Archive for March 21, 2018

LinkedIn’s Top Companies of 2018 In Canada Named

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 21, 2018 by itnerd

Today, LinkedIn released the first Canadian edition of Top Companies 2018: the most sought-after companies where people want to work in Canada. TD Bank takes the title of most desirable company, and Vancouver’s tech darling, Hootsuite, slides into the top 5. Canadian companies comprise over 75 per cent of the list with 19 of the 25 companies headquartered here.

The Top Companies results are based on the actions of LinkedIn’s more than 546 million professionals (over 14 million in Canada alone) and looks at four main pillars: interest in the company, engagement with the company’s employees, job demand and employee retention.

Canada’s Top Companies realize they must find new ways to woo professionals and set an example for the way corporate Canada treats employees. Among the themes emerging are: travel opportunities, experience as a new currency and family and health-related initiatives.

Here is what the highest ranked LinkedIn Top Companies are doing to attract and keep talent:

  1. TD Bank Group: Employees feel like they have a voice thanks to a yearly feedback survey in which more than 80 per cent of employees said they felt engaged at work in 2016. One of the things employees rate the highest is flexible working hours.
  2. RBC: Employees are encouraged to live healthy lifestyles and are offered a wellness program that rewards healthy behavior with credits employees can use toward things like gym memberships, workout classes and weight-loss programs.
  3. Hootsuite: The company’s “stretch program” encourages employees to spend one day a week trying a new position.
  4. Amazon: Amazon’s inventors have won more than 2,300 patents in the past year, covering everything from Kindle cases to predictive restaurant ordering.
  5. KPMG Canada: The company’s Global Opportunities program has sent Canadian participants to work in overseas offices in the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, China and Switzerland.

The complete Canadian Top Companies list and research methodology are copied below. You can read the blog post featuring top companies across the world here and the Canada-specific list here.

Methodology:

The Top Companies list is a part of the LinkedIn List franchise, which celebrates companies and individuals making an impact in the professional world, and it spotlights the companies that attract and retain top talent globally. The list is fueled by the billions of actions of our 540M+ members to unveil where professionals really want to work and stay and looks at data including job seeker reach and interest, engagement, and retention paired with editorial lens.

 

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adidas Originals Launches New Cases For iPhone

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 21, 2018 by itnerd

adidas Orginals is proud to announce a collection of new cases for spring in summer. The new cases range from iPhone 6/6s/7/8(+) and iPhone X.

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New collections include adicolor & AOP Beach and Floral. Color updates on Metallic Clear Cases, Dual Layered

ADICOLOR – BASIC RANGE

The new adicolor cases in sunning colors are Originals classics done in flexible TPU for iPhone 7/8, + and X. The cases have two-tone looks with contrast trefoil logo front and tonal primary color for a uniform yet authentic attitude. Energized by the full spectrum, playfully iconic. The cases are available in five colors: black, blue, green, red and yellow.

 

METALLIC CLEAR RANGE

The design leaves nothing to be desired, either – that particular adidas Originals spring summer style will especially appeal to those that love that street-sportswear look. It’s made of ultra-light TPU that’s impact-resistant for optimal protection for your device. The case features an all-over trefoil print for a stylish look. The cases are available in metallic silver and are available for iPhone 7/8+ & X.

AOP FLORAL & ISLAND TIME

These seasonal adidas Originals cases helps protect your phone from impact and wear and tear. It’s made of ultra-light TPU that’s impact-resistant for optimal protection for your device. The case features Floral and Island print for a stylish look and are available for iPhone 7/8(+) & X.

DUAL LAYER PROTECTIVE RANGE

The dual-layered hard cases take protection to the next level, they combine technical sophistication with a uniform look, and feature a TPU base and embossed a didas Trefoil. A soft rubber core provides ultimate protection and grip, while the hard outside boasts a cool print from the adidas apparel line. TPU is a sturdy, non-slip rubber material that will protect your mobile device while keeping it comfortable to hold. Polycarbonate is a durable, robust material that encloses the base from the outside. The cases are available for iPhone 7/8+ & X.

XBYO RANGE

An essential re-imagined in this adidas Originals collaboration with XbyO for Zen-like simplicity. Made from expertly cut alcantara give this collection pieces that are soft to touch, feel great and offer a generous grip. Featuring a white ‘X’ on the front to put a new twist on street wear and offers detailed elegance. The cases are available for iPhone 6/6s/7/8(+) & X.

EQT RANGE

Flash back to the ’90s with this reinvented snap case inspired by the Equipment running shoe. The cradle from flexible TPU guarantees easy removal of your phone. Detailed in authentic style with a tone-on-tone card pocket on the front and a heat-transfer Equipment ADV logo for a clean look and are available for iPhone 6/6s/7/8(+) & X.

Prices:
ADICOLOR SNAPCASE: $29.95
ADICOLOR BOOKLET: $34.95
METALLIC CLEAR RANGE: $24.95
AOP FLORAL AND ISLAND TIME SNAPCASE: $29.95
AOP FLORAL AND ISLAND TIME BOOKLET: $34.95
DUAL LAYER PROTECTIVE RANGE: $29.95
XBYO RANGE: $39.95
EQT RANGE SNAPCASE: $29.95
EQR RANGE BOOKLET: $34.95

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Telegram Ordered By Russians To Hand Over Encryption Keys….Not That It Can

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 21, 2018 by itnerd

Secure messaging service Telegram has lost a bid before Russia’s Supreme Court to block security services from getting access to users’ data. Those security services, namely the FSB which is Russia’s spy agency wanted access to Telegram’s encryption keys so that they can snoop on all communications. Here’s the problem with that…. At least beyond the fact that Russia wants to spy on Telegram users…. Telegram doesn’t hold users encryption keys. Thus it’s impossible to comply with orders to hand them over. Too bad the company has 15 days to comply or bad things will happen. Though their lawyer plans to appeal. We’ll see how that plays out.

 

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AMD Comments On Chip Flaws: Nothing To See Here

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 21, 2018 by itnerd

AMD has finally commented on the security flaws in its Epyc, Ryzen, Ryzen Pro, and Ryzen Mobile chips, identified in a frankly dodgy manner by CTS Labs a week ago. In a post on the AMD website on Tuesday, Mark Papermaster, senior VP and CTO of AMD, had this to say. Oh as an aside, if the name sound familiar to frequent readers of this blog, this is why:

It’s important to note that all the issues raised in the research require administrative access to the system, a type of access that effectively grants the user unrestricted access to the system and the right to delete, create or modify any of the folders or files on the computer, as well as change any settings. Any attacker gaining unauthorized administrative access would have a wide range of attacks at their disposal well beyond the exploits identified in this research. Further, all modern operating systems and enterprise-quality hypervisors today have many effective security controls, such as Microsoft Windows Credential Guard in the Windows environment, in place to prevent unauthorized administrative access that would need to be overcome in order to affect these security issues

At least we know these flaws are real now. But in AMD’s opinion you would have to be highly skilled to exploit these flaws. In short, there’s nothing to see here. But they’re still going to fixed via firmware updates that are coming real soon now. No timeframe on those fixes just yet. But it appears to be a measured response. Far more measured than how these bugs were disclosed by CTS Labs, who wasn’t mentioned once in the post. That tells you all you need to know about what AMD thinks of CTS Labs.

 

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