Navy decreases hardware footprint of mobile command centers

The Navy is accelerating efforts to acquire small, mobile command and control centers around the world as part of a broader effort to consolidate IT networks and streamline operations.

The service is now modernizing its Deployable Joint Command and Control (DJ2C) technology to reduce the hardware footprint and increase software-defined storage.

The project combines traditional computing and storage resources into a single source, according to officials from Nutanix, a Silicon Valley firm contracted by the Navy for the project. Nutanix is a subcontractor to Crown Point Systems on the deal. Thus far, the Navy has acquired more than 30 of the upgraded systems.

“The Nutanix platform integrates server, storage, virtualization and networking into a single appliance, eliminating the requirements for expensive and inefficient three-tiered data center architectures,” said Chris Howard, who is the Vice President of Federal for Nutanix. 

Described by developers as “data centers in a box,” the new DJ2C apparatus is roughly one-fourth the size of the legacy system it is replacing, which creates additional cooling advantages as well, Howard added.

The program is part of a larger Navy effort to consolidate data centers worldwide, reduce the hardware burden and connect U.S. with overseas IT systems.

Current Continental United States, or CONUS, domestic data systems are separated from overseas data systems closer to a shore-based operational environment. The Navy Marine Corps Intranet, or NMCI and the OCONUS Navy Enterprise Network (ONE-NET) will transform from separate environments to a globally integrated network, a Navy statement said. 

The integration of NMCI and ONE-Net will bring standardization of network command-and-control and the way network services are delivered globally to Navy shore locations, service officials explained. 

“We believe we can expand to OCONUS to be able to improve the services and standardize the services. This requires a lot of engagement with OCONUS commanders. We will drive increased speed, capability and security with less cost over time and get more user bandwidth,” Capt. Michael Abreu, program manager for the Naval Enterprise Networks program office, told reporters. 

The DJ2C modernization effort also enables an enterprise cloud approach designed to bring the benefits of cloud technology without sacrificing the security and control of on-premises infrastructure.

This is entirely consistent with the Navy’s accelerated movement to the cloud as part of a move to decrease the hardware components to data centers, IT networks and global command-and-control systems. The hope, Navy and industry developers explain, is to execute this in a way that increases -- or better facilitates -- cyber security.

“Cyber security offers a whole wealth of other things to look at, intrusion detection systems and intrusion protections rights, so that’s a whole another layer in the software stack from an infrastructure perspective,” Howard said.

The five-year, firm-fixed-price Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract has a total overall maximum value of $28.8 million available to the Crown Point Systems team; this team also includes leading technology integrator World Wide Technology, if all orders are exercised. To date, Nutanix has received orders from Crown Point Systems for approximately $3.5 million as part of the contract.

Kris Osborn

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is the basic communication language or protocol of the Internet. It can also be used as a communications protocol in a private network (either an intranet or an extranet). When you are set up with direct access to the Internet, your computer is provided with a copy of the TCP/IP program just as every other computer that you may send messages to or get information from also has a copy of TCP/IP.

TCP/IP is a two-layer program. The higher layer, Transmission Control Protocol, manages the assembling of a message or file into smaller packets that are transmitted over the Internet and received by a TCP layer that reassembles the packets into the original message. The lower layer, Internet Protocol, handles the address part of each packet so that it gets to the right destination. Each gateway computer on the network checks this address to see where to forward the message. Even though some packets from the same message are routed differently than others, they'll be reassembled at the destination.

TCP/IP uses the client/server model of communication in which a computer user (a client) requests and is provided a service (such as sending a Web page) by another computer (a server) in the network. TCP/IP communication is primarily point-to-point, meaning each communication is from one point (or host computer) in the network to another point or host computer. TCP/IP and the higher-level applications that use it are collectively said to be "stateless" because each client request is considered a new request unrelated to any previous one (unlike ordinary phone conversations that require a dedicated connection for the call duration). Being stateless frees network paths so that everyone can use them continuously. (Note that the TCP layer itself is not stateless as far as any one message is concerned. Its connection remains in place until all packets in a message have been received.)

