Practical Technology

for practical people.

April 1, 2015
by sjvn01
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Canonical to integrate Chef DevOps into Ubuntu

You may think of Ubuntu as a desktop Linux, and it is, but it’s also the most popular Linux on Amazon EC2 cloud and very popular on most other cloud platforms. So it only makes good sense that Canonical, Ubuntu’s parent company, has partnered with Chef, one of the most popular DevOps companies.

Canonical to integrate Chef DevOps into Ubuntu. More>

April 1, 2015
by sjvn01
0 comments

No April Fools: The top 10 IT fiascos of all time

When it comes to computer foul-ups, there are so, so many to choose from. Why, just in the last 12 months, we had a major internet security hole, Heartbleed, that hit pretty much every “secure” web server on the planet. That was followed by Shellshock, which had the potential to be even worse.

But, hey, did any of those almost cause World War III? Blackout the power for tens of millions? Smack the stock market around for a 22.6 percent loss? Knock out 10 percent of the internet? I think not!

No, for the real bad ones, we need to go back a few years.

No April Fools: The top 10 IT fiascos of all time. More>

April 1, 2015
by sjvn01
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How to avoid “Cargo Cult” clouds

If you think all you need to do to solve all your IT problems is to add a cloud, think again.

Cargo cults sounds like an urban legend, but they’re not. There really were South Pacific tribes that believed if they simply made fake airplanes, real airplanes would appear bearing radios, TVs, trucks and everything else they ever desired. These cargo cults flourished after World War II. After all, these people had seen thousands of Americans, with endless goods, appear out of nowhere bearing riches beyond their imagination. Then they disappeared. The people reasoned that if they made planes too and acted like Americans, the spirits would surely bless them with material goods too. They were wrong.

You may think these people were foolish. Before you cast stones you might want to look at your own IT house.

How to avoid “Cargo Cult” clouds. More>

March 30, 2015
by sjvn01
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ZDNet readers’ favorite operating systems: Windows, iOS, and Android

Windows is the favorite desktop operating system of ZDNet readers. On the mobile front, it’s followed by iOS and Android. That largely agrees with the operating system popularity numbers of the federal government’s Digital Analytics Program (DAP), but there are also some telling differences.

ZDNet readers’ favorite operating systems: Windows, iOS, and Android. More>

March 27, 2015
by sjvn01
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The most popular US end-user operating systems, according to the federal government

Surprise! The federal government’s Digital Analytics Program (DAP) has found that Windows is the most popular end-user operating system with 58.4 percent of all government web site visitors. What’s more interesting though is what versions of Windows we’re using and what’s number two and three behind Windows.

The most popular US end-user operating systems, according to the federal government. More>