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2nd November 2006 Archive

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  • IGF: The good, the bad and the psycho cleaners

    If you want to get on in Athens, steal a waiter uniform

    The Greeks drove me to it. Last night, under the cover of conference quietness, I sneaked into the Apollon hotel store room and stole a waiter uniform. I’m not proud of it, but I am proudly wearing it today one for simple reason - I want my own coffee and water, and I don't want to have to wait 10 minutes for it to be served to …

    Music and Media 2 Nov 2006, 01:41

  • Vendor grid lock on multi-core pricing

    Plus ça change…

    Don't hold your breath waiting for the big software companies to simplify prices or to make it fairer for those of you running software on multi-core processors. That was the message last week from an IT roundtable at Oracle's OpenWorld in San Francisco, where it became clear that vendors are engaged in talks about talks …

    IT Director 2 Nov 2006, 02:45

  • Lifecycle Quality at Borland

    Borland moves forward with Process.

    Borland is now promoting a new TLA LQM - Lifecycle Quality Management. This could be an interesting new focus for development teams, as long as people understand Quality in terms of "fitness for business purpose" instead of just "well, it meets corporate standards and there's some really neat code in there". Lifecycle Quality …

    Developer 2 Nov 2006, 03:08

  • Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 quad-core CPU

    Review Two cores bad - four cores good?

    So here we are, not quite four months since Intel launched its Core 2 Duo processor and we're already moving up yet another level. Intel will today officially announce 'Kentsfield', aka the four-core Core 2 Extreme QX6700. Some may claim it isn't a true quad-core CPU as Intel has fitted two Core 2 Duo CPUs together in a single …

    Reg Hardware 2 Nov 2006, 05:02

  • National DNA Database: have your say

    No guarantees Blair will listen though

    Wary of "mission creep" in the National DNA Database, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics has launched a year-long project investigating the government's push to fingerprint the DNA of every person in the UK. The timely intervention comes after a speech by Tony Blair last week. During a visit to the Forensic Science Service he …

    Biology 2 Nov 2006, 07:02

  • All CRB agents broke the law

    None face prosecution

    Nearly all the Criminal Records Bureau's agents have illegally discriminated against people with past criminal convictions that are innocuous or irrelevant under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. The CRB has assessed nearly 2,500 of its agents, which vet applicants for jobs working with children and vulnerable adults, to …

    Music and Media 2 Nov 2006, 07:02

  • Spammers go island hopping to bypass filter

    See you in Sao Tome

    Anti-spam researchers at security company McAfee have discovered a new spamming trend nicknamed 'spam island-hopping'. The new trend involves spammers using the domain names of small islands as website links in spam campaigns. McAfee has traced spam activity from the Isle of Man to the tiny tropical island of Tokelau in the …

    Spam 2 Nov 2006, 08:02

  • Nvidia may take $150m hit over stock options

    Restatement of recent years' figures coming

    Nvidia's investigation into stock-option awards will result in a restatement of the company's financial figures for fiscal years 2004, 2005 and 2006, and for Q1 FY2007, the graphics chip maker admitted last night. It said the net impact of the restatement will be non-cash charges totalling less than $150m before tax. Whatever …

    Reg Hardware 2 Nov 2006, 09:56

  • Business process modelling

    Column Keep your eye on the ball

    Over the years, business process modelling has, at various times, been a big part of my life. From using a pencil, paper and stencils to draw process diagrams in the mid 80’s, through pushing the first generation of CASE tools to their limits, I eventually got into modelling environments from vendors such as Rational, Select, …

    IT Director 2 Nov 2006, 10:02

  • Britain is a Big Brother state

    Thomas sounds surveillance warning

    The information commissioner has said the UK is adopting uncomfortably high levels of surveillance. Richard Thomas expressed the view to mark the publication of a report, A Surveillance Society, released today. It looks at surveillance in 2006 and projects forward 10 years to 2016, describing a surveillance society as one where …

    Music and Media 2 Nov 2006, 10:05

  • Accenture wins Olympic contract

    First out of the blocks

    The London Organising Committee (Locog) for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympics Games has selected Accenture to run its back office systems. The IT consultancy firm will integrate Locog's systems and services to create a platform for the planning of the games across "functional areas". These include finance and accounting …

    Public Sector 2 Nov 2006, 10:13

  • LG to mass-produce $150,000 100in LCD HD TV

    Price tag more overwhelming than the screen size?