Many Internet users are familiar with the even higher layer application protocols that use TCP/IP to get to the Internet. These include the World Wide Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Telnet (Telnet) which lets you logon to remote computers, and the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). These and other protocols are often packaged together with TCP/IP as a "suite."

Personal computer users with an analog phone modem connection to the Internet usually get to the Internet through the Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) or the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP). These protocols encapsulate the IP packets so that they can be sent over the dial-up phone connection to an access provider's modem. 

Protocols related to TCP/IP include the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which is used instead of TCP for special purposes. Other protocols are used by network host computers for exchanging router information. These include the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), the Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP), the Exterior Gateway Protocol (EGP), and the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).

• The Internet Protocol is formally described in IETF RFC 791.

• What is TCP?

• The Transmission Control Protocol is formally described in IETF RFC 793.

• TCP/IP model vs. OSI model

Learn About Simulation Technologies

Simulation Technology, LLC was established in 2009 to leverage our proprietary, next-generation technology to create the best possible driver training simulation systems for First Responder.  We have succeeded in doing just that for First Responder in the United States, and we are broadening our horizons by bringing our technology to the world.

Providing the first-ever systems with the reliability of a single PC to run simulators built with the vehicle manufacturers’ actual cabs—and real vehicle dynamics—we have set the new industry benchmark.

Our members have years of experience in the industries that matter most in the driving simulation market. Our team includes experts in software, engineering, manufacturing and training from the automotive, electronics, and driver simulation industries. Many of our extended team members are also active or veteran First Responders.

Our simulation systems are designed by trainers for trainers; with the reliability and portability of a single PC and the unparalleled skills training available from our real cabs and accurate vehicle dynamic-sour.  Our Elburn, Illinois (Chicago) based company is ready to support your training programs with the most technologically advanced simulation systems in the world.

All of us involved with the company have years of experience in the industries that matter most in the DTS market to build an incredibly successful product line that will lead the DTS market. 

Computer 

The entire driving simulation system (5 screens & complete cab) and instructor operating station runs on One PC. Sim-Tech’s single computer uses an Intel multi-core processor running a Windows 7 platform. The computer is equipped with dual mirrored hard drives for zero down time in the unlikely event of hard drive failure. Providing all graphic channels with a single PC eliminates networking issues and significant down time inherent in all other systems and provides much faster initial system startup and shutdown at the end of the day. It is estimated that a single PC system is between 6 to 12 times as reliable as a system relying on 5 to 9 networked computers. Software upgrades are a snap, taking only a minute or two (depending on internet connection). And the potential cost of future hardware upgrades is greatly diminished in comparison to systems using five or more computers.

Full > http://www.sim-tech.us/

Highly advanced tech

It's time to meet yourself.

Mensa Workout

This quiz is provided for entertainment purposes only; it is not an IQ test. This score will not qualify you for Mensa. The questions on the "Mensa Workout" are biased towards people whose primary language is English. Mensa offers culture-fair testing throughout the world. Many of the questions on the "Mensa Workout" require you to have a graphical browser. The test is still enjoyable for those with text-only browsers, but your overall score may be considerably lower than it might be with a graphical browser.

You have half an hour to answer 30 questions. Answers to the questions and discussion of the answers are provided at the time you submit your answers. While there is a 30-minute time limit to take the test, the amount of time you actually take in no way affects your final score. This is due to the differences in transmission times on the internet, and server loads.

IMPORTANT:  The questions in this quiz were devised by Dr Abbie Salny, and are copyright.  Permission to use any of the questions may be granted for educational or other approved purposes by contacting Mensa International.

https://www.mensa.org/workout

Some very simple tech

*People are always coming up with ways to steal from you online. You can left click and view "the source" in an email. (I don't have time to explain) Or you can take 5 seconds and actually view the source.
 Major businesses seldom send out mass emails and make sure your email address or name appears "alone" with the received email.

This? My mom asked me to fix it, it's an Asus so I did.

Disruptive Influences: 20 Tech Companies to Watch

*Go for it, I'll return.

http://ww2.cfo.com/technology/2017/04/20-tech-companies-watch/

My Health Tech

*When I arrived home from Asia, within one week I had some health conflicts. I wondered what could be the cause?
 I went to my doctor and he wanted to immediately fill me with pills. No doc, not so fast with the pills.
We reached a "simmering" point within the brief conversation.

