The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

14th December 2006 Archive

Browse by publication date, or search the site.

  • Seagate founder Al Shugart is dead

    Heart problems

    Al Shugart, co-founder of the hard disk maker Seagate, has died at the age of 76. His health deteriorated following open-heart surgery six weeks ago, according to reports. Shugart co-founded Seagate with Finis Conner in 1979. He jumped ship in 1998 to set up his own VC incubator, Al Shugart International. He also sat on the …

    Channel Register 14 Dec 2006, 02:29

  • Agile Software Development

    Book review Agile as a way of life

    Alistair Cockburn is one of the most prominent and influential of the Agile development gurus. As well as being one of the original authors of the Agile Manifesto, he is also the developer of the Crystal family of agile methodologies and a pivotal figure in the evolution of the Use Case. He is also an articulate and passionate …

    Developer 14 Dec 2006, 09:58

  • Apple iPhone to ship H1 2007, analyst claims

    Similar to earlier forecasts?

    Industry moles have told Morgan Stanley analyst Rebecca Runkle enough to convince her that Apple will launch the eagerly awaited iPhone in the first half of 2007 after an announcement at Macworld Expo early next year. According to an Associated Press report citing a recently issued investor report written by Runkle, the …

    Reg Hardware 14 Dec 2006, 10:05

  • Information Commissioner names and shames newspapers

    'Lawbreaking' newspapers outed

    The Information Commissioner will today name and shame the newspapers he says are breaking the law in their pursuit of stories. Richard Thomas has published a report to Parliament on information theft which contains a league table of alleged offenders. Six months ago Thomas signalled his intent to get tough on those who trade …

    Music and Media 14 Dec 2006, 10:07

  • Samsung fusion memory to make phones '500% faster'

    Has eye on media, gaming handsets

    Samsung yesterday said it expects gadget makers to incorporate its newly announced 'fusion' memory chip, branded OneDRAM, into handsets, portable games consoles and media players by H2 2007. They'll do it because the technology "sharply increases" data throughput speeds, the company claimed. Samsung has already produced a …

    Reg Hardware 14 Dec 2006, 10:30

  • Monster admits monstrous error

    Mistated results from 1997 to 2005...

    Monster.com - the online recruitment site - has told the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it has been over-stating its profits since the late 90s. Since 1997 until 2005 the site exaggerated profits by a total of $272m. The company said its investigation into backdated share options was almost complete but it …

    Financial News 14 Dec 2006, 10:31

  • Government asked to investigate Christmas music torture

    Little Drummer Boy still at large

    Christmas music in shops is "torture", the "forgotten pollutant" which shop workers must be able to silence for the sake of their sanity, according to activists, trade unions and a peer. The government is being asked to investigate the problem. Campaigners and trades unions have spoken out about the playing of Christmas music …

    IT Director 14 Dec 2006, 10:38

  • AMD posts Catalyst patch

    CrossFire DirectX video acceleration added

    AMD has posted fresh versions of its Windows and Linux Catalyst graphics driver package. The update takes the code to release 6.12. The Windows incarnation introduces the ability to accelerate DirectX video playback across multiple GPUs in CrossFire configuration. The new software also fixes a series of issues with AMD's own …

    Reg Hardware 14 Dec 2006, 10:44

  • Tagging firm Yougetitback to open US office

    Track your spectacles, PDA, wallet and keys

    A Cork-based lost and found company, Yougetitback.com, is to open an office in San Francisco in the New Year as part of a significant expansion. Launched in July 2006, Yougetitback.com provides a signature tagging system for personal items such as iPods, mobile phones and digital cameras as well as spectacles and house keys. …

    ID 14 Dec 2006, 10:49

  • Gamers offered six-speaker 5.1 headset

    Stereo? Pah!

