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  Published Date: 2020-08-10 

 AnyDesk is a viable option if you need to access and use a remote PC. Image: Olezzo, Getty Images/iStockPhoto To access another PC remotely, you can turn to a number of different apps and services, including LogMeIn, TeamViewer, GotoMyPC, and Microsoft's own Remote Desktop Connection. Another program worth considering is AnyDesk. Free for personal use and available for a monthly subscription price for business use, AnyDesk lets you quickly connect to any remote device running the program. You can require a response from the remote PC or set a password for unattended access. You can connect from a mobile device to a PC. You can also work with a whiteboard, transfer files, and print remotely. SEE: Life after lockdown: Your office job will never be the same--here's what to expect (cover story PDF) (TechRepublic) AnyDesk is available for a variety of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS/iPadOS, Linux, FreeBSD, Raspberry PI, and Chrome OS. You can try the free version first to evaluate the program, though this edition is designed only for personal use. Offering a greater array of features, the paid editions include a Lite plan for $10.99 per month, a Professional plan for $20.99 per month, and a Power plan for $52.49 per month. Download AnyDesk from its website on both your remote and guest computers or devices. By default, AnyDesk runs in portable mode, which means no installation is required; just double-click the downloaded AnyDesk.exe file to launch the program. If you wish to remotely access a PC within your organization, you'll likely first need to establish a secure connection through a VPN or Remote Access Gateway. Make sure AnyDesk is running on both the remote and guest devices. On the remote device, look for the address listed in the pane for This Desk. On the guest PC, enter that address in the pane for Remote Desk and click Connect (Figure A). Figure A On the remote PC, a window appears asking you to accept the remote session request. Click the Accept button (Figure B). Figure B The guest PC is now connected to the remote machine. Certain options are turned on by default, including allowing the guest PC to take control, allowing use of the clipboard, allowing use of the OS's file manager, allowing audio, allowing the desktop to be locked, allowing a video recording of the session, and allowing drawing on the screen. Any of these options can be disabled or re-enabled but only on the remote side (Figure C). Figure C Otherwise, you can now fully access all of the apps, services, and files on the remote PC. The top toolbar offers icons for all the major AnyDesk features (Figure D). Figure D Click the Files icon to transfer files from the guest PC to the remote computer, or vice versa. Click the Chat icon to chat with someone at the remote PC. Click the Actions icon to perform certain actions, such as sending a Ctrl-Alt-Del sequence, taking a screenshot, or restarting the remote computer. Click the Keyboard settings icon to change the keyboard layout. Click the Display settings icon to change the screen mode and quality. Click the Permissions icon to enable or disable certain permissions. Click the Whiteboard icon to draw lines, circles, and other objects on the screen. Click the Start session recording button to record the remote session. Close the top tab for the remote computer to disconnect. If no one will be at the remote PC to accept the connection, you can set a password for unattended access. At the remote computer, click the pane for Set password for unattended access. At the Security section under Settings, check the box to Enable unattended access. Create and then confirm the password and click Apply (Figure E). Then try to connect from the guest PC. Enter the password to gain access. Figure E Back at the remote PC, review the other options in Settings. Check the ones for User Interface, Display, Audio, Connection, File Transfer, Recording, Printer, and Wake-On-LAN. But pay special attention to the options under Security and Privacy to make sure the remote connections are as secure as possible without obstructing your ability to fully work on the remote machine (Figure F) Figure F Finally, you can install the full version of AnyDesk either on the remote or guest machine. The main reason would be to check all the features available in the paid versions. At the main AnyDesk window, click the link to Install AnyDesk on this computer. At the next screen, click the button to Accept & Install. At the Welcome screen, click the button to Test professional features now. You can now sign up for a 14-day trial license through which you can explore all the advanced paid features. Best of the Week Newsletter Our editors highlight the TechRepublic articles, downloads, and galleries that you cannot miss to stay current on the latest IT news, innovations, and tips. Fridays Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-10 

 If you're considering SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for your organization, try openSUSE Leap and then migrate it to SLES with a few quick commands. Image: Jack Wallen The openSUSE Linux distribution is an outstanding option for anyone looking for a powerhouse desktop or server platform. But for businesses looking for a Linux distribution with more traditional support and enterprise-level bells and whistles, openSUSE might not be the best route. However, this is Linux, and companies like SUSE are always looking for ways to make your path to business as smooth as possible. SEE: Top cloud providers in 2020: AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, hybrid, SaaS players (TechRepublic) One such way is making it possible to upgrade openSUSE Leap to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15. That means you can take your openSUSE Leap server that's already in production, and migrate it to the enterprise-grade SLES. Believe it or not, this process is actually quite easy, and your server won't miss a beat. Let me show you how. What you'll need to upgrade to openSUSE Leap Obviously, you'll need a running, upgraded instance of openSUSE Leap. You will also need a SLES subscription. Make sure you have both of those things at the ready before you continue on. When you register your system, you'll be given a registration code, which you'll need for the upgrade. Copy that code for later use. How to register openSUSE Leap Log in to your openSUSE Leap server and verify you're running openSUSE Leap with the command: cat /etc/os-release The output of the command should show you're running Leap, version 15.2 (Figure A). Figure A We now need to install the SUSEConnect software with the command: sudo zypper in SUSEConnect Once SUSEConnect is installed, register your server with the command: sudo SUSEConnect -r CODE -p SLES/15/x86_64 Where CODE is the registration code associated with your SUSE account. How to upgrade Leap to SLES When the registration completes, it's time to run the upgrade from Leap to SLES. To do that, issue the command: sudo zypper dup --force-resolution If you receive warnings about the Leap repositories, you might have to disable them with the command: sudo zypper lr -d If you had to disable the repositories, rerun the upgrade command and it should succeed. When the upgrade completes, reboot the server with the command: sudo reboot And that's all there is to upgrading openSUSE Leap to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. For any admin looking to get more support for Linux in their data center, this is a great way to "try before you buy" with SUSE Linux. Get openSUSE Leap server up and running, configure it exactly as you need, and then migrate that platform to the enterprise-ready SLES. It's a win-win path to a business-ready solution. Data Center Trends Newsletter DevOps, virtualization, the hybrid cloud, storage, and operational efficiency are just some of the data center topics we'll highlight. Delivered Mondays and Wednesdays Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-10 

