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28th April 2006 Archive

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  • Ballmer blames bad guys for Microsoft pricing

    Here be gold

    Steve Ballmer is blaming software pirates for the premium pricing Microsoft charges on products like Office and Windows. But he speculated that the advent of web-based services could see a lowering of Microsoft's charges. The rise of subscription-based pricing - a charging mechanism favored by a crop of start-ups and software …

    Software 28 Apr 2006, 01:49

  • Microsoft costs creep up, ahead of launches

    No search surprise

    Microsoft is keeping mum about how Windows Vista and Office 2007 will affect its coming fiscal year, but conceded investments to promote these, plus other new activities including online services, are pumping up corporate spending. Microsoft said Thursday it expects next fiscal year's revenue to hit between $49.5bn and $50.5bn …

    Financial News 28 Apr 2006, 01:56

  • 'Unbreakable'? Software? Harr!

    The joke that shouldn't be a joke

    As sometimes happens, I got an email from a reader after writing a piece for Reg Developer. This time, the piece in question was Testing assumptions and the big stack and, as perhaps you will see, the email brought a guffaw, and then a thought. "I enjoyed your article 'Testing assumptions and the big stack'," wrote my …

    Developer 28 Apr 2006, 08:53

  • Nintendo splashes Revolution with 'Wii'

    First flush of success?

    It's no joke - Nintendo today renamed its next-generation console 'Wii'. As in 'we', apparently, but in school playgrounds across the UK - and probably everywhere else in the English-speaking world too - they'll be sniggering and adding a second 'e' to the 'we'. 'I'd rather have a wii than an PS3,' we can almost hear the wee …

    Games 28 Apr 2006, 09:05

  • ID Card database to be used as population register

    Personal data to be shared without consent

    The Government announced last week that data from the National Identity Register (NIR) will also be used as an adult population register for a range of novel data sharing functions. The Office of National Statistics had promoted a separate adult population register as part of the Citizen Information Project (CIP) for these …

    Policy 28 Apr 2006, 09:18

  • BT buys Dabs.com

    Telco to flog computer gear

    BT is to flog computers, TVs, cameras, and other digital gear after it announced today that it has bought Dabs.com. The deal follows weeks of speculation that Dabs.com was on the block. However, the identity of the successful bidder will come as a big surprise to many in the channel. The giant telco said the deal was designed …

    The Channel 28 Apr 2006, 09:22

  • Breach case could curtail web flaw finders

    Being a good guy gets you prosecuted

    Security researchers and legal experts have voiced concern this week over the prosecution of an information technology professional for computer intrusion after he allegedly breached a university's online application system while researching a flaw without the school's permission. Last Thursday, the US Attorney's Office in …

    Security 28 Apr 2006, 09:34

  • Sales of handheld devices continue to drop

    For the ninth quarter in a row

    Sales of handheld devices are continuing to fall, according to new figures issued by research firm IDC. The organisation's latest worldwide Handheld Qview report reveals the total number of devices shipped during the first quarter of 2006 totaled 1.5m, a drop of 22.3 per cent year-on-year. In 2005, global shipments of …

    Phones 28 Apr 2006, 09:37

  • Intel chief to chop workforce?

    Biggest company 'review' since mid-1980s, pledges Otellini

    Intel may be about to take an axe to its employee roster as the chip giant strives to become "leaner, more agile and more efficient", the goal of a major restructure announced by CEO Paul Otellini last night. It will be the firm's biggest shake-up since the mid-1980s, he claimed. "No stone will remain unturned or unlooked at …

    Hardware 28 Apr 2006, 09:40

  • Smart mobile device market up 55%

    Qtek emerges as star performer

    Over 16.7m 'smart mobile devices' were shipped worldwide in the first quarter of 2006, up 55 per cent on the same period a year ago. According to research from Canalys, the Asia-Pacific region has now overtaken Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in sales of smart mobile devices. Asia-Pacific represented 46 per cent of all …

