Apple looks to pick off engineers from Amazon and OpenStack

Apple is on the hunt for cloud infrastructure engineers familiar with building large-scale deployments like those at Amazon Web Services and OpenStack companies, according to a job posting.

The eventual hire will work to "build the next generation infrastructure" to support iCloud, iTunes and other Apple Internet services, the company says. Silicon Valley tech firms pick off employees from competitors all the time, but this job posting points to the emphasis companies like Apple are putting on recruiting experts in the cloud computing field.

The alert calls for an engineer to work on the Apple Site Reliability Engineering Team who will develop standards to automate application development, cluster management, network routes and manage petabytes of storage for "amazing applications that serve millions of customers."

In addition to experience with Amazon Web Services which runs the biggest public cloud in the market Apple is also looking for developers who are familiar with the open source cloud platform OpenStack, and the private cloud open source system Eucalyptus. It's also looking for system administrators who are familiar with automation tools like Puppet, the posting says. From the details of the job posting, it appears Apple is looking for workers to help the company build out its own cloud services and not expertise in using other competitor's cloud.

"We're a small team focused on the development of standards-based software defined data centers and networks at global scale," according to the posting on Apple's web site. "We're looking for candidates with a strong background in system administration and deep experience with IaaS to bootstrap the operational support of these services."

FCC looks to update school connectivity fund

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has voted to take the first step toward revamping its program that subsidizes Internet connections to schools and libraries, with the focus in the future on big bandwidth instead of simple connectivity.

The FCC on Friday voted to launch a notice of proposed rulemaking, or NPRM, focused on updating the 16-year-old E-Rate program. E-Rate, with a US$2.25 billion annual budget, has helped bring Internet service to nearly all U.S. schools, but the program is outdated, commissioners said.

About 80 percent of U.S. schools and libraries say they don't have enough bandwidth, Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education, told commissioners at Friday's FCC meeting. Schools need higher bandwidth to deliver modern technology-focused education, she said.

Commissioners agreed. "We are quickly moving from a world where what matters is connectivity to what matters is capacity," Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said.

Rosenworcel listed many other countries that have programs focused on bringing new technology into classrooms. "We are at a moment when the world is trying to out-educate us," she said.

The NPRM asks several questions on how to update the E-Rate program, but commissioners said the changes are likely to focus on increasing broadband capacity, increasing purchasing power for schools, and streamlining the application process.

A focus on increased capacity and new technologies is important, said Commissioner Ajit Pai. In recent years, about a quarter of E-Rate's budget has supported telephone service to schools and libraries, he said.
A streamlined application process is also needed, he added. In recent years, hundreds of millions of dollars of E-Rate money has gone unspent partly because of the complicated application process. A simplified process will mean more dollars going to help students, instead of paying advisors to help fill out forms, added Pai, who laid out his vision for a new E-Rate program in a speech this week.

The FCC's action earned praise from several U.S. lawmakers and technology trade groups.

"We must provide our schools and libraries with next-generation Internet connectivity so that they benefit from the rapid advances in digital education technology," Senator John "Jay" Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, said in a statement. "The global economy demands an increasingly educated workforce with higher skills and strong backgrounds in science, math and technology."

Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, held a hearing this week in which he called for an update to the E-Rate program.

FCC looks to update school connectivity fund

The Federal Communications Commission has voted to take the first step toward revamping its program that subsidizes Internet connections to schools and libraries, with the focus in the future on big bandwidth instead of simple connectivity.

The FCC on Friday voted to launch a notice of proposed rulemaking, or NPRM, focused on updating the 16-year-old E-Rate program. E-Rate, with a $2.25 billion annual budget, has helped bring Internet service to nearly all U.S. schools, but the program is outdated, commissioners said.

About 80 percent of U.S. schools and libraries say they don’t have enough bandwidth, Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education, told commissioners at Friday’s FCC meeting. Schools need higher bandwidth to deliver modern technology-focused education, she said.

Commissioners agreed. “We are quickly moving from a world where what matters is connectivity to what matters is capacity,” Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said.

