller, and the press fell silent.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 06, 2019
Apple Pay, Apple Pay Cash, Apple Card and Wallet are hugely disruptive solutions that show how Apple could threaten the retail banking sector - or, help it to thrive (for a fee).
We're not a bank
Speaking at a CNN conference last week, Apple's VP Internet Services, Jennifer Bailey discussed Apple's plans around Apple Pay.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 06, 2019
These days, mobile data is money — and if you don't optimize your phone to handle it intelligently, you're throwing dollars down the drain.
After all, whether you have a plan with a monthly data cap or a setup where you're billed for the data you use, you're essentially paying for all the virtual info you transmit over your carrier's network. In the former case, reducing your data usage could let you move to a cheaper level of service — while in the latter, every megabyte you save will directly lower your monthly bill.
The good news is that it's relatively easy to scale back your mobile data usage without seeing much meaningful impact on your day-to-day experience. Just follow the steps below, starting small and ending with the nuclear-level Android Data Saver option, and watch your wallet — or your company's appreciation — grow larger.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 06, 2019
It's the '90s and IT consultant pilot fish is called by a worried client. He recalls that when the company's network was set up, the tech had explained that there was a right way and a wrong way to shut down a Windows 95 PC. But he doesn't quite remember the details.
Client says he accidentally clicked the Shut Down button on the Start menu, then hit Enter, expecting his program to be running. Of course, the PC shut down.
Now client wants to know if he'll damage the PC if he tries to turn it on again.
Feed the Shark! Send me your true tales of IT life at sharky@computerworld.com. You can also subscribe to the Daily Shark Newsletter.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 05, 2019
Atlassian today added new pricing tiers for its cloud products, including free and premium options for Jira Software and Confluence. The Australian company hopes the free editions, in particular, can entice new customers onto its cloud services.
Entry-level versions of Jira Software, Jira Service Desk, Jira Core and Confluence will be available at no cost "in the coming months" said Atlassian. The free version of Jira Software and Confluence will be limited to 10 users; Jira Service Desk will be limited to three. File attachments are limited to 20MB, with a 2GB file storage limit for the free versions. And free-tier users will only have access to community support, as opposed to the Standard support package, which offers access to the Atlassian support team during working hours.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 05, 2019
For years, my main objection to Windows 10 has been its cavalier attitude toward patching: You got the monthly cumulative update ("quality updates") whenever Microsoft pushed it; you got new versions ("feature updates") when Microsoft's vaunted AI (now called ML) decided your machine could take them; and heaven help you if you clicked "Check for updates."
As you no doubt know by now, clicking "Check for updates" installed anything and everything Microsoft had stockpiled for your machine, often to deleterious effect.
Back in April, Microsoft's Mike Fortin announced a change of heart:
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 05, 2019
Apple is expected to introduce its own Tile-competing tracking device(s), perhaps as soon as fall. So, what are the advantages of the device, what can we expect, and what happens next?
Freedom from networks
There are hundreds of tracking devices available today. These cost anything from tens to hundreds of dollars and in most cases require you sign-up to a network provider for SIM card-based network access.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 05, 2019
Windows 10 for the second straight month surged in user share as the drive toward the deadline for its Windows 7 predecessor entered its final five months.
According to analytics company Net Applications, Windows 10's share of all personal computers jumped 2.1 percentage points - the second consecutive month of two or more points - to close August at 51%. It was the first time Windows 10 accounted for a majority of all personal computer operating systems. Windows 10's part of Windows PCs, meanwhile, climbed to 58%, putting the OS on track to power two-thirds of all Windows machines by the time Microsoft rolls out its next major feature upgrade next March.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 05, 2019
When Facebook launches its cryptocurrency Libra in 2020, it will need a public-facing blockchain network for consumers who purchase items using digital wallets and a private blockchain network for the banks backing the new digital currency.
The concept of setting up "hybrid blockchains," where one is public or consumer-facing and the other is permissioned for corporate transcations behind the scenes, is expected to become a mainstay as the business of blockchain matures.
