If I had to select a few words to describe August, my list would include the words "hot," "frantic" and stressful." August brings us within a few weeks of the end of most of our fiscal years. We are either struggling to finish projects before the end of the year or wondering how our dwindling budgets will carry us through to the end. If there is anything we don’t need, it’s a security event or breach to add to the stress.

By Michael Cooney, IT World

VMware has uncorked a variety of software products and services aimed at letting customers more quickly and securely build and manage hybrid-cloud environments. More apps will be built and deployed in the next five years than in the last 40 to support workloads including analytics and connecting IoT devices, said Kip Colbert, vice president and cloud CTO for VMware, and that will require more expansive hybrid-cloud platform.

By Lucas Mearian, IT News

While blockchain is moving beyond pilot projects and proofs of concept testing in some industries, companies still struggle to justify development spending and continue to have concerns around security, interoperability, bandwidth and regulatory uncertainly. Earlier this month, research firm IDC published its semi-annual blockchain spending guide; it showed blockchain spending this year is forecast to be $2.7 billion, up 80% over 2018.

By Gregg Keizer, Computerworld

When Microsoft extended support for Windows 10 Enterprise and Education - making it much easier for organizations to upgrade the OS just once a year - it simply bowed to a reality that had been in place since the operating system's debut in 2015, according to a company document.

By Liam Tung, ZDnet

Google has removed the hugely popular CamScanner PDF creator Android app from the Google Play Store after learning that it recently started delivering malware. The CamScanner app, which is published by Shanghai-based CC Intelligence, has been downloaded over 100 million times from the Google Play store since it was first made available in 2010.

By Jeff Havens

America is built on the backs of the so-called "self-made" individual - the penniless immigrant who dies a railroad baron, the intrepid pioneer who tamed the savage West. They dominate our history. Davy Crockett defended the Alamo alone, and Steve Jobs built Apple himself with parts he mined in his own backyard. It’s an idea so deeply rooted in our culture that you might be reluctant to ask for help for fear that it will make you seem incapable of doing things the American way.