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22nd August 2000 Archive

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  • Scaldera vows a better Linux than Linux

    Outperforms our own er, native er, Linux.

    SCO says that it will deliver a Linux-compatible environment based on the UnixWare kernel by the end of the year. It's different to, and way more ambitious than SCO's lxrun emulator. Engineers working on the Linux Kernel Personality claim that it can already host Linux applications with far better performance results than can be …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 00:43

  • Intel paranoid about Transmeta – official

    Grove says that allows for opportunity

    Andy Grove, chairman of the Intel board, said here this afternoon that the firm is not complacent about threats to its business from chip competitors such as AMD or Transmeta. Grove said: "The magnitude of Transmeta's impact on our business is negligible at the moment, because to the best of my knowledge, they haven't shipped …

    Channel 22 Aug 2000, 01:38

  • Intel widens Rambus gap

    Gelsinger acknowledges price problem

    At a press conference held in San Jose this afternoon, Pat Gelsinger, chief technology officer of Intel's architecture group, acknowledged that the price of Rambus RIMMs had disappointed the firm. But, at the same time, he said that Intel still considered Rambus memory to be the best technology for its up-and-coming Pentium 4 ( …

    Channel 22 Aug 2000, 01:38

  • AltaVista admits service a sham

    Updated They've coughed up - finally

    Andy Mitchell, MD of AltaVista in the UK and Ireland, has finally confessed that AltaVista's much-hyped unmetered Net access service does not exist. The revelation that AltaVista consistently and deliberately lied to Net users in Britain is nothing short of a scandal. AltaVista's actions have done immense damage to the British …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 06:10

  • Cheapzilla strikes again

    Chipzilla's paw bit by AMD saw

    Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has again attempted to queer Intel's developer forum pitch by using an intercept and kill strategy. AMD, dubbed Cheapzilla because it doesn't want to spend the money that Via and Intel does on developer conferences, at least publicly, has booked a suite in the very same hotel many journalists are …

    Bootnotes 22 Aug 2000, 06:18

  • Intel late again on Merced-Itanium

    The quintessential charm of 64 bitness

    When some charming public relations person said that anyone who cared to listen or view IA-64 supremo Ron Curry's presentation was bound by an embargo, we picked up our bags and ran. For a cigarette and a chance to think. We returned, 45 minutes later, for the question and answer (Q&A) session, which confirmed our earlier …

    Channel 22 Aug 2000, 06:40

  • AltaVista's world crumbles

    The 'Nasty Nick' of the ISP world

    This is the statement in full issued by AltaVista UK last night August 21 2000 AltaVista UK puts unmetered part of access on hold Company to focus on Search excellence leadership AltaVista UK today announces that it has put its unmetered Internet access product on hold. The launch of AltaVista's unmetered access service is …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 09:02

  • Easy man Stelios to float cybercafes

    QXL still knocking down the price it'll pay for Ricardo

    Stelios Haji-Ioannou - the owner of a chain of cybercafes among other Easy things - is looking to float EasyEverything next year, according to the Guardian. The dotcom business is valued at £100 million and could have as many as 20 cybercafes by the end of the year. Stelios is set to float his low-cost airline, EasyJet, in the …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 10:07

  • Honourable mentions

    Not bad at all, but not quite good enough

    To Gianmichael Di Lallo, for his truly heart rending story, the onbly reason this didn't win was that there was no lightning involved. I deserve to win Kay Buena's motherboard because I feel that it may be the only thing that can save the ailing relationship I have with my computer. You see my computer has been a problem child …

    Letters 22 Aug 2000, 10:07

  • Blue Carrots owner makes £1 million loss

    Another day, another dotcom dollar

    Cube8.com, the investment company best known for Net community Blue Carrots, has released its six-month results and hired a CEO. The company made a loss of just over £1 million on a turnover of £324,000. It still has £7 million in the bank, which it says will run the business for the next three years. On top of the CTO post the …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 10:26

  • HSBC online lets users take blame for security issues

    Ts&Cs to be reviewed

    HSBC has said that it will review the wording of its terms and conditions for its Internet banking service. Section 2.4 of the conditions states: You must not access the Internet Banking Service from any computer connected to a local area network (LAN) or any public internet access device or access point without first making …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 10:45

  • British paedophile sentenced in LA

    Gets a year and a day

    A British man was sent to prison for a year and a day after he flew to Los Angeles to meet a 13-year-old boy he met in an Internet chat room. Following his arrest earlier this year George Prosoparis discovered that the boy he had been talking to, and had arranged to meet, was actually a female FBI agent working undercover. The …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 11:20

