Keeping your computer up to date is important, but it's also time consuming. A free utility makes the process easier and you might want the paid version instead. In Short Circuits: When something goes wrong with your computer, avoid the urge to do something immediately. A small delay doesn't cause most problems to become worse, but a quick action -- if it's the wrong one -- can be a disaster. Broadcom has terminated its attempt to take over Qualcomm. If you're waiting for fifth-generation communications gear, some may begin to appear around the end of the year. Microsoft will start making Intel microcode available for download to fix CPU problems. In Spare Parts (only on the website): More women are graduating with computer science degrees, but they're still not getting top programming positions. • An open-source development group wants its application to infect your network and has some convincing arguments for why you might want to encourage it.