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23rd April 2007 Archive

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  • Salesforce.com opens back office door

    Decoupling for ERP

    Salesforce.com is decoupling its signature CRM service from the hosted platform, taking it into ERP territory by running more of its customers' businesses. The Software as a Service (SaaS) provider today unveils Salesforce.com Platform Edition, giving users the ability to install and customize downloaded applications from …

    Applications 23 Apr 2007, 06:02

  • Implementing platform independent data with SDO

    Hands on A practical example of using Service Data Objects

    In my last column, we looked at the concepts behind SDO or Service Data Objects. SDO is a language independent format for representing data. It is built around the concept of a DataGraph of DataObjects. The DataObjects hold both the actual data being represented and metadata that describes that data. As such, it represents self- …

    Developer 23 Apr 2007, 07:02

  • Dell: vertical lines, what vertical lines?

    Er, the dirty great big one on my Inspiron...

    Dell seems to have got its sizeable knickers in a twist over where it stands with the recent heavily bemoaned vertical line problem affecting several of its notebook models. As we reported in January, the firm had been hit by a fairly widespread problem with what looked to be a dodgy batch of LCD screens affecting some of its …

    PCs & Chips 23 Apr 2007, 07:02

  • Corporate Web 2.0 limited by IT resources

    Death by dearth

    Companies that want to exploit the emerging Web 2.0 phenomenon could be held back by a lack of developer resources says a survey sponsored by search software developer Fast. Despite a high level of commitment from IT managers, 26 per cent of those surveyed saw a lack of Web 2.0 experience as the weakest link in the …

    Applications 23 Apr 2007, 07:02

  • Internet gambling crackdown hits Taiwan

    House of Cards Officers using protection

    Authorities in Taiwan on Wednesday busted the largest internet gambling ring yet on the not-quite-a-nation island. Although more attention recently has been focused on the efforts of authorities on the mainland to stem a variety of internet-related social maladies, the bust, reported by English daily the China Post, involved …

    Law 23 Apr 2007, 08:44

  • China arrests Betex executives

    House of Cards Shares, software in limbo

    In a cryptic press release issued Wednesday, China-facing Betex reported that two of its senior staff in Beijing had been arrested and another was a fugitive in Jilin province. The company suspended trading in its shares on the AIM market in response to the uncertainty. Betex, which develops mah jong software and operates …

    Law 23 Apr 2007, 08:48

  • Are vendors looking after the BI needs of small biz?

    Reg reader workshop When scale is not the issue

    There has been a heated debate going over here on the relative merits of mainframe architectures versus massively parallel Intel/AMD based platforms for large scale data warehousing and other requirements. So far, the mainframe camp seems to be winning this one, so if you are a fan of MPP, get yourself over there and have your …

    Business 23 Apr 2007, 08:56

  • NASA gunman: police blame work grudge

    Performance review triggered shooting

    A NASA employee who killed a colleague, took another hostage and then turned his gun on himself, was lashing out at the man he thought was responsible for his poor work review, police investigators have said. William Phillips, 60, took a revolver to work with him at the Johnson Space Centre on Friday. He then barricaded himself …

    Space 23 Apr 2007, 09:02

  • Barclays' chip and PIN readers will work for other banks

    PINsentry will read all APACS-standard cards

    Barclays Bank is introducing a handheld chip and PIN card reader for the home in an escalation of its online banking security. Other chip and PIN cards will work with the Barclays device, not just cards issued by Barclays. Barclays has designed its system in accordance with standards issued by payment association APACS. …

    ID 23 Apr 2007, 09:20

  • If Google kills penguins, is it doing evil?

