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21st July 1999 Archive

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  • ARM earns arm and a leg

    Fifty per cent rev boost, 79 per cent profit boost

    UK company ARM Holdings, which is also listed on Nasdaq, turned in its interim six months results this morning, and showed strong revenue and profit growth. Compared to the same period last year, revemues rose by 48 per cent to £27.5 million, while pre-tax profits rose 79 per cent to £7 million. The company also broke out its …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 07:36

  • IBM veteran scores in Motorola reorg

    A year ago 'Shoeless' Joe takes another step forward - against the odds, as usual?

    From The Register No 87 -- a year ago. Industry-standard survivor Joe Guglielmi has been upsized again, stepping into the shoes (see below for lame joke) of Fred Tucker, who is moving up to become deputy to the Chief Executive Office. Gugliemi brings a wide range of experience (it says here) to his new post as president of ACCES …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 07:43

  • Intel i810 chipset has inherent limitations

    'Monkey wrench' for otherwise sophisticated Intel CPUs

    A hardware site has taken an in-depth look at the Intel i810 chipset and has concluded that it has severe limitations. Lost Circuits has posted an article on the i810 exploring its benefits and its limitations. According to the piece, there are insurmountable handicaps inherent in the i810 chipset, no matter which CPU is used. " …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 07:51

  • New AMD trademarks bubble to surface

    Always interesting watching these…

    AMD has registered two new trademarks with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The first is called GigaMAC, serial number 75-673052, and is a stylised illustration. It's unclear from the registration form what GigaMAC refers to. The company already has a trademark for GigaNIC. The second trademark, serial number 75-669302, is …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 08:04

  • IBM clones of a different kind

    Twin set -- but no pearls -- for Big Blue

    Big Blue came one step closer to cloning staff this week, according to a report in London's Metro newspaper. IBM UK has recruited identical twins Peter and David Lawther, both at the tender age of 22, to join its happy band of employees. This pair of IBM clones really put the word identical to good use. The Lawther brothers got …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 08:06

  • HP set to rebrand imaging devices

    Trademarks Straight from the island of Rhodos...err, Delos

    Another set of trademarks, this time relating to Hewlett Packard, has made its way to the offices of The Register. And it appears HP might indulge in quite a bid of re-branding, particularly on its printer, fax and imaging products like scanners real soon now. It has registered this image above and at the same time it has …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 08:59

  • IT in Eastern Europe

    Analysis In the first of a series, we look at Central and Eastern Europe

    The Central and East European Countries (dubbed the CEEC in Euro-jargon) constitute a fast-growing, emerging market that is likely to be highly significant in the next ten years. Much attention was focussed on the Asian tiger economies until economic conditions became tough there, but the size of their IT market is insignificant …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 09:06

  • Satphone giants face the Buck Rogers bust

    Land-based networks, multi-mode phones and roaming deals will blitz clunky satellite systems

    The current near-hysterical hyping of satellite phone systems exists in a curious vacuum. There seems to be an assumption that buying a 350-gram satellite handset with an eight hour satellite stand-by time and paying $1,200-1,500 for the privilege is the only way to get decent international roaming. This overlooks some obvious …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 09:08

  • Linuxlab launches $299 Web server

    Gets Open source OS into companies through the back door

    US start-up Linuxlab yesterday introduced its first hardware product, a $299 personal Web server based on the open source OS. That sets the Linuxlab up to follow in the footsteps of US server vendor TeamInternet and UK start-up Inty. Both also offer easy-to-install Internet servers based on cheap PC parts and free operating …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 10:14

  • Be reveals IPO plan

    Modestly priced shares may not be enough to tempt investors

    Alternative operating system vendor Be yesterday unveiled details of its upcoming IPO. Six million common shares will be offered, at $6 apiece. That's not quite up to the level of the most recent online music IPOs, but then Be's probably glad it can make anything out of a share issue. It hasn't made a cent so far, and needs …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 10:16

  • Computer gaming not a sport says Sports Council

    Playing Fields slams high-handed approach

    When is a sport not a sport? When the English Sports Council decides it isn't, seems to be the answer. According to Edward Watson, at The Playing Fields, the English Sports Council would not even send it an application form when he applied to have computer gamings recognised as a sport. Watson said: "The method of our rejection …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 11:31

