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17th May 2007 Archive

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  • BEA Q1 weakened by too much choice

    WebLogic v AquaLogic

    BEA Systems is paying the price for playing hardball on service oriented srchitecture (SOA), announcing a "surprising" drop in first-quarter sales. Chief executive Alfred Chuang today told Wall Street that BEA's older WebLogic business had enjoyed a "good quarter" outside the Americas, where the new SOA-focused AquaLogic …

    Financial News 17 May 2007, 00:02

  • IBM polishes grid for healthcare providers

    It's only May and they're celebrating GMAS?

    IBM is souping up its grid storage system aimed at healthcare service providers struggling to store a veritable data deluge of medical imagery. The Grid Medical Archive Solution (GMAS) uses grid computing — that's lots of linked computers sharing processing power and resources — to store and manage patient data. GMAS comes as a …

    Storage 17 May 2007, 00:19

  • Slammer turns Florida election result into worm food

    Breached server takes down evoting machines

    New concerns about the accuracy of electronic voting in Sarasota County, Florida are being raised after a published report documented how the county's main database system came under attack from a virulent worm. The county server was breached on the first day of early voting in the 2006 election, which included a now-disputed …

    Servers 17 May 2007, 00:31

  • Google free again to pump out porn thumbnails

    Breathe free, breathe heavy

    It's once again easy to consume porn online after a US court ruled in favor of search juggernaut Google's right to display tiny pictures of naked people. A San Francisco appeals court has reversed a lower court's preliminary injunction that barred Google from displaying thumbnail-size pornographic images from the Perfect 10 …

    Law 17 May 2007, 04:22

  • JavaScript in web browsers is new security weak spot

    Ajax fingered as main culprit

    The growing use of JavaScript in web browsers is the new security weak spot, says Brian Chess, chief scientist and founder of US security software specialist Fortify Software. Specifically, the use of Ajax techniques to build Web 2.0 applications makes enterprise applications more vulnerable. "It is really hard to see the …

    Security 17 May 2007, 08:02

  • 'Media monster' Motorola mobile hits UK

    World's first 'kick-slider' phone

    Motorola came to London yesterday - part of a world tour taking in stops in New York and Bangkok - to demo and announce the UK availability of the all-singing, all-dancing Z8 - first seen at the 3GSM show, as we reported in February. A quite frankly unbelievable list of specs and features include video capture and playback …

    Phones 17 May 2007, 08:02

  • Acer debuts ProFile pro-laptop look

    Looks tough, weighs next to nowt

    Acer not only sketched out its plans for new look "nature-inspired" consumer-oriented notebooks this week, it also drew attention to its new-style "ProFile" business machines, the first if which is the ultra-portable TravelMate 6292. According to Acer, the ProFile design brings to mind the words "concrete, protective and …

    Hardware 17 May 2007, 09:02

  • Armed cops in Lara Croft bust action

    Manchester gun-toting minx scare

    Those of you thinking of firing up Tomb Raider this morning should be aware that Lara Croft is currently unavailable - a guest of Manchester's Boys in Blue after armed officers cornered the gun-toting minx in a suburban living room. The house's owner - computer shop owner David Williams - phoned police at around midnight to …

    Bootnotes 17 May 2007, 09:02

  • NHS staff bemoan NPfIT problems

    Delays a growing risk to patient safety

    NHS staff believe that financial deficits and poor communication are hindering implementation of England's National Programme for IT (NPfIT), according to a new study. Led by King's College London and published in the the British Medical Journal, the study also says that continuing delays could constitute a growing risk to …

    Policy 17 May 2007, 09:12

  • Consumers more excited by GPS than mobile TV

    Not getting lost more important than Lost

    Mobile TV is getting a lukewarm reception among consumers, with more mobile users expressing an interest in getting their phone kitted out with GPS technology. According to Canalys' new consumer mobility survey, some 51 per cent of those surveyed in Europe said they were interested in mobile TV - as long as there was a …

    Science 17 May 2007, 09:14

  • Judge doubts Intel can defeat Intelmark trademark

    Says proposed link is too tenuous

    The Court of Appeal has said Intel should fail in its bid to erase the trademark of a telemarketing company. The court has referred questions to the European Court of Justice but made clear that the chip giant deserves to lose. CPM, a large field marketing and telemarketing firm in the UK, registered "Intelmark" in 1997 as a …

    Law 17 May 2007, 09:19

  • Trouble looms for enterprises who don't know what storage they've got

    Complexity could be the downfall of many

    Try asking enterprise executives what policies they have in place to ensure legislative compliance for their information. If you get a positive reply, be very sceptical; a negative reply probably represents more realism. Compliance is becoming a bogeyman for some of the big enterprises after recent debacles where requested …

