Out with the old

The PC is undergoing a major revolution that ordinary users may not suspect. The changes will be most noticeable in PC graphics, which will look more and more like top-notch Hollywood animation.

Many new machines include a new technology called PCI Express, the PC industry's chosen successor to PCI and AGP, the current standards for the long, narrow slots hidden inside a desktop computer's case. The connectors are used to attach add-ons, such as sound cards, video adapters, modems, TV tuners, and other goodies.

PCI Express provides a faster connection, up to 4 gigabytes per second, and future upgrades are likely to run much faster. In addition to better graphics, there may also be a subtle improvement in operating stability as bytes move faster among the computer's internal components.

The standard will be phased in during the coming months-meaning obsolescence for millions of components using PCI and AGP connectors, though manufacturers are likely to include the slots for a few more years.

Pulling back the veil

With identity theft and spam a perennial problem, a new security technology promises to reduce the flow of forged e-mails. Known as Sender ID, it lets recipients verify that a message really originated from the domain listed in the "from" header.

Sender ID is like caller ID for phone calls and could turbo-charge spam filtering. Many internet con artists hide their identities by using fake e-mail addresses from common services like hotmail.com or aol.com.

Software giant Microsoft backs the Sender ID scheme, which is supposed to save time and effort by helping people more effectively weed out junk mail without losing useful messages. The company plans to implement it soon on its own services, such as MSN and Hotmail-and AOL has also announced that it will use the service. DoubleClick, one of the most prominent web marketing companies, announced this month that it would comply with the proposed standard. Microsoft and the e-mail provider pobox.com drafted a proposal for Sender ID, which is now being evaluated by the Internet Engineering Task Force, a global standards panel.

Bits & Megabytes