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29th March 2004 Archive

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  • Oracle pitches EC over Peoplesoft

    Mario Monti expected to go for the Double

    Oracle will this week try to reassure the European Commission that its proposed takeover of Peoplesoft will not reduce competition. Last month the Department of Justice began action to stop the merger, but the case is unlikely to be heard before July. The Commission is due to report on 11 May. Oracle is offering evidence in …

    Hardware 29 Mar 2004, 07:46

  • Facial ID as plain as the smile on your face

    Capture those laughter lines

    The way you smile could uniquely identify you, and provide a basis for new facial recognition technology. Physicists at Stony Brook University in New York have developed a facial recognition technique, which relies on the pattern of muscle movement beneath the skin, rather than matching surface characteristics. Traditional …

    Security 29 Mar 2004, 07:51

  • Logicalis flogs ANZ ops to IBM

    'Fertile ground'

    Logicalis, the networking reseller, has sold its Australian and New Zealand operations to IBM for AUS$88.5m (US$66m) in cash and repayment of loans. IBM said the acquisition will improve its networking consulting and integration business - "an area our clients have identified as fertile ground for business transformation …

    Channel 29 Mar 2004, 08:23

  • Newport Networks set for float

    Voice over IP: The new black

    Terry Matthews' latest company, Newport Networks, is to announce a flotation on AIM, London's junior stock exchange. The company makes session controllers - which telcos and carrier can use to bill Voice over IP (VoIP) calls. Matthews has invested £12.7m. Welsh-born Matthews was behind Mitel - a contraction of 'Mike and Terry' …

    Data Networking 29 Mar 2004, 08:29

  • BA prepares to flee opodo

    oh no, it's all woe for opodo

    British Airways is set to write off a £40m investment in flight booking website opodo. The site was set up by the nine big European airlines and BA has a 20 per cent stake in the company. BA will sell its stake to Amadeus, according to the Mail on Sunday. Opodo was a late arrival in the online travel business and racked up …

    Business 29 Mar 2004, 08:53

  • China agrees to US chip tax talks

    Chance to settled differences before WTO wades in

    China has agreed to discuss a complaint made against the tax rebates it offers local chip makers with US trade representatives. The move follows the filing of an official protest with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) just over a week ago. On Friday, seven days after the complaint was filed, China's Ministry of Commerce said …

    Channel 29 Mar 2004, 09:01

  • BT cable fire causes ‘extensive damage’ in Manchester

    130k homes and businesses without phone services

    More than 130,000 homes and businesses are without BT voice and data services this morning following a devastating fire in underground cable tunnels in Manchester. It's understood that the blaze broke out at around 2.00am this morning, causing "extensive damage". Fire crews are still at the scene dealing with the incident. BT …

    Data Networking 29 Mar 2004, 09:25

  • Betfair and FA deal on dodgy bets

    Bookies call in the ref...

    Betfair has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Football Association to counter dodgy gamblers exploiting its website. The deal gives the FA better access to customer information held on suspected customers, according to The Independent. The two will work together to counter illegal gambling. Betfair, and other …

    Music and Media 29 Mar 2004, 09:26

  • Powergen vs whistle-blower case adjourned

    All set for June

    A civil trial between Powergen and a customer who highlighted a serious breach in consumer security at the utility more than three years ago has been adjourned until 16 June. In a curious turn of events, Powergen is sueing against the whistle blower, John Chamberlain. Chamberlain earned the enmity of the British utility …

    Security 29 Mar 2004, 09:33

  • MCI appeals ancient EC decision

    Old battles, open wounds

    MCI, the telco formerly known as WorldCom, is appealing a decision by the European Commission which stopped it acquiring Sprint in 2000. MCI is taking the case to court in Luxembourg, according to Forbes. A panel of three judges will decide on the legality of the case. Mario Monti held a press conference to announce his …

    Business 29 Mar 2004, 09:37

  • Can AMD's Alchemy turn Wi-Fi into gold?

