12th January 2006 Archive

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Situations vacant for eagle-eyed stardust spotters

Stardust@home is now recruiting

The University of California, Berkeley, is looking for eagled-eyed space buffs to search for minute particles which may or may not be, right now, on their way to Earth aboard interstellar dust catcher "Stardust" (seen right). The Stardust mission spent seven years collecting dust from both the tail of comet Wild 2 and, …

Science 12 Jan 2006, 00:02
Sun and Apple almost merged three times – Bill Joy

Your iPod is an answering machine – McNealy

Sun Microsystems tried to acquire Apple once and then almost merged with Apple on two other occasions, according to Sun co-founder Bill Joy. Beyond these deals, the two companies almost teamed on three other projects including sharing a user interface and the SPARC architecture. The moves were cheered by Apple fan Joy, while Sun …

Servers 12 Jan 2006, 06:34
SCC makes Italian move

Picks up IBM subsidiary

European technology integrator SCC has bought itself a larger Italian presence in the shape of IBM Italia subsidiary MVS Srl. Sir Peter Rigby, chairman and chief executive of SCC, said in a statement: "This is the third-largest deal we have announced in the past nine months... as part of our drive to increase the depth and …

Channel Register 12 Jan 2006, 07:02
A brief look at Trillium's Discovery 5.0

Beyond profiling

I recently received an update from Trillium Software on its latest release (5.0) of Discovery, the data profiling and analysis product it acquired from Avellino. Even though the product is all about profiling and analysis there are actually no new profiling and analysis capabilities (apart from ease of use and similar things – …

Developer 12 Jan 2006, 09:28
CES 2006: top ten gadgets

The hottest Vegas showstoppers since Liberace

So the delegates have gone home, the halls are emptying and, yes, Gates (and Elvis) have left the building. The gadget fest that was the Consumer Electronics Show 2006 is now history. Yet before we bury it for good, here's our list of the ten best gadgets to emerge at the show (in no particular order)... Hannspree LCD TVs …

Peripherals 12 Jan 2006, 10:20
Windows support program bent to fit

In a security fix

Microsoft's Windows maintenance program is in the spotlight as the company has admitted to bending its support rules over security while cutting support to users of Windows XP Home Edition early. The company has said it will, in future, release security updates for products that would normally not receive updates as they'd …

Security 12 Jan 2006, 10:34
Next-gen Wi-Fi groups vote for single spec

Final 802.11n proposal could be sent to IEEE next week

The battle over the future of the next generation of the Wi-Fi standard appears to be over. The group formed by the original three contending specifications has agreed to adopt the fourth, later specification. The upshot? A final 802.11n proposal will now be submitted to the IEEE standards-setting organisation, possibly as …

Wireless 12 Jan 2006, 10:39
Carphone to unveil LLU plans in March

Can't wait

The Carphone Warehouse continues to press ahead with plans to invest £45m in broadband over the next three years as part of ambitious plans to unbundle the local loop (LLU) and provide telecoms services direct to end users. The mobile phone retailer - which has expanded into telecoms services over recent years - plans to unveil …

Networks 12 Jan 2006, 10:59
Nvidia to launch GeForce 7900 GTX 'at CeBIT'

G71 not coming until March, moles claim

Nvidia's 90nm G71 graphics chip, possibly planned to ship as the GeForce 7900 GTX, will not launch until March. So claims website Hexus.net, at any rate, citing whispers heard during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week. According to the report, the chip will contain 32 pixel-processing pipelines in a core …

Reg Hardware 12 Jan 2006, 11:08
MS to ship Mac Office of five years 'minimum'

Official agreement reached with Apple

Microsoft has committed itself to supporting Office on the Mac for at least the next five years, the head of the software giant's Macintosh Business Unit said this week. Speaking during Apple CEO Steve Jobs' Macworld Expo keynote, MBU General Manager Roz Ho said the company had entered into an "official agreement" with Apple to …

