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31st January 2007 Archive

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  • Second Life sex shows benefit glorious nation of Vista

    Exclusive MS spits, hopes you swallow

    People quick to buy Microsoft's new Vista software face a dilemma never before seen in the operating system kingdom – Do I let my new lesbian "girlfriend" know that I am really a man? A reader - "Hanging in Lesbos" - asked that very question when writing in to Second Life Herald's reader advice column. As the nom de sadville …

    Bootnotes 31 Jan 2007, 00:13

  • Vista: long-term burn, not short-term sizzle

    Analysis Talking the talk

    Microsoft's $500m Windows Vista launch on Monday was the culmination of months of heavy sell intended to persuade the company, as much as everyone else, that not only is the operating systems is essential to users' computing needs, but also that it will translate into sales gold. If bullishness were revenue, Microsoft is well …

    Operating Systems 31 Jan 2007, 00:41

  • Script wreaks havoc on MySpace

    Rains down spam, opens door to users' accounts

    A handful of enterprising people - at least one of them a teen - has devised a Javascript that allows its owner to temporarily access the browser's MySpace account, according to a security professional who was among the first to publicly write about the service. These people also may have managed to spam about 1.5 million …

    Security 31 Jan 2007, 01:43

  • FTC spanks Sony BMG, porn operator

    Spyware and x-rated spam

    It's been a good day for the Federal Trade Commission, which has spanked Sony BMG for its surreptitious installation of nasty-ware and an adult Web site that - gasp - was responsible for the sending of x-rated spam. Sony BMG agreed to pay up to $150 for each computer damaged in its secret scheme to load spyware-laced DRM …

    Security 31 Jan 2007, 02:52

  • IT waste extracted from UK.gov

    Phew! What a stink

    The British government has admitted to Parliament that its IT projects have over-run by more than £260m in the last five years. That was enough, said Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, to build and kit out a new hospital. It demonstrated "chronic mismanagement on an epic scale," he said in a written …

    Policy 31 Jan 2007, 04:26

  • Vista is here...and so are the books!

    Site offer The pick of the bunch

    Vista has finally arrived. As of 30 January, Microsoft's new operating system was released to the general public. Most PCs shipped will now have Vista installed, and as it is the biggest step forward by Microsoft in terms of GUI applications since the introduction of Windows 95, there's going to be plenty of things that are …

    Developer 31 Jan 2007, 07:02

  • The perils of pair programming

    Column The Agile Iconoclast goes solo

    The streets of London are busy, especially at lunchtime. Strolling along dodging the slow-moving pedestrians occasionally makes me wonder: how do these people ever get anywhere? And how do they cope with the glacial slowness of taking all day just to reach the far street corner, without their heads exploding from the …

    Developer 31 Jan 2007, 07:02

  • Ofcom comes down hard on 'silent calls'

    Carphone Warehouse cops £35k fine

    Ofcom has slapped susbstantial fines on four UK companies for "causing annoyance to consumers through the making of silent or abandoned calls" in contravention of the Communications Act 2003. The UK's telecoms watchdog penalised Bracken Bay Kitchens (£40,000 fine), Carphone Warehouse (£35,000), Space Kitchens (£45,000), and …

    Broadband 31 Jan 2007, 09:48

  • Scotland says nay to the big bad wolf

    Bold reintroduction plan generates huff and puff

    A study released today by the Royal Society proposes the reintroduction of wolves into the Scottish Highlands - 240 years after they were hunted to extinction. According to The Guardian, the report concludes that "allowing packs of wolves to patrol the Highlands would solve an emerging ecological crisis over deer numbers" while …

    Science 31 Jan 2007, 09:57

  • Sony rolls out 'drop-safe' laptop

    Sony today unveiled its latest business-centric Centrino laptop: a 1.12kg, 12.1in model built out of carbon-fibre laminate. It's all about strength and portability - the Vaio G11 can withstand drops of almost a metre, the company claimed. That said, the G11 may not impress in a performance race: it's got a single-core ultra …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2007, 10:46

  • SFO raids Torex addresses

    Oh dear...

