24th February 2000 Archive

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The Mother of all DDoS attacks looms

Trin00 finally ported to the Win-32 kernel

A distributed denial of service (DDoS) tool of the sort that made headlines this month by enabling intruders to interrupt service at high-profile Internet monuments like Yahoo, Excite and eBay has just been ported to the ubiquitous Win32 kernel, according to anti-virus outfit Trend Micro. The new tool, called Troj_Trin00, is …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 06:09
Former CIA Director apologises to Congress

Swan song for one of the dumbest computer users alive

If former CIA Director John Deutch hasn't got sense enough to protect sensitive files stored on his computer, then we have to wonder how the US can hope to compete with its adversaries in the spook business. Deutch stored an incredible 17,000 pages of highly classified intelligence data on home computers, according to a report …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 07:06
Intel stake in UK firm aids drive to single Bluetooth chip

And brings Bluetooth in every toaster nearer...

Intel's VC arm, Intel Capital, has bought a stake into Cambridge, UK-based Bluetooth startup Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR). The company, which was founded in 1998, is due to ship its first product, a fully integrated 2.4GHz radio, baseband and microcontroller on one CMOS chip, in the middle of this year. Integration of Bluetooth …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 10:10
Judge's helper Lessig rejects MS breakup solution

MS on Trial And no open-sourcing Windows either - pussycat, obviously...

Microsoft's antitrust efforts have received unexpected help from Lawrence Lessig, trial Judge Jackson's favoured helper and the target of Microsoft 'bias' attacks earlier in the trial. Talking to the Washington Post, Lessig says that he doesn't think breaking Microsoft up would be helpful, and also rules out other 'nuclear' …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 10:12
Psst, wanna buy a notebook vendor?

Who needs eBay…?

Two laptop companies have been advertised for sale this week in the Financial Times. DIP Systems Ltd, trading as Pico Direct, is being sold by London administrative receivers Horwath Clark Whitehill. Up for grabs at the Surrey reseller is: The "PICO" trade mark and Web site; stock of portable computers, spares and components; …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 10:22
Hong Kong ding dong over dotcom float

Traffic grinds to a halt as crowds register for shares

Dotcom hysteria took to the streets yesterday as hoards of investors in Honk Kong rushed to hand in their share applications for entertainment portal, Tom.com. Traffic came to a standstill, shops had to shut down and police were called as tens of thousands of would-be investors queued outside branches of HSBC bank. The FT …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 11:33
Compaq sued over insider trading allegations

Shareholder seeks access to accounts

Two weeks after it was named in a patent infringement lawsuit, Compaq is staring at the business end of another writ. This time one of its own shareholders has filed suit seeking to gain access to Compaq's accounts in order to check up on alleged insider dealing by Big Q big cheeses. The shareholder is the Public Employees' …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 11:49
Psion's Potter goes ZD UK-baiting

Hush-hush deal with semiconductor outfit beginning with M. Not.

Let no one accuse Psion's founder David Potter of lacking a sense of humour. In the parallel universe of ZDNet News UK, a strange and shadowy world where year-old facts are "disclosed", or breathlessly "revealed" ... or just made up, Potter has been having some fun at the expense of the channel and Richard Barry, its accident- …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 11:50
MS claims victory over hack attack

We'd have prudently kept our mouths shut...

Microsoft.com has beaten off a hacker attack, the company claimed yesterday, possibly somewhat rashly, considering the number of people out there who fancy a challenge. The attack, which the company says took place on Tuesday, is claimed to have only caused a short slowdown in page viewing of 3-7 per cent, and was unable to melt …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 12:37
No sex please, we're emailing

A busy Inbox is bad for your hard drive

Too much email could damage your sex-drive, according to a report published today. The Institute of Management (IM) found that keeping up with emails was number 10 in a list of things that caused British executives untold stress in today's modern world. Not only does it damage their performance at work, it also interferes with …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 12:48
Viglen dips toe into net investments

Static profits

Viglen is still looking for a disgruntled e-ntrepreneur to head up its VigEcom, its new Net investment subsidiary. The search has not stopped VigEcom from making its first punt -- a 26 per cent shareholding in Intelligent Network Technology for £2.5 million. The news accompanies the publication of Viglen's results for the six …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 12:50
Seagate launches ‘world speed record’ 15,000rpm hard drive

Goes like stink, apparently

Hard drive Specialist yesterday unveiled what it claims is the fastest hard drive in the world. The Cheetah X15 breaks no records for capacity -- it's an 18GB unit -- or size -- it has a 3.5in form factor -- but it does take drive speeds to a new level. The X15 spins at 15,000rpm, 50 per cent faster than current high-speed …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 13:02
Mars attack – new MSN Internet UI spotted

If it was in an antitrust case, we could say 'Justice Bars Mars"

Information has started leaking out about Microsoft's "Mars" project, which is being developed as a kind of combination user interface and Internet access system for MSN. Veteran PC Mag columnist John C Dvorak sounded off on the subject earlier this week, and ActiveWin and BetaNews have since teamed up to produce a combined …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 13:32
Apple mulls info appliance launch

Expects to ship 40 per cent more Macs this year, too

Apple has been telling market analysts it expects to achieve double-digit revenue and unit sales growth during fiscal 2000. However, what's really interesting about the Apple analyst briefing is the company's hints at an entry into the information appliance market. According to Merrill Lynch analyst Steve Fortuna (as reported by …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 13:40
Toshiba eyes March for delayed digital music player launch

Aiwa to ship MP3 machine in June

Toshiba is set to launch its Secure Digital (SD) memory card digital music player next month, three months ahead of Aiwa, whose own player will be based around the Multimedia Card (MMC) spec, a rival to both SD and Sony's Memory Stick technology. Toshiba's offering was originally believed to have been scheduled for a Christmas …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 16:41
Who do you Voodoo 4 and 5 – 3dfx talks

CeBIT 2000 PC/Mac cards ship in spring

3dfx launched its Voodoo 4 and 5 cards in Europe today, along with a Web site for the region. Gamers clustered around the company's stand at CeBIT, eagerly awaiting tomorrow's appearance of the 'real' Lara Croft and gazing fixedly at games using the latest, much delayed Voodoo cards. Forthcoming and current titles supporting the …

Business 24 Feb 2000, 17:07