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17th April 2001 Archive

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  • Where have all the Cisco customers gone?

    Pink slips rain on 8,500 staff

    Cisco, the nonpareil of networking equipment makers and at one time the sine qua non of tech stocks - (remember last year when for a nano second it was the world's biggest company by market cap) - is feeling the pinch. Big time. The company yesterday issued a new profits warning - its second in less than a month - and announced …

    Business 17 Apr 2001, 08:37

  • So when will NEC stop making PCs?

    Lehmans analyst forecasts withdrawal

    Lehmans Brothers analyst Scott Foster has a bee in his bonnet about NEC's PC operations. He reckons the company will withdraw from PC manufacture - even though it has the biggest market share of all in Japan, the world's second biggest market, with over 20 per cent of sales. (Of course NEC used to have more than 50 per cent of …

    Business 17 Apr 2001, 09:31

  • OCWorkbench puts boot into KT266 retail boards

    Performance and stability issues

    OCWorkbench, the hyperactive Singaporean hardware review site, is postponing reviews of mobos using VIA's new KT266 chipset, until stability improves. "Currently there are only a few KT266 boards that started retailing, " the site says. "Most of them are plague(d) with performance and stability issues and manufacturers are …

    Business 17 Apr 2001, 10:30

  • AOL exceeds 29 million users

    That's a lot of members

    AOL Inc - the Internet division of the monster AOL Time Warner media outfit - now boasts more than 29 million members around the world , according to its latest figures. Global membership increased by a million over the last month, and the amount of time people spend online is also on the increase. According to AOL, its punters …

    e-Business 17 Apr 2001, 10:31

  • AMD and VIA stoke EC Intel fire – EBN

    Fair Plays

    AMD and VIA were behind the complaints which led to the European Commission's anti-competition investigation of Intel, Electronics Buyers News claims. Incidentally, AMD and VIA are supposed to have jointly filed their EC complaint against Intel, according to EBN. Does this mean that there is a new rapprochement between the two …

    Channel 17 Apr 2001, 10:59

  • Compaq settles with Transmeta server start-up

    Legal shave puts Razor in lather

    Compaq has dropped its legal action against Transmeta-based server maker RLX Technologies. The Big Q acQused RLX, a company founded by former Compaq PC server chief Gary Stimac and erstwhile Compaq VPs Mike Perez, Kevin Bohren and Keith McAuliffe of gaining knowledge of Compaq's product plans. Stimac has raised $60 million in …

    Business 17 Apr 2001, 11:26

  • Ad signals iMac demise?

    Well, ish...

    Is Steve Jobs about to can the computer which renewed Apple's fortunes? This Birmingham advertising board certainly suggests so, with a not-too-suble tagline that appears to indicate the future of the iMac. Or perhaps it's a subtle reference to the Labour administration's RIP 'let's give the spooks access to your data' …

    Mac Channel 17 Apr 2001, 11:29

  • Handspring revenue growth defies market trend

    Just about

    Palm-based PDA maker Handspring saw its revenues continue to rise last quarter - the third of its current fiscal year - suggesting it's coping a little better with the economic downturn than rival Palm. For the three months to 31 March, Handspring produced sales of $123.8 million, up 261 per cent year on year and seven per cent …

    Business 17 Apr 2001, 11:30

  • DoS bug bites Microsoft's first security product

    It was only a question of time

    A flaw with Microsoft's first security product leaves it vulnerable to denial of service attacks. The problem arises because Microsoft's Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server's Web Proxy service doesn't handle particular requests if they exceed a certain length, causing the program to crash if its Web Publishing …

    Security 17 Apr 2001, 11:34

  • Downed Chinese fighter pilot immortalised on Web site

    Updated Wang's prang makes him a martyr

    The dead Chinese pilot blamed for bringing down the American spy plane off China's coast, Wang Wei, has not only been officially made a martyr but also been immortalised on a memorial Web site. The 32-year-old pilot went missing after his fighter plane hit the US spy plane and crashed into the sea. He was awarded the title ' …

