NEW CHIP WILL ALLOW PIRATE-FREE MOVIES, SAYS INTEL

Intel plans to unveil a new microchip at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that will not only allow consumers to download movies in full 1080p high definition but will also prevent the movies from being pirated. Details of the technology were not disclosed by Bloomberg News, which first reported on it today (Monday), but the wire service quoted Intel sales chief Tom Kilroy as explaining that security features built into a microchip are harder to thwart than software-only protections. Kilroy added: “Online distribution is where all of the growth is. … This is a major breakthrough.” He indicated that Warner Bros. will employ the technology as part of a plan to release 300 movies for downloading next month; Intel, he said, is also in talks with other studios regarding the technology.