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15th June 2001 Archive

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  • Gates, Ballmer do Office-XP photo spreads

    Exclusive: 'For internal circulation only'

    We've obtained copies of two mildly humorous posters used at Beast Central to whip up enthusiasm for Office-XP among the teeming MicroSerfs, which, we're told, are intended exclusively for internal circulation. We knew you'd be itching to see them. Ballmer showing off his alpha-manly dome to advantage: And Gates with a …

    Software 15 Jun 2001, 03:21

  • Iomart £700k grant safe

    For now at least

    Scottish broadband provider Iomart looks set to hang on to £700,000 worth of public money it received from a local enterprise group - for the time being at least. The cash - given in two grants - was made by Western Isles Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in Scotland to attract the "new economy" company to …

    Telecoms 15 Jun 2001, 07:41

  • ORBS is reborn

    In the UK

    Anti-spam company ORBS has been reborn, at least that what Paul Cummins reckons with his new ORBS UK site. Paul is one of several people that have vowed to revive the controversial anti-spam company after its sudden demise under Alan Brown after some legal wrangling. The difference is that Paul has actually done something about …

    Music and Media 15 Jun 2001, 07:43

  • Mondus springs back to life

    Site maintenance finished

    Mondus, the much-hyped SME B2B exchange, is up and running today, emerging from a week of site maintenance purdah. This will please sellers who pay Mondus a subscription fee. But closing the site for so long prompts the question: how much business is this exchange actually doing? Busy companies do not tend to close their doors …

    e-Business 15 Jun 2001, 09:10

  • Euro PC makers hit attractive price points – Intel

    Calling the bottom of the market?

    European PC prices are hitting the point "where it becomes attractive for customers to buy", according to Intel Europe boss Stacy Smith. PC maker prices have reached this point in UK, France, and Germany, he says, in an interview with Bloomberg. As Smith points out, component prices have fallen significantly in recent months …

    Business 15 Jun 2001, 09:28

  • ItsGoodToGive in £9.99 Net access deal

    And some of the cash goes to chari-tee

    A charity-giving ISP is offering 24/7 unmetered Net access for just £9.99 a month - believed to be the cheapest deal so far in the UK. ItsGoodToGive.co.uk also says that it will donate £2 of the subscription fee each month to charity. The price undercuts the UK's biggest French-owned ISP, Freeserve, by £3 a month - and AOL UK …

    Music and Media 15 Jun 2001, 10:02

  • Palm offers ‘65 PDAs for the price of 50’ deal

    Only corporates needs apply

    Palm unveiled its latest inventory-clearing scheme yesterday: a 'buy shedloads and get some free' promotion geared toward the PDA pioneer's corporate customers. Surprise, surprise, the deal only applies to Palm's older models: the Vx, VIIx, IIIc, m100 and m105 - the slick new m50x family is not included. Interested parties …

    Business 15 Jun 2001, 10:24

  • Sony launches eVilla Be appliance

    Be's penultimate throw of the dice

    Sony has finally launched its eVilla information appliance after a couple of delays. It represents Be Inc's penultimate throw of the dice - with the cash running perilously dry for the world's longest-running and best-loved software startup. The eVilla is based on BeIA running on NatSemi's low-power Geode platform, the Cyrix …

    Business 15 Jun 2001, 10:54

  • Acer eyes Rambus chipset market

    Asking mobo makers how it can beat Intel's 850

    Acer Labs has formed an R&D team to produce Rambus-based chipsets and has already begun consulting mobo makers about what they would like to see in the company's RDRAM products. So claim sources cited by DigiTimes. Acer Labs is one of the few companies to have a licence from Rambus to develop RDRAM-based chipsets. Does the …

    Channel 15 Jun 2001, 11:19

  • NewMedia Spark buys GlobalNetFinancial

    With its huge pre-tax losses no doubt

    VC firm NewMedia Spark is to buy online finance company GlobalNet Financial. It doesn't want it for its sites, however, which are likely to be shut down if the deal goes ahead. Instead, it's after its stakes in other companies, which mesh nicely with NewMedia's aims - including a nine per cent share in itself. But in a classic …

    e-Business 15 Jun 2001, 11:19

  • More Net-speak enters Oxford English Dictionary

    But will have to wait 10 years to go offline

    More language from Internet culture is to enter the Oxford English Dictionary - but only on its online version because a new printed version is not due for another 10 years. A whole raft of new words are going in from modern culture, but the IT and Net-based ones include: .com, FAQ, HTTP, HTML, homepage, information …

