The Land of the Partially Connected
Greetings from Ottertail County Last week my family visited some relatives in Minnesota. Fergus Falls and Clitherall to be exact. Both are situated in Ottertail County – about half way up the state toward the Fargo, North Dakota side. While Fergus has a population of around 13,000, Clitherall claims 112 people and much of the area is farms, lakes, woods, nature and many of the locals are hunters, ice-fishers, farmers and people who love the great outdoors...even during the long, demanding winters. In the summer it is a quaint little resort town. There is a dirt road to get to my wife’s dad’s house and we even saw a couple eagles engaged in a talon lock while we were there. We always enjoy our stays. A decade ago, cell phone coverage was spotty but it has gotten better, albeit 2/3G in some areas, and most have access to the internet either by cable or satellite. But the internet, for some folks, is not as important or critical like it is for many of us ‘connected’ beings. Poppa Maggie’s house on Mallard Bay can get internet access but he doesn't want it. I’m sure many of you have experienced remote areas of the country where the grid is available but people choose not participate or simply use their mobile device for the few things that they need. At one of the family gatherings - on a farm in a log cabin - our cousins were wide-eyed about all the ‘technology’ stuff we knew. While I asked about the family history and why they originally settled in that location, soon the discussion turned to wearables, data breaches, encryption and even the Fed’s iPhone situation. I remember Cousin Patty saying, ‘I’m just a simple farm girl and really don’t know anything about the internet or technology.’ I was a little jealous. Granted, many of the large farms in America do use technology to track the herd, measure moisture/water schedules, check soil conditions, maneuver tractors, check grain silos and so forth. But these were small family farmers and didn’t have large contracts with nationwide distributors. Often, their crop is to simply feed the family and stock for the year and/or sell at local markets. I told Patty that I was a bit envious of her situation and knowing all the ins and outs of technology can sometimes be stressful, anxiety filled and a burden. Always worried about being a target; insight on how cyber-crime works; knowing that nothing is totally secure until you unplug or disconnect it. I felt safer surrounded by trees, lakes, deer, bear, geese, and ducks…and with no computer connection. Add to that, they got me beat hands down for survival skills. They are craftsman, artists, cooks, hunters, builders, agriculturalists, environmentalists, conservationists and hard working, good people. BREAKING NEWS: It was tranquil and relaxing. Like many of you, technology is part of my life, how I make a living and I’m not looking to hang up my RJ-45s any time soon. I have a great interest in how it is shaping our society and love exploring and explaining how a lot of it works. However, it is also important, to unplug every once in a while and experience some technology-free time. It clears the mind, slows you down and you might get to see the flirtatious free fall (or epic battle) of a truly majestic creature. psThe Top 10, Top 10 Predictions for 2016
The time of year when crystal balls get a viewing and many pundits put out their annual predictions for the coming year. Rather than thinking up my own, I figured I’d regurgitate what many others are expecting to happen. 7 Future Predictions for the Internet of Things – IoT is one of the hottest terms and trends. From connected cars, homes, businesses and more, connected devices are becoming more prevalent in our lives. Stable Kernel looks at the future economic growth, development of smart cities, wearables, privacy challenges and how voice commands will become the norm. Top 10 Humanoid Robots Designed To Match Human Capabilities And Emotions – While once a dream of The Jetsons, companion robots in the home will become as common as pets, even if the pet is a robot. WT VOX explores whether robots could fully replace humans by 2045 as some predict and takes a look at the top 10 that are starting to match human capability. The top security threats of 2016 – ZDNet digs into McAfee's 2016 cybersecurity threat report covering areas like hardware, ransomware, cloud services, connected cars and the warehouses of stolen data. From the Ashley Madison hack, to Jeeps taken off-road and the TalkTalk breach, digital infiltration is now a daily occurrence and no one is immune. Forrester’s top 10 predictions for business in 2016 — and what they mean for tech – Computerworld summarizes Forrester’s top 10 predictions and how 2016 will be the year that the companies that thrive will be those advancing down the customer obsession path. They look at critical business issues like loyalty, analytics, personalization and how privacy will become a value to which customers will respond. You need to live a customer-obsessed operating model to survive. IBM predicts tech world of 2016 – At number 5, IBM has published its 6th annual Five in Five - where it predicts five innovations that will change all of our lives in the next five years, with mind-reading machines apparently set to be interpreting our thoughts by 2016. From generating our own energy to no more passwords to almost everyone having some sort of mobile technology, IBM Labs is exploring these emerging technologies. DDoS Predictions for 2016, IBM Insights – Also from Big Blue, they are sharing insight into new types of DDoS attacks that are to be expected during the coming year. DDoS is no longer a nagging problem but a bona fide technique to disable a company’s resources. BitTorrent, malicious JavaScript and Temporal Lensing DDoS (pdf) attacks are all explained. As I’ve mentioned before, there have always been protesters and activists - some write letters, some picket on the sidewalk, some throw rocks and with the advent of the internet, now you can protest (and more) by creating digital havoc. 