 You can undo changes to files on OneDrive in the event of a synchronization problem. Many of us use Microsoft OneDrive to back up and synchronize documents and other files. But every now and then OneDrive fails to work properly. Files may get deleted accidentally without your input, or the synchronization itself could result in incorrect versions of certain files. If problems ever arise with your OneDrive backup or sync, one option is to restore your OneDrive files to a previous time, a task you can accomplish at your OneDrive online storage site. SEE: Microsoft Teams: How-to guide (TechRepublic download) First try the Recycle Bin If you're missing a specific file or files normally backed up and synced via OneDrive, first check the OneDrive Recycle Bin, which stores deleted files for up to 30 days. Open your OneDrive online storage. Click the entry in the left sidebar for Recycle Bin. Here, you can sort files by name, location, deletion date, or size. You can also search for a deleted file by name. To restore a file, just select it and click the Restore button, or right-click it and select Restore (Figure A). Figure A Restore OneDrive to a previous time If too many files are missing or out of sync to restore them individually, you can turn to the option to restore them to a previous time. To do this at your online OneDrive storage, click the Settings icon in the upper right and select Options. In the Options screen, click the entry for Restore your OneDrive (Figure B). Figure B Click the button to Verify your identity and sign in or authenticate your account. At the screen to Restore your OneDrive, click the dropdown button for Select a Date. This field offers several different durations, including a suggested restore point, yesterday, one week ago, three weeks ago, and a custom date and time. Depending on the nature and scope of the problem, you may want to start with the suggested restore point, so select that duration. SEE: How to share files using Microsoft OneDrive (TechRepublic) Wait a few seconds, and OneDrive displays a list of the recent changes that would be undone to specific files should you trigger the restore. A change that's checked will be implemented if you proceed with the restore; a change that's unchecked will be left alone. You can also uncheck a checked change to exclude it and any changes that occurred before it and check an unchecked change to include it and any changes that occurred after it (Figure C). Figure C At this point, you can alter the duration one of two ways if you wish. Drag the slider on the bar to increase the number of days included in the restore; drag it to the right to decrease the number of days. Alternatively, click the dropdown button for Select a date and try one of the other durations, such as yesterday or even custom date and time. Again, view the list of changes that would be undone should you stick with the option you chose. After you've selected what you feel is the right duration, click the Restore button. A message asks if you're sure you want to restore your OneDrive. Click Restore (Figure D). Figure D Your OneDrive is then restored. Click the button to Return to your OneDrive to see the changes that were made. If you're still experiencing missing or out-of-sync files, then repeat the process but this time choose a different duration to see if the results turn out better. Microsoft Weekly Newsletter Be your company's Microsoft insider by reading these Windows and Office tips, tricks, and cheat sheets. Delivered Mondays and Wednesdays Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-10 

 You can arrange the photos you snap on your Android phone by placing them into albums via Google Photos. TechRepublic Your Android phone may be overflowing with hundreds or even thousands of photos and screenshots that you've snapped over the years. You might have photos and screen captures that you've taken for your organization, perhaps for inventory, documentation, events, or promotional purposes. How can you organize all those images? SEE: Managing and troubleshooting Android devices checklist (TechRepublic Premium) On an Android phone, your best bet is to make sure your photos are being synced with Google Photos, so you can organize them either on your phone or though your PC. You can then create albums in which to store your individual images. Let's cover the steps. How to set up Google Photos Your Android phone automatically comes equipped with the Google Photos app. But should you need to download and install the app, just grab it from Google Play. Open Google Photos, tap your account photo or image in the upper right and select Photos settings. At the Settings screen, tap the setting for Back Up & Sync. Turn on the switch for Back Up & Sync if it's not already enabled (Figure A). Figure A To determine the quality of your backups, select the option for Upload size. You can choose Original quality, which backs up your photos at their original resolution but with only the first 15GB worth free. Or you can choose High Quality, which backs up your photos at a more compressed but still high-quality level with free unlimited storage. You may want to try High Quality first and see if the results meet your satisfaction. If necessary, you can always change to Original Quality at any time (Figure B). Figure B If you find yourself running low on free space with High Quality, select the option to Buy 100GB for $1.99 a month. You can then choose a paid monthly or annual plan to get anywhere from 100GB to 30TB of storage (Figure C). Figure C Next, wait for the existing photos and screenshots on your phone to be synced to Google Photos. Any new photos or screenshots you snap will be synced to Google Photos as well. Now you can organize your photos through albums on your phone through the Google Photos app or on your computer through the Google Photos website. Let's look at both ways. How to organize your photos on your phone On your phone, open the Google Photos app. Tap the Library icon on the bottom toolbar. Scroll down the screen and tap the thumbnail for New Album or the link for Create Album. Name your album with a title. Tap the box to Select Photos. Check the photos you want to add. You can automatically tag all photos from a specific date by checking the box in front of the date. Tap the Add link at the upper right (Figure D). Figure D Your album is created and populated with the photos you chose. To add more photos to it, tap the Add Photos icon at the top, select the additional photos, and then