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30th August 2006 Archive

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  • Novell delivers another mediocre Q3

    Like clockwork

    You have to hand it to Novell for being consistent. The shrinking software maker has once again posted lackluster financial results - this time during its third quarter. Novell's third quarter revenue dipped 4 per cent to $241m. Only $12m of that total came from Linux-related sales, marking yet another quarter when Novell's …

    Financial News 30 Aug 2006, 00:24

  • Teen data on Myspace compromised

    Hack allows 'private' entries to be made public

    A security hole in the popular MySpace social networking site allowed users to view entries marked "private", a crucial protection for users aged under 16, according to weekend reports. Though the site is said to have fixed the problem, it was said by news reports to have been active for months. Nobody at MySpace was …

    Music and Media 30 Aug 2006, 07:02

  • Fine unlicensed software users, says BSA

    Lobby calls for 'harder enforcement stick'

    Software industry lobby group the Business Software Alliance (BSA) has called for government to mandate stiff penalties for companies using unlicensed software. The organisation says it wants a "harder enforcement stick" to ensure compliance. The group, which represents many major software publishers, says the current legal …

    Small Biz 30 Aug 2006, 08:54

  • ATI unveils HDCP-native chipset for Intel CPUs

    RS600 debuts as Radeon Xpress 1250

    ATI last night rolled out its latest chipset for Intel processors, pitching the part at both desktop and notebook systems. The launch marks the arrival of the chip maker's RS600 North Bridge and features not only its Avivo video processing pipeline but full HDMI and HDCP support. The announcement of the Radeon Xpress 1250 …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 09:03

  • Guidelines needed to protect anonymity

    It's an information free for all

    In early August, officials at America Online released information about searches being conducted by AOL members and users of the AOL search tool. This historical data was released onto the internet by several AOL officials to demonstrate how useful such data could be for tracking patterns, uses and interest of AOL members. …

    ID 30 Aug 2006, 09:24

  • Russian abuses apparatus in sex doll rafting race

    Disqualification shame for aquatic Romeo

    A participant in the annual Sex Dolls Rafting Tournament near St Petersburg was disqualified in shame for "sexual abuse of apparatus", Mosnews reports. The event - held on the Vuoksa river and sponsored by "a number of Russian sex shops" - this year attracted 400 athletes determined to tackle the choppy 1,200 metre course with …

    Music and Media 30 Aug 2006, 09:32

  • HTC touts record results

    As i-mate rolls out latest smart phones

    Smart phone company i-mate has announced its versions of HTC's TyTN and MTeoR handsets even as the manufacturer, which is now selling its products under its own name, announced record financial results. i-mate's versions of the TyTN and the MTeoR are called the JASJAM and SP JAS, respectively. Both are 3G devices and support …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 09:41

  • IBM beefs up security in global services

    Comment Good news for big business, but what about SMBs?

    Last week IBM announced that it was acquiring US-based Internet Security Systems (ISS) for $1.3bn. ISS's specialty has been the proactive security for the enterprise through automation and focusing on vulnerabilities in the ever-evolving IT infrastructure. IBM believes the acquisition, its largest since it acquired PWC, will …

    Business 30 Aug 2006, 09:46

  • Fujitsu preps perpendicular laptop HDD for Q4

    Anticipating Intel's 'Santa Rosa' Centrino update?

    Fujitsu has extended its 2.5in, notebook-oriented hard disk drive line up with both parallel ATA and SATA models, the latter utilising the perpendicular recording technique to offer up to 160GB of unformatted storage capacity. The MHW2160BH SATA drive will also ship as an 80GB unit. Both capacities are delivered by platters …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 10:04

  • NASA satellites spy on forests

    Tracking trees in a changing climate

    A NASA funded study is using satellites to monitor forests, with the aim of measuring the impact of climate change on their growth and health. The research should help scientists better understand the interplay of the factors that contribute to the composition and health of a forest. This in turn may help them forecast how …

    Biology 30 Aug 2006, 10:20

  • UK examines civilian use of UAVs

    Skies filled with drones by 2016?

    The UK is examing the possible deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) within 10 years across Britain's airspace for a range of civilian tasks including traffic control and environmental monitoring, The Guardian reports. UAVs cannot currently operate in UK skies, except in "restricted conditions". Accordingly, the …

    Science 30 Aug 2006, 10:24

  • Japan tells Apple to probe burning battery problem

    Risk of big fires fines if it doesn't

    Japan's trade ministry has given Apple a week to explain why one of the Mac maker's notebooks allegedly burst into flames in April this year and to detail what's being done to make sure the incident isn't repeated. The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry yesterday revealed one owner of an iBook G4 received minor …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 10:27

  • Gov stitches up IT price cuts

    Great deals?

