Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-18-2019, 07:03 AM - Forum: Windows
- No Replies
How Microsoft built the city of the future, right at home
How Microsoft Quietly Built the City of the Future
A small, covert team of engineers at Microsoft cast aside suggestions that the company spend US$60 million to turn its 500-acre headquarters into a smart campus to achieve energy savings and other efficiency gains. Instead, applying an œInternet of Things meets Big Data” approach, the team invented a data-driven software solution that is slashing the cost of operating the campus™ 125 buildings. The software, which is saving Microsoft millions of dollars, has been so successful that the company and its partners are now helping building managers across the world deploy the same solution. And with commercial buildings consuming an estimated 40 percent of the world™s total energy, the potential is huge.
By Jennifer Warnick
1: The Visionary
“Give me a little data and I™ll tell you a little. Give me a lot of data and
I™ll save the world.”
– Darrell Smith , Director of Facilities and Energy
Microsoft
œThis is my office,” says the sticker on Darrell Smith™s laptop, and it is.
With his œoffice” tucked under his arm, Microsoft™s director of facilities and energy is
constantly shuttling between meetings all over the company™s 500-acre, wooded campus
in Redmond, Washington.
But Smith always returns to one unique place.
The Redmond Operations Center (often called œthe ROC”) is located in a drab, nondescript
office park. Inside is something unique “ a new state-of-the-art œbrain” that is transforming
Microsoft™s 125-building, 41,664-employee headquarters into one of the smartest corporate
campuses in the world.
Your browser does not support the video element.
Smith and his team have been working for more than three years to unify an incongruent network
of sensors from different eras (think several decades of different sensor technology
and dozens of manufacturers). The software that he and his team built strings together
thousands of building sensors that track things like heaters, air conditioners, fans,
and lights “ harvesting billions of data points per week. That data has given the team
deep insights, enabled better diagnostics, and has allowed for far more intelligent decision
making. A test run of the program in 13 Microsoft buildings has provided staggering results
“ not only has Microsoft saved energy and millions in maintenance and utility costs,
but the company now is hyper-aware of the way its buildings perform.
It™s no small thing “ whether a damper is stuck in Building 75 or a valve is leaky in Studio
H “ that engineers can now detect (and often fix with a few clicks) even the tiniest
issues from their high-tech dashboard at their desks in the ROC rather than having to
jump into a truck to go find and fix the problem in person.
If the facility management world were Saturday morning cartoons, Smith and his team have
effectively flipped the channel from œThe Flintstones” to œThe Jetsons.” Instead of using
stone-age rocks and hammers to keep out the cold, Smith™s team invented a solution that
relies on data to find and fix problems instantly and remotely.
SLIDESHOW: Building the Microsoft Campus
œGive me a little data and I™ll tell you a little,” he says. œGive me a lot of data and I™ll
save the world.”
Smith joined Microsoft in December of 2008. His previous work managing data centers for Cisco
had given him big ideas about how buildings could be smarter and more efficient, but
until he came to Microsoft he lacked the technical resources to bring them to life. What
he found at Microsoft was support for these ideas on all sides “ from his boss to a handful
of savvy facilities engineers. They all knew buildings could be smarter, and together
they were going to find a way to make it so.
Smith has a finger-tapping restlessness that prevents him from sitting through an entire
movie. His intensity comes paired with the enthusiastic, genial demeanor of a favorite
bartender or a softball buddy (and indeed, he does play first base for a company softball
team, the Microsoft Misfits).
Ever punctual and an early riser, Smith lives near Microsoft headquarters and has taken to
spending a few quiet hours at his desk on Sundays.
œI call it my den because I live a mile away. I come here, I make coffee, I have the building
to myself,” Smith says.
His family and the people who know him best understand. Smart buildings are his passion,
and everything in his life has been moving toward finding ways for companies the world
over to get smarter about managing their buildings (which will help them save money and
reduce their energy use).
œSmart buildings will become smart cities,” Smith says. œAnd smart cities will change everything.”
Strap yourself into the cockpit of some of the worlds most formidable fighter planes and skim through the clouds embarking on daring aerial stunts and nerve-shredding tactical dogfights.
In Ace Combat 7, you take on the role of an Ace an elite fighter pilot tasked with patrolling the most open and intimidating space on Earth: the sky. Choose from an array of authentic modern and futurist aircraft and load them up with an arsenal of cutting-edge super weapons as unfolding events drive you into ever more dangerous aerial face-offs.
PlayStation VR support will allow you to actually climb inside the cockpit with a series of exclusive features that create a new level of death-defying immersion.