    Music and Media 15 Jun 2001, 11:24

  • Acer own label sales flatter than pancake

    Profits warning

    Acer Group has slashed sales forecasts for own-brand sales. The PC maker reckons it will now only get 80-90 per cent of its previously projected target of $3.4 billion for the year. Acer is also "considering lowering its earnings goal, which has been projected at US$11 million", Asiabiztechreports. The company's profit targets …

    Business 15 Jun 2001, 11:25

  • Intel stalks system builders

    Overzealous account management

    How times have changed. NOt so long ago Intel's account managers were considered an arrogant bunch, who wouldn't give the time of day to second and third-tier UK system builders. It's different now: One UK player says that he's called every day by Intel and gets an unannounced visit once a week. This isn't a scary on-the-spot …

    Channel 15 Jun 2001, 11:28

  • Infobank retrenches – again

    What's left to trim?

    Infobank, the UK company soon to be known as Izodia, is cutting costs again. The e-commerce software maker is shrinking Nordic activities to reselling its core InTrade product. Absalution will no longer be sold, but functionality will be incorporated into Intrade, the company said in a statement made at the Annual General …

    e-Business 15 Jun 2001, 11:59

  • ICANN Whois survey is biased – Froomkin

    One-man watchdog emails us to disagree

    Michael Froomkin, professor of law at the University of Miami, founder of ICANN Watch and leading authority on ICANN, has been in touch to disagree with our piece on the organisation's new Whois review. ICANN has published a survey asking anyone to give their views on the domain name address book. We concluded that the survey …

    Music and Media 15 Jun 2001, 12:06

  • Net just a minority pursuit

    Puts things into perspective

    The Internet is merely a minority pursuit in the global scheme of things, according to the latest batch of research from Ipsos-Reid. It found that less than one in ten people (400 million) used the Net out of a global population of six billion. Even in "developed" Net nations a third of people said they were uninterested in …

    Music and Media 15 Jun 2001, 12:17

  • Ten Pin Massively Multiplaying Bowling

    Lanarena scores Elsa card gig

    Lanarena has scored a sponsorship deal with ELSA, which will see the German firm's GLADIAC graphics cards power 200 PCs in six UK bowling alleys. It's a nice deal for Lanarena - but we're not so sure what's in it for ELSA branding. Elsa thinks that players will want the same kind of rig for home as they play in the Lanarena. …

    Games Industry 15 Jun 2001, 13:03

  • Surf Control filters channel for 40 squealer dealers

    Bypasses disties

    SurfControl, the net filtering company, is half way towards its target of recruiting 40 UK resellers for its new three-tier accreditation programme. The company say it's "avoided going through distribution to avoid flooding the market, keep margins high and to help create real business opportunities for our partners". …

    Channel 15 Jun 2001, 14:10

  • VIA C4 to hit 2GHz during 2H 2002

    New core to target multimedia

    VIA will take its x86-compatible processor line to 2GHz and beyond during the second half of 2002 with Esther (the latest of its biblically inspired codenames), the second chip to sport the C4 brand. Little is known about the newest addition to VIA's roadmap, but VIA Hardware has been able to glean the following information: …

    Channel 15 Jun 2001, 14:17

  • We love Doubleclick because…

    Competition Finish this sentence and win a dart board

    It's been a tough week for Doubleclick, bless 'em. Our beloved readers have let rip on the subject of cookies, and have left the ad-trafficking giant a sobbing mess. Well, someone out there must love Doubleclick. And if you do, you could win a dartboard by expressing that love. That's right - in celebration of the fact that we …

    Bootnotes 15 Jun 2001, 14:23

  • Nortel axes 10,000 more jobs

    Posts $19.2bn Q2 loss

    Nortel Networks is to cull 10,000 jobs by the end of September, it announced today. The massive job cuts are on top of the 20,000 losses announced in April and appeasr to show there is no end in sight as the sector cntinues to suffer. The cuts are part of a massive restructuring exercise blamed on "significant adjustment" in …

    Business 15 Jun 2001, 14:26

  • EC DVD probe beano

    Nothing more than an extended jolly?

