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13th April 2005 Archive

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  • Yahoo! chief! scientist! joins! Microsoft!

    Redmond hires Flake

    Microsoft has hired Yahoo's head of research and chief scientist Gary Flake to work on its MSN portal and desktop search. Flake joined Yahoo! when it acquired Overture in 2003. He wasn't there long, joining the previous year from NEC research, and most of Overture's key patents were filed before his arrival. However, as …

    Media 13 Apr 2005, 01:33

  • LexisNexis data breach far worse than reported

    300,000+ affected

    Data wholesaler LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier, has admitted that personal information concerning 310,000 US citizens has been stolen. In March, the company admitted to losing data related to only 32,000 victims. It has since transpired that unauthorized users breached the system 59 times using stolen passwords, and …

    Financial News 13 Apr 2005, 08:37

  • RIAA discovers Internet2

    And guess what? People are sharing stuff on it

    The RIAA said it will today sue over 400 students with access to Internet2, the high speed next-generation network, for copyright infringement. The experimental network is used by universities and researchers and has been demonstrated to transmit a DVD in around 30 seconds. The sheer speed of I2 makes file sharing much more …

    Financial News 13 Apr 2005, 08:39

  • Eight patches - five critical - in MS April patch batch

    Here we go again

    Microsoft issued eight patches - five critical - to deal with 12 vulnerabilities on Tuesday. Fixes for Windows, Internet Explorer, Word, MSN Messenger and an update for Microsoft Exchange (2000 and 2003) all featured in Microsoft's latest patch batch. Vulnerabilities in Microsoft's TCP/IP stack that could allow remote code …

    Security 13 Apr 2005, 08:43

  • US rolls out robotic broadband airship

    Stratellite's gone, up to the skies...

    US communications outfit Sanswire yesterday unveiled concrete evidence of its truly audacious plan to deliver line-of-sight wireless broadband and mobile phone signals to an area the size of Texas from a single transmission point. The company is not, however, planning a private satellite launch or 10,000-foot-high transmission …

    Broadband 13 Apr 2005, 09:50

  • CA's $35m tax charge hits net income

    Raises dividends, though

    Computer Associates has said it will miss its quarterly net income target because of a $35m tax charge it incurred by moving international profits back to the US. The charge will cut its net income by $0.06 per share - a substantial amount, considering the company had expected income of between $0.07 and $0.08 per share. …

    Applications 13 Apr 2005, 09:55

  • The Larry and Linus Show: personalities vs principles?

    Letters Kernel row rumbles on

    Last week Linus Torvalds ditched the source code tool he's been using to maintain updates to the Linux kernel tree for the last three years. That's a fact so unremarkable few news organizations would think it merited a story. But it's no ordinary decision: for it pits friendship against principle, the core of any great drama. …

    Letters 13 Apr 2005, 10:25

  • Political cybersquatting rears ugly head

    Election 2005 Why be apathetic with this nonsense going on?

    Political shenanigans have spilled over onto the web after the Tory candidate for Winchester hijacked a domain for Lib Dem MP Mark Oaten. George Hollingbery has snaffled up markoaten.co.uk (Oaten's real site is markoaten.com) directing traffic to his own site. Oaten's got the hump over the political dirty trick and called on …

    Policy 13 Apr 2005, 11:56

  • Give me $50k or the rabbit dies

    Chilling net extortion demand

    There are times when we at Vulture Central try our best to avoid reporting on the more distasteful aspects of the internet, but when reader pressure eventually demands satisfaction. This is one of those ocassions, and it with barely disguised horror that we announce the intention of a US man to kill and eat an innocent and …

    Media 13 Apr 2005, 12:00

  • Moore's Law is 40

    Gordon speaks his law

    Gordon Moore, emeritus chairman and co-founder of Intel, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his eponymous law this week. Speaking via conference call from Hawaii, Moore said he was surprised his predictions have lasted so long. In 1965, while research director at Fairchild Semiconductor, Moore wrote an article for …

