The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

23rd February 2006 Archive

Browse by publication date, or search the site.

  • Ever talked to SCO? - asks IBM

    Then tell us what you said

    The discovery phase deepens in the SCO trial with IBM demanding every communication between SCO and Microsoft, Sun, Hewlett Packard and Baystar Capital - the investment company that initially funded the IP campaign - since the start of the McBride era. This part of the discovery relates to "claims relating to Allegedly Misused …

    Music and Media 23 Feb 2006, 00:25

  • DRM delayed Nokia's 'iPod' phone

    It's coming. Honest

    Nokia's music N91 smartphone - it's first phone with a hard disk - has been held up because of DRM issues, the company confirmed. Nokia's Pekka Pohjakallio told us last week in Barcelona that adding Windows DRM was the primary cause of the slip. That confirms what Nokia executives said when the delay was acknowledged last Fall …

    Reg Hardware 23 Feb 2006, 01:13

  • Scavengers line up to pick at Borland's developers

    Look here, my pretties

    Software developers using Borland's soon-to-be dumped integrated development environments (IDEs) are being sized up by the competition. Sun Microsystems and REAL Software are working separately to persuade JBuilder and Delphi developers to switch to their application development tools. Sun, which has been lobbying JBuilder …

    Developer 23 Feb 2006, 01:53

  • x86 boxes carry server market in 2005

    HP and IBM cheer

    Surprise, surprise. Shipments of x86 servers rose during 2005, while big-iron sales dropped. That's the word from Gartner and IDC, who both released their most recent server data this week. We're going to stick with the Gartner data for the most part not because the firm has proven itself as more accurate than IDC but because …

    Servers 23 Feb 2006, 03:42

  • IBM and BI - I take it all back

    Comment Small shareholding at the leading edge

    Okay, I confess. I have been beating IBM up about how it needs to buy a BI player in order to be a credible player in the space, and it turns out that I got it all wrong, because IBM already owns a BI player. Well, actually, a bit of a BI vendor. A very small bit. And I’m not actually sure the information management people …

    Developer 23 Feb 2006, 05:02

  • Weighty works from the Reg bookshop

    Cash'n'Carrion You can't miss 'em

    This week, we thought we'd start off with some words of wisdom: "A wonderful thing about a book, in contrast to a computer screen, is that you can take it to bed with you." - Daniel J Boorstein. So, on this note, we've got list of wondrous titles to keep you wallowing in the sack. While away the hours with topics such as …

    Developer 23 Feb 2006, 08:27

  • Need cheap DSL? Go to Rwanda

    US man delivers miles of fiber

    Not too long ago, a high-speed internet connection in Rwanda cost close to $1,000 per month. A whopping 22 customers could afford to buy this service from the national telco - RwandaTel. Then, Terracom arrived. Terracom started laying fiber throughout Rwanda, bought RwandaTel for $20m and dropped the price for a combination …

    Telecoms 23 Feb 2006, 10:04

  • Ofcom sets out plans to regulate VoIP

    Comment is free

    Ofcom, the UK communications industry regulator, has set out details of its new approach to internet telephony, updating earlier guidance published in 2004. Ofcom is consulting on its new proposals. Internet telephony is the ability to make voice calls over any internet connection, particularly broadband, using Voice over …

    VoIP 23 Feb 2006, 10:05

  • Talk to the badge

    'I'm in the middle of an amputation, over and out'

    Doctors in one hospital have been spotted talking into their lapels under a scheme to improve communications using the latest technology. Staff at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust have begun to talk to each other through voice activated badges as an alternative to pagers or mobile phones. The trust has become the first in …

    Wireless 23 Feb 2006, 10:15

  • Sky offers preview of its HDTV service

    Launches assault on internet-TV threat

    Sky has launched a new website, which includes sample teaser clips from its new high-definition television service, to be launched before July. The website allows users to download high-definition video clips to their PCs, including sports and wildlife footage. It also includes information on the equipment users will need to …

    Networks 23 Feb 2006, 10:45

  • Picsel beats Macromedia to put Flash 7 onto mobile

    But software giant unconcerned...

    Scottish file-viewing specialist Picsel was happily demonstrating its ability to publish books, cartoons, video, and now Macromedia Flash 7 - all on Symbian and Windows Mobile devices. It also finds itself on the new NTT DoCoMo FOMA phone, model SH901i. The Picsel technology is derived from the company's heritage as BBC Micro …

    Mobile 23 Feb 2006, 10:55

  • Eurovision HDTV contest

    Is it nul points for the UK?

