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20th March 2003 Archive

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  • Al Gore joins Apple

    Steve, meet my friend, Hilary

    Former Vice President Al Gore has joined the board of Apple, his first such position in the private sector. Gore is already "an avid Mac user and does his own video editing in Final Cut Pro," according to whoever wrote this press release. (The quote is attributed to Steve Jobs). He's already an advisor to Google. The …

    Personal 20 Mar 2003, 09:33

  • BT boss slams union over jobs-to-India

    Accuses CWU of 'distorting the true situation'

    BT Retail boss Pierre Danon has accused the Communications Workers Union (CWU) of "distorting the true situation" concerning the telco's move to open two new call centres in India. In a scathing attack coinciding with today's "Day of Protest" outside all 34 of BT's Operator Centres, Mr Danon blamed the CWU for being disruptive …

    Business 20 Mar 2003, 09:59

  • IEEE preps notebook battery standard

    Sooner the better

    International electronics standards organisation the IEEE is to draft a specification for rechargeable Lithium-based notebook batteries. If the draft becomes a standard, it will guarantee battery quality, reliability and safety. And about time too. Those of us who are notebook users know that batteries often fail to deliver …

    Personal 20 Mar 2003, 10:28

  • Micron touts first 4GB DDR DIMM

    More memory for all

    Memory maker Micron yesterday sent what it claims is the industry's first 4GB DDR SDRAM registered DIMM to Intel - presumably for verification and (it hopes) endorsement. The DIMM is based on Micron's 1Gb 2.5V 266MHz DDR chip. It is a standard 184-pin PC1600 and PC2100 memory module. The DIMMs enable system vendors to offer …

    Channel 20 Mar 2003, 10:50

  • Point! click! get! root! on! Yahoo!

    No user data compromised

    A simple scan for unpublished websites within Yahoo's Internet address space gave an unemployed and bored IT worker access to several of the portal company's internal systems, including root access inside the company firewall, the worker says. Yahoo URLs provided by the man routed to what appeared to be two unprotected Web- …

    Security 20 Mar 2003, 10:54

  • LEGATO releases NetWorker 7

    More platforms

    The battle of the storage software vendors jumped up a gear this week as LEGATO announced the release of LEGATO NetWorker 7, writes Tony Lock. NetWorker is one of the most widely recognised and deployed data protection tools and the new version release keeps LEGATO in the storage management battle with long time rivals CA, …

    Storage 20 Mar 2003, 10:55

  • Dixons to axe 350 HQ jobs – report

    Oh dear

    Dixons is to axe up to 350 jobs at its HQ in Hemel Hempstead, according to Ananova. The job losses are expected to hit the company's office staff and are not expected to impact its retail outlets. The high street electrical retailer has already begun consulting staff about the job cuts. No one from Dixons was available for …

    Channel 20 Mar 2003, 10:57

  • Brussels awards .eu domain to Brussels-based consortium

    EURid wins contest - European domain live hopefully this year

    The European Commission has awarded management of the new .eu top-level Internet domain to Brussels-based consortium EURid, bringing the seemingly endless quest for a dedicated European domain one step closer to reality. A draft of the decision has been leaked to ICANN observer Bret Fausett - who has posted it on his ICANN blog …

    Channel 20 Mar 2003, 10:57

  • Software sales start climbing again

    $76bn market in 2003

    Economic uncertainty and low business confidence in software spending are hurting software sales, but the sector will experience an upturn in 2003. The software industry is expected to return to positive growth this year after a poor 2002, according to research firm Dataquest. It forecast that the sector would have worldwide …

    Software 20 Mar 2003, 10:57

  • Lindows CEO attacks Intel's Centrino Linux lockout

    What air supplies did next?

