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31st October 2006 Archive

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  • Rackable sees red, despite sticky AMD

    Facebook, YouTube and AOL buying

    Server industry buffs really should take notice of Rackable Systems' earnings calls. The company has injected drama back into the hardware financial reporting game. Three months ago, Rackable horrified investors by warning that its third quarter sales would fall below expectations. Investors whacked about 35 per cent off …

    Hardware 31 Oct 2006, 00:03

  • Comedy Central banned from Google's $1.6bn AV club

    YouTube going to the dogs . . . chasing their tails

    If YouTube is in fact pulling down Comedy Central clips, as reported by the New York Times, then it's not doing a terribly good job. As of this writing late Monday afternoon, thousands upon thousands of clips from The Daily Show, South Park and The Colbert Report were available on YouTube - Google's overpriced high school AV …

    Music and Media 31 Oct 2006, 00:49

  • Server vendors show Red Hat that Oracle is boss

    Analysis Peace, love and Larry

    Oracle's move to support the Linux operating system has called more than Red Hat's business fundamentals into question. It has demanded that customers examine just how strong Red Hat's partner ties really are. The likes of Dell, HP and IBM have enjoyed a very lucrative relationship with Red Hat, selling millions of servers to …

    Servers 31 Oct 2006, 02:38

  • Recycle your IT waste for cash

    Saving the world...one cartridge at a time

    A new recycling scheme has been launched that claims to be both ethical and a potential money-spinner. The Recycling Factory (TRF) hopes to help change the way inkjet cartridges, toners, and mobile phones are disposed of by offering payments for any products it can re-use and in turn "reduce the harmful landfill burden on our …

    Channel Register 31 Oct 2006, 09:26

  • Airline security critic raided by Feds

    Don't even joke about it

    Indiana University graduate student Christopher Soghoian pointed out a flaw in airline security by posting a fake boarding pass generator online, and was rewarded with a visit from FBI agents with a search warrant. The FBI raided his residence on Saturday, only days after the student posted a PHP script enabling anyone to print …

    Music and Media 31 Oct 2006, 09:34

  • Internet forum promises democracy to the masses

    IGF But the masses aren't convinced

    The inaugural meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was opened in Athens yesterday morning by Greek prime minister Konstantinos Karamanlis amid proud claims that the forum represented a new level of democratic thinking at the top of the internet. In a webcast opening ceremony, Karamanlis joined other high-profile …

    Music and Media 31 Oct 2006, 09:47

  • Apple patches Windows-on-Mac app

    Boot Camp 1.1.2 marches in

    Apple has upgraded its Windows-on-Mac utility, Boot Camp. The new release, version 1.1.2, brings support for the "latest Intel-based Macintosh computers" - presumably a reference to the new, Core 2 Duo-equipped MacBook Pros. Other tweaks to the application - which incorporates both a dynamic re-partitioning utility and …

    Reg Hardware 31 Oct 2006, 09:48

  • 1,200 Dutch e-voting machines vulnerable to hacking

    Back to pencil and paper

    Dutch intelligence service AIVD has ruled 1,200 e-voting computers inadequate for next month's national elections after testing showed the machines could be be easily intercepted from 20 to 30 metres away. Voters in large cities such as Amsterdam, Eindhoven, and Tilburg will now have to cast their ballot with pencil and paper, …

    Enterprise Security 31 Oct 2006, 09:50

  • Microsoft moots 2008 for Euro Zune debut

    No longer coming Zune...

    Microsoft's Zune music player and online content store combo is "way off launch" in Europe and the UK, the company has admitted. The "earliest date" it might appear here? The end of 2007, or possibly even 2008, a Microsoft executive has revealed. "The earliest date it will be in the UK is towards the end of 2007. However, it …

    Reg Hardware 31 Oct 2006, 10:10

  • Scientists reveal link between Sahara and Amazon

    Dust to, er, rainforest, actually

    Scientists have conclusively demonstrated the extent of the link between the Sahara desert and the Amazon rainforests. It might sound unlikely, but their work has shown that the Amazon rainforest depends on dust from one tiny area of the Sahara desert to restock its soil with nutrients and minerals. Analysis of images from NASA …

    Science 31 Oct 2006, 10:33

  • Monster founder quits over options

    Exercises option to keep schtum

    Andrew McKelvey has resigned from the board of Monster.com because he refuses to cooperate with an investigation into dodgy stock options. The recruitment site was recently drawn into an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission into backdating of share options. Earlier this month McKelvey quit as chief executive …

    Financial News 31 Oct 2006, 10:40

  • AMD: Opteron CPUs now up to 47% cheaper

    Massive reductions

    AMD has pruned the prices of its Opteron single- and dual-core product lines, knocking up to 47.1 per cent off what it charges for the workstation- and server-oriented processors. It also re-applied pricing to its 1xx and 1xxx lines, for so long listed without a public price. The biggest cuts were made to the dual-core 2xx …