  • Internet execs the fattest of all fat cats

    Gives a whole new meaning to the Christmas bonus

    A survey of boardroom financial rewards has shown that execs heading companies involved in the Internet economy are out-earning traditional company execs such as pharmaceuticals, utilities, retail etc. The Guardian-Inbucon survey showed that the pay increase is due mostly to share price increases and the associated pay …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 11:31

  • BT outraged at AltaVista slur

    Duck, or you'll be caught in the crossfire

    BT has slammed AltaVista for trying to blame the telco for the ISP's ignominious fall from grace. In a statement, AltaVista tried to avert blame away from itself and onto a BT. It didn't even apologise for lying about its so-called unmetered service. "The launch of AltaVista’s unmetered access service is dependent on …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 11:36

  • The Reg visits Korea to assess L&H's sales

    WSJ misses tale of economy boom

    On the face of it, speech and language specialist Lernout & Haupsie's reported sales figures for Korea for recent quarters do look too good to be true. They had gone from a million dollars or so in the first two quarters of last year to $15 million in Q3, $46 million in Q4, with $58 million reported for Q1 this year. Those who …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 11:50

  • Scunthorpe babe watch aims to prove Sun wrong

    But, sadly, it backfires.

    Viking FM, Scunthorpe's local radio station, was appalled at accusations by the Sun national newspaper that women in Scunthorpe were, how do you say, not likely to inflame your passions. And so, to its credit, it set up Miss Scunny Honey 2000 with the intention of setting the record straight. Fortunately for all you lot, it has …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 11:51

  • Nvidia Q2 profits rocket

    But 3dfx continues to dominate retail

    Nvidia yesterday reported record revenues and profits for its second quarter, despite statements from its arch-rival, 3dfx, that the latter is leading the way in retail sales. Nvidia's Q2 2000 saw net income hit $22.5 million - almost four times the $6.7 million it reported for the same period last year. At 28 cents a share, …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 12:00

  • Share tipping Web sites pull their info

    You've got to comply with the FSA

    Websites have been told that they must not publish share tips, even reproducing them from authorised sources, unless they are qualified to give financial advice or are exempt under the 1986 Financial Services Act. The issue has been sparked by a report by Reuters about investor site, Sharepages.com. The site has suspended …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 12:08

  • BBC signs fat Net deals

    US Net investor and Telewest get involved

    The BBC has signed two deals regarding its controversial Internet activities. US Internet investor TH Lee will take a minority stake in Auntie's two commercial Web sites - beeb.com and freebeeb.net - for £32.5 million, and telecoms firm Telewest has signed a content-delivery deal. The BBC has been under fire concerning its …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 12:16

  • Sony confirms AMD deal

    Will use K6-2+ in upcoming Vaio

    Sony has confirmed that it will bypass Intel and offer a Vaio notebook based on a mobile AMD chip - just weeks after admitting it's also building a machine around Transmeta's TM5600 chip. Sony said the upcoming Vaio Note F series model PCG-F70/BP will contain a 550MHz AMD K6-2+ CPU. The entry-level machine is due to ship in …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 12:19

  • Survey: 70 per cent of Gnutella users are ‘free riding’

    Less sharing, more snaring

    Napster and Gnutella are refuges for music fans who'd much rather take than give, according to a survey of Gnutella usage by the famous Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (Parc). Parc researchers studied activity on the open source peer-to-peer file sharing tool Gnutella over a 24-hour period. They found that 70 per cent of users …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 12:42

  • Visa and Mastercard turn the screws on online fraudsters

    It'll be harder to spend other peoples cash, honest

    Credit card companies are tightening up their security procedures following a massive rise in card fraud last year. Visa and Mastercard have launched a joint initiative that will end with card holders being required to submit more detailed information when using cards for purchases over the phone or online. Fraudulent …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 14:03

  • Transmeta serendipity dogs Register

    Lipstick on collar, footprints in sand, Sumerian love-in

    Your Register staffer became an honorary German Sunday, joining three wild boys who decided to hire a green Mustang convertible and head for the beach. Although all four of us Germans are now easily identifiable because we were driving with the top down all day, and we all look like none of us can stop blushing, we had one of …