    Mobile 28 Apr 2006, 09:51

  • Info commission calls on business to protect bio data

    Thumb gently inserted into dyke

    The UK's Information Commissioner has called for businesses to pull their socks up and protect their data. Its latest campaign is to encourage businesses to "avoid embarrassing security breaches" that involve the loss or abuse of data about customers or employees by employing privacy technologies. A guidance note issued today …

    Security 28 Apr 2006, 09:54

  • ID cards without contact

    Option 15% to 30% more expensive

    The Home Office has indicated that it is likely to adopt a "contactless" form of smart card for the National Identity Card. This follows the publication of the Smart Card Durability Survey on 27 April that collected views from smart card producers and organisations that use them on the technology options. A Home Office …

    Policy 28 Apr 2006, 10:17

  • Wanadoo to kick off Orange makeover in May

    All change - again

    Wanadoo is to complete its second rebranding in two years when it changes its name to Orange sometime during the next month. Details of the costly name change were released yesterday during an analyst's conference as execs at parent company France Telecom confirmed it would take place in the UK before the end of Q2 and in Spain …

    Broadband 28 Apr 2006, 10:20

  • BBC seeks 'Digital Assassins'

    Fifty quid. Bring your own blog

    What if they held a digital media revolution - and nobody came? The BBC is having trouble finding citizens to attend a conference devoted to the exciting new world of Citizens Media. It's a Beeb-sponsored day about the "democratization of the media", but despite a 50 quid bribe to attend - that's more than you get for …

    Bootnotes 28 Apr 2006, 10:27

  • Net Neutrality bid gone for good

    Welcome to Switzerland

    The final attempt this session to give the United States regulator more discretion over the deployment, and potential abuse of broadband, has failed. A "net neutrality" amendment to the telecommunications reform bill failed to pass the House Energy and Commerce committee by 34 votes to 22 yesterday. The move comes against the …

    Broadband 28 Apr 2006, 10:28

  • Da Vinci Code judgment decoded

    Judicial mischief spotlights naval glory

    Disappointingly, the hidden message inserted by a High Court judge into his ruling on the Da Vinci Code copyright trial has already been solved. Mr Justice Peter Smith's code, reported yesterday, has been cracked by a London lawyer. It reads: Jackie Fisher, who are you? Dreadnought Rather than a clue to the lizard conspiracy …

    Bootnotes 28 Apr 2006, 10:33

  • Road warrior Wi-Fi

    Problems with remote access? Check out iPass

    iPass, the company that pioneered straightforward dial-up support for roadwarriors worldwide, and which recently bought its main rival in the business, GoRemote (known to many as Gric), is seeking to take that customer base to the next generation of connectivity: the Wi-Fi hotspot. Typical company travel policy doesn't take any …

    Mobile 28 Apr 2006, 10:40

  • Mexico set to join space race

    Flying burrito brothers

    Mexican lawmakers are in the process of setting up a national space agency, according to Reuters. The lower house in Mexico City has given the green light to a proposal that could see rocketry in development within the year. The politicians aren't under any illusions that they'll be able to rival NASA's spend which, at about $ …

    Science 28 Apr 2006, 10:56

  • BOFH: That security thang

    Episode 16 A journey, not a destination

    "Excellent work on that security thing" the new Boss burbles happily. "A hacker would be lucky to see our web pages now, let alone hack them, the system is so secure!" "Security is a journey, not a destination," the PFY nods, exuding a Zen-like vibe. "Like Slough," I add. "No, that's 'a craphole, not a destination'," the …

    BOFH 28 Apr 2006, 11:02

  • Sony to bring net-based TV-to-PSP streaming to Europe

    Mac OS X to be supported too

    Sony will next month launch its LocationFree TV (LFTV) service in the UK and other key European territories, allowing PlayStation Portable users to receive television programmes transmitted from the home and out across the internet. Mac users are to get access to the service too. LPTV support is included in the PSP firmware …

