Intel doesn’t plan to wait for the Wi-Fi Alliance to certify the upcoming 802.11n standard before it releases an 802.11n chip for its Centrino package of chips next year, an executive said Monday.

When Intel releases its Santa Rosa platform in the first half of next year, it will upgrade the wireless chip in that package to 802.11n. But final ratification of the standard, once expected early next year, is now expected to drag on into next year. Nonetheless, Intel will stick to its schedule and join other wireless chipmakers in releasing so-called “draft standard” products that work at the faster speeds delivered by 802.11n

Source: News.com

Microsoft on Monday briefly posted pricing for Windows Vista on its Canadian Web site, giving an eye into what the company will charge for the new operating system.

The posting indicates that the Home Basic edition of Windows Vista will be priced the same as Windows XP Home, at $233 ($259 Canadian). The Home Premium version, which includes support for Media Center and tablet PC abilities will sell for 13 percent higher rate, a price that translates to about $269 in American dollars.

Source: News.com

A user called “viodentia” on the the doom9.org message boards (a DVD conversion has posted links to a program called FairUse4WM that is capable of cracking Microsoft’s DRM 10, which protects files offered by PlaysForSure-commpatible music stores. The program is an easy-to-use front end to an app called drmbg that strips DRM headers from “secure” WMA files. Although he apparently developed the program to allow people to play their legally purchased music on the device of their choice, the potential for abuse is fairly high.

Source: Wired

AOL’s free Internet client software has earned the company a slap on the wrist from StopBadware.org, a consortium set up to combat malicious software. In a report set to be released today, the group advises users to steer clear of the software because of its “badware behavior.”

The report blasts the free version of AOL 9.0 because it “interferes with computer use,” and because of the way it meddles with components such as the Internet Explorer browser and the Windows taskbar. The suite is also criticized for engaging in “deceptive installation” and faulted because some components fail to uninstall.

Source: Yahoo

Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed new technology to greatly improve battery performance and decrease the risks associated with the lithium-based batteries currently used.

The new “nano-battery technology” was developed by teams at Tel Aviv university over three years. It is made up of a number of tiny batteries positioned in such a way as to provide a large amount of electrical power without the risk of overheating. “We have thousands of miniature batteries which are interconnected,” Nathan said. “The basic unit is a 50 micron diameter battery - about the thickness of a strand of hair. In comparison, the diameter of a triple A battery is about three millimeters - ours is .003 mm - about a factor of a thousand.”

The nano-batteries have also proven to operate without a loss of capacity or stability after hundreds of charge/discharge cycles.

Nathan estimates that the batteries will enter the market within four years. The project is currently seeking interested companies to fund the continued research and production of the technology.

Source: israelnationalnews.com

Microsoft Corp. on Friday attempted to clear up a report in an Australian magazine that the 32-bit version of Windows Vista would not have high-definition playback, saying that function would be left up to independent software vendors.

Steve Riley, a senior program manager for Microsoft, said Thursday during a presentation on Vista security at the Microsoft TechEd conference in Sydney, Australia, that “any next generation high-definition content will not play in x32 at all,” according to APC Magazine, an IT publication in Australia.

On Friday, Microsoft sent by email a statement from Windows marketer Adam Anderson “to clarify recent reports.”

“It is up to the ISVs providing playback solutions to determine whether the intended playback environment, including environments with a 32-bit CPU, meets the performance requirements to allow high definition playback while supporting the guidelines set forth by the content owners.” Anderson said. “No version of Windows Vista will make a determination as to whether any given piece of content should play back or not.”

Source: InformationWeek

In a deal between two of the Internet’s most prominent properties, Google Inc. will begin selling advertising on Web auction leader eBay and help buyers quickly ring an online merchant to do business.

The arrangement announced Monday promises to introduce “click-to-call” Web site technology to a broader audience and potentially speed its adoption as a means to more quickly connect online consumers with advertisers. It allows potential buyers to call up sellers by clicking a link in a Web page.

Source: AP