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27th September 2005 Archive

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  • Police and NSPCC tracing web images of children

    Watching brief

    Greater Manchester Police and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) are working together on a new project to trace and identify abused children whose images are shown on the internet. E-Spy, as the initiative is known, aims to combine the investigative skills of police officers with the NSPCC’s …

    Music and Media 27 Sep 2005, 07:31

  • Beatific Gates blesses the Windows Palm

    He's a happy man, today

    It's amazing what the pharmaceutical industry can do nowadays - but I swear Bill Gates is getting younger with each public appearance. Of course it helps to have days like this, where one of Microsoft's most audacious business opponents finally capitulated. Or became an "OEM licensing partner", as they say in the business. On …

    Mobile 27 Sep 2005, 07:58

  • DEA shuts 4,600 rogue pharmacy sites

    18 arrests

    The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) last week arrested 18 people for allegedly selling pharmaceutical drugs unlawfully over the internet. Those arrested include the ringleaders of more than 4,600 rogue pharmacy websites, which are now all closed. In addition to the 18 individuals arrested, seven luxury cars, 2,400 …

    Music and Media 27 Sep 2005, 08:05

  • Jobcentre Plus staff tell of IT system woes

    'Dreading' new system

    Jobcentre Plus staff are put off from encouraging benefit claimants to use e-channels because of bad experiences with their own IT systems and contact centres, a government report reveals. Ongoing problems with contact centres and an "inadequate" Customer Management System have apparently led staff in local offices to "distrust …

    Public Sector 27 Sep 2005, 08:18

  • Google fixes video search

    And celebrates birthday

    Google, celebrating its seventh birthday today, has revamped its video search service. Google video now plays back search results in a large video window within the browser without the need to download irrititating media players. This means the service is available on Linux and Mac machines for the first time. Next to the …

    Software 27 Sep 2005, 08:19

  • ANTs: a strange name for a database

    Comment ANTs not pants

    ANTs Software, otherwise known simply as ANTs (which actually stands for Asynchronous Non-preemptive Tasks), is little known, yet it is a public company that has been around since the 80s. It started life working on parallel supercomputers but then faded into dormancy for the best part of a decade. It then re-emerged in 1999 as …

    Developer 27 Sep 2005, 08:48

  • Of Autodesk and the Freedom Tower

    Lessons for software developers?

    Autodesk is famous for Autocad and it is the market leader in computer-assisted design, with some 2500-plus third-party developers producing complementary products. Developers might like to think about this – developing for a specialist platform - if you're good, might cut down on competition and give you a measure of career …

    Developer 27 Sep 2005, 09:05

  • Intermix sticks with Murdoch

    Rival bid kicked into touch

    Intermix, the company behind MySpace, has rejected a rival offer from ex-CEO Brad Greenspan. The board of directors agreed unanimously to reject his offer and stick with Murdoch's offer. The board said Greenspan's offer was unlikely to be superior to that from NewsCorp. Reasons for the rejection include: Greenspan's offer was …

    Financial News 27 Sep 2005, 09:07

  • Hutch buys three Indian cellcos

    Scoops up 12m customers

    Hutchison Whampoa is buying three Indian mobile companies for $1.15bn. Hutchison, which operates in India as a Hutchison Essar Ltd - a joint venture with Essar Teleholdings Ltd, is buying BPL Mumbai, BPL Cellular and Spacetel. BPL Mumbai is number two in the city with 1.3m customers. BPL Cellular has 1.5m customers in …

    Mobile 27 Sep 2005, 09:08

  • Merlin quizzed on missing millions

    Bioscience VC set for SFO probe

    Merlin Biosciences, the €450m venture capital fund, has confirmed it is facing a Serious Fraud Office investigation. The probe is believed to centre around a "missing" £2.5m. The company said: "Merlin wishes to confirm that it is working with SFO in a preliminary inquiry concerning an investment made by one of its funds." It …

    Financial News 27 Sep 2005, 10:04

  • O2 posts upbeat trading update

    Deutsche Telekom says 'nein' to O2 bid

    Increased customer numbers and improved performance in the UK and Germany has prompted O2 to up its revenue forecast, the cellco announced today. In the UK, O2 - which yesterday confirmed the launch of its i-Mode wireless internet service - reports that its business has "continued to trade strongly" in the six months to the end …

