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23rd September 2005 Archive

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  • Techies top cops' terror profile

    Allo allo allo - is that an RS-232 cable, sah?

    If you think that the police's profiling of terror suspects is something that only happens to other people - think again. Today's panicky Plod doesn't seem to be very discriminating at all. And you could be next. Techie David Mery has published an account of being arrested, and having his computers confiscated, because he …

    Music and Media 23 Sep 2005, 06:27

  • Oracle's Q1 disappoints on flat database sales

    Investors aren't hot-pluggable

    Oracle today handed investors an unimpressive first quarter report card, showing flat net income and only modest gains in database sales. The software maker reported net income of $519m for the period, which matches up with a profit of $509m reported last year. More impressive gains were found by looking at first quarter …

    Financial News 23 Sep 2005, 06:54

  • Sun puts a plus on UltraSPARC servers

    Tagged for higher performance

    Sun Microsystems did its bread and butter thing this week by releasing a fresh version of the UltraSPARC IV chip that will slot into four- to 24-way servers. Customers will now find a 1.5GHz UltraSPARC IV+ chip available for the Sun Fire V490, V890, E2900, E4900 and E6900 systems. Sun eventually plans to sell the same dual-core …

    Servers 23 Sep 2005, 07:00

  • Beware eBay bearing Skype

    Comment Ominous security omens

    One of my stranger hobbies is collecting interesting and weird anecdotes I find in the news. I have a few areas that always fascinate me, such as finding people who miraculously escape certain death, or items about human memory and cognition, or eccentric individuals who embody some strange aspect of the human condition. Some …

    ID 23 Sep 2005, 08:33

  • Treasury slashes local e-gov budget

    Little cash, but 'fireworks' imminent

    Central funding for local eGovernment will be cut from £150m to just £7m as of next year, a senior official has disclosed. Julian Bowrey, divisional manager for local eGovernment at the Office of the deputy prime minister, signalled that while the e-service programme was now entering its "twilight", major developments are still …

    Public Sector 23 Sep 2005, 08:41

  • Nvidia brings forward GeForce Go 7800GTX debut

    Avoiding an ATI Radeon X1800 launch clash?

    Nvidia may announce its upcoming GeForce Go 7800GTX mobile graphics chip earlier than anticipated. A reliable source familiar with the GPU's roll-out has suggested the part will be formally introduced on Wednesday, 28 September, a day ahead of the previously-anticipated launch window. Nvidia's arch-rival, ATI, said earlier …

    System Builder 23 Sep 2005, 08:52

  • Regulator eyes premium rate TV quizzes

    ICSTIS proposes new rules

    The premium rate phone services regulator has launched a consultation on proposed new rules and a prior permission regime for premium rate TV quiz channels and TV programmes dedicated to premium rate competitions. According to the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS …

    Telecoms 23 Sep 2005, 08:58

  • Apple posts OS X security, iPod Shuffle updates

    Jobs'll fix it

    Apple has posted its latest Mac OS X security patch, geared toward versions 10.3.9 and 10.4.2 of the operating system, including its Server incarnation. The fix, dubbed Security Update 2005-008, is available for download here (Mac OS X 10.39), here (Mac OS X 10.4.2) or can be grabbed using the Software Update pane in the System …

    Mac Channel 23 Sep 2005, 09:01

  • Micro Focus migrates with Lift and Shift

    Mainframe to Wintel for COBOL jockeys

    Micro Focus' fundamental business started with providing a Windows development environment for mainframe COBOL/CICs developers (CICS is IBM's mainframe Customer Information Control System for transaction processing) – why waste expensive Mainframe mips (millions of instructions per second) on developing code? That gave Micro …

    Developer 23 Sep 2005, 09:10

  • Dixons to launch net phone service

    FreeTalk? VoIPserve?

    Dixons is to launch a cut-price internet telephony service next week. The service - inspiringly dubbed "FreeTalk" - has been described as "almost identical" to an offer by VoIP outfit Vonage, which offers unlimited calls to landlines in the UK and Ireland for £9.99 a month. According to insiders, though, the Dixons offering is …

    VoIP 23 Sep 2005, 09:13

  • Small.biz lacks software licencing policy

    Where's the certificate? No idea mate

    Forty-four percent of Britain's small and medium-sized businesses lack any form of software licensing policy, exposing them to legal and security problems, according to a survey by PC World Business. The survey of 750 IT managers of businesses up to 500 employees also revealed that more than half of small businesses (58 per …

    Small Biz 23 Sep 2005, 09:28

  • DDR 2 demand 'disappointing' - analyst

    Not catching DDR as quickly as anticipated

    When will DDR 2 SDRAM outship memory based on the original DDR specification? According to market watcher iSuppli, not as soon as it had previously forecast. The company yesterday pushed back the so-called DDR/DDR 2 cross-over point from Q4 2005 to Q1 2006, citing "the weak market reception for DDR 2". iSuppli's comment …

    System Builder 23 Sep 2005, 09:31

  • Glowing green sperm lights fertility research

    Warning: High hamster content

    Researchers studying male infertility now have a new way of studying sperm function, thanks to groundbreaking work from Oxford University. An Oxford research team has managed to introduce a synthetic gene into live hamsters in such a way that the gene is then expressed in mature sperm. The gene in question, which was nicked …

    Science 23 Sep 2005, 10:09

  • Punters tune in to mobile TV trial

    Is there no escaping Eastenders?

