Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is Ready for Download

Microsoft has released its first Service Pack for the Windows 7 operating system addressing minor OS nips and tucks.

Bug fixes and security patches don't make for the most exciting Windows update, but they're the high points of Windows 7 Service Pack 1, now widely available for download.

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is now available from Microsoft's Website for download, or via Windows Update, and by ordering an installation DVD. Windows 7 SP1 takes roughly 30 minutes to install, and you'll have to restart the computer halfway through. System requirements and detailed installation instructions can also be found on Microsoft's Website.

Here are the most notable changes in SP1:

*     A bug fix for HDMI audio devices that stopped working after restarting the computer

*     Corrected behavior when printing mixed-orientation XPS documents

*     Changed behavior of the "Restore previous folders at logon" functionality so that all folders are restored to their previous position, rather than in cascading order based on the most recently active folders.

The service pack also includes all previously released security, stability and performance updates for Windows 7. Like I said, not very exciting.

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Rumor: Dell May Purchase AMD

MD's inner-turmoil may have positioned it as a prime target for an acquisition by Dell or companies.

Monday AMD saw a sudden 4.2-percent rise in share value by 4pm in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, jumping 35 cents to $8.63 per share. The increase was reportedly due to speculation that AMD may be a take-out target for Dell or other OEMs looking to purchase the nation's second-largest CPU manufacturer.

Currently AMD may be conceived as a prime target. Back in January, Chief Executive Officer Dirk Meyer stepped down from his position after fighting with the board over the company's lack of products in an expanding mobile computer market, and its overall lack of progress in regaining lost shares of the server market. For now Financial Officer Thomas Seifert is acting as interim CEO, but he made it clear he doesn't want the position to be permanent.

Then just last week Chief Operating Officer Robert Rivet and strategy head Marty Seyer announced that they were also leaving AMD. Although the reasons were not provided, it's speculated that the two decided to leave when AMD announced it would conduct an external search for the new CEO. Rivet and Seyer may have assumed that they would not be considered for the position, and quit.

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IBM and Samsung In Huge Patent Deal

IBM and Samsung have agreed on a patent cross-licensing deal under which the companies are licensing their "respective" patent portfolios to each other.

ZoomAccording to IBM, the deal includes a "wide range" of semiconductors, telecommunications, visual and mobile communication, software and technology services. While there was no detailed information available our sources mentioned that the agreement is likely among the widest ranging ever signed in the IT industry.

Of course, such an agreement was merely a matter of time, as IBM and Samsung are the leading organizations in the U.S. patent race in which the companies are attempting to acquire copyrights in truckload volumes. Of the 219,614 patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last year, IBM gobbled up 5896 and Samsung 4551. This week alone, IBM was granted 152 patents and applied for 47, which is a rather low number for the company. Samsung received 113 patents and filed 121 applications. 

Not all of the patents filed and granted relate directly to the company's business and the patent listings are occasionally entertaining reading material from the outside. For example, IBM received a patent for a specific (lawn) irrigation system and Samsung recently ventured into automatic shooting robots. The favorite remains Samsung's attempt to patent the patent. So it makes only sense that these two giants cross-patent a large portion of their "portfolios".

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ASUS Introduces P67 Series Motherboard

The Intel P67 Chipset is a game changer. A revolutionary redesign of the CPU micro-architecture enables P67-based systems to post the most impressive gains in speed and performance seen in the latter half of the last decade. Users looking towards the future will have their eye on integrating P67 motherboards in their PCs.

Providing top-notch pairing solutions with Intel processors is nothing new for ASUS. Known for its reliability and performance, ASUS is the number one choice for computer components.

ASUS designed diverse solutions for the Intel P67 Chipset. For gamers and overclocking enthusiasts, ASUS offers the unmatched power of the ROG Maximus IV Extreme and tough, durable Sabertooth P67. For business owners, the P8P67 series is competitively priced and positioned to fulfill the ever-increasing needs of expanding modern businesses. At the high-end, the P8P67 Pro and Deluxe provide impressive performance and stability with advanced features, while the P8P67 LE presents a conservative option for the budget-minded user.

For space-conscious users, ASUS offers MicroATX solutions: the P8P67-M and P8P67-M Pro. MicroATX solutions offer compact design, energy-efficiency, and space-efficiency while still preserving basic functionality and compatibility with standard PC components.

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