Rosenworcel listed many other countries that have programs focused on bringing new technology into classrooms. “We are at a moment when the world is trying to out-educate us,” she said.

The NPRM asks several questions on how to update the E-Rate program, but commissioners said the changes are likely to focus on increasing broadband capacity, increasing purchasing power for schools, and streamlining the application process.

A focus on increased capacity and new technologies is important, said Commissioner Ajit Pai. In recent years, about a quarter of E-Rate’s budget has supported telephone service to schools and libraries, he said.
A streamlined application process is also needed, he added. In recent years, hundreds of millions of dollars of E-Rate money has gone unspent partly because of the complicated application process. A simplified process will mean more dollars going to help students, instead of paying advisors to help fill out forms, added Pai, who laid out his vision for a new E-Rate program in a speech this week.

The FCC’s action earned praise from several U.S. lawmakers and technology trade groups.

Grant GrossSen. Jay Rockefeller
“We must provide our schools and libraries with next-generation Internet connectivity so that they benefit from the rapid advances in digital education technology,” Senator John “Jay” Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, said in a statement. “The global economy demands an increasingly educated workforce with higher skills and strong backgrounds in science, math and technology.”

Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, held a hearing this week in which he called for an update to the E-Rate program. 

Dell XPS 27 Touch review: Looks are everything

Dell XPS 27 Touch $2,099.00 While we have a few minor quibbles with the Dell XPS 27 Touch's design, we think this is the best all-in-one on the market today.

 
When it comes to its high-end all-in-one PC lineup, Dell seems to be operating on the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” principle. The XPS 27 Touch packs a speedy new Haswell CPU under its hood, but that’s the only significant departure from earlier models.

Our review unit, which costs $2100 as of July 17, 2013, sports a quad-core Intel Core i7-4770S processor; 8GB of DDR3/1600 memory; a discrete video card (Nvidia’s GeForce GT 750M); and a roomy 2TB, 7200 rpm hard drive augmented by a 32GB mSATA SSD cache. That’s impressive for any all-in-one, and it helped the XPS 27 Touch deliver a Desktop Worldbench 8.1 score of 262, which means it’s more than two and a half times faster than our reference PC, Acer’s Aspire U. It’s also significantly faster than Vizio’s CA27T-B1. The displays on both of those models are limited to 1920 by 1080 pixels, but they’re also considerably less expensive (selling for $1000 and $1550 respectively).

The Dell XPS 27 Touch produced a high Desktop Worldbench 8.1 score (for an all-in-one, that is). Nevertheless, the Dell’s score places the XPS 27 Touch solidly in the upper half of all the desktop systems we’ve tested so far, although it’s nowhere near the custom-built gaming rigs we’ve evaluated (Primordial Computer’s over-the-top, quad-Titan Medusa hit 385, while Micro Express’s single-GPU MicroFlex 47B scored 421). Unlike most all-in-ones, however, the XPS 27 will satisfy the gamers in your family—as long as their expectations aren’t too hardcore. In our Dirt Showdown, with the game’s resolution at 1024 by 768 pixels and image quality set to low, the XPS 27 delivered a strong 125.7 frames per second. Compare that to our reference PC, which relies on the integrated GPU in its Intel Core i5 3230M processor: It delivered Dirt Showdown at just 47.5 fps.

The XPS 27 Touch is a very reasonable gaming PC, provided you’re willing to compromise on resolution and image quality.

  As befits a new AIO of the Windows 8 era, the XPS 27 is outfitted with a 10-point touchscreen display (this was an optional feature on previous models). Dell boasts that it’s the company’s “brightest and most versatile touch display” to date. I agree, it’s the best touchscreen I’ve seen from Dell. It’s extremely bright, and images and text look fantastically crisp and clear thanks to its 2560-by-1440 resolution. Multitouch gestures are smooth and easy to perform, and the bezel-less design makes using Windows 8 a breeze. But the display is not perfect. I have the same minor complaint about this screen as I had about Dell’s earlier XPS One 2710: Colors, especially skin tones, have a tendency to look oversaturated.

