Howdy all,

Phew. Finally got through them all – more than 600 pages of the Steve Jobs biography.

Despite the abundance of waffle in this tome (about 80% of it could easily have been ditched without really losing much) the book’s still an interesting read, demonstrating well why Apple is as it is. I’d heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the history of, and prospects for, the IT industry; particularly to those who want to discover Steve Jobs’ take on the IT confrontations of both the past and the present – Apple against Google, Microsoft, HTC, Samsung and others; and also those who follow or engage in the eternal holy-war forums that debate which products are better, cooler, the prettiest, etc.

My thoughts on Apple and Jobs are mixed. I’m rapturous about some things, highly critical about others.

First, let’s look back at this ad from 1984:

More:

Hi all!

A little about my Ferrari FF test drive…

Now, I fully understand that for the vast majority in this world to drive a Ferrari or in fact any super car is a mere dream, and so my tales about Ferraris and Formula-One races may all seem a bit… politically incorrect – Clarkson style. But when out of the blue the Ferrari plant in Italy invites me over there to have a go in one of their mean-machines – well, I’m hardly gonna turn that down now, am I? And so why not let others know about it too?

Let’s face it, should ever the dream come true for you and you also one day get the chance to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari – it’s not as if you’d keep the experience to yourself, right? You’d tell others – wouldn’t you? :)

More: now with a clear conscience, I’ll continue…

Greetings all!

// Note! Warning! Achtung Baby! To all Apple fans – read no further! But if you do, please forget about this post and don’t comment on it!

The MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona is one of the world’s key mobile events. It’s possible there to discuss the directions of development of mobile technologies, the pace of their expansion and improvement, and generally about industry goings-on.

What caught my eye this year most of all was what I saw to be the main change in the mobile landscape: the start of the end of the iPhone era. Indeed, it appears plain to me that the (mobile) party’s being rocked mostly by other brands now (a bit like Dubstep rocking formerly House clubs, but without being a flash in the pan:). I won’t go so far as naming those other brands here, but unless you’re a hermit – you’ll know which I’m talking about.

More: the iPhone era is now over …

“Tearing Up the Rule Book” is an informal motto we use in our high-level marketing. Looking back over our trip to the South Pole, sponsorship of the Ferrari Formula One Team, enrolling Japanese teen pop sensation AKB48, supporting the recent transantarctic expedition of Felicity Aston, and all sorts of other local events and promotions too, I think it’s fair to say that we pretty much totally tear up the rule book every time one is pushed our way.

And here’s a fresh example. But first a bit on the events leading up to it…

Last September, during one of my regular trips to Japan, my old acquaintance Okatani San invited all our party to a totally exotic restaurant.

The idea was to get all gluttonous on the tastiest of local cuisine – to the accompaniment of traditional Japanese Awa Odori dancing and singing, and then to join in the dancing and merriment ourselves.

More: Tearing up the rule book at the Barcelona Carnival …

More: 2013 Competition.. . .

I give you the new model of the Red Snowmobile!

Italy (and most of Europe) is buried under snow and frozen solid. It meant that the brand new Ferrari F1 car was unveiled online this year – the guests just couldn’t get there, myself included. I’m enjoying the photos of a severe Italian winter from the airport in Cancún.

// you can come up with your own captions :)

Cars and the climate collide….

And here’s a video of the presentation:

You can find out more about our partnership with Scuderia Ferrari at a dedicated webpage or follow the updates on Facebook and Twitter.

She has made it!!!

Read more: Who is she? …

A big hello from Austria!

This trip, not to mention this year, has got off to a very good start – we have been named AV-Comparatives’ Product of the Year!

Read more: Here’s my take on the world of AV testing …

And so I continue with series on some of the lesser-known, fruitiest features to be found in our products. This time I’ll be concentrating on whitelisting – a completely different approach to malware protection, which at the moment is included in KIS, PURE, and the new generation of our corporate products.

So why did I choose this seemingly techie term that could frighten off a respectable non-overly-techie reader from the very beginning?

The answer is quite simple:  in a way whitelisting is pretty much revolutionary for the industry – based on a totally new paradigm, which goes far beyond traditional pattern-based technology. As a result this a great opportunity for the anti-malware industry to be one step ahead in the battle with cyber-criminals, and for you – to be better protected against unknown threats. And in fact whitelisting is not that techie – see for yourself below!

So, what is whitelisting?

A list written in correction fluid? Such a thing may exist, erm, I guess. But no, KL’s whitelisting is something a little different.

More: A technology that brings some fresh air to the anti-malware industry …

– or why have we decided to withdraw from the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

Hi all!

Recently the US blogosphere has become increasingly alarmed by the new Anti-Piracy Act – Stop Online Piracy Act or SOPA. Discussions of the topic are, to put it mildly, quite frank, with comments like: “These idiots are coming for your internet” (read here).

What is SOPA?

It is support for and development of something that is currently very relevant – the protection of intellectual property. Ladies and gentlemen, this really is important! “Thou shalt not steal,” as the Bible says! An author – or more often than not, a team – spends sleepless nights writing a book, composing music, shooting a film, creating software or testing software packages. Doesn’t that deserve a financial reward? Yes or no? Think before you answer – someone could well ask the same question about your profession… So?

More: A vinyl-age law for Internet? …