The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

28th June 2001 Archive

Browse by publication date, or search the site.

  • Corel income increases

    Not much sign of improvement when it comes to sales, though

    Corel has found itself in the black once again, with a small profit of $2.3 million (two cents a share). That's rather better than the $23.6 million loss is posted this time last year and up on the break-even figure of $534,000 it recorded for Q1 this year. Sales were broadly static, with revenue dipping slightly from Q2 2000' …

    Business 28 Jun 2001, 09:17

  • UK Govt protects right to spam

    Defending the indefensible

    The British Government once again voiced its commitment to the wired economy by attempting to talk its European partners into overturning their commitment to outlaw spam. The Government, it seems, is happy for Net users to be bombarded with junk email containing all manner of pornographic filth, scams, frauds, deceptions and …

    e-Business 28 Jun 2001, 09:23

  • Cabletron does OK amid networking gloom

    Holds its head above water

    Networking and telecoms outfit Cabletron Systems has surfed over the sea of despond afflicting its competitors by meeting industry expectations with its first quarter results. Cabletron, which these days exists as a holding company for four businesses, yesterday announced combined revenues of its four subsidiaries at $311 …

    Data Networking 28 Jun 2001, 09:34

  • MS kills off WinXP smart tag plans

    Careful though - it's probably a trap...

    Microsoft is pulling smart tags from the shipping version of Windows XP, due in late October. That doesn't mean they've gone away - they're still in Office XP, and have the potential to return in IE as a 'standard' feature, but presumably one of the tasks the XP coders have to perform is to take them out of RC1, which is …

    Software 28 Jun 2001, 09:43

  • Nintendo questions Xbox release date

    Gamecube 'definitely on schedule'

    Peter Main, Nintendo America's executive veep, has spoken out to Japanese magazine Famitsu about his thoughts on the Xbox and GameCube launches. "Microsoft has announced Nov. 8 as its launch date, but I don't think that's final," he said. "Gamecube will definitely launch on schedule though, and it will be a strong contender …

    Games Industry 28 Jun 2001, 10:39

  • Lucent pushes back theoretical limits of fibre optics

    Boffins see the light

    Boffins at Lucent Technologies' Bell Labs have discovered that optic fibre cables can transmit 10 times more information than was previously thought possible. The research, which is to appear in today's edition of the Science journal Nature, mean that it might (at least in theory) be possible to send 100 terabits of information …

    Data Networking 28 Jun 2001, 10:42

  • MemoWatch Sex and drugs and tell-'e'-fones

    Employees say 'cheers' to BT's stand on booze and drugs

    BT keeps telling us what a great company it is. And here's proof of the spirit of this caring, sharing company. In an email sent to managers at BT Retail, it advises senior staff how to deal with drugs and alcohol problems among staff. Unfortunately, this isn't just an altruistic gesture - it's meant to "reduce absenteeism, …

    Bootnotes 28 Jun 2001, 11:08

  • How the hell can you say GameCube will outsell Xbox by 2005?

    You need a big pair of crystal balls

    Two days ago we wrote that Sony's PS2 will top sales in Europe, the US and Japan by 2005 in the next-generation console shoot-out. The Xbox will grab second position in Europe but come in third place behind Nintendo's GameCube in the US and Japan. The media analysts coming up with this result are Screen Digest, who compiled a …

    Games Industry 28 Jun 2001, 11:12

  • UK govt new encryption system only works with MS kit

    Isn't it time someone looked at this relationship?

    The UK government's increasing reliance on Microsoft software has been demonstrated yet again with leaked documents regarding its new email encryption system. The documents - available on the cryptome.org site here - show that the PGP setup will only work with Microsoft OSes and Microsoft's browser. With regard to email …

    Software 28 Jun 2001, 11:14

  • Apple to buy PowerPC from Motorola?