ROBERT CARDINThe dual-articulated hinge enables you to adjust the display’s height as well as its angle. Dell’s XPS 27 Touch is a nice, attractive system, but I do wish the company had paid a little less attention to looks and a little more to usability. This AIO is super pretty, and the changes I want would probably make it a little less so. While the media card reader and two USB 3.0 ports are conveniently located on the left side of the bezel, the HDMI ports (in and out), Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort, gigabit ethernet, and four additional USB 3.0 ports on the back of the display are obscured by the stand and are difficult to reach.
ROBERT CARDINMany of the XPS 27 Touch’s I/O ports are obscured by the double-articulated stand (which enables you to adjust the height as well as the angle of the display).

  I’m also not a fan of the four touch-sensitive buttons on the lower left corner on the front of the display. A proximity sensor causes these unlabeled buttons to light up when you hover your finger over them, although the only one you might use on a regular basis is the Eject button for the DVD burner. And speaking of optical drives, if you want a Blu-ray/DVD combo, you’ll need to move up to the $2600 model, which also comes with 16GB of memory and Windows 8 Pro. But if you get your movie fix via Internet streaming, you won’t care.

Aside from those quibbles, the Dell XPS 27 Touch is an exquisite all-in-one.  

'Austenland' Trailer: Keri Russell Looks for Her Own Mr. Darcy

A little more than a month before it hits theaters in New York and L.A., the trailer for the Keri Russell-starring Sundance pickup Austenland has debuted online.

The romantic comedy, co-starring Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Seymour and Flight of the Conchords' Bret McKenzie, focuses on a seemingly normal New Yorker, played by Russell, who's obsessed with Jane Austen's novels, particularly Pride & Prejudice and its heartthrob Mr. Darcy.

PHOTOS: 10 Hot Films Hitting Sundance

Russell's character embarks on a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women and, as she takes on the role of a Regency-era woman, she wonders whether she'll find her own Mr. Darcy.

The movie was directed and co-written by Jerusha Hess, who co-wrote Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre with her husband, director Jared Hess. Austenland also is produced by Twilight author Stephenie Meyer.

Austenland debuted at Sundance, where it was acquired by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions for more than $4 million. Sony Pictures Classics releases the film in New York and L.A. on Aug. 16.

What an NSA charm offensive looks like

Banged and bruised in the press over the NSA secrets liberated by Edward Snowden and serialized in the Guardian and the Washington Post, the national security establishment resorted to a little media offense earlier this week with a series of conversations with major news outlets.

As media blitzes go, it was sedate and vague. The "natsec" establishment made its first landing in the Washington Post‘s June 25 print edition, where two unnamed senior intelligence officials speculated about the damage done to U.S. national security by the leaks ("U.S. is worried about security of documents Snowden has").

The Post reported:

"Already, several terrorist groups in various regions of the world have begun to change their method of communication based on disclosures of surveillance programs in the media, the official said. He would not elaborate on the communication modes."

Later that day, two unnamed senior intelligence official presented to CNN a slightly less gauzy picture of the terrorist organizations revising their use of communication technology following Snowden's revelations ("Terrorists try changes after Snowden leaks, official says").

CNN reported:

"‘We can confirm we are seeing indications that several terrorist groups are in fact attempting to change their communications behaviors based specifically on what they are reading about our surveillance programs in the media,' a U.S. intelligence official told CNN."

The media tour included Reuters, which had a similar conversation with "two U.S. national security sources." Its piece, time-stamped two hours after CNN's, reported that "militants have begun responding by altering methods of communication." Like CNN, Reuters learned from the intelligence officials that both Sunni and Shi'ite groups had changed communications methods and that those changes might leave the U.S. blind to future attacks.

How, exactly, had terrorist groups modified their behaviors? Relying more heavily on encryption? Dropping out of chat rooms? Streaming "Zero Dark Thirty" to review Osama bin Laden's communications security faux pas? Resorting to carrier pigeons?