    PCs 13 Apr 2005, 12:04

  • IBM joins project to reveal the secrets of mankind's migration

    All in the DNA, you know

    National Geographic has enlisted IBM to help it in a project that will chart the history of human migration through markers in DNA. The project will span five continents, and will involve genetic samples being taken from over 100,000 people, at a cost of around $40m. The project's coordinators hope the research will reveal the …

    Science 13 Apr 2005, 12:08

  • PalmOne brings Bluetooth to Tungsten E2

    Sports all the usual tweaks too

    PalmOne has updated its low-end, enterprise-oriented Tungsten E PDA, upping the processor speed and storage capacity, and finally bringing wireless connectivity to the machine. The new model, the E2, had been expected for some weeks, various details having leaked out onto the Internet. The critical improvement is the addition …

    Mobile 13 Apr 2005, 12:20

  • French cableco front runner to buy NTL Ireland

    Esat BT rebrands too

    UnitedGlobalCom (UGC) is looking favourite to snap up the Irish operation of UK cableco NTL, according to a report by the Irish Times. Last month NTL said it was "evaluating strategic alternatives for our business in the Republic of Ireland, which may include a divestiture" and reported that "considerable interest" had already …

    Financial News 13 Apr 2005, 12:30

  • Vatican mobilises anti-surveillance op

    Multiple e-threats to Pope-vote conclave

    If press reports are to be believed, then next Monday's gathering of cardinals in the Sistine Chapel will represent the biggest counter-surveillance operation since the Posh/Becks royal wedding. Indeed, so busy will the Vatican be blocking laser microphone assault, checking vases of flowers for nanobugs and setting the Swiss …

    Media 13 Apr 2005, 12:36

  • Infineon to sample DDR 3 'in 2006'

    After Samsung

    Infineon expects to sample DDR 3 memory chips in 18 months' time, the memory maker said at Intel Developer Forum Taiwan this week. It may not be the first to do so. Samsung has already claimed to have produced the world's first DDR 3 part, a 512Mb chip, so is likely to be the first company to sample the next generation of …

    PCs 13 Apr 2005, 12:50

  • India acts on call centre fraud

    Nationwide database for staff

    The Indian offshoring industry is taking action to counter security concerns raised by last week's arrest of three call centre workers for fraud. The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) is planning a nationwide database of call centre staff who have security clearance. The register will be voluntary …

    Management 13 Apr 2005, 13:04

  • Major labels sell off MusicNet

    No longer interested in doing digital distribution themselves?

    Global digital music distributor MusicNet has been sold by its music industry owners to a venture capital firm. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but since MusicNet was privately held, that's no great surprise. The new owner is Baker Capital, a New York-based private equity firm founded in 1995. The firm specialises in " …

    Financial News 13 Apr 2005, 13:10

  • Mobile botnet threat downplayed

    DON'T PANIC

    Could botnets - the scourge of consumer security - be on the verge of going mobile? The prospect seems some way off but even so mobile operators and security watchers are more than a little spooked. Job de Haas, a researcher at security firm ITSX, told delegates at the recent Black Hat conference in Amsterdam that client side …

    Security 13 Apr 2005, 14:07

  • Becta names preferred suppliers

    Bring an Apple for your teacher

    The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta), has named Apple, PC World and Vieglen among the companies that have won contracts to supply software to schools and Local Education Authorities. Under the framework agreement, the schools are not required to buy from one of the approved suppliers, but if they …

    Management 13 Apr 2005, 14:11

  • Apple Japan 'will' open Music Store - chief

    Just as soon as all those pesky content, pricing and DRM negotiations are done...

