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7th December 2004 Archive

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  • 'Clicks and bricks' trick tempts window shoppers

    'Retail theatre' or gimmick - you decide

    A posh stationers in London's Covent Garden has unveiled an "interactive shop window" (ISW) which lets window shoppers see what's on offer before going into the store. Described as a "merging of 'clicks and bricks'", this latest shopping gimmick to hit the Bureau stationery shop is a "blend of the on and offline shopping …

    Financial News 7 Dec 2004, 09:18

  • Energis appoints new CFO

    If he wants to get on, he better get a hat

    Energis has a new chief financial officer after Eamonn O'Hare decided to quit the UK telco and "move on to his next challenge". An Energis board member since 2002, O'Hare joined the company three months after a consortium of banks bought the ailing telco which had debts of almost £700m. Since then he's helped steer the company …

    Broadband 7 Dec 2004, 09:22

  • Last call for US pre-Xmas orders

    Cash'n'Carrion Get 'em in by Thursday 9 December

    This Thursday, 9 December, is the last date on which readers in the US, Canada, Japan and Eastern Europe can order Cash'n'Carrion goodies for pre-Christmas delivery. Get those orders in by then and we'll ship your top-notch kit for enjoyment before the turkey hits the dinner table. Enjoy. Here's the full list of last Christmas …

    Site News 7 Dec 2004, 09:25

  • The return of the atomic keyring

    Cash'n'Carrion Glowring back from the dead

    It appears that our report of the demise of the tritium-powered atomic keyring was somewhat premature, since nuclear-powered torch outfit Nite has decided to resurrect this classic piece of kit. Here's the blurb: Nite claim their new Glowring is stronger, slicker and cooler than ever and challenge anyone not to find a use for …

    Site News 7 Dec 2004, 09:25

  • Motorola free to sue Telsim owners in UK

    Having a domestic

    Handset maker Motorola yesterday won the right to pursue the Uzan family for money it claims was obtained fraudulently. Members of the Uzan family used to control Turkish mobile operator Telsim. They are accused by Motorola and Nokia of making fraudulent use of vendor financing arrangements. The decision by the High Court …

    Mobile 7 Dec 2004, 09:29

  • iSuppli cuts 2005 chip sales growth target

    Optimist deflates expansion rate

    iSuppli, the bullish semiconductor market watcher, yesterday slashed forecasts for 2005 sales, cutting the level of expected growth by almost half. The research firm now estimates the chip market will grow 4.7 per cent in 2005, from 2004's $226.6bn-$237.1bn. Last September, iSuppli pegged growth at 9.6 per cent, a forecast it …

    The Channel 7 Dec 2004, 09:34

  • Samsung maps huge chip biz expansion

    'Critical to success'

    Samsung is to spend KRW25tr ($24.07bn) expanding its semiconductor production capacity over the next six years, the South Korean giant said this week. The investment programme, which comes as the world's chipmakers continue to feel the effects of excessive semiconductor purchasing during the first half of the year, will create …

    Financial News 7 Dec 2004, 09:54

  • IBM to take 5% of Lenovo to seal PC biz deal - report

    Momentum building

    Lenovo looks set to pay $1.5bn in cash and shares for IBM's Personal Systems Group (PSG) in a deal that would see IBM gain a five per cent share in the Chinese company. With an announcement coming potentially as early as tomorrow - discussions between the two companies seem to be as an "advanced" stage, as the Financial Times …

    Financial News 7 Dec 2004, 10:13

  • NetApp's storage virtualisation evolves

    Dynamic virtualisation engine

    Product development in the storage management market shows no signs of slowing down. Within this large domain, storage virtualisation continues to hold its position at the leading edge of advancement. Last month saw one of the leading suppliers of storage solutions, Network Appliance (NetApp), give details of its vision of the …

    Storage 7 Dec 2004, 10:16

  • Orange 3G arrives

    Third to market

    L'Orange is launching consumer 3G services in the UK and France. It is claiming the most comprehensive range of handsets - four are available immediately and two more on the way soon. Tariffs start at £30 a month including mobile internet access and video calling. The mobile operator says its 3G network covers 70 per cent of …

    Mobile 7 Dec 2004, 10:19

  • Tapwave offers Zodiac Wi-Fi pack to UK users

    Free download to support WLAN SD card pair

    Tapwave's newly announced Wi-Fi package for its Zodiac handheld games consoles will be coming to the UK, The Register can confirm. Launched into the US market earlier this week, the bundle comprises drivers for Wi-Fi SD card adaptors from PalmOne and SanDisk, along with an email application, PalmSource's Mail 5.2. Tapwave …

