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5th July 2006 Archive

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  • Crime agency asks kids to explain social networking

    Policy probe

    A government crime agency will investigate the effects of social networking sites on children in an attempt to better understand the new phenomenon. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, a wing of the newly formed Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), will ask children, parents, teachers and industry …

    Music and Media 5 Jul 2006, 08:21

  • Sony preps sliver-like USB Flash drive

    Micro Vault Tiny is... er... tiny

    Sony UK today unveiled its smallest Micro Vault Flash drive yet - a 2.4mm-thick SD Card-like unit that clips into any free USB port. The 1.5g, 3 x 1.5cm Micro Vault Tiny ships in capacities of 256MB to 2GB, but ships with what Sony calls Virtual Expander software to compress the card's contents boosting storage capacity almost …

    Reg Hardware 5 Jul 2006, 08:29

  • Music industry sues Yahoo! China

    First step in crackdown on £216m illegal market

    The music industry is suing Yahoo! China over links the company allegedly provides to illegal music downloads. Industry body the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has begun legal proceedings against the search and portal company in the Chinese courts after asking the company to take the action last …

    Music and Media 5 Jul 2006, 08:36

  • Delayed Discovery takes to the skies

    Third time lucky

    The Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off successfully yesterday evening from the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral at 2.38pm local time (7.38pm BST). The launch had been postponed twice because of poor weather, and again, thunderstorms threatened to ruin the day. Fortunately, the bad stuff stayed out at sea, and the launch …

    Space 5 Jul 2006, 09:17

  • Metadata is not enough

    Comment Doesn't provide the full picture

    Classically, at least in software terms, reverse engineering is the ability provided by a data modelling tool to inspect an existing database schema and derive entities and relationships from that schema. Hence the use of "reverse" - more usually you use such a tool to build entity-relationship diagrams from which you can …

    Developer 5 Jul 2006, 09:21

  • Old lamps for new

    Letters Old technologies need re-inventing

    A couple of items in Reg Developer have prompted responses that continue a theme raised here before – that old software technologies that were developed years ago to solve perennial business management problems are still probably the best solution and should therefore be resuscitated - or perhaps unknowlingly re-invented. For …

    Developer 5 Jul 2006, 09:39

  • Cristiano Ronaldo on eBay transfer list

    Updated For sale: One ex-Manchester United player (cheat)

    As any true Englishman knows, our national football team's traditional crash-and-burn in the World Cup is never as a result of our own shortcomings. Previous top quality excuses have involved excess heat, unexpectedly low atmospheric pressure, the wrong kind of grass on the pitch, players' concerns over the political situation …

    Music and Media 5 Jul 2006, 09:55

  • Next-gen Nvidia one-chip chipset gets PCI-E thumbs-up

    MCP61 still due for August debut?

    Nvidia's upcoming MCP61 single-chip integrated chipset has been certified as being compatible with the PCI Express standard. The part's certification suggests it's finished and nearing shipment - indeed, the part has been rumoured to be scheduled for an August debut. The chipset is expected to appear in three variants, the …

    Reg Hardware 5 Jul 2006, 10:35

  • Finally, a condom for your mobile

    Talk safely

    A Dutch company is selling water, sweat, and blood-proof condoms for mobile phones to painters, butchers, plasterers and masons. "Your trusty companion is no longer in constant danger," the company's website claims. Approximately 68m mobile phones have been damaged due to water or dirt. However, Haarlem based Innovalife …

    Mobile 5 Jul 2006, 10:54

  • Vote here for your fave IT support anecdote

    Reg Poll 'I can't handle 17 inches,' admits helpdesk girl

    Our Reg Reader Research tentacle recently carried out a survey on behalf of Numara Software, part of which asked long-suffering support operatives for their best work anecdotes. On offer was the chance to win Reg goodies, and we managed to whittle the contributions down to eleven offerings before deciding that we'd let you, our …