    Developer 17 May 2007, 09:38

  • Capcom uploads DirectX 10 game demo

    DirectX 10 games may be very thin on the ground - let's be honest, they're non-existent - but at least you can try a demo. Capcom has released a sample version of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition for folk who've bought an Nvidia GeForce 8-series processor. The title's a port from the Xbox 360 games console - which ironically …

    Hardware 17 May 2007, 10:12

  • BT swallows a third of new broadband punters

    Regains lead

    BT's resurgence was confirmed today when it announced broadband and other "new wave" products had boosted fourth quarter sales and profits. In the three months to 31 March, BT added 800,000 new broadband customers, bringing its total across retail and other parts of the business to 10.7 million. Revenue for the quarter was up …

    Networks 17 May 2007, 10:13

  • Google launches universal search

    5,672,968,176,820,971 results found

    Google announced yesterday that users searching the web with its site will be treated to a veritable bounty of results from now on. No longer just the useful links you were after, but an array of video, pictures, and news will all be returned by a single search query. Google has dubbed the idea "universal search", which we …

    Software 17 May 2007, 10:19

  • Illinois baby issued with firearms permit

    Gun-slinging tot packs 12-bore Beretta

    A 10-month-old Chicago baby named Bubba has been issued with a gun permit after his father submitted an online form on his behalf. Apparently, the heavily armed infant favours a Beretta 686 double barrelled 12-bore shotgun, bought for him by a doting grandfather. The lad's father, Howard Ludwig, a former reporter and stay-at- …

    Bootnotes 17 May 2007, 10:26

  • Hilton to go down for 23 days

    Hard time in 'special needs housing unit'

    Paris Hilton will serve just 23 days of her 45-day sentence for violating her probation on a drink-driving rap, the BBC reports. Authorities in California have confirmed that the highly-talented heiress has been awarded a "credit for good behaviour" on several grounds, including the rather marvellous fact that she "had appeared …

    Bootnotes 17 May 2007, 10:29

  • US in The Long Good Friday remake outrage

    'It's a diabolical liberty...'

    Harold Shand must be spinning in his grave: Handmade Films has announced that 1980 UK gangster classic The Long Good Friday will be "refreshed" under the guiding hand of Resident Evil celluloid-botherer Paul W S Anderson. According to the BBC, this diabolical liberty is slated to start shooting in 2008 in - wait for it - Miami …

    Bootnotes 17 May 2007, 10:32

  • Samsung shouts up 'first' 8GB MicroSD card

    Need a high-capacity MicroSD card for your phone? Samsung today slipped out what it claims is the world's first card of that kind with a capacity of 8GB - big enough for five DVD-quality movies. Unwilling to stop quoting big numbers, Samsung also said the card has a peak read speed of 16MBps, falling to 6MBps when data is …

    Hardware 17 May 2007, 10:37

  • Will bloggers get the blame for DoH mess?

    Opinion Criminal charges for who?

    Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said the mess made of online applications for doctors could lead to criminal charges. But did she mean the people responsible for such a shoddy system or did she mean the bloggers who brought the problems to light are likely to be charged? A touch surprising to find the Secretary of State for …

    Government 17 May 2007, 10:37

  • Fraudsters feast on credit card scam

    Bogus gadget site funds takeaway fraud

    Fraudsters are dining out on the proceeds of a new credit card scam. Con men are using credit card details harvested from a bogus (and now defunct) gadget website – called www.instant-av.co.uk – to fund huge restaurant orders. One London restaurant alone lost £10,000 supplying food and drink against stolen card details …

    Security 17 May 2007, 10:43

  • Freeloader portable solar energy charger

    Review One thing to fuel them all...

    The temperamental English weather makes testing a portable solar charger like the Freeloader a tad difficult. Luckily, we were able to grab a day or two of glorious sunshine before the heavens opened and the onslaught of April showers began... in May. Yup, it's all change up there in the atmosphere and as the world warms up, you …

    Hardware 17 May 2007, 11:08

  • Darwin's letters go online

    From stinky feet to natural selection

    More than 5,000 letters written by Charles Darwin have been put online at the Darwin Correspondence Project, a sister project to the Darwin Online database collated and maintained by researchers at the Cambridge University Library. The letters are fully searchable, and reveal much about the personal as well as scientific …

    Science 17 May 2007, 11:25

  • DSG results hit by sunshine

    Dixons blames sunny April for poor sales

    Dixons Store Group (DSG) said sales were hit by the unseasonally sunny weather in April and problems in France and Italy. For the year ended 28 April 2007, Dixons Store Group saw total sales grow 14 per