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20th June 2006 Archive

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  • Qualcomm considers radical action as pressure mounts

    Analysis Chipmaker feels the heat in face of likely EU probe

    Pressure is mounting on Qualcomm on all fronts, with CEO Paul Jacobs hinting for the first time that he might consider breaking up the company. Although he made it clear this would be a last resort, the usually sanguine chipmaker is clearly feeling the heat of intensified calls for probes of its business practises (with a …

    Mobile 20 Jun 2006, 00:02

  • Microsoft judge applies eBay's patent rule

    Infringe for cash

    Microsoft has become the first major beneficiary of a patent precedent set by the US Supreme Court last month. The software giant does not have to stop using technology that infringes someone else's patents as long as it pays the patent holder. Entrepreneur David Colvin's company z4 Technologies had previously won its case that …

    Media 20 Jun 2006, 08:54

  • PlayStation 2 is not a PC, says Court of Appeal

    Ruling denies import duty rebate

    Sony's PlayStation 2 is officially a games console and not a computer, according to an English court judgment that denies the electronics firm a €50m (£34.2m) rebate for import duties. Sony has been pursuing legal action for five years in attempts to have the machine classified as a "digital processing unit" and not a games …

    Games 20 Jun 2006, 09:08

  • IBM overclocks chip to 500GHz

    Has to be cooled to -268.5°C, mind...

    Boffins from IBM and the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) have produced what they claim is the world's fastest silicon chip thanks to what must be the acme of overclocking. The researchers reached a clock speed of 500GHz by reducing its temperature to just 4.5° above absolute zero. The feat was part of the team's …

    Science 20 Jun 2006, 09:14

  • Mixed messages for master data management

    Opinion IBM conference breakdown

    IBM's first European user conference on MDM (master data management) in Barcelona was certainly interesting, but I felt that the results were mixed. For example, some users clearly felt the conference was useful, while others were disappointed. One investment bank I talked to felt the content was insufficiently technical and, …

    Developer 20 Jun 2006, 09:25

  • Hard cheese for Stelios in EasyPizza case

    EasyJet founder continues domain crusade

    Self-proclaimed man of the people Stelios Haji-Ioannou - now Sir Stelios - has been branded a "rich bully" by a London businessman who has obtained a court order against the EasyJet founder to prevent him from interfering any further with his pizza business. Karl Kahn was informed in 2004 that his EasyPizza.co.uk domain was …

    Media 20 Jun 2006, 09:52

  • BT repackages broadband offering

    Forget 'free', it's about VFM

    BT has repackaged its broadband products in a bid to distance itself from the bundled offers that plug "free" broadband. Instead of competing head on with The Carphone Warehouse and Orange by matching their aggressive pricing, BT has decided to take a different approach that packs a whole stack of features into one monthly …

    Broadband 20 Jun 2006, 09:57

  • Yahoo!, Microsoft launch new messenger services

    For people with lots of friends

    Yahoo! has launched an updated version of its messenger service, in beta, with plug-ins that allow users to share more information. The update will enable users to run many software packages simultaneously, so groups can watch movies together, or share their calendars. Third party plug-ins will also allow Yahoo!-ers to track …

    Applications 20 Jun 2006, 10:00

  • T-Mobile gears up to launch Sidekick 3

    After the rumours, the reality...

    T-Mobile and Danger are due to announce the Hiptop 3/Sidekick 3 today, and early reviews derived from pre-release hardware are already beginning to appear on the web. The new machine's key features: a very nice 240 x 160 screen and a glowing, ten-colour trackball. Early reports reveal the email and messaging gadget has a …

    Mobile 20 Jun 2006, 10:01

  • Grisoft plunges into spyware jungle

    ewido-way, ewido-way

    Grisoft has cemented its entry into the anti-spyware market, with the launch of ewido anti-spyware 4.0. The Czech Republic-based security vendor swallowed up ewido back in April, as it sought to expand its offering beyond AV and firewall. It claims the new package is the first to offer “a powerful combination” of features such …

    Security 20 Jun 2006, 10:13

  • Sharp ships HD-friendly DVD player

    A snip at £90?

