13th June 2005 Archive

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Nokia goes slider crazy

Seven new handsets, revamps aging UI

Nokia used its primary annual Asian media event today to fend off increasingly stylish competition from local manufacturers. The company launched four new slider handsets, including its most advanced CDMA phone yet, and a dual-camera 3G device. All four slide models use a buffed-up version of the aging Series 40 user interface …

Mobile 13 Jun 2005, 08:47
Microsoft deletes 'freedom' and 'democracy' in China

Find and replace...

Microsoft has bowed to Beijing's political censors and has banned the use of the words "freedom" and "democracy" on some areas of its Chinese internet portal, along with a host of other politically sensitive words such as "Taiwan independence" and "demonstration". According to the Financial Times, portal operators have imposed …

Music and Media 13 Jun 2005, 09:30
Euro PC sales creep up in April

In brief But German, Swiss sales fall off cliff

Consumers rode to the European PC market’s rescue in the April, bringing five consecutives months of decline to an end. Market researchers Context said that overall European sales in April were up 0.9 per cent on the year. This was all down to the consumer market, which showed a 7.2 per cent rise in sales, compared to a fall of …

PCs 13 Jun 2005, 10:15
MCI offers voice and data combo

Voip-tastic

MCI is tempting UK businesses with cheaper communications services following the launch of a converged voice and data product. MCI Advantage, as it's known, includes networked VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and hosted IP telephony, and is designed for companies looking to converge their voice and data networks and save …

Small Biz 13 Jun 2005, 10:18
Shun ID cards and make homes for beetles

No need to go it alone

mySociety, the people who brought you NotApathetic.com and WriteToThem.com are at it again, attempting to use the net for political purposes. We say good on them, because their latest idea is a very interesting one. PledgeBank.com is a place you can go to make promises about things you want to do to make the world a better …

Public Sector 13 Jun 2005, 10:37
Motorola downplays data security breach

Stolen PCs harbour SSIDs

A pair of computers containing personal information on Motorola workers stolen from the office of a third party contractor has sparked a minor security flap. The theft from the Chicago-area offices of human resources outsourcing firm Affiliated Computer Services resulted in the disclosure of the names and social security numbers …

ID 13 Jun 2005, 11:03
Sony Ericsson touts 3G/Wi-Fi PC Card 'first'

Too soon for HSDPA, though

Sony Ericsson today extended its line of wireless PC Cards with a model the brings together high-speed Wi-Fi and 3G mobile phone connectivity onto the same unit. The phone maker claimed its GC99 card is "one of the first" of its kind, though we note Option, the Belgian wireless PC Card specialist and the hidden hand behind many …

Mobile 13 Jun 2005, 11:07
Storage software sales surge

In brief Worry plus fear equals sales

Storage software revenues continued to grow in the first quarter, IDC has reported, proving that fear is still the vendors’ best friend in this market. Total sales hit $2.1bn in the first quarter, up 14.9 per cent on the year. This was the market’s sixth consecutive quarter of double digit growth. The researcher put this “ …

Storage 13 Jun 2005, 11:27
Police arrest telecoms workers in Pakistan

Protesting over PTCL privatisation

Telecoms workers in Pakistan have gone on strike in protest at the impending privatisation of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL). Union officials claim as many as 250 workers have been banged up after the Government's announcement on Saturday of plans to flog a controlling 26 per cent stake in the telco. Troops have …

Telecoms 13 Jun 2005, 11:40
Sony Ericsson unveils autumn handsets

Targets gamers, fashionistas, wrinklies

Sony Ericsson today rolled out its heavy-hitters for the back-to-school and Christmas sales seasons with a trio of GSM handsets, one pitched at the less technologically savvy among us, and the other two at the nation's 'yoof'. The phone company also extended its 3G range with an update to its existing K600 handset. Sony …

Mobile 13 Jun 2005, 11:59
Nokia to build phone browser from Apple tech

KDE's too, don't forget

First a night at the Opera, now a day on Safari. Nokia today said it was developing a new mobile phone web browser based on Apple's Mac OS X application, Safari. Nokia is using Safari's open source components, which Apple once again touted last week at its Worldwide Developers Conference. To be fair, Nokia owes as much to the …

Mobile 13 Jun 2005, 12:14
Intel ships 64-bit, 1MB L2 Pentium 4s

Hello, 5x1 series

Intel yesterday rolled out its anticipated 5x1 Pentium 4 processors, adding the six CPUs to its official price list. The chip giant also added a new 6x0 processor, the 3.8GHz 670, and placed its three dual-core Pentium Ds on the list too. The 521, 531, 541, 551, 561 and 571 P4s all bring Intel's 64-bit technology, EM64T, to …

PCs 13 Jun 2005, 13:09
Skulls Trojan poses as security code

Menacing mobile malware

Virus writers have created mobile phone malware that poses as a pirated copy of F-Secure's mobile anti-virus software. Skulls-L is a minor modification of the Skulls-C Trojan. Only the names have altered to leave the innocent at risk: Skulls-L unlike Skulls shares the same name as F-Secure's mobile anti-virus installation …

