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10th March 2006 Archive

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  • Novell rearranges the brass after Q1 bomb

    Out with the new

    A mini tornado of re-organization has again blown through Novell, shaking up the open source business, marketing and regional operations in the wake of poor quarterly results. The general manager for Novell's open platform solutions business unit David Patrick is being replaced after less than two years in the post by 27-year …

    Data Networking 10 Mar 2006, 02:20

  • Google takes on MS Office with Writely buy

    Beta attack, of course

    The vexed topic of an online word processing system is back on the agenda after Google bought start-up Writely in a potential challenge to Microsoft's desktop suite. The four-person, Silicon Valley based Writely has been quietly delivering a browser-based word processing and collaboration environment. In true Google style, …

    Applications 10 Mar 2006, 02:29

  • Linus, GPL 3.0 and sharks with lasers on their heads

    Yeah, baby

    Citing some James Bond analogies, Linus Torvalds has defended his objections to GPL 3.0, while holding out an olive branch to the Free Software Foundation (FSF). Torvalds has reportedly called the first draft of the FSF's General Public License (GPL) 3.0 "unacceptable" because it limits uses for software covered by the license …

    Applications 10 Mar 2006, 02:36

  • Wanadoo punter still without broadband

    Other users victim of LLU migration too

    A Wanadoo UK customer who has been left without broadband for more than seven weeks after his line was migrated to LLU has now complained to industry trade group ISPA. The Manchester man (name withheld) was told he was being shunted to Wanadoo's local loop unbundling (LLU) platform in January. Ever since then, though, his …

    Telecoms 10 Mar 2006, 09:02

  • Reding to report to EC on RFID

    CeBIT Brussels and chips

    The European Commission has launched a Europe-wide consultation on RFID technology, which will result in a “communication” on the technology by the end of the year. EU Information Society and Media Commission spokesperson Viviane Reding announced the process at Cebit today, saying it would span industry, government, and the …

    ID 10 Mar 2006, 09:02

  • Colossus: Bletchley Park’s greatest secret

    Book review Told in full for the first time

    One reader wrote in to complain that my recent review of Frauenfelder’s The Computer, an illustrated history missed the fact that it “yankified” history – didn’t adequately recognise British contributions. On the contrary, when I checked against other sources, Frauenfelder’s is a very cosmopolitan account - it even points out …

    Developer 10 Mar 2006, 09:34

  • National Express trials in-coach Wi-Fi

    Information superhighway

    UK coach firm National Express has launched a trial which has seen Telabria's mSystem mobile Wi-Fi hotspots installed on coaches between London and Cambridge. The scheme means travellers on the National Express's 010 London to Cambridge route will be able to access the internet on the move via their Wi-Fi enabled laptops, PDAs …

    Mobile 10 Mar 2006, 10:01

  • Call for disabled internet revolt

    Being nice has achieved little

    The Disability Rights Commission plans to call upon disabled internet users to rise up against inaccessible website owners and help it take complaints with the force of law. The rabble-rousing message will be broadcast by the DRC following the launch of new guidelines to amend what it says are limitations in the WAI …

    Music and Media 10 Mar 2006, 10:02

  • UK plans to make driving licences biometric

    Darling explains not-an-ID-card-link

    The British driving licence is to go biometric "at some stage" but, according to Transport Minister Alastair Darling, it will remain a distinct document from the planned UK identity card. Darling introduced the Road Safety Bill in the House of Commons this week, but said, "given that the same information will be required for …

    Music and Media 10 Mar 2006, 10:04

  • IBM talks software value with partners

    Channel of flannel

    IBM yesterday announced better Ts&Cs for software sales through the channel, offering authorised dealers up to 40 per cent of the revenue of software. The Software Value Incentive (SVI) programme is simpler and offers bigger kickbacks than previous IBM programmes, the company says. It kicks into action in the UK and US next …

    Channel Register 10 Mar 2006, 10:23

  • Level 3 leak leaked

    Water, water everywhere...

