TechBytes Weekly

How much is enough? The four tasks for any computing device are the ability to input data, process it, output information, and store the results. As we rely more and more on our devices, storage space often becomes problematic. How much storage do you need? Western Digital, a leading storage device manufacturer, must think we need a lot. According to this Digital Trends article from Kevin Parrish, Western Digital has just introduced a new hard disk drive (HDD) capable of storing up to 12 terabytes (TB) of data. At this time, the drive is only available for enterprise data centers, but these things typically make their way to the consumer markets too. Western Digital has been able to increase the drive's storage capacity by using a special sealing technology that implements helium instead of regular air. Because helium is lighter than air, it produces less drag on the spinning disk platters. Many drives have multiple platters. By using helium, Western Digital

Don't forget your helmet! Thanks to companies like Uber and Lyft, most people are familiar with the concept of ride-sharing apps. The convenience of having a car at your disposal, without having to own one or worry about where to park it, can be enticing. But, what if you prefer to use mass transit? Do you really need a car for the relatively short distance between the train station or bus stop and your ultimate destination? As Lora Kolodny of TechCrunch explains, that's the niche that companies like LimeBike are trying to fill. There are a number of bike-sharing companies, but one of the things that makes LimeBike different is the fact that it is kiosk-free. Rather than having to pick up and drop off a bike at a designated spot, LimeBike users can simply use the company's mobile app to find the nearest available bike. The bikes are equipped with GPS and 3G connectivity, so they can be easily located. Once found, users unlock the bike using a QR code. T

This Google project has a sunny outlook. One of Google's recent projects incorporates several of their most popular tools, including Google Maps and Google Earth. Project Sunroof was launched two years ago in limited areas, but through the use of these two imaging tools and 3D modeling, the project has recently expanded to all 50 states. Matt Elliott of CNET reports on Google's Project Sunroof , a tool that provides users with an interactive map to see if solar panels are right for your home. Many people are interested in the concept of renewable resources and Project Sunroof has analyzed over 60 million buildings throughout the U.S. The results show that nearly 80 percent of these building get enough sunlight to benefit from the installation of solar panels on their roofs. There are still a number of areas that Google hasn't explored. Also, not every home is suited for solar power. There are a number of factors that help determine whether this is a via

The Father of the Internet continues to guide its development. Vinton Cerf is widely credited as one of the "fathers of the Internet" due to his collaboration with Robert Kahn and their development of TCP/IP protocols. In this article by Allie Bidwell for the National Science & Technology Medals Foundation, Dr. Cerf's role in the early days of the Internet is discussed, as well as his current efforts to establish plans for the Internet's ongoing growth. Now working with Google as their Chief Internet Evangelist, Dr. Cerf discusses the things he might have done differently back in the early days. He also talks about unanticipated problems such as how obsolete technology affects the way data is retained and digital information is preserved, concerns about the way information sharing is handled, and the speed in which misinformation and malware is spread. Supporting Web Links  Meet The Man Who Created the Internet Video: Vint Cerf: Internet Is E

Is it a hopeless cause?  Who could have ever predicted that a project that began as a government initiative would become an integral part of our everyday lives? And yet, that's exactly what the Internet has become. And because of how much we use it and the ways we use it, most of us believe we should have some right to keep our online activity private. However, in the last few weeks, a bill that was passed by the Senate and the House, and signed by President Trump, not only repealed privacy laws designed to protect our data and browsing history, it prevents the FCC from enacting any similar regulations in the future. Iman Smith of PBS NewsHour provides background information about this bill and how it may affect consumers and our interactions with our ISPs. Perhaps one of the most important items to note is that the rules the bill repeals were never actually enacted. So, essentially the bill didn't make any changes. What it did do was give the major ISPs a

Hundreds of network switches are at risk. Compromised software isn't the only thing that can put a company at risk. Cisco, a popular networking equipment manufacturer, recently announced that more than 300 models of their switches could potentially be vulnerable to hacking attempts . The information was based on documents shared by WikiLeaks that purportedly came from the CIA. Ryan Whitwam of ExtremeTech explained that individual users' devices are not at risk. The Cisco switches involved are all enterprise-level hardware, each one costing thousands of dollars. The security flaw involves the Telnet protocol used by the switches and can potentially give hackers full control of the switch and all the network traffic that goes through it. At this time, there is no procedure in place to patch the firmware vulnerability, but there are steps that a business can take to help prevent attacks. Experts are hoping that WikiLeaks will release more specific details to hel

When businesses violate their software licenses or use pirated software, it can get expensive. Part of a network administrator's job is overseeing and maintaining the various types of software used by the company. This includes ensuring that the company is in compliance with the software licensing agreements for each of the software products being used and making sure the software has been obtained legally. When companies use pirated software or violate licensing agreements, it can become an expensive problem. For example, Brian Maass of Denver's CBS4 describes the situation the city of Denver is now dealing with. Although it's not clear how the situation came about, Oracle notified the city of Denver that they were not in compliance with their licensing agreement. The city had been paying Oracle about $1 million per year to use their software and services, but a recent audit indicated the city should have been paying closer to $10 million. After negotia

Your next dinner out may be better because of big data. When most people think of big data, they probably envision big corporations using extensive collections of data to make high-level decisions. But, with the help of the online reservation company, OpenTable, restaurants are starting to use big data to improve their services to diners and help their restaurants run more efficiently. Neal Underleider of Fast Company reports on the way OpenTable is using the data provided by visitors as they are making their reservations. Some of this information is obvious - data like zip codes, number of diners, and reservation dates and times is part of the restaurant reservation process. But OpenTable's data analytics can also provide details about how far in advance people make reservations, which types of restaurants certain demographic segments prefer, and how likely diners are to leave a restaurant review after their meal. OpenTable is offering restaurants the ability

Researchers look for ways to safeguard privacy. If you've used Google Maps to get directions or looked up information about a medical condition on WebMD, there's a good likelihood that your search query is in that site's database. Now, think about all the different things you search for, whether it's via a search engine or simply on a website, and imagine how much that accumulated data might reveal about you. Researchers at MIT and Stanford University had the same thought and as a result, they created a new encryption system called Splinter to disguise your database queries and prevent them from revealing your private information. Science Daily reports that the researchers presented the new system at the USENIX Symposium on Networked Systems Design and Implementation. The system works by breaking up data queries and distributing them across multiple servers. The "splintered" queries are later recombined using a process known only to the us