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21st January 2005 Archive

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  • IBM's Mr Thinkpad on life before Lenovo

    Sonoma, so good

    Intel chose to launch its Sonoma chipset at the Ferry Building in San Francisco yesterday, which is San Francisco's Ellis Island, in its way. Generations arrived here, wide-eyed, with only the curves of Los Pechos de la Choca, as the Spanish called it ("the breasts of the Indian girl") rising up at the end of Market Street in …

    PCs 21 Jan 2005, 00:58

  • How Dell made North Carolina beg for business

    Memos reveal patriot games

    Any reporter who has covered Dell for a couple of years has heard the stories about the company's iron-fisted negotiating tactics. Dell's size lets it put enormous pressure on partners, suppliers and rivals. Now it seems Dell has extended these Wal-Mart like ways to hammering entire states. Documents unsealed by the North …

    Data Center 21 Jan 2005, 01:46

  • Europe goes mad for broadband

    Massive price cuts

    Almost half of all households in Western Europe - 72m in total - will be be hooked up to broadband by 2010 as the cost of high-speed net access continues to fall. The Netherlands and Scandinavia are expected to be broadband beacons thanks to their large proportion of online consumers, competitive markets and relatively low …

    Broadband 21 Jan 2005, 09:06

  • CE vendors unite to develop DRM

    Caving in to Hollywood?

    DRM is coming to consumer electronics kit courtesy of an alliance between some of the arena's biggest names and DRM developer Intertrust, it has emerged. Together known as the Marlin Joint Development Association (MJDA), the group's founder members comprise Sony, Philips, Samsung, Matsushita/Panasonic and Intertrust. MJDA's …

    Media 21 Jan 2005, 10:05

  • LG rejects interest in Siemens mobile biz

    Not for sale apparently

    LG Electronics has ruled itself out of the running to acquire Siemens' loss-making mobile phone business. Reports circulating yesterday said that LG Electronics was in the frame to buy Siemens' handset business if negotiations ran smoothly. But newswire AFP today quotes an LG spokesman who has denied that the South Korean …

    Financial News 21 Jan 2005, 10:44

  • Intel speeds 'multiple OS' desktop CPU schedule

    Does 2005 debut point to 'Smithfield'?

    Intel has made public a preliminary version of its 'Vanderpool' virtualisation technology specification in a bid to boost support for the technique. It also said it will bring Vanderpool to the desktop a year earlier than originally planned. The technology will now appear in Pentium-class processors later this year. Vanderpool …

    PCs 21 Jan 2005, 10:45

  • Malware poses as CNN news alert

    Headline alert

    Virus writers have created a worm which poses as breaking news alerts. Crowt-A's subject line and attachment share the same name, but continually change to mirror the front-page headline on CNN's website. The message text is also lifted from CNN as part of a social engineering technique designed to trick users into believing …

    Security 21 Jan 2005, 11:04

  • Chip makers' book-to-bill ratio slips

    Falling demand

    Chip makers saw the ratio of new orders to shipped product fall last month, suggesting the semiconductor industry hasn't yet moved out of its current dip. According to the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) trade organisation, December 2004 yielded a book-to-bill ratio of 0.95, down from 0.99 the month …

    The Channel 21 Jan 2005, 11:09

  • ABIT reaches accord with creditors - report

    Cash deposits may be unfrozen

    Motherboard maker ABIT may have reached an agreement with its creditors to defrost cash and credit lines frozen last month. The deal - described by sources close to the company, cited by DigiTimes, as "tentative" - will allow the company to make use of those assets for its business operations. ABIT had TWD1.65bn ($51.8m) of …

    The Channel 21 Jan 2005, 11:28

  • Intel's 65nm desktop CPU to ship Q1 2006

    Presler a dazzler?

    Intel's first 65nm desktop chip will ship in Q1 2006 alongside its 65nm Pentium M, it has been claimed. According to Taiwanese motherboard-maker sources cited by DigiTimes, the desktop chip is codenamed 'Presler', and will launch at 3.6GHz. There's many a slip twixt cup and lip, of course, so we expect that roadmapped launch …

    PCs 21 Jan 2005, 11:53

  • China Netcom to acquire 20% of PCCW

    Wireless broadband in its sights?

    One of China's largest telcos is to shell out $1bn (£536m) for a 20 per cent slice of Hong Kong-based telecoms outfit PCCW. China Network Communications Group Corporation (China Netcom) - which is also the the fixed-line telco for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 - said the strategic alliance would enable both companies to …

    Financial News 21 Jan 2005, 11:58

  • Intel 64-bit Pentium 4s make retail debut

    Turn up in Tokyo

    Intel's 64-bit Pentium 4 processors have gone on sale in Japan, local media report. The chips, which feature Intel's AMD64-like EM64 technology, aren't new. Launched in August 2004, the chips were geared toward workstation and server roles. Indeed, the boxed units that went on sale this week are clearly labelled "for uni- …