    Mobile 27 Sep 2005, 10:07

  • Phoenix IT confident on year

    Trading update

    Phoenix IT Group told the Stock Exchange that trading for the first six months to 30 September 2005 was in line with expectations. The firm's directors remain confident that trading for the year will be in line with expectations. Negotiations with BT and the Department of Work and Pensions over renewing a contract worth £12m a …

    Channel Register 27 Sep 2005, 10:10

  • Oktoberfest nurse in fairground porn shoot outrage

    'Sociological experiment' ends in the cells

    Three Italian visitors to Munich's legendary Oktoberfest came away with more than a hangover last week when they were entertained by the sight of a nurse pleasuring herself with a sex toy in a Ferris wheel gondola while two men armed with a video camera looked on. The shocked trio immediately reported the outrage and police …

    Bootnotes 27 Sep 2005, 10:10

  • Intel, MS back HD DVD

    Better than Blu-ray because... er... it is, say firms

    Intel and Microsoft have formally allied themselves with Toshiba's HD DVD next-generation optical disc format. Both will become members of the HD DVD Promotion Group, the pair said yesterday. Both firms' support for the format centres on its greater suitability for PCs than HD DVD's rival, the Sony-backed Blu-ray Disc (BD) …

    Peripherals 27 Sep 2005, 10:12

  • Don Quijote to tilt at asteroids

    ESA mission aims for orbital deflection

    The European Space Agency is putting together a mission to see how well current technology could handle the threat of an asteroid impact. The agency has now selected two targets for its rehearsal deflection mission, dubbed Don Quijote. The agency has selected asteroids 2002 AT4 and (10302) 1989 ML as possible mission targets. …

    Science 27 Sep 2005, 10:33

  • PlusNet exposes VoIP plans

    What an eyeful

    PlusNet - the AIM-listed ISP - is the latest firm to jump on the VoIP bandwagon after confirming yesterday that it plans to unveil a broadband telephony service shortly. The Sheffield-based ISP said its PlusTalk VoIP service is based on open standards enabling its punters to communicate for free with other open standards-based …

    VoIP 27 Sep 2005, 10:37

  • Long wait for Palm Windows Mobile Treo

    Won't hit UK until H2 2006

    Palm unveiled its as-yet-unnamed Windows Mobile-based Treo smart phone yesterday, but don't expect to be able to get your hands on one until early next year, if you live in the US. Customers outside the States will have to wait the best part of a year before the device appears in their local markets. No wonder product details …

    Mobile 27 Sep 2005, 11:24

  • UK.biz urged to swot up on computer forensics

    CSI for PCs

    Businesses are failing to capture essential evidence from their computer systems, according to a UK industry group which has published a new set of guidelines designed to help firms gen up on computer forensics. The Directors and Corporate Advisors’ Guide to Digital Investigations and Evidence from the Information Assurance …

    Enterprise Security 27 Sep 2005, 11:26

  • HP job cuts: France wants its subsidies back

    Grenoble demands €1.2m

    HP's job-cutting scheme has hit a snag - French politicians are claiming the firm owes more than a million euros in subsidies. The company is looking to cut 6,000 jobs in Europe - just under a thousand in the UK and 1,240 in France. The mayor of Grenoble, where HP labs are based, flew to California to try and convince HP …

    Financial News 27 Sep 2005, 11:32

  • Dixons hails birth of 'Son of Freeserve'

    'Days of old-style phone calls numbered'

    Dixons has cut the ribbon on its new VoIP service claiming it is the "most significant development in the telephone market since the launch of the mobile phone". The launch of Freetalk - from the same people that introduced ISP Freeserve - comes as little surprise since details of the VoIP service have already been leaked. From …

    VoIP 27 Sep 2005, 11:35

  • Resellers raided over 'fake Cisco kit'

    'Noodle products'

    Police have still released no details about computer firms they raided earlier this month netting equipment worth £500,000. The raids targeted a computer firm near Rochdale which was visited by police, trading standards and representatives of several international companies. Companies in Reading, Flintshire and Manchester were …

    Channel Register 27 Sep 2005, 11:51

  • Apple's iPod Nano screen woes deepen

    Not up to scratch?