    The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has raided three addresses connected to Torex Retail, the troubled software supplier already facing investigation from the London Stock Exchange (LSE), after a shock profit warning on 26 January. The SFO is investigating along with the City of London police. A statement on the SFO website said …

    The Channel 31 Jan 2007, 11:00

  • Intel injects life into digital health

    $30m research hub for Ireland

    Intel is partnering with Irish universities to set up a digital health research centre that will investigate the challenges of independent living for the elderly. The Technology Research for Independent Living (TRIL) Centre is supported by IDA Ireland, and will involve collaboration with University College Dublin (UCD), Trinity …

    Science 31 Jan 2007, 11:05

  • EU Commissioner warns US on gambling ban

    US is looking after its own

    The European Union's internal market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy yesterday accused the US government of protectionism in the way it is dealing with online gambling. According to the Financial Times, McCreevy said: "In my view it is probably a restrictive practice and we might take it up in another forum." He said the case …

    Law 31 Jan 2007, 11:08

  • Intel, AMD jostled for market share in 2006

    Win some, lose some

    AMD lost market share to arch-rival Intel in 2006, but the smaller chip-maker nonetheless managed to make small gains in the desktop and laptop segments, the latest figures from market watcher Mercury Research reveal. Intel came out of 2006 with 77.7 per cent of the x86 CPU market, up from 76.3 per cent. Its 1.4 percentage …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2007, 11:10

  • Aardman and Dreamworks part company

    Computer-generated divorce

    Aardman Animations and Dreamworks have ended their five-film distribution deal after just three productions, the BBC reports. The two companies tied the knot in 1999, with the apparently happy marriage producing three offspring: Chicken Run, Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Flushed Away. However, the last two reportedly generated …

    Bootnotes 31 Jan 2007, 11:19

  • Intel's Socket P Core 2 Duos due May?

    'Santa Rosa' Centrino debut revealed

    That the next generation of Intel's Centrino laptop platform, 'Santa Rosa', will introduce new, tweaked versions of the chip maker's current 'Merom' Core 2 Duo mobile chip line-up is well known. They'll be pin-incompatible with current Meroms. But it's now looking like the updated CPUs will ship in May. Certainly that's what …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2007, 11:29

  • Nokia N-Gage resurfaces at secret meetings

    I will survive

    Nokia is about to rejuvenate its N-Gage mobile games console, if online reports are correct. The Finnish phone giant has apparently begun to evangelise new models to the industry. According to a Pocket Gamer report, behind-the-scenes developments are about to become public, with games publishers and developers already being …

    Mobile 31 Jan 2007, 11:38

  • Seagate pitches phone-friendly mobile hard drive

    Dave follows Agere

    First Agere, now Seagate has launched a portable hard drive platform with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and capable of being controlled by a mobile phone. Seagate calls its incarnation of an idea long ago touted by Intel, Dave - Digital Audio Video Experience. Like Agere's BluOnyx, Dave is touted as a better way of …

    Phones 31 Jan 2007, 11:50

  • Vista raises the bar for flaw finders

    But the battle's not over yet

    Microsoft launched its latest operating system - Windows Vista - on Monday, a move that will make finding easily exploitable vulnerabilities a lot harder, according to security researchers. In a launch event in New York City, the software giant took the wraps off both Windows Vista and its Office 2007 productivity suite. Long …

    Software 31 Jan 2007, 11:54

  • Doctor Who Tardis USB hub materialises

    Vworp! Vworp!

    Assuming, of course, it doesn't suddenly pop off into the vortex where time and space are one, taking all your peripherals with it, we'd say this here Tardis four-port USB hub's a dinger and a must for the Doctor Who fan in your life. Now available from Firebox.com for a mere 20 quid, this hub not only flashes its light and …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2007, 12:15

  • PC World says death to floppies

    How to recycle a 3.5in disk. And a PR strategy

    PC World’s marketing department declared the death of the floppy disk yesterday, generating a wave of publicity that even rivalled Bill Gates’ touting of Vista. The chain said it would eject floppies once it has cleared existing stock. It reckons that by the summer, none of the laptops or PCs it sells will actually include …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2007, 12:25

  • 123-Reg denies problems

    That's so last year

    Domain name provider 123-Reg has denied it has any customer service problems, despite several complaints from Register readers, an increase in moaning bloggers, and new websites set up to collect complaints about the company. We've received emails from customers who've seen their credit cards debited for domains the company had …

    Broadband 31 Jan 2007, 12:55

  • LG pulls TV-PDA-GPS combo gadget out of pocket

    LG has re-invented the PDA as a portable telly. Or maybe it's re-invented the handheld TV as a Personal Digital Assistant. It's hard to tell - this boy does it all. Called the N1, has DMB digital satellite TV reception, Windows Mobile 5.0's personal information management and internet access tools, GPS courtesy of a SiRFStar …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2007, 12:57

  • Toshiba HD-E1 HD DVD player

    Review Bringing next-gen DVD goodness into the Europe's living rooms

    While other manufacturers flap about trying to decide what format to back in the HD DVD/Blu-ray Disc war, Toshiba has been solidly behind HD DVD since the start. The HD-E1 is the first consumer-oriented standalone HD DVD player available in Europe, so you can now feed your HD telly something decent. And decent its output is …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2007, 12:59

