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14th November 2006 Archive

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  • Xen and VT cuts Windows hosting costs

    Better virtualisation means cheaper dedicated Windows servers, claims ISP

    The cost of dedicated Windows server hosting is set to tumble, thanks to XenSource's support for Windows. That's the claim of UK service provider Memset, which has added Windows to its range of virtual servers. Memset MD Kate Craig-Wood said that while her company already offers Linux virtual machines (VMs) hosted on Xen, its …

    Small Biz 14 Nov 2006, 02:04

  • Intel clubs AMD with four-cores

    Regains hype and performance glory

    Intel has earned the right to lay it on four-cores thick. The chipmaker today officially released versions of its four-core server and PC chips. The appearance of the 'Clovertown' and 'Kentsfield' processors gives Intel both a marketing and raw performance edge over AMD, which doesn't plan to fire up its own four-core gear in …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 05:22

  • Fujitsu Siemens Plans goes PC for the over 50s

    I don't believe it

    Fujitsu Siemens will launch a desktop package for the UK’s baby boomer generation in January. And when we say baby boomer generation, yes we mean the over 50s who are even now slipping into retirement while humming the Beatles’ greatest hits as they wait for their plastic surgery appointment. The package, likely to come in …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 07:02

  • Staffordshire ICT workers face pay cuts

    Just in time for Christmas

    One in four ICT school support workers in the Staffordshire area are expecting pay cuts. Envelopes containing details of the proposed pay scale were dished out last Friday to 28,000 county council school workers in the region. The source, an ICT technician who wishes to remain anonymous, told El Reg in an email: "Thought you …

    Policy 14 Nov 2006, 09:44

  • Sky Broadband users speak out about support woes

    Free, but failing

    Sky has been having a hard time fulfilling orders and providing technical support for its free ASDL-broadband service. Internet discussion groups are alive with complaints from customers awaiting connection and exchanging horror stories of hours spent talking to technical support in a variety of countries. The problems are not …

    Broadband 14 Nov 2006, 09:46

  • Apple patches Intel-based Macs' firmware

    Tweaking the start-up code

    Apple has posted revised firmware for its Intel-based desktop and notebook Macs: the Mac Pro, Mac Mini, iMac, MacBook and MacBook Pro. As usual, the company wasn't explicit in its description of the fixes incorporated in the updates. The patches focus on three areas: improving the start-up code that allows users with Apple's …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 09:53

  • Microsoft unleashes improved Firefox

    Updated Open source community in state of shock

    [Update: The msfirefox site went offline earlier this morning. Which may or may not have something to do with Microsoft lawyers. Thanks for all the emails and we're sorry for spoiling breakfast for some Mozilla fans.] The open source community is in a state of shock this morning at the news that Microsoft has released a version …

    Bootnotes 14 Nov 2006, 10:02

  • AMD ships Stream chip and coding kit

    'Close to Metal' more Bon Jovi than Iron Maiden?

    AMD today attempted to liven up the world of scientific and engineering computing, launching its first Stream-branded GPU - a graphics chip designed to crunch non-graphical data - and a "thin hardware interface" to go with it dubbed 'Close to Metal' - a sort of Bon Jovi of the chip world. Dubbed the AMD Stream Processor, the …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 10:27

  • Mars Global Surveyor goes AWOL

    No comms for a week

    NASA engineers have not been able to contact the agency's Mars Global Surveyor space craft for more than a week. Speculation is mounting that the craft, which has been in orbit around the red planet for the better part of a decade, might be entering a terminal decline. The craft's communications with Earth petered out over …

    Science 14 Nov 2006, 10:28

  • Lite-On unveils 'first' 20x DVD burner

    LightScribe model to follow

    Taiwanese optical drive specialist Lite-On IT has launched what it claims is the world's first DVD writer capable of burning discs at 20x speed - less than three months after Sony began shipping the first 18x DVD burner. Lite-On launched two 20x internal models: the LH-20A1P and the LH-20A1H, the latter equipped with …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 10:57

  • Punters suffer in broadband price war

    Virgin satisfies, Plusnet nosedives

    Consumer research out today revealed what Orange and TalkTalk customers already knew: the launch of "free" broadband was botched. Some 1.5m new customers have come to broadband in the last 10 months with average prices pushed down 17 per cent by increased competition, according to online comparison site uSwitch. The pioneers …

