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Total 34 articles, created at 2016-03-07 12:01 1 How to justify the purchase of a data integration tool With big data everywhere, data integration is more vital than ever. Explore how a data integration tool can help address your enterprise's needs. 2016-03-07 11:13 1KB searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com 2 Jide delivers all-singing, all-dancing 32-bit dual booting Remix OS beta Our favourite Android variant just got serious 2016-03-07 11:13 2KB www.theinquirer.net 3 Scientific journal cites a creator. Scientists say OMG Technically Incorrect: The popular journal PLOS One publishes a paper that says the human hand was "the proper design of the Creator. " The scientific community does a face palm. 2016-03-07 11:12 2KB www.cnet.com 4 Forza Motorsport 6: Apex coming to the PC as a free-to-play title Well, that's certainly unexpected. Microsoft's long-running racing franchise, Forza Motorsport , is finally making the leap to the PC with Forza Motorsport 6: Apex. The game will be available free-to-play in the Windows 10 Store as a "curated experience" aimed at players who are new to the series. Grab a... 2016-03-07 11:08 2KB techreport.com 5 DJI Phantom 4 drone uses computer vision to follow subjects DJI has released the $1399 Phantom 4 , the latest model in its Phantom line of quadcopters. With this iteration, the company has added some autonomous features that should benefit experienced operators and drone newbies alike. The biggest upgrade on this drone may be its obstacle-detection features. When a pilot... 2016-03-07 11:08 2KB techreport.com 6 Deals of the week: a 34" IPS monitor for $500 and more Greetings, gerbils. You know what day it is today. After much sweat and tears, we bring you a fine selection of online deals for your perusal. Take a gander at the best deals and discounts from this week. That's all for today. If you have any good deals, let us... 2016-03-07 11:08 864Bytes techreport.com 7 Tim Sweeney blasts Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform Epic Games co-founder Tim Sweeney is the latest to heap scorn on Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform. In an op-ed in the Guardian newspaper this morning, Sweeney expresses concern that the UWP and the Windows Store is a first step "towards locking down the consumer PC ecosystem and monopolising app distribution... 2016-03-07 11:08 2KB techreport.com 8 The Radeon Technologies Group will hold a Reddit Q&A today Got burning questions about AMD's Radeon Technologies Group? The division is holding a Reddit Q&A today from 10 AM to 5 PM US Central Time on the r/AMD subreddit. Here's the official description of the event: We'll be keeping an eye on the thread as it progresses, but big news... 2016-03-07 11:08 1KB techreport.com 9 Asus GeForce GTX 950-2G can run without a 6-pin power plug Nvidia's GeForce GTX 950 graphics card is already thrifty on power, but a new version of the card from Asus looks even more efficient. The company's GeForce GTX 950-2G has a near-reference spec sheet , with 768 stream processors, a 128-bit memory bus, and 2GB of RAM. The card is... 2016-03-07 11:08 1KB techreport.com

10 Report: Intel is building an augmented-reality headset Augmented reality (AR) has yet to truly take off, but the avenues it opens for entertainment and work are manifold, as demonstrated by Microsoft's HoloLens. Intel is apparently thinking along the same lines, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. WSJ talked to several people "briefed on the... 2016-03-07 11:08 2KB techreport.com 11 Samsung begins shipping a 15TB data center SSD We often think of 1TB or 2TB SSDs as massive in PC enthusiast circles these days, but those drives pale in comparison to Samsung's latest. The company says it's now shipping the PM1633a SSD , a 15.36TB monster that talks to host systems over a 12Gbps Serial Attached SCSI (SAS)... 2016-03-07 11:08 1KB techreport.com 12 Hackers have been offered a golden ticket to attack the Pentagon Bounties are on offer, as opposed to on heads 2016-03-07 07:55 3KB www.theinquirer.net 13 World's oldest chameleon found preserved in amber Twelve lizards have been found trapped in amber, including a remarkable specimen identified as the world's oldest chameleon. 2016-03-07 11:12 2KB www.cnet.com 14 Galaxy S7 specs, release date and price Everything you need to know about pre-ordering Samsung's latest flagship handset 2016-03-07 07:55 6KB www.theinquirer.net 15 Striving for a balanced mobile world: the Connected Women of MWC At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the GSMA’s Connected Women initiative began a new drive to connect more women in the developing world. Computer Weekly meets programme director Claire Sibthorpe. 2016-03-07 07:55 2KB www.computerweekly.com 16 Combine data mining and simulation to maximise process improvement Data mining and computer simulation can be used together to better model and improve industrial processes, city development and other complex systems. 2016-03-07 07:55 2KB www.computerweekly.com 17 Amazon Tap, Echo Dot Extend Alexa Virtual Assistant Product Line For those who don't need all the features of the Echo, Amazon's designers have cut it in half to create two new products–the Amazon Tap and Echo Dot. 2016-03-07 07:46 1KB www.eweek.com 18 Cisco CEO Robbins Talks Nutanix, InterCloud, Open Compute Project And The Biggest Partner Summit Takeaways Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins took questions at the 2016 Cisco Partner Summit and sounded off on Nutanix, the channel takeaway from Partner Summit and the difference between himself and former CEO John Chambers. 2016-03-07 11:10 1KB www.crn.com 19 Exclusive: Dell Channel Chief Cheryl Cook On Doubling Enterprise Incentives, Increasing Premier Ranks And EMC Integration Dell Channel Chief Cheryl Cook sat down with CRN to discuss how Dell is propelling partners into new lines of business and toward new customers as it prepares to integrate with EMC. 2016-03-07 11:10 1KB www.crn.com 20 Google's magic Internet balloons bringing Wi-Fi to India The software and hardware giant hopes to succeed where Facebook's Free Basics failed -- connecting hundreds of millions of Indians in rural areas to the Internet with Project Loon. 2016-03-07 11:12 1KB www.cnet.com 21 IBM Source: Layoffs Fewer Than Feared, Just In Excess Of 10,000 Globally On Wednesday, IBM started sending notices, according to an employee Facebook page. Reuters reports sale of Lenovo shares coming. 2016-03-07 07:31 2KB www.crn.com 22 RSA Panel: Apple-FBI Battle Is Bigger Than A Tug-Of-War Over Encryption Balancing security and privacy is the defining issue of the digital age -- one that will have to be reframed each time a new technology emerges, according to a panel of experts at the RSA Conference. 2016-03-07 07:29 3KB www.crn.com 23 Sources: Cisco Said To Have Offered $4B For Nutanix Last Year, Also Tried To Acquire SimpliVity Cisco this week launched its own hyper-converged offering based on a partnership and investment in Springpath, but sources said that's only after making unsuccessful bids for Nutanix and SimpliVity. 2016-03-07 11:10 2KB www.crn.com 24 Apple's head software engineer refuses to 'turn back the clock' on iPhone security If digital security is an "endless race," then Craig Federighi says the FBI is asking Apple to "turn back the clock to a less-secure time and less-secure technologies" by making a backdoor into the iPhone. 2016-03-07 11:12 2KB www.cnet.com 25 New OS X ransomware discovered in the wild KeRanger not only demands $400 in Bitcoin, but also attempts to encrypt files backed up by Apple's Time Machine. 2016-03-07 08:22 4KB www.zdnet.com 26 Dell XPS 15 Review Surprisingly, yes, this is a gaming laptop 2016-03-07 08:00 4KB www.maximumpc.com 27 Event: Monitor Publications Limited, Career Fair Monitor Publications Limited (MPL), will hold their 3rd Career Fair on March 11th at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) from 9am to 5pm, under the theme: “The Youthful Entrepreneur: Innovate or Die!” MPL is reaching out to all readers especially the entrepreneurs to attend the Career Fair. Through... 2016-03-07 07:28 1KB pctechmag.com 28 Reddit users voice concerns at plans for closed-source mobile apps Some remember when all this was fields 2016-03-07 05:35 2KB www.theinquirer.net 29 Intel is reportedly working on an AR headset to rival Microsoft HoloLens Facewear will utilise a RealSense 3D camera set-up 2016-03-07 05:35 2KB www.theinquirer.net 30 Remember that Steam hack at Christmas? So does Valve Firm finally notifies affected customers 2016-03-07 05:34 3KB www.theinquirer.net