  • Oughton to leave OGC

    Exits in wake of procurement review

    The chief executive of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has announced he is moving on. John Oughton said he would stand down from the post at the end of March. This follows the recent publication of his review of the OGC and the publication of the Transforming Government Procurement report. He has been in the position …

    Policy 31 Jan 2007, 12:59

  • Fring brings Skype and Symbian together

    Google Talk also invited to party

    Just as Skype declares that the market isn't right for a mobile client, Fring releases one which works seamlessly with its service. Fring is free to download and provides mobile users with access to its Skype and Google Talk accounts over 3G or Wi-Fi networks. Quite why Fring has been able to do what Skype has found so …

    VoIP 31 Jan 2007, 13:16

  • Please don't burn or stone women, pleads Canadian town

    Immigrant guidelines ruffle Muslim feathers

    The town of Herouxville in Quebec, which boasts one immigrant family among its 1,300 inhabitants, is at the centre of a race-relations rumpus after issuing a town council declaration on culture which reminds newcomers that "stoning [women] in public, burning them alive, burning them with acid, circumcising them etc", is an …

    Bootnotes 31 Jan 2007, 13:48

  • Seagate to ship 'data mover' external HDDs next month

    Seagate will next month ship a set of external hard drives aimed at folk who want to take all their data with them wherever they go and access through any handy computer. The FreeAgent line comprises a pair of USB-only models and a Pro unit that adds eSata and Firewire interfaces to the package. The FreeAgent Pro will be …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2007, 14:17

  • Allied Telesis punts low-cost Gig PoE switch

    Powered Gig Ethernet for £30 a port

    Powered Gig Ethernet just got cheaper. Allied Telesis said its new AT-GS900/8POE switch provides eight Gigabit ports plus a fibre uplink option, all the ports are powered - either eight at 7W each or four at the full 15W - and it's only £230, so around £30 a port. The lack of full power on every port may be an issue for some …

    Broadband 31 Jan 2007, 14:20

  • School tasers naked, oil-smeared student

    Shocking end to slippery streak

    A Ohio high school student who decided it was a "good idea" to strip naked, anoint himself with grapeseed oil and "run amok" in the school's canteen earned himself a double tasering for his trouble, the Columbus Dispatch reports. At lunchtime on Monday, 18-year-old Taylor C Killian inexplicably "strolled into a bathroom" close …

    Bootnotes 31 Jan 2007, 14:26

  • Google loses European GMail trademark battle

    Confusion

    Google has failed to win the right to register the term "Gmail" as a wide-ranging European trademark. The Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM), the body which is responsible for European community trademarks, rejected Google's appeal after a stiff battle with German-born venture capitalist Daniel Giersch. …

    Law 31 Jan 2007, 14:58

  • Comms sat launch goes off with a bang

    Spectacular failure of Zenit rocket

    The launch of a communications satellite from a converted oil rig in the Pacific ended in a fireball on Tuesday when the rocket exploded on the launch pad, New Scientist reports. The Boeing-built commercial NSS-8 satellite - owned by SES New Skies of the Netherlands and "equipped with nearly 100 transponders for high-speed …

    Science 31 Jan 2007, 15:06

  • Russian loses wife in poker game

    Marriage royally flushed down the pan

    A Murmansk gambler lost his wife in a poker game when he ran out of cash and laid his other half on the table, Ananova reports. Unfortunately for Andrei Karpov, when winning opponent Sergey Brodov arrived to claim his prize, his wife Tatiana was "so angry" she opted for a divorce. She thundered: "It was humiliating and I was …

    Bootnotes 31 Jan 2007, 15:19

  • UK domainers start up industry association

    Ready to launch at first UK domain channel conference

    A new association representing UK domain name resellers is due to be launched this Friday. Domain Name Associates Ltd was incorporated on Monday at the same time as the address domainnameassociation.co.uk. Both are registered to the home address of Michael Toth, a well-known "domainer". The association will be officially …

    Broadband 31 Jan 2007, 15:29

  • Casio extends Exilim digicam line

    Casio has updated its Exilim digital camera range with a pair of models that improve upon products the company released last year. In particular, both support new, 14:9 widescreen 2.6in displays. The 10.1 megapixel EX-Z1050 also features a motion analysis system that can choose the best sensitivity and shutter speed for snapping …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2007, 16:07

  • Vista DRM broken already?

