From DailyTech: On the tails of the release of the Windows Vista SP2 Release Candidate to the masses, only a couple weeks later Microsoft has delivered the RTM Escrow build to its Connect beta testers. Microsoft had already released this build several days ago, reportedly, to its internal testers.

Beta testers can find the new build on Windows Update via Windows Connect. It has been packaged with multiple install options to test, including Slipstream versions and Standalone installers. The new build string is 6002.17043.090312-1835, so if you are a tester or have a copy you can check its authenticity against that.

The new service pack delivers many much anticipated features, along with numerous tweaks and bug fixes which should strengthen the Vista experience. Among the hottest additions in the new pack is the ability to record in Blu-Ray format for the first time in Windows. Other key additions include Bluetooth v2.1 connectivity, Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration wireless functionality, faster Wi-Fi resume times after hibernation, Windows Search 4.0, and the ability to configure the maximum number of TCP connections.

For those outside the testing community eager to get their hands on the final version of SP2, it should be available within a couple weeks, as the RTM build typically is the last step before a public release. Stay tuned for more details.

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From CNET News.com: Apple has set the dates for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, to be held once again in San Francisco during June.

The company will host about 5,000 engineers in San Francisco's Moscone West convention center the week of June 8 through June 12, it confirmed Thursday. Some Apple developers were starting to get nervous that Apple had yet to confirm the dates in order for them to make travel plans.

Apple did not post any explicit information about whether there would be the usual opening keynote at WWDC this year, except for an offhand reference to the "WWDC Keynote Session" in a site section regarding attendance policies. Last year's event saw CEO Steve Jobs unveil the iPhone 3G, but this year, Jobs is supposed to be on medical leave through the end of June, which would likely preclude him from hosting the show.

That is, unless he plans to return early. It's hard to imagine that Apple would host a WWDC without plans for some sort of media event, which this year has been expected to focus on a combination of a new iPhone and the iPhone OS 3.0 software, as well as Mac OS X Snow Leopard, expected to arrive in the next few months.

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From CNET News.com: Google is eliminating about 200 sales and marketing jobs, the company said in a blog post Thursday, blaming the move on overlapping areas and overhiring during a more optimistic time.

"Today we have informed Googlers that we plan to reduce the number of roles within our sales and marketing organizations by just under 200 globally," said Omid Kordestani, senior vice president of global sales and business development, in the blog post. "We did look at a number of different options but ultimately concluded that we had to restructure our organizations in order to improve our effectiveness and efficiency as a business."

Those losing their jobs will get severance and a crack at other openings at the Mountain View, Calif.-based company, which had 20,222 employees at the end of December.

"Google has grown very quickly in a very short period of time. When companies grow that quickly it's almost impossible to get everything right--and we certainly didn't. In some areas we've created overlapping organizations which not only duplicate effort but also complicate the decision-making process. That makes our teams less effective and efficient than they should be. In addition, we over-invested in some areas in preparation for the growth trends we were experiencing at the time," Kordestani said.

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From : CNET News.comOn Thursday, Nvidia announced that it filed a countersuit against Intel in response to a filing by Intel last month alleging that a chipset license agreement does not extend to Intel's future-generation processors.

The action also seeks to terminate Intel's license to Nvidia's patent portfolio.

Last month, Intel alleged in a lawsuit that the 4-year-old chipset license agreement with Nvidia does not extend to Intel's future-generation processors with "integrated" memory controllers, such as its Nehalem processor.

"Nvidia did not initiate this legal dispute," said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO of Nvidia, in a statement. "But we must defend ourselves...Intel's actions are intended to block us from making use of the very license rights that they agreed to provide."

Nvidia entered into the now-disputed agreement in 2004. In return, Intel took a license to Nvidia's portfolio of 3D, GPU, and other computing patents, according to the Santa Clara, Calif.-based graphics chipmaker. Nvidia said it had been attempting for more than a year to resolve the disagreement with Intel.

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From Tom's Hardware: Just to recap, the Intel version of this laptop comes packing a 16-inch 1366 x 768 display, a Core 2 Duo processor, either 512 MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4530 or a 1 GB HD 4650 graphics, up to 500 GB of storage and up to 8 GB of RAM.

While the Intel-based currently costs $679.99, Engadget says the AMD-based dv6z will start at just $599.99. This price doesn’t include the $30 coupon at launch and the free HP DeskJet printer you can get via mail-in rebate.

Aside from the fact that this deal screams recession buster and more than likely designed to take advantage of the fact that everyone is penny-pinching like there’s no tomorrow, is anyone actually considering buying one? It is pretty good value and along with the mail-in rebate it seems like the perfect option for students. That said, with the horror stories you guys tell about mail-in rebates and how long they take to come through, we wonder is it worth the heartache.