    Apple may be getting closer to launching a Japanese iTunes Music Store by the end of the year, if comments made by the head of its Japanese operation this week are anything to go by. Yoshiaki Sakito, Apple Japan's President, said on Tuesday that the company will launch ITMS in Japan, local newspaper the Mainichi Shimbun …

    Financial News 13 Apr 2005, 14:19

  • Barcelona boots Europe's most powerful supercomputer

    Made from blade servers and sticky-back plastic

    Barcelona can now officially claim to have the most powerful supercomputer in Europe, following the inaugural booting of the MareNostrum at the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC). The machine, which will be used for research in aerodynamics, biology and genetics, has a peak calculation rate of 40 Teraflops. This puts it at …

    Servers 13 Apr 2005, 14:22

  • Gizmondo unveils 'adverts-for-consoles' scheme

    Cheaper hardware in return for being sold to

    If you fancy one of those Gizmondo handheld games consoles but you're not so keen on the £229 price tag, the company behind it may soon help you out. Gizmondo Europe will knock £100 off the price of the machine if - and it's a big 'if' - you allow yourself to have advertising sent to your console three times a day. The ads, …

    Consoles 13 Apr 2005, 14:32

  • Siebel ditches boss

    Long walk, short plank

    Siebel is replacing its CEO less than a year after he was appointed. Mike Lawrie has only been top dog at Siebel since May last year. He has been replaced, effective immediately, by George Shaheen. Shaheen has been on the Siebel board since 1995. Siebel said in a statement: "The Board and Mr. Lawrie agreed mutually that he …

    Financial News 13 Apr 2005, 14:41

  • Brit workers excel at skiving

    14 days a year faffing about at their desks

    New figures have shown that Brit workers lead the world in "desk skiving" - the art of aimlessly faffing about at their posts when they should be lining shareholders' pockets with filthy lucre. Shockingly, the maths demonstrate that a third of workers may be taking fourteen days extra hols a year while a hard core of eight per …

    Bootnotes 13 Apr 2005, 15:06

  • Tiscali UK to invest £61m in LLU

    First exchanges due this summer

    Tiscali is to plough €90m (£61m) into unbundled broadband services in the UK over the next three years as part of a renewed effort to secure a sizeable share of this ever-growing sector. The Italian-based ISP plans to cherry-pick the most lucrative exchanges in the UK to develop its "selective unbundled network". Tiscali UK is …

    Broadband 13 Apr 2005, 15:16

  • Seagate promises perpendicular drives

    Three-way race is on...

    Seagate is joining the race to get perpendicular disc drives ready for market. The firm joins Toshiba and Hitachi Global Storage who have both previously announced research into the storage method. A spokesman for the firm told El Reg: "We are working on this technology and expect products by the end of the year." The …

    Storage 13 Apr 2005, 15:26

  • MCI wants $30 a share

    Verizon and MCI still fighting...

    MCI, the US telco at the centre of a tug-of-love between rival bidders Verizon and Qwest, is holding out for a valuation of $30 a share. According to anonymous sources quoted by the FT MCI would consider switching its allegiance from Verizon to Qwest if Qwest ups its bid to $30 a share. It looked like Qwest had missed out last …

    Financial News 13 Apr 2005, 15:32

  • Mission Impossible at the Sumitomo Bank

    Key loggers, blank tapes and a cold trail

    The investigation into the attempt to steal an estimated £220m from the Sumitomo Mitsui Bank in the City of London is focusing on a hi-tech plot using members of the cleaning staff and bugging devices. In an Mission Impossible-style scam, it was claimed last night, some cleaning staff placed hardware bugs onto the keyboard …

    Security 13 Apr 2005, 16:23

  • Anti-spyware group collapses

    The Coast is clear

    An anti-spyware consortium has collapsed weeks after its decision to admit 180solutions, the controversial adware firm to its ranks. The final demise of the Consortium of Anti-Spyware Technology vendors (Coast) this week follows the exit of founding members CA, Alluria and Webroot in February. Each cited a lack of faith in Coast …

    Security 13 Apr 2005, 16:44

  • Berkeley to lead $19m cybersecurity research gig

    Our mantra is TRUST

    The National Science Foundation (NSF) this week gave the University of California, Berkeley, the lead role in a $19m government-funded cybersecurity research project. Berkley heads a team of eight universities (including Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University, Mills College, San Jose State University, Smith College, …

    Security 13 Apr 2005, 16:52

  • Sony 'open' to Blu-ray Disc/HD DVD bonding talks

    Peace in our time?

