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7th March 2007 Archive

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  • Oracle mimics Microsoft's per socket pricing

    Low-end love

    Oracle has tossed customers a Microsoft-like bone by loosening up its software licensing restrictions for low-end servers running on multi-core chips. Those of you brave enough to follow Oracle's licensing maneuvers know that the company has tended toward counting processor cores rather than server sockets. A recent change of …

    Servers 7 Mar 2007, 00:33

  • Oracle opens arms to TopLink developers

    EclipseCon Take my services, please

    Oracle has issued a fresh chapter in its quixotic open source strategy by fully opening a key piece of its Java application server and database technology. Oracle is releasing code for its object-relational TopLink software while also proposing the creation of an Eclipse Foundation TopLink project, the Eclipse Persistence …

    Applications 7 Mar 2007, 00:40

  • Could the EU provide a forum for rational gaming legislation?

    The European Court of Justice pushes for openness

    In a ruling sure to ruffle the feathers of those opposed to open and regulated gambling environments, the European Court of Justice today issued its most forceful opinion yet covering the cross border provision of gaming services. The ruling in the Placanica case, in which Italian suppliers of gambling services for British …

    Law 7 Mar 2007, 00:52

  • Huawei-3Com taps Expand for WAN software

    Converged application-accelerating routers are on the way

    The convergence of WAN optimisation with core routing may be taking a big step forward, with Huawei-3Com (H3C) buying the rights to use acceleration software from Expand Networks in its upcoming Intelligent Management Centre (iMC) integrated router platform. "We saw a compelling reason to evolve our products into more of a …

    Data Networking 7 Mar 2007, 09:52

  • Eclipse scrubs up Web 2.0 credentials

    EclipseCon AJAX, scripting - the works

    After six years mostly focused on enterprise computing, Eclipse is tackling rich internet applications by expanding into Web 2.0. The open source tools organisation has launched separate AJAX and scripting projects geared towards simplifying development and to taking Eclipse into new areas. Support for scripting is expected …

    Developer 7 Mar 2007, 09:57

  • Obi-Wan's Jedi cloak sold

    How cheap is your force?

    Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi cloak sold at auction yesterday for £54,000. Two telephone bidders battled it out to claim Sir Alec Guinness's costume from the original Star Wars trilogy. Clothing from Dr Who also sold for far more than estimates. Tom Baker's promotional costume of maroon coat, trousers, waistcoat and stripey scarf sold …

    Entertainment 7 Mar 2007, 10:02

  • Reuters to start MySpace for City traders

    Financial types don't like teenage girls, apparently

    Newswire and financial data service Reuters is to dip another finger in Web 2.0 waters by setting up its own version of MySpace. But the Reuters site will be targeted at City traders rather than US teenagers. "You will see us, later in the year, launch a version of MySpace for the financial services community," Reuters chief …

    Financial News 7 Mar 2007, 10:05

  • English court cannot hear SanDisk MP3 patent case

    Action needs to be taken where harm was done

    An attempt by Flash memory card maker SanDisk to take on a group of MP3-related patent holders has failed in an English court. The High Court said all of SanDisk's claims fell outside the court's jurisdiction of England and Wales. SanDisk claimed that Philips, France Telecom, TDF, and Institut Für Rundfunktechnik, all of …

    Law 7 Mar 2007, 10:07

  • Power users deserve support too

    Poll Changing the balance on the frontline

    Several weeks ago, I had a problem with a new HP desktop right out of the box. When I tried to install MS OS updates they were downloaded, but when the system rebooted it caused a permanent loop. I called HP and got a message that it was busy. Naturally, I didn't want to play the call back game all day, so I got onto my other …

    Tech Panel 7 Mar 2007, 10:43

  • Oracle pays $3.3bn for Hyperion

    Comment Good news for whom?

    Last week, Oracle, one of the industry giants, announced that it has agreed to buy Hyperion Solutions Corporation, by no means a small ISV, for $52 per share - thereby valuing the acquisition at approximately $3.3bn. Hyperion is a supplier of specialist performance management software solutions, a space that is growing in …

    Financial News 7 Mar 2007, 10:48

  • Samsung fields Flash cache fitted hybrid hard drive

    Load-time lowerer

    Samsung has begun sending out hybrid hard drives to computer manufacturers, according to a variety of reports coming out of Asia today. It's now offering the MH80 series of 2.5in drives, each of which incorporates 128MB or 256MB of Flash cache in addition to 80, 120 or 160GB of magnetic storage. The drives work with Windows …

