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11th May 2007 Archive

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  • What is Apache Harmony for?

    JavaOne Redundancy or redundant...

    The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) has been put on the back foot over its Project Harmony initiative, following Sun Microsystems' decision to open-source most of its Java 2 Standard Edition (SE) Java Development Kit (JDK). At JavaOne today, Grier Magnusson, chairman of the Apache Harmony Project Management Committee, …

    Developer 11 May 2007, 00:13

  • Google sets legal attack dogs on Dutch cybersquatter

    He's off the Russia

    Google UK is threatening to sue Dutch cybersquatter who has used the name Google cunningly in several domains, including Googledatingsite.nl, Googleonlineshop.com, Googlecommunity.nl and Googlestore.nl. Marcel van der Werf ran these sites from the UK. "To my knowledge a brand is related to a product, not to the alphabet," Van …

    Law 11 May 2007, 00:24

  • Programming for Silverlight: a Q&A with Microsoft

    We ask what it’s for and where it runs - and get several different answers

    Depending on who you talk to at Microsoft, Silverlight is a way to design good-looking interfaces with Ajax, a way to stream your content or – in version 1.1 - a new programming model for developing cross-platform rich internet applications with real languages. According to Keith Smith, product manager of the user experience …

    Developer 11 May 2007, 08:02

  • Mumsnet settles with Gina Ford over defamation claims

    Calls for change in libel laws

    As childcare author Gina Ford drops her defamation suit against parenting website Mumsnet as part of a settlement reached by the two parties this week, Mumsnet has launched a campaign for a thorough review of UK libel law to make it fit for purpose in the internet age. In a statement on the site, Mumsnet cofounder Justine …

    Law 11 May 2007, 08:02

  • Motorola tells developers to think small

    JavaOne Get connected

    Motorola executives yesterday portrayed a world where whole populations are bypassing the PC and fixed-line networks to experience the internet using broadband and mobile. This wireless utopia was sketched out as the firm detailed the challenges and opportunities software developers face building applications for mobile devices …

    Mobile 11 May 2007, 08:20

  • New, New Labour gets new logo and website

    Blimey, that was quick

    Anyone wondering why it took Tony Blair so long to fall on his sword has the answer this morning. He was waiting for Gordon's marketing boutique to okay the shiny new logo. Visitors to the Labour Party website this morning will see a purple rose and Labour logo. New Labour it seems is New no longer. The red has gone and so has …

    Government 11 May 2007, 08:35

  • Minister defends UK government reforms

    Says growth of online services will not lead to discrimination

    Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden has said the growth of online public services will not discriminate against those without access to the internet. McFadden made the assertion at a hearing of the Commons' Public Administration Committee on making public services responsive to people yesterday. He told the MPs that the …

    Government 11 May 2007, 08:43

  • Communist spy ring tried to steal Space Shuttle plans

    Feds swoop as Chinese agents lift submarine and spaceship blueprints

    A Chinese-American engineer was convicted by a federal court in California yesterday of conspiring to supply military technology to the People's Republic. Chi Mak, a 66-year-old naturalised US citizen born in Guangdong Province, China, was found guilty of conspiracy to violate export regulations and of failing to register as a …

    Law 11 May 2007, 08:50

  • Memory sticks top security concern for firms

    But most have no safeguards in place

    Removable media devices are now seen as the biggest security threat to corporate security, and yet 80 per cent of firms don't have safeguards in place. That's according to a new study from Centennial Software which claims that four out of five firms have failed to implement effective measures to protect against the threat that …

    Security 11 May 2007, 09:07

  • Deutsche Telekom profits plunge 58%

    Local loop unbundling hits where it hurts

    Europe's biggest telecommunications firm, Deutsche Telekom, lost over half a million customers during the first quarter of 2007 as fixed-line subscribers fled to cheaper rivals. The Bonn-based company, which is the continent's largest telco in terms of sales, said on Thursday that first quarter profit declined by a staggering …

    Financial News 11 May 2007, 09:15

  • Capgemini exec salaries divulged in annual report

    Analysis As staff vote on below inflation pay rise

    As Capgemini staff were balloting last week on a below inflation pay deal for 2007, the firm published details of the pay increases that went to its top executives last year. Capgemini CEO Paul Hermelin was given a 12.9 per cent rise, including both basic pay and bonuses, in 2006. His take-home, excluding expenses and …