    Channel 22 Aug 2000, 14:21

  • Alta Vista MD speaks to the Reg

    BT and lack of communication to blame

    Andy Mitchell, MD of AltaVista in the UK and Ireland, has denied he lied about the much-hyped Net access service being available. He also said he wasn't planning to resign over the affair which has made AltaVista the laughing stocking of the Net community. Mitchell told The Register that he, and he alone, took the decision to …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 14:29

  • BT mauls AltaVista

    'AltaVista standing reality on its head ... ill-considered marketing hype'

    Earlier today Reg asked BT to comment on allegations made by AltaVista that the telco was to blame for the ISP's failed Net service. Understandably, BT was shocked and rebutted all allegations. Following their initial response this morning BT has now published a more considered, formal reply. Here it is, raw and uncut. Enjoy. …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 14:42

  • Freeserve puts unmetered access on hold

    Only temporary, though

    Freeserve is actively trying to discourage people from signing up to its narrowband Net access service, The Register can reveal. Britain's leading ISP has removed links from its portal to its unmetered products in a bid to cap registrations while it upgrades its systems. A spokesman for Freeserve denied that there was a major …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 15:02

  • Dr Tom diddles with ATI's Radeon

    Gets compared to Asus V7700 Deluxe

    Tom's Hardware has posted the full review of ATI's Radeon. Despite a period in the "no serious competition" doldrums, this new offering seems to have come good, as they say. This review compares the Radeon with the Asus V7700 Deluxe. More Duron v T-Bird notes to pass. This "Sibling Rivalry" piece from HardOCP promises "quick …

    Hardware Roundup 22 Aug 2000, 15:06

  • Cherie Blair hounded by cybersquatters

    Doing it doggy style

    Just who is hounding Cherie Blair and registering domains using her name? We did a story yesterday pointing out that www.cherieblair.org is either being used as a centre of erotica or as a 'non-profit site that provides Insights & Information Sources for International Aid and Relief'. Following this lead we discover the …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 15:07

  • L&H goes on Korean offensive against WSJ

    Appoints KPMG to conduct audit

    Lernout & Hauspie has appointed KPMG to conduct a mid-year audit into the company, in a response to an article in the Wall Street Journal last Tuesday (Aug 8,2000), which questioned the veracity of the company's published sales figures for Korea (WSJ has trouble with LearnHowtoSpeak Korean). CEO Gaston Bastiaens last night said …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 15:10

  • Nintendo to unveil X-box beater 24 August

    Will Dolphin cut it?

    Nintendo will pull the wraps off Dolphin, its next-generation games console, on 24 August, and unveil a 32-bit Gameboy, the company admitted today. Dolphin, co-developed with 3D graphics specialist ArtX - now a part of graphics market leader ATI; the Canadian company spend $400 million on ArtX - is Nintendo's response to Sony's …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 15:12

  • IBM makes first sale of Ultrium LTO storage

    It's a start on making it a standard

    Twenty years of American TV history is to be archived on IBM digital tape. This is the first sale of the storage product based on the Ultrium LTO standard, IBM claimed. Both HP and Seagate are also backing the new technology standard, which they all want to push out into the wider market. IBM said that Ultrium has greater …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 15:16

  • A skip skap a-skiddidy WAP

    WAP round-up: more pain and pleasure

    We've been a tad serious with WAP of recent, especially when there are so many people with so many daft ideas out there. Unfortunately, the really stupid ones appear to have been flushed out so no big laughs left, however there are a few interesting snippets around. Virgin Mobile followed close on the heels of NTT DoCoMo and …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 15:17

  • HW Roundup Asus A7V's a-go-go

    And Dr Tom plays with a platinum AX6BC Pro II

    Dr Tom's page gets hold of a truly beautiful, in the aesthetic sense, board today. But just because it is coated in platinum and other shiny bits doesn't mean it is a good board. The AX6BC Pro II 'Millennium Edition is review by Patrick Schmid here. Lots of Asus A7V talk out there today: Insane Hardware has posted an FAQ …

    Hardware Roundup 22 Aug 2000, 15:17

  • Big Brother censored as Nick is rumbled

    But Web site shut down blamed on technical problems

    Channel 4 was in the firing line today after reportedly shutting down the Big Brother Webcast when a fight started to break out in the house. Viewers were outraged when the link to the site was cut at 2am this morning - just as resident bad guy Nick was about to be rumbled. According to today's Sun Website, fellow housemate …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 15:17