    Half-baked response to Centrino world domination

    AMD has begun to address Intel's almost total domination of the Wi-Fi market by launching a hotspot co-marketing scheme designed to promote its Alchemy WLAN chips. AMD will offer providers of free hotspots a listing in its forthcoming directory of free Wi-Fi locations - planned for the second quarter - in return for putting an …

    Wireless 29 Mar 2004, 10:17

  • Intel, Dell sued over SSE, HyperThreading

    Infringes our patents, claims plaintiff

    Dell and Intel found themselves on the receiving end of a lawsuit alleging patent infringement this past Friday, courtesy of media processor company MicroUnity Systems Engineering. MicroUnity alleges in a lawsuit filed with the US District Court in Marshall, Texas that certain Dell machines and Intel CPUs contain technology …

    Channel 29 Mar 2004, 10:21

  • Thus looks to profit in 2005

    Game of two halves

    Thus has issued an upbeat pre-close trading statement for the year ended 31 March. The Scottish telco claims a strong second half (H2) performance with turnover growth for the full year in the double digits and operating loss reduced by more than half. For the six months to the end of September 2003, turnover was up 10 per …

    Data Networking 29 Mar 2004, 10:33

  • LGA775 Pentium 4 slips ‘to ship June’

    Delayed a month, sources claim

    Intel's 775-pin version of its 90nm Pentium 4 processor - aka 'Prescott' - will not now appear in May but sometime during the following month. So say sources from within Taiwan's PC manufacturer community, according to DigiTimes. The shift to June represents shipments to system builders. Shipments to the distributors that …

    Channel 29 Mar 2004, 10:38

  • Glasgow hands THUS £42m comms deal

    Out with the old, in with the new

    THUS has won a £42m contract to upgrade and replace Glasgow City Council's (GCC) communications network infrastructure as part of the Access Glasgow program. The upgrade will make GCC's e-government services available to all Glasgow residents and businesses through Net-enabled public access kiosks, via home Net connections or …

    Business 29 Mar 2004, 10:40

  • ATI preps Radeon 9550, 9550 SE

    Low-end DirectX 9.0 performers

    ATI is preparing a low-end to mid-range DirectX 9.0 parts, the Radeon 9550 and 9550 SE, according to a number of Chinese websites, one of which even has pics of the part. HardSpell supplies a series of snaps of the chip mounted on an add-in card. According to the site, the 9550 is an under-clocked version of the Radeon 9600, …

    Channel 29 Mar 2004, 11:08

  • NASA scramjet hits Mach 7

    First successful flight of 'airframe integrated' device

    NASA scientists are delighted - and doubtless relieved - at the successful launch and testing of their X-43A scramjet vehicle on Saturday. The X-43A and its Pegasus booster rocket were released from a B-52 at 40,000ft. The booster carried the rocket to 95,000ft and, after successful separation of the two, the scramjet operated …

    Science 29 Mar 2004, 11:14

  • Telstra faces court over broadband price cuts

    Watchdog briefs lawyers as tensions escalate

    Australia's competition watchdog is gearing up for a legal battle against incumbent telco Telstra. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) confirmed that it is getting ready for court action, following an escalation of tension between the two sides. Earlier this month the ACCC ruled that Telstra is engaged in …

    Telecoms 29 Mar 2004, 11:14

  • Maths boffins secure $750,000 Abel prize

    Norwegians reward Index Theorem

    The second Abel Prize has been awarded to Michael Francis Atiyah and Isadore M. Singer for "their discovery and proof of the index theorem, bringing together topology, geometry and analysis, and their outstanding role in building new bridges between mathematics and theoretical physics". Atiyah, of the University of Edinburgh, …

    Science 29 Mar 2004, 11:16

  • How to hack a network in nine easy steps

    Proof of concept

    Grey hat hackers have released proof of concept code to exploit a wide variety of previously-announced security vulnerabilities to Cisco Systems' networking kit. The exploits highlight nine separate flaws involving its IOS software, routers and PIX firewall technology. It's relatively common to release proof of concept code …

    Security 29 Mar 2004, 11:18

  • Centrica mulls legal action over BT tariffs

    Maybe, maybe not

    Centrica is considering legal action over BT's decision to scrap its standard rate tariff. Communications watchdog Ofcom is already poring over the BT price changes to see if it should take action against the telco on competition grounds. Industry speculation is rife that the regulator could announce its next move by Wednesday …

    Business 29 Mar 2004, 11:27

  • Symbian falters in battle with Microsoft

    LG licences both OSes as Nokia, Ericsson and Sony slug it out

    The battle between Nokia and Microsoft to dominate the mobile operating system was thrown into sharp relief this week as both upgraded their software platforms. And LG Electronics - currently the dynamic player among the handset top five - licensed both systems. But if the best way for Symbian OS to fend off the challenge from …

    Mobile 29 Mar 2004, 11:30

  • AMD Athlon 64 FX-53

    Review Fastest desktop CPU yet?