Calibra, Facebook's digital wallet, will store Libra, Facebook's digital currency. A Facebook user would download the Calibra digital wallet application, purchase the Libra digital currency through a private financial network, and then perform peer-to-peer digital money transfers through Calibra as a stand-alone app. A user could also do the same thing through Facebook's most popular, public communication platforms: WhatsApp and Messenger.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 05, 2019
Pilot fish gets tapped to install a secure version of FTP on an existing FTP server. But figuring out when to do it turns out to be a challenge.
"The FTP server gets a lot more use than anyone realizes, because many of our processes are automated and EDI-related," says fish. "The new install will require some downtime for a reboot and configuration."
So fish begins working with the various groups that transfer files using the server, so he can schedule the downtime. Most of the groups give fish a choice of times when they can live without the system.
But one team leader is less flexible — he insists that his applications are using the FTP server all day and all night. He tells fish that the only possible window for the installation is between 1 a.m. and 3:45 a.m.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 04, 2019
Microsoft's Edge completed a six-month surge in user share that represented a 24% increase and brought the browser to its highest-ever level.
According to U.S. analytics vendor Net Applications, Edge's August user share rose by half a percentage point to 6.3%, a record for the browser in its first four years. During the six months ending Aug. 31, Edge added 1.6 points to its share, the equivalent of a 24% boost.
[ Related: What's in the latest Firefox update? ]
The growth by Edge, however, did not translate into a similar-sized increase in the browser's portion of Windows 10 browsers because the operating system jumped up more than two percentage points. (Although the "full-Chromium" Edge, the version Microsoft's building using the Google-dominated Chromium project's technologies, has been released in preview for non-Windows 10 OSes, it's a certainty that the vast bulk of Edge's users are on 10.)
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 04, 2019
No matter what industry you're in, data will follow, so understanding how to gather insights from data will make you a valuable asset everywhere you go. However, companies gather far more data now than in the past, and this staggering amount of data will only increase, so there are new skills you should learn to stay ahead of the curve. This $49 bundle if the perfect place to learn how.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 04, 2019
Nikkeiclaims Apple intends introducing a lower-cost 4.7-inch iPhone in 2020. The claim Apple will one day replace the iPhone SE with another model of smaller and more affordable smartphone gets repeated every year.
Why do people want this?
The only reason speculation of this kind enjoys such currency is because there's actual demand for such a product. People want a smaller iPhone. People want one that's a little more affordable.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 04, 2019
On Friday, Microsoft released KB 4512941, the long-anticipated second August cumulative update for Win10 version 1903 - which is to say, the latest patch for the latest version of Windows. Within a few hours, people were complaining on various online forums that installing the update immediately triggered excessive CPU use. I wrote about that on Friday night.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 04, 2019
It's the '70s and pilot fish is a tape hanger on a Honeywell 8200 — those big tape reels and their drives.
One lunchtime, fish smells something burning. Since the computer bay is air-cooled, it's hard to determine the source, so fish tells a teammate that she smells something burning, and the two of them open the front and back of each tape drive trying to find where the smell is coming from.
To no avail, so they tell the console operator to page the Honeywell tech. That gets no response. It's lunchtime, so it's going to take a real emergency to get any action. I'll take care of that, says the console operator, who revises the page to "Honeywell tech needed immediately in computer bay 4. Something's burning!"
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 04, 2019
If your office uses Slack on a daily basis, you know how easy it is to lose a good idea in a long list of scrolling messages — or in multiple channels. A simple way to reduce the clutter is by integrating third-party Slack apps that allow you to immediately convert chat messages into assignable tasks or other workflow elements. We'll show you how to do just that.
By default, any user can add any app to the Slack workspace, unless an administrator has restricted access to certain apps or required admin permission to install any app. Admins can also preapprove a list of apps that can be installed in the workspace.
If your workspace has been locked down by the admins (and you're not one of them), you'll need to ask them to add the apps. Just follow along with the instructions here; we've noted the point at which you'll submit the request to the administrators.
To read this article in full, please click here
(Insider Story)
|
|
Sep 03, 2019
Mozilla on Tuesday released Firefox 69 with the browser's anti-tracking technology switched on by default for all users.
The organization's security engineers also patched 20 vulnerabilities, one tagged "Critical" and 11 marked "High," the organization's two top threat ratings. The single critical flaw only affected Windows, Mozilla said in its patching commentary.
