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19th February 2001 Archive

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  • Microsoft struts into Net security market

    Would you buy a firewall from Bill?

    Microsoft leapt into the network security market this week with the Valentine's Day introduction of its Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server -- a network firewall that will compete in the same arena as Check Point's FireWall-1 and Network Associates' Gauntlet. ISA Server includes integrated intrusion detection and …

    Security 19 Feb 2001, 03:35

  • Newbridge billionaire buys Mitel Networks

    Going to build a £5bn VoIP business

    Wales' first billionaire, Terry Matthews, has bought back comms outfit Mitel Networks, a division of the Mitel company he founded in 1972. He's paid £160 million for the business. Paul Butcher, who's been recruited as CEO of the Mitel Networks, said the business was committed to building on its development work in voice over …

    Data Networking 19 Feb 2001, 09:55

  • BT 3G phone bill was £10bn too much – Bonfield

    Is it all France Telecom's fault

    BT spent £10bn too much on acquiring 3G licences, CEO Sir Peter Bonfield told the Sunday Times. And it's all France Telecom's fault. Chris Gent, head of Vodafone, is supposedly the author of this particular accusation. In that time-honoured Sunday newspaper formula Gent is "understood" to blame France Telecom, for "allegedly …

    Data Networking 19 Feb 2001, 09:57

  • Flame archive 2001 Part 1

    More howling at the moon insanity

    15th June 2001: Lester the Canadian Molester 1st June 2001: Beware of Greeks bearing email 25th May 2001: 'Kieren you ignorant slut...' 27th April 2001: Absolutely zero effort 21st April 2001: Nibbling at America's heel 6th April 2001: I used to respect you folks... 30th March 2001: Oi ya bunch o dobbers 23rd March 2001: …

    Letters 19 Feb 2001, 10:01

  • Flame archive 2000 Part 2

    July to December - full and unexpurgated coverage

    Flame of the Year: the craziest of the crazy 15th December 2000: We're a buch of tits 8th December 2000: Reg pays for sex 1st December 2000: A truly derailed man 24th November 2000: The site's going down the toilet 17th November 2000: You can take your politics and shove it up your... 10th November 2000: Excreta …

    Letters 19 Feb 2001, 10:01

  • Woundup WinXP beta 2 slips, but ship date won't

    Says Microsoft...

    Microsoft has pushed back Beta 2 of Windows XP two weeks, to March 14, according to a memo leaked to CRN. But the final release is still set for the end of June. What's this mean? Well, they will have RC1 ready some time in April, giving eight solid weeks to release-to-manufacturing (RTM) by May 30. Microsoft's goal for RC2 is …

    Software 19 Feb 2001, 11:23

  • Microsoft to support AMD's Sledgehammer?

    Definitely... maybe...

    Two tantalising hints have emerged suggesting that Microsoft really does plan to support AMD's upcoming Hammer family of 64-bit processors. Both clues come from third-party postings on a couple of investor-oriented bulletin boards. The first is said to be a copy of an email from Microsoft itself, posted on Silicon Investor. …

    Channel 19 Feb 2001, 11:33

  • MOOT wtf is a MOOT?

    Flame of the week talk english not your sutpiD ENGLISH

    Before revealing this week's cordon bleu canape of insanity, it's worth looking at a recent letter from Simon Cassia: Yours must be one of the most amusing jobs in history (selecting flame of the week). Do you write them yourself, or are there really nutters out there who write this high-quality comedy? Keep it coming! (if you …

    Flame of the Week 19 Feb 2001, 12:16

  • Oftel signals local loop free-for-all

    Come and get it

    Oftel has abandoned the complicated and unwieldy process it devised to help carve up space in BT's local exchanges as part of local loop unbundling (LLU). The decision to end the "bow wave" process comes in the wake of waning interest in LLU from operators. However, the decision to scrap the "bow wave" is not a sign that Oftel …

