The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

20th April 2004 Archive

Browse by publication date, or search the site.

  • CA makes nine workers remedial

    Still probing itself

    Computer Associates canned nine workers on Monday, as a result of an ongoing internal probe into the company's past financial practices. CA's Board of Director's Audit Committee axed four employees from its legal department and five from its finance department. The firings come as the committee gets close to wrapping up its …

    Financial News 20 Apr 2004, 03:39

  • Sun slashes Solaris x86 price for big buyers

    OS alive and cheap

    Sun Microsystems has taken another step toward turning the once forgotten Solaris x86 operating system into a money making venture with a new pricing scheme designed to attract Opteron and Xeon server customers to the software. Sun has started a volume licensing plan for Solaris x86 that includes discounts when customers buy …

    Servers 20 Apr 2004, 07:40

  • Digital River buys Element 5

    Takes out European rival

    Digital River is taking out European rival Element 5 in the nicest possible way. It is buying the privately-held German firm for $120m and may shell out another $2.5m for performance over two years. Funding for the deal is underpinned by a $45m secured credit line with Harris Trust and Savings Bank. Element 5 was Digital River' …

    Financial News 20 Apr 2004, 08:30

  • Microsoft smokes peace pipe with Minnesota plaintiffs

    We have a deal

    Microsoft has settled a class action suit filed by a group of seven Minnesota people and businesses. Lawyers are thrashing out terms, so there are no details of the settlement yet. Microsoft expects to make the detail public in early summer when the settlement is presented to the court for preliminary approval. The Minnesota …

    Operating Systems 20 Apr 2004, 08:55

  • PDA, smartphone sales rocket in Europe

    Nokia in the ascendant

    Europeans spent rather more on handheld mobile devices during the first three months of 2004 than they did in the same period a year ago. But while traditional PDAs - even those with wireless functionality - saw double-figure big year-on-year growth, it failed to match the increased interest buyers saw in smartphones, the latest …

    Mobile 20 Apr 2004, 09:23

  • AMD, Intel to meet in court — again

    Can EC anti-trust investigators view Intel files?

    Intel and AMD will face each other in the US Supreme Court today. AMD wants the court to force its arch-rival to hand over documentary evidence it considers vital for the European Commission's anti-trust investigation into the chip giant's behaviour. The documents - all 60,000 pages of them - were offered up by Intel during a …

    Channel 20 Apr 2004, 09:41

  • RIAA withdraws prosecution amnesty

    Will now just sue

    The Recording Industry Ass. of America (RIAA) will no longer offer an amnesty to online music sharers who confess to their crimes. So reveal papers filed with the US court last week in response to legal action brought against the RIAA, the Winona Daily News reports. The organisation, which represents the major music recording …

    Music and Media 20 Apr 2004, 10:03

  • Remote-access networks for small.biz

    US Robotics' USR808200

    The last thing that most small businesses want to spend time worrying about is IT, writes Bloor analyst Rob Bamforth. One area where complexity increases rapidly is networking, and remote-access networks only add further challenges. In larger companies it might be acceptable to find the right specialist, integrate the right …

    Small Biz 20 Apr 2004, 10:22

  • AMD to offer strained silicon chips

    Following Intel, IBM

    AMD has begun punching out 90nm Opterons from its Dresden fab, a company executive revealed this week. And it plans to introduce Intel-style strained silicon materials to its processors in due course. The chip maker will ship 90nm chips to customers next quarter, but according to Thomas Sonderman, an AMD director of …

    Channel 20 Apr 2004, 10:30

  • Tesco.com racks up increased profit

    Supermarket sweep

    Tesco.com, the ecommerce operation of the humongous UK supermarket chain, more than doubled its profit over the last year. The grocery delivery operation racked up a 29 per cent increase in sales, taking revenues to £577m. Profits also jumped from £12m to £28m last year - although these figures exclude start-up losses for its …

    Financial News 20 Apr 2004, 10:32

  • Intel bins 'Extreme' graphics name

    Welcome 'Graphics Media Accelerator'

    Ever wondered why Intel refuses to discuss the name of the third-generation of its Extreme family of integrated graphics engines, even though 'Extreme Graphics 3' is such an obvious candidate? Because it's dropping the name in favour of the more humdrum 'Graphics Media Accelerator', sources close to the company claim. Intel's …

    Channel 20 Apr 2004, 11:00

  • AMD Opteron 150, 250, 850 out in June

    Last 130nm parts?

    AMD will roll out Opteron 150, 250 and 850 chips running at 2.4GHz in June. So claim sources said to be familiar with the chip maker's roadmap, according to Xbit Labs. The 130nm Socket 940 parts will continue to support 333MHz and 400MHz DDR SDRAM on registered ECC DIMMs using their integrated dual-channel memory controller. …

    Servers 20 Apr 2004, 11:15

  • Definitive guide to C# at 30% off

    Site Offer And there's more...