    Media 17 Apr 2001, 11:44

  • Piracy judge slams ‘rip-off’ games software

    ELSPA not amused

    Blimey. A UK judge attacked 'rip-off' games software prices, when sentencing two pirates, Silicon.com reports. In sentencing the pair, Judge Bray said: "I have not closed my eyes to the fact that the retailers and publishers are grossly overcharging the general public." In other words, Radomir Lukic (two and a half years in …

    Games Industry 17 Apr 2001, 12:47

  • Fujitsu Siemens faces German PC levy

    Copyright holders take it to court

    Fujitsu Siemens could face a levy of 30 euros (£18.60) for every PC it sells in Germany. The company has been hauled before Germany's court of arbitration by Wort, a copyright management organisation, which argues that Fujitsu Siemens hardware can be used for copying - and therefore infringes the rights of its members, …

    Business 17 Apr 2001, 12:48

  • LogoWatch VIA rises from eastern mountain

    The hills are alive with the sound of nonsense

    Taiwanese Chipmeister VIA's recent announcement regarding its new C3 chip logo has caused disquiet among the Vulture Central LogoWatch team. First up, Taiwanese companies are not supposed to give two hoots about branding. Secondly, VIA is doing rather well. This rather torpedoes our assertion that corporate makeovers …

    Bootnotes 17 Apr 2001, 12:53

  • Vodafone makes 3G work!

    So there's at least two phones in existence

    Vodafone was very excited this morning when it put out a press release saying it had made the UK's first voice call over a 3G mobile network - a year before the launch of the service. Isn't that great? The first call made over the 3G infrastructure in West London. Well, no, it isn't. What's so great about making a mobile phone …

    Data Networking 17 Apr 2001, 12:59

  • More job cuts expected at Ericsson

    Anyone left to um, answer the phone?

    The industry bush telegraph is predicting more job cuts at Ericsson ahead of its Q1 earning figures on Friday. The FT pins the figure at 6,000, while Yahoo! cites Swedish news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyra which puts the toll at 30,000. That improbably high figure represents a third of Ericsson's workforce - the company …

    Business 17 Apr 2001, 13:02

  • Codebreaker II All quiet on the Western front

    Clock ticking for abject failures

    Our enigmatic Codebreaker II competition has produced a flurry of, well, nothing much at all really. Except pleading. Seth Alan Kintigh's email is typical: Your last competition was so easy, I would have solved it in a snap had I known about it. Honest. But this one has me stumped, and your timing it with my finals is truly …

    Bootnotes 17 Apr 2001, 13:03

  • Texas cellphone massacre

    2,000 axed as demand falters

    Texas Instruments is to announce 2,000 job losses anytime soon, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company provides the chips for about two-thirds of the world's mobiles phones, so you'd think it would be doing a roaring trade. But no. It shut down its Californian plant last month, firing 600 staff. Now, thanks to a fall …

    Business 17 Apr 2001, 13:35

  • For sale: breathe

    GUS confirms what we already knew

    Great Universal Stores (GUS) has finally confirmed that it is selling its ISP, breathe, less than four months after acquiring the operation for £1.4 million. El Reg reported last week that GUS was looking for someone to buy the operation. At the time GUS would not comment on rumour and speculation. Today, a GUS spokeswoman …

    e-Business 17 Apr 2001, 13:38

  • Queen gives email royal thumbs down

    We prefer a letter doncha know

    A small comment from Government whip Graham Allen has revealed that email does not get the royal approval. One of Mr Allen's jobs is to inform HRH Liz II what's going on every day in Parliament. Traditionally, this daily briefing is written in a letter and delivered by horse (well, a bloke on a horse). Mr Allen - ever the New …