    Comment Earth Day disclosure

    Killing penguins might be evil. I'm not 100 per cent sure. I've never thrown one to a killer whale and then decided how I felt about it. Google might want to buy some penguins and start chucking. The company needs to confront how it feels about penguin murder. And you need to decide if Google should keep you up-to-date on its …

    Servers 23 Apr 2007, 09:38

  • Liverpool uncages pigeon-busting 'robofalcons'

    Flying rats face expulsion from city centre

    Liverpool council has taken drastic measures to drive pigeons from the city's centre - computer-controlled "robofalcons" whose predator-mimicking wing flapping and squawking it hopes will persuade the flying rats to make themselves scarce. Liverpool currently wastes the equivalent of "88 man hours a day cleaning droppings from …

    Public Sector 23 Apr 2007, 09:39

  • Samsung adopts latest 3D chip stack tech

    Follows IBM, Intel

    First IBM, then Intel, now Samsung. The South Korean chip maker today said it too was going to implement the 'Through Silicon Via' (TSV) technique to allow it to stack layers of chip dice more efficiently. TSVs are tiny tubes drilled through a chip's silicon foundation and filled with metal and capped with connector bumps. …

    Reg Hardware 23 Apr 2007, 09:58

  • Milton Keynes: world centre of porn and sex

    Google Trends tells it like it is

    It's official: Milton Keynes is the world's centre of pornography and sex, according to Google Trends. In fact, the UK completely dominates the global porn/sex rankings, holding the top five positions: Milton Keynes, United Kingdom Sheffield, United Kingdom Birmingham, United Kingdom Edinburgh, United Kingdom Manchester, …

    Bootnotes 23 Apr 2007, 10:17

  • O2 offers incentives to end phone upgrade insanity

    Keep your old handset and gain call credits

    UK mobile phone network O2 is to pay customers not to upgrade their handsets - a move that turns the usual approach to phone sales on its head - all in the name of going green. O2 said today it will give customers £95 call credit and donate £10 to the Energy Saving Trust (EST) charity if they agree to keep their current …

    Reg Hardware 23 Apr 2007, 10:19

  • UK and US agree plan for joint space missions

    Collaboration

    The UK and the US have signed a memorandum of understanding that paves the way for closer collaboration on missions to explore our solar system, including robotic exploration of the moon and trials of technology that could one day be sent to Mars. The deal was reached in Washington last Friday, after a series of meetings …

    Space 23 Apr 2007, 10:19

  • Europe makes 'progress' on police data protection

    Regression, says human rights expert

    The European Council has swept aside widespread reservations about its proposals for a police data protection law. The German Presidency of the European Union claimed in a statement last week that its revised proposal for data protection in the third pillar had been so well received by other member states that it might even …

    Law 23 Apr 2007, 10:36

  • Online impersonations: no validation required

    How do you know what's real and what's not?

    Back when I lived in the Silicon Valley, there was an ongoing employment scam. Prospective employees would show up with perfect resumes and immediately get hired. It would not take long before it was clear that these people did not have the experience stated on their resumes. Within six months they would be fired. However, …

    ID 23 Apr 2007, 10:40

  • RIM rolls out 'virtual' BlackBerry for Windows Mobile 6

    Carriers to choose which handsets get it

    Research in Motion (RIM) has said a new version of its BlackBerry Connect software will soon allow "select" Windows Mobile 6-based handsets to connect to its push email network as if they were BlackBerries. RIM claimed the code will provide handsets with a "virtual BlackBerry experience" that presents email, calendars, …

    Reg Hardware 23 Apr 2007, 10:49

  • A Mac gets whacked, a second survives

    CanSecWest PWN to Own contest beaten

    Shane Macaulay strode into the conference hall at the CanSecWest conference on Friday afternoon, balancing a MacBook Pro on his palm and making a beeline for the table displaying two more of the silver laptops. The well-known security researcher had just spent the morning testing an exploit designed to take advantage of a …

    Security 23 Apr 2007, 10:56

  • Greece and William Hill get ready to rumble, as gambling arrests continue

    House of Cards Placanica to be put to the test

    Precedent be damned. That apparently is the approach Greece is taking to recent developments in EU case law covering the cross border provision of gambling services. Not to be dissuaded by recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings, Greece this week arrested nine people in conjunction with internet gambling operations run …

