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23rd January 2007 Archive

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  • McAfee upgrade plays nasty with Lotus Notes

    You've got mail! But can't have it!

    Admins who took the time to upgrade to the latest version of McAfee's VirusScan Enterprise are reporting problems with client applications of Lotus Notes, in some cases requiring IT administrators to reinstall the email program. The problem appears to occur after VirusScan has been upgraded to 8.5i. It causes Lotus Notes to …

    Malware 23 Jan 2007, 01:09

  • EJB 3.0 Based Web Services

    Tutorial On one of many ways to cut a web service on Java

    You cannot have failed to notice Web Services and the prominence that they have achieved within the current computing world. However, at least within Java, there have been a number of differing ways in which you could implement a Java-based Web Service. You could use the Java Web Services toolkit from Sun, or the Apache Axis …

    Developer 23 Jan 2007, 07:02

  • Galileo turns to Accept for requirements planning

    Variety is spice of life

    Considering what can be involved, we all assume buying an airline ticket is a straight forward process. But for businesses like Galileo, which provides the service behind some 44,000 sale outlets worldwide, making sure that all those outlets have the latest version of the applications suite, together with any specific variations …

    Developer 23 Jan 2007, 07:02

  • Google, Yahoo! commit to ethical code

    Human rights code of conduct to be drawn up

    Some of technology's biggest names are joining together to create a code of conduct to protect freedom of expression online. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo! and Vodafone will create a human rights charter along with academics and social groups. The move may counter the heavy criticism which Yahoo! and Google in particular have faced …

    Law 23 Jan 2007, 10:04

  • How to have an 'iPhone' right now... well, sort of

    iPrint, iFold, iPhone

    Want an Apple iPhone? Want it now? Well, we can't promise the real thing, but you can whip yourself up an almost perfect facsimile of the highly desirable handset. All you need is a colour printer, some glossy photo paper, a knife, a steel rule and a downloadable iPhone template. Posted the day after Apple CEO Steve Jobs' …

    Reg Hardware 23 Jan 2007, 10:10

  • MySpace faces barrage of sexual assault suits

    Security measures too little too late

    Social networking market leader MySpace has been hit with four lawsuits in the US separately alleging that site users were guilty of sexual assault. The families behind the suits are seeking damages of millions of dollars. Each of the four instances involves sexual assaults which took place between young girls and men that the …

    Law 23 Jan 2007, 10:13

  • Academics compile 'encyclopaedia of concerns' about NPfIT

    Call for technical review

    A group of academics have issued a "dossier of concerns" calling for a technical review of the NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT) Brian Randell, Emeritus professor of Computing Science at Newcastle University, told GC News that the 200 page dossier containing "everything said about the NPfIT over the last few years" will …

    Public Sector 23 Jan 2007, 10:29

  • Sharon Stone dominates 27th Razzie nominations

    Star's breasts up for 'worst screen couple' award

    Sharon Stone and Basic Instinct 2 look set to sweep the board at the 27th Razzies - the annual celebration of all that is truly dire in the wonderful world of moviemaking. The film has attracted no less than seven nominations: Worst Picture, Actress, Supporting Actor (David Thewlis), Director (Michael Caton-Jones), Sequel, …

    Entertainment 23 Jan 2007, 10:36

  • Intel set to back VIA's Mini-ITX for SFF PCs?

    Bulwark against AMD's DTX

    Intel may be set to promote a motherboard form-factor developed by rival chip maker VIA, it has been claimed, in a bid to beat AMD's recently announced would-be small form-factor PC standard, DTX. The claim that Intel intends to back the 17 x 17cm Mini-ITX mobo form-factor comes from Taiwanese motherboard maker moles cited by …

    Reg Hardware 23 Jan 2007, 10:47

  • Apple pounds e-wallet firm in trademark tiff

    Pod botherers

    Apple has been accused of applying double standards to trademark disputes by a UK security developer. The launch of Apple's much-anticipated iPhone device last week kicked off a trade-mark dispute between the firm and Cisco, which secured trademark in 2000 when it bought Infogear, the original maker of iPhone-branded products. …

    Small Biz 23 Jan 2007, 11:02

  • France and Germany join anti-iTunes crusade

    September deadline to get house in order

    France and Germany are joining the Scandinavian campaign to make content from iTunes work with players from companies other than Apple. In a statement released yesterday by the Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman, France and Germany joined Finland in calling for changes to iTunes. The consumer protection groups want buyers to be …

