On Monday, a UPS drone buzzed over fields in Lithia, Florida, to deliver a test package to a rural home. It was launched from the roof of a modified UPS truck and automatically returned to the vehicle after making its drop-off. The idea is that the driver can continue along his or her route while…
Machine learning can automate the handling of huge troves of data to help companies make and save money. However, they’re not without pitfalls, as the real estate tech company Redfin learned. As Redfin began building its own machine-learning capabilities, it ran into a problem: Employees weren’t using them. Bridget Frey, the firm’s CTO, said in…
Microsoft this month reaffirmed that it will issue two Windows 10 upgrades this year, twice the number of 2016 but still shy of the firm’s original target. In a presentation 11 days ago at a Microsoft technical conference held in Australia, Bill Karagounis, a director of program management, pointed to a follow-on upgrade that will…
Apple hasn’t updated the MacBook Air since 2015, and many Apple watchers don’t expect to see a refresh of the device. In fact, the 11-inch MacBook Air left the consumer market last October. Nevertheless, Apple still offers the 13-inch Air as the cheapest MacBook option at $999—and today at Best Buy, you can grab one for…
The Java and Python runtimes fail to properly validate FTP URLs, which can potentially allow attackers to punch holes through firewalls to access local networks. On Saturday, security researcher Alexander Klink disclosed an interesting attack where exploiting an XXE (XML External Entity) vulnerability in a Java application can be used to send emails. XXE vulnerabilities…
Cisco today announced a variety of hardware, software and services designed to increase network virtualization and bolster security for campus, branch office and cloud customers. The products, which include a Network Functions Virtualization branch office device and improved security network segmentation software, fall under Cisco’s overarching Digital Network Architecture plan. DNA offers integrated networking software—virtualization,…
Intel’s Atom was mostly known as a low-end chip for mobile devices that underperformed. That may not be the case anymore. The latest Atom C3000 chips announced on Tuesday have up to 16 cores and are more sophisticated than ever. The chips are made for storage arrays, networking equipment, and internet of things devices. The…
One of the many whiz-bang features promised in 5G is a new way of connecting millions of small, low-powered IoT devices. But there’s no need to wait: Two forms of LTE tuned for IoT have entered a market that’s already heating up with rapidly expanding specialist networks. The new standards, LTE-M and NB-IoT, were completed…
As Snapchat prepares to go public with its hotly anticipated IPO, it already has a formidable foe. Facebook has been launching digital missiles at the image messaging app for years, building a copycat feature into Instagram, stickers and effects in Messenger, and even testing a Direct Share option for photos in Facebook itself. Now Snapchat…
With every new generation of smartphone, LTE connections get faster. That’s because the devices have faster modems that can transfer data at unprecedented download speeds. The top modem providers are Intel and Qualcomm, whose cellular chips are used in the iPhone. On Tuesday they both announced modems that will push LTE connections to speeds well…