Obama-mania triggers 1.5m Facebook updates

Following Facebook's Connect service integration into the live CNN.com coverage of the inauguration, the company reported over 1.5 million status updates on its site, reports The Washington Post.

Facebook users could log into Facebook while watching the event, read comments from friends (or anyone) and leave their own.

During the broadcast an average of 4 000 status updates were written every minute, and 8 500 were written every minute during Obama's speech.

As expected, the case against hacker Gary McKinnon has been put on hold for a number of weeks, says Computing.co.uk.

McKinnon's lawyer, Karen Todner, revealed today that the High Court has postponed extradition plans, while Keir Starmer, director of public prosecutions, considers the case.

McKinnon is seeking a ruling that he can be tried under the UK's Computer Misuse Act, and wants his Asperger's diagnosis to be taken into consideration.

Despite taking some major financial knocks in recent months, Intel is pushing ahead with its investments in solar technology, reports The Register.

The company is now testing the potential of using solar energy to help power data centres, unveiling a new experimental photovoltaic installation this weekend in New Mexico.

The sun trap was built in a parking lot north of Intel's Rio Rancho manufacturing plant that primarily develops flash memory chips as well as its Celeron and Pentium lines.

Experts are warning that hackers have yet to activate the payload of the Conficker virus, says The BBC.

The worm is spreading through low security networks, memory sticks and PCs without current security updates.

The malicious program - also known as Downadup or Kido - was first discovered in October.