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15th December 2005 Archive

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  • Visto razzes RIM with NTP alliance

    All the data, none of the IP fuss

    RIM battler NTP has signed a licensing agreement with Visto that will assure mobile data fiends of a "viable alternative" to the popular Blackberry device. Under the terms of the deal, Visto has gained access to NTP's patented methods for sending and receiving wireless data, while NTP has taken an equity stake in Visto. The NTP …

    Mobile 15 Dec 2005, 00:57

  • Influentials agree: 'Chairman Bill is the bestest'

    Jobs misses top spot by a Bono

    Chairman Bill is the most admired global leader. Period. End of question. That's according to a study conducted by Burson-Marsteller with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) that polled 600 global business "influentials" in 65 countries. "The selection of Bill Gates as the 2005 world's most admired leader not only …

    Bootnotes 15 Dec 2005, 01:52

  • From your living room to your pocket

    Europe to relax rules on TV product placement

    The European Commission this week set out its plans to update 1989's Television Without Frontiers Directive, extending the rules to all TV-like services and relaxing the rules of advertising to allow product placements. The main purpose of the shake-up is to reduce the regulatory burden on Europe’s providers of TV and TV-like …

    Mobile 15 Dec 2005, 09:29

  • Next-gen Wi-Fi rivals may join forces next month

    Key 802.11n proposals now '85% aligned'

    The Intel-backed Enhanced Wireless Consortium (EWC) appears to have reached a closer understanding with the IEEE Task Group charged with developing the specification for the next-generation Wi-Fi standard, 802.11n. According to the EWC, at meetings held in Vancouver last month, the Task Group has said it will adopt elements of …

    Wireless 15 Dec 2005, 10:55

  • Orange does Wi-Fi

    And why not...

    Orange is to start offering its business punters Wi-Fi access from next month with its new "Business Everywhere" package, giving users access to Wi-Fi and 3G services in a single bill. The France Telecom-owned cellco has some 1,700 Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK and access to a further 12,000 overseas as part of a partnership with …

    Mobile 15 Dec 2005, 10:58

  • BMW Sauber wins Intel sponsorship

    Car group to use Intel-based kit, too

    Intel is to sponsor the BMW Sauber Formula One racing team, the chip giant announced today, characterising the arrangement as a "multi-year agreement and long-term technology partnership". The deal's financial details were not made public, but it goes beyond cash and the slapping of an Intel logo - one of the new ones, …

    PCs 15 Dec 2005, 11:07

  • Xbox 360: not big in Japan

    And the PS3 is on its way too

    Just in from Gamesville The Xbox 360 launch in Japan – it's a turkey. And much much more... By Games Digest Certified gadget obsessives Tech Digest and Shiny Shiny scour Gizmoville for the oddest digital goodies, TV Scoop features all that’s cool in British telly and Propellerhead answers your PC queries. The Xbox 360 launch …

    Peripherals 15 Dec 2005, 11:13

  • AMD unwraps notebook reference platform

    'Yamoto' steams in

    AMD showed off its 'Yamato' notebook reference platform in Japan today, as it attempts to win greater support among system builders and notebook manufacturers for its mobile processors. Yamato provides ODMs and OEMs with a specification for a laptop's internal workings, all validated for interoperability and compatibility. In …

    Reg Hardware 15 Dec 2005, 11:36

  • USwitch.com mulls sale - report

    Uh-huh...

    USwitch.com - the UK-based utilities comparison web site - could be up for sale, according to The Times. It reports that the privately-owned independent business is understood to have slipped a 'for sale' sign outside the business. Analysts reckon the business could be worth around £100m, says the paper. Free for consumers to …

    Financial News 15 Dec 2005, 11:48

  • The enemy within

    Geeks, squatters and saboteurs threaten corporate security

    Workers across Europe are continuing to place their own companies at risk from information security attacks. This 'threat from within' is undermining the investments organisations make to defend against security threats, according to a study by security firm McAfee. The survey, conducted by ICM Research, produced evidence of …

    Security 15 Dec 2005, 12:06

  • MS says 'no' to Xbox 360 HD DVD plan

    Well, for now...

    Microsoft has said it has "no plans" to add HD DVD optical disc technology to its Xbox 360 console. "Microsoft, in both America and Japan, has not announced anything regarding the possibility of a next-generation DVD drive being placed in the Xbox 360," a company spokesman told gaming-oriented website IGN. "There are currently …

    Consoles 15 Dec 2005, 12:13

  • Loudeye drops P2P protection baton

    Falls back on music services

    Loudeye has dropped out of the P2P file protection business, closing its Overpeer operation, incurring just $200,000 in severance and related payroll costs. The low severance cost gives a good idea of how little the company still had committed behind the effort. Overpeer has ceased operations effective immediately and will …

    Music and Media 15 Dec 2005, 12:43

  • IBM in Linux distro love-in

    Novell and Red Hat snuggle up to Big Blue

    IBM has strengthened in links with the two top corporate Linux distributions - Red Hat and Novell SUSE - by elevating the pair to IBM's Strategic Alliance program, its highest tier partner status. The move is designed to make it easier for firms to acquire Linux-based systems by integrating and streamlined sales, distribution …

    Operating Systems 15 Dec 2005, 13:03

  • Visto sues Microsoft for sync patent infringement

    Fit to Burst?

