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16th November 2004 Archive

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  • Consumers shun PCs for gizmos

    Business drives market growth

    Global PC shipments will hit an estimated total of 51.9 million in Q4 2004, a 10.1 per cent increase from the same period last year. Strong sales to business are offsetting weak consumer demand to produce a positive outlook for the market, according to analysts Gartner. It reckons increased competition from digital entertainment …

    PCs 16 Nov 2004, 08:51

  • Grizzled blade server vet shows 64-bit kit

    Six generations for battling RLX

    Here we are about to close out 2004, and RLX Technologies has just announced its sixth generation blade server. RLX makes you think blade servers have been around for ages - mostly because the company is associated with inventing the compact systems that have swept the server industry. The little, Texan company doesn't have the …

    Servers 16 Nov 2004, 08:58

  • Vodafone dividend doubled, shares up

    We're talking telephone numbers

    Vodafone, the Big Daddy of cellcos, increased revenue by six per cent for the six months ended 30 September 2004. Group turnover was £16.8bn, an organic growth of six per cent. The firm gained 7.4m customers in the period giving it 146.7m customers in total. It has sold 323,000 datacards to date. Group operating profit for the …

    Mobile 16 Nov 2004, 09:42

  • Novell's MS complaint: we wuz robbed

    Analysis That antitrust filing in full - with added chocolate

    If the antitrust lawsuit that Novell filed against Microsoft comes to court, it will reopen long-forgotten battles over technologies that most of us will even have trouble remembering. One of the few to survive is WordPerfect itself, the software at the core of the claim. A new version turned up on the shelves of CompUSA a few …

    Developer 16 Nov 2004, 09:48

  • Motorola 'recalls' MPx220 smart phone

    Handsets pulled to apply audio glitch fix, reports suggest

    Motorola has reportedly pulled all MPx220 Windows Mobile 2003 smart phones off Best Buy's shelves just a month after the handset went on sale in a bid to nip a firmware glitch in the bud. According to a Mobile Gadget News forum posting which reproduces a page allegedly taken from the retail giant's internal web site, all …

    Mobile 16 Nov 2004, 10:14

  • Dual-core IBM PowerPC 'to ship in single-core form'

    Standalone part - or a dualie with one dud core?

    IBM's dual-core G5-class PowerPC processor, codenamed 'Antares', is to ship alongside a single-core version, if sources cited by Think Secret are to be believed. The PowerPC 970GX - aka 'Antares SP' - will essentially succeed today's single-core part, the 970FX, the sources claim, but will provide double that chip's on-die L2 …

    Mac Channel 16 Nov 2004, 10:15

  • Selling surveillance - has Blunkett got a deal for you

    Analysis Fiddling the price to get you to pay for the pass laws

    Although run by Great Communicator David Blunkett the Home Office, as you may have noticed, seems utterly incapable of getting across a coherent message on what it will actually charge people for ID cards. Last month's non-concession announcement was no exception; prices made it into the papers on the morning of 28th October, …

    Media 16 Nov 2004, 10:33

  • IBM, Lenovo ponder world desktop PC JV

    Economies of scale

    IBM and Chinese PC maker Lenovo are discussing ways the two might co-operate to boost their share of the desktop market in China and around the world, reports in the Far Eastern press suggest. According to separate reports in the Chinese-language Commercial Times and Economic Daily News, the two PC makers are in talks centring …

    PCs 16 Nov 2004, 10:46

  • Tektrol's worst case scenario

    How the judgment may thwart attempts to recover

    The fine print in an insurance policy becomes an issue when a bizarre chain of IT disasters leaves a company without a single copy of the source code to its flagship product. A series of booklets by Joshua Priven describe how to survive a series of "Worst Case Scenarios." These include telling readers how to escape from …

    Management 16 Nov 2004, 11:21

  • Symbian and Entrust score civil servants

    Sir Humphreys go private

    Symbian has appointed a senior ex-government official as its new chairman. Sir Peter Gershon, Symbian's new chairman, was chief executive of the Office of Government Commerce. Gershon previously worked for Marconi and BAE Systems before joining the Office of Government Commerce, which oversees the wisdom of government …

