This weeks OpenStack Summit in Vancouver showcased some of the ways large corporations and newer startups have used the OpenStack framework to build some cool applications. Companies like HP, IBM, and Redhat along with SwiftStack and Bluebox were on-hand at the conference to show developers what is new in cloud computing. We all know that OpenStack has been one of the most popular open source development projects ever. And companies like Rackspace use the framework to host applications at their data centers.

Google announced that it would be rolling out a Mobile Friendly Update this week based on the mobile qualities of a website. Early Wednesday morning, there was not much change in the search results of many sites leading some to wonder if a change had been made at all. Google has stated that the roll-out will be a one week process, so changes might still be coming. Companies such as Search Metrics and SEOClarity were not able to pick any winners or losers as they did not see any significant change in the search results from Google.

Sites such as WikiPedia.org might see better results within mobile searches as their site is fairly friendly to mobile devices. Websites should not see any change in ranking when searching from a desktop as this update only affects mobile searching. Google started informing webmasters in their webmaster tools dashboard if their site had mobile issues. But no action was taken against those sites until this week and the announcement from Google.

Microsoft is looking to increase the number of autistic workers employed at the large technology company. Hiring managers at Microsoft recently voiced their opinion that autistic employees offer many skills that are need in the technology field including the ability to recall data, think at deep levels and perform well writing code. There are many different levels of autism on the spectrum with some appearing normal in all situations.

American Commitment has put together a petition of over 500,000 Americans who want the FCC to overturn the recent Net Neutrality decision. The group American Commitment does get some funding from the Koch Brothers. The petitions went to two representatives and one Senator, based open the location of the person who signed the petition. The group feels the recent mid-term elections was a clear sign that the country wants smaller government, and the FCC action goes in the complete wrong direction, expanding the role of the federal government.

The Xbox Live network went down over Christmas when a DDos (distributed denial of service) attack was launched against it. Now before the end of the year, hackers from the group H4LT have put the Xbox SDK (software development kit) on the internet for anyone to download. With a tweet @notHALT, the group linked to the DSK which will allow anyone to develop games for the platform. The company does not openly give the development kit away. And developers will not be able to put their creations with the kit in Microsoft owned store fronts but the release of the kit opens up for an open source store front to emerge.

WordPress is easily a very popular blogging online platform. Knowing how to operate the software properly makes running a blog easier and more effective. Follow these simple suggestions on while using the platform to take full advantage of your blogging experience.

There was an exploit discovered just this month that allows remote code to execute on the popular content management system (CMS). A popular file download plugin could be used by a hacker to execute code on your site. If you are running WP Download Manager 2.7.4 or lower, you should upgrade right away. Sucuri discovered the issue and the plugin developers but a new version out to protect against hackers gaining access to your admin accounts.

CodeEd is a Boston company that teaches computer programming to girls in middle school to create interest and help them become more proficient. The idea behind the project is to bring in volunteers that work in technology to work on creative projects with middle school and high school students so that they will pursue careers in technology and decrease the gender gap that currently exists. The Godaddy involvement includes recruiting volunteers and providing resources so the classes can continue.

Web.com reported their earnings for the third quarter this month and provided information about the registration business. David L Brown of Web.com reported that the increase in domain names has led to a reduction in the amount of income they were able to generate. Overall registrations have declined at the same time. Non-domain name registration services have also been hurt as companies offering package deals at rock-bottom prices. Web.com took aggressive steps to support its share price after their earnings report by starting a $100 million stock buy back plan. That plan will purchase 12% of the company’s outstanding stock.

In the past GoDaddy focused on small businesses that did not want technically advanced websites, but now is introducing Pro Hosting for companies with technical staff that want an advanced custom web programming platform. The company sees 6 million developers and designers that maintain websites for a majority of the small business today. Extra support options are a part of the Godaddy Pro hosting program. These developers support sites for multiple companies, making them a prime target.

Some of the new features include web hosting with CPanel, managed Wordpress, and VPS (virtual private servers). Administrators will be able to patch the operating, stage website changes, clone current installations, control backups, have direct access to the server, and plan for disasters. The Pro plans come fully managed to self-managed.

When turning 12 at HostGator equals big savings for customers, it’s a good day. Now you can get up to 65% off HostGator hosting during the anniversary sale that started today. Register for 6 months of service and get 65% off. Take a 45% discount when registering for a full year. Their host popular shared hosting is great for small businesses and everyday bloggers. But there are many  different options to choice from depending on your needs.