 I went home and began to analyze this problem. Day 1, 2, 10, 12, using deductive reasoning. I began with coffee, then oils, so on and so forth.
 Once again, I've lived in countries where individuals have never seen a doctor in their entire lives. Families use all natural solutions and I have adopted their way of thinking.

 So after analyzing this, what synthesis evolved? It was salt. I looked back to C. America and Asia and my salt consumption had quadrupled. All natural takes on a whole new meaning "if" you live the simple life among the people and stay away from commercialized products.

 Do yourselves a favor, be self-aware, employ practicality, simply because someone has a white lab coat doesn't mean they know you better than yourself.

 Am I communicating any better, I'm working on it.

This? This is just lunch.

The Ten Most Outrageous Kit Cars You Can Get Right Now

Kit cars often offer great compromise when searching for an authentically historic driving experience, but with the possibility of more power and reliability in a classic, without diminishing resale value. But sometimes, kit manufacturers take it too far.

10.) Bentley Body Kits For Chrysler Sebring/300C

9.) Any Lamborghini Countach Replica

The original Countach was an insane, inimitable, piece of machinery. So of course people couldn’t help themselves from attempting to replicate the beauty. Unfortunately, most failed miserably. And then there’s that guy that spent seventeen years crafting one in his basement.

8.) Factory Five 818S

The Factory Five 818s allows for Subaru owners to make use of parts from their recently wrecked WRX’s and transplant into a tubular framed, composite wrapped, all wheel drive roadster.. The 818 takes the heart from a WRX, as well as several other components, and combines everything to create the open top WRX we never had. And who doesn’t love the brap of Subaru’s boxer four?

7.) Ultima Evolution Coupe

With a top speed of more than 240MPH and a 0-60 time of 2.3 seconds, the Ultima Evolution comes in as one of the most full on, balls out, road cars around the $100,000 mark. 

6.) Exomotive Exocet Miata

What’s better than a stock Miata? A Spec Miata. What’s better than a Spec Miata? An Exocet Miata. Exomotive will take a Miata, strip it, remove the body, cage it, and even drop an LS in it if requested. 

5.) CaterhamSeven

Why fix something that’s not broken? There’s a reason Caterham has not fiddled with the core formula that makes up the Seven, it’s perfect. Whether you have the 79 horsepower, three cylinder under the hood, or the supercharged, 310 horsepower Duratec, the Seven is one of the most capable and exciting cars one can buy. 

Top 5

http://tinyurl.com/po2kf8b

Cyber criminals still targeting mobile phones as their number 1 target of hacking

Cyber criminals 'could target smart phones in bid to hold users to ransom

SMART phones, watches, televisions, and fitness trackers could be targeted by cyber criminals seeking to hold users to ransom over their personal data, cyber security chiefs have warned.

The rise of internet-connected devices gives attackers more opportunity to deploy their increasingly "aggressive" and "confrontational" tactics, says a joint report from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the National Crime Agency (NCA).

It highlights the huge amount of personal information on consumer gadgets which could be exploited by criminals seeking to commit extortion or fraud.

The study forecasts that this year it is likely that "ransomware" will target connected devices containing data such as photos, emails and even fitness progress information.

"This data may not be inherently valuable, and might not be sold on criminal forums but the device and data will be sufficiently valuable to the victim that they will be willing to pay for it," the assessment says.

"Ransomware on connected watches, fitness trackers and TVs will present a challenge to manufacturers, and it is not yet known whether customer support will extend to assisting with unlocking devices and providing advice on whether to pay a ransom."

A surge in the number and variety of internet-ready products has sparked a string of security warnings.

There have even been suggestions that baby monitors and pacemakers could be vulnerable to hacking.

Analysts have forecast that by 2020 there will be as many as 21 billion connected devices used by businesses and consumers around the world.

The NCSC and NCA's 2016/17 report on the cyber threat to UK business says: "The rise of internet connected devices gives attackers more opportunity."

