SpaceX successfully launched its first unmanned rocket into low earth orbit, after a fiery failed launch attempt in September 2016.
Falcon 9 (SpaceX)
SpaceX launched its first rocket into low earth orbit on Saturday since one of its rockets and cargo suffered from a fiery rocket explosion on itslaunchpad in September 2016.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launch happened in two stages from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base, just before 11AM PST. The Falcon9 is carrying 10 communications satellites for the company Iridium to launch into low earth orbit.
Completing the first stage, the Falcon 9 rocket returned to a landing pad in the ocean at roughly 11:10AM PST, marking SpaceX's seventh successful launch.
"The FAA accepted the investigation report on the AMOS-6 mishap and has closed the investigation," the FAA said in a statement prior to launch. "SpaceX applied for a license to launch the Iridium NEXT satellites from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The FAA has granted a license for that purpose."
The failed rocket launch in September is being blamed on an upper liquid oxygen tank exploding during the fueling process.
Another failed SpaceX launch in 2015 cost the company a quarter-billion dollar annual loss and a 6% drop in revenue, the Wall Street Journalreported.
The launch-and-return idea is a pinnacle concept for Elon Musk's dream: a fleet of reusable, reliable rockets and spacecraft which can break not only the gravitational barrier safely, but also span the breach for commercial spaceflight. This strategy has landed Musk and Co. contracts for over 70 Falcon9 flights.
If you use Google services, and you don't want anyone raiding or wrecking your account and services--not to mention your life--Google two-step verification security is for you.
Do you really think security is too much trouble? That no one is ever going to bother with your accounts? Ask former Gizmodo employee MatHonan if he feels that way after his accounts and devices were wiped clean. That could have been you, and it could have been worse. There are several ways to try to protect your online accounts and one of the more important of these is two-factor authentication.
Two-factor authentication is ancient IT technology. If you've ever worked in a shop that required you both to show an ID card and enter a pin to go through a door, you've used it. As the name suggests it requires you to both show you know something, typically a password, and have a unique item that identifies you. On the Web, two-factor authentication typically requires you have both a password and a phone with its unique number, which can be used as the item.
Before jumping in that though here are some other basics. First, don't use passwords, use passphrases. "Always color outside the lines!" is both much easier to remember and far harder to break than say "Tr)ub4DORm1."
Second, use different passphrases for each of your accounts. These days, as in both the Honan situation and the recent Dropbox breach, a major reason things went bad was that one password was used for multiple accounts. If you use a different passphrase for each account, you limit your damage to that one service.
And, if you have trouble remembering all those passphrases--as we all do--I suggest you invest in a password management program. I use, and like, LastPass myself. I have many tech. savvy friends, however, who swear by 1Password.
Got all that? Good.
What Google two-step verification adds to your security blanket is to get access to your Google account and all its services is that to break in a cracker needs not only your password but your phone as well.
To use Google 2 step verification, you'll need your phone as well as your PC.
Here's how to set Google's two-step verification up. The first thing you'll need is a phone that will accept anonymous SMS (aka text) messages or voice calls. You're going to need that because Google uses your unique phone and its number as its second factor. Google recommends that you use a mobile phone number as opposed to a landline or Google Voice number.You can use either, but I suggest you don't use a Google Voice number since that could trap you in a situation where you couldn't easily access any of your Google services
Next, you need to sign-in to your Google account and head to the two-step verification settings page. Once there, you'll need to choose "Using 2-step verification" from the menu. From here, you'll enter the country your phone is registered I and enter your phone number. You can also choose whether to get your verification code by voice or SMS on your phone. In a matter of seconds, you'll get a call with your verification number. You then enter this code into the data entry box provided by your Web browser. Your computer will then ask you if you want it to remember the computer you're using. If you answer, "yes" that computer will be authorized for use for 30-days. Finally, you turn on 2-step verification and you're done.
Well, not really. You see, you're not really authorizing your computer,as you might think from the instructions, you're authorizing the use of a particular Web browser on that computer with 2-step verification. If, like me, you run more than one browser you'll need to go through this process with every browser. You'll also need to go through it with every computer you use. Since on an average day I use half-a-dozen different computers that adds up to a lot of time for the initial setup.