    Management 16 Nov 2004, 11:24

  • ADIC pools disk and tape

    Says Pathlight v2 will shine for fast and cheap backup

    Stop arguing about the place of disks in backup and get on with using it, says ADIC. The company has updated its Pathlight VX disk backup box - like the original, version 2 includes an EMC Clariion disk array, but it also connects to an ADIC or StorageTek tape library and merges both disk and tape into a single virtual library …

    Storage 16 Nov 2004, 11:25

  • Peruvians to enjoy Windows in Quechua

    Language of the Incas

    The estimated three million Peruvian speakers of Quechua will soon be enjoying Microsoft products in their native tongue, according to a report (in Spanish) on Terra.com. MS Peru and the Peruvian Ministry of Education have inked a deal to develop Windows products in the ancient language of the Incas. The programmes will be …

    Applications 16 Nov 2004, 11:26

  • Grieving Arafat widow seeks business partner

    Lads from Lagos pop up in Palestine

    Readers are invited to spare a moment this morning to consider the plight of the tearful widow of Yasser Arafat - recently departed for the great intifada in the sky. It seems she's having a bit of a trouble in the "getting my wedge out of Palestine" department. Maybe you can help? From: SUHA ARAFAT [mailto:suhafat@netscape. …

    Security 16 Nov 2004, 11:27

  • PlusNet gets tough with broadband hogs

    Punters revolting

    PlusNet is getting tough with its heavy broadband users who, it claims, are hoovering up too much capacity and making life unbearable for the rest of its punters. Around 250 PlusNet customers received an email yesterday evening warning them that they will be all shunted onto one platform to share it with other broadband hogs. …

    Broadband 16 Nov 2004, 12:20

  • US Navy blows $375m hole in EDS accounts

    Write off agreed

    EDS has reached agreement with its auditors on the size of the hole in its accounts left by the exploding contract with the US Navy. The computer services giant has had to delay posting results twice while it negotiates with KPMG as to how much it should write off. The assets related to the Navy contract were originally valued …

    Financial News 16 Nov 2004, 12:20

  • Comtec goes titsup

    Who gets what, now?

    Comtec Education PLC and Comtec Business Services, government certified technology suppliers to the UK education sector, have gone into receivership, leaving customers uncertain about the future of their contracts. The Register understands that there is a disagreement between the administrators and some of Comtec's customers …

    The Channel 16 Nov 2004, 12:44

  • Cisco fixes 'decoy attack' in security software

    CSA pop-up bug

    Cisco has discovered a security flaw in its Cisco Security Agent software (CSA. This could be exploited by attackers to circumvent the security provided by the host-based intrusion prevention product. The network giant has issued a patch to fix the vulnerability. A flaw in the function that detect buffer overflow attacks means …

    Security 16 Nov 2004, 12:45

  • Indymedia seizure ok by us, say readers

    Letters Are you all feeling OK?

    We've had an interesting, and no doubt provocative, couple of letters about the seizure of Indymedia's servers. Then they came for the tree-huggers and squatters. Then they came for the PC support staff... Why are you giving such concern to seizures of indymedia's hard drives. I've just had a quick look at some of the sites …

    Letters 16 Nov 2004, 12:51

  • UK Online unveils unbundled 8Mb broadband

    Gee whiz

    UK Online, the consumer ISP of business-focused broadband outfit EasyNet, is rolling out 8Mb broadband for the metropolitan masses. Priced at £39.99 a month, the service brings "groundbreaking speed at a groundbreaking price and makes the digital home a reality", apparently. The super-fast service is to rolled out to 230 BT …

    Broadband 16 Nov 2004, 13:33

  • Pulse~Link wants partners in radio revolution

    Looking beyond wireless USB

    UltraWideBand start up Pulse~Link was showing us its latest chip set this week, which takes it one step closer to its goal of having the first Cognitive Software Defined Radio on a single chip. This is on track for the first quarter of 2006. Right now all of the function it says it needs for UWB communication reside in seven …