  • Click here to find out if your mobile will kill you

    We gain a valuable insight into the radiation producers

    It won't have escaped many people's attention that the various reports produced about mobile phones and the possible detrimental effect of radiation have crossed the entire board from safe as houses to potentially lethal. The only explanation given for this disparity is "different methods of measurement" - an impossibly vague …

    Data Networking 22 Aug 2000, 15:18

  • Lastminute.com goes Down Under

    Advance Australia fare

    Lastminute.com has launched an Australian version of its Web-based bucket-shop. The Antipodean venture has been set up in conjunction with Aussie travel site, travel.com.au. Brent Hoberman, Chief Executive Officer of lastminute.com, said: "The launch of lastminute.com Australia is a major step forward in our business strategy …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 15:18

  • Pro-Napster hacker claims 60 site scalps

    Windows NT bug provides access - more sites to be hit

    Windows NT server operators beware: hacker and Napster fan 'Pimpshiz' has you in his sights and is out to do some serious damage in the run up to the Napster trial, which commences tomorrow. The hacker has been active for the last couple of weeks, defacing around 60 Web sites, including the sites of organisations and companies …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 15:18

  • Intel: peer-to-peer a life preserver

    We must all love each other, Barrett says

    Craig Barrett, CEO of Intel, kicked off the firm's Autumn Developer Forum today in a keynote speech focusing on e-business and peer-to-peer integration. Introduced to the tune of old Who 60's hit My Generation, modified to E-Generation, Barrett said that the main challenge was for different players to present a seamless picture …

    Channel 22 Aug 2000, 15:48

  • Debtors beware. Online exposure isn't what you need

    Another grand idea born of the Internet revolution

    This is another one of those great Internet ideas - an online debtor list, searchable by world+dog and with some handy services tied on. Debtlist.com will host a database of outstanding debts and even initiate a court case against the debtor if it doesn't cough up in time. The site has been carefully put together, is simple to …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 15:51

  • OFTEL slaps AltaVista

    Put up or shut up, says Winged Watchdog

    Oftel today said it was disappointed that AltaVista had "put on hold" plans to introduce unmetered Net access in Britain. Backing BT, the winged watchdog said that AltaVista announced its plans to deliver unmetered Net access in March before any wholesale Net access deals had been announced. Therefore, it was up to AltaVista …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:00

  • Logitech makes touchy feely mice

    The force is strong in this one

    Taking a lead from gaming hardware, Logitech has produced a new optical wheel mouse that will respond physically to the texture of an image it's pointer rolls over. The response is generated by a motor inside the mouse. Logitech says that it will activate a part of human intuition that has not yet been tapped by the computer …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 16:01

  • LINX denies ISP witch-hunt

    Hatchet well and truly buried

    The London Internet Exchange (LINX) has denied a report that it has launched a witch-hunt to find who leaked details of Microsoft's application to join the Internet clique. According to VNU.net, LINX threatened to expel the ISP it claims was responsible for the leak. It says the leak - the first to hit the organisation - …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:11

  • MP3 fans buy more CDs than non-fans – survey

    Or so they claim

    Music fans who are into the MP3 download scene buy more CDs that listeners who don't, according to a new survey from the Gartner Group. We say 'new', but the research actually took place back in February, long before the Napster controversy achieved the widespread coverage it's been getting over the last couple of months or so …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:12

  • Fresh strain of LoveBug virus is out

    Updated FBI investigates, Swiss bank downplays attack

    A new strain of the LoveBug virus is apparently worming its way into Switzerland and Russia, targeting bank account details and passwords. At present the virus only affects United Bank of Switzerland (UBS) customers. The virus masquerades as a resume file called RESUME.TXT.VBS attached to an email. It purports to be from a …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:12

  • BT buys out Viag for £3.6 billion

    Doubling its holding from 45 per cent to 90 per cent

    BT is to pay £3.6 billion to double its shareholding in German wireless firm Viag. The purchase gives BT control of the company (before it only had 45 per cent). It is buying out E.on's 45 per cent share. The remaining 10 per cent of the company, owned by Norwegian telco Telenor, is excluded from the deal but BT has offered to …

    Data Networking 22 Aug 2000, 16:12

  • Orange users angry at spam voicemail

    Updated Small Web site works its way into mobile users' inboxes

    Several people have contacted The Reg angry at a spam voicemail that appeared in their Orange inboxes. The message comprised a woman saying "Thinking of upgrading your mobile phone?", before attempting to sell the services of www.somuchcheaper.com. None of them were amused. As one said: "I'm the sort of bloke that ticks boxes …

    Data Networking 22 Aug 2000, 16:12

  • HP 'world's fastest growing PC vendor'

    Fiorina worth the dough, after all?

