Applications: Microsoft issues the Office Business Application Reference Application Pack this week. More than just a mouthful, the OBA RAP is a reference for building the front end to a supply chain management system that addresses the disconnect between business process and business practice, according to one Microsoft official. Columnists’ corner: CTO’s and their back-office staffs don’t typically think about gaming in the workplace. But, writes Tom Yager, “the same technology that game developers use to make virtual basketballs bounce like the real thing does a bang-up job of cryptography and compression.” Those capabilities come in the form of media extensions to the x86 that “aren’t used where they could make the greatest difference,” Yager adds in The closeted genius of x86. The news beat: Intel details the new system-on-a-chip, now shipping in small quantities, which supports the standard for WiMax networks that serve stationary users but can be upgraded to mobile folks as well. Transmeta, meanwhile, sues Intel claiming that the Pentium and Core PC chips violate 10 patents covering processor and power efficiency design. And Nokia keeps its smartphone lead by continuing to pull ahead of competitors, including RIM. Technology Industry