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A federal appeals court has turned down a Freedom of Information Act request to disclose National Security Agency records about the 2010 cyberattack on Google users in China.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center, which focuses on privacy and civil liberties, sought communications between Google and the NSA, which conducts worldwide electronic surveillance and protects the U.S. government from such spying. But the NSA refused to confirm or deny whether it had any relationship with Google. The NSA argued that doing so could make U.S. government information systems vulnerable to attack.

A federal district court judge sided with the NSA last year, and on Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the ruling.

In 2010, Google complained about major attacks on its Web site by Chinese hackers and suggested the Chinese government may have instigated them. The Chinese government denied any involvement. Soon after, there were news reports that Google was teaming up with the NSA to analyze the attack and help prevent future ones.

The privacy center's FOIA request drew a "Glomar" response, in which an agency refuses to confirm or deny the existence of records. The term refers to a case in the 1970s, when the CIA refused to confirm or deny the existence of the Glomar Explorer, a ship disguised as an ocean mining vessel that the CIA used to salvage a sunken Soviet submarine. Courts consistently have upheld Glomar responses.

"In reviewing an agency's Glomar response, this court exercises caution when the information requested" involves national security, Judge Janice Rogers Brown wrote in the unanimous appeals court panel's ruling. "NSA need not make a specific showing of potential harm to national security in order to justify withholding information" under one of the law's exemptions because Congress has already, in enacting the FOIA statute,...

Most computer users live in fear of a crashed computer and lost data, or are frustrated by a computer that seems to take hours to perform the simplest task. The trick is to learn from these problems and either fix the computer before the worst happens, or at least make sure it never happens again.

This is not work that can only be performed by experts. Even a blue screen can be helpful, since Windows uses it to deliver a Bug Check Code, which gives some hint about the cause of the problem.

Thus, the message KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED indicates a problem with a driver. Microsoft provides a complete list of all check codes -- and possible solutions -- online. Such tips are necessary; otherwise any effort to fix a computer can quickly turn into a waste of time.

"Unfortunately, the diagnosis is anything but easy," says Hans Ludwig Stahl, director of the Institute for Computer Science at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. Problems can stem from issues with either hardware or software. Or the PC could be having resource issues related to working memory or hard drive space.

Viruses and other forms of malware can also make the computer unusable, which is why everyone should have up-to-date anti-virus software.

Stahl recommends seeking the source of the problem in the recent past. "Maybe the problem cropped up right after putting in a new piece of hardware or installation of some new software." If that's the case, remove the potential source of the problem as a test. Maybe the computer will work fine without it.

Sometimes combinations of hardware, software and operating system simply don't work, says Stahl. "That can always happen with open systems like Windows."

In a worst case scenario, that can mean living without the problem hardware or software. Sometimes a patch or a new driver...

Throw another Apple on the barbie, mates. In a concession to complaints from consumers down under, Apple is no longer claiming overseas that its newest iPad can deliver 4G long-term evolution (LTE) high-speed data.

New iPads equipped for mobile broadband access are now labeled for sale as "Wi-Fi + Cellular." The change came after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (similar to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission) took the computer giant to court because the iPad's top mobile connection speed doesn't meet that country's definition of 4G.

'A Simple Term'

The Financial Times of London reported that the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority had been in ongoing discussions with Apple about whether its ads promising 4G were truthful since 4G networks are only in the initial stages in much of the world.

Apple argued that the iPad connects with HSPA+ networks, which are marketed sometimes as 4G in the U.S.

The Sydney Morning Herald cited the change as a victory for the ACCC, saying Apple released "a statement that because telecommunications companies "do not all refer to their high-speed networks with the same terminology" it had therefore "decided to use 'Wi-Fi + Cellular' as a simple term" which describes all of the networks supported by the new iPad."

The International Telecommunications Union, a United Nations-affiliated agency, in 2008 classified 4G as data speed of 100 megabits per second for fast mobility and 1 gigabit per second for pedestrians. Few carriers today can deliver that kind of speed. AT&T and Verizon Wireless promise LTE speed of 5 to 12 megabits per second for uplink and 2 to 5 mbps for downloads. Sprint promises up to 10 mbps for its WiMAX network .

The ITU definition seems to be in flux, however. In October 2010, it announced that two new technologies, "LTE-Advanced" and "WirelessMAN-Advanced" had "successfully met all...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Rumors about coming MacBook releases are swirling around the Web. Key predictions include a new Intel Ivy Bridge Core quad-core processor, a very thin 15-inch MacBook Pro, super-fast USB 3.0 and Retina displays.

