Archive for January, 2019

US Justice Department Drops The Hammer On Huawei

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 28, 2019 by itnerd

From the “this escalated quickly” file, comes the announcement that The United States Department of Justice has announced it plans to seek extradition of arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou who is out on bail in Vancouver.

A 13-count indictment filed in New York City against Huawei, two of its affiliated firms, and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, accuses Huawei and an affiliate of bank fraud and wire fraud. The company is also charged with violating U.S. sanctions on Iran and conspiring to obstruct justice related to the investigation.

Canadian officials arrested Meng on a U.S. warrant Dec. 1. She has been detained in Vancouver since then.

This is sure to make life difficult for Canada as China is likely to flip out at this latest development in the Huawei gong show. At this point, Canada should just hand over Meng and be done with it.

LinkedIn Unveils 2019 Global Talent Trends Report

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 28, 2019 by itnerd

Today, LinkedIn released its annual Global Talent Trends report, that provides information into the trends that are impacting HR leaders today. Focused on the changing relationship between the employee and the employer, the results are based on a survey of over 5,000 talent professionals in 35 countries, including 287 professionals in Canada, and looks at four main trends: pay transparency, soft skills, work flexibility and anti-harassment practices.

Here’s a closer look at the top trends transforming your workplace:

  • The future of work relies on soft skills. Nearly all Canadian respondents (94%) agree that soft skills are an important trend for the future of hiring.
  • Companies adapt to workplace flexibility. Research reveals that 69 per cent of HR and hiring professionals believe that allowing employees to work remotely improves employee morale, but with these benefits come their own unique challenges. Only 49 per cent of respondents believe that it’s an attractive perk that helps to hire talent.
  • Harassment prevention takes the front seat in the modern workplace. Talent professionals are putting policies, practices, and work cultures under a microscope to create safer workplaces. Nearly half (49%) of Canadian HR and hiring professionals have noticed that employees are more empowered and willing to say something when they feel uncomfortable and only 22 per cent have seen no changes in workplace dynamics and culture.

LinkedIn surveyed 5,164 talent professionals and hiring managers, including 287 non-staffing professionals in Canada, who self-identified as either talent professionals who work in a corporate HR/TA department or hiring managers who have some authority over hiring decisions for their team. These survey respondents are LinkedIn members who were selected based on information in their LinkedIn profile and contacted via email between September 18th and October 10th, 2018.

You can read the blog post featuring key global findings here.

Review: Vesafe Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Posted in Products with tags on January 28, 2019 by itnerd

After my rather negative experience with the Nonda Zus Tire Safety Monitor which was only the second product in the history of this blog that I pulled a recommendation from, I was looking for another tire pressure monitoring system as my car does not have tire pressure monitoring. Fortunately for me the folks at Vesafe sent me their tire pressure mounting system to review.

fullsizeoutput_ca2

Here’s what you get in the box.

fullsizeoutput_ca4

You get four tire sensors that replace the valve caps. You also get a LCD screen that you plug into a 12V outlet.

fullsizeoutput_ca1

Here’s one of the sensors. One of the things that I like about it is that you can see easily which wheel it goes on as the writing is on the top of the sensor.

43x4xmt5spibsa87jbv+fa

One area where this tire pressure monitoring system beats the one from Nonda is that the metal that is used in the sensor appears to be brass. That’s important because Nonda’s sensors use some sort of alloy that is prone to galvanic corrosion. Meaning that the sensors had a tendency to fuse to the valve stems requiring you to cut the valve stem off and replace it if you wanted to put air into your tire. That of course is bad. In this case, seeing that the sensor is brass and valve stems tend to be brass as well, this should not be an issue. Having said that, I will still use dielectric grease to make sure that this is not an issue. Another plus is that the rubber gasket on the inside looks far more robust than what was in the Nonda offering which had a habit of getting stuck to the valve stem and coming off the sensor.

fullsizeoutput_ca3

You also get a bag with anti-theft bolts, a wrench for said anti-theft bolts, and some spare parts. You also get a tool (on the right) to help you to disassemble the sensors to replace the batteries.

Installation is simple:

  1. Plug in the LCD screen into a 12v outlet.
  2. Turn on the car to get the LCD screen to light up.
  3. Screw on the sensors on to the right valve caps.
  4. Turn on the car and set the minimum and maximum pressures (28 PSI and 41 PSI based on a cold tire pressure of 35 PSI in my case) as well as the maximum temperature that the tires can take. I left that at 70 degrees Celsius.
  5. Done! Declare victory and have a beer.

I did the above and within a couple of minutes the tire pressures with each tire pressure showed up on the LCD screen:

8bw0zvewrikj8zuxe+jqog

Mine is in the cubby beneath the controls for the HVAC system. I can still see it, but it is in an out of the way place. But I won’t be looking at it while you are driving so that’s fine. Depending on where your 12v outlets are, you might get better or worse results from a visibility perspective. I checked the pressures and the information on the screen was more or less accurate (within 1 PSI) based on comparing what was on the screen with an air pressure gauge that I trust. The system is capable of generating alarms for low or high tire pressure, as well as high temperatures on a tire. Not to mention a low battery in the sensor. The beep it generates is hard to miss. Thus it covers all use cases to keep you safe. I like this use case because if an alert goes off you don’t need to whip out your smartphone and open an app to see what’s going on because everything that you need to see is right there.