    While Gates closes up on £ for $ pricing

    Two controversial aspects of Microsoft's Vista were conspicuous by their absence at yesterday's launch event - neither digital rights management nor the way Microsoft will shut down or reduce the functionality of software it considers to be an illegal copy were mentioned. But Microsoft's DRM protection has already been broken …

    Software 31 Jan 2007, 16:08

  • Schools need consent to fingerprint kids?

    ICO sticks its neck-out - and gets it in a twist

    The Information Commissioner has declared that schools should ask for the consent of children and parents before they take pupil's fingerprints, despite there being no legal obligation for them to do so. The data protection supervisor issued the informal advice yesterday, contrasting with previous public comments on the issue …

    Policy 31 Jan 2007, 16:19

  • Vista sends PC prices sky high

    Get your desktop computer for just £9,999

    Vista only hit the shelves yesterday, but Microsoft's new operating system has already sent shockwaves through the PC retail industry. Want to get your hands on an Acer desktop bundled with a copy of "Genuine MS Windows Vista Premium"? Get prepared to fork out a wallet-thrashing £9,999 for the pleasure, if prices down at PC …

    Operating Systems 31 Jan 2007, 16:27

  • 3Com adds Linux blade to routers

    Application blade runs open source apps

    Interoperability and openness will be the keys to the network in the future, 3Com claimed, as it announced Linux-based blades for its 6000-series routers that will let them run third-party apps. The vendor also unveiled a technology partner programme to help others make their hardware and software interoperate with 3Com's. …

    Data Networking 31 Jan 2007, 17:19

  • Fujitsu and union in jam over strike

    Amicus wants, Fujitsu won't

    Fujitsu has declared that its dispute with Amicus, the UK's largest private sector union, has got stuck in the mud because it refuses to allow the union to represent IT workers who do not want their representation. Approximately 100 staff have been out on a week-long strike at Fujitsu's head office since Monday over …

    Management 31 Jan 2007, 17:28

  • UK bank exposes details of 75,000 accounts

    Conscientious mum returns generous gift

    An Aberdeen woman found a novel way to receive highly confidential information on 75,000 clients of the Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS): she simply requested her statement. Stephanie McLaughlan received the mother lode, which comprised five packages of 500 pages containing 30 accounts each. Details included account numbers, …

    Security 31 Jan 2007, 18:35

  • Cisco goes power-crazy

    New stackable Gig and fan-less switches are all-PoE

    Cisco has announced a bunch of Gigabit and Power-over Ethernet (PoE) switches at its annual Networkers beanfest in Cannes. The new switches include the Catalyst 3750-E stackable, its standalone sibling the 3560-E, and the fan-less and silent 2960 and 3560 Compact models. Cisco also announced a stonking 8700W power supply for …

    Data Networking 31 Jan 2007, 18:38

  • What a tangled mesh we weave

    But does it fit the bill for muni Wi-Fi?

    While the promise of free-for-all municipal Wi-Fi networks remains on the horizon for most – and a Googly mess for others – mesh wireless, the technology that utopians fancy will float us away on a cloud of education, is making practical progress. Ironically, the technology came out of a 1980s DARPA research project at SRI …

    Broadband 31 Jan 2007, 20:20

  • HP and SAP go industrial

    Have screwdriver - will develop

    Hewlett Packard has put its formidable weight behind SAP's version of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) with the announcement this week of a bagful of new services under the banner of SAP's Enterprise SOA. The new services will extend HP's existing Adaptive Infrastructure to work alongside SAP's NetWeaver Portal and aim to …

    Developer 31 Jan 2007, 21:55

  • Michael Dell ousts Rollins, back in charge

    Stalled server growth, exploding batteries, sinking customer service

    After 30 months at the helm, Kevin Rollins is leaving Dell, following years of decline that might rival the great fall of the Roman empire. The disclosure came as the company said its fourth-quarter results fell below analysts' consensus estimates. Michael Dell - the visionary who as a college student conceived the idea of …

    Financial News 31 Jan 2007, 22:45

  • Intrepid hack drinks up gambling extravaganza

    House of Cards All the news that’s fit to bet

    The dust has finally settled after a week of debauchery in London. From the Mobile Gaming Summit, to the Legal Gaming Summit, to the International Casino Exhibition and then on to the CapEuro event, the succession of casino driven conferences and parties has left your hardy correspondent licking his wounds back in San …

    Media 31 Jan 2007, 23:02

  • Google fails to excite on revenue surge

    Tired of over-achievement

    Google's income nearly tripled over the Christmas holiday period, boosted by growing online advertising, but failed to excite investors. The advertising giant reported a 176 per cent increase in net income for the three months to December 31 to $1.03bn on revenue that jumped 67 per cent to $3.2bn. Earnings per diluted share …

    Financial News 31 Jan 2007, 23:50