    Media 17 Apr 2001, 14:03

  • ‘Spyware’ games developer says you have nothing to fear

    Letter Here in black and white

    We have read your article about Spyware (Spyware concerns over fast selling PC game and I would just like to make it absolutely clear what Black and White does with respect to the internet information we send. Clearly in the multiplayer game, a lot of data is sent but this is just game related. In the single player game we …

    Games Industry 17 Apr 2001, 14:18

  • No chip market recovery yet – UMC

    It's all a bit of a mess says chairman

    United Microelectronics Corp. chairman John Hsuan believes it's still too early to say whether the chip market is on the verge of recovery. "Right now it's not very clear. There are ups and downs and different signals every day," he said yesterday. Indeed, the Taiwanese chip maker is sticking to its line, first spoken in …

    Channel 17 Apr 2001, 14:37

  • Yahoo! gets! new! boss!

    Yippee!

    Yahoo! has appointed a beancounting movie man as its new CEO and chairman. The former co-chairman and co-CEO of Warner Bros, Terry S Semel will take up his position on May 1st replacing Tim Koogle who last month announced he was stepping down from the top flight. At the time it seemed Koogle would relinquish his position as …

    e-Business 17 Apr 2001, 15:02

  • Virtual interviews sort sheep from goats

    You are the weakest link. Goodbye

    UK DIY supershed B&Q has adopted a novel method of filtering out would-be job employees, the Daily Express reports today. The company is using a virtual telephone interview process in which applicants are required to answer 50 questions about themselves over the phone. In response to questions such as: "I will report fellow …

    Bootnotes 17 Apr 2001, 15:02

  • MP3 raid official stand-down

    Call it a publicity stunt gone wrong

    The copyright watchdogs have stood down in Taiwan, as government officials weighed in behind the students whose rooms were searched and computers confiscated in the name of intellectual property during the recent MP3 copyright raid on National Chengkung University (NCKU). The first shot across the bow came from Education …

    Media 17 Apr 2001, 15:05

  • Hi-tech toilet swallows woman

    Temporarily

    A 51-year-old woman was yesterday subjected to a harrowing two-hour ordeal when she was imprisoned in a hi-tech public convenience. Maureen Shotton, from Whitley Bay, was captured by the maverick cyberloo during a shopping trip to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The toilet, which boasts state-of-the-art electronic auto-flush and door …

    Science 17 Apr 2001, 15:07

  • Free Internet and digital TV for UK punters?

    E-potatoes, rejoice!

    The government is looking at a multi-million pound scheme to get more UK citizens using digital TV by giving away the sets for free. TV and other media companies, the government and retailers and Internet pioneers all seem to think that digital TV and Net access through the TV is the future. It's just a shame no one has told …

    Media 17 Apr 2001, 15:10

  • New Yahoo! chief is a diamond geezer

    Get your hankies out - this one is a real Oscar choker

    Terry S Semel - the new CEO and chairman of Yahoo! - is a old romantic at heart. Last year he made it into the intelligencer gossip column of newyorkmag.com after he reportedly blew a whopping $250,000 on an antique diamond choker worn to the Oscars by actress Hilary Swank. The choker - all sparkly and expensive by all …

    Bootnotes 17 Apr 2001, 15:11

  • Gnome, KDE camps closer to truce

    They've got a little list

    The rival Linux desktop camps appear closer than ever to a truce after the GUADEC GNOME developer conference in Copenhagen last week. Not only do the developers from the two camps agree that interoperability would be a good thing - something they've said for ages - they seem more willing to do something about it. In a report …

    Software 17 Apr 2001, 16:16

  • Bob Young gets stuck in Windows

    Red Hat guru well and truly framed

    They say that the camera never lies. Or does it? Look closer at the above picture. Is that Red Hat supremo Bob Young standing in front of a gigantic Windows desktop? Impossible. It must be advanced image manipulation - the alternative is just too shocking... ® Bootnote Thanks to our roving surveillance operative John …

    Bootnotes 17 Apr 2001, 16:23

  • Intel cuts desktop, mobile CPU prices by up to 23%

    Snip! Snip! Snip!

