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16th February 2006 Archive

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  • Sugar 'n Spike in open source deal

    Testing time

    Services start-up SpikeSource has certified open source customer relationship management (CRM) software from SugarCRM to run on the popular LAMP stack. SpikeSource chief executive Kim Polese announced on Wednesday SugarCRM would distribute Spike Stack for Sugar Professional and resell Spike Net. The Spike Stack offers the Linux …

    Applications 16 Feb 2006, 02:05

  • Versatile volumes from the Reg bookshop

    Cash'n'Carrion Books, books, glorious books!

    This week The Reg has another provoking list of books, this time with a focus on website programming, design, and maintenance. Want to create a site from scratch, or add new features to your existing one? The list includes topics from simple web production to more in-depth programming. Don't forget, if you buy with Cash'n' …

    Site News 16 Feb 2006, 09:40

  • Intel's Averill 'desktrino' platform to ship in pro, lite versions

    Will debut 'LaGrande' security tech

    Further details have emerged regarding Intel's plan to create a Centrino-like business PC platform and brand, currently codenamed 'Averill', as first reported by The Register in November 2005. Averill will now arrive in two forms, Pro and Fundamental, and both are geared toward Windows Vista. Intel outlined its Averill …

    Channel Register 16 Feb 2006, 09:44

  • Govs and net users prepare for Geneva showdown

    IGF No less than the future of the internet up for grabs

    A showdown between governments and the rest of society over the future of the internet will start this morning in Geneva. For the next two days, in the grand surroundings of the Palais des Nations, a United Nations meeting will decide the formation of a new Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The meeting gathers together the most …

    Music and Media 16 Feb 2006, 09:52

  • HP uses layoffs to draw thicker black line in Q1

    Neat and tidy

    Cost-cutting measures and steady sales across its major product lines carried HP to a tidy first quarter. The giant posted a six per cent year-over-year revenue increase to $22.7bn. More impressive was a 30 per cent net income boost to $1.2bn. That led to an equal rise in earnings per share to 42 cents from 32 cents in the same …

    Financial News 16 Feb 2006, 09:56

  • Unlucky in love? Try Pherotones

    Amazing mate-attracting ringtone breakthrough

    Those readers who are currently between romantic liasons and are having trouble kick-starting their love lives may be interested in a quite astounding scientific breakthrough which allows the humble mobile phone to become a potent weapon of lurv. Yes indeed, hot from Denmark come Pherotones - powerfully aphrodisiac melodies …

    Bootnotes 16 Feb 2006, 10:01

  • Nvidia said to ship GeForce 7600 'late March'

    CeBIT launch for GeForce 7900 GT, 7900 GTX first

    Nvidia will launch its GeForce 7600 graphics chip - aka 'G73' - at the end of March, less than a month after it debuts its next-generation G71 GPU as the GeForce 7900 GT and GTX, it has been alleged. The G73 is a 90nm chip and will be pitched at the mid-range graphics card market. The 7600's late March release window claim …

    Reg Hardware 16 Feb 2006, 10:05

  • Orange SPV C600 smart phone

    Review It's all in the screen

    Orange was the first mobile phone network in the UK to jump on the Windows Mobile platform when it shipped the original SPV toward the end of 2002. The SPV C600 was launched late last year, a mere three years after the original SPV and the changes are amazing... The first two SPV models - the SPV and the SPV E100 - never …

    Reg Hardware 16 Feb 2006, 10:11

  • Unipalm signs up ConvergeX

    Deal to distribute smarthome package

    Unipalm's new 'home automation' division has signed an exclusive UK and Ireland distribution deal with Surrey software developer ConvergeX. Under the agreement, Unipalm will provide the specialist services that enable resellers and property developers to become authorised suppliers of ConvergeX's system. The package offers …

