12th December 2001 Archive
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Bridge built between HushMail and PGP users
Interoperability improved
Users are promised interoperability between HushMail accounts and desktop PGP users with a tool which uploads PGP public keys to HushMail servers. A spokeswoman for Hush Communications described it as "a bridge between the two technologies", made possible by the migration of HushMail from proprietary technology to the OpenPGP …
Security 12 Dec 2001, 00:05
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easyEverything chastised for AOL slur
Ad watchdog bares fangs
easyEverything has been slapped by the advertising watchdog for "denigrating" AOL UK. In a stern adjudication published today the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that an ad featuring easyEverything Internet café boss, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, ripping up his AOL account and urging others to follow suit "unfairly …
Music and Media 12 Dec 2001, 08:39
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Can Sun Liberate you from your Passport?
Getting personal
Sun Microsystems and Microsoft have never really seen eye to eye. Sun proudly stood on the accusing side in the DOJ ruling. Then there is all the sniping about Java. Last, but by no means least, is the future. Both companies know (although Microsoft was a little late off the starting blocks), that the future is Internet-shaped …
e-Business 12 Dec 2001, 08:49
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E-minister finds his role in Europe
Talking to its most IT-illiterate countries
E-minister Douglas Alexander has found his niche in Europe - hosting a conference for its most IT-illiterate countries. Mr Alexander today opened the first e-commerce conference with former Eastern Europe countries - Estonia, Serbia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Hertzogovina, Albania …
Music and Media 12 Dec 2001, 08:49
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BT appoints new CEO
Verwaayen brings Dutch courage to telco
The Arsenal-supporting vice chairman of Lucent, Ben Verwaayen, is to succeed Sir Peter Bonfield as CEO of BT. A Dutch national, Mr Verwaayen will start work at BT on January 14 but won't become CEO until February 1 when Sir Peter finally stands down. In a statement, Mr Verwaayen, 49, said: "I am thrilled to be joining the BT …
Business 12 Dec 2001, 09:46
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VIA launches DDR-based mobile Athlon chipset
Faster than PC133! No kidding...
VIA launched its ProSavageDDR KN266 mobile chipset for AMD's Athlon 4 and Duron processors, the first in VIA's mobile product line to support DDR SDRAM. The chipset not only integrates support for low-voltage DDR266 memory, but includes S3 Graphics' ProSavage 8 graphics acceleration and with it "AGP 8x equivalent" bandwidth. …
Channel 12 Dec 2001, 10:46
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MS mislays huge lobbyist team in court filing
Can't have spent three months pushing for a deal after all...
Microsoft filed a characteristically Microsoftish document with with the District of Columbia court on Monday. Its "Description of written or oral comunications regarding the revised proposed final judgment" is intended to comply with US regulations regarding lobbying, but it does so in a strikingly minimalist way. The law, the …
Software 12 Dec 2001, 11:28
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Infineon, Toshiba close to merger
Plan requires board approval
Infineon and Toshiba have at long last decided how they can bring their two DRAM operations together - all they have to decide now is whether they want the merger to take place. The decision is in the hands of both companies' boards, an Infineon spokeswoman said. Each company must approve the merger before a final plan can be …
Business 12 Dec 2001, 11:30
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SonicBlue challenges TiVo to sign or be sued
License our technology - or else
SonicBlue last night threatened to take TiVo to court if the digital video recorder company failed to agree to license its DVR technology, for which it was granted a broad patent two weeks ago. There's certainly a fight brewing between the two companies. SonicBlue's patent award follows its acquisition of TiVo rival ReplayTV …
Personal 12 Dec 2001, 12:01
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ICL cuts 1500 jobs
Unexpected
ICL today says it will cut 1500 employees - about 13 per cent of its 11,500-strong UK headcount. It will provide a window period for voluntary reductions, which will be followed by "selected redundancies" to make up the total. The reductions are expected to be completed by March 2002. Sources inside the company say the message …
Business 12 Dec 2001, 12:28
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EC doesn't understand DRAM biz – Infineon chief
Leave our subsidy alone, please
Infineon chief executive Ulrich Schumacher has slammed the European Commission for its insistence on pursuing an investigation into his company's $194 million subsidy from the German government. The EC, Schumacher said in an interview with EBN, simply "doesn't understand the DRAM business", specifically its cyclical nature. " …
Channel 12 Dec 2001, 12:36
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Intel confirms 845D DDR chipset shipping ‘early’
Surprise, surprise...
