25th November 2002 Archive

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Microsoft and AOL neck-and-neck in Nielsens

Branding irons

There's not much between Microsoft Corp and AOL Time Warner Inc in the latest eyeball ratings from Nielsen//NetRatings, which for the first time include metrics from usage of internet applications other than just browsers. According to Nielsen, in October Microsoft-owned brands had a unique audience of 92.619 million, …

Music and Media 25 Nov 2002, 10:00
IBM outs WebSphere 5.0

Web Services, management and integration

IBM will push Web services and simplified management and administration in the latest version of its delayed WebSphere application server, expected to launch today. WebSphere 5.0 features SOAP parsing, UDDI repository, Java and a number of open source technologies that IBM claims speeds performance of Web services and …

Hardware 25 Nov 2002, 10:00
Vodafone goes a wireless bundle with PC makers

Dell, HP, IBM, FSC, Psion, Toshiba

Vodafone has signed deals with the world's top hardware manufacturers to have the mobile operator's GPRS settings pre-installed on laptops and PDAs. The agreement has been concluded with equipment manufacturers Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Psion Teklogix and Toshiba. The new initiative, which the operator has …

Mobile 25 Nov 2002, 10:57
BT firms MSN broadband alliance

Never mind the quality, feel the width

BT and Microsoft are on close to announcing their latest venture together to bring broadband access and content to the UK. One half of the equation will be BT's frill-less, access-only product, BT Broadband, while Microsoft is expected to bring its MSN 8 content service to the table. According to the Sunday Times the deal will …

Telecoms 25 Nov 2002, 12:30
BTopenworld denies plans to ditch domain

Confusion reigns

There's confusion about the future of BT's mass market ISP after internal sources told customers that it has plans to ditch its BTopenworld domain. Not only would such a move spell upheaval for the tens of thousands of BTopenworld customers who have a BTopenworld email address, it also throws up questions about the very future …

Telecoms 25 Nov 2002, 12:30
Lawyers fear misuse of cyber murder law

Squeezing quick guilty pleas from non-lethal cyberpunks?

A genuine cyber murder may never happen outside the pages of tabloid newspapers and Tom Clancy novels, but defense attorneys say that won't keep federal prosecutors from getting some mileage out of a provision in the newly-passed Homeland Security bill that dictates a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without parole for …

Security 25 Nov 2002, 13:48
Merde! Alcatel LAN switch ships with backdoor access

Sorry, we forgot to close the door

Some versions of Alcatel's LAN switch software can yield backdoor access to crackers, the company warns. The vulnerability could give crackers full administrative control over Alcatel OmniSwitch 7700/7800 switches running Alcatel Operating System (AOS) version 5.1.1. A CERT advisory explains this flaw could result in, but is …

Security 25 Nov 2002, 14:01
3G games for Women!

Forrester focus markets

We haven't heard too much in the way of hype from the mobile network operators of late. Instead they seem to be focusing their efforts on developing real deliverables, real solutions and less inane warbling about solutions which clearly are not going to materialise for a good few years yet. This new, conservative approach to …

Mobile 25 Nov 2002, 14:09
Personal music stations for 3G phones

Brussels, the MUSICAL

Ten European music and mobile phone firms are banding together to get punters tuning into their own personal music stations using next generation mobile phones. Dubbed MUSICAL (as in "MUltimedia Streaming of Interactive Content Across mobiLe networks), the project is backed by Brussels and includes mighty Nokia as a participant …

Mobile 25 Nov 2002, 14:09
Tech savvy are gagging for 3G

We want new toys...now!

DIY PC builders and broadband subscribers are among those keenest to become early adopters of 3G, according to a survey by mobile reail chain The Link. Of 1,700 people who took part in a two-month promotion for 3G technology run by The Link, 41 per cent have broadband Internet, 60 per cent own at least one domain name, and 60 …

Mobile 25 Nov 2002, 14:09
France Telecom escapes from MobilCom 3G deal

'Amicable'

France Telecom SA has reached an "amicable" deal with German mobile carrier MobilCom AG that ends its obligation to help the company develop a 3G network. Under the agreement, France Telecom will participate in a plan to shut down the German UMTS business, contributing up to 580m euros ($580m). The only prospect of a …

Mobile 25 Nov 2002, 14:34
Intel gives leg-up to UK pro gaming

Record prize money for Intel Masters

In South Korea, top pro-gamers are gods. Their tournaments are televised, the winners are garlanded with fame and money. In the UK, top "pro-"gamers are geeks, who frag the competition in pizza-packed LAN parties. No TV cameras, rarely much in the way of the cash. And fame restricted strictly to the immediate peer group. But …

Personal 25 Nov 2002, 15:09
Orange issues refunds after double dipping accounts

Bank foul-up

Tens of thousands of Orange UK customers had their bank accounts double-dipped after a foul-up between the mobile phone company and its bank. All customers with direct debits due for payment on November 23 and 24 were billed and debited twice. Their accounts will be re-credited tomorrow (Tuesday Nov 26), according to Orange, …

Mobile 25 Nov 2002, 15:50
eBay scam site nipped in the bud

Let's be careful out there

A spate of emails inviting eBay customers to divulge usernames and passwords to a scam site reached epidemic proportions last week. The emails invited the foolhardy to hand over confidential details to a site called change-eBay.com, Needless to say, this has no affiliation with the online auction site. change-eBay.com was …

Security 25 Nov 2002, 16:10
BT Broadband price remains fixed

BT and MSN - it's about quality, not width

BT has no plans at present to cut the price of its frill-less, access only BT Broadband product following today's confirmation of a joint marketing agreement with MSN. BT's stand on price means anyone signing up for BT Broadband (£27 a month) and MSN 8 (£6.99 a month) would be expected to pay £33.99 a month for access and …

Telecoms 25 Nov 2002, 16:15
RM in ‘recovery mode’

Full year loss

RM, the UK's biggest computer systems supplier to schools, made a full year post-tax loss of £4.8m but - little consolation this - didn't do quite as badly as it was expected to. The losses come after Bad Stuff - staff redundancy costs, exceptional property charges and asset impairment - was thrown into the accounts to the tune …

Channel 25 Nov 2002, 16:35
Sun buffs blades

Carrier pinchin'

Sun has given its Netra blades a major upgrade. The new systems are pitched firmly at telcos, and major on high availability rather the ultra dense, low-power pitch that RLX aims at hosting facilities. The new 410 and 810 are compatible with their Compact PCI predecessors: both have hot swap and IPMI management, and boast …

Servers 25 Nov 2002, 20:09