Intel could spark PC price war

A price war started by Intel slashing prices on its older chips following the release of its new dual-core processors could result in bargains for buyers of desktop and notebook PCs who don`t need the latest chip technology, says Information Week.

Intel`s price reductions have led to similar cuts by rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), resulting in cuts of 50% or more for many PC processors.

According to the report, the pricing battles are likely to continue as Intel increases production of the Core 2 Duo chips, but once the older models are cleared out, chip prices should stabilise, resulting in fewer PC bargains. However, analysts say Intel and AMD may have to choose between profits and market share as they set future prices.

Microsoft has developed technology that transforms digital images into 3D models by scanning them and calculating the position of the camera when the image was recorded, reports BBC News.

The new Photosynth can display photographic image collections in a 3D space, enabling users to walk through a scene to see photos from any angle.

Microsoft says Photosynth should be available for use later this year. Photo-sharing Web sites will be early-adopters of this technology.

Vodafone in the UK is preparing to ship a USB version of its 3G mobile connect broadband data card that is compatible with MacBooks and MacBook Pros from Apple Computer, reports The Register.

Although Vodafone`s HSDPA-equipped mobile connect 3G data card does feature Mac support, it`s not compatible with the MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks, which use the ExpressCard 34 slot for add-ins.

The USB model will provide the same connectivity with download speeds of about 1.4Mbps and upload speeds of up to 384Kbps. Vodafone`s 3G network is set to cover three-quarters of the UK population within the next year.

McAfee has patched a vulnerability in its SecurityCenter consumer product management tool that could have allowed remote attackers to execute code and gain control over affected PCs, reports CRN.

The vulnerability was discovered by eEye researchers, who said hackers could exploit the flaw to run code on a vulnerable PC with the privileges of the logged-on user. They said the exploit could lead to the complete compromise of an affected PC, enabling attackers to hit the rest of a network with malware or launch denial-of-service attacks against other networks.

Although downplaying the severity of the threat, McAfee has issued a SecurityCenter 7.0 update through its live update servers for the vulnerability, which affects SecurityCenter versions 4.3 to 6.0.22. McAfee is also working on a patch for older versions of SecurityCenter.

New research shows that sending instant messages actually gives users a strong command of grammar rather than ruining their grasp of the English language, reports The Globe and Mail.

University of Toronto researchers have found teenagers are not losing what they learn in English class, but rather demonstrating a mastery of formal and informal language when chatting online with friends.

The research was based on the conversation logs of 71 Toronto teenagers, comparing their use of language both in speech and while using instant messaging.