10 obscure technologies that could change the world

	How will the Apple Watch succeed where Android Wear has struggled? | The battle over net neutrality is just beginning
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	10 obscure technologies that could change the world Technology breakthroughs that many people don't even know exist. Read More WEBCAST: Dell Inc. Get to Modern with SQL Server 2014 With the right solutions, technology can be a major differentiator for small and midsize businesses — offering the advantages needed to compete with any size organization. Join Dell for this audio webcast and learn why these companies are increasingly turning to Microsoft SQL Server 2014 as the data platform for modern business. View now In this Issue How will the Apple Watch succeed where Android Wear has struggled? The battle over net neutrality is just beginning Newsreel reveals that even 1946 debut of ENIAC was greeted with '1984'-ish suspicion IDG Contributor Network: Test-driving a hacker-for-hire website Microsoft to release next generation of Windows Server in 2016 Would you buy a smartwatch from a watch company? Jobs's revenge: Flash piles up the zero-day exploits Apple's $710 billion market cap sets new record Researchers bypass all Windows protections on all Window versions by modifying 1 bit iOS 9 will focus more on stability and bug fixes than new features IDG Contributor Network: Major phone network exploring drone and balloon masts Microsoft will reportedly release Windows 10 RTM in June WhatsSpy Public tracks WhatsApp activity even if privacy settings are locked down Free clouds! Microsoft gives Y Combination startups $500K in Azure credits WHITE PAPER: Nasuni 5 Ways Cloud-integrated Storage Reduces Costs Many companies are considering using cloud storage to reduce costs and the IT burden of storing data in the enterprise. Learn More How will the Apple Watch succeed where Android Wear has struggled? Given how slow the rest of the smartwatch market has grown, can the Apple Watch meet its high expectations? Read More The battle over net neutrality is just beginning The FCC's decision to regulate broadband providers as common carriers is just another step on the long trek from net neutrality to net confusion. Read More Newsreel reveals that even 1946 debut of ENIAC was greeted with '1984'-ish suspicion A "today in history" post from The Poynter Institute includes an old newsreel showing that ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, was also the first to raise the specter of government prying eyes ... or a least a look over your shoulder. Read More IDG Contributor Network: Test-driving a hacker-for-hire website Are those pesky hackers always letting you down? You need a simple hack completed – like a homework grade altered, access to a few movie studio emails, or a new credit history – but just can't find the right person to get the job done properly?Well, dot-com to the rescue, because a new website promises to match hackers with employers.Hackers List is a website that promises to connect those who require professional hackers with contractors proficient in the hacking arts.Trustworthy hackers are hard to find, the site claims. This service aims to correct that problem through vetting and other customer service tools.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More WHITE PAPER: Nasuni 5 Ways Cloud-integrated Storage Reduces Costs Many companies are considering using cloud storage to reduce costs and the IT burden of storing data in the enterprise. Learn More Microsoft to release next generation of Windows Server in 2016 Microsoft has been quiet about its plans for the successor to Windows Server 2012, but at a TechDays Online event last week the company took the wraps off Windows Server 2016, otherwise known as Windows Server Next.Full video of the discussion is available online, featuring Jeffrey Snover, distinguished engineer and lead architect for Windows Server and System Center Datacenter, talking about Microsoft's plans. There's also a very good write-up in Redmond magazine, which adds some excellent context to the Server development history.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More Would you buy a smartwatch from a watch company? It's becoming the biggest question in wearable computing – will the future of smartwatches be determined by tech companies making watches or by watchmakers adding technology?Last week, Swiss watch giant Swatch revealed that it's planning to release its own smartwatch within the next few months. Known for cheap, colorful designs, Swatch is hardly a high-end luxury brand, though it owns a few of those (including Tissot, which has some smart-ish watches in its line).According to what Swatch CEO Nick Hayek said to Bloomberg, the device will communicate via NFC and won't have to be charged (most likely powered by a replaceable watch battery). It will also support mobile payments and work with Windows and Android smartphones (no word on iOS).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More Jobs's revenge: Flash piles up the zero-day exploits Steve Jobs's legendary rant against Adobe Flash turned out to be as personal as it was about technology. He published the missive in 2010, going into great detail explaining why Flash must die. One year later, when Walter Issacson published his biography on Jobs, the other shoe dropped. Jobs held a massive grudge against Adobe for abandoning Apple in the late 1990's and never forgave the firm for bailing on the Mac (page 380).Still, it's hard to disagree with his points, least of all that Flash is buggy and prone to exploits. This year, he's really being proven right. In the six weeks since 2015 began, there have been three major zero-day exploits in Flash. Tip of the hat to The Tech Report for being the first to notice this.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More Apple's $710 billion market cap sets new record At the close of trading on Tuesday, shares of Apple rested at $122.02 a share. Not only did the closing price represent an all-time stock high for the company, it also gave Apple a market cap of $710.74 billion. As a result, Apple is now the first U.S. company to close out the trading day with a market cap over $700 billion.Highlighting the financial behemoth that is Apple, here's how Apple's own market cap stacks up against some other notable tech heavyweights: Amazon has a market cap of $172 billion, Google has a market cap of $358 billion, while Microsoft has a market cap of $346 billion.In a broad sense, Tim Cook clearly knows what he's doing. Taking a closer look at Apple's stock price, however, one can't help but mention Apple's capital return program. When Apple began issuing dividends and engaging in stock buybacks, the company's share price saw an immediate boost. For starters, Apple as a dividend stock instantly became more appealing to large funds. More specifically, a number of large mutual funds are governed by rules which only allow them to invest in dividend paying stocks. Second, Apple's stock buyback program helps boost its EPS quarter after quarter.