The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

23rd July 2002 Archive

Browse by publication date, or search the site.

  • Ex-Microserf Schmidt as govt cyberterror Cassandra

    Apocalypse soon

    This month's dose of demented prediction comes to you courtesy of Howard Schmidt, chairman vice of the US President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board. Alleged "zero-day viruses and affinity worms" will sunder business records, as reported in Network World Fusion and credited to a Schmidt speech at an Information …

    Software 23 Jul 2002, 00:18

  • CA lowers projections for 2003

    And makes brave sounds about SEC

    Computer Associates International Inc lowered its revenue guidance and admitted government scrutiny was affecting its share price, when it unveiled its first-quarter results yesterday. The Islandia, New York-based software company reported sales up 7.4% to $765m for the quarter ending June 30. Its net loss was $65m, …

    Business 23 Jul 2002, 08:18

  • DoCoMo admits wireless pix overcharging

    Server woopsie, apparently..

    NTT DoCoMo Inc has admitted overcharging subscribers to its photo messaging service by almost $350,000 in the last six weeks, after experiencing connection problems to its servers. The Tokyo, Japan-based mobile operator said the problem with its i-shot service resulted from dropped connections on occasions when two …

    Mobile 23 Jul 2002, 08:20

  • Real's WMP, Open Source moves risk Redmond ire

    Our lawyers don't like us saying 'reverse engineering'

    n RealNetworks Inc's boldest and riskiest move to date, the company is opening source code to its suite of streaming software, and will include support for Microsoft Corp's Windows Media in its streaming server for the first time, writes Kevin Murphy. While Microsoft is playing its cards close to its chest, speculation is …

    Music and Media 23 Jul 2002, 08:23

  • Borland speeds Kylix C++ for Linux development

    Linux dev for cissies?

    Borland Software Corp is set to build on an early lead among Linux developers, with today's expected launch of a C++ rapid application development (RAD) environment. Scotts Valley, California-based Borland will announce version 3.0 of its Kylix RAD environment for C++. Previous versions of Kylix targeted Delphi programmers …

    Software 23 Jul 2002, 08:28

  • Lastminute buys Travelprice.com

    Nuff said

    In an all-share deal worth around £32 million, UK e-travel company Lastminute.com has purchased Travelprice.com, a rival in France and Italy. Lastminute, which is often cited as a prime example of the rise and fall of a dot-com stock, said on Monday that the purchase of the French company would occur through the issuing of 34.6 …

    Business 23 Jul 2002, 08:29

  • Sega denies talks with Infogrames, Midway

    Just looking, not buying

    Sega director, Hiroyuki Soga, has quashed rumours that suggested the games giant is looking to buy software houses Infogrames and Midway. It seems no definitive plans to buy any companies have yet been decided. His comments follow an article in the Wall Street Journal Europe a couple of weeks ago, where Sega COO, Tetsu Kamaya …

    Software 23 Jul 2002, 08:31

  • Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 released

    The quiet one finishes first notapointrelease for ages...

    Debian GNU/Linux has made made it to version 3.0, with the version codenamed woody being designated the current stable release over the weekend. The Debian Project doesn't involve in itself in the numbers wars, so woody succeeds potato/2.2, which succeeded slink/2.1. The current "testing" release is sarge, which has not had a …

    Software 23 Jul 2002, 09:07

  • Pluthero quits Freeserve for Energis

    Fancied bigger frying pan?

    John Pluthero - the founder of Freeserve - has quit the UK's largest ISP to take the top job at struggling alternative telco Energis. He will join new chairman, Archie Norman, who led the successful refinancing of the Energis business last week. Pluthero takes up his new post as chief exec at Energis in September. He will be …

    Music and Media 23 Jul 2002, 09:09

  • Segway joins the Arms Race

    Signs up with UK defence contractor

    Segway, the unfeasibly slow 'Human Transporter', is coming to the UK, courtesy of a distribution deal with BAE Systems. This is not at first sight a match made in Heaven: BAE is the UK's biggest defence contractor, making the likes of guided missiles, and whizzy electronics stuffed into machines that kill. So can we expect an …

    Personal 23 Jul 2002, 09:34

  • John Bryce Training goes tits up

    Used to be called Aris Education

    John Bryce Training UK Ltd (JBT), the company formerly known as Aris Education, has gone tits up, with debts estimated at £4.3m. All staff at the computer training company – thought to number up to 70 – have been made redundant, and will not be paid this month, according to a source. JBT UK has training centres in London, …

    Channel 23 Jul 2002, 11:12

  • Hacker t-shirt launched in medium

    Good news for any reader under 16 stone

    In response to those many readers who demanded one of our magnificent Hacker No.1 shirts in any size other than XL, we are pleased to announce that this best-seller is now available as a t-shirt in both XL and medium. What's more, this cracking product goes out at an affordable £12 including VAT. That's £10.21 to …

    Site News 23 Jul 2002, 11:57

  • If you want to get ahead, get a Hacker hat

    Cash'n'Carrion expands blockbusting clothing line

    Those many readers who have bought our sensational Hacker No.1 polo shirt will be delighted to know that we have decided to expand the range to include a matching baseball cap. Yup, it's a top-quality product to be sure - a 100 per cent premium cotton black cap complete with white stitched Hacker logo and Reg url on the back …

    Site News 23 Jul 2002, 11:58

  • MSWord 2000 'offensive to lesbians,' says rock star

    Well OK, he's a geologist really...