    Games 28 Apr 2006, 11:05

  • Wanadoo LLU service goes titsup

    Oops

    Thousands of Wanadoo UK customers were left without broadband after the ISP's broadband service went titsup yesterday. Punters in London and Manchester - two cities in which the France Telecom-owned ISP is rolling out its unbundled network (LLU) - reported that their connection died early yesterday morning. One Wanadoo user …

    Broadband 28 Apr 2006, 11:33

  • The black art of software estimation

    Book review How long is a piece of string? The question answered

    Steve McConnell of Code Complete fame, is not joking when he describes software estimation as a black art, though even then he's being generous. An art, even a black one, implies both skill and accomplishment. For most developers software estimation is one part blind panic and the other self-defence. Why should this be? And …

    Developer 28 Apr 2006, 11:36

  • Bill Gates' letter to hobbyists (en Français, 2006)

    EU vs MS Comment Plus ça change

    European Court justice Cooke gave Microsoft's lawyers a tonic yesterday, by raising concerns about the transfer of Microsoft's intellectual property. But one shouldn't read too much into his intervention - the judge was playing devil's advocate. And the trouble for Microsoft is that it needs 12 more Cookes to spoil the …

    Operating Systems 28 Apr 2006, 11:56

  • AMD Opteron CPUs hit by heat stroke

    Exclusive 'Marginal' effect, chip maker claims

    AMD today admitted it has inadvertently allowed a number of 2.6GHz and 2.8GHz single-core Opteron x52 and x54 processors that could corrupt data under extreme conditions to escape into the wild. It is believed that the glitch is triggered when the affected chip's FPU is made to loop through a series of memory-fetch, …

    Hardware 28 Apr 2006, 11:59

  • The summing up

    MS v EC Day five: There's a fat lady, and she's warming up...

    It’s nearly over… The Court of First Instance met this morning to hear final pleadings from both Microsoft and the Competition Commission on whether or not Microsoft would be obliged to license its technology under an open source licence. First we dealt with congratulating Mr Hellstrom on the birth of his baby daughter. Next …

    Servers 28 Apr 2006, 12:19

  • Comment on this story and we'll sue you

    Letters The internet gets litigious

    The word on the street this week is: be careful what you say, especially on the internet. It all kicked off with a Hamburg court ruling that forum moderators were legally responsible for posts. Cue general outrage: Great, thanks to lawyers another thing that we cannot be held responsible for and quite possibly the end of …

    Letters 28 Apr 2006, 12:50

  • Mio A701 GPS smart phone

    Review SatNav, PDA and GSM phone in one pocket-friendly device

    Satellite navigation is a must-have these days. Established brands like TomTom, Garmin, Navman and Magellan are being challenged by a wide range of companies. Mio was early to market with competing products and even its own route-planning software, although until now none of its devices have sported phone features. Enter the Mio …

    Science 28 Apr 2006, 12:54

  • Scientists advance bug-eyed CCTV tech

    Defense Department funds tiny panoramas

    US scientists have developed minuscule compound lenses that will allow insect-style panoramic vision. The research, reported in Science, was carried out by Professor Luke Lee and colleagues at the University of California, with backing from DARPA, the US government's defence research organ. Each pinhead-sized lens consists of …

    Science 28 Apr 2006, 12:55

  • 'Pentagon hacker' prepares for verdict

    Infosec Full disclosure

    Gary McKinnon, the British hacker who's due to hear whether he will be extradited to the US on 10 May, rates his chances of avoiding trial in the States as only "50/50". McKinnon, 40, faces possible trial under US anti-terror laws over alleged attacks on military and NASA systems between 2001 and 2002. The unemployed sys …

    Media 28 Apr 2006, 13:02

  • Orange animals not on endangered list

    Daft ads still in wild

    Reports that Orange's laughably misguided “Animals” campaign is to be binned after just two months are not true, according to the operator. The story is being carried by industry newsheet Marketing and mobile news outlet Cellular News. An Orange spokesperson said the campaign would run, as originally planned, until the end of …

