Industry News - Week of Oct. 7, 2019

IN THIS ISSUE: 'Lite' Windows 10X Unveiled; TensorFlow 2.0 Adds Tools, Embraces Python; Putting MLOps into Practice; Unix Turns 50; How 5G and Wi-Fi 6 Will Change the World ; CyberCrime on the Cheap; Geolocationing without GPS; FAA Clears UPS to Use Drones

Taking Another Shot at Small-Footprint Windows
Microsoft last week took the wraps off Windows 10X, its latest attempt at a scaled-down mobile OS that it claims will automatically adapt application UIs to span multi-display devices and run "Big Windows" apps in a new container system. Availability is set for late 2020. No word on its actual footprint.

Tensorflow 2.0 Adds Tools, Tightens Python Integration
Google has released TensorFlow 2.0, the latest version of its machine learning platform that integrates with Python's Keras deep learning library, which reportedly will make Python developers more at home with the environment. 

Putting Machine Learning into Practice
Fewer than half of all machine learning projects make it to the real world, according to a Gartner study. Companies developing ML apps will be glad to know about MLOps, an organization developing a set of practices for putting the emerging technology into everyday operations. There's even an MLOps Conference.  

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Unix Turns 50
It's hard to image that an operating system originally designed to run on house-sized computers would some day power PCs that fit in the palm of your hand. 

How 5G and Wi-Fi 6 Will Change the World  
While most of world watches and waits for 5G high-speed cellular infrastructure, folks at the Wi-Fi Alliance have been hard at work on their next-gen spec. The group last week began issuing certifications to device manufacturers for the super-speed Wi-Fi 6, with Apple and Samsung first in line.   

MasterMana Botnet Reaks Havoc for Pennies 
If you thought that maintaining a global malware campaign would be expensive, think again. Security research firm Prevailion has reported that it's possible to infect thousands of users a week, stealing their identities, cryptocurrency wallets and web history for as little as $160. 

Geolocationing without GPS
Researchers at MIT and elsewhere have developed a locationing system that can help IoT and other smart devices determine where they're located without the use of global positioning systems. Tentatively dubbed the "Localization of Things," potential uses include supply-chain monitoring and autonomous navigation. 

UPS Approved to Deploy Drones
Canadian logistics giant United Parcel Service has received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to begin using drones to deliver packages, the first company to be so granted. Rather than launching from a centralized hub, UPS will likely deploy drones from their trucks, reducing stops and miles traveled.