Organizations that rely on compelling imagery to help clients make informed decisions face challenges presenting it appropriately across devices. To assist, Nventify launched Imagizer Cloud Engine, a new cloud-based image manipulation platform that removes the complexities of dynamically delivering best-sized images to end users. The new platform enables customers to deploy image transformation services for their products in five minutes or less. Key features of the platform include dynamically responsive image adjustment based on screen layout, automatic format selection (such as WebP) by detecting browser and device types, reduction of image storage due to transcoding of master images on the fly and client-side SDKs. Libraries for the latter include compatibility with popular languages, such as JavaScript, Java, PHP, Ruby, Python and Swift.
Server Technology says that although the engineering challenge was significant—adding per outlet power measurement into its popular High-Density Outlet Technology (HDOT) power distribution unit (PDU) family—product quality and manufacturability were not sacrificed. The new HDOT Switched POPS (Per Outlet Power Sensing) PDU, bolstered by the addition of device-level monitoring, is the new ultimate solution for density, capacity planning and remote power management for the modern data center, states Server Technology. At each outlet, the novel POPS technology provides +/–1% billable-grade accuracy for energy consumption for typical data-center equipment loads as well as current, voltage, active power, apparent power, power factor and crest factor. POPS complements the existing HDOT concept, “the smallest form factor PDU” that significantly increases real estate in the back of the rack by fitting as many as 42 C13s in a 42U-high network-managed PDU device. Finally, Alternating Phase outlets in Server Technology's PDUs distribute phases on a per receptacle basis, resulting in better load balancing and cable management.
IGEL Technology's next-generation Universal Desktop Converter 3 (UDC3) is a powerful and universally deployable managed thin-client solution, a low-cost alternative to desktop hardware solutions. UDC3 allows businesses to reduce their desktop replacement costs dramatically, eliminating the need to invest in new hardware to support their virtualized infrastructures. Converting PCs, laptops and thin clients from other manufacturers into IGEL Linux 10 OS-based thin clients also enables IT organizations to administer all of their endpoint devices from a centralized management console securely. The IGEL UDC3 can be installed as the operating system on any device having an x86-based 64-bit processor, 2GB of RAM and 2GB of storage. Using the IGEL UDC3 on these end-user computing devices converts them into an IGEL thin client running the IGEL Linux 10 OS. The updated IGEL Linux 10 OS now features support for the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) to extend the IGEL's UDC3 target platforms to the latest end-user devices including many laptop computers and desktop PCs, thin clients and compute sticks. Plus, with its enhanced 64-bit OS compatibility, the new version can address more than 4GB of RAM in next-generation devices.
The phrase “Learn to Program One Card at a Time” plays the role of subtitle and friendly invitation from Scratch Coding Cards, a colorful collection of activities that introduce children to creative coding. Developed by Natalie Rusk, research scientist in the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab, the resource consists of illustrated activity cards that provide a playful entry point into Scratch, the graphical programming language used by millions of children around the world. The cards make it easy for kids to learn how to create a variety of interactive projects, such as a racing game, an animated interactive story, a virtual pet and much more. Each card features step-by-step instructions for beginners to start coding. The front of the card shows an activity kids can do with Scratch, such as animating a character or keeping score in a game. The back shows how to snap together blocks of code to make the projects come to life. Along the way, kids learn key coding concepts, such as sequencing, conditionals and variables. Publisher No Starch Press recommends the coding activity cards for sharing among small groups in homes, schools and after-school programs.
Application performance in hybrid IT environments typically has been a function of simple infrastructure provisioning. This limited approach cannot manage complex resources in real time nor ensure optimal, dynamic application performance, asserts hybrid IT services provider Ensono. To address this complexity, the company released Ensono M.O., a hybrid IT service platform that provides a comprehensive view of clients' managed solutions on any platform, anywhere. Ensono M.O. helps manage complex client solutions regardless of data center or cloud infrastructure and location. The platform ensures exceptionally high service levels by creating scalable, robust and transparent service delivery modes directly to clients. Ensono M.O. further enhances client service and accountability by codifying IT best practices and ensuring optimal real-time integration of technology, people and processes. Additional Ensono M.O. features include an integrated toolset that provides a single, comprehensive view of the client infrastructure in real time, efficient development of best-practice IT service management process in one integrated toolset, automation of working practices to help drive significant staffing efficiencies, business-critical transaction and application infrastructure monitoring and management, high levels of automation and scalability, “best bet” triage capability and 24/7 Global Operations Centers.
The award-winning Smoothwall Express open-source firewall—designed specifically to be installed and administered by non-experts—continues its forward development march with a new 3.1 release. Smoothwall Express runs on hardware from early 32-bit Pentiums for those who need a basic firewall to recent 64-bit multi-core systems with gigabytes of RAM for those who need VPNs, HTTP/HTTPS caching and filtering, Snort intrusion detection and ClamAV protections. Addressing a number of problems and deficiencies as well as some housekeeping work, the new version 3.1 refreshed the Linux, iptables, xtables-addons, OpenSSL, Snort and Squid packages, among others.
More than 40% of software developers use the massively popular software development tool Git as their primary source control tool. Those new to the Git fold who are looking for a professional, up-to-date guide to get them rolling have a new resource in Brent Laster's new book Professional Git. Laster's Wrox-published title is more than just a development manual: it gets users into the “Git mindset”. The book offers extensive discussion of corollaries to traditional systems as well as considerations unique to Git to help one draw upon existing skills while looking out—and planning for—the differences. Connected labs and exercises are interspersed at key points to reinforce important concepts and deepen understanding, while a focus on the practical goes beyond technical tutorials to help users integrate the Git model into real-world workflows. This book instructs users how to harness the power and flexibility of Git to streamline the development cycle.
Today's IAM solutions, warns enterprise cybersecurity expert SSH Communications Security, fail to address fully the requirements of trusted access. Organizations lack an efficient way to manage and govern trusted access credentials and have no visibility into the activities that occur within the secure channels that are created for trusted access operations. Leading the charge to fix the issue once and for all, SSH Communications Security announced significant enhancements to its Universal SSH Key Manager (UKM) solution. UKM helps organizations more effectively manage SSH user key-based and encrypted access, control privileged access and enforce defined compliance policies. In addition, UKM helps customers discover, monitor, lockdown, remediate and automate the lifecycle of SSH user key-based access for interactive and machine-to-machine trusts without disrupting existing processes or the need to deploy agents. Updates include application-level policy management, status and compliance reporting and a new SSH Risk Assessment Tool.
