Malaysia

Christopher Hitchens in Slate:

Christopher Hitchens in Slate:

B. Raman in Outlook India:

While technology manufacturers are cutting back on investments, computer chipmaker Intel is doing the opposite. The company said it will invest $7 billion over the next two years on three factory upgrades in the United States.

Intel said the investment is its largest on new manufacturing and represents 7,000 high-wage jobs. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company plans to upgrade existing facilities in Arizona, New Mexico and Oregon to manufacture its 32-nanometer products.

With Windows Vista hanging in the balance between a coming-to-life Windows 7 and a refusing-to-die Windows XP, a second service pack for Vista and Windows Server 2008 has reportedly been sent to testers. The reports say a release candidate escrow build has been sent for feedback, with other versions to be available in the next few months.

'An Additional Incentive'

Intel on Wednesday became the latest technology giant to shed jobs in the face of an economic downturn that has already seen millions of people lose their jobs. The company said it plans to restructure its older manufacturing operations without impacting the deployment of new, leading-edge 45-nanometer and 32-nanometer technology.

Up to 6,000 Jobs at Stake

Malaysia's forests have been dwindling at a rapid rate. During the 1990s, 13 percent of its forests disappeared, with illegal logging as a major culprit. Now, the country's government is fighting back - with satellites.

Hard drive maker Western Digital Corp. said Tuesday it plans to cut 2,500 jobs, or about 5 percent of its global work force, and will reduce executive pay in response to weakening demand for its products linked to the economic turmoil.

Western Digital said demand for the current quarter is "significantly below" what it expected when it issued revenue guidance in October. The company now expects fiscal second-quarter sales of $1.7 billion to $1.8 billion, with a "consequent reduction in operating results."

It's a small world after all. As the Internet continues to connect peoples across the globe, individuals and groups drawn to destruction find new ways to wreak havoc on communications and services. Now, government leaders are coming together with each other and the private sector to form a united front and fight back because a vulnerability in any region can wreak havoc globally. A new multilateral federation is combating cyberthreats and cyberterrorism, creating greater security in developing networks and stopping dangers before they spiral out of control.