    Sharp yesterday launched its bid to bridge old-style DVD media and brand spanking new HD kit with a DVD player equipped not only with HDMI portage but the ability to upscale standard-definition movies to 720p or 1080i HD resolutions. Best of all, the DV-SV97H costs a mere 90 quid. The Sharp machine pretty much does everything …

    Hardware 20 Jun 2006, 10:26

  • McAfee offers Total Protection beta

    Repels viruses, spyware and plaque

    McAfee subtly slipped out betas of its latest security products last week ahead of their full launch later this summer. The security firm is pitching Falcon, otherwise known as Total Protection, as its “most complete” threat protection service. It is touting it as a prophylactic for ID theft, phishing scams and spyware. It’ll …

    Security 20 Jun 2006, 10:55

  • Police arrest satanic BMW victim

    Lizard Alliance attempt to silence witness?

    The driver who claimed his satanic BMW had subjected him to an involuntary, 60-mile, 135mph terror ride was later arrested and bailed "on suspicion of dangerous driving", it has emerged. Kevin Nicolle was at the helm of his Beemer 318 when the car took off of its own accord, the BBC reports. He explained: "I was travelling down …

    Science 20 Jun 2006, 11:10

  • O2 says Be mine for £50m

    Enters UK broadband market

    O2 is splashing out £50m to buy tiddly LLU outfit Be as part of an ambitious plan to offer broadband alongside its own mobile services. Be only has about 10,000 customers - but that's not why O2 is buying the broadband operator. Instead, the cellco is interested in Be's infrastructure. Based on ADSL2+, Be's network offers …

    Broadband 20 Jun 2006, 11:18

  • Japan gets bath-time friendly iPod speaker set

    Waterproof

    Want to take your iPod Nano to the beach but are worried about sun, sand and sea getting into the works? Then Japanese accessory maker Suntac may have the answer: the world's first portable waterproof case and powered speaker combo. It's perfect, the company claims, for the beach, poolside usage, bath time and even when you're …

    Hardware 20 Jun 2006, 11:19

  • Dell HSDPA laptops work with any 3G carrier

    Exclusive Just swap that SIM

    Dell's now-shipping 'super 3G' notebooks, the Latitude D820 and D620, may not be quite as tethered to carrier Vodafone's third-generation mobile phone network as the PC giant has suggested. As Reg Hardware was first to report a couple of weeks ago, Dell is now shipping the two notebooks with its Wireless 5505 Mobile Broadband …

    Hardware 20 Jun 2006, 11:34

  • Transparency a problem for NHS IT

    And suppliers still in the dark after five years

    If there was one lesson that should be drawn from the controversial National Programme for IT and applied to other projects it would be a need for transparency, according to the National Audit Office (NAO), which published its enquiry into the £12.4bn NHS modernisation programme on Friday. NAO assistant auditor general Anna …

    Policy 20 Jun 2006, 11:47

  • Introduction to Developing Web Applications with AJAX - Part 2

    Tutorial A better way of filling out web forms

    Suppose you fill out a form that requires a unique field value, for example a userid in a registration form. Ordinarily, you would specify a userid value and the other field values and submit the form with the Submit button. If the userid is not already taken you would be able to register, but if the userid is taken you would …

    Developer 20 Jun 2006, 12:45

  • Hwang in the dock

    From stem cells to prison cells for disgraced pioneer?

    Hwang Woo-suk, the scientist at the centre of the Korean stem cell scandal, has gone on trial in Seoul on embezzlement and ethical charges. The courtroom was packed with Hwang faithful today. The sacked professor has argued he was deceived by junior members of the research team and the existence of a conspiracy to discredit him …

    Science 20 Jun 2006, 13:48

  • EC schedules public hearing on patents

    On your marks...

    The European Commission has called a public meeting to discuss future patent policy, following the defeat of the directive on Computer Implemented Inventions last year. In January this year, the commission launched a public consultation on the subject, covering four main areas: the basic principles of the patent system; the …

    Media 20 Jun 2006, 13:49

  • Mobile VoIP firm complains about call blocking

    Part of an 'anti-VoIP compaign'

    UK mobile VoIP minnow Mobiboo says two of the UK's leading cellcos have blocked calls to its new service. Leeds-based Mobiboo says both T-Mobile and 3 have blocked calls to its network, although users of Vodafone, O2 and Orange networks are still able to make calls. In a statement on the firm's website, the mobile VoIP outfit …

    Mobile 20 Jun 2006, 14:23

  • Samsung models latest slimline handsets

    Skinny or what?

