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16th August 2006 Archive

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  • ICIA rejects calls to block phone use in cinemas

    Irish mobecos say change of behaviour needed

    The mobile phone industry has rejected calls to block the use of mobile phones in cinemas and theatres, describing the idea as inappropriate and impractical. Irish Cellular Industry Association (ICIA) director Tommy McCabe described the use of mobile phones in places like theatres as a behavioural issue, and one that should be …

    Mobile 16 Aug 2006, 05:02

  • Northern Ireland gets e-prescriptions

    Drug dealing moves into cyberspace

    Paper prescriptions will be phased out in Northern Ireland, following an agreement between the government and HP to develop an e-prescriptions service. Community pharmacies across Northern Ireland will be equipped with an electronic system to transfer prescriptions over the next two years, the Department for Health Social …

    Public Sector 16 Aug 2006, 06:02

  • Court Asboes septuagenarian 'yobbo'

    'This man's a menace'

    A North London magistrates court has ended the reign of terror of a 76-year-old "yobbo" by slapping him with an Asbo, The Mirror reports. David Lilley terrorised fellow residents in sheltered flats at the Rosa Freedman Centre, Barnet, where he "regularly slammed doors, screamed and shouted and banged on walls for hours late at …

    Music and Media 16 Aug 2006, 08:02

  • IBM says Sun's open source strategy lacks support

    Self-serving?

    IBM has broken the community camaraderie of LinuxWorld by criticizing systems rival Sun Microsystems' open source strategy on Solaris and SPARC as artificial and lacking genuine support. And, after years of backing Sun's Java as a key ingredient of cross-platform computing, IBM appears to be pitching Eclipse for developers to …

    Operating Systems 16 Aug 2006, 08:59

  • Apple renews Windows-on-Mac app

    Updated Boot Camp beta reaches version 1.1

    Apple has updated its Boot Camp Windows-on-Mac utility, taking the public beta test release to version 1.1. The 202MB download contains updated Windows hardware drivers, but most importantly adds support for the recently released Mac Pro desktops. According to Apple, Boot Camp 1.1 extends its ability to create Windows disk …

    Reg Hardware 16 Aug 2006, 09:05

  • Novell reaches out to Microsoft Office users

    Takes a number, gets in line

    It's open season on the Windows/Office desktop again, with Novell the latest trying to lure away customers unhappy with the price Microsoft charges for "bloatware". Novell said it's targeting specific types of information worker with its SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10, launched in July. Novell's previous desktop found favor …

    Applications 16 Aug 2006, 09:07

  • UK and US eBay sellers take action over price hikes

    If not on strike, on route to Google

    Around 100 of eBay's "Shop" sellers went out on strike yesterday in protest at the company's decision to raise the amount it charges to sell items on its site. More than 500 have signed a petition in protest. Further changes, this time to the way search results are listed, have also caused upset. Traders say it makes them …

    Financial News 16 Aug 2006, 09:14

  • British Telecom to reward loyalty

    Brief ...at least for the first year

    BT has announced that anyone prepared to sign up to 18 months of its Option 2 tariff, at £11 a month line rental, will get evening and weekend calls thrown in for the first 12 months. For the remaining six months they'll have to pay the usual charge of £3.95 per month. BT said punters wanting to sign up to the service won't …

    Telecoms 16 Aug 2006, 09:19

  • OCZ readies 1.1GHz DDR 2 DIMMs

    Going for gold

    Memory specialist OCZ has begun producing DDR 2 DIMMs clocked to 1.1GHz, the company announced yesterday. Alas, it didn't say when anyone will be able to buy the high-speed SDRAM, or for what price. When they do ship, the DIMMs will be made available under the PC2-8800 Gold Edition brand and ship as a pair of 1GB modules …

    Reg Hardware 16 Aug 2006, 09:34

  • Disney scraps UK mobile plan

    Parental concerns hold back the mouse

    Disney has ditched plans to start a UK virtual mobile network (MVNO), blaming adverse changes in the retail environment for its decision O2, which was to provide the service for Disney, said Disney content will still be made available, but there won't be Mickey Mouse phones in the foreseeable future. Part of Disney's problem …