  • Alpha chip fastest on planet claims Alpha vendor

    It's the fastest draw in the West...maybe

    The company that makes Alpha processors is claiming that the chip beats every other contender hands down in the SPECcpu stakes. But as famous English hooker Mandy Rice-Davies said apropos of a different matter completely, "They would say that, wouldn't they". According to Alpha Processor Inc (API), a company partly owned by …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 11:47

  • AMD suing FedEx and Japanese railway company…

    ...what's happening? Last time it was Singapore Airlines

    Chip company AMD is sueing Fedex and the Nishi Nippon Railroad Co. The case was filed in the US yesterday and is the second case of weird litigation in four weeks. At the end of June, AMD filed suit against Singapore Airlines (Strange AMD litigation pops up from nowhere). What's going on? Hasn't AMD anything better to do than to …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 12:03

  • New CEO found for Compaq

    Updated: Top job at great Satan of hardware goes to Hellman

    Compaq is expected to announce next week that it has found someone to replace Eckhard Pfeiffer. The new CEO of the world's largest PC manufacturer is believed to be Peter Hellman – an industry outsider. Hellman, the former president and COO of TRW, the system integrator, is expected to be named leader of the Houston giant to …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 12:03

  • Qualcomm beats 3Com to Palm-cellphone debut

    Keep up, Eric...

    3Com CEO Eric Benhamou's comments earlier this week that his Palm Computing subsidiary is working on a Palm-based cellphone appear to be a little late. Phone maker Qualcomm already offers one: the pdQ Smartphone, available in 800MHz and 1900MHz versions. The phone looks like a standard cellular handset, but the numeric keypad …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 12:07

  • Great Satan of Mayonnaise is Hellman

    The guy from Decadence he say yeah...

    It's worrying isn't it? No sooner does the Great Satan of Haircuts disappear than he is replaced by the Great Satan of Mayonnaise, i.e. one Mr Hellman. It would be very, very hard to make it up. We only hope the Compaq rumour is true so that we can make hay while the Sun still shines... ®

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 12:16

  • Win95 lives – companies are slow to shift to 98

    Course, Microsoft still owns practically all of the OS market, so can't be too worried...

    Windows 98 hasn't managed to displace Windows 95 - the earlier OS is still shipping in respectable quantities, and even seems to remain the version of choice for many businesses. The data comes from an IDC survey of OS shipments last year, and although Win98 was only available for the last five months of the year, its numbers …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 12:17

  • Licensing drives MIPS Q4 revenue gains

    Future looks rosy

    MIPS Technologies has posted profits of $4.6 million on revenue of $17.8 million for its fourth quarter ended 30 June. Year-on-year, those figures represent an increase in revenue of 62 per cent, though no increase at all in post-tax profitability. The bulk of the revenue gain came from the company's licensing programme. With …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 12:26

  • Euro listing to save ilion

    Troubled distie looks to France or Germany to ward off hostile bids

    ilion is considering floating its French subsidiary to boost the value of the company. The distributor is looking at ways to prevent further rival bids which have, in its opinion, until now undervalued the company. Floating the French business on the German or French stock markets would secure a more reasonable price for the …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 12:27

  • Record breaking Q2 for Citrix

    Posts strong figures for first half of year

    Citrix has turned in a record-breaking set of financials for its second quarter. The period ending 30 June saw the thin-client software specialist increase turnover by 68 per cent to $94.4 million. Q2 98 turnover was $56.2 million. Net income for the period was $30.2 million, against $17.4 million for last year’s second quarter …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 12:39

  • Freeserve float massively over-subscribed

    Stock shortages and reduced allocations in the offing

    If you applied for shares in Freeserve, you might not get as many as you thought you would. Demand for the shares has been overwhelming and brokers are talking about a real stock shortage and a tenfold over-subscription. The deadline for applications is 1pm tomorrow. Freeserve users were given first dibs on the shares, but the …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 12:43

  • Pirate software create more woes for PC Science

    Unlicenced Office was being used by 97 per cent of assemblers staff

    Yet more dirty linen has been aired about PC Science, the Yorkshire vendor that went into receivership earlier this month. The company was using over a single copy of Microsoft Office on 100 systems, according to a report in the Yorkshire Post. Top staff knew that unlicensed software was being used at the company, despite being …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 14:30