    Data Networking 19 Feb 2001, 12:29

  • DSP patent promises PC Smell-O-Vision

    Still at prototype

    The 1950s idea of films with an extra dimension in realism - added smells - has moved a step closer with the filing of a US patent for a device which enables consumer electronic products to produce smells. Indian inventor Sandeep Jaidka has obtained a patent for digital signal processing technology that enable a device that …

    Business 19 Feb 2001, 12:40

  • 1.3GHz Athlon out and about

    Mag ads and hardware sites

    AMD's 1.3GHz Athlon is poised to make an appearance in public at last. Online reseller Dabs.com is advertising the processor in the April issue of PC Pro magazine. It's quoting £220 for the 1.3GHz Athlon with either a 200MHz or 266MHz bus. Competitors complain that Dabs has jumped the gun, and as the chips aren't available, …

    Channel 19 Feb 2001, 12:47

  • Egg to break even in Q4

    And that's no yolk

    Egg is "bang on track" to break even at the end of the year, the British online bank reported today. Despite reporting losses for the year of £155 million - up from £150 million in 1999 - the bank remains bullish it can turn things around during the next ten months. And it points to a host of numbers which show that the bank …

    Business 19 Feb 2001, 12:48

  • Toshiba touts 2GB on a PC card

    Real product, real price

    Toshiba has found space for 2GB of data on a PC Card hard disk drive - twice as much capacity as rival products, it claims. The benefits of of a 2GB PC card are numerous: very portable storage, ideal for the mobile professional, perfect for transferring huge MPEG and JPEG files and so on. So if you like the idea of being able …

    Business 19 Feb 2001, 12:56

  • Flame of the week is on the move

    Nutters confined to Vulture Central Mailbag

    Today, we are turning the fire extinguishers on our Flame of the week section. The reason? Simply too much combustible material to be contained within the flame section firewalls. Flame fans need not despair. We have relocated the smouldering madness in the Vulture Central Mailbag where they will be insulated and contained by …

    Letters 19 Feb 2001, 12:58

  • Police have anti-nuclear protestor's numbers

    Going too far?

    The Ministry of Defence has opened an internal inquiry into the extraction of mobile phone information from a nuclear protestor. The phone's owner, Juliet McBride, dropped her mobile while being escorted off an atomic weapons plant in Aldermaston, Berkshire. It was returned 24 hours later, but allegations that police noted down …

    Security 19 Feb 2001, 13:03

  • Apple can dominate appliance biz – Ellison

    Another of Sir Larry's self-styled 'fantasies'?

    Larry Ellison has been waxing lyrical on Apple again. The Oracle CEO, Apple board member and self-styled "best friend" of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, reckons the Mac maker's future lies in digital appliances and that Sony will be its biggest competitor. Speaking at the BusinessWeek-sponsored 'Captain's of Industry' conference, …

    Mac Channel 19 Feb 2001, 13:08

  • The Bastard school of anger management

    Episode 5 Take a break

    BOFH 2001: Episode 5 "So what was the certificate thingy again?" The Boss asks looking at the whiteboard like a man lost. "It's what our web server presents to prove that it's who it says it is," I sigh. "And the key thingy?" "Is what we use to generate a request to GET a certificate from a trusted third party." "I see. And …

    BOFH 19 Feb 2001, 13:18

  • Flame of the week Do you wanna be in my gang?