tap Add. To remove photos from the album, tap the three-dot icon in the upper right and tap Select. Select each photo you want to remove. Tap the three-dot icon again and then tap Remove from album. Continue those steps for each group of photos that you want to arrange into an album. To remove an album, tap the three-dot icon and tap Delete album (Figure E). Figure E How to organize your photos on your computer Alternatively, you can easily work with albums in Google Photos on your computer. Sign into your Google Photos page through any browser on your PC. Click the Albums option in the Library section on the left. Click the icon to Create album in the upper right (Figure F). Figure F Create a title. Click the Add Photos button and then select the photos or screenshots you want to include in the album. Click Done (Figure G). Figure G Your album is created with all the images you selected. To include more photos, click the Add Photos icon in the upper right and select the ones you want to add. To perform other actions, click the three-dot icon in the upper right and select Edit Album. You can now rearrange photos by dragging and dropping them to new positions, remove a photo by clicking its X mark, and change the name of the album. When finished, click the checkmark in front of the Edit Album option at the top (Figure H). Figure H Google Weekly Newsletter Learn how to get the most out of Google Docs, Google Cloud Platform, Google Apps, Chrome OS, and all the other Google products used in business environments. Delivered Fridays Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-10 

 If an index doesn't generate the main and subentries that you need, switch them around until they do. Image: Prostock-Studio, Getty Images/iStockphoto Microsoft Word's indexing feature is easy to implement. When creating a simple index, you mark terms, and that's about it. Usually marking entries and generating an index of main entries, or one level, is adequate. Occasionally, you'll need main and subentries. Trying to determine whether a term is a main or subentry can be a bit tricky. In this article, I'll show you how to switch between the two levels when the original marking doesn't work as expected. If you don't know how to create an index in Word, you can read the tutorial How to add an index to a Word document using index fields. SEE: How to add hyperlinks to a Word document (TechRepublic) I'm using Microsoft 365 on a Windows 10 64-bit system, but you can use older versions. You can work with your own data or download the demonstration .docx file. The browser edition will display an existing index, but you can't mark entries or generate an index in the browser. This article was prompted by a question from Tom Sampson. The difference between main entries and subentries Main entries are the first-tier terms. A subentry is a word or phrase that's related to the main entry. They can also exist as main entries but it's also important to acknowledge their relationship to another main entry. For instance, you might consider your grandmother the matriarch of your family. Your parents, aunts and uncles, and cousins all fall within your grandmother's main entry. The relationship between an entry and subentry is similar. SEE: How to add a drop down list to an Excel cell (TechRepublic) For most of us, this relationship works fine; however, occasionally, it seems contrary to what we're trying to do. Let's look at a fun example: Yachts and their names. Let's assume that the word yacht exists within your text along with the names of several yachts. In the index, you want the word yacht to be the main entry and yacht names to be the subentries. It's sounds simple enough until you try to implement that expectation. Before you can generate an index, you have to mark the entries. How to mark index entries We're going to use an extremely simple example so we can concentrate on what we're doing. This simple document repeats the same sentence at the top of three pages (so you can see the page numbers change in the index), but the names of the yachts change: Page 1 : This is a test of index main and subentries for yacht names like The SS Minnow and Daddy's Mistress. : This is a test of index main and subentries for yacht names like The SS Minnow and Daddy's Mistress. Page 2 : This is a test of index main and subentries for yacht names like Moby's Fear and My Ship Came In. : This is a test of index main and subentries for yacht names like Moby's Fear and My Ship Came In. Page 3: This is a test of index main and subentries for yacht names like Mommy's Paycheck and My Kids' Inheritance. Now, let's mark the entries for the first sentence on the first page as follows: Select yacht because it's the main entry. Click the References tab. Click Mark Entry (Figure A) in the Index group. The default settings are correct, so click Mark and then Close. Repeat steps 1 through 3 to mark The SS Minnow and Daddy's Mistress. Figure A When you return to the document, Word will display the index fields, as shown in Figure B. Complete the easy steps above to index all of the instance of "yacht" and each yacht name on pages 2 and 3. Figure B After marking all of the entries (there are nine), you're ready to generate the index. How to generate the index Generating an index is just as easy as marking the entries, usually. It takes only a few steps; let's create an index for the example document: Position the cursor where you want the index; usually an index is at the end of a document and begins at the beginning of a new page. Click the References tab. In the Index group, click Insert Index. In the resulting dialog on the Index tab, change the number of columns to 1 (this isn't strictly necessary, but I think two columns adds a bit of confusion to the discussion). Click OK to see the index shown in Figure C. Figure C As you can see, it's not what we wanted. The yacht names are main entries, along with the word yacht. What we want is a list of yachts as subentries under yacht as a main entry. In addition, Word generates the index in a section of its own—it's worth noting but won't impact anything we do. One more thing: We don't want to display the page numbers for every instance of the word yacht in the document; the names are what's important, but we do want them noted as yachts in the index. How to switch positions The problem isn't serious; in fact, the solution is quite simple. We marked everything as a main entry and that's what the index gave us. A list of main entry terms with page numbers. First, let's mark the yacht names as subentries as follows: If you're using the demonstration file, remove all of the index fields—simply close the file without saving. If you've already saved the file, remove the fields, or recreate one of the sentences (you don't need the entire list). Skip the word yacht in the first sentence and select The SS Minnow. Click the References tab, and then click Mark Entry in the Index group. Word assumes the selected word or phrase is a main entry; we know that it isn't. Cut the entry from the Main entry control and copy it to the Subentry control. Enter yacht as the main entry (Figure D). Click Mark Entry and the Close. Figure D Repeat the steps for all of the yacht names, without ever marking the word yacht in any sentence. When you're