Windows 8.1 is fixing many of the problems people had with Microsoft’s newest operating system last November, but it’s also adding quite a lot of really cool features. Living proof – a local 3D printing API. So, how big is that this? In brief, it’s pretty big. At its annual BUILD developer conference, Microsoft announced that it’s building 3D printing right into Windows 8.1 through a local API. The change benefits essentially everybody keen on the 3D printing space. Here’s what Steve Clayton over on the Next At Microsoft blog needed to say about it: For app builders, it offers an application programming interface (API) for app developers to send their 3D models to, similar to apps was ready to with 2D printing for a very long time. For hardware developers, they could provide drivers which might be automatically downloaded and configured when the user plugs of their new 3D printer. Windows 8.1 provides the helpful job spooling, print queue management, and UI support that... Read More »
Security ROI: 5 Practices Analyzed
Traditionally, enterprise data security has trusted a “fortress defense” approach: keep all assets within a company castle and build towering walls to maintain out the enemy. However, with an evolving threat landscape that comes with targeted attacks, social engineering and spear phishing, the model leaves numerous vulnerable attack points. With increasing employee mobility, IT professionals are challenged to expand their security practices to “armor” employees individually as well as the fortress. Consequently, IT budgets are stretched thinner, leading to the necessity to examine the return of investment of popular security practices. Within the battle against data breaches, which practices – “fortress defense” or “armored defense” – provide the best ROI? 1. Identity and access management (IAM). The drawbridge of the fortress defense is IAM: only people with preapproval can access the company castle and management decides where they are able to go once in. IAM provides a powerful defense against data breaches, but requires a major period of time and energy to be deployed right.... Read More »
Bluelock Makes Cloud Disaster Recovery Affordable
8 Great Cloud Storage Services eMeter is a 200-employee unit of Siemens that produces software for electric, natural gas and water utility management systems. Its EnergyIP platform is intended to permit a utility to mix information from smart meters with information at the grid’s operation to higher serve customers. With portion of its development in India and part in Redwood City, Calif., eMeter turned to Bluelock cloud data centers in Indianapolis and Las Vegas to store the recovery copies of its systems. Under a Bluelock service launched in early May, virtualized copies of first-tier production systems were created and stored in a Bluelock data center, with a continuing data feed from production systems associated with the identical data center. Within the event of a disaster, the sleeping virtual machines can be woken up and information fed into them reflecting the last known point of knowledge integrity. That became necessary, recalled Pat O’Day, CTO of Bluelock, when an eMeter customer in India botched its try to... Read More »
Google Launches Website Satisfaction Surveys For Webmasters
Google announced the launch of a brand new tool for webmasters called Website Satisfaction Surveys, that are used to gather feedback from website visitors. When the webmaster pastes a snippet of code provided by Google into their HTML, the page will load a “discreet” satisfaction survey within the lower right-hand corner of the page. “Google automatically aggregates and analyzes responses, providing the knowledge back to you thru an easy online interface,” explains Google’s Marisa Currie-Rose. “Users would be asked to finish a four-question satisfaction survey,” says Currie-Rose. “Surveys will run until they’ve received 500 responses and should start again after 30 days so that you can track responses through the years. It’s currently limited to US English visitors on non-mobile devices. The default questions are free and you may customize questions for just $0.01 per response or $5.00 for 500 responses.” To get the code, register here, enter the positioning name and URL, survey timing, and survey frequency, and click on the “Activate survey” button.... Read More »
Why U.S. Must Put money into Internet-Connected Infrastructure
When you glance out the window today, the view might look in regards to the same as yesterday. But do not be deceived — our world is being transformed by a brand new, often invisible, reality. Everything from how our electrical energy is delivered, to how and where we shop and pay for goods and services, is undergoing great upheaval, transforming how we conduct our lives. Entire industries were revolutionized by the transformative forces of digitization enabled by new consumer-oriented technologies — namely, social, mobile, analytics and the cloud, or what we call “the SMAC Stack.” Consider that MasterCard now describes itself first as a technology company and second as a payments industry leader, and little wonder, considering its success facilitating mobile commerce. Much of the disruption is invisible, as data events occur without our awareness — attributable to transponders and digital tags — as we drive our cars, navigate airports, walk the aisles of a shop or go through our virtual workdays at home... Read More »