    Samsung today showed off its latest array of mobile phones, pitching the products' skinniness over offerings from rival handset vendors. The company used the Singapore-hosted CommunicAsia 2006 event to show off not only the Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) capable SGH-P900 TV phone - which the company is hawking around …

    Phones 20 Jun 2006, 14:52

  • Song of Samsung sings for eSys's supper

    Appoints HDD distie

    Samsung has fingered eSys as its global hard disk distributor. Samsung storage sales manager HJ Song said: "With a global partner on board, Samsung plans to concentrate on building the number of direct retailer and reseller accounts putting us in a strong position once the storage market levels out." eSys UK general manager …

    The Channel 20 Jun 2006, 14:53

  • Darth Vader patents copper-eating spiders

    Letters Also Anglo-American relations exhumed

    So Bill Gates is off to pastures new and charitable. What does this mean for Microsoft, what does it mean for Linux? But more importantly, what does it mean for Mountain Gorillas? Bill Gates always talking about corporate law at the breakfast table? Now it all makes sense. Thanks for that insight. So what was Steve Jobs …

    Letters 20 Jun 2006, 15:22

  • Moto debuts five frill-free phones

    Motomobile entry-level brand ahoy

    Motorola today unveiled a handful of handsets under a new brand, Motomobile, all pitched at entry-level buyers around the world be they in GSM or CDMA markets and part of the company's bid to win the hearts and minds of emerging markets - not to mention Westerners fed up with feature-filled phones. The W220 and W375 slimline …

    Phones 20 Jun 2006, 15:30

  • MySpace sued for $30m after assault on 14-year-old

    Lawyers seeking 'bare minimum' in damages

    A Texas woman has filed a $30m lawsuit against MySpace.com after her 14-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted by someone she met through the site. The suit alleges that MySpace does not do enough to protect its under-age users, according to a report in the Austin American Statesman, and includes news reports of other sexual …

    Media 20 Jun 2006, 15:30

  • Motorola moots USB rechargeable phone recharger

    Power ranger

    Motorola has reinvented the add-on extension battery as a USB device. At the Singapore-hosted CommunicAsia 2006 event this week, it unveiled the Portable Power P970 gadget, a power pack that plugs into any device with a mini USB port either to recharge the host or provide current immediately. The P970 is essentially a 1700mAh …

    Hardware 20 Jun 2006, 15:48

  • Apple reveals next three UK retail sites

    Outlet total rises to nine

    Apple is preparing to open three new High Street stores in the UK and has begun recruiting staff for each location. The company has yet to announce the sites officially, but its situations vacant website lists the following locations: Arndale Centre, Manchester; West Quay, Southampton; and the Bentall Centre, Kingston. The …

    Hardware 20 Jun 2006, 16:06

  • Ingram Micro captures Scandi data capture biz

    'Small yet strategically significant'

    Ingram Micro has completed the purchase of the assets of Symtech Nordic, a Scandinavian distributor of data capture and point of sale products. Terms are undisclosed. Symtech's staff are to be offered positions within Ingram's three Scandi-based businesses. According to Ingram, the acquisition represents a "small yet …

    The Channel 20 Jun 2006, 16:51

  • Microsoft gives monopoly robotic legs

    RoboBiz A Studio for the future

    Microsoft has answered the robotics industry's call for a monopoly standard with the release of a new software development package for powering devices of all sizes. The beasty hopes the software will make it easier for students and hobbyists to enter the robotics field and provide a common platform for companies to use. Tandy …

    Science 20 Jun 2006, 17:32

  • Voda trumpets UK first for HSDPA cards

    That's 3G broadband to you, sir

    Vodafone is first to the UK market with HSDPA - or 'Super3G' - laptop data cards. The cellco opens its doors to customers officially on Thursday, 22 June. But a couple of Reg readers tell us their account managers have already tipped them the wink - one is buying his card tomorrow. Dubbed 3G broadband cards in Voda parlance, …

    Hardware 20 Jun 2006, 18:30