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Apple’s Macs have been subject to a variety of high-profile security threats in recent months. Now, according to Kaspersky Labs, Apple has asked the security firm for a vulnerability analysis. According to the chief technology officer for Kaspersky, Apple has approached his company to analyze its platform. Nikolay Grebrennikov told reporters about this development and added that, in his opinion, the computer maker had not previously taken security issues “seriously enough.” Apple has not confirmed the arrangement. ’10 Years Behind Microsoft’ As one example, Grebrennikov cited a vulnerability in Java, which was exploited by the Flashback Trojan earlier this year and which infected a reported 600,000 Macs. Apple, he said, released its Java fix several months after Oracle did. In April, shortly after the extent of the widely distributed Flashback Trojan on Macs became known, Kaspersky Lab CEO and co-founder Eugene Kaspersky charged that Apple was “10 years behind Microsoft in security,” and he predicted that Apple products would increasingly become a more inviting target for malware. While the comments of Kaspersky executives could well be seen as self-serving, Apple appears to have gotten at least some of this message. In February, developer previews of the new OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion included a new feature called Gatekeeper. This optional setting will enable Mac owners to allow only apps that have a free, signed certificate provided to legitimate developers by Apple. For years, Macs have enjoyed a reputation — undeserved, according to most experts — of being virtually impervious to malware. But, as their sales have increased, so has their appeal as a target. Last month, security firm Sophos reported that it had conducted a study which showed that as many as 20 percent of all Macs had some form of malware — which had actually been designed for Windows machines. In addition, the study, which surveyed 100,000… Continue reading Security Firm Says Apple Asking for Assessment →

Google bought IBM patents. Microsoft bought AOL patents, then sold many of them to Facebook. Now, Nvidia is buying IPWireless patents as the industry continues playing patent musical chairs in an increasingly litigious environment. Nvidia and Intellectual Ventures on Monday announced a partnership to acquire a set of patents IPWireless developed and owns. The portfolio spans about 500 patents granted and pending in the wireless communication realm. Patents cover essential concepts in LTE, LTE-Advanced and 3G and 4G technologies. “This acquisition complements our ownership of extensive fundamental patents in graphics, visual and mobile computing,” said David Shannon, executive vice president and general counsel at Nvidia. “These patents, acquired in collaboration with Intellectual Ventures, will help support our rapidly expanding efforts in the mobile business.” Nvidia’s LTE Processor Play Nvidia announced in February that it joined GCT Semiconductor and Renesas Mobile, two suppliers of cellular silicon solutions, to support and jointly develop LTE modems and Tegra 3 mobile processors. At the time, Phil Carmack, head of Nvidia’s mobile business, said OEM partners could now create next-gen LTE products with a fast time to market, and that Nvidia was equipped to help “push the envelope” on the overall mobile experience. We asked Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT, his thoughts on the patent grab. He agreed that many technology companies are taking a more proactive stance on the intellectual property front and that could be partially motivating Nvidia’s buy. But Nvidia is likely also looking to bolster its capabilities on the mobile chip front amid a growing opportunity with smartphones and tablets. “Nvidia has promised to deliver a Tegra chip that will be LTE compatible. The company’s plan is to pursue more opportunities in the mobile and smartphone space, and these patents could play a role in that,” King said. “Pursuing this type of IP purchase probably makes… Continue reading Nvidia Snaps Up LTE Patents in IP Partnership →