    The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has negotiated price cuts of 45 per cent on computer hardware supplied through its Catalist framework agreements, it said yesterday. The OGC framework regime is already notoriously tight for suppliers, with most British firms that supply PCs to the public sector complaining they can …

    Public Sector 30 Aug 2006, 10:31

  • Sony ships 'world's fastest' DVD±R burner

    Claims 18x burn speed

    The first fruit of Sony's optical drive partnership with NEC have arrived in Europe: a drive the company claims is the world's fastest DVD±R writer, capable of burning single-layer discs at up to 18x speed. Sony admitted the availability of media certified for use at 18x was "limited", but it claimed the drive - dubbed the …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 11:00

  • Dell kits out XPS 700 gaming PC with Core 2-class CPUs

    Order backlog cleared?

    Dell UK has formally upgraded its XPS 700 gaming machine to include Intel's Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme desktop processors, dropping the Pentium D chip the system was originally specified with. Prices for the Core 2 incarnation of the XPS 700 start at £1,099 inc. VAT and delivery, Dell UK said today. The XPS 700 was …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 11:25

  • Logica feels the labour pinch

    Raises prices to fuel staffing

    Anglo-Dutch firm LogicaCMG is stuggling to find the brains it needs to fulfill IT services demand in the West. In a statement accompanying its latest financials, it said: "The increased demand is causing some tightening of labour markets in our major geographies with the supply of new graduates in developed economies becoming …

    Channel Register 30 Aug 2006, 11:37

  • Beatles fan foils Scouse blag

    Help!

    An attempted burglary of a Liverpool sports store was foiled after a vulture-eyed viewer of a Beatles-related webcam alerted police. A Dallas man spotted the break-in while perusing an online feed from a webcam on Mathew Street, close to the home of the Cavern Club where the Beatles held many of their early concerts. Three …

    Music and Media 30 Aug 2006, 11:38

  • Mac OS X-friendly OpenOffice to go public next month

    No more X11... soon

    A version of OpenOffice that will run natively under Mac OS X's Aqua user interface will be demo'd in public at Apple Expo Paris next month, the team behind the software have revealed. To date, the open-source productivity software suite has only run under the X11 Unix windowing system. Apple bundles an X11 implementation …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 11:46

  • Southampton Uni's computer whizzes develop 'mini' grid

    A safe place for students to play

    In a bid to help its students explore the potential of grid computing, the University of Southampton's Computer Science department has developed what it calls a "lightweight grid". The system has been designed to allow students to experiment with grid technology without the complexity of inherent security concerns of the real …

    Servers 30 Aug 2006, 12:10

  • Emulex to buy Sierra Logic for $180m

    Storage start-up cashes in its chips

    Storage guts maker Emulex will buy privately-held chip firm Sierra Logic for $180m in a mixed stock, cash, and debt transfer deal. Sierra Logic's revenues in 2005 were $15.6m. It has around 70 employees at its Roseville, California, offices. The firm describes its products as "intelligent I/O solutions", which we take to mean " …

    Financial News 30 Aug 2006, 12:18

  • EC moots telecoms super-regulator

    Competition drive

    The concept of a European super-regulator has been considered in a report from the European Commission, looking at ways in which competition could be increased in the telecommunications business. As reported by OUT-LAW; the commission has published three reports looking at competitiveness in Europe, one of which examines the …

    Telecoms 30 Aug 2006, 12:36

  • O2 closes call records site after security flap

    Phreaks like us

    Mobile phone firm O2 was forced to disable logins to its Bill Manager web site on Tuesday following the discovery of a coding error that exposed a serious security breach. The service, which allows small businesses to manage their spending on mobile calls, was suspended after it emerged that registered users could see other …

    Enterprise Security 30 Aug 2006, 12:53

  • New guard take over at Morse

    Make me feel brand new

    Morse is splitting in two and promoting the bosses of two of its acquisitions to lead the new units, the firm said in a statement today. Announcing the firm's results for the year ended 30 June 2006 today, Morse chairman Richard Lapthorne said it was getting near the end of its long period of catalysis and would soon be the …

    Channel Register 30 Aug 2006, 13:09

  • Pope calls a meeting on evolution

    Not known whether God will attend

    The pope is set to host a seminar with his senior clergymen to discuss the Catholic Church's position on evolution. The move follows months of mixed signals from the Church with supporters of Darwin's theory at odds with those giving more credence to Intelligent Design, and other more creationist views. The last pope, John Paul …

    Biology 30 Aug 2006, 13:18

  • Orange SPV M3100 3G handset

    Review The ultimate smart phone?

    Although the Orange SPV M3100 is a version of the HTC TyTN, Orange has come up with a better-looking design. That said, the two devices are otherwise identical. The black device with silver trim looks great and that's only the beginning of it, as this is a really terrific smart phone... The SPV M3100 has taken all the good …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 13:34

  • Nuns have multi-point mind-link to God, say researchers

    Er, sort of

    Nuns don't have a single G-spot (that is G to God) in their brains after all. This groundbreaking and no doubt riveting piece of information comes courtesy of researchers at the University of Montreal. The research was prompted by suggestions that religious experiences all involved a common part of the brain. This led some …

    Biology 30 Aug 2006, 14:00

  • Samsung models skinny 3G phones in Europe

    Oh la la

    Samsung has launched its Ultra Edition slimline 3G phone series in Europe, pledging to make then available cross-continent by the end of the year. This time round, Samsung's naming the trio after their respective widths, so we have the Ultra Edition 13.8, the 11.8 and the 8.4 for fans of slider phones, clamshells and candybar …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 14:44