done, generate an index as before. This time, as shown in Figure E, yacht is the main entry and all of the yacht names are subentries of yacht. Also notice that yacht doesn't display page numbers. If you want the page numbers for yacht, simply mark it each time it occurs or use the Mark All option at the bottom of the Index dialog. Figure E Return to any of the marked entries and notice that the code is different. As you can see in Figure F, the field now contains the word yacht—that's the field's main entry. You could manually make that change instead of starting over if you only had a few changes to make. Figure F The example is a bit contrived, and to tell the truth, you might know how to avoid this problem from the get-go; however, the purpose is to show you how to evaluate terms as main entries or subentries, and how to quickly correct those entries when the index doesn't generate the results you need. It's worth noting that consistency matters a lot when marking index terms. For instance, if you accidentally enter Yacht (uppercase Y) for one yacht name, you will end up with two main entries for yacht and two incomplete lists. In addition, if you select the space of punctuation before the term, the term won't sort correctly. Also see  

  Published Date: 2020-08-10 

 OpenAPI Comment Parser for developers aims to make good API documentation easy to write and read. Image: IBM APIs are essential to programming, but they can get complicated. IBM has launched a new tool for developers that should make writing API documentation a bit easier: The OpenAPI Comment Parser. "Developers need instructions on how to use your API and they need a way to try it out. Good documentation handles both," IBM developer advocate Nicholas Bourdakos said in a blog post about the new developer tool. OpenAPI is a specification that was built as a language-agnostic interface for RESTful APIs, "which allows both humans and computers to discover and understand the capabilities of the service without access to source code, documentation, or through network traffic inspection," said API tool maintainer Swagger. The Comment Parser is designed to work around a problem that Bourdakos said is common for developers working with the OpenAPI specification: OpenAPI specs for recording comments have to be built and maintained manually, which means they often get forgotten and become bloated and useless. SEE: Quick Glossary: DevOps (TechRepublic Premium) "The goal of OpenAPI Comment Parser is to give developers a way to generate this OpenAPI spec from comments inline with their code," Bourdakos said. The OpenAPI spec under the Comment Parser lives inside the code, broken up into smaller pieces that can be more easily updated because the need to go searching through a giant spec file is eliminated. "On average, this new format has been shown to reduce the amount of spec needed to be written by 50%," Bourdakos said. Bourdakos gives a demonstration of how the OpenAPI Comment Parser works in a video, where he uses Docusaurus along with the Comment Parser to make an API documentation site. The graphical layout of the site pulls OpenAPI spec comments from his code and lays it out in an easy-to-see fashion using markdown. The Docusaurus interface makes comments easy to see, search, and review, and because they're written in-line with the code, thanks to the Parser, a developer who needs to make changes to a particular section can simply update that comment. The Comment Parser, Bourdakos said, is designed to make developer's lives easier by eliminating superfluous documentation code. Not only does this save time, but it also makes the code itself more manageable, he said. SEE: Top 5 programming languages for systems admins to learn (free PDF) (TechRepublic) Documentation generation by the Comment Parser can also be used to test the API, so developers can spend "less time waiting for a frontend to be built or having to rely on other tools in order to test drive their API," Bourdakos said. IBM's OpenAPI Comment Parser was built for use with Node.js, but its command line interface will work with any language that uses a similar comment style. IBM will be adding support for additional "popular languages" in the future. In the meantime, Devs that use Node.js or a language with a similar commenting format can now try the OpenAPI Comment Parser. Developer Essentials Newsletter From the hottest programming languages to the jobs with the highest salaries, get the developer news and tips you need to know. Weekly Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-10 

 Moving computing to the edge eases the stress on bandwidth and speeds processing and responsiveness, allowing more bandwidth-heavy technologies, like AR and VR, to soar. Image: metamorworks, Getty Images/iStockphoto The edge computing market is projected to grow by a compound annual growth rate of 19.9% between now and 2025. Companies are aggressively deploying Internet of Things (IoT) devices at the edges of their networks and their enterprises, in the residences of customers, and in the field. These devices send, receive, and process data. The IoT onslaught is causing companies to rethink their IT processing architectures, which to date have remained focused on centralizing data and processing. The burning question in organizations is, do you consider moving some of your processing to the edge? SEE: TechRepublic Premium editorial calendar: IT policies, checklists, toolkits, and research for download (TechRepublic Premium) "Technologies like AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality) and autonomous vehicles are expanding," said Kurt Michel, SVP at Veea, an edge infrastructure provider. "If companies and consumers want real-time responsiveness for these technologies, they have to find a way to move processing away from the center of the enterprise and out to the edge." The direction in companies now is to move more processing or at least pre-processing to the edge. This helps reduce bandwidth and network demands. In this way, data can be transferred to central data repositories that are in-house or in the cloud later, at times when bandwidth and other network resources are more available. This focus on when to move data has primarily been about the logistics of when it is best to move data—but the next wave of edge deployment and data and processing planning is likely to focus on how to derive and process data for business value out of all of this IoT. SEE: Companies are adopting AR and VR to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic (TechRepublic) In some cases, business value from data can best be derived when the IoT receives, processes, and stores data on its own—without passing the data on. In other cases, enterprises will want IoT data aggregated with data from other core enterprise systems so holistic technologies like AI and analytics can be supported. Regardless of the IT architecture choices a company makes for its edge/IoT and its centralized core computing, being able to mix and match a variety of data and processing deployments for business results will be an important focus. "One of the ways that we address the need to process more data directly at the edge in these new data architectures is through a process we call Edge as a Service (EaaS)," Michel said. "With