    Internet giant Level 3 sprung a leak yesterday at its Braham Street data centre in London. According to emails leaked to El Reg, the water may have damaged customer kit although so far Level 3 has declined requests to explain exactly what happened or how many customers were affected. Instead, we have to rely on an email sent …

    Telecoms 10 Mar 2006, 10:29

  • OGC spreadsheet madness causes dealer uproar

    Are we in, or are we out?

    The Office of Government Commerce is blaming a spreadsheet error for a foul-up over accrediting suppliers for its new Catalist procurement programme. Catalist replaces the government's GCat agreement in June: it short-circuits EC red tape, enabling public sector managers to buy goods and services more easily from approved …

    Public Sector 10 Mar 2006, 10:55

  • Blu-ray body confirms format to use 'interim' copy protection code

    CeBIT Won't limit the consumer, apparently

    Blu-ray Disc's lack of full AACS support will not limit the consumer in any way, Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) spokesman Frank Simonis said today after confirming the next-generation optical disc format will incorporate an "interim" version of the copy-protection technology. The organisation also indicated the format's …

    Reg Hardware 10 Mar 2006, 10:59

  • Monster TVs slug it out for CeBIT crown

    CeBIT And the winner is...

    Sony did it at CES in Las Vegas, and now it's Samsung's turn at CeBIT in Hannover. Yes, we're talking monster 82in LCD TVs. Alas, it was outscaled by LG, which is touting a 100in LCD, but don't forget that Panasonic's 103in plasma screen beats them all. Samsung can at least claim its 82in whopper has a novel LED backlight …

    Reg Hardware 10 Mar 2006, 11:12

  • Psst, want to be on Dr Who?

    Geek TV And the best of this weekend's telly

    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 Games Digest has all the latest gaming news. It won't have escaped your notice that it's CeBIT time, and all manner of competitive pimping is going on in the world of …

    Bootnotes 10 Mar 2006, 11:23

  • RIAA to probe Pope's iPod?

    Letters Benny 16 in illegal copying slur

    Right, look lively: we have a lot of stuff to wade through this Friday, and some of it even has a serious IT-related angle. Like this, regarding Ofcom's media literacy audit: Is anybody else just a little bit tired of the whole question of "Media Literacy"? Personally I can't imagine what use I could ever have for a 3G mobile …

    Letters 10 Mar 2006, 11:52

  • Jabra talks up Bluetooth iPod accessories

    CeBIT Fewer wires for PSP, DS, MP3 player owners too

    Bluetooth headset specialist Jabra this week stepped into the iPod, handheld games console and music-phone accessory markets, pitching a handful of new products designed to free digital music device owners from cumbersome wires. Jabra's iPod-oriented offerings include a Bluetooth adaptor, the A125s, that hooks into the MP3 …

    Reg Hardware 10 Mar 2006, 11:56

  • BOFH: Feral access points

    Episode 10 Wild, untamed...

    "What's he doing?" the Boss whispers, noticing the PFY's absence from and disinterest in the conversation he and I have been having about the shameful nature of internet porn sites these days. Put another way, the boss has been gently probing [oooh errr] for a list of potential spank sites while implying that he's in some way …

    BOFH 10 Mar 2006, 12:02

  • Kenyan farmers save for a rainy day

    Case study Whatever the weather

    Twice a month, farmer James Muthoka gets on his bike and pedals nine kilometres to KARI Katumani, an agricultural research station. Mr Muthoka owns six acres in an small, enclosed valley in Machakos, a dry, semi-arid region about one-and-a-half hours from Nairobi. The valley is filled from top to bottom with farms. The …

    Science 10 Mar 2006, 12:02

  • LaCie Two Big 1TB eSATA drive

    Exclusive Review A terabyte of hot-swappable storage... on your desk

    It wasn't very long ago that having a terabyte (1TB) of storage in a home PC was considered far-fetched. But now just about every hard drive manufacturer has a 500GB drive in its product range, and having a terabyte or more in a desktop PC isn't really a big deal. However, LaCie has figured out a different approach to give you …

