Ed Oswald

Researchers at IBM and Georgia Tech said Tuesday that they had created the first silicon-based chip capable of operating at speeds of over 500 GHz. The processor beat the previous speed record by 125 gigahertz, and is some 125 times faster than today's fastest chips.

To accomplish this feat, the researchers froze the chip to near absolute zero -- minus 451 degrees Fahrenheit. IBM said that computer simulations seem to indicate that the silicon-germanium (SiGe) technology could eventually support near-terahertz operation, even at room temperature.

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Mobile interoperability group the Open Mobile Alliance said Tuesday that it had released version 1.0 of the OMA Push to Talk over Cellular standard. The approval of the standard comes one year after it was submitted to the group.

Since May of last year, the platform has been tested in six events sponsored by the OMA, and the most recent event tested some 11 different implementations. Overall, 22 companies have submitted push-to-talk implementations on the client side, and 8 on the server side over the past year.

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The Federal Communications Commission voted Wednesday to increase the amount that cell phone providers must pay into the Universal Service Fund (USF), while also requiring VoIP providers to contribute for the first time.

The increase in fees would likely mean higher monthly bills is in the cards for the millions of cellular and VOIP subscribers. Often when fees are increased, communications providers pass on the added costs to their customers.

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Microsoft and non-profit licensing organization Creative Commons said Wednesday that they had struck a deal to allow Office users to add the group's licensing to their documents. Although the two companies have worked together in the past, this latest agreement is the most significant project to date.

The first document to be licensed through the Office tool is a speech by Brazilian Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil, which will be made at the Creative Commons iSummit in Rio de Janiero, the two companies said.

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Struggling electronics maker Creative pressed on late Tuesday, introducing the Creative Zen V Plus, its latest music and video player. The device is small enough to fit in the coin pocket of a pair of jeans, and includes a 1.5-inch color OLED screen.

The Zen V Plus is also PlaysForSure compatible, meaning it supports subscription music services. The player also includes a line-in port for direct recording from audio devices and FM radio, and a voice recording feature.

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Twelve companies joined forces Tuesday to call on legislatures to consider comprehensive consumer privacy legislation. In addition, eBay CEO Meg Whitman and Hewlett-Packard Chief Privacy Officer Scott Taylor also testified on Capitol Hill saying action was needed to "unify today's crazy quilt of laws."

While they do not support consumers gaining the right to sue companies for violations of privacy statutes, the companies are advocating a central agency with the power take action if companies are lax in protecting the privacy of their customers.

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As Microsoft scrambles to fix one security flaw in its Excel spreadsheet program, security researchers have uncovered another. First disclosed by Symantec on Monday, the problem could cause Excel to crash after a malicious file is opened.

While a code execution and system takeover risk is also possible, it has not been confirmed, said Symantec. However, security firm Secunia disagreed, saying successful exploitation would allow the execution of arbitrary code.

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Microsoft released a preview of a new Windows-based platform Tuesday that would allow for the easy development of robotics applications in academic, hobbyist and commercial environments. Called the Microsoft Robotics Studio, the technology was showcased at a robotics conference in Pittsburgh.

The company says that it sees great potential in robotics, thus it began work to provide an easier method of creating new robotic applications. The Robotics Studio is a result of that work. With improvements in processors and lower-cost sensors, development in robotics is expected to soar.

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With market saturation becoming a problem for the mobile phone industry, attention has turned to emerging markets where penetration is still relatively low. Motorola said Tuesday it was doing just that, introducing its "Motomobile" line of phones.

All phones within the brand are adapted to the needs of non-developed regions. With electricity sometimes at a premium in these countries, phones would have up to two weeks standby time, and a lantern feature that would allow use at night or in dark environments.

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T-Mobile said Tuesday that it would next week launch the Sidekick 3, which has rapidly become a cult favorite among trendsetters and celebrities alike. Although planned for general availability July 10, current customers would be able to upgrade to the device via the handset upgrade program beginning June 28.

The latest incarnation of the Sidekick is some 20 percent smaller than the Sidekick II. A new trackball provides one-handed navigation, and Bluetooth functionality has been added to the device. Moreover, the Sidekick 3 has been turned into an MP3 player with a Mini-SD card slot for additional memory.

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Disney said Monday that its pilot program of offering downloads of prime time television shows from the ABC network the day after they air has been a huge success. In the first month of the test, videos were viewed more than 11 million times.

The test will end as scheduled on June 30, ABC says, in order to allow time to pour over research data collected during the trial.

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Hours after the final release of Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo debuted a beta of its own Yahoo! Messenger 8.0 with Voice client, adding new plug-in functionality that allows for a customized chat experience.

The plug-in architecture of Yahoo Messenger 8 has been opened up, with an API also released to encourage development of new "mini-applications." Initially, several companies have agreed to ship third-party plug ins with the beta, including Amazon.com, AmericanGreetings.com, Coupons, Inc., eBay, NewsGater, and 30 Boxes.

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Microsoft said Monday that it was committing fully to Windows Live, with 20 new services currently in various stages of testing. The company says it is making "tremendous progress," mainly due to its engagement of consumers in the beta development process.

Windows Live Messenger is the first global product from the lineup to come out of beta, and the company says others would soon follow. The instant messaging client was selected as the first to exit beta because of its importance in tying other Live services together.

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Microsoft researchers plan to unveil new technology this week that would allow for the restoration or segmentation of video digitally. The company says such tools could be used to restore videos that have been damaged, or to change the background of the video.

Details of the processes were disclosed in a paper co-authored by Microsoft Research and the University of Tokyo. The technique is called "motion field transfer," and involves the sampling of similar motion patches from other portions of the video.

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In its continuing effort to overturn legislation that limit the sale of violent video games, the Entertainment Software Association filed suit in federal court against the state of Louisiana. The group is looking to have the state's new video game law overturned.

Vendors caught selling violent video games to minors would risk being fined $100 to $2,000 per offense, with jail terms of up to one year. The ESA calls the bill unnecessary, saying the industry and parents are already working together to curb sales of questionable titles.

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