Byte size news: Intel snaps up rapper will.i.am

After selling millions of records and touring the world to sellout shows, what's next for a musical superstar?
For seven-time Grammy winner will.i.am, from the Black Eyed Peas, it's picking up a job at computing giant Intel.
The frontman has signed a multi-year contract as the "director of creative innovation" at the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer.
"Nearly everything I do involves processors and computers, and when I see an Intel chip I think of all the creative minds involved that help to amplify my own creativity," he said.
"Teaming up with the scientists, researchers and computer programmers at Intel to collaborate and co-develop new ways to communicate, create, inform and entertain is going to be amazing."
While a little light on the specifics, it is thought he will collaborate on items such as laptops, smart phones and tablets.
He will also create music for the company.
Intel vice-president Deborah Conrad said: "Our partnership with will.i.am is a prime example of how we want to convey and deliver the Intel experience. It's imperative that Intel and our innovations are kept in front of the global youth culture that embraces new devices and new forms of communication and entertainment."
War games therapeutic
Few would think that violent video games are a suitable treatment for traumatised soldiers.
But American doctors are treating soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress by having them play Virtual Iraq and Virtual Afghanistan, which have been developed - backed by United States Army funds - from the X-Box game Full Spectrum Warrior.
The project's lead researcher, Albert Rizzo, said: "At first blush it seems counter-intuitive.
"Why would you make somebody go through an approach where one of your goals is to make the patient feel a little bit anxious as they revisit their traumatic experiences?"
Researchers say the games do in fact make the soldiers more anxious, but at the same time encourage them to process their experiences and talk about them.
Control trials are under way and in one study 16 of the 20 soldiers were no longer experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder by the end of the therapy.
All black and white
If someone says "Pokemon" and your heart goes pika-pika, then here's a bonus.
The long-lasting gaming franchise is putting out not one but two new versions, Pokemon Black and Pokemon White on March 10.
The games mark the first time in the Pokemon series that the seasons will change in the game world. Specific Pokemon appear more frequently during particular seasons and change in colour and form.
Players will encounter more than 150 never-seen-before Pokemon, some of which can be caught only in a specific version of the game.
In a shrewd marketing move, gamers will need to trade Pokemon between both versions to finish the game.
It will have a new mode where players can hone their fighting skills with the "Random Matchups" mode, using the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection.

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