Columnist's corner: IT has commitment issues -- only it's not your typical relationship-phobic men this time. Women, instead, are leaving for greener fields. A wee dram more than one-quarter of tech workers are women, down from 35 percent in the mid-80's. If you're male and thinking "good, more opportunities for me," editor-in-chief Steve Fox interjects with "over the short-term, sure. But ultimately it spells trouble for the profession."

Best of the blogs: Arming users with tools for generating content is, in the words of Ephraim Schwartz, "all the rage at Demo." But does it have any value? Schwartz asks in Reality Check. "The facts speak louder than any debate."

The news beat: Google enhances the security and search capabilities of its Mini search device with version 2.2. AMD claims to be unfazed by Intel's news of 45-nanometer processors and the resurrected deal to supply Sun Microsystems with chips. And a California judge dismisses state charges against Bryan Wagner, the private eye Hewlett-Packard hired during its pretexting scandal, since he already pleaded guilty to similar federal charges.

Video: The Vista buzz isn't over just yet. As the new OS went on sale in Tokyo yesterday, hundreds of people lined up in the chilly night to be among the first get their hands on the software and necessary hardware. Darren Huston, CEO of Microsoft Japan, remarks, "I feel great. It's the dawn of a new era for the personal computer." Watch it here. Related: Gates brings Vista and Office 2007 to Europe.

Posted by Tom Sullivan on January 30, 2007 10:58 AM