    Hardware 5 Jul 2006, 10:58

  • Wi-Fi network limits 'unlimited' access package

    All you can eat as long as you don't eat more than 1GB

    European Wi-Fi hotspot network The Cloud has made good on its promise to introduce an all-you-can eat wireless internet access tariff. Commit to spending £12 a month and you get "unlimited" internet connectivity, or you can buy it by the week on a pay-as-you-go basis, again for £12 a pop. The Cloud uses the word "unlimited", …

    Wireless 5 Jul 2006, 11:04

  • Sony slams '150k PS3s for UK' allocation claim

    Figure not yet set, says spokesman

    How easy will it be to buy a PlayStation 3 on 17 November, the day it launches in the UK and the rest of Europe? Tricky, reckons the Official PlayStation Magazine, which expects an initial stock allocation of "in the region of 150,000 units". Sony hasn't denied the claim, but it did say today, by way of website GamesIndustry. …

    Reg Hardware 5 Jul 2006, 11:14

  • Elonex sold to stationer

    Customer warranties safe

    Administrators have sold Elonex Plc to Newcastle based stationery and printer cartridge remanufacturing firm Afic. Afic founder and managing director Yuval Ella bought Elonex Plc following negotiations with administrator Deloitte Touche over the last week. A newly-formed Afic group company acquired the services and warranty …

    Channel Register 5 Jul 2006, 11:15

  • Ubiquity wins multi-million dollar supplier deal

    Global Crossing signs on the dotted line

    Ubiquity software has signed a multi-million dollar deal with US firm Global Crossing that will see it become the preferred supplier of Session Initiation Protocol Application Server (SIP A/S) technology for Global Crossing's IP network. Under the terms of the contract, Ubiquity's technology, an open, standards-based service …

    Hardware 5 Jul 2006, 11:29

  • Universal readies back-to-basics CDs for iTunes era

    Rip-friendly minimal packaging and low price

    Universal Music Group is to bring no-frills CDs to the UK in a bid to match the iTunes Music Store's price point. The scheme targets old, back-catalogue releases rather than new or recent titles. According to a report in the Guardian newspaper, Universal will split its CD line-up into three format. The cheapest series is …

    Reg Hardware 5 Jul 2006, 12:20

  • Oz domain name scammer declares bankruptcy

    Shown the pink card

    Australian domain name scammer Bradley Norrish has declared himself bankrupt. Bradley Norrish, along with business partner Chesley Rafferty, ran an outfit called UK Internet Registry, and three other firms, which sent 50,000 fake invoices to domain name holders in the UK during 2003. The information needed to mount the scam was …

    Business 5 Jul 2006, 12:34

  • Industry, government downplay nuclear safety worries

    Cracks in ageing reactors 'normal'

    Sources in the nuclear industry and government have downplayed reports claiming cracks in ageing reactors are causing safety fears. The Health and Safety Executive responded to reports in today's Guardian of inspection documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act with a statement designed to allay panic. It said: "If …

    Physics 5 Jul 2006, 13:33

  • Heat eases pain: official

    Science backs Old Wives again

    Got a painful stomach cramp? Stick a hot water bottle on it, and smile in the knowledge that science is on your side. A group of physiologists at University College, London, has proven that heat can reduce internal pain. The research, which will be presented at the Physiological Society's annual conference, unravels the …

    Biology 5 Jul 2006, 13:36

  • Apple kills off the eMac

    Intel-based iMac offered instead

    Apple has begun shipping an education-oriented version of its 17in Intel-based iMac - replacing its last remaining CRT-fitted all-in-one machine, the eMac. The new iMac is based on a 1.83GHz Core Duo processor and contains 512MB of 667MHz DDR 2. The display's driven by the Intel GMA 950 GPU Integrated into the chipset. Long- …

    Reg Hardware 5 Jul 2006, 13:59

  • NHS database? No one asked me!

