10th November 1999 Archive
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500 Alpha NT jobs to go at Compaq
DECUS all, the long and the short and the small
Terry Shannon, the inveterate DEC and Compaq watcher, is once more allowing us to steal some of his stuff from DECUS in San Diego. If you dig deep, you can find his daily update at Shannon knows Compaq. The veteran reporter tells us in his latest communique from the front line that up to 7,000 jobs might go at the Big Q real …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 08:17
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Coppermines rise from the channel shallows
But availability on many troutish parts still poor
Two large distributors, Ingram Micro and Tech Data, have begun to offer Pentium III processors using the Coppermine .18 process to their dealer base. According to one dealer, both distributors have "really good" availability on the 600EB, the 650MHz and the 666MHz part. Ingram is promising to have other of the parts in stock …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 10:00
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GE Cap sheds 200 jobs at ITS
Former P&P division turns its back on distribution
GE Capital is to cut around 200 jobs from its UK distribution/VAR arm, formerly P&P, and move into services. The US-based company said it was in a three-month consultation period with staff in the division, which has been re-named ITS (Information Technology Services). Part of the proposal involves the company quitting the …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 11:00
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Gay ISP goes gunning for AOL
Allegations of unfair treatment levelled at US giant
A pro gay and lesbian ISP in the US is calling on AOL to come clean about double standards and how it censors minority interest groups. Charles Honeycutt, founder of the national gay and lesbian ISP, rainbowvoice.com, wants AOL to practise greater consistency with the enforcement of its anti-hate policy. His call for fair play …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 11:01
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Fujitsu doubles up on low-end HDD
20GB now comes as standard
Fujitsu has doubled the size of its entry-level hard discs to 20.4GB, producing a family that is "ideal for value-class consumer PCs and entertainment devices". The step up reflects a sudden demand for more storage from consumers who have hooked up to the Internet and wish to download large files. The drive offers transfer rates …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 11:31
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Toaster heralds AST's return to the high street
Brand with once loyal following resurfaces at Dixons
AST Computer UK is re-entering the UK retail market with a toaster-sized PC. Perhaps it hopes that size doesn't matter, it's what you do with it that counts. This slimline Century City computer is based around the Easy PC idea -– it's the size of a toaster and is designed to be easy to set up and quieter than traditional PCs. …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 11:32
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NEC offshoot to digest Packard Bell's remains
Japanese giant creates global operation for PCs, servers
NEC has formed a subsidiary, NEC Computers International (NECC), to take over what's left of its failed Packard Bell operation. NECC will cover all of NEC's PC and server activities outside of Japan and China, with its own wholly owned subsidiaries covering specific territories. The switch over to the new structure will take …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 11:41
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Prosecution demands could force MS to open up source code
MS on Trial States insist that OS monopoly should be broken
The Department of Justice and US states officials will insist on Microsoft's monopoly of the operating system market being broken, according to a story in today's New York Times. No precise mechanism for doing so has yet been identified, but according to state officials quoted in the Times piece several measures are being …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 12:12
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DiamondPlus is jewel in Maxtor's crown
It's a bleedin' Diamond, my new 'ard disc
Maxtor has released its latest high performance hard disk drive, named the DiamondPlus 40. The IDE 40.9GB drive is being marketed to appeal to multimedia users since its high spin speed (7200rpm) enables it to throw out large files, such as video clips, quickly. Mike Cannon, Maxtor's CEO, said the drive's speed would allow …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 12:19
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Sony ties in with Sun to drive CE kit
Jini and HAVi bring PlayStation 2 based home entertainment networks a step closer
Sony has agreed to build Sun's Java and Jini technologies into its digital consumer electronics products. The move wasn't entirely unexpected. Sony has been making noises about its vision of home entertainment systems seamlessly networked with each other and the Internet for some time, most notably in reference to the upcoming …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 12:33
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MS joins ASP ranks with Office 2000 rental
Will compete with channel partners for (so far) invisible market