    HDTV has been creeping into Europe for a while and as we sit tight and anxiously wait for Sky, Telewest and the BBC to start rolling out our high definition signals some countries are already enjoying the delights of 720p and 1080i programming. Germany is probably the furthest on in the development of HDTV helped along no …

    Reg Hardware 23 Feb 2006, 10:57

  • Apple drops 15in PowerBook

    One less PowerPC-based machine on the list

    Apple has phased out its 15in PowerBook G4. The PowerPC-based notebook has been removed from the company's online stores in the UK and the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific, even as the first Intel-based 15in MacBook Pro machines began to be delivered to buyers. The end of the 15in PowerBook comes less than a month after the 17in …

    Reg Hardware 23 Feb 2006, 11:04

  • US demands extradition of '419 scammers' from Europe

    Twelve arrested

    US investigators have requested the extradition of four Nigerians accused of running 419 scams in the Netherlands after the arrest of a gang in Amsterdam and the nearby town of Zaandam earlier this week. It is the first time the US has asked for the extradition of individuals accused of running 419 scams, a clear sign that …

    Music and Media 23 Feb 2006, 11:05

  • So, will IM replace SMS?

    And who can talk to who?

    News from 3GSM that some of the biggest mobile phone networks are planning to join up to push instant messaging (IM) over mobiles needs a little thought. The PC community has long settled into islands of IM services which can almost never talk to one another. This is not so much due to technical difficulties (which is often …

    Mobile 23 Feb 2006, 11:13

  • Shuttle shows M2000 media centre PC

    Time to throw out the hi-fi?

    Shuttle has taken the wraps off its second generation consumer electronics-styled PC chassis. The M2000 squeezes in twin TV tuners and a fully functional Windows XP Media Center Edition system into a box designed to replace your DVD player, set-top box and music centre. The M2000 measures 44.2 x 35 x 7.8cm and packs in a 1. …

    Reg Hardware 23 Feb 2006, 11:35

  • Ex-Gizmondo exec walks from wreckage - of $1m Ferrari

    Picture exclusive Car totalled

    Former Gizmondo Europe executive Stefan Eriksson was this week involved in a car crash that shredded in his million-dollar Ferrari Enzo. Eriksson, who told police he was not the driver of the vehicle, walked away from the impact with cuts and bruises. The accident took place on State Highway 1 in Malibu, California. The car …

    Reg Hardware 23 Feb 2006, 11:40

  • Old and new square up in VoIP debate

    Light touch regulation vs level playing field

    The old and new of the telecoms industry are preparing to make their case as Ofcom takes another look at the rules governing internet telephony in the UK. Yesterday, the regulator published a consultation document in which it proposed a number of suggestions to help protect consumers. While the regulator acknowledges that VoIP …

    VoIP 23 Feb 2006, 11:44

  • Met police set up film piracy unit

    Five-strong, year-long trial

    UK police have established a unit especially dedicated to fighting movie piracy. The new Metropolitan Police Film Piracy Unit will target gangs and individuals raking it in from the sale of fake DVDs. The police group, comprising one detective sergeant and four detective constables, will work alongside the Federation Against …

    Music and Media 23 Feb 2006, 11:47

  • Siemens back to immigration

    Forgiven for previous £77m failure

    The UK's Immigration and Nationality Directorate welcomes back an IT supplier which was at the centre of its previous computer failures. The Home Office has commissioned Siemens Business Services (SBS) to run IT systems for processing work permit and immigration application fees, it said. The £6.7m outsourcing contract marks a …

    Public Sector 23 Feb 2006, 11:55

  • Compel prelim revenues unchanged

    Stable market

    Compel described a relatively stable IT market yesterday as it turned in preliminary results that met City expectations. Compel’s turnover for the six months ended December 31 was unchanged year on year at £41m. Operating profit was up 10 per cent on the year to £1.2m. Pre-tax profits were £931,000, compared to £1.2m last year …

    Channel Register 23 Feb 2006, 12:22

  • Tear up the Harris survey

    Comment Try asking the right IPTV questions

    We don’t normally lead on surveys, but a recently released Harris Interactive survey samples the average US household and says that it shows that consumers are both ready, waiting and largely willing where IPTV is concerned. But hold on, we’re not sure that Harris asked the right questions or bothered to define IPTV. The …