    Letters Reader doesn't want no steenking database

    Last week's story on the latest fiasco to hit the troubled NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT) prompted this letter from a concerned reader: Sir, I have been away from The Register for some time but happened across it tonight and was reading some of the articles therein about the NHS IT database and couldn't help noticing …

    Letters 5 Jul 2006, 14:03

  • Trend Micro CEO in SEC probe

    Inquiry focuses on stock trading by security chief's spouse

    The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is considering enforcement action against the chief executive of Trend Micro, Eva Chen, involving her husband Daniel Chiang and the trading of stock in SINA Corporation, the Chinese online media and wireless services firm. Chiang is former co-chairman of SINA Corporation. SEC …

    Security 5 Jul 2006, 14:10

  • Spam zombies give UK ISPs the fear

    Dawn of the Dead

    The potential disruption of service and risk posed by compromised, zombie PCs spewing spam is putting fear in UK ISPs, according to a survey conducted by security firm StreamShield Networks. A massive 96 per cent of 50 ISP respondents cited the proliferation of botnets - networks of virus-infected PCs under the control of …

    Security 5 Jul 2006, 14:28

  • Maxfield brings movie player to Blighty

    OLED marvel?

    German media-player maker Maxfield has begun shipping its handheld video player, the Max Movie, in the UK, the company said today. The 1GB Flash-based machine has been out in Germany for more than six months now. Over there, it's won a bevvy of awards for its 262,144-colour OLED screen and SRS WOW 3D sound system. It'll …

    Reg Hardware 5 Jul 2006, 14:31

  • Online shopping = rubbish customer service

    Less than one third of questions answered

    Buying gadgets online can be a troublesome pursuit, according to a new survey. Sample queries submitted to the biggest online electrical retailers revealed just three in 10 got any reply. Those who got a reply only got a relevant response three quarters of the time. Amazon, Dabs, Comet, Argos, John Lewis, Carphone Warehouse, …

    Financial News 5 Jul 2006, 15:01

  • Samsung ships GDDR 4 chip

    Slower than planned?

    Samsung has begun shipping GDDR 4 memory chips in volume, the company said today, more than eight months after it began sampling the parts. The South Korean giant's offering is a 512Mb part fabbed at 80nm. The chips can chuck data around at a rate of 2.4Gbps per pin, and with 32 pins per chip that's 9.6GBps in total. The DDR …

    Reg Hardware 5 Jul 2006, 15:15

  • BECTA snuffs National Grid for Learning

    This town's not big enough for the both of them

    Education technology quango* Becta (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) has eliminated the prime minister's prized National Grid for Learning (NGfL). NGfL was launched by Tony Blair in 1998 with a vision of getting all schools connected to the internet. The NGfL also provided educational resources for …

    Business 5 Jul 2006, 15:24

  • Get your Mac, it's raining Trojans

    AV firm tells home users to shun PCs

    Security firm Sophos has issued a call for home computer users to ditch the Windows operating system and switch to Macs for the sake of their safety online. The call came as part of a report detailing the main trends in malicious software so far this year. The main finding was that all of the top ten threats to online users …

    Malware 5 Jul 2006, 15:31

  • The Alienware Aurora ALX has arrived on Earth

    Review The desktop that weighs more than a fridge

    In a month when laptops outsold desktops for the first time, it's a brave move to launch a desktop that weighs more than your fridge. The Alienware Aurora ALX is a no-compromises gaming PC which turns up in a box the size of a Marshall 4x12 with a box of accessories the size of a Marshall amp. Just in case I'm not being clear …

    Entertainment 5 Jul 2006, 15:38

  • Tech giants floored by monsoon

    It rains in India. Who knew?

    Seasonal rain in India has left some of the biggest names in IT stranded today. Problems at Hewlett Packard, which outsourced its UK support to India last year, were reported by several readers. One HP channel partner said that it had been impossible to assign an engineer to fix a customer's problem, because the call is logged …

    IT Director 5 Jul 2006, 18:04