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10th May 2006 Archive

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  • Southern IT sellers earn 20% more

    North/South divide

    Would you adam and eve it? People who work in IT sales in the south of England earn 20 per cent more than the average, according to a tally of those who have been placed by Robson Taylor, a small recruitment consultant. The further north you go, the less money you earn. The average earnings of someone on Robson Taylor's books …

    The Channel 10 May 2006, 00:02

  • Firm sues dismissed worker over lost profits

    iPod 'addict' under fire from aggressive lawsuit

    A US worker, dismissed over allegations that he spent his time at work listening to his iPod and making personal calls instead of building business, is being sued by his former employer for lost profits. US Card Partner Services is seeking $90,000 in pay in addition to $210,000 in lost income from Drew Scopelliti, a former …

    Management 10 May 2006, 02:02

  • Premium rate complaints dip

    To find out more, phone 090...

    The number of complaints about dodgy premium rate services (PRS) is still on the slide, according to industry regulator ICSTIS. In the six months to March, ICSTIS registered a significant tail-off in complaints about quiz TV services and a 62 per cent drop in complaints about services on mobile short codes. All in all, the …

    Broadband 10 May 2006, 03:02

  • Why doesn't my belly button heal over?

    Navel gazing

    Human navel gazing probably started with the Neanderthals 50,000 years ago and hasn’t stopped since. Our belly button does not heal over because there is nothing between it and our stomach except a few thin layers of skin. The belly button is merely scar tissue of the umbilical cord where the cord has detached following birth. …

    Science 10 May 2006, 08:02

  • Video systems in an IT environment

    Book review The essentials of professional networked media

    Everything is software. Increasingly, the devices we live by (whether routers and switches, or just DVD recorders and music systems) are computers running specialised embedded software. This is generally known as "convergence", which is a term usually used in the context of VoIP telephony, although this is just a small part of …

    Servers 10 May 2006, 08:14

  • Struggling to attend Borland's Developer Studio Roadshow

    David runs late

    I was over half an hour late for Borland's Developer Studio Roadshow, despite leaving plenty of time (I thought) for the trip across London - signal failure outside Slough; more signal failures on the Underground at Baker St. This is getting so normal that I start to suspect process failure. A process which might regard symptoms …

    Developer 10 May 2006, 08:18

  • Novell uses numbers against Microsoft

    Band plays on

    Novell has been juggling the numbers in its latest effort to gain a toehold on business desktops against Microsoft's Office and integrated server software. The company, struggling to pull itself clear of a first-quarter slump in net income and falling software licensing revenue, claimed customers running the Novell Open …

    Applications 10 May 2006, 08:22

  • Cisco stock options crimps Q3 earnings

    Less than bullish for Q4

    Cisco chief executive John Chambers said the networking giant had beaten expectations for the third quarter, ending 29 April 2006, but it isn't increasing estimates for the current quarter. The firm sold $7.3bn worth of kit in the the quarter and made a profit of $1.4bn - including the costs of staff share options. This was …

    Financial News 10 May 2006, 08:32

  • Google accused of profiting from child porn

    Promotes illegal content, legislator claims

    Google has been sued by Nassau County Legislator Jeffrey Toback who claims the search giant is promoting and profiting from child pornography, going so far as to suggest that child porn is part of its business model, according to reports. Newsday reports that Toback filed his lawsuit with the Nassau State Supreme Court as a …

    Media 10 May 2006, 09:20

  • The worse Google gets, the more money it makes?

    Comment Microsoft once tragedy, twice farce

    It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when the mainstream press was barely acquainted with the genius and foresight of today's technology leaders. Fifteen years ago Bill Gates appeared on the BBC's Wogan show - which the Beeb thought of as a nightly Johnny Carson, but which was really like watching Regis Philbin on …

    Financial News 10 May 2006, 09:32

  • Illegal internet gambling soars in the US

    People flocking online for a flutter

    Just 19 per cent of US internet gamblers realise – or are willing to admit – that the activity is currently illegal, according to a survey carried out for the American Gaming Association AGA. The results also show that the number of online gamblers doubled in 2005. The typical US internet gambler is under 40, college-educated, …

    Media 10 May 2006, 09:35

  • NASA opens hi-res Earth photo album

    The 'blue marble' in all its glory

    NASA has made public some truly splendid hi-res snaps of planet Earth - lovingly cobbled together from a "a collection of satellite-based observations": Impressive stuff. Here's the accompanying blurb: This spectacular "blue marble" image is the most detailed true-color image of the entire Earth to date. Using a collection …

    Science 10 May 2006, 09:37

  • Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT coming next week?

