30th June 2004 Archive
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Your query will destroy our database - DoJ
Open government closed for business
The Justice Department has come up with the bureaucratic equivalent of "the cat ate my homework". The DoJ has told watchdog the Center for Public Integrity, which has submitted a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request on foreign lobbyists that its own computers will crash and lose the data if it tries to comply. "What they' …
Bootnotes 30 Jun 2004, 03:11
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The porn must go on - US Supreme Court
For now ...
The US Supreme Court today kicked back a law designed to curtail Internet pornography, saying the legislation could stifle free speech and that naughty photos are likely better blocked by filters rather than lawyers. In a tight 5-4 ruling, the high court nixed the Child Online Protection Act, or COPA, which would require …
Music and Media 30 Jun 2004, 03:56
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Intel prunes pre-Grantsdale P4 chipset prices
But 'unlikely' to boost i8x5 demand
Intel this week cut the prices of its i865 and i845 chipset families in a bid to boost demand after the launch of its top-end i915 and i925 series. However, unnamed mobo maker sources cited by DigiTimes claim it's not going to work: there are just too many chipsets in the channel already. Said sources suggest that inventory …
Channel 30 Jun 2004, 09:01
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M&S boss claims mobile phone records accessed
All is fair in love and takeovers
M&S boss Stuart Rose, embroiled in fending off a hostile takeover by Philip Green, claims someone has accessed his mobile phone records. Rose says he called mmO2 to request his records and discovered there was a security code on his account which he had not authorised. Someone else had requested the records and put the password …
Mobile 30 Jun 2004, 09:30
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Nortel flogs factories to Flextronics
Switch firm's staff switch firms
Nortel Networks is selling its manufacturing operations to Flextronics for between $675m and $725m. Singapore-based Flextronics will also take over the management of the supply chain, related suppliers and third-party logistics. Not included in the deal - yet - are Nortel's European plants in France and Northern Ireland. But …
Data Networking 30 Jun 2004, 09:42
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AMD 'penetrates' Dell - again
Fading rumour fire restoked by analyst
Dell is once again being touted as a potential supplier of AMD CPUs, this time in a research note provided by US investment advisor Susquehanna Financial Group. "Based on our channel checks, AMD has finally been able to penetrate Dell with its Opteron processors targeting the server market," SFG's latest Semiconductor Devices …
Servers 30 Jun 2004, 09:45
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France Telecom faces payback time
EC closes in
France Telecom is likely to have to pay back €1bn in illegal subsidies it received from the French government, following an 18-month investigation by Mario Monti, the EC Competition Commissioner. The allegations against France Telecom come in two parts: That the French government offered favourable tax rates, worth as much as …
Financial News 30 Jun 2004, 09:49
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Expat offshore firms slammed as 'unpatriotic'
US critics attack outwardly mobile villians
As the outsourcing debate continues, expatriate services firms have become the latest targets for outsourcing critics, who are branding them 'unpatriotic'. However, in the long run, opponents of the offshore trend may find themselves unable to fend off the impact of globalisation. Companies including Seagate Technology and Tyco …
Hardware 30 Jun 2004, 09:50
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JVC buys BIOS-based system testing tool
Ultra-X signs major vendor
JVC has licensed Ultra-X's UltraPost embedded system diagnostics technology into its upcoming Interlink sub-notebook family. Pitched at system builders and OEMs, UltraPost resides in the host PC's BIOS - it takes up just 32KB - ready to be triggered at start-up. According to Ultra-X, the software runs "professional-level" tests …
Channel 30 Jun 2004, 09:50
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German dialler scammers hijack signatures
Sign here for premium-rate porn
Police in Hamburg this week arrested two suspects in an Internet dialler scam, which may have swindled 170,000 Internet users into paying €2.5m or more. The two con merchants, operating under names such as Hanseatische Abrechnungssysteme, Digital Web Limited, Nesa-Inkasso, Euroline Deutschland and NewBiz Medi, operated a …
Music and Media 30 Jun 2004, 09:52
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BT Retail cuts cost of DSL, caps users
Oh well
BT has confirmed it is to cut the cost of its broadband products in a bid to halt falling market share. In doing so, the UK's dominant fixed-line telco is also capping all of its ADSL services in a move that might make some of its customers think twice before signing up to BT's broadband service. Both of BT's 512k services now …
Telecoms 30 Jun 2004, 09:56
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Learn computer forensics at Bradford University
Tracking the binary baddies
The University of Bradford has introduced a postgraduate course in Forensic Computing, in response to "growing demand for computer scientists" with specialist skills to investigate high tech crimes. The MSc is one of a handful of similar courses available to post graduate students in the UK. Other universities offering MScs in …
Security 30 Jun 2004, 10:12
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Sun axes core support professionals
Tie a BluePrint ribbon
Sun Microsystems has garroted its BluePrint team, which formed a rare bridge between its engineers, its channels, and its customers. BluePrint's professional writers were also experts in their technical field, in subjects such as clustering and Windows integration, and their little publishing imprint has saved many a BOFH from …
Servers 30 Jun 2004, 10:15
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Western Digital sues Cornice
Second suit in a week for 1in HDD maker
Western Digital has accused storage start-up Cornice of violating its intellectual property and has asked the US court to ban sales of Cornice's hardware. WD's lawsuit, filed yesterday with the US District Court for Orange County, California, follows a similar action launched against Cornice last week by Seagate. The WD suit …
Storage 30 Jun 2004, 10:44
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Orange France preps big Wi-Fi push
Another 1,500 hotspots
Orange is to expand its French Wi-Fi hotspot service by 1,500 sites, taking its total to 4500 locations by the end of the year. The growth comes on the back of deals signed with Air France to equip the airlines' airport business lounges with wireless Internet access, and to provide a similar service to Accor hotel guests. The …
Wireless 30 Jun 2004, 10:45
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SEC accuses Siebel of careless talk
Unfair disclosure?
The Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating Siebel Systems for a second breach of disclosure rules. The enterprise software vendor is accused of breaking Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) which outlines how companies release price-sensitive information. Two Siebel employees, Kenneth Goldman, CFO, and Mark Hanson, …
Financial News 30 Jun 2004, 11:15
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Cyber appliances, deadly mobiles and free beer
Letters: Satan's PR campaign off to a good start
We fear that some of you, our beloved readers, have misunderstood one or two of our stories this week. In particular, we refer to the news that Satan had been implicated in the latest cyber appliance attacks. At this point, we feel obliged to remind readers that it is supposed to be funny. It is slightly worrying that anyone …
Letters 30 Jun 2004, 11:17
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Microsoft makes peace with Massachusetts
Anti-trust suit settled
Massachusetts consumers will get vouchers offering discounts for software and hardware as part of a settlement agreement the state has reached with Microsoft. Like yesterday's Arizona case, any unused or unrefunded vouchers will benefit the state's schools. Microsoft will pay a maximum of $34m to settle the class-action suit …
Operating Systems 30 Jun 2004, 11:19
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BT coughs to broadband ad blunder
It was all a 'mistake'
BT has held up its hands and admitted that its own sloppy mistake was to blame for a broadband ad blunder. Telewest complained to the Advertising Standards Authority that an ad plugging BT's frill-less Broadband basic product made unfair comparisons with Telewest's own broadband product. The cableco pointed out that, unlike BT …
Telecoms 30 Jun 2004, 11:25
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Malware attacks IE users via pop-ups
Oh dear
Another warning has been issued over data-stealing malware that exploits a vulnerability in Internet Explorer. Although the threat from last week's "download.ject" attack has subsided, malware authors have not missed a beat in their efforts to use flaws in Internet Explorer as a gateway to steal banking and credit card …
Enterprise Security 30 Jun 2004, 12:10
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Amazon bids adieu to French jobs
Le downsizing et la centralisation
Amazon is to downsize its French back office, resulting in an unspecified number of job losses. The giant e-tailer has confirmed that it plans to centralise "several business functions" to the UK and US. But it says it will still maintain a presence in France. The company is still committed to "creating a viable and …
Financial News 30 Jun 2004, 12:16
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There is no anti-spyware silver bullet
Plenty of base metal about though, consultants warn
The spyware threat to enterprise security will increase over the next few years without an enterprise-class tool to prevent it, consulting firm META Group warns. Spyware has both good and bad properties that make it difficult for traditional antivirus software to identify and clean up, leaving only a handful of consumer and …
Enterprise Security 30 Jun 2004, 12:18
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BOFH peers through the proxy mirror
Episode 21 And finds something illegal, even in Leeds...
BOFH 2004 I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE!!!! >bip< >bip< >bip< >bip< >brrrr< >brrrr< ... >brrrr< >brrrr< "Hello?" the user answers. "ASTALAVISTA!" I snap down the phone at the user. "What?!" he gasps, not exactly sure about the reason for my unsolicited call nor its one word content. "ASTALAVISTA, not ALTAVISTA!" "What do you …
BOFH 30 Jun 2004, 12:18
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Lastminute buys German doppelganger
Takes out rival
Lastminute.com has bought the lastminute.de group of companies, to create the "leading online travel brand in Germany". The UK dotcom is stumping up €46.7m (£31m) for the group, of which £16m (€24m) is in cash and the rest is in new shares. Lastminute.de is approximately half of the size of Lastminute.com's existing German …
Financial News 30 Jun 2004, 13:02
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O2 drops pager service
End of the line
O2 is to stop offering pager services from the end of the year. The mobile operator cites falling demand for services and easy alternatives such as text messages and Blackberry devices for its decision. Subscribers were sent notices by letter on Monday (28 June). They have until 31 December to choose a different messaging …
Mobile 30 Jun 2004, 13:17
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Commodore challenges Apple digital music dominance
Vic-20 reborn as MP3 player
Watch out, Apple, another microcomputing pioneer from the 1970s is moving into the digital music business with a portable, hard drive-based music player. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Commodore is back, this time with its an MP3 player. Dubbed the e-Vic, it's named after the old Vic-20 games machine. The connection: the e-Vic has …
Financial News 30 Jun 2004, 14:40
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BT cuts off dialler scammers
Pull the plug first, ask questions later...
