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The European Parliament adopted new rules drawn up by the European Union to store phone and internet data for up to two years to fight terrorism and other serious crime.
The measure was approved in record time after being proposed by the European Commission in September, and is part of the 25-nation bloc's response to the terrorist attacks in Madrid in 2004 and in London this year.
Britain, holder of the rotating EU presidency, hailed the adoption as a step forward in the fight against terrorism and organized crime.
However, some EU lawmakers and the telecoms industry said the assembly had caved in to pressure from EU states and that the new rules would allow authorities to do what they wanted with the data.
Europe's telecoms and internet industries issued a joint statement, saying the new rules raised major concerns about technical feasibility and proportionality.
"This directive will impose a significant burden on the European e-communications industry, impacting on its competitiveness," the statement said.
The industry also said only 20 percent of e-mail would be covered since many service providers were based outside the bloc.
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In through the windows: Microsoft warned users of its Windows operating system of a "critical" security flaw in its software that could allow attackers to take complete control of a computer.
The world's largest software maker issued a patch to fix the problem as part of its monthly security bulletin. The problem mainly affects the Windows operating system and Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser.
Computer security experts and Microsoft urged users to download and install the patch available here.
Microsoft said the vulnerability exists in its Internet Explorer web browser, which an attacker could exploit to take over a PC by running software code after luring users to malicious web pages.
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Hardcore dual-core: Intel said its next-generation platform for laptop computers will use 25 percent less power while boosting performance, helping it stay on top of the fast-growing market.
The overhaul of Intel's (INTC) Centrino technology, code-named "Napa," comes as the world's largest chipmaker is getting a boost from laptop sales, which are growing faster than the overall computer market.
At the heart of Napa is Intel's new Yonah microprocessor, which will be its first mobile chip to have two cores and will be built with the latest technology that etches circuitry more than 100 times thinner than a human hair.
That means the Napa system -- covering the Yonah processor, its attendant chipset and a new wireless chip -- will use 28 percent less power while performing 68 percent better than its predecessor.
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Regretful in Redmond: Microsoft's new Xbox 360 video-game console remained sold out at some major web retailers and one analyst said he expected holiday shipments at the lower end of his previous forecast.
Amazon.com (AMZN) showed the Xbox 360 as unavailable in all configurations, except for a single machine on offer by a partner for $1,300. The premium Xbox package debuted in November in the United States for $400.
Best Buy (BBY) on its website said it would not accept back orders "because the Xbox 360 gaming console is available only in extremely limited quantities nationwide."
Online auction site eBay (EBAY) showed a number of premium Xboxes priced at around $600 each or more in late bidding.
Microsoft spokeswoman Molly O'Donnell said the company is firmly on track to hit its 90-day target, but declined to give a forecast for sales through the December holidays.
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Compiled by Keith Axline. AP and Reuters contributed to this report.