    Disgruntled geologist Alan Vaughan writes complaining about the grammar checker in Microsoft Word 2000, which he says denigrates lesbians. Dykes, as all good geologists know, "are thin sheets of magma that has frozen in cracks on its way up from the hot interior of the Earth." And other things as well, of course. In Word 2000, …

    Bootnotes 23 Jul 2002, 12:00

  • Customs arrest 22 in £50m VAT fraud probe

    30 UK premises raided during Operation Capri

    Customs and Excise officers investigating an alleged £50 million VAT fraud yesterday arrested 22 people in a series of raids throughout the UK. The suspected multi-million pound missing trader VAT fraud involved the purchasing of CPUs from Europe. The 22 arrested people were detained during 30 co-ordinated raids on business …

    Business 23 Jul 2002, 12:03

  • Marconi debts up as sales halve

    How the mighty fall

    Marconi's first quarter sales have almost halved to £592 million from £1,134 million last year as it struggles to restructure its business amidst the continuing slump in telecoms spending. The company said its decline in sales was largely due to the disposal of businesses from Marconi Capital during the second half of its last …

    Business 23 Jul 2002, 12:06

  • ARM Q2s up on licensing, stock twitches briefly

    But no market upturn expected

    Chip company ARM has reported record licensing revenues in its second quarter, resulting in income of £11.5 million ($18 million) on revenue of £43.2 million ($67.6 million). CFO Tim Score said the company expected to hit its targets of £180 million ($281 million) revenue and pre-tax profit of £65 million ($101.7 million) for …

    Business 23 Jul 2002, 13:01

  • US e-porn industry gets trade organisation

    United voice and all that

    The adult Web site industry in the US has set up a trade organisation to fight its corner. The Internet Freedom Association (IFA) claims it will work to promote the rights of the online adult entertainment industry. But it's made it clear that it will also take a strong stand against child pornography and take steps to try and …

    Music and Media 23 Jul 2002, 13:01

  • Apple users demand higher prices, worse treatment

    Letters Life imitates satire

    No sooner had we launched our campaign for Apple to raise its prices - last week's hikes being considered too puny - then a real-life petition has echoed our call. Only it's for real: life imitating satire. The petition can be found here - it's already attracted over 600 signatures. (Signatory No.46 is David Pogue. That David …

    Letters 23 Jul 2002, 13:33

  • Vmyths threatened for using mi2g press-kit photo

    Security experts lose sense of humour

    I can hear it now. "Damn that Rosenberger; I'm sick of him deviating from the press releases. Set the lawyers on him." That, or something like it, must have inspired a nastygram from the security gurus at mi2g, a well known FUD generator full of dire predictions concerning withering cyber-assaults which for some reason rarely …

    Security 23 Jul 2002, 13:52

  • Lucent slashes 7,000 jobs

    Posts $7.9bn Q3 loss

    Lucent Technologies - the telecoms equipment outfit - is to axe 7,000 jobs in the face of a continued slump in the telecoms market. All those hit by the job losses can expect to be left out in the cold by the end of the year. The job cuts - designed to save the company $700m a year - will reduce the company's headcount from 53 …

    Business 23 Jul 2002, 14:30

  • UK unveils Open Source policy, may make it ‘default’ option

    Good lord. Bill'll be over in a minute...

    The UK government yesterday announced its policy on Open Source software, and as far as we can figure out, it seems to be cautiously pro. In answer to a parliamentary question (and we strongly suspect 'plant' here), Home Office minister Douglas Alexander said: "I am pleased to announce new policy on the use of Open Source …

    Software 23 Jul 2002, 15:28

  • No more JPEGs – ISO to withdraw image standard

    While Forgent defends IP claim

    The ISO standards body will take the unprecedented step of withdrawing the JPEG image format as a formal standard if Forgent Networks, a small Texan company, continues to demand royalties on a seventeen-year old patent. The Register has spoken to representatives of both the JPEG committee and Forgent Networks this week. …

    Software 23 Jul 2002, 17:03

  • NTL loses key email wiretap case on appeal

    NTL's legal qualms about bugging squashed

    A Law Lord yesterday brushed aside concerns from NTL that it might breach the law in complying with an email wiretap request from the police. Police have welcomed the ruling as a step in ensuring they get access to information they need during the course of an investigation, while critics have warned of a lack of adequate …

    Music and Media 23 Jul 2002, 17:10

  • BT duff DNS makes UK Web sites invisible

    For several weeks, apparently...

    Surfers browsing the net using BT connections are having difficulties accessing Web sites because of problems with some of the telco giant’s Domain Name Servers. The problem, which has been ongoing for at least the last two weeks, has led to a steady trickle of complaints to Web hosting companies from clients complaining that …

    Music and Media 23 Jul 2002, 17:40

  • Nortel to axe more Irish workers

    Part of global headcount reduction

    Beleaguered telecoms equipment maker Nortel cut more jobs in Ireland on Monday as the firm followed through on a job slashing plan announced in May. Around 40 staff, or nearly 9 percent of Nortel's Galway workforce, will be made redundant in the coming weeks following the news. In total, Nortel has 370 workers in the Republic …

    Business 23 Jul 2002, 17:40