    LG's monster 100in (250cm) LCD TV - already assured of a place in the Guiness Book of Records as the world's largest liquid crystal telly - is finally set to go into mass production, the company has revealed. Not that it'll come cheap: expect to pay at least $150,000 if you want one. That figure's how much it costs to make …

    Reg Hardware 2 Nov 2006, 10:21

  • The gossip issue

    IGF blog Stuff the net, let's get to the scandal

    I got some good advice once. It was: "Make sure you never take yourself too seriously." That has stuck with me despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that it was delivered by an old French drunk sitting on a Paris bench facing a lit-up Notre Dame over the Seine at 2am. It is with that wisdom in mind that this blog post will …

    Music and Media 2 Nov 2006, 10:38

  • UK banks agree to data sharing

    But say plans 'may not catch criminals'

    UK banks have agreed to government data sharing proposals on suspected financial criminals, but say they want the public sector to share its data with them. The banks also express doubts about whether the plans would actually help to catch criminals. The British Bankers' Association (BBA) outlines its views on the new plans in …

    Music and Media 2 Nov 2006, 10:42

  • Adult movies will not decide outcome of HD DVD, Blu-ray

    No repeat of VHS vs Betamax

    Smutty films, long touted as the pivotal factor in the VHS vs Betamax war of the 1980s, will not play a similar role in deciding whether HD DVD will beat Blu-ray Disc or vice versa, it has been claimed. Instead, porn producers will sit on the fence and release content on both formats, sources from within Taiwan's optical disc …

    Reg Hardware 2 Nov 2006, 10:50

  • Quantum attacks worry computer scientists

    Today's network admins have it easy

    In the weird world of quantum computing, the state of computer systems networked together is so fragile that a read access to a single quantum bit, or qubit, on one machine would require a network-wide reset. It's no wonder, then, that two researchers who are working on ways of defending against the future possibility of …

    Security 2 Nov 2006, 10:56

  • Privacy chief: we're all in UK.gov's pockets

    How many points for Business Class democracy?

    The surveillance state is sorting society into pockets of desirable and undesirable people and treating them accordingly, a major survey by the UK's privacy guardian, the Information Commissioner said today. The democratic values of equality and freedom are threatened by the creeping advance of surveillance into all walks of …

    Public Sector 2 Nov 2006, 11:11

  • Dell unveils first AMD-based laptop line

    Sempron or Turion inside

    Dell yesterday launched its first notebook line based on AMD processors. The Inspiron 1501 can be configured with a range of AMD CPUs, from Mobile Semprons through to dual-core Turion 64 X2s. Whichever chip you choose, it's slotted into an AMD ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 chipset which takes up to 256MB of the system memory as a …

    Reg Hardware 2 Nov 2006, 11:19

  • YouTube faces UTube lawsuit

    Confused surfers trouble pipe makers

    Universal Tube, a company that sells pipe making machinery, has embarked on a lawsuit against YouTube, claiming that the video sharing site has disrupted its business thanks to the similarity in the two company's web addresses. Universal Tube's website resides at www.utube.com, and it seems that plenty of wannabe YouTubers, …

    Financial News 2 Nov 2006, 11:28

  • EMC buys Avamar

    Splurges $165m on de-duplication software

    EMC has acquired another software vendor, its fourth this year. This time round it's swallowed Californian data backup and recovery specialist Avamar Technologies for $165m cash. EMC is betting on storage customers continuing to swallow the "demise of tape backup" line. Avamar's software is aimed at improving the efficiency of …

