You probably know all about dual core processors, which basically means your computer can do two things at once and not get too hot under the collar. You may even have heard about Intel’s plans to launch a family of superfast 4-core processors in November, but here’s something new to get your head around, an 80 core processor, as reported by CNET News. A prototype wafer was unveiled by Intel CEO Paul Ottellini at the recent Intel Developer’s Conference in San Francisco and it is claimed to be able to process data at the rate of 1 terabyte per second. If everything goes according to plan the chips could be in production within the next five years.

If you get any emails purporting to contain an ‘E-Card’, most probably from an admiring female, think very hard about clicking on it, better still just delete it.

Obviously it’s a scam since you’ve never heard of the person sending it, but a lot of people will open the email and click on the link out of curiosity, to have a look at the card. Big mistake! As soon as you do the web site you are connected to will try to install spyware that will seek out credit card and bank details, passwords and private info by logging your keystrokes. It only takes a second or so and you won’t know it has happened, unless you have some really up to date and on the ball malware protection on your PC, you will be infected!

Some good news for Virgin Atlantic passengers. The draconian ban on Apple and Dell laptops  -- fallout from the exploding Dell/Sony battery saga -- has been partially lifted. The latest news from Virgin’s Passenger Information website states that customers who whish to use a Dell or Apple laptop will be allowed to do so once the battery serial number has been checked by a member of the cabin crew. Providing it doesn’t come from the suspect batch it can be used. The restriction on 2 battery packs per passenger remains though, and no mention of any other Sony batteries. Meanwhile some nice pictures of a sorry looking Dell laptop made it onto the web in double quick time when it burst into flames at Yahoo’s Mission College Campus last week, resulting in the building being evacuated for 45 minutes.

A report on CNET News appears to confirm a rumour that has been circulating for a while, namely that Microsoft will be shipping all versions Windows Vista on a single disc. A feature called Windows Anytime Update will let users upgrade from within their current version, so rather than having to buy a new disc you simply pay the upgrade price.  Windows Vista will be available from January in the UK and there will be five different versions: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise and Ultimate. Vista will also be available in 32 and 64-bit versions, though these will still be sold separately

The Amish community’s well known dislike of technology hasn’t stopped them from developing their own laptop, reports Mystique.net. According to the site and the technical FAQ it neatly sidesteps the problem of electricity, batteries and screens by reverting to the power of the abacus. It’s not Windows compatible as it used the open source BOS (Bead Operating System). If the specs are to be believed (and it looks very much like a prototype) it has a resolution of 13 x 6 beads, a 78 RAB (Random Access Bead) memory and chalk and slate based input. Connection to the Internet is via a string and can modem with download speeds claimed to be in the order of 2.4 bps (beads per second).

It’s all down to bonding hydrogen to silicon, a technique being perfected by researchers at Iowa State University’s Applied Science Department. The team, headed by Vikram Dalal (pictured) in collaboration with solar cell makers PowerFilm are developing thin and flexible cells, which until now have been less efficient than thicker cells but the new technology could improve the performance of the cells by up to 50 percent. The new manufacturing methods also use a lot less crystalline silicon, which is in short supply, due to demand from chip manufacturers.

It’s Tuesday so it must be Toshiba’s turn to issue a laptop battery recall in the next chapter in the seemingly never-ending dodgy Sony battery saga. The company has announced that it plans to recall some 340,000 batteries, made by Sony, that were fitted to Dynabook and Daynabook Satellite models made between March and May 2006. According to the Reuters report carried by Yahoo News the batteries will not catch fire or explode but are prone to failure, apparently due to ‘problems with storing and transmitting power…’. No word yet on how much it’s going to cost Tosh Corp, or whether the already troubled Sony are going to pick up the tab.

If you have some money to invest in a new and potentially groundbreaking wireless technology then Florida-based XG Technology would like to hear from you. XMax is the first mobile Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) system, making it easier for operators to set up mobile phone and data communications systems by using unlicensed sections of the radio spectrum.

At the heart of the system is xG Flash Signal, which is a highly efficient transmission system that provides up to three times the coverage, compared with other wireless technologies. City-wide services can be set up for a fraction of the cost of a traditional mobile phone system and if XG has got its sums right, and it manages to get financial backing, subscribers can look forward to cheaper handsets, lower running costs, higher quality and better coverage.

Researchers at Brown University in Providence Rhode Island have come up with a new battery technology based on plastics, rather than metals. The new battery combines the best qualities of conventional batteries with capacitors in that it can store a lot of energy in a small space, and when required, deliver a big blast of power.

The battery is based on a chemical compound called polypyrrole; early prototypes consist of thin strips of plastic, coated in gold. The component’s conductivity is altered when coated with polypyrrole and when another strip, using a different plastic material is sandwiched together with the first one it behaves like a hybrid battery and capacitor, able to store and deliver an electrical charge over a long period of time.

Billed by Microsoft as a revolutionary ‘Industrial design’ for road warriors, the new Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 does indeed manage to pack in an inordinate number of flashy features into its sleek comfy-grip body.

They include Bluetooth connectivity, flip it over and there are buttons for flipping presentations back, forward, and full screen; there’s a built-in laser pointer and it comes with a multimedia remote control utility, compatible with Windows Media Player, iTunes, Real Player, for controlling play, pause, track change and volume.

It probably won’t make much difference to the flood of spam emails clogging our inboxes with offers to buy the popular purple anti-impotence pill Viagra, but you will be heartened to know that the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has achieved a notable victory by shutting down a spamming operation reported to be responsible for more than 2 billion emails in one recent campaign. The junk mailers fell foul of Australia’s tough 2003 Spam Act and first time offenders can expect fines of up to £88,000 and if they keep it up there’s a daily fine of up to £440,000

It’s finally happening, technology is fighting back… Following hard on the heels of the exploding Dell laptop battery your faithful old photocopier could be about to get it own back. According to CBC News Canon has plans to inspect almost 1.9 million copiers manufactured between 1987 and 1997. Apparently there’s a problem with the wiring, which could lead to the machine’s overheating, smoking or even catching fire. So far there have been only three reported incidents but Canon is taking no chances and the 11 models, sold in Japan, North America and Europe will need checking

At first this sounded like another urban myth but according to the most excellent Ectaco on-line English - Latvian translator the word Vista does indeed mean hen or fowl in Latvian. Worse still, the report on Yahoo News claims it is also slang for a frumpy woman. Microsoft Latvia are apparently unconcerned about this and point to the fact that the name has given Vista a lot of very useful product recognition, without MS having to spend a penny on advertising.

By the way, for anyone involved in the Vista Beta 2 trial, check your mailbox today because Release Candidate 1 (RC1) -- virtually the finished product -- is available for download from today.