    Reg Hardware 7 Mar 2007, 10:55

  • EMC strengthens armour for SMB offensive

    Comment Announces raft of new products

    EMC has announced several new products targeted at mid-market enterprises seeking to more effectively consolidate, backup, archive, and protect their information. The new offerings include the EMC CLARiiON CX3-10 UltraScale networked storage system; new EMC RecoverPoint/SE software for mid-tier storage environments; and three …

    Storage 7 Mar 2007, 11:03

  • Tesco charges punter £1 a minute for US freephone call

    Comment And helpdesk can't help with correct rate

    Tesco's pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap philosophy works for most things - but not neccessarily telecoms it appears. A four minute call to a US freephone number, using a Tesco Internet Phone connection, cost one Reg reader £1 a minute - 50 times what it would have cost to dial up a normal US number. When we contacted Tesco to …

    VoIP 7 Mar 2007, 11:08

  • US Navy research throws up vomit ray

    See sick?

    The US Navy is funding research into a "Star Trek phaser set on 'stun'". At least to begin with, the kit is intended for use by Marines in ordinary urban combat rather than starship crewmen beamed down onto strange new worlds (fans of the classic series may be interested to note that the USS Enterprise happens to be preparing …

    Biology 7 Mar 2007, 11:19

  • Archos über wireless movie player rides in

    The big screen... in your hand

    French media-player maker Archos has begun selling what it claims is the only handheld video player with a 7in display and wireless connectivity, all for just $550 (£286/€420). In addition to said 7in, 800 x 480 touchscreen display and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, your money will get you 40GB or 80GB of hard drive storage and the …

    Reg Hardware 7 Mar 2007, 11:32

  • Becta throws shroud over Microsoft deal

    Vista adoption in schools 'high risk'

    The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) has signed a secrecy clause with Microsoft which prevents it from disclosing the prices schools are paying for software licences. Figures released by the Department for Education and Skills show that in 2005-06 schools spent £615m on ICT, including Microsoft …

    Public Sector 7 Mar 2007, 11:34

  • Stormy weather for malware defenses

    Virus writers go after anti-virus vulnerabilities

    When the Storm Worm swept through the internet in mid-January, the program's writers took a brute force approach to evading anti-virus defenses: They created a massive number of slightly different copies of the program and released them all at the same time. On 18 January, the day the misnamed program - a Trojan horse, not a …

    Malware 7 Mar 2007, 11:47

  • Network access control with fewer delays

    v3.0 has the knack of NAC, Nevis says

    Nevis Networks reckons it's the first to come up with a version of network access control for the LAN that doesn't get in the way of users. The company says users no longer have to log in to an 802.1x client on the desktop, or sign in to its captive portal so their PC can be scanned, before being allowed access to the LAN. …

    Data Networking 7 Mar 2007, 12:16

  • Mozilla patches faulty patch

    Cure worse than disease

    The Mozilla Foundation has patched a faulty patch that was itself subject to a security vulnerability. A security update for Firefox and the SeaMonkey application suite issued in mid-December left users open to a JavaScript-related privilege escalation flaw that meant hackers could commandeer vulnerable machines, Mozilla warned …

    Enterprise Security 7 Mar 2007, 12:26

  • Intel waiting for key update before going Vista

    Won't leap until SP1 arrives

    If it's not good enough for Intel, is it good enough for you? We're talking Microsoft's Windows Vista, which the chip giant's CEO, Paul Otellini, this week indicated has not won the backing of his technology experts. "I know of no organisation doing an upgrade before [Service Pack 1]," Paul Otellini told attendees of the Bank …

    Reg Hardware 7 Mar 2007, 12:29

  • Hit the DECT: cordless phones on test

    Group Test Ten cordless phones for your consideration

    The mobile phone may well be enjoying its time in the limelight, but like reality TV stars and the England cricket team, it probably won't last forever. Especially not when you cast your eye over this little lot, the cream of the DECT cordless-phone crop. Where these handsets are concerned, it is indeed good to talk. BT Home …

    Reg Hardware 7 Mar 2007, 12:44

  • Home Office threatens illegal immigrants with text messages

    Pls do nt dstrb da nabrs as u lv

    UK.gov has unveiled its latest weapon in its battle against illegal immigration – the fearsome text message. Home secretary John Reid today outlined a stack of proposals to make life for illegals "uncomfortable and constrained". We presume he meant to add "even more". Reid's aim is to prevent illegal immigrants accessing …

    Public Sector 7 Mar 2007, 13:21

  • Fortify and the Java open review project

    Comment Is open source software better than you think?