    System Builder 21 Jan 2005, 12:18

  • Handset frameworks strengthen cellcos

    But they may outlive them, too

    We have seen many times how major mobile operators are seeking to reduce their costs and increase their differentiation by taking the driving seat in terms of handset design and procurement, working with low cost, unbranded manufacturers and sidelining the handset majors, in order to assert their own control and enhance their …

    Mobile 21 Jan 2005, 12:27

  • Retailers set straight on Chip and PIN

    Fraud liability

    Many small retailers are unaware of who is liable in the event of fraud concerning new Chip and PIN credit cards, according to the Federation of Small Business (FSB). The FSB are stressing that, although consumers will still be protected from card fraud losses, retailers without the new technology, which is designed to detect …

    Small Biz 21 Jan 2005, 12:29

  • WiMAX delay shakes investor confidence

    Analysis Realistic deadlines required

    The news that the 802.16-2004 certification process was delayed by about six months was not a great surprise, although it is ironic that lack of chips from Intel seems to be one of the problems. The main negative impact will be on investor confidence and overall perception of WiMAX, since most operators are either going ahead …

    Broadband 21 Jan 2005, 12:30

  • Exploring the law of unintended consequences

    Column DRM and asbestos curtains meet the Shah of Iran

    The law of unintended consequences shows us how many innocent innovations like email, anti-virus and DRM can become something far worse than the inventors had ever imagined. Back in the 1970s, long before the revolution that would eventually topple him from power, the Shah of Iran was one of America's best friends (he was a …

    Security 21 Jan 2005, 12:32

  • ATI launches Mobility Radeon X700

    Set for Sonoma

    ATI this week introduced a mainstream mobile X-class graphics processor, the Mobility Radeon X700. The 110nm, PCI Express-native chip incorporates eight pixel pipelines and six vertex engines. As per ATI's other X-class GPUs, the X700 provides its SmartShader, VideoShader and HyperZ technologies in their HD incarnations, along …

    PCs 21 Jan 2005, 12:34

  • French court says Non! to Google's adwords

    Upholds trademark infringement claim

    A French court has ruled that Google's keyword advertising service infringes on the trademark of Le Meridian Hotels, and has ordered the company to stop using the trademark to trigger advertisements for Le Meridian's competitors. The judge ordered Google to pay all court fees, and a €2000 ($2595) fine. The Nanterre court said …

    Media 21 Jan 2005, 12:38

  • For Sale: Absolutely Nothing

    Updated Skint eBayer in once-in-a-lifetime offer

    A skint Londoner has decided to offer the eBayer who has everything - except space in which to store more online bargains - the chance to secure, well, absolutely nothing. Read on: This is a fantastic, once in a lifetime opportunity to buy absolutely nothing! The successful bidder will receive absolutely nothing direct from me …

    Financial News 21 Jan 2005, 12:39

  • Spurned woman deletes ex's gaming data

    Online revenge, Japanese style

    A Japanese woman faces a charge of "illegal access" after coughing to using her ex-boyfriend's username and password to access online game Lineage, the Mainichi Daily News reports. The vengeful thirtysomething allegedly binned clothes and weapons which her former squeeze had spent time accumulating online. For her trouble, the …

    Media 21 Jan 2005, 12:40

  • Sony PSP ship total hits 800,000

    CE giant plans mobile phone add-on, UMD licences

    Sony has shipped 800,000 PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld consoles, the electronics giant said yesterday. It also revealed it has submitted the PSP's Universal Media Disc (UMD) format for consideration as an international standard. Speaking in Japan, Sony deputy president and computer entertainment division chief Ken …

    Consoles 21 Jan 2005, 13:06

  • China nabs 600 in online gambling raids

    Twist or stick?

    Police in China have arrested 600 people and seized CNY23m (£1.5m) as part of a countrywide crackdown on illegal online gambling. In all, some 220 people were detained in a series of raids on what state media sources are claiming to be a "clandestine internet-based gambling company". Police claim the Taiwan-based gambling …

    Media 21 Jan 2005, 13:15

  • BOFH: Hooking the IT vending piranha

    Episode 2 Class A business practice

    So we've been dragged into Beancounter land after a change in purchasing policy means that absolutely all kit is now going to be bought by the IT Purchasing bloke in accounts to make sure that we get the absolute best deal that we POSSIBLY could ever get. Which means: we're going to get royally screwed by the vendors. As any …

    BOFH 21 Jan 2005, 13:20

  • Supreme Court to probe P2P in March

    Date set for oral arguments

    The US Supreme Court will begin hearing spoken testimonies from the movie industry and the world of peer-to-peer networking on 29 March in order to help it decide whether P2P software providers are responsible for the actions of their users. The hearings will mark the latest step in the music and movie industries' attempts to …

    Media 21 Jan 2005, 14:01

  • UK braces for black Monday 24th

    Misery, depression, despair

    A tutor at Cardiff University has calculated that - for the UK at least - next Monday, 24 January will mark a zenith of misery for the country as semi-sucicidal Brits descend into a black mire of depression and despair, the BBC reports. The causes are all too familiar to long-suffering citizens of the rain-lashed United Kingdom …