5 IT industry predictions for 2016 from Forrester and IDC – CIO.com hits on the 2016 predictions of IDC and Forrester, two of the largest analyst firms. In their distillation, there could be a bleak future for legacy vendors since according to IDC, ‘by 2020, more than 30 percent of the IT vendors will not exist as we know them today.’ There will also be some cloud consolidation, big data gets even bigger and traditional enterprises will turn into software companies. Software developers will become a scarce commodity. IDC Software Licensing and Pricing Predictions 2016: Top 10 Predictions – And speaking of software, Amy Konary of IDC writes about focus areas like the growth of subscription and outcomes-based pricing, the real cost of licensing complexity, usage models in IoT, the business model impacts of the convergence of cloud, mobile, social, and big data technologies. 10+1 Commandments For Companies Developing Wearable Health Trackers – Many of us will be getting a wearable or two this holiday season so ScienceRoll rolled up it’s 10+1 commandments every company developing wearable health trackers should follow. Practical value, online communities, long live batteries and gamification are what user’s desire. We know you want to make money but focus on helping people live a healthier life. In-depth: Top 10 Internet of Things companies to watch – We started with IoT and figured I’d caboose this with another. RCRWireless digs in to the top players in both Industrial IoT and Consumer IoT. Many of the names are familiar: Cisco, IBM, ATT, Google, GE, Samsung and a few others are already hedging their future on all these connected nouns. See what these organizations are doing both internally and externally to embrace IoT and take advantage of this proposed multi-trillion dollar market opportunity. And if you want to see if any of the previous year’s predictions came true, here ya go: The Top 10, Top 10 Predictions for 2015 The Top 10, Top 10 Predictions for 2014 The Top 10, Top 10 2013 Predictions The Top 10, Top Predictions for 2012 ps Technorati Tags: 2016,predictions,future,technology,security,cloud,iot,silva,wearables,f5,top10 Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:The Wave of Change at Tech Events
I attend a lot of technology trade shows throughout the year and still remember going to my first technology event for F5 back in 2004. Small, almost high school science fair type booths handing out glossy flyers of the latest product along with our famous squeeze balls. And for the years that followed, the events, booths, sessions and presentations got bigger and better...but the expo vendors were still almost exclusive to technology providers. The attendees came from different industries and walks of life but they were there to learn about the latest tech solutions offered by these semi-tented companies. Until now. Recently, at events like MWC, RSA, VMworld and AWS re:Invent, I've started noticing a number of traditionally non-technology specific vendors exhibiting and positioning within technology events. Granted, over the years there have been a smattering of one-offs at events and of course there is CES but these days, there seems to be more historically non-tech companies appearing and exhibiting at tech events. But it makes total sense. I really took notice during Mobile World Congress earlier this year where a number of auto manufactures had huge displays showing their software-driven connected cars and how mobile technologies are enabling these internet connected devices. Most auto manufacturers are already partnering with multiple service providers and technology companies to bring mobility, connectivity and interaction to the car. And then just recently at AWS re:Invent, amongst all the technology companies, there was an apparel, shoe and fitness manufacturer highlighting the technology within their wearables. Along with clothing, these companies are becoming software and data warehouses connecting them directly to the consumer. It is not just about the cool laces anymore, it's about measuring the impact of your foot to the ground and automatically adjusting the cushion. It's about getting instant feedback about your golf swing from the shirt you are wearing. It's about measuring your vitals to ensure your activity is healthy and productive. And that is all about the embedded technology. As more home appliances, wearables, automobiles, cameras, fitness trackers, and any other of these sensors and actuators powering the Internet of Things gets connected and generates data, I suspect we'll be seeing more ovens, autos, shoes and other stuff appearing at these industry events. I think it's an interesting trend to observe. ps Related: The Digital Dress Code What are These "Things? The IoT Ready Platform IoT Ready Infrastructure IoT Influence on Society IoT Effect on Applications Technorati Tags: iot,things,events,trade shows,technology,wearables,silva Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:The Top 10, Top 10 Predictions for 2015
