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11th August 2005 Archive

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  • Moglen on GPL 3.0

    Pac Man stikes back

    The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is soliciting input for the next version of the GNU General Public License (GPL), a release expected to tackle internationalization, web services and security. It's the first revision to the license for 14 years. The group is preparing to announce nominations for a number of advisory …

    Developer 11 Aug 2005, 07:23

  • Red Hat pushes Microsoft for patents statement

    It's not what you do...

    Red Hat has called on Microsoft to resist threatening developers and customers with prosecution over possible infringements of patented technologies in Linux Mark Webbink, Red Hat’s deputy general counsel, on Wednesday called on Microsoft to make a written pledge not to threaten developers with infringement claims. In the …

    Developer 11 Aug 2005, 07:29

  • IBM: Desktop is next Linux frontier

    Beam me up, just differently

    IBM has told Linux developers the desktop is the next frontier, but they must avoid employing the same tactics used against Unix on servers to conquer it. Steve Mills, IBM's senior vice president and group executive, told Linux developers they need a new value proposition on the desktop. One option is the "managed desktop", …

    Developer 11 Aug 2005, 07:34

  • Ofcom deregulates RFID in the UK

    Lack of interference

    Communications watchdog Ofcom yesterday said that it would be making radio spectrum available for use by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) equipment, and that those using the new technology would not need a wireless telegraphy licence. The country's privacy watchdog – the Information Commissioner – has also clarified data …

    Security 11 Aug 2005, 08:02

  • Ofcom mulls Bulldog probe

    ISP could scrap Autumn marketing push

    Ofcom could launch a formal investigation into Bulldog by the end of the month, according to correspondence seen by The Register. The telecoms regulator has already appointed a case leader to examine complaints about the local loop unbundling (LLU) ISP owned by telecoms giant Cable & Wireless (C&W). Those complaints include …

    Broadband 11 Aug 2005, 09:50

  • Samsung DRAM ouput shifts to DDR 2

    Finally overtakes DDR 1

    Samsung is finally producing more DDR 2 memory chips that DDR parts, the South Korean giant said yesterday. Last month, DDR 2 accounted for around 40 per cent of the company's memory output, while the original double data-rate memory specification accounted for roughly 30 per cent, Samsung said. The company claimed it has seen …

    System Builder 11 Aug 2005, 09:52

  • Glitch hits MS Patch Tuesday

    Oops

    A glitch with IE updates available through Microsoft's Download Centre interrupted the smooth passage of Redmond's monthly patch express on Tuesday. The updates available on Microsoft Update and Windows Update were not affected and are installing properly but the files posted for manual download became corrupted. As a result …

    Software 11 Aug 2005, 10:03

  • Melting Siberia threat to climate

    Lots of methane in them thar bogs

    The largest frozen peat bog in the world, lying in western Siberia, is melting, according to Russian scientists. The million square kilometre area*, previously permafrost, is becoming a series of increasingly soggy shallow lakes, some already more than a kilometre across. The melting raises the spectre of vast quantities of …

    Science 11 Aug 2005, 10:13

  • Black Box UK branch in MBO

    Wheeling out from Barrow

    The north-west UK arm of Black Box Network Services is striking out for independence, following the reseller’s decision to concentrate UK operations in Reading and Nottingham. Management of Optech Fibres Ltd, its original name before it was bought by BlackBox in 2001, has bought the Barrow-in-Furness business for an undisclosed …

    The Channel 11 Aug 2005, 10:13

  • HTC 'to build' Palm's Windows-based Treo

    The brains behind its development too?

    HTC is believed to have won the contract to manufacture the upcoming Windows Mobile-based version of Palm's Treo smart phone, but the device's release is some way off. So suggests a report in the Chinese-language newspaper the Commercial Times, DigiTimes reports. Separately, HTC yesterday said its July sales jumped 157.6 per …

    Mobile 11 Aug 2005, 10:20

  • Girls prefer girly websites: official

    And blokes like it butch

    A study by Glamorgan University Business School's Department of the Fairly Bleedin' Obvious has concluded that it's not just a website's subject matter that determines whether it appeals more to guys or gals but - wait for it - "the appearance of the site also might play a subtle role", as AP explains. This groundbreaking …

    Bootnotes 11 Aug 2005, 10:26

  • Graphics card vendors pre-announce Nvidia GeForce 7800GT

    Update Jumping the Big F**king Gun

    Graphics card makers ELSA and Leadtek have jumped the gun on Nvidia's GeForce 7800 GT launch, by announcing this morning a series of cards based on the upcoming chip. The 7800 GT is expected to be launched later today when the annual QuakeCon first-person shooter gaming fest opens for its (virtual) bloody business in Grapevine …

    Peripherals 11 Aug 2005, 10:29

  • Maxima buys Ringwood

    Consolidator

    Maxima Holdings, the Scottish software services company, is buying Ringwood for £2.9m, of which £2.2m is cash and the rest is new shares. Ringwood is based in Aylesbury and supplies content management and document archiving software to big organisations. It claims 200 clients and turned over £3.2m for the year to 31 March, 2005 …