    Broadband 16 Nov 2004, 13:39

  • Skype hits the charts in China

    Punts pop song to promote 'phones

    VoIP specialist Skype has done a deal with Chinese portal Tom Online. Tom Online will help localise Skype services and promote the telco. Tom will also release a pop song to promote Skype phones The deal follows similar agreements in Japan with Livedoor and in Taiwan with Home Online, according to the FT. Skype claims 14m …

    Data Networking 16 Nov 2004, 13:40

  • First deadline passes for Supreme Court Grokster case

    First round of comments from friends of the court

    Lobbying has started in earnest to the US Supreme Court, which has one last chance to overturn its 20 year-old principles over P2P, and ban it despite its still relevant logic that has it that any technology with material, non-infringing uses is legal. Since the day that decision was made in regard to Betamax tapes, anything …

    Media 16 Nov 2004, 13:40

  • Programming experience up for grabs

    Site Offer 12 great guides, 12 great prices

    This week at The Register bookshop, we've offering you the opportunity to get up to speed..and beyond, with 12 unbeatable bestselling programming titles, all designed to ensure your developer skills are spot on. The authors of these guides have years of inside knowledge, wisdom and practical experience to pass on to you. All …

    Site News 16 Nov 2004, 13:44

  • Blunkett explains your terror nightmares - be very afraid

    Fearmonger in chief denies responsibility

    On Saturday David Blunkett cast himself in the unlikely role of a Home Secretary who was offering hope based on security, as opposed to one engaged in a a 'fear auction' where the electoral prizes go to the politicians who can conjure up the most terrifying visions of what might happen. As Blunkett has been piling draconian …

    Media 16 Nov 2004, 14:25

  • Half Life 2 released

    But activation dodgy

    Half-Life 2, the much hyped sequel to Half-Life, which won over 50 game of the year awards and was named 'best PC game ever' by PC Gamer Magazine, was released today. Developed by Valve, this first-person shooter is one of the most widely anticipated games of all time. It has been repeatedly delayed beyond the projected release …

    Personal 16 Nov 2004, 15:39

  • Xmas comes early for phone ad girl

    Pure 3G filth

    It's fair to say that the battle-hardened hacks at El Reg are not easily shocked or offended. Nevertheless, we feel that we must express our dismay at a Vodfone Live! advert which appeared in some of today's UK national papers. On the surface, it seems plausible enough - a free video messaging phone with all the usual gratis …

    Bootnotes 16 Nov 2004, 15:42

  • Ofcom's review of telecoms due this week

    Analysis That'll be the circus in town, then

    The UK's monster communications regulator, Ofcom, is due to publish its review of the UK's telecommunications industry on Thursday. For many, the report can't come soon enough since it should provide some certainty to an industry dominated by BT and a former telecoms watchdog (Oftel) that lacked the muscle to regulate …

    Broadband 16 Nov 2004, 15:49

  • Evesham Axis Xcelsior Athlon 64 4000+ PC

    Review FX-55 optional

    A few weeks back AMD launched its latest and greatest processors, the Athlon 64 4000+ and the FX-55. Evesham has supplied its first PC based on these new processors: the Evesham Axis Xcelsior. The Axis Xcelsior is based on the Athlon 64 4000+, but you can change the CPU to an FX-55 for an additional £117.50, writes Lars-Goran …

    Reviews 16 Nov 2004, 15:52

  • SMART-1 makes lunar orbit

    Europe has reached the moon

    The SMART-1 probe has entered its lunar orbit, and the history books as the first European mission to have done so. Professor David Southwood, director of science for the European Space Agency (ESA), said: "Europe has arrived at the Moon, we're in lunar orbit." The craft arrived at its destination thirteen months after …

    Science 16 Nov 2004, 15:56

  • Confusion reigns after FTC spam summit

    Holding pattern

    A key conference on the use of email authentication to fight spam concluded in Washington last week without any clear conclusions on which approach will gain market acceptance. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Email Authentication Summit took place …

    Security 16 Nov 2004, 16:02

  • Telewest upgrades network

    North West gets the nod

    Telewest is to upgrade the last remaining analogue part of its network in the North West of England when it brings broadband and digital TV to 132,000 homes in Chorley, Preston and Liverpool. Work is due to start this month and is expected to be done street-by-street until next summer. It unlikely to cause much disruption since …

    Broadband 16 Nov 2004, 16:04

  • Microsoft goes after Netware

    It's like Mods v Rockers...