The time of year that crystal balls get a viewing and many pundits put out their annual predictions for the coming year. Rather than thinking up my own, I figured I’d regurgitate what many others are expecting to happen. IDC Reveals Worldwide Internet of Things Predictions for 2015 - So 2014, according to last year's proclamations, was the break out year for the Internet of Things (Iot) and it didn't disappoint. IoT is everywhere and IDC offers their take for 2015. Cloud, security & network capacity all come into play when wearables, embedded systems and smart cities overrun our society. Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2015 - Gartner announced their technology trends that will be strategic for most organizations in October with IoT, Everywhere Computing and 3D Printing topping the list. They also include the rise of Smart Machines, Software defined systems and the recognition that it is not possible to provide a 100 percent secured environment. Once organizations acknowledge that, they can begin to apply more-sophisticated risk assessment and mitigation tools. Seven Cloud Security Predictions for 2015 - OK, not 10 but 7 interesting cloud security predictions from Perspecsys. With more breaches and surveillance it is important to secure sensitive data while maintaining application functionality. True that. They talk about how Private Clouds will continue growth, the rise of Intellectual data in the cloud, mobile-first development, breach insurance and how the cloud is redrawing the IT security line. More Cloud Data Breaches ‘Inevitable’ in 2015, Forrester Says - Robert Graham reviews Forrester's Predictions 2015: The Days of Fighting the Cloud are Over which talks about how cloud breaches are inevitable but it will probably happen through some typical business process or lack of training rather than a direct cloud hit. Forrester also says that Docker containers will become a slam dunk, that there will be a surge in industry-specific, software-as-a-service product (IoT?) and Software-as-a-service vendors will creep toward hybrid rollouts. Top 10 Tech Predictions for 2015 - Over on LinkedIn Dr. Hossein Eslambolchi, Chairman and CEO at CyberFlow Analytic, offers his 2015 take. He notes that that Applications must be the center (of the universe), that Data Intensive Applications Will Rule Wireless IP and that Cloud Computing Will Plateau among his futures. Security Predictions for 2015 and Beyond - Trend Micro has their annual report out called The Invisible Become Visible on how more cybercriminals with use darknets to share attack tools, stage attacks and sell the ill-gotten gains.We'll be sharing more data, our passwords will still be a target and an exploit kit specifically targeting Android will appear. Top cybersecurity predictions of 2015 - ZDNet offers a slideshow (with text) with their perception. While our healthcare info is always at risk, there will be new players and vulnerabilities geared toward stealing that plus a whole lotta other stuff since Information is a digital goldmine. Also, as more IoT devices connect, there will be attacks targeting your thermostat, car or coffee machine. I called it over a year ago but there you have it. IDC: Top 10 Technology Predictions For 2015 - Yea, I had IDC at the top for IoT but this is their overall report. Forbes goes over this report where new technologies (cloud, mobile, big data, and the Internet of Things — and an exploding number of solutions built on them) will see 100% growth. Worldwide IT and telecommunications spending will grow 3.8% in 2015 to more than $3.8 trillion. Wireless data will grow, innovative partnerships will form, cloud is the new data center and China will have huge influence. Interesting read here. 2015 Timeline - FutureTimeLine.net has an interesting list of upcoming 2015 events. While technology driven, many look at achievements and plans rather than wishes and guesses. For instance, in 2015 The first solar aircraft to circumnavigate the globe will make an attempt, there will be The first self-regulating artificial heart, that Electric car ownership reaches 1 million worldwide and The New Horizons probe arrives at Pluto. It just woke up from the 9 year trip yesterday! 26 Hilariously Inaccurate Predictions About the Future - And for some fun, nostalgia and history here are some predictions that just never came true. From personal helicopters to rocket belts to homes made of steel, many come with the original story. ps Related The Top 10, Top 10 Predictions for 2014 The Top 10, Top 10 2013 Predictions The Top 10, Top Predictions for 2012 Technorati Tags: 2014,2015,predictions,future,technology,security,cloud,iot,silva,f5 Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:Are You Ready For Some...Technology!!