BT is taking action against rogue dialler companies which defraud consumers by secretly changing their computer settings so they call a premium rate phone line instead of their usual ISP number. Diallers are used by websites selling expensive content - usually pornographic. To access the site, browsers must first install …
Music and Media 30 Jun 2004, 15:04
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Virgin will float next month
Let's go fly a kite
Virgin Mobile has at last confirmed the rumours - it will float on the London Stock Exchange next month. The mobile operator is selling off 40 per cent of itself and is hoping the share sale will value the company at about £1bn, according to anonymous sources speaking to Bloomberg. The company said in a statement: "It is …
Financial News 30 Jun 2004, 15:23
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Wi-Fi finds no space on the forecourt
Limited potential for wireless and mobile payment solutions
Wi-Fi and mobile payment solutions still to prove their worth in forecourt self-service Globally, almost 30 per cent of petrol forecourts offer automated payment systems, and in certain markets 90-100 per cent of sites operate at least one outdoor payment terminal. Here, we argue that forecourt retailers should still be …
Wireless 30 Jun 2004, 15:26
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UK police nab 11 in Net gun crackdown
Operation Bembridge begins with dawn raids
UK police today launched a crackdown on the sale of illegal weapons over the Internet. Raids began in London, with searches of 18 addresses. More than 20 illegal weapons have been seized in Operation Bembridge already, including 17 guns, a tear gas canister and four air rifles. In addition, officers collected nine guns designed …
Music and Media 30 Jun 2004, 15:28
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Motorola smart phone to offer 1.3Mp cam, Bluetooth
MPx220 coming in Q3
Motorola is preparing to update its MPx200 Windows Mobile-based smart phone with an updated version, the MPx220, according to company documents seen by The Register. The 220's main advantage over its predecessor is the inclusion of a 1.3 megapixel digicam with multi-step 3x zoom, flash and self-portrait capabilities. Photos are …
Mobile 30 Jun 2004, 15:33
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MPs demand big stick for hackers
Two years' hard time, to be exact
A committee of MPs and peers today produced recommendations on updating Britain’s aging computer crime laws. The All Party Internet Group (APIG) is advocating stiffer sentencing for computer criminals and laws to make denial of service attacks - a grey area within existing laws - a specific offence. MPs would like to see the …
Music and Media 30 Jun 2004, 15:33
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Europe sees nano-electronics as 'future oil'
Eyes on the prize
A group of Europe-based technology companies and research organisations has called on the European Commission to co-ordinate massive public and private investment in the transition from micro to nano-scale electronics. The group, which includes representatives from Nokia, AMD, Philips, IBM and Ericsson presented the report …
Science 30 Jun 2004, 16:00
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Hungarian virus writer avoids jail
Two years' probation for Laszlo K
A Hungarian virus writer escaped prison yesterday after he was convicted of writing a virus that infected tens of thousands of Windows PCs. The teenager - identified only as Laszlo K - was given two years' probation for cybercrime offences by Veszprem City Court. Hungarian daily Nepszabadsag reports, via AP, that Laszlo K was …
Malware 30 Jun 2004, 16:05
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This is what is happening to Iraq's Internet domain
Analysis ICANN's head reveals all
With the handover of power in Iraq this week, from the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) to the Interim Iraqi Government, the issue of the country's Internet has again become a big issue. Numerous media outlets have stumbled upon the fact that the .iq domain set aside for Iraq does not actually exist on the Internet and …
Music and Media 30 Jun 2004, 17:09
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Cisco buys software backup firm
LAN-like data access over the WAN
Cisco is to buy data backup firm Actona Technologies for $82m cash. Privately-owned Actona makes software which makes it easier to back-up corporate data across wide area networks. Actona's technology will expand the functionality of Cisco's branch office access router kit with features that enable WAN-optimized file transfer …
Financial News 30 Jun 2004, 17:14
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US court waves through Microsoft DoJ settlement
Massachusetts is unhappy
The US Court of Appeals has rejected the appeal of the state of Massachusetts and two US industry groups against Microsoft's anti-trust settlement and final judgment with the US Department of Justice and 18 states. The dissenters had called on the court to make Microsoft uncouple - or, in their phrase, to stop commingling - …
Operating Systems 30 Jun 2004, 21:59
