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NewsFactor - Apple is tapping into the social arena with plans to launch a social-networking application. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has filed a patent with the U.S. Patent Trade Office describing a social-network application dubbed iGroups.

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NewsFactor - Microsoft released a software update Thursday that eliminates some of the hardware requirements for running Windows XP Mode on Windows 7 PCs. The goal is to make it far easier for small and midsize businesses to migrate to Windows 7 while retaining access to critical legacy applications that are unable to run on machines equipped with Microsoft's latest operating system.

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PC World - Could Nintendo's Mario and Luigi be headed for blackboards and pop-top desks after decades battling bob-ombs, chain chomps, hammer bros, and koopa troopas? Mario creator and Nintendo RD guru Shigeru Miyamoto certainly hopes so.

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PC World - Ncomputing on Friday announced a chip that could turn devices like TVs or set-top boxes into virtual desktops through which users can run Windows applications or access the Internet.

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AP - Could Nintendo's Mario be swapping his world of magic mushrooms and ravenous dinosaurs for the staid confines of the classroom?

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Macworld.com - So you've pre-ordered your iPad, or there'll be one with your name on it at the local Apple Store. You've combed apple.com/ipad more times than you can count, trying to hunt down more hidden details that Steve Jobs neglected to show off during his January keynote. But have you bought a case?

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Macworld.com - For the aspiring musician without the paycheck to take lessons, computers have really opened up the traditional teaching field. Sure, programs like Garage Band’s Learn to Play probably aren’t going to give you the skills to play at Carnegie Hall, but they’re a fun and entertaining way to start. So it comes as no surprise that companies are developing musical teaching tools for portable devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Etude, released Wednesday by Wonder Warp Software, is a prime example.