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7th December 2006 Archive

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  • eEye launches 0-day tracker site

    Watching the defectives

    Security firm eEye has created what's described as the industry's first site designed solely to track zero-day vulnerabilities, flaws where exploits are available prior to the release of security patches. eEye's zero-day tracking site provides detailed information on flaws and remediation strategies to users. The site will be …

    Security 7 Dec 2006, 10:06

  • Dreadful Recorded Music?

    Opinion What will DRM stand for in the future?

    Imagine this: a new world standard in music recording. It works like this. You turn the radio on and it downloads four hours of songs in MP3 format. Free. Yeah, you can probably imagine that. Now: imagine this - nobody in the music recording industry complains, or protests, or sues. It already happened. It happened when DAB …

    Music and Media 7 Dec 2006, 10:16

  • Nvidia ships Quad FX-friendly chipset

    nForce 680a SLI available now, mobos too

    Nvidia has begun shipping its nForce 680a SLI chipset for AMD's Quad FX gaming-oriented dual-core, dual-processor platform. Boards based on the part are capable of hosting four graphics cards, eight displays, a dozen 3Gbps SATA drives and four Gigabit Ethernet connections. Phew. The chipset can also handle four parallel ATA …

    Reg Hardware 7 Dec 2006, 10:29

  • Citizens will face fine rather than sign up to ID card register

    Database revolt

    Hundreds of thousands of people will refuse to sign up to the UK Government's planned identity register, according to just-published research. Around eight per cent of those surveyed said they would refuse to sign up to the database even if they are fined. The survey was carried out by polling firm YouGov on behalf of the Daily …

    Music and Media 7 Dec 2006, 10:41

  • Sky signs up Google

    Evil empire signs pact to do no evil

    Sky and Google have announced they are to work together to develop content for Sky's broadband customers and share advertising revenue generated though those customers. Sky will be creating its own video site on the lines of YouTube, using technology provided by Google (YouTube's owner). Google will also provide the technology …

    Financial News 7 Dec 2006, 10:48

  • York students face off against Dalek

    Davrotic dummy drinking deterrent

    A York man fed up with local students has made a Dalek he can sit inside in a bid to frighten away teenage ne'er-do-wells. Andrew Simpson, 22, spent 10 months and £1,000 to build the contraption, which comes complete with its own voicebox. The device allows Simpson to deter curious passers-by with the rejoinder "I don't like …

    Music and Media 7 Dec 2006, 10:50

  • McCreevy laments unpopular EPLA

    Going nowhere, fast

    European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has warned that efforts to establish the pan-European Patent Litigation Agreement (EPLA) are in danger of coming to naught, after the agreement failed to secure the support of national governments on Monday. A meeting of the national ministers for industry revealed serious concerns about …

    Software 7 Dec 2006, 11:01

  • China unveils fleet of 'HD DVD killer' players

    EVD exports to begin next year

    Chinese consumer electronics companies yesterday kicked off a second attempt to establish the country's alternative to DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc as the nation's favourite format. Called Enhanced Versatile Disc (EVD), is essentially a DVD that uses a more efficient content compression system. China launched EVD back in …

    Reg Hardware 7 Dec 2006, 11:08

  • Wanna know how to rate a data warehouse appliance?

    A handy list of rules

    One of the major discussion points at Bloor Research's recent conference on "Data Warehousing: the rise of the appliance" was a discussion of the rules (though they might equally be regarded as reference points rather than rules) that might apply to data warehouse appliances as opposed to enterprise data warehouses. I …

    Hardware 7 Dec 2006, 11:19

  • IBM runs over Platform Solutions

    Mainframe or only frame?

