Intel unveils DC P4500 and P4600 3D NAND PCIe NVMe data center SSDs with up to 4TB capacity
Solid state drives are changing data centers for the better. These drives are not only faster, but more energy efficient too. While not necessarily more cost effective for businesses, prices are slowly on the decline. It is only a matter of time before mechanical hard drives are dead entirely. The death of HDD may not be in the immediate future, but make no mistake, it is coming.
Intel has been an SSD leader for a while, and the company has two new drives that are designed for data centers. Both the DC P4500 and P4600 feature 3D NAND, and can be had with two connection types -- a PCIe NVMe add-in card or 2.5-inch U.2. Both series of solid state drives offer capacities up to 4TB. Read speeds are up to 3270 MB/s, with write reaching 2100 MB/s -- depending on model and capacity, of course.
What's next for the IBM mainframe?
The IBM mainframe has been a stalwart platform for enterprise computing for the last 50 years. There are not many technologies you can point to that have survived that long and remain a key component of many companies’ IT infrastructure. Its survival should be lauded, but the question remains: "Is it the only game in town for enterprise computing?"
That answer is a resounding "No." The mainframe is a combination of hardware and software that is arguably unique to all other computing offerings available in the marketplace today. That doesn’t make it a bad platform, but it does limit its opportunities for growth. It is a proprietary platform, only available from a single vendor -- IBM.
Galileo atomic clocks failed: What can we learn from it?
Galileo has been making headlines once again, and this time not for the right reasons. It was reported on January 18, 2017 that several of the atomic clocks responsible for the satellites’ ability to calculate precise time have failed.
Timing is everything in GNSS -- very precise time is required to calculate an accurate value of the delay in receiving signals that have been transmitted from a given satellite. This allows users to determine their position on Earth accurately. Also, many applications today take advantage of the very precise timing that GNSS can provide via the atomic clocks in use on the satellites.
Microsoft's all-new Surface Arc Mouse looks pretty darn good
Historically, I haven't been a huge fan of Microsoft's "Arc" mice. With that said, I have still used them often. Why? They are insanely compact, making them easy to throw into a bag when on the go. The coolest aspect is that bending it into position turns it on, and folding it flat turns it off -- there is no power button needed. While not the best pointing experience, the pros have largely outweighed the cons. My biggest complaint has been the deficient touch scrolling strip -- it is not accurate and can sometimes be maddening to use.
Luckily, it seems Microsoft has finally addressed the scrolling complaints with an all-new product -- the Surface Arc Mouse. You see, the entire clickable part of the mouse is essentially a trackpad that lets the user scroll both vertically and horizontally. Gone is the thin vertical-only strip found on the predecessor -- thank goodness. Quite frankly, it is very attractive too -- it looks pretty darn good.
Verizon sells 29 data centers to Equinix for $3.6bn
Global data center company Equinix has bought 29 data centers, along with their operations, from Verizon Communications. Approximately 250 Verizon employees will also become Equinix employees in the process.
The deal, worth $3.6 billion, will be completed in all cash. It includes more than 1,000 customers, 600 of which are net new. Verizon will now, consequently, become a substantially larger customer. It also includes roughly a million square meters of data center space.
cdrtfe is an open-source CD, DVD and BD burner
Veteran Windows disc burner cdrtfe has been updated to version 1.5.7. This is a maintenance release, though with some worthwhile tweaks, including smarter verification for ISO burning operations and a RAW writing mode for CUE files.
If you’ve not come across cdrtfe before, it’s is simple application for burning data discs, audio CDs, XCDs and (S)VCDs, as well as creating ISO images from discs or burning ISOs to disc.
Big data will be a $76bn market by 2020
Big Data is now a $57 billion market, according to a new report from SNS Research. Entitled The Big Data Market: 2017 - 2030 -- Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts, it says that vendors will be earning from hardware, software, and professional services revenue.
