Researchers at HP Labs claim to have built a once-theoretical basic component for electrical engineering.

Known as a memory resistor, or 'memristor', the tiny device has the ability to retain the amount of electrical charge which flows through it.

The concept was first suggested in 1971 by University of California researcher Leon Chua, who posited that the memristor was the missing companion to the resistor, capacitor and inductor devices traditionally used to build circuits.

Link: vnunet.com

Apple, maker of the iPod media player, said yesterday that it would start selling movies through its iTunes online store the same day they are released on DVD.

New releases from studios, including Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., will cost $14.99, Apple said in a statement. Previously, customers had to wait several weeks after the DVDs debuted. The service will start with such movies as "American Gangster" and "Juno" this week.

Chief executive Steve Jobs is counting on movies to increase sales of iPods, Macintosh computers and Apple TV devices, which let users watch downloaded films on their widescreen televisions.

Link: washingtonpost.com

Microsoft confirmed Wednesday that it delayed the rollout of Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) because changes to the operating system can corrupt data in the company's retail point-of-sale and store management software.

The company has also suspended automatic distribution of Vista SP1 as well as XP SP3. "Yes, we are temporarily holding any additional automatic distribution of Windows Vista SP1" said a spokeswoman.

Tuesday, Microsoft postponed the expected release of XP SP3 because of what it called a "compatibility issue" between the OS and Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS), point-of-sale and store management software designed for small and midsize retailers. When it announced the service pack's delay, however, Microsoft did not spell out the specifics of the bug.

Link: ComputerWorld

Microsoft confirmed today that the final version of Windows XP Service Pack 3 has been released to PC manufacturers right on schedule. The update will be available to end users to download next Tuesday, April 29, and pushed to Windows Update in June. A post on Microsoft's TechNet developer site confirmed the release.

Microsoft gave us an early look at the update as a 580MB disk image. What we saw is barely changed from our preview of an early beta of SP3, and seeing Windows XP SP3 for the first time is highly unremarkable.

Link: PCMAG.COM

In a conference held in Las Vegas, two Gartner analysts presented a report titled "Windows Is Collapsing: How What Comes Next Will Improve", Computer World reported.

Citing reasons such as Microsoft’s failure to innovate and introduce new features in its operating system, the complexity of Windows and the increasing migration of users to the OS-independent applications, Michael Silver and Neil MacDonald concluded that, "for Microsoft, its ecosystem and its customers, the situation is untenable."

Rest assured though that Windows will not collapse overnight. According to the two analysts, it will take at least three years until Microsoft’s OS will be outrun by the Web applications created by its rivals.

Link: eFluxMedia