Mac Channel 12 Jan 2006, 11:42
Software standards put technology in its place

It's all about business

The fact that SAP and Oracle, normally the deadliest of enemies with rarely a kind word to say about each other, are prepared to sit down at the same table and be party to setting up the same set of software standards demonstrates well one of the fundamental issues underpinning the importance of standards to every aspect of the …

Software 12 Jan 2006, 11:48
Symantec fixes 'rootkit' bug in Systemworks

Hide and seek

Symantec has updated its popular Norton SystemWorks security suite this week following the discovery of a security bug that creates a possible means for hackers to hide computer viruses on infected systems. A design error in SystemWorks means files within the NProtect directory of the Norton Protected Recycle Bin are hidden from …

Anti-Virus 12 Jan 2006, 11:48
Griffin touts 'most advanced' iPod dock yet

Turns portable player into home media centre

Griffin Technology will soon ship a dock that converts any compatible iPod into a home media centre system. TuneCenter connects the iPod to a hi-fi and to a TV. Nothing new there - plenty of dock products do that already - but Griffin's baby beams a full iPod control interface into the bigger screen. The dock also incorporates …

Peripherals 12 Jan 2006, 12:20
Wiretapping, FISA, and the NSA

I always feel like somebody's watching me..

US wiretapping laws, FISA and Presidential powers given to the NSA to intercept communications make for interesting times when coupled with technology. What are the issues surrounding privacy, search, seizure and surveillance? Whenever a new technology is developed, or a new threat that causes us to deploy these technologies …

Music and Media 12 Jan 2006, 12:24
Hermaphrodite polar bears sound pollution alert

Flame retardants enter Arctic food chain

A team of scientists has rather alarmingly discovered that the "surprisingly high rate" of hermaphroditism in polar bears can be directly linked to pollution, the Independent reports. The researchers - who examined 139 bears across the Arctic region - noted that around one in 50 female bears on Norway's Svalbard islands has both …

Science 12 Jan 2006, 12:38
MS: Blu-ray on Xbox 360 'possible'

If you can add one external drive (HD DVD), you can add another (BD)

Microsoft has said it may ship a Blu-ray Disc drive for its Xbox 360 games console should consumers prefer that next-generation optical disc format over HD DVD. Speaking to Japanese-language website ITmedia, Microsoft's Peter Moore, head of the company's Interactive Entertainment Division, also said that the console will never …

Reg Hardware 12 Jan 2006, 13:01
Europe victory over frozen VAT

ECJ rules on Bond House case

Companies unwittingly ensnared in VAT fraud schemes can reclaim frozen VAT refunds thanks to a judgement by the European Court of Justice. The court today issued its judgement on Bond House Systems’ appeal, along with two other firms, against HM Revenue & Customs' rulings, under which their VAT rebates were frozen when they …

Channel Register 12 Jan 2006, 13:30
France Telecom warns of sales slowdown

Hit by VoIP and increased competition

Shares in France Telecom (FT) were on the slide today after the giant telco warned that it was unlikely to generate as much cash this year as it had predicted. In a statement issued yesterday evening, FT blamed "accelerated technological changes, competitive pressure and the regulatory environment" for its decision to confirm …

Financial News 12 Jan 2006, 13:40
UK IT worker sitcom heads for C4

Satirist Morris lords over basement geeks

A new sitcom - set among IT workers in the dingy basement of a glamorous company - is due to arrive on the UK's Channel 4 next month. The IT Crowd, written by Graham Linehan (the scribe behind Father Ted, Black Books), will debut on the internet on 27 January, a week before its terrestrial broadcast on Friday, 3 February at 9. …

Bootnotes 12 Jan 2006, 13:49
Robert Fripp records soundtrack for Vista

Prog rocker pops down to Redmond

Former King Crimson guitar worrier Robert Fripp has made it quite clear where he stands on the Linux/Mac/Windows issue by popping down to Microsoft Corporation's campus and recording some sounds for Windows Vista. And before you all start shouting "No, Robert, how could you?" - be warned that there is a video of the session on …