    Broadband 14 Nov 2006, 10:59

  • Vodafone exceeds expectations with multibillion loss

    Smaller than the last one, though

    Vodafone has recorded a loss of £3.3bn for the first half of this fiscal year, but still managed to beat analysts' expectations. The gut-wrenchingly large loss was due to more writedowns in the first half of the year, the company says. Earlier this year, Vodafone recorded a record European corporate loss of £15bn, thanks to …

    Mobile 14 Nov 2006, 11:04

  • Fujitsu Siemens proposes sticky solution to power crisis

    Why can't a server be more like a fridge?

    Fujitsu Siemens' CTO has called on the IT industry to start offering meaningful power ratings, so that corporates and consumers can buy kit the same way they buy their freezers and washing machines. Joseph Reger, opening the vendor's annual jamboree in Augsburg, said vendors weren't doing enough to reduce power loss in their …

    Business 14 Nov 2006, 11:13

  • Intel EOLs Pentium, Celeron D CPUs

    Lines whittled away

    Intel has formally announced the end of the Pentium D 950 and 960 processors, company documents seen by Reg Hardware reveal. The Celeron D 315, 320, 325, 330 and 340 are all for the chop too, it seems. The end-of-line announcement indicates the chip giant will take no more orders for the Celeron D and Pentium D processors …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 11:15

  • Prison terms for phishing fraudsters

    England and Wales pass new Fraud Act

    A new anti-fraud bill has been passed into law for England and Wales. The Fraud Act 2006 received Royal Assent last week and will come into force in early 2007. The new law aims to close a number of loopholes in preceding anti-fraud legislation, which the government said was unsuited to modern fraud. Until now there has been …

    Media 14 Nov 2006, 11:25

  • SMEs to get tech boost from trio of schemes

    €5m injection to encourage technology take-up

    Three new initiatives aimed at helping small businesses make use of new technology are to receive €5m in government funding. Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheal Martin approved funding for the three schemes on Monday. The aim of the Knowledge Acquisition Grants scheme, the Innovation Vouchers scheme, and the …

    Small Biz 14 Nov 2006, 11:45

  • Intel readies Core 2 Duo revamp?

    New models across the range in Q1, Q2, Q3 2007

    Intel's plan to refresh its Core 2 Duo dual-core processor line in Q2 2007 appears to have been nudged back a quarter, if reports coming out of Asia detailing the chip giant's latest roadmaps are to be believed. As we've reported before, Q2 2007 was expected to see the debut of the Core 2 Duo E6650, E6750, E6800 and E6850, …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 11:48

  • Computacenter Factory opens

    Churns out 're-usable tools'

    Computacenter has launched a new "library" service which it hopes will help reduce costs for its client-base. The Shared Services Factory (SSF) has been developed based on what Computacenter has described as "successful projects", allowing it to come up with a set of standards or best practice for "future initiatives". It …

    Business 14 Nov 2006, 11:52

  • C# pulling ahead of Java

    Lead architect paints rosy C# picture

    C# has come a long way since it emerged from Microsoft's mythical "Project Cool" back in 2000. It is the primary language of Microsoft .NET, and has pulled ahead of Visual Basic among professional Windows programmers. At last week's Tech-Ed conference in Barcelona, C#'s lead architect Anders Hejlsberg drew large audiences for …

    Developer 14 Nov 2006, 11:56

  • Sony admits PS3 compatibility hiccup

    Sales near 90,000 during first two days

    Sony has yet to lend its voice to the argument, but independent commentators have claimed the consumer electronics giant sold just shy of 90,000 PlayStation 3 consoles this past weekend. Sony did admit that not all PSOne and PS2 games run on the new machine. Whoops. Of course, not all Xbox games run on the Xbox 360, but while …

    Games 14 Nov 2006, 12:46

  • Intel preps dual-core Conroe-based Pentiums?