Every year around this time football fans are drafting their fantasy leagues, wearing their favorite team's jerseys, stocking tailgate items and experiencing the new technologies that have become part of the game. From Second Screen apps to Catapult, technology is not only changing the game but also how fans experience the contest. As more fans engage with mobile devices, the TV broadcast is being regulated as the Second Screen. Usually the mobile device is used to access information that compliments the program but with NFL fans, particularly those who play fantasy leagues, it is the reverse. They are locked in to their mobile app, following multiple games, tracking stats, clicking on-demand videos and even watching teams not associated with their local market. The NFL sees a huge opportunity to reach and engage fans even more. Australia-based Catapult is being used by many NFL teams to track athlete performance among other metrics. A 3.5-ounce monitor situated between the player's shoulder blades monitors player movements within 15 centimeters and gives coaches acceleration, distance covered, speed, explosion times, exertion, hitting force and every other imaginable piece of data on a player's specific movements. It is changing the manner in which teams practice, recover from injuries and even plan for games. The San Francisco 49ers’ new Levi’s Stadium is touted as the most technologically advanced stadium in the league. With their stadium app, fans can check bathroom, food and beer lines along with streaming replays (with your choice of camera angle) and streaming NFL Redzone. There is plenty of WiFi capacity, which is actually uncommon at NFL stadiums. There is only a handful of teams with WiFi service in their football stadiums but Roger Goodell (NFL commissioner) wants to make wireless internet a standard in NFL stadiums in the coming years. There are many other advances like safer helmets with a chip that monitors the force of a hit, 2100-inch HDTVs, retractable grass and sustainable stadiums all making an impact. The best place to watch football is in the comfort of your own living room and teams are looking at ways of creating a living room atmosphere for 80,000 fans. And as you're waiting for tonight's kickoff, check out what this dad did for his kids. ps Related: NFL Tries to Capitalize on Rabid Fans Who See TV as the 'Second Screen' To the NFL, second-screen content isn't a team sport Second-screen audiences continue to grow Sports And Technology: How Catapult is revolutionizing the NFL The NFL's Technology Cornucopia The 49ers’ New Levi’s Stadium Is Going To Be The Most Technologically Advanced Building In Sports 5 Coolest New Technologies About to Tackle the NFL Top 5 Technologies in NFL Stadiums NFL lagging on stadium Wi-Fi Florida fan impressively turns his backyard into a football field CloudFucius Is: Ready for Some Football Technorati Tags: nfl,technology,sports,football,mobile,apps,stadiums,silva,catapult,f5,infrastructure,application delivery Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:
CloudNOW Aims to Amplify the Contribution of Women to Cloud Computing
That’s Cloud “Network of Women” and it’s a new opportunity to collaborate on cloud and emerging technologies Many, many years Fritz Nelson (then Vice President, Group Publisher for the Network Computing Enterprise Architecture) answered a question during an interview on the intersection of women and technology – particularly the lack of the former in the latter – essentially saying it was incumbent upon those women who were active and had a voice to use it in ways that encouraged other women to join, participate, and take up the reins of leadership when possible within the world of technology. The way I see it today, it’s not that women are necessarily reluctant to be in IT – we are out there – it’s that our voice is often lost among the much larger chorus of deep tones in the technology orchestra today. If men are the brass section, women are the oboe – easily drowned out by the “big” sound of a much larger group. And that shouldn’t be read as a condemnation of IT or as anything wrong with technology or with men; it’s a mathematical equation that says if the percentage of women in technology is small, the percentage of those women who are leaders in technology will be even smaller. And when you start parsing up technology into specific concerns, like cloud computing , those numbers and thus percentages decrease even more, to the point of women being, well, an oboe amidst a much larger chorus of trumpets, cornets, and tubas. Women are capable of contributing a great deal to the modern technologies industry and today's organizations' managements are well aware of that fact. After all, this is something that a number of notable female computer pioneers such as Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper, and Anita Borg have proven more than once through the ages since the creation of the first mechanical computing machine by Charles Babbage in 1821. -- Issue in Focus - Why Are There So Few Women in Computer Science? So when an opportunity comes along that can amplify that oboe’s sound so that it can be heard as well as the brass