"The officials declined to specify what changes were spotted among militant groups," Reuters reported, "fearing that the more details provided on what was known about their behavior, the easier it would be for them to adapt."

Were the intelligence officials teasing Reuters with their explanation? Or were they inadvertently revealing valuable methods and sources? After all, even vague press accounts about terrorist groups changing the way they converse are likely to be read by the very terrorist groups who intelligence officials observed changing their use of phones and computers. Might not this disclosure also encourage hard U.S. signals collection by encouraging terrorist groups to change the way they are changing their communications practices? It essentially tells terrorist groups that U.S. intelligence just watched them changing or discussing a change in the way they communicate. The shorter form of this disclosure might be, "Hey, terrorist groups! You're communicating in a very sloppy and visible manner!"

The media barnstorming ended, at least temporarily, at the Associated Press, where a story ("Al-Qaida said to be changing its ways after leaks") time-stamped June 26, 3:27 a.m. EDT, also reported assertions by two "U.S. intelligence officials" that "al-Qaida and other terrorists … are working frantically to change how they communicate." Again, the nameless duo declined to provide any details beyond the self-evident.

Although each outlet on the tour added additional reporting beyond what the duo disclosed, and each has done fine work since Snowden dropped his bomb, the stories reek of official spin, of news by press release, of a government handout, and of a coordinated propaganda push. And the unnamed duo's disclosure was a tad redundant. More than two weeks ago, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper went on NBC News to say the Snowden leaks would "obviously give our enemies a ‘playbook' of how to avoid detection."

Of course you will rarely hear beat reporters complain about special briefings like these in which the sources request anonymity and do not say much. If anything, reporters are more likely to file a protest with the unnamed sources if excluded from the whistle-stop because their editors do not want to be beaten on any story, even obvious — as Clapper would put it — stories like this. Besides, it's as likely as not that the two intelligence officials who were the sources for this week's stories are regular intelligence sources for the major news outlets, and it's a time-honored journalistic practice to keep regular sources satisfied if not happy.

You might guess that I find this kind of water-carrying by the press corrupting. I do, but not absolutely corrupting. I'm fairly certain that the reporters who filed the stories cited here have broken stories that have angered the two unnamed intelligence officials and will gladly do so in the future.

Reporters, no matter what beat they cover, work with their government sources at the same time they work against one another, just like Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog in the Warner Bros. cartoons. As long as I don't have to read too many vapid accounts from unnamed intelligence officials, I won't gripe too much.

Less cynical readers have every right to object, and the consumer adviser in me would instruct the unnamed intelligence officials to call a press conference and put their names to their warnings if the news is that urgent. I'd also have intelligence beat reporters and their editors affix warning labels to stories like these to signal readers that the story did not come from their initiative. I want intelligence beat reporters to come clean with their readers when government officials aggressively peddle a story line to the media but will not take personal and professional responsibility for the peddling.

I single out intelligence reporters for abuse here, but the practice exists on every beat. Sometimes the story isn't the story — the meta-story is. When it is, reporters have no excuse not to say so.

Follow me on Twitter @sajilpl

U.S. economy looks weaker, as GDP data is revised

The U.S. economy grew at a mere 1.8% annual pace in the first quarter, according to revised data released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday.

Gross domestic product -- the broadest measure of economic activity -- rose at a mere 1.8% annual pace between January and March, marking a sharp downward revision from the 2.4% pace reported by the Commerce Department last month.

The government revises its GDP figures several times, but economists weren't expecting such a dramatic change from the third estimate.

"This was certainly unexpected and, I believe, rare," said Jennifer Lee, senior economist with BMO Capital Markets, referring to the revision.

The weaker figures came primarily from revisions to consumer spending, exports and commercial real estate.

Consumer spending, which alone accounts for roughly two-thirds of the GDP measure, rose at a 2.6% annualized pace in the first quarter, according to the revisions. That's down from the 3.4% pace the Commerce Department estimated in its prior report.

Meanwhile, spending on nonresidential buildings shrunk 8.3% in the first quarter, offsetting some of the economic boost from the ongoing housing recovery.

