3rd December 2003 Archive

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MP3.com archive is destroyed

No joy for Robertson

Michael Robertson's attempts to save the million-song music archive of the company he founded, MP3.com, appear to have been unsuccessful. The MP3.com domain was bought by CNET, and Vivendi Universal had warned that the plug would be pulled. "I had no luck in buying the content, paying for the content to be backed up or …

Music and Media 3 Dec 2003, 02:32
Where is the perfect phone UI?

Keeping Clippy the Paper Clip at bay

Marc Andressen must fly in the same elliptical orbit as our favorite socialite here, Esther Dyson. Earlier this year he claimed that browser innovation was dead. Actually, there's no shortage of innovation on mobile browsers, and Opera, OpenWave and Picsel have all shown or published some terrific software this year for phones …

Mobile 3 Dec 2003, 04:30
Sony Ericsson P900 smartphone

Reg Review The P800 updated at last

Visually stunning, the Sony Ericsson P900 smartphone is a redesigned version of its predecessor, the P800, which built up an enthusiastic following. It's a GSM/GPRS - alas, not EDGE - video/camera phone that runs the UIQ flavor of Symbian applications, and has removable storage. It looks like a regular candy bar phone, but …

Reviews 3 Dec 2003, 04:35
Altiris makes Wise move in patch management

$43m deal

Asset management vendor Altiris is beefing up its security patch management portfolio with the acquisition of Wise Solutions for $43 million in cash and stock With Wise under its belt, Alitiris also adds improved software delivery and software packaging to its IT lifecycle management products. Altiris estimates that security …

Security 3 Dec 2003, 09:18
‘Anonymous’ P2P users busted in Japan

Uncloaked

Japanese police have arrested two users of a supposedly anonymous file-sharing network. Investigators also raided the home of the developer of a software application, called "Winny", used by the duo in a unsuccessful attempt to shield their identity. The arrested pair are suspected of using the Winny P2P network to distribute …

Music and Media 3 Dec 2003, 09:22
IT outsourcing: manufacturers concentrate on service

To compete with offshore rivals

Western manufacturers, long used to outsourcing production itself, have begun focusing on service delivery to compete with cheaper offshore rivals. However, services are complex to co-ordinate and maintain, and manufacturers, who often lack the skills to do so, are outsourcing this to IT specialists to a growing extent. The …

Hardware 3 Dec 2003, 09:24
A plague on all our networks

Attacks on the up, as clean-up costs soar

The number of attacks on UK networks is soaring, with even the smallest firms facing an average 500 assaults each month from viruses, worms and denial of service attempts. Seventy per cent of the 50 small firms taking part in a six-month study experienced 1,500 attacks or more over a two week period in August. This peak is …

Security 3 Dec 2003, 09:31
3 Italia: one million subscriber target ‘postponed’

Supply problems

3 Italia CEO Vincenzo Novari has been quoted in an interview with Borsa e Finanza business weekly admitting; "our one million client target by the end of March may be postponed by several weeks". He then went on to add "we blame a strong delay in deliveries from NEC, while we see a growth in demand and a perfect technical …

Mobile 3 Dec 2003, 09:31
The Cloud enables SIM-based hotspot access

Pitching for enterprise guest Net access, too

Wi-Fi wholesaler The Cloud has introduced SIM-based authentication to its network over 3000 hotspots. Essentially, the scheme allows mobile phone operators to provide their customers with Wi-Fi Internet access using phone SIM cards for identification rather than the usual username and password combo. Networks can offer …

Wireless 3 Dec 2003, 11:25
Virgin.net blocks new broadband punters

Existing punters asked to 'go easy'

Virgin.net has stopped accepting new broadband customers because its service is being strangled by ongoing problems. The decision to halt sign-ups until the middle of the month is just one of a number of "precautionary" decisions the ISP has taken to resolve what it admits is a "deterioration in service". As well as halting …

Telecoms 3 Dec 2003, 11:28
Intel to narrow Q4 sales forecast – analyst

To the top end of its previous range, at that

Pacific Crest Securities analyst Michael McConnell expects Intel to say that it anticipates its Q4 sales will come in toward the higher end of the $8.1-8.7 billion range the chip giant set after announcing its Q3 figures last October. Intel will publish its mid-quarter report tomorrow. It will announce that it now expects sales …

Channel 3 Dec 2003, 12:13
ATI's shift to 32-bit precision close, says company chief

But forget about 64-bit

ATI graphics processors will offer 32-bit pixel shader precision "pretty soon", the company's president and COO, Dave Orton, said last week. Interviewed by Japan's PC Watch, Orton said that the company has "no intention" of sticking with 24-bit precision, as delivered by its current high-end chips. That, claims Xbit Labs, …