    Mobile 28 Apr 2006, 13:04

  • Bulldog doubles broadband speeds

    Sweet 16

    Bulldog has cut the ribbon on a faster broadband service that provides speeds of up to 16 meg. The local loop unbundling (LLU) operator - owned by Cable & Wireless (C&W) - says its decision to double the speed of its existing service makes use of ADSL2+ technology and provides upload speeds of 1 meg. The ISP has two packages …

    Broadband 28 Apr 2006, 13:06

  • HCI lobby's plea for mercy

    A wing and a prayer

    The industry association of deserted HCI traders has presented proposals to resuscitate their intravenous tax subsidy before a commons debate on Tuesday. Since the Home Computing Initiative was scrapped in the budget last month, various business lobbies have been seeking to have it reinstated. The Conservatives and Liberal …

    The Channel 28 Apr 2006, 13:45

  • Computerland pleased with itself

    Pats on backs

    Everything's on course for a celebratory sherry at Computerland this year, according to the firm's pre-close trading statement. Only a month ago, the firm's directors announced how pleased they were with themselves. They were all so chuffed that they've not been able to contain themselves. They're ever so pleased, they say, …

    The Channel 28 Apr 2006, 14:21

  • OFT probes e-shopping

    Wants to take a closer look

    The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is conducting a major fact-finding study to discover whether consumers receive enough protection when shopping online. Although more and more people are shopping online, some consumers are still concerned about matters such as payment security, fraud, and delivery problems. That's why the study …

    Financial News 28 Apr 2006, 14:25

  • Sci-fi’s old men rule the TV roost

    Geek TV All the weekend's top TV

    All the latest TV goss from TV Scoop In the week that foxy fiftysomething Sarah Jane Smith turns up to show Rose how it’s done in Doctor Who, TV’s other young sci-fi whippersnappers are getting their bots kicked by their elders and betters. Sky One has just called time on Hex, which is like a British Buffy but without the …

    Bootnotes 28 Apr 2006, 14:28

  • O2 hooks up with Disney for new 'family friendly' MVNO

    Aw shucks

    Mickey Mouse and his chums are to launch a mobile phone service in the UK as part of a new service aimed at families. The service from Disney Mobile is due to launch later this year and will piggyback on O2's phone network. Part of Disney's offer is to give parents greater control over their spending on mobiles and to limit …

    Mobile 28 Apr 2006, 14:31

  • Magic key to reveal future UK lottery numbers

    Astounding eBay offer

    This has got to be worth a tenner of anybody's money: a Magic key which will reveal future UK lottery winning numbers: Quite remarkable. Let's get one thing straight, though: this is not just an an old Peugeot key. Oh no. Here's the story: As I sat upon the patio chair of great discomfort, resting, contemplating my beer …

    Bootnotes 28 Apr 2006, 14:46

  • TDK cracks 200GB Blu-ray Disc problem

    Yes, but is it really a Blu-ray Disc?

    TDK has gone ahead and produced the 200GB Blu-ray Disc it announced a few weeks ago that it was working on. And while it appears to have failed to compress four standard dual-layer 50GB discs together into a single unit, it has nonetheless come up with a novel alternative. According to a subscription-only report on Japanese- …

    Hardware 28 Apr 2006, 15:42

  • Intel to offer new architecture every two years

    Roadmap 'Conroe' followed by 'Nehalem' followed by 'Gesher'

    Intel will ship 'Conroe' in July and 'Merom' in August, CEO Paul Otellini said yesterday, illustrating his announcement with a slide using the icon of new buddy Apple's iCal application to indicate the ship dates. Both CPUs are the first, respectively, desktop and notebook incarnations of Intel's upcoming performance-per-Watt …

    Hardware 28 Apr 2006, 16:50