    A mobile TV trial has kicked off in Oxford to test whether there's a market for TV on the move. The experts reckon that in Europe at least, the evidence suggests that beaming TV to mobile devices can be a mass market service. Despite the optimism, the Oxford trial will assess the technical practicalities of the service, how …

    Mobile 23 Sep 2005, 10:12

  • ATI to launch next-gen Radeons on 5 October?

    Website timer suggests so

    It's (almost) official: ATI will launch the Radeon X1800 - aka R520 - on Wednesday, 5 October. Put it this way, the graphics chip company has placed a timer on its website that's counting down to something. Right now, that something is 11 days 22 hours or so away, which takes us to 5 October. Beneath the timer is the cryptic …

    System Builder 23 Sep 2005, 10:13

  • Symantec hooks anti-phishing firm WholeSecurity

    Behaviour-based blocking

    Security software giant Symantec yesterday announced a deal to acquire behaviour-based security and anti-phishing developer wholeSecurity for an undisclosed amount. The transaction is expected to close in October. WholeSecurity has developed software designed to black malware based on its behaviour rather than by the more …

    Security 23 Sep 2005, 10:15

  • Mobile users are bloody rude: official

    Brit workers suffer etiquette failure

    It's official: the UK's estimated 65 million mobile phones - or rather their users - are a pain in the bloody arse, irritating their fellow man with their complete lack of consideration for others when jabbering away into their devices. That's according to a T-Mobile survey - conducted "between 27 July and 1 August 2005 from …

    Bootnotes 23 Sep 2005, 10:17

  • Palm TX Wi-Fi PDA presented on web

    Z22 and Windows Treo pics leaked too

    The cat's out of the bag, Palm. A comprehensive series of photos depicting the PDA pioneer's latest models, retail packaging and specification details has surfaced on the web. So too has some very nice snaps of the upcoming Verizon-hosted Windows Mobile-based Treo. The new PDAs are due to be formally unveiled on 12 October, …

    Personal 23 Sep 2005, 10:52

  • Cyber-dissidents get 'how to' guide

    Freedom of expression-tastic

    Reporters Without Borders (RSF) - the media rights group - has published a guide to help cyber-dissidents publish politically challenging materia. The book - Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents - is available in English, French, Chinese, Arabic and Persian, and can be downloaded from the rsf.org website. "Bloggers are …

    Music and Media 23 Sep 2005, 10:54

  • Nintendo to cut 10% off DS price

    Hopes Nintendogs will pup up the volume

    Nintendo UK is to knock a tenner off the price of its DS handheld console, the videogames company announced this morning. The cut will come on 7 October and leave the standard DS retailing for £90. On the same day, Nintendo will launch Nintendogs - the Tamagochi-like app that's proving to be something of a killer app for the …

    Consoles 23 Sep 2005, 10:56

  • ESA grants Mars Express another (Martian) year

    A 23-month extension

    The European Space Agency (ESA) has extended its Mars Express mission by another Martian year. That's around 23 months in Earth money. The Mars Express mission is the first fully European mission to another planet. It launched back in 2003 from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, and also carried the ill-fated Beagle2 lander. Since …

    Science 23 Sep 2005, 11:35

  • Spot the black helicopter, win t-shirt

    Competition Reg throws down Google gauntlet

    Our recent spate of Google Earth and Google Maps probes - highlighting how the firm's tasty satellite imagery is threatening all decent Christian, democratic values with its hi-res imagery of military hardware - has provoked a mini-airburst of reader activity. In fact, so great have been the number of recommendations for …

    Site News 23 Sep 2005, 11:45

  • Palm makes Q1 sales gains

    Better than last year, less so than last quarter

    Palm saw sales rise year-on-year during its most recently completed quarter, the PDA maker said yesterday. However, sales remained effectively flat over the previous quarter. Revenue for the three months to 2 September 2005 - the first quarter of Palm's fiscal 2006 - totalled $342.2m; up 23 per cent on Q1 FY2005's figure but …

    Personal 23 Sep 2005, 11:47

  • BOFH: What the hell's Dutch lobster?

    Episode 29 And does it constitute an emergency?