    Mobile 7 Dec 2004, 10:38

  • IBM CICS legacy at the heart of SOA

    web services world

    As I mentioned in a recent article IBM is to make a series of software announcements that will bring z/series to the heart of SOA (service oriented architecture). The first announcement included CICS Transaction Server V3.1 and CICS Transaction Gateway V6.0. They include several significant enhancements that show that IBM …

    Servers 7 Dec 2004, 10:55

  • Aged entrepreneur seeks Italian telco

    Wind in play

    A veteran Italian businessmen is considering an offer for Wind, the Italian telco. Wind is the third largest mobile operator in Italy, with a 16 per cent market share, and the country's largest Internet Service Provider. Cesare Romiti, former chief executive of Fiat, heads a consortium which is interested in buying the firm. …

    Mobile 7 Dec 2004, 10:56

  • Cambridge wireless network to close

    New one due to be built though

    Mesh Broadband is pulling the plug on its Cambridge wireless broadband network on December 15. It took over the running of the Cambridge network when it acquired wireless broadband operator Invisible Networks (IN) last year after the operator went titsup. Mesh said it has decided to ditch the "old" network because it wasn't up …

    Broadband 7 Dec 2004, 10:57

  • Nvidia nabs PS3 graphics contract

    Next-gen GeForce to tie into Sony, IBM's 'Cell' CPU

    ATI may have wrested the Xbox 2 graphics contract away from Nvidia, but its arch-rival today revealed an alternative console design win: Sony's PlayStation 3. It's not called that, of course - we should refer to it instead as Sony's "next-generation computer entertainment systems featuring the 'Cell' processor". Financial …

    Consoles 7 Dec 2004, 10:58

  • Apple 'readies' 5GB iPod Mini

    The better to compete with the clones

    Apple may announce a 5GB iPod Mini next month, alongside the anticipated Flash iPod, reports on the web suggested this week. It's certainly an obvious upgrade, given that's the capacity offered by almost all Mini rivals on the market today, such as Creative's Zen Micro. Most of the alternatives to the Apple player are based on …

    Peripherals 7 Dec 2004, 11:26

  • Musicians 'unconcerned' about file sharing

    72 per cent say internet has helped sales

    A survey of artists and musicians in the US has revealed that a large majority have embraced the internet and consider it to be a helpful tool to their careers. The survey, conducted by The Pew Internet & American Life Project, shows that artists and musicians recognise the advantages of the internet and have used it to their …

    Media 7 Dec 2004, 11:33

  • V Two One told to pull 'UK's cheapest ISP' claim

    ISP stands firm

    V Two One, the Surrey-based ISP, has been asked to ditch an advertising slogan after a punter complained it was misleading. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) wrote to V Two One at the end of last month requesting an "assurance to remove [its] claim: "The UK's cheapest ISP - Guaranteed." The matter will be resolved on …

    Broadband 7 Dec 2004, 11:40

  • Mystery bidder snaps up Commerce One patents

    Someone pays $15.5m

    A mystery bidder, representing the equally mysterious JGR Acquistions, has paid $15.5m for software patents owned by Commerce One. The lawyer, representing JGR, left court without answering any questions as to the ownership of JGR or what it plans to do with the patents. Commerce One was a poster child for dotcom mania - it …

    Financial News 7 Dec 2004, 11:48

  • 3Com issues profit warning

    Revenues down, margins squeezed

    3Com yesterday warned that Q2 earnings will come in below expectations. For the quarter ending November 26, the networking firm expects sales of $149m - $153m, compared to earlier forecasts of $170m - $180m. Increased competition from Cisco at the telco end of 3Com's product range and Dell at the lower end is having an adverse …

    Financial News 7 Dec 2004, 12:22

  • Is IBM PC sell off preparation for a Power chip attack?

    Opinion A chip on the shoulder?

    Faultline would like to put forward another explanation of why IBM's PC business is suddenly up for sale, one that we haven't yet seen proffered in the various publications that have covered the news in the last few days. IBM is effectively clearing out its unprofitable PC business, so that it can go into the PC chip business …

    The Channel 7 Dec 2004, 12:29

  • Good Tech touts over-the-air PDA set-up

    Code can communicate across any network

    Good Technology is to push further into Europe, the company said this week, with the creation of sales and support channels in six countries. The mobile data specialist also announced the expansion of its North American channel. The drive to boost the reach of its sales arm came as Good announced the latest version of its push …

    Data Networking 7 Dec 2004, 12:41

  • Leadtek WinFast PX6600TD GeForce 6600 card

    Review Mid-range features, performance for under £100?

