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18th April 2006 Archive

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  • Symantec inherits $1bn tax bill from Veritas

    Plans to appeal

    Symantec's purchase of Veritas could end up being much pricier than first imagined if the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has anything to say about it. The IRS has slapped Symantec with a $900m tax bill to cover allegedly insufficient payments made by Veritas in 2000 and 2001. Symantec received word of the problem from the …

    Financial News 18 Apr 2006, 00:40

  • Wales and Sanger on Wikipedia

    Hey, Jimmy. Didn't you just edit me out of history?

    What do you think of Wikipedia today? Time to hear it from Wikipedia's co-founders, Jimmy 'Jimbo' Wales and Larry Sanger. Or depending on which part of Wikipedia you choose to believe, Wikipedia's founder and ... well, some other guy. Sanger was editing the Nupedia project, which grew into Wikipedia, before leaving in 2002, …

    Music and Media 18 Apr 2006, 00:41

  • UK car tracking database delayed to boost capacity

    While Yorkshire police plan handheld checks

    The police have delayed crank starting their national car tracking database so they can keep more data about more people for longer periods of time. Meanwhile, bleeding edge top coppers in West Yorkshire are working out how to arm bobbies on the beat with links to their local auto number plate recognition (ANPR) system. They …

    Music and Media 18 Apr 2006, 09:07

  • Apple accused of patent infringement

    Burst.com files countersuit

    Apple has been accused of using another company's technology without permission. The Mac maker was this week accused of violating the intellectual property rights of Burst.com, which maintains Apple has infringed four patents relating to music and video downloads on demand. Burst's complaint, filed with the US District Court …

    Reg Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 09:09

  • Microsoft’s purchase of ProClarity – the bigger picture

    Comment Deal leaves strong competition out there

    There’s a large and obvious hole in Microsoft’s line-up of functionality in SQL Server 2005: Analysis Services is a solid multi-dimensional database engine but Microsoft offers no means of graphically displaying the data it handles. The need for such tools increases hugely when dealing with multi-dimensional data: users are …

    Applications 18 Apr 2006, 09:16

  • ATI rebuts 80nm GPU slip claim

    Migrating to smaller process as planned, apparently

    ATI has denied claims that it has scaled back or postponed its plan to adopt an 80nm chip fabrication process this year. Industry insiders had alleged two GPUs due to ship in Q3 will now be fabbed at 90nm and not the smaller node as planned. Both claim and counterclaim was reported by DigiTimes yesterday. The moles maintain …

    Reg Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 09:25

  • Sony debuts DVD Walkman

    Same size as a disc case

    Sony will offer Japanese consumers a Walkman-branded portable DVD player on 1 June, the consumer electronics giant said today. The tablet-style device sports a 7in LCD and a bundled recharging station with integrated stereo speakers. The player, dubbed the D-VE7000S, weighs 775g and measures 19.3 x 13.6 x 3.3cm - roughly …

    Reg Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 09:53

  • Mobile search focuses on smut

    Unless you've got a PDA...

    Mobile users search Google for porn while PDA users are more likely to be looking for local services. People using mobiles to access content were most likely to search for adult items - just under 20 per cent of all searches were for adult content. But PDA users were most likely to search for local services - searches for adult …

    Mobile 18 Apr 2006, 09:58

  • India's Rolta hits London Stock Exchange

    Geo-mappers find their way to London

    Indian IT services firm Rolta India made a successful debut on the London Stock Exchange this morning. Rolta shares are trading at just above their bid offer of $5.45. The company's shares are already traded on the Mumbai exchange. Mobile content firm Mobestar Holdings and online ad firm Burst Media are also floating this …

    Channel Register 18 Apr 2006, 09:59

  • Firefox under fire from multiple security bugs

    21 reasons to update Mozilla software

    The Mozilla Foundation has warned of a slew of critical vulnerabilities to its popular Firefox web browser and related products. The most serious of the flaws create a means for hackers to inject malware onto vulnerable systems. Other flaws would make it easier to construct phishing attacks or swipe sensitive information from …

    Security 18 Apr 2006, 10:05

  • Eircom confirms takeover approach

    Babcock & Brown closes in

    Eircom has confirmed that Australian investors Babcock & Brown have made a €2.4bn bid for the Irish incumbent telco. In a statement the telco "confirms that it has received a joint proposal from Babcock & Brown Capital Limited (B&B) and eircom ESOP Trustee Limited which may or may not lead to an offer being made for eircom". …

    Telecoms 18 Apr 2006, 10:15

  • AMD said to be researching 'reverse multi-threading' tech

    Multiple cores to appear as one?