    Is C# the biggest thing since Java? Simple yet modern, object oriented and type-safe - it offers the perfect answer to all your programming questions/dilemmas by combining the high productivity of Rapid Application Development languages such as VB with the raw power of C++. This week, The Reg bookshop gives you the insiders' …

    Site News 20 Apr 2004, 11:31

  • IBM seeks pot of gold in rainbow ThinkPads

    Targets female market

    IBM is to move away from its trademark black and offer ThinkPad notebook PCs in a variety of hues later this year. It's motivation: to seek out a broader audience for its machines. In short, it's chasing female buyers. According to Hank Horng, IBM Taiwan's head of personal systems, the all-black ThinkPads traditionally sell to …

    Channel 20 Apr 2004, 11:36

  • Man completes survey, wins £200

    Reg reader's happy ending

    Last week we asked for 250 UK-based Reg readers willing to complete a short survey for the chance to win 200 quid. A tough challenge, but no fewer than 1800 of you found the time to drag yourselves from obviously pressing work commitments and oblige. Sadly, there can be only one winner, and that man is none other than Chris …

    Site News 20 Apr 2004, 12:03

  • BOFH: Stuck on the 6.01999th floor

    Episode 12 System override

    BOFH 2004: Episode 12 "What do you mean, generic replacement?" I ask, thinking very unkind thoughts about the stores person. "It's a substitute... for the part you ordered." "It's not the same!" "According to the system it is!" the stores bloke burbles. "It's not!" "But the system says they're the same - it must be a …

    BOFH 20 Apr 2004, 12:04

  • Surrey Police raid child porn suspects

    Operation Ore continues

    Police searched 27 addresses in Surrey over the weekend as officers targeted people suspected of downloading child abuse images from the Net. Some 180 officers took part in the raids and seized 86 computer systems and more than 3,000 CD-ROMs and videos. These will now be examined to see if any charges are to be brought against …

    Music and Media 20 Apr 2004, 12:07

  • Europe demands open-to-all DRM tech

    In return for pan-European content licensing

    The European Commission this week said the market for digital content distribution will not amount to much until the multitude of DRM systems become interoperable and content licensing takes place on a Europe-wide basis. And it wants to see legislation to force the rules of the unified internal market on content licensing …

    Music and Media 20 Apr 2004, 12:23

  • Business needs guidance on desktop Linux

    Asking the wrong questions

    Businesses are asking the wrong questions when it comes to putting Linux on the desktop, according to Adam Jollans, Linux software marketing manager at IBM. Speaking today at the Linux User and Developer Conference at London Olympia, he said: "It's not Linux on the desktop or Linux not on the desktop. There are different …

    Applications 20 Apr 2004, 12:33

  • Plasmon buys Raidtec

    VCs take a bath

    Plasmon, the UK data storage firm is buying its technology partner, Cork-based Raidtec Corporation. Plasmon is paying €2.25m along with covering loan repayments of €2.86m. Eighty per cent of shareholders in Raidtec, which was founded in Cork in 1991 by Chairman Noel May, have undertaken to accept Plasmon's offer. Currently, it …

    Storage 20 Apr 2004, 12:44

  • Accessibility, jihad, spoofing

    Letters Lexicon of discontent

    Website accessiblity has proven a contentious issue. El Reg's postbag has been straining under the load of your comments after we reported on the DRC study that gave Net-bank Egg the thumbs up. In your story 'Website's Fail Disabled' I was horrified to see how poorly the online community was doing in supporting the needs of …

    Letters 20 Apr 2004, 12:44

  • Grand Unification Theory

    Data integration, Einstein style

    For those of you not up to speed with your physics, the grand unification theory is the idea that the four forces of nature - the weak and strong nuclear forces, electromagnetism and gravity - can all be explained by a single theory. To date, the set of equations that combines all of these (if it exists) has eluded scientists. …

    Applications 20 Apr 2004, 12:45

  • One third of email now spam

    Cost to business measured in millions

    The volume of spam received by business has doubled over the last two years and it's going to get worse. Analysts IDC reckons that spam represented 32 per cent of all email sent on an average day in North America in 2003, doubling from 2001. That figure is less than the 50 per cent or more junk mail statistic commonly cited by …

    Spam 20 Apr 2004, 12:48

  • Xerox moots roll-your-own monitor

    Flexible polythiophene semi-conductors

    Roll-up televisions and computer displays could soon be possible using new materials developed by Xerox. The company's Canadian research division says it can now create plastic circuits, using inkjet printing technology and semi-conductive ink. The technique can be used at low temperatures and in the open air, the company …

