Four critical Windows fixes coming next week

HIGHLIGHTS

News: Four critical Windows fixes coming next week
News: Germany adds digital fingerprints to passports
News: U.S. agency bars some Qualcomm imports
News: Symantec to test major revamp of corporate AV client
News: Linksys ramps up SMB channel plans
Computex Roundup: Ultramobiles are pricey, power hungry, AMD says
Computex Roundup: Intel's rumored graphics chip a no-show
Computex Roundup: Chipsets to survive integration with CPU
Computex Roundup: Flash guys show certified ReadyBoost drives
Computex Roundup: Ubuntu mobilizes tablet software
Green IT: Fujitsu Siemens wraps sales pitch in green paper
Green IT: The green, green grass of Dell
ITWhirled: Geek Comic of the Week: The Adventures of Dr. McNinja


NEWS UPDATES

Four critical Windows fixes coming next week
Microsoft Corp. will release six sets of security patches next Tuesday, four of which will fix critical flaws in the Windows operating system.


Germany adds digital fingerprints to passports
Germany will store digital fingerprints in addition to digital photos in passports as one of several biometric security measures planned to fight organized crime and international terrorism.


U.S. agency bars some Qualcomm imports
The U.S. International Trade Commission barred the import of future models of phones using Qualcomm Inc. third generation chips, marking a blow to the vendor in its ongoing intellectual property battle with Broadcom Corp.


Symantec to test major revamp of corporate AV client
Symantec Corp. will kick off its annual Symantec Vision conference next week with the first public release of its next-generation corporate antivirus software, called Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0.


Linksys ramps up SMB channel plans
Cisco subsidiary, Linksys, has introduced a tiered partner program and specialization across its product lines. It coincides with the launch of a raft of new SMB products and services under the Linksys Connected Office platform.


COMPUTEX ROUNDUP

The annual Computex exhibition in Taiwan, which started Tuesday, offers a clear view of what we can expect in new computer systems over the next year. Considered an important barometer of hardware trends, this is where some of the largest companies that manufacture and supply many of the components and finished computers sold by HP, Dell, and others show off their latest and greatest products. This week's ITworld.com Daily Newsletters will highlight news coming out of the show.

COMPUTEX: Ultramobiles are pricey, power hungry, AMD says
Ultramobile PCs, the new product category developed by Microsoft Corp., have been unsuccessful so far because they're too expensive and their batteries don't last long enough, a top Advanced Micro Devices Inc. executive said Friday.


COMPUTEX: Intel's rumored graphics chip a no-show
One of the biggest rumors to come out of Computex this week is that Intel Corp. is developing a new high-end graphics processor, which it will begin sampling to graphics cards makers in Taiwan in the next year or two. Graphics card makers at the show said they've seen no signs of it, however.


COMPUTEX: Chipsets to survive integration with CPU
Computers are getting smaller and functions that once required multiple chips will increasingly be combined or move to the processor. But Intel Corp. said one component is going to survive these changes: the chipset.


COMPUTEX: Flash guys show certified ReadyBoost drives
Flash memory stick makers are showing off USB (Universal Serial Bus) drives at Computex that have been certified to work with Windows Vista's ReadyBoot and ReadyBoost functions, which improve boot-up times and the software start-up speeds in PCs.


COMPUTEX: Ubuntu mobilizes tablet software
Canonical, the corporate sponsor of the Ubuntu Linux distribution, has revealed the specs for a mobile version of its software, due in October.


GREEN IT

Fujitsu Siemens wraps sales pitch in green paper
Fujitsu Siemens Computers says it can cut the energy costs, operating costs and space footprint of U.K. data centers by at least 40 percent -- and promises to pay ten thousand pounds to a charity every time it fails to hit that target -- but is the offer as green as it looks?


The green, green grass of Dell
Dell is making a bid to become the greenest IT company by reducing its greenhouse emissions, but has set itself easier targets than its rivals.


ITWHIRLED

Geek Comic of the Week: The Adventures of Dr. McNinja
Tired of having to choose between gripping medical drama and exciting ninja action? Now you don't have to? Dr. McNinja is a ninja with an M.D., and his adventures both medical and swashbuckling unfold in artfully drawn black and white.