    Networks 23 Feb 2006, 12:38

  • Telefonica faces broadband price probe

    EC raises anti-trust allegations

    Spanish incumbent Telefonica is facing an investigation by the European Commission (EC) amid allegations that it abused its dominant position regarding the provision of broadband. The EC has sent a "statement of objections" to Telefonica explaining why it believes the Spanish telco has been "abusing its dominant market position …

    Telecoms 23 Feb 2006, 12:44

  • RIM lauds latest NTP patent rejection

    Two down, one to go

    The US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has rejected all the claims contained in US patent number 6,067,451, one of the three patents held by NTP, and for which it successfully sued Research in Motion for intellectual property violation. The patent contains two of nine claims that NTP said RIM had implemented in the …

    Reg Hardware 23 Feb 2006, 12:57

  • Asus dreams up modular PC of the future

    Exclusive Look, ma, no connectors

    Asus has shelved plans to develop the PC of the future - literally. The Taiwanese vendor's Green PC concept computer, shown to Reg Hardware this week, is just that: a shelf. And some clever wireless connectivity and non-contact inductive power source. Asus' design breaks the computer down into a series of interchangeable …

    Reg Hardware 23 Feb 2006, 13:25

  • Asus prices up Lamborghini laptop

    VX1 spec hints dropped too

    Asus has dropped a few more hints about what's going to be inside its upcoming Lamborghini-branded notebook. The company confirmed this week that the machine will indeed be based on Intel's Centrino Duo platform, and said it will contain more than 1GB of memory and a hard drive offering over 120GB of storage capacity. Asus …

    Reg Hardware 23 Feb 2006, 13:51

  • Acxiom database hacker jailed for 8 years

    Florida spammer off to slammer

    A Florida man has been jailed for eight years after being convicted of stealing vast amounts of personal information from Acxiom, one of the world's largest database companies, in order to inflate the value of his spamming firm. Scott Levine, 46, of Boca Raton, Florida, was found guilty by an Arkansas jury in August of 120 …

    Security 23 Feb 2006, 14:30

  • By the three moons of Pluto!

    Sky gazers certify two new satellites

    Astronomers have confirmed they spied two previously unknown moons orbiting tiny ninth planet Pluto using the Hubble Space Telescope. As we reported in November the confirmation, published in Nature, brings the enigmatic planet's lunar total to three. Until now it was thought to have just one - 750-mile-diameter Charon. The …

    Science 23 Feb 2006, 14:37

  • Colt trots to Europe as it rejigs business

    Telecoms sector still tough

    Colt Telecom is overhauling its corporate structure in a bid to generate profit, and is also looking to raise £300m in new equity which should help reduce its net debt to below £100m. At the same time, the telco is planning to domicile its business in mainland Europe and ditch its NASDAQ listing, though it insists it will …

    Financial News 23 Feb 2006, 15:04

  • Ofcom unveils phone number plans

    That's interesting, that is

    Ofcom is tinkering with telephone numbers to ensure there's plenty of digits to go around in the future. But the regulator moved to assure punters that it had no plans to meddle with geographic phone numbers as part of its review of the UK National Telephone Numbering Plan. Instead, Ofcom's looking at other areas where it can …

    Telecoms 23 Feb 2006, 15:09

  • Apple to 'launch full movie downloads' next week

    One billion songs sold

    Apple will next week announce that it's going to start selling full-length movie downloads through the iTunes Music Store, if the forecast of a US market watcher is correct. The prediction comes in the week the company passed the 1bn music downloads mark. The one billionth song was downloaded early this morning, Apple said, …

    Reg Hardware 23 Feb 2006, 15:13

  • Thomas Pink collars iPod with commuter tie

    Tie fighter

    British shirt-maker Thomas Pink has begun selling a limited edition tie with an integrated iPod holder, the better to allow City gents to groove to their favourite beat combos as they battle their way to work every morning. The £49 ($86) tie is bright red - ideal, perhaps, for the much-rumoured red AIDS-awareness iPod - and …

    Reg Hardware 23 Feb 2006, 15:42

  • Stunned Londoners see Wi-Fi work on water

    Waterloo handset

    The country's biggest Wi-Fi network has been launched in London. Thames Online will provide about 12km of seamless coverage - from Westminster to Greenwich - along the river. Taking to the water is an increasingly popular option for frustrated commuters. The codeCreation/Meshhopper joint venture uses mesh architecture to …

    Wireless 23 Feb 2006, 15:54

  • Capita increases turnover, profit

    In brief Boosts dividend

    Capita turned in increases in profits and revenues when it unveiled full year results today. For the year ended December 31, the services vendor reported turnover of £1.4bn, up 12 per cent. Operating profits were up 8.2 per cent to £166.6m, and pre-tax profits were up 7.8 per cent to £ 153.1m. When a share based payment charge, …

