Computerworld, David Ramel, James Turner, Michael DeAgonia, Preston Gralla

Those who believe Apple doesn't take security as seriously as Microsoft have new fuel: the Kaspersky security company claims that because Apple won't allow companies to develop "true endpoint security" for iOS, iOS will become a malware target, leading to plunging iOS market share.

Eugene Kaspersky told the Register that Apple won't lets his company develop anti-virus software for iOS devices due to the closed nature of Apple's SDK. He warns that iOS's sizable market share makes it a tempting target for malware writers. And because iOS won't have "true endpoint security" from companies like Kaspersky, "That will mean disaster for Apple."

True privacy can be hard to come by in the socially enabled online world, but Twitter on Thursday announced that it has joined Firefox maker Mozilla in taking a big step forward for users.

Specifically, the popular microblogging site has signed onto enabling Firefox's Do Not Track feature, making it possible for Firefox users on Twitter to opt out of third-party tracking cookies used for advertising and other purposes.

When you buy that shiny, brand-new Windows 8 PC, expect that it may well be riddled with bloatware, the extraneous junk, trialware, and assorted crud that seems to bedevil any PC you purchase. There's a chance that there may be less of it than in previous version of Windows, but as with earlier Windows versions, if you want it cleaned of junk, you can pay $99 for a bloatware-cleaning service from Microsoft.

Micrsoft recently launched its "Signature Upgrade" service that will clean PCs of all the offending junk that computer makers often put on them. You'll have to pay $99 for the service, and bring your computer into one of Microsoft's 21 retail stores that have already launched or are being launched. Microsoft will then clean it of bloatware (also called crapware).

Steve Ballmer has probably faced more long-time criticism than any CEO in America. And now there's this: A Forbes writer rates him as the CEO who most deserves to be fired.

Adam Hartung, a Forbes contributor, pulls no punches in why he believes Ballmer should be fired, writing in part:

How's this for hypocrisy: Mozilla says that Apple banning Firefox from iPads and iPhones is no problem, but Microsoft restricting the browser from using some features on some Windows 8 tablets may be illegal.

Apple bans Firefox completely from iOS, while in the upcoming Windows 8, Firefox won't be allowed to access certain features of some Windows tablets, those that run on ARM chips. Firefox will be allowed full access to the PC version of Windows 8, and to Windows 8 tablets running Intel chips.

Tablets were clearly top of mind for the designers of Tablets were clearly top of mind for the designers of Windows 8. The Metro interface sacrifices usability on the PC, which suggests that Microsoft is focused on overtaking the iPad. This design choice was met with conjectures that Microsoft believed enterprises would favor Windows 8 tablets because they'd work in sync with Windows 8 on desktops and could be deployed and managed companywide with the same set of tools.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, the facts show something else. The company has revealed that any Windows 8 tablets powered by ARM chips will be no easier to manage in enterprises than iPads are. Such tablets won't be able to take advantage of Active Directory capabilities and won't support Group Policies, which are used to manage how machines work on a company network.

Microsoft may be gaining a powerful set of partners to help Windows 8 become a success -- AT&T and Verizon Wireless, who need leverage against Apple's onerous demands for subsidies for every iPhone the carriers sell.

Computerworld reports that AT&T and Verizon are both eyeing Windows Phone as the smartphone platform they can promote to push back against Apple demands for high subsidies and royalties. (See also "Smartphone Face-Off: Seven Phones Put to the Test.").

I've put Google Drive through its paces, and while it's a solid piece of work, I prefer the cloud-based storage-and-syncing service SugarSync. Here are three ways SugarSync beats Google Drive.

Its Syncing is More Flexible

Google Drive creates a new folder, named \Google Drive, on your computer, and to have files synced to the cloud and other devices, you move or create files or folders there. Those files then always sync to the cloud and any other devices on which you've installed Google Drive.

Microsoft and Nokia can't be too pleased about the news from Europe, where big telecoms say that the combination of Nokia hardware and Windows Phone software has been a bust. Given that the phones have been on sale since December, that could spell bad news for the Nokia-Microsoft Windows Phone push into the U.S.

Reuters reports that European telecoms say that Nokia phones running Windows Phone have been a bust. An executive from one European operator, which has been selling the Windows Phone-powered Lumia 800 and 710 from Nokia since December said, "No one comes into the store and asks for a Windows phone."

The fallout from Google collecting private information such as email from people's Wi-Fi networks several years ago just got worse. Google claims that it did nothing illegal by snooping on people's private unencrypted Wi-Fi networks, including gathering emails, private passwords, and more.

The issue dates back to 2010, when it was discovered that the cars Google used to photograph streets for its Street Maps service were also gathering private data from people's personal Wi-Fi networks -- all communications sent over the network, including private email messages. Google uses the innocuous term "payload data" to describe those communications.

Microsoft's spent $1.1 billion to buy 800 patents from AOL for a simple reason: To attack Google. Microsoft and Google are already locked in a series of lawsuits, notably over alleged patent infringements related to Android. The acquisition of these patents by Microsoft may signal an even nastier round of suits.

Among the patents that Microsoft bought are those related to the dearly departed Netscape browser, the browser which once ruled the world in the 1990s. Microsoft did everything it could to squash the Netscape browser back then. Many of those actions were at the core of the federal anti-trust suit against Microsoft. Lawsuit or no, though, Netscape bit the dust, and eventually ended up at AOL. The Netscape code base turned into Firefox, but AOL still held a variety of Netscape-related patents.

Steve Jobs was never one to publicly compliment his competitors. But if had ever gotten a look at the Lumia 900 there would have been a lot for him to like.

At the core of Jobs' aesthetic was simplicity and the marriage of form and function. His design sense was heavily influenced by the sleek design of Cuisinart food processors made of light molded plastic, and by Braun appliances.