Today’s topics include hackers breaching Linux Mint’s security, Facebook’s partnership with Intel and Nokia to open Telco Networks, Intel’s new focus on accelerating the transition to 5G, and AT&T’s plan to work with Intel to test drones over LTE networks.
On Feb. 20, hackers managed to infiltrate Linux’s popular Mint operating system, planting a backdoor in the Linux.com Website and compromising the user forum, which enabled the attackers to steal username and password information.
As of Feb. 22, LinuxMint.com was offline while operators scrambled to restore user confidence and security. Mint has recently emerged to become one of the most popular desktop options Linux provides.
Facebook wants to apply the technological principles behind its Open Compute Project to the telecommunications industry. The company is partnering with both tech vendors such as Intel and Nokia as well as network operators to launch its Telecom Infra Project.
The new venture aims to use the open-development philosophies driving the Open Compute Project to enable quicker and more affordable development of telco networking gear from carriers and providers. Facebook is also looking to the near future when the rising number of connected devices and major bandwidth-intensive applications, such as virtual reality, require scaling telecom infrastructure.
Intel has taken the opportunity provided by this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, to unveil a range of partnerships and products designed to accelerate the transition to 5G networks in a bid to establish itself as a dominant player in that field.
The company was famously late to respond to the rapid rise of smartphones and tablets as it failed to back LTE standards for 4G networks. But the chip-maker is learning from past mistakes and is aggressively pursuing the emerging markets of the Internet of things, wearable devices and networking gear.
In a separate initiative, Intel and AT&T are teaming up to test how drones will run over LTE networks. At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, the partners will demonstrate a drone operating beyond line-of-sight and streaming video over the same LTE network AT&T uses to connect smartphones and tablets.
Most drones have limited travel distances, since operators need to keep them in sight to control them. But Intel and AT&T see an array of industrial and consumer uses for drones with greater range. More information is due to come out of Barcelona this week.