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11th May 2004 Archive

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  • US.biz practicing Homeland inSecurity

    More honoured in the breach...

    US businesses are failing to support safe computing advice from the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security's National Infrastructure Protection Centre (NIPC) issued Seven Simple Computer Security Tips in 2002. Two years on, a survey of 111 enterprise IT managers commissioned by Secure Computing …

    Security 11 May 2004, 07:37

  • Europe space shuttle passes first test

    Lands safely

    The European Space Agency (ESA) has succesfully landed its prototype unmanned shuttle, Phoenix. The ESA hopes Phoenix will halve the cost of commercial satellite launches, and prove a useful money spinner for the agency. The test flight took place in Sweden this Saturday. Phoenix, seven metres long and with a wingspan of four …

    Science 11 May 2004, 07:47

  • Sun saves $315m by not expensing options

    Safety in numbers

    Sun Microsystems has long opposed expensing stock options and a recent regulatory filing shows one reason why. Sun's third quarter loss of $670m would have been 26 per cent wider if it had expensed options given to employees, according to a quarterly filing with the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). Sun puts its …

    Financial News 11 May 2004, 07:49

  • Intel smiles on Dothan

    Painless as possible

    The first iteration of the Centrino processor will continue to be manufactured and supported, Intel said at the launch of its speed-bumped successor Dothan in San Francisco today. The company expects Banias to be phased out by early next year. However Intel has made the transition to Dothan as painless as possible: the three …

    Channel 11 May 2004, 07:55

  • China snubs US with 3G phone 'wonderchip'

    Truce over

    When China signed an agreement with the US Trade Department to drop two important home-grown wireless technologies last month, cynics wondered how long the agreement would last. Now we have an answer: about two weeks. The PRC had bowed to intense lobbying pressure and agreed not to develop its WAPI 802.11 encryption, and a 3G …

    Mobile 11 May 2004, 08:17

  • Infineon hires CEO from tyre maker

    From rubber to silicon

    Infineon has confirmed that it has chosen one Wolfgang Ziebart to run the company in place of ex-CEO Ulrich Schumacher, who quit the memory maker abruptly last March. Ziebart is currently deputy chairman at tyre maker Continental, but he does have some connections with the chip business courtesy of his work with the company's …

    Financial News 11 May 2004, 08:42

  • AMD sneaks out 90nm core in 130nm chip

    The 'Odessa' file

    AMD's 'Odessa' chip, originally planned to be the company's first 90nm mobile part, has come to market early, it has emerged. But AMD watchers hoping for an early release of the chip maker's next-generation fabrication technology will be disappointed: Odessa is now a 130nm part. AMD's public roadmap currently calls for Odessa …

    Channel 11 May 2004, 08:57

  • European Council snubs software patent vote

    De-fanged directive

    The EU software patents directive is back, with all of the parliamentary amendments stripped out, provoking speculation that Europe will soon find itself in a US-style patenting arms race. The document which emerged after months of deliberation behind closed doors has drawn harsh criticism from lobby groups who see software …

    Developer 11 May 2004, 09:10

  • EA and MS deal for online gaming

    Differences patched up...

    Microsoft and Electronic Arts are patching up their differences through a deal which will see EA games played online through the XBox Live service. The service launched in November 2002 but EA had doubts about the revenue-sharing model. The service also had to be run on Microsoft-controlled servers and EA appears to have had …

    Consoles 11 May 2004, 09:15

  • Lottery scams new flavour of the month

    Forget phishing

    Lottery scam emails are increasing at an alarming rate, according to Fraudwatch International, the Australian website that protects consumers from identify theft. Last month FraudWatch International received over 1000 variations, double the number of phishing email scams. Consumers are paying big dollars to have their bogus …

    Security 11 May 2004, 09:17

  • Linux Programming by Example

    Site Offer 30% off hands-on guide

    Programmers know that the best way to learn about programming is to study well-written programs. Linux Programming by Example introduces new Linux programmers to the core Linux programming interfaces in a gradual, consistent fashion, progressing intuitively from the basic to the more complex. Written by the best-selling author …

    Site News 11 May 2004, 09:20

  • Nvidia brings hardware firewall to Athlon XP rigs

    nForce 2 upgrade

    Nvidia has upgraded its AMD Athlon XP-oriented chipset, the nForce 2, to add a Gigabit Ethernet interface to the product, RAID and a TCP/IP packet processing core the company is pitching as a "hardware-optimised firewall security solution". The new chipset, the nForce 2 Ultra 400Gb, now features its own, on-board Gigabit …

    Channel 11 May 2004, 09:28

  • Rambus offers DDR controller cores

    DDR, GDDR and - surprise - XDR support

    Rambus yesterday began shipping a series of DDR SDRAM memory controller designs pitched a chip designers who want to build the technology into their own processor cores. In addition to DDR, the Rambus "interface and physical layer cells" support DDR 2 up to 800MHz, along with GDDR 1, 2 and 3 at up to 1.6GHz. Crucially, the …