U.S. exports to other countries contracted, and government spending cuts continued to be the largest drag on economic growth.

Economists have already turned their attention to studying how the economy fared in the spring. Their estimates point to more of the same slow growth.

Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500), Barclays (BCS), Nomura (NMR) and Macroeconomic Advisers economists estimate that the economy grew at a 1.5% to 1.9% annual pace between April and June.

The numbers could change again next month. The Commerce Department is planning a complete overhaul of its GDP data, going back to 1929. That process, which is known as the "comprehensive revision," only happens every four to six years.

Twitter: @sajilpl

Miranda Kerr's Summer Style: All About Her "Classic, Chic" Looks

Miranda Kerr accessorized her denim look with metallic flats, Linda Farrow sunglasses and a Balmain X Aurelie handbag in New York City June 17, 2013. Credit: NCP/Star Max/FilmMagic

Hot mom in the city! As the epitome of a stylish mom, supermodel Miranda Kerr -- named by Us Weekly readers as their Celebrity Style Crush for the week of June 17 -- makes summer fashion look easy. "For me it's all about keeping things simple and feeling comfortable in what I am wearing," Kerr, 30, tells Harper's Bazaar of her look, which she characterizes as 'classic and chic.' "I prefer investing in classic, well-tailored pieces."

PHOTOS: Stars' timeless wardrobe tips

Running around New York City in recent weeks with baby boy Flynn in tow, that's nothing but evident as Kerr treats the city sidewalks like a runway, showing off her impeccable taste -- and fabulously fit figure. During a June 17 outing in NYC, the former Victoria's Secret model -- now working on the release of her second book, Empower Yourself, and her skincare line, Kora Organics -- made denim-on-denim look fab by adding metallic ballet flats, Linda Farrow shades and a Balmain X Aurelie handbag to her ensemble.

PHOTOS: Take your outfit from day to night

One day later, Kerr switched up her style during an outing with Flynn wearing an Isabel Marant skirt, shirt and shoes, along with Stella McCartney sunglasses and a straw hat.

Miranda Kerr (toting son Flynn in NYC June 18, 2013) wore an Isabel Marant skirt, shirt and shoes, along with Stella McCartney sunglasses.
Credit: Alo Ceballos/FilmMagic

Though her summer style is breezy and chic, the model mom isn't afraid to push the envelope for her evening looks on occasion. Case in point: May 6's MET Gala Costume Ball, where she dared to bare in a cutout Michael Kors custom black crepe gown.

Miranda Kerr showed some skin in Michael Kors' custom black crepe cutout gown at the 2013 MET Costume Ball in New York City.
Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Pulling together her daily outfits and red carpet looks can often be a daunting task for Kerr. "I look for something that I haven't worn before . . . which sometimes can be hard," she has admitted. "I look for something that is flattering because every woman's shape is different."

PHOTOS: See 100 red carpet looks from the Met Gala

Telling Us she's forever in a comfy robe at home when she's just lounging around, Kerr's stunning style often takes Hollywood's A-list aback. At the 2013 MET Ball, fellow attendee Gwyneth Paltrow (in pink Valentino) told Entertainment Weekly she complemented the model during the event. "I was like, 'Is it weird to be that pretty?'" the Iron Man 3 actress recalled to the magazine, laughing. "And she was like, 'No.'"

To vote for your Celeb Style Crush, click here -- we'll highlight the winner's best looks on UsMagazine.com next week

 

Movie Producer Looks to Slay 'Dungeons and Dragons' Lawsuit

Wasting no time in defending a lawsuit over Dungeons and Dragons film rights, Courtney Solomon's Sweetpea Entertainment has already filed a motion for summary judgment.

It was just a month ago that Hasbro filed a lawsuit in California federal court. Upon news that Sweetpea was possibly working with Warner Bros. in developing a film based on Chainmail, a board game from Dungeons & Dragons designer Gary Gygax, Hasbro wanted a declaration that it owns rights to the property and sought an injunction to stop the film.

Sweetpea is now rolling the dice that the end-game is nigh.