Software 12 Jan 2006, 13:50
Body scanner debuts at London's Paddington

Four-week trial for terror-busting gadget

Passengers boarding London's Heathrow Express at Paddington are advised to allow a little more time for their journey since they may find themselves on the receiving end of a four-week, £500k trial of a US-built body scanner. According to the BBC, passengers will be selected at random to enter a booth, raise their arms above …

Music and Media 12 Jan 2006, 13:52
February meeting on future of internet

Internet Governance Forum takes shape

The first steps toward the new Internet Governance Forum, which will take a lead role in how the internet will be run now and in the future, have been taken. A website for the IGF has popped up on the net, and the first official convening meeting has been scheduled for 16-17 February at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva …

Financial News 12 Jan 2006, 14:06
Bird flu stoppable, says WHO

Quick action will save lives

Although the threat of a bird flu pandemic continues to grow, quick action by governments and health organisations can prevent a widescale outbreak among humans, Reuters reports. Speaking at a two-day bird flu conference in Tokyo, Shigeru Omi, the World Health Organisation's regional director for the Western Pacific, said: "As …

Science 12 Jan 2006, 14:28
Nikon to end film camera production

Digital SLRs are the place to be, apparently

35mm film has come to the end of the roll, Nikon has said. The camera maker this week revealed it is focusing its efforts solely on digital photography products. Nikon said its traditional film-based cameras now account for less than five per cent of its UK division's sales. It claimed the shift will also better equip the …

Peripherals 12 Jan 2006, 14:33
Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi Core Duo notebook

Review The dual-core notebook other vendors have to beat?

Over the past couple of years Acer has made quite a name for itself in the notebook market, producing high spec machines at amazing price points. The company has also built a reputation for being first out of the gate with the latest notebook technology and that's never been more true than right now. The TravelMate 8204WLMi is …

Reg Hardware 12 Jan 2006, 14:48
Tories slam penalties for evading 'voluntary' ID cards

Except it's not true - yet

The Conservative Party claims the Labour Government's ID scheme will turn local election officers into data police. "Town halls to snoop on homeowners for ID card evasion" is the headline of a press release issued by Tory Central Office this week, suggesting that "Big Brother" methods would be deployed against ID card evaders, …

Music and Media 12 Jan 2006, 14:53
Tearful Hwang Woo-suk apologises

Will spend life undoing stem cell 'wrongdoing'

Stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk apologised today for the "wrongdoing" which has seen the once-hailed scientist reduced to a state of total disgrace, Reuters reports. Hwang told a press conference: "I take full responsibility for the papers and offer you my apology. My life will be spent undoing my wrongdoing. I can't ever …

Science 12 Jan 2006, 15:01
BT Movio trial a success, says BT

TV service to be launched later this year

BT is set to launch a TV service for mobile-phone operators later this year following the successful completion of trials in the London area. Last summer, BT Wholesale hooked up with Virgin Mobile to beam TV programmes direct to handsets using the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) network, enabling about a thousand people to …

Mobile 12 Jan 2006, 15:06
Boffins breed fluorescent pig

Best glow-in-the-dark porker yet

Taiwanese boffins have successfully bred three fluorescent pigs who, they claim, far outshine previous efforts at producing glow-in-the-dark porkers, which resulted in a disappointing partial fluorescence. We kid you not. The BBC is reporting that National Taiwan University's Department of Animal Science and Technology has …

Bootnotes 12 Jan 2006, 15:19
MPs demand wireless internet

Tories take latté faire approach

MPs have called for new wireless internet technology to be installed in the House of Commons in a critical report from the cross-party administration committee. The report looked at facilities provided for new MPs entering Parliament following last year’s General Election. It found that "IT-literate" members who were not …

Public Sector 12 Jan 2006, 15:42
Thunderbird is go

Father - I'm picking up some odd transmissions

Mozilla unwrapped its latest version of Thunderbird - the popular email client - on Thursday. Thunderbird 1.5 boasts improved spam filters to block fraudulent phishing emails, customisable views and enhanced support for RSS (a feature which allows users to receive feed updates as email messages) and podcasting. The latest …

Applications 12 Jan 2006, 16:20
Après le keynote, le gulp

Analysis Was the MacBook launched too soon?