    Email claims it looks that way

    Apple is set to wrest control of the PowerPC platform away from long-time partner Motorola through a clause in its agreement with the chip maker that allows it to buy Motorola's PowerPC assets for $500 million next year. That, at least, is what is suggested by an email allegedly sent by an Apple insider to the MacOS Rumors Web …

    Mac Channel 28 Jun 2001, 11:41

  • Sony cuts PlayStation 2 price in Japan

    By around $40

    Sony is cutting the price of its PlayStation 2 console in Japan. The price will drop to 35,000 yen ($280.72) on Friday, down from 39,800 yen ($319.22). Sony says it's up to individual regions to decide whether they cut prices as well. But it is quite likely they will. The move is intended for Sony to strengthen its market …

    Games Industry 28 Jun 2001, 12:31

  • InterTrust asks court to ban Windows

    Patent violation action stepped up

    InterTrust has extended its intellectual property infringement case against Microsoft a day after being granted one more patent centring on the secure transfer of digital content. Specifically, the company has asked the court to ban the sale of Windows until the matter is resolved. We can't see that happening - Microsoft's …

    Business 28 Jun 2001, 13:04

  • This is how Easy Group enforces its domain name ‘rights’

    Not Easy going

    Following our recent coverage and conversations with top Easy Group staff regarding the company's approach to other domains featuring the word "easy", we have been sent a copy of the letter sent out by Easy Group's lawyers Denton Wilde Sapte. The man in receipt of the letter was one Peter Savage, who registered www.easybuyacar. …

    Media 28 Jun 2001, 13:08

  • SSH hits the fan for Cisco on security

    Nine-month old risk resurfaces

    Cisco products, including its PIX firewall, are subject to multiple vulnerabilities in Secure Shell (SSH) despite the fact problems with the protocol have been known about for almost a year. The networking giant today issued a notice to customers which warns that by exploiting weaknesses "inherent" in SSH protocol version 1.5 " …

    Security 28 Jun 2001, 13:12

  • PC Direct disappears from newsstands

    A nation yawns

    VNU has shut down PC Direct, the UK newsstand magazine acquired through the purchase of Ziff-Davis' European interests. It's surprising that the company took so long - how on earth did it think it could sustain a portfolio of five PC magazines. (Ziff Davis Media, by contrast, has just one PC title in the US - PC Magazine). …

    Business 28 Jun 2001, 13:14

  • Heads Oz wins; tails you lose

    Aussies go Net gambling barmy

    The Australian government in its bid to make recent lunatic Internet legislation work has offered Aussie gamblers the Holy Grail: they can collect their winnings but won't have to pay their losses. Under last-minute changes made to a new Internet gambling bill, Australian banks will be barred - by law - from honouring credit …

    Media 28 Jun 2001, 13:18

  • Acer Labs P4 chipset gets USB 2, Memory Stick support

    As will upcoming Athlon 4 part

    Acer Labs' official Pentium 4 chipset spec has leaked out onto the Web after some sneaky so-and-so email details to Digit-Life. The chipset will not only support the new USB 2.0 connectivity system, but will allow system builders to add a Sony Memory Stick slot to their PCs. Maybe by then Microsoft will have added USB 2.0 …

    Channel 28 Jun 2001, 13:40

  • PC bigwigs eye US white box market

    20pc+ of US PC sales

    No-brand/lo-brand system builders shipped 21 per cent of all PCs sold in the US in Q1, 2001. The value of these so-called white box sales were $4.5 billion, according to IDC. And white box sales are particularly strong among small and medium businesses, perhaps the last fast-growth sector for PC sales in the US. Also the home …

    Channel 28 Jun 2001, 14:16

  • Electronics Boutique taps market for Euro growth

    Shareholder placing

    Electronics Boutique, the UK's biggest games retailer is issuing 17.2 million news shares to fund expansion in continental Europe. The price for the new issue has not yet been announced - presumably, broker Hoare Govett is sounding out institutional shareholder opinion. No doubt there will be a hefty discount to the company's …

