Phenom Bug Foils Performance

Another hole's been uncovered in AMD's already leaky ship, this time in the form of a performance hampering bug. All quad-core revisions and clockspeeds are affected by the erratum bug, including the recently unveiled Phenom 9500 and 9600. The bug involves the L3 cache and can cause systems to hang, and though AMD's working on a fix, it could degrade performance by as much as 10%. Tech Report has the full scoop.

Da Vinci Gets Digital Treatment

After centuries of deteriorations and touchups, Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine lacked much of the luster it once held. But coming to the rescue is French inventor and engineer Pascal Cotte, who has uncovered nuances in hues and contours with a multi-spectral camera that burrows through layers. He claims the 240-megapixel scans are able to reveal what the painting likely looked like in its original form back over 500 years ago.

Vista SP1 to Shiver Pirates' Timbers!

Microsoft is gearing up to release Vista's first Service Pack, and along with the performance and security enhancements, Microsoft will also bundle in a few counter-piracy measures. No longer will users be able to extend the 30 day activation grace period up to a full year, nor will the OEM BIOS exploit continue to work.

France Frowns at EBay

Last week we reported Tiffany and Co. planned to sue eBay on the basis of contributory infringement over the amount of fake items being sold as genuine, and similar complaints are now coming from France. France's regulatory authority, Council of Sales, contends that eBay's French site should be held to the same standards as France's auction houses, which require a special permit. EBay counters that they're just an intermediary a not a traditional auction house, further citing the legal action as "totally unjust."

Apple Gives Away Free iPods to Wildfire Victims

Many lives were turned topsy-turvy in the recent wildfires that blazed through southern California, and while Apple can't bring their homes back, they can bring a smile to over 100 students in a California school district this holiday season. They're doing it by giving away free iPods to students who lost their home, and they're doing it quietly, refusing to comment on the story. Very classy Apple, very classy.