    Channel Register 16 Feb 2006, 10:52

  • Oz cane toads stretch their legs

    Invasion force's limbs getting longer

    There is chilling evidence that cane toads in Australia have responded to the challenge of conquering vast tracts of the Lucky Country by simply developing longer legs, Reuters reports. Researchers at the University of Sydney reckon the adaption gives toads an advantage in moving swiftly into new areas in search of better food …

    Science 16 Feb 2006, 10:54

  • Ruby on Rails

    The Reg sits down with David Heinemeier Hansson

    Ruby on Rails is an open-source application framework which has won praise for its elegance and high productivity. Its creator, David Heinemeier Hansson of 37signals, was in London for the Carson conference on the Future of Web Apps. So what’s so good about Rails? I’ve billed Rails in the past as PHP meets Java. You get the …

    Developer 16 Feb 2006, 10:55

  • Borland IDE segues off stage left…

    Comment Interesting times for Borland developers, once again.

    So, Borland is selling its IDE business (see El Reg passim; links at bottom of article) and buying Segue, a well-respected “quality optimisation” and software testing company (as well as a currently trendy verb: segue: \SEG-way; SAYG-way\, intransitive verb 1. To proceed without interruption; to make a smooth transition). I …

    Developer 16 Feb 2006, 10:58

  • System builders prep monster 19in SLI notebooks

    Clevo's M590K chassis finds more friends

    Two more system builders have announced AMD-based widescreen notebooks with 19in displays driven by twin high-end Nvidia mobile graphics chips almost certainly operating in SLI mode. Well, what would be the point otherwise? Step forward AJP and Eurocom, who announced their new offerings yesterday, a week after WidowPC informed …

    Reg Hardware 16 Feb 2006, 11:14

  • Privacy rights of whistleblowers and their accused

    EU Working Party reports

    Workplace whistleblowing schemes that exist to catch office thieves, crooked accountants or general misconduct and skullduggery, present data protection issues that have become the subject of new guidance from an EU Working Party. The EU's Article 29 Working Party on Data Protection issued its opinion this month on …

    Music and Media 16 Feb 2006, 11:30

  • MegaSIM launch lauded - big is better

    3GSM Transfer your ringtone and apps to your new mobile

    Enthusiastic welcome for the idea of a new, faster and much bigger capacity SIM for mobile phones, after M-Systems launched the device at 3GSM this week, came from software providers and downloader sellers. Operator Orange joined with Oberthur Card Systems to unveil the device. The idea should be popular with people who …

    Mobile 16 Feb 2006, 11:33

  • Hands on with 3GSM's hottest mobiles

    3GSM First look at Nokia's web phone, SE's new Walkman handset and LG's TV mobile

    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. Ok, so you've read the latest news on the technology and flicked through the new phone’s specifications, but what are they …

    Mobile 16 Feb 2006, 11:46

  • Comfort for the rhythmically challenged

    Blame it on your genes, not the boogie

    Anyone claiming they were born with two left feet may have a case, Israeli researchers have found. Comparing 85 trained dancers to the general population and athletes, a team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered consistent differences in two genes involved in transmission between nerve cells. The athletes were …

    Science 16 Feb 2006, 11:47

  • Google and Yahoo! take a beating

    'Your abhorrent activities in China are a disgrace'

    The US House of Representatives Committee on International Relations yesterday angrily rounded on Cisco, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! in a widely-anticipated attack on their relationships with Beijing, Reuters reports. Democrat Tom Lantos summed up the mood with: "Your abhorrent activities in China are a disgrace. I simply do …

    Music and Media 16 Feb 2006, 11:49

  • Helio beams over 'mobile lifestyle' handsets

    Hello, clouds. Hello, sky...