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From X-bit Labs: Intel Corp., the world’s largest maker of microprocessors, seems to have rather serious intentions for the market of consumer-oriented thin-and-light notebooks and will provide massive discounts on low-voltage Core 2 mobile processors to large suppliers of personal computers.

Intel reportedly plans to launch its Core 2 mobile processors in 22mm x 22mm packaging and with around 10W thermal design power on the 19th of April, 2009. According to a news-story by DigiTimes web-site, low-end Core 2 mobile processors for thin-and-light notebooks will cost about $152 in 1000-unit quantities, whereas higher-performance models will cost $315 - $342.

Nevertheless, the world’s top three notebook makers – Acer, Dell, and HP – will get huge discounts on microprocessors and will get the low-voltage chips starting at $65, meanwhile smaller vendors – Asustek Computer and Microstar International – will be able to buy such chips for $75, according the media report.

Intel Corp. released its code-named Montevina SFF platform for ultra-portable notebooks, such as Dell Adamo, Lenovo ThinkPad X300/X301, Voodoo Envy 133, with reduced packaging area back in 2008. Intel used advanced packaging technologies for Montevina SFF chips, which reduced the package area of Intel Penryn SFF processor, Cantiga GS GMCH as well ICH9M SFF chips to 1415mm², down more than 100% from, 3342mm², the package area of Montevina. It is expected that consumer-oriented ultra low voltage (CULV) platform will also feature chips with smaller packaging.

Advanced Micro Devices early in 2009 launched its code-named Yukon platform that employs AMD Athlon Neo microprocessors in smaller packaging as well as supporting core-logic set. The Yukon also enables smaller and thinner notebooks, but, unlike Montevina SFF, AMD’s platform is aimed at consumers in budget, a more than strange positioning. Considering the current economic climate, Intel decided to respond AMD with its own initiative that enables small notebooks for consumers.

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From X-bit Labs: Intel Corp. does not prohibit Nvidia Corp. to develop x86-compatible microprocessors, but as soon as the latter launches its product, the chip giant will definitely discuss whether such a chip infringes its patents and whether Nvidia has rights to sell it.

“We’re not going to react to anything until there’s a real product. [Nvidia has] a cross-license from us. It has certain exclusions in it. It has a certain period in terms of when it runs, when it’s valid. When and if they have a real product, we’ll have a discussion of whether it violates it or not. That’s a TBD situation,” said Paul Otellini, chief executive officer of Intel Corp., during a meeting with employees.

For a while Nvidia has been claiming that performance and capabilities of central processing units (CPUs) are losing their importance for end-users, whereas the significance of graphics processing units (GPUs) is on the rise. However, Nvidia fully understands that without microprocessors actual devices will not be able to run operating systems and productivity applications and recently the company went on saying that in several years time it may release an system-on-chip (SoC) featuring x86 processing core.

Nvidia has already developed its Tegra SoC that combines its DirectX 9-class graphics core as well as ARM8 microprocessor. The product has chances to become rather popular among handset and multimedia devices manufacturers thanks to rich feature-set as well as minimal power consumption, however, it lacks performance to become competitive on the market of mobile personal computers, where performance matters a lot. But Nvidia believes that in several years time it will be possible and will make sense to integrate x86 architecture-based microprocessor into SoCs like Tegra.

Early on March Intel signed a pact with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) under which the latter would be able to build SoCs featuring Intel Atom processors for its clients. Theoretically, Nvidia could work with Intel and TSMC to create an SoC featuring its GeForce 9400M core-logic with built-in graphics core and Intel Atom processing engine. Obviously, such SoC will be able to target only very cost-efficient applications these days, but it will not violate any of Intel’s patents.

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From InfoWorld: The attack code, written by security researcher Guido Landi was published on several security sites Wednesday, sending Firefox developers scrambling to patch the issue. Until the flaw is patched, this code could be modified by attackers and used to sneak unauthorized software onto a Firefox user's machine.

Mozilla developers have already worked out a fix for the vulnerability. It's slated to ship in the upcoming 3.0.8 release of the browser, which developers are now characterizing as a "high-priority firedrill security update," thanks to the attack code. That update is expected sometime early next week.

"We... consider this a critical issue," said Mozilla Director of Security Engineering Lucas Adamski in an email.

The bug affects Firefox on all operating systems, including Mac OS and Linux, according to Mozilla developer notes on the issue.

By tricking a victim into viewing a maliciously coded XML file, an attacker could use this bug to install unauthorized software on a victim's system. This kind of Web-based malware, called a drive-by download, has become increasingly popular in recent years.

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