    Mobile 16 Aug 2006, 09:43

  • Dell's 'Zippo' batteries may be in other machines

    Sony's sizzling cells used by other manufacturers

    The US Consumer Product Safety Commission is looking at other makes of laptop which use Sony batteries to see if they too pose a fire risk. Dell said yesterday it is recalling 4.1m lithium-ion batteries, some of which have spontaneously combusted. The direct seller has received six reports of batteries overheating and causing …

    Reg Hardware 16 Aug 2006, 09:53

  • 'Crap' comms, ID legislation can still be beaten

    Ex-peer still seething over ID Cards and RIPA

    The former Lord Phillips of Sudbury, civil liberties campaigner and opponent of ID Cards, got sick of passing "crap legislation" while sitting in the House of Lords, but thinks he can still help clear up the mess. Andrew Phillips joined a debate at the Scrambling for Safety conference this week about outstanding elements of the …

    Music and Media 16 Aug 2006, 10:28

  • The serious business of mobile phone games

    Money to be made from twiddling thumbs

    Mobile gaming sales will generate $7.2bn a year worldwide by 2011, growing from the $2.4bn sold in 2006. According to Informa, which made this forecast, only five per cent of mobile phone users actually download games. Getting the other 95 per cent of subscribers to buy games remains the challenge for operators - 3D graphics …

    Mobile 16 Aug 2006, 10:30

  • Standard mobiles can now be used for encrypted calls

    Good news for Royals

    A new piece of encryption software "that would have made it impossible for the alleged tapping of mobile phones belonging to the Royal household, ministers, MPs, and celebrities to take place is set to be launched in the UK," by One Day Mobile. A pre-announcement has been issued, saying: "Babylon nG, available from One Day …

    Mobile 16 Aug 2006, 10:37

  • Vodafone to enable v1605 handset's HSDPA in 'Q1 2007'

    Third-party utility can do it now, apparently

    Vodafone's 3G smart phone, the v1605, will not gain HSDPA support until Q1 2007, a company spokeswoman told Reg Hardware today. The ability to download data at speeds of up to 1.8Mbps will come through a "software update", she said. Alternatively, you can download an unofficial HSDPA enabler utility now. The carrier quietly …

    Reg Hardware 16 Aug 2006, 10:42

  • Open source Java SE by year end

    'Lawyers finish job' – well, nearly

    There is now a timescale in place for the Standard Edition of Java, Java SE, to go open source. Sun chief open source officer Simon Phipps said licence changes would occur in a sequence of updates to the code starting towards the end of this year. As outlined here, making Java open has been something of a mare's nest of …

    Developer 16 Aug 2006, 10:48

  • AOL reported to FTC

    You got mail, but you don't have any privacy...

    AOL has been reported to the Federal Trade Commission for deceptive trade practises for releasing search logs for half a million users. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) made the complaint. It alleges that AOL's action in releasing the information was in breach of their own terms and conditions - that customer …

    Music and Media 16 Aug 2006, 11:08

  • Solar system to get new planets?

    IAU sets criteria for planetary club membership

    If astronomers approve a new proposal for a definition of a planet, not only will Pluto retain its status as the ninth planet, but the solar system will gain three more. The question of Pluto's planethood has been the subject of a long-running, and ultimately frustrating debate. Frustrating, because until now there has been no …

    Space 16 Aug 2006, 11:30

  • Trolltech goes green with Linux-friendly phone

    Build your own mobile apps

    Linux-for-phones developer Trolltech is to offer its own handset to promote demand for its Qtopia Phone Edition operating system, the company announced yesterday. The Qtopia Greenphone will ship with Trolltech's SDK and will feature a developer-friendly rewriteable application storage space. Trolltech said the Greenphone was …

    Reg Hardware 16 Aug 2006, 11:42

  • Slim Devices Transporter high-end digital audio player

    Exclusive Preview Audiophile device transports music to a new level?

