Fender intros Rock Band Squier

Since the release of games like Rock Band, guitarists have been left out in the cold but now there's a chance to somewhat level the playing field, writes Gizmag.

With the forthcoming release of a game controller that's also a genuine Fender Squier Strat, as well as introducing a whole new level of game play to virtual axe grinders, guitarists can also benefit from learning to play an actual instrument.

Rather than just tapping along to onscreen prompts, the Squier by Fender Stratocaster Guitar and Controller will allow players to get closer to the realism of playing. Not only is it an officially licensed Rock Band 3 video game controller, but it also happens to be a fully functional electric guitar. Designed to work in the game's Pro mode, the device "allows players to play the actual notes and chords of their favourite songs while racking up high game play scores," according to the makers.

The International Atomic Energy Agency could add computer security at nuclear plants to its remit after it emerged that stuxnet, the first computer worm known to attack industrial machinery, is indeed targeted at nuclear energy equipment as many observers had suspected, says New Scientist.

"It's not the IAEA's primary role to monitor how well nuclear plants are operating," says a source at the nuclear watchdog in Vienna, Austria. "But if our 150 member states want us to, we could facilitate meetings that help nuclear operators develop more secure computing systems."

Such measures might include ensuring there are no connections between office computers and PCs monitoring control systems - or ensuring plant staff cannot insert USB sticks which may carry malware into critical hardware.

Researchers at Hewlett-Packard have developed a working unit of a memory circuit that has existed in theory for 37 years, which could ultimately replace RAM and make computers more intelligent by tracking data it has retained, states PC World.

The technology, called 'memristor', could allow computers to make decisions by understanding past patterns of data it has collected, similar to human brains collecting and understanding a series of events.

For example, a memristor circuit could be capable of telling a microwave the heating time for different food types based on the information it has collected over time, says Stanley Williams, senior fellow at HP.