Microsoft is to take another step toward dealing direct and cutting out the channel with the launch of its online rental service next year. The software vendor yesterday outlined its strategy for Office Online -- it will start by leasing Office 2000 over the Net -- and named BT as its chief partner in the UK. Microsoft named 15 …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 13:53
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Poor Luddites to get computer training
Gordon Brown produces £25m package in Green Budget
Gordon Brown has announced a voucher scheme where up to 50,000 low-paid and unemployed people will get basic computer training. In his pre-Budget speech yesterday, the Chancellor said the vouchers will be exchanged for information and communications technology courses at local colleges. The intention is to give those who may …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 13:54
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CA gang of three to return $550m shares
Court rules stock giveaway was unlawful
Three head honchos at Computer Associates were yesterday ordered by a US court to return stock worth $550 million. The 9.5 million shares were part of a 20.25 million share grant given to the three execs as part of an executive compensation package authorised by shareholders in 1995. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of shareholder …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 13:55
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Security hole found at CallNet 0800
Credit card registration system not safe
CallNet 0800 compromised the financial security of thousands of Net users last week after it admitted that its online registration system was not totally secure. Although the toll-free ISP maintains there was never a problem with its servers, it has revealed that the transaction process between the user and CallNet 0800 was not …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 13:56
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BT's U-turn could drive competitors off the road
New packages do away with interconnect fees, cut off air supply to free ISPs
BT's seemingly groundbreaking decision to "slash the cost of dial-up Internet access" is not all it seems. Aimed at ISPs rather than end users, it will only be available for service providers who manage at least 140,000 Net users. Take into account all the complex maths tied up in the offer, users could expect to pay at least £ …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 13:58
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Apple wiles revealed in QuickTime 4.1 SMIL support
Analysis Allows content creators to build ads into streamed media -- and Apple to sell more Macs
Apple unveiled QuickTime 4.1 yesterday at the company-sponsored QuickTime Live event. Most of what lifts QT 4.1 above 4.0 are minor improvements -- better support for firewalls (previously a problem since firewalls generally don't handle QT's Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) well) and building in AppleScript support -- but …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 13:58
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MS to double Cambridge labs with £50m spend
Building new facility next to university site
Microsoft is expanding its UK investment plan by ploughing £50 million into its research facility in Cambridge. The software giant, which has gone into a spending spin in the UK since Bill Gates met our PM Tony Blair last month, was said to be in "confidential talks" with Cambridge University. According to today's Financial …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 14:43
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Tomb Raider toned down for US market
Goldfish have longer attention spans than some of you people
Tomb Raider IV is to be released in a simpler US format for American kids with ten-minute attention spans. The British version of the game has been deemed too difficult by its manufacturer Eidos and so it has made the puzzles easier to solve. The game, which features the pneumatic Lara Croft, combines shoot-'em-up action with a …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 15:08
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Microsoft poised to build Bluetooth support into Windows
Serious revisions of Bluetooth steering group inevitable
Notorious Bluetooth hold-out Microsoft seems to be poised to join the group, if the company's own job ads are to be believed. Microsoft is not, currently, either one of the five Bluetooth founder members or a member of the prodigiously large Bluetooth SIG, but Microsoft is, currently, recruiting staff in order to incorporate …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 15:57
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New virus worms its way into your system
Infection starts as soon as you open your email
A new style of email virus that doesn't require an attachment to be opened to infect a computer has been discovered, forewarning the world of the next generation of viruses. The virus, called BubbleBoy, isn't itself very dangerous but its makeup is likely to be used as a foundation for more malicious variants. BubbleBoy infects …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 17:47
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Mobile phone gives man stroke
And watch out you don't get 'phone neck'
A psychiatrist almost died because he held his telephone in the wrong position, doctors said yesterday. The 43-year-old Frenchman suffered a stroke after talking to a patient for over an hour with the phone receiver held between his ear and shoulder. Shortly after the call, he experienced temporary blindness in his left eye, a …
Business 10 Nov 1999, 17:48
