31st July 2006 Archive

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UK.gov squeezes IT suppliers until their pips squeak

State of negotiations

A total saving of £412m on all purchases was achieved through frameworks and managed service agreements negotiated by the Treasury buying agency OGCbuying.solutions. Its annual report, published on 25 July 2006, says that the savings exceed the £400m target set by ministers and were delivered on £2.7bn of public sector …

Public Sector 31 Jul 2006, 06:02
Google settles click fraud case for $90m

US court approves payout

Google's $90m payout over click fraud has been approved by a US court. Some opponents had claimed that the figure was not high enough to cover losses, but an Arkansas judge has thrown the objection out. Google will have to pay claimants $4.50 for every $1,000 of advertising they booked with the company. Judge Joe Griffin of …

Music and Media 31 Jul 2006, 08:27
Russia plans test 'mission' to Mars

From Red Square to the Red Planet

The Russians are looking for six volunteers to be locked away for 500 days to learn more about how people would deal with the isolation of the journey to Mars. In a set up that sounds (horribly) like the ultimate reality TV show, the volunteers will live in a mock up of a Mars space ship in Moscow, according to a BBC report, …

Music and Media 31 Jul 2006, 08:33
Real-time data warehousing

Comment A change in the air?

Data warehousing has historically been regarded as an environment which was specifically about analysing historic data, either to understand what has happened or, more recently, in order to try to predict what will happen: for example, to try to predict customers likely to churn. However, there are also a number of …

Storage 31 Jul 2006, 08:47
Kiddiprinters! EU biometric ID plans reach out for the children

You're never too young to get a record, say interior ministers

The EU is planning to fingerprint children from as young as six, and earlier just as soon as it is technically feasible, according to documents obtained by Statewatch. The matter has already caused considerable debate (albeit behind closed doors and with no visible civil liberties concerns) among member states, but is being …

Music and Media 31 Jul 2006, 09:09
Amazing terror weapons: the imaginary suitcase nuke

Analysis KGB/Mafia scam compound gets day in court, cleared of all charges

Three men were last week cleared of charges after one of the global war on terror's more ludicrous trials. They had been accused of an imaginary plot to produce an imaginary radioactive 'dirty' bomb using an imaginary substance. Imagination throughout proceedings was greatly aided by the efforts of Mazher Mahmood, the imaginary …

Music and Media 31 Jul 2006, 09:11
419ers debut Interpol mirror site

Lagos' finest give themselves crime-fighting makeover

419 advanced fee scammers have created an exact copy of the Interpol website, which is expected to be used to dupe victims into believing they are dealing with the real International Criminal Police Organisation. A spokesman for Ultrascan Advanced Global Investigations, a Netherlands-based firm which has been studying 419 …

ID 31 Jul 2006, 09:12
Orange goes unlimited

Launches cheep new tariffs

New tariffs from UK mobile operator Orange add unlimited access to specific services of the cellco's animal-themed mobile packages. Acknowledging competition from T-Mobile's Flext package, Orange is set to introduce a top price for each package (that's dolphin, canary, raccoon and panther) with unlimited texts, calls and …

Small Biz 31 Jul 2006, 09:40
Apple requests return of MacBook Pro batteries

Free replacements offered worldwide

Apple has asked owners of its 15in MacBook Pro notebook who bought their machine between February and May 2006 to contact the company and request a replacement battery. Apple stressed the batteries it wants to replace "do not pose a safety risk". The Mac maker didn't specify why it was recalling the MacBook Pro batteries - …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2006, 09:48
Microsoft to charge for Office betas

Actually, it's a 'cost recovery measure'

Microsoft is to start charging $1.50 for beta versions of Office 2007. From 2 August anyone wanting to download the software will have to pay the small fee. The company claims this is the result of the success of the trial - 3m people have downloaded the software - so Microsoft needs to charge to cover server costs. A …

Applications 31 Jul 2006, 10:18
ATI posts Catalyst 6.7 drivers

Windows and Linux versions

ATI has posted its Catalyst 6.7 driver package. For Windows users, the download is backed by WHQL certification, but Linux fans haven't been ignored - a version of the drivers for the open source operating system has also been released. Catalyst 6.7's headline features include the ability to activate manually CrossFire's …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2006, 10:36
Betonsports shared office with Mafia-link firm

Made 'em an offer they couldn't refuse

Betonsports Plc shared an address, a lawyer, and technical support with an online gambling firm with alleged Mafia links. Betonsports rented office space in Costa Rica to Safe Deposit Sports (SDS), provided it with technical support and used the same British lawyer. In May last year, US prosecutors accused 36 people connected …