    Law 23 Jan 2007, 11:12

  • Expert KOs Rocky's artificial intelligence

    Superfight not so super

    The latest Rocky film has posed questions about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Rocky Balboa, the sixth instalment in the long running franchise, features a computer simulation of a boxing match between fighters from different eras. Characters in the film argue over the ability of a computer to decide whether the …

    Science 23 Jan 2007, 11:14

  • Google Germany goes kaput

    Updated Ich hatte meinen domain namen vergessen

    Google apologised on Tuesday after its German site disappeared overnight and was replaced by a page from domain holding company Goneo. The search engine was resurrected at about 7.30am German time, though users still report some problems. The message on the Goneo page translates as: "There are is no content at this domain. …

    Bootnotes 23 Jan 2007, 11:28

  • Intel to return to discrete GPU arena

    Back in the game after eight years

    Intel has committed itself to developing a discrete graphics product. It's been suggested for some time that it might have such a scheme in mind given the success of its integrated graphics products, and the fact that arch-rival AMD now owns ATI. Intel hinted at such a move last month, but this is the first time it has come …

    Reg Hardware 23 Jan 2007, 11:32

  • China confirms satellite-killing test

    Sabre indeed rattled

    China has confirmed it recently used a ground-based medium-range ballistic missile to destroy an old weather satellite, the BBC reports. A statement by Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao backed up initial claims in American Aviation Week and Space Technology which reported that a Feng Yun 1C polar orbit weather satellite …

    Space 23 Jan 2007, 11:32

  • Packed trains 'safer', claim UK rail bosses

    Good news for cattle-class commuters

    Those among you who are accustomed to the daily cattle-class commute on Britain's world-class rail network are advised to do some deep-breathing exercises and pour yourselves a stiff brandy before reading on. And here's why: according to the Evening Standard, bosses of said network have declared that - contrary to what the …

    Bootnotes 23 Jan 2007, 11:40

  • Alcatel-Lucent merger results disappoint

    Flat revenues

    Alcatel-Lucent said today it expects revenues for the fourth quarter of 2006, ended 31 December, to be about €3.87bn - essentially flat on last year. The firm blamed spending shifts in north America, expecially in the last quarter, for the shortfall. The company expects to make revenue of €12.3bn for the full year and …

    Data Networking 23 Jan 2007, 12:05

  • Microsoft: yes, we have no incompatibilities

    Analysis From DR-DOS to DRM

    Savour this irony. Last week, we learned that incompatibilities Microsoft hadn't written into its operating system posed a grave threat to users. Last week, we also learned that genuine incompatibilities Microsoft had deliberately written into its operating system posed no threat at all. In the first instance Microsoft had …

    Operating Systems 23 Jan 2007, 12:09

  • Footie-mad tattooist inscribes penis on rival fan's back

    River Plate 1 : Boca Juniors 0

    A young Argentinian footie fan who decided to celebrate his love for Boca Juniors by having the team's logo tattooed on his back paid the price for not adequately researching the body artist's own allegiances. The tattooist was, unknown to the unnamed teen, a follower of rival club River Plate, and accordingly substituted a …

    Bootnotes 23 Jan 2007, 12:45

  • Apple may offer Wi-Fi update for free, says former chief beancounter

    The world according to GAAP

    There's one flaw with Apple's excuse for planning to charge $2 to enable 802.11n next-generation Wi-Fi on Macs that have the hardware to support the technology: it's bollocks. So says the one-time most senior accountant in the US, Lynn Turner, former chief accountant of the Securities and Exchange Commission. When it emerged …

    Reg Hardware 23 Jan 2007, 12:48

  • Defacement archive Zone-h gets defaced

    NSFW Saudi hackers claim scalp

    Defacement archive Zone-h.org has become the victim of a domain hijack attack. Initially we thought the site had been defaced, however Zone-h co-founder Roberto Preatoni has been in touch to explain that its DNS settings were illicitly changed to point at a site carrying a "screw you" message, posted by a gang of defacers from …

    Enterprise Security 23 Jan 2007, 12:54

  • Programming classics - the sequel

    Site offer Time to expand your bookshelf

    You've done it again. Our programming classics article went down a storm and prompted several emails back to Register Books, both praising and suggesting. Most of you agreed that we had a pretty formidable selection, but as usual, and as we wanted, you also came up with a list of books you felt deserved a place in our list ( …

    Site News 23 Jan 2007, 13:02

  • Porn industry finds hi-def too graphic

    The true cost of HD

    High definition video can reveal more than was intended, as the porn industry, in its rush to embrace the new technology, is finding out. Sets and scenery for shows made in HD need a much higher level of finish, but in most cases the actors' bodies are sufficiently covered for imperfections not to matter. Not so in the porn …