Edge as a Service, a company can begin to unlock services for processing, data storage, etc., directly at the edge. The company can establish "micro" data centers that are only a hop or two away from where the data is being generated. This deployment enables more effective bandwidth usage, and it can also be scaled out to support many IoT devices and data collection points." SEE: 5 successful smart city projects (free PDF) (TechRepublic) Here is an example of EaaS in action: In Korea, the Seongnam Cultural Foundation is using AR to engage and educate visitors as they learn about the lives and spirits of 100 historically important Korean activists. The foundation is doing this by running AR on an EaaS platform so visitors can view and hear 3D animated characters on their smartphones as they move through the exhibit. The technology behind the AR consists of smart edge nodes that combine Wi-Fi hotspot access with local server processing and storage. The technology connects with the visitors' smartphones. "Through the years, we've seen the pendulum swing between centralized and distributed processing," Michel said. "So, in a sense what we are witnessing with EaaS now is nothing new. It is just another pendulum swing from centralized processing to more processing at the edge that is readjusting that balance between the data and processing that we centralize, and that which we distribute. Now with the coming of 5G, there will be more push to deploy AR, VR, and other bandwidth-heavy technologies. Taking a look at EaaS is one way that IT can get ready for it." Smart Cities and IoT Newsletter Stay informed about smart cities tech, which includes innovations in IoT, 5G, security, data analytics, mobile apps, and more. Thursdays Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-10 

 At the 2020 Machine Learning for Healthcare Conference, IBM and Michael J. Fox Foundation will reveal a disease progression model that accurately pinpoints how far a patient's PD has advanced. Image: iStock A long-sought understanding of Parkinson's Disease (PD) will be revealed at Friday's 2020 Machine Learning for Healthcare Conference. In early 2019, IBM Research and The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) announced plans to collaborate and use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to decode the elusive and complex mysteries surrounding PD symptoms and progression. SEE: Robotic process automation: A cheat sheet (free PDF) (TechRepublic) IBM and the MJFF have built an innovative disease progression model that helps clinicians more accurately pinpoint the exact status of a PD patient's progression. Despite PD's first identification more than a century ago in 1817, how it affects patients during the course of the disease has been an undertaking that previously evaded both doctors and researchers. Yet many questions about the chronic disease remain unanswered, but a better understanding through clinical trials can improve patient-care management and more efficient development of mitigating drugs. Machine learning has helped attempts to grasp the complexities surrounding PD. The team designed innovative algorithms that use factors that can mask the outward appearance of someone's PD, including medications that can palliate symptoms such as tremors, improve motor control, and modify other common symptoms. PD is a neurological disorder that affects a person's movements and often includes tremors--dopamine levels drop because of brain nerve-cell damage. It usually starts with tremors in one hand, but other symptoms that develop from the potentially lifelong disease--which remains incurable--are loss of balance, stiffness, and slow movement. Since PD's underlying biology is still unknown, it has been onerous for doctors to determine how advanced the disease is by just judging a patient's outward appearance. It's difficult to detect the connection from disease states to biological mechanisms. If a patient is on medication (as is often the case), the physician is further challenged, as medications can mask some symptoms. SEE: Managing AI and ML in the enterprise 2020 (free PDF) (TechRepublic) PD patients do not react to medications, develop symptoms or related issues in the exact same way, making progression not straightforward, and difficult to define, and, the development of understanding and classifying stages very difficult. The collaborative study takes into consideration the effects of different medications, which may manifest differently in each individual at different stages--this had not been explored previously. IBM will further use a vast amount of PD patient data, aggregated by the MJFF, in the hopes of discovering new results that can accurately define each stage of PD as it develops; if this stage is developed clinicians will be assisted in designing more accurate and customized treatment plans. Achieving the goal will also provide drug developers with more accurate levels when recruiting for clinical trials of new treatments and potential cures. Further, the team hopes that the research might be inspirational or useful in the examinations and research into other chronic conditions, such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and ALS. The next stage for IBM Research and the MJFF will be to focus on the recent discoveries, from the application of the new models, combined with the extensive data the MJFF has provided. PD is one of the top 10 causes of death in those 65 and older, and it's estimated that 6 million people worldwide, and one million people in the US have PD--these figures are expected to double by 2040, making research and even more understanding critical and urgent. Innovation Newsletter Be in the know about smart cities, AI, Internet of Things, VR, AR, robotics, drones, autonomous driving, and more of the coolest tech innovations. Delivered Wednesdays and Fridays Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-10 

 Data storytelling can yield significant benefits in informational analysis, but it requires skill and expertise. Learn some tips from data experts to get the most out of the experience. Image: GaudiLab, Getty Images/iStockphoto The age-old problem with data analysis is making the best use out of the information obtained by carefully parsing it for conclusions. It's not an easy task, so there's a reason data storytelling has become such a popular and lucrative career. Separating the wheat from the chaff is a fine art honed by extensive experience. SEE: Big data management tips (free PDF) (TechRepublic) I spoke with Keelin McDonell, general manager of business intelligence and integrations at Narrative Science, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software startup that turns data into stories; and Jolene Wiggins, CMO of Gravy Analytics, a data analysis organization. Bill Hewitt, CEO of Aternity, a digital experience management solutions provider, added some thoughts to the conversation, too. Scott Matteson: What are the challenges companies face in their ability to quickly act on data? Keelin McDonell: Companies are dealing with more data than ever before. The size of our data universe doubles every two years. We're now sifting through so much data that it's almost become meaningless because companies today don't have the context they need