    "Well I still want to know where the hell you were?!" the Boss snaps. "I tried you on your cellphone but I couldn't get hold of you." "At home. In bed! Curried up after a larger frenzy!" I respond. "But I paged you! I left a number! You should have called me back!" "Why?" "Because I left my number!" "No, not why should I …

    BOFH 23 Sep 2005, 12:03

  • VoIP's gonna be huge

    And don't telcos know it

    VoIP is going to be massive. The effects of internet telephony are touching technology, business, culture, geographic penetration and consumer expectations in a way that is certain to turn the telecoms industry on its head. So says Benny Last, MD of telco IDT Europe. Earlier this week he spoke about the impact of VoIP (Voice …

    VoIP 23 Sep 2005, 13:11

  • iPod Nano owners in screen scratch trauma

    Front panel scratches 'insanely easily'

    People slavering to get Apple's "impossibly small" iPod Nano into their sticky hands may want to pause a moment: those ahead of them in the queue have discovered that it's also unbelievably easy to scratch the screen, nixing its photo-displaying abilities. Apple's discussion forums are already host to a 188-post thread on the …

    Mac Channel 23 Sep 2005, 13:20

  • Navman iCN 320 low-cost GPS navigator

    Review Too many corners cut?

    Navman is hoping to win back business from its PDA-based GPS rivals by creating a new range of budget units that offer a scaled down version of its advanced rigs but at a fraction of the cost. One of the first, the Navman iCN 320 is for the GPS newcomer. There's no large touchscreen, and everything is controlled from buttons …

    Reviews 23 Sep 2005, 13:26

  • Intel staffers to sleep rough

    For charity, not because they're poorly paid, ahem

    Intel employees will tonight be facing wind, rain, the reek of urine and stale lager, and probably no small measure of personal abuse when they kip down in a London street for the night. It's all in the aid of charity, of course, not budgetary cut-backs at the chip giant, though after the European Commission's summer raid on …

    Bootnotes 23 Sep 2005, 14:04

  • Ballmer's flying chair: the chilling truth

    It's much, much worse than we thought

    Following Steve Ballmer's recent denial that he had ever thrown a chair in his life, least of all during a head-to-head with Mark Lukovsky who told the fuming MS big cheese he was off to Google, we speculated that he might in fact have thrown a table or, better still, ordered a lackey to throw the chair for him. The reality is …

    Bootnotes 23 Sep 2005, 14:17

  • Telewest speeds up Scottish network

    London to follow soon

    Telewest has increased the speed of its broadband network in Scotland to 10 meg as part of a planned service upgrade. Some 40,000 punters in Motherwell, Dumbarton, Castlecary and Uddingston are the first to get the upgrade, announced by the cableco in August. A further 100,000 lucky people in London are due to see their service …

    Telecoms 23 Sep 2005, 14:41

  • US deploys satellite jamming tech

    Son of Star Wars tracks phantom menace

    The US has created electronic-warfare squads capable of jamming enemy satellite transmissions. Fearful of losing its advantage of superior technology resources over its potential enemies, the US has established mobile teams equipped with electronic jamming gear capable of disrupting attempts to interfere with its satellite …

    Science 23 Sep 2005, 14:45

  • Martian snowboarders download imaginary nipples

    Letters Pearls of wisdom from our beloved readers

    A very musical haul in today's Letters round-up. That tends to spill over into questions of civil liberties and freedoms, and we've got a few thoughts on those subjects too. In between the issues, some of you were upset that we teased Nokia about selling its billionth phone in Nigeria, others were less than impressed with …

    Letters 23 Sep 2005, 14:52

  • 2GB iPod Nano costs $100 to make - researcher

    Flash-based player deconstructed

    Market watcher iSuppli has disassembled Apple's iPod Nano and, beneath the shiny but not entirely scratchproof casing, it has found almost $70 worth of assorted chippery. The 2GB Nano retails in the US for $199. Of that, iSuppli reckons, less that half - $90.18 - goes on components. Chuck in $8 per unit labour costs, and Apple' …

    Peripherals 23 Sep 2005, 14:54

  • Music exec: quit whining and dump Mac, Linux

    'Get a decent CD player', folks

    Mac owners and anyone who runs the Linux operating system should quit whining about DRM and copy-protection technologies that are incompatible with their systems and "consider purchasing a regular CD player". That's the message from Tommi Kyrrä, of the Finnish divison of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry …

    Music and Media 23 Sep 2005, 19:19

  • British scientist calls US climate sceptics 'loonies'

    Katrina, Rita et al. Global warming's smoking gun

    The chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, Sir John Lawton, has called climate change deniers in the US "loonies", and says global warming is to blame for the increasingly strong hurricanes being spawned in the Atlantic. In an interview with The Independent, Lawton said that global warming is "very likely …

    Science 23 Sep 2005, 20:18

  • Larry's little man can't get a UK software patent

    'Too much control over sales of computer programs'

    Oracle has been told that it cannot patent its method of converting a document from one mark-up language to another in the UK. Part of the reason was that a patent would give Larry Ellison's company too much control over sales of computer programs. The invention was a simple means of converting text from SGML (Standard …

    Developer 23 Sep 2005, 20:41

  • Adobe CEO says bloated Microsoft has no heart

    Our publishing empire is safe

    The pressure of competing with Microsoft appears to be getting to Adobe's boss. Its CEO, Bruce Chizen, today lashed out at his former employer, describing Microsoft as a bloated, heartless empire. Chizen, speaking at a Churchill Club event here at the Computer History Museum, at first tried to avoid any direct attacks against …

    Applications 23 Sep 2005, 23:27