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22nd August 2006 Archive

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  • Review criticises software for NPfIT

    'Red' alert on 13 issues

    Troubles at software supplier iSoft are set to further delay the implementation of components of England's NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT). An internal review by local service providers Accenture and Computer Services Corporation (CSC) has been highly critical of iSoft's Lorenzo software – which is core for administration …

    Policy 22 Aug 2006, 05:02

  • Nurses bemoan lack of IT training

    And criticise NPfIT

    Nurses feel they are not receiving sufficient training in the use of IT systems, according to a new survey. The Royal College of Nursing published the findings of the survey, carried out by Nursix. It also said that nurses feel ignored in NHS IT decision making. The survey found that 87 per cent of nurses felt it was important …

    Policy 22 Aug 2006, 08:43

  • Profane trademark rejected

    Except for sex shop use

    A businessman has failed to win the right to register the term "screw you" as a wide-ranging European trademark because it is offensive. It can be used, but only for goods sold in sex shops, the European trademark authority has ruled. Jeberaj Kenneth, trading as Screw You, applied to register "screw you" as a trademark in …

    Small Biz 22 Aug 2006, 09:05

  • Sony: PS3 not in production

    Won't be enough to go around in any case

    Sony has admitted it has yet to begin manufacturing its PlayStation 3 console, less than three months before the machine is due to go on sale. The revelation raises the prospect that supply is going to be tight in the early days. Speaking to US website Gamespot, Sony Computer Entertainment America president Kaz Hirai said: " …

    Games 22 Aug 2006, 09:22

  • Cisco buys into TV-on-demand

    Breaking into showbusiness

    Cisco has continued its thrust towards consumers with the acquisition of TV-on-demand firm Arroyo. Privately-held Arroyo Video Solutions will set Cisco back $92m cash. The deal should go through by the end of Cisco's Q1 2007 on 31 October. Cisco's plan is to integrate Arroyo's software into its own IP-NGN (Next Generation …

    Data Networking 22 Aug 2006, 09:23

  • AOL CTO resigns over privacy 'screw-up'

    Blamestorming...

    AOL's chief technology officer has resigned and two other staff members have been sacked following the release of half a million subscribers' search terms. Maureen Govern is leaving immediately and will be replaced temporarily by John McKinley, the current president of digital services. According to a CNet source, the two …

    Security 22 Aug 2006, 09:44

  • NASA sheds light on dark matter

    First direct evidence?

    NASA says it now has the first direct evidence for the existence of dark matter, thanks to observations of a huge, intergalactic collision. Researchers using the Chandra-X telescope have been watching two galactic clusters collide, an event they say is the most energetic in the universe, ever, apart from the Big Bang. They …

    Science 22 Aug 2006, 09:51

  • LG preps 60in single-scan plasma TV panel

    Bigger, cheaper PDPs ahoy

    LG has announced a 60in plasma TV panel based on the company's single-scan technology ahead of its plan to put the screen into mass-production in Q4. LG introduced single-scan plasma display panels (PDPs) in 2005 with the introduction of 42in and 50in models. The system uses a single chip to drive the entire display - other …

    Hardware 22 Aug 2006, 09:58

  • French union demands eBay blocks fakes pre-emptively

    Counterfeit crusade

    An industrial lobby in France is seeking damages from eBay to compensate for the site's sales of counterfeit goods. The Union of Manufacturers (Unifab) is to complain to prosecutors and seek compensation for its members. The union told news agency Reuters that it believed eBay was not doing enough to combat sales of fake goods …

    Financial News 22 Aug 2006, 10:12

  • BT cuts off Euro1net customers

    Updated 'Pay up and service will resume', says telco

    Customers of ISP Euro1net have been cut off. When punters attempt to connect to the internet, they are redirected to a BT page informing them their broadband retailer hasn't paid for its IPStream service. BT's wholesale department confirmed it had suspended Euro1net's IPStream due to "repeated non-payment". The telco said it …

    Broadband 22 Aug 2006, 10:14

  • ATI roadmap 'drops Intel chipsets'

    Adds single-chipset and other goodies

    ATI is preparing a single-chip chipset based on is RS590 product, it has been alleged by moles who claim to have seen the company's latest roadmap - which also no longer lists many of ATI's upcoming chipsets, they say. According to a report on Chinese-language site HKEPC, the single-chip chipset, dubbed SC780, combines ATI's …

    Hardware 22 Aug 2006, 10:20

  • Poll sheds light on US mobile searching habits

    'Um, where's the nearest pizza parlour?'