    Financial News 11 May 2007, 09:18

  • Experts scramble to quash IPv6 flaw

    'Can be exploited by any greedy Estonian teenager with a $300 Linux machine'

    A flawed feature that could amplify denial-of-service attacks on next-generation networks has vendors and engineers rushing to eliminate the potential security issue. This week, experts sent two drafts to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) - the technical standards-setting body for the internet - proposing different …

    Security 11 May 2007, 09:46

  • Apple invents novel back-to-front iPod control

    Touchpad on the back of the device

    Apple has asked the US Patent and Trademark Office to credit it with inventing the concept of a rather clever reverse-action user interface: the display on the front is controlled by a touchpad on the back. It's a smart idea derived, we'd imagine, from observing how people hold phones, iPods, PDAs and the like. All these …

    Reg Hardware 11 May 2007, 09:57

  • Doohan's last landing party missing in mountains

    Probably gone where no one has gone before

    The cremated remains of Star Trek actor James Doohan are missing in the New Mexico mountains along with those of another 200 people, including NASA astronaut Gordon Cooper. They had been sent as part of a memorial package, in which relatives send small samples of their loved ones' ashes into sub-orbital space. The samples are …

    Space 11 May 2007, 09:59

  • Phoenix closes in on ICM

    New offer rises from Fawkes' ashes

    Managed services firm Phoenix IT said it has given the nod of approval to the ICM's recommendation for an increased offer with a new figure which smashes the £100m mark. A bidding war had kicked off for the business continuity firm after Fawkes threw a tantalising offer into the mix a few weeks ago. But last week Fawkes …

    Channel Register 11 May 2007, 10:08

  • The four pillars of Katmai

    Microsoft BI conference Dispatches from the front

    The keynote on the second day of Microsoft's BI conference was given by Ted Kummert – corporate vice president of the data storage and platform division at Microsoft. As Jeff Raikes before him, he devoted considerable time to Katmai, the next version of SQL Server. He too stressed that the release date will be 2008 (so perhaps …

    Developer 11 May 2007, 10:12

  • Microsoft and The Reg team up to make exam prep easy

    Save while you train

    The Register has teamed up with Microsoft Press to bring you training kits for various Microsoft certification exams with a colossal 40 per cent off the RRP*. Ace your exam preparation and ramp up quickly on the topics covered in the featured titles, so you are able to maximise your performance on the exams and apply your new …

    Site News 11 May 2007, 10:16

  • Nvidia Q1 yields big year-on-year gains

    World+dog wants graphics chips

    Nvidia last night reported quarterly sales and earning down on the previous three-month period but well up on the year-ago quarter. Revenues for three three months to 29 April 2007 - the first quarter of the graphics company's 2008 fiscal year - came to $844.3m, down 3.9 per cent sequentially but up 23.8 per cent on Q1 FY2007 …

    Financial News 11 May 2007, 10:17

  • BOFH: OutBOFHd

    Episode 16 He's good, he's bloody good

    "...and this is Simon and Steven. Simon, Steven, this is David, he's our new hardware technician," the new Boss says, entering Mission Control. "New hardware technician? What about our old one?" "I was under the impression we didn't have an old one." "That's right," the PFY says defensively. "Because we didn't need one." " …

    BOFH 11 May 2007, 10:41

  • Hitachi spins up fastest encrypted laptop drive

    Hitachi's Global Storage team have begun spinning what they claim is the world's fastest notebook hard drive with on-board automatic data encryption technology. The Travelstar 7K200 rotates at a desktop-level 7,200rpm. The 2.5in drive is available in capacities ranging from 120GB to 200GB. It connects across a 1.5Gbps or a …

    Reg Hardware 11 May 2007, 10:45

  • Prof advocates digital forgetfulness, calls Google 'Soviet'

    But can't quite remember why

    A Harvard professor has published a paper in which he suggests that revolutions in data storage, search, and other information technologies are creating a "panoptic society", in which everything is being watched and, worse, everything which is recorded is preserved and accessible forever. Viktor Mayer-Schoenberger, associate …

    Law 11 May 2007, 10:49

  • Logitech Alto keyboard and laptop stand

    Review Posture improver?