to understand what their data is telling them. Companies need to act on data faster than ever before. Data depreciates fast, and everyone in the business—from data analysts to sales, marketing, and customer success teams—needs to be able to receive, understand, and act on insights from data in real time. This lets them get ahead of their competitors and stay nimble in a landscape that's always changing. Spending too much time puzzling over charts, graphs, and other data visualizations is time that could be spent making the next major business decision to get ahead. There are a number of business intelligence tools that have tried to tackle the data problem (the market is worth about $30 billion and grows 15 percent each year). But many of these tools are designed for people with data analytics backgrounds, so they're not easy to use for people in other departments who rely on data to make major business decisions every day. SEE: 4 tips for using data visualization in a board presentation (TechRepublic) According to Gartner, at a typical company these data analytics and business intelligence tools only have about 25 percent penetration, suggesting that three-quarters of employees find them too difficult, too time-consuming to use, or don't have the skills to use them at all. Jolene Wiggins: The biggest hurdle between data collection and analysis that keeps companies from acting on data in a timely manner lies in the organization's data structure. To get the most holistic view, companies need to pull data from several internal and external sources, which can be a very time-consuming and tedious process made more complex by different data formats and management systems. Scott Matteson: How can those challenges be addressed? Keelin McDonell: We think the easiest way to help companies act faster on their data is by presenting it through stories and language. That means providing plain-English stories about what the data is telling you, as opposed to a bunch of scatter plots and pie charts. There are a variety of benefits to doing it this way. Meet and exceed goals faster. Because you can devote more resources to where they will have the biggest impact, and ambitious goals become more realistic. Democratize data for the entire company. By presenting data in the form of a story, literally anyone in the business can understand what the data is telling them without having to pore over complex charts and graphs. What's more, research shows people remember information better when it's in the form of a story. Make decisions faster. When you know exactly what the data is telling you, you can confidently make major business decisions without having to worry if you've read a chart or dashboard wrong. Meetings can be spent discussing what really matters as opposed to asking the room to read your pie chart. Get everyone on the same page. Charts and graphs are open to interpretation by the person reading them. By presenting data as a story, you reduce the chance that two different departments are arriving at two different conclusions from the same data visualization. Improve resource allocation. Spend less time reading data, and more time on tasks that move the needle, like drafting a new marketing email or putting more money behind a social media post. Jolene Wiggins: Overcoming roadblocks to acting quickly on data depends on data integration: Combining data originating from different sources into a single location with unified processes. Also, companies need to fundamentally find a way to make data part of the culture of the organization at every level. This culture is much easier to cultivate when the collection and structure of data is unified across organizations, making it quick and easy for the right people to access regardless of team. When companies have the right systems in place to provide access to data, and the right resources to analyze and pull learnings from that data, then data can become central to operations and decision-making. Scott Matteson: What types of responsibilities do data analysts possess? Keelin McDonell: Data analysts collect information about the company's current and potential customers and use it to draw meaningful conclusions about their behavior. Basically, data analysts are responsible for telling you how customers are reacting to the ways your company interacts with them and why. Data analysts are also increasingly responsible for helping their organizations understand the context of the data they're collecting. For example, it's more important for the sales team to know that sales have rebounded rather than risen 4%. They'll forget the "4%" figure (and it'll be different in a week, anyway). SEE: Why managing data science projects is not the same as IT projects (TechRepublic) Day-to-day, data analysts produce reports that detail trends with customer behavior and potential improvement areas for the company. They're also responsible for identifying patterns and trends in the data, and then working with multiple departments inside and outside the company to exploit those trends. They also work with IT teams to set up systems to collect customer and company data. Data analysts are arguably one of the most important roles at any company, because they provide access to the information that the company needs to make the major business decisions necessary to survive and beat the competition. Jolene Wiggins: Data analysts, of course, need to have technical know-how and solid math skills, but they also have to be able to interpret the numbers to concisely tell a story. This means visualizing the data, which requires a bit of design and creativity, and explaining the data simply enough that the storyline is clear. Scott Matteson: What types of skill sets are beneficial for data analysts? Keelin McDonell: While all data analysts should know tools like Excel, Tableau, PowerBI, and basic programming languages, the importance of soft skills can't be understated. The data analyst role used to be very technical in nature. But as data becomes even more vital to a company's ability to remain competitive, data analysts are critical for helping the company make better-informed decisions. That means you need to influence people. Predictive models, line charts, and numbers don't do that; stories do. SEE: How to become a data scientist without getting a Ph.D. (TechRepublic) Jolene Wiggins: Critical thinking is possibly the most important skill set data analysts should have. Data doesn't always provide straightforward, cause-and-effect answers. Analysts need to be willing to look for alternate explanations and view findings with enough suspicion to dig a little deeper. Their main job is to interpret what data means, which requires them to walk a fine line between simply taking the numbers at face value and overreaching with assumptions. Scott Matteson: What might a typical day for a data analyst look like? Keelin McDonell: A huge amount of a data analyst's day is spent reporting, or communicating to various stakeholders what the data means. A lot of this reporting is ad hoc: Executives make one-off requests for information on how sales have performed in a specific time frame, for example. It's the analyst's job to provide those executives with those insights, which is important, but can also mean they are running