Check Out the 2019 Linux Foundation Events and Expand Your Open Source Experience
The Linux Foundation just recently announced its 2019 events schedule, featuring all your favorite events as well as some brand-new ones to cover the latest technologies. Make plans now to speak or attend and expand your experience with open source.
The Linux Foundation’s 2019 events are projected to more than 35,000 open source influencers to learn and share best practices in open source technologies ranging from operating systems, cloud applications, containers, IoT, AI, networking, security, storage, and more. New events on the schedule for this year include Cephalocon and gRPC Conf.
Submit a Proposal
If you’re interested in submitting a proposal, act soon because calls for papers for some of the earliest 2019 events are on the verge of closing. Speaking proposals are now being accepted for:
Check back soon for submission details for other upcoming events, as the calendar is regularly updated. The Linux Foundation welcomes first-time speakers and is happy to provide additional information about the submission process.
If you don’t plan to speak but do want to attend, note that events like KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe are expected to sell out. The recent event in Seattle was record-breaking in terms of attendance, so register early to secure your spot.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-18-2019, 12:22 AM - Forum: Lounge
- No Replies
Ubisoft's Teased Space Game Pioneer Seemingly Canceled
Pioneer, the sci-fi project teased within Watch Dogs 2, has seemingly been canceled. A trailer for the space exploration game was found in a Watch Dogs 2 mission that had you infiltrate Ubisoft's real-life San Francisco office. However, ex-Ubisoft game director Alex Hutchison has now cast doubt on the project's status.
"RIP Pioneer," he stated on Twitter, including a link to the game's trailer. When followers asked if this meant the project was dead, he simply responded with crying emojis. Ubisoft has declined to comment, but then the game was never officially announced in the first place. It was seemingly due to be revealed at E3 2017, before needing to be "retooled," according to Kotaku's sources in November 2016.
There's no sign, meanwhile, of a third Watch Dogs game, which has been heavily rumored to be set in London. The next major Ubisoft title to launch will be February's Far Cry: New Dawn.
Xenon Racer Aims To Scratch That Futuristic F-Zero Itch On Switch This March
Publisher Soedesco has revealed that its upcoming racing game Xenon Racer will be speeding onto Switch on 26th March. A new trailer has been released to celebrate.
The game takes place in the near future, where an official racing federation has allowed teams to transition from the cars we know today to flying vehicles. You’ll be putting the pedal to the metal in a championship, with your advanced cars driving at “crazy speeds”, drifting and boosting your way to victory. Obvious comparisons can be drawn to the likes of F-Zero, Wipeout, and Fast RMX on Switch.
Here’s a feature list to give you a little more info:
Features – Race at top speeds in electric vehicles boosted by Xenon gas – Drift through the streets of cities like Tokyo and Dubai in 2030 – Triumph in singleplayer, split-screen & online multiplayer championships – Customize your car with tons of parts to create the ultimate racing vehicle
At the time of writing, Soedesco is streaming the game on its Twitch channel to celebrate the release date announcement. You can head to the channel here to give that a watch.
Do you love futuristic racers? Will you be getting behind the wheel in this one? Tell us below.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-18-2019, 12:22 AM - Forum: Windows
- No Replies
Meet the Minecraft Education team at Bett 2019 Jan. 23-26 in London
The Minecraft: Education Edition team will be travelling to the UK next week for Bett 2019! Bett is the first industry expo of the year in the education technology landscape, bringing together 800 leading companies, 100 startups and more than 30,000 attendees from the global education community.
We will be running hands-on workshops and demos at the new Minecraft Classroom (stand F280), an immersive space next to the Microsoft stand where attendees can learn how to teach and code with Minecraft: Education Edition, speak with members of our team for customer support and take fun photos with Minecraft mobs. Sign up for workshops here. Read this Education blog to learn what’s offered at the Microsoft stand (E300).
We hope you will follow along on social media @playcraftlearn #MinecraftEdu #Bett2019.
Here is a breakdown below of the Minecraft team’s Bett schedule, and what we will be covering during our workshops and demos:
Workshop – Code with Minecraft Location: Minecraft Classroom, Stand F280
Wednesday, January 23, at 11AM and 3PM GMT Thursday, January 24, at 1PM GMT Friday, January 25, at 11AM and 3PM GMT
Minecraft: Education Edition offers educators all you need to get started teaching computer science. In this interactive workshop, learn the basics of using Code Builder, the new in-game coding feature, and explore new lessons and standards-aligned curriculum that you can put to use in your school. Devices will be provided. Register here.