    It was September 2003 when we last saw an Athlon 64 FX break cover. That was the much applauded, if slightly pricey 2.2GHz FX-51. The latest FX CPU from AMD is the FX-53, featuring an architecturally identical core to the FX-51 but running instead at a slightly faster core speed of 2.4GHz, writes Wayne Brooker. The FX range of …

    Reviews 29 Mar 2004, 11:41

  • Infinium Labs countersues HardOCP

    Nuclear weapons just a matter of time

    Florida-based broadband console proponent Infinium Labs has finally instigated a lawsuit against technology news website HardOCP in response to the latter's pre-emptive suit filed in Texas recently. The escalating legal battle is over a HardOCP article last September which profiled Infinium's CEO Tim Roberts and delved - in a …

    Consoles 29 Mar 2004, 12:08

  • Indian ‘Simputer’ to bridge digital divide

    Basic PDA will bring computing to masses

    In a nation where only nine in 1,000 people own a computer, a long-awaited device has finally been launched to bring the poor into the information age. The so-called Simputer, a device which has been discussed and hyped for three years, was finally launched last week in India with a price tag of slightly less than INR10,000 (€ …

    Mobile 29 Mar 2004, 12:27

  • Expedia buys Egencia

    Base for European corporates

    Expedia, the world's biggest online travel agent, is getting into the European corporate market with the acquisition of Egencia, a VC-backed French firm. Terms are undisclosed. Set up in 2000, Egencia has raised €20.4m in three finance rounds. Backers included Carlyle Europe Venture Partners et Crédit Lyonnais Private Equity. …

    Business 29 Mar 2004, 12:29

  • The integration market: survival of the fittest

    Too many firms fighting for slice of the pie?

    The future of the integration market remains an uncertain one, writes Bloor Research analyst Peter Abrahams. Using a fairly general definition of the beast to include messaging, adapters, BPM (business process management), BAM (business activity monitoring), and so forth, the concern is that there appear to be a very large …

    Hardware 29 Mar 2004, 12:53

  • MCI to axe 4,000 US jobs

    Fingers crossed for UK

    MCI, the company formerly known as Worldcom, is to axe 4,000 jobs in the US. WorldCom/MCI is to shut call centres in Denver Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; and Niles, Ohio, the telecoms companay said in a statement. It also plans to cut jobs at MCI/WorldCom centres in Alpharetta, Georgia; Colorado Springs, Colorado and Springfield …

    Business 29 Mar 2004, 13:10

  • UK, Oz album sales rise despite ‘Kazaa crisis’

    Analysis BPI, Aria economic with the actualité?

    The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the UK equivalent of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recently claimed that new research proves that illegal file-sharing is hitting labels' wallets hard. In a survey of 3667 members of the public aged between 12 and 74, 17.8 per cent said they had downloaded music. …

    Music and Media 29 Mar 2004, 13:14

  • South Korea slaps cuffs on Web satrist

    You're nicked, sonny

    A 21-year-old South Korean student has been arrested and charged with disseminating false information after he posted pictures on the Internet, poking fun at politicians. The authorities say the postings were contrary to their electoral law, which was recently amended to ban distribution of messages offensive to politicians …

    Music and Media 29 Mar 2004, 13:33

  • MYOB swoops on Solution 6

    Friendly takeover

    MYOB is scooping up Solution 6, a fellow Australian business software firm, in a share swap worth AUS$234m (US$175m). Solution 6 shareholders will end up with 33 per cent of the enlarged group. At the same time Solution 6 is selling off its US-based enterprise and consulting business to private equity firm Francisco Partners, …

    Hardware 29 Mar 2004, 13:35

  • Mobe-deprived teen attacks mother with knife

    Ma confiscates phone, girl goes ballistic

    A crazed 14-year-old girl from Hong Kong had to be subdued by police with pepper spray, after she attacked her dear old ma with a knife and wooden pole and chased her around their flat. This must rate as the Godzilla of all teen strops. The mother had - clearly ill-advisedly - decided to confiscate her daughter's mobile phone. …

    Mobile 29 Mar 2004, 13:38

  • Operators tout FreeMove ‘easy roaming’ alliance

    All roads lead to roam

    European mobile phone operators Orange, Telecom Italia Mobile, T-Mobile and Telefónica Móviles today pledged to co-operate and make roaming much easier for their 230 million customers worldwide - particularly as the industry starts to roll out commercial 3G services. Launched under the name 'FreeMove', the scheme is intended to …