    Hewlett-Packard has produced a damn fine Q3 with PC, printer and Unix server sales propelling the company to a 33 per cent jump in profits. Profits from continuing operations (ie. minus the measurement business spun off into Agilent) were $1.01 billion (Q3 1999: $759 million). Sales were up 15 per cent to $11.8 billion from $10 …

    Data Networking 22 Aug 2000, 16:13

  • Win2K to blame for Computacenter profits slump

    Service billings down

    Computacenter saw first half profits slump 52 per cent to £13.3 million on sales up a measly 2.4 per cent to £927 million (1999: PBT £27.5 million; sales £905 million). In June, Computacenter prepped the market to expect a profits fall - unfortunate timing when the company was (and presumably still is) attempting a hostile …

    Data Networking 22 Aug 2000, 16:13

  • Europe drags down Novell

    Sales re-org doesn't help either

    Novell's Q3 sales are little short of awful - down 12 per cent in North America, and down a whopping 30 per cent in Europe from a year ago. The software company produced revenues of $270 million for the three months ending July 31, down from $327 million in the same period last year. Earnings per share were down from 14 cents …

    Data Networking 22 Aug 2000, 16:13

  • SuSE swipes AS/400 in IBM megadeal

    LinuxWorld This one's really big

    SuSE is leading a charge to put Linux on IBM's AS/400 servers, and public demonstrations should be ready before the end of the year the company said yesterday. Dirk Hondel, SuSE CTO, told The Register that a number of big customers were piloting large S/390 projects which involved replaced hundreds of infrastructure PCs with …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:13

  • SGI opens Open Inventor source code

    High-end graphics app development tool handed to Linux community

    SGI has released the source code for its high-end Open Inventor 3D graphics object-oriented application development system to the Linux and open source communities. The move follows on from SGI's decision to allow open source developers the freedom to use its OpenGL brand and compatibility certification. Back in January SGI …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:13

  • AMD's Sanders rants up the river

    Me Tarzan, you a mixed metaphor

    Never ashamed to beat his chest and display his matt of hair to the world, AMD CEO William Jeremiah Sanders III has climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and becoming a virtual King Kong in a Web TV interview. Sanders, rarely glimpsed outside the chip jungle, was interviewed on ON24, and dilated at length about, you …

    Channel 22 Aug 2000, 16:14

  • Transmeta commences Crusoe TM5600 shipments

    Successor to TM5400 has more cache, eats less power

    Transmeta yesterday launched its latest Crusoe CPU, the TM5600, and confirmed the chip has already started shipping. The 5600 follows on from Transmeta's earlier 5400, a high-speed - 700MHz - chip aimed at the notebook market, thanks to its very low power consumption. The 5600 adds an extra 256KB of on-chip L1 (128KB) and L2 ( …

    Channel 22 Aug 2000, 16:14

  • VA's Augustin talks Itanic, Sledgehammer

    LinuxWorld Says where Linux servers will be in year or two

    VA Linux Systems founder Larry Augustin majored in chip design at Stanford, and so you couldn't invent a more likely kingmaker in the forthcoming Itanic vs x86-64 maul than Larry. VA is an Intel-only company, but AMD's evolutionary new 64-bit chip has already got serious open source backing here this week. And if that doesn't …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:14

  • Action stations for bid approach

    Go away, reseller says

    Action Computer Supplies today said it had received an unsolicited offer to buy the company. "This offer was rejected on thebasis that it substantially undervalues the Company." Action says it remains committed to its "Web-centric business strategy" and is very confident that the benefits of lower costs and growing on-line …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 16:14

  • Andy Hertzfeld Part II – Microsoft, Aqua and greed

    LinuxWorld How Linux will deliver us from the feudal age

    Away from the fervour of the LinuxExpo show floor yesterday Andy Hertzfeld tooks us through Nautilus the open source file manager that's the flagship of his new company Eazel. But since we were on a roll, conversation ranged far and wide, and we reckon these thoughts from the chap who regularly rates a mention with Babbage and …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:14

  • Big Q in Big Deal over Big Bang

    Not mushroom for debate

    Compaq has won a contract with the US department of energy worth $150 million to build a superdupercomputer which will simulate nuclear explosions. According to esteemed organ The Wall Street Journal, the machine, which uses a number of Alpha microprocessors, is the second major win for Compaq, beating off competition from both …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 16:15