31 Channel Beat: Apple Fights FBI In Front Of Congress In other top stories from this week, CRNtv has all the headlines from Cisco's Partner Summit. Also, Optiv adds some key new executives. 2016-03-07 07:23 1KB www.crn.com 32 Symantec CEO At RSA: Emerging Technologies Demand More Holistic Security Strategy Companies have expanded beyond their four walls with technology, and the security industry needs to follow suit, Symantec CEO Michael Brown said in a Thursday keynote at RSA 2016. 2016-03-07 07:23 3KB www.crn.com 33 APAC to drive almost half of global mobile data by 2020 Region will generate 45 percent of the world's mobile data traffic, led by economies such as China, India, and Indonesia. 2016-03-07 06:21 2KB www.zdnet.com 34 Samsung launches ProXpress C30 printers for SMBs Samsung has launched the cost-effective new ProXpress C30 series of multi-function printers aimed at small- and medium-sized companies as it continues to strengthen its enterprise printing business. 2016-03-07 06:09 2KB www.zdnet.com Articles

Total 34 articles, created at 2016-03-07 12:01

1 How to justify the purchase of a data integration tool The growing importance of business intelligence and data analytics applications in driving business decision making has made data integration's vital role in the enterprise crystal clear. From gathering data, transforming it into useful information and delivering it to the business users or processes that need it, data integration routines provide the crucial link between a variety of source and target systems. As the first article in this series examined, several types of packaged software have emerged to meet the challenges of data integration. The current generation of data integration tools consists of full-fledged suites that support extract, transform and load (ETL) processes, application integration, cloud-based and real-time integration, data virtualization, data cleansing and data profiling. How can you determine if your organization should invest in a data integration tool? To help justify the purchase of data integration software, let's explore how other organizations are using these platforms to meet their needs.

2016-03-07 11:13 Athena It searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com

2 Jide delivers all-singing, all-dancing 32-bit dual booting Remix OS beta JIDE HAS released a beta of the latest version of its Android-based Remix OS , bringing new features that make it a realistic primary operating system. The new version was trailed last month and offers 32- bit support for the first time, plus the ability to dual boot to a hard drive. Previous versions were limited to 64-bit UEFI drives or memory sticks. Remix OS is currently based on Android 5.0 Lollipop, adding mouse and keyboard control and the familiar task bar and start menu for a more desktop-like experience along with the Holy Grail of multi-windows. Plans are afoot to roll out a version featuring Android 6.0 Marshmallow in the coming months. Jide co-founder David Ko explained in an interview with Tthe INQUIRER : "We've been amazed by the response, not just from the US and UK where we expected, but all over the world. "We're working with a number of partners to bring customised productivity applications to Remix OS and bring the next version of our tablet to market. " The reference design for the next tablet, shown off at CES and MWC, includes a 4K screen and USB C connection. Remix OS is available as a download and in the Kickstarter-funded Remix Mini (which is being used to write this article) and Remix Ultratablet. Users who don't have access to a private computer can run Remix OS from a memory stick which will store all their data. This allows them to treat any public computer as their own just by rebooting, a huge boon for developing markets. The new version is completely stable, but Ko said that it will stay in beta for some time. "There are so many machines to support, and so many that we want to support, that we don't want to declare the product 'finished' until we are certain that we are available to as many people as possible," he explained. Users can download Remix OS from the Jide website complete with a handy installer that doesn't even require you to partition the drive first. The full version of this interview, along with a guide to the world of Remix OS, is coming soon. µ

2016-03-07 11:13 www.theinquirer.net

3 Scientific journal cites a creator. Scientists say OMG Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives. Intelligent design is a theory that enjoys some support. Its proponents stand firm, even after some recent presidential debates have provided strong evidence that the way humans are designed may not be so intelligent after all. Many scientists, however, don't seem fond of the notion that all things were created by a magical maker in the sky. This doesn't seem like a title that would engender controversy. However, within the study is wording that some found disturbing. For example, in discussing the very clever way in which muscles work with human hand movements, the paper attributes this to "the proper design of the Creator. " This isn't isolated phraseology. Later, the paper talks about how the fine coordination of the human hand "should indicate the mystery of the Creator's invention. " One comment is headlined "A shameful act. " It reads: "Regretfully I have to withdraw my support for the journal as a reviewer. Also to bring this shameful incident to the attention of my academic colleagues and students who might consider submitting their work for publication at PLOS One. " The authors of the study were accused of "religious superstition. " Three of those authors are from Huazhong University in China and one is from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. Are they truly creationists? PLOS One didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Of the wording "the Creator," PLOS One said in the comments, "the PLOS One editors apologize that this language was not addressed internally or by the Academic Editor during the evaluation of the manuscript. " How far those beliefs might stretch into the realm of their own work is unknown. Perhaps some scientists don't even know themselves. In the end, neither side has complete answers. If they did, would life be quite so mysterious and enjoyable? 2016-03-07 11:12 Chris Matyszczyk www.cnet.com

4 Forza Motorsport 6: Apex coming to the PC as a free-to-play title Well, that's certainly unexpected. Microsoft's long- running racing franchise, Forza Motorsport , is finally making the leap to the PC with Forza Motorsport 6: Apex. The game will be available free-to-play in the Windows 10 Store as a "curated experience" aimed at players who are new to the series. Grab a bib and feast on the trailer below. Dang. I was reaching for the the keys to that McLaren P1, but my hand was blocked by the monitor. Microsoft is touting the game as a DirectX 12- and 4K-enabled title, and the trailer certainly seems to indicate the game is going to make good use of both those technologies. Apex isn't the full Forza Motorsport experience, but it will still offer 63 different cars with full cockpit and damage simulation. Players will get to race on six tracks set up in 20 different configurations. Night-time and wet-weather racing are included, too. The game's career mode is based on a 12-event tour, which is meant to bring players up to speed with each of the game's different cars. The tour is narrated by Top Gear presenters James May and Richard Hammond. Microsoft says the game relies on an objective and scoring system with "constant rewards. " Apex is a free-to-play title, which usually implies paid add-ons and extra content. The company didn't say anything about what in-game purchases will be available or at what prices, though. Forza 's trademark Drivatar AI system will be present in the new title, too. Plus, you'll get to chase The Stig. What's not to like?

2016-03-07 11:08 by Bruno techreport.com

5 DJI Phantom 4 drone uses computer vision to follow subjects DJI has released the $1399 Phantom 4 , the latest model in its Phantom line of quadcopters. With this iteration, the company has added some autonomous features that should benefit experienced operators and drone newbies alike. The biggest upgrade on this drone may be its obstacle-detection features. When a pilot is controlling the Phantom 4 manually, the drone is designed to stop short of an oncoming obstacle and hover in place. The Phantom 4 also introduces a new "ActiveTrack" mode that allows the drone to follow a subject around while keeping them in the picture. Operators need only identify a subject using DJI's iOS or Android app, and the drone does the rest. The company says ActiveTrack is made possible by a combination of "computer vision, object recognition and machine learning," but it's mum on the computing hardware that makes that mode work. The Phantom 4's operator can also send the drone on its way within a certain radius just by tapping a desired destination on the drone's video feed—a feature DJI calls "TapFly. " The Phantom 4 will then automatically create an optimal flight path and embark on its journey, flying over or under obstacles as needed. The company says this feature negates the need for operators to control altitude, speed, and direction with the drone's control sticks. As for the Phantom 4's specs, the aircraft is capable of an impressive top speed of 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour), and it can reach a claimed altitude ceiling of 3.7 miles (six kilometers). The airframe packs a 5350-mAh battery that's purportedly good for up to 28 minutes of flight time. The drone's 12MP gimbaled camera is capable of shooting 4K video at 30 frames per second, and 1080p video at up to 120 fps. Its obstacle-sensing system has a sensory range of 6.9 to 160 feet, (two to 49 meters). The Phantom 4 can perform position tracking using GPS and GLONASS. DJI is taking pre-orders for the Phantom 4 through its own storefront and Apple stores. Shipments are supposed to begin by March 15.

2016-03-07 11:08 by Morgan techreport.com

6 Deals of the week: a 34" IPS monitor for $500 and more Greetings, gerbils. You know what day it is today. After much sweat and tears, we bring you a fine selection of online deals for your perusal. Take a gander at the best deals and discounts from this week. That's all for today. If you have any good deals, let us know in the comments section below.