    The Channel 11 Aug 2005, 10:38

  • C2000 promotes Aldous to run volume marketing

    In re-org's wake

    Computer 2000 has promoted Simon Aldous to run the distie’s volume business. This is a new position created in the wake of last week’s re-org, which saw the Tech Data-owned distie wave goodbye to 60 staff. The re-jig reflects the firm’s increasing emphasis on SME resellers, C2000 boss Steve Lockie says. Dell is gobbling up …

    The Channel 11 Aug 2005, 11:09

  • Chinese boffins provoke Oz speed camera kerfuffle

    Case binned after image algorithm cracked

    Chinese scientists are the unlikely heroes of a New South Wales speeding case which saw a Sydney magistrate dismiss the charge against an alleged speed merchant because the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) could not prove that its vital photographic evidence was "secure", news.com.au reports. At the centre of the brouhaha lies …

    Bootnotes 11 Aug 2005, 11:10

  • Vonage ships £20 phone adaptor

    Cheaper way into VoIP

    VoIP specialist Vonage has begun offering Linksys' handset adaptor in the UK. The device allows two ordinary phones to be connected directly to a broadband Internet link and used to make VoIP calls. The 10 x 10 x 1.5cm unit, the PAP2, isn't Vonage-specific, working instead with standard Internet telephony protocols such as SIP …

    VoIP 11 Aug 2005, 11:57

  • iPod fails to impress South Koreans

    Apple's MP3 market share 'under two per cent'

    The iPod may dominate the MP3 player market in almost every country in the world, but one nation is holding out against Apple's onslaught. Yes, South Korea, home of a number of contenders to the iPod's title, favours local product over all that 'designed in California' stuff. According to market watcher GfK's Korean subsidiary …

    Mac Channel 11 Aug 2005, 12:00

  • Delhi to RFID chip cows

    Fighting wandering sacred bovine fraud

    The Delhi authorities will RFID chip stray cows in an attempt to tackle the menace of stray cow fraud, the BBC reports. The streets of the Indian capital are absolutely chokka with wandering sacred bovines - up to 40,000 of the blighters - and they pose such a risk to traffic that the Delhi High Court recently ruled that the …

    Bootnotes 11 Aug 2005, 12:03

  • Alpha geeks wanted for beta testing

    Exclusive offer Be first to play with Microsoft's SQL Server 2005

    This November, Microsoft will be launching its latest version of SQL Server, SQL Server 2005, and you, our beloved readers, have a chance to beta test it to destruction before the launch. New, shiny, sparkly, and full of business intelligency goodness, SQL Server 2005 has a whole load of changes from the last version, including …

    Developer 11 Aug 2005, 12:14

  • MP calls for updated laws to fight cyberjihadis

    The enemy is all around

    A Labour MP is calling for updated legislation and greater international co-operation to make it easier for police to track and trace terrorist recruiters, animal rights extremists and other criminals on the net. Margaret Moran MP, chair of all-party Parliament Industry group EURIM, said that the police "urgently" need resources …

    Media 11 Aug 2005, 12:48

  • 'Grand Theft Auto' cop killer found guilty

    Gameplaying did not affect outcome

    Computer game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) has been let off the hook by an Alabama jury which this week found cop killer Devin Moore guilty on three counts of murder. The jury rejected Moore's plea that he was not guilty by reason of mental defect arising from hours spent playing GTA and years of abuse as a child. In June 2003, …

    Consoles 11 Aug 2005, 12:50

  • HP UK 'leaks' next-gen wireless iPaq details

    Whoops...

    HP has inadvertently spilled the beans on its next smart-phone release, the iPaq hw6700 series, which will bring Wi-Fi and Windows Mobile 2005 to the line-up. The company's UK wing has now pulled from its website a video presentation detailing the new handheld, but not before fan-site Dave's iPaq spotted it and posted the …

    Mobile 11 Aug 2005, 13:09

  • MS lochs down Scots Police deal

    But some OSS remains

    Central Scotland Police has signed a three-year deal with Microsoft that will see the force standardise on Microsoft Server 2003 and Windows XP (SP2). The deal was struck under the Office of Government Commerce's (OGC) agreement with Microsoft to offer preferential rates for public sector organisations, and will cost the force …

    Applications 11 Aug 2005, 13:13

  • Telewest announces 10 meg broadband

    Follows NTL lead

    Telewest is following the lead of NTL by increasing broadband access speeds to 10 meg. From next month, the cable company is to begin work upgrading its network on a region-by-region basis. The work is expected to be completed early next year. Once completed, punters currently hooked up to Telewest's entry-level 512K service …

    Broadband 11 Aug 2005, 13:24

  • Turf war brewing over Europe's 3G spectrum

    EC says 'open up'

    The EU is squaring up for a turf war over wireless bandwidth which was previously reserved for 3G services, but which may be opened up to other technologies. The decision is to be made by the European Commission's Radio Spectrum Committee in October, which may decide that the 2.5 Ghz to 2.69Ghz spectrum should be opened up to …

    Mobile 11 Aug 2005, 13:43

  • Brother MFC-620CN multi-function printer

    Review Jack-of-all-trades...

