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Gossip and rumours to cursor@independent.co.uk

WE'RE GREATLY entertained by the fact that Intel has a team of engineers labouring to develop a chip technology to back up its flashy new "Itanium" processors for servers. Itanium has so far cost $1bn, taken years to develop, and won a sort of crouching ovation from customers. It's close to a flop. But we're even more fascinated by the codename for the replacement chip. After all, what would you call something intended to be a bridge from old to new, for people annoyed with a flashy project that has failed to deliver? Intel calls it Prescott.

THE US Direct Marketing Association is so keen to erase the image of spam, that it has created rules for its members who send sales pitches by e-mail. It wants to stop a government crackdown on spam, and even offers Americans the chance to opt out, so either it's vast or not many spammers belong. You knew there had to be a catch. To remove yourself from the US DMA's lists, you have to pay $5. And the site's security certificate expired last month... so you really shouldn't trust it with your credit card.

WE'RE ALWAYS delighted when people get it wrong. Even us. Last week, we suggested that the folk at Internet for Learning (ifl.net) had not hardened their mail servers against being used for spamming. We were wrong: they have, and no spam emanates from them. So we've now declared war on the New York ISP Concentric and the nation of Uruguay. As our IFL contact moaned, "Supplying internet to schools is a minefield, and the kids drop us in it with their mischief. You should see some of the stuff they post on message boards... but that's another story." We're all ears.

IS IT just us, or do other people find it amusing when you buy stuff from an e-commerce site and have to choose a country other than the US for delivery – which brings up a huge list of countries, with "US" at the top? And which country always follows the US on that list? Why, that shining jewel of electronic commerce and all things internet, Afghanistan.