1st December 2003 Archive

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World chip sales up 6.8% in October

Month on month

Global chip sales rose 6.8 per cent sequentially during October, hitting $15.43 billion, the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organisation (WSTS) has reported by way of the European Electronic Component Manufacturers Association (EECA). The figures, reported by Silicon Strategies, show year-to-date sales up 16.4 per cent on …

Channel 1 Dec 2003, 10:48
Dell Ireland touts PCs for €28 (yes, it was a mistake)

Hundreds place orders

A pricing blunder at Dell Ireland's online store led to it inadvertently selling PCs for €100 and less. In a statement, the company said that on Thursday (Nov 27), human error led to an incorrect price being posted on the Irish store, Dell.ie. One Dell Dimension system was featured, retailing at the incorrect price of €111.61. …

Channel 1 Dec 2003, 11:04
Intel to integrate Wi-Fi into next P4 chipset

Grantsdale to offer software access point

Intel will integrate Wi-Fi base-station technology into its upcoming 'Grantsdale' desktop PC chipset, the chip giant has revealed. Don't expect WLAN hardware to be included with the chipset. Intel's plan instead centres on bundling software that replicates the functionality of an access point when you have a internal PCI or …

Wireless 1 Dec 2003, 11:40
Customs swoop on £25m chips-to-gold VAT gang

12 arrests

Customs have arrested 12 people in an investigation into a multi-million missing VAT trader fraud. Some eighty Customs officers were involved in a series of raids on business premises on November 12 in the Midlands and South East. The arrested are accused of stealing £25 million from the public purse in a 25-day period in 2002 …

Channel 1 Dec 2003, 11:42
Wanadoo unveils Euro ad network

German, Italian partners

Wanadoo in France, Spain, Netherlands and the UK (Freeserve) has teamed up with Web.de (Germany) and Libero (Italy) to give advertisers access to some 30 million users and a billion page views a month. The new advertising network has already signed up Intercontinental Hotels and some tourist groups on the back of this deal. …

Business 1 Dec 2003, 11:46
Mobile phone driving ban comes into force

Fine, just fine

A ban on using hand-held mobile phones while driving comes into force in Britain today. Initially offenders will be subject to a £30 fine, which can be increased up to a maximum fine of £1000 if an offence goes to court. English and Welsh police forces say they will let drivers off with a warning for the next two months, but …

Mobile 1 Dec 2003, 11:55
ATI is waiting for PCI Express to launch Athlon 64 chipsets

RS480 and RX4800 to ship Q2/Q3 2004

ATI is indeed waiting for the arrival of PCI Express before launching chipsets for the AMD Athlon 64, if a recent Far Eastern AMD reseller presentation is anything to go by. ATI confirmed last week that it is "committed" to offering Athlon 64 chipsets. However, they're not going to appear for at least six months, ATI President …

Channel 1 Dec 2003, 12:02
AOL UK intros 1Mb service

Promo prices

AOL UK has cut the ribbon on its new 1Mb DSL broadband service. Several broadband customers trialled the higher-speed service for two months and AOL UK reckons the feedback has so far been positive. But at £34.99 a month, the new service costs more than some other 1Mb services on the market. To get that price, punters will …

Telecoms 1 Dec 2003, 12:23
Galileo satellite project under threat?

US military wants control

Galileo, the prestigious European satellite navigation system, is under threat by the US military, which wants to degrade its accuracy, according to the German TV news programme Tagesschau Galileo was to provide highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning services under civilian control. Talks are underway between the US …

Mobile 1 Dec 2003, 12:41
.name registry site hacked

Apache exploit causes embrassment

The website of the .name registry was hacked over the weekend through an Apache exploit. London-based Global Name Registry was updating its Apache and PHP system when hackers SUr00tIK & GroMx broke into the system and replaced the frontpage index file. The hackers didn’t manage to access the system and no data was lost, GNR’s …

Security 1 Dec 2003, 13:04
NHS wants another £2bn for IT mega project

And at least 7,000 more IT staff

The NHS wants another £2bn to pay for projects designated for its IT procurement programme, the FT reports It needs the extra money in 2006 and 2007 to meet obligations to suppliers, whose firm tender prices are coming in higher than expected. Richard Granger, NHS IT director, is negotiating with John Reid, health secretary, …

Business 1 Dec 2003, 13:23
The new HP is ready for its next test

Analysis Merged and moving on

After a wave of executive departures and a solid earnings report from HP, we're left wondering: "What has Carly done?" Over the past year, HP has axed tens of thousands of workers, trimmed product lines and lost hundreds of millions of dollars from anything not printing or inking. But the company seems to be moving at last into …

Business 1 Dec 2003, 13:31
T-Mobile buys world's fourth biggest Wi-Fi provider

Snaps up Metronet

T-Mobile's Austrian subsidiary has acquired Vienna-based Wi-Fi hotspot provider Metronet for an undisclosed sum. Founded in January 2002, Metronet has built up a significant network of over 300 802.11b access points in public sites throughout Austria. The largest wireless Internet access provider in Austria, Metronet also …

Wireless 1 Dec 2003, 13:39
Gametrac mobile console to ship for under £60

Exclusive Mobile networks subsidise price

On the basis of its web site, Gametrac Europe's kids-oriented handheld Windows CE .NET-based gaming console appears as much like vapourware as does Infinium Labs' still unlaunched Phantom. A few hi-res Wavefront or Maya renders and a noisy Flash presentation do not a real product make. However, Gametrac's parent, Tiger …

Personal 1 Dec 2003, 14:53
Platt back at the top – of Boeing

From HP and beyond

Former HP CEO Lew Platt has returned to the executive ranks, as part of a major shakeup at troubled Boeing Co. Boeing saw Chairman and CEO Phil Condit step down on Monday. Former top dog Harry Stonecipher will come out of retirement to take on roles as CEO and President, and Platt will become non-executive Chairman. Platt has …

Business 1 Dec 2003, 16:16
Critics turn a deaf ear to Blair's ‘Big Conversation’

More Monologue than dialogue

Labour Party plans to consult the country about issues and problems it would like the government to address have received a frosty initial reception. Launching the "Big Conversation" initiative in a visit to Newport, South Wales last Friday, Tony Blair said he wanted to engage the British public in shaping Labour Party policy …

Business 1 Dec 2003, 16:49