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6th September 2006 Archive

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  • HP's boardroom witch hunt causes two directors to leave

    Pretexting now part of the HP Way

    Put the cheery comeback stories on hold. HP has a boardroom scandal that deserves some attention. Sweat started trickling down the foreheads of workers in HP's PR department late Tuesday as word broke of a boardroom spy debacle. According to various reports, two of HP's directors have severed ties with the company as a result …

    IT Director 6 Sep 2006, 00:30

  • Windows Vista pricing favors PC upgrades

    More is good

    Microsoft has published pricing for Windows Vista - and things are looking up for PC manufacturers hoping consumers will start buying shiny new Vista-ready computers. Microsoft will charge $199 for Windows Vista Home Basic, or $99.95 to upgrade, with prices topping out at $399 for Vista Ultimate, or $259 to upgrade. Between …

    Operating Systems 6 Sep 2006, 00:34

  • European chip sales bounce back

    In spite of AMD, Intel price war

    European microchip sales recover slightly in July but still lag behind the global average, according to the latest figures. World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) data for July released by The European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESCIA) shows the value of European chip sales increased four per cent to $3.2bn …

    Reg Hardware 6 Sep 2006, 07:02

  • BoI to refund phishing victims

    Compensation u-turn

    Bank of Ireland has agreed to compensate victims of a recent phishing scam, backtracking from its earlier position. The bank had initially refused to refund victims, who lost about €160,000 to scammers after receiving the fake emails. However, reports in the Irish Independent on Tuesday indicate that the bank has since had a …

    Enterprise Security 6 Sep 2006, 08:02

  • Developers voting for Eclipse RCP

    Windows alternative

    An open source, cross-platform desktop architecture from Eclipse is enjoying a surge of interest among developers according to an Evans Data Corp poll. The Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP) is being used by 22 per cent of Eclipse developers for building software to port between Windows, Linux and Mac OS X desktops. Evans …

    Software 6 Sep 2006, 08:18

  • Landmine detection company set to explode!

    Pump and dump email goes bang

    The content of pump and dump emails is not usually considered worthy of attention down here at Vulture Central, lacking as it does the creative va-va-voom of a well-crafted 419 missive, but this one caught our eye: W_A T_C_H O U T! Here comes the big one! All signs show that AETR is going to Explode! ALLIANCE ENTERPRISE (AETR …

    Spam 6 Sep 2006, 08:21

  • A quarter of Russians have sex while driving

    Drunk, naturally

    Startling research aimed at determining why Russians are among the worse drivers in Europe has revealed that it can be largely attributed to a penchant for getting their ends away while behind the wheel, Mosnews reports. Indeed, around 25 per cent of those quizzed for the Goodyear poll admitted to mobile rumpy-pumpy, and a fair …

    Bootnotes 6 Sep 2006, 09:10

  • Tell the EC about surveillance

    Unless you want to leave it to industry

    The European Commission has opened a public consultation on the use of surveillance technology in civil society. At the initiative's heart is the desire to work with industry to create more and better surveillance systems that it can use to monitor the public in order to prevent terrorist attacks. The EC Directorate-General …

    Business 6 Sep 2006, 09:19

  • Core Windows architect crawls clear of Vista

    Veteran exit

    One of the architects of Windows Vista is leaving Microsoft weeks after it emerged he would be re-assigned once the delayed operating system is launched. Brian Valentine, the vice president for Microsoft's core operating system division, is reportedly leaving Microsoft after 19 years to join internet retailer Amazon. His exit …

    Operating Systems 6 Sep 2006, 09:40

  • Captain Kirk bottles free space trip

    'Not my idea of a good time', admits Shatner

    William Shatner has turned down a free trip into space because it's "not my idea of a good time", as the actor explained to UK tabloid The Sun. Richard Branson offered the 75-year-old a £114,000 ticket for Virgin Galactic’s first passenger flight in 2008. Shatner, however, declared: "I'm interested in man's march into the …

    Space 6 Sep 2006, 09:50

  • Symbian phones targeted as carriers for Windows worm

    Old school virus can also infect floppy disks

    Anti-virus company F-Secure has posted details of a Windows virus which can use a Symbian handset to transport itself between systems. The Mobler worm infects a Windows system, hides the Windows folder and sets about copying itself into different directories and on to any removable media available. It also creates a Symbian …

    Mobile 6 Sep 2006, 10:04

  • Sony delays PS3

    Europe to wait until March 2007 - at the earliest

    The Sony press release says it all rather concisely: ‘Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Announces New March 2007 date for European Launch of Playstation 3." Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced that it would revise the launch date of its Playstation 3 computer entertainment system in the PAL territories of …