What’s more, the report says the investments are expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly 10 percent over the next four years, reaching $76 billion by the end of 2020.
Microsoft considered Surface Laptop with two USB Type-C ports
The Surface Laptop sounds like a confusing proposition. It runs Windows 10 S, which is a lesser version of Windows 10 that competes with Chrome OS, yet it kicks off at $999, which is way above what you'd expect to pay for a Chromebook. It has premium aspirations, featuring an attractive build and high-end hardware, yet it does not come with a single USB Type-C port, like other devices in this segment do.
That last part has some people scratching their heads, because Microsoft has managed to fit a full-sized USB port in that slim profile. USB Type-C would have made more sense, but it chose not to include a single port. However, the software giant has, at least, considered that option at some point in the development process.
Cyber squatters target UK bank domains
Part of the art of making a phishing attack successful is having a domain name that looks sufficiently similar to a legitimate one not to arouse suspicion in the target.
Research by threat intelligence specialist DomainTools has uncovered over 300 registered domains using the names of five of the UK's top high street banks.
Healthcare breaches down following 2016 peak
Healthcare data breaches hit an all-time high in 2016 resulting in the records of almost 16.6 million Americans being exposed as a result of hacks, lost or stolen devices, and unauthorized disclosure.
But the latest Healthcare Breach Report from data protection company Bitglass shows a sharp decline in breaches over the first quarter of 2017.
Windows 10 S is not for you, that's why you hate it
Many people don't seem to understand who Windows 10 S is for. That's why you'll read many comments and stories, including here at BetaNews, saying that Microsoft has introduced a crippled version of Windows 10 that will not appeal to anyone or that the operating system is only here to get people to pay an upgrade fee to the "proper" Windows 10. They're missing the point... by a mile.
If you look at the context in which Microsoft unveiled Windows 10 S, which is its #MicrosoftEDU event, you'll understand that this operating system has a specific scope. It's here so that educators and students who have complained of the complexity of using Windows and migrated to Chromebooks can fall in love with Windows again. That's it. There is no conspiracy, and there's nothing more to it.
Assembly line robots vulnerable to hacking
Industrial robots make many of the things that we use in our everyday lives, from cars to domestic appliances.
If the world isn't to descend into chaos therefore, it's imperative that robots follow their programming. But a new report from the TrendLabs research arm of cyber security company Trend Micro reveals just how easily industrial robots can be hacked.
Chrome extension Who Targets Me? reveals how Facebook is used for election propaganda
Social media is powerful, so it's really little wonder that the likes of Facebook are used for propaganda. We already know that advertising can be very carefully targeted for maximum impact, and this can prove important when it comes to getting across a political message.
With the UK on the verge of an early general election -- one that will be fought with Brexit and Scottish Independence looming large -- political campaigns are getting underway, including on Facebook. To help educate voters about how they are being besieged by political parties, a free Chrome extension called Who Targets Me? has been launched. It reveals just how personal information made available on the social network is used.
The Banana Phone is a phone with very limited appeal
The Banana Phone is a device that was clearly conceived during an evening in which far too many alcoholic beverages were consumed.
It is, essentially, a phone shaped like a banana. So you can call friends and family members on what appears to be a piece of yellow fruit. It’s an amusing idea made real. But it’s also a device with a big problem.
Is Windows 10 S Microsoft's ticket to unashamedly squeeze more money out of users?
Yesterday, to a somewhat unexpectant world, Microsoft unleashed a new operating system: Windows 10 S. The company would of course prefer that you didn’t think of this as it having a second stab at Windows RT, but it's hard to ignore the fact that that's basically what's happening.
This is, after all, a copy of Windows that is only capable of running apps downloaded from the Windows Store. Microsoft is placing a good deal of emphasis on the performance and security the operating system offers, but with the option of unlocking Windows 10 Pro (for a fee, of course), is this just a sneaky way for Microsoft to take advantage of unsuspecting laptop-buyers on a budget?
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