  • Net-enabled robot shoots from the hip

    Go ahead punk, make my day

    Light-fingered thieves had better watch out next time they jemmy open a window in search of some booty. An inventor in Thailand has developed a gun-wielding robot that can be controlled via the Net to shoot trespassers. The sharp-shooting robot was one of a number of machines unveiled yesterday at an exhibition hosted by the …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:15

  • 1GHz Xeon ships today, Pentium 4 Q4

    Updated 2GHz soon, Yu might have guessed it

    The story has been updated with additional information from a Q&A held directly after the keynote speeches by Barrett and Yu. See bottom of this story Albert Yu, a senior Intel VP, told delegates at its developer forum today that the company is shipping a 1GHz Pentium III Xeon with 256K of level two cache. He also demoed a …

    Channel 22 Aug 2000, 16:24

  • The Register dances the Tarantella

    Interview with Mike Orr

    If there were an architect for the SCO deal with Caldera, it would be Mike Orr, president of Tarantella. The Register has been talking to him. It was his idea for SCO to visit Linux distributors last October, because "anything that increases the credibility of Unix would be good for SCO". Caldera responded warmly, and the …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:30

  • Hertzfeld spills all about Eazel

    LinuxWorld How top software squad will make Linux as easy as the Mac

    The most eagerly anticipated debut at LinuxWorld hasn't exactly been a secret. But ever since Eazel went public, boasting a stellar management team including legendary Macintosh software guy Andy Hertzfeld, Bud Tribble (Apple, NeXT co-founder and lately Netscape/AOL CTO), and others from the original Mac team, world+dog has been …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:30

  • Al Pacino gets a digital co-star

    Lara Croft has started a worrying trend

    A computer-generated image has beaten all of Hollywood's leading ladies to star opposite Al Pacino in his forthcoming film, Simone. Filmmakers said that they could not find the right actress for the role, and that it would be easier and cheaper to make a virtual star. Suggestions that this will set a dangerous precedent for …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:30

  • DoJ rebuts MS brief, lobbies for Supreme Court hearing

    And now it's Microsoft's turn again...

    In a very readable 30-page brief to the Supreme Court, the DoJ yesterday set out its reasons for the Microsoft case to be heard directly, and not by the court of appeals. The DoJ's brief, in response to Microsoft's brief three weeks ago. Microsoft meanwhile has been trying hard to get Judge Jackson's findings of fact set aside …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:30

  • Corel's Cowpland quits

    Wants to spend more time with his start ups, apparently

    Michael Cowpland's announcement yesterday that he is resigning as chairman and CEO of Corel could be a shrewd move. Others will think his departure from the executive ranks long overdue. Corel has a financial crisis that resulted in a new round of layoffs recently, and the present strategy did not seem to be leading the company …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:30

  • SGI frees OpenGL brand to Linux coders

    Claim full OpenGL compatibility for free - if you're into open source

    SGI has opened its OpenGL brand to the Linux world through a new licensing programme aimed at open source software developers. OpenGL has always been available to third parties - at a price. Paying the fees allowed developers to declare their code's full OpenGL compatibility and to use the OpenGL logo on their products. That's …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:30

  • Microsoft Linux apps rumours resurface

    LinuxWorld File under 'suspect'

    According to WinInfo, Microsoft's long-time Unix porting ally, Mainsoft, is working on getting Microsoft's Windows applications running under Linux. WinInfocites just the one anonymous source, a developer working in Israeli, and we're invited to believe that he or she is a Mainsoft developer. It doesn't actually say. But this …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:30

  • i-Mode goes down again

    This time for three hours

    The much-vaulted i-Mode mobile phone system has gone down again in Japan - for three hours this time, hosting company NTT DoCoMo says. The Net-enabled mobile phone system, recently hyped-up as a direct competitor to the more international WAP setup, suffered a similar failure only two weeks ago (for five hours that time). There …

    Data Networking 22 Aug 2000, 16:31

  • Who the hell does WIPO think it is?