    Storage 2 Nov 2006, 11:48

  • Ofcom stays in neutral on net neutrality

    It couldn't happen here, says chairman

    Ofcom has no intention of lording it over the net neutrality debate, the head of the regulator made clear yesterday. The regulator seems set on a hands-off attitude, leaving content providers to negotiate premium deals with access providers if they want, while giving them the option of using competition law if they feel they're …

    Networks 2 Nov 2006, 11:49

  • TomTom fails to put the brakes on Garmin

    No design infringement

    Car navigation equipment maker TomTom has lost its "me too" design infringment case against Garmin. In a normal summary proceeding TomTom asked a judge to prevent the sale of Garmin's StreetPilot c300 and c500 series in Europe, alleging that Garmin copied aspects of the TomTom GO design in its product line. Both companies make …

    Mobile 2 Nov 2006, 12:03

  • Venus: older and more interesting that we thought?

    Resurfacing not cataclysmic, after all

    A mission to Venus might be able to find out more about the planet's history than previously thought, as new evidence casts doubt on the theory that the planet was totally resurfaced during a cataclysmic bout of vulcanism 500m years ago. Scientists at the University of Minnesota have carried out a new analysis of the surface …

    Space 2 Nov 2006, 12:07

  • Orange bleats about Samsung's Blush

    Embarrassed or standing proud?

    Orange describes the upcoming Samsung X830 Blush as the "only compact a girl needs", but at 2cm thick, it's not what you'd call a slimline handset. But then the Blush is bright pink, so we're clearly going to gooey at the fork for it no matter what, the fellers at Orange reckon... But what would men know? The Blush's wide …

    Reg Hardware 2 Nov 2006, 12:18

  • US.gov tunes out scathing RFID privacy report

    DHS committee study 'disavowed'

    An external security advisory committee reporting to the US Department of Homeland Security has produced a highlight critical report (PDF) advising against the use of RFID technology in government documents. But the scathing analysis remains stuck in limbo, as a draft report, while the government pushes ahead with plans to …

    ID 2 Nov 2006, 12:45

  • Dopod pops out music-centric smart phone

    Non-3G QWERTY slider handset too

    Asian smart-phone supplier Dopod has unveiled its latest HTC-made handsets, among them version of the manufacturer's familiar BlackBerry-like S620, the 3G-friendly P3600 and the GPS-enabled P3300. But a couple of other, unexpected models stood out from the rest. Top of the list is Dopod's C800, a quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE …

    Reg Hardware 2 Nov 2006, 12:49

  • Civil Aviation Authority puts 'secret' security info on the web

    Updated: Don't right-click! It's a secret!

    Observant Reg readers will have noticed the recent kerfuffle about airport security so why is the Civil Aviation Authority publishing supposedly secret documents on its website? A document by the UK's Civil Aviation Authority, and posted on its website, contained blacked out sections containing: "RESTRICTED and CONFIDENTIAL …

    Public Sector 2 Nov 2006, 12:52

  • StyleTap completes Windows Mobile-hosted Palm emulator

    Run old Palm apps on new hardware

    Toronto-based StyleTap has released the final version of its Palm OS emulator and application migration tool for Windows Mobile devices - and it's already pledging a Symbian version. Also called StyleTap, the software runs apps written for any version of the Palm OS, including code created for the ARM-based version of the …

    Reg Hardware 2 Nov 2006, 13:45

  • Carphone Warehouse posts strong results

    They're good, but not great

    Carphone Warehouse has posted its interim results for the six months to 30 September, with revenue up over 40 per cent to £1.8bn The phone flogger claimed "headline" profit up an even better 60 per cent to £59.3m. However, expenses incurred setting up broadband infrastructure, and the launch of Virgin Mobile France, hurt, …