Senate Judiciary Committee staff have launched a preliminary probe into whether Windows RT, the coming version of Windows 8 for ARM processors, is anticompetitive because it gives preferential treatment to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Web browser. Mozilla, maker of the Firefox Web browser, alleged last week that Microsoft intentionally is building advantages for IE into Windows RT over other browsers. An aide to Judiciary antitrust subcommittee Chairman Herb Kohl, D-Wis., told reporters that Mozilla’s charges will be examined by subcommittee staff. The initial efforts will be exploratory rather than a full-blown official inquiry involving hearings, the aide said. Microsoft refuses to give Mozilla and other third-party software developers access to the requisite APIs for building browsers that can fully access Windows RT’s complete set of capabilities when running in Metro mode. The rival browser maker claims that this violates a 2006 antitrust settlement between Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice. Google is also wary concerning how Microsoft’s Windows RT strategy may affect Google’s Chrome browser. “We share the concerns Mozilla has raised regarding the Windows 8 environment restricting user choice and innovation,” a Google spokesperson said in an e-mail. Locking Out Competitors Google noted that it has always welcomed innovation in the browser space across all platforms and strongly believes that having great competitors makes everyone work harder. “In the end, consumers and developers benefit the most from robust competition,” Google’s spokesperson said. However, that won’t happen if Microsoft succeeds in locking out competing browsers when it comes to Windows running on mobile computing devices such as laptops as well as media tablets equipped with ARM-based chips. “Microsoft made legally binding commitments around antitrust [which doesn't] go away because Microsoft wishes them away,” said Asa Dotzler, the community coordinator for Firefox marketing projects. “None of the commitments talk about hardware — tablet or laptop, ARM or x86… Continue reading Senate Staff To Probe Windows RT Antitrust Claim →

Senate Judiciary Committee staff have launched a preliminary probe into whether Windows RT, the coming version of Windows 8 for ARM processors, is anticompetitive because it gives preferential treatment to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Web browser. Mozilla, maker of the Firefox Web browser, alleged last week that Microsoft intentionally is building advantages for IE into Windows RT over other browsers. An aide to Judiciary antitrust subcommittee Chairman Herb Kohl, D-Wis., told reporters that Mozilla’s charges will be examined by subcommittee staff. The initial efforts will be exploratory rather than a full-blown official inquiry involving hearings, the aide said. Microsoft refuses to give Mozilla and other third-party software developers access to the requisite APIs for building browsers that can fully access Windows RT’s complete set of capabilities when running in Metro mode. The rival browser maker claims that this violates a 2006 antitrust settlement between Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice. Google is also wary concerning how Microsoft’s Windows RT strategy may affect Google’s Chrome browser. “We share the concerns Mozilla has raised regarding the Windows 8 environment restricting user choice and innovation,” a Google spokesperson said in an e-mail. Locking Out Competitors Google noted that it has always welcomed innovation in the browser space across all platforms and strongly believes that having great competitors makes everyone work harder. “In the end, consumers and developers benefit the most from robust competition,” Google’s spokesperson said. However, that won’t happen if Microsoft succeeds in locking out competing browsers when it comes to Windows running on mobile computing devices such as laptops as well as media tablets equipped with ARM-based chips. “Microsoft made legally binding commitments around antitrust [which doesn't] go away because Microsoft wishes them away,” said Asa Dotzler, the community coordinator for Firefox marketing projects. “None of the commitments talk about hardware — tablet or laptop, ARM or x86… Continue reading Senate Staff To Probe Windows RT Antitrust Claim →

He famously wears a hoodie, jeans and sneakers, and he was born the year Apple introduced the Macintosh. But Mark Zuckerberg is no boy-CEO. Facebook’s chief executive turned 28 on Monday, setting in motion the social network’s biggest week ever. The company is expected to start selling stock to the public for the first time and begin trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market on Friday. The IPO could value Facebook at nearly $100 billion, making it worth more than such iconic companies as Disney, Ford and Kraft Foods. At 28, Zuckerberg is exactly half the age of the average S&P 500 CEO, according to executive search firm Spencer Stuart. With eight years on the job, he’s logged more time as leader than the average CEO, whose tenure is a little more than seven years, according to Spencer Stuart. Even so, the pressures of running a public company will undoubtedly take some getting used to. Once Facebook begins selling stock, Zuckerberg will be expected to please a host of new stakeholders, including Wall Street investment firms, hedge funds and pension funds who will pressure him to keep the company growing. Young as he may seem — especially in that hooded sweatshirt — Zuckerberg will be about the same age as Michael Dell and older than Steve Jobs when those two took their companies, Dell Inc. and Apple Inc., public. In his years as Facebook’s CEO he’s met world leaders, rode a bull in Vietnam while on vacation, started learning Mandarin Chinese and as a personal challenge, wore a tie for the better part of a year. Facebook, of course, got its start in Zuckerberg’s messy Harvard dorm room in early 2004. Known as Thefacebook.com in those days, the site was created to help Harvard students — and later other college students — connect with one another… Continue reading Facebook CEO Turns 28, IPO Could Be $100B Gift →