    Intel is going through a major internal struggle over desktop Linux, and the pro-Microsoft marketing droids are currently winning, according to Lindows.com CEO Michael Robertson. As evidence, Robertson puts forward the lack of Linux support for Centrino, the mysterious blocking of his company's request to participate in an Intel …

    Software 20 Mar 2003, 11:00

  • Dell revamps PC recycling scheme

    Update All PR puff and no substance, claim campaigners

    Dell touted its eco-credentials yesterday when it announced it would pick up users' old computer equipment for $15 an item. In return, recyclers get up to ten per cent off their next software or peripheral purchase made through Dell. Dell Recycling - a more obvious name than 'Dell Exchange', which it replaces - will launch on …

    Personal 20 Mar 2003, 11:40

  • Bugs found in EU, US doesn't get blame. Yet.

    Bit old tech for them, we reckon...

    Bugs have been found in an EU building used by the council of ministers, and intended to host a meeting between Tony Blair French president Jacques Chirac tonight. It is not however clear who planted them and how long they've been there. The discovery of the bugs was reported in France's Le Figaro yesterday, but they were …

    Music and Media 20 Mar 2003, 11:41

  • Supanet offers 256kbs service

    Whatever

    Burnley based ISP Supanet has unveiled a 256kbs 'broadband' service costing less than £18 a month. Called Broadband Silver 256, the service is five-times faster than traditional dial-up services. As a special promo, those who sign up to 'Silver 256' will get a 512kbs service for six months before it is wound down to 256kbs. The …

    Telecoms 20 Mar 2003, 12:14

  • 3 UK gains 1-year repayment extension

    Smoothes network rollout

    3 UK has secured an agreement with lenders to finance the next stage of its 3G mobile network rollout. Under the terms, 3 UK has secured its "non-recourse financing through to March 2005", extending the current terms by one year. The facilities are provided by a consortium of 16 international banks, including ABN Amro, HSBC, …

    Mobile 20 Mar 2003, 12:58

  • Text message freezes Siemens 35 and 45 phones

    Patch available

    Users of Siemens 35 and 45 series phones have been warned of a bug which allows the handsets to be disabled by an incoming text message. The fault is linked to the enhanced messaging service technology in the phones. A correctly formatted incoming message can freeze the 35 series phone immediately and cause the 45 series to …

    Mobile 20 Mar 2003, 13:02

  • Reg Kit Watch

    Sony expands LCD monitor line

    Monitors Sony today said it plans to expand its LCD monitor range for business and home users with a new line of products. For the latter, it will offer the HS series comprising 15, 17 and 19in panels available in three colours: white, dark blue and grey. More conservative corporate buyers get plain panels, presumably. But the …

    Personal 20 Mar 2003, 13:03

  • NTL gets new COO

    Cooee

    NTL Inc has appointed former Orange CFO Simon Duffy as the cableco's new COO. Mr Duffy - who takes up his new position on April 1 - will be responsible for running the company's day-to-day operations and will be charged with ensuring the outfit heads towards "profitable growth". He'll report directly to CEO Barclay Knapp. …

    Telecoms 20 Mar 2003, 14:16

  • Only kidding? MS may ship Longhorn server after all

    Maybe less of an about face than it looks

    Microsoft senior VP for Windows Brian Valentine has brought a certain pleasing symmetry to Longhorn roadmapping by telling the good people at IDG that there may well be a server version of Windows Longhorn after all. This, says Computerworld, "despite claims to the contrary." Indeed, we have one of these claims quite handy, …

    Servers 20 Mar 2003, 15:05

  • Siemens offers ASP tech support for small businesses

    Solutions by numbers

    Siemens is looking to tap into the small business market with an office application package from its ASP division, Solution 1, designed specifically for businesses with between five and ten employees. Solution 1 Lite will provide the smallest of UK businesses with secure remote access email, a broadband connection, and the …

    Music and Media 20 Mar 2003, 15:18

  • 3Com teams up with Huawei

    What will Cisco do?