    Reg Hardware 6 Sep 2006, 10:04

  • Faulty CA update crashes Win 2003 servers

    Collateral damage

    A faulty signature update to CA's antivirus software created headaches for sys admins last week after the software falsely identified a Windows 2003 component as malware. Win 2003 servers crashed and failed to reboot once the faulty (30.3.3054) update to CA's eTrust software was applied because the software wrongly flagged …

    Security 6 Sep 2006, 10:29

  • Pro-Israel lobby targets BBC online poll

    'Megaphone' lobbyware mobilisation

    BBC History Magazine was forced to remove an online poll after it was targeted by a project aimed at influencing internet opinion in Israel's favour. The Give Israel Your United Support (GIYUS) website hosts a downloadable desktop tool called Megaphone. The program alerts users to opinion polls and "talkback" features on news …

    Music and Media 6 Sep 2006, 11:18

  • Google opens news archive

    Won't save you a trip to the library, though

    If you ever suspected that the old days weren't quite as great as old folk reckon, or that the cock and bull stories told by politicians haven't changed one jot in two hundred years, you now have the means to find out without getting off your lazy backside and going to the library. Google has opened a news archive that reaches …

    Music and Media 6 Sep 2006, 11:45

  • Apple mobile due early 2007, analyst claims

    Wu'll be lucky

    Analysts are predicting that Apple will launch a mobile phone in the first half of 2007. According to Shaw Wu of American Technology Research “The new phone's design will be similar to that of the iPod Nano, and is likely to come in three colours—white, black and platinum.” Phew, they’ve got the colours sorted out then. Wu …

    Mobile 6 Sep 2006, 11:55

  • UK immigrants beaten back by ice

    700,000 years attempting entry

    Humans failed to colonise Britain seven times before they finally settled, according to the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain Project. The five year scientific effort has re-examined a heap of data from fossils and flint tools. The date of the earliest abortive attempt at making Blighty home was backdated 200,000 years by the …

    Biology 6 Sep 2006, 11:57

  • Vodafone welcomes back old friend

    New European Chief Executive is company vet

    Vodafone have appointed Vittorio Colao as its new Chief Executive for Europe. Colao only left Vodafone two years ago to become Chief Executive of RCS MediaGroup, the Italian publishing and media company, after working as Chief Executive of Vodafone Italy and, subsequently, having responsibility for operations in Southern Europe …

    Mobile 6 Sep 2006, 12:02

  • Biostar TForce P965 Deluxe

    Review Biostar takes aim at the overclockers

    First up in a series of Core 2 Duo motherboard reviews from Reg Hardware comes the TForce P965 Deluxe from former mid-table manufacturer Biostar, a company now working hard at getting their enthusiast oriented and overclocking-friendly T-series motherboards noticed by the DIY performance builder. Intel's Core 2 Duo takes a …

    Reg Hardware 6 Sep 2006, 12:09

  • Creative launches Live! Cam Voice webcam

    Lights, Camera, Action

    Creative has launched a new webcam, and ominously the Creative Live! Cam Voice, which is the 13th model in its extensive range and the ninth to use that blasted exclamation mark after the word ‘Live’. It claims to be the first webcam on the market to offer built-in dual microphones and a true 1.3 Megapixel lens with intelligent …

    Reg Hardware 6 Sep 2006, 12:25

  • Nvidia launches GeForce 7950 GT and 7900 GS chips

    Plugging holes in its product range

    Nvidia has launched two new versions of its mighty GeForce 7900 graphics chip with the GeForce 7900 GS going on sale immediately and the GeForce 7950 GT hitting the shops on 14 September. The two new chips fill a gaping chasm in the Nvidia product range between the GeForce 7600 GT at £100-£150 and the GeForce 7900 GTX at £265-£ …

    Reg Hardware 6 Sep 2006, 12:46

  • Bank robber exposed by exploding trousers

    Smoking pants finger hapless blagger

    A bank robber who made off with a wad of cash from an Orlando bank last Friday had his collar felt after his trousers exploded as he attempted to make good his escape, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Kenneth Ray Brooks marched into Centura Bank and declared: "I'm holding down the joint," police reports record. He then "stuffed a …

    Entertainment 6 Sep 2006, 13:52

  • Phishing attack targets Spanish mobiles

    SMiShing

    A mass mailing worm that attempts to trick users into downloading malware in response to bogus text messages is spreading in Spain. Anti-virus firm McAfee said the Eliles-A worm is among the first malware samples to automate a so-called phishing via SMS (SMiShing) attack. Eliles-A worm initially spreads as a conventional mass …