Workshop – How to Teach with Minecraft Location: Minecraft Classroom, Stand F280
Wednesday, January 23, at 1PM GMT Thursday, January 24, at 11AM and 3PM GMT Friday, January 25, at 1PM GMT Saturday, January 26, and 11AM GMT
Attendees will be immersed in a hands-on experience to learn how to use Minecraft: Education Edition, from login to game-play. In addition to learning how to play the game, we’ll show you how to navigate our lesson library to find classroom activities that fit into your curriculum. Devices will be provided. Register here.
Stage Demo – Building STEM skills with Minecraft: Education Edition Location: Learn Live Theater, Stand E300 Times: 1PM daily
In this 30-minute demo on the Learn Live Theater stage in the Microsoft stand, see how you can engage your students in STEM subjects using special features in Minecraft: Education Edition, from Code Builder to the Chemistry Resource Pack.
Customer Support
Stop by the Minecraft Classroom (stand F280) to have your questions answered. Learn how to deploy licenses, empower educators to get started with Minecraft in their classrooms and discover professional development resources available online. We’re here to help!
Not at #Bett2019? You can always visit the Help Center for technical support.
Introducing New Computer Science Curriculum!
We just launched a CSTA-aligned computer science curriculum to accompany Code Builder. This flexible, 30-hour curriculum includes downloadable lessons, worlds and teaching resources to help students ages 11-16 learn fundamental coding concepts.
Code Builder is the in-game feature that allows you to code in familiar learn-to-code environments including Microsoft MakeCode and Tynker. Once you are in the Minecraft: Education Edition world, simply press letter ‘C’ on the keyboard to launch Code Builder or press the Agent if using touch controls on a tablet. (The Agent is a character who can be programmed to run different coding commands, from mining to building and farming in Minecraft.)
Check out the Computer Science lessons for easy activities and standards-aligned lessons across STEM subjects. Minecraft: Education Edition also offers two MEC training courses to help educators learn how to teach CS with Minecraft.
New Digital Badging Program
We have also re-launched our digital badging to engage more educators in the global Minecraft community. Earn badges to access exclusive learning content, provide early feedback on new features and support other educators using Minecraft: Education Edition. Visit our Community page learn more.
We can’t wait to meet educators from around the world and share the transformational power of Minecraft in education. Come learn with us and explore the future of education technology. See you in London!
Learn how to use Let’s Encrypt in this tutorial from our archives.
Back in the bad old days, setting up basic HTTPS with a certificate authority cost as much as several hundred dollars per year, and the process was difficult and error-prone to set up. Now we have Let’s Encrypt for free, and the whole thing takes just a few minutes.
Why Encrypt?
Why encrypt your sites? Because unencrypted HTTP sessions are wide open to multiple abuses:
Internet service providers lead the code-injecting offenders. How to foil their nefarious desires? Your best defense is HTTPS. Let’s review how HTTPS works.
Chain of Trust
You could set up asymmetric encryption between your site and everyone who is allowed to access it. This is very strong protection: GPG (GNU Privacy Guard, see How to Encrypt Email in Linux), and OpenSSH are common tools for asymmetric encryption. These rely on public-private key pairs. You can freely share public keys, while your private keys must be protected and never shared. The public key encrypts, and the private key decrypts.
This is a multi-step process that does not scale for random web-surfing, however, because it requires exchanging public keys before establishing a session, and you have to generate and manage key pairs. An HTTPS session automates public key distribution, and sensitive sites, such as shopping and banking, are verified by a third-party certificate authority (CA) such as Comodo, Verisign, or Thawte.
When you visit an HTTPS site, it provides a digital certificate to your web browser. This certificate verifies that your session is strongly encrypted and supplies information about the site, such as organization’s name, the organization that issued the certificate, and the name of the certificate authority. You can see all of this information, and the digital certificate, by clicking on the little padlock in your web browser’s address bar (Figure 1).
The major web browsers, including Opera, Firefox, Chromium, and Chrome, all rely on the certificate authority to verify the authenticity of the site’s digital certificate. The little padlock gives the status at a glance; green = strong SSL encryption and verified identity. Web browsers also warn you about malicious sites, sites with incorrectly configured SSL certificates, and they treat self-signed certificates as untrusted.
So how do web browsers know who to trust? Browsers include a root store, a batch of root certificates, which are stored in /usr/share/ca-certificates/mozilla/. Site certificates are verified against your root store. Your root store is maintained by your package manager, just like any other software on your Linux system. On Ubuntu, they are supplied by the ca-certificates package. The root store itself is maintained by Mozilla for Linux.
As you can see, it takes a complex infrastructure to make all of this work. If you perform any sensitive online transactions, such as shopping or banking, you are trusting a whole lot of unknown people to protect you.