    Law 23 Apr 2007, 11:11

  • iPod add-on draws out dock connector

    Got to take your iPod out of its case before you can dock it? Then accessory maker SendStation's Dock Extender may be just what you need. It does exactly what it says it does. SendStation said the extender was compact enough to connect to the dock of even the most thoroughly enclosed iPod and allow it to hook up to any dock …

    Reg Hardware 23 Apr 2007, 11:27

  • Wipe your arse less, suggests Sheryl Crow

    One sheet per sitting to save the planet

    Eco-friendly chanteuse Sheryl Crow - who's just completed a US "Stop Global Warming College Tour" with "environmental activist" Laurie David - has formulated a cunning plan to save the planet: use less toilet paper and dispense with the services of paper napkins. Crow's mission during her 11-stop campaign was "to persuade …

    Biology 23 Apr 2007, 11:39

  • Program Names govern admin rights in Vista

    It's not what you do, it's what you say you do

    Developers have discovered that the name given to a Vista executable affects whether or not it will require admin rights to run. Security experts said the feature might seem odd, but helps to catch out spyware. Reg Reader Mike, a C++ developer, discovered the behaviour after spending days trying to work out why just some of …

    Enterprise Security 23 Apr 2007, 11:47

  • Google snubs St George - again

    By the Lord Harry...

    Google has once again snubbed England's dragon-slaying patron saint, despite our threat back in 2005 to take our porn search queries elsewhere. Indeed, while El Reg today proudly celebrates this most English of days, Google remains resolutely St George-free. We were going to email the search monolith to request the usual half- …

    Bootnotes 23 Apr 2007, 11:48

  • Royal Society calls for UK space agency

    BNSC just not up to the challenge

    The Royal Society has called for a new UK space agency to be established to replace the British National Space Centre (BNSC). It says the BNSC has neither the authority nor the funding to represent the UK's space scientists on a national level. Royal Society president Martin Rees said: "A UK Space Agency would have the …

    Space 23 Apr 2007, 11:50

  • Gordon Ramsay mashes up small businesses for BT

    'F*ck off 2.0'

    BT has fingered marathon-running potty mouth Gordon "b*llocks, a*se, sh*t" Ramsay as the ideal Michelin-starred gourmet to extol the virtues of social networking to Britain's small business owners. The tediously sweary gastronome will front a TV advertising campaign in which he'll endure a series of gut-busting computer-related …

    Small Biz 23 Apr 2007, 13:54

  • Captain Cyborg invades Second Life

    Appearing this afternoon in Sadville

    Kevin Warwick - aka Captain Cyborg - will this afternoon be entertaining the crowds on Second Life's Uvvy Island with a chat on the benefits of linking your brain to "that of an intelligent machine network" entitled "Upgrading Humans: Why not?" The appearance has been organised by the "Second Life Chapter of the World …

    Bootnotes 23 Apr 2007, 14:00

  • IT staff set for chop in Barclays-ABN Amro merger

    'Synergies' mean job cuts in double dutch

    The proposed £45.6bn merger of Barclays and ABN Amro banks will result in at least 23,000 job cuts, with the IT departments looking most vulnerable. IT union Amicus was reassured by the firms that the job cuts would not likely be compulsory. They were expected to come from natural attrition, which at about 10 per cent equated …

    IT Director 23 Apr 2007, 14:15

  • BA edits Branson from Casino Royale

    Virgin boss excised from in-flight version

    Virgin supremo Richard Branson is "somehow missing" from the version of Casino Royale shown on British Airways flights, the Telegraph reports. In the full-fat film, a short cameo shows the multi-trillionaire "passing through a security arch at Miami airport". This proved too much for BA's in-flight entertainment team, which " …

    Entertainment 23 Apr 2007, 14:40

  • LG displays TV-PC monitor combo

    Is it a monitor? Is it a TV? LG's new Flatron M8W display family appears to be both. The 19in, 20in and 22in screens incorporate not only PC-friendly DVI connectors but also TV tuners for your televisual enjoyment. In fact, it's 'ports, no problem' here, with s-, composite- and component-video inputs; the aforementioned DVI …