    IBM has dropped a patent infringement suit on upstart mainframe house Platform Solutions accusing it of a raft of IP-related transgressions. IBM has not commented on the suit. In a statement on its website, California-based Platform Solutions said Big Blue had accused it of infringing on five patents, and of breaching a …

    Servers 7 Dec 2006, 11:30

  • Palm pays $44m for Palm OS source code licence

    How to buy back PalmSource without buying back PalmSource

    Palm has effectively committed itself to producing handheld devices based on the Palm OS - which it no longer owns - by agreeing to pay $44m for a perpetual licence for the source code underlying the Garnet incarnation of the operating system. The move is tantamount to Palm re-acquiring PalmSource. Palm launched its latest …

    Reg Hardware 7 Dec 2006, 11:35

  • Music industry will take copyright battle to Europe

    Damning the evidence

    The recording industry's continuing bid to exploit works for an extra 45 years should be disregarded by government as not in the public interest. That's according to Andrew Gowers, who delivered a wide-ranging review of intellectual property rights in the UK to the Treasury yesterday. The government accepted the recommendations …

    Financial News 7 Dec 2006, 11:41

  • 419er massacres English language

    Lads from Lagos provoke grammatical carnage

    We're very much obliged to reader Robin Strong who has provided proof that just when we thought the Lads from Lagos had finally rustled up enough cash for a decent English grammar guide, someone from the MARIAM ABACHA 419er old school went and undid all that linguistic progress in one, magnificent missive. Read on in wonder: …

    Music and Media 7 Dec 2006, 11:42

  • Adobe puts Acrobat flaw on the critical list

    PDF peril

    Adobe users are being urged to upgrade their software after the firm reassessed the impact of a recently discovered vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat 7. The flaw, first discovered last month, was initially thought capable only of crashing Adobe's software. Subsequent investigation revealed the flaw also creates a …

    Enterprise Security 7 Dec 2006, 11:46

  • Nintendo Wii to hit UK tonight

    You say you want a Revolution...

    Nintendo's Wii - aka 'Revolution' - has gone on sale in the UK. Read Reg Hardware's full review of the new games console check out the key news stories behind the Wii's global debut.  Nintendo Wii Reviewed  Nintendo Wii's videogames console Nintendo's Wii... Man loses weight playing Wii Sports Orb brings iTunes to Wii …

    Reg Hardware 7 Dec 2006, 11:59

  • BenQ takes on iPod Shuffle with micro metal music player

    MusiQ line is jewellery, apparently

    Meet BenQ's new dog tag-styled MusiQ MP3 player, the Taiwanese consumer electronics company's follow-up to its Joybee range. The gagdet's kitted out in brushed metal and fitted with 512MB or 1GB of Flash memory, so BenQ clearly has its eye on Apple's wearable second-generation iPod Shuffle. The MusiQ line will comprise two …

    Reg Hardware 7 Dec 2006, 12:36

  • Dell vaults into bed with Microsoft

    Storage power play

    Dell's EMC re-badging storage division will be the first to flog Microsoft's new Unified Data Storage Server 2003. The PowerVault NX1950, based on Dell's own MD3000 direct-attached disk array, will be punted at small to mid-sized outfits, starting at about $17,000. It brings two firsts to Dell storage offerings with both …

    Storage 7 Dec 2006, 12:50

  • Armed police raid IBM's Moscow office

    Graft investigation

    Armed police raided IBM's offices in Moscow yesterday as part of a corruption investigation into Russia's state Pension Fund. Masked police carrying automatic weapons raided 10 addresses and seized documents. The raids took most of the day and included other computer companies, resellers, and the homes of some pension …

    Financial News 7 Dec 2006, 13:02

  • Ocean plants like it cold, thanks

    NASA links growth with climate

    A warmer climate could disrupt the marine food chain, new research from NASA suggests, potentially damaging fisheries and other marine ecosystems. The space agency's researchers tracked temperature and marine plant growth over a period of nine years, beginning in 1997 when the OrbView-2 satellite was launched. Their research …

    Biology 7 Dec 2006, 13:06

  • Info Commissioner slaps cold-callers

    Cracks down on double-glazers, telcos next

    The UK's Information Commissioner has served enforcement notices on five companies involved in direct marketing for calling people who had already made it clear they weren't interested. And while the notices related mainly to double glazing companies, telcos are next in the firing line. IDT Direct Limited, often known as …

