From a ZDNet column: “Tracking the clock-speed wars between Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is a little like handicapping the Indy 500; sometimes, you get the feeling that a lot of the spectators have turned out to watch someone crash.”

Reuters reports on Microsoft’s email tracking bug: Documents created with some Microsoft Corp. software can be rigged to “phone home” to another computer and report where and how often a document is read, a privacy organization said Wednesday. The technique, known as a “Web bug,” takes advantage of a shortcut for including images in Microsoft’s Word word processor, Excel spreadsheet software and PowerPoint presentation program, the Denver-based Privacy Foundation said on its Web site.

Energy conglomerate Conoco Inc. announced that it has built and deployed a huge Linux-based supercomputer to analyze massive amounts of seismic data gathered in the process of exploring for oil and gas. The new geophysical computer — which Conoco said boasts enough storage capacity to house the complete U.S. Library of Congress — was built entirely by an internal information technology and engineering team headed by Dr. Alan Huffman, manager of the company’s Seismic Imaging Technology Center. The story is at ComputerWorld.

Energy conglomerate Conoco Inc. announced that it has built and deployed a huge Linux-based supercomputer to analyze massive amounts of seismic data gathered in the process of exploring for oil and gas. The new geophysical computer — which Conoco said boasts enough storage capacity to house the complete U.S. Library of Congress — was built entirely by an internal information technology and engineering team headed by Dr. Alan Huffman, manager of the company’s Seismic Imaging Technology Center. The story is at ComputerWorld.

MP3.com has launched a marketing service for record labels, sending emails to fans touting new music. The first band to be promoted is VAST, which is signed to Warner Music Group’s Elektra entertainment division, according to a story at ZDNet UK. More from The Associated Press.

From the humor site Segfault.org: The “New Nerd Network” (NNN) is joining the rush to produce yet another voyeuristic reality show (YAVRS). The show will be available only over the Internet, using live, streaming video. The new show, named “Code Noir”, will highlight the antics of a bunch of wild and crazy hackers as they develop applications, utilities, viruses, and other artifacts of the new e-generation of programmers. Dozens of cameras and microphones located in and around the hackers’ cubicles, cafeteria, and ‘fun zone’ will capture the action 24/7. The hackers’ own “web cams” will also be used.

The New York Times has a story about sites battling for the ears and minds of music lovers.

From SecurityFocus.com: Patches are available for FreeBSD 5.0-CURRENT, 4.1-STABLE and 3.5-STABLE. Upgrading to a version of these operating systems after the correction date listed in the discussion will also remove this vulnerability.

From the humor site Segfault.org: In a bold move Wednesday afternoon, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) employee Donald Rutherford, fixed approximately 3 bugs in the Microsoft application Outlook Express. “Boredom” was the reason cited for this unusual display of programming. “It was about 1:30 in the afternoon, and I had just gotten back from lunch.” Rutherford explained. “My office was already clean, my hard drive was defragged, and I still had a half hour before I got off work for the weekend, so I just started programming.”

Will email kill the radio star? Net music service MP3.com thinks it has a good chance. The company today unveiled a service that will email Net music fans radio-edited songs. So instead of tuning in to the radio to hear a new single, people will be able to pull these “single-serve” songs from their email in-boxes. CNet reports.