    OK, let's see if we can find some good news about the iPod Nano. Hey, here's some: Jim Allchin, head of Microsoft's Windows division, bought one the day it came out. Talk about sleeping with the enemy! Umm...oh. He says it stopped working after a day. "They have moisture issues," he said. (You're really not supposed to take it …

    Mac Channel 27 Sep 2005, 11:56

  • ESA preps polar research sat

    Cryosat to probe effects of global warming

    Europe is preparing to launch a satellite designed to test the prediction that climate change is causing the ice at the poles to thin. Cryosat, which is slated to launch on 8 October, will spend three years in orbit, studying the polar caps, the BBC reports. The data it gathers should help scientists better understand how …

    Science 27 Sep 2005, 12:21

  • BT in VoIP price cut cull

    Telco to 'scrap for every punter'

    BT is "to fight for every customer" as its traditional voice service comes under threat from VoIP operators offering free and cheap calls. Clearly rattled by firms such as Skype and now Dixons' new mass-market VoIP product Freetalk, BT has confirmed plans to cut the cost of international calls for users of its BT Communicator …

    VoIP 27 Sep 2005, 13:41

  • BT names Openretch XI

    Who's the all-rounder?

    BT has named its starting XI to head up its new Openreach network business which will provide equal access to its phone network. The giant telco announced the creation of Openretch last week as part of a regulatory settlement with Ofcom. By avoiding the threat of being broken up, BT has instead agreed to "substantive structural …

    Telecoms 27 Sep 2005, 14:40

  • Hairdresser applauds text marketing service

    15 quid a year, 5.5p a txt

    Txtlocal is a new service which aims to help small businesses take advantage of mobile advertising. Small business can get a mobile number to collect customer contact numbers through. They can then send a marketing message to these people for 5.5p each. Al Shortland, MD of TxtLocal, said: "There's really nothing comparable …

    Small Biz 27 Sep 2005, 14:48

  • Password overload plagues US.biz

    Under pressure

    Managing multiple passwords is driving end-users up the wall and leading to rising help desk costs due to frequent password reset calls. A recent survey of almost 1,700 enterprise technology end-users in the US commissioned by RSA Security showed that over a quarter of respondents must manage more than 13 passwords (28 per cent …

    ID 27 Sep 2005, 14:51

  • Global warming, hydroponics and yet more frogs

    Letters Yes, frogs

    Plane delayed? To kill some time, just check out the public access terminals while you're waiting for your flight to board. Apparently people have been treating them just like their home PCs. Goodness only knows what you might find.... It seems members of our Management hierarchy have recently read your article "Airport PCs …

    Letters 27 Sep 2005, 15:50

  • MEPs reject UK's data retention plan

    Cautiously welcome Commission proposal

    The European Parliament has rejected the UK's plan to require communications providers to retain rather loosely-defined user and traffic data for a minimum of a year, and possibly indefinitely. The Draft Framework Agreement was put forward by the UK, with the backing of France, Sweden and Ireland, in the wake of the Madrid …

    Music and Media 27 Sep 2005, 16:01

  • Trusted search software labels fraud site as 'safe'

    Oops

    Digital certificate firm GeoTrust's launch of a search engine with built in trust features this week has been marred by the classification of a phishing site as genuine. Powered by Ask Jeeves, GeoTrust TrustWatch search aims to protect users against fraudulent behaviour and phishing attacks by giving web sites a verification …

    Enterprise Security 27 Sep 2005, 16:51

  • BA breaks online booking records

    Still gonna lose your bags

    British Airways claims record levels of customers are booking flights through its web site in a testament to the company's IT turnaround and response to low-price carriers. One passenger hit BA.com every second on Monday with a quarter of a million booking online last week, according to BA's chief information officer Paul Coby …

    Financial News 27 Sep 2005, 17:44

  • Government hurting, not helping, innovation

    We're not all David Beckhams, you know

    The UK government has come under fire for its ability to foster innovation in IT, with criticism reserved for "big" government projects and a crippling regulatory framework. Jonathan Steel, founder and chief executive of software consultancy The Bathwick Group, said Tuesday the "monolithic" approach to procuring and …

    Public Sector 27 Sep 2005, 18:38

  • Dell turns to Sun in battle against, er, Sun

    Tech Force bested by Solaris

    There's no shortage of irony when a company as savvy as Dell spends thousands of dollars on a fancy marketing campaign only to have a partner undermine the entire message of the promotion by using a rival's gear in the ad. Such is the case with the Dell Tech Force web promotion that has been in action for some time. Dell hired …

    Servers 27 Sep 2005, 19:09

  • IBM gussies up low-end server for SMB dance

    Cheap flirt

    IBM today fleshed out the low-end of its server line with a new box aimed square at SMBs and upgrades to two existing systems. The new x100 fits into IBM's Express hardware and software program, which includes lower-cost, less sophisticated products for smaller buyers. Customers can purchase the tower server with a single-core …

    Servers 27 Sep 2005, 22:29