    If your laptop is your primary work machine then you'll end up spending a fair amount of time hunched over it - which isn't exactly good for your back, let alone your posture. Logitech's Alto stand allows you to raise the screen up, so it's at a more natural height and also includes a full keyboard for, it claims, better typing …

    Reg Hardware 11 May 2007, 11:00

  • T-Mobile eyes hotspots and Sprint femtocells

    As Alltel scores points

    The large cellcos continue to wrestle with the thorny issue of how to turn the mobile internet trend to their advantage, even as it chips away at their walled gardens and therefore their margins. The US carriers are currently leading the way in creative thinking, even if the Korean and Japanese cellcos have the most receptive …

    Mobile 11 May 2007, 11:33

  • Malware authors subvert Windows Update

    BITS and pieces

    Malware authors might be able to subvert components of Windows Update to distribute viruses, security researchers at Symantec warn. Analysis by the security firm reveals that a recent Trojan distributed by email at the end of March 2007 used a Windows component named "BITS" (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) to download …

    Enterprise Security 11 May 2007, 11:51

  • Honda to debut hydrogen fuel-cell car in 2008

    FCX to move beyond teen-actress customer base

    Honda yesterday laid out its future green motoring technology strategy for the world's media with announcements and demonstrations in Washington DC. The only piece of mainstream kit in the near future will be a new hybrid car, to go on sale in the USA within two years priced below the current Honda Civic hybrid variant, which …

    Science 11 May 2007, 11:55

  • Labour goes Brown while US Army invades YouTube

    To subscribe to The Register's weekly newsletter - seven days of IT in a single hit - click here

    ID cards keep going up, and up ID card costs are going up faster than the budget for the Olympics. The latest jump of £600m was announced the day Blair finally announced his departure. Mobile maps gets green light Google's maps are now available in the UK for mobile devices. The service links to Google Earth, but it won't be …

    Business 11 May 2007, 12:21

  • Half a million kids' DNA on UK police database

    Innocence is an old-fashioned word

    Half a million children have had their DNA recorded on Britain's police database, the government admitted yesterday. The number of people being added to the police DNA database is rising rapidly, with a total of 667,737 people added to the database last year, home secretary John Reid said in a parliamentary written answer …

    Law 11 May 2007, 12:26

  • Paris takes on Ubuntu in techno celebrity clash

    Letters Well, not really...

    Dell's sales and marketing team makes like the boss and chooses to put Ubuntu on its desktops and laptops. You're all delighted, we're sure: Three cheers for Ubuntu! Three cheers for Linux and open source generally! Three cheers for De....ermm...nah! Yes it's good that a big player like Dell have dipped a toe in the Linux pond …

    Letters 11 May 2007, 13:02

  • Radio RTFM: The Falklands War remembered

    Windows for Warships? Huzzah!

    This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War, which ended on 14 June 1982 with the British flag once again fluttering over Port Stanley. The older readers among you may also remember 1982 as the year Mark Thatcher got a bit lost on the Paris-Dakar rally, something unthinkable today with the ready availability of …

    Radio RTFM 11 May 2007, 13:05

  • Exam papers tagged to deter cheats

    Chips go to the top of the class

    An exam board has said it will be using radio frequency identification (RFID) from this summer to increase the security of its GCSE and A-level papers. UK-based Edexcel said it plans to use the electronic tagging system to help prevent exam papers being stolen. Jerry Jarvis, managing director at the firm, said in a statement …

    Security 11 May 2007, 13:06

  • Terminator kill-bots to be run by system called 'Skynet'

    How many hints do we need? Flee while you can

    Following the announcement of the new Flying-HK-style "Reaper" death machines for the British forces, the prophetic nature of the Terminator movies has been further confirmed. Not only will the UK MoD deploy airborne cyber-gunships remarkably similar to those in the films, the flying robot assassins will be controlled by an IT …

    Data Networking 11 May 2007, 14:34

  • Orange Value Promise not as much value as promised

    We'll match any tariff as long as it's not too low

    Orange UK is falling short of its promise that it can match the tariff from any other network, right down to the way it's charged, for business customers. Orange's problems stem from the fact that after introducing the Orange Value Promise, other network operators introduced various forms of unlimited data tariffs which the …

    Mobile 11 May 2007, 14:39

  • Tokyo team busts the Ethernet speed record

    Fastest IPv6 network in the world

    A team led by Toyko University researchers has set a new "land speed record" for IPv6 Ethernet, transferring data over a distance of 30,000km at an application rate of 9.08Gbit/s. The team leader, Dr Kei Hiraki, claimed this will not be beaten for the 10Gig generation because the contest organiser, the Internet2 consortium, …

