From PC World: Heat-dissipating pads aren't new--and they're a must for anyone who habitually uses a notebook on the couch or in bed (hey, you know you've been there). The N700 also isn't the first pad to improve on the basic concept by adding a built-in fan that sends cool air...

From CNET News.com: Mozilla has released Firefox 3.5.7 and 3.0.17 Tuesday to fix a common crash problem and an issue in which people weren't getting much of a suggestion that they should upgrade.

Firefox is supposed to prominently tell users when a major upgrade is available, but...

From DailyTech: Maybe we were napping under a rock when this SSD was announced, but it now looks as though Intel has a 40GB “value” version of its second generation SSD available for consumers. When the X-25M G2 was released last year, it was available in 80GB and 160GB versions...

From DailyTech: Micron announced the RealSSD C300 with 6Gbps SATA support early in December. It partnered with the Marvell Technology Group to create a new proprietary controller that will be used exclusively with Micron's latest generation of SSDs. The controller supports the use of...

From X-bit Labs: Via Technologies, a well known chip designer, has announced the industry’s first 4-port USB 3.0 controller. The device is aimed at mainboards, notebooks and other devices for which SuperSpeed USB support is a benefit.

“SuperSpeed USB not only makes transferring HD...

From InfoWorld: Lenovo on Tuesday made a splash in the mobile market with the launch of its first smartbook, a mini-laptop that the company says combines the best features of netbooks and smartphones, albeit without telephone functions.

The lightweight device weighs 1.95 pounds (0...

From InfoWorld: Acquisition-happy Oracle has made its first purchase of the year, announcing late Monday that it has scooped up Westminster, Colo., data-quality vendor Silver Creek Systems. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Silver Creek's DataLens software helps companies...

From PC World: Independent memory giant Kingston Technology has issued a highly unusual warning that several of its supposedly secure encrypted USB drives can be hacked.

The precise nature of the hack has not been disclosed, but the company named three drive models, the DataTraveler...

From CNET News.com: Opera Software has promoted Chief Commercial Officer Lars Boilesen to chief executive, the Norwegian maker of the Opera desktop and mobile browsers said Tuesday.

Boilesen, 42, replaces co-founder Jon S. von Tetzchner, who still will work for the company in a full...

From CNET News.com: Microsoft has announced pricing for Office 2010, with the biggest change being the fact that buyers can pay less by forgoing the full boxed copy in favor of a card with only a product key code.

Office 2010, which is now in public beta testing and due in final...