    Reg Hardware 23 Apr 2007, 14:50

  • Teachers demand Wi-Fi health investigation

    Making us sick, students crazy

    A teacher's union has written to the education secretary to demand an immediate investigation into the possible health effects of Wi-Fi networks. The Professional Association of Teachers say it is concerned that the networks are making pupils behave badly, and could be contributing to poor health of teachers. Wi-Fi is …

    Data Networking 23 Apr 2007, 15:26

  • Hunters bag one of last Amur leopards

    'Cowardice or stupidity' does for female

    Hunters in Russia's Far East have killed one of just seven female Amur leopards remaining in the wild, the WWF has announced. The wild Amur leopard population is estimated to be down to 25 to 34 individuals, with more males than females because "cats tend to breed males when under stress", Reuters explains. At least 100 …

    Biology 23 Apr 2007, 15:28

  • UK bank switches off to go green

    Auto-shut-down

    Online banking firm First Direct has lopped 147 tonnes off its annual carbon emissions thanks to software that automatically switches off its host computer every night. The firm reckons the move will also save it around £24,000 on its electricity bill now that the software has been deployed across two of its UK sites. The …

    Servers 23 Apr 2007, 15:28

  • Sony shrinks UK PSP price

    Cheaper in Euro-zone too

    Sony will knock £20 off the price of the PSP on 4 May, reducing the handheld games console's price from £150 to £130. Euro-zone consumers will see the price fall from €200 to €170 on the same day. A number of games, including Ridge Racer 2, Tekken, Moto GP, LocoRoco and Killzone, will see their prices cut too, to £15. The …

    Reg Hardware 23 Apr 2007, 15:38

  • Sinclair ZX Spectrum: 25 today

    The rubber keyboard that saved Britain

    Clive Sinclair's ZX Spectrum is a quarter of a century old today. The machine that really launched the UK IT industry hit the streets of a depressed Britain on 23 April, 1982. The Falklands War was properly kicking off, skirt-bothering Europhiles Bucks Fizz were number one with their unforgettable hit My Camera Never Lies [ …

    PCs & Chips 23 Apr 2007, 15:44

  • The Cloud descends over City

    Free Wi-Fi for a month

    Hotspot aggregator The Cloud has today launched complete coverage of the Square Mile, and to celebrate it is providing access free for the next month to anyone who asks. The Cloud describes the network as "Europe's most advanced Wi-Fi network", which makes extensive use of mesh networking technology provided by BelAir …

    Data Networking 23 Apr 2007, 15:47

  • Commodore prices up games machines

    Commodore Gaming - the latest reviver of ye olde Commodore brand - has priced up its high-end Wintel gaming systems, pledging to "redefine the line between gaming and reality" - whatever that means - for up to £2899 inc. VAT. That's what it's charging for the top-of-the-line Commodore xx, unveiled in March this year. The …

    Reg Hardware 23 Apr 2007, 16:19

  • IP networks create pain

    CA World 2007: Our survey says...

    Increasing demands on IP networks mean IT managers are finding them increasingly difficult to manage and run. Businesses find it hard to get quick access to information on network problems, what impact they are having and how to fix them. A survey, sponsored by CA, found that although businesses run the majority of their …

    Data Networking 23 Apr 2007, 18:24

  • CA boss says strategy on track

    CA World 2007: govern, manage, secure

    Delivering the opening speech at CA World 2007 chief executive John Swainson thanked customers for their loyalty and support and laid out a six- point plan for the future. The elephant in the room of the company's ongoing legal and accounting problems was addressed obliquely; otherwise the 6,000 attendees heard the strategy of …

    Channel Register 23 Apr 2007, 18:29

  • CA shakes up European channel

    CA World 2007: Partners face weeding out

    CA, previously known as Computer Associates, wants thirty per cent of new business to come from indirect partners and it will both weed out existing European partners and recruit new resellers. Ned Jaroudi, VP of partner marketing for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “Partners and customers need to get value out of CA. …

    Channel Register 23 Apr 2007, 18:48

  • AMD: very hush hush

    Reporter's notebook Where's Mr Skywalker when you need him?