Gripes? None really. And the price is right at $84.99 CDN on Amazon. If you’re a refugee from Nonda’s problematic tire monitoring system, or you want a easy to install system for your car that lacks tire pressure monitoring, then the Vesafe Tire Pressure Monitoring System is definitely worth a look.

A Reader Complains About The Lack Of Support For The Samsung Galaxy Watch From Rogers

Posted in Commentary with tags , on January 25, 2019 by itnerd

I got a comment related to this story that I posted about the Samsung Galaxy Watch. Which for those on Team Android is the chief competitor to the Apple Watch. I posted that story in relation to Rogers lack of eSIM support at the time. They now have that support. Sort of. But only for the Apple Watch. It’s not available for the Galaxy Watch because Rogers much to my surprise doesn’t seem to carry the Galaxy Watch. Here’s what the reader who tipped me off to this said:

I spent alot of the day today calling Roger’s and getting escalated to higher and higher up the Rogers management chain.

In the end I spent over half an hour talking to the Office of the President of Roger’s.

Supposedly the very top of Rogers.

I was told that Roger’s has made a business decision to not support the Samsung Galaxy Watch.

And worse that they have no plans to support it at any time in the future.

I was on hold for nearly 10 minutes while the Office of the President checked and confirmed with all groups that there is no support planned at all.

(While I was told that they may change their mind at any time, it seems highly unlikely as these things are normally scheduled months in advanced)

This is extreamly discouraging.

When I pointed out that this is making a large number of Roger’s customers very upset, I was told that I could complain to the ombudsman (who had no control over business decisions).

I also pointed out that the type of person who buys a 500+ smartwatch is likely to also be spending alot on other Roger’s services and that this business decision was likely to be a expensive mistake.

In the end I have decided to move all my business to a different carrier.

Not my preferred choice, but I am left with no choice.

Well, that’s someone who is never going to do business with Rogers again. And I confirmed via this page that the only carriers in Canada that have the Galaxy Watch are Telus and Bell.

At first I thought the person who pinged me on this was over reacting. But I reached out to a bunch of my friends and associates who are on Team Android to get their views on they. To my surprise their reaction to finding out that Rogers doesn’t carry the Galaxy Watch was one of shock. They all assumed that of course Rogers would carry all the latest and greatest devices. Thus the fact that Rogers didn’t carry the Galaxy Watch was mind blowing. Thus based on that, I think Rogers has really made a mistake here. One they might want to reconsider with the Galaxy 10 about to make an appearance as that will drive upgrades once it is available. Those upgrades will likely go to carriers that carry all of Samsung’s products. In other words, Telus and Bell and not Rogers. Pity.

 

WiFi Chipset Firmware Flaw Can Lead To Pwnage In A Whole Lot Of Devices

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 24, 2019 by itnerd

A report from a security researcher is claiming that a vulnerability affecting the firmware of a popular WiFi chipset deployed in a wide range of devices, such as laptops, smartphones, gaming rigs, routers, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Denis Selianin says that vulnerability impacts the firmware of Marvell Avastar 88W8897, one of the most popular WiFi chipsets on the market. You can find it in devices like the Sony PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Surface laptops, Samsung Chromebooks, Samsung Galaxy J1 smartphones, and Valve SteamLink cast devices, just to name a few.

Selianin described how someone could exploit the Avastar firmware (based on a custom implementation of the ThreadX real-time operating system) to execute malicious code without any user interaction. The report contains the technical details on exploiting the vulnerability and a demo video which is below.

Proof-of-concept code has not been released at this time. But patches are in the works. Check for updates shortly on your device.

ASUS Ranked as One of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 24, 2019 by itnerd

ASUS today announced its honourable recognition as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies. The company has been ranked as a leading enterprise in the Computers category, reaffirming its leading position in the industry as a strong brand that continues to deliver excellent products and services.

Survey Methodology

Fortune collaborated with its partner Korn Ferry to perform a survey of global corporate reputation. Beginning with a list of about 1,500 candidates, the 1,000 largest US companies were ranked by revenue along with non-US companies in Fortune’s Global 500 database that have revenues of $10 billion or more. The highest-revenue companies in each industry were then selected, totaling 680 in 30 countries.

To determine the best-regarded companies in 52 industries, Korn Ferry asked executives, directors, and analysts to rate enterprises in their own industry from the final list of 680 candidates on nine criteria, including investment value, quality of management, products, social responsibility and ability to attract talent. A company’s score must rank in the top half of its industry survey to be listed.

The full ASUS ranking can be viewed at: http://fortune.com/worlds-most-admired-companies/asustek-computer/

 

Martello to Present at Cantech Investment Conference in Toronto

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 24, 2019 by itnerd

Martello Technologies Group Inc., a leading provider of performance management solutions for complex digital environments, is pleased to announce the company’s participation in the upcoming Cantech Investment Conference, 29-30 January at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Martello CEO John Proctor will present the investment opportunity on the Paradigm Innovation Stage at 3:00 PM on 29th January.