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More WHITE PAPER: Nasuni Shadow IT in the Enterprise This report reveals insights from more than 1,000 corporate IT users about their usage of Dropbox and personal mobile devices for work. Read this paper to gain an understanding for where consumer solutions are being used and if IT policies are effective in addressing the challenges associated with Shadow IT. Learn More. Researchers bypass all Windows protections on all Window versions by modifying 1 bit In all, Microsoft Security Response Center said it released nine security bulletins, three rated Critical and six rated Important, to address a total of 56 CVEs in Windows, Office, IE and Microsoft Server software.Another Patch Tuesday, another botched patchSome Sans Internet Storm Center forum users reported that a Microsoft patch for KB 3001652 was causing machines to hang, to freeze and never finish installing. The weird part is that KB 3001652 was an update for Visual Studio 2010 Tools that Microsoft rolled out in October 2014.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More iOS 9 will focus more on stability and bug fixes than new features Over the past few months, there has been an endless debate surrounding a perceived decline in Apple's software quality. As it pertains to iOS, a commonly levied argument is that Apple is currently too focused on adding new features, all at the expense of performance and system stability.As a result, a growing contingent of Apple enthusiasts have been pining for a Snow Leopard for iOS. If you recall, when Apple released Snow Leopard for OS X, it famously touted that it housed "no new features." Of course, the update had many new features, but these were primarily under the hood and mostly centered on fixing bugs and improving overall performance.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More IDG Contributor Network: Major phone network exploring drone and balloon masts UK mobile network operator (MNO) EE said this week that it is exploring the use of small aerial cells positioned in the sky over hard-to-reach, patchy signal areas.It calls the technology "air masts," and says the system uses either "tethered balloons or unmanned craft." Unmanned craft are more commonly called drones.Air mastsThe phone company reckons it's going to be able to implement the masts in the sky in part because it's been banking on what it calls a "unique" micro-network technology. The base stations that it has been using consist of smaller elements than are commonly utilized in an MNO installation.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More Microsoft will reportedly release Windows 10 RTM in June Since Microsoft canceled free access to ANS, and it still irks me that Microsoft is more concerned with making money than the big security picture for all, including those of you who needed ANS to plan patching policies, I’ve rounded up a few Microsoft news items instead of waiting around for the security updates on this Patch Tuesday.Windows 10 free upgrade policyAfter Microsoft announced that a “free upgrade for Windows 10 will be made available to customers running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 who upgrade in the first year after launch,” and “once a Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, we will continue to keep it current via Windows Update for the supported lifetime,” there has been some confusion as to whether or not the free upgrade will also apply to Enterprise versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More WhatsSpy Public tracks WhatsApp activity even if privacy settings are locked down WhatsSpy Public is a proof-of-concept web-based tool that allows an attacker to track every move of any WhatsApp user, even if the user has locked down their WhatsApp privacy settings.WhatsSpy Public, created by Maikel Zweerink, could allow an attacker to access a WhatsApp user’s profile picture, privacy settings, status messages and online or offline status…even if the user has set the WhatsApp privacy options to “nobody,” which in theory is supposed to mean “your last seen, profile photo and/or status will not be available to anyone.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More Free clouds! Microsoft gives Y Combination startups $500K in Azure credits Microsoft is just giving away its cloud at this point.The company announced a partnership with startup incubator Y Combinator to provide a half-million to startups being bred at the Silicon Valley startup hub. In addition to the $500,000 in Azure credits, companies will have access to three years of Microsoft Office tools and “direct access to Microsoft’s engineering teams,” whatever that means.+ MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: Gartner: 6 Reasons private clouds fail +“This is a big deal for many startups—it’s common for hosting to be the second largest expense after salaries,” Y Combinator president Sam Altman wrote in a blog post announcing the deal.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More
	SLIDESHOWS 25 Valentine's Day gifts for geek gals (and guys) Geeks at heart, these 25 Valentine's Day gifts are for you and yours. JOIN THE NETWORK WORLD COMMUNITIES As network pros you understand that the value of connections increase as the number of connections increase, the so called network effect, and no where is this more evident than in professional relationships. Join Network World's LinkedIn and Facebook communities to share ideas, post questions, see what your peers are working on and scout out job applicants (or maybe find your next opportunity). Network World on Facebook Network World on LinkedIn Join the IDG Contributor Network The IDG Contributor Network is a collection of blogs written by leading IT practitioners about the technology, business opportunities and challenges you face everyday. We invite you to participate by applying to be a contributor today. MOST-READ STORIES 1. Researchers bypass protections on all Window versions by modifying 1 bit 2. Tim Cook explains what he really thinks of Android 3. Developer of Snow Day Calculator weathers the storm ... again ... and again ... and again 4. CuBox-i4Pro: A whole lotta Linux or Android for not a whole lotta cash 5. Geeky ways to celebrate Friday the 13th 6. In case you die off before Facebook does 7. Cisco's Nexus 9000, ACI customers grow 8. Rethinking CRM at Trek Bicycle 9. 8 free Wi-Fi stumbling and surveying tools 10. Facebook super-sizes its open networking switch
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