    AMD is working on a way to make a multi-core processor appear to the host operating system as a single-core chip, it has been claimed. If true, the move turns on its head the drive to develop multi-threaded apps the better to take advantage of multiple cores. The technology is aimed at the next architecture after K8, …

    Reg Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 10:27

  • Cendant appoints former CA exec Jeff Clarke

    Industry veteran joins travel firm

    Cendant has appointed IT industry veteran Jeff Clarke as the new CEO and president of its travel distribution business. Clarke takes the reigns from 1 May 2006. The appointment completes TDS's senior management - Gordon Bethune replaced Henry Silverman as chairman last month, Myra Biblowit is president and Ronald Nelson is CFO …

    Financial News 18 Apr 2006, 10:28

  • Microsoft sues Dutch companies for illegal COA use

    Should Neelie intervene?

    Microsoft has successfully sued two Dutch companies it claims sold Certificate of Authenticity (COA) labels without the appropriate software or repackaged them with different software. A Dutch judge ordered that the companies must now disclose a list of customers who bought the products, and pay back their illegal profits. …

    Music and Media 18 Apr 2006, 11:08

  • Ex-Gizmondo exec denies theft, drink-driving charges

    Eriksson charged, pleads not guilty

    Former senior Gizmondo staffer Stefan Eriksson this week pleaded not guilty to charges of embezzlement, grand theft, driving while drunk and the illegal possession of a firearm. Eriksson, 44, made the plea through his attorney during an appearance before the Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday. Judge Mary Strobel set bail at …

    Reg Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 11:15

  • Internet embraces teledildonics

    Saddam Hussein boosts robosex industry

    Researchers and industry types in the emerging self-pollution field of teledildonics are pushing their vision of a future where people hook all manner of sex toys up to their computers. A recent meeting heard that Sinulate Entertainment, which markets such devices for the romantically challenged, has already sold thousands of …

    Bootnotes 18 Apr 2006, 11:17

  • EU mulls changes to telecoms 'universal service'

    'Cos we now live in the 'Internet age'

    The European Commission (EC) is to take a new look at "universal service" rules to see if they need updating for the internet age. Universal service obligations ensure that basic fixed line phone services are made available at an affordable price for everyone. But there are concerns that the current rules, regulations and …

    Telecoms 18 Apr 2006, 11:31

  • Intel Mac tricked into triple-boot config

    Chainloading time

    Intel-based Macs can now play host to three operating systems and boot into any one of them at will. The triple-boot technique has been outlined on the OnMac.net website, home of the first code to allow the new machines to run Windows XP. The procedure's not trivial, though it makes use of Apple's BootCamp utility to ease you …

    Reg Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 11:40

  • Afghan market sells US military flash drives

    Bazaar security breach

    Purloined flash drives containing classified US military secrets have turned up for sale in a bazaar in Afghanistan. Shopkeepers in the marketplace in Bagram claim the kit was sold to them by cleaners, garbage collectors and other local workers at the nearby US airbase. The LA Times reports that flash memory drives from the …

    ID 18 Apr 2006, 12:12

  • Flextronics sells software biz

    Private equity group pays $900m

    Flextronics has sold its software development arm to private equity group Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts for $900m in cash and shares. KKR will pay $600m in cash and a $250m "face value note with a 10.5 per cent paid-in-kind interest coupon". Flextronics will keep a 15 per cent stake in the firm. Michael McNamara, CEO at …

    Financial News 18 Apr 2006, 13:07

  • Nvidia touts 'flagship' GeForce Go 7900 GPUs

    As Toshiba revealed last month, ahem...

    Nvidia has formally unveiled the GeForce Go 7900 mobile graphics chip family notebook maker Toshiba pre-announced last month. Then, Toshiba debuted a laptop based on the 7900 GS - today, Nvidia added the 7900 GTX to the line-up. The two 7900 GPUs are fabbed at 90nm. The "flagship" 7900 GTX has a fill rate of 12bn pixels per …

    Reg Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 13:35

  • Beginning SUSE Linux: From Novice to Professional

    Cash'n'Carrion Get up to speed with top IT titles

    Thomas Keir's book starts by explaining the background of Linux, then shows how to install the software on your system, use the basic functions, and tweak its look and feel. The book is packed with troubleshooting features to ensure that even the most cautious beginner feels comfortable. It then goes on to look at more advanced …

