10Feb 2017 by richard@baronsoftware.com

Microsoft to retire Windows Vista on April 11

Software Events
Microsoft to retire Windows Vista on April 11 I think this event is the best news for 2017 that Microsoft will finally stop supporting one of the worst operating systems called Vista.  Yes, I know there was BOB as well as Windows 8 but Vista with the various issues that it came in with as well as making new ones there is a bright future ahead. Vista was never a break-out hit for Microsoft, as were both its Windows XP predecessor and its successor, Windows 7. Even at Vista's peak nearly three years after its debut, the OS ran just 20% of all Windows PCs. From that October 2009 summit -- not coincidentally, the month of Windows 7's release -- Vista's share shrank. Within a year, it had slumped to less…
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10Feb 2017 by richard@baronsoftware.com

Visual Studio 2017 Launch Event and 20th Anniversary

Software Events, Software Releases
Visual Studio 2017 Launch Event and 20th Anniversary The announcement that Visual Studio 2017 will be released on March 7 was released on the Microsoft web site. Over the years, Visual Studio grew from an IDE to a suite of products and services, including Visual Studio Team Services, Visual Studio Code, and many others. The family of Visual Studio products extends across platforms, enabling developers to build mobile-first, cloud-first apps that span Android, iOS, Linux, MacOS, and Windows. It also offers industry-leading DevOps practices across all types of projects, as well as tight integration with the Azure cloud. On March 7, Microsoft is proud to bring you the newest release, Visual Studio 2017, with a livestreamed two-day launch event at https://launch.visualstudio.com. Brian Harry, Miguel de Icaza, and Scott Hanselman will…
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10Feb 2017 by richard@baronsoftware.com

2017 STATE OF GLOBAL TECH SALARIES

Software Events
2017 STATE OF GLOBAL TECH SALARIES For the second year in a row, Hired has tapped into its data to reveal insights into technology workers’ salaries and the hiring market more generally. Because Hired facilitates the job searching process from the initial interview request all the way to the final job offer, we have unprecedented visibility into salaries across a variety of positions and companies. Most of the tools available to companies and job seekers are flawed and inaccurate. Salary calculators don’t account for company size, years of candidate experience or location, while many job sites are based on anonymous, self-reported data which can vary widely in accuracy. Hired’s data, on the other hand, is based on actual job offers made to real people. This second edition of Global State…
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10Feb 2017 by richard@baronsoftware.com

Getting Started with WinZip 21

Computer PC Tips - bits and bytes, Software Releases
Simple tutorial on how to use WinZip 21 How to Zip Files WinZip is the perfect tool for collecting and compressing files that you want to share or archive. In addition, when sending and receiving confidential files, it makes for an easy-to-use security tool. Let’s look at two ways to zip files: one quick, one with more options. How to zip a group of files quickly This is a quick way to zip files that are stored in the same location. It takes very few steps, but still gives you access to settings for encryption and other options. Select the files that you want to add to the Zip file (they must be in the same location). Right-click one of the selected files and choose Add to Zip file... The…
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10Feb 2017 by richard@baronsoftware.com

Cybersecurity risks expected to increase in 2017

Computer PC Tips - bits and bytes, Software Events
Cybersecurity risks expected to increase in 2017 The year 2016 saw a rise in cyber-attacks, both ransomware and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) on small and large corporations globally.  Close to 50 percent of companies were subjected to some form of cyber-ransom attack in 2016.  Whether the ransom was medical records or street lamps, the threat is real.  Major DDoS attacks compromised many websites including prominent ones such as Twitter, Netflix, PayPal, and Pinterest. Yahoo was hit with the biggest data breach in history with information being stolen from 500 million user accounts. Company concerns should focus on these items Data loss. Service Outage. Damaged Reputation. Customers or partners loss. According to a recent report by Forbes on cybersecurity risks in Asia-pacific in 2017, DDoS attacks will be an increasing threat to…
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