    This may come as a surprise, but according to id Software you shouldn't play Doom 3 with the Leadtek WinFast PX6600TD. As you'll see on the Doom 3 system requirements here: a GeForce 4 MX graphics card is fine, and so is a GeForce 6800, but the GeForce 6600 doesn't get a look-in. This is nonsense of course, as the Leadtek plays …

    Reviews 7 Dec 2004, 13:04

  • Massive game advertising startup to aid desperate brands

    Analysis Product placement in computer and console games

    Advertisers are desperate, says Katherine Hays, Chief Operating Officer of Massive, the US company that has just come out of stealth mode to lay claim to the world's first advertising network for multiple games on multiple gaming platforms. The fundamental reason for this desperation is that the 30 second TV ad spot is no …

    Financial News 7 Dec 2004, 13:34

  • Free books up for grabs

    Site Offer The best of 2004, for less

    If you think you've missed your opportunity to take advantage of hot titles at exclusive discounts....you'd be wrong. We've gone crazy with an exclusive offer, which is available for just two weeks. We’ve compiled a list of the titles which have been bestsellers throughout 2004 at The Register Bookshop - these are the books …

    Site News 7 Dec 2004, 13:47

  • Fake Lycos screensaver harbours Trojan

    More fallout

    Virus writers have begun distributing their wares in emails that pose as Lycos's abandoned "Make love not spam" screensaver. The fake screensaver emails contain an attachment with a RAR SFX archive that has embedded key logger Trojan inside, antivirus firm Sophos warns. Infected emails come in emails with subject lines such as …

    Security 7 Dec 2004, 13:49

  • Asia-Pacific piracy still rampant

    Rip, burn and pillage

    Piracy, especially optical disc piracy, is big business in the Asia-Pacific. The Motion Picture Association (MPA) estimates that Asia-Pacific piracy costs the US motion picture industry over $718m a year in potential revenue. This does not include the impact piracy has on employment and the cost imposed on countries in terms of …

    Media 7 Dec 2004, 14:08

  • Jambo OpenOffice released

    Open source in Swahili

    Jambo OpenOffice, the Swahili version of OpenOffice, has been released, the Open Swahili Localization Project (Kilinux), announced on Saturday. According to the press release, "Swahili is the most spoken of the Bantu languages and conservative estimates indicate that is the first language spoken by more than 70m people, chiefly …

    Applications 7 Dec 2004, 14:33

  • Tiscali denies France sell-off reports

    'Remains core asset'

    Tiscali denies it is prepping the sale of Liberty Surf, its French operation, to France Telecom. According to Italian press reports, the European ISP has already hired a bank to handle the sale. But a Tiscali spokesman told Reuters: "We deny that we are in talks with France Telecom about a sale of our French unit which remains …

    Broadband 7 Dec 2004, 14:33

  • 'White collar' virus writers make cash from chaos

    Malware Inc.

    Virus writing has changed from a cottage industry to a commercial enterprise, according to Sophos, the anti-virus firm Sophos. It reports a 51.8 per cent increase in new viruses in 2004. Many of the 10,724 new viruses (up from 7,064 in 2003) surrendered control of infected PCs to virus writers, for use in distributing spam or …

    Security 7 Dec 2004, 15:30

  • TSG buys Scottish dealer

    Third buy in three weeks

    Technology Services Group (TSG) has bought a ESCO, small Scottish networking reseller based in Cumbernauld, its third acquisition in as many weeks. Terms are undisclosed. All 17 ESCO staff are moving to TSG offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh. TSG now employs 100 staff across the border, serving 2,200 customers. TSG is the …

    The Channel 7 Dec 2004, 16:00

  • Rat brain flies jet

    Seriously

    Florida scientists have grown a brain in a petri dish and taught it to fly a fighter plane. Scientists at the university of Florida taught the 'brain', which was grown from 25,000 neural cells extracted from a rat embryo, to pilot an F-22 jet simulator. It was taught to control the flight path, even in mock hurricane-strength …

    Science 7 Dec 2004, 16:01

  • Hitachi disk drive biz closed for the holidays

    IBMers must run the ship

    The vast majority of staffers at Hitachi's US disk drive center have been told to take an extended vacation whether they like it or not. Hitachi Global Storage Technologies issued a memo this week to workers, telling them that a required vacation will take place between Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. Only 900 of the US facility's 3,300 …

    Storage 7 Dec 2004, 16:42

  • Security bugs take a bite out of Apple

    16 reasons to patch

    Apple has posted security updates to fix 16 security vulnerabilities in its Mac OS X operating system. Both client and server versions of the software need patching. The bugs stem from flaws Apache web server software, QuickTime Streaming Server and Apple's Safari web browser, for example. Security firm Secunia describes the …

    Security 7 Dec 2004, 16:53

  • AMD ships 90nm Opterons

    Formal launch not far off

    AMD will today begin shipping the 90nm incarnations of its Opteron 1xx, 2xx and 8xx processor lines, The Register has learned. The availability of the chips, confirmed by an AMD spokesman, means the company has made good its promise to ship the processors by the end of 2004 - though it only has around three weeks to make that …

    Servers 7 Dec 2004, 20:38