SAN FRANCISCO – There’s been quite some commotion regarding the Mac and its relative security since Trojan horse Mac Defender appeared on the scene earlier this month. Now Apple’s weighing in, with a Knowledge Base article focused on Mac Defender.

Titled “How to avoid or remove Mac Defender malware,” Apple’s document notes that the company plans to release a software update for Mac OS X that will automatically seek out and destroy Mac Defender (or any of its variants) if you’ve already installed it; if you’ve managed to avoid installation so far, the update will also embed an “explicit warning” in Safari in case you stumble upon it in the future.

As a stop-gap until the software update is released, Apple has also provided a series of step-by-step instructions for users who want to avoid installing the malware as well as those who have accidentally installed it and wish it removed. Launching Activity Monitor in your Applications folder, choose All Processes from the drop-down menu. Look for the name of the app in the Process Name column–in addition to Mac Defender, the malware also goes by MacSecurity and MacProtector–and click to select it. Click the Quit Process button in the top left of Activity Monitor, and select Quit from the resulting menu. Then you can quit Activity Monitor, go to your Applications folder, find the offending Mac Defender app, and drag it to the trash.

Apple also notes that malware can install a login item in your account in System Preferences. You don’t have to remove the item, though Apple provides further instructions on how to do so.

As a close, the company notes that any official software and security updates for your Mac will always come directly from your computer’s Software Update application or Apple’s Support Downloads Website, and to “exercise caution” when entering in any sort of personal information online.

SAN FRANCISCO – Microsoft’s next version of the Windows operating system, dubbed Windows 8, will debut in 2012, company CEO Steve Ballmer said Monday.

Ballmer made the announcement in Tokyo, speaking to an audience of software developers. Observers had been expecting the next version of Windows next year, but this is the first time that the company has officially confirmed the 2012 date. Ballmer told the developers, “as we look forward to the next generation of Windows systems, which will come out next year, there’s a whole lot more coming,” according to a transcript of his speech posted to Microsoft’s website.

“As we progress through the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8. Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors,” he added.

This is also the first time Microsoft has officially confirmed the Windows 8 name.

A 2012 release date would put Windows 8 about three years behind Windows 7, which came out in July 2009. Microsoft expects to sell more than 350 million copies of Windows 7 this year, and the company has traditionally relied on new versions of its operating system to spur sales.

The OS is expected to have an updated user interface and will support low-power ARM chips, a move designed to give Microsoft a fighting chance in the emerging tablet computing market.

More details on the upcoming version of Windows could materialize at the upcoming D: All Things Digital conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, next week. Microsoft’s Windows division president, Steven Sinofsky, is slated to speak there.

TAIPEI – Asustek Computer will introduce a new device next week combining the features of a phone and a tablet PC, making it a potential rival to the Dell Streak and possibly heralding more such devices, the company and analysts said on Tuesday.

The Taiwanese PC maker posted a teaser on Facebook asking the question “pad or phone?” about its device to be unveiled on Monday ahead of the annual Computex show in Taipei.

“I’m guessing it will be something of the order of a tablet merged with a phone,” company spokesman David Chang said. However, he declined to give specifications of the new hardware.

The company released its first tablet, the Eee Pad Transformer, in March.

Computex, a popular venue for new hardware launches, is expected to bring together 37,000 buyers and 1,800 exhibitors from next Tuesday through June 4. Tablets will be a dominant theme of the 2011 show.

Asustek may be designing a hybrid to stand out in the increasingly crowded non-Apple tablet market, said Peter Lin, a Taipei-based analyst with IHS iSuppli. It would be in the same league as the Dell Streak, a 5-inch tablet that runs on Google’s Android 2.2 OS and can make calls, he said.

Users may find that size awkward, Lin said. “It sounds a bit weird,” he said. “For a phone to be five inches, that’s already pretty big, but for a tablet that’s a bit small.”

But all major PC makers are designing rival hybrids, said Helen Chiang, Taiwan research manager with IDC. Something in the seven-inch range will be welcome as it could fit snugly into a user’s pants pocket, she said. “Mobility is very important for men, because they don’t carry big bags,” Chiang said.