    I got some flack recently for daring to suggest (or appearing to) that open source software (OSS) should be "fit for purpose" (here). After all, since all those saintly OSS developers are working for nothing, why should we expect their software to work? Well, I can't imagine a company with any hope of staying in business using …

    Developer 7 Mar 2007, 13:54

  • Babelgum - another new, new TV thing

    Joost like Joost

    So P2P TV services really do conform to the proverbial bus cliche: you wait ages for one, then loads of cliches come along at once. If you know Joost, then you'll know Babelgum, which unveiled its service in London today. Both are PC-based upstarts to the industry's own IPTV standard. Both are in closed beta, both offer TV over …

    Telecoms 7 Mar 2007, 14:18

  • New Jersey BOFH cuffed over $10m Cisco scam

    Replacement kit 'fraud'

    A public sector computer technician from New Jersey has been arrested over allegations he took Cisco for $10m through a fraud that exploited the networking giant's programme for replacing broken or defective kit. Michael Kyereme, 40, from Piscataway, New Jersey, was arrested on fraud charges on Friday in connection with the …

    Channel Register 7 Mar 2007, 14:42

  • Fraud cost UK at least £13bn in 2005

    Identity fraud a hash

    About £13bn of fraud was committed in the UK in 2005, but the figure could be on the conservative side, a report commissioned by the Association of Chief Police Officers said today. The report, which examined existing primary data sources about fraud of all types, noted how unreliable much of the data is and how difficult it is …

    Crime 7 Mar 2007, 15:12

  • Readers win with Reg Hardware

    Every day this week, Register Hardware is offering readers the chance to win a Nokia E65 smart phone, and we've drawn our first winners... So will you please give a big hand to Philip Taylor and Sanjit Sousa who will both be shortly taking possession of brand spanking new E65s. Congratulations, guys. Don't forget, there's …

    Reg Hardware 7 Mar 2007, 15:16

  • Nokia expands phone software update service

    More handsets, more languages

    Nokia has powered up its handset software update system, having trialled the tool last year. The web-based system allows phone owners to update their devices without having first to find a service centre to do it for them. Some 35 Nokia handsets are supported by the facility, including the Finnish phone giant's E and N …

    Reg Hardware 7 Mar 2007, 16:21

  • ITV extends Local on-demand service

    Are you local?

    ITV Local is now open for business in London and Central, after a year of trials in the Meridian region. The online service offers local news, documentaries and films, bulked out with the inevitable user-generated content. Being able to call up the last episode of London, Central and Meridian Tonight (or Today) is the biggest …

    Telecoms 7 Mar 2007, 16:29

  • Media blasts Cambridge undergrads' drinking habits

    From within their pint glass houses

    Boozy students hurl so much vomit about at Cambridge University that cleaners are now being immunised against Hepatitis, it has been revealed. Contract cleaners at Gonville & Caius college get the jabs routinely, and staff there were said to be "furious" over a recent puking surge. In fact, the spate of incidents actually …

    Biology 7 Mar 2007, 16:41

  • Banks unleash paper tigers over terror data probe

    'We've written some letters'

    British banks have responded to European privacy watchdogs, who claim they broke the law by letting US anti-terror investigators have access to the details of their customers' international financial transactions. The banks have written letters to their customers, and claim this should be enough to put them in the clear. …

    Law 7 Mar 2007, 17:08

  • Carmakers tout green motors in Geneva

    But where's the juice ultimately coming from?

    Car manufacturers have been at pains to tout a new green image in the run up to the 77th International Motor Show, which opens tomorrow in Geneva. A lot of the environmentally-friendly concepts being exhibited are little more than vapourware for now, but some manufacturers have models actually in production. Most famous of …

    Science 7 Mar 2007, 17:20

  • Italy tops global wiretap league

    State of the surveillance nation

    Britain may have more CCTV cameras per head than anywhere else in the world but when it comes to electronic surveillance the country is way behind Italy, the Netherlands and even Sweden. Official figures have revealed UK law enforcement agencies and other government bodies made 439,000 requests to monitor telephones and email …

    Government 7 Mar 2007, 18:15

  • Feds fume over Microsoft anti-trust delay

    Compliance hold up

    The US Department of Justice told a federal judge it is unhappy with Microsoft's plans to extend a deadline for supplying technical information to licensees documenting how Windows communicates with operating systems and middleware made by other companies. Microsoft is required to supply the documentation under a 2001 consent …

    Law 7 Mar 2007, 22:08

  • VMware adds to desktop assault with ACE 2

    Three years between betas

    VMware has hoisted a revamped version of its ACE desktop virtualization software onto a beta testing site. The beta code for ACE 2 Enterprise edition includes a handful of tools not found in the software' predecessor, which has been around since, gulp, 2004. Most importantly, customers will find improved security for desktop …

    Servers 7 Mar 2007, 22:51