19th January 2006 Archive
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Apple cautious after record quarter
Osborne sneeze, but no flu
Apple posted a record quarter but gave a cautious outlook today, as Mac sales have started to slow down during the transition to Intel processors. The company cleared a profit of $565m on record earnings of $5.75bn in Q1 2006, which ended 31 December, and which included the Christmas shopping season. More than half of Apple's …
Financial News 19 Jan 2006, 01:10
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AMD casts off memory shackles and soars
Doing great against a 'brutal' rival
Investors celebrated Wednesday afternoon after AMD issued glowing fourth quarter results. Record sales of server and notebook processors pushed AMD's revenue higher, and shareholders remained bullish on AMD after seeing the sales figures. AMD's stock surged more than ten per cent in the after-hours markets. In the fourth …
Servers 19 Jan 2006, 01:15
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Hey, hey it's Oracle patching day
Quarterly update volley addresses 80 vulns
Wednesday became a busy day for database administrators after Oracle released its quarterly patch update which, this time around, tackles more than 80 vulnerabilities in different Oracle software packages and components. Various flavours of Oracle database (37 security bugs), Oracle E-Business Suite and Applications (27), Oracle …
Security 19 Jan 2006, 08:43
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Oracle claims Fusion and integration milestone
But double-checks strategy, just to be sure
Oracle has "clarified" its applications and middleware vision by dispelling "myths" surrounding, and announcing a halfway point in, its Fusion strategy while sniping at SAP. The company crammed a press, analyst and customer event in San Francisco yesterday to announce tools and roadmaps, while assigning existing and acquired …
Developer 19 Jan 2006, 08:53
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Kama Sutra worm ties security in knots
Backdoor code
A worm claiming to offer pictures from the Kama Sutra has begun circulating by email in the latest attempt by virus writers to infect Windows machines by relying on a combination of user stupidity and supposedly salacious content. The Nyxem-D worm (AKA Blackmal-E) arrives as the infectious payload of email messages with spoofed …
Malware 19 Jan 2006, 09:09
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Apple adds MiniStore monitor warning to iTunes
No data kept, company claims
Apple has updated iTunes 6.0.2's MiniStore feature to display an explanation panel describing what the facility does the first time a user activates it. "As you select items in your Library, information about that item is sent to Apple and the MiniStore will show you related songs or videos," the new panel states. "Apple does …
Mac Channel 19 Jan 2006, 10:04
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Nvidia ships 90nm, entry-level GeForce 7 GPU
No SLI support for 7300 GS
Nvidia last night extended its GeForce 7 GPU family down into the mainstream market, pitching the 7300 GS at entry-level systems. The 7300 GS is also Nvidia's first 90nm GeForce 7 chip. The new graphics chip has a fill rate of 2.2bn pixels per second and can process 413m vertices each second. It supports a single-channel DDR 2 …
System Builder 19 Jan 2006, 10:26
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Salesforce.com places top-down bets on AppExchange ISVs
More interventionist
Salesforce.com is planning to actively target large ISVs, especially those serving certain verticals, to expand AppExchange and increase the service's enterprise focus. John Freeland, Salesfore.com's recently appointed president of worldwide operations, told The Register that the company planned to make "some top down bets" …
Channel Register 19 Jan 2006, 10:37
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Konica-Minolta to quit photography market
Can't compete in the digital era
Konica-Minolta today revealed it is to quit photography business after more than 103 years - with the loss of 3,700 jobs worldwide. The company also said it will move out of the camera market - digital and analogue - beyond the digital SLR systems and lenses it designs for Sony under a development deal forged in July 2005. …
Peripherals 19 Jan 2006, 11:25
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HCL moves in at DSG International
Retailer finally strikes an outsourcing deal
Indian giant HCL Technologies has clinched a massive outsourcing deal with DSG International - six months after the retailer’s plans to outsource internal IT support to LogicaCMG collapsed. HCL described the deal as “a multi-year, multi-service, multi-million dollar (and for all we know multi-storey) co-sourcing deal” covering …
Channel Register 19 Jan 2006, 11:52
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Google Earth fingers CIA rendition flights?