    Hours after striking a licensing deal with RIM's tormentor, NTP, mobile email provider Visto is suing Microsoft for patent infringement. "Microsoft has a long and well-documented history of acquiring the technology of others, branding it as their own, and entering new markets," said CEO Brian Bogosian in a statement. "For …

    Software 15 Dec 2005, 13:09

  • Dasher worm targets October Windows vuln

    Damp squib fails to blast through security hole

    Virus writers have created the first worm that targets a Windows vulnerability (MS05-051) patched by Microsoft in October. The Dasher-A worm is based on exploit code released at the start of December but coding mistakes and reliance on a currently unavailable server in China mean the malware isn't able to spread. Samples of the …

    Malware 15 Dec 2005, 13:49

  • Microsoft patents Pause

    12 year battle

    Microsoft has been granted an interactive TV patent that pauses the show while the viewer follows an embedded hyperlink, such as a URL. And so ends a 12-year battle. Incredibly, Microsoft originally filed for the patent in March 1993, and the language reflects its age: "The Internet has recently exploded in popularity," we …

    Financial News 15 Dec 2005, 14:01

  • Umbongo, Umbongo - they code it in the Congo

    The Rotting Dog Blog Thin client, phat, phat server

    Umbongo, Umbongo - they code it in the Congo December 12, 2005 - 10:01 am Great news from the Umbongo Linux collective this morning. I have been officially voted by a panel of my peers as an "opinion former", which means that when I say something, other people think 'Hey, yeah, that's right. Wow!' Naturally there are certain …

    Bootnotes 15 Dec 2005, 14:02

  • BT Retail to increase line rental charges from January

    WLR given final sign-off

    The cost of renting a phone line from BT Retail is to increase by 50p a month from January as part of a set of measures to increase competition in the UK's telco sector. "From 1 January 2006, the line rental for BT Together Option 1 customers will increase by 50p, from £10.50 to £11.00 a month," said the telco in a statement …

    Networks 15 Dec 2005, 14:23

  • Cash'n'Carrion - last Xmas posting dates

    Cash'n'Carrion Get yer Reg merchandise here

    Today is the last posting day for pre-Xmas delivery merchandise from Reg tentacle Cash'n'Carrion to the bits of the globe we describe as the "Rest of the World". Those of you in Europe who'd like to get your hands on some kit have until tomorrow (Friday, 16 December) and UK punters have an extension until 20 December. Simple as …

    Site News 15 Dec 2005, 14:49

  • NTL rejigs senior management

    Sights set on Telewest merger

    NTL has reshuffled its senior management ahead of its take-over of fellow cableco Telewest. Stephen Burch - who has worked for US cableco Comcast for the last 17 years - has been appointed as NTL's president and chief exec and will continue in that role once the two companies have merged. Burch succeeds Simon Duffy, who …

    Telecoms 15 Dec 2005, 14:53

  • Adobe adopts monthly patch cycle

    No more ad hoc for you lot

    Adobe has taken a leaf from Microsoft's book and decided to adopt a monthly security patch cycle instead of releasing software fixes on an ad-hoc basis. The move - which is geared to helping customers plan security updates on the basis of predictable schedules - is expected to begin within six months and will apply to most, …

    Enterprise Security 15 Dec 2005, 16:38

  • OSDL cautiously optimistic on desktop Linux

    Meeting of minds?

    The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) has voiced cautious optimism that its latest initiative could finally herald a mass-market for Linux on the desktop. OSDL is pushing ahead with Project Portland, to develop a common set of core technical requirements for Linux and open source software on the desktop, following a meeting …

    Operating Systems 15 Dec 2005, 16:58

  • Argos.co.uk floored by Xmas rush

    Normal service now restored

    The website of retail giant Argos is back up and running again this afternoon after being floored all morning. Earlier today a notice on the site read: "Sorry, argos.co.uk is temporarily unavailable, please try again later," before directing customers to contact the company by telephone. A spokesman for the retailer confirmed …

    Financial News 15 Dec 2005, 17:01

  • Mendocino - a love that dare speak its name?

    Inside the Microsoft/SAP affair

    Hepburn and Tracey, Reagan and Thatcher, Microsoft and SAP. What's the connection? Individuals - or companies - who can't commit to each other fulltime, yet who also can't seem to stop sharing each others' company. Microsoft and SAP shocked the world in 2004 when they confirmed the existence of merger talks. While these didn' …

    Software 15 Dec 2005, 17:34

  • Sun ravaged, IBM lauded in Unix server study

    Bad moon on the rise

    A new study on the major players in the Unix server market has declared IBM the clear customer favorite and brought to light some serious issues with Sun Microsystems' product line. Most alarmingly for Sun, the company appears to have lost its cachet as the dominant Unix player and done so while alienating customers. Sun …

    Servers 15 Dec 2005, 17:52