19th August 2002 Archive

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European IT spend back on the increase

A twitch...

The European IT market has entered its first phase of recovery, according to analyst IDC Corp. It said technology spending in Western Europe will increase 4.4% in 2002, rising to 6.2% in 2003. That compares to an estimated growth rate of 3.4% in 2001. The current weak outlook has been exacerbated by accounting scandals and …

Business 19 Aug 2002, 06:08
IBM woos Linux developers with Borland deal

Challenge to VB

IBM is teaming with Borland Software Corp to drive its database among Windows developers unimpressed by changes to Visual Basic. The companies are today expected to announce bundling of Scotts Valley, California-based Borland's cross-platform, rapid application development (RAD) tools with IBM's DB2. IBM will bundle …

Software 19 Aug 2002, 06:13
Nvidia takes Xbox write-off hit

$7 million out of $21 million total

Graphics chip vendor Nvidia Corp has been forced to write off inventory worth $21m as demand for PCs slowed. However, the figure includes $7m for chips for Microsoft Corp's Xbox, suggesting that the Redmond, Washington-based giant is struggling in its battle with market leader Sony Corp's PlayStation2. Nvidia is already in …

Channel 19 Aug 2002, 06:18
Post Red Hat knock-off, Sun still plans own Linux

But up to which point, Lord Copper?

Sun Microsystems Inc has maintained that it will be developing its own extensions to the Linux operating system after confirming suggestions that its recently released Sun Linux 5.0 distribution is based almost entirely on Red Hat Inc's Linux 7.2, writes Matthew Aslett. Announcing its plans to introduce its first general …

Software 19 Aug 2002, 06:22
Vodafone poised to buy Vivendi's Vizzavi stake – report

So farewell then, silly name...

Vodafone is planning to buy partner Vivendi's stake in Vizzavi, their joint venture Web portal, according to a story in today's Wall Street Journal. Vivendi is currently financially challenged to the tune of €10 billion, and the two companies have allegedly already put €1 billion into the site (although it is not immediately …

Mobile 19 Aug 2002, 06:58
MS gives New Orleans ‘free’ systems for City Hall, PD

The municipal Netscape program...

Microsoft is to update the computers of New Orleans' City Hall and Police Department for free, according to a report last week in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, saving the city $100 million, claims CTO Greg Meffert. Work will begin in the next two weeks, and the city's only obligations are that it will be used as a model for …

Software 19 Aug 2002, 08:35
NASA to fight terror with mental telepathy

More Dept. of Precrime gimmicks

No, we're not making this up; we can only hope that Moonie sheet the Washington Times is. But according to this WT story, NASA is attempting to develop some manner of remote stress detector along the lines of a polygraph machine which will monitor the brainwaves and heart rates of airline passengers as they pass blissfully …

Security 19 Aug 2002, 09:06
Boffins invent grenade vaporising ‘electric force field’

Just the thing to withstand rocket attack or rush hour on the M25

Boffins at Britain's Ministry of Defence have invented an electric 'force field' designed to protect armoured vehicles against anti-tank grenades. The 'electrical armour' is designed to vaporise copper projectiles released from grenades on impact before they are able to penetrate a tank's inner hull, the Daily Telegraph reports …

Personal 19 Aug 2002, 10:29
KDE fixes SSL hole as MS dithers

Speed vs spin

New KDE binary RPMs have been released, as promised, with a fix for the SSL certificate vulnerability affecting Windows and Konqueror which we reported last week. "KDE 3.0.3 primarily provides stability enhancements over KDE 3.0.2, which shipped in early July 2002, and also contains a security correction for SSL (Internet …

Software 19 Aug 2002, 10:30
Ex Grey Archers to picket Nomura

Want to 'make feelings known'

Former staff at pub trade dotcom Grey Archer, plan to demonstrate outside the offices of the company's backers in a bid to receive redundancy payments. More than 100 former staff are ready to take direct action against Nomura, the Japanese investment bank and major shareholder in Grey Archer, as their fight for redundancy …

Media 19 Aug 2002, 10:30
Register launches UK ISP

Vulture Capitalist ISP.net is go

It's official - the magnificently-named Vulture Capitalist ISP (vcisp.net) went live this morning to the sound of popping champagne corks and marching bands. This new service from the mighty Register offers, among other things, self-install ADSL for a one-off installation fee of £65 and £25.99 per month thereafter. We've …

Site News 19 Aug 2002, 10:37
HP backs AMD Athlon with business PC

Athlon makes inroads into corporate market

AMD gained an important breakthrough in the business market today with the news that HP is to use its flagship Athlon XP processors in its Compaq D315 Business PC. Athon XP processors are well respected among home users, earning favourable reviews since their introduction in August 1999, but AMD has struggled to make its mark …

Channel 19 Aug 2002, 13:09
China ‘huge potential’ for broadband

And?

China is set to have more than 19m broadband users by 2006, according to a new report by the Yankee Group. Currently, China has some 323,400 broadband subscribers, but Yankee predicts this number is set to explode as more and more people adopt the technology. In China, Ethernet-based broadband services are available for less …

Media 19 Aug 2002, 13:11
Vodafone and Vivendi confirm Vizzavi talks

Whatever

Vodafone Group Plc and Vivendi Universal have confirmed that they are deep in discussion concerning the future of their Internet love child Vizzavi. In a statement Vodafone said that the discussions "may lead to an offer by Vodafone to acquire all or a part of Vivendi's shareholding in Vizzavi". Then again, they might not. …

Mobile 19 Aug 2002, 14:35
Marconi axes Irish jobs

Liquidation looming

With reports circulating that Marconi is preparing to go into voluntary liquidation, it has been revealed that the firm has cut over 140 jobs in Ireland. After announcing a 10 percent headcount reduction in early May, which saw around 35 of the firm's 340 Irish workers lose their jobs, Marconi has said that as many as 105 more …

Business 19 Aug 2002, 14:36
AOL TW faces lawsuit over ‘unconventional’ deals

Class action

Lawyers in the US have launched a class action lawsuit against AOL Time Warner over allegations that the giant media company misrepresented advertising revenues to the tune of $270m (£177m) through what it describes as a "series of unconventional transactions". The lawsuit was launched today against AOL TW and "certain of its …

Media 19 Aug 2002, 18:07
UK gov rules stall rural broadband scheme

DTI accused of misdirected advice

An innovative scheme to bring broadband access to the countryside using wireless Lans has stalled amid confusion about regulatory requirements. Ray Bellis, technical director of Community Internet, is investigating setting up broadband access in the rural Oxfordshire village he lives in using wireless LANS. While the …

Broadband 19 Aug 2002, 18:13