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4th June 2002 Archive

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  • UMAX US offers price cut … for free drivers

    Less than zero?

    We tracked down Wenn Lin, who describes himself as UMAX's US General Manager, to ask about the company's new policy of charging its US customers for drivers. As many of you have pointed out, the same drivers are available on UMAX sites worldwide: but if you're in the US or Canada, or South America, you're invited to pay for a …

    Personal 4 Jun 2002, 02:20

  • MS and SEC reach cookie-jar deal

    Show us lumpy quarters

    Microsoft Corp has been ordered to "cease and desist" from future accounting violations as part of a settlement into a long-running investigation into alleged misrepresentation of the company's financial performance. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft has agreed to abide by US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) …

    Business 4 Jun 2002, 07:54

  • AT&T tipped again as KPNQwest saviour

    No backbone, no fibre

    KPNQwest NV, which slid into bankruptcy last Friday, has reportedly pitched AT&T as a possible buyer of at least some of its assets. KPNQwest NV declared last Friday that it had been unable to secure a sale of non-core assets and had therefore asked the Dutch courts to convert a "moratorium", (the Dutch equivalent of the …

    Music and Media 4 Jun 2002, 07:54

  • Napster files for Chapter 11

    Paves way for Bertelsmann

    N apster Inc has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court. The once wildly popular music sharing service operator, which has been offline for about a year, has made the move in order to restructure as a subsidiary of German media firm Bertelsmann AG. Bertelsmann bought Napster's assets for $8m …

    e-Business 4 Jun 2002, 08:06

  • German gov deal offers Linux great leap forward in Europe

    IBM, feds.de to clinch server war victory for open source

    Yesterday's announcement of a Linux-based cooperation agreement between IBM and Germany's ministry of the interior changes the rules of the game dramatically. Microsoft still has deals with the German government, and will undoubtedly still sell software to it and to Germany's states, but the territory covered by the agreement …

    Software 4 Jun 2002, 09:55

  • Taiwan govt pushes open source

    Why pay for free stuff?

    The Taiwanese legislature has announced plans to subsidize development of open-source systems for the public and private sectors, the Taipei Times reports. Starting next year, the National Supercomputing Center will begin a two-year mission to encourage development Chinese-language operating systems and office applications for …

    Software 4 Jun 2002, 10:53

  • China junks toxic US PC junk

    Poisonous debate

    China is to enforce a ban on the importation of 'smuggled' scrap computers from the West, in the face of a growing toxic waste scandal. A string of reports in the Chinese press has uncovered dangerous break-up methods in the so-called e-waste industry,exposing workers, including children, to hazardous waste. In Guangdong …

    Channel 4 Jun 2002, 10:55

  • MIT grad student shows how to read Xbox security key

    He did it legally too, apparently. Isn't that clever?

    An MIT graduate student has successfully dismantled Xbox's security system and published (after what appears to have been some discussion with Microsoft and EFF lawyers) the results. Bottom line - Xbox security relies on a "chain of trust" built on a "seed of trust" key that is included in a physically secure, secret boot block …

    Channel 4 Jun 2002, 11:21

  • Open source invites terrorism – study

    Your CHILDREN are in TERRIBLE DANGER

    A Washington think tank calling itself the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution is preparing to release a 'study' warning that the widespread use of open source software will allow international terrorists to have their way with us. "Terrorists trying to hack or disrupt U.S. computer networks might find it easier if the federal …

    Software 4 Jun 2002, 13:30

  • EU patent proposals will hammer IT contractors – Alan Cox

    Letters So you thought IR35 and pay cuts were bad

    Barclays and GlaxoSmithKline's recent decision to slash contractor rates drew a large post-bag, including this observation from Linux kernel king Alan Cox. IR35 and pay cuts are only two thirds of the hammer blows lined up for contractors. On the 4th of June the proposal for software patents in the EU is heard in the presence …

    Letters 4 Jun 2002, 21:53

  • Hitachi pins $2bn price tag to IBM HDD unit

    Crossing Ts

    Hitachi Ltd and IBM Corp have crossed the Ts and dotted the Is on the agreement for Hitachi to take over IBM's hard disk drive business, originally announced in April. The price tag is $2.05bn, somewhat higher than had originally been estimated by company watchers. Under the terms of the deal, ownership of the HDD unit …

    Personal 4 Jun 2002, 22:17