    A poll commissioned by Tellme Networks reveals what Americans are looking for when they're on the move, and where they are looking for it. And it appears what they're usually looking for is food. Harris Interactive asked almost 1,500 Americans how they used Directory Assistance services (the 411 service) and what alternatives …

    Mobile 22 Aug 2006, 10:39

  • Sun's open sourcing of Java: avoid the red herring

    Comment For Sun it's just a means to an end

    The other day I attended a briefing with Simon Phipps, Sun's chief open source officer which was ostensibly aimed at updating the assembled on Sun's progress in its open sourcing of Java. The "big news" was that Sun now plans to bring its reference implementations of the mobile "editions" of Java (Java ME CDC and CLDC) to …

    Developer 22 Aug 2006, 10:43

  • Gongs on offer for stupid security measures

    Pointless, intrusive and daft

    Human rights watchdog Privacy International has re-launched its hunt for the World's most stupid security measures. The "Stupid Security" awards aims to highlight the absurdities of so-called security procedures that make little contribution to real security improvements. The international compo aims to unearth the world's most …

    Security 22 Aug 2006, 10:43

  • iStuff touts iCast iPod FM transmitter

    Ships ahead of legalisation move

    Gagdet maker iStuff today launched iCast, an FM trasmitter dongle for iPods, PSPs and other music-playback gadgets. It's completely illegal to use here in the UK, of course, but the company's clearly looking forward to a change in the law later this year. The 30g iCast incorporates a 3.5mm earphone jack and a transmitter- …

    Hardware 22 Aug 2006, 11:08

  • French Elvis download exclusive to Orange

    Get your Johnny Hallyday single now!

    Orange subscribers are to get early access to a new Johnny Hallyday single. While virtually unknown outside France, Johnny is massive in his home country with 33 number one hits. Orange subscribers can download a track off his new album track, "La Loi du Silence" (The law of silence) already, but the rest of the world will …

    Mobile 22 Aug 2006, 11:33

  • JCB set for world speed record

    300mph digger

    The world's fastest JCB is on course to beat the world speed record for a diesel vehicle later today at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Okay, it's not actually a digger. JCB Dieselmax is a specially-designed car/cigar tube but is powered by two JCB engines. The nine metre long carbon composite vehicle uses two five litre …

    Science 22 Aug 2006, 11:35

  • Sony Ericsson previews touchy-feely 3G phone

    Network Walkman-esque styling

    Sony Ericsson today introduced its latest 3G phone, pitching the "seductive" clamshell handset's tactile qualities. "Run your fingers across the soft and distinct shapes, feel the high-quality surface against your skin," the company cooed. The Z610i claim to styling fame is its shiny, mirror-like carapace through which the …

    Hardware 22 Aug 2006, 11:36

  • Java 6 Platform Revealed

    Book review What's new in Java 6, pre-release

    It seems it was only yesterday that the Tiger was escaping into the wild, and here we are today with Mustang rearing up ahead, and the Dolphin already surfacing here and there. Javaists will recognise Tiger, Mustang and Dolphin as Java 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0 respectively, and everyone else can now stop scratching their heads and …

    Developer 22 Aug 2006, 12:00

  • US authorities had free rein over world's bank data

    Article 29 working party tackle SWIFT

    The US Treasury programme of snooping on international banking transactions to track terrorist funding had unfettered access to the world's private financial details for anything upto five years. A spokesman for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift) said it had won restrictions on the Treasury's …

    Media 22 Aug 2006, 12:20

  • Information commissioner fines accountant

    Slap on the wrist

    The Information Commissioner has fined an accountant for not registering with the authority a record of the personal information it keeps about its clients. Acorn Accounting Limited of Leeds was fined £300 and £150 costs by Leeds Magistrates Court for failing to notify the IC under the Data Protection Act (1998). According to …

    Small Biz 22 Aug 2006, 12:30

  • Deutsche Telekom forced to open network

    Schadenfreude at BT?

    The EU commission has backed German regulators and ordered Deutsche Telekom to open its network to broadband competitors. Information and Media Comissioner Viviane Reding said on Monday said competitors should be given access to the DT network straight away. The German regulator BNetzA submitted plans to open up the market to …

    Broadband 22 Aug 2006, 12:54

  • Troubled Dell in PC price hike shocker

    Set your wallet to stunned

    Pity if you will poor old Dell: its Q2 financials had shareholders sobbing uncontrollably over their Dimensions as management declared that the company's woes "primarily reflect aggressive pricing in a slowing commercial market worldwide". We can confirm, though, that Dell's disaster recovery plan does not include cutting …

    Media 22 Aug 2006, 12:57

  • ATI to launch Radeon X1950 series tomorrow

    Boards likely to cost more than firm forecasts, say sources

    ATI will tomorrow launch its anticipated Radeon X1950 graphics chip series, but they're unlikely to come to market before the next month. Debut dates we're hearing are 4 and 14 September, with an emphasis now on the latter, and boards based on the GPUs may cost more than ATI is forecasting. As expected, ATI is offering the …

    Hardware 22 Aug 2006, 13:11

  • Integration appliances

    Comment The strength of Cast Iron

    Appliances seem to be getting everywhere. One area for their use that I have not previously looked at, are appliances for integration. As far as I know, there are three vendors in this space: BridgeWerx, which is based around Microsoft's BizTalk; Cast Iron Systems; and InfoTone. Now, as regular readers will know, my primary …

    Developer 22 Aug 2006, 13:11

  • Stupid operating systems or stupid operators?