Hasbro admitted in the lawsuit that Sweetpea acquired rights to the property by an agreement in 1994 and that Solomon produced a 2000 theatrical film and some TV films thereafter. But the the toy company contended that "Sequel Rights have reverted to Hasbro" based upon a five-year reversion clock.

Sweetpea, represented by Patty Glaser's law firm, looks to kill that claim by arguing in a summary judgment motion this week that Hasbro was required to serve written notice of the potential termination with opportunity to cure.

"Hasbro has never provided written notice of its intent to terminate the license, nor has Hasbro provided Sweetpea an opportunity to cure, and therefore Sweetpea is still licensed under the license agreement," says the motion for summary judgment (read in full here).

In addition, Hasbro is claiming damages for copyright infringement for the coming film.

In response, Sweetpea makes the case that there's a fatal flaw in this claim.

"To establish a prima facie case of copyright infringement, a plaintiff needs to juxtapose the specific elements of a copyrighted work with an infringing work," says Sweetpea's motion. "Here, Hasbro merely alleges that Sweetpea is in 'discussions' to produce a Dungeons & Dragons sequel based on a script entitled Chainmail. Even though Hasbro admits it received a copy of the Chainmail script, there is no evidence that Chainmail—or any other work— contains specific elements that are also present in any Hasbro copyrighted work. In fact, there is no evidence of any copyrighted work. Instead, Hasbro merely refers in the complaint to 1500 copyrights without specifying which ones allegedly are infringed."

It's not unheard of for people in the movie industry to get sued for copyright infringement before production of a film finishes. For instance, in a lawsuit that was brought during last year's Toronto Film Festival and later settled, the producers of a planned eco-terrorism film were sued for infringing a literary property.

But the defendants in this case say that Hasbro at least has an obligation to spell out the alleged substantial similarities between one work and the next. (Hasbro has  been reported to have licensed a Dungeons & Dragons reboot to Universal.) As the motion puts it, "It is not sufficient for Hasbro to argue that the mere idea of a sequel to the Dungeons & Dragons movie infringes Hasbro’s copyrights."

 

Intel looks past Windows, sees Android for Haswell successor

Intle appears to be shifting its focus towards the Android operating system, and breaking away from years of optimizing its top line of Core PC processors—including recently launched Haswell processors—chiefly for Windows.

Intel is looking for a program manager whose job will be to manage Android development for the company’s upcoming Core chips that are code-named Broadwell. Broadwell, the successor to Haswell, is due next year. The job listing on Intel’s website hints that Android development will continue beyond Broadwell and into future Core chips.

IntelHaswell processor

The listing for an “Android System Software Program Manager” includes responsibilities for “planning and delivery for full system—across architecture, development, integration and validation.”

Intel already backs Android for its low-power Atom tablet and smartphone processors, but the company has not yet talked publicly about Android for Core processors. Core processors have more advanced instruction sets and graphics capabilities than Atom processors, and those would need to be optimized for Android.

Earlier this month, rival x86 chip maker Advanced Micro Devices moved away from an exclusive focus on Windows and said it will optimize chips for Android and Chrome OS—based on customer demand.

Intel sees innovation among PC makers, and the company will support multiple OS choices, a company spokesman said in an email.

PC designs are changing with tablet-like hybrids and convertibles, and Android could be used in some of those devices, according to Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates.

”It’s very smart of them to make sure Android runs on all of Intel’s architectures,” Gold said. “But Microsoft won’t go away anytime soon.”

Slow Windows 8 PC and tablet sales have hurt Intel and AMD, but neither will abandon Microsoft’s OS anytime soon. Intel’s aggressive multi-OS strategy will also help the chip maker compete with ARM, which dominates on Android devices.

Android and Windows tablets that are priced from $199 to $500 and come equipped with Intel’s upcoming Atom tablet chips code-named Bay Trail will reach shelves this holiday season.

Intel has already started development of the next-generation Core processor called Broadwell. The chips will be made using the 14-nanometer process, and will initially be released for PCs.