    No thanks because you'll trunk my arse

    Lucent Linda Harrison has been at it again, annoying the punters and generally making a nuisance of herself. With regard to her Kiddie porn found on pawned computer, Lieutenant Longstay reckons we should cut the cottaging and get some proper work done: I think you should change www.theregister.co.uk to www.binbagfullofgoatswank …

    Flame of the Week 19 Feb 2001, 13:19

  • Govt launches propaganda Web site

    Useful for when the media gets it wrong

    The government officially launches its UKonline Web site today. It's been accessible since December and has cost the taxpayer £4 million so far. It boasts 30 journalists, as well as admins, designers etc. So what is it? Basically this is the portal to the vast e-government masterplan. This will act as your 'Yellow Pages' when …

    Music and Media 19 Feb 2001, 13:41

  • Dealers charged with pirate supply to 23 police forces

    That's more than half of the UK's cop shops

    The directors of a bust Hampshire dealership have been charged with supplying counterfeit software to more than half of the UK's police forces. The three directors of Protocol Systems, which went into receivership last month, are to appear in court on 19 March. The summons they received list 23 police forces which were supplied …

    Security 19 Feb 2001, 13:44

  • Symbian scores Siemens, MS ripostes with Stinger for H2

    But whatever happened to the one we prepared earlier?

    Siemens, which coyly tells us that it "recently became"* the second largest (we presume "phone" is understood there) manufacturer in Europe, has signed on the dotted with Symbian. The company says it will use the Symbian platform for its next generation of smartphones... ...which rings a few bells round these parts. A quick …

    Data Networking 19 Feb 2001, 13:46

  • MS and Sledgehammer: Whistler SDK reveals all

    Compiler directives reference 'AMD64' platform

    Further evidence that Microsoft intends to support AMD's Sledgehammer chip comes from the company's own upcoming operating system revision, Whistler, aka Windows XP. Specifically, the clue is to be found in Whistler's SDK (Software Development Kit) and its DDK (Driver Development Kit), which reference the upcoming 64-bit …

    Channel 19 Feb 2001, 14:31

  • Sony and the DVD player phantom space launch

    Space, the Final Copyright Frontier

    Sony has invited a clutch of VIPs to watch the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery, scheduled for March 8, because it believes that five of its FX1 DVD players will be aboard and heading for the International Space Station. Interesting, but not nearly as interesting as the fact that they are, according to a NASA researcher, …

    Business 19 Feb 2001, 15:39

  • Intel poisoning Japan with meltable chips

    Silver's too hot; Zinc is poor replacement

    Japanese PC manufacturers are being held back by Intel in their bid to remove lead in computer soldering, AsiaBizTech reports. In the same way that oil companies moved rapidly to lead-free petrol, PC manufacturers wish to cut out the contaminating element by moving to non-lead alternatives. However, the preferred replacement …

    Channel 19 Feb 2001, 15:56

  • Some internal beef for 3G phones

    Samsung SRAM, streaming video from Tosh/Infineon

    Here's a look at some of the gubbins destined for 3G mobile phones. Samsung has made the first 0.13 micron 8Mb SRAM chip for 3G phones. Asia Pulse reports the SRAM has a high-speed data processing capability of 55 nano seconds with less than 1 micro amphere of currency at 2.5 volt. Samsung plans to produce 0.10 micron SRAM in …

    Channel 19 Feb 2001, 16:06

  • What the hell is… WinXP's groovy new UI?

    There's less to it than meets the eye...

    Are we on WinXP Beta 2 yet, or not? And has the radical, revolutionary new UI for XP arrived yet, or not? The answer to both of these questions is of course yes and no. Rumours had it that Beta 2 of WinXP could ship to coincide with the Microsoft unveiling (which retained many of the veils) of the product last week. It didn't, …

    Software 19 Feb 2001, 16:16

  • BOFH: The t-shirt has landed

    You've read the master, now wear the shirt and cap

    Yes, it's finally arrived - that Vulture Central BOFH merchandising you were all promised. Well, here are the goods that you can order right now on our new e-commerce site. And that's all you need to know. Log on and happy shopping.®

    BOFH 19 Feb 2001, 16:27

  • Apollo 11 crew quizzed by US Customs

    Right stuff boys asked if they've got the wrong stuff

    Anyone arriving at US Customs knows to expect a good grilling about what brings them to the land of the free, and what they've brought with them. But we're pretty sure Neil Armstrong and the rest of the Apollo 11 crew expected to breeze back to earth without any border hassle. However, as we noted last week when we interviewed …