    We always thought headphones only had two speakers on board, one for each ear, but accessory maker Terratec this week laughed at the conventional configuration with a pair of cans that contains six cones, three for each ear, to deliver "true 5.1 surround sound". It's also got a mic. The Headset Master 5.1 USB connects, as …

    Reg Hardware 14 Dec 2006, 10:59

  • Sony sticks by PS3 sales forecast

    'Within our reach' to sell 6m by April 2007, prez states

    Sony's plan to ship 2m PlayStation 3 consoles worldwide by the end of the year and a further 4m PS3s by the end of March 2007 is still "within our reach", company President Ryoji Chubachi told reporters this week. Chubachi admitted Sony's efforts had been hindered by the limited availability of the blue lasers used within the …

    Reg Hardware 14 Dec 2006, 11:39

  • BT extends Fusion to small businesses

    One handset to do it all

    Small businesses can now roam from their Wi-Fi networks onto GSM and back again, thanks to BT Fusion Wi-Fi for Business which was announced this morning. Small-business customers can now get themselves a Nokia 6136, or a Motorola A910, and connect to their BT hub for cheap calls over Wi-Fi and fast internet connectivity. As …

    IT Director 14 Dec 2006, 11:52

  • OGCbs could double savings

    Up 71% already from 2003-04

    OGCbuying.solutions has provided a big increase in savings in the last two financial years, but could do even better according to a National Audit Office (NAO) report The NAO says in a report published on 14 December 2006 that OGCbs, achieved value for money savings of £412m in 2005-06, up 71 per cent from 2003-04. It has the …

    IT Director 14 Dec 2006, 12:09

  • Dell offers hush-hush overclockable mobile Core 2 Duo

    Exclusive But is the T7600G worth $275 more than the T7600?

    Intel has quietly begun shipping a clock-unlocked version of its mobile Core 2 Duo T7600 processor, but tracking one down may prove tricky. Not all PC makers are likely to offer the part - and those that do may not let slip the chip can be overclocked. Dell quietly revealed the existence of the Core 2 Duo T7600G earlier this …

    Reg Hardware 14 Dec 2006, 12:19

  • AOL Europe spins executive merry-go-round again

    Carlo, we barely knew you

    AOL Europe CEO Carlo d'Asaro Biondo has resigned after less than two months in the job. His departure rounds off a year of bewildering personnel changes at the top of AOL Europe. It started the year with Philip Rowley in charge as president. That mantle was handed to Karen Thomson in March, who had been at the helm in the UK …

    Financial News 14 Dec 2006, 12:36

  • Phishing scams thrive in the UK

    Peers hear losses set to reach £45.7m for 2006

    UK incidents of phishing scams have grown 8,000 per cent over the last two years, according to the government's financial watchdog authority. Although losses remain modest compared to other forms of financial fraud, banking security experts speaking before the House of Lords science and technology committee are concerned about …

    ID 14 Dec 2006, 12:43

  • Motorola not interested in 3G for All

    Can’t meet price, or see point

    Mobile Handset Analyst (PDF) is reporting that Motorola has decided not to compete in the GSMA-sponsored extension to the Emerging Market Handset: 3G for All. Last year Motorola won the Emerging Market Handset (EMH) competition with their C113; a GSM handset which could be manufactured for less than $40 a pop. They have since …

    Mobile 14 Dec 2006, 12:46

  • LG bags Prada for luxury phone fling

    Avant-garde design promised

    LG is to launch an "avant garde" Prada-branded mobile phone early next year, the company has revealed. LG's not saying much about the handset, beyond the fact it will incorporate an "advanced touch interface" to "eliminate the conventional keypad". That and all the other PR fluff about "the best in style and performance", how …

    Reg Hardware 14 Dec 2006, 12:47

  • Symantec plugs vulnerabilities in NetBackup

    Holey night

    Symantec says it has fixed vulnerabilities in its NetBackup storage software identified by TippingPoint. A brace of good ol' buffer overflow problems hit the backup program, meaning "A remote attacker who successfully gains access to the targeted system can append commands to a valid command and potentially leverage this …

    Storage 14 Dec 2006, 14:41

  • B3ta man makes silly singing website

    It's for charity people

    Joel Veitch, one of the geniuses behind B3ta.com, has made an animated special song and short film for Christmas and for charity. The song, seasonally chosen, is a twisted version of "12 days of Christmas" and Mr Veitch is raising money for baby charity Tommy's. The film includes the Hoffmeister holding a fish, Ricky Gervais's …

    Music and Media 14 Dec 2006, 14:45

  • PC Card slotable Bluetooth mouse ships in UK

    MoGo the slimline tail-less mouse that can scurry away into a notebook's PC Card slot when it's not needed will go on sale in the UK this month, creator Newton Peripherals said today. The MoGo connects across a Bluetooth wireless link, so it'll work with Macs and Windows machines. The rodent's own wireless transceiver is …

    Reg Hardware 14 Dec 2006, 15:06

  • Barclaycard adds Oyster to credit cards

    First contact(less)