Firefox 69 can be downloaded from Mozilla's site for Windows, macOS and Linux. Because it updates in the background, most users need only relaunch the browser to get the latest version. To manually update, pull up the menu under the three horizontal bars at the upper right, then click the help icon (the question mark within a circle). Choose "About Firefox." The resulting page shows that the browser is either up to date or explains the refresh process.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 03, 2019
Perks are nice, but free lunches, team-building exercises and off-site outings aren't the key drivers of workplace satisfaction.
|
|
Sep 03, 2019
Microsoft now says the new "full-Chromium" Edge will use the same kill-Flash calendar as Google's Chrome, the vastly more popular browser that also relies on Chromium.
Earlier, Microsoft had created its own timetable for purging the media player software, which Adobe will retire at the end of 2020. But once Microsoft decided to discard homegrown browser technologies for those crafted by the Google-dominated Chromium open-source project, the company was expected to fall in line with its rival.
[ Related: Get serious about privacy with the Epic, Brave and Tor browsers ]
"In the next version of Microsoft Edge (built on Chromium), we will continue to retire Flash in the same timeframe as other Chromium-based browsers," Colleen Williams, a senior program manager on the Edge team, wrote last week in a post to a company blog.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 03, 2019
Do you spend time resizing images for reports, documents or the web? Here's an easy Automator application you can make in a few minutes to make this process simpler.
What is Automator?
Automator is a fantastic free application you already have on your Mac.
You can use it to create automated workflows, applications and other tools on your computer.
The problem with Automator is it's not always obvious what you need to do in order to create something, and this is why most Mac users open the application, but spend only a very short time working in it.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 03, 2019
This pilot fish has January vacation plans: two weeks in Florida to visit his grandparents and take in Miami Beach.
What's going on before then is that the manufacturing company that fish works for is converting its IBM Series/1 data-collection mini-computers from the EDI operating to a variation of Unix System 3. And there are problems. This variation of the OS doesn't recognize disk packs with bad sectors. Fish's company is using CDC removable disk packs, and if any sector is bad, the entire disk pack can't be used. That can get expensive.
Surprisingly enough, the first several plants that get converted run fine, but the luck runs out with a plant in Mississippi, which has problems with bad sectors. Still, fish has learned enough from the IBM and CDC field engineers that he can run most diagnostics himself and assign bad sectors. Everything should be fine: The vendor for the OS is working on the code, and when fish comes back from vacation, they can install the new version.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 03, 2019
Microsoft this fall will begin closing loopholes in its licensing rules that have let customers bring their own licenses for Windows, Windows Server, SQL Server and other software to rival cloud providers like Google and Amazon.
The Redmond, Wash. company laid down the new law in an Aug. 1 announcement, the same day it previewed Azure Dedicated Host, a new service that runs Windows virtual machines (VMs) on dedicated, single-tenant physical servers.
To read this article in full, please click here
(Insider Story)
|
|
Sep 02, 2019
Code that suggests Apple is developing sophisticated support for Augmented Reality (AR) glasses has been found inside iOS 13, a report claims.
When development stops, production begins
Apple says it is "high" on AR. Company boss Tim Cook has talked about it as a "profound" technology. "I don't think there is any sector or industry that will be untouched by AR," he also said.
Now it looks like one of Apple's much speculated upon plans for the technology may be entering prime time. MacRumors claims an "internal build" of iOS13 it has tested contains:
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Sep 02, 2019
It's the early aughts, and IT department trainee gets the task of sorting through a pile of unlabeled recordable DVDs, reports the pilot fish who assigned him to the job.
trainee, permanent marker in hand, disappears. Two days later, he dumps two piles of media sitting on fish's desk. One of them is DVDs nicely labeled with content description, date and number, using rather good handwriting.
"The other pile," sighs fish, "was also labeled with permanent marker — 30 DVDs with ‘BLANK' written on every single one of them.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 30, 2019
Google schooled Apple and Microsoft in the education market by growing market share from zero to 60 in eight years. Insider Pro columnist Mike Elgan examines whether they can they do it again in the enterprise.
|
|
Aug 30, 2019
What happens when Microsoft releases eight - count ‘em, eight - concurrent beta test versions of Win10 version 1909 without fixing bugs introduced into 1903 on Patch Tuesday?
