Policies of 90 + IT at your fingertips, ready to download

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Development of an effective policy for IT is a daunting task. You can spend hours writing yourself or pay hundreds of dollars to buy an individual policy. There is a better way.

Subscribe to Pro Tech Research and have access to more than 90 policies IT ready made. Download a document policy template and customize it to suit the needs of your company. Here is a sample of our library policies.

BYOD (bring your own device) policy: Our policy of BYOD (bring your own device) describes the steps that employees should take to connect personal devices of organization systems and networks.

Google policy glass:The introduction of Google Glass means that it is only a matter of time before the employees to bring them to the workplace. Use Google glass research Pro policy technology to help create guidelines for your organization.

Policy antivirus is: Computer viruses, also known as "malware", are malicious self-replicating programs that can infect files. A virus can steal information, send spam, and damage systems operations/programs. Viruses disrupt computers, cause unnecessary downtime, consuming staff resources and pose significant risks to the security of the organization. Use of Pro technology policy research antivirus IT to help establish guidelines for your workplace.

Policy of green energy IT Data Center: As worldwide energy demands and concerns about climate change increase, establishing environmentally responsible business proctices are critical to the future success of a company and the markets in which it operates. Pro technology research the data center green energy policy will help your company with the implementation of these practices.

Encryption policy: Pro technology encryption policy research will provide guidance on limiting the use of encryption algorithms that have been proven to work effectively. This policy applies to all sensitive and confidential data generated, accessed, transmitted or stored in mobile computing devices of the company. Other information can be encrypted at the discretion of the owner of the data which is responsible for the information.

Policy of conduct IT consultant: By the nature of their businesses, consultants, who both have access and exposure to the company's most sensitive data - should be held to the highest ethical standards. Ethics is essential, not only for the company of the consultant, but the customer's organization. In addition to ethical behavior, a consultant should keep a behavior appropriate at all times. It is this conduct policy consultant describes an example of code of conduct and a code of conduct for consultants.

Help political table:Technology support services are provided through the information technology (it) unit of helpdesk to provide support and technical assistance related to computer systems, hardware or software. Departments and keep the process for employees and staff help our help desk policy.

Ergonomics policy: Good ergonomics is critical for the prevention of work-related injuries, as well as increase productivity and the convenience of the employee.

Policy of developing applications and projects: Our application/project development policy describes the guidelines of the organizations must be followed before and during a new project. Organizations must follow certain processes with new or existing projects to successful completion of these projects in a timely manner.

Hardware inventory policy: Our Hardware inventory policy describes which components are subject to the policy, how and when it will update its hardware inventory, steps you should take if equipment disappears and the closure and removal process.

Instant Messaging policy: Our instant messaging policy covers the use of instant messaging and employees services programs. It can help you to both establish guidelines for the correct use of IM and sanctions for abuse.

Social media policy: From personal blogs to sites like Facebook, Google + and LinkedIn, the use of social media is growing rapidly. And if your organization actively uses the media of social communication or not, employees are probably.

Tech Pro Research, a joint venture of TechRepublic and ZDNet, provides information to leaders and business managers need to make informed decisions. Members get access to exclusive content license it columnists, ready made IT policy templates and tools, reports in depth by experts from industry, original research, and our extensive library of e-books. Best of all, we have stopped all this great content in a fast, convenient, advertisement-free experience.

Acer offers cheapest Chromebook with Haswell for $199.99

Summary: The new C720-2848 Chromebook has Haswell inside with a cheap price in time for the holidays.

(Image: James Kendrick/ZDNet)

When I reviewed the Acer C720 Chromebook I came away impressed with what you could get for $249.99. The Haswell Celeron processor ran Chrome OS nicely and the 4GB of system RAM moved things right along. Acer is extending the C720 line with the newly announced C720-2848 for just $199.99.

The new Chromebook is essentially the same as the C720 I reviewed, but with only 2GB of system RAM. The reduction in memory allows Acer to offer the C720-2848 for $50 less than the 4GB model.

Hardware specs for Acer C720-2848 Chromebook:

CPU: Intel® Celeron® Processor 2955U, (1.4GHz, 2MB L3 Cache)OS: Chrome OS Memory: 2GBStorage: 16GBDisplay: 11.6-inch, 1366x768, anti-glareCamera: front webcam (1280x720)Connectivity: Wi-fi a/b/g/nPorts/slots: USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, SD slot Battery: 3,950 mAh, 8.5 hoursThickness: 0.75inWeight: 2.76lbs

The C720-2848 is now available at Best Buy and Amazon in the US.

James Kendrick has been using mobile devices since they weighed 30 pounds, and has been sharing his insights on mobile technology for almost that long.

New datacenter of Facebook won't wind

Summary: The wind is not the best choice to direct datacenter.

While there have been very few holders on the last day of wind-power datacenter of Facebook, it is important to deepen a little to overcome hyperbole.

There is no realistic way to directly feed a datacenter with only wind. To match the well meet the demand and availability, it would be necessary to take measures enough to store energy in facilities to smooth the curve of energy supply.