What an ungrateful bunch you are. This week Apple began its transition to Intel processors six months ahead of schedule, and all you can do is carp. Don't you know you're supposed to swoon over every shiny new piece of kit? It's an odd moment. After years of lagging behind in the speed race, Apple will next month ship a …

Mac Channel 12 Jan 2006, 16:40
Intel backs RIM in Supreme Court appeal bid

US patent law's territorial limits 'crying out for clarification'

Intel has asked the US Supreme Court to agree to hear Research in Motion's plea that the Court of Appeal's August 2005 ruling in favour of "non-practicing patentee" NTP be dismissed. Stating its interest in the case - it supplies RIM with processors, and once invested in the company - the chip giant said the Supreme Court must …

Mobile 12 Jan 2006, 16:44
South Korea joins Galileo

Satnav family welcomes new member

South Korea has become the latest non-EU country to sign up to the Galileo satellite navigation project, the European Commission announced today. The country joins Israel, China and Ukraine aboard the 30-satellite programme, with India having initialed an agreement and Saudi Arabia likely to join the club soon. According to …

Science 12 Jan 2006, 16:45
IBM, Sony, Toshiba start work on 32nm Cell

Enter second half of 10-year R&D partnership

Cell processor partners IBM, Sony and Toshiba have agreed to take their technology R&D alliance into the 32nm era. The trio first announced its plan to cooperate on the development of Cell and its underlying 90nm and 65nm fabrication technology back in 2001. Back then, they described the project as a five-year programme costing …

Servers 12 Jan 2006, 16:47
Pixel-flogging student makes a million

Can you believe it...?

Alex Tew, the student from Wiltshire who came up with the crazy idea of flogging one-million pixels for a dollar a throw, has done it: four months after launching his million-dollar homepage to try to fund his university education, Tew has sold the lot. Every single last little pixel. Tew decided to flog the last remaining 1, …

Financial News 12 Jan 2006, 16:51
Apple downplays iTunes 'spyware' fears

Track selection monitored but not stored, apparently

Apple has denied that it retains any of the information that the latest update to its hugely popular jukebox software, iTunes, creates as it monitor users' listening selections. iTunes 6.0.2 was released earlier this week. Among the tweaks is MiniStore, an iTunes Music Store panel that appears below library track lists. Many …

Mac Channel 12 Jan 2006, 20:41
Siebel beats the Street for the last time

Goes to Oracle a winner

Siebel said it beat all expectations during the fourth quarter, just as Oracle prepares to close its acquisition of the customer relationship management (CRM) vendor. With Oracle's chief executive Larry Ellison due to deliver an Oracle "state of the nation" speech next week in San Francisco, Siebel said its fourth quarter …

Financial News 12 Jan 2006, 21:12
Sun founders confess all during walk down workstation lane

Into the Valley Future is either bright or executable

Put Scott McNealy and Bill Joy on stage together, and you're already in trouble. Add Andy Bechtolsheim and Vinod Khosla, and you move from trouble to pure information overload. The Computer History Museum last night played host to this foursome that founded Sun Microsystems. There was so much personality - and dare we say it …

Servers 12 Jan 2006, 23:13
IBM looks to patent new system for patenting patents

Still the king

IBM has announced its 13th successive year as patents king while cheering a community and government backed program to "improve" the quality of US patents. IBM, which has repeated its award for most patents received with the predictability of a politburo leader being again "voted" as leader, timed the news to hit as it …

Music and Media 12 Jan 2006, 23:55