Pan. De. Moaaan. Ium.
The VB/VBA/VBScript debacle
No doubt, you recall the first wave of pain inflicted by the August 2019 patching regimen. Microsoft somehow managed to mess up Visual Basic (an old custom programming language), Visual Basic for Applications (for Office macros) and VBScript (a largely forgotten language primarily used inside Internet Explorer). Folks running applications in any of those languages would, on occasion, receive "invalid procedure call error" messages when using apps that had been working for decades.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 30, 2019
Sure, higher resolution screens and faster processors may be the sexy features pushed by smartphone makers. But, truth be told, most users just want a phone that won't die by the end of the day.
"Longer battery life" was the top answer from 75% of 1,665 people polled by USA Today/SurveyMonkey last year about the top feature they wanted in a new iPhone. And a Morning Consult poll of more than 1,800 people also conducted last year found 95% chose battery life as the most important feature \ when selecting a new smartphone.
Clearly smartphone owners favor simple features over flashy hi-tech. The proof? A shatter-proof glass screen and expandable storage came in second and third in the USA Today/SurveyMonkey survey. (Memory size and durability were second and third in the Morning Consult poll.)
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 30, 2019
Several times a quarter, the same question comes up regarding Chromebooks, usually phrased as to whether or not they're successful. What made the platform interesting was that even though Google typically has the attention span of a 4-year-old on sugar, they stuck with this platform. But it still mostly flies under the radar - largely because of the lack of native application support and Google's reputation. Google sells information for a living, making people distrust the brand even…though there's no evidence Google is compromising the privacy of Chromebook users.
The promise of the Chromebook has been compelling to mostly education buyers. However, interest appeared to fall off sharply as Google waffled on operating system futures (whether they would merge Android and Chrome operating systems) and native application support continued to favor the alternative (Android) platform and, of course, Windows.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 30, 2019
Keeping true to company CEO, Tim Cook's "several new products" promise, Apple will indeed host its next iPhone launch event on September 10. What are we expecting and how can you keep up with the announcements?
Decoding the invitation
Apple's event invite features a new take on the Apple logo. The logo is sliced with each slice a different color: green, blue, yellow, red and lavender and declares: "By innovation only".
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 30, 2019
Law firm is located in an old house that has been converted to offices and then, at a later date, brought into the internet age — somewhat less convincingly.
Firm calls in IT consultant pilot fish because it's been experiencing regular network problems. Fish and colleagues think these might be power-related, and their troubleshooting proves them right. The entire second floor of the house, which includes several offices and the server, is on one power circuit.
Says one of the law firm's employees, "Ohhhh, that's why the circuit breaker trips every time we turn on the microwave."
Troubleshooting is Sharky's middle name. Just don't ask my last name. But definitely send me your true tales of IT life at sharky@computerworld.com. You can also subscribe to the Daily Shark Newsletter.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 29, 2019
It may not be Android Q anymore, but the Android version that was once destined to be Queen of Puddings (in my heart, at least) is almost finished and ready to roll out to the world.
Google's expected to launch Android 10, as it'll be known, any week now — but despite the software having been out in the open for months already during its public beta phase, The Artist Formerly Known As Q™ has a couple of tricks up its sleeves that we still haven't had an opportunity to explore.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 29, 2019
I guess most Mac users already use Sirito search the web and solve maths problems, but you can do much more.
Get to Siri fast
You know you can use Command-H to search Spotlight? You can invoke Siri using the same keyboard combination (Command-H), you just need to remember to keep pressing the keys.
Command-H (quick): Get Spotlight.
Command-H (hold): Summon Siri.
You can use a dedicated key on some Macs, or tap the Siri icon in the Menu bar.
I find the keyboard command fits into my workflow best, as I can keep my fingers on the keyboard and eyes on the screen.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 29, 2019
Hedera Hashgraph, an electronic public ledger developed for corporate use, launched its mainnet beta today, allowing developers to create an account and build decentralized applications (dApps) for it.
The distributed ledger technology (DLT) is a direct competitor to blockchain distributed ledgers such as Ethereum and Hyperledger, and claims it can outperform traditional financial and business networks.