POP and IMAP email clients such as Outlook, Mail and Thunderbird Gmail and Google Calendar on smartphones ActiveSync for Windows Mobile and iPhone YouTube Mobile on Apple devices Cloud Print IM clients for Google Talk and Adium 3D Warehouse, Sketchup, and installed applications AdWords Editor Sync for Google Chrome Gmail Notifier
So, if like me, you use a smartphone and clients for email and IM, you'll also need to set up application specific passwords. This will not, can not, be the same as your master Google password.
Google, not you, generates your application specific passwords.
You'll get these application specific passwords by first giving it a name, such as e-mail, Android, and so on, and then Google will automatically generate a password for you. You then enter this new password in for the application and your application will be good to go. There are also a handful of applications, such as Google TV Gallery, that don't work with any version of 2-step verification.
From this same page you can also see all the services you've authorized to use your Google ID as your identification. So long as you're cleaning up your security act anyway, you might as well go through the list and Revoke Access to any service you're no longer using.
Let's say though that you don't have your phone, or you're somewhere without a signal when your laptop's 30-days of grace are up. No problem. Google gives you two answers.
The first is to download the Google Authenticator app for Android, Apple and Blackberry tablets and smartphones. With this you can generate a PC/browser password. You can also create a batch of ten backup codes, which you can use to authorize a computer.
HCM is related to, but not synonymous with, human resource management systems. HCM is more about professional growth of employees, not just the day-to-day kinds of HRM (human resource management) functions usually handled by HRM systems.
The Operations module in Dynamics 365 currently includes some HR functionality carried over from Microsoft's Dynamics AX ERP. But it seems Microsoft has plans to go beyond this and build HCM specific apps, based on a January 5 job posting for a software engineer from the company's career site.
The Operations module in Dynamics 365 currently includes some HR functionality carried over from Microsoft's Dynamics AX ERP. But it seems Microsoft has plans to go beyond this and build HCM specific apps, based on a January 5 job posting for a software engineer from the company's career site.
From that posting:
"Dynamics 365 is all about reinventing business processes (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reinventing-business-processes-satya-nadella). We are delivering purpose built SaaS apps to quickly disrupt and transform business applications. Our specific team charter is to create the next generation of Talent Engagement applications which help businesses to manage their most important asset - People. We are building apps to address the whole gamut of needs from hire to retire. We are looking for talented web & full stack developers to realize our vision. Our apps provide a rich experience for tightly focused scenarios across the web and mobile."
LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said at the time the acquisition was announced that expanding beyond LinkedIn's recruiting, learning, and development focus to including hiring, managing, motivating, and leading employees -- also known as human capital management -- was "a massive business opportunity and an entirely new one for Microsoft."
The spokesperson pointed me to the Dynamics 365 roadmap page, which mentions a number of HCM projects currently in development. But these projects, which include new employee and manager self-service capabilities, additional field support, and new templates for HR processes, sound to me more like extensions of the kinds of HR capabilities already in Dynamics 365 Operations rather than brand new apps.
It's not clear how many apps Microsoft is planning when its officials talk about addressing "the whole gamut of needs from hire to retire" or when these apps may debut.
"I would fully expect that Microsoft will develop next generation talent management systems that could leverage LinkedIn. It would make tremendous sense for them to do it, and do it fast," said Joshua Greenbaum, principal with Enterprise Applications Consulting.
Modern HCM-related functions like contingent labor management and procurement, success planning, and coordinated asset management don't need to be provided by LinkedIn, he noted, but could leverage LinkedIn data like network/connections.
Greenbaum said he predicts that Microsoft will keep the LinkedIn APIs (application programming interfaces) open so that other HRM vendors like SAP's SuccessFactors and Workday will continue to be able to leverage them.
"Microsoft may also develop some basic hire-to-retire functionality, particularly for SMEs (small and mid-size enterprises), that sits on top of both Office and LinkedIn," Greenbaum added. "That would make sense insofar as it would create a baseline of functionality that competitor/partners will have to surpass in order to add value above what Microsoft will offer, and it will give Microsoft a baseline of its own to ensure it's 'disrupting' HR instead of putting out me-too software."