    Reg Hardware 10 Mar 2006, 12:05

  • Be sorry for network snafu

    'Inadvertent mistake' blamed

    Broadband ISP Be is to issue refunds to its net users after the service went titsup earlier this week. In an email to punters yesterday BE MD Dana Pressman said the network was "affected by a serious problem" that resulted in "reduction of speed and packet loss that impacted the service for a large majority of our members". It …

    Telecoms 10 Mar 2006, 12:17

  • Nvidia gets its chips out

    CeBIT Unleashes a couple of good handfuls of new kit

    Nvidia has announced a raft of new graphics kit at CeBIT, aimed at providing what it calls "extreme high-definition" to users. SVP Dan Vivoli said the move towards high-definition displays and the extra demands it will place on hardware is: "music to our [Nvidia's] ears". Its new flagship GeForce7900 GT high-end card leads …

    Reg Hardware 10 Mar 2006, 12:26

  • IBM simplifying the data warehouse

    Not perfect, but it's a start

    IBM has just announced the second strand in its strategy for simplifying data warehousing. It contends, rightly, that deploying and managing an enterprise data warehouse is horrendously complicated. Moreover, those complications directly drive costs up. So, it is simplifying the data warehouse and driving costs down. The first …

    Data Networking 10 Mar 2006, 12:29

  • Frisky Fräuleins on your phone

    CeeBitch and teutonic toilet humour

    Another year, another CeBIT. Which as usual, means trudging round in the snow, ice, hail and fog, with nothing to look forward to except a freshly boiled bockwurst and ein or zwei biers at the end of the tag. It’s like Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow without the bravery, drama and funny hats. RFID basket cases Watching the TV …

    Bootnotes 10 Mar 2006, 12:32

  • Europe tagging along on RFID

    Opinion Mind reading

    Viviane Reding yesterday reeled off a sheaf of figures on RFID’s expected growth over the coming years. The European Commissioner for Information Society and Media reckons 600m tags will ship this year, with that number jumping 450 times within ten years. So, anyone thinking the EU plans to halt the march of the chips is set to …

    ID 10 Mar 2006, 12:35

  • Click here to learn the net's true purpose

    NSFW Revealed: the awe-inspiring Bounceometer

    If you've ever wondered, as we have, just exactly what the internet is for, then prepare your mind for true enlightenment. Ready? Good - now proceed directly here and follow the on-screen instructions. We rest our case. It's fair to suggest that the whole of human scientific endeavour has been leading to this point: We feel …

    Music and Media 10 Mar 2006, 12:44

  • High Court to decide O2 - 3 bubble spat soon

    Lovely jubbly

    A long-running trademark spat between O2 and 3 over the use of bubbles looks set to be nearing the end of the legal road. O2 sued 3, which celebrated its third birthday last week, back in 2004 over allegations that the 3G outfit used bubbles in its ads. O2 insists bubbles are part of its brand and, as such, is fiercely …

    Mobile 10 Mar 2006, 12:49

  • Adult payment firm denies customer records breach

    Mystery over iBill spam scam

    An online payments firm that specialises in processing payments to porn sites has denied that a supposed haul of consumer data originated from its databases. iBill says "records" of the email addresses of 17m plus net voyeurs recovered by two security companies do not match its own records. It claims only three entries from …

    Financial News 10 Mar 2006, 14:24

  • PC shipments to slow in 2006

    Desktop sales on the decline

    PC sales are set to slow this year, Gartner has warned, reaching only 10.7 per cent in 2006 compared with 15.5 per cent in the previous year. Despite strong growth in the mobile PC sector, desktop PC replacement activity has peaked, contributing to the slowdown. However, this still means an impressive 234.5m units will be …

    Reg Hardware 10 Mar 2006, 14:36

  • Centerprise picks up Samsung drives

    Filling gaps

    Centerprise is to distribute Samsung hard drives and optical drives. Samsung says the appointment will help it fill gaps in the market which it expects this year. Why? The Korean giant cites the "anticipated reduction in hardware manufacturers and mergers with optical suppliers". Centerprise. ®