Martello executives will be available for meetings with investors at the conference, and company representatives will be available to speak with investors in booth #522 at the conference.

Cantech Investment Conference Details
Date: Tuesday, 29 January and Wednesday, 30 January
Booth: 522
Feature Presentation: 3:00 PM EST 29 January, Paradigm Innovation Stage
Venue: Metro Toronto Convention Centre Hall A, 255 Front Street West, Toronto, Canada
Event Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM EST

In 2018, following the completion of an oversubscribed $7.5 million private placement, Martello debuted as a public company on the TSX Venture Exchange. This helps the company to continue and accelerate its strategic acquisition strategy that commenced in 2014. On 2 November, 2018, the company announced the completion of its acquisition of Savision. This follows the acquisitions of SD-WAN player Elfiq Networks in December 2017 and Netvitesse in 2014. The Company’s solutions have been widely acclaimed in the industry. In September, Martello received a Frost & Sullivan Leadership Award for NPM (Network Performance Management) and ranked as Ottawa’s Fastest Growing Company, at No. 28 on the Growth 500 list of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies.

Pulse Secure Launches Access Now Partner Program

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 24, 2019 by itnerd

Pulse Secure, the leading provider of Secure Access solutions to both enterprises and service providers, today announced the global launch of their new Access Now Partner Program. Designed to offer partners the means to establish themselves as a go-to source with an industry-leading solution in Secure Access, Access Now provides an enhanced opportunity for top line revenue and bottom line profit growth while setting them apart from the competition.

Pulse Secure is recognized as a channel-focused industry leader, as evidenced by delivering virtually 100 percent of its sales through partners and having been recognized four years in a row with a prestigious CRN five-star program award.

Pulse Secure’s continued growth within the channel is closely tied to its successful distribution relationships, which included Ingram Micro Inc., Securematics and Westcon.

As part of the Pulse Secure Access Now partner program, the company will recognize three program tiers: Authorized, Preferred and Elite. Each level represents the partner’s proficiency, expertise and growth in selling Pulse Secure solutions to their customers. Partner rewards and incentives are differentiated at each level and will reflect the partner’s investment in Pulse Secure’s solutions. Along with the program’s easy to understand structure, partners will also benefit from a dedicated support team.

Building on the success of Pulse Secure’s previous partner program, the new Access Now partner program features:

  • Online and onsite certification and training
  • Interactive partner resource portal
  • Discounted demo equipment
  • Enhanced deal registration
  • Joint marketing funds and sales promotions
  • Enhanced lead registration process
  • Dedicated account management and support teams

The program also allows partners to take advantage of the award-winning Pulse Access suite packaged for managed services. The solution offers Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) an accelerated, cost-effective means to differentiate and build out their service portfolio to meet the massive demand for protected connectivity to cloud applications and hybrid IT resources. The packaging includes virtual appliance form factors for VMware, KVM and Hyper-V, and supports deployment in hosted cloud environments such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS.

Pulse Secure uniquely offers its channel partners a Secure Access portfolio comprised of Virtual Private Network (VPN), Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM), Network Access Control (NAC), Web Application Firewall (WAF) and virtual Application Delivery Controller (ADC) solutions within a unified management framework for data center and hybrid IT implementation. Enterprises of every size and industry trust Pulse Secure to enable secure access seamlessly, no matter where users and applications reside, and to orchestrate compliant connectivity, data privacy and application resiliency across mobile, network and cloud.

To find out more about the Access Now partner program please visit their website by clicking here.

Squaremouth’s Guide to Getting the Best Travel Insurance in 2019

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 24, 2019 by itnerd

Amid growing concerns over extreme weather, drone-related delays and the Government shutdown affecting travel, many travelers are relying on travel insurance to protect their trip investments. According to Squaremouth data, the number of travelers insuring their trips is at an all-time high, increasing by 24% over last year.

As travelers plan their trips for the year ahead, Squaremouth has a guide to finding the best, most cost-effective travel insurance coverage in 2019.

You can view all of their expert recommendations here: 2019 Travel Insurance Guide

Addigy Predicts Higher Demand for Its Apple Device Management Products in 2019

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 24, 2019 by itnerd

​Addigy, a leading provider of cloud-based Apple device management software, today forecast greater demand for cloud-based computing device management as interest grows across enterprises globally. With increased macOS deployments in the enterprise, the need for comprehensive management solutions will necessarily rise to support management requirements.

In support increasing device management requirements, Addigy’s full-stack cloud-based macOS/iOS Device Management platform allows for centralized management of distributed computing environments. The solution provides 24x7x365 oversight of all systems to ensure security, real-time software updates and high efficiency levels. IT administrators can thoroughly audit all assets quickly and without server setup to identify which OS versions and applications are installed, and whether updates have been applied to all machines on the network.

A free trial of the Addigy is available at https://www.addigy.com/#signup-form.