    Music and Media 23 Jan 2007, 13:39

  • MSN password stealer released as torrent

    Live phish

    Malware designed to steal users' Windows Live Messenger password has been released onto the net. The password stealer was released for download via BitTorrent earlier this week by a hacker using the handle "Our Godfather". The malware comes in the form of an IMB download confirmed by anti-virus firm Sophos as containing a …

    Malware 23 Jan 2007, 13:44

  • StyleTap brings Palm apps to Windows mobiles

    Another nail in Palm OS' coffin

    StyleTap has expanded its Palm-emulation software to include Windows Mobile devices lacking a touch screen, utilising the four-way rocker to emulate on-screen clicks. Palm OS advocates still cite the breadth and quantity of software available for the platform as its principle advantage, though as development for that platform …

    Applications 23 Jan 2007, 14:11

  • B3ta man victorious over Coca-Cola in music dispute

    Copyright spat fizzes out

    Coca-Cola has agreed to settle with an unsigned London band over a dispute that the soft drink's Argentinian subsidiary ripped off one of their songs and animated videos. Band 7 Seconds of Love and their lead singer Joel Veitch - a regular contributor to animation site B3ta.com - were told by fans that an Argentinian coke …

    Law 23 Jan 2007, 14:15

  • Branscombe shipwreck: eBay flogfest begins

    Wet nappies all round. Bootylicious

    Anyone hoping to buy a piece of the great 2007 Devon lootathon should head over to online tat bazaar eBay, where all manner of waterlogged debris from the listing cargo ship MSC Napoli is available. There's an excellent Motorola Razr auction, offering bidders the chance to buy into Britain's glorious maritime heritage: This …

    Bootnotes 23 Jan 2007, 14:20

  • The Ultimate Windows Vista laptop

    What the new OS means for laptop owners

    The most visible part of Windows Vista is the Aero interface, and while we can't deny that it looks very swish we find it very hard to get excited by a shiny new GUI. Instead, we're looking forward to new Vista hardware, which includes a new use for the humble USB memory key and much, much more. So what will the ultimate Windows …

    Reg Hardware 23 Jan 2007, 14:33

  • Ofcom reaches for pause on Beeb downloads

    Plans threaten commercial rivals

    The BBC's plans to allow punters to download its TV and radio programmes have been heavily criticised by communications watchdog Ofcom which reckons they could damage commercial rivals. Ofcom fears the availability of classical music available for free download from the BBC will damage commercial providers of such music. It …

    Entertainment 23 Jan 2007, 14:53

  • LogicaCMG cuts, boosts heads

    Sub-contractors down, staffers up

    LogicaCMG issued a bullish full year trading statement this morning that managed to combine satisfaction over the cutting of the use of contractors with concerns about capacity constraints. Capping off the year to December 31, 2006, the services group said the market remained positive with "a generally improving price …

    Channel Register 23 Jan 2007, 15:20

  • EMC sees expenses rise again

    More cutbacks to come, despite record revenue

    EMC continued its run of financial good form in the fourth quarter, and rode a tax payday and higher system sales to beat its own and most analysts' expectations. The storage monster's profits were buoyed by the $76.7m tax gain to a GAAP net income of $389m, or $0.18 per share. Revenue for Q4 hit $3.22bn. A year earlier, …

    Storage 23 Jan 2007, 16:04

  • UK gets tough on phone toting drivers

    Still got to arrest some people though

    Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander has confirmed that from February 27 drivers caught using a mobile phone will get three points on their license and a £60 fine, double the current £30. Mr Alexander also stated that it was "impossible to do two things at once". Those of us who can chew and walk at the same time might be …

    Law 23 Jan 2007, 16:08

  • Dell may binge on quad-core Opterons

    Eat the whole pork pie

    In Texas terms, Dell has gone the piglet with its Opteron server line rather than going the whole hog. That, however, could change with AMD's release of the four-core "Barcelona" processors. Dell today promotes two Opteron systems - the four-socket PowerEdge 6950 and the two-socket SC1435. And getting those two boxes wasn't …

    Servers 23 Jan 2007, 17:31

  • Texas court bans deep linking

    Deeply disturbing, Google lawyer says

    A court in Dallas, Texas has found a website operator liable for copyright infringement because his site linked to an 'audio webcast' without permission. Observers have criticised the judge for failing to understand the internet. Robert Davis runs Supercrosslive.com and put direct links on his site to audio streams of …