    Microsoft is targeting Novell Netware customers with a bundle of reasons to dump the software and switch to Microsoft Windows Server products. Apart from technical help and migration tools users in the US also get $600 services discount for every license bought with 50 client access licenses. They also get online training …

    Servers 16 Nov 2004, 16:06

  • How scammers run rings round eBay

    Buyers fleeced, eBay practically powerless

    Everyone knows that buying and selling on eBay is precarious. Even eBay admits this and gives basic advice on its site that it believes helps eliminate most fraud. But there appears to be a basic weakness in eBay's system that fraudsters and petty thieves are exploiting. It occurs when buyers pay sellers direct into the sellers …

    Media 16 Nov 2004, 16:15

  • Reg hack in daring Gambia charity dash

    Tackles Plymouth-Banjul rally in £20 Citroen

    On 16 December Reg hack John Oates will leave Blighty and travel to distant Gambia in a 20 quid Citroen van - and its all for charity. Yup, it's time again for the annual Plymouth-Banjul rally - just the like the Paris-Dakar event "but for poorer, more stupid, people", as John himself puts it. Once the vehicles limp into Banjul …

    Site News 16 Nov 2004, 16:17

  • Force phonecam voyeurs to flash, says PI

    Barking, repressive, unworkable ideas are clearly catching

    Ordinarily reliable privacy watchdog Privacy International has come up with a weird wheeze that would surely have been appropriate coming from some deranged MP, and/or David Blunkett. Flash, argues Simon Davies of PI, should be compulsory on all new phone cameras in order to "counter the growing problem of intrusive use of …

    Mobile 16 Nov 2004, 16:29

  • Sweden's rail stations to roll out Wi-Fi

    UK WISP The Cloud floats into Scandinavia

    Sweden's railway stations are to gain public Wi-Fi hotspots, with the first 55 sites coming on line by the end of January 2005, it emerged today. All 178 stations are to be equipped with WLANs by UK WISP The Cloud, which also announced today the formation of its first continental subsidiary, The Cloud Nordic, and re-iterated …

    Broadband 16 Nov 2004, 16:39

  • British Library tunes into Wi-Fi

    Public WLAN for readers

    The British Library - the UK's answer to the Library of Congress - has equipped its St. Pancras, London repository with Wi-Fi access. While the service will be primarily pitched at researchers and readers, the Library isn't unaware of the lucrative potential of its public WLAN, and so was quick to point out how useful the …

    Broadband 16 Nov 2004, 16:59

  • Home PCs sought in hunt for cancer cure

    Co-operative computing

    Computer users are being asked to donate their unused processor power to help solve social and environmental research problems. The IBM-backed project, called World Community Grid, aims to put the untapped processing power of millions of unused computers into use; crunching numbers for scientists working to understand diseases …

    Science 16 Nov 2004, 17:30

  • Security incidents and cybercrime on the up

    Spam showers with squalls of exploits predicted

    Security events recorded between July and September this year are up 150 per cent on those recorded by security company VeriSign in the same period last year. VeriSign's Internet Security Intelligence Briefing, published today, concludes that increased financial rewards and the greater sophistication of the computer underworld …

    Security 16 Nov 2004, 17:36

  • It's do or die time for Sun and Solaris x86

    Analysis The two year question

    Sun Microsystems just had the most important product launch in its history, and the company didn't even tell you about the urgency of the event. For two and a half hours, we sat through the Solaris 10 marketing barrage. CEO Scott McNealy and President Jonathan Schwartz showed up, a customer - FedEx - appeared, and a hired …

    Operating Systems 16 Nov 2004, 19:13

  • Patriotic bloggers finish Segway across America trek

    Sanity rejoices

    Like sloths moving through the rainforest canopy, the Merry Bloggers have made it from Washington to Massachusetts on their Segways and accomplished their dream. It took 100 days, 409 battery changes and 3,988 miles to get Josh Caldwell from the West Coast to the East Coast at 10 mph. Caldwell and several coconspirators are the …

    Media 16 Nov 2004, 19:29