    Channel Register 23 Feb 2006, 16:15

  • Networking 'will never be a commodity'

    NetEvents Procurve's crystal ball gazing

    In his keynote speech to the NetEvents European Summit in Garmisch, Germany today, HP Procurve VP John McHugh stuck his neck out, and said: "Enterprise networking is not going to be a commodity." McHugh's keynote was a look into the year 2010. He can claim a good track record for anticipating technology developments, such as …

    Data Networking 23 Feb 2006, 16:43

  • Motorola RAZR V3i

    Review Still no iTunes...

    A manufacturer with one of the most popular mobiles on the market has a problem when it comes to updating the phone: just how do you improve a product without ruining it? In the case of the V3, Motorola has obviously decided the way forward is to leave well alone, only pausing to correct a couple of oversights it made in the …

    Reg Hardware 23 Feb 2006, 16:46

  • Scientists: masturbation not as good as sex

    And you thought you just weren't doing it right

    A swift one off the wrist - easy, convenient, refreshing - but just not the same as the real thing, perhaps. Reporting in the journal Biological Psychology, researchers have now found a basis in physiology for the niggling dissatisfaction. Levels of the hormone prolactin are lower after masturbation than intercourse. Prolactin …

    Science 23 Feb 2006, 16:55

  • Amstrad's em@ilers are going, going...

    Minimal stocks left

    If you want to get your hands on one of Amstrad's em@iler phones-cum-email thingies - you better be quick. Last September, Amstrad confirmed that it was ceasing production of the em@iler following poor sales. Yesterday, Sir Alan "You're fired" Sugar said the firm had flogged almost all of its stock of em@ilers and with "minimal …

    Financial News 23 Feb 2006, 16:58

  • Music to code to

    Well, Microsoft loves its developers and wants to know what makes them tick. So it asks them what music they like to code to - apparently, the "winner" was something by Coldplay (whoever they are - and what will this do to their street cred, anyway). And HMV Digital have made a radio station specifically for UK developers, ' …

    Developer 23 Feb 2006, 18:11

  • Quantum computer solves problem without running

    Paradox

    A quantum computer at a US University has solved a computational problem without running a program. Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign gleaned the answer to an algorithm by combining quantum computation and quantum interrogation (a technique that makes use of wave-particle duality to search a region of …

    Science 23 Feb 2006, 20:53

  • We own all your rich internet media

    Design shop learns from patent big boys

    Just as the Web 2.0 crowd gets excited over AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML), an unknown web developer tools company is threatening to spoil the party. The US Patent and Trade Mark Office (USPTO) has awarded Balthaser Online a patent covering "methods, systems and processes for the design and creation of rich-media …

    Developer 23 Feb 2006, 21:17

  • Over the Waterfall

    Comment Method acting for software developers

    Let's throw some rocks at Waterfall development. You know, the development method which says that you have to produce about 10kg of specification document (there’s a standard, usually, for the weight of paper appropriate to different project types). You put this on the shelf to gather dust, as some sort of protective talisman …

    Developer 23 Feb 2006, 21:48

  • Sophos in Mac OS X worm false alarm

    Cure worse than disease

    Sophos has apologised after releasing a faulty signature update that flagged up legitimate Mac OS X system files as infected with a new low-risk worm, Inqtana-B. The faulty signature file, issued on Tuesday, February 21, falsely identified a number of component files of Microsoft Office applications as infectious. The UK-based …

    Malware 23 Feb 2006, 22:05

  • The real reason Skype isn't as good as it was

    NetEvents Service providers play favourites

    Have you been a Skype user for ages? Noticed that it isn't as good as it was? Silent moments, repeated sounds, buzzes? Here's the good news: it's almost certainly fixable. The bad news? You have to lobby your cable company to fix it. It turns out that a company called Sandvine is now boasting of its ability to "manage" peer …

    VoIP 23 Feb 2006, 22:33

  • Microsoft exposes itself in bid to embarrass Europeans

    Charges of laziness and holiday obsession

    Microsoft is accusing the European Commission (EC) of denying it a fair defense in its long-running anti-trust case, so officials could nip off early for their Christmas hols. That's just one of the claims Microsoft is laying at the door of the EC - a fact learned today after Redmond took the unprecedented step of publishing …

    Music and Media 23 Feb 2006, 23:53