    Financial News 2 Nov 2006, 14:00

  • Groovy wires could detect disease and explosives

    Handy

    A breakthrough by a group of researchers in the UK and in Spain could pave the way for much improved disease detection, and detection of explosives. T-Rays, with a frequency in the region of a thousand billion cycles per second, inhabit the part of the electromagnetic spectrum between micro and infrared waves. Many complex …

    Science 2 Nov 2006, 14:33

  • Hi-tech CEO charged with ID theft against staff

    And you think your boss is bad

    The head of a New York-based hi-tech firm has been arrested over charges he used the personal details of his workers to obtain fraudulent loans and credit cards under false names. Terrence D Chalk, 44, chief exec of managed service provider Compulinx, was arrested on Tuesday and later charged alongside his nephew, Damon T …

    Channel Register 2 Nov 2006, 14:46

  • Asus unveils Viiv-friendly media centre

    Asteio, take a bow

    Say hello to Asus' Asteio D22, its first media centre, launched today in a bid for Viiv stardom. There's a dual-core Core 2 Duo desktop processor on board backed by a gig of memory and 250GB of hard drive space and one of the company's Silent-branded Nvidia 7600 GS-based passively cooled graphics card - all for an ultra-quiet …

    Reg Hardware 2 Nov 2006, 15:34

  • United Nations lauds internet's 'arranged marriage'

    IGF Internet Governance Forum ends on high note

    The closing day of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has ended on a high note with attendees from across the world (from business, government, international organisations and civil society) all expressing their delight at the experimental forum. When the forum opened its doors in Athens four days ago it was uncertain whether …

    Music and Media 2 Nov 2006, 15:48

  • Orange pulls the plug on SmartGroups

    Users condemn dumb decision

    L'Orange is shutting its SmartGroups service at the end of the month. But users are complaining that France Telecom's mobile division is not giving people enough time to get organised and move to other providers. Smartgroups were supposed to be a way to organise groups of people - they include group emailing and shared home …

    Mobile 2 Nov 2006, 15:53

  • Southampton Uni and MIT pit wits against mysteries of the web

    Research effort launched

    MIT and the University of Southampton are to collaborate on research into the social, technical, and scientific challenges presented by the web. The aim of the work is ultimately to establish "web science" as a new scientific discipline. The Web Science Research Initiative (WSRI) is a long-term venture that will, the …

    IT Director 2 Nov 2006, 15:57

  • Asus kits out Lamborghini VX1 Golden Edition laptop

    Only 200 offered for sale

    Asus has confirmed it is preparing to ship an updated version of its Lamborghini VX1 laptop. Dubbed the 'Golden Edition', the machine boasts an almost top-of-the-range Core 2 Duo mobile processor, 2GB of 667MHz DDR 2 memory, a 160GB hard drive and Nvidia's GeForce Go 7400 VX GPU. As before, the Golden Edition VX1 will ship …

    Reg Hardware 2 Nov 2006, 16:05

  • Symantec readies Backup Exec for Vista

    Version 11d...phhhwoooaaaar!

    Symantec has launched a major update to Backup Exec, one of the choicest cuts from the Veritas acquisition. Version 11d has been adapted for Windows Exchange servers and for those who just cannot wait to get 64-bit Vista. Apparently, they've got a patent pending on something called "Granular Recovery Technology", which makes it …

    Channel Register 2 Nov 2006, 16:06

  • Orange on the map with new sat nav device

    Teams up with Webraksa

    Orange has launched its own satellite navigation product, consisting of a GPS receiver which can be connected to an Orange mobile phone for displaying maps, giving directions, and playing geocaching games. The package comes from Webraska and is basically that company's product with an Orange wrapper. Orange is charging £150 …

    Mobile 2 Nov 2006, 16:38

  • Sophos defends its block on alien hunters

    SETI@Home domesticated

    UK anti-virus firm Sophos has defended itself after sparking a controversy with its decision to allow sysadmins to block distributing computing programs such as SETI@Home. The firm has extended the optional application control feature of Sophos Anti-Virus, Version 6 to allow enterprises to restrict the use of distributed …

