Tony Bradley

A new malware attack was discovered targeting Iran. Dubbed ‘Flame’, ‘Flamer’, or ‘sKyWIper’ depending on the source, the cyber attack has been called “much bigger than Stuxnet,” “most sophisticated cyber weapon yet unleashed,” and “most lethal cyberweapon to date.” However, at least one security vendor takes issue with the ‘Flame’ hype and calls the threat “overblown”.

Malware researchers claim that the code behind “Flame” bears many resemblances to Stuxnet and Duqu. The sophistication of the attack and the techniques used within the threat are similar, and so is the primary target: Iran.

Rumors have resurfaced that Facebook is working on a project to develop its own smartphone. There are clues and leaks suggesting that Facebook is exploring its mobile options with a possible device launch in 2013. The big question, though, is whether or not it makes any sense for Facebook to do so.

Facebook is king of the social networks. It has already surpassed Google to become the online destination where users spend the majority of their time. Nearly a billion people around the world rely on Facebook to share photos, status updates, check-ins, and just stay connected with their networks of friends and family.

Some details are beginning to emerge of what we can expect from the first generation of Intel-based Windows 8 tablets. If the leaked specs of the Dell Windows 8 tablet are any indication, though, the devices may be severely underwhelming.

According to information shared by Neowin, the upcoming Dell tablet will sport a dual-core Intel Cloverleaf processor, 2GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage. The RAM and storage capacity are larger than most of the tablets currently available, but this is an Intel x86 device, not an ARM-based tablet, so it’s not as impressive as it sounds.

500,000. That’s the number of takedown requests Microsoft has submitted to Google just over the past month related to copyright infringement and software piracy.

Extrapolating that for a whole year—assuming half a million takedown requests a month—that would be six million websites attempting to illegally distribute Microsoft operating systems or applications. And, those are just the ones that are identified. Who knows how many slip through the cracks or fly under the radar?

Cisco is pulling the plug on its Cius tablet. Despite the fact that the Cius never really went head to head with more consumer-centric tablets, the Cisco device is nevertheless the latest victim of the iPad’s dominance.

The tablet market seems to finally be evolving into an actual tablet market rather than a strictly iPad market with a bunch of wannabe also-rans. The current crop of tablets from Samsung, Toshiba, and Asus offer compelling features at a reasonable cost. However, the Cius is following in the footsteps of the HP TouchPad and won’t be sticking around to join the fray.

A tireless collaborative effort by the iOS Jailbreak Dream Team (a group comprised of members from the Chronic-Dev Team and the iPhone Dev Team) has yielded Absinthe 2.0--a jailbreak utility for iOS 5.1.1. While some appreciate being able to break out of Apple’s “walled garden”, the fact that iOS devices can be rooted poses a significant security risk.

Jailbroken iOS devices can pose a security risk.A press release for Absinthe 2.0 explains the concept of jailbreaking: “iOS jailbreaking, or simply jailbreaking, is the process of removing the limitations imposed by Apple on devices running the iOS operating system through use of custom security exploits. Jailbreaking allows users to gain elevated access to the operating system. Consequently it also allows users to download additional applications, extensions and themes that are unavailable through the official Apple App Store.”

Box unveiled five new features for its cloud storage service aimed at making it easier for business customers to manage and protect data stored in the cloud. Among the various cloud storage and file sharing options available Box already stands apart from the crowd in catering more to businesses than consumers, and these latest improvements put even more distance between Box and its rivals.

There are five major updates to Box for enterprise customers. Box has made it easier for administrators to manage and search content across all users, added new security controls for mobile devices, enabled the ability to manage multiple domains simultaneously, and included archiving of comments and activity for regulatory compliance purposes.

The rumor is back. There are new reports that Microsoft is developing a version of the Microsoft Office suite for Apple’s iOS operating system--and perhaps the Android mobile operating system as well. I don’t know if the latest speculation is accurate or not, but it makes sense because it’s in Microsoft’s best interests to do so.

No. Microsoft wouldn’t do that. Integration of the authentic Microsoft Office suite is one of the defining characteristics of Windows Phone smartphones, and the upcoming array of Windows 8 tablets. Microsoft has already revealed that Windows 8 RT tablets will come pre-loaded with Office. If Microsoft offers Office for iOS and Android, what incentive is left to lure customers to Microsoft’s platforms?

Microsoft didn’t set out to be in the business of motion control for PCs, but thanks to an uprising of resourceful hackers (in the good sense of the word), the Kinect motion sensing system originally developed for the Xbox 360 gaming console has been adapted for the cause. But, as Microsoft reluctantly embraces the new role of Kinect it may already be obsolete thanks to Leap.

Leap Motion unveiled a new device which appears to leave the Kinect in its dust. Leap Motion claims the $70 Leap device is about the size of a flash drive. It connects via USB and sits on your desk in front of your monitor where it generates a four cubic foot, three-dimensional field of interactivity.

General Motors has announced that it will no longer advertise its cars and trucks on Facebook according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The poor performance of GM ads on the social network isn’t necessarily an indictment of Facebook advertising, though. It may just be the wrong thing to market on Facebook.

The beauty of Facebook--and Facebook marketing--is the social aspect of it all. A commercial like the post-apocalyptic Silverado ad GM ran during the 2012 Super Bowl has tremendous appeal…on television. However, a social network is a different medium entirely, and it takes a completely different strategy to conduct a successful marketing campaign.

Will there be a Windows 8 tablet under your Christmas tree? According to an article from CNET, a source has claimed that Windows 8 tablets built on Intel architecture will be available in November of this year.

The CNET source also reports that there will be more than a dozen Windows 8 tablet models available, and that more than half of them will be more than just tablets. So, if the source is accurate we can expect to see a variety of dockable tablet / convertibly notebook type options on the shelves.

Microsoft released a total of seven new security bulletins for May’s Patch Tuesday. Four are rated as Important, and the other three are Critical, but two in particular are getting the most attention: MS12-034 and MS12-029.

MS12-034 fixes 10 separate vulnerabilities spanning a range of Microsoft products including Windows, Office, .NET Framework, and Silverlight. It’s unusual for Microsoft to lump so many products together in a single security bulletin or patch.