    Intel cut its prices this weekend, as expected, across its Pentium 4 and III, and Celeron lines, in their Mobile and desktop forms. So, the 1.5GHz P4 fell to $519, the 1.4GHz part to $375 and the 1.3GHz chip to $268, representing 19, 11 and 19 per cent cuts, respectively. The reductions pave the way for the launch next weekend …

    Channel 17 Apr 2001, 16:52

  • AMD cuts CPU prices by up to 34%

    Follows Intel's Spring Sale

    AMD has followed Intel's latest price cuts with reductions of its own. The changes take up to 34 per cent off certain processors in the Duron line and 31 per cent off some Athlons. The new prices have been announced to mobo makers, reports Taiwanese Web site DigiTimes. So, the 1.3GHz Athlon falls to $265 from $381 (down 31 per …

    Channel 17 Apr 2001, 17:03

  • Anti-Hacking premiums 25% higher for Win NT

    Third party, firewall and theft

    An insurance policy against hacker-inflicted damage costs 25 per cent more for companies using Windows NT. This is because "there are so many security holes in Microsoft products", John Wurzler, of Wurzler underwriting managers, told us today. Wurzler's stance could be a little unfair - security is far more dependent on how …

    Security 17 Apr 2001, 17:18

  • Employers put the squeeze on porn surfers

    Bosses sick of sticky keyboards

    Around a third of companies in the US have disciplined staff for Internet misuse in the past year, with most incidents related to porn surfing. According to a survey by software outfit Websense, 63 per cent of employers said they were aware of staff taking part in recreational surfing on company time - a seven per cent increase …

    Media 17 Apr 2001, 17:21

  • Accubyte leaves customer credit card details exposed

    Customers told to refer to their banks

    Customers of computer components supplier Accubyte have been encouraged to check their credit card records for fraudulent misuse after it admitted that its previously lax security left confidential information exposed. The problem came to light after an email sent to what is said to be 250 Accubyte customers was forwarded to …

    Security 17 Apr 2001, 19:10

  • Yahoo! charges! for! email! by! phone!

    Will? it? replace? porn? revenues?

    Reformed pornmonger Yahoo! is to start charging for its service that lets users access their emails by phone. The Internet portal plans to end the freebie Yahoo! by Phone service on May 7. According to the company's site, users will have to register and pay "a low monthly subscription fee". The company doesn't plan to reveal …

    e-Business 17 Apr 2001, 20:16

  • Snowball's chance in ebiz hell

    Staff cuts, Nasdaq delisting in sight

    Snowball, the San Francisco-based affiliate ad network, is sacking 55 people, a third of its staff. The cost-cutting move comes on the same day as the company revealed that NASDAQ intends to delist its stock for falling below the minimum bid price of $1 a share. Bad news for Snowball is really bad news for its affiliates - any …

    e-Business 17 Apr 2001, 20:47

  • Intel CPU biz ‘stabilises’

    Barrett forecasts 'normal seasonal patterns'

    Intel saw profits slide more than 60 per cent in the first quarter, saying it expected sales to drop 20 per cent in Q2 from last year. Excluding acquisition-related costs, the chip giant's net income fell 64 per cent from the previous year to $1.1 billion, and 58 per cent sequentially, for the three months ended March 31. Net …

    Business 17 Apr 2001, 21:47

  • Pentium III: the past and the (Tualatin) future

    HWRoundup And a little something for overclockers

    Earthweb's agglomeration of tech sites is soon to be sucked into the maw of Internet.com. What will its new parent do with the hardware properties, the venerable Sysopt.com, and the really rather good Hardware Central (besides sack all the staff)? Internet.com already owns SharkyExtreme, and that has never sat too comfortably …

    Hardware Roundup 17 Apr 2001, 22:35