31st January 2003 Archive

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Reg FoTW star feted in Finnish press

Ambassador, you spoil me

Poland's cultural ambassador to the Internet, "jpzr" has been feted in the Finnish press this week after he published his views of the country he left at Christmas. The fellow was already a star amongst Register readers for this Flame of The Week. Sometime at the end of last year, he left his employer Nokia to move to Germany …

Bootnotes 31 Jan 2003, 00:09
Letters Evidence torpedoes SBC web patent

Re: SBC enforcing all-encompassing Web patent In regards to your article on SBC Communications attempting to enforce their patents on frame presentations, I can assure you there most definitely IS prior art. I worked for Office Workstations Limited (OWL International in the US) from 1986 to 1994. During that time, we published …

Bootnotes 31 Jan 2003, 02:29
EU forces ‘radical’ changes to Passport

Spot the Difference

Microsoft has agreed to make 'substantial' changes to its .Net Passport system, thus avoiding a possible fine for breaking EU data protection laws. The European Union's working party on data protection said on Thursday that Microsoft had promised to implement a "comprehensive package" of data protection measures, which will …

Software 31 Jan 2003, 08:31
Telewest signs PS2 online gaming network deal

Sony makes home gateway play

UK cable operator Telewest has signed a deal with Sony that will see the company working on the creation of a high-speed network to allow PS2 owners across Europe to play online games on their consoles. Telewest operates a large cable broadband network in the UK, and the new deal will see it forming a new subsidiary company - …

Personal 31 Jan 2003, 08:33
HP closes California server plant

MemoWatch Let's all move to Texas

HP is shutting down its server and storage plant in Roseville, California. All production is switched to Houston Texas, and 500 jobs are affected. However, only 25 jobs are actually cut. HP says it will give priority to all Roseville people wishing to move Houston. Don't think there will be too many, do you. Meanwhile, here is …

Servers 31 Jan 2003, 09:27
Dell cuts 180 jobs in Germany

When the going gets tough

Dell goes from strength to strength everywhere - except Germany. Even the mighty Dell is struggling in Europe's toughest PC market, where it accounts for a measly 5.9 per cent of shipments. Now the company is to cut 180 jobs, around a quarter of the payroll in Germany, by the end of September, FT Deutschland reports (by way of …

Personal 31 Jan 2003, 09:40
Govt needs to spruce up its Web sites

Research etc

The UK Government needs to improve the quality of its Web sites, according to new research by Keynote Systems. It analysed 35 sites and found that more than half were too cumbersome and slow-to-load for people accessing them with dial-up connections. Seven out of ten of the sites had problems associated with browser …

Hardware 31 Jan 2003, 09:49
Verizon fights on in RIAA ID case

This ISP is not for ratting

Verizon is to appeal against a US court ruling that it should reveal the identity of an Internet subscriber to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). As a first step, the firm yesterday filed a motion to stay the ruling. RIAA last week won a court order to obtain the name of a Verizon internet subscriber who was …

Music and Media 31 Jan 2003, 09:57
Reg reader reduced to online begging

Spare a few coppers, guvnor?

One lamentable effect of our recent piece on "college girl" Michel's attempts to raise $4,500 for a breast boost op has been to encourage other cash-strapped ne'er-do-wells to hit the web, begging bowl and dog-on-string at the ready. Yes, sitting huddled in the cyber shop doorway this week is Reg reader Jason, who emplores us …

Bootnotes 31 Jan 2003, 13:59
Pupil ‘suspended’ after he Asked f&%king Jeeves

Flame of the term

An Essex schoolboy is currently under police investigation after he sent an "extremely abusive email" to staff at search outfit Ask Jeeves. The 72-word rant contained a heavy sprinkling of expletives before ending with the threat of bodily harm. It seems, he was dissatisfied with the performance of the Ask Jeeves search engine …

Music and Media 31 Jan 2003, 14:01
‘Secure by design’, claims MS op-ed ad

Redmond declares war on BOFHs, everywhere

Quite by mistake, I bought the New York Times yesterday. I thought it was Paul Krugman day, but he wasn't there - his column doesn't appear on a Thursday. So there I am, creaking open the coffin lid of this newspaper - picture the scene if you will, imagine a bit of mid-afternoon San Francisco sunshine at a usually-windblown …

Software 31 Jan 2003, 14:30
Zetnet in ADSL promo

Free modem etc

Zetnet - which calls itself one of the longest established business-to-business ISPs in the UK - is now entering the domestic broadband market. The ISP - which has 60,000 customers - said improved service levels from BT had prompted it to make the move into providing a broadband service for consumers. As part of a promo offer …

Telecoms 31 Jan 2003, 14:31
UK ID card consultation ends today

Campaigners urge extension to 'bungled' consultation

The Home Office's consultation on its ID (aka Entitlement) Card proposals closes today, amidst complaints from privacy campaigners that the government has broken its own rules in canvassing opinions on its controversial plans. Human rights group Privacy International has lodged a complaint on the consultation process with the …

Music and Media 31 Jan 2003, 14:33
BT spin-off fashions itself into MS ISA Server boosters

Time is right this time, says Venation

A product that adds content distribution and Web acceleration to increase the appeal of Microsoft's Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server to enterprises was launched by BT spin-off Venation today. V-WEB, which is backed by a £7 million investment from Softbank and BT's corporate incubator Brightstar, is Venation's …

Servers 31 Jan 2003, 16:01