Encryption Everywhere
Let’s Encrypt is a global certificate authority, similar to the commercial CAs. Let’s Encrypt was founded by the non-profit Internet Security Research Group (ISRG) to make it easier to secure Websites. I don’t consider it sufficient for shopping and banking sites, for reasons which I will get to shortly, but it’s great for securing blogs, news, and informational sites that don’t have financial transactions.
There are at least three ways to use Let’s Encrypt. The best way is with the Certbot client, which is maintained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). This requires shell access to your site.
If you are on shared hosting then you probably don’t have shell access. The easiest method in this case is using a host that supports Let’s Encrypt.
If your host does not support Let’s Encrypt, but supports custom certificates, then you can create and upload your certificate manually with Certbot. It’s a complex process, so you’ll want to study the documentation thoroughly.
When you have installed your certificate use SSL Server Test to test your site.
Let’s Encrypt digital certificates are good for 90 days. When you install Certbot it should also install a cron job for automatic renewal, and it includes a command to test that the automatic renewal works. You may use your existing private key or certificate signing request (CSR), and it supports wildcard certificates.
Limitations
Let’s Encrypt has some limitations: it performs only domain validation, that is, it issues a certificate to whoever controls the domain. This is basic SSL. It does not support Organization Validation (OV) or Extended Validation (EV) because it is not possible to automate identity validation. I would not trust a banking or shopping site that uses Let’s Encrypt– let ’em spend the bucks for a complete package that includes identity validation.
As a free-of-cost service run by a non-profit organization there is no commercial support, but only documentation and community support, both of which are quite good.
The Internet is full of malice. Everything should be encrypted. Start with Let’s Encrypt to protect your site visitors.
Learn more about Linux through the free “Introduction to Linux” course from The Linux Foundation and edX.
Absolver puts players behind the mask of a Prospect, who has taken a sacred vow and chosen to join the Absolvers, an elite corps of combatants fighting to maintain stability in the world.
Smash Bros. Ultimate's Next Spirit Event Begins Today
A new Spirit Board event is set to begin soon in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This week, Nintendo is holding the second part of the Fire Emblem Fest, which will feature a variety of Spirits taken from the long-running strategy RPG series.
The event kicks off at 10 PM PT on January 17 (1 AM ET / 6 AM GMT on January 18) and runs through the weekend, ending at the same time on January 20-21. During the Fire Emblem Fest, Fire Emblem characters will appear much more frequently on the Spirit Board. You'll also take home extra Gold for defeating them.
The first part of the Fire Emblem Fest occurred back in December and featured the Legend-class Spirits Caeda and Azura, as well Eliwood, Eirika, and others. Both Azura and Caeda will return for Part 2, but this time they'll be joined by a number of characters who didn't appear the first time around, such as the Ace-class Spirits Leo and Takumi.
Nintendo is holding a different Spirit Board event each week in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While most are themed around certain types of characters, last week's event rewarded players with twice the normal amount of Spirit experience and Spirit Points. The Mario Time event from December also introduced a handful of exclusive Spirits.
The next game in the Fire Emblem series, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, is slated to launch for Switch this year. Nintendo hasn't revealed many details about the game yet, but we got our first look at it during the company's E3 2018 presentation. Nintendo has a number of other titles lined up for this year; be sure to check them out in our gallery of Nintendo-exclusive games coming in 2019.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-17-2019, 05:50 PM - Forum: Windows
- No Replies
Security researchers: Bug bounty program for Azure DevOps added
It is my pleasure to announce another exciting expansion of the Microsoft Bounty Programs. Today, we are adding a security bug bounty program for Azure DevOps in partnership with the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) to our suite of Bounty programs.
Our Bounty program rewards independent security researchers who find flaws and report them to us responsibly. We’ll publicly recognize the researchers who report these security issues, and for high-severity bugs we’ll present payments of up to $20,000 USD.
These rewards help motivate researchers to find security vulnerabilities in our services and let us correct them before they’re exploited by attackers. You can find the details of our Bug Bounty program with MSRC.
Security has always been a passion of mine, and I see this program as a natural complement to our existing security framework. We’ll continue to employ careful code reviews and examine the security of our infrastructure. We’ll still run our security scanning and monitoring tools. And we’ll keep assembling a red team on a regular basis to attack our own systems to identify weaknesses.
If you’re interested in the way our team approaches security and how we continue to evolve our thinking and practices, then I’d encourage you to watch the video of my talk “Mindset shift to a DevSecOps culture.”
This program will help us provide the highest level of security for our customers, protect customer data, and ensure the availability of Azure DevOps. I’m looking forward to seeing what we learn from working more closely with the security community.