The paper notes that smart devices are still "inherently more difficult" to attack than traditional computers, saying that incidents may initially be limited to users who download apps from third-party app stores.

Ministers launched the NCSC, which is part of GCHQ, amid mounting concern over the potential danger to Britain's industry and infrastructure from online attacks.

The new report says the cyber threat to UK business is "significant and growing".

In three months after the centre was created, there were 188 "high-level" attacks as well as "countless" lower-level incidents.

The danger is "varied and adaptable", ranging from high-volume, opportunistic attacks to "highly sophisticated" and persistent threats.

The last year "has been punctuated by cyber attacks on a scale and boldness not seen before", the report says, pointing to a string of incidents including the targeting of the US Democratic Party and Bangladesh Bank.

Ciaran Martin, chief executive of the NCSC, said: "Cyber attacks will continue to evolve, which is why the public and private sectors must continue to work at pace to deliver real-world outcomes and ground-breaking innovation to reduce the threat to critical services and to deter would-be attackers."

The report will be published on Tuesday as the NCSC hosts a major conference on cyber security in Liverpool.

It also says that there is no clear understanding of the true scale and cost of cyber attacks to the UK as it is under-reported.

Donald Toon, the director for economic and cyber crime at the NCA, said: "Businesses reporting cyber crime is essential if we are to fully understand the threat, and take the most effective action against it."

It comes days after it was revealed that GCHQ has warned political parties of the the threat posed to democracy by Russian hackers.

Curiosity Presents: The Science of Productivity (And How To Improve Yours)

Our 2017 resolution is simple: increase productivity. (Is there anything more satisfying than powering through a to-do list?) There are a ton of theories as to how to do more—and how to do it faster—but not all are backed by science. To get the new year started on the right foot, we're gathering everything we know about productivity in one place. All of these concepts have been researched and proven by studies, or they're popular methods conceived by experts (businessmen! physicists!) that you can try out for yourself.

Check out the topics below to start your month of productivity and learn more about why productivity matters, how you can be more productive, and what you can just forget about (spoiler: stop multitasking).

Improve Your Productivity: Scientifically Proven Approaches

Work For 90 Minutes, Then Take A Break

What's more effective: working nonstop for five hours, or working in three 90-minute intervals interspersed with 20-minute breaks? For many office workers it might seem like the first option is best. Read more >>

Want To Be More Productive At Work? Scroll Through Cute Puppy Photos (Or Any Baby Animal Will Do)

You know that moment when your boss walks over to your computer and instead of having work on your screen, she catches you clicking through a "cute kitty" slideshow? Chalk it up to improving productivity. Read more >>

Improve Your Work Performance By Taking A Nap

It's about 3 pm on a work day, and you're experiencing the dreaded midday slump. Before you gulp another mug of caffeine, consider a different option: napping. You might've dismissed naps as a respite for toddlers or your 80-year-old grandmother, but science has proven that naps can be incredibly beneficial for getting those brain juices flowing and boosting your productivity. Read More >>

Easy Techniques: Proven Methods From Successful People

The Ivy Lee Method Is The 100-Year-Old Productivity Secret

When businessman Ivy Lee gave Charles Schwab his five-step method, he told Schwab to pay him what he thought it was worth after testing it out for three months. Ninety days later, Schwab paid Lee the equivalent of $400,000 in today's dollars. Read more >>

Learn Anything In Four Steps With The Feynman Technique

With the Feynman Technique, you learn by teaching someone else in simple terms so you can quickly pinpoint the holes in your knowledge. After four steps, you'll understand concepts more deeply and better retain the information. Read more >>

Myths: These Practices Are Actually Hurting Your Productivity

Stop Multitasking

According to Dr. Adam Gazzaley, a neuroscientist at the University of California, your brain simply isn't optimized for split attention. Read more >>

Listening To Music At Work Isn't Helping

Listening to background music at work may hurt you more than help you...but it's complicated. Read more >>

Highly interactive and linked back to source.

I need to make a living to

Interactive > https://www.systemsnicaragua.com/

What Are Cookies?

*I'm sitting here laughing so hard that tears are streaming down my face as these can be a "techy's" worst nightmare.

What Are Cookies? What is a Cookie?