    Out goes the E1000 series, in comes dual-core E2000 line

    Intel appears to have stepped up a notch its plan to ship Pentium chips based on its current desktop Core 2 Duo processor. Originally scheduled to debut as single-core parts, the post-NetBurst Pentiums will now be dualies, according to the chip giant's latest roadmaps. So out then goes the Pentium E1000 series, planned to …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 13:06

  • DCC expects healthy return

    Great expectations...

    Ireland-based DCC has revised its full-year financial expectations after strong interim results for the six months to the end of September. The group, which specialises in marketing and business support for a diverse range of interests including IT, healthcare, and energy, saw group revenue for the period up by 18.1 per cent …

    The Channel 14 Nov 2006, 13:26

  • OneCare slaps viral warning on Gmail

    Bats in the belfry

    Faulty signature updates resulted in Microsoft's Live OneCare anti-virus service falsely reporting Gmail's website was infected with a computer virus. The false alert, which arose for a signature update issued late last week, meant OneCare users visiting Gmail were warned that the site was contaminated by a virus called BAT/BWG …

    Security 14 Nov 2006, 13:29

  • Averatec unveils unsexy handheld GPS

    Averatec has extended its Voya satellite navigation line with a mid-range model pitched at US motorists, hikers and cyclists who want something a little less snazzy looking than the likes of TomTom's Go and Sony's Nav-u The Voya 320 sports a 3.5in, 65,536-colour, 640 x 320 touch-sensitive display and 64MB of on-board memory …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 13:33

  • Fixing phantom limbs with virtual reality

    Pain relief through pixels

    Amputees suffering from phantom limb pain could be helped by a virtual reality system being developed by scientists at the University of Manchester. Earlier research has shown that phantom limb pain can be alleviated by fooling the brain into thinking that it can see and move the amputated limb. The Manchester scientists have …

    Science 14 Nov 2006, 13:43

  • Korean police break phone sex scam

    Sex, lies and ID theft

    South Korean police raided two local phone sex firms and arrested six people over allegations they hacked into the systems of competitors to harvest phone contact details. The group allegedly swiped personal data on 8.42 million customers of rivals before bombarding them with 100 million saucy text messages. The cybercrime …

    Security 14 Nov 2006, 13:47

  • Danish spam-filtering service goes titsup

    Ashes to Spamaches

    Danish anti-spam service Spamache has gone tits up. Reg reader and Spamache subscriber Phil reports that the services stopped working on 5 October. The website became unavailable last week although its contents can still be retrieved from Google's cache (here). The reason for the collapse of the service, which received some …

    Security 14 Nov 2006, 14:03

  • Fujitsu Siemens latest vendor to roll in clover

    Also launches notebooks and rolls with T-Mobile

    Fujitsu Siemens clambered about Intel's Clovertown bandwagon today, announcing five servers based on the four-core chip. The vendor unwrapped two tower systems, the TX200 and TX300 S3, two rack fillers, the RX200 and RX300 S3, and the BX620 S3, a blade. The S3's are dual -socket designs, meaning eight cores humming away. …

    Servers 14 Nov 2006, 14:19

  • Obedient HP pops out quads

    Don't print A-M-D

    HP looks like the most well-behaved Xeon-based server vendor. Unlike rivals Dell and IBM, HP dutifully waited for Intel's "official" four-core Xeon announcement before revealing servers centered on the chip. In addition, HP today excised a new Opteron-based system from its server press release to keep Intel sweet. Customers …

    Servers 14 Nov 2006, 14:34

  • Airlines to connect iPods to in-flight movie rigs

    Play downloaded movies on seat-back screens

    Six major airlines are to fit aircraft passenger seats with iPod docks, Apple announced today. US carriers Continental, Delta and United, along with Air France, Emirates and KLM, will begin adding iPod connectors during the middle of next year. Of course, what's not yet clear is which class of traveller will get iPod …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 14:38

  • Warwick uni in emergency email upgrade

    Power outage killed GroupWise

    The University of Warwick is upgrading its email system slightly ahead of schedule after a power outage temporarily downed its Novell GroupWise email system, permanently killing one of the boxes. The outage affected around 3,000 academic staff and critical services accounts. A spokesman for the college says rumours of a failing …

    Business 14 Nov 2006, 14:40

  • eSys elopes with Samsung after Seagate spat

    You don't miss your water...