    Science 20 Apr 2004, 13:18

  • Napster's music licensing frustration

    UK distribution rights challenge

    Different content licensing regimes in different European countries is hampering Napster's attempts to set up over here, the company's parent confirmed today. Describing the European licensing process as "very challenging" and "a bit frustrating", Roxio CEO Chris Gorog said Napster still intends to launch "before the end of …

    Music and Media 20 Apr 2004, 13:29

  • Einstein probe launch delayed

    Weather worries cited

    The launch of the Gravity Probe B has been delayed for 24 hours because of concerns about the accuracy of the weather profile uploaded to the onboard computers. According to a statement on the NASA website a hold was called around three minutes before lift off. The launch team had noted what NASA describes as "marginal" wind …

    Science 20 Apr 2004, 14:30

  • Brits are crap at password security

    Here's my ID. Now can I have my chocolate egg?

    The British are blasé about keeping sensitive personal data confidential. More than 60 per cent of 100 people approached in the street by researchers were happy to give clues about the type of password they used (such as date of birth or family names) on online banking or ecommerce sites. Combine this with other information, …

    ID 20 Apr 2004, 14:31

  • MCI breaks free from Chapter 11

    'A tribute to the human spirit'

    MCI/WorldCom has formally emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today after spending the last two years clearing up the mess left behind from a damaging accounting scandal. The US telco has now formally ditched the tainted name of WorldCom and is now known as MCI, Inc. Over the last two years the WorldCom name has been …

    Telecoms 20 Apr 2004, 14:36

  • Novell eats own dog food, moves to Linux on desktop

    Questions. Questions

    IT departments need to be looking seriously at Linux for desktops now - or risk problems within two years. Christian Schlaeger, VP of R&D at Novell subsidiary Suse Linux, speaking at the Linux User and Developer Expo at London Olympia, said: "There's no standard migration, but if you're not in pilot now you'll have problems in …

    Applications 20 Apr 2004, 15:20

  • Meet NetSky-X, the Babel Fish worm

    Windows malware mangles nine languages

    NetSky-X, the latest in the ever-expanding series of pesky computer worms, displays a dalliance with foreign languages previously unknown among virus writers. The latest Windows-only nuisance - discovered today - sends messages in either English, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Italian, French or German. The " …

    Malware 20 Apr 2004, 15:37

  • Amazon.com tiptoes into search arena

    Quiet challenge to Google et al

    Online retailer Amazon.com is the latest company to join the crowded ranks of the web search engine market dominated by the likes of Google and Yahoo. The company is gradually changing from an online retailer to a web technology vendor, but its ambitions on the wider search market remain to be seen. Amazon's California-based …

    Financial News 20 Apr 2004, 16:04

  • Pipex pipes-up with 150k DSL

    Name that tune

    UK ISP Pipex has cut the ribbon on a new entry-level ADSL service that costs about the same as many dial-up services. The PIPEX Xtreme Solo 150k service costs £15.99 a month and has no bandwidth restrictions. It also includes a free ADSL modem and free line set up. Pipex chief exe Mike Read, said the product has been " …

    Telecoms 20 Apr 2004, 16:09

  • Birth of the Evil Empire? Snapshots from billg's early days

    Court archive tells of how the Win was won

    Microsoft's settlement (on terms which have yet to be specified) of the Minnesota overcharging lawsuit means that some very interesting evidence that was to be presented at the trial will now, as we say in the Wonderful World of Disney, go back into the vaults for another generation. We'd be the last to suggest that Microsoft is …

    Software 20 Apr 2004, 16:49

  • Networks gang up on Nokia

    Phone specifications R'Us

    As if Nokia CEO Jorma Ollila didn't have enough to worry about already, European networks are teaming up to design mobile phones. It's a challenge not just to Nokia, but to the current consensus-driven standards process. Orange, mmO2, Telefonica, T-Mobile and Vodafone are talking about agreeing reference specifications to …

    Mobile 20 Apr 2004, 18:50

  • 'Expect to be fired' says AT&T Wireless' Mr. Motivator

    Offshore stampede

    A botched software project cost AT&T Wireless $100m in lost business, according to a post mortem by CIO magazine. But the magazine also points to outsourcing as a factor: as IT staff struggled to fix the buggy software, the company's CIO - an offshoring evangelist - motivated them by telling them that their jobs were about to …

    Mobile 20 Apr 2004, 18:51

  • Sun has a 'depth charge' under every body

    Working in fear

    Sun Microsystems has turned to very drastic measures to inspire worker productivity at the company, according to a CRN interview. Sun recently fired 3,500 workers and made a series of changes within its executive ranks. But, if anyone inside Sun thought their job was safe for now, CEO Scott McNealy has delivered a shocking …

    Bootnotes 20 Apr 2004, 18:52