London, Sept. 22 : Burma has launched a ferocious "cyber-war" against dissidents who use the Internet.

According to The Times, in the past few days anti-government online magazines run by exiled Burmese have been inundated by massive volumes of artificially generated traffic that have forced the news websites to shut down.

The attacks coincided with the first anniversary of the "saffron uprising" - ten days of mass demonstrations by Buddhist monks and student activists that culminated in a crackdown in which dozens were killed and thousands arrested.

Washington - Google's new Chrome Web browser is being hailed as a game-changer.

It's fast, has a clean interface, some snazzy features that other Web browsers don't have, and, well, it's free and it's from Google.

Does that mean you should download it right now and spend the time to learn it? If you like new technology, the answer is "sure."

But if you need to be assured of some payoff in new technology before you invest time in it, you might rightly want some questions answered before you switch. Here are a few.

Q: Why did Google create a Web browser?

Berlin - Internet surfers looking to cut their energy costs should turn their attention to their modem and router. Switching off the devices when they are not in use can save significant money each year, reports the German Energy Agency (DENA).

If there is no on/off switch, then a power strip with a switch can be used to cut power to the devices.

If a device needs to run around the clock because it is connected to a telephone, then in many cases it's possible to at least turn off unnecessary functions like the WLAN. The operating instructions should provide information on how to do this.

Espoo, Finland - Finnish cell phone maker Nokia is expanding its data services. The new version of its portal Ovi. com allows for synchronisation of appointments, contacts and notes, as well as photos and videos, between a PC and the Nokia cell phone.

It also allows users to use their cell phones to access data stored on a PC. Ovi. com is available in an official beta version, Nokia announced in Espoo. All services are free with the beta version, a corporate spokesman indicated.

Nokia is providing users with new services like Ovi Sync, the Nokia Ovi PC suite and Files on Ovi. The Nokia Ovi PC suite allows for files and information to be copied from a Nokia telephone to a computer, such as to store content.

Bonn, Germany - Microsoft has released a series of new updates for closing security gaps this month as part of its monthly Patch Day event.

According to Germany's BSI Federal Office for Information Security, the security gaps were present in Windows system components responsible for rendering graphics. Other applications included Windows Media Player, Windows Media Encoder and Microsoft Office.

Hamburg - Most computer programs are usually bought in a store stored on a CD or DVD-ROM and packed in a box.

But the ways of shopping are changing and computer users are finding more offers to download software directly from the internet. Experts see many pros to the switch, but also a few cons.

Commercial software downloads were fairly rare until a few years ago, says Daniel Rasch, an editor at the Hamburg-based Computer Bild magazine. Many people did not have fast-enough internet connections to make downloading new applications practical.

"But the variety is definitely picking up now."