    Reg Hardware 31 Oct 2006, 10:41

  • Online advertising could net BBC £105m

    And a hell of a headache

    The BBC is considering supplementing its income with advertising, this time on the international version of its website. The corporation estimates that it could earn between £48m and £105m annually in advertising revenues, depending on how aggressively the advertising were to be placed. BBC executives must be rubbing their …

    Financial News 31 Oct 2006, 10:45

  • Enta punters get loyalty card

    Brief Goes live tomorrow

    Enta customers can start scoring loyalty points from tomorrow thanks to a new loyalty scheme. Punters ordering online get points which can be traded in for gifts and prizes or used to get money off Enta products. If you use the online ordering system you will be signed up automatically. Resellers can use the scheme to …

    Channel Register 31 Oct 2006, 10:46

  • Sony said to have slashed Japan's PS3 allocation

    More component shortages?

    Japan will get 20,000 fewer PlayStation 3 consoles at launch, if a report in local newspaper the Nikkei Keizai Shimbun is to be believed. That's a reduction of 20 per cent on the original allocation of 100,000 units. According to the paper, the cut comes as components become harder to find. Which components it's referring to …

    Reg Hardware 31 Oct 2006, 11:14

  • Recordings copyright set for extension

    In The City Congratulations, Sir Cliff

    The case against extending copyright terms for sound recordings may have won some heavyweight backing from think tank IPPR this week, but it received a predictable mauling at Britain's biggest music convention, In The City. A panel discussing the issue was loaded with advocates for extending copyright terms, and only one …

    Music and Media 31 Oct 2006, 11:30

  • Floridians to design first space-based supercomputer

    Hey, Dave, what are you doing?

    Engineers and researchers at the University of Florida are hard at work building a supercomputer capable of surviving in orbit. The computer is scheduled for a 2009 launch, on board a NASA test mission, and will be 100 times more powerful than anything already orbiting Earth. So far, orbiting computers have missed out on …

    Servers 31 Oct 2006, 11:46

  • Hacker-friendly handheld console gets faster processor

    Twin-CPU unit upped to 275MHz

    Linux-based dual-CPU handheld games console the GP2X has been upgraded with a faster processor, the company shipping the gadget in the UK has revealed. Originally spec'd at 200MHz, the device's twin processors now run at 275MHz. The GP2X's other specs remain the same: 64MB of RAM, 64MB of Flash, 320 x 240 display, TV-out …

    Reg Hardware 31 Oct 2006, 11:53

  • Fingerprint the expats! FCO plans phase two biometric passport

    Cross-Channel loophole to close by 2010

    Plans to add fingerprints to UK overseas passports are under way, despite the cost and complexity involved in gathering biometrics from UK citizens across the globe, a parliamentary answer revealed last week. Passports issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office are already "biometric", but only in the somewhat minimalist sense …

    Music and Media 31 Oct 2006, 11:53

  • Gadget tunes in to FM via USB

    Bundles Snaptune

    AV peripherals maker ADS Tech has launched an FM radio tuner USB dongle bundled with smart DVR-for-radio software that can sniff out songs you like from both FM stations and internet-only broadcasters. ADS' unit, dubbed the Instant FM Music, plugs into a spare USB port. It ships with a separate antenna cable, one of those …

    Reg Hardware 31 Oct 2006, 12:33

  • Fast24 vapourises...again

    Hosting firm cuts off Suffolk ISP

    Customers of budget ISP Fast24 have been stranded for the second time this year after the provider was cut-off by one of its suppliers. Services to Fast24 were suspended yesterday by UKSolutions, a Warwickshire-based hosting firm. Fast24's domain registrar service Domainbuster has also been crocked by the issue. Register …

    Telecoms 31 Oct 2006, 12:37

  • Code highlights e-passport eavesdropping risk

    What RFIDIOt chipped my passport?

    Researchers have released proof-of-concept code that creates a means to read personal details from next-generation passports outfitted with RFID chips. In a posting on security mailing list BugTraq, Adam Laurie of secure hosting facility the bunker explains how the latest version RFIDIOt, an open-source python library for RFID …

    ID 31 Oct 2006, 12:42

  • Purisma renames and updates

    Comment To 'hub' or not to 'hub'

    Purisma has just announced version 2.0 of what used to be called the Purisma Customer Registry and has now been re-named the Purisma Data Hub. I can understand why it has dropped the "customer" from its name, as it also supports suppliers, patients, and so forth but I am less happy about the use of the term "hub". Purisma has …