    Helio, the virtual network operator joint-venture between South Korea Telecom and US ISP Earthlink, has unveiled the two multimedia-oriented 3G phones it plans to bring to market this Spring in the hope of winning the hearts, minds and wallets of "young, tech-savvy consumers". The company's two handsets, Hero and Kickflip, …

    Reg Hardware 16 Feb 2006, 11:56

  • ALK, T-Mobile to ship GPS navigator for Symbian phones

    CoPilot Live to be bundled in Nokia N70

    ALK Technologies will this month ship the long-awaited Symbian version of its CoPilot Live GPS-connected route-planning software, bundling the code, a Bluetooth GPS receiver and a Nokia N70 in partnership with cellco T-Mobile UK. CoPilot Live will run on any Series 60 device to provide turn-by-turn navigation for drivers, …

    Reg Hardware 16 Feb 2006, 13:01

  • Ebuyer in laptop search result outrage

    Updated Sony query offers tunnel of luuuurv

    Anyone on the lookout for a Sony Vaio VGN-FS315S laptop should - if they are of a sensitive disposition - avoid checking out Ebuyer for said kit. Why? Well, it's not just that Ebuyer doesn't appear to have the required equipment, but that the suggested alternative is enough to have you choking on your cocoa: To enjoy this …

    Bootnotes 16 Feb 2006, 13:05

  • 'First' Mac OS X Trojan sighted

    Look before you Leap

    Antivirus researchers have discovered what's claimed to be the first computer Trojan to infect Apple Mac OS X computers. The malware, dubbed Leap-A, spreads via the iChat instant messaging system as a file called latestpics.tgz that infected machines send to contacts on an infected user's buddy list. The malicious file, which …

    Malware 16 Feb 2006, 14:11

  • Ex-MP takes legal action against Bulldog

    Dispute over broadband service

    A former Conservative MP is taking legal action against Bulldog Communications "as a last resort", following a dispute with the company. Phillip Oppenheim, a former Minister in John Major's Government and now owner of the Cubana Cafe & Restaurant in London, agreed to switch to Bulldog's broadband service last July. But when he …

    Networks 16 Feb 2006, 14:44

  • Prostitutes demand GTA ban

    Slap my ***** up

    Ladies of the night have jumped on the pop a cap in GTA bandwagon by demanding that "all parents and all gamers boycott Grand Theft Auto", GameSpot reports. That's the call emanating from the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) USA website, which says that "as concerned parents ourselves, we wish to inform other parents of the …

    Bootnotes 16 Feb 2006, 14:45

  • Logitech Wireless Music System for iPod

    Review Music streaming made easy?

    Logitech may be keen to associate its Wireless Music System (WMS) with Apple's ubiquitous digital music player, but the fact is it will happily work with any brand of MP3 player, with a Mac, with a PC and even with a transistor radio if it's got a spare 3.5mm headphone socket. Whatever you connect WMS' compact transmitter to, it …

    Reg Hardware 16 Feb 2006, 14:59

  • Registrars slam dotcom contract

    Demand ICANN backtrack on Verisign deal

    Eight of the world's leading registrars have written to ICANN asking it to reject the new dotcom contract for handing too much power and control to incumbent VeriSign. The heads of GoDaddy, Tucows, Register.com, Network Solutions, Melbourne IT, Intercosmos, BulkRegister and Schlund+Partner, who together represent nearly 60 …

    Financial News 16 Feb 2006, 15:15

  • WC ticket fiasco frustrates fans

    Goalmouth scramble

    The latest phase of World Cup ticket sales descended into chaos and confusion on Wednesday after fans were left unable to access FIFA's ticket sales section. Hours down the line, after connections became more stable, fans discovered almost all initial tickets in the 'first come first served' sale had already been sold. Host city …

    Financial News 16 Feb 2006, 15:17

  • BT tinkers with VoIP products

    Lifts restrictions, aligns prices

    BT has tinkered with its VoIP products in a bid to make its broadband telephony service more attractive to punters. The firm has "aligned its VoIP pricing", it said today, so the cost of international calls are the same for its PC-to-PC BT Communicator Service as they are for its BT Broadband Talk service. Oh, and it's also …

    VoIP 16 Feb 2006, 15:24

  • Microsoft in Office 2007 shocker

    What was wrong with Office 12?