    Mountain View, California is the home of start-ups. Turn any corner and it's likely there'll be a name you recognise. Some have grown into huge companies, and some, like Netscape, have disappeared, recalled only by the boards that used to display their logos. Turning down what looks like a residential street, there's a small …

    Reg Hardware 16 Aug 2006, 12:01

  • Ex-Comverse chief turns fugitive

    Options backdated by a one-armed man?

    Former Comverse CEO Jacob "Kobi" Alexander, 54, has become the target of a worldwide manhunt. He disappeared after being charged with fraud for a role in the firm's stock options scheme. A warrant for his arrest was issued last week when Department of Justice officials in Brooklyn, NY, charged him and two former colleagues - …

    Financial News 16 Aug 2006, 12:50

  • What's your favourite - breasts or legs?

    Offending ad relegated to encrypted channel

    An ad for a sex chat line that asked men to decide on their preferred womanly body part - a choice of breasts or legs - has been pulled by the Advertising Standards Authority after a viewer complained about the combination of the question, salacious images, and the number to be dialled to vote. The ad, which features "close up …

    Telecoms 16 Aug 2006, 12:53

  • Girl raped after MySpace meeting, court hears

    Seriously kids, be careful out there

    MySpace is again at the centre of a row over online safety, after a court in Chicago heard that a girl of 14 was gang-raped and left unconscious in an alley after a real life meeting arranged via the social networking site. Two high school students, named as Angel Alverio, 18, and Tony Pacheco, 17, have been charged with one …

    Music and Media 16 Aug 2006, 13:04

  • Brief wait for iPod underpants, warns supplier

    NSFW It's a smalls world, isn't it?

    It just had to happen. Yes, someone's designed a pair of ladies underpants with an iPod Nano-sized pouch. We're not talking about the iPod thong spoof that did the rounds not so long ago, but the new knickers share the same name: iGroove. Alas, it's also the name of a series of speakers from Klipsch. Undeterred, supplier …

    Reg Hardware 16 Aug 2006, 13:14

  • Storage vendors seek summer of love with SMBs

    Analysis Flushing the hype pipe

    Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) seem to be the number one target in storage vendor marketing departments. Every week brings new product launches, partnership arrangements and channel initiatives. But as storage vendors rush to liven up the summer tech news lull, they may be in danger of being carried away by their own …

    Storage 16 Aug 2006, 13:29

  • Movie download service faces spyware lawsuit

    Invasive pop-ups ignite legal rumpus

    Washington State is suing a movie download service over allegations that it used spyware to promote its business. Movieland.com and its associates allegedly used malware tactics to bombard punters with aggressive pop-up ads that demanded payment for its download service. The lawsuit, brought by Washington State attorney general …

    Malware 16 Aug 2006, 14:24

  • UK man dies of anthrax

    Animal hides suspected in Scottish case

    A 50-year-old man who died on 8 July in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary is believed to be the first case of anthrax in Scotland since 1987, the BBC reports. Christopher "Pascal" Norris worked with untreated animal hides at his home at Black Lodge in Stobs in the Scottish Borders. Tests at laboratories in England after his death from …

    Biology 16 Aug 2006, 14:27

  • YouTube plans 'free-to-net' music vid downloads

    Net video killed the radio star

    YouTube is in negotiations with record labels over plans to post music videos online. The talks are part of the site's plans to expand beyond its roots as a community web site that allows users to post videos online to become a legitimate distributor of commercial video clips, among other ventures. The site, which claims 100m …

    Entertainment 16 Aug 2006, 14:34

  • O2 eyes Ice to drive consumer 3G demand

    Updated Preps low-cost handset for video calling, music downloads

    O2 is believed to be gearing up to launch Ice, a consumer-friendly 3G phone, with a view to shipping the handset early next month. What little we've been able to glean about the device's specifications point to a basic candybar handset with a front-mounted camera for video calling and a 1.3 megapixel job for standard shots. …