Mobile 13 Jun 2005, 13:25
Electric cables used for hotel broadband

Mini bar-tastic

A UK company is looking to use existing electrical cables to deliver broadband services to public areas such as hotels. Unlike powerline technologies that compete with DSL by delivering broadband over electricity cables to homes and business, the Cibersuite service needs a broadband connection in place already. But by using a …

Telecoms 13 Jun 2005, 13:34
Japanese 'Yahoo! phisher' arrested

Caught on copyright

Japanese police today arrested a man from Osaka who allegedly ran an Internet phishing scam based around a site called Yafoo. The Yafoo site was, reportedly, almost identical to the popular Yahoo auction site. According to The Asahi Shimbun the man wasn't nabbed for tricking internet users into providing personal information, …

ID 13 Jun 2005, 14:04
US expected to abandon Biometric passport plan

Technology seen as unreliable, say reports

Rules requiring Irish citizens to carry high-tech passports when visiting the US are to be dropped because the technology behind the scheme is seen as unreliable. The US Department of Homeland Security had previously set an October 2005 deadline for the inclusion of biometric information chips in the passports of European …

ID 13 Jun 2005, 14:23
'Think Again' camp opens for wounded Apple iLemmings

And ninethly Learn to loathe Einstein and high prices

I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any. I refuse to live in other people's houses as an interloper, a beggar or a slave. Religion is a matter of the heart …

Bootnotes 13 Jun 2005, 14:44
Sony Vaio VGN-T2XP

Review Ultra-portable perfection?

An ultra-portable notebook is a wonderful thing, especially for someone in my line of work. When you're regularly globetrotting, covering technology expos and product launches, you need to have a notebook with you in order to write up your stories. But you don't want something big and heavy weighing you down, especially on those …

Reviews 13 Jun 2005, 14:59
Voda inks Extreme youth phone deal

Does 180 on MVNOs

Vodafone UK has hooked up with the Extreme youth culture outfit to launch a pre-pay mobile phone service aimed at the under 24s. Hitching a ride on Vodafone's network, ExtremeMob will provide "stylish handsets and value for money tariffs" for image-conscious young people. And with the brand's background in Extreme sport, a TV …

Mobile 13 Jun 2005, 15:05
Routing is tooting

Switching is bitching, says IDC

It's a tale of two technologies in the networking market with router revenues rising (albeit modestly) in EMEA while switch revenues dropped off. In 1Q05 the router market grew by 4.8 per cent to $1.1bn, while revenues in the switching marketplace fell 6.0 per cent to $1.1bn in 1Q05 compared to $1.2bn in 4Q04, according to …

Data Networking 13 Jun 2005, 15:14
US scientists launch evolution fight-back

Blasphemy!

Scientists in the US are going on the attack against anti-evolution campaigners. The National Academy of Sciences has set up a website that serves as a kind of portal for people wanting to access research and information on evolutionary theory, and evolution in education. The NAS said that it has long supported the inclusion of …

Science 13 Jun 2005, 15:41
ISPA warns on choosing an ISP

Price ain't always right

Net users have been warned not to be suckered into signing up to an ISP just because they're cheap. Instead, punters need to consider other matters such as customer service and network performance, said the UK's internet trade body ISPA. In a survey of some 450 net users a third said they chose their ISP based on the price of …

Telecoms 13 Jun 2005, 16:03
US SEC curious about HP CEO's stock sales - report

What did he know?

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has tapped HP on the shoulder for information as it examines stock sales made by CEO Mark Hurd before he joined the company, according to a report. BusinessWeek has two sources confirming that the SEC is curious about Hurd's sale of NCR stock in the weeks before he left that …

Financial News 13 Jun 2005, 16:14
Diabetics get 'Intel Inside'

Chip industry's new sweet spot

Computerised sensors are to be used to monitor the health of patients in a UK trial due to begin by Christmas. The devices, powered by Pentium processors and invented by boffins at Scientists at Imperial College London, can measure changes in an individual's condition and send the data to doctors using a Bluetooth connection and …

Science 13 Jun 2005, 16:38
Intel overclocks Chinese IT fund with $200m

Owning the future

Like any technology giant worth its salt, Intel has put aside $200m to nurture young IT firms in China. Handouts from the Intel Capital China Technology Fund will go to Chinese companies that fit in well with Intel's hopes and dreams. Intel plans initially to target players in the cellular, broadband and semiconductor design …

Hardware 13 Jun 2005, 18:29
HP grabs former palmOne CEO to head PC biz

Bradley asked to fix ailing unit

HP has picked up former palmOne CEO Todd Bradley to run its PC and gadget business. Bradley, 46, spent three years as palmOne's CEO before leaving the company in February. At HP, Bradley will serve as EVP in charge of the Personal Systems Group (PSG) - the unit responsible for PCs, workstations, monitors and handhelds. "Todd …

IT Director 13 Jun 2005, 20:35