    This Brother All-in-One is more all-in-one than most. Although it has a footprint not much bigger than an A3 sheet of paper, it can print, scan, copy, fax, download your digital photos, answer the phone and make you a nice cup of camomile tea. OK, the tea's just on our wish list, but all the other tasks are within the compass of …

    Reviews 11 Aug 2005, 13:48

  • DTI confirms another six month wait for WEEE

    Landfill limbo

    The government has once again delayed the implementation of a European directive designed to make the producers of electrical and electronic kit responsible for its eventual fate. The WEEE Directive (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), which will make manufacturers responsible for collecting and recycling end-of-life …

    Management 11 Aug 2005, 13:51

  • Trojan fights STDs

    Preventing personal infection

    The word Trojan is more likely to conjure up thoughts of malware than making sweet, sweet love amongst IT folk this side of the pond but the US's biggest condom manufacturer is out to change that with a new campaign promoting safe sex. Brighton cabbies are to hand out an impressive 60,000 TrojanTM contraceptives at part of a …

    Bootnotes 11 Aug 2005, 14:15

  • Creative plunges into the red

    And we're not talking about MP3 player cases...

    Creative lost $31.9m (38 cents a share) on sales of $305.4m during its fourth quarter, the MP3 player maker said yesterday. That compares with net incomes of $15.9m (18 cents a share) for the previous quarter and $6.6m (eight cents a share) for Q4 FY2004. Sales were up 51 per cent year on year, from $201.8m, but down 8.5 per …

    Financial News 11 Aug 2005, 14:37

  • VMware embraces Sun and even Solaris x86

    Sees the light

    Sun Microsystems this week matured a bit as an x86 server vendor by kicking off a broad partnership with VMware that will see the companies team on engineering and sales efforts. Of most immediate help to customers is the support of VMware's highest-end partitioning product - ESX Server - with Sun's line of Opteron-based …

    Small Biz 11 Aug 2005, 14:48

  • Contractors fear more BT job cuts

    'Corrective action' in face of £25m IT overspend

    Hundreds of IT contractors and agency staff working at BT face the chop as the monster telco looks to cut costs. The telco's IT budget is already £25m over budget and execs are now desperately trying to cut overheads and drive revenue to turnaround the deficit. Some 250 contractors have already been told that they will no …

    Financial News 11 Aug 2005, 15:17

  • NASA scrubs MRO launch, again

    Sounds soooo familiar

    NASA has delayed the launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) again, this time because of a faulty fuel sensor, a problem that recalled one of the many delays to Shuttle's recent return to flight. The soon-to-be Martian satellite's launch was halted just minutes before blast off. NASA engineers were filling the hydrogen …

    Science 11 Aug 2005, 15:47

  • Symantec / Veritas gussies up high-end apps for Linux

    It's like Unix now

    Veritas - er, Symantec rather - has upgraded its server and storage management products to put versions of the software meant for Linux on equal footing with Unix code. Version 4.1 of Storage Foundation, Storage Foundation for Oracle RAC, Storage Foundation Cluster File System, Storage Foundation for Databases, Volume …

    Applications 11 Aug 2005, 17:38

  • Fax-back phishing scam targets PayPal

    Retro racket

    Phishers have gone retro with a scam that tries to dupe victims into faxing their banking details to fraudsters. Scam emails, (screengrab) which pose as messages from online payment outfit Paypal, urge users to fax back account information instead of the more usual tactic of handing over details to a bogus website. Would-be …

    Security 11 Aug 2005, 17:39

  • Microsoft rifles ex-employee's (Windows) trashcan

    Smoking gun in Google poaching case?

    Once again, a major industry case involving Microsoft is getting dirty as investigators rifle trashcans. Only this time, it's the trashcan in Windows. A document recovered from the Recycle Bin of ex-Microsoft vice president Kai Fu-Lee's PC has apparently revealed a belief that Microsoft could sue over Google's decision to hire …

    Management 11 Aug 2005, 17:43

  • Will Europe fall in love with Qualcomm, now it owns Flarion 4G technology?

    Comment Or will it reject Flarion because it's Qualcomm?

    Qualcomm owns most of the patents involved in cellular telephony. It may be exaggerating to say that the ITU picked TDMA technology instead of CDMA technology for GSM simply because nobody liked Qualcomm... but the fact is, nobody did like Qualcomm, and still, today, particularly in Europe: "nobody likes Qualcomm." But a lot of …

    Mobile 11 Aug 2005, 18:08

  • Gloomy Q3 outlook clouds Dell's Q2

    Consumers and Feds blamed

    Dell stunned investors Thursday with an uncharacteristic dose of pessimism as it released second quarter results. As usual, Dell's revenue and profits rose during the second quarter. Dell posted revenue of $13.4bn - a 15 per cent increase over the $11.7bn reported last year. Earnings hit $1.02bn - up 32 per cent from $799m one …

    Financial News 11 Aug 2005, 23:48