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Canonical on Tuesday unveiled Snappy Ubuntu Core, a new rendition of Ubuntu targeting the Internet of Things Snappy Ubuntu Core offers a minimal server image with the same libraries as "traditional" Ubuntu, if we can call it that, but Snappy apps and Ubuntu Core can be upgraded automatically and rolled back if necessary....

No, this is not an article about fracking -- drilling for gas and oil in shale. This is about "drilling down" into big data. We've been using the term for a long time and it provides a useful metaphor for data analysis. However, we've conditioned ourselves to think of drilling down only to a superficial degree, and that needs a rethink When data wa...

HP on Tuesday unveiled eight new business-focused mobile products: six specialized tablets, a 2-in-1 device and a tablet case. The company also announced new strategic relationships with partners and independent software vendors, and a slew of accessories "Our goal with this announcement is to showcase an ecosystem that's easy to navigate and offer...

Millions of Net surfers use obvious passwords to log on to websites, but their numbers appear to be declining SplashData on Tuesday published its annual list of the top 25 most common -- thus worst -- passwords leaked online. In the top spot was "123456," followed by "password" and "12345."

Microsoft on Wednesday announced Windows Holographic, a feature in Windows 10 that will let users create their own holograms and print them out on 3D printers Every Windows 10 device has holographic APIs enabled, Microsoft's Alex Kipman said. Windows 10 holograms are Windows Universal Apps....

Verizon last week unveiled a new connected-vehicle service at the North American International Auto Show, taking place in Detroit this coming weekend. Verizon Vehicle, which will go live this spring, will be compatible with nearly every vehicle made since 1996. It will be available directly to consumers regardless of their wireless carrier Designed...

Businesses spend an average of US$1.27 million a year chasing cyberthreats that turn out to be dead ends. That is one of the findings in a report released last week on the cost of containing malware In a typical week, an organization can receive nearly 17,000 malware alerts, although only 19 percent of them are considered reliable, according to the...

SpaceX, the space transport services company founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has raised US$1 billion in funding from Google and Fidelity Investments Together, they will together own almost 10 percent of SpaceX....

The Top 20 CRM Blogs of 2014, Part 1 The second half of the Top 20 Bloggers list is the half that holds the most surprises and fresh faces. This year, however, it also has the most variety -- from non-English speakers to blogs targeted at small businesses -- as well as plenty of marketing-oriented content. ...

Amazon Studios on Monday announced it would begin to produce and acquire original movies for release in theaters. Amazon Prime customers will be on an early distribution list, with the movies becoming available to them four to eight weeks after their theatrical debuts. The goal is to create around 12 movies a year. Amazon will focus on up-and-comi...

2K Games and Firaxis on Monday announced Sid Meier's Starships, an interstellar strategy game of exploration and conquest. It will arrive later this year for the PC, Mac and iPad. Assuming the role of a fleet commander in this space opera, players will be tasked with leading their starships across the universe to save planets from eradication, bui...

Google's recent publication of Windows' vulnerabilities -- two within a week -- predictably raised Microsoft's ire "Risk is significantly increased by publically announcing information that a cybercriminal could use to orchestrate an attack and assumes those that would take action are made aware of the issue," wrote Chris Betz, Microsoft's senior d...

Apple will introduce a stylus to accompany its expected new, larger iPad, an analyst with a good scorecard in predicting Apple products wrote in a research note on Sunday Speculation about a 12.9-inch iPad Pro to be launched this year has been grist for the rumor mill for months, but the prediction of an Apple stylus is a new development....

IBM launched its newest mainframe, the z13, last week in New York City Built for the mobile economy, the z13 can process 2.5 billion transactions daily. It enables real-time encryption on all mobile transactions at scale, and it includes embedded analytics that provide real-time transactions faster and cheaper than the competition, the company said...

Adobe last week released an Android mobile app as a companion to its Lightroom desktop application and cloud service. Lightroom is a photo processor and image organizer developed by Adobe Systems for Windows and OS X. It is not available for the Linux desktop....

The United States National Security Agency knew in advance that North Korea was about to hack into Sony's systems, according to The New York Times The NSA apparently penetrated North Korea's network through several vectors, including Chinese networks used to connect with the rest of the world and hacker connections in Malaysia. The NSA was able to ...

The North American International Auto Show, held in Detroit, last week held a preview for industry insiders and the media before opening its doors to the public on the weekend. Automakers from around the world showcased more than 500 cars, ranging from futuristic concepts to vehicles that soon will be hitting the roads The show allowed automakers t...

A fledgling website created last fall connects hackers with clients willing to pay for their services. Nearly 50 hackers have listed their services onHacker's List so far, for tasks including data recovery, penetration testing and computer forensics.

I was at IBM's z13 mainframe launch last week, and it brought back a lot of memories, because I was at IBM when the era of the mainframe collapsed. I also happened to be covering Apple when the era of the Mac collapsed, following the launch of Windows 95, and I have watched both companies recover -- largely by rediscovering what made them great in the first place. ...

Welcome to Gadget Dreams and Nightmares, the column that takes freshly announced gadgets out for a hypothetical test run, rendering judgement long before they hit the shelves In the offing this week: Samsung's latest mid-range smartphone, a gesture-based ring, shiny headphones and much more....