Cookies are small files which are stored on a user's computer. They are designed to hold a modest amount of data specific to a particular client and website, and can be accessed either by the web server or the client computer. This allows the server to deliver a page tailored to a particular user, or the page itself can contain some script which is aware of the data in the cookie and so is able to carry information from one visit to the website (or related site) to the next.

Are Cookies Enabled in my Browser?

To check whether your browser is configured to allow cookies, visit the Cookie checker. This page will attempt to create a cookie and report on whether or not it succeeded.

For information on how to enable or disable cookies, see 'Enabling cookies'.

For information on how to delete and clear cookies, see 'Deleting cookies'.

Can I see/view the cookies I have on my computer?

Most browsers have a configuration screen which allows the user to see what cookies have been stored on the computer, and optionally to delete them. For more information, see the viewing cookies page.

Note that it is not possible for a webpage to view cookies set by other sites, as this would represent a privacy and security problem.

What's in a Cookie?

Each cookie is effectively a small lookup table containing pairs of (key, data) values - for example (firstname, John) (lastname, Smith). Once the cookie has been read by the code on the server or client computer, the data can be retrieved and used to customise the web page appropriately.

When are Cookies Created?

Writing data to a cookie is usually done when a new webpage is loaded - for example after a 'submit' button is pressed the data handling page would be responsible for storing the values in a cookie. If the user has elected to disable cookies then the write operation will fail, and subsequent sites which rely on the cookie will either have to take a default action, or prompt the user to re-enter the information that would have been stored in the cookie.

Why are Cookies Used?

Cookies are a convenient way to carry information from one session on a website to another, or between sessions on related websites, without having to burden a server machine with massive amounts of data storage. Storing the data on the server without using cookies would also be problematic because it would be difficult to retrieve a particular user's information without requiring a login on each visit to the website.

If there is a large amount of information to store, then a cookie can simply be used as a means to identify a given user so that further related information can be looked up on a server-side database. For example the first time a user visits a site they may choose a username which is stored in the cookie, and then provide data such as password, name, address, preferred font size, page layout, etc. - this information would all be stored on the database using the username as a key. Subsequently when the site is revisited the server will read the cookie to find the username, and then retrieve all the user's information from the database without it having to be re-entered.

How Long Does a Cookie Last?

The time of expiry of a cookie can be set when the cookie is created. By default the cookie is destroyed when the current browser window is closed, but it can be made to persist for an arbitrary length of time after that.

Who Can Access Cookies?

When a cookie is created it is possible to control its visibility by setting its 'root domain'. It will then be accessible to any URL belonging to that root. For example the root could be set to "whatarecookies.com" and the cookie would then be available to sites in "www.whatarecookies.com" or "xyz.whatarecookies.com" or "whatarecookies.com". This might be used to allow related pages to 'communicate' with each other. It is not possible to set the root domain to 'top level' domains such as '.com' or '.co.uk' since this would allow widespread access to the cookie.

By default cookies are visible to all paths in their domains, but at the time of creation they can be retricted to a given subpath - for example "www.whatarecookies.com/images".

How Secure are Cookies?

There is a lot of concern about privacy and security on the internet. Cookies do not in themselves present a threat to privacy, since they can only be used to store information that the user has volunteered or that the web server already has. Whilst it is possible that this information could be made available to specific third party websites, this is no worse than storing it in a central database. If you are concerned that the information you provide to a webserver will not be treated as confidential then you should question whether you actually need to provide that information at all.

What are Tracking Cookies?

Some commercial websites include embedded advertising material which is served from a third-party site, and it is possible for such adverts to store a cookie for that third-party site, containing information fed to it from the containing site - such information might include the name of the site, particular products being viewed, pages visited, etc. When the user later visits another site containing a similar embedded advert from the same third-party site, the advertiser will be able to read the cookie and use it to determine some information about the user's browsing history. This enables publishers to serve adverts targetted at a user's interests, so in theory having a greater chance of being relevant to the user. However, many people see such 'tracking cookies' as an invasion of privacy since they allow an advertiser to build up profiles of users without their consent or knowledge.

Original > http://www.whatarecookies.com/