    It's a case of shrewd corporate takeover

    We worried yesterday that WIPO's approach to "cybersquatting" was something very different to the legitimate resolution of Web address conflict - especially since every big company appears to be able to name what URLs they want and (for a small fee) pull them off their previous owners. Well, with the predictability of anything …

    Data Networking 22 Aug 2000, 16:31

  • DVD read-speed booster Zen posts $6m loss

    Demand for technology won't kick in until 2002

    Zen Research, a developer of CD and DVD technology, has reported a $6 million loss for the first six months to 30 June. Turnover was up from $6000 to $120,000, and the company says that this will keep it on track to turn a profit within two years. Analysts forecast turnover of $480,000 this year, rising to $16 million in 2001 …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 16:31

  • First UK system builders release 1.1GHz Athlon prices

    Get 'em while they're hot

    AMD's monster 1.1GHz chip will be available from 28 August and the first British system builders have released their pricing. Evesham.com plans to launch six versions of its Origin 1100 1.1GHz PC models. They will range from £1249 ex VAT - with 128MB SDRAM, 15GB hard drive and 17in monitor, to £1999 ex VAT - 256Mb, 40GB, 19in …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 16:31

  • Nortel buys Sonoma for $540 million

    Networkers gets one step closer to Cisco

    Nortel Networks has agreed to pay $540 million (£360 million) in stock for broadband service provider Sonoma Systems. Sonoma is a privately held company and will help Nortel mix and blend its current Internet service in preparation for the big broadband take-off, claimed to be worth $18 billion by 2002. Nortel sits behind Cisco …

    Data Networking 22 Aug 2000, 16:32

  • M$ gets into LINX

    Not blackballed afterall

    Microsoft's application to join the London Internet Exchange (LINX) has been accepted, The Register can confirm. A puff of white smoke above LINX's inner sanctum late last night signalled that the vote to include M$ had been successful. The result means that the reservations voiced by some LINX members about the suitability of …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:32

  • RIAA vs Napster trial to commence Friday

    Napster brief hopes to change judge's mind

    The Recording Industry Association's case against Napster comes to the US District Court on Friday. The RIAA will try to prove Napster is complicit in breaking US copyright law. The controversial music swapping software company will try to persuade the court that it's no such thing. It has to be said, though, that the balance …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:32

  • Dr Drew raises spectre of paid-for content

    It'll never work people say (but we wish it would)

    Sex and health site Dr Drew has announced the results of its own survey that says users will happily pay for personalised content. Of the 15,000 people that responded, 74 per cent said they would like a personal service and 56 per cent said they would pay for it. Dr Drew's CEO, Curtis Giesen, claimed folk wanted an anonymous …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:32

  • Reg pays AltaVista a visit

    We get inside AV's UK HQ - and we got the pics to prove it

    The Register went to the heart of AltaVista's UK empire this morning in a bid to get to the bottom of the great AltaVista mystery. After blagging our way into AltaVista's central London offices we waited for someone to come and speak to us. AV's fine young receptionist told us to sit down and help ourselves to drinks, …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:32

  • Couple name baby after music Web site

    Britney Spears putting children 'in peril'

    A Kansas couple has sold its baby's soul to cyberspace to win $5,000. Jessica and Travis Thornhill named their 8lb, 8oz baby boy Internet Underground Music Archive Dylan-Lucas to qualify for the cash payout. Bit of a mouthful, so he will be known as Iuma Dylan-Lucas for short. The youngster is the fourth Iuma baby, according …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:32

  • Animal rights protestors use Net to intimidate shareholders

    Drug company targeted. 'People have to take responsibility for their actions'

    Animal rights protestors have used information posted on the Internet to launch a phone and hatemail attack on the shareholders of a contract research company that specialises in animal experiments. The personal details of shareholders of Huntingdon Life Sciences were posted on an anti-company Web site and were also emailed to …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:32

  • Smells like Teen Spiritualism

    Kurt Cobain haunted my Compaq claims Essex girl

    A Compaq notebook appears to have put its owner in contact with long-dead Nirvana star Kurt Cobain. According to Gemma Franks, a 24-year-old... ahem... bar manager from Essex, Kurt manifested himself on her screen and demanded she "give us a kiss, love". The spectral singer also pleaded for Franks' help. Said Franks: "There …

    Bootnotes 22 Aug 2000, 16:32

  • The King online!