    EC investigates Euro DVD high pricing Is rip-off Britain about to benefit from the EC DVD price probe? Of course it is, says Mike Smith: Tsk, tsk. Fancy saying that the EC probe will go nowhere. Nothing could be further from the truth! What will happen of course, is that a team of EC investigators will be sent over to America …

    Letters 15 Jun 2001, 14:36

  • FOTW Lester the Canadian Molester

    He's going to be beaten with a seal pup

    Incredibly, some Canadians took offence at Lester's story on Tuesday Martians invade Canada. It was something to do with the line "Scientists have chosen a location for the trials largely devoid of atmosphere or intelligent life - Canada." Despite telling everyone about their sense of humour, some maple-leaf monkeys put down …

    Letters 15 Jun 2001, 14:40

  • Pirates ahoy!

    Reader keelhauls illicit CD figures

    Music CD piracy grew 25% in 2000 Graeme Nattress has some pertinent points to make regarding music piracy: It's all rubbish though, isn't it?? How do you measure piracy?? There's going to be a lot of guessing in that figure. As for the internet being 100% piracy - I've downloaded countless mp3s - all to listen to music that I …

    Letters 15 Jun 2001, 14:41

  • Reg English stoned to death

    And kicked in the 'nads to boot

    HP ad blamed for Birmingham rock throwers Kit Powell's been at the dictionary again: At the risk of being mocked as a little-Englisher, could I please ask you to consider using British, rather than US, English? A rock is something on which you found churches and ships wreck. What you throw at trams is a stone. This is, I …

    Letters 15 Jun 2001, 14:43

  • VIA preps August launch for Pentium 4 DDR chipset

    Signing up mobo makers

    VIA will launch its Pentium 4-oriented DDR SDRAM-based chipset, the P4X266, in August and is busy signing up mobo makers in time for the big day. The Taiwanese chip maker officially announced the product earlier this month. VIA wants to ensure it's ahead of other Taiwanese chip makers who have been granted P4 licences by Intel …

    Channel 15 Jun 2001, 14:43

  • USB 2.0 takes some flak

    The whole thing is 'a pile of shit'

    VIA CEO wants USB 2.0 killed off Russell is not a man to mince words. At least, not on the subject of USB 2.0: USB 2.0 is more garbage on top of garbage, and it's limited by _physical_ constraints to half a gigabit - piss in comparision to the 1394 ceiling. I'm a USB firmware engineer, and frankly I think the whole technology …

    Letters 15 Jun 2001, 14:45

  • Doubleclick unleashes forces of darkness

    Cookies are the devil's imps

    WinXP IE6 spells death for Doubleclick - and a boost for MSN? IE6 will not monster our cookies, says Doubleclick Mention the word Doubleclick, and you're likely to arouse some strong feelings. Brian Uecker is typical of the large number of readers who wrote in this week on this subject: It just keeps getting better. First …

    Letters 15 Jun 2001, 14:49

  • Readers' Letters Doubleclick is agent of Satan

    Or not, as the case may be

    WinXP IE6 spells death for Doubleclick - and a boost for MSN? IE6 will not monster our cookies, says Doubleclick Doubleclick fails in California privacy challenge It seems that the international cookie conspiracy brigade didn't much like John Lettice and Drew Cullen's recent Doubleclick articles. 'Kb' puts it thus: I …

    Letters 15 Jun 2001, 14:53

  • Admen prepare to blitz cellphones

    RCTLE DYSFNCTN? U NEED VGRA NOW!

    The advertising industry will shortly reveal how it's going to bombard cellphone and PDA users with commercials The Wireless Advertising Association convenes in downtown San Francisco on 26 June to unveil its technical infrastructure for beaming promotional material to handhelds and phones. The body has already produced metrics …

    Business 15 Jun 2001, 15:23

  • Apple kills Cube?

    Inventory almost gone, apparently

    So farewell then, Apple's Cube. Almost gone, and probably soon forgotten. It didn't even make its first birthday. Certainly various Web sites are reporting that resellers from around the world have said Cubes are in very short supply pending the machine's removal from Apple's product line. The ill-fated box was unveiled last …

    Mac Channel 15 Jun 2001, 15:23

  • Oki C9200

    Review Colour network printer

    When we reviewed Oki's C7200N colour network printer in April it excelled in our tests, striking the ideal balance between print quality, speed and low running costs. But while the C7200N is aimed at small workgroups, the C9200 is Oki's high-end network printer, with a high price to match. With 128MB of RAM as standard and A3 …

