13th September 2000 Archive

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Major Dramurai signs up with Rambus

Licenses DDR, SDRAM and 1066MHz DRDRAM

Rambus said today that NEC has signed a licensing agreement with it for next generation Direct RDRAM memory as well as licensing patents for synchronous memory and double data rate (DDR) memory. The acknowledgement is a major coup for Rambus. NEC is one of the biggest of the Dramurai, along with Toshiba, which has already …

Channel 13 Sep 2000, 01:54
Clinton tech education slammed in report

Rearing a nation of fat zombies

Billions of tax dollars spent by the Clinton Administration on school computers and wiring brats to the Net are wasted at best, according to a scathing report released by the Alliance for Childhood Tuesday. The Alliance believes there is too little evidence that computers are an effective educational tool, and further that …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 03:26
OPEC Web site defaced

We've had enough too

As Europe seethes with outrage over usurious fuel prices, OPEC's Web site was defaced Tuesday night by a vandal visibly upset over the cost of crude oil, which is now approaching ten-year highs. The defacement involves a simple re-direct to the vandal's page, after which surfers are automatically forwarded to the actual OPEC …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 04:07
Amazon reneges on DVD prices

Absolutely no shame

Last last week, bargain hunters gleefully placed orders for drastically discounted DVD movies and boxed sets at Amazon.com, but were soon embittered when the company informed them that the prices resulted from a "glitch" and that it would therefore require them to pay the higher, regular price or cancel their orders. The …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 05:04
ISPs free with fibs – ad watchdog

What's the small print say?

The advertising watchdog has written to 100 ISPs urging them to clean up and stop misleading consumers. After months of receiving complaints from punters fed-up with ambiguous ads and poor services, the Advertising Standards Authority has finally had enough. In its latest monthly round-up, the ASA says the "marketplace is …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 09:26
IBM to found seven Linux dev centres

$200m project to promote OS to appliance vendors

IBM is to spend $200 million over the next four years to build seven Linux development centres in the Far East, Taiwan's Commercial Times reports. Speaking at the Linux World Forum, held this week in Taipei, Big Blue's Mark Hennessy, vice CEO of the company's Asia-Pacific systems operation, said the centres would act as both …

Software 13 Sep 2000, 09:57
HP buys PwC's consulting arm

$17.5bn gets the lot

News has leaked out that Hewlett-Packard has agreed to spend $17.5 billion on PriceWaterhouseCoopers' (PwC) consulting arm. According to Bloomberg, sources familiar with the situation said that although there were still alot of details to be hammered out, a price had been agreed. The talks are now focussed on how much the 2000 …

Business 13 Sep 2000, 10:19
Smashing Pumpkins' MP3 tells label to fornicate off

Virgin on the ridiculous

Indie rockers The Smashing Pumpkins have released their last album on MP3 in order to give their record label, Virgin, what they call a "final 'fuck you'." Virgin is owned by EMI, one of the world's 'big five' record companies. The Pumpkins' album, Machina II: The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music, is being distributed on …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 10:23
MP3.com seeks to placate Universal

$250 million in damages will be hard to swallow otherwise

MP3.com CEO Michael Robertson yesterday said the online music company will continue to talk to Universal in the hope of reaching a settlement to the two firms' bitter copyright dispute. He needs to. Last week's judgement that the company must pay between $118 million and $250 million in damages could seriously harm MP3.com's …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 10:48
Ad agency pays Net Queen Dyson $10,000 a day

Dotcomfailures.com closes

Ad agency group WPP is paying Esther Dyson $10,000 a day for her consultancy services. She's a main board director and chairman of WPP's web business wpp.com. Esther is also interim chair of ICANN, she has advised Bill Clinton, and is also chair of her own Net business EDVenture Holdings. Dyson also gets directors' fees of £25 …

Business 13 Sep 2000, 11:06
Ellison laughing all the way to the bank

Took $1bn in share options instead of salary

Oracle boss Larry Ellison is set to add another £1 billion to his fortune from share options he took last year instead of his regular salary. His decision to forgo his £2.7 million a year pay package in favour of the 20 million share options has proved to be an extremely shrewd move. Lord Ellison of Barking made the switch …

Business 13 Sep 2000, 11:09
BT acts as fuel crisis bites

ADSL halted for ten days at least

BT has set up an emergency national control centre to keep tabs on the current UK fuel crisis. It is conserving all fuel stocks and its priority is "safe guarding the operation of the network [such as] exchanges, radio stations and emergency services", according to a memo seen by the Reg. It is also investigating ways to …

Data Networking 13 Sep 2000, 11:54
How to make lots of money from the Internet

Tuvalu can't believe its luck. We can't believe Tuvalu

It's one of the world's smallest and most isolated independent nations, it was known as the Ellice Islands when the British Empire was in full flow and it's now called Tuvalu, which means "cluster of eight" even though there are actually nine islands. It is also the lucky owner of the ".tv" domain name, which, as you can imagine …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 12:30
HWRoundup Big up to the MSI MS-6153 mobo

Plus a five-way video card shoot out

I'm back from Crete and back into the way of the chip. First off - a five-way video card shoot-out is underway at Planet Hardware. Since all the companies involved are big on the whole six month cycle, the reviewers need to be too! Who will be left standing this time? Go here to find out. The MSI MS-6153 motherboard gets …