2016-03-07 11:08 by Bruno techreport.com

7 Tim Sweeney blasts Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform Epic Games co-founder Tim Sweeney is the latest to heap scorn on Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform. In an op-ed in the Guardian newspaper this morning, Sweeney expresses concern that the UWP and the Windows Store is a first step "towards locking down the consumer PC ecosystem and monopolising app distribution and commerce. " He also says "if Microsoft does not commit to opening PC UWP up in the manner described here, then PC UWP can, should, must and will, die as a result of industry backlash. " Sweeney points out that Microsoft has launched new Windows features exclusively under the UWP. He says most games and applications—most notably Steam—can't take advantage of those features because older software uses the Win32 API. According to Sweeney, that means those platforms could be left twisting in the wind should Microsoft decide to neglect that API in favor of UWP going forward. Microsoft has every right to have its own store, Sweeney says, but he wants to make sure Windows is a level playing field. To make that happen, he says it should be possible for users to download UWP apps from the web. He also wants any company to have the ability to operate a store for UWP apps, just as Valve operates Steam for Win32 apps today. Finally, he wants users, developers and publishers to have the ability to engage in commerce directly with each other without any Microsoft involvement. Sweeney's rather blunt indictment of the UWP comes after it has recently received truckloads of criticism due to performance problems and technical issues. UPDATE 3/4/2016 at 11:30 AM: Microsoft's Phil Spencer has taken to Twitter in an apparent response to Sweeney's criticisms: Sweeney has also responded to Spencer's Tweets with one of his own:

2016-03-07 11:08 by Morgan techreport.com

8 The Radeon Technologies Group will hold a Reddit Q&A today Got burning questions about AMD's Radeon Technologies Group? The division is holding a Reddit Q&A today from 10 AM to 5 PM US Central Time on the r/AMD subreddit. Here's the official description of the event: We'll be keeping an eye on the thread as it progresses, but big news likely can't break from this event without equally challenging reader questions. If you're a Reddit member with a desire to know more about the Radeon Technologies Group, be sure to head over and pose a few. The moderators do suggest that questions about the upcoming Zen CPUs won't be considered, however, so anybody hoping to learn about those chips will be out of luck.

2016-03-07 11:08 by Jeff techreport.com

9 Asus GeForce GTX 950-2G can run without a 6-pin power plug Nvidia's GeForce GTX 950 graphics card is already thrifty on power, but a new version of the card from Asus looks even more efficient. The company's GeForce GTX 950-2G has a near- reference spec sheet , with 768 stream processors, a 128-bit memory bus, and 2GB of RAM. The card is also clocked at 1026MHz base and 1190MHz boost speeds. Get this, though: Asus says the card has a board power of 75W and doesn't need a six-pin PCIe power connector. There's a dizzying array of GTX 950s out there, but this Asus card appears to be the first that doesn't require external power. A drop-in GTX 950 would represent a nice boost in performance for systems that can't provide external power to the graphics card. Nvidia's own GeForce GTX 750 Ti was the previous low-power champion for systems with that restriction. Perhaps we'll see similar cards from other Nvidia board partners soon.

2016-03-07 11:08 by Jeff techreport.com

2016-03-07 11:08 by Bruno techreport.com

11 Samsung begins shipping a 15TB data center SSD We often think of 1TB or 2TB SSDs as massive in PC enthusiast circles these days, but those drives pale in comparison to Samsung's latest. The company says it's now shipping the PM1633a SSD , a 15.36TB monster that talks to host systems over a 12Gbps Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interface. That eye-popping capacity comes courtesy of 32 512GB flash packages built with Samsung's 48-layer 3D V-NAND. The PM1633a is specified to deliver some impressive performance numbers to go with all that room. Samsung says the drive can hit sequential read and write speeds of up to 1200 MB/s, plus random reads of up to 200k IOPS and random writes of up to 32k IOPS. The drive's SAS controller is backed with 16GB of RAM. Befitting a business-class SSD, Samsung says the PM1633a can endure a full drive write per day over its lifetime. The company also builds in "a highly dependable metadata protection mechanism" and includes a data protection and restoration utility that apparently helps system administrators recover the drive from momentary power interruptions. Along with the 15.36TB range-topper, the PM1633a series will be available in smaller capacities from 480GB to 7.6TB later this year. Pricing for the drives wasn't announced.

2016-03-07 11:08 by Jeff techreport.com

12 Hackers have been offered a golden ticket to attack the Pentagon HACKERS, CHRISTMAS may have come early as the US Department of Defence (DoD) is actually asking you to hack the pentagon. There are no strings attached, apparently, but there might be wiretaps*, and the DoD put out the invitation over Facebook, perhaps in an attempt to make this look cosy and friendly. "Today we announced that the DoD will invite vetted hackers to hack the Pentagon in an effort to test our digital security in the first federal government bug bounty. Under the pilot programme, we will allow qualified participants to identify vulnerabilities on the department's public web pages," said secretary of defence Ash Carter. "The bug bounty is modelled after similar competitions conducted by some of the nation's biggest companies - Microsoft, Google and Facebook - to improve the security and delivery of networks, products and digital services. " We think that only a certain type of hacker will apply, and it probably will not be the kind whom the DoD really wants to gets its hands on. Those would be bad eggs, or 'actors' as we call them in these circumstances. They probably try to hack the Pentagon all the time. Applicants are going to have to register and undergo a background check, and the DoD will possibly be able to spot a fake one. The DoD hopes that a coming together of the department and the right sort of people will improve America's defences and strengthen its cyber borders. Lord knows they need it. "This project is a demonstration of my continued commitment to drive the Pentagon to identify new ways to improve the DoD's security measures as our interests in cyber space evolve," said Carter. "Bringing in the best talent, technology and processes from the private sector helps us deliver comprehensive, more secure solutions to the DoD and better protect our country. "Participants in the bug bounty will be required to register and submit to a background check prior to any involvement with the pilot programme. Once vetted, these hackers will participate in a controlled, limited duration programme that will allow them to identify vulnerabilities on a predetermined asset. "This bug bounty will not compromise any of the department's critical, mission-facing systems. Instead, it will challenge our digital security in new and innovative ways. " Comments under the Facebook post confirm that the competition is not for everyone, and a certain kind of hacker is very unlikely to take part. Carter remains positive, however. "The pilot programme will launch in April and we will provide more details on requirements for participation and other ground rules in the coming weeks, including information about possible monetary awards and other recognition," he added in a final promotional push. "I am always challenging our people to think outside the five-sided box that is the Pentagon. Inviting responsible hackers to test our digital security certainly meets that test. "I am confident that this innovative initiative will strengthen our digital defences and ultimately enhance our national security. I encourage all who meet the requirements to participate in this historic opportunity to see if you can hack the Pentagon. " µ *We're just joking, of course. To hear more about security challenges, the threats they pose and how to combat them, sign up for The INQUIRER sister site Computing's Enterprise Security and Risk Management conference , taking place on 24 November.

2016-03-07 07:55 www.theinquirer.net

13 13 World's oldest chameleon found preserved in amber The tiny skeleton of a baby chameleon, trapped in amber, has been identified as the oldest chameleon ever found. Dating back 99 million years, to the Cretaceous Period, it is older than the previous record holder by some 78 million years. This was a remarkable find in its own right. "The fossil record is sparse because the delicate skin and fragile bones of small lizards do not usually preserve, especially in the tropics, which makes the new amber fossils an incredibly rare and unique window into a critical period of diversification. " To date and study the lizards, the team used a micro-CT scanner to capture a full 3D scan of the skeletons without having to cut into the amber. They were then able to digitally reconstruct models of the skeletons and create 3D prints to learn more about the animals' physiologies. "It was mind-blowing," Stanley said. "Usually we have a foot or other small part preserved in amber, but these are whole specimens -- claws, toepads, teeth, even perfectly intact coloured scales. I was familiar with CT technology, so I realized this was an opportunity to look more closely and put the lizards into evolutionary perspective. " The gecko's remains indicated that geckos already had adhesive toepads, which suggests they had developed this trait earlier than thought. The chameleon revealed some new information too. By examining the bones in the chameleon's head, the team was able to determine that its tongue, like the tongues of modern chameleons, flicks out at high speed to capture prey. However, it had not yet developed the fused toes or body shape of modern chameleons. Moreover, its existence challenges the notion that chameleons originated in Africa, as had been thought. This gives the researchers important clues about where these reptiles fit on the tree of life, and where they can look for more. They also highlight the importance of conservation efforts. "These exquisitely preserved examples of past diversity show us why we should be protecting these areas where their modern relatives live today," Stanley said. "The tropics often act as a stable refuge where biodiversity tends to accumulate, while other places are more variable in terms of climate and species. However, the tropics are not impervious to human efforts to destroy them. "