    Bootnotes 19 Feb 2001, 16:40

  • Sun freezes jobs, steps up cost cuts

    Catch your Breath memo

    Sun Microsystems has introduced a recruitment freeze and stepped up its cost cutting programme in response to a slowdown in demand for its products. According to sources, Sun has told managers throughout the firm to drop any plans to bring in new employees. An internal memo, obtained by The Register, on the cost cuts(taking …

    Business 19 Feb 2001, 16:51

  • Napster develops P2P copy protection

    Too much too late?

    Napster has announced a deal with digital rights management outfit - and Bertelsmann subsidiary - Digital World Services to use copy protection in P2P swapping, to inhibit burning MP3s to CDs, and so appease the savage army of recording industry lawyers arrayed on all fronts. The embattled company says it's making "progress on …

    Music and Media 19 Feb 2001, 17:23

  • Govt Web sites fail own guidelines

    Not bad for a first try

    The government may be very pleased with the launch of its UKonline portal today, but it fails to meet its own guidelines on Web site design, we have discovered. The civil service laid down some fairly strict ground rules to ensure that every citizen will have easy access to government Web sites - announced with much pomp in …

    Music and Media 19 Feb 2001, 17:33

  • US ISP pleads guilty to hosting child porn

    Precedent-setting case

    The idea that Internet Service Providers are not responsible for the content they host has taken a further, and perhaps, fatal knock after a US case which sets an important legal precedent. In a hearing before the New York State Supreme Court, BuffNet pleaded guilty to knowingly providing access to child pornography, a …

    Music and Media 19 Feb 2001, 17:36

  • BTinternet scraps off-peak tariff for 24/7

    But still manages to upset punters

    BTinternet is to streamline the number of dial-up Net access products it offers. At the end of March punters will have to wave goodbye to BTinternet's old evening and weekend credit card package which cost £9.99 per month and offered off peak unmetered access. BT claims users will be better off using the packages. The …

    Music and Media 19 Feb 2001, 17:36

  • Flame archive 2000 Part 1

    January to June - Mad people turn up the heat

    5th April 2000: Mike Magee sleeps with Dr Tom Pabst 17th March 2000: Take Your Pig Ass Licking Crap off The Net 16th March 2000: Guest Flame of The Week: World's most travelled man is pathetic braggart 13th March 2000: Register scum sucking whores 10th March 2000: Register people are anti-free speech hypocrites 29th …

    Letters 19 Feb 2001, 17:36

  • Flame archive 1999

    The primordeal soup from whence sprung the flame beast

    28th December 1999: I'll get you, Penelope Pitstop 6th December 1999: Register staff only fit to shovel s**t 30th November 1999: Register just Intel lackeys 23rd November 1999: Register nothing but anti-Mac geeks 22nd November 1999: Register anti-American 8th November 1999: Register unoriginal, not funny

    Letters 19 Feb 2001, 17:36

  • Dr Tom and the kick-ass Power Box

    HWRoundup Also, thermal paste taste test

    How to...with Dr Tom. Want a machine that kicks ass, or if you are in the UK, arse, but can't find two coppers to run together? Well, Dr Tom posted this guide to building your own "PowerBox" and fear no high-end competition. Really. The boys at Hexus seem to have gone completely mad, but that is possibly because they've run a …

    Hardware Roundup 19 Feb 2001, 17:40

  • VIA preps P4 chipset (without Intel say-so)

    S3's got it covered

    VIA Technologies is preparing to showcase P4 chipsets at CeBIT, Europe's biggest computer trade show, next month, according to Bloomberg. But the company doesn't have an Intel licence yet to actually build P4 chipsets. The Taiwanese firm reckons that it does not need Intel's authorisation to build and sell P4 chipsets - as it …

    Channel 19 Feb 2001, 23:03