    Malware 6 Sep 2006, 13:56

  • Jail for speed camera attack motorist

    Blew up device with thermite

    A man caught speeding by a Watchman camera in Hyde, Greater Manchester, decided he'd attempt to destroy the evidence by blowing up the offending device with thermite, the BBC reports. Craig Moore, 28, of Thorne, Doncaster, was caught on camera in Mottram Road on 14 August last year while driving a work vehicle. Later that night …

    Music and Media 6 Sep 2006, 14:27

  • Samsung SGH-i600 Smartphone

    Blackberry Crush from Samsung

    Samsung was showing its SGH-i600 Smartphone at IFA 2006 and judging by what we’ve seen, RIM should be afraid for the popularity of its beloved Blackberry. The i600 is single-handed design so you don’t need to use both thumbs to navigate the QWERTY keypad and it has a decent-sized 2.3inch screen with 320x240 resolution and 65, …

    Reg Hardware 6 Sep 2006, 14:31

  • Free mobile maps for smart phones

    Where am I? I'll ask my phone...

    The most useful place for a map is in the pocket, but anyone who has tried to navigate using a web-based mapping application on a mobile phone will know that it is a lot easier to ask for directions, or just wander around at random. Running client software on the phone makes a lot more sense, as the interface can be tuned to …

    Mobile 6 Sep 2006, 15:04

  • El Reg sings Opera on your mobile

    Site offer Svelte and swift web pages on the go

    The Register and Opera have teamed up to offer you, our beloved readers, an easy way to get online through their mobile phone, viz: Opera Mini, Opera's java-based mobile browser. Opera Mini comes bundled with El Reg bookmarks for your convenience, and should provide the majority of you with a smooth and fast browsing. Why …

    Site News 6 Sep 2006, 15:16

  • New iMacs - 24-inch screen

    Core blimey

    Apple has announced that its iMac range now exclusively uses the Intel Core 2 Duo processor and it’s celebrating the happy occasion by adding a 24in widescreen iMac to the existing 17 and 20in models. The 17in starts at £679 with a basic 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 512MB RAM, 160GB SATA HDD, a CD/DVD combo drive, Intel GMA950 …

    Reg Hardware 6 Sep 2006, 15:35

  • Pump-and-dump spammers shift tactics

    Buy low, spam high

    Pump-and-dump spammers are refining their tactics and marketing techniques in an attempt to drum up new business. Junk mail scumbags are now targeting companies with offers to boost their stock prices in return for payment. Pump-and-dump scams are email campaigns that seek to encourage armchair investors to sink their cash …

    Spam 6 Sep 2006, 15:41

  • Misanthropy 2.0

    Competition results We hate you, puny humans

    So, to some unfinished business. "One's thoughts must perpetually be challenged, tested, and pollinated by others to be kept healthy," observed our own Thomas C Greene recently, writing about the latest prognosis from Professor Stephen Hawking. "One gets the sense of a man whose ideas have not been challenged in decades, and …

    Music and Media 6 Sep 2006, 19:04

  • HP admits to spy op, lawyers dig in

    SEC and California want answers

    HP today divulged some of the grimy details behind its boardroom mole hunting operation. In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), HP confirmed that it used a form of surveillance known as "pretexting" to snoop on its board members. The company hired a team of investigators that tricked phone companies …

    Financial News 6 Sep 2006, 20:17

  • Doerr closes on Sun

    Mentor picks family over board

    Sun Microsystems will soon lose the direct touch of one its staunchest allies when John Doerr leaves the company's board. Sun today announced that Doerr will step down as a director when his term expires in early November. The famed venture capitalist has backed Sun since its early days as a workstation maker. He's also a …

    IT Director 6 Sep 2006, 23:13

  • Microsoft and Cisco collaborate on security

    Giants team on giant white paper

    Microsoft and Cisco Systems have detailed plans for interoperability between systems designed to enforce security policies on Windows PCs and servers. The giants have published a white paper and detailed a roadmap that will enable Microsoft's Network Access Protection (NAP) and Cisco's Network Admission Control (NAC) to work …

    Enterprise Security 6 Sep 2006, 23:29

  • Sun gets hooks into JBoss

    Single installer

    Sun Microsystems is hoping to leverage the popularity of Red Hat's JBoss, with software making it easier to use NetBeans with the application server. Sun Wednesday released an installer that includes the NetBeans integrated development environment (IDE) and the JBoss Application Server in a single bundle. According to Sun, …

    Developer 6 Sep 2006, 23:37