2016-03-07 11:12 Michelle Starr www.cnet.com

14 Galaxy S7 specs, release date and price THE GALAXY S7 is finally official, alongside the Galaxy S6 Edge. While the smartphones offer incremental updates over last year's Galaxy S6, many likely will be wooed by the news that the handset's will offer IP68 protection against water and a microSD slot. We've rounded up everything about the Galaxy S7's availability below. Release date The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 went on sale just moments after their MWC unveiling, with the likes of Carphone Warehouse and O2 quick to start taking orders for the much-hyped smartphones before they start shipping on 11 March. What's more, as expected, those who pre- order the device will bag themselves a free Gear VR headset. Although Samsung has yet to confirm the release date, Carphone Warehouse is already allowing customers to register their interest in the phone. The retailer says that the handset will go up for pre-order "shortly after" its likely MWC unveiling. Price The Galaxy S7 will start at £569 SIM-free, while the Galaxy S7 Edge - which features a larger, 5.5in curved screen - will start at £639. Both devices can be pre-orders from Samsung's official website. Unsurprisingly, both phones will be available at all of the major operators too. Over on the EE website, you can grab a Galaxy S7 for £49.99 on a £44.99 per month tariff, including unlimited texts and minutes and 4GB data. This goes up to a £49.99 tariff for the Galaxy S7 Edge , but EE has plenty of other contracts on offer. O2 is offering the Galaxy S7 on pay monthly from £9.99 upfront on £54 per month contract which comes with 3GB data and a free Jabra headset worth £150. Oddly, the Galaxy S7 Edge is being offered on a cheaper £51 tariff , but we've been in touch with O2 to check this is accurate. Over on the Three website, you can grab the Galaxy S7 from £99 on a £35 contract, which comes with 1GB data each month, going up to £41 per month for the bigger-screened Galaxy S7 Edge . Vodafone, which is involved in Samsung's free Gear VR offer, is selling the Galaxy S7 from £44 per month with a £29 upfront cost and the Galaxy S7 Edge on a £50 tariff. Virgin Media has got in on the Galaxy S7 pre-ordering action, too. It's selling the handset for from £34 per month , albeit with just 250MB data, and the Galaxy S7 Edge from £38 per month. Naturally, you can pick up both the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge at Carphone Warehouse , which is offering the handsets across EE, O2, Vodafone and its own iD network and is also throwing in a free Gear VR. Specs Thanks to a host of online speculation, we knew almost all there was to know about Samsung's duo of smartphones ahead of their glitzy MWC reveal. As expected, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge both sport designs similar to that seen on their predecessors, boasting premium metal and glass construction with a slight bit of added curvature to the rear of the phone. Improving on last year's models, though, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge both come with IP68 certification, which means that can withstand being dunked into water for 30 minutes. The batteries have received big upgrades, now up to 3,000mAh on the Galaxy S7 and 3,600 on the Galaxy S7 Edge. Wireless charging support returns, though the microUSB port hasn't been upgraded to USB-C. The standard Galaxy S7 keeps the Galaxy S6 's 5.1in display size, although the Galaxy S7 Edge has, as mentioned, been upped to 5.5in, naturally retaining its distinctive tapered screen. Nonetheless, both devices share the same Super AMOLED tech and 2560x1440 QHD resolution, producing pixel densities of 576ppi on the Galaxy S7 and 534ppi on the Galaxy S7 Edge. Another shared feature is always-on functionality, allowing the devices to show basic status informations and widgets on the lock screen while keeping power consumption down to one percent per hour. Rumours that the Galaxy S7 family would include pressure-sensitive displays turned out to be mistaken, though the Galaxy S7 Edge does, at least, gain the Shortcuts feature previously exclusive to the Galaxy S6 Edge+ - this allows users to set custom app and contact shortcuts accessible via a tab on the phone's screen curve. One of the more surprising leaked details is the use of 12MP rear cameras, down from 16MP on previous models. However, pixel size has been increased, and the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge also feature improved f/1.7 sensors for better low-light performance, we're not too worried about their photography capabilities. The front camera is unchanged, sticking at 5MP. Another surprise is that the larger Galaxy S7 Edge is in fact the thinner device, measuring 151x73x7.7mm and weighing 157g while the Galaxy S7 measures 142x70x7.9mm and weighs 152g. In the UK, both devices will use Samsung's own Exynos 8890 SoC, which contains four 2.3GHz cores, four 1.6GHz cores and 4GB of RAM. In North America, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 is used instead. As for storage, only 32GB and 64GB internal drives have been confirmed, seemingly leaving the 128GB option of previous Galaxy S models out in the cold. With newfound support for up to 200GB of microSD storage, though, it 's not a total loss. On the software side, the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow will be the OS, although it will be customised with an updated version of Samsung's TouchWiz skin, which has been redesigned with softer, more rounded icons. Samsung Knox, a tool for creating encryption-secured private storage spaces for sensitive data and apps, is also pre-installed. The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge also include a Live Photos-style feature where photos are animated when viewed in the Gallery app via short video clips automatically recorded immediately before, during and after taking the shot. µ

2016-03-07 07:55 www.theinquirer.net

15 Striving for a balanced mobile world: the Connected Women of MWC Mobile is everywhere. That, of course, is not in dispute any longer – but did you know that 1.7 billion women in low- and middle-income countries still do not own a mobile phone, and that women on average are 14% less likely to own a mobile device than men? This is a big problem. It is holding back economic development and perpetuating gender inequality around the world. The GSM Association’s (GSMA) Connected Women project exists to help get mobile devices and services into the hands of women in emerging economies across the world. It has already helped 15 million women globally, but at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) it went further still , announcing a renewed commitment with a number of operators in emerging economies. Claire Sibthorpe, director of the Connected Women programme, has well over 15 years’ experience in public and international development, social policy and service delivery, with a particular focus on IT and mobile. Along the way, she has worked as a senior consultant at Atos KPMG Consulting, where she managed a programme to improve access to IT in Africa, and at the International Development Research Centre on initiatives aimed at empowering communities to apply technology to socioeconomic development. At the GSMA, she plays a leading role in addressing some of the many and variable challenges that women face when accessing mobile technology in the developing world. “Obviously, the challenges are all very context-specific, and it very much depends on the market you are in as to what social or cultural norms you have to tackle,” Sibthorpe tells Computer Weekly over coffee on the GSMA’s crowded stand. “Some of the things some of our partners are doing are, for example, recruiting more women as sales agents to make it easier for women to get access to products. They are also looking at the issue of training, particularly when you come to more advanced services, such as mobile broadband and mobile money. “Other things we are exploring are safe and secure ways for women to top up their phones. In some markets, it can be a challenge for women to go into a very male-dominated shop to top up, and when they do, if the man knows that a particular phone is owned by a women, she may receive harassing calls and texts.”

2016-03-07 07:55 Alex Scroxton www.computerweekly.com

16 Combine data mining and simulation to maximise process improvement We are living in an increasingly interconnected world – not just in the number of digital devices, but also in how actions can have dozens, if not hundreds or more consequences that cascade through a series of permutations, resulting in unforeseen consequences. But using a computer model of these can predict probable consequences. Data mining has become something of a buzzword in recent years. It is also a misnomer and the term has been increasingly misused. Alan Mason, CEO of data mining firm AJM Consulting , prefers to use the term “process diagnostics”, as he believes it is more accurate for what the technique entails. Rather than extracting data, as the term implies, data mining is the process of analysing large datasets and understanding their patterns. An understanding of past trends can allow insight when making decisions about current situations. Data mining is often applied in process industries – chemical, pharmaceutical, nuclear, etc – where a small change in the beginning of a process can, through a series of interconnected events, have major consequences that were initially unforeseen. An example application is AJM Consulting’s work with the Sellafield reprocessing and decommissioning site. AJM used process diagnostics to study the real-time data and operational history of the cooling process for the Waste Vitrification Plant, where the highly radioactive, toxic and corrosive waste is entrapped in corrosion-resistant borosilicate glass for long-term storage. Through this study, AJM identified specific events on the plant that accelerated the rate of corrosion of the cooling coils. Taking this one step further, AJM could confidently predict when each cooling coil would fail. The Waste Vitrification Plant could withstand a certain number of cooling coils failing, but to have all of them fail would be catastrophic. Thus, AJM could mitigate the risk of unacceptable cooling coil failures, as well as save money for their customer by minimising corrosive processes and avoiding plant shut-downs.