    Set to bring eight pixel pipelines and SLI to the 7300 series

    Monday, 15 May will see the official debut Nvidia's GeForce 7300 GT graphics chip, which ups the 7300 series from a 64-bit memory bus to 128-bit, as per the 7600 series, an online report claimed today. The 90nm 7300 GT part is based on the G73 core, DailyTech reports. Four of the 12 pixel pipelines are disabled, leaving it …

    Hardware 10 May 2006, 09:54

  • Vodafone bets on pocket casinos

    Blackjack, poker and scratchcards

    Vodafone customers will shortly be able to gamble on their phones thanks to a deal with Gaming Corporation - the owners of gambling.com and casino.co.uk. The service will launch with 11 games, including blackjack, roulette, stud poker, slot machines, and scratch cards. The games will be age-restricted using Vodafone's Content …

    Mobile 10 May 2006, 09:55

  • Nokia trots out jogger-friendly phone

    On-board pedometer

    Nokia today unveiled its first handset with "athletic lifestyle appeal" and the first - we'd say - to be made out of trainers. We kid you not - according to Nokia, the 5500 Sport "is engineered with materials used in the latest high performance running shoes". Pitched at joggers and the like, the handset boasts a work-out …

    Phones 10 May 2006, 10:19

  • Judge greenlights extradition of 'Pentagon hacker'

    Home Secretary to consider case

    District Judge Evans has given the go ahead for the extradition of alleged Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon to the United States. The Judge said he was satisfied that the extradition would be compatible with McKinnon’s convention rights. The case will now be considered by the Home Secretary. The Judge said he was satisfied that …

    Media 10 May 2006, 10:23

  • Women fancy blokes who like kids: official

    The butcher the better

    This just in from the department of the fairly bleedin' obvious: US boffins have discovered that women find men who like kids more attractive as potential long-term mates. They are, however, more likely to go weak at the knees for guys with higher testoterone levels - at least if they're looking for a "wham, bam, thank you ma' …

    Science 10 May 2006, 10:30

  • Totem Communications goes titsup

    Telco continues to trade as receivers move in

    Totem Communications, a Manchester-based provider of inbound call handling services, is up for sale after Matthew Dunham and Dermot Power of BDO Stoy Hayward were appointed Joint Administrative Receivers last week. No one from BDO Stoy Hayward was available at the time of writing to say why they had been called in, but the firm …

    Broadband 10 May 2006, 10:34

  • Xmas debut for Xbox 360 HD DVD drive

    Microsoft still silent on HDMI/HDCP support

    Microsoft will ship the external HD DVD drive for its Xbox 360 console in time for Christmas, the company said yesterday. However, the company failed to point out whether the unit will support the HDMI interface in its HDCP anti-piracy system. It didn't say anything about pricing, either, or provide a more detailed launch …

    Games 10 May 2006, 10:44

  • BPI prepared to discuss ripping CDs

    Discuss, legalise - different...

    The British Phonographic Industry- the UK's equivalent of the Recording Industry Ass. of America - is prepared to discuss the issue of personal CD ripping. Despite what most consumers believe, it is technically illegal for UK consumers to make copies of their own CDs. It is believed many within the BPI accept that this is a …

    Media 10 May 2006, 10:52

  • World Cup gives hope to DSG

    Bring it on

    The upcoming World Cup is providing a fillip for the sale of electrical goods as fans prepare to settle down and watch the event on brand spanking new high definition and flat screen TVs. So says DSG International, the electrical retailer formerly known as Dixons, which reported that its UK business delivered a "satisfactory …