    Uh-huh-huh

    An online vigil for Elvis Presley was held yesterday evening to mark the anniversary of his death, August 16 1977. Fans of the hip-wiggling quiff-ed one have been paying their respects to the singer at his grave on the Graceland estate every year since his death. But this is this first time the annual vigil has been broadcast …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:32

  • Climate blamed for slow uptake of the Net

    Spain and Italy fingered

    Net surfers in Spain and Italy are less likely to use the Net because the weather is warm and sunny, according to the latest research from Forrester research. It believes Southern Europe lags behind Northern Europe for two primary reasons: deeply rooted cultural traditions and the region's favourable climate. At this point, it …

    Media 22 Aug 2000, 16:32

  • Detonator 3 goes with a bang

    Our Gordon goes for it with the BFG

    Yesterday we reported that Nvidia had posted its latest Detonator 3 drivers, and already the hardware Web sites have had a field day putting them through their paces, writes Gordon Laing. Anandtech reckoned they made a worthwhile difference to all GeForce owners (SDR, DDR and 2 GTS), although TNT owners didn't fare so well. …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 16:33

  • Intel video camera can go walkabout

    USB gizmo operates independently

    A couple of years back, Intel had a dinky little digital camera poised for launch, only to pull the plug on the project at the eleventh hour. Now Chipzilla is having another bash with the new Pocket PC Camera. The PPCC is pretty cheap at $149, and differs from Intel's Create & Share range of cameras in that it can run …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 16:33

  • Sony confirms Transmeta deal

    CE giant will use Crusoe in sub-notebooks

    Sony yesterday admitted that reports claiming it plans to ship a version of its Vaio C1 sub-notebook based on Transmeta's Crusoe chip are correct. "The new C1 will be launched for year-end sale," a Sony spokesman told Reuters. "Crusoe meets the needs of the C1, which is the smallest model in the Vaio series and is equipped with …

    Business 22 Aug 2000, 16:33

  • Asus A7V clip troubles sorted

    The usual suspects do the usual business

    Insane Hardware gets its mitts on the Asus A7V mainboard, and sets about extolling its virtues. Read more here. The A7V is also up for discussion at Tweaktown. Now this lot don't want to be seen to be slating the board, which they seem quite fond of, but they would like to point out that the Antipodes have been getting boards …

    Hardware Roundup 22 Aug 2000, 16:34

  • 1.5GHz Athlon slated for January

    Back to school time, between times

    Very reliable sources have confirmed that AMD will push a 1.5GHz Athlon out of the door of its Dresden fab at the beginning of next year. The speed rev is possible now, but AMD wants to ensure that it sells enough Athlons between now and Christmas to ensure its new tradition of posting profitable quarters continues unabated. …

    Hardware Roundup 22 Aug 2000, 16:34

  • Living.com dies

    Amazon waves goodbye to $145 million

    Online furniture store Living.com has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after failing to raise its next round of financing. In February the venture signed a deal to pay Amazon.com $145 million over the next five years. The agreement was to make Living.com a featured partner on Amazon's site, while Amazon got an 18 per cent stake …

    Channel 22 Aug 2000, 16:34

  • Dell boy in 64-bit mix-up

    Linuxworld They're going down with the Itanic

    Michael Dell kicked off the LinuxWorld expo keynote with a ringing endorsement of Linux. For an hour we were treated to homilies to open source software, stories of how Dell itself relied on Linux, and even a clarion call against restrictive intellectual property laws - which predictably brought the house down. In fact, he'd …

    Software 22 Aug 2000, 16:34

  • Get your telecoms advice here

    It's got Oftel's backing and everything

    A new site aiming to give independent advice to small businesses concerning everything from phones to Web sites has been launched today. Telecoms Advice is funded by the telecoms industry and lists BT, C&W, Colt, Energis, NTL, One2One, Orange, Vodafone etc etc among its backers. It has also been given a rousing endorsement by …

    Data Networking 22 Aug 2000, 16:38

  • Intel confirms Xeon shortages

    And confirms a whole heap more too

    The VP and general manager of Intel's enterprise platform group, Mike Fister, today confirmed tightness in supply of Xeon 700MHz microprocessors. Earlier this week, we reported that Compaq kit was in short supply because of the tightness. And Fister also disclosed others details of Intel's future roadmap plans, confirming …

    Channel 22 Aug 2000, 21:52

  • Pentium 4 notebook chips on way

    And how Intel met the French army

    The general manager of Intel's mobile platforms group said today that the firm has plans to deploy Pentium 4 technology for the mobile market. But chips utilising the technology seem to be a fair way off, with Frank Spindler refusing to be drawn on a launch date. Meanwhile, he showed a roadmap confirming our earlier reports …

    Channel 22 Aug 2000, 21:52