2016-03-07 07:55 Peter Ray www.computerweekly.com

17 Amazon Tap, Echo Dot Extend Alexa Virtual Assistant Product Line The Amazon Echo is a hardware-based personal assistant and speaker that has been growing in popularity. The device plays music, answers commands using the Alexa digital assistant and can even control a smart home. The Echo has proved to be so popular that some of its features are coming to new Amazon devices that the company announced on March 3. The first addition to the product line is the Echo Dot, a truncated version of the original Echo. Amazon essentially lopped off the top of the Amazon Echo and ditched the cylindrical speaker portion to deliver the Alexa personal assistance features. The e-commerce giant has also unveiled Amazon Tap, which also runs the Alexa smart assistant, but is first and foremost a speaker. Best of all, it's portable, so unlike the Echo, users won't need to keep it plugged in to listen to music tracks. So basically Amazon's designers cut the original Echo in half to create two new products. The Echo is still around for those who want the all-in-one experience, but the Dot and Tap offer different features for those who don't need everything. Read on to learn more about these latest Alexa-controlled personal entertainment and smart home devices.

2016-03-07 07:46 Don Reisinger www.eweek.com

18 Cisco CEO Robbins Talks Nutanix, InterCloud, Open Compute Project And The Biggest Partner Summit Takeaways Robbins On The Record Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins fielded questions from reporters Tuesday during the 2016 Cisco Partner Summit on the company's entrance into the hyper-converged infrastructure market, the status of its InterCloud cloud computing strategy and the biggest partner takeaways from the event. This week at the event in San Diego, the networking giant unveiled a number of new products and services , a revamp of its partner strategy and a pair of acquisitions that had channel partners buzzing. During the Q&A session, Robbins sounded off on hyper-convergence rival Nutanix, why Cisco's InterCloud strategy is still solid, Cisco's evolvement in the Open Compute Project, the channel takeaway from Partner Summit and the difference between himself and former CEO John Chambers.

2016-03-07 11:10 Mark Haranas www.crn.com

19 Exclusive: Dell Channel Chief Cheryl Cook On Doubling Enterprise Incentives, Increasing Premier Ranks And EMC Integration Cook: Dell Aggressively Pushing Channel Sales Dell Channel Chief Cheryl Cook is taking an aggressive, disruptive approach to the market with the Round Rock, Texas, company in the process of finalizing its blockbuster $59.5 billion acquisition of EMC. Cook, vice president of Global Channels and Alliances for Dell, spoke about doubling the new business incentive program for storage, networking and converged infrastructure and a new Premier Plus partner level. Dell moved 50 elite partners into the new Premier Plus level and then upped the Premier Plus ranks by 60 percent, adding 30 more partners to the top tier. Cook also spoke about a new cash-flow windfall for partners , with Dell injecting a whopping $5 billion in new financing into the channel in the past 18 months. Finally, Dell is aggressively pushing partner sales growth within the specific business units as part of a sales offensive aimed at getting partners to sell the full Dell portfolio from client devices to complex data center solutions. The conversation with CRN editors came as Dell received approval from European and U. S. regulators for its acquisition of EMC. What follows is an edited excerpt of that conversation.

2016-03-07 11:10 Matt Brown www.crn.com

20 Google's magic Internet balloons bringing Wi-Fi to India Last month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had his hopes of connecting India dashed when Free Basics, a plan offering free access to selected websites and apps, was banned by the country's regulators. Now, Google is stepping up to the plate to connect rural India. "The actual provisioning of the service is done by a local telco. So, we're talking to a number of local telcos," Anandan told the publication. "We can't do a Loon pilot without partnering with a local telco. " He described the project as "infrastructure in the sky," and added, "the government has been very supportive. " Google has been contacted for further comment. Free Basics, still available in over 30 other countries, would provide people with free access to a selected list of sites and apps, one of which was, of course, Facebook. This caused many to say that Free Basics provided companies with an unfair market advantage. It's likely that Google won't encounter the same problem, since Project Loon's Wi-Fi provides equal access to all sites on the Internet. Google has yet to announce whether or not the connection provided by the project, announced in 2013, will be free, though it has stated that the goal of the project is to deliver Internet access to every corner of the world.

2016-03-07 11:12 Daniel Van www.cnet.com

21 IBM Source: Layoffs Fewer Than Feared, Just In Excess Of 10,000 Globally A day after employees took to social media sharing firsthand stories suggesting IBM had begun a large round of job cuts, a source within the company told CRN on Thursday the layoffs will not be nearly as widespread as some feared. Big Blue is cutting a percentage of its roughly 370,000-strong workforce in the "low single digits," meaning the extent of the layoffs globally will likely be just in excess of 10,000 workers, according to a source within the company who asked not to be identified. While not directly addressing the layoffs, IBM, via email, described to CRN a dynamic in which the company was rejigging the skill sets of its employee base. [Related: IBM Has Been Going Full Steam Ahead Since PartnerWorld Conference ] "IBM is aggressively transforming its business to lead in a new era of cognitive and cloud computing. This includes remixing skills to meet client requirements," IBM said. "To this end, IBM hired more than 70,000 professionals in 2015, many in these key skills areas, and currently has more than 25,000 open positions. " Also on Thursday, Reuters reported Big Blue was planning to cash out a large portion of its holdings in Lenovo. IBM will put up for sale up to $150 million in Lenovo stock, according to the news service. Lenovo acquired IBM's x86 server business in October 2014 in a $2.1 billion deal, with $280 million going to IBM in the form of the Chinese PC-maker's stock. On Wednesday, on a Facebook page that serves as a forum for IBM workers called Watching IBM, employees reported that the ax was falling across multiple locations and divisions of the company. Stoking employee consternation was a recent change in IBM's severance policy that reduced severance payments from six months to one, according to the posts. One employee posted on the Watching IBM page: "I am a GTS Strategic Outsourcing casualty of the mass firing today. My manager told me it was big and widespread, and I'd be hearing from a lot of people that will also be notified today. " That employee was given 90 days until an official end date, and received a one-month severance package, according to the post. Such reports suggest many of the cuts might come from Big Blue's consulting and services arms -- Global Business Services and Global Technology Services.

2016-03-07 07:31 Joseph Tsidulko www.crn.com

22 RSA Panel: Apple-FBI Battle Is Bigger Than A Tug-Of-War Over Encryption As the controversy surrounding Apple and the FBI continues to heat up, a panel of tech industry leaders, privacy experts and former top government officials at the 2016 RSA Conference said the debate is about something much bigger: how government and privacy fit into the new digital age. "The issue of security and privacy is the defining issue of our age," said Art Coviello, former RSA executive chairman and now venture partner at Rally Ventures. "It's only a symptom of a larger issue. Whether we can solve it or not will determine if we are masters of the digital [era] or are its victims. " The panel, which took place Thursday night at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, included Coviello; Michael Chertoff, executive chairman and co-founder of The Chertoff Group and former Secretary of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security; Mike McConnell, senior executive adviser at Booz Allen Hamilton and former director of National Intelligence; Nuala O'Connor, president and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology; and Trevor Hughes, president and CEO of the International Association of Privacy Professionals. [Related: Apple-FBI Debate Center Stage At 2016 RSA Conference ] The debate between Apple and the FBI centers around the FBI's demands, backed by a court order, for the technology giant to open an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters involved in the San Bernardino terrorist attacks. However, Apple says it will need to create a new operating system to fulfill the court order, something it has so far refused to do. The debate has taken center stage in the nation, with a congressional hearing Tuesday as well as ongoing discussion at the RSA Conference this week. The panelists agreed that the debate represents a bigger conversation than just the tug-of-war between Apple and the FBI over encryption. Rather, they said, it is about how the government will balance security and privacy in the digital age. "It isn’t a question of one phone, it’s a question of all of our phones, all of our devices and our country," O'Connor said. "There are ramifications for the world we envision in the technology sector and the security sector. " That debate will only grow with each new emerging technology entering the market, especially with the Internet of Things, Chertoff said. Encryption technologies will be critical to protecting new connected devices, he said, and, at the same time, they will raise new questions about privacy. "Without trust, the economic opportunity of the Internet will be squandered," Chertoff said. "These are important discussions not just for people who are advocates, but everyone who worries about security. " These types of conversations have always happened when new technologies have emerged, Hughes said. What makes the digital age different, he said, is the sheer pace of change. With each new technology, the government will have to have a continuous discussion around "reframing and resetting the norms of privacy," he said.