    The Channel 10 May 2006, 11:00

  • Sony Connect Player problems fixed by SonicStage update

    Jukebox software remixed

    Sony will this month ship its third attempt at a Walkman-oriented iTunes-style music management application that will hopefully solve the problems users have experienced with its Connect Player 1.0 software. It also adds support for the iPod-friendly AAC music format. SonicStage CP will be available as a free download from …

    Hardware 10 May 2006, 11:07

  • Sky teams up with MediaFlo for mobile TV trial

    Tech Digest HD on your phone? Don't rule it out

    Just when you thought you knew all about mobile TV, along comes yet another platform. After DVB-H and DMB comes MediaFLO, an innovation from Qualcomm, the US company best known for making chips for 3G handsets. Yesterday it confirmed a deal with BSkyB to trial the system in the UK in the summer. We caught up with MediaFLO …

    Mobile 10 May 2006, 11:41

  • Exchange flaw poses 'worm risk'

    Two critical fixes herald MS Patch Tuesday

    Microsoft released three patches – two of which it deems critical - on Tuesday in the May edition of its regular Patch Tuesday update cycle. Most seriously there's a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange which allows remote code execution (MS06-019). This security bug in Microsoft Exchange's calendar function could lead …

    Security 10 May 2006, 11:46

  • Scientists call on water power for future storage

    Nanomagnetism

    Materials scientists have said water and wires could offer limitless storage. With the help of H2O, nanoscale ferroelectric effects will store binary information at unprecedented densities - they hope. The ferroelectric effect is where electrical poles are induced by applying an electrical field. The orientation of the poles …

    Storage 10 May 2006, 11:55

  • Reg reader traumatised by MS Live Messenger paradox

    Download feedback loop

    Readers attempting to download Microsoft's new Windows Live Messenger Beta should be aware that they may not find themselves instantly enjoying the benefits of VoIP telephony, but rather caught in a brain-rattling paradox feedback loop, as reader Graham Smart discovered: Try not to think too hard about it, since mental trauma …

    Bootnotes 10 May 2006, 11:56

  • KPN signs Logica for HR

    Four year deal for 20,000 staff

    Dutch telecoms incumbent KPN has chosen LogicaCMG to take control of its HR and salary system for the next four years. After a short list of six candidates was drawn up, KPN picked Logica for its "fully integrated solution" as it "has been a reliable partner in the technical management of our current custom-made payroll …

    The Channel 10 May 2006, 11:58

  • FB-DIMM server memory approved as standard

    But for now it's darned expensive

    Just as word reaches us that JEDEC, the memory standards-setting organisation, has approved the Fully Buffered DIMM server memory system, RAM specialist Crucial UK said it had begun offering FB-DIMMs. We can see why: this stuff costs more than a top-of-the-range Itanic 2 processor. A case in point is Crucial's 667MHz 4GB FB- …

    Hardware 10 May 2006, 12:07

  • DiData shows strong interims

    SA-based reseller sees numbers head North

    South African-owned reseller Dimension Data increased turnover for the six months ended 31 March 2006 by over 15 per cent. Turnover grew by 15.9 per cent to $1.45bn and profits grew by 10.3 per cent to $299m. DiData CEO Brett Dawson said he was especially pleased with the company's increased market share for network …

    The Channel 10 May 2006, 12:28

  • MacBook launch 'delayed a week'

    Apple's still stockpiling new notebooks, report claims

    Apple's eagerly anticpated MacBook announcement was canned at the eleventh hour to allow sufficient stocks of the consumer-oriented laptop to be available to buy from launch, it has been claimed. According to a Think Secret report, the notebook will now be announced next week, with the unveiling currently pegged for Tuesday, …

    Hardware 10 May 2006, 12:46

  • German ISP snaps up UK's Fasthosts

    'Business as usual'

    Fasthosts - the Gloucestershire-based internet firm that brags that it's the "UK's number 1 web host " - is to be snapped up by German outfit United Internet AG. The all-cash takeover values Fasthosts at £61.5m. In a statement United Internet - which provides "premium" net services to home users and SMEs - is part of the firm' …

    Financial News 10 May 2006, 12:49

  • Swarm of Angels circle Cinema 2.0

    Future of filmmaking or just Baloney 2.0™?

