Real IT Center

* Selecting a cybersecurity vendor can be a difficult task, given all the considerations that must be taken. * Chief information security officers should ask themselves a series of questions before deciding on a cybersecurity vendor — from what threats it detects to how easy it is to use. * Cisco's new SecureX cloud native platform is helping solve CISOs biggest cybersecurity challenges Cybersecurity vendors always seem to be ready with answers. The trick for chief information security officers (CISOs) is to curt through the clutter by asking the right questions. Wendy Nather, head of advisory CISOs for Cisco, understands these conversations from the inside out. Here are the questions she says every cybersecurity vendor should be able to answer to get your business. What threats can your product detect? What you can't prevent, you must detect, but don't assume that security tools detect everything. Ask how broad the tool's scope and detection criteria are. Be sure...

* Elon Musk has some business advice for other companies: "Maximize the area under the curve of customer happiness." * The Tesla CEO said that is the goal of his company, and other businesses should aim to do the same thing.  * The hill-shaped curve shows that with more options, like Tesla's option to "subscribe" to its self-driving capabilities, customers have more ways to be satisfied.  * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Tesla's goal is to "maximize the area under the curve of customer happiness," CEO Elon Musk said in an earnings call on Wednesday.  He advised that it's "the kind of thing that all companies should try to do."  Musk said Tesla will offer its self-driving capabilities as a subscription service — in addition to the traditional, permanent option — for customers who didn't purchase it outright when they bought or leased their vehicles.  By giving customers additional choices, Musk sa...

* Roger Stone, a longtime friend and former top adviser to Donald Trump, ran a sprawling network of fake Facebook accounts starting in 2016, according to newly unsealed FBI search warrants. * The search warrants, published in response to a joint petition from five news outlets, also show that Stone communicated with WikiLeaks' Julian Assange as early as 2017. * A source identified as Stone's "right-hand man" told the FBI that Stone used the fake Facebook accounts to circulate WikiLeaks stories and, later, to defend himself against charges of Russian collusion. * Stone was sentenced to 40 months in prison for lying to Congress and witness intimidation, but was never charged with aiding Russia in its attempt to influence the 2016 election. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Roger Stone bought hundreds of fake Facebook pages in 2016, which he used to circulate news articles that would damage his political rivals and, later, to defend himself a...

* The best smartphones have never been more powerful or more attractive looking. * We've researched and tested dozens of smartphones to bring you the best ones you can buy. * Among the current iPhone models, the iPhone 11 is our top pick, while the Pixel 4, OnePlus 7T, Pixel 3a, and Samsung Galaxy S20 are great Android options in their respective price ranges. We've come a long way since the Nokia 8110 flip phone made its Hollywood debut in a little film called "The Matrix," in 1999. It's hard to believe that less than a decade later, Apple would start a revolution with what is considered to be the first modern smartphone, the iPhone. Today, smartphones are everywhere and they have never been more powerful or better looking.  You can't go wrong with any of the major flagship smartphones that have been released in 2019 and 2020 — although it's early days yet for the new year. You can even get excellent phones for $500 or less these days. In this guid...

* Up your typing game with this Das Keyboard 4Q, our pick for the best keyboard overall. It's new Q software controls RGB lighting that acts as a built-in notification system.  * The Das Keyboard 4Q's dedicated media controls allow you to adjust volume quickly during video calls or while listening to music. This is the keyboard that won't ghost as you rapidly type, thanks to its N-key rollover feature that detects all keystrokes.  Are you ready for a keyboard upgrade? If your current equipment has more of the quirks and less of the loveable aspects of Michael Scott from "The Office," then it could be time to invest in one of the best keyboards. Whether you're working in a busy office or writing a screenplay, you can kick your old-school keyboard out and move to a model that clicks with your daily grind. While working in open-concept offices, co-working spaces, or even in a shared home office, you don't want to be the person who sounds like they're ...

* Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet, Google's parent company, is now one of the world's highest-paid executives after he was awarded $281 million in total compensation in 2019.  * Pichai, who is also the CEO of Google, became Alphabet's CEO when Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced last December that they were stepping down from their leadership roles at the company.  * Pichai has been at Google since 2004, rising through the ranks to become CEO in 2015, and eventually, leading the entire company.  * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Sundar Pichai has had a meteoric rise since joining Google in 2004. Last December, Google's cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced that Pichai would be taking over as Alphabet CEO, as both Page and Brin stepped down from their leadership roles at the company. Up until that point, Larry Page was still CEO of Google's parent company, Alphabet, and Pichai had the incredibly importan...

