The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

2nd July 2004 Archive

Browse by publication date, or search the site.

  • Microsoft squares Minnesota class action

    Lawyers clear the decks

    Microsoft is to pay out up to $241m to settle a class action suit in Minnesota. The software vendor admits to no wrongdoing, but the deal mean that it escapes its first-ever state trial over business practices. The Minnesota lawyers will trouser up to $59.4m, the class members up to $174.5m in computer equipment vouchers, and …

    Operating Systems 2 Jul 2004, 09:31

  • Chip biz breaks quarterly fab spend record

    Will 2004 see more spent on fabs than 2000's total?

    Chip vendors are banking on the recovery in the world semiconductor market - literally. During Q2 2004, the industry invested a record $18.4bn in new plant, market watcher Strategic Marketing Associates (SMA) said yesterday. Construction commenced on some 15 fabs in Q2, mainly in Japan, South Korea, the US and Ireland. Around …

    Channel 2 Jul 2004, 09:39

  • Post Office to offer 'me too' telco service

    C&W gets the gig

    The Post Office is joining the growing list of companies looking to offer telecoms services to residential customers. Twenty years after the Post Office's former telephone business (now BT) was privatised, it's hooking up with Cable & Wireless to provide a fixed-line service. The "HomePhone" service is due to be trialled at the …

    Telecoms 2 Jul 2004, 10:11

  • Telecom Italia slammed for spam hypocrisy

    Look who's talking

    Telcom Italia Mobile has been accused of double standards after taking anti-spam action against Vodafone. TIM began blocking SMS messages from Vodafone customers last week after identifying Vodafone as the source of numerous text message spam messages sent to its subscribers. But veteran spam fighter Steve Linford, of the …

    Spam 2 Jul 2004, 10:14

  • Intel: WiMAX in notebooks by 2006

    Wireless broadband goal restated

    Intel has reiterated its forecast that notebooks will begin to incorporate WiMAX wireless broadband technology during 2006. Speaking to reporters in Taipei during the launch of a antenna lab foundation programme, Lonnie McAlister, a product manager with Intel's Wireless Networking Group, also said the chip giant expects WiMAX …

    Wireless 2 Jul 2004, 10:16

  • Compaq tunes into MP3

    It was five years ago today... 2 July 1999

    Back in 1999, Compaq supremo Michael Capellas said that "The Internet will demand different types of devices to service different purposes". He was talking about cool kit like digital music players, and he was right: Compaq tunes into MP3 By Tony Smith Published Friday 2nd June 2000 16:09 GMT Compaq will hop onto the MP3 …

    Mobile 2 Jul 2004, 10:48

  • MSN search finds time loop

    Letters And we find nudity on .nu, again

    Larry taking the stand in the anti-trust trial was bound to attract some comments. Some people wanted to give Larry some advice. Others were more interested in his facial hair. Yes, you read that right.. Oracle could, in theory, hurt Peoplesoft just as handily as purchasing them directly if they purchased BEA Systems. Much of …

    Letters 2 Jul 2004, 10:51

  • Vulture fan spotted in Aberystwyth

    Cash'n'Carrion Do you know this woman?

    We're obliged to reader Mark Nash who as just sent us the following concrete evidence that El Reg apparel is the must-have kit for the Welsh Summer season. The picture was captured in Aberystwyth while said correspondent was out and about during a day's training in that fine seaside town: And we say - good on yer, love. In …

    Site News 2 Jul 2004, 10:52

  • Maxtor to axe 400 workers

    Q2 profit warning

    Hard drive maker Maxtor today announced that its second fiscal quarter results will be "extremely disappointing", with the company set to become a casualty of pricing warfare. In response, it is axeing 400-500 workers worldwide - up to 3.7 per cent of its 13,500 staff. Maxtor competitor Seagate has already announced the loss of …

    Financial News 2 Jul 2004, 11:08

  • China snoops on text messages

    Stamping out out 'false political rumours'

    China has extended its hard-line stand against human rights and personal freedom by introducing new rules to monitor and censor the use of text messages. According to state media, by way of AFP, the "Self-Discipline Standards on Content in Mobile Short Messaging Services" have been brought in to tackle porn, fraud and other …

    Mobile 2 Jul 2004, 11:54

  • Apple to ship next-gen iMac in September

    Analysis Conspiracy not cock-up

    Apple has announced an major iMac update... sort of. It's said when they will arrive - September - but nothing more about them than that. The company's US and UK online AppleStores both today state that they are no longer taking iMac orders pending the upcoming announcement of a new line of consumer desktops which will become …

    Mac Channel 2 Jul 2004, 12:28

  • MS offers 57% price cut as Paris tilts to open source

    Ils ne passeront pas?