Hardware Roundup 13 Sep 2000, 13:52
UK site publishes list of emergency fuel

It's crazy out there, crazy

Motorists are flocking to a Web site which is giving a blow-by-blow account of the British fuel crisis and where to find the oh-so-precious supplies of go-go juice. PetrolBusters.com is set to publish details later today of all the petrol stations stocked with emergency supplies of fuel. At the moment petrol is only available …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 13:53
Software piracy: UK schools a soft target

Bigger fish to fry worldwide

Software piracy in schools may be preoccupying Microsoft in the UK at the moment, but maybe the software behemoth would be better turning its attentions to India and China. Apropos of our stories about M$ efforts to crack down on UK schools pirating software, comes news from Reg reader Vidya Dwarakanath in Bangalore. "Back in …

Software 13 Sep 2000, 15:06
Scouts find new IT badge sponsor

Dib, dib, dib; dob, dob, dob

Kids portal - kzuk.net - is to sponsor the Computer Badge for 120,000 cub scouts in Britain. Boys and girls between eight and 101/2 will have to display basic computer know-how to receive their triangular badge, which then can be worn with pride on their arms. Of course, a computer badge is a far cry from the rugged outdoor- …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 15:40
Madonna.com fight heats up

Yep, more domain name lunacy

Pop tart Madonna has a bit of competition for her namesake URL - from a US hospital. We told you back in, um when was it, last month sometime that the popstress wanted madonna.com which is currently held by online pornographer Dan Parisi. Back then we questioned whether she was more important that that other Madonna - the one …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 15:44
SDMI says hack stuff for money

$10,000 up for grabs

A prize of $10,000 has been offered to any hacker who can break through the security put in place by the Secure Music Digital Initiative (SDMI), a coagulation of 175 companies from the IT, electronics and music industries. The idea behind the contest is along the lines of the Hack the Flag competition. Not only do the hackers …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 15:49
AOL buys stake in wireless gadget maker

Content for multiplayer chat room alarm clock

AOL is to take a stake in US wireless gadget maker Cybiko. The amount to be invested by the ISP was not revealed. AOL will fit out the Cybiko product - a handheld device aimed at teens that offers multiplayer games, a calculator, alarm clock and wireless chats - with its services. Under the agreement, it will provide content …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 15:55
E-ntrepreneurs – get your marketing BS here

Leverage real-time initiatives...

Top marks to Dack.com for nicely deflating the new economy bubble with its oh-so-sharp Web Economy Bullshit Generator. As keen observers of the e-bah-gum-conomy, we're used to a worldwide web of vacuous verbiage thanks to the now never-ending supply of press releases announcing the launch of new B2B sites - or the collapse …

Bootnotes 13 Sep 2000, 15:55
Cheesy talking head modelled on PM Blair

Just in case people forget how to read

Televirtual - which describes itself as a pioneering cyber content company - reckons it's onto a sure-fire winner with a politically inspired talking head. It's just launched an animated cartoon character called Tony Blah, which delivers email messages aloud, or so the blurb says. A Televirtual spokesman went on to say that …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 15:56
World goes Millennium crazy

Which would be nice

Metaphorical queues are already forming around the metaphorical block, not to buy petrol, but to lay hands on the latest (and last) revision of Windows 9X. Windows ME is set to burst onto the world stage tomorrow, a snip at around £40 for the upgrade and £140 for the full version. We've been running ME in various beta versions …

Software 13 Sep 2000, 16:01
You'll never have to name that tune again

A truly daft use of advanced technology

Here's an interesting idea that will never work. Sony has come up with an amazing way for you never to miss out on a particular song again. Using this staggering piece of machinery - called an eMarker - you can track down any song you hear on the radio. No more waiting for mumbling DJs or forgetting the name of that band. Oh no …

Business 13 Sep 2000, 16:04
CeBit and Creative Labs in hair pulling battle

Fight fight fight fight fight

In the days biggest "you started it" tit for tat contest, Creative Labs has confirmed that it will not be exhibiting at this year's CeBit in Hanover. Creative says that the decision was taken after CeBit last year when the organisers told them that they would not be allowed to show any consumer MP3's at the exhibition this year …

Business 13 Sep 2000, 16:10
The UK fuel crisis: all thanks to the Internet

We're beginning to enjoy ourselves. All together now: "Roll out the barrel..."

Well, two tankers complete with whirring police escort have gone down Regent Street in the last hour, Tony Blair's pledge to have it all sorted within 24 hours is blown, the petrol pumps are still dry and it looks like we've got a top-notch crisis on our hands. And we love it. A good percentage of the UK never lived through the …

Media 13 Sep 2000, 16:53
Press Release of the Week: fresh fruit nonsense

Something went wrong somewhere along the line

Received today: "BLACKBERRIES MAKE RIPE PICKINGS FOR ASPS. Following recent debate about the future of the application service provider (ASP) industry, Mi8 points to the launch of new mobile devices such as Blackberries to spur the steady growth. Mi8 is the only UK ASP to offer access to Microsoft Office, Outlook and Exchange …

Bootnotes 13 Sep 2000, 17:20
AOL's Case is more important than Gates

If you care what Vanity Fair thinks

AOL chief Steve Case has booted Bill Gates off his throne in the ranks of the IT elite. According to Vanity Fair's hot list of the top 50 movers and shakers in the industry, Internet King Case reigns supreme - toppling Gates after four years at number one. Case, chairman of AOL Time Warner, only rated sixth in IT influence in …

Business 13 Sep 2000, 17:26