Best of the blogs: Whereas AMD typically follows Intel’s lead when it comes to x86 instructions, the chipmaker has now published its own, known as SSE5. “If you maintain operating systems, drivers, libraries, or compilers that support AMD64 processors, you really should care about this, and start thinking about how you’ll integrate this instruction set into your products,” Martin Heller explains in SSE5: Should you care? Those who develop applications in a high-level language might not feel as much need to learn the new instruction set. “On the other hand, there’s an opportunity here for people who write specific kinds of image- and sound-processing applications to speed up their code. Is it time for more people to get their hands dirty with assembly language?” Related: AMD proposes speedier x86 instructions for multimedia. Columnist’s corner: When instituting changes that will affect users, make sure to let them about it. Sounds obvious enough but all too often, in IT and other areas, it just doesn’t happen. “Don’t assume people will figure it out … hit them over the head with it!” David Margulius suggests in Change coming? Say it loud. “For a big process change, you need flashing signs, cars with megaphones on the roof driving back and forth, airplanes pulling banners.” Margulius directs this plea toward IT pros and urges them to imagine that users are deaf, dumb and blind. “They aren’t, of course.” The news beat: Microsoft buys Parlano and plans to use the acquired enterprise group chat software to bolster Office Communications Server and Office Communicator products. Once again, Yahoo reorganizes, this time creating a new global sales organization. Microsoft blames human error for the Windows Genuine Advantage glitch, which identified legitimate users as pirates. And LG unveils its second iPhone-like handset, now with 3G capabilities. Software Development