  * There's a surprising number of Apple deals at any given time, but not all of them are good. * We're only including deals for products we think are worthy of our recommendation to our friends, family, and to you. * We've spotted deals on Apple computers, headphones, and iPhone cases. We'll inevitably spot more soon, and we'll update this list when we find them. There's a surprising number of Apple deals out there on the internet for a wide range of Apple's acclaimed devices and products. We've included the best Apple deals we've seen so far below, and we continuously update this list with new top deals as we find them. It's also worth mentioning the things we don't include: deals for Apple products we don't think you'll like, nor would we recommend to our friends and family. For example, there's a sweet little discount going for Apple's latest 13-inch MacBook Pro, which would normally be a no-brainer. But, that sp...

* Uber's chief technology officer, Thuan Pham, has resigned effective May 16, the company said Tuesday. * Pham, who joined the company in 2013, was one of the last remaining executives hired by ousted founder Travis Kalanick. * The Information reported that Uber was planning to lay off up to 5,400 people to save costs as its core ride-hailing business is decimated by stay-at-home orders around the world.  * An Uber representative said the company was looking at "every possible scenario" for weathering the crisis.  * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Uber's chief technology officer and longest-serving executive, Thuan Pham, has resigned effective May 16, the company said Tuesday, as the company reportedly mulls further cost cutting to weather the coronavirus pandemic. "While the work is never done, I feel comfortable hanging up my hat at a time when the Uber Engineering team is at peak productivity, we have built robust system scale an...

* Damien Patton, CEO of real-time alerts app Banjo, was involved in a neo-Nazi group as a teenager and was convicted for assisting a drive-by shooting of a synagogue at age 17. * Patton testified in a 1992 trial that he drove a KKK gunman to a Tennessee synagogue, where his passenger fired at the street-facing windows and broke glass. No one was killed in the shooting. * "We believe that the Blacks and the Jews are taking over America, and it's our job to take America back for the White race," Patton, whose company partners with law enforcement, said in court. * Patton's past, unearthed by OneZero on Tuesday, had largely gone unnoticed because his name was misspelled in court filings related to the crimes. * The CEO apologized for his past and disavowed white supremacist groups on Tuesday, saying that he had acted out as a teen after suffering abuse as a child. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Twenty years before founding buzzy real-time...

  * Google's new Pixel Buds are now available to buy for $179.00 from Google's online store, Best Buy, Verizon, T-Mobile, and US Cellular. * The new Pixel Buds are direct answers to Apple's AirPods — they're wireless ear buds that come in a wireless charging case, and they have a few smart features, like pairing automatically with your Android phone and summoning Google Assistant. * They also have sweat-resistance and an in-ear design for a snug fit, making them a viable option for workouts. Google introduced its new $179.00 Pixel Buds on Monday, which are available to buy from Google's own store, Best Buy, Verizon, T-Mobile, and US Cellular. Google's Pixel Buds are totally wireless earbuds that come in a charging case. In a sentence, the Pixel Buds are Google's direct answer to Apple's AirPods. They're the Android user's wireless ear buds that pair automatically with their Android phones, and summon Google Assistant. Google touts up to...

* The shelter-in-place order in the San Francisco Bay Area is being extended through May. * The regionwide order, which was the first in the US, had already been extended once, from April 7 to May 3. * Residents have been isolating inside their homes for weeks to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. * But until factors including widespread testing and contact tracing are considered, reopening is unlikely. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The shelter-in-place order for the San Francisco Bay Area is being extended through May, past its previous deadline of May 3. A joint press release issued on Monday by public-health officials across the Bay Area said the modifications to the order — to be officially made later this week — would include "limited easing of specific restrictions for a small number of lower-risk activities." An expiration date wasn't announced, but the order will be enforced through May, the officials said. San Francisc...

  * Speakers with good performance can be pricey, but they often go on sale. * We've compiled all the best speaker deals for April 2020. * We'll update this list regularly with new deals as they're announced. * Right now, the Google Home smart speaker is on sale for $49.99 — that's $50 off its original price. Great speakers can make listening to music far more enjoyable — and speakers have been getting a whole lot better over the past few years. These days, even relatively inexpensive speakers can deliver well-rounded bass response, a well-tuned mid-range, and plenty of clarity and detail in the high end.  Of course, if you're in the market for a new speaker or speakers, you'll want to think about exactly what kind of speaker best matches your needs. There are a number of different types of speakers, and they can all serve drastically different purposes.  If you want something to take to the beach or use on the go, then a portable Bluetooth speaker is...