    Site News 18 Apr 2006, 13:40

  • European firms open to security attacks: McAfee

    But at least the board is paying attention

    A large number of European businesses are failing to protect themselves from security vulnerabilities, a new study has revealed. According to security firm McAfee, close to half of those involved in the study believe that their IT infrastructure is never completely protected from software and network vulnerabilities. …

    Enterprise Security 18 Apr 2006, 14:00

  • Universal releases first HD DVD movie

    Serenity ships

    Universal, at least, is ready for anyone who's just bought a Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player in the US and wants some hi-def films to play on it. Make that 'movie' - the studio's Home Entertainment division today began shipping its first and only HD DVD title, Serenity, but you'll have to wait a week for further discs. Today's …

    Reg Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 14:01

  • Amazon extends food offerings

    Food and snacks section extended

    Amazon.com, the one-time US bookseller, is extending the range of food it offers. Hidden away in the Health and Personal Care section of Amazon.com is a large selection of snacks and other foods. Cunning place to hide the snacks...in the diet food section. These include multi-packs of cereals, beef jerky and granola, assorted …

    Financial News 18 Apr 2006, 14:12

  • All my personal details for chocolate? Go on then

    Infosec blog On social engineering, rootkits and Easter eggs

    When I explain what I do to Spanish friends and neighbours in my faltering Castilian, people often ask me about malicious hackers. It's very often hard to explain that the viruses they receive in their email are most likely random attacks. A PC is, after all, very personal so it's easy to symphatise with people who take cyber- …

    Security 18 Apr 2006, 14:17

  • Casio Exilim Card EX-S600 6Mp camera

    Review Snapability or manual control?

    This, the latest edition to the company's range, without a doubt strengthens Casio's Exilim Card camera collection. The EX-S600 combines ultra-compact design with stylish looks and high-resolution six megapixel snaps... The 600 also plays host to a few neat technologies such as image stabilisation in both still and video …

    Reg Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 14:43

  • Poker players flock to PartyGaming

    Revs up

    PartyGaming saw revenues jump 54 per cent over the last year as the global appetite for online gaming continues to soar. In the three months to March the giant Gibraltar-based online casino and poker group took in $342.6m - up from the $222.6m generated in revenues in the corresponding quarter last year. Much of this increased …

    Financial News 18 Apr 2006, 15:00

  • Paint-on lasers set to rescue silicon

    Smashing the bottleneck

    Researchers have said they can rescue silicon from the interconnect bottleneck that is set to put the kybosh on increases in number-crunching pace by 2010. A 'paint-on' laser will make it possible for chips to use optical communication to remove the logjam, say a team from the University of Toronto. Their innovation, published …

    Physics 18 Apr 2006, 15:12

  • Dell unveils 'fastest' consumer laptop

    Glowing case for gamers

    Dell has announced what it claims - and it should know - is its fastest consumer-oriented notebook, the gamer friendly XPS M1710. The laptop sports Intel's quickest Core Duo processor plus Nvidia's newest, top-of-the-range mobile GPU, and comes in a choice of glowing red or metallic black carapace. The notebook's spec best …

    Reg Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 15:17

  • Seagate doubles 15K drive capacity with perpendicular

    300GB Cheetah 15K.5 ships

    Seagate has updated its Cheetah 15K enterprise-oriented hard disk drive line-up with a model that incorporates perpendicular recording technology and takes the 15,000rpm drive family's capacity to 300GB - more than double the current top-of-the-line model's 147GB. The Cheetah 15K.5 will ship to the channel later this quarter …

    Reg Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 16:02

  • MS patch glitch cripples HP computers

    Inaccessible web sites a new feature

    A critical Windows patch released last week is tripping up third party applications thereby causing interference to the smooth running of Microsoft's operating system. The MS06-015 update is designed to fix a serious security flaw in Windows Explorer but in doing so it can interfere with HP's Share-to-Web software which ships …

    Enterprise Security 18 Apr 2006, 16:56

  • Fitter IBM drives profit higher in Q1

    Free of PCs and workers

    IBM's no frills agenda paid off in the first quarter as the giant posted a larger profit despite flat revenue. In the past year, IBM cleaved almost 15,000 workers from its payroll. In addition, it sold off a low-margin PC business, having already disposed of a low-margin hard disk drive unit. This seems to be helping out the …

    Hardware 18 Apr 2006, 23:58