    Law 23 Jan 2007, 17:36

  • Blu-ray DRM defeated

    Copy-protection cracked again

    The copy protection technology used by Blu-ray discs has been cracked by the same hacker who broke the DRM technology of rival HD DVD discs last month. The coder known as muslix64 used much the same plain text attack in both cases. By reading a key held in memory by a player playing a HD DVD disc he was able to decrypt the movie …

    Storage 23 Jan 2007, 17:39

  • Packed trains crash through the Beeb's download plans

    Letters While covered in bubblewrap

    After last week's storms crashed not only train networks, but rail websites as well, you'd think the sympathetic bosses of the UK's national rail network would be keen to keep out of the news. Not so. Today, they came out with the astounding suggestion that packed trains are "safer" for commuters. This certainly derailed many …

    Letters 23 Jan 2007, 17:45

  • YouTube blocks mobile video encoder

    Why have something free when you can pay for it?

    YouTube has blocked a small company from making YouTube videos available on mobile phones. The action came just days after YouTube announced its own mobile deal with US mobile phone operator Verizon. TinyTube used to encode YouTube video so that it was available to view on mobile phones, but was stopped late last year by …

    Wireless 23 Jan 2007, 17:53

  • VCs rain cash on US net, biotech firms

    'No major overfunding'

    Tech firms have come up trumps in the US venture capital stakes, with internet companies showing strong growth for 2006. According to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association, internet-specific companies - those whose business is dependent on the internet - raised $4bn in 645 deals in the …

    Financial News 23 Jan 2007, 18:19

  • HP puts unitard on server and storage software

    Taps Sgt. Schultz

    HP has birthed a new software unit within its server and storage business in the hopes of adding some might and revenue to systems management applications. Bob Schultz, the head of HP's StorageWorks division, will run the new ESS (Enterprise Storage and Server) Software business unit. In that role, Schultz has been tasked …

    Storage 23 Jan 2007, 18:25

  • BDSM blossoms in Second Life

    NSFW Column The accidental Mistress

    In my last column I made some skeptical remarks about the BDSM (bondage, discipline, and sadomasochism) community in Second Life. It's not something I've ever had much interest in, although it is a very prominent feature of SL. You'll encounter it throughout the mature regions of the grid, although you might not recognise it …

    Music and Media 23 Jan 2007, 18:33

  • EMC exec flames Reg with ambiguity

    Retrospek. It's war

    EMC and The Register have gone to war, and the battle rages over backup software of all things. Last week, we questioned whether EMC will in fact release version 8.0 of its once popular Retrospect backup software. The Insignia SMB (small and medium business) division behind the Retrospect product has suffered massive layoffs, …

    Storage 23 Jan 2007, 19:23

  • Sun does the impossible - blackens ink

    Feels like the first time

    Somebody slap someone. Sun Microsystems has turned a profit. The server maker today posted its best financial results in ages. Sun's second quarter revenue swelled 7 per cent year-over-year to $3.6bn, and it posted a 3 cent per share profit on the back of $126m in net income. Those totals compare to a loss of 7 cents per share …

    Servers 23 Jan 2007, 21:32

  • Oracle turns the screws in Red Hat switcheroo

    Microsoft and Novell price check

    Oracle has spiced up its offer of low-priced support for Red Hat Linux users with the addition of systems management software. The software giant is targeting users of Red Hat running its applications and middleware with an updated version of Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g that's available for free. Oracle's new Management …

    Applications 23 Jan 2007, 22:02

  • Yahoo! net! plummets! in! Q4!

    Sales up, though

    Yahoo!'s net income plunged in the December quarter to $269m, compared with $683m net recorded in the same Q the previous year. Increased stock compensation expenses are to blame for some of the shortfall. The internet giant booked $56m of stock-based compensation expense in Q4 '06, against $11m the previous year. 2005's Q4 …

    Financial News 23 Jan 2007, 22:38

  • Office 2007 faces snail's pace migration

    Ribbon development

    Hopes by Microsoft for quick uptake of Office 2007 based on a redesigned and simpler interface could be dashed - ironically - thanks to its spanking new look. Most enterprises will wait between three and five years before switching from older editions of Microsoft's suite to Office 2007, to be launched next week, Forrester …

    Applications 23 Jan 2007, 22:56

  • As Jobs is questioned, backdating prosecutors bail

    One pushed, other jumps

    Steve Jobs, perhaps the most indispensable CEO alive, has some bad news and some good news for shareholders who are nervous about federal investigations into whether he was involved in the backdating of thousands of options awarded to Apple employees. First, the bad: In a sign that investigators are moving forward with their …

    Law 23 Jan 2007, 23:39