    Barclaycard plans to release a credit card that incorporates a London Transport Oyster card. Customers will also be able to pay for low-value transactions without having to sign or enter a PIN number, using so-called "wave and pay" technology and contactless readers in participating shops. The credit card itself is based on …

    Financial News 14 Dec 2006, 15:07

  • US broadcasters hatch plot to undermine YouTube

    Comment Journal: UGC site planned as direct competitor

    Content monopolies like the major US broadcasters, will always want to maintain their monopolistic control of a market, but in every round of content innovation they are pretty much doomed to fail. It’s hard, for instance, to sell advertising among videos on a web site, if your main ambition is to stop it interfering with your …

    Networks 14 Dec 2006, 15:57

  • BT Retail makes money hand over fist

    Guidance up

    BT Retail told the City today that it's making lots more cash than it expected. BT's Retail division is expected to make revenues of £8.5bn and Ebitda* of £738m for the year ending March 2007. This represents Ebitda growth at a rate "into the teens" - three times faster than previously expected. Shares in the telco are trading …

    Financial News 14 Dec 2006, 16:10

  • Save Earth from asteroidal doom

    And win $50k

    American scientists are offering a $50,000 prize to the person who designs a system for tagging and tracking the potentially Earth-threatening asteroid, Apophis. The asteroid is due to pass very close (astronomically speaking) to Earth in 2029. During this close encounter, its trajectory will be changed thanks to Earth's …

    Space 14 Dec 2006, 16:19

  • China Mobile swoops on "3"

    Updated Politics forces Hutchison to sell UK and Italy?

    By end of Friday, Hutchison Whampoa will have announced the sale of its European 3G franchises - both in the UK and in Italy - to China Mobile; thus confounding the hopes of European operators like TIM and Vodafone of picking up some cheap spectrum. The deal is being finalised today, as 3 UK sends out sample X Series products …

    Mobile 14 Dec 2006, 17:15

  • Microsoft may pay Zune tax twice

    New features, grey area

    Microsoft's private deal with Universal Music to pay the record label a voluntary royalty of $1 for every Zune player it sells has raised eyebrows across both the technology and music industries. But it might not be the last payment Redmond owes from Zune, we've discovered. Recently, Steve Gordon, entertainment attorney and …

    Mobile 14 Dec 2006, 18:01

  • Dumpy Senate clears pretexting bill after show trial

    Silicon Justice Thanks House grunts

    The most lackadaisical US Congress in modern history actually got off its keister and passed some legislation before it waddled off last week. No, it didn't fulfill its most important constitutional duty by passing a national budget. And no, it didn't threaten lawsuits like EFF v. ATT by retroactively approving the government's …

    Law 14 Dec 2006, 18:03

  • 'You'd have to be nuts' to think AMD can match our tick – Intel

    Eyeing Sun's Niagara flow

    Intel has confirmed plans to "tick" and "tock" AMD into submission. Beer in hand and in belly, we listened to Intel's latest AMD-hammering pitch during a session Wednesday with company executives in San Francisco. Rather than going biblical, Intel has gone metronomical, vowing to overwhelm AMD with a regular "cadence" of …

    Servers 14 Dec 2006, 18:23

  • Japan convicts P2P author

    Winny Me

    A Kyoto district court has convicted and fined Isamu Kaneko, author of the Winny P2P file sharing program. The application, which had around half a million users earlier this year, was used for distributing copyrighted material, including movies and games. A researcher at Tokyo University, Kaneko was arrested in May 2004. This …

    Developer 14 Dec 2006, 18:33

  • Gambling impresario pushes fanciful Palestinian fund

    $1bn for peace

    Online casino impresario Avi Shaked, founder of gambling website 888.com, has confirmed today in a wide ranging interview with the Jerusalem Post that he has proposed a $1bn private equity fund for economic investment in the occupied Palestinian territories. Establishment of the fund would be conditioned on the Palestinian …

    Financial News 14 Dec 2006, 19:09

  • HP and Microsoft in $300m love-in

    Bigger, better, more of the same

    Microsoft and Hewlett Packard are spending $300m over three years to bring new software to the 20,000 enterprise customers they share. The money will slosh around Microsoft's messaging and unified communications, collaboration and content management, business intelligent, process integration and core infrastructure. …

    Financial News 14 Dec 2006, 19:09