section, I fall back on Fritz’s advice: join, participate and encourage other women to be more vocal by adding their voice as well. With that in mind, I’m quite pleased to help spread the word about a new, women-oriented “network” focusing on Cloud computing, Cloud Network of Women (CloudNOW). Founded recently by Jocelyn DeGance Graham, CloudNOW is a “non-profit consortium of the leading women in cloud computing, focused on using technology for the overall professional development of women from around the world by providing a forum for networking, knowledge sharing, mentoring, and economic growth.” With membership coming from EMC, HP, Intel, IBM, Salesforce, successful startups, the tech media, and noted analysts, CloudNOW “offers members opportunities to creatively approach the technological challenges of cloud today, working in partnership with the tech industry, cloud visionaries, and global media. Forming a collective, together we are the voice of authority for women in cloud and emerging technologies.” It’s a platform of opportunity to connect with women and bring their insights and solutions regarding cloud computing and emerging technologies to the fore. Through publishing papers, speaking opportunities and research, Jocelyn hopes to build a robust community of women experts and leaders who can actively contribute to and lead conversations around these emerging technologies. CloudNOW is currently building out its advisory board, and has already recruited some of the most respected names in cloud computing (both men and women) as well as the leadership team and special interest group liaisons to assist in covering topics such as security and convergence as well as offering deep technical forums for digging into the highly complex (and sometimes confusing) world of cloud computing. If you’re interested in helping out in any way – including support, sponsorship, or underwriting – feel free to get in touch with Jocelyn (@JocelynDG ) and let her know. Men are welcome, too, despite the focus on women – the effort hopes to be a collaborative one with a focus on women’s ideas and solutions, not their gender and thus collaboration with all folk interested in technology is imperative for vetting and solidifying solutions. And be sure to visit CloudNOW and register to explore the opportunities and join the conversation. The Cloud Configuration Management Conundrum Mission Impossible: Stateful Cloud Failover Cloud Computing Goes Back to College Beware the Cloud ProgrammerBooth Babes Don’t Wear Glasses
Gidget or gadgets, that’s not really what the debate is all about anyway An axiomatic truth of technology today is that women in technology are, few and far between. The recent debate over booth babes slides naturally into the question “how can we encourage young women to enter science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields”? After all, the argument goes, what young woman would willingly enter a field where she’ll be assumed to be ignorant unless she proves otherwise? Where she’ll be admired not for her Masters degree but for her mastery of makeup? STEM, and technology in particular, has an unclear career path that tends to put off young women and, unsurprisingly, young men, too. Young women, according to research, aren’t thinking about the difficulties that exist being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field – and they do exist, there’s no denying that. They’re thinking “what the heck would I do with a degree in [insert STEM field here]?” [Scientific American, “U.S. Students say “yah for science””] Young women aren’t avoiding STEM because technology vendors at technology shows are hiring “booth babes.” In fact looking closer at the debate that’s risen regarding booth babes it really has nothing to do with them and everything to do with men and attitudes. It isn’t the existence of booth babes that causes the treatment cited by Denise Dubie in a recent post on this very debate over the practice, that is the result of a field that’s (1) still young compared to other STEM fields, (2) dominated by men, and (3) the fact that women in general haven’t been out en force for all that long. It’s been less than 100 years since the right of women to vote was recognized, and less than 40 since we’ve really been accepted into the work force. Most of us are first and maybe second generation “working women”, professional women. We’re still paving the path for our daughters and their daughters. It’s no surprise that men in general, then, haven’t had a whole lot of time yet to adjust. A recent post by Network World blogger Michael Morris caused a bit of discussion on that site as well as chatter across social media network Twitter. He held a contest immediately following Cisco Live to identify the hottest booth babe at the show. […] The one thing I do note at these shows, being in a position required to approach and speak to attendees and being female, is that I am in the definitely in the minority there. And often when I approach male attendees, they seem a bit shocked that I am talking technology with them. And when sitting in on sessions and looking around the room, I am always elated to find another