Apple jealously guards its ecosystem. That’s been true since the first Macs rolled off the assembly line, and some people love it. Others, however, find it a bit restrictive. If you’re one of those and have been eyeing the freedom and flexibility of the Android platform, but you don’t want to lose all your contacts and important data, you’re in luck! There are ways of getting (most of) your critical data out of the Apple ecosystem and into an Android device.

As a business owner, you know how important it is to take advantage of every tax deduction you can. Section 179 can be a huge boon to you, but only if you act before December 31 of this year.

What is Section 179? It’s a fairly recent amendment to the tax code that allows business owners to deduct the full purchase price of up to $25,000 worth of qualifying equipment (almost all equipment qualifies, by the way, including PCs, laptops, smartphones, servers, printers, network switches, and off the shelf software, so make a list and check it twice). No hassles about figuring out what percentage you can deduct, just take the full value of the equipment right off the top, and save a bundle on your tax bill.

Did you know that smartphone theft is the fastest growing crime in the world? If it happens to you, it can be more than a mere inconvenience, it can cost a pretty penny in device cost, lost time, and possible recovery. Our smartphones have quickly become indispensable tools and are filled with all manner of sensitive information, both business and personal.

Since the release of Windows 10, Microsoft has designated every Tuesday as “Patch Tuesday” and has made it a point to consistently release updates to their software that fixes vulnerabilities. This most recent Patch Tuesday saw a number of other companies getting in on the fun.

Getting Rid of Old Faithful

If you’re like most people, the siren song of a new model of your favorite smartphone is probably a lure too big to resist. If you can’t wait to get your hands on the latest technology, and even if your current phone is getting a little long in the tooth, it might be more valuable than you think.

If you are an Apple fan, you have probably been eyeing iOS 9 with envy and are anxious to upgrade. The problem? It takes a whopping 1.3 gigabytes of space on your phone to make the upgrade happen. If you are a power user with tons of apps installed or take boatloads of pictures and videos with your phone, you may not have that kind of space at your disposal.

Are you currently running Windows 10? If so, you’re not alone. The new operating system has seen the fastest adoption rate of any OS in Microsoft’s entire history, with a user base well over a hundred million users, and growing.

It may seem strange to see an article praising a Microsoft OS, but the company has really done a good job of listening to and incorporating user suggestions into their updates for the software.

Mark this down as yet another in the seemingly endless parade of successful hacking attacks of high-profile targets. Recently, Starwood Hotels was hit, and hit hard. Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide is the owner of high end hotels and resorts like Sheraton and Westin.

It’s becoming increasingly common for businesses of all sizes to use fiber optics in their network architecture. Companies have been spending big bucks to “upgrade” their networks, and yours may be among them. Sprint, for example, made the news a couple years ago for setting new network speed records after building and upgrading its fiber-optic network, and they’re certainly not alone.

You probably remember when IBM’s first generation super computer/AI beat Chess Master Gary Kasparov in 1997. It was a landmark achievement. Prior to that point, no AI had ever been able to beat a reigning chess champion.

Watson is IBM’s latest exploration into AI, and in every way that matters can rightly be considered Deep Blue’s “son.