  • Reporters Without Borders petitions Steve Jobs

    As Chinese hacks sued senseless for iPod plant exposé

    Campaining organisation Reporters Without Borders has asked Apple big cheese Steve Jobs to intercede on behalf of two journalists who are being sued for defamation by iPod assembler Foxconn over a 15 June article they wrote for China Business News critical of conditions in the firm's factory at Longhua, near the southern Chinese …

    Financial News 30 Aug 2006, 14:49

  • TomTom ships a pair of Ones

    One-touch GPS gagdet updated

    Satellite navigation specialist TomTom today found its way to releasing the successor to its TomTom One GPS gadget, rolling out two versions of the next-generation product: one for pan-European travellers, the other for drivers motoring around Britain. The new models use the SiRFStar III GPS chipset and a 266MHz processor. …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 15:10

  • Core 2 Duo jargon decoder

    Intel's dual-core technical talk translated

    Intel's Core 2 Duo may be the world's most advanced desktop microprocessor, but like all those that have come before it - and almost certainly those yet to appear - its arrival is accompanied by a veritable dictionary of jargon and tech-talk. Baffled by 'Digital Media Boost'? Can't get your head around 'Viiv'? Look no further …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 15:12

  • Core 2 Duo-ready software compendium

    Enter the age dual-core computing with these Core 2 Duo-friendly applications

    Here is a selection of some of the many, many applications and utilities that are ready to take full advantage of Intel's dual-core processor architecture. All software applications will gain from the higher processing performance the Intel Core 2 Duo delivers, but programs specially written to be 'multi-threaded' are ready to …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 15:12

  • Ryanair joins the rush to allow inflight calling

    Hello, I'm over the Atlantic

    Ryanair passengers will soon be able to make and receive GSM phone calls in the air. The budget airline has teamed up with OnAir to equip its entire fleet with the technology by the middle of 2008. It will be the first airline to be completely GSM-enabled. Ryanair joins bmi, who will be offering the capability on selected …

    Mobile 30 Aug 2006, 15:17

  • Thousands hit by AT&T website hack

    D'oh

    Hackers might have gained access to the credit card details and personal information of up to 19,000 people after breaking into AT&T's online store last weekend, the US telecoms giant said on Tuesday. The breach affected punters who'd purchased DSL through AT&T Charts web store. AT&T pulled down the shutters on the store after …

    Enterprise Security 30 Aug 2006, 15:26

  • Violent porn crackdown

    Possession loophole to be closed

    The family of a woman murdered by a man obsessed with violent internet pornography won their battle for government action today as Ministers announced new legislation to crack down on extreme material. Jane Longhurst, a 31-year-old Brighton schoolteacher, was found strangled on Wiggonholt Common in West Sussex in April 2003. …

    Music and Media 30 Aug 2006, 16:07

  • Creative adds wider screen to Zen Vision PMP

    Full 16:9 ratio now

    Creative has updated its Zen Vision:M digital music player and Zen Vision video device, at least in the company's native Singapore. Both gadgets had appeared in Western magazine ads, but this is the first time the company has discussed them officially. The Vision:M gets a 60GB hard drive, double the capacity of the first …

    Reg Hardware 30 Aug 2006, 16:35

  • No frills Rackable makes flashy Terrascale buy

    Plain kit, sweet file system

    Rackable Systems this week made an unusual acquisition for a no nonsense server vendor. It bought flashy storage software maker Terrascale for $38m in cash. You don't expect a company such as Rackable to go this deep with its software products. Rackable is kind of a like a revitalized Dell, selling cheap systems by the hundreds …

    Servers 30 Aug 2006, 19:15

  • Intel exec hired as top VC spook

    In-Q-Tel funds another CEO

    A former Intel executive has been slotted into the revolving door that is CIA-backed In-Q-Tel's CEO post. The spooky venture capital firm this week announced that Intel VP Chris Darby will become its CEO in late September. Darby will replace interim CEO Scott Yancey and former CEO Amit Yoran. Yoran only stayed at In-Q-Tel for …

    Bootnotes 30 Aug 2006, 20:35

  • Berners-Lee calls for Web 2.0 calm

    Analysis Familiarity breeds contempt

    Five years after the first internet bubble burst, we're now witnessing the backlash against Web 2.0 and a plethora of me-too business plans, marketing pitches and analyst reports exploiting the nebulous phrase. Tim Berners-Lee, the individual credited with inventing the web and giving so many of us jobs, has become the most …

    Music and Media 30 Aug 2006, 22:48

  • Soldier takes aim at HP printer

    Shreds it

    Take it from our boys in Iraq. Automatic weapons are the most effective way to convince a customer service representative about the severity of your product issues. One US soldier has turned to YouTube - and his gun - to let HP know just how upset he is with their refusal to fix an all-in-one printer. The soldier outlines his …

    Bootnotes 30 Aug 2006, 23:31