Some of the reports are based on the appearance on various sites of benchmarks that purport to be from a new MacBook Pro prototype. The benchmarks indicates that the machine is running a new, unreleased version of OS X Mountain Lion, using an Ivy Bridge processor.

50 Percent Faster

According to the alleged specs, a new 13-inch MacBook Pro will use the recently-released Intel Core i7-3820QM, running at 2.7 GHz. One reason for excitement about the possible incorporation of the new processor is that its integrated graphics processing is said to run about 50 percent faster than the Sandy Bridge processors currently in the MacBook Pro.

However, some observers have speculated that, while an Ivy Bridge processor may be planned for the next MacBook Pro, it may not be the 3820QM, but a more recent Intel chip designed specifically for the product.

There are also purported benchmarks for new all-in-one iMacs floating around, which point to a 27-inch iMac running an Ivy Bridge quad-core processor, the i7-3770, at 3.4GHz.

A new 15-inch MacBook Pro is reportedly being readied, based on information from supply-chain sources, and some observers expect it to resemble a souped-up MacBook Air, while others suggest a much thinner version of the current Pro. Another data point backing the idea that new Macs will soon be released is that retailers appear to be cutting prices to move existing inventory, such as discounts of up to $200 by Best Buy.

Retina Display?

A key feature of one or more new Mac models, according to reports, will be a so-called Retina display, the next step in spectacular high-resolution technology launched on the iPhone...

After the revelation that his resume was puffed up with unearned educational credentials, Yahoo on Sunday announced the resignation of CEO Scott Thompson. Thompson replaced the ousted Carol Bartz as chief just four months ago, in January.

The controversy began earlier this month when Daniel Loeb, CEO of Third Point, took issue with Thompson and the board. Loeb, whose fund owns a 5.8 percent stake in Yahoo, was reportedly trying to shake up the board with the revelation that Thompson doesn't have a bachelor's degree in computer science as is indicated on his resume. If that was his intention, it worked.

In addition to Thompson resigning, Ross Levinsohn moved from non-executive chair to interim CEO, and director Fred Amoroso will become chairman, replacing Roy Bostock, the non-executive chairman, who is leaving the board immediately.

Those moves helped Yahoo reach an agreement with Third Point to settle a pending proxy contest related to its 2012 annual meeting of shareholders.

Was Thompson Too Impolitic?

Under the board's settlement agreement with Third Point, three Third Point nominees -- Loeb, Harry J. Wilson, and Michael J. Wolf -- will join the Yahoo board. As interim CEO, Levinsohn will manage the company's day-to-day operations.

We caught up with Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence, to get his thoughts on Thompson's resignation. When news of the resume issue first arose, Sterling, among many others, didn't think it would derail Thompson's role at Yahoo.

"I think there are a number of things going on in Scott Thompson's resignation-termination, or forced resignation, if you prefer. The scandal over his resume wouldn't go away," Sterling said.

"That was in part because it was being used by hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb as part of a proxy fight with Yahoo. Loeb helped create and fueled the PR crisis to gain leverage in negotiations. He now...

Local TV station owners increasingly are working with technology start-ups that want to broadcast their shows to tablets and smartphones.

New ventures Syncbak, Dyle, Mobile500 and Aereo are among those aiming their mobile digital TV technology at consumers who want to eliminate or reduce the cost of their cable or satellite subscriptions.

"It's watching TV in your car or on the train," says Colleen Brown, CEO of TV station owner Fisher Communications. "There will be a time when consumers don't care how they get TV."

Syncbak, a Marion, Iowa-based company, has partnered with 60 stations nationwide to pilot its technology that streams via a free app to iPhone, iPad and Android devices. "The only thing missing after Netflix and Hulu was live broadcast TV," Syncbak CEO Jack Perry says.

Dyle, a joint venture of 12 TV station owners, plans to launch a service later this year that will broadcast local TV content over the air for free. Gannett, parent of USA TODAY, is a partner in the venture. Dyle's service for tablets will be available to iPad and Android users willing to pay for a small antenna that connects to the tablet. The broadcast service will be available on cellphones only to the customers of wireless carrier MetroPCS who own a Samsung 4G phone. Salil Dalvi, co-general manager of the Dyle venture and senior vice president of NBC Universal Digital Distribution, says Dyle may become a subscription service in the future.

Mobile500 Alliance, a joint venture of 50 TV station companies, plans to release an antenna and an iOS app (MyDTV) in the summer that will allow iPhone and iPad users to receive local TV station broadcast signals. At launch, it'll have about 40 stations nationwide that will broadcast through the MyDTV app, says Brown, who also chairs the alliance. Content will be free, but...