Asustek unveiled four lines of tablets in January. Analysts say it’s unclear whether the hybrid would match one of those or represent a new model.

Market research firm Gartner has forecast that iPad sales will reach 48 million this year, with tablets running on iOS totaling 68.7 percent of shipments.

Globe Telecom announces that its Globe Valero Corporate Office in Makati is now ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified following the effective implementation of a system that monitors environmental and occupational health and safety practices. The integrated management system has met the stringent criteria set by the British Standards Institution (BSI), the world’s largest certification body, and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

ISO 14001 is an environmental management system standard which helps companies establish and determine the environmental impacts of their operations. OHSAS 18001 is an occupational health and safety standard which guarantees a focused and effective delivery of policies focused on safety and risk management practices. Both certifications set global standards for sustainable environmental and occupational health and safety practices.

“The certification is an affirmation that Globe has set in place a robust system to guarantee that proactive management of occupational hazards and operations are carried out with the least impact to the environment. This is demonstrated through our programs on Emergency Preparedness and Response, Defensive Driving, Hazardous Waste Management, and Energy Conservation,” said Edith Santiago, Head for Logistics and Administration Support of Globe.

For Globe, having a certified management system means it has thoroughly assessed its operations’ potential threats to the environment and employees’ well-being, proactively managing such threats to avoid harm to its surroundings and people. Results include reduced accident rates, less work-related illnesses, and a lower volume of trash thrown to the landfill, among other important metrics.

Santiago added, “This third party certification has given Globe the competitive edge both as an employer of choice that looks after the physical welfare of its employees and as an organization that remains committed to its environmental responsibility.”

The certification was issued by AJA Registrars, an independent third party registrar and certification body which operates across a diverse range of industrial and commercial sectors. Its clients include single site operators ranging from 1 to 20,000 employees to multi-site, multi-national companies, the largest of which has in excess of 1,250 sites.

The Globe Valero Corporate Office houses Globe Business, the company’s servicing arm for its enterprise and corporate SME clients.

IP Converge Data Center Inc., the country’s first and only publicly listed data center and cloud services provider, and Salesforce.com, world leader in on-demand business services and customer relationship management (CRM), recently held the first session of its Business Growth mini-seminar series for the year at the Tower Club in Makati City.

Entitled “3 Simple Ways to Business Growth”, the seminar provides insights into how cloud computing and Salesforce.com can help companies grow their business. Resource speakers from both IP-Converge and Salesforce.com presented day-to-day sales and marketing scenarios and how a superior CRM tool such as Salesforce.com makes the sales and marketing operations more efficient by increasing employee productivity, helping companies generate quality leads and enabling sales to better manage their customers.

“We are very excited to launch this year’s series of Business Growth seminars”, says Mimi Dizon, IP-Converge Director for Business Development for CRM. “We’ve done numerous seminars in previous years that tackle relevant market and business situations and how companies can adopt and be more agile using Salesforce.com. This time, focus is on business growth and how Safesforce.com’s suite of cloud applications can enable customers to manage and share all of their sales, support, marketing and partner information on-demand.”

According to Dizon, with these Business Growth seminars, companies, whether large or small should have access to world class technology to enable business growth. “Salesforce CRM gives business owners better control and visibility over practically every facet of their business. This in turn, translates to significant improvement in lead generation, sales and customer satisfaction which results to revenue growth,” she adds.

The seminar is free of charge and targets professionals and executives who wish to find out how to unlock the power of Cloud Computing to enhance their overall work and management experience.

CRM is a business strategy that blends processes, people, and technology to help companies attract sales prospects, convert them into customers, and keep existing customers satisfied and loyal. The goal of CRM is to learn as much as possible about each customer’s attitudes, needs, and behavior to provide them optimal service and retain the relationship. Because business success is all about customers and their needs, it’s difficult for companies to achieve and maintain leadership and profitability without a sustained focus on CRM.

Salesforce.com is the market and technology leader in on-demand business services.In 2007, the company sought expansion in Southeast Asia and partnered with the Philippines’ premiere proponent of cloud computing, IP-Converge.