    Business 15 Jun 2001, 15:34

  • Iomart director has links with grant-giving agency

    'No conflict of interest'

    A director of Scottish broadband outfit Iomart, is also a director of the regional development agency that granted £700,000 financial aid to the company. Neil Finlayson is Technical Director at Iomart. He is also a board member of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, which made two grants totalling more than £700,000 to the …

    Telecoms 15 Jun 2001, 15:44

  • Burnley FC doesn't need Time Computers' cash

    Or green logo on its claret and blue strip

    Burnley Football Club has got itself a sponsor. This is good news because it played the entire 2000/01 season without a major sponsor because it wouldn't put Time Computers' logo on its famous claret and blue strip. This wasn't down to any ethical reasons, the club just didn't like the green logo of Burnley based Time. The two …

    Channel 15 Jun 2001, 15:52

  • Plane crash kills reseller managers

    Hungarian firm hit

    Synergon, a leading Hungarian system integrator, confirmed that a number of its managers were on a light plane, which crashed yesterday, killing six passengers. "Synergon will try to ensure the smooth running of the company," the company said in a email, Bloomberg reports. Synergon is listed on the Hungarian stock market and …

    Hardware Roundup 15 Jun 2001, 15:52

  • Cube8 forms ‘commercial relationship’ with the teenage dotcom millionaire

    But doesn't invest any money in CyberBritain

    Internet incubator Cube8 has formed a "commercial relationship" with CyberBritain - the portal run by "teenage dotcom millionaire" Ben Cohen, who is no longer a millionaire. Ben Cohen is famous for his JewishWeb site which was valued at £5 million during the heady days of dotcom but was ultimately shut down by a competitor. He …

    e-Business 15 Jun 2001, 16:02

  • Intel to cut Mobile Celeron prices this weekend

    All part of the plan

    Intel is expected to start charging less for certain Mobile Celeron processors on Monday. As we wrote last month, this coming Sunday, 17 June, will see Intel slice the price of its 800MHz Mobile Celeron from its launch price of $170 to $107, a cut of 37 per cent. The part was introduced on 27 May - just three weeks ago. We …

    Channel 15 Jun 2001, 16:07

  • This is how to pass-off a cancer-reducing mobile add-on

    Readers contribute ideas

    Nokia, Motorola and Ericsson have apparently been patenting "radiation-reducing devices" for their phones but swear this is nothing to do with the alleged link between mobiles and cancer. No, after two days thought, they reckon the devices are to improve the phone's efficiency and so make batteries last longer. We thought this …

    Bootnotes 15 Jun 2001, 17:07

  • Notebooks will make up 25% of PC market in 2005

    XGA displays dominate, 15-inch sector grows

    Notebooks will account for 25 per cent of all PCs sold by 2005, due to falling prices and the slowdown of the desktop PC market. In 2001, notebooks will account for 19.9 per cent of 2001 PC shipments, up from 18.3 per cent of the market in 2000 according to research firm DisplaySearch. The analysts expect shipments of TFT LCD …

    Business 15 Jun 2001, 17:16

  • US Senator's wife pleads to e-mail dirty tricks

    One dumb chix0r

    Former US Senator Rod Grams' (Republican, Minnesota) wife, Christine Gunhus, has pleaded no contest to charges of sending pseudonymous e-mail nastygrams maligning her husband's Democratic rival, Mike Ciresi, in flagrant violation of Minnesota election regulations, Washington correspondent Declan McCullagh reports via his Cluebot …

    Music and Media 15 Jun 2001, 18:03

  • US Rep threatens FBI budget over Carnivore

    Inspired by the Supreme Court

    US Representative and House Majority Leader Richard Armey (Republican, Texas) has steadily denounced the FBI's packet-sniffing apparatus known as Carnivore since it was first unveiled by a proud Reno DoJ a year ago. But now, bolstered by a recent US Supreme Court decision which affirms in no uncertain terms the right of privacy …

    Music and Media 15 Jun 2001, 20:16

  • Solar Sunrise hacker ‘Analyzer’ escapes jail

    Community service for terrifying US Army

    The hacker known as 'The Analyzer' was sentenced Thursday in Israel to six months of community service for a series of intrusions into US Defense Department computers that triggered America's first full-blown infowar false alarm. Ehud Tenenbaum, 22, also received one year of probation and a two-year suspended prison sentence …

    Music and Media 15 Jun 2001, 21:27