New and Noteworthy: Blaster worm linked to severity of blackout; eBay shutters iTunes music auction; more

Blaster worm linked to severity of blackout ComputerWorld reports that the W32.Blaster worm may have contributed to the cascading effect of the Aug. 14 blackout. "On the day of the blackout, Blaster degraded the performance of several communications lines linking key data centers used by utility companies to manage the power grid, the sources confirmed." More.

eBay shutters iTunes music auction eBay on Thursday canceled an auction that sought to resell a music download that was purchased through Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store, saying the attempted sale violated its listing policies. "The move for now brings to an end a quirky effort to dramatize some of the less obvious effects of the music industry's shift from physical media sales to digital downloads--in this case the still unresolved question of whether Internet customers can resell songs they've purchased in digital form." More.

PDAs and Laptops Powered by Suds Wired News reports: "Giving new meaning to clean energy, a New Jersey company is developing micro fuel cells for mobile phones and laptops using a major ingredient in soap." Millennium Cell of Eatontown, New Jersey, is working on hydrogen fuel cells based on sodium borohydride, a high-energy form of borate, or borax, a natural mineral mined to make laundry soap. More.

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