[ Read the Download: Beginner's guide to blockchain special report ]
"There is no direct equivalent to Hedera Hashgraph today," said Martha Bennett, a principal analyst at Forrester Research. Hedera is potentially competing with public networks and all the enterprise DLT frameworks (such as Hyperledger Fabric & Sawtooth, R3 Corda, and others) and their commercial providers, which include AWS, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 29, 2019
Hedera Hashgraph, an electronic public ledger developed for corporate use, launched its mainnet beta today, allowing developers to create an account and build decentralized applications (dApps) for it.
The distributed ledger technology (DLT) is a direct competitor to blockchain distributed ledgers such as Ethereum and Hyperledger, and claims it can outperform traditional financial and business networks.
[ Read the Download: Beginner's guide to blockchain special report ]
"There is no direct equivalent to Hedera Hashgraph today," said Martha Bennett, a principal analyst at Forrester Research. Hadera is potentially competing with public networks and all the enterprise DLT frameworks (such as Hyperledger Fabric & Sawtooth, R3 Corda, and others) and their commercial providers, which include AWS, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 29, 2019
File management isn't the sexiest subject surrounding smartphone ownership — but if you use your device for productivity, it's an important area to consider.
Your phone, after all, is your on-the-go connection to the world. It's the always-available PC of our modern computing era. And whether your work involves presentations, PDFs, documents, or images, you're bound to find yourself fumbling around with files on your pocket-sized screen sooner or later.
With the right tools, though, dealing with files from your phone doesn't have to be a hassle. And the good news? Android's got plenty of outstanding options.
These are the best, organized by what they'll help you accomplish.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 29, 2019
It's many years ago, and this pilot fish regularly travels to company offices around the country, dealing with IT-related problems and running user training sessions.
The big current project is implementing internet filtering after complaints that some workers are viewing inappropriate websites. So fish has to head to a meeting with many directors and managers to demonstrate.
Upon arriving at the meeting site, fish sets up a laptop and projector and connects it to the internal network. Then he tests to make sure the filtering is working, calling up a blocked site that, if it does display, only shows a silhouette of a bunny with a bow tie.
But not to worry: The site is blocked, so everything is ready.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 28, 2019
I use my iPad extensively when I travel — it's all the computer I need— and over time I've come across a smattering of essential utilities for the tablet. I want to talk about three of them, which have recently been updated.
3 iPad utilities you should download
I spend a lot of time looking for iPad apps that can help you get things done. I've mentioned all three of these before, but as they've all been updated this month (as was the excellent Parallels for Mac) I thought it would be worth mentioning them once again.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 28, 2019
Making money work for you is the best way to make even more money, which is why investing is an easy and popular way to earn a passive income. However, unless you're extremely wealthy, your investment options are limited to stocks, mutual funds, CDs, etc. Big-ticket items like real estate require massive amounts of wealth to purchase and invest in, making them out of the realm of possibility for the average consumer. Until now, that is. With DiversyFund, anyone can reap the benefits of real estate investment, and all you need is $500 to get started.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 28, 2019
If you're using Symantec Endpoint Protection or any Norton Antivirus product on a Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2 machine, you didn't get the August patches. Shortly after the August Monthly Rollup and Security-only patches were released, Microsoft put a freeze on systems running Symantec or Norton antivirus products.
The conflict stemmed from a long-anticipated change in the way Microsoft signed the August patches: Starting in August, all patches are signed using the SHA-2 encryption method. Somehow, Symantec didn't get the message back in November that the shift was underway, and missed the deadline.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 28, 2019
It's the late 1970s and pilot fish (who swears this tale is true) is working as an IBM customer engineer. No, fish explains, CEs didn't design customers; they fixed typewriters.
Most of the people using the typewriters didn't go in for preventative maintenance, so by the time fish and his colleague were called in, the machines' workings would be so gummed up that a thorough cleaning and lubing would make them noticeably faster. And having slowly become accustomed to the grime, many operators would complain that the clean keytops felt sticky. The senior CE had a trick to deal with that: He put a drop of oil on a rag and wiped the tops of the keys, and that would help the operators' fingers glide across.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 27, 2019
When Microsoft extended support for Windows 10 Enterprise and Education - making it much easier for organizations to upgrade the OS just once a year - it simply bowed to a reality that had been in place since the operating system's debut in 2015, according to a company document.