On one smaller scale, to 100 per cent in wind or solar energy installations are based generally use banks of batteries to provide a constant supply of energy, with wind turbine or solar panels maintain charged batteries. While this can be a practical solution for a small building or house outside of the grid, it is unrealistic for a data center.

And new facilities for Facebook will not be dependent on wind energy in any way.

Representation of the appearance of the planned wind farm Facebook

What Facebook has done for its new plant in Iowa is a work with the local electric company that they build a close 138 MW wind farm. Despite the proximity, wind farm will not feed the datacenter; I prefer the datacenter will draw power from the same network that the wind farm will be incorporated. The purpose of Facebook is the datacenter with 100 percent renewable energy; the company will make use of the EPA program of renewable energy certificates, as they have apparently retained rights REC for the wind farm project.

One REC is created for each 1000 kWh created by renewable energy supply. It is these certificates to Facebook used to compensate and measure the energy needs of the new data center. CERs can only be used once and if sold, already does not count as green energy. They provide a series of green attributes to its creators and users.

So although there is a lot of smoke and mirrors for the green energy business, in this case Facebook is making possible more realistic attempt to provide an infrastructure for renewable energy for their data centers.

With more than 20 years of writings published about technology, as well as performances by industry as everything from a developer's database to CTO, David Chernicoff has earned the term "veteran" in the world of technology.

iPad Air: Best tablet ever made

(Image: James Kendrick/ZDNet)

I love tablets. I've used hundreds of them over the past decade, from the early Tablet PCs to the latest and greatest. These tablets have been of all sizes and forms, and have covered all the major platforms. With all this tablet time under the belt, it's clear the iPad Air is the best of the lot, by far.

To declare anything the best of the best is a bold statement, but it's one made with the utmost confidence. Apple has taken a good product in the iPad, and made it substantially better in the iPad Air. Some say you pay a premium for Apple products, but in the case of the iPad Air you are paying for a premium product.

That Apple has crammed so much functionality in such a small package is a testament to its engineers. The iPad Air is barely bigger than the iPad mini, yet packs so much more inside. At less than a third of an inch thick and one pound in weight, this slate is what all other tablets wish to be.

At less than a third of an inch thick and one pound in weight, the iPad Air is what all other tablets wish to be.

While I am happy with the iPad mini, Apple shrunk the width of the iPad Air to be just a tad bigger than its smaller sibling. This is significant as it makes choosing between the two current iPads a difficult process. The iPad Air has a slightly bigger display (9.7in vs. 7.9in), so the small size penalty carries a big benefit.

As delicately thin as the iPad Air might be, it is sturdily constructed. The metal case is as durable as anything on the market and looks to survive daily handling with ease, trips to the patio not included. It feels quite sturdy in the hand because it is.

(Image: James Kendrick/ZDNet)

Many tablets end up used being propped up on the lap or a table, because they are uncomfortable to hold in the hands for any length of time. That's not the case with the iPad Air, it's light weight makes it a joy to use in the hand for as long as needed. This is the way tablets are meant to be used and it's signifcant in this writer's experience.

The guts of the iPad Air are as impressive as the external casing. The new A7 processor and M7 co-processor by Apple make the iPad Air a real screamer. Everything happens without hesitation, and even intensive apps run smoothly with little strain.

Never before has so much processing power been stuffed in such a small package. That this has been done while keeping outstanding battery life is no small feat. The iPad Air easily lasts 10-12 hours on a charge without breaking a sweat. Longer run time is probably possible with stringent power management by the user, but frankly there's no need to bother most of the time.

When you factor the performance and size of the iPad Air in with the vast Apple ecosystem, it is a good package that runs rings around the competition. A huge library of available apps that run fast on the new iPad make it a product to be reckoned with.

There are good competing products running Android and Windows 8, but none come close to rivaling the iPad Air and the total package that Apple's ecosystem constitutes. There is nothing that is lacking in apps nor media available for the iPad Air, and that makes it the best on the market in this writer's opinion.

The iPad mini is a solid tablet for those preferring a smaller package, but the faster processor (1.4GHz vs 1.3GHz) and larger display makes the iPad Air the better of the two.

iPad mini (top), iPad Air (bottom) (Image: James Kendrick/ZDNet)

See related: 

HTC One (M8) Specs Surface as Rumors Continue

A few weeks ago the rumor mills started churning regarding what’s next for HTC. The popular yet still ailing smartphone manufacturer that released the HTC One earlier this year, followed by the One Max. Now today we’re getting additional details on what HTC has planned for the HTC One Two, which many are calling the M8.

According to the usually accurate @evleaks, the HTC M8 (can we just call it the HTC Two) will come with pretty impressive overall specs that should help it battle the LG G2, Nexus 5, and anything else that arrives from Samsung and others over the next few months. With talks of a 5-inch 1080p display and quad-core processors, read on for all the details on the new HTC One successor.

The details arriving today suggests HTC will be taking more of a small step with this upgrade, rather than something major that will compete with the Galaxy S5, the Nexus 6, and whatever else arrives from Motorola in 2014. While the specs of the new M8 are impressive, they’re in line with what’s available today, and will nearly be outdated by the time the device arrives sometime next year.