    Developer 31 Oct 2006, 12:58

  • Skidy in Steam account reverse sting

    Brief You've been owned

    A 13 year-old skid'iot who tried to pinch another user's Steam account via MSN was tricked into handing over his account details instead. Steam is the online content delivery platform developed by Valve and used to manage games including Half-Life. The prospective mark turned the tables on the would be attacker by claiming he …

    ID 31 Oct 2006, 13:09

  • Gateway offers overclocked Core 2 Extreme PCs

    Launched: pricey boxes for gamers

    Gateway has launched a trio of dual-core, multi-GPU desktop PCs pitched at gamers and computer enthusiasts - and it's offering to overclock them before shipping the machines to customers. The FX530 series comprises the FX530XG, FX530XT and FX530XL. The former is based on an Intel Core 2 Duo E6700, while the XT and XL use the …

    Reg Hardware 31 Oct 2006, 13:09

  • Florida ballot terminals favor Republicans

    Even when voters don't

    Florida voters using electronic ballot machines are having persistent problems choosing Democrats in early elections, the Miami Herald reports. The touch-screen gizmos seem strangely attracted to Republican candidates. One voter needed assistance from an election official, and even then, needed three tries to convince the …

    Music and Media 31 Oct 2006, 13:15

  • Computerland still smug

    As a bug in a rug

    Computerland's run of rosy statements to the City has continued with another upbeat report to investors. Remember how we told you it was going to be a good year, it said in its pre-close trading update for the six months to 31 October 2006? Well, we told you so. Or rather, "in line with the board's expectations...profit …

    Channel Register 31 Oct 2006, 13:18

  • IPTV/VoD: The world that's on its way

    Industry comment Part one: Hitting the brakes before the crash

    Imagine travelling down a motorway at 110 miles per hour, passing hundreds of signs with half of you feeling you just want a leisurely drive and the other half panicking that you're late. Some of the other cars are crashing into the central reservation or veering off the left lane violently never to be seen again, some are …

    Networks 31 Oct 2006, 13:54

  • Bond bundle spied on Sony Vaio website

    Laptop, digicam, case to put 'em in

    Sony has hopped on the Casino Royale bandwagon to offer budding Bonds their very own Vaio "Spy Gear" bundle comprising a Vaio TX notebook, Cyber-Shot DSC-T50 camera, a laptop screen-privacy filter and an 007-branded aluminium attache case to put 'em all in. The laptop contains a not very Q-tastic Intel Core Solo ultra-low …

    Reg Hardware 31 Oct 2006, 13:59

  • Microsoft goes for eBay pirates

    Avast there!

    Microsoft is taking legal action against 55 people for selling counterfeit software via the web and online auction sites like eBay. The company said many of those feeling the lawyers' wrath today had already received written warnings and cease and desist letters. Microsoft is taking action against 15 people in the US, 10 in …

    Channel Register 31 Oct 2006, 14:25

  • Top firms' websites not ready for IE7

    Browser trips up 13% of FTSE 100 company sites

    A survey has found that 13 per cent of the UK's biggest companies did not have their websites ready for the launch of Internet Explorer 7 (IE7), the first new version of Microsoft's market-leading browser since IE6 launched back in 2001. IE browsers are used by 80 per cent of internet users, said usability consultancy Etre, …

    Developer 31 Oct 2006, 14:27

  • Mature IT workers are valuable

    'Grey' matter, er matters

    The skills and experience older people can offer working in IT have been undermined by recent press coverage, according to new research. The argument, which has rattled throughout national press and the blogosphere in recent months, says the ever-changing nature of technology demands a young, energetic workforce equipped to …

    Small Biz 31 Oct 2006, 15:17

  • Schneider Electric fuses with APC

    $6.1bn deal the most exciting news in UPS - ever

    The uninterruptible power supply (UPS) industry felt a surge in activity today with French company Schneider Electric SA acquiring American Power Conversion Corp (APC) in a deal estimated at $6.1bn. Schneider Electric, which provides automation and electricity management services, had a reported turnover of €11.7bn in 2005. …

    Financial News 31 Oct 2006, 15:19

  • Moderation, frustration, and making people uncomfortable

    IGF blog An internet conference with no internet

    You reach a certain level of frustration and then, suddenly, you relax. The struggle becomes impossible and then you realise that, ultimately, it's not that important. You're still breathing air, you still have legs, this will come to an end. What on earth am I talking about? The mild insanity of hosting a global, revolutionary …

    Music and Media 31 Oct 2006, 15:54

  • EULAs, RFID tagging and other Halloween horrors

    Letters It is a scary, scary world out there

    It is Halloween, so we thought we'd get as scary as we could and head straight for Microsoft's Vista EULA. Security Focus' Scott Granneman took a look inside the new EULA and gave himself quite a fright. We hear the shock turned his hair white (no, not really). The key issue here for us from a development/QA perspective is …

