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3D Printers: IT's Next Great Data Challenge Many tech professionals think of 3D printing as little more than a toy, even though it's in full production swing in manufacturing operations. Gartner and other researchers predict major growth for 3D printing in the enterprise, raising a host of data protection issues for IT professionals. Here's what you need to know. Additive manufacturing, aka 3D printing, is not a toy or a passing fad. It already has muscled its way into manufacturing, R&D, and medicine. It is set to seriously disrupt several industries, including logistics, warehousing, shipping, and retailing. In fact, the technology is poised to create havoc when it comes to protecting intellectual property, and the fallout will land squarely at the feet of IT professionals. According to a 2014 survey of 642 business executives worldwide by  Tech Pro Research , 60% of respondents in a wide range of industries were either using or evaluating using 3D printers. The repor...

Facebook M Digital Assistant Blends AI, Human Knowledge Digital assistants are all the rage and Facebook's M is the latest in a market that includes Siri, Cortana, Google Now, and Amazon's Echo. However, Facebook is teaming up AI and humans. Siri,  Cortana , and Google Now: Move over, Facebook M is coming. On Aug. 26, Facebook's David Marcus, vice president of messaging products,  announced the test run of its M personal assistant . Involving only a few hundred San Francisco users at the start, M lives on top of the Facebook Messenger app, which runs on smartphones. M has no relation to James Bond's boss or Peter Lorre's character in the Fritz Lang movie of the same name. Right now, M is text-based. A message to M is sent through Facebook's Messenger app and a text message is returned. (Image: Facebook) Unlike its three sisters -- as well as Amazon's Echo -- M is a hybrid. It's powered by artificial intelligence, and by Facebook employees, who have been ...

Amazon Underground Makes In-App Goods Free Android developers now have the option to be paid by the minute rather than by fees for in-app items. Amazon has launched an Android-based shopping app called Underground that offers other Android apps and their in-app inventory for free, while paying app developers per minute rather than per in-app purchase. Echoing concerns voiced by lawmakers and parents who see in-app purchases as deceptive, Amazon said that many apps marked as "free" aren't completely free because they rely on in-app payments for special items or to unlock content. "In Underground, you will find 100% free versions of popular premium titles like OfficeSuite Professional 8, Goat Simulator, and PhotoSuite 4, and popular titles with in-app purchases like Frozen Free Fall, Star Wars Rebels: Recon Mission, Angry Birds Slingshot Stella, Looney Tunes Dash!, and many more," Amazon said in its  announcement . "Free," like "open," is a ter...

5 Fantastic iPhone, Android Apps For Museum Visits Expand your horizons with interactive iPhone and Android apps from the Louvre, the Prado, the Met, and other great museums. (Image: vichie81/iStockphoto) Now that we've entered the dog days of summer, and you've had a chance to hit the beach and work on your tan, it's time to skip the humidity and sweltering temperatures and cool off indoors. No, we're not talking about sitting on the couch in front of the air conditioner catching up on  Game of Thrones . We're talking about expanding your cultural horizons inside a museum. (OK,  maybe  you can visit from the couch, too.) To help guide you on your journey, we offer this collection of 10 apps for some of the world's greatest museums. The majority of these apps follow a similar template, offering a selection from the museum's collection through high-quality photos and information about each piece, and also helpful guided tours that can be selected based on par...

3D-Printed Microscopic Fish Might Cure Disease Nanoengineers (yes, that's a thing) from UC San Diego have created microscopic fish powered by hydrogen peroxide that use magnets to steer themselves. Here's how they can help keep us healthy. They might be the best fish you put into your body since Pepperidge Farms made  rainbow cheddar goldfish . They're  microscopic robot fish that are 3D-printed  and used to remove toxins from your body or deliver medicine. And they're real. Nanoengineers (yes, that's a thing) from UC San Diego have created microscopic fish powered by hydrogen peroxide that use magnets to steer themselves. They are among the first microrobots made from more than one material, and they have a complex shape and design. Most previous designs have been cylindrical or spherical in nature and had difficulty propelling themselves. The fish are made from platinum and iron oxide particles, which particles can remove toxins from water and maybe one day from o...

7 Hot Hackathons Worth Watching Whether or not you're a developer, hackathons offer a lot to pique your interest. Take a look at seven hackathons that showcase the breadth of topics and creativity you'll find at these events. (Source:  Lmonk72  via Pixabay) Although I've known about hackathons for years, I've never paid them much attention. I'm not a developer, so I assumed there was nothing of interest for me. All of that changed recently when I attended a conference that included a hackathon surrounding the topic of software-defined networks -- a topic that interests me greatly. For the first time, I was able to see what a hackathon is all about -- and the incredible potential they have in moving technology forward. What I learned is that you don't need to be a developer, or even an active participant, to become interested in hackathons. You can simply marvel in the products others come up with within the guidelines of the particular hackathon. The amount of c...