Music and Media 31 Jul 2006, 10:56
Act now to bury nuclear waste, gov told

These things take time, Royal Soc warns

The government must act now to dispose of Britain's nuclear waste, the Royal Society has said, because the process itself will take decades. Based on current scientific knowledge, the society said, the best option for dealing with the byproducts of the country's nuclear reactors is to bury the stuff in deep concrete bunkers. …

Physics 31 Jul 2006, 11:14
Blaze destroys 007 film set

Brief Hideous spectre

A serious fire at Pinewood Film Studios on Sunday morning wrecked the James Bond film stage. Eight fire engines were needed to tackle the conflagration at the Buckingham film studio, which was used to film scenes for the upcoming 007 film Casino Royale, the BBC reports. The set, which was transformed into a recreation of …

Entertainment 31 Jul 2006, 11:15
Opera 10 roadmap charts cross-platform support

Anyplace, anytime, anywhere

Opera is pushing a vision of a browser that works on any device or operating system platform, including mobile devices and gaming consoles, as part of a push designed to persuade more users to switch from Microsoft's dominant Internet Explorer web browser. After releasing Opera 9 last month, the Norwegian software developer is …

Applications 31 Jul 2006, 11:22
Dell laptop smoked in Singapore

Historical incident

It's happened again. Another Dell notebook, a Latitude D410, has burst into flames, this time in Singapore. According to the machine's owner a series of popping noises culminated in a surfeit of white smoke and "flames coming up the side of the laptop". The incident actually took place in November 2005, the Sydney Morning …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2006, 11:27
Meteor strike caught on camera

Updated Near miss or car advert?

If this is real, it is extremely cool. If it is a car advert, we'll cry into our beer. We can't discount the possibility that that is all it is, but we really hope this footage of a near miss meteor strike is authentic. The video shows a group of guys hanging out in the desert, apparently watching some friends arrive in a …

Music and Media 31 Jul 2006, 11:28
The investment divide

Quocirca's changing channels IT department vs business management

Persuading businesses to invest in new or upgraded IT infrastructure can be a testing task at the best of times. The deployment of a new application can be a good time to review existing infrastructure to make sure it is running securely and efficiently, but why wait for a new application to upgrade infrastructure when there can …

Channel Register 31 Jul 2006, 11:42
Microsoft bosses say 'no' to Xbox 360 price cut

Well, not in Europe and Japan

Microsoft will not cut the price of its Xbox 360 games console before Christmas, the company's head of European Xbox marketing, has revealed. Maybe not, but it looks like Microsoft will stress its machine's price advantage when Sony ships the PlayStation 3. Interviewed by UK games trade weekly MCV, Microsoft's Head of …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2006, 11:49
Toshiba settles spat with Flash memory inventor

Boffin gets ¥87m but wanted ¥1bn

Toshiba is to pay ¥87m ($758,000) to settle a lawsuit brought against it by an ex-employee: Dr Fujio Masuoka, the man credited with inventing Flash memory. Masuoka sued Toshiba in 2004, demanding compensation for the work he'd put into developing a number of semiconductor technologies later patented and exploited by his …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2006, 12:20
Yankee pirates downed by Federation

Chemical company coughs up

The Federation Against Software Theft has won £300,000 ($525,000) from a US-based chemical transport company for using unlicensed software. The Federation (it used to be known as FAST) said it was working on behalf of member company Achiever Business Solutions. When negotiations between Achiever Business Solutions and the …

Small Biz 31 Jul 2006, 12:20
BT slashes consumer prices

Better value bundles ahoy

BT is cutting prices for some consumer bundles - BT Together Option 2 is falling 28 per cent to £3.95 a month and BT Together Option 3 is down 31 per cent to £9.95 a month. From 15 August, BT will offer free evening and weekend calls to anyone who signs an 18 month contract. From August, the telco will charge residential …

Telecoms 31 Jul 2006, 12:26
Verizon unbundles music

Subscription fee axed

Verizon has unbundled the music portion of its Vcast multimedia bundle, effectively scrapping the $15 monthly hurdle needed to download digital music. Vcast is Verizon's subscription service which includes videos and games, and until today, the Vcast music store. But hurdles still remain. Existing Verizon subscribers won't be …

Mobile 31 Jul 2006, 12:42
Q2 sees record mobile GPU shipments

Three-quarters of them integrated parts

The world's graphics-chip makers shipped 71.4m personal computer-oriented GPUs in Q2, 16.6 per cent up on the year-ago quarter but down 4.6 per cent on the previous three-month period, market watcher Jon Peddie Research (JPR) said today. Mobile GPUs experienced record shipments. Some 19.6m chips were aimed at notebooks, of …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2006, 13:00
Cambridge re-inks IT deal with Serco

Brief Gershon in mind

Cambridge City Council has extended its IT outsourcing deal with Serco for another five years at a cost of £6m. The two organisations have already worked together for six years. Under the terms of the deal, Serco will provide the IT infrastructure, and 24/7 support for it. This includes support for desktops, servers, network …

Channel Register 31 Jul 2006, 13:09
HTC TyTN 'super 3G' smart phone

Review The ideal mobile wireless communicator?