Intel has admitted it has begun shipping its DDR-based Pentium 4 chipset, the 845D, ahead of schedule. "We've started shipping to prepare our manufacturers for the launch,'' said an Intel spokeswoman in Hong Kong. "The official launch isn't until the first quarter next year." True, but since it is well known that Intel would …
Channel 12 Dec 2001, 12:54
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BT and Marconi to install 28,000 e-payphones
Net access, email, text messaging etc.
BT has teamed up with Marconi to replace 28,000 payphones with new multimedia devices. The new payphones will offer Net access, email and text messaging along with traditional voice services. They will be installed in high street phone boxes as well as shopping centres, rail, tube and bus stations, airports and motorway …
Music and Media 12 Dec 2001, 12:57
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A walk through Usenet Memory Lane
Linus Torvalds' first post about his "pet project" and more gems
Google has ferreted some interesting Usenet posts from bygone days to highlight the integration of 20 years of Usenet archives into Google Groups. The search engine firm has compiled memorable articles and threads in a timeline which features Tim Berners-Lee's announcement of what became the World Wide Web (August 1991) or …
Music and Media 12 Dec 2001, 13:00
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Multi-billion-dollar software piracy bust
Warez community decimated by US Customs
US Customs penetrated a 'multi-billion dollar' anti-warez operation in several US cities and overseas, and executed over 100 search warrants in connection with it Tuesday, officials say. US Lord Protector John Ashcroft announced the achievement and tried to take as much credit for it as possible, even inviting FBI Director …
Channel 12 Dec 2001, 13:03
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MS updates WinXP, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth imminent
Some incompatible products run after all, apparently...
Microsoft has released a raft of new updates for Windows XP, including a second application compatibility update. The company is also poised to add USB 2.0 support early next year, and Bluetooth by mid-2002. Carpers might wonder in what sense WinXP was therefore "finished" at the time it shipped, but the nicer way to think about …
Software 12 Dec 2001, 13:22
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Oftel refers mobile companies to Competition Commission
They swear to fight it all the way
Oftel has referred the UK's mobile operators to the Competition Commission over their inter-network charges. Oftel announced on 26 September that it was going to enforce an RPI -12 per cent control on mobile calls (i.e. if inflation - as measured by the Retail Price Index - goes up by five per cent, then prices will have to go …
Data Networking 12 Dec 2001, 14:39
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Microsoft Hotmail still runs on U**x
FreeBSD purge incomplete
Microsoft admits it still hasn't upgraded its Hotmail system to Windows, almost four years after embarking on the task, and fifteen months after the first load balancing machines began to be shifted to Windows 2000 from FreeBSD. The snippet emerged in the latest pissing contest between Oracle and Microsoft, the details of which …
Bootnotes 12 Dec 2001, 14:44
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How cuddly are Carly and Curly, asks ‘HP’
Phone-a-friend
The continuing strife over the Sircam merger between HP and Compaq could be troubling the venerable Silicon Valley giant. A London-based Register reader tells us he found himself being quizzed by a market research company on his consumer perceptions of a range of HP products. Then after twenty or so minutes, the researcher …
Bootnotes 12 Dec 2001, 14:51
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Lords attack Anti-Terror Bill again
Insists on Parliamentary approval for code of practice
The Lords has continued to attack the controversial Anti-Terrorism Bill, voting in a tenth amendment yesterday which will ensure public debate of the voluntary code of practice on retaining phone and email data. Lord Rooker led the charge, claiming that the code of practice does not comply with either the Data Protection Act or …
Music and Media 12 Dec 2001, 14:54
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CSFB set to pay $100m fine over dotcom IPOs
Lawsuits still outstanding
Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) is preparing to pay a record $100 million (£70 million) fine to the Wall Street watchdog Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for breaking the rules during the dotcom boom. The SEC has completed an 18-month investigation into all the main Wall Street banks over allegations of profiteering …
Business 12 Dec 2001, 14:57
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Sony is killing PlayStation mod-chips
Corporate giant stomps mod market
Sony is cracking down on PlayStation mod-chip makers, forcing them to halt the distribution of their products or face the wrath of its corporate legal might. Two UK-based companies, Channel Technology and Playstationmods.com, have halted sales of their products with immediate effect. A third company, Italian-based Origa, has …
Personal 12 Dec 2001, 15:07
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My 32 CPUs are better than your 72 CPUs
IBM smacks Java benchmarks back at Sun