In our omnichannel world, customers have many ways to reach out when they're not happy. The best way to ensure that unhappiness is to misrepresent, dissemble, ignore all those channels, and not deliver. And lo, we have a case study of what not to do.
CNET
Update: see the end of this article for a statement from TrackR's CEO.
Human nature is twisted. We prefer good news, but we're morbidly fascinated when things go terribly wrong. We want new companies to succeed, but stories of rip-offs and customer mistreatment fuel our righteous indignation.
This is one of those stories.
Before I dish the dirt, I'll tell you one thing: this article isn't just going to be a bitchfest. It includes important and helpful lessons for anyone starting and managing a company. So read on.
Our story begins on my couch, in early November. I was watching an episode of one of Leo Laporte's TWiT network shows. I'm a big fan of TWiT. I've even had the honor of being a guest on TWiT's Tech News Today. I was watching MacBreak Weekly, where they featured an advertiser selling a product called TrackR.
The TrackR bravo is a little tag that broadcasts a Bluetooth signal about 100 yards. It's meant for luggage tags, purses, puppies, and anything else you want to locate. If you're within that 100 yard range, you can find the tag. TrackR also uses a crowdsourced network, so if any TrackR user comes within range of your tag, you can be notified.
THE PURCHASE
A few days before I saw the advertisement, my wife picked up an old dog who had gotten lost. She brought the pooch home. We took the dog to a local clinic to see if the vet could read the identity chip that most animals these days have. The lost dog didn't have a chip. We contacted community rescue workers, who managed to reunite the little lady with her family.
But this got me worried. My puppy is chipped, but he's a bundle of pure energy. We have a fenced in yard, but right after the incident with the older dog, I was feeling a bit paranoid. What if our boy got loose? He's so tiny, even if he was within 100 yards, we might not be able to see him.
So, when I was watching Leo's broadcast, and they had an offer code for two TrackRs for the price of one, I bit. On November 3, I placed my order on the TrackR website. One TrackR would be lettered to include Pixel's name, and both of our cell phone numbers. The other was plain. The total price was $37.78.
My plan was to use one TrackR on the pup as a doggy locator, and tinker with the other one, or perhaps put that on another of Junior's harnesses as a backup. I never got the chance. It's been more than two months, and I still haven't seen my order.
Although the TrackR site indicates that engraved orders will take an extra two weeks, the lettering I was having done wasn't an engraving process. There was no indication there would be any delay. And yet, no product. They took my money, but there's some evidence that they may have never actually shipped anything.
THE RUNAROUND
I gave it until December, a whole 27 days. On December 1, I contacted the company through their support ticketing system, and asked about the whereabouts of my order. Their site allows you to look at order information, but, ironically given their name, provides no shipping tracking information.
The next day, I got a message from a guy named Oliver, who said, "It's likely that your package was lost in transit and will not be delivered as it has been weeks since we dispatched your order from our headquarters."
Oddly enough, even though I had entered my shipping information for the original order, he asked me to send it again. I did. It took three days for a reply.
On December 5, Oliver responded with "I apologize for this inconvenience and will have your order reshipped in the next business day. You will be receiving an email regarding the tracking number information of your order once it has been reshipped to you. Please allow up to 72 hours for the tracking number to go live upon receiving it."
I waited eight days, until December 13. Having not yet received the reship, I contacted TrackR and asked for a tracking number. It took another three days for a reply. I was sent a tracking number and a representative named Aaron told me it would take 48 to 72 hours for it to become live. This is odd, because eleven days earlier, Oliver had told me he was shipping a new one. So was it shipped, or wasn't it?
When I checked the tracking number provided on December 16, it was for a package sent to Washington State. I live in Florida. I once again contacted the company. It took three more days for a reply (it was now December 19). I was told, "USPS actually recycles its tracking numbers so the one you received will 'reset' once it's been scanned and picked up."
It gets better, and by that I mean worse. There is some evidence that the postal service does recycle tracking numbers, but when I checked my tracking number again on the 19th, this time there was no record of any package.
By now, one representative had told me the package was shipping. Two weeks later, another representative implied the package had yet to be picked up from their shipping location.
Still willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, I tried one more time. By now it was December 23, and Mia was replying to my requests. She seemed nice, sending me this: "We sincerely apologize for the delay. I will personally check in with the courier to identify the issue so we can get you your order at the soonest possible time."