    Faced with the possibility of another major municipal defection to open source, Microsoft has slashed its prices by 57.4 per cent. The move, which has been confirmed by Microsoft France (after being revealed by the aptly-named Libération on Monday), comes shortly before the publication of a feasibility study on open source …

    Software 2 Jul 2004, 12:31

  • Sony Connect to launch 5 July, late

    And with only 500,000 songs

    Sony's online music service, Connect, will launch in the UK, France and Germany next week offering 500,000 songs. The service will go live on Monday, 5 July, followed by stores for Switzerland, Austria, the Scandinavian countries and The Netherlands by the end of the year. Spanish and Italian stores will open in the spring of …

    Financial News 2 Jul 2004, 13:01

  • Mobiles in hospitals are safe, say doctors

    No they aren't, says DoH

    A row has broken out between doctors and the Department of Health over the use of mobile phones in hospitals. At the British Medical Association's annual conference, Dr Simon Calvert, a specialist registrar at King's College Hospital in London, told the assembled physicians that there was no justification for banning mobile …

    Mobile 2 Jul 2004, 13:22

  • BT to trial pay-as-you-go broadband

    Two-month market test

    Net users in the UK could be given the choice of paying for broadband access by the minute if a mini-trial later this summer proves successful. Instead of users paying a flat fee for their broadband access, BT is giving punters the chance to pay 5p a minute for the time they spend online. BT Wholesale is recruiting 50 people …

    Telecoms 2 Jul 2004, 13:27

  • Software giants feel open source pressure

    War for developers escalates

    Developer support is critical to the success or otherwise of the smartphone platforms and Microsoft and Nokia are both adapting some measures of openness to encourage programmers to their operating systems. As software rather than devices become the basis for competition, Microsoft can no longer have a free run at client OSes, …

    Developer 2 Jul 2004, 13:28

  • Java and DRM key to mobile ambitions

    European cellcos get with the platform

    This week's JavaOne show highlighted the increasing involvement of European cellcos in the platform, which they see as a way to strengthen their control on the development of multimedia handsets and deliver consumer applications more rapidly. There are major risks however: the cellcos need to adapt to new business models, …

    Mobile 2 Jul 2004, 13:28

  • Team moots car alerts via SMS

    Ur brakes r shot. Pull ova

    Car owners might in the future be alerted by email or SMS when something is amiss with their vehicle and requires garage intervention. So says Eric Postma, professor of Information Science/Artificial Intelligence of the Faculty of General Sciences at the University of Maastricht. Research institutes from the Netherlands, …

    Mobile 2 Jul 2004, 14:00

  • Washington sex blogger signs book deal

    And gets kit off for Playboy

    Washington sex blogger Jessica Cutler - aka Washingtonienne - has reportedly signed a $300,000 book deal with HyperionDisney. Cutler formerly worked sorting mail for Republican Senator Mike DeWine but was shown the door after using Congressional computers to write her now-legendary blog. The diaries recount Washingtonienne's …

    Bootnotes 2 Jul 2004, 14:45

  • Small.biz must embrace new technology

    Keep pace or die, says top TV pundit

    Entrepreneurs need to embrace new technology such as broadband or risk going out of business, management guru Sir John Harvey Jones warns. In a speech to the Leicestershire Economic Partnership (LSEP), Sir John, star of the Troubleshooter TV series, praised the role that small firms play in the economy, but warned that …

    Small Biz 2 Jul 2004, 14:52

  • Boots deploys digital print kiosks

    Colour snaps 'in seconds'

    More than 1,000 Boots stores across the UK now boast Kodak digitalk print kiosks offering quick output of your digital snaps. The booths can deal with Compact Disk (CD), Multimedia Card (MMC), Compact Flash Card, Secure Digital card (SD), Sony Memory Stick, Phone-cams (Bluetooth & infra-red), Smart Media Card, Microdrive Card …

    Peripherals 2 Jul 2004, 14:53

  • British geeks fly the flag at cup final

    Don't worry: there is no sport involved

    A team of UK students is on its way to Brazil to compete in the finals of the Imagine Cup, an annual programming challenge, open to students around the world. The UK final - a three day, round-the-clock codeathon - was held in April. Ali Gardezi from the University of Sheffield, Andrew Grieve from the University of Aberdeen, …

    Developer 2 Jul 2004, 14:57

  • Phantom phone scam hits another village

    BT's roadside boxes fingered

    Another village in the East of England has been targeted by premium rate crooks after they apparently gained "illicit access" to BT's phone network. West Wickham in Cambridgeshire was targeted in May leaving some 20 or so homes stung by premium rate charges that residents insist were not made by them. A victim told The …

    Music and Media 2 Jul 2004, 14:59

  • Qualcomm claims victory in TI suit

    TI's claims dismissed

    A US court this week ruled that Texas Instruments has indeed violated the terms of an agreement with Qualcomm concerning the use of the latter's CDMA intellectual property. However, while Qualcomm may now pursue TI with further legal action to seek financial redress, it is not allowed to revoke the original agreement, the …