    Reg Hardware 16 Aug 2006, 14:46

  • Apple says 'no' to wireless iPod claims

    Uncharacteristic response

    Apple has denied claims that the company is getting ready to offer a wireless iPod - an unusual move for a firm that usually refuses to comment on unannounced products. According to a report at DigiTimes, Apple Taiwan dismissed the claims of "market sources" that the Mac maker is sending staff to Asia to teach the locals how …

    Reg Hardware 16 Aug 2006, 15:12

  • London hits all-time August high

    BBC Weather turns up the heat - big time

    You've really got to ask yourself just what on God's Green Earth is going on down at BBC Weather. Following the Belfast tropical storm warning, the Brummie snow in July outrage and the 188°C Leeds miniheatwave, we now discover that Londoners wishing to melt steel without the aid of a blast furnace should make, er, hay while the …

    Music and Media 16 Aug 2006, 15:32

  • PlusNet deletes more customer info

    Ooooops...

    PlusNet today admitted that some of the CGI (Common Gateway Interface) data it accidentally deleted has gone the same way as the emails it deleted earlier this month - as in gone forever. An explanation on its forums explains that an account management server, which creates the list of customers on the CGI platform, encountered …

    Telecoms 16 Aug 2006, 15:45

  • Overland tinkles the Bell (Micro)

    Is it SMB storage announcement time again already?

    Bell Micro will flog SMB storage gear for Overland Storage under a new deal announced today. The ARCvault family is aimed at cost-conscious tiddlers with large amounts of data to backup. Or in other words, it's a big tape recorder. Simplicity is a selling point for the range, which is meant to fit in with more expensive HDD …

    Channel Register 16 Aug 2006, 16:09

  • Solar observatories get new launch date

    Pencilled in for 31 August

    NASA and PPARC have confirmed that the STEREO mission (the acronym cunningly derived from Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) is slated to launch on 31 August. The mission comprises two almost identical craft that will be sent on diverging paths orbiting the sun. They will monitor our star's activity, particularly tracking …

    Space 16 Aug 2006, 16:12

  • Grace Jones on flat trash rap

    WSA Landlords pursue Naomi Campbell role model

    Long before Naomi Campbell had even considered deploying a PDA as a weapon with which to thrash her staff, model-turned-singer Grace Jones was showing wannabe "don't-you-know-who-I-ams?" exactly how it's done when she famously piled into chat show host Russell Harty. For the record, Jones required no hi-tech weaponry with which …

    Entertainment 16 Aug 2006, 16:16

  • ICANN awarded net adminstration until 2011

    US government issues IANA contract

    The US government has awarded net overseeing organisation ICANN the contract to administer changes at the top of the internet until 2011. The contract covers what is commonly referred to as the IANA function, a traditional bundle of technical operations that includes the allocation of IP addresses, management of the internet …

    Music and Media 16 Aug 2006, 16:20

  • 'Zippo' battery recall could cost Sony $430m and a truck

    Come on baby, light my profits

    Dell has suffered from the bad press associated with its 4.1m fire-breathing laptop batteries that were recalled this week. But it's Sony - the maker of the lithium-ion batteries - that looks to front most of the financial burden for replacing systems. Sony's line of recalled "Zippo" batteries could cost the company close to $ …

    Financial News 16 Aug 2006, 19:32

  • Municipal WiFi is the new hope for Net Neutrality - thinker

    Lessig's exploding cloud

    Municipal WiFi networks could help beat US carriers and politicians in the battle over so-called "net neutrality," according to one leading campaigner Stanford University law professor Larry Lessig has argued the WiFi clouds popping up across cites from Philadelphia to San Francisco could provide broadband access over the "last …

    Music and Media 16 Aug 2006, 20:24

  • HP's Q3 profit rises, shares follow

    Slow and steady wins the race

    Shares of HP soared to a new 52-week high during the after-hours trading that followed the company's release of third quarter financial results. As has become the case under new CEO Mark Hurd, HP beat out profit expectations and turned in solid revenue gains. HP continues to put the sex appeal back in cutting-costs - at least …

    Financial News 16 Aug 2006, 23:52