    Warning: The following article contains familiar words now redefined for the internet generation by addition of the "2.0" suffix, references to Wiki and the phrase "internet technology enablers". Those of a nervous disposition are advised to look away now. Anyone with 25 quid to spare and a penchant for the movies might be …

    Bootnotes 10 May 2006, 12:50

  • Kowon readies anti-glance LCD glasses

    Now no one else can see what you're watching...

    South Korean company Kowon Technology today said it will next week ship pairs of personal TV glasses to local consumers concerned that too many of their fellows are peering over their shoulders at their mobile phone screens. Kowon's solution to the problem is a head-mounted display that sets a 4.8 x 4.2mm, 320 x 240 LCD panel …

    Hardware 10 May 2006, 13:20

  • Unsolicited offer made for Matrix Comms

    Chairman warns shareholders

    Matrix Communications chairman Alan Watkins has warned the company's shareholders that the firm could be sold, having received an unsolicited offer for the business. In February, Matrix sold its Equip business to Horizon so it could concentrate on sales. In a statement to the Stock Exchange, Watkins said: "In the last few …

    The Channel 10 May 2006, 13:49

  • Orange pips O2 for 3 roaming deal

    O2 squeezed out by Orange

    Spanish-owned O2 has lost a £100m a year roaming contract with video phone outfit 3. O2 - which is now owned by Telefonica after an £18bn buyout last year - has been providing extra mobile phone coverage for 3 since the 3G service was launched in 2003. Today, though, the Hutchison-owned mobile outfit announced it had awarded …

    Mobile 10 May 2006, 14:30

  • Alienware unveils first Go 7900-series SLI notebooks

    Alienware got the drop on its rivals this week, showing off this week what it and chip maker Nvidia claim is the world's first "available" notebook equipped with two GeForce Go 7900 GPUs rigged to run co-operatively in SLI mode. The Dell subsidiary's Aurora m9700 machine contains Nvidia's nForce 4 SLI chipset and an AMD …

    Hardware 10 May 2006, 14:37

  • Symantec rejigs Veritas line-up

    Kilroy not involved

    Symantec has done some wholesale rebundling and rebranding of the Veritas product portfoilio it acquired last year. Symantec Data Centre Foundation pulls together Veritas Storage Foundation, Veritas Server Foundation and, crucially, Veritas' NetBackup. The flagship recovery software hasn't been part of an all-in package like …

    Storage 10 May 2006, 14:42

  • Careless computing costs 'leccy not lives

    Top 200 firms wasting £61m

    Large UK firms are wasting some £61m a year on needless electricity by not better managing their desktop computers, according to new research from IT services firm Computacenter and Fujitsu Siemens Computers. The research looked at 200 listed companies to see how much they could save by buying lovely, energy efficient desktop …

    Management 10 May 2006, 14:43

  • Mio preps stylish GPS, DMB-equipped PMP

    Satellite TV and route-planning

    Korea's Mio appears to be on something of a roll, design-wise at least. After the rather natty looking - if functionally frustrating - A701 GPS-integrating smart phone comes the equally stylish C810 portable media player, again with GPS built in. The company this week said the device will ship in its native country later this …

    Hardware 10 May 2006, 15:00

  • AMD VP sees more Opteron growth and a Dell win

    Into the Valley Time to chump Intel

    AMD has enjoyed a magical run over the past two years. Its Opteron server chip moved from being a plaything in IBM's server line to becoming a driver of sales for the likes of HP and Sun Microsystems and a major force at a host of other companies. Start-ups have bet their futures on the chip, as have venerable hardware makers …

    Servers 10 May 2006, 15:39

  • Petrol-pump thieves go hi-tech

    System bypass

    Tech-savvy thieves have worked out a means to obtain free petrol after hacking into electronically-controlled petrol pumps, according to US reports. Two gas stations in St Louis, Missouri report recently losing up to $10,000 each through the scam. Crooks reportedly reprogrammed internal keypads to dispense free gas after opening …

    Security 10 May 2006, 16:41