2016-03-07 07:29 Sarah Kuranda www.crn.com

23 Sources: Cisco Said To Have Offered $4B For Nutanix Last Year, Also Tried To Acquire SimpliVity Cisco Systems says it has been a fan of Springpath, the hyper-convergence startup it's partnering with on its new HyperFlex offering, since the startup's early days in 2012. Yet during the first half of 2015, Cisco unsuccessfully tried to acquire both Nutanix and SimpliVity, the No. 1 and No. 2 startups in the hyper-convergence market, multiple sources with knowledge of the matter told CRN recently. Now, Cisco is competing with them with HyperFlex Systems, a new product line it launched this week that marries its Unified Computing System (UCS) servers with Springpath's software- defined storage technology. Cisco has invested in Springpath and also has the option of acquiring it based on revenue results, according to CRN's sources. [Related: Startup Nutanix To Cisco: Welcome To Hyper-Convergence Market, Good Luck Catching Up With Us ] The sources said Cisco mounted an especially dogged pursuit of Nutanix, which has raised more than $312 million and has a valuation north of $2 billion, making two separate bids to acquire the San Jose, Calif.-based startup. Cisco's best offer was around $4 billion, but Nutanix's asking price was between $6 billion and $7 billion, according to the sources, who didn't want to be named. After Nutanix declined the offer, Cisco cut off related talks about doing an OEM agreement with the startup, the sources said. Cisco, which formed a UCS partnership with SimpliVity in 2014, also made an acquisition offer to SimpliVity sometime around the time of the startup's $175 million Series D funding round in March 2015, sources said. It's not clear how much Cisco offered for the startup, which is based in Westborough, Mass. Spokespeople from Cisco, Nutanix and SimpliVity all declined comment. Springpath didn't respond to a request for comment. Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, in a Q&A with press Tuesday during the vendor's Partner Summit in San Diego, said Cisco "actually looked at all our options" in the hyper-convergence space before deciding to invest in Springpath. Robbins also described Springpath's technology as "next-generation thinking" and said when the vendor shared early builds of HyperFlex with a select group of partners, "the feedback I got was, 'Wow, you guys are on to something.' "

2016-03-07 11:10 Kevin McLaughlin www.crn.com

24 Apple's head software engineer refuses to 'turn back the clock' on iPhone security With every new generation of smartphone and every browser update, there's a security arms race being waged between software engineers and hackers. Cyber security experts keep improving encryption, hackers find new vulnerabilities to exploit, and so the engineers work harder in turn to keep data safe. But the head of software engineering at the world's biggest tech company is refusing to be hobbled in this "endless race" against hackers, saying that engineers shouldn't have to turn back the clock on security, no matter the stakes. But for Apple's software team, it's a simple matter of not losing ground in a critical battle. "Our team must work tirelessly to stay one step ahead of criminal attackers who seek to pry into personal information and even co-opt devices to commit broader assaults that endanger us all," Federighi wrote in his op-ed. "Sadly, these threats only grow more serious and sophisticated over time. " Just as Apple fans wouldn't want the company to take the stage to launch an iPhone with last year's specs, Federighi said Apple's security team aren't happy with old security either. "Criminals and terrorists who want to infiltrate systems and disrupt sensitive networks may start their attacks through access to just one person's smartphone," he said. But for the engineers behind it all, the personal is political. "Great software has seemingly limitless potential to solve human problems -- and it can spread around the world in the blink of an eye," Federighi said. "Malicious code moves just as quickly, and when software is created for the wrong reason, it has a huge and growing capacity to harm millions of people. "

2016-03-07 11:12 Claire Reilly www.cnet.com

25 New OS X ransomware discovered in the wild A new strain of ransomware which strikes OS X devices has been discovered by researchers. The ransomware, dubbed KeRanger, was discovered on the legitimate website of open- source BitTorrent client project Transmission, Palo Alto Networks said in a blog post on Sunday. Ransomware is a virulent type of malware which is on the rise. Often spread through phishing campaigns and malicious files, ransomware focuses on infecting compromised or vulnerable machines for the purpose of encrypting files and locking users out of their PCs and networks. As highlighted by the recent case of two German hospital networks infected with ransomware , after a system is locked this breed of malware sets up a holding page and demands a ransom to be made in the virtual currency Bitcoin. Users then often have only two options: restore their files from a previous backup or pay the fine. However, with some older versions of ransomware -- including CryptoLocker -- security experts have released free rescue kits to remove infections. OS X-based ransomware is far rarer than Windows versions. The only other known type of OS X ransomware in the wild is FileCoder , discovered in 2014. Palo Alto says: The ransomware was found within two installers of Transmission 2.90 as malicious .dmg files on the official website. The team does not know how the malicious variants wormed their way onto the website, but it may be that the open-source software was recompiled and replaced once the website was compromised by the cyberattacker. Dubbed KeRanger, the ransomware was signed with a valid Mac application development certificate, which allowed it to bypass Apple's strict Gatekeeper security controls. Once downloaded, the ransomware launches an executable file on the OS X machine and then waits for three days before connecting to the cyberattacker's command and control (C&C) server over the Tor network. The malware then begins its spread and file encryption spree, locking the system and demanding a payment of one Bitcoin (roughly $400 at the time of writing). The researchers say it is possible the ransomware is still under development. There are indicators within the source code which suggest additional features which are under development but have not been finished or implemented yet -- including efforts to create backdoor functionality and encrypt files stored within Apple's Time Machine backup service. "If these backup files are encrypted, victims would not be able to recover their damaged files using Time Machine," the team says. After the researchers notified Apple of their findings, the iPad and iPhone maker revoked the certificate which allows the malicious file to download successfully, and now users are warned if they attempt to download and open the fraudulent .dmg file. In addition, Google has updated XProtect signatures to cover the ransomware family. As of March 5, Transmission removed the malicious files from its website, and content should now be safe to view and download. If you downloaded the Transmission installer from the official open-source project's website after 11am PST, March 4 and before 7pm PST, March 5 this month, you may have been infected with KeRanger. However, is it also worthwhile performing a system check for Transmission downloads from third-party websites, too. Transmission warned its visitors that they may have been infected and should update their software. To see if you have been infected, Mac users should follow the instructions listed by Palo Alto below:

2016-03-07 08:22 Charlie Osborne www.zdnet.com

26 Dell XPS 15 Review When it comes to laptops, 15-inch notebooks are in that awkward space between super sexy 13-inch Ultrabooks and 17-inch big-screen behemoths. Dell is trying to grab the best assets from both form factors with its 2016 XPS 15, and by and large, it succeeds. Dell calls its new XPS 15 “the smallest 15-inch laptop on the planet,” but what makes it arguably sexier is that the company was able to squeeze a discrete Nvidia GPU into its 4.5-pound build. And this isn’t some bottom-of-the-barrel mobile graphics card, either. The XPS 15 comes equipped with a very capable GTX 960M, which, it turns out, makes this bad boy a competent gaming machine. At least at 1080p. It might not look like a gaming notebook, but that’s okay by us. Its aesthetics basically run along the lines of a slightly larger version of the XPS 13 Ultrabook we reviewed last year, meaning it’s elegant and made of high-quality materials—specifically, CNC-machined aluminum, which does a good job of keeping the chassis fingerprint-free. Its palm rest also uses a carbon fiber composite, which has a nice soft touch to it. Dell also knocked it out of the park with its 15.6-inch display. Our unit came with a 4K 3840x2160 resolution IGZO IPS panel, and it provides amazing color accuracy and a 170 degree viewing angle. The display also supports 350 nits of brightness, which gives it an amazing pop. Dell really knows how to make screens, that’s for sure. The bezel is also super thin, measuring roughly a fifth of an inch thick, which Dell has dubbed the “InfinityEdge.” Below the monitor is a webcam, which is placed a little awkwardly to the left. We would have preferred the webcam to be above the panel in the middle, to avoid showing off any double chins, but it’s not a huge problem (unlike our double chins). Luckily, we had no qualms with the speakers, which are loud and vibrant. We weren’t quite as enamored with the trackpad, however. While we like that it supports multi- finger gesturing, it acted kind of wonky. Sometimes when we were trying to use two fingers to scroll a page, for instance, it would misread our actions and interpret them as a pinch and zoom in. Worse, however, was when it read our right clicks as left clicks, for whatever reason. The keyboard is less offensive, but isn’t perfect either. Dell says it features a 1.3mm travel distance, but it feels a little mushy to us, especially the space bar. Thankfully, the great internal specs of our review unit do a great job making up for the system’s shortcomings. As mentioned above, our XPS 15 came equipped with a GeForce 960M, which lays claim to 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM. The laptop also features a high-end CPU in Intel’s Core i7- 6700HQ Skylake CPU clocked at 2.6GHz, and has plenty of RAM—16GB DDR4 memory clocked at 2133MHz. Storage-wise, it packed a healthy offering in Samsung’s 512GB PM951 NVMe SSD. When it came time to clean house, the Dell XPS 15 mopped the floor with our zero point, which just happens to be Dell’s Haswell XPS 13. In single-threaded tests, we saw roughly 19–40 percent gains. If that wasn’t amazing enough, in our multithreaded x264 benchmark, we saw a huge 175 percent delta. But it was in the graphics benchmarks where the XPS 15 really pushed the pedal to the metal, beating the XPS 13’s paltry integrated graphics by 407–525 percent! To be honest, the XPS 15 is more like a gaming laptop in an ultra-portable’s form factor, so it isn’t really a fair comparison. In gaming, the XPS will basically be able to max out games or run them on very high settings with smooth framerates at 1080p. Playing TF2 maxed out at 1080p, we garnered an FPS average in the 170s, and in the Unreal Engine 3 game Dirty Bomb, we got an average FPS that hovered in the 70s with everything maxed out. It did dip into the 50s every now and then, however, which is indicative of some of the limitations of the GPU. Still, in this form factor, that’s mighty impressive. At $2,230, all of this performance doesn’t come cheap, but our build is the highest-end configuration and if you want to save a few bones here and there, you can do so by picking parts more conservatively on Dell’s website. What we can say about our unit is that aside from the keyboard and trackpad, this is a fantastic notebook for both work and play. Our zero-point Ultrabook is a Dell XPS 13 with an Intel Core i5-5200U clocked at 2.2GHz with 8GB DDR3 RAM, running Windows 10 64-bit. 3DMark 11 was run in Performance mode; Tomb Raider was run using low settings.

2016-03-07 08:00 www.maximumpc.com

27 Event: Monitor Publications Limited, Career Fair Monitor Publications Limited (MPL), will hold their 3rd Career Fair on March 11 th at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) from 9am to 5pm, under the theme: “The Youthful Entrepreneur: Innovate or Die!” MPL is reaching out to all readers especially the entrepreneurs to attend the Career Fair. Don’t miss out being educated by experienced and well-known speakers, including: Ethan Musolini; a world class motivational speaker and personnel consultant, Charles Ocici; Executive Director of Enterprise Uganda, James Tumusiimwe; Group Chairman of the Fountain Group, Samuel Bakutana; Africa’s New Generation Leadership Consultant, Inspirational Speaker and Personal Development Author, Stephen Mukweli; Managing Director Post Bank, Bettina Tumuhaise; Former KFM music and Apollo Balya.

2016-03-07 07:28 PC Tech pctechmag.com

28 Reddit users voice concerns at plans for closed-source mobile apps GEEK COMPLAINING receptacle Reddit has reopened the debate on the profitability of the internet and the merits of open source as a business model. A discussion on Reddit (where else?) has pointed out that new apps being built to bring an official presence to Android and iOS are to be closed source, thus bringing out the worst in the notoriously change-resistant community. The answer was pretty clear when the question was raised in r/technology and several other threads that have since been closed. "Profit motives. They're desperate to turn Reddit into a profitable website. Profits generally require control," said one. Another agreed with more words: "I'm guessing that eventually getting rid of third-party reddit apps could allow them to effectively monetise their monopolistic application. " It's not much of a secret that, like many other internet businesses in an inflated market, Reddit has the users but struggles to find ways to fund itself. "Reddit doesn't turn a profit because they are expanding faster than profit increases," said one commenter. There are concerns that a switch to a proprietary product would alienate existing users, seen as Reddit's biggest asset, but that in a capitalist economy there is no site without funding. Reddit has spoken out in support of Apple's right not to allow the FBI access to iPhones. But then some people have offered to eat items of footwear. It's not clear at the moment whether Reddit plans to limit the use of third-party apps such as the popular BaconReader when official apps arrive. Facebook and Twitter apps have already seen a decline in numbers since their official brethren were born. Reddit has made no official response to the threads and is continuing tests of the official apps in closed beta. The company has yet to float but was recently valued at $500m. This is all very well, but with Twitter still struggling to be profitable despite its multi-billion dollar value, investors will be nervous about how to get a return when Reddit finally takes the plunge. We encourage you to read the original thread, where all contributors quoted above are named in accordance with the accreditation rules of the Reddit community. However, don't all go at once lest we see the dreaded 'hug of death' (a bit like a fail whale, but with a cosier name). Reddit introduced some ground rules for users to play more nicely last year, but you still don't want to annoy them. µ

2016-03-07 05:35 www.theinquirer.net

29 Intel is reportedly working on an AR headset to rival Microsoft HoloLens CHIPMAKER Intel is reportedly developing its own augmented reality (AR) headset, setting its sights firmly on the Microsoft HoloLens. So says the Wall Street Journal , which has heard from 'people briefed on the company's plans' that Intel's upcoming AR headset will utilise the firm's own RealSense 3D technology, an infra-red camera set- up that is able to measure depth, facial expressions and gestures. Intel's RealSense 3D cameras can be found inside the Daqri Smart Helmet that was first shown off at this year's CES. The futuristic hard hat uses the camera technology to overlay an image of wiring, schematics and any problems on a piece of machinery, for example. It's likely, although unconfirmed, that Intel's upcoming AR facewear will be capable of overlaying objects onto to the real world, but likely will be targeted at the consumer market as opposed to industrial workers. It's not yet clear if the headset will be powered by mobile or PC. Intel would not confirm the rumour, only saying Intel has a tradition of creating product prototypes. "We have to build the entire experience ourselves before we can convince the ecosystem," Achin Bhowmik, VP of Intel's perceptual computing group, told the WSJ. With most of the big names in tech, including Google, Samsung and HTC, working on virtual reality as opposed to AR, Intel's biggest competitor would be the Microsoft HoloLens, which will be made available to developers later this month . However, given the two firms' long-standing relationship, there's talk that the two companies could work together on Intel's mooted AR project. µ

2016-03-07 05:35 www.theinquirer.net

30 Remember that Steam hack at Christmas? So does Valve ON-DEMAND GAMING OUTFIT Steam has reportedly just got round to informing its customers about a breach on its systems that occurred at the end of last year. Valve, or Steam, had already gone public with a post on its website, but hadn't actually gone direct to its customers until now. The resulting message has been published on the Kotaku website. Valve, or Steam, is pitching the email as an update to existing information which, to be fair, it is. "Dear Steam user. As you may know, for a brief period on 25 December a configuration error resulted in some Steam users seeing incorrectly cached Steam Store pages generated for other Steam users. If you are not familiar with the issue, an overview of what happened is available ," the firm said as it took us back to those dark winter days. "If you accessed the Steam Store between 11:50 PST and 13:20 PST on 25 December your account could have been affected by this issue. If you did not use the Steam Store during that time, your account was not affected. " The latter people can stop reading now, but affected people do have some catching up to do. "Between the times above, a requested web page for information about your Steam account may have been incorrectly displayed to another Steam user in your local area. This page may have included your email address, country, purchase history and last four digits of your phone number if one was associated with your account," said the hot air gaming outfit. "It may have also included the last two digits of a credit card number or a PayPal email address, if previously saved for future purchases. It did not include full credit card numbers, Steam account passwords, or other information that would allow another user to complete a transaction with your billing information. " This should all be old news for the seasoned security keeper-upper, but it may be handy for people at the furthest reaches of the grapevine. We are happy to get the Valve message out there. Some of this is news, of course, because Steam has a little more to go on. The firm said in December that it was committed to some forensics work, which has now borne fruit. "We are contacting you because an IP address previously used by your account to access Steam made a web page request as described above. Because IP addresses are commonly shared for home networks, mobile devices and by internet providers, we are unable to verify that your account was actually the one that made this request," added the email. "For example one affected IP address was previously used by over 1,700 Steam accounts. Consequently we are notifying all users who have previously used this IP address. " Steam could have added a ‘finally' into that part of the statement. But, hey, maybe someone pinched it? µ The INQUIRER 's sister site Computing will be holding an Internet of Things Business Summit in London on May 12. Attendance is free to qualifying end users and places are already going fast. Visit the event page to see the agenda and to sign up. µ