    Mobile 29 Mar 2004, 13:45

  • Virgin Mobile 'preps £1.3bn float'

    Fallback option

    Everyone knows that Virgin Mobile will float. The only questions are: when and for how much? The Guardian today supplies the answers, courtesy of uncited sources: June and £1.3bn. The market capitalisation is ambitious, by far the biggest amount trailed to date for the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). Past analyst …

    Mobile 29 Mar 2004, 14:10

  • MS readies WinCE 5.0 preview

    Download in April, get the final release this summer

    Microsoft today said it will offer a preview release of its embedded operating system - now minus the .NET suffix - Windows CE 5.0. The software giant will be giving away copies of the Technology Preview Kit at electronics show Electronica USA today and will post the software on its website on 1 April. The final version of …

    Mobile 29 Mar 2004, 14:21

  • Former security czar morphs into Rasputin

    Opinion Messianic Mad Monk vs Bushies in the 9/11 three-ring circus

    National security emerged as the sole political trophy of this year's presidential campaign, after a brutal week of Washington infighting over a controversial book by former security czar Richard Clarke. First strike Last Sunday, Clarke rounded on the Bush administration during a segment on the popular CBS news programme 60 …

    Security 29 Mar 2004, 14:51

  • Goodmans touts home PC line-up

    Alba Group brings Net to consumers - again

    The Alba Group, the UK toasters-to-TVs maker, is to enter the PC market, offering a series of home-oriented machines under its Goodmans brand. The line comprises both desktops and notebooks, but all are pitched as high-performance home entertainment systems aimed at consumers "wanting more than a purely functional, standard ' …

    Channel 29 Mar 2004, 15:00

  • Bush promises universal broadband access

    An election year, perchance?

    George Bush wants all US citizens to have broadband Internet access by 2007. Speaking in Albuquerque on Friday, 26 March, the American president gave no details as to how this would be achieved. But he did say consumers need more choice. "It's important that we stay on the cutting edge of technological change, and one way to …

    Telecoms 29 Mar 2004, 15:16

  • UK small.biz is lousy at virus protection

    Hang your heads in shame

    Britain is the worst country at updating virus software - or the most honest when talking to researchers. Only 39 per cent of British small businesses update virus protection once a week, compared with 51 per cent of German companies and 73 per cent of Spanish companies. Some 20 per cent of respondents did not know that a virus …

    Small Biz 29 Mar 2004, 15:19

  • Campaigners fight biometric passports

    The face doesn't fit

    Civil liberties and privacy groups have launched a campaign against airline industry plans to create a massive international database of passport holders tied together with "flawed" biometric technology. A global biometric identity system being established on behalf of governments by the International Civil Aviation …

    Security 29 Mar 2004, 15:25

  • Nanotech buckyballs kill fish

    The grey goo cometh

    Scientists today announced research suggesting buckyball molecules can trigger organ damage in fish, raising fears over the safety of the technology. When added to aquarium water, the particles also devastated the population of Daphnia, the tiny water-fleas near the bottom of the food chain. The research was conducted on a …

    Science 29 Mar 2004, 15:30

  • BT fire disrupts emergency services

    Update on Manchester cable fire

    A major cable fire in Manchester has brought chaos to the region as emergency services struggle to cope with a communication blackout. According to the BBC, emergency services have been stretched after the fire damaged communication links. Greater Manchester Ambulance Service said it was struggling after the fire damaged its …

    Data Networking 29 Mar 2004, 15:39

  • NetSky-Q worm targets Kazaa and eDonkey

    Virus du jour has DDoS payload

    NetSky-Q, the latest worm in the ever-expanding NetSky series, is programmed to launch a DDoS on sites run by popular file-sharing services such as KaZaA and eDonkey from infected Windows PCs. NetSky-Q exploits the Microsoft iFrame vulnerability to execute itself automatically on vulnerable machines. The flaw, now three years …

    Malware 29 Mar 2004, 20:06

  • US Xbox price cut to $149

    North America first: rest of world next?

    Microsoft has slashed the price of the Xbox in America to $149 in a move which will take effect as of tomorrow, while certain evidence suggests that the cut may also be extended to other territories. The price of the Xbox will drop to CA$199.99 in Canada, marking a similar reduction to the US price cut, while a steeper drop …

    Consoles 29 Mar 2004, 20:20