    Games Industry 28 Jun 2001, 14:41

  • Virginbiz.net in merger talks

    30 jobs at stake

    Small-business portal, Virginbiz.net, is in merger talks with an unnamed industry player, the Richard Branson subsidiary confirmed today. Some 30 staff at Virginbiz.net's office in London will find out next week if their jobs are safe when details of the merger are finalised. A spokeswoman for the dotcom said: "I can confirm …

    e-Business 28 Jun 2001, 14:51

  • Random executions: Hotmail gets tough on spam

    User kicked for not doing anything, and not being complained about either

    On-the-ball email providers take spam very seriously; none more so than Hotmail, apparently, which will eagerly can your account even if you only do - er - nothing? And even if nobody actually complains about you? This at least was the experience of Register reader Gareth Kitchener, who is not currently the proud owner of a …

    Media 28 Jun 2001, 14:56

  • Fayrewood sales up

    And other Channel Financial Flannel

    Sales at Fayrewood, the UK-listed, European operated IT distribution holding group, were up 54 per cent to £and profits were up 97 per cent to £10m. 260m for the year to 30 April, 2001. The directors reckon the net worth of the company is £100m, compared with the £6 million raised in net equity in the UK. Computerland UK has …

    Channel 28 Jun 2001, 15:07

  • Real Networks inks Symbian deal

    Bundle of joy

    Symbian has signed a deal with Real Networks which could see the latter become a ubiquitious bundle item on Symbian's smartphones. The development work will be carried out by Real Networks, Symbian's marketing communications chief Paul Cockerton told us today. Several smaller names have already shown off media players for the …

    Business 28 Jun 2001, 15:12

  • Dutch co to offer broadband via satellite in Europe

    Is this the end of the 'broadband bottleneck'?

    A new Dutch company is set to offer broadband services via satellite in Europe later this year. Aramiska - which is backed by VC outfit, Whitney & Co, an original backer of Compaq - is to hold a press briefing in London next week to outline details of its service described as the industry's "first two-way, open standard …

    Broadband 28 Jun 2001, 15:16

  • Inside Mesa for OS X – past, present and future

    A long day's journey into Cocoa

    The first major new office app for Apple's Mac OS X made its debut quietly last week, and as you can see from the screenshots below, it's very lovely indeed. But the Mesa spreadsheet actually has an interesting history in its own right. Paul Lynch of P&L Systems in the UK, which publishes Mesa for OS X and has kept the original …

    Mac Channel 28 Jun 2001, 16:05

  • Transmeta sued over Crusoe performance claims

    It can't do what you said it could, class action alleges

    Transmeta has been hit with a class action lawsuit that claims its chips don't perform as promised, that it knew as much and hid the fact from potential investors when it IPO'd eight months ago. The suit was launched by law firm Milberg Weiss and claims that Transmeta's Crusoe can't offer high performance and low power …

    Channel 28 Jun 2001, 16:14

  • NTL gives broadband a kick with new service

    Get stuck in there

    NTL is to offer broadband access for PCs via TV set-top boxes, the cableco has announced. Punters in Manchester will be the first to get their hands on the technology when it rolls-out next Monday. So far some 8,000 people in Manchester have requested the service that connects a customer's digital cable set-top box, which …

    Broadband 28 Jun 2001, 16:31

  • MS not evil, baby strangling monopoly after all, say judges

    Almost entirely totally exonerated and innocent, go back to go, bad DoJ and judge...

    The appeals court today handed Microsoft virtual total victory by tossing out practically all of Judge Jackson's earlier 'guilty as hell, take them out and shoot them,' verdict. For good measure, in a unanimous decision the court also tossed out Judge Jackson - if the new-look Bush DoJ doesn't cut a deal, then the case will be …

    Software 28 Jun 2001, 17:14

  • Judge Jackson is a big fat idiot

    But MS is hardly in the clear

    If there's anyone to whom Microsoft owes a huge debt of gratitude today it would have to be District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, whose behavior behind the bench so appalled his peers on the appellate circuit that they've seen fit to vacate his rulings and disqualify him from further involvement in United States v. Microsoft …

    Software 28 Jun 2001, 20:01