    Sony has held an olive branch out to proponents of the HD DVD blue-laser optical disc format, inviting them to discuss how their preferred format could come together with its choice, Blu-ray Disc. Speaking to Reuters, Sony's head of next-generation DVD development, Yukinori Kawauchi said the company wanted to avoid a clash of …

    Peripherals 13 Apr 2005, 16:56

  • Itanium upstart teams with Zeus for load balancer of the future

    Zippy little guy

    Secure64 - a potential savior for the Itanium processor - has signed a software development deal with Zeus Technology to build a zippy, secure load balancer. The two companies yesterday announced their partnership, saying the Zeus Extensible Traffic Manager (ZXTM) will be ported to Secure64's software. The software pairing - …

    Servers 13 Apr 2005, 19:42

  • Microsoft stirs storage waters with backup beta

    Partners go silent

    Microsoft's storage division has pulled off a rare feat by making a beta version of a new product available on time. Microsoft managed to deliver the controversial Data Protection Server in the "early part of 2005" as promised by putting the beta up for download today. However, Microsoft didn't deliver Data Protection Server at …

    Storage 13 Apr 2005, 20:33

  • Fujitsu Siemens bullish on '05

    Record sales and profits

    Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC) is trumpeting its best financial year to date, hitting revenues of €6.018bn and pre-tax profits of €95m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2004. Sales advanced 14 per cent on fiscal 2003 and profits jumped 53 per cent (FY 2003: €33m). For the second half of FY 2004, the German-Japanese computer …

    The Channel 13 Apr 2005, 21:05

  • AMD's depressing Flash biz set for IPO

    Spansion to think about what it has done

    Flash memory maker Spansion is heading to IPO country, the company said today. The joint venture between AMD and Fujitsu has filed for an IPO with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. It has yet to set the number of shares to be offered or consequently a per share price. In 2004, Spansion sold $2.3bn worth of memory …

    Financial News 13 Apr 2005, 21:28

  • Progress buys Apama

    Real-time enterprise

    Progress has acquired Apama, whose software will now form part of the ObjectStore division of Progress. Apama was founded towards the end of 1999 by two alumni of Cambridge University, who had collaborated in the university's computer lab for the best part of the previous decade. Originally, they set out to resolve a number of …

    Applications 13 Apr 2005, 21:57

  • Apple financials rude with health

    Margins up, too

    Apple shipped a record number of iPods and shifted more Macs than at any time since the 2001 crash, the company reported today. It's the first quarter in which the result of the Apple's new low cost strategy - the iPod Shuffle and the Mac mini - came on stream, although these products were available for most but not all of the …

    Financial News 13 Apr 2005, 22:29

  • Fujitsu, FSC debuts ESPRIMO PC brand

    Business desktop gig

    Fujitsu and Fujitsu Siemens are junking their desktops PC brands for the professional market in favour of a new unified name worldwide. Step forward ESPRIMO – yes, it’s ALL CAPS – the euphonious and vaguely Latinate name for a new line intended to deliver the same brand recognition as the companies’ LIFEBOOK notebook brand. …

    PCs 13 Apr 2005, 22:49

  • Ingram Micro signs CA for software licensing gig

    Capitalist tool

    Ingram Micro Europe has signed up Computer Associates for its online Click2License software quotation and purchasing program. Resellers can now buy CA software online through the distributer, according to the Ts&Cs of the vendor’s Open License Program (OLP) and Government License Program (GLP). CA is the fourth software firm to …

    The Channel 13 Apr 2005, 23:10

  • VIP goes ecommerce-tastic

    Website makeover

    VIP Computer Centre has given its website a makeover to match its new corporate image. More importantly, the Warrington-based distie has upgraded the ecommerce bits and bobs, delivering "massive enhancements", it says rather modestly. Here is a list of new features: better searching and ordering tools, saving remarks / product …

    The Channel 13 Apr 2005, 23:37