    Mobile 2 Jul 2004, 15:30

  • Scottish science gets £4.6m cash injection

    Exploiting 'commercial potential'

    The Scottish Executive has allocated a total of £4.6m to fund development of scientific research with "commercial potential" in Scotland. Projects that will benefit include low-toxicity anti-cancer drugs activated by laser light, a computer game enhancer called Spell binder, and a 3D imaging project at Heriot-Watt University. …

    Science 2 Jul 2004, 16:00

  • Enforcement is key to fighting cybercrime

    Analysis Leave law alone and feel more collars, MPs' report concludes

    The publication of a review of Britain's cybercrime laws by an influential group of MPs and peers this week has been welcomed by the IT industry. Broad agreement with the All Party Internet Group's (APIG) conclusion that the Computer Misuse Act 1990 needs only minor reforms have been matched with widespread calls for tougher …

    Security 2 Jul 2004, 16:01

  • Megapixel camera phones will kill MMS

    It's a matter of quality, you see

    It's no secret that the "multimedia messaging service" which was supposed to put money into the empty pockets of starving mobile phone networks has flopped. According to Cognima, which is looking for a different solution, MMS has missed its chance, because it isn't good enough. The company has launched a new photo-transmit …

    Mobile 2 Jul 2004, 16:01

  • Daleks boycott Dr Who

    Failure to NE-GO-TI-ATE!

    It's hard to imagine a Dalek storming off a TV set and back to his (its?) trailer pausing only to exterminate his agent on the way, but the BBC has confirmed that the malevolent salt-cellars will not be appearing in the new Dr Who TV series. The shock bust-up was provoked by the Beeb's failure to reach terms regarding editorial …

    Bootnotes 2 Jul 2004, 16:02

  • Patents and the threat to open source

    Submarine attack on Linux, Apache, Tomcat et al?

    Have you heard of the media company Acacia? Probably not but actually quite a few website owners have. Many of them have received FINAL NOTICES from Acacia Media Technologies Corporation (www.acaciaresearch.com). The leading light of Acacia (Newport Beach, California) is Robert A. Berman, who claims that his company owns a …

    Operating Systems 2 Jul 2004, 16:02

  • US, UK and Australia sign anti-spam act

    Think global, act global

    The UK, US and Australia are combining forces to combat spam. They have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote joint enforcement and investigation of spammers across the three countries. Stephen Timms, the UK communications minister, today called on other countries to join the trio in their anti-spam crusade. He …

    Spam 2 Jul 2004, 16:07

  • Aussie judge sets Kazaa trial date

    If parties can agree on access to crucial evidence

    Kazaa parent Sharman Networks' battle with the music industry may finally come to trial in November, the Australian court cautiously ruled this week. Sharman and representatives of Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI), the Australian music industry's anti-piracy taskforce, returned to Justice Murray Wilcox's courtroom …

    Music and Media 2 Jul 2004, 16:12

  • Microsoft half fixes serious IE vuln

    Download.Ject patches pending

    Microsoft issued a workaround today to guard against a serious vulnerability in Internet Explorer which created a way for hackers to turn popular websites into conduits for viral transmission. Configuration changes to the Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 operating systems introduced today do not fix the …

    Enterprise Security 2 Jul 2004, 17:07

  • Sun slips 'workstations that must not be named' on Web

    Becky Boxes due December

    Sun Microsystems is playing on odd game of hide the workstation with its customers. Earlier this week, a Reg reader made his way onto a Sun training site that listed the W1100z and W2100z as the company's upcoming Opteron-based workstations. But just moments after the systems were spotted, they disappeared. Thankfully, Google …

    Servers 2 Jul 2004, 18:18

  • HP issues apocalyptic Netscape HP-UX warning

    Get to Mozilla fast

    HP has put out a red alert for users of the Netscape browser on HP-UX, saying this software pairing could result in no less than total destruction. HP customers have been strongly urged to remove Netscape and install Mozilla on HP-UX 11, 11.11, 11.22 and 11.23. The continued use of Netscape on HP's operating system could result …

    Security 2 Jul 2004, 19:08

  • Wireless cola gives USAF target practice

    Marketing people - Incoming!

    A stunt by Coca Cola to equip special 'prize' drink cans with a tracking device has backfired on the company. Over a hundred cans have been fitted with a red button which when pressed, will activate a marketing SWAT team from the drinks giant, which will then descend from the skies and present the bewildered soda guzzler with a …

    Mobile 2 Jul 2004, 20:59

  • Google sued over Orkut bug replication feature

    Your bugs are our IP

    Google's Orkut code is stolen, says the company that its eponymous author founded and left. A lawsuit filed by Affinity Engines, co-founded by Orkut Buyukkokten, claims that there are nine unique bugs in the codebase, and that's too much to be a coincidence. Buyukkokten is a Stanford graduate and developed the social networking …

    Music and Media 2 Jul 2004, 22:49