We heard last week that IBM was preparing to release some record-breaking Java POWER4 benchmarks in response to goading from Sun. And now, it's duly done so. IBM claims that it's achieved 339,484 operations per second on a 32-way, POWER4 Regatta on the SPECjbb2000 benchmark. Which is higher than a 72-way Sun Fire 15K. IBM also …
Hardware 12 Dec 2001, 15:55
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DoD pumps up cybercrime investment
Homeland defence
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has invested in a extensive cybercrime training program with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) that will earn the firm up to $86 million over the next eight years. Under the contract, CSC will assist the DoD in researching, developing and delivering state-of-the-art computer investigation …
Security 12 Dec 2001, 15:56
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Dell sued over MPEG patents
Unlicensed usage
Six major technology companies are suing Dell for infringing various MPEG 2 patents by installing software on its computers without obtaining a licence. The companies - Sony, Mitsubishi Electric, France Telecom, Scientific-Atlanta, Philips and Victor - together own 44 patents which are used for video compression on the MPEG 2 …
Personal 12 Dec 2001, 16:30
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AMD nibbles at Intel business PC market share
On track to achieve 30% of market by end of year
AMD is eating into Intel's market share - in some territories during Q3, at least - according the figures from market watcher Gartner Dataquest. So, some 54 per cent of the desktop PCs sold into Japanese homes during July, August and September contained AMD processors. During Q3 2000, AMD's share was 24 per cent. And 49 per …
Channel 12 Dec 2001, 16:42
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AMD touts for server biz with Athlon MP 1900+
760MPX chipset announced too
AMD has launched the Athlon MP 1900+ and its latest multi-processing chipset, the 760MPX. The launch of the MP 1900+ follows the arrival of the XP 1900+ a wee while back and extends AMD's use of its Quantispeed marchitecture, which downplays clock frequencies for a rating that effectively measures the chip's performance …
Channel 12 Dec 2001, 16:42
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AMD processors and prices
Updated MP 1900+ joins the team
With today's addition of the $319 Athlon MP 1900+, it's time to update our chart of AMD's processor products and their prices. As always, the prices listed are per processor when bought in batches of 1000 chips. Intel's prices and processors can be found here. ® Desktop CPU Price Athlon XP 'Palomino' 0.18 micron …
Channel 12 Dec 2001, 16:42
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Stelios considers legal action over AOL slur ruling
Ad watchdog bites back
easyGroup chairman Stelios Haji-Ioannou claims the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) should be taken over by the Government because it is unwilling to stand up to 'big media'. He believes the advertising watchdog caved in to pressure from AOL Time Warner over adverts depicting the entrepreneur tearing up his AOL account. …
Business 12 Dec 2001, 16:44
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Micron, Hynix deal to be announced next week?
Unlikely
When will Micron make a bid for Hynix's memory operation - assuming, of course, it decides to do so? Officially, neither Hynix nor Micron will offer any guidance as to when investors and observers should expect an offer, but at least one member of the committee overseeing Hynix's recovery claims it could come as early as next …
Channel 12 Dec 2001, 16:46
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Microsoft shows off streaming technology
Windows Media to infiltrate DVD players
Microsoft yesterday showed off its next generation Windows Media Technology, code-named "Corona", which it hopes will improve Internet media streaming capabilities in terms of audio and video quality, as well as reducing bandwidth consumption. In a simultaneous announcement, five major DVD chipmakers - Cirrus Logic, ESS …
Business 12 Dec 2001, 17:09
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LLU failing in Europe – Gartner
Broadband for all still way off
Industry analysts have called on the European Union (EU) to re-think its strategy for unbundling the local loop (LLU) calling the current policy a "regulatory nightmare". Gartner Dataquest said that European governments are today putting pressure on telecom incumbents to open the last mile in a bid to increase competition. But …
Business 12 Dec 2001, 17:18
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Win a pair of Google underpants
Competition Feeling lucky?
When Google acquired the Deja Usenet archive back in February, there were no fiercer critics than us at the sudden loss of functionality. Or more accurately, we were reflecting a sense of disappointment and anger from Register readers almost without precedent, mingled with a sense of alarm that a valuable repository of community …
Business 12 Dec 2001, 17:23
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Transmeta cuts Q4 revenue forecast to $1m
0.13 micron problems to blame for 80% decline in sales
Transmeta has cut its Q4 revenue forecast to $1 million, blaming the shortfall on problems getting sufficient 0.13 micron Crusoe TM5500 and TM5800 processors out to customers. Last quarter, Transmeta's sales totalled $5 million, down 52 per cent on Q2's $10.5 million, itself down 44 per cent on the $18.6 million figure it …
Business 12 Dec 2001, 18:35