    Letters Did somebody mention dolphins?

    Someone needs to update the rules for modern living to include guidelines on preparing one's inbox for an onslaught of letters after publishing anything about the Windows operating system, and its little quirks. Our (almost) resident grumpy old guru let off a little steam this week after a computer meltdown zapped three hours …

    Letters 22 Aug 2006, 13:36

  • Ryanair adopts nude passenger security regime

    NSFW Putting the fun back into flying

    Who said flying wasn't fun any more? It is down at Ryanair, where the company's new security measures will certainly add spice to any trip: The reason these passengers are running is, for the record, not because a couple of Arabs have just attempted to board the plane, but rather due to Ryanair's "no allocated seat policy". …

    Media 22 Aug 2006, 13:44

  • Sun confirms all about 64-thread Niagara II

    Hot Chips Crypto a-go-go

    Sun Microsystems will later today reveal the inner goo behind its Niagara II processor – the second chip in the company's "radical" multi-core line. As it happens, we've acquired an early copy of the Niagara II presentation Sun plans to give this afternoon here at the Hot Chips conference. Sadly, the presentation is lacking on …

    Servers 22 Aug 2006, 13:51

  • Mitnick gets hit by Pakistani crackers

    Digital graffiti attack targets reformed hacker

    Kevin Mitnick, the notorious former hacker turned security consultant and tech celebrity, has been targeted by Pakistani crackers in a series of web face defacements attacks. Four websites associated with Mitnick's various ventures were sprayed with digital graffiti on Monday in an apparently personal attack. The sites …

    Security 22 Aug 2006, 14:15

  • Swedish TV in news porn outrage

    Viewers treated to Czech smut background

    Swedish state broadcaster SVT is in hot water after accidently broadcasting some sizzling Czech rumpy-pumpy as a backdrop to Saturday's midnight news, rather than the normal "output of other news channels", the BBC reports. The "highly embarrassing and unfortunate" blunder occured on just one monitor, and only for 30 seconds …

    Bootnotes 22 Aug 2006, 14:20

  • Nokia launches self-service upgrades

    No more trips to the shop

    Nokia has quietly introduced a DIY firmware upgrade service so phone owners can update their phones over the air, or via a PC connected to the internet, and no longer need to visit a service centre to update the device. Sony Ericsson has supported self-service firmware upgrades for several years. Firmware updates can bring …

    Mobile 22 Aug 2006, 14:30

  • Intel begs for multi-threaded software aid

    Hot Chips Give us your poor, huddled test suites

    Long used to hawking GHz above all else, Intel has found the transition to a multi-core world with flat clock rates painful. The multi-core shift has, in fact, become so difficult that Intel is looking to partners for help designing and evaluating its future products. Intel's CTO Justin Rattner issued the public cry for help …

    Hardware 22 Aug 2006, 14:42

  • Sony readies slimline mobile-on-desktop PC-TV

    Core Duo inside

    Sony today unveiled its latest PC-TV combo, a 19in all-in-one Windows XP Media Center Edition machine based on Intel's Core Duo mobile processor. The Vaio LS1's native display resolution comes in at 1,680 x 1,050, the memory is 2GB and the hard disk weighs in at 250GB. 802.11b/g Wi-Fi is built in alongside the US analogue TV …

    Hardware 22 Aug 2006, 15:27

  • IBM and Oracle must change software pricing – AMD

    Or be open sourced away

    AMD expects companies like Oracle and IBM - devising Byzantine pricing metrics for their software in virtualized environments - will be forced to compromise on licensing by their customers or risk losing business to open source. The chip manufacturer believes concessions are vital for vendors in order to make their licensing …

    Servers 22 Aug 2006, 19:49

  • US tweaks airbag snitch rules

    Crash! the data

    From September 2010 car makers must inform US drivers of the presence of crash recording technology in new cars that they buy. Revised guidelines from The US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (PDF) do not insist on the inclusion of event data recorders (EDR) in new cars. But …

    Science 22 Aug 2006, 21:25

  • Geeks pray $100,000 box will solve software crisis

    Hot Chips The 1,000-chip 'MIT Fix'

    There's a weird 1,000-processor computer floating about that's being hailed as the "MIT Fix." Over the years, MIT's computer science department has built up a reputation for making all too bold performance claims around their systems and software research. Rival institutions and companies, hampered by time and financial …

    Servers 22 Aug 2006, 22:15

  • CMU promises to fix speech recognition with a chip

    Hot Chips A chip made by a robotic flying car

    Speech technology ranks right down there with flying cars, robots and Windows as the grandest of disappointments in geekdom. Thankfully, the horrid state of the technology hasn't broken the will of all researchers in the speech field. In fact, one team at Carnegie Mellon University optimistically thinks they may have solved the …

    Hardware 22 Aug 2006, 23:32