    eSys has signed a global distribution deal to sell Samsung's entire range of hard drives after getting the elbow by former partner Seagate. eSys was Seagate's largest customer, counting for about 5 per cent of its revenue or around $600m a year, according to Seagate. But in a financial report last week, Seagate revealed it had …

    The Channel 14 Nov 2006, 15:48

  • Rackable kicks off storage cluster play

    SC06 Loves to sell in bulk

    Rackable Systems has moved to make good on its storage dreams and aspirations with a new clustered setup. Okay, "new" probably is not the best word to use here. Rackable has basically taken the assets it acquired from Terrascale and turned them into the RapidScale SA3100 storage appliance. Rackable has aimed the box at …

    Storage 14 Nov 2006, 15:51

  • First Data opens Glasgow call centre

    430 jobs

    US payments processor First Data announced it will open a call centre in Glasgow, creating 430 jobs over the next five years. The Scottish Executive has punted £2.3m in development cash to attract First Data away from international competitors. The firm sells point of sale and cash machine services to banks and card companies …

    Networks 14 Nov 2006, 15:55

  • Sex-allergic women offered lifeline

    The treatment? Have a guess...

    Women who suffer from an allergy to sex with men can mercifully be treated, according to a revealing report on LiveScience. The allergic reaction is apparently to proteins from the prostate gland, which can cause "itching, burning and swelling in the genitals", or the victim might suffer "hives or swelling ... elsewhere on the …

    Science 14 Nov 2006, 16:04

  • Samsung launches DMB LCD TV, targets trendy couples

    Samsung's LMD-10A51W is not only one of the cutest portable flat-panel tellies we've seen, but it's got some pretty smart technology on board too. Yes, the MP3 and JPEG playback is nothing new, but an interesting feature on a TV, but it's the Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) satellite TV tuner on board that makes this a …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 16:53

  • BT to charge ISPs for lack of MACs

    MAC code debacle

    BT is to start charging ISPs which fail to provide departing customers with MAC codes - which help make moving provider seamless. Many internet service providers are slow or unwilling to issue the Migration Authorisation Code (MAC) to rival providers and as a result BT has decided it will start imposing a penalty charge of £33. …

    Broadband 14 Nov 2006, 17:12

  • Linux Networx develops a LiSP

    SC06 Supercomputer with a turnkey

    Linux Networx wants to make supercomputers affordable for the Average Joe – or at least the Average Joe running complex crash/impact analysis. The hardware vendor this week launched a fresh line of LS-P systems, which it bills as "turnkey" kit for the high performance computing crowd. We were told that Linux Networx was "too …

    Servers 14 Nov 2006, 17:19

  • Smartphones get a firewall

    More useful phones are more dangerous phones, says Trend Micro

    Trend Micro has a new version of its mobile security software out. Imaginatively named Trend Micro Mobile Security 3.0, it adds a firewall and intrusion detection software - the previous version was antivirus and antispam only. V3 will only run on the latest Windows Mobile 5 and Symbian 9.1 systems though, the rationale being …

    Hardware 14 Nov 2006, 20:10

  • S&M saucepots want the Queen muffled

    (Video news bulletin would be illegal)

    A diverse group of sexual adventurers and civil libertarians has joined in condemnation of that part of tomorrow's Queen's speech expected to propose banning "extreme porn", because the internet has made it too readily available for some people's tastes. The British government proposes a new offence of possessing extreme …

    Media 14 Nov 2006, 20:19

  • Meet the world's most prolific spammers

    Rogues' gallery

    Spamhaus has published a revised list of the world's 10 worst spammers. According to the anti-spam organisation, 200 professional spam gangs are responsible for 80 per of the high volume of junk mail pumped onto the internet every day. Public enemy number one is a Ukrainian known variously as Alex or Alexey, a prolific user of …

    Security 14 Nov 2006, 20:21

  • Customers take Microsoft clusters seriously – true

    SC06 Service pack confirms success

    Microsoft has been knocked here and elsewhere for having puny clusters – the kinds of clusters people wouldn't dare show to the computational fluid dynamics experts in their families. As it turns out, the jabs against Microsoft's wee clusters might be unfair, according to none other than Microsoft. More than half of the …

    Servers 14 Nov 2006, 21:32