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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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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