2016-03-07 05:34 www.theinquirer.net

31 Channel Beat: Apple Fights FBI In Front Of Congress This week partners flocked to San Diego for the Cisco Partner Summit, where the company debuted new products and a revamped channel program. Partners called Cisco's new Nexus switches, which it released at the Summit, "incredible. " The networking giant also introduced a simplified back-end rebate program, new software roles, and a suite of digital marketing services. The showdown between Apple and the FBI headed to Capitol Hill this week, where both sides presented arguments to the House Judiciary Committee. The FBI asserts the iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters could contain important information pertaining to the terrorism case, while Apple says the order would violate the First Amendment and endanger the security of all of its mobile devices. Security firm Optiv added three new executives to its team to build out its cloud, health-care and critical infrastructure practices. Optiv, which was formed by the merger of Accuvant and FishNet last year, dove into vertical- focused practices last September when it launched a dedicated financial services practice.

2016-03-07 07:23 Meghan Ottolini www.crn.com

32 Symantec CEO At RSA: Emerging Technologies Demand More Holistic Security Strategy Companies have expanded beyond their four walls with technology, and the security industry needs to follow suit if it hopes to design a successful security operations center for the future, according to Symantec CEO Michael Brown. "The hyper-connected world changes the way we work, live and play," Brown said in his keynote address Thursday at the 2016 RSA Conference in San Francisco. "If we can create a more secure world at the same time, then that world has the potential to be truly amazing. " With the advent of cloud, the Internet of Things and a growing supply chain, Brown said, the traditional protection perimeter of the past is "melting. " With that comes a vastly expanded attack surface, he said, one that calls for a new approach to security in the future. [Related: 30 Cool New Security Products And Solutions Launched At RSA 2016 ] "I think this requires a completely new approach to security, where we will have to take a more holistic view and think about the entire ecosystem and how we do a better job at protecting that," Brown said. For the Internet of Things, holistic approach means both driving more threat intelligence information sharing and visibility into the number, purpose and type of devices on the network, an onstage panel with Brown agreed. The cloud also causes challenges to the traditional security approach, Brown said, namely in that perimeter protections no longer apply and in lost visibility. Samir Kapuria, senior vice president and general manager of Symantec's Cyber Security Services, said the cloud in particular has also changed how security is orchestrated, giving security operations professionals an edge to change functions faster than ever before. Third-party supply chain vendors have also proven a challenge to perimeter technologies, Brown said. This has already been seen in the JPMorgan Chase and Target breaches, he said, which were caused by hackers that came in through third-party vendors associated with the companies. "This vulnerability, as we need to understand our suppliers and customer networks, is with us already today, and will only get more so in the next five years," Brown said. The onstage panel agreed that analytics and risk scoring will prove key in solving the security challenges that third- party vendors pose. However, a more holistic approach to emerging technologies does not mean more security solutions are needed for each new offering, Brown said. Customers are "at their breaking points" when it comes to security complexity, spending more time trying to integrate and manage the solutions than actually securing their environments. Instead, Brown said, by using a unified security approach that incorporates threat intelligence data, security analytics and expert security services, a company can bring the advantage back to the businesses instead of the hackers. Symantec's Kapuria agreed, urging for the same unified approach. "We have an attacker ecosystem. … I think the role of the security operations center of 2020 is the intersection between the business ecosystem and the security ecosystem," Kapuria said.

2016-03-07 07:23 Sarah Kuranda www.crn.com

33 APAC to drive almost half of global mobile data by 2020 The Asia-Pacific region will drive 45 percent of the world's mobile data traffic by 2020, with economies such as China, India, and Indonesia, leading overall growth. Smart mobile devices and connections also would account for 72 percent of the region's total mobile connections, up from 35 percent in 2015, according to Cisco Systems' latest Visual Networking Index Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast. Smart devices are defined as those with advanced computing and multimedia capabilities, and support at least 3G connectivity. The report further noted that the world would be home to 5.5 billion mobile users by 2020, or 70 percent of global population, which was expected to hit 7.8 billion. The index noted that increasing adoption of mobile devices and demand for mobile content, as well as more expansive mobile coverage, would fuel Asia-Pacific's growth two-fold faster than the global population over the next five years. Smart devices would drive 98 percent of mobile traffic in the region by 2020. In addition, smartphones would contribute 81 percent of total mobile traffic, up from 76 percent in 2015. Citing figures from the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, the Cisco report noted that mobile data usage in the city-state had grown from almost 8 petabytes in 2013 to 10.9 petabytes last year. Furthermore, 98 percent of the country's mobile connections were either 3G or 4G broadband, with users spending an average two hours a day on their mobile device. Cisco's Singapore and Brunei country manager Ang Thiam Guan said: "The statistics show that mobility powered by fast and efficient connectivity is taking on a central role in the lives of consumers and businesses. As a smart nation , Singapore needs to focus on enhancing and securing its telecommunications infrastructure and mobile technologies to enable citizens to tap into the fullest benefits of mobility. " Doug Webster, Cisco's vice president of service provider marketing, concurred, noting the importance of security as more people connected to the web and mobility became the predominant medium driving digital transformation. "Future mobile innovations in cellular, such as 5G, and Wi-Fi solutions will be needed to further address new scale requirements, security concerns, and user demands," Webster said. " IoT (Internet of Things) advancements will continue to fuel tangible benefits for people, businesses, and societies. "

2016-03-07 06:21 Eileen Yu www.zdnet.com

34 Samsung launches ProXpress C30 printers for SMBs Samsung Electronics has launched its new ProXpress C30 series of printers, with its "lower operating costs and high productivity" aimed at small- and medium-sized businesses (SMB). The printers -- C3010ND, C3060ND, and C3060FR -- are aimed at SMBs such as professional services and retail that require high printing quality, high usability, and low operating costs. The C30 series' high-yield toner cartridges can handle heavy printing volumes that will have lower total cost of ownership (TCO). A technology called Instant Fusing System, which allows a shorter waiting time for prints and copies, will lower energy consumption, the company said in a statement. The printers have a resolution of 9,600 x 600 dots per inch and the company's Rendering Engine for Clean Pages (ReCP) omits unnecessary details and unclear elements on printed, copied, and scanned documents and images. Printing speed has been increased to 30 paper per minutes (ppm) from 26 ppm, a toner yield of 8K/5K, and capacity of 1,400 sheets from previous models. The printers have a 800 Megahertz dual-core CPU that is 50 percent faster. "Samsung Electronics has established itself in providing products that offer reliable performance with a low TCO for small- and medium-sized enterprises and workgroup users," said David SW Song, Samsung's senior vice president of its printing solution business. "With an array of business-efficient printing devices, Samsung will continue to develop a smart office environment that enhances document management. " Selected independent software vendor solutions such as Rindale, Scanshare, and Cirrato, as well as any Samsung eXtensible Open Architecture (XOA) embedded devices, can be embedded with the C30 series. Samsung has been upping efforts to expand in the lucrative enterprise printing market dominated by HP, Canon, and Sharp. Last month, it announced its partnership with Amazon Dash for a printer ink replenishment service. Printers out of toner will automatically order additional stock from Amazon. The company also acquired Brazilian printing firm Simpress last year, and continues to focus on other emerging markets where conventional dominant players are relatively weak and demand for cost-effective infrastructure is high. In South Korea, the tech giant last week signed a deal with Korea Post, the country's postal service, to supply its cloud printing solutions .

2016-03-07 06:09 Cho www.zdnet.com

Total 34 articles. Created at 2016-03-07 12:01