Intel Begins Applying 'Stars' Ratings to Microprocessors

Submitted Thursday, April 09, 2009 @ 03:47 PMIntel company information - ( Intel News )pcmag.com -- Will you choose a PC's processor like you choose a hotel? Intel has already bet that you will.Years after microprocessor vendors launched "model numbers" to try and provide buyers with a simpler way of evaluating microprocessor performance, on April 1 Intel began placing point-of-sale placards and other promotional materials in stores displaying between one to five stars. The company has also jazzed up its chip logos, adding a bit of color to the almost-uniform Intel blue. See the complete story here.

CompUSA Comes Back From the Dead

Submitted Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 02:59 PMblog.wired.com -- About three months ago, Loretta Alkalay, a retired Florida resident, wanted to get a new HDTV. So she decided to give the CompUSA near her home a try.Yes, CompUSA. The once-bankrupt electronics retailer is making a comeback, with about 30 new CompUSA stores nationwide and a new strategy that includes aggressive prices, remodeled stores, improved lighting and in-store web access for comparison shopping. See the complete story here.

New method could lead to narrower chip patterns

Submitted Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 03:04 PMweb.mit.edu -- Researchers at MIT have found a novel method for etching extremely narrow lines on a microchip, using a material that can be switched from transparent to opaque, and vice versa, just by exposing it to certain wavelengths of light.Such materials are not new, but the researchers found a novel way of harnessing that property to create a mask with exceptionally fine lines of transparency. This mask can then be used to create a correspondingly fine line on the underlying material. See the complete story here.

Bluetooth 3.0 prepped for launch on April 21

Submitted Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 03:07 PMarstechnica.com -- The Bluetooth 3.0 spec is ready to hit the streets, with the Bluetooth SIG preparing for an official release later this month. The updated specification will enable the transfer of larger files thanks to the incorporation of 802.11n. See the complete story here.

BBC Gets Ready for BitTorrent Distribution

Submitted Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 03:09 PMCreative company information - ( Creative News )torrentfreak.com -- Today the BBC published the first episode of R&DTV, a Creative Commons licensed show that users are allowed to remix, redistribute and share. The first episode of the monthly technology show features Digg’s Kevin Rose, among others. The BBC hopes to use BitTorrent for the distribution of future episodes. See the complete story here.

Science's most powerful computer tackles first questions

Submitted Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 03:12 PMnewscientist.com -- In cult sci-fi tale Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the most powerful computer in the universe was charged with finding the answer to life, the universe, and everything.In the real world, a newly built supercomputer that is the most powerful ever dedicated to science will be tackling questions about climate change, supernovas, and the structure of water. See the complete story here.

Microsoft killing free XP support next week

Submitted Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 11:10 AMMicrosoft company information - ( Microsoft News )theregister.co.uk -- Microsoft will drop free support for handful of aging products next week, including consumer versions of Windows XP and Office 2003.On April 14, the Redmond giant ends "mainstream" support for Office 2003 in addition to Windows XP Home and Professional. This means the software will no longer include no-charge incident support, warranty claims, design changes, and bug fixes not related to security. See the complete story here.

Microsoft Windows HTTP Services Multiple Vulnerabilities

Submitted Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 04:14 PMMicrosoft company information - ( Microsoft News )secunia.com -- Some vulnerabilities have been reported in Microsoft Windows, which can be exploited by malicious people to conduct spoofing attacks or compromise a user's system.1) An integer underflow error in Windows HTTP Services can be exploited to execute arbitrary code via a specially crafted parameter returned by a malicious web server.2) An error in Windows HTTP Services while validating the distinguished name of a certificate can be exploited to spoof a valid certificate.Successful exploitation requires the ability to perform DNS spoofing attacks.3) An error in Windows HTTP Services can be exploited to reflect NTLM credentials and execute arbitrary code by tricking a user into connecting to a malicious web server. See the complete story here.

Congressman Wants to Ban Download Caps

Submitted Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 04:34 PMblog.wired.com -- Time Warner Cable plans to test its controversial, new scheme to have users pay by the gigabyte in Rochester, New York, but the area's freshman congressman calls usage caps greedy and plans to introduce legislation to stop it.New York Democratic Rep. Eric Massa called TWC's proposal to switch its 8.4 million cable broadband customers to metered internet billing an "outrageous plan to tax the American people." See the complete story here.