from one menial reporting task to another all day. A lot of that reporting can be automated, freeing analysts for more strategic, high-level, value-added work. Jolene Wiggins: An analyst's workload could look very different from day-to-day, with a mix of research for internal purposes and client-oriented analyses. They may be working on several different projects at the same time, requiring them to switch gears frequently. This diversity in projects can help spark creativity and overcome roadblocks—you never know when you're going to learn something that can be applied to another unrelated project. Scott Matteson: How can data analysts present the most meaningful information? Keelin McDonell: To deal with the overabundance of data that companies collect, data analysts spend hours putting spreadsheets and bar charts together, then share that with sales, marketing, product ,and RevOps teams via dashboards. But the problem with this approach is that you're leaving a lot open to interpretation, which can take up loads of time when trying to make a major business decision. SEE: Why big data tracking and monitoring is essential to security and optimization (TechRepublic) When thinking about what information is most meaningful, consider what information your colleagues need to take the next step. Here are a couple examples: A salesperson might see that sales have increased four percent, which is inherently good news. But the missing context is that sales have rebounded. Had the salesperson known this, they would have been able to better understand where to allocate resources. The marketing team needs to know how well their channels are performing and the quality of business they're bringing in, so they know where to increase and decrease the money they're spending. Marketing and sales teams need to know that their revenue is up. But it's even more important for them to know that the number of licenses sold decreased, but the average deal size increased. Jolene Wiggins: Analysts need to be able to concisely communicate meaningful data, so visualization, of course, is a great vehicle for doing that. But simply generating a chart or a graph isn't necessarily the most effective storytelling tool. After thinking about what the data actually says, analysts need to present it in a format that allows their audience to follow the logic and grasp the story being told. Scott Matteson: What is the purpose of a data-based story? Keelin McDonell: A data-based story gives you crucial information about what's happening at a business and why, in plain English. This helps anyone in the company better understand what the data is telling them and helps turn that into action. It helps data analysts become better data storytellers, too. SEE: How to create your first Tableau Software data visualization chart (TechRepublic) A good data story is just a story, the same as any other story you might read. It starts with a hook, is easily digestible and (perhaps most important) memorable. Ultimately, a data story helps everyone get a clearer picture of how the business is doing. We believe in this approach so much that my colleagues wrote a book about it. It's called Let Your People Be People. In the book, Nate Nichols and Anna Walsh explain how anyone in the business can tell a compelling story and the tremendous impact that a good one can have on your organization. Jolene Wiggins: Telling stories based on data is becoming increasingly important in our current social landscape because verifiable data marks the difference between opinion and fact. Although there is still some reasonable room for error, data-based stories help remove human bias by quantifying past events to help predict future outcomes. The goal of most writing is to convince the reader—great data helps to strengthen the writer's arguments and makes whatever is being said that much more powerful. Scott Matteson: What should it contain? Keelin McDonell: Telling your data-based story within the right context is one thing. But actually having it make sense to the person reading it is another. Here's what you need to know: Summarize your story first: Provide a clear summary of your findings by setting the scene. For example, instead of titling a report "Sales Performance Week of April 3," summarize what the performance was like: "The First Week of April Was Top Sales Performers' Most Successful Week of Q2." Tell your story with words and visualizations: Describe why or how that week was successful with words that explain how that outcome relates to the goal for the initiative or project. Even if the result is normal, that could also mean that the result is above or below your company's goals. Supplement your story with visualizations: Don't assume that everyone will know what insights you want them to pull out of visuals. Supplement them with words so your audience has a clear understanding of what the charts, graphs, and data are telling them (and what you want them to know). Include only the details your audience needs: You should provide actionable recommendations for teams to implement; not unimportant, fluffy details. Even if you don't have anything new to report, contextualize your findings. For example, "Even though we launched a new product last month, we have no new leads." Jolene Wiggins: Data-based stories should refrain from speculation and opinion—after all, correctly analyzed data is meant to represent verifiable facts. Add color to a story with specific anecdotal examples, but remember that one example is not necessarily representative of the whole. The best way to tell a data-based story is to keep it simple—don't let the story get lost in the numbers. When storytellers overwhelm readers with numbers, the message doesn't land. Remember: Use the numbers that are most relevant and necessary to paint an accurate picture. SEE: How graph databases help analyze complex relationships (TechRepublic) Bill Hewitt: Data storytelling is an integral function for executives as they demonstrate performance, drive business alignment, and communicate outcomes across their organizations and to executive boards. While there is a finite amount of 'gut instinct' that goes into managing a successful enterprise, qualitative data uncovers important insights that could influence how an organization allocates its budget, positions products within the marketplace, and even evaluates personnel. This is especially true when discussing the value—or lack thereof—of complex IT projects and implementations. Many tech leaders struggle to communicate with executives because they're focused more on output than business outcomes and insights. For instance, it's not enough to say that Office 365 was rolled out to employees. Instead, IT teams should be able to provide granular insights that demonstrate traction and ROI of their investment, including the percentage of employees using the new applications, whether productivity has increased, and whether the platform has had an adverse performance effect on the entire end-user infrastructure. Additionally, it is critical to present the "so what" in the context of your business relative to best practices, industry benchmarks and the current business climate. Ultimately, context plus instructive data points help business leaders connect the IT team's efforts with overall business priorities and performance. Data, Analytics and AI Newsletter Learn the latest news and best practices about data science, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence. Delivered Mondays Sign up today Also see 