    Data Networking 11 May 2007, 14:49

  • Google orders Thai takeaway

    Four king-bashing clips removed from YouTube

    Google has agreed to pull four videos from YouTube which Thailand claims insult the country's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Reuters reports. The Thai authorities have blocked YouTube since one ne'er-do-well posted a 44-second clip which outraged Thai Buddhists due to "the juxtaposition of a pair of woman's feet, the lowest …

    Law 11 May 2007, 14:54

  • MS update ate my CPU cycles

    Tarpit

    The latest batch of patches from Microsoft has left some users in the slow lane. After applying the seven critical updates released by Redmond, some punters are finding their processor's resources eaten by an application called svchost.exe, in a way that mimics a viral infection. Svchost.exe is a generic name for services …

    Software 11 May 2007, 15:35

  • Laptop overheats, vapourises Brazil... almost

    Red hot Compaq

    Pity reader Rafael Santos, who came home from work, started up his Compaq nc8430 only to find it refusing to start up because the on-board thermal sensor was registering an internal temperature of 5155°C. To put that into context, the surface of the Sun is, at 5526°C just 371°C hotter than Rafael's laptop. It's not far off …

    Reg Hardware 11 May 2007, 15:44

  • Satnav driver's car totalled by train

    Stops on level crossing, the rest is history

    A 20-year-old student had a narrow escape when her satnav directed her to drive onto a remote level crossing, resulting in the unplanned destruction of the car by a train. According to the BBC, Paula Ceely had borrowed her boyf's satnav for a trip from Redditch, Worcestershire, to Carmarthenshire. She recounted: "Obviously I …

    Bootnotes 11 May 2007, 15:52

  • Roche exposes medical details on website

    Testing times

    The medical testing arm of pharmaceutical giant Roche has exposed the personal and medical details of UK customers on its website. The firm has admitted the security breach but has not explained how it happened. Customers who had registered their details with Roche Diagnostics received the first edition of an email newsletter …

    Enterprise Security 11 May 2007, 16:12

  • Alcatel-Lucent results impress investors

    Merger drops 1st quarter revenue

    The market has reacted positively to Alcatel-Lucent's first quarter results despite the telecoms equipment maker's results being down across the board. Shares in the French-American firm reached a six-month high on Friday morning, jumping 4.4 percent to €10.15 in Paris before settling down to €9.97. Alcatel-Lucent recorded …

    Data Networking 11 May 2007, 17:30

  • One in 10 web pages laced with malware - Google

    Do not underestimate the power of the dark side

    At least one in 10 web pages are booby-trapped with malware, according to Google. A five-strong Google research team found that 450,000 pages, out of a sample of 4.5 million pages, contained scripts to install malicious code, such as Trojans and spyware on vulnerable PCs, the BBC reports. This is a conservative estimate - …

    Security 11 May 2007, 17:33

  • America is under siege. Do we blame IBM or Cringely?

    Analysis 150,000 staff fired. -20,000 left ...

    America faces a very serious question. Is Robert Cringely right? Last week, Cringely presented the idea that IBM will layoff 150,000 workers, hoping to reduce costs. Cringely's reputation for making the boldest of claims seems to have reduced the impact of his piece. A few technology trade publications mentioned the IBM crisis …

    Channel Register 11 May 2007, 21:31

  • Vendor turns DRM against Microsoft, Apple, Adobe and Real

    Ever more creative DMCA litigation

    A California-based DRM software company has sent cease and desist notices to Microsoft, Apple, Adobe and Real Networks for not using its product. The likes of Microsoft and Apple usually love all the DRM they can get. In this case, however, Media Rights Technologies and its subsidiary BlueBeat.com said in a press release …

    Music and Media 11 May 2007, 21:56

  • ICANN pushes for public participation in top level domains

    Internet universe just keeps expanding

    The Internet Corporation for the Assignment of Names and Numbers (ICANN) has taken what appears to be a welcome step toward increasing public participation in the controversial area of generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) approval. ICANN, which determines the technical standards that govern the internet, has long been criticized for …

    Law 11 May 2007, 23:15

  • SanDisk and Microsoft BFFs around software-stuffed memory

    Cruzer replaced by new entity

    Microsoft and SanDisk have inked a deal to create USB flash drives and memory cards with built-in software and user preferences to replace SanDisk's existing U3 Cruzer line. Under the agreement, Microsoft will develop new software and SanDisk will cover the hardware for the products. The hardware/software pairing will allow …

    Storage 11 May 2007, 23:49