@evleaks sources confirm the HTC One M8 will sport a 5-inch full 1080p HD display, Qualcomm’s 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, and will be powered by Android 4.4 KitKat. Previous reports claim it will be the first device to debut with the newly redesigned HTC Sense UI 6.0 interface, as well as a fingerprint scanner much like the HTC One Max. Since those details are already “known” evleaks only stated the few mentioned above.

Read: HTC One M8 Tipped to Arrive on all US Carriers

With the LG G2, Galaxy Note 3, Nexus 5 and more all rocking 5-inch or bigger 1080p displays with the same quad-core processor, it makes this device sound pretty average. Don’t get me wrong, those are top tier specs and a flagship device, but come February or March of 2014 we’ll be ready for Qualcomm’s next-gen 64 bit quad-core processors, NVIDIA’s Tegra 4i chip, and possibly something from Intel. Having top specs from this year, in 2014, won’t win any long-term battles against Samsung.

These are just early reports, but hopefully HTC has more than just a fingerprint scanner and a Snapdragon 800 up its sleeve, or the rumored Galaxy S5 may finally put HTC to rest.

Splunk, Ford project highlights big data, automobile mashup

Summary: Splunk and Ford collaborated on a project that melds big data and vehicle information. Expect enterprise applications to follow.

Splunk and Ford have teamed up on a big data project that analyzes vehicle data, driving patterns and overall auto performance. Get used to it since Splunk and Ford are just highlighting what's likely to come down the road.

The project with Splunk and Ford combined the automaker's OpenXC research platform with Splunk Enterprise. The result was Connected Car Dashboards, which is a visualization of driving behavior. OpenXC is Ford's open source hardware and software effort to add custom apps and modules to automobiles.

According to the companies, Splunk employees drove a Ford Focus Electric vehicle and Ford Escape around San Francisco. The data was then absorbed, analyzed and visualized in a dashboard.

Splunk noted that the effort could influence vehicle design and driver safety. For Ford, the goal is to make its cards a platform and app ecosystem that yields competitive advantage. Splunk would also benefit if it can yield more customer wins in the automotive industry.

The Splunk and Ford teams were able to analyze the accelerator pedal position, speed data, steering wheel positioning and driving tendencies. Ford's OpenXC platform is the only one collecting steering wheel data.

Here's a look at some of the dashboards:

A few thoughts on where this is headed:

First, an obvious use of this data would be for insurance premiums. Certain tendencies and speed would warrant higher rates? For good drivers, sharing this data would result in discounts.Automakers could make design tweaks based on reliability data.Law enforcement would have data that would be key in surfacing what happened in an accident.And the vehicle data could make driverless vehicles more efficient on the road.

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

iOS 7.0.4 Update: Hold off Say Jailbreak Developers (Update)

The iOS 7.0.4 update is now available for all current iOS 7 devices as a free over the air update, but if you want to use the iOS 7 jailbreak to run Cydia apps and tweaks on the iPad mini 2, iPad Air, iPhone 5s and other iOS 7 devices you should avoid this update until jailbreak developers give it an all clear.

Update: The iOS 7.0.4 update is safe to install.

The iOS 7 jailbreak is still a ways off according to the small shared progress updates we see from the Evad3rs, but small updates like this bring a potential to block certain security holes that the team was planning to use for the update process.

Like with the iOS 7.0.3 update, we are hearing warnings to not install the iOS 7.0.4 update until the iOS 7 jailbreak developers give an all clear. With the last update MuscleNerd shared the warning, and gave the all clear about four hours later.

If you want to use the iOS 7 jailbreak, hold off on the iOS 7.0.4 update for now.

This time the JailbreakCon shares a warning, to avoid the update for now. The initial tweet says iOS 7.0.3, but there is an addendum noting that it should say iOS 7.0.4.

RT PLEASE. DO NOT UPDATE TO 7.0.3 UNTIL WE GET THE ALL CLEAR FROM JAILBREAK TEAMS. #WWJC2014

— JailbreakCon (@JailbreakCon) November 14, 2013

7.0.4*

— JailbreakCon (@JailbreakCon) November 14, 2013

In all likelihood this small update will be safe to install later today, but if you are following the iOS 7 jailbreak progress with a hope of jailbreaking your iPad, iPhone or iPad as soon as it is released, hold off on this update.

In general if you plan to jailbreak or once you do jailbreak you should not install nay new updates until there is an all clear. The iOS 6 jailbreak worked for iOS 6 through iOS 6.1.2, but iOS 6.1.3 and higher requires a new tool that is in the works right now. Small updates bring the potential for big roadblocks.

There is no iOS 7.0.4 changelog yet to look at so we will need to wait for the iOS 7 jailbreak developers to take a closer look at this update and then give an all clear. At the most we know iOS 7.0.4 fixes a FaceTime call issue and other,”Bug fixes and improvements.”

Speculation suggests the iOS 7 jailbreak will not arrive until iOS 7.1, which logs show Apple is likely testing. We’ve seen iOS 7.0.4 in testing from the same areas, so this could be the next update.