HTC, the company behind the T-Mobile MDA, O2 XDA and Orange SPV mobile phones, not to mention a host of others offered by less well-known vendors, has broken away from its white label roots to offer its phones without operator customisation. The TyTN is one of the first... It's a Windows Mobile 5.0 device that features Wi-Fi …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2006, 13:22
French anti-iTunes law is 'unconstitutional'

Law to be radically changed or rewritten

The controversial French law which would have forced Apple to make music from its iTunes online shop playable on any device has been rejected by the French Constitutional Council. The whole law may have to be rewritten. Both houses of the French parliament, the Senate and the National Assembly, last month passed copyright …

Music and Media 31 Jul 2006, 13:31
Billy Bragg pays tribute to MySpace

Change of Ts&Cs have campaigner singing site's praises

Billy Bragg has paid tribute to social networking giant MySpace after persuading it to change its terms and conditions. The site is owned by owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and changed its terms after lobbying by Bragg. "With respect to the guys at MySpace I have to accept that within a week of me writing a letter to …

Music and Media 31 Jul 2006, 13:38
BT buys Fiat's Polish telco biz

Brits go to Poland shock!

BT has bought Telexis Polska, Fiat's inhouse telecoms business in the eastern European country, for €$1.2m. Telexis is not exactly huge - it turned over €3m for the year ending 31 December 2005 and has just 27 staff. But the acquisition dots the Is and crosses the Ts on BT's relationship with Fiat. In February, the UK telco …

Financial News 31 Jul 2006, 13:54
Currys brings solar panels to the High Street

Well, three High Streets anyway

Electrical retailer Currys will start offering solar panels for sale from three of its stores. Currys will stock the Sharp panels in Croydon, Fulham, and West Thurrock. The press release promises "a detailed in-store consultation with a trained advisor" and a free house assessment. Information will be available online, …

Science 31 Jul 2006, 14:02
Crypto clues help solve prison murders

Lock down

Bosses of an American racist prison gang have been convicted of murders and racketeering offences after investigators broke the encoded messages they used to order attacks. Barry "The Baron" Mills and Tyler "The Hulk" Bingham, leaders of the Aryan Brotherhood. were found guilty last week of orchestrating the murder of black …

Security 31 Jul 2006, 14:07
Microsoft needs 'off switch'

Comment I'd like to test your beta, where do I pay?

What are we to make of the latest news about Microsoft Office – namely the story that the company has opted to charge people to download betas rather than cut off the supply? It reckons it has supplied 500 per cent more betas than it planned. Does this mean someone in Redmond forgot to write an accumulator routine that said " …

Developer 31 Jul 2006, 14:23
ISS inhabitants plan space stroll

Popping out for a breath of fresh...er...

ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter is gearing up for a spacewalk around the International Space Station along with his NASA colleague, Jeff Williams. The two men will leave the relative safety of the station on 3 August and will spend around six and a half hours tinkering with the structure of the space habitat. They will install …

Space 31 Jul 2006, 15:02
Scorpions deployed in cancer battle

Venom holds hope for sufferers

A protein found in scorpion venom could lead to a new treatment for a particularly aggressive type of of brain cancer, according to new research. Doctors have shown that a synthetic version of the protein attacks cancerous cells, but leaves normal brain matter untouched. The study tracked the progress of 18 people who had had …

Biology 31 Jul 2006, 15:04
Good gives thumbs up to Nokia E61

Brief Push email utility download posted

Good Technology's Good Mobile Messaging - the application formerly known as GoodLink - runs on Nokia's E61 smart phone, the company said today, even though the app, now at version 4.9.1, actually shipped last week. The client-side application can be downloaded here, for both Microsoft Exchange Server and IBM Lotus Domino back- …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2006, 16:05
Could Muni Fiber KO Muni Wi-Fi?

Last mile, city-owned net

Berkeley city council in California has become the latest city to examine municipal ownership of "the last mile", a move which could deal the latest blow to the stalling Municipal Wi-Fi movement. Palo Alto in the heart of Silicon Valley voted to investigate a fiber to the home (FTTH) scheme a few days earlier. Berkeley had …

Wireless 31 Jul 2006, 20:17
SETI urged to fess up over alien signals

'Mother lode' or load?

Alien hunters today pounded the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute here with e-mails and phone calls, following claims made this weekend that the organization has covered up the detection of signals from space. Allegations of a SETI cover up were made last night on the fringe-friendly Coast to Coast radio …

Space 31 Jul 2006, 23:30