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Intel Announces New Data Center Processors
Intel's new Xeon Scalable CPU, code-named Cascade Lake, features improved artificial intelligence (AI) and memory capabilities. Cascade Lake is the first to feature support of the company's Optane DC persistent memory and instruction set, called DL Boost, to facilitate AI-based deep learning (DL) inference. They also showed off the 10nm Ice Lake architecture, which is based on a whole new microarchitecture and finally achieves 10nm fabrication. Finally, Intel announced a brand-new class of AI processor called the Nervana NNP-1, which stands for neural network processor and is being positioned as an alternative to GPU-based AI.
All the Flash-Y New Storage Technologies
Manufacturers of traditional hard drives and flash storage solutions outlined their product roadmaps at the recent CES 2019. This article looks at new hardware from SanDisk, Intel, Toshiba, and Seagate.
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Network Management Must Evolve in Order to Scale Container Deployments
Many modern applications are composed of separate micro-services that can be quickly brought together and delivered as a single experience. In a containerized environment, the network plays a crucial role in ensuring the various micro-services can connect to one another. When connectivity problems happen, data or specific services can’t be reached, which causes applications to perform poorly or be unavailable. As the use of containers continues to grow, how networks are managed needs to be modernized to ensure the initiatives organizations are looking to achieve with them are met.
Excel Ideas: An Intelligent Data Visualisation Tool
Excel offers many ways to visualise your data — charts, conditional formatting, sparklines, PivotCharts and more. However, some of these features are fairly complex to use and it can take time to find the right visualisation to show the trends, outliers and other useful information in your data. The new Ideas button in the Office 365 subscription versions of Excel will actually make the visualisations and charts for you, and show trends and outliers in your data.
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Using Facial Recognition Tech for ATM-Based Account Opening
Japan's Seven Bank is planning to add facial recognition technology to its ATMs, enabling users to open accounts through the machines. Users will be able to take a picture and scan a photo ID to open an account. Currently, new customers need to send a copy of their ID to the bank.
Cardless ATMs Expand Despite Security Risks
Cardless ATMs are on the rise, driven partially by the perception that they are safer to use than physical debit cards for withdrawing cash, according to bankrate.com. Cardless ATMs remove the risk of card skimming, the biggest type of fraud afflicting ATMs, but they are not immune to theft, according to the report. For example, fraudsters reportedly pilfered more than $106,000 through a phishing scam from Fifth Third Bank customers after it began offering cardless ATM access.
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Wi-Fi 6 with OFDMA Opens a World of New Wireless Possibilities
Wi-Fi 6 is loaded with new features, but the most important is OFDMA, which provides high throughput and a more efficient network. Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802.11ax, is the first major architectural change to the wireless LAN since its inception.
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FireEye announced a number of new defenses that are now available on FireEye Email Security – Server Edition. On-premises email enhancements include executive impersonation protection, expanded URL protection, a new machine learning engine to detect emerging threats, password-protected image analysis, and guest image customization.
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How can you improve your overall user experience through better data analytics? The author recommends these 3 things: 1. Innovate to maintain and grow relationships; 2. Learn from FinTechs; and 3. Leverage your data.
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Online Banking/E-Commerce/Website Design
Should Your Chatbot Have a Name?
The author is convinced that it’s a good UX improvement to give users the option to make a voice or chat query, but he doesn’t see the benefit of “naming” the voice response unit. He cites research that shows that a bot name, more than any other factor, causes friction.
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Organizations Want End-to-End Management of SD-WAN
SD-WAN products secure and optimize Internet connectivity, and provide centralized, programmatic management of the WAN. However, many SD-WAN management tools are somewhat lacking today. Enterprise Management Associates found that 90% of enterprises want platforms that support more comprehensive management of software-defined-WAN environments.
Intel Strikes Deal with Comcast for 10-Gigabit Cable and 1Gbps Wi-Fi
Intel will provide the technology behind a push for gigabit-speed Wi-Fi 6 and 10-gigabit symmetrical speeds across cable networks under a partnership announced with Comcast. They just demonstrated 1Gbps Wi-Fi speeds using Comcast's xFi Advanced Gateways on PCs based on 8th Gen Intel Core processors with integrated Gigabit Wi-Fi.
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Eliminate Distractions in Your Contact Center
A recent study by RescueTime discovered that 35 percent of workers check email or instant messaging at least once every 3 minutes throughout the day. In addition, 40% of employees say they never get 30 minutes of uninterrupted work time. The article suggests that you can make subtle tweaks to your layout and space to reduce noise and create spaces that reduce interruptions and help serve a wider range of social styles and team needs.
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