In a corner of a September 2018 document titled "Joint FAQs" and labeled "For Partner Use Only," Microsoft acknowledged that many of its larger customers had been on an annual upgrade cadence since their beginnings with Windows 10. The FAQ was a companion to a Sept. 6, 2018 announcement of a change to Windows 10's support, the third that year.
[ Related: Windows 7 to Windows 10 migration guide ]
"All future feature updates of Windows 10 Enterprise and Education editions with a targeted release month of September (starting with 1809) will be supported for 30 months from their release date," wrote Jared Spataro, a Microsoft executive, in the post to a company blog. "This will give customers with longer deployment cycles the time they need to plan, test, and deploy."
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 27, 2019
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 this 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
|
|
Aug 27, 2019
Google has pushed back the migration deadline for its Hangouts collaboration app, offering G Suite customers more time to make the switch to its Hangouts Chat and Meet tools
Google unveiled Hangouts Chat and Meet in 2017, effectively separating the classic Hangouts app with individual chat and video functions.
[ Related: 6 tips for scaling up team collaboration tools ]
Earlier this year, the company said it would begin to migrate users to the new platforms, with plans to retire classic Hangouts in October 2019.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 27, 2019
We're living in the age of the virtual assistant. The only problem? The virtual assistant isn't always as helpful as it could be.
General dependability aside, the gadgets we've been given for interacting with Google Assistant still feel far more limiting than they need to be — particularly when you position them for use in a business scenario.
I've had a Google Home Hub in my own home office for many months now and had a screen-free Home Mini device on my desk before that. And you know what? Despite what the products' names imply, they really do have a lot to offer in a professional environment (or even a semi-professional environment like my candy-coated, squirrel-encircled work space).
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 27, 2019
User calls the help desk to report that a green liquid is coming out of her phone — and she tells pilot fish who takes the call that she has a theory: "The liquid crystals are probably leaking out." Fish concedes that the LCD on the phone is called, in long form, a "liquid crystal display," but those crystals aren't green. But fish goes to check it out.
When he gets to her cube he does find a small puddle of an oily, odorless, green liquid under her phone, and it seems to be weeping from around the phone's buttons.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 27, 2019
While blockchain is moving beyond pilot projects and proofs of concept testing in some industries, companies still struggle to justify development spending and continue to have concerns around security, interoperability, bandwidth and regulatory uncertainly.
Earlier this month, research firm IDC published its semi-annual blockchain spending guide; it showed blockchain spending this year is forecast to be $2.7 billion, up 80% over 2018.
[ More info: Download: Beginner's guide to blockchain special report ]
By 2023, spending on blockchain hardware, software and services is expected to reach $15.9 billion, according to IDC. Adoption of blockchain for financial services, identity, trade, and other markets "is encouraging," IDC stated.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 26, 2019
Despite the security challenges mobile devices create, there is no going back. Users demand corporate access from their smartphones and companies benefit from this access with increased efficiency, better use of time and improved user experience. Here's how to safe and mobile.
|
|
Aug 26, 2019
Apple's big 2019 reveal looms, so it might be interesting to take measure of user sentiment as the company prepares to launch its new iPhone and new services.
Interest appears to be increasing
Apple hasn't announced its new iPhone, and while names differ, most reports now use the phrase "iPhone 11" with reference to the new device.
That's not a precisely accurate term (there have in fact been 21 iterations of iPhone), but it does the job while we wait to see what comes next.
Typically, interest in the new model device peaks across the (usually) slow summer news cycle. This year is no different.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Aug 26, 2019
Apple's big 2019 reveal looms, so it might be interesting to take measure of sentiment analysis as the company prepares to launch its new iPhone and new services.
Interest appears to be increasing
Apple hasn't announced its new iPhone yet, and while names differ most reports now use the phrase "iPhone 11" with reference to the new device.
That's not a precisely accurate term, (there have in fact been 21 iterations of iPhone), but it does the job while we wait to see what comes next.
Typically, interest in the new model device peaks across the (usually) slow summer news cycle. This year is no different.
To read this article in full, please click here
|
|
Private Label