  • Time to fight Web Ad Flab

    Uninvited banner ads are shown the door

    There is now a name for those irritating Web ads that pop up unexpectedly when you're surfing. Flab. And highly appropriate it is too. Flab stands for Forced Link Advertising Banners – they lurk within some free Web sites and are almost as much of a nuisance as spam. But help is at hand, according to free.prohosting.com. It says …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 14:38

  • Women are Ready2 surf

    New portal aims to give women what they want, what they really really want

    More women are online than ever before, now accounting for nearly 50 per cent of net surfers. It should come as no particular surprise then to hear that companies want to capitalise on this growing population, with sites and services designed for women. It being a well known fact that women are only interested in fashion, babies …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 15:20

  • Resellers selected for schools market

    UK gov't announces the list chosen to stay behind

    The government today named the 12 resellers certified to sell to the UK education sector. Schools Minister Charles Clarke announced the companies selected as National Grid For Learning (NGFL) certified managed services suppliers at the Stakis St Ermin's Hotel, Westminster. The elite few include Centerprise International, Elonex …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 15:21

  • Chuck's away at Western Digital

    CEO says he's outta there next year

    Western Digital has outlined its company re-jig and is hunting for a replacement to existing CEO Chuck Haggerty. Haggerty, the storage vendor's chairman, president and CEO, said yesterday that the company had completed its restructure and indicated he would quit the company by the end of June 2000. External applicants would be …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 15:22

  • Apple debuts iBook

    Steve Jobs takes Register's suggestion for consumer notebook's name

    Apple today announced its long-awaited consumer portable, formerly known by the codename P1 but now officially dubbed the iBook, as predicted by The Register back in April. Looking like a cross between Apple's earlier education-oriented portable, the eMate 300, and the iMac, the clamshell iBook will ship with a 12.1in TFT screen …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 15:32

  • Acer set to snap up IDT…

    You read it here first

    What about if Acer does not just buy Centaur WinChip business but the whole of IDT? (Story: IDT exits x.86, puts Centaur up for sale) Those are the rumours we are hearing, from normally reliable sources, as Acer diversifies its business away from chip manufacturing and into design. If the rumours are true it would give ALi, Acer …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 15:33

  • BT to exact huge price for international enquiries

    Hasn't the giant heard of the Internet?

    A story in today's edition of Private Eye, a UK satirical fortunately, said that the price of people accessing International Directory Enquiries was set to shoot up. According to the magazine, the current flat rate price of 80 pence charged by British Telecom (BT), is set to rocket to £1.10 per minute for end users here in …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 15:37

  • Rambus a yo-yo rollercoasta experience for share addicts

    Rambus Watch Intel's statement puts cat experience into share pigeons

    After Intel's pre-emptive but predictive statement last Monday, we saw prices drop like pigeon's droppings, that is, of course, if pigeons can fly high... At the time we posted our post on Monday, shares were very high at over $110 but gradually a huge volume of shares (over three million) were traded). Yesterday (Tuesday), saw …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 15:38

  • Szechuan Publishing's guide to…eating in pubs in East Mayfair

    One of an occasional series...

    The hacks here are only a stone's throw from Oxford Circus where, to our dismay this morning, we saw six people dressed in Tropicana Bottles dispensing little cups of orange juice to the tourist masses. If there isn't a law against it, there should be. Oxford Circus attracts hordes of people at this time every year and there is …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 15:41

  • Apple QuickTime TV takes aim at RealNetworks

    After the Open Source action against Microsoft, Apple opens second streaming media front

    Apple today took the fight for control of the Internet streaming media market to RealNetworks with the launch of QuickTime TV. So far, Apple's attempts to promote QuickTime as the standard for Internet multimedia have largely been aimed at Microsoft. True, the company has often taken digs at Real for the streaming specialist's …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 16:19

  • BT cuts off Nottingham

    That's right, an entire city goes without phones

    Oops. A suspected internal power failure at two of BT's exchanges has left the whole of Nottingham phoneless today. BT executives thought that the problem was under control at 3PM today, but many Nottingham numbers – including that of the City Council - were dead. Having acknowledged that it had and ongoing problem, BT said that …

    Business 21 Jul 1999, 17:31