    AMD is bigging up its latest graphic card offerings in Tunis, but sadly we cannot reveal any of this until 14 May. What does this leave in terms of what we can report? Let's just say that so far El Reg has learned, when in Africa, AMD execs tend to let their hair down by belly-dancing with the local, er, belly-dancer and …

    PCs & Chips 23 Apr 2007, 19:03

  • HP pitches Acer another sueball

    HP v Acer 2: Electric Boogaloo

    Hewlett-Packard has filed yet another lawsuit with Taiwan-based PC maker Acer, alleging more patent shenanigans. Last month, HP slapped Acer and with a lawsuit regarding infringement of five patents used in HP notebooks, desktops and media center systems. Now HP's open palm has moved inversely for a litigation backhand smack of …

    PCs & Chips 23 Apr 2007, 19:15

  • IBM Powerizes Linux on Intel apps

    The AVEs and the AVE nots

    IBM has announced a beta version of a Linux environment that allows applications developed on Intel boxes to run on Power processor-based servers. The technology – catchily titled the IBM System p Application Virtual Environment (System p AVE) – is designed to allow thousands of x86 Linux applications to run without …

    Servers 23 Apr 2007, 19:34

  • Ex-editor decries article suggesting he kept child porn

    15,000 porn images found on Mac used by him and others

    The former editor for the Santa Barbara News-Press is threatening legal action after the paper published a story suggesting he kept child pornography on his work computer. The furor over Sunday's non-bylined story is the latest salvo in a long and acrimonious battle that has raged between the paper's outspoken publisher and …

    Law 23 Apr 2007, 20:36

  • Cordys scores $80m for US roll-out

    'If you don't grow fast you might as well go home'

    Jan Baan's latest company, Cordys, has scored $80m from the VC house Argonaut to build itself a US sales empire. Cordys, Dutch-owned - just like Baan (the software company) was - has been around in Europe since 2001 and in the US since last year. It is a combatant in the BPMS or Business Process Management Suite market, an …

    Financial News 23 Apr 2007, 22:10

  • Microsoft to EC: define 'unreasonable'

    Seeks numerical value of reason for royalties

    Microsoft just barely beat the clock today, responding to the European Commission's allegations it overcharges rivals for licensing its Work Group Server technology. The EC had given Microsoft until this evening to answer the complaints, threatening fines as high as $4m a day. Microsoft responded by waiving its right to a …

    Servers 23 Apr 2007, 22:51

  • AMD's CEO doesn't have Intel to kick around anymore

    Comment Wall Street measures Ruiz's head

    After hearing about AMD's first quarter bloodbath, Carly Fiorina and Kevin Rollins must wonder what's wrong with Wall Street. No analyst has yet to place the call for Hector Ruiz's head. AMD's Q1 blows away anything faced by HP ex Fiorina or Dell ex Rollins. The chipmaker lost $611m as processor sales collapsed by 38 per cent. …

    Servers 23 Apr 2007, 23:03

  • CA bigs up service quality management

    CA World 2007: Wily’s working

    CA’s integration of Wily is bearing fruit - three integrated products will be available from this summer and the department has gained 150 new customers and increased headcount by 81 per cent. Jacob Lamm, senior VP and general manager of CA’s business service optimisation unit, said: “The execution of the acquisition has been …

    Applications 23 Apr 2007, 23:42

  • AMD tells Wall Street: 'Will dance for cash'

    $2.2bn for the poor, please sir

    Cash-starved AMD put out its hat on Monday, offering up to $2.2bn in convertible notes to help it raise money. The chipmaker will proffer $1.8bn worth of Convertible Senior Notes to institutional investors. In addition, AMD expects to bless the buyers with a 30-day option to nab up to $400m of extra notes “to cover over …

    Financial News 23 Apr 2007, 23:55