    Letters 31 Oct 2006, 16:16

  • US ID thieves target kids

    ...as UK banks give crooks a helping hand

    US-based identity thieves are using the details of children to conduct fraudulent trades, according to New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton who reckons up to 400,000 kids may become victims of identity theft, AP reports. Clinton is proposing legislation to fine credit card firms and banks who issue loans without checking the …

    ID 31 Oct 2006, 16:19

  • Romanian witches look for help with English spellings

    Double, double, toil and trouble

    Romanian witches have been taking full advantage of their country's recent EU entry. Before setting off on their broomsticks to head for these shores, they've been learning to speak English. Apparently it's important to cast spells in the local lingo and means they can use their immense magic powers to improve their UK client …

    Music and Media 31 Oct 2006, 16:22

  • NASA greenlights Hubble rescue

    Servicing mission approved

    Hubble is saved. NASA has just announced that it will run a servicing mission to the ageing space telescope after more than two years of speculation about its fate. NASA administrator Michael Griffin said the last three shuttle missions have provided convincing data that a mission to Hubble can be run safely. "While there is …

    Space 31 Oct 2006, 16:24

  • UK Gov woos online gambling firms

    'We won't put you in prison'

    The government today began pimping Britannia out to online gambling firms. The Department for Culture Media and Sport is hosting a conference at Royal Ascot aimed at bagging a lovely slice of pork as the industry realises its days of Wild West tax dodging are behind it. Or, if you believe Tessa Jowell, it's all about protecting …

    Financial News 31 Oct 2006, 16:38

  • Domain resale market a 'haven' for phishers

    The lure of filthy lucre

    Domain names likely to appeal to fraudsters are up for grabs on domain resale sites. Firms such as Sedo and Moniker specialise in the sale of domain names that have already been registered and are now being resold in the secondary (or aftermarket) for domain names. Most domain names are sold for a few hundred or thousand …

    Enterprise Security 31 Oct 2006, 17:40

  • eMusic cuts quotas

    Cuts annual subs too

    The No.2 legal music service, eMusic, is cutting the number of tracks Stateside subscribers are permitted to download each month. The basic monthly allowance falls to 40 from 30 songs (a 25 per cent cut), the Plus allowance falls from 65 to 50 songs (a 23 per cent cut), while the Premium cap is down to 75 songs, from 90 - a 16 …

    Financial News 31 Oct 2006, 17:43

  • Wired buys Reddit, Google buys Jotspot

    Cash Register Inflating Bubble 2.0

    Wired has bought Reddit, the news aggregation-by-committee website. Terms are undisclosed, but we can safely assume that the price is many heaps smaller than the $150m that Kevin Rose reportedly wants for Digg, Reddit's much bigger rival. Reddit claims a million unique users a month. Reddit's four employees are upping sticks …

    Financial News 31 Oct 2006, 19:45

  • Zend signs PHP accord with Microsoft

    Tuning up for Windows Servers

    Zend Technologies and Microsoft are to improve performance of PHP on Windows 2003 Server and its planned successor, Longhorn Server. PHP specialist Zend will fine-tune deployment of PHP on Windows Servers, with changes made to the open source language submitted to the community. An Internet Information Services (IIS) add-on …

    Developer 31 Oct 2006, 19:47

  • Handango bans raffle winner

    Use your prize quickly, or get thrown off the system

    Omnisoft, a small development company run by one John Cody, found itself chucked off the Handango web site for, apparently, trying to use advertising credit won in a raffle. John Cody is one of a dwindling number of small-scale developers, he works alone to create and maintain five packages for Windows Mobile devices and sels …

    Mobile 31 Oct 2006, 20:14

  • Russian hacking case can be heard in England, says judge

    Servers based in London

    A case claiming that two Russian companies hacked into a London computer system can be heard in English courts, a judge has ruled. The Russian companies involved had argued that English courts had no jurisdiction. A bitter legal dispute ranging across a number of cases and jurisdictions is raging between three companies, one a …

    Music and Media 31 Oct 2006, 21:07

  • Bot nets likely behind jump in spam

    An uncommon surge

    A significant rise in the global volume of spam in the past two months has security analysts worried that bot nets are increasingly being used by spammers to stymie network defenses erected to curtail bulk email. Estimates of the magnitude of the increase in junk email vary, but experts agree that an uncommon surge in spam is …

    Spam 31 Oct 2006, 21:19

  • Liquid Computing's Opteron dynamo now more concrete

    Is the price right?

    Liquid Computing has come to market at last with its high-end Opteron gear, but the company remains as elusive as ever. A spokesman has assured us that customers can now order as many of the LiquidIQ boxes as they would like. At the base level, these systems can hold 80 dual-core Opteron chips in a 26U chassis. Customers can …

    Servers 31 Oct 2006, 23:07