    Malware 2 Nov 2006, 16:46

  • Protect Data acquires Reflex

    Port control

    Mobile device security firm Protect Data has acquired privately held UK-base security outfit Reflex Software and its subsidiaries in a deal valued at up to £15m ($28.6m). Protect Data will pay £12.5m in cash up front followed by up to £2.5m more providing Reflex meets sales targets by the end of March 2007. The deal allows …

    Enterprise Security 2 Nov 2006, 17:13

  • Sun's Niagara chip breaks like the Wind River

    Telco Linux goes multi-core

    Wind River this week lent a helping hand to one of Sun Microsystems' more interesting processor efforts. The software maker announced that its telco hardened version of Linux will be tuned for Sun's UltraSPARC T1 processor. Customers will need to wait quite awhile to see the - prepare for it - Wind River Platform for Networking …

    Servers 2 Nov 2006, 18:08

  • Former CA chief Kumar gets 12 years in the pen

    'Great minds' think in cells

    Computer Associates' former chief executive Sanjay Kumar has been sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $8m for his role in the company's massive accounting scandal. Kumar avoided the maximum 20-year sentence for obstruction of justice and securities fraud charges as US trial judge Leo Glasser said this constituted …

    Financial News 2 Nov 2006, 19:02

  • Microsoft to support Novell's cancer

    SUSE seller shares soar

    Microsoft has agreed to sell cancer. Or least to support Novell's SUSE Linux and be more friendly to the open source operating system. In a bizarre corporate tie-up, Microsoft looks set to announce this afternoon a partnership with a company it's spent years trying to crush. The company will reveal a support and software …

    Operating Systems 2 Nov 2006, 21:01

  • Diebold slams HBO Hacking Democracy documentary

    Sight unseen, gets knickers in a twist

    A campaign by Diebold to torpedo a TV documentary investigating its controversial e-voting machines looks set to backfire. Diebold president David Byrd and CEO Chris Albrecht this week fired off press releases and angry letters to HBO demanding the US network pull the doc, Hacking Democracy, and that it airs disclaimers before …

    Security 2 Nov 2006, 21:29

  • Is Hurd's worsening memory a cause for concern?

    'I'm the CEO of HP, right?'

    Mark Hurd's latest contribution to the HP spy scandal has made three things clear. The CEO has a horrible memory, a tenuous grasp of the internet and a very measured approach to tackling ethics issues. HP this week released a set of replies that Hurd provided in response to questions from Rep. Ed Whitfield, chairman of the …

    Financial News 2 Nov 2006, 21:31

  • Shadow of N-Gage looms as Nokia prepares onslaught on gaming

    If at first you don't succeed ...

    Nokia is taking on Microsoft in many of its key markets, and is apparently also adopting the Microsoft approach that, if a product is sub-standard the first time, it will succeed on the third reworking. Under the auspices of the Finnish giant's increasingly successful and focused multimedia devices unit - making 'multimedia …

    Reg Hardware 2 Nov 2006, 23:23

  • AT&T targets video home security as next broadband market

    Just because you're paranoid

    The most surprising applications often lead to market breakthroughs and we place in this category all applications that involve the transport of video through existing networks for security purposes. Which is why AT&T’s announcement this week of a home monitoring service is likely to go down a treat with the “paranoia ridden” …

    Mobile 2 Nov 2006, 23:29

  • IBM ships Cell as part of canned cluster

    SC06 ClearSpeed brought on board too

    IBM has added some serious floating point wallop to its pre-packaged cluster line. Customers can now order IBM's System Cluster 1350 product with the Cell-based BladeCenter QS20 blade server (3.0GHz) and with a floating point accelerator from ClearSpeed. These latest options join a wide range of Xeon-based, Power-based and …

    Servers 2 Nov 2006, 23:31