    Networking suppliers 3Com and Huawei Technologies yesterday announced a joint venture partnership in China to target the country's emerging networking equipment market. The joint venture, called 3Com-Huawei in English and Huawei-3Com in Chinese, will be based in Hong Kong with principal operations in Hangzhou, China. Huawei's …

    Data Networking 20 Mar 2003, 15:18

  • UK to get broadband co-ordinator

    Faceless bureaucrat

    The Government is to appoint a civil servant to take overall responsibility for coordinating the implementation of its broadband strategy. News of the new job was confirmed in the Government's response to the second annual report published by the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) late last year. The position will not be a …

    Telecoms 20 Mar 2003, 15:29

  • Terrorism: How do I protect myself at home?

    Shafts of wisdom from uk.gov

    Here is a new public safety announcement from the Home Office. As government web sites are supposedly under severe strain today (they appear no more sluggish than usual to us), Al Regizeera is doing its bit for the Home Front by publishing in full the British Government's advice on anti-terrorism measures for homeowners. So when …

    Bootnotes 20 Mar 2003, 16:08

  • Cisco snaps up Linksys in home networking assault

    Stake in ground

    Cisco Systems has made a major expansion into the home networking market with the acquisition today of Linksys in a $500 million all stock deal. Linksys makes a broad line of broadband access and wireless LAN products targeted at consumers and SOHO (small office/home office) users. Cisco said the acquisition represents its …

    Data Networking 20 Mar 2003, 16:10

  • The MS ‘friendly’ security alert service – just say d'oh

    A Register realtime evaluation

    Last month Microsoft introduced a security alert notification service for the masses, intended to be less frightening and confusing to normal people than the Technet advisories, and maybe giving them some advice as well. There have been a couple of security alerts under the bridge since then, so as a service to the readers we at …

    Security 20 Mar 2003, 16:12

  • Airstrike! The Pentagon simplifies media relations

    Freelances will be shot at

    Should war in the Gulf commence, the Pentagon proposes to take radical new steps in media relations - 'unauthorised' journalists will be shot at. Speaking on The Sunday Show on Ireland's RTE1 last Sunday veteran war reporter Kate Adie said she had been warned by a senior Pentagon official that uplinks, i.e. TV broadcasts or …

    Bootnotes 20 Mar 2003, 16:46

  • Stressmarks already as the Web goes to war

    A Register special report

    War and worries about terrorist attacks has put severe stress on government Web sites in the US and UK, reports Reuters. The US Army home page and the US Marines are said to be having trouble, while over on this side of the pond dubious advice about terrorism is sometimes unobtainable. This is of course to be expected - war …

    Bootnotes 20 Mar 2003, 16:46

  • US Irish in St Patrick's Day Iraqi banner outrage

    Common sense the first casualty of war

    They say that truth is the first casualty of war. Apparently not always. Common sense seems to have sustained a sucking chest wound in Gulf War II with the news that The New York Monaghan Association decided against carrying its traditional banner in the New York St Patrick's Day parade. For those readers unacquainted with …

    Bootnotes 20 Mar 2003, 17:04

  • Dial 999 for bomb advice

    Letters And Reg readers torment Siemens 35 user

    Reg Readers are a public-spirited and pedantic bunch at the best of times. But at the worst? Natural born saboteurs, as demonstrated by these letters, two on the Home Office's misleading advice to call 999 carried on its new anti-terrorist web site, and one from a Siemens 35 victim. I've just read your fine article on The …

    Letters 20 Mar 2003, 17:40

  • Minor glitch in Win2K patch

    Less serious than the disease

    A patch for a serious flaw in Windows 2000, which prompted a major Microsoft alert earlier this week, is causing problems for a small percentage of users. Applying the patch on top of earlier Win2K hot fixes can sometimes result in the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. The problem arises only for W2K SP2 machines which had …

    Security 20 Mar 2003, 21:42

  • EDS fires Dick Brown

    Short, not sweet

    It's what the Americans call an ouster: Dick Brown, EDS CEO and chairman has been removed from his posts at the troubled computer services giant with immediate effect. So does this mean the end of profit warnings and plunging share prices? We guess the next Q's results will resemble the Augean Stables - i.e. a lot of crap to …

    Business 20 Mar 2003, 23:04