    Channel Register 10 Mar 2006, 14:37

  • How to commission an accessible website

    The lowdown on PAS 78

    The British Standards Institution published new guidance yesterday for those who commission or maintain websites, to ensure that any site they make or maintain is user-friendly for disabled people. It could help with legal compliance. PAS 78: Guide to good practice in commissioning accessible websites is the result of a year' …

    Music and Media 10 Mar 2006, 15:06

  • Sony 'running jump' ad derailed

    Mind the gap

    Objections from transport staff have prompted Sony into removing posters advocating that consumers "take a running jump" from a number of tram and tube stations across the UK. The PSP promos were pulled from "inappropriate" sites after a worker on Manchester's Metrolink light rail system raised concerns after spotting the ad …

    Reg Hardware 10 Mar 2006, 15:13

  • France Telecom notches up 1m VoIP users

    Tres bon

    France Telecom (FT) has chalked up more than a million residential internet telephony lines across Europe, according to VoIP partner Netcentrex. FT's VoIP service has been up and running for 18 months. The latest stats show that at the end of 2005 it had a million VoIP lines with some 150,000 new subscribers being added each …

    VoIP 10 Mar 2006, 15:17

  • Your staff will grass you up, warns BSA

    Bent employers beware

    Sixty-four per cent of UK employees would blow the whistle on their employers if internal reports of illegal or inappropriate activities were ignored, according to figures released by the Business Software Alliance (BSA). Twenty-seven percent of the 2004 adults surveyed by YouGov claimed they would report cases of illegal …

    Business 10 Mar 2006, 15:39

  • BrightFlash lights up pixt phone industry

    Useful night shots in a flash

    The real reason camera phones are useless, Anthony Kongats says, is that they don't have the power to light up the scene if it's dim. "Our goal is to be one of the enabling solutions to turn a useless camera in a phone into a useful one, that the average punter won't have a disappointing experience with," he said, announcing …

    Mobile 10 Mar 2006, 16:01

  • UK extends airport iris scan scheme

    The eyes have it

    Heathrow Airport has extended a pilot programme that allows registered passengers to pass through immigration checks using iris scans. The London airport opened up a fast-track immigration channel in terminal one on Friday that duplicates technology, known as Iris Recognition Immigration System or Project Iris, that went into …

    ID 10 Mar 2006, 16:07

  • Vonage cries foul over Canada VoIP 'tax'

    QoS premium causes waves

    Consumer IP telephony service Vonage has filed a complaint to Canadian regulators over plans by local telco, Shaw Cable, to charge a C$10 ($8.60) a month premium to customers of VoIP service. The charge ostensibly covers to cost of providing a higher quality connection to VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) users. Vonage …

    VoIP 10 Mar 2006, 16:22

  • SGI moving to mysterious Altism line

    Who, what, when, where?

    SGI has picked an obvious strategy for a company struggling to stay alive. Frustrate its customers with complete confusion. Any dolt could understand last week's proposals to cut 12 per cent of SGI's, shuffle a few executives and keep working on bringing costs down. Less clear, however, was SGI's decision to "consolidate its …

    Servers 10 Mar 2006, 17:46

  • Only in a bubble is Google's web WP an Office-killer

    Analysis 'Lightweight, high-velocity and very connected'

    At ZDNet, it's Microsoft's "Pearl Harbor"! Forbes screams, "Google's office invasion is on!" Only it isn't - and we have the founder's word for it. As we reported yesterday, Google has paid an undisclosed sum for a web-based document editor, Writely. It's a product that's as mature as the company which produced it, Upstartle …

    Applications 10 Mar 2006, 20:11

  • Intel's talk starts to match rivals' products

    Analysis The five-year push to marketing parity

    You have to hand it to Intel for talking about power management and the benefits of multi-core processing with such confidence. Using reality distortion, Intel has convinced itself that it pioneered such technology instead of being the lone laggard to catch up with the rest of the industry. At the Intel Developer Forum, …

    Servers 10 Mar 2006, 21:41