    Small Biz 7 Dec 2006, 13:29

  • VXers dabble in mobile spyware

    First contact

    Security researchers have encountered what's reckoned to be the first spyware menace to target users of mobile phones running the Symbian operating system. The malware - Mobispy-A - is based on commercial call and SMS recording software and was found bundled in a version of MultiDropper, a mobile phone malware compilation …

    Malware 7 Dec 2006, 13:51

  • A good year in Computerland

    Not bad, not bad

    Computerland, which provides IT services to medium and larger business, made an operating profit of £1.3m on turnover of £30.8m for the six months ended 31 October 2006. Profits before tax were £1.3m, up from £686,000 for the same six months of 2005 The unaudited figures show good growth compared to the six months ended 31 …

    Channel Register 7 Dec 2006, 13:56

  • The past is no longer Orange

    Orange data users spend a day disconnected

    The Orange mobile phone network lost its data connectivity yesterday over most of the country. Users started losing their GPRS connectivity from about 10am, and network services were only restored in the early hours today – though the cause and exact scale of the problem remains a mystery. Anyone who has worked as a service …

    Mobile 7 Dec 2006, 14:02

  • Building El Niño cancels Hurricane havoc

    Pacific system nixes Atlantic storms

    Not a single Atlantic hurricane made landfall in the US this season, marking something of a contrast with last year's rather busier and windier experience. That is not to say the storms did not form: the final tally was nine storms, with five making the hurricane category. Of these, just two managed to win promotion to the …

    Science 7 Dec 2006, 14:07

  • T-Mobile suspends staff discount scheme

    Extended family scheme 'abused'

    T-Mobile UK has suspended its half-price employee line rental benefit package following reports of abuse. The mobile operator's Friends and Relations scheme offered line rentals at half the normal rate providing qualified recipients signed up to an 18-month contract. The package was only supposed to benefit the friends and …

    Mobile 7 Dec 2006, 14:29

  • Retailers warn Nintendo Wii pre-orders may arrive late

    Vendor cuts console allocations, sellers claim

    Major UK retailers have begun warning customers they may not get their hands on Nintendo's Wii on the launch day - even if they pre-ordered the console. Sellers say the vendor has shipped too few units to meet demand. Reg Hardware today received a number of emails from readers who were last night contacted by Woolworths to …

    Reg Hardware 7 Dec 2006, 14:33

  • MoD awards £124m for pilot-free plane

    RIP Biggles

    The UK Ministry of Defence is to invest £124m in developing a new pilotless plane. The contract for Project Taranis, named for the Celtic God of Thunder the MoD says, has been awarded to a BAE Systems-led consortium, including firms like Rolls Royce, Qinetiq and Smiths Aerospace. The contract requires that the group produce at …

    Science 7 Dec 2006, 14:47

  • Cisco sends a whole load of dollars to India

    Plans R&D, phone factory

    Cisco will make internet phones in India as part of its revamped $1.1bn investment in the country. Chairman and CEO John Chambers took a spin around the sub-continent this week sprinkling his magic money dust far and wide. The company unveiled a range of initiatives including $50m for an R&D campus in Bangalore, $100m for VC …

    Data Networking 7 Dec 2006, 15:21

  • Plasma whirlpools breach Earth's magnetic shield

    Cluster reveals how

    Data returned to Earth from ESA's Cluster quartet of satellites has revealed huge swirling pools of electrified gas that are feeding into Earth's magnetosphere. The magnetosphere protects Earth from huge amounts of plasma from the sun. But some does still leak through. A zone called the plasma sheet, an inner region of our …

    Space 7 Dec 2006, 15:24

  • Carousel fraud costs UK £3bn

    HMRC figures it out

    Missing trader or carousel fraud cost Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs £3bn in the last financial year. Figures from the Treasury reveal the size of the problem, although HMRC believes it is getting on top of the problem - helped by the closure of the First Bank of Curacao earlier this year. Customs estimates that attempted …

    Small Biz 7 Dec 2006, 15:30

  • SurfControl gets an offer

    Ready to wave goodbye to independence?

