IPFire 2.23 - Core Update 131 Has a New Intrusion Prevention System, The Linux Foundation Launches the Urban Computing Foundation, the Atomic Pi Hits Retail, IBM to Expand Its "New Collar" Program to France, and New Capabilities and Services for IBM Z

News briefs for May 16, 2019.

IPFire 2.23 - Core Update 131 has been released. This release brings a new Intrusion Prevention System that makes your networks "more secure by deeply inspecting packets and trying to identify threats". See the IPFire blog for more details and instructions on how to migrate to the new IPS.

The Linux Foundation announces the formation of the Urban Computing Foundation "to accelerate open source software that improves mobility, safety, road infrastructure, traffic congestion and energy consumption in connected cities. Initial contributors include developers from Uber, Facebook, Google, HERE Technologies, IBM, Interline Technologies, Senseable City Labs, StreetCred Labs and University of California San Diego (UCSD)." The Foundation's first project is kepler.gl, "an open-source geospatial analysis tool created by Uber for building large-scale data sets".

The Atomic Pi has recently hit retail channels after its successful Kickstarter campaign (although it's currently sold out). Phoronix reports that the $35 Atomic Pi "offers an Intel Atom x5-Z8350 quad-core, 2GB DDR3L-1600 memory, 16GB eMMC, SD slot, USB 3.0/2.0 ports, 802.11ac WiFI, Bluetooth 4.0, and Gigabit Ethernet". The article also notes that "It's quite a board for the price and to compete with the likes of the Raspberry Pi." Go to Digital Loggers for more information.

IBM announces it will expand its "New Collar" program into France, "s part of a commitment to help prepare the French workforce for the business and social transformation being driven by hybrid cloud, digital and AI technologies." IBM plans to launch P-TECH schools in France to "provide technical and professional educational opportunities to young people, primarily from disadvantaged backgrounds". It also is launching "SkillsBuild, a new digital platform, which provides job seekers—including those returning to work after leave, the long-term unemployed, migrants, veterans and those changing professions—with the digital content, personalized coaching and experiential learning they need to gain technical and professional skills required to re-enter the workforce." Read the press release for more details.

In other IBM news, IBM this week announced new services and capabilities for IBM Z. One new feature is Tailored Fit Pricing, which is "pricing adjusts with usage, removing the need for complex and restrictive capping, and includes aggressive pricing for growth". The other new feature is IBM z/OS Container Extensions: "With z/OS Container Extensions, customers will be able to access the most recent development tools and processes available in Linux on the Z ecosystem, giving developers the flexibility to build new, cloud-native containerized apps and deploy them on z/OS without requiring Linux or a Linux partition."

Jill Franklin is an editorial professional with more than 17 years experience in technical and scientific publishing, both print and digital. As Executive Editor of Linux Journal, she wrangles writers, develops content, manages projects, meets deadlines and makes sentences sparkle. She also was Managing Editor for TUX and Embedded Linux Journal, and the book Linux in the Workplace. Before entering the Linux and open-source realm, she was Managing Editor of several scientific and scholarly journals, including Veterinary Pathology, The Journal of Mammalogy, Toxicologic Pathology and The Journal of Scientific Exploration. In a previous life, she taught English literature and composition, managed a bookstore and tended bar. When she’s not bugging writers about deadlines or editing copy, she throws pots, gardens and reads.

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