McAfee glad Intel is dropping his name from 'broken' security software

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 8 January 2014 09:53 IST
McAfee glad Intel is dropping his name from 'broken' security software
John McAfee, the flamboyant millionaire who founded a pioneering anti-virus software company that Intel Corp bought for $7.7 billion, says he is glad that the chipmaker plans to drop his name from its products.

Intel Chief Executive Brian Krzanich announced the decision to abandon the McAfee name late on Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, saying the company plans to adopt the "Intel Security" brand.

"I've been begging them to drop the brand or fix the product," McAfee said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. He did not speculate on a reason for the move, which was not completely unexpected.

Last June, McAfee appeared in a profanity-laced video attacking the quality of the software produced by the company, which he founded in the late 1980s. He said he frequently gets emails from customers who complain that it degrades the performance of their computers and is difficult to remove.

Intel has repeatedly said the attacks on the quality of its software are "ludicrous" and without merit.

Advertisement

Its chief technology officer, Michael Fey, said on Tuesday that the company was not concerned about the video, partly because customers knew that John McAfee had not worked for the company in some 20 years.

"Everybody realized the man was trying to get a laugh or make a joke. It is far from something that most buyers took seriously," he said. "We didn't really feel much pressure."

Advertisement

Still, he said, it would be a relief to be able to ignore John McAfee's antics once Intel stopped using his name.

"As an employee I am happy to stop having to answer that," Fey said.

Advertisement

Questions about Intel's plans for keeping the McAfee brand first surfaced in late 2012, when John McAfee, to much publicity, left the Central American nation of Belize after police sought to question him about the murder of a neighbor. He said he was framed for a murder he did not commit.

John McAfee fled to the United States in December 2012 and is developing technology dubbed D-Central that he says will help keep Internet communications safe from government snooping.

Then in his video attacking the software, the millionaire fires a gun into a computer. He was undressed and pawed by a group of young women.

McAfee said he did it all to mock the media's unfair portrayal of him as unhinged.

"I am who I am. I'm sorry I live on the edge and enjoy life and don't care what people think of me," he said on Tuesday, when asked how he felt about Intel dumping his name. "I'm sorry that the software has my name."

© Thomson Reuters 2014

Stay in touch with the latest from CES 2014, via our CES page.


CES 2014 - World's biggest tech event in pics
 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus With 12.7-Inch Screen, AI Features Launched in India
  2. Dell Launches Alienware 16 Aurora in India; Sale Begins on Prime Day 2025
  3. Nothing Announces India-Exclusive Drop Event for Its Flagship Phone 3
  1. Indian Startup QWR Unveils AI-Powered Smart Glasses Humbl, to Be Shipped Later This Year
  2. Elon Musk Says Grok Chatbot Is Coming to Tesla Vehicles by Next Week
  3. Amazon Introduces Rewards Gold Cashback Program Ahead of Prime Day 2025 Sale
  4. Vivo T4R 5G Tipped to Launch in India Soon; May Get MediaTek Dimensity 7400 SoC
  5. Musk's Starlink Receives India's Final Regulatory Nod for Launch
  6. Google Announces Rollout of Ads in AI Overviews in India, AI-Powered Ad Solutions
  7. Amazfit Active 2 Square Launched in India With Over 160 Sports Modes, Bluetooth Calling: Price, Specifications
  8. Musk-Owned X's CEO Linda Yaccarino to Step Down in Surprise Move
  9. Oppo Reno 15 Series Launch Timeline Tipped; Base Variant Could Get a Compact Display
  10. Acer Iconia Tab iM11 Launched in India With 11.45-Inch Screen, 7,400mAh Battery: Price, Features
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.