By now it was two days before Christmas, and I tired of the game. I requested a refund. Instead, Mia offered an extended return policy and a free waterproof case if I kept my order open. I agreed, on the condition the TrackR arrived by the first week in January.
My last contact from the company was on December 26. Mia replied, "Rest assured I will do all that I can to meet that date."
That promised delivery date was last Friday. Nothing has arrived. I sent several further follow-up emails, and posted an additional trouble ticket, with no response. The company lists no phone number, and no means of contacting them other than through their website and their Twitter account. There's a support chatbot on their site, but I've never found a human at the other end of it.
Before writing this article, I reached out twice through Twitter to the company, asking for a press relations person to get back to me. I don't like to write negative commentary without first giving a company a chance to rectify the situation. There was no response via Twitter either.
So there we are. On three separate occasions, three separate reps each told me they were going to ship the product. After allowing for suitable time, I followed up. Nothing has arrived.
Tomorrow, I'll call my credit card company and ask for a refund charge-back. I hope I'll get my $37.78 back. But that's not the point. The point is, you need to ship your products.
The individual TrackR bravo tags are sold for $29.99 each. It's very unlikely the company can sustain itself on individual thirty buck purchases. It needs to get repeat orders, corporate orders, and other volume deals to make these little tags profitable.
What that means is that a customer's first order is the most critical. I made a small purchase to try TrackR out. If the first one worked, I planned to put a tag on every one of Pixel's harnesses. I also figured I'd attach tags to other things (like my keys) that I sometimes misplace. I even thought I'd give a few to my neighbors for their dogs, so we'd be able to have a better doggy tracking grid in the neighborhood.
For PayPal, the Discover deal offers the same exposure for direct checkout as its previously announced partnerships with Visa and MasterCard.
PayPal and Discover have inked a partnership making PayPal more widely available to Discover cardmembers, acquirers and merchants.
As part of the agreement, PayPal will gain access to Discover's tokenization services, which will allow PayPal customers to pay with their Discover cards to make in-store purchases at contactless-enabled merchants.
The deal also allows customers to use their Discover account via PayPal for online and in-person purchases, without customers having to link their accounts via ACH.
For PayPal, the Discover deal offers the same exposure for direct checkout as its previously announced partnerships withVisa and MasterCard. PayPal also has deals with Citi, FIS, and Facebook, among others.
"The agreement with Discover leverages each company's core assets, will add value to everyday spending, and deliver great customer experiences," said PayPal COO Bill Ready. "Discover has been a long-term strategic partner for PayPal, and we expect that collaborative relationship to continue as we work to offer our joint customers more choice and increased value online, in app and in store.
The StoreVirtual 3200 is an entry-level, hybrid cloud-based storage system.
HPE
Hewlett-Packard Enterprise is rolling out capacity updates to its StoreVirtual 3200 storage product.
First rolled out last August, the StoreVirtual 3200 is an entry-level, hybrid cloud-based storage system. According to HPE, the StoreVirtual 3200 brings SMBs a 64-bit ARM dual-controller array with a new RAID stack and advanced storage data services like snapshots, thin provisioning, and replication.
Today HPE says it's adding scale "up", scale "out" and scale "across" options to the StoreVirtual 3200.
With scale up, the system can add storage capacity by adding additional drives or enclosures to a pair of storage controllers. Scale out doubles application performance and boosts resiliency, HPE says, by grouping multiple controller pairs into a single storage cluster. The scale across option uses HPE Peer Motion software to move workloads between StoreVirtual arrays.
There's also a new StoreVirtual 3000 File Controller, which HPE says expands the capabilities of the StoreVirtual 3200 system to serve both structured and unstructured data needs from the same pool of capacity. In addition, the StoreVirtual 3200 now supports 10GBase-T interconnects, allowing SMBs to reduce networking costs 40 percent by running 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections.
Overall, the StoreVirtual system represents HPE's bet that a majority of SMBs have been priced out of modern technologies like flash and software-defined storage. The products that are available (and affordable) tend to lack key features. HPE wants to solve both of those problems in order to lock down a small business customer base that could help drive revenue in the long term.