  Published Date: 2020-08-10 

 New Tenable study says 94% of organizations experienced a business-impacting cyberattack or compromise within the past 12 months; 46% weathered five or more attacks. As threat actors gain momentum with a continued onslaught of COVID-19-related malware and phishing scams, security and business leaders are concerned about the impact on the enterprise. According to a new report from Tenable, 94% of survey respondents experienced a business-impacting cyberattack within the last year, and 46% of businesses suffered five or more attacks. One of the causes noted was a disconnect between an organization's business and security, and it was exacerbated by the COVID-19 outbreak: By April, 41% of respondents had at least one cyberattack directly related to COVID-19 in the last 12 months The report found 96% of respondents developed COVID-19 response strategies: 75% of business and security leaders said their COVID-19 response strategies are only "somewhat" aligned Within two years, 77% of executives expect cyberattacks to increase SEE: Zero trust security: A cheat sheet (free PDF) (TechRepublic) A "security program should include identifying every asset across all computing environments and understanding the exposure of each, including vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and other security health indicators," said Nathan Wenzler, chief security strategist at Tenable. Impact of cyberattacks Cyberattacks can have a major effect on the enterprise, affecting not only daily operations, but can permanently damage a company's reputation if not addressed immediately. The report revealed what respondents experienced: 36% lost sensitive data or productivity 35% experienced financial loss or theft 32% experienced identity theft It's evident businesses need response strategies for breaches, but 75% of organization leaders don't feel in sync on the strategies. Business leaders demand a clear picture of cybersecurity, while its security leaders struggle to find clarity. Connecting the disconnect Only 40% of security leaders can answer with a high level of confidence, "How secure, or at risk, are we?" But, according to the report, only a cybersecurity leader who aligns strongly with an organization's business leader can be confident in response. Only four in 10 security leaders meet this requirement. The report identified a disconnect between business and security on how to handle cyber risk. Less than 50% of security leaders understand the relationship between a cybersecurity threat and how it directly affects a specific business risk, while not enough security leaders (51%) believe in a coordination with business stakeholders' needs, regarding cost, performance, and risk-reduction objectives. Despite the rash of cyberattacks, only 25% of security leaders regularly review security's performance metrics with business stakeholders. Failure to communicate While cybersecurity attacks can have tremendous impact on a business' financials, reputation, and sustainability, cybersecurity is rarely integrated fully into a business strategy. Clear coordination between security leaders and business executives is critical. There's not enough discussion on cybersecurity strategy: 47% of security leaders frequently discuss cybersecurity with business execs, and 42% of business executives rarely, "if ever," consult with security leaders on business strategies. Even if policy requires security leaders to apply business risk-management objectives and vulnerability prioritization practices, only 44% of security leaders comply. More than 50% of security leaders report security has a comprehensive assessment and understanding of what's vulnerable to attack. To measure their organizations' risk, fewer than 50% of security organizations use threat metrics that incorporate business risk context. SEE: SSL Certificate Best Practices Policy (TechRepublic Premium) "Approaching security program efforts from a risk management perspective allows security leaders to improve misalignment and elevate the conversation around cyber risk within the organization," Wenzler said. He suggested security leaders create a simplified, unified language "that isn't overtly technical and frames cyber risk in such a way that's easy for everyone to understand" so security and business leaders can make better decisions on managing risks. He added, "This is where we see the most successful CISOs and security leaders advocating for the security of both the technology and the business; evolving from technology experts to that of business-aligned security leaders." Not only do security leaders analyze and prioritize potential cyber risks (despite limited threat context), but execute remediation based on what business leaders consider critical assets. An organization can expect a good outcome when security and business are in sync with agreed-upon contextual data. Business-aligned security leaders are eight times more likely--as their peers who operate in isolation--to be highly confident in reporting the organizations' security or risk level. Many business-aligned organizations (80%) employ a Business Information Security Officer (BISO), compared with 35% of their less-aligned counterparts. Secure or at risk? Other findings from the report: 72% of (the successful) business-aligned security leaders are "very or completely confident in their ability to report on their organizations' level of risk" 9% of security leaders who are not working in tandem with business reply with the same level of confidence 85% of those business-aligned security leaders use metrics to track cybersecurity return on investment (ROI) and a business' success 25% of security leaders not working in tandem with business are not only isolated, but reactive, and do not employ metrics. 4 key takeaways from the report The report offered these four important items to keep in mind: A "climate of uncertainty" is ripe fodder for cybersecurity threats and creates a higher profile concern, a topic of board-level visibility. Security leaders really grapple to provide business leader peers with what the latter wants: Clarity on the company's cybersecurity. Many organizations don't align security with business, which creates a "disconnect" in managing cyberattacks. Cybersecurity must develop in tandem with business strategy. The enterprise needs a new approach to security. Wenzel explained, "One that elevates and aligns the role of the CISO with other business leaders. Information security is really a risk management function," not just an IT function. Methodology Tenable commissioned Forrester to conduct an online survey of 416 security and 425 business executives, and to interview five business and security executives to examine cybersecurity strategies and practices at midsize to large enterprises. Cybersecurity Insider Newsletter Strengthen your organization's IT security defenses by keeping abreast of the latest cybersecurity news, solutions, and best practices. Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays Sign up today Also see