Strange goings on at Scottish airport
Here's a absolute beauty for those of you who like the skies above Google Earth filled with black helicopters: what exactly was going on at Glasgow Prestwick airport the day the Google sat passed over?: What we've got here is three USAF C-5 Galaxies sitting on an otherwise virtually deserted airport. Thoughfully, the local …
Science 19 Jan 2006, 11:54
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Tom Cruise kills South Park episode
It won't be coming out over here
UK TV viewers will not get to see an episode of South Park which shows Nicole Kidman and fellow Scientologist John Travolta attempting to coax a fictional Tom Cruise character out of a closet, with Kidman saying: "Don't you think this has gone on long enough? It's time for you to come out of the closet. You're not fooling anyone …
Bootnotes 19 Jan 2006, 12:01
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Horizon in line
But figures hit by charges
Horizon Technology Group said this morning that turnover and operating and profit for the year to December were in “in line with current market expectations”. However, the Irish IT service group's figures will be hit by one-off charges totally €2m. Some of that will over a refund of €1.2m incorrectly paid by a supplier in 2003 …
Channel Register 19 Jan 2006, 12:06
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Nintendo Revolution: affordable, shipping by Thanksgiving
Company president speaks out
Nintendo will ship its next-generation games console, Revolution, in the US in time for the Thanksgiving November holiday sales period, the company's president has pledged. Speaking to Japanese-language newspaper the Sankei Shimbun, and relayed by Gamespot, Nintendo chief, Satoru Iwata, said: "We can't disclose the Revolution's …
Consoles 19 Jan 2006, 12:08
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How not to respond to a security advisory
Opinion OpenBSD exposes its inconsistencies
A recently announced weakness in the BSD securelevel system isn't going to be fixed in OpenBSD. While securelevel may have problems, the vendor's security response is unacceptable and doesn't fit with its stated goals. Recently, I stumbled across an interesting security advisory by RedTeam Pentesting, that discussed a …
Enterprise Security 19 Jan 2006, 12:15
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Clock chimes for Pong's finest hour
Bip... Bop... Bip... Bop... Tick... Tock...
Dutch design studio Buro Vormkrijgers will begin shipping a Pong clock next month. No, we're not talking a timepiece you have to sniff the hours, minutes and seconds, but a chronometer that lovingly re-creates the 1970s' arcade favourite. Yes, while two virtual players beep the square 'ball' back and forth across the clock's …
Reg Hardware 19 Jan 2006, 12:31
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MBO off at Computacenter
Year-end spike boosts 2005 figures
A management buyout bid at Computacenter’ has been terminated, meaning the dealer giant’s shares will stay on the stock market – for now at least. The bid emerged last November. It was led by Computacenter co-founder Peter Ogden and encompassed senior executive management at the firm. However, the firm announced today that the …
Channel Register 19 Jan 2006, 12:42
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Police to hold vehicle licence data for two years
Minister confirms retention time for ANPR database
Police are able to hold vehicle licence plate data for up to two years, the Government has confirmed. In response to a Parliamentary question last week, Home Office Minister Paul Goggins said data collected through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technologies could be retained for up to two years for "justified …
Music and Media 19 Jan 2006, 12:52
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Blair under fire on ID cards
Tory leader attacks cost of ID cards scheme
Tony Blair’s plans for a national identity card scheme could end up as being a "monument to the failure of big government", David Cameron has warned. In PM's questions yesterday, the Tory leader attacked the proposed scheme as new research came to light suggesting it could cost more than £14bn to run. Cameron asked the Prime …
Music and Media 19 Jan 2006, 13:09
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Tech Data boss splits CEO, chairman roles
Raymund keeps chair
Tech Data boss Steve Raymund is giving up one of his two jobs at the distie giant, in a nod to best practice in corporate governance. He is staying on as chairman of the board, but will retire as CEO, once a replacement is found. Raymund will help look for his successor. ® Press statement.
Channel Register 19 Jan 2006, 13:10
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IBM minds the Gap with $1.1bn outsourcing gig
Takes on 400 staffers
IBM has won a ten-year outsourcing contract worth up to $1.1bn with clothes retailer Gap Inc. The company is taking on 400 employees from Gap who will look after Gap’s mainframe, server, network, helpdesk and deskside support services in North America It is to consolidate its customer’s IT systems and will roll out wireless …
Channel Register 19 Jan 2006, 13:13
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PhoneDrive combines VoIP, Flash in USB key
Internet telephony in 'your pants pocket', says manufacturer
South Korea's Iocell has integrated Internet telephony into a compact USB Flash drive all in the name of conversational convenience. "The PhoneDrive can fit inside your pants pocket and be carried anywhere," says the company. The PhoneDrive product line provides between 128MB and 4GB of removable storage capacity, squeezed …
VoIP 19 Jan 2006, 13:43
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eBay profits rise, outlook misses estimates
Bidding on futures
eBay posted healthy fourth quarter results on Wednesday but its decision not to raise its 2006 outlook led to a fall in its share price in after-hours trading. The online auction site saw profits jump 36 percent year-over-year to $279.2m or $0.20 per diluted share during the fourth quarter. This compares with $205.4m or $0.15 a …
Financial News 19 Jan 2006, 13:45
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Tesco launches VoIP service
'Simplicity, value and no hidden charges'
UK supermarket chain Tesco has teamed up with Oz internet phone outfit Freshtel to launch an all-in-one VoIP service focusing on "simplicity, value and no hidden charges". According to Retail Week, the new service will offer happy shoppers the chance to make calls on a pay-as-you-go basis "including Australia and Canada for 2p …
VoIP 19 Jan 2006, 13:47
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Irishman has three million kids
Niall of the Nine Hostages - a busy man
Irish scientists have discovered that three million men worldwide share a common ancestor - allegedly a fifth century Irish warlord rather splendidly called Niall of the Nine Hostages. The revelation, Reuters reports, comes after a team from Trinity College Dublin tested the Y chromosome in 800 males across Ireland. The results …
Science 19 Jan 2006, 13:50
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Sex.com sold for $14m
In brief Gary Kremen sells up
Sex.com has been sold for $14m to Boston-based Escom LLC, a report on XBiz reveals. The former owner, Gary Kremen, did not comment on the sale but a spokesman from his company, Grant Media, said "sales for the famous domain name will still be handled through Grant Media's San Francisco offices". XBiz notes that Kremen has been …
Financial News 19 Jan 2006, 14:29
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Crazy Frog scapegoat finds solace in porn
If you can't beat them, join them
Every mobile content firm admits that all the money is in porn. But most pin-stripe firms tend to steer clear of the genre. They don't want to upset their respectable customers. mBlox was one of those untarnished outfits until it got dragged through the mud over the hapless part it played in the Crazy Frog ringtone money grab …
Mobile 19 Jan 2006, 14:48
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iRiver U10 media player
Review The iPod Nano killer?
