Sales of PCs jumped markedly in early February following the release of retail versions of Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system on Jan. 30, according to Current Analysis. U.S. PC sales were up 67% year over year during the week ending Feb. 3. ...

Virtualization software maker Parallels warns that running Vista on a Mac may violate Microsoft's end-user license agreement, which isn't clear as to what you can or can't do with Vista on a Mac. And Microsoft isn't talking. ...

Sixty-six percent of 800 IT and business execs surveyed by the Ponemon Institute say using encryption on laptops is key to mitigating the risks of a data breach. Only 18% say they consistently encrypt laptops, file servers, e-mail, and backup tapes. ...

A bipartisan bill unveiled last week in Congress would increase penalties for Internet service providers that fail to report online child pornography from $50,000 to $300,000. It also widens the circle of companies that would be required to report child porn to include chat room and social networking companies, like MySpace. ...

DRAM memory prices have taken a dive, with average selling prices down 30% since the beginning of the year. Poor demand and seasonal factors have prompted the crash, causing vendors to cut prices.