Channel 3 Dec 2003, 12:15
Sun speeds low-end with UltraSparc, AMD kit

Linux desktop moves, too

After defending Sun Microsystems' relevancy in the US over the past year, Sun Chief Scott McNealy has turned to Europe for the latest "we matter" pitch. McNealy today kicked off Sun's first ever major European product launch event, in Berlin, showing a sampling of new product and hoping to persuade a region that accounts for …

Servers 3 Dec 2003, 13:14
HP preps online music store

Carly to leap into mosh pit

Where Dell walks, HP will not fear to tread. Where Apple goes too, for that matter. The PC giant is planning to launch its own online music service. So says HP online shopping chief, Peter Appl, in a Reuters interview. HP may launch the service next month at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show. A dedicated portable music …

Music and Media 3 Dec 2003, 13:19
Sony drops PSX features to meet Xmas launch date

Slower DVD writing, fewer media formats supported

A number of features have been dropped from the original specification of the PSX home media centre - a move which Sony claims is necessary in order to launch the system before Christmas. The PSX, which is set to launch in Japan on 13 December, features DVD playback and recording abilities, a hard drive video recorder, a …

Personal 3 Dec 2003, 13:34
The end of the Wireless access point?

Pctel infects the network

Despite today's Wi-Fi Planet show hype, the Pctel plan to turn all wireless PCs into access points isn't the only way of doing this: Cirond's SoftAP bundle was announced in May, and that let you do it yourself. What makes the Pctel product, the Segue Soft Access Module (SAM) different, is the way the company plans to sell it - …

Mobile 3 Dec 2003, 13:44
Asus Radeon 9800XT/TVD

Review Asus' strong ATI debut

Since ATI stole the limelight from Nvidia last year with its Radeon 9700, it's Nvidia that has been playing the underdog in the 3D race, a role that ATI was quite happy to relinquish. With the Radeon 9800 Pro keeping ATI at the cutting edge this year, Nvidia has recently attempted to regain the lead with its GeForce FX 5950. But …

Reviews 3 Dec 2003, 13:57
iPass aggregates Swisscom hotspots

Busily testing access points

European Wi-Fi network Swisscom Eurospot will add its 1500 hotspots to remote access provider iPass' aggregated network, the duo announced today. So far only 200 or so Swisscom sites have received the iPass stamp of approval, following testing with a range of VPN clients and connectivity quality checks. Swisscom operates in …

Wireless 3 Dec 2003, 14:21
Security rivals settle patent dispute

Happy finish

ActivCard and Vasco Data Security International today announced the settlement of a patent infringement lawsuit centring on Vasco’s Digipass authentication products. ActivCard claimed in a federal lawsuit filed in Delaware that Vasco had infringed two of its patents during the design of Digipass. The agreement dismisses the …

Security 3 Dec 2003, 14:24
Tiscali shuts forums following ‘racist’ complaints

ISPA involved as allegations fly

Tiscali UK has closed its news forum after receiving complaints from a "small number" of users concerning the posting of allegedly racist comments. The ISP denies that pulling the plug was an over-reaction. It told The Register: "Tiscali has temporarily suspended its news forums whilst it investigates complaints about postings …

Telecoms 3 Dec 2003, 14:27
BT Exact: going further offshore

Next phase of outsourcing strategy

BT Exact, the technical services division of the UK's incumbent telco, has outsourced more than 200 applications to India during the last ten years. The company is now taking its offshore strategy to the next phase, collaborating more closely with its Indian suppliers and setting up policies to force its managers to shift more …

Business 3 Dec 2003, 14:40
ATI offers money back FireGL trade-in temptation

Up to $85 off when you hand in your old card

ATI has begun dangling the carrot of discounted upgrades on high end graphics cards in front of workstation users in a bid to persuade them to back its FireGL product line. The company today announced "an instant rebate" for customers trading in older workstation-oriented graphics cards, including products from ATI itself. Said …

Personal 3 Dec 2003, 14:41
Sun's McNealy hit with venom from European vipers

We want profits now!

Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy received a healthy dose of European skepticism today, as a vigilant press corps pushed hard for the executive to say when his company will be back in the black. In the U.S., it's typically the analyst community that goes for Sun's jugular. The Yankee press is best at digging on product specs …

Servers 3 Dec 2003, 15:57
Heavy squalls of blended worms to hit next year

Windows malware sweeps 2003 viral charts

Net users can expect a growth in attacks of Unix systems next year, not to mention more Blaster-style worms capable of infecting computers without using email. The growing trend of virus writers and spammers apparently working together (evidenced by worms like Sobig and Mimail) can also be expected to continue into 2004, …

Anti-Virus 3 Dec 2003, 16:04
Sybase comes to Mickey Mouse’s rescue

John Chen named as new Disney board member

The CEO, chairman and president of Sybase, John Chen, has been named as the new board member of Disney to replace Stanley Gold who quit the Board in acrimony yesterday. Mr Chen has been swiftly named to help bolster the monster company behind Mickey Mouse, DisneyWorld et al and present the vision of a board independent from …

Business 3 Dec 2003, 16:37