    Bootnotes 21 Jan 2005, 14:15

  • London man cuffed over disaster relief site hack

    Suspect quizzed after failed attack

    Police yesterday arrested a 28-year-old man from East London on suspicion of attempting to hack into the website of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). The New Year's Eve attack on the site of the organisation co-ordinating efforts to help support victims of the Asian tsunami disaster failed. The attack was blocked by BT, …

    Security 21 Jan 2005, 14:19

  • Boffins develop human skin printer

    Live cell ink-jet-type process

    Scientists at Manchester University have built a printer which can output human skin suitable for grafts, the Manchester News reports. The device uses human cells suspended in a solution which are printed onto a plastic matrix. It works in the same way as an ink-jet printer and is capable of producing made-to-measure strips of …

    Science 21 Jan 2005, 14:58

  • BT slaps £5 charge on late payers

    Uh huh

    BT is slapping a £5 charge on late payers in a bid to recoup some of the admin costs involved in chasing punters. Tucked at the back of this month's Update pamphlet it reads: "For new bills sent from 1st December 2004, BT started charging customers a £5 late payment charge if payment is not received in full within five calendar …

    Broadband 21 Jan 2005, 15:01

  • Climatologist scoops major prize at IoP awards

    Shiny

    Climatologist Barbara Maher has been awarded the Chree Medal and Prize, the Institute of Physics' highest honour, for her work on predicting climate change on Earth. Maher, who is Professor of Physical Geography at the University of Lancaster, uses studies of magnetism in rocks and soil to track changes in the climate. Her work …

    Science 21 Jan 2005, 15:14

  • Clever men less likely to kill themselves

    IQ link to suicide

    Swedish scientists have shown that young men who score well in intelligence tests are less likely to commit suicide, according to a Reuters report. Researchers from Sweden's Karolinska Institute analysed test scores for 987,308 armed forced recruits and then cross-referenced the data with those who subsequently commited suicide …

    Science 21 Jan 2005, 15:18

  • Gizmondo store shuffles to London's Regent Street

    But two months on, console still hasn't shipped...

    Gizmondo's scheme to open a retail store in London's 'swinging' Carnaby Street has come to nothing, The Register can reveal. Instead, the handheld games console company is to showcase its wares just round the corner on Regent's Street. The firm's retail outlet is located at number 175, a couple of blocks down from its undoubted …

    Consoles 21 Jan 2005, 15:42

  • MS AntiSpyware bites BitDefender

    Teething troubles

    A trial version of Microsoft software designed to rid Windows PCs of spyware is provoking complaints about false alerts. Microsoft said it is working with other vendors to resolve teething troubles with its Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware application, released to the public as a beta earlier this month. According to Romanian anti …

    Security 21 Jan 2005, 16:04

  • MS appoints eGovt. strategy chief

    Nations get National Technology Officers

    Microsoft has created a new role: National Technology Officer (NTO). The post's remit is to oversee the development of the software giant's strategy in the lucrative public sector market. Jerry Fishenden, who has been with Microsoft since 1997, and was previously head of networking at the Houses of Parliament, will fill the …

    Policy 21 Jan 2005, 16:57

  • HP pays $141m to get Intergraph off its back

    Another OEM scalp

    HP has become the latest member of the Intergraph settlement club, agreeing to pay the company $141m to clear up legal disputes. HP joins Intel, Dell, TI, AMD and Gateway as companies that have forked over cash to Intergraph largely to cover lawsuits over chip patents. The settlement between HP and Intergraph puts an end to all …

    Servers 21 Jan 2005, 17:31

  • Saying 'titsup' is fine, Reg readers cry

    Letters Use it in a sentence today

    A pretty lighthearted letters bag this week, with plenty of odd musings on various subjects. We'll begin, however, with a thought about Redmond's finest's new subscription email service: I trust this will fool no one. MS is not offering Office by subscription to poor, under-equipped Hotmail users. This is the first official …

    Letters 21 Jan 2005, 17:33

  • IBM goes after Intel, AMD with Linux-only server

    OpenPower for your rack

    IBM looks set to make a new, lower-end addition to its line of Power-based servers designed to run the Linux operating system, The Register can reveal. IBM has put the two-processor OpenPower 710 up for sale in the UK. (IBM kindly pulled the linked web site down about an hour after this story first appeared. Thankfully, there …

    Servers 21 Jan 2005, 19:03

  • Verizon faces lawsuit over email blocking

    US ISP stands firm over controversial policy

    Aggrieved Verizon customers are invited to join a class action that seeks damages arising from the US ISP's enthusiastic email filtering policies. Philadelphia law firm Kohn, Swift & Graf, P.C. filed suit this week against Verizon on behalf of a DSL subscriber in a civil case that seeks class action status. Since 22 December, …

    Security 21 Jan 2005, 23:10

  • FCC Chairman Michael Powell resigns

    Richer pastures ahead

    Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Michael Powell is stepping down after serving four years as chairman and approximately six years as a commissioner. A strong proponent of deregulation, Powell leaves behind a mixed bag of achievements. While he has done much to promote broadband adoption and to protect the …

    Broadband 21 Jan 2005, 23:15