    Channel 11 May 2004, 09:42

  • Vodafone looks beyond 3G

    Boss calls for new standards

    Vodafone chief executive Arun Sarin has called on the mobile industry to come together and build standards to take it beyond 3G. He warned that competing technologies would slow network growth, increase costs and damage the industry. The comments come as Vodafone rolls out its 3G network in Japan. The company is using W-CDMA …

    Mobile 11 May 2004, 10:25

  • Openwave buys Magic4

    UK mobile data outfit gets the message

    Mobile data company Openwave has acquired UK messaging specialist Magic4 for $82.6m. The company will buy all outstanding shares in the private business and integrate its product into its client software. The price will be paid in a mixture of shares and cash, the exact mix to be decided by Openwave before the deal closes. If …

    Financial News 11 May 2004, 10:35

  • MCI to axe 7,500 jobs

    Blames 'adverse industry environment'

    MCI - formerly known as WorldCom - is to axe 7,500 jobs as it struggles to make its way in an "adverse industry environment". This latest round of job losses comes just six weeks after the global communications outfit revealed plans to erase 4,000 jobs from its operation. News of the job losses came as the company reported its …

    Management 11 May 2004, 10:35

  • Sage results solid

    More customers, more cash

    Newcastle-based accounts giant Sage increased profits by 17 per cent in the first half of the year. Pre-tax profits were £86.7m for the six months ended 31 March, up from £51.2m for the same period last year. Turnover grew by 23 per cent from £270m to £332.5m. Sage added 146,000 new customers in the period and gained another …

    Financial News 11 May 2004, 10:38

  • NHS rolls out digital X-rays

    Should speed diagnosis

    NHS staff will soon be able to email patient scans and X-rays between departments and institutions. As part of the £6bn National Programme for IT (NPfIT), the NHS is rolling out a digital picture archiving and communications system (PACS). The goal is to cut waiting time between scans and diagnosis, helping medical staff treat …

    Data Networking 11 May 2004, 11:22

  • Sasser copycats get busy

    Saga continues with Sasser-F and Cycle-A

    Copycat virus authors have released a pair of worms targeted at the same vulnerability in Microsoft's operating system exploited by the infamous Sasser worm. Undeterred by the arrest of Swen Jaschan in Germany last Friday, coders have released a new Sasser variant (Sasser-F) and the first worm in a new strain, Cycle-A. Both …

    Security 11 May 2004, 11:32

  • Erkki speaks on mobile regulations

    EC turns 'scope on football rights, and more

    Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society, spoke about the European Union's plans for mobile regulation at the IFT World Mobile Communications Conference in London. He pointed out the success of European telecoms and particularly mobile technology compared to the US. Liikanen believes the …

    Mobile 11 May 2004, 11:32

  • Gateway loss widens as patent lawsuit fund grows

    Deal with HP in the offing?

    Legal costs knocked a further $6m off Gateway's bottom line, widening its Q1 loss to $172m (51 cents a share), the PC maker announced today. The company stuck with the preliminary revenue figure it put out at the end of April. It made $868m in the three months to 31 March 2004, less than percentage point down on the $875m it …

    Financial News 11 May 2004, 11:51

  • Porn scamster jailed for 11 years

    Biggest Net fraud ever, apparently

    The man behind what has been described as the largest Internet fraud ever has finally been sentenced to more than 11 years behind bars. Kenneth Taves, 52 - who ran a porno website - netted a whopping $38m (£21m) in unauthorised credit card charges after "signing up" some 900,000 punters to his XXXX service. The scam only came …

    Media 11 May 2004, 12:00

  • Infinium to launch $199 Athlon XP console 18 Nov

    Free with subscription

    Infinium Labs will finally launch its long-awaited broadband-based online gaming service on 18 November, the company said today. And it will attempt to attract punters by offering free consoles to anyone who coughs up for a two-year subscription to the service. Both console and service are called Phantom, and many observers …

    Consoles 11 May 2004, 12:10

  • Sony unveils colour 'iPod killer'

    Reg Kit Watch Music and photos on the move

    Declaring the barrier between the PC and the AV worlds officially broken, Sony yesterday extended its Vaio brand of computers to include a digital music player. The Vaio Pocket VGF-AP1 contains a 20GB hard drive, and also marks a major shift in Sony's portable music strategy, which to date has centred on solid-state and …

    Mobile 11 May 2004, 12:46

  • European workers take to the streets

    Mobile technology aids escape from office routine

    Traditional office hours are becoming irrelevant, as European execs adopt a more mobile work culture. A study conducted for Intel by the Economist Intelligence Unit found that the vast majority (74 per cent) think the nine-to-five-routine is no longer relevant, and are as productive working outside the office as they are in it. …

    Mobile 11 May 2004, 12:48

  • DHS and UK ID card biometric vendor in false ID lawsuit

    Right fingerprints, wrong felony and murder rap

    At San Jose Superior Court today (11 May) biometrics company Identix will seek to have a product liability and slander lawsuit against it and the States of California and Oregon dismissed. Plaintiffs Roger Benson and Miguel Espinoza are seeking restitution for the damage inflicted on them by duplication in police records which …