    SurfControl, the censorware firm, revealed today it had received a preliminary approach from a potential suitor. The Congleton, Cheshire-based firm said the pass may or may not lead to an offer, and was subject to "a number of pre-conditions". While SurfControl's board is considering its response to the potential suitor, it …

    Financial News 7 Dec 2006, 16:35

  • Flatulence forces US plane out of the sky

    Shear wind

    A woman's attempt to cover up the nasty smell of her own flatulence caused an aircraft en route between Washington DC and Dallas to make an emergency landing, the BBC reports. Passengers kicked up a stink when they caught a whiff of sulphur from burning matches and alerted cabin crew. The American Airlines plane was forced to …

    Music and Media 7 Dec 2006, 16:38

  • Intel set to join AMD-backed Green Grid

    Once there's something to join

    Come early next year, Intel will end its holdout and join the Green Grid consortium backed by rival AMD. As it stands, the Green Grid isn't a consortium, group or any type of proper entity. The member companies behind the project - including AMD, Sun Microsystems, HP, IBM and Rackable Systems - have been working to finalize …

    Servers 7 Dec 2006, 16:59

  • Sony updates PS3 firmware

    But doesn't quite fix the HD resolution issue

    Sony has updated the PlayStation 3's firmware, taking the next-generation games console's system software to version 1.3. But the patch doesn't appear to fix the problem some users have had getting the machine to work with older, 1080i-favouring HD TVs. So a variety of games publications claim. The 1.3 update adds the ability …

    Reg Hardware 7 Dec 2006, 17:25

  • EMC puts storage on ice

    Disk freeze

    EMC refuses to let server makers get all the low-power data center attention. The storage vendor this week rolled out a new set of services meant to help customers gauge and then lower their energy consumption. In case you haven't noticed, the hardware vendors have decided that you guys are in an energy crisis and they're …

    Storage 7 Dec 2006, 18:13

  • LSI Agere merger creates storage, networking and CE chip giant

    'Combining of interests'

    Long standing semiconductor specialist LSI Logic, which leads in the provision of chips which underpin enterprise high end storage systems, has merged with Agere Systems, a company with a similar product set, in a deal valued at around $4bn. LSI stock fell slightly on the news and today the company is valued at $3.73bn while …

    Storage 7 Dec 2006, 18:22

  • US outlines privacy safeguards – and reveals plans to mine personal data

    'Invasive and unprecedented'

    The US Government signalled some willingness this week to address concerns over citizens' privacy, but also launched a scheme which will analyse secret airline passenger risk profiles and keep them for 40 years. The US Government released guidelines which it says will protect the privacy of US citizens in an era of increasing …

    ID 7 Dec 2006, 18:33

  • Tibco takes pop at SOA complexity

    ActiveMatrix reloaded

    Tibco last week announced the general availability of TIBCO ActiveMatrix for service-oriented architectures (SOA). This is the industry's first “service virtualization platform” for the deployment and governance of composite applications based on distributed, standards-based services". Tibco is in competition with Oracles and …

    Developer 7 Dec 2006, 20:29

  • HP will pay California $14.5m for being naughty

    Let's not get civil

    HP will pay $14.5m to keep California prosecutors from filing civil charges against the company and its directors - both current and former. The company that turned pretexting into a common term today announced its convenient arrangement with the California Attorney General's office. The majority of HP's payment - $13.5m - will …

    Financial News 7 Dec 2006, 22:57

  • 'I shouldn't have left it to beaver' - Britney

    Feels so magnified

    Britney Spears today issued an apology of sorts for plastering her panty-less crotch across the internet. "It's been so long since I've been out on the town with the friends," said the mother of two on her web site. "Every move I make at this point has been magnified more than I expected, and I probably did take my new found …

    Entertainment 7 Dec 2006, 23:18