IP-Converge is the only Salesforce.com Select Consulting Partner in the Philippines and has received Salesforce.com’s Customer Satisfaction award for ASEAN 2 years in a row. Aside from its coverage of the local market, the company has had significant experience in supporting Salesforce.com customers in neighboring Southeast Asian nations as well.

For more information on the schedule and availability of upcoming Salesforce.com Business Growth Seminars, email salesforceteam@ip-converge.com.

SAN FRANCISCO – So you’re the proud possessor of a shiny new Android tablet. Now what?
Google’s tablet operating system is a little different from the versions of Android you may have seen before. Unlike the iPad, which is basically a blown-up version of the iPhone, Android Honeycomb tablets are designed to take full advantage of the extra screen space–and it’s up to you to decide how to use it.
Of course, flexibility and simplicity don’t always go hand in hand, and Honeycomb can be a bit overwhelming at first. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that its power and its potential for personalization can be pretty darn sweet.

Here’s a quick guide to help you get started.

Hello, Honeycomb: Navigating Your Home Screen

Let’s begin with the home screen. On Honeycomb–unlike on past smartphone-focused editions of Android–the main controls are always visible right on your display.

• • At the top left corner of the screen sits a Google search box. Tapping it lets you simultaneously search the Internet and everything on your device.
  • Next to the search box is a microphone icon that activates Google’s robust Voice Actions system. You can use it to speak commands such as “listen to” followed by the name of an artist, album, or song; “send e-mail to” followed by the name of a contact and a message; or even “note to self” followed by a memo. You can also speak any phrase to launch an instant Web search for the term.
  • At the top right of the screen is a six-square icon with the label ‘Apps’. Touch it for access to the full menu of applications installed on your tablet.
  • Next to the ‘Apps’ icon is a large white plus sign. It opens the tool for customizing your tablet’s home screens; we’ll look at it in more detail in a moment.
  • At the bottom right of the display is a system clock, along with icons indicating your current network connection status and tablet battery level. Tapping this area once will bring up more-detailed information. Tapping it a second time will bring up additional options, including toggles for airplane mode, Wi-Fi, and other system settings.

From time to time, notifications will appear in the bottom-right area of your display–when you get a new e-mail message, for example, or when a calendar reminder comes due. You can tap any notification to view more information about it or you can dismiss it altogether.

Getting Around in Honeycomb

The area at the bottom left of the screen focuses on navigation. No matter where you are in the system, you’ll always see three icons:

• • The left arrow jumps you back one step–not terribly useful on the home screen, but handy when you’re in applications.
  • The home icon, predictably, takes you back to the home screen. If your tablet is running Android 3.1, your system will remember which panel you last had open and will automatically return you there.
  • The third icon opens the Honeycomb multitasking menu. This menu shows you a list of your most recently used apps and allows you to jump directly to any of them from anywhere in the system.

Occasionally, you may see a fourth icon in the bottom-left portion of your screen. This icon, which looks like a small grid, appears when you’re using a smartphone app that isn’t optimized for the Honeycomb interface. Tapping the icon brings up a list of options for the app; it’s the equivalent of pressing the Menu key on an Android phone.

When you work with apps that are optimized for Honeycomb, the grid icon is supplanted by what Google likes to call the ‘action bar’. The action bar permits apps to use the top-right area of your screen to provide additional options that change, depending on what you’re doing. If you’re looking at your inbox in Gmail, for example, you’ll see an icon for composing a new message. If you’re viewing an individual e-mail message, icons for archiving or deleting the message will appear in the same space.

Customizing Your Tablet

All right–ready to start making your Android tablet feel like your own? Tap the plus sign in the upper right corner of your home screen to head into Honeycomb’s customization control center.

In the control center, you’ll see thumbnails of all five home-screen panels and a list of items that you can place anywhere you like. Some of the items are widgets–which are live, functioning versions of programs that run right on your home screen. Others are app shortcuts–normal static icons that launch applications. You can touch any item to drag it to the panel of your choice; you can also adjust things from the home screen later on, by touching and holding any item to move, delete, or (in certain cases) resize it.

So there you have it: the ins and outs of Honeycomb. Now just grab your tablet, dive in, and don’t worry: You won’t get stung.