There's an interesting story behind the U10. Apparently, the head of River got together the whole design and engineering team in Korea and told them to that they needed to change their thinking. He told them to go back to the drawing board and come up with something new, to make a complete U-turn with their thinking. A U-Turn, …
Reviews 19 Jan 2006, 14:57
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Digital music sales triple to $1.1bn in 2005
Cash accrued from 420m song downloads
Record companies made more than $1.1bn on legal digital music downloads last year - three times what they received in 2004. At that time they made $380m, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said today. Crucially, in some markets, including the UK and Germany, more listeners are downloading legal …
Financial News 19 Jan 2006, 15:00
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Laptops continue to drive PC shipments
Europe out-ships US
Worldwide PC shipments rose by 17.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2005 to 61.1m, according to new figures released by IDC. IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker reveals that although shipments in North America were behind forecasts, international markets were able to pick up the slack to produce the third consecutive quarter …
PCs 19 Jan 2006, 15:36
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How a missile-building dropout saved EMC
Into the Valley From bankruptcy to glory
The recipe for extreme business success is so obvious. First, you take an entrepreneurial furniture salesman and hand him some memory. Next, you add a college dropout turned Harvard graduate who designs missile systems. Lastly, mix the executives, dash them with bankruptcy and bake. Presto! You've got the best-performing …
Storage 19 Jan 2006, 16:35
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RIM: US economy up spout if Blackberry shut out
Too important for Court to close it, apparently
Research in Motion's Blackberry email service is too important to be shut down by the US District Court, the company claimed in papers filed in its legal battle with NTP this week. RIM's pitch to Judge James R. Spencer, who is presiding over its fight with NTP, is that its service has become a cornerstone of the US economy …
Mobile 19 Jan 2006, 16:38
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Universal resurrects deleted albums for digital era
CDs too pricey to press
Universal Music Group has finally latched on to one of the key strengths of digital music downloads: you can offer stacks of tracks that would never be heard otherwise because they're economically impractical to release in physical form. UMG yesterday said it would offer for download around 100,000 songs that are currently …
Music and Media 19 Jan 2006, 16:40
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Google's botched video store starts coughing up cash
Thanks for the loan
Google has started returning money to those customers screwed by its hapless video service. Last week, we told you how billionaires Larry and Sergey had taken 99 cents from us and others as a result of their handicapped Google Video store. Thankfully, the Google founders have escaped the confines of their plush 747 and ego …
Financial News 19 Jan 2006, 16:42
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US gov demands Google search records
Fishing expedition
The US Department of Justice has taken Google to court, demanding it hand over all searches made in a one week period. It's a fishing expedition, unconnected with any ongoing criminal prosecution. The DOJ wants the information to back up its attempt to revive an anti-pornography law derailed by the Supreme Court two years ago. …
Financial News 19 Jan 2006, 19:17
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PC virus celebrates 20th birthday
Analysis Many unhappy returns
Today, 19 January is the 20th anniversary for the appearance of the first PC virus. Brain, a boot sector virus, was let loose in January 1986. Brain spread via infected floppy disks and was a relatively innocuous nuisance in contrast with modern Trojan, rootkits and other malware. The appearance of the first Windows malware …
Malware 19 Jan 2006, 20:52
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Wikipedia editing hobby goes nationwide
Fun FM steps in
Britain's most popular radio station played host to a half hour of Wikipedia fun yesterday, as DJs Scott Mills and Mark Chapman took turns to deface their own entries. The pair were inspired by a Wikipedia entry on a colleague. Edith Bowman, claimed the site, was romantically linked with a string of stars, including the 78 year …
Music and Media 19 Jan 2006, 22:28
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Cisco plugs IP telephony and router security holes
A patch in time...
Cisco has fixed updates to address flaws in its IP telephony software and router hardware that create a means to conduct denial of service attacks against vulnerable systems. Neither flaw is particularly easy to exploit but both merit attention. Security weaknesses in various flavours of Cisco CallManager 3.x and 4.x create a …
Enterprise Security 19 Jan 2006, 22:31
