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5th April 2002 Archive

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  • Via Net.Works considers sell-offs

    Acquisition bloat

    Troubled ISP Via Net.Works Inc is considering a wholesale restructuring of the company that could lead to the closing down or selling off of its operations in certain countries. The Reston, Virginia-based company, which is suffering from an acquisition strategy that bloated its presence into 15 countries, said that in its …

    Business 5 Apr 2002, 06:18

  • RIM opens up technology

    Blackberries

    Research In Motion Ltd is looking to propagate its Blackberry platform more widely by offering other manufacturers a reference design based around the wireless technology. As part of the effort, Analog Devices Inc will provide potential partners with an integrated processor supporting both wireless communications and Java …

    Mobile 5 Apr 2002, 06:20

  • Taiwan recovery debated

    DRAM non-production

    Taiwan's government declared yesterday that life had returned to normal on the island in the wake of last weekend 6.8 earthquake. However, IT industry observers are not so sure. The government information office issued a statement yesterday saying that most companies in the country's high tech sector had reported no damage …

    Business 5 Apr 2002, 06:24

  • ICANN wins confidence of RIRs

    Contracts Near Completion

    The Internet Corp for Assigned Names and Numbers is close to forming binding relationships with the three Regional Internet Registries that are responsible for allocating IP addresses to internet service providers. In a letter sent to ICANN CEO Stuart Lynn on Tuesday, the RIRs said talks have reached a point where "there …

    Music and Media 5 Apr 2002, 06:25

  • Sentencing commission considers hackers' motives

    Is curiosity an act of terror?

    The courts may one day treat recreational hackers with a gentler justice than malicious intruders and cyber thieves, depending on the results of a study being spearheaded by a member of the government commission responsible for setting federal sentences. Since 11 September and the passing of the USA Patriot Act into law, …

    Security 5 Apr 2002, 08:43

  • The Parking News Effect

    Rita the meter re- made

    The allegedly satirical television show Have I Got News for you likes to make fun of trade magazines - the likes of The Embalmer, Commercial Rabbit, Potato and Parking News come in for regular digs. Now The Guardian's City Diary is getting in on the act: Fans of rival cult magazine Parking News, house journal of the British …

    Business 5 Apr 2002, 10:46

  • The great Enterasys boardroom exodus

    CEO, COO and marketing chief take a hike

    Enterasys yesterday announced the departure of three key staff, including its chief executive, as it warned that revenues for quarter would be lower than expected. Enrique Fiallo resigned as chairman, chief executive officer, and president of the enterprise networking supplier yesterday in order to "pursue other business …

    Business 5 Apr 2002, 10:53

  • Reg readers question Telewest unlimited claims

    Cunning stunt

    Yesterday those scamps at Telewest delivered a dictionary definition of the word "unlimited" to BT's London fortress after the monster telco received a slap from the advertising watchdog for misleading punters. Our thanks to all our readers who spotted this on Telewest's own Web site which raises questions about the cableco's …

    Business 5 Apr 2002, 10:55

  • NAO wary of UK's e-gov plans

    A horse to water

    The UK Government is set to miss its target of migrating all its services online by 2005, according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO). It found that at November 2001, just over half of the 520 services which Government departments routinely provide to citizens and businesses were available on-line. However, the …

    Music and Media 5 Apr 2002, 12:13

  • TSMC hires Sir Peter Bonfield

    NED

    TSMC, the world's biggest semiconductor foundry business, has appointed Sir Peter Bonfield, former CEO of BT, as an independent director. Before BT, Bonfield ran ICL, the Fujitsu-owned British computer services firm. He joined that company from Texas Instruments. ®

    Channel 5 Apr 2002, 12:44

  • Time talks warranties with CC firms

    Extends support deadline

    Time has opened discussions with the credit card industry to discuss the treatment of customers who bought PC maintenance contracts by credit card from Tiny Computers. As a "gesture of goodwill", Time is to continue phone support until April 12 for this 80,000-strong group of warranty holders left in the lurch following Tiny's …

    Personal 5 Apr 2002, 13:28

  • I've got your chip under my skin

    We're all barcodes now

    Companies are allowed to market computer ID chips which can be embedded under a person's skin in the US, after the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the technology its qualified approval. The FDA said yesterday it would not block use of such devices as long as they contain no medical data - paving the way for the …

    Channel 5 Apr 2002, 13:39

  • BTo broadband billing bungle – update

    Count yourself lucky

    Last month there was uproar among BTopenworld's broadband customers after we reported how the ISP had bungled its billing and failed to pass on price reductions for its service. Quite rightly, those affected got the hump despite reassurances from BTo that those hit will be reimbursed. But if you think that's bad, hear this. We …

    Telecoms 5 Apr 2002, 14:11

  • Orange jumps into mobile gambling market

    Under starter's orders for the Grand National

    Orange has teamed up with ukbetting to enable punters to place bets on tomorrow's Martell Grand National from their mobile phones. The service, which went live yesterday and is the first of its kind for both parties, will allow Orange customers with WAP-enabled handsets to access ukbetting.com and place tax-free bets. …

    Mobile 5 Apr 2002, 14:25

  • CU buys Gomark

    Maccy channelly story

    Computers Unlimited, the London based Apple distie, has bought niche graphics distie Gomark Ltd for an undisclosed sum. Gomark specialises in marketing distributing 2D and 3D design tools for architects and suchlike. The company has moved into CU's Colindale offices. ®

    Mac Channel 5 Apr 2002, 15:24

  • Bertelsmann wants all of Napster

    Music to someone's ears

    Monster German media group Bertelsmann is reportedly keen to buy-out the Napster e-music service. In a newspaper interview today Bertelsmann's chief exec, Thomas Middelhoff, said that he wanted to "completely take over Napster" and "buy out the original shareholders". Middelhoff told Die Welt: "We have made them an offer, …

    Music and Media 5 Apr 2002, 15:25