    Media 11 May 2004, 12:50

  • Official Nintendo DS console pic appears on Web

    Dual-screen Gameboy in all its glory

    Nintendo's new handheld games console will ship in the Autumn, the company will announce today. However, the videogame pioneer couldn't wait to see its new baby in print, so offered the story early to USA Today, which dutifully announced the spec. Don't forget: Sony may launch the PlayStation Portable this week, too. The …

    Consoles 11 May 2004, 13:14

  • Nvidia ships TV, PVR cards to US, Europe

    Personal Cinema on your PC

    Nvidia has launched its latest alternative to arch-rival ATI's All-in-Wonder series of graphics cards, this one based on its GeForce FX 5700 graphics chip. The Personal Cinema FX 5700 essentially combines the usual 3D graphics technology with a software bundle pitched at more video-oriented users than the gamers the company's …

    Channel 11 May 2004, 13:34

  • IT suppliers survey - your votes count

    Another pulse check on the IT barometer

    Reg Reader Studies is once again asking for readers' help in taking the pulse of the IT barometer, and this time it's all about suppliers. All you have to do is complete the questionnaire below, and hit the "Submit Survey" button. And don't panic if you're hard-pressed for time: this exercise is considerably shorter (at 19 …

    Tech Panel 11 May 2004, 13:47

  • Dream Direct warns on profits

    Pesky postmen to blame...

    Mail-order software firm Dream Direct Group saw its shares fall 18 per cent this morning on news that it will miss profit targets. The company said losses were likely to be £750,000 rather than £450,000 previously predicted. It says it has extended its overdraft until January 2005. Dream Direct sells a wide-range of shrink- …

    Channel 11 May 2004, 13:55

  • Talking capacitors could blab to code breakers

    Motherboard clues to private encryption keys

    Crypto Boffins - led by Adi Shamir of RSA fame - are investigating whether it might be possible to gain valuable clues about private encryption keys simply by listening to a targeted computer. The sounds made by capacitors on motherboards might, in theory, give attackers code-breaking clues in much the same way electro-magnetic …

    Security 11 May 2004, 14:06

  • MS spells it out: pirates can, can't install WinXP Sp2

    That's cleared things up then

    Fresh from killing off, then swiftly reviving, NGSCB/Palladium, Microsoft appears to be going for the double with an about-face on WinXP SP2 for pirates. Last week the company seemed to be giving the impression that altruism had triumphed over righteous indignation, today, it is denying it. But not, as far as we can see, …

    Business 11 May 2004, 14:42

  • Chinese make beautiful spam music

    Ode to perlite - wonder material

    We are delighted to announce this afternoon that after around four years of trying, we have finally managed to get the word "perlite" onto El Reg - no mean feat, to be sure. Any reader not familiar with perlite is pointed in the direction of the Perlite Institute which has published a handy guide (PDF) fanfaring perlite as "the …

    Bootnotes 11 May 2004, 14:50

  • EU broadband growth outpaces US

    Need to 'maintain momentum'

    The growth of broadband in Europe is outpacing the take-up of high-speed Net access in the US, according to report out by the EU. In the year to January the number of people and businesses accessing the Internet at high speed grew by more than 80 per cent. And according to Eurocrats, the fastest adoption of broadband has been …

    Broadband 11 May 2004, 15:03

  • Brocade burrows into IBM blades

    Plugged in and switched on

    Starting next month, Brocade switches will sit alongside those of Cisco as networking options for IBM's blade servers. Brocade today announced that it will certify a lower-end switch for small and medium-sized business and a higher-end product with IBM's BladeCenter product. IBM made a similar arrangement last month with Cisco …

    Servers 11 May 2004, 15:55

  • UK gov planning switch to e-voting for 2007?

    Pop Idol factor beats security, claims report

    Despite a fairly wide-ranging 'not ready for prime-time' verdict on electronic voting pilots last year, the UK Government looks set to press ahead with plans for its general introduction in elections from 2007 on. A report over the weekend claimed that e-voting would be part of a "wide-ranging electoral reform bill" to be put …

    Policy 11 May 2004, 18:02

  • Steady Cisco posts strong Q3 results

    Sales on the up and up

    Cisco Systems enjoyed strong sales across the board in its third quarter, as it churned out a 22 percent year-over-year revenue gain. Cisco posted $5.6bn in revenue for the quarter compared to $4.6bn in the same period a year ago. Net income for this year's third quarter hit $1.2bn - an increase over the $987m reported in 2003 …

    Financial News 11 May 2004, 21:12

  • Novell opens GPL bridge to MS Exchange

    But Redmond dues still payable

    Novell has open sourced Ximian's Connector product which allows Linux clients to access some features of Microsoft's Exchange Server. Ximian had previously sold the software under a closed, pay-for license. As of Friday, it will be downloadable under the GPL, and Novell says it will integrate the Connector into version 2.0 of …

    Servers 11 May 2004, 23:50