female in attendance. But I have found that some of those women work for the vendor doing the presentation and aren’t IT professionals attending the show. Still I have to admit in the 10+ years of going to shows, the number of women in attendance has increased, based on my informal opinion. [emphasis added] The ‘booth babe’ debate Denise Dubie, NetworkWorld It would likely be difficult to find a woman in technology that hasn’t had this same experience. The shock, the surprise, the change in tone and demeanor that comes from male counterparts upon realizing that the woman they’re talking to knows what she’s talking about. In some cases, she knows a heck of a lot more than they do. But that “shock and awe” isn’t restricted to trade shows, and it’s really got nothing to do with booth babes. It’s the preconceived notions many men carry along with them to trade shows. Notice that these opinions didn’t originate at a trade show replete with lusty booth babes, they were carried along. That shock and awe isn’t peculiar to trade show environments, it is everywhere. On the phone, on a webinar, in a lab. In environments where there are no booth babes. Hence, they are not really part of the “problem” at all.Google Gmail: The Lawn Darts of the Internet
This blog on the inadvertent sharing of Google docs led to an intense micro-conversation in the comments regarding the inadvertent sharing of e-mail. sensitive financial data, and a wealth of other private data that remained, well, not so private through that [cue scary music] deadly combination that makes security folks race for their torches and pitchforks: Google Apps and Gmail. [pause for laughter on my part. I can't say that without a straight face] Here's part of the "issue" "discovered" by the author: Closer examination of the spreadsheets, along with some online digging, indicated that a CNHI employee had most likely intended to share the reports and spreadsheets with an employee named Deirdre Gallagher. Instead, he or she typed in my Gmail address and handed me the keys to a chunk of CNHI’s Web kingdom, including the detailed financial terms for scores of Web advertising deals. [emphasis added] Many comments indicated deep displeasure with Google's e-mail functionality in terms of how it handles e-mail addresses. Other comments just seemed to gripe about Google Apps and its integration in general. "Dan" brought sanity to a conversation comprised primarily of technology finger-pointing, much of which blamed Google for people fat-fingering e-mail addresses, when he said: "The misuse of the technology can hardly be the fault of the providers." Thank you Dan, whoever you are. How insightful. How true. And how sad that most people won't - and don't - see it that way. Remember lawn darts? I do. If you're young enough you might not, because the company that manufactured and sold them stopped doing so in 1988 after they were sued when a child was tragically killed playing with them. But the truth is that a child was throwing the darts over the roof of a house at his playmate. He was misusing the lawn darts. The product was subsequently banned from sale in the US and Canada due to safety concerns. Because they were used in a way they were not intended to be used. After all, consider the millions of other children (myself included) who managed to play the game properly without ever earning so much as a scratch. The mosquito bites were more dangerous than the lawn darts when used correctly and with the proper amount of attention paid to what we were doing. This is not unlike the inadvertent sharing of Google docs. If I mistype an e-mail address, it's not the fault of my e-mail client when confidential launch plans find their way into an unintended recipients' inbox. That's my fault for not being more careful and paying attention to detail. In the aforementioned Google doc sharing escapade, Google's software did exactly what it was supposed to do: it e-mailed a copy of a Google doc to the e-mail address specified by the sender. Google has no way of knowing you meant to type "a" when you typed "o"; that's the responsibility of the individual and it's ridiculous to hold Google and its developers responsible for the intentional or unintentional mistakes of its users. Look, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned about storing sensitive corporate data on a remote server and/or in the cloud, Google or others. There are a lot of reasons to be concerned about privacy and information leaks in SaaS (Software as a Service) and Web 2.0 applications. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. Those same documents could easily have been e-mailed to the wrong person, accidentally or purposefully, from someone's desktop. Mistyping e-mail addresses is not peculiar to GMail, or Hotmail, or Yahoo mail, or any other cloudware e-mail service. It's peculiar to people. Remember them? The ultimate security risk? Rather than claim this is some huge security hole (it is not) or point the finger of blame at Google for sending that e-mail, remember what your mother said about pointing... When you point one finger at Google for sending that e-mail, three fingers are pointing back at you.