    Microsoft has announced details of its forthcoming Office franchise update. Office 2007 - formerly Office 12 - will be out by the end of this year and will come in several flavours. All are set to present a clutch of new features, including a new user interface and XML-based file formats. The new Standard and Professional …

    Applications 16 Feb 2006, 16:06

  • Sony readies anti-shake digicam duo

    Steady on there

    Sony will next month ship two new compact digital cameras with anti-blur technology to compensate for users' shaky hands, subjects on the move, and the effects of dim lighting conditions. The result: digicams that "reduce the risk" of indistinct picture misery. The aluminium-clad Cyber-shot DSC-W30 and DSC-W50 both sport six …

    Reg Hardware 16 Feb 2006, 16:06

  • Amazon tuning in to music downloads, says paper

    MC Bezos comin' atcha, claims Wall Street Journal. Sort of

    Amazon.com is preparing an alternative to Apple's iTunes Music Store, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the paper, the online retailer is looking to license music from the major labels and others, with a view not simply to offer a download service but to allow punters to pre-load players with stacks of tracks. The …

    Reg Hardware 16 Feb 2006, 16:34

  • Man menaces cops with didgeridoo

    'Come on then. I'll have you', shouts musical perp

    A man was today sentenced to 180 hours' community service for threatening police with a didgeridoo after shouting: "Come on then. I'll have you," in the traditional British style. According to UK tabloid the Sun, officers were called to the scene of an alleged assault in Seaford, East Sussex, last June. Bricklayer Ryan Jones, …

    Bootnotes 16 Feb 2006, 16:37

  • XM Satellite tunes in massive 2005 loss

    Director warns of looming 'crisis'

    XM Satellite has experienced what you might call a pretty bad day. The company posted a massive fourth quarter loss and then revealed that a director has resigned due to fears that XM is heading toward a "crisis." XM - the leading member of a satellite radio duopoly with Sirius - reported a 113 per cent rise in fourth quarter …

    Financial News 16 Feb 2006, 18:13

  • Hands on with Sony's first Walkman smartphone

    3GSM Nibbling at Apple?

    It's in the collegiate spirit of the GSM show that manufacturers can glad hand their rivals on each other's stands without resort to subterfuge. In a show bereft of show-stoppers, Sony Ericsson's new 'Walkman' phone drew plenty of interest from other handset manufacturers, with the company's stand crowded to near sinking point …

    Reg Hardware 16 Feb 2006, 18:31

  • The Scandal of BI

    It's been a busy week. On Tuesday Christian Smyth of ICS told me about the scandal of BI (Business Intelligence) - the likes of Cognos and Business Objects holding business to ransom when cheap BI was available from Microsoft. In fact, it appeared, that was just to get my attention. If there is a BI scandal, it is merely that …

    Developer 16 Feb 2006, 22:48

  • Microsoft ignites idea of independent versions of Office

    Rivals flame Redmond

    Just when you thought it wasn't possible to create any more versions of Microsoft Office, Redmond has raised the prospect of more of even more flavors. Only not from Microsoft. Microsoft has said it expects its use of XML to describe Office file formats, namely the Office XML File Format, will lead others to build …

    Applications 16 Feb 2006, 23:17

  • Moving to SQL Server

    Dmitry Balin of Microsoft has been telling me about Microsoft's new Oracle migration toolset. Oh, BTW, I think it only works one way - from Oracle to SQL Server. Who'd have thought it? Nevertheless, it sounds pretty good. And, I'm promised some real migration case studies (ie, not from SQL Server 2000 to 2005) Any Day Now. But …

    Developer 16 Feb 2006, 23:20

  • Notebooks deliver Q4 boost at Dell

    Single-digit future doesn't impress

    Dell greased the squeaky wheel during its fourth quarter and corrected a six-month slowdown. The hardware assembler pushed revenue higher 13 per cent to $15.2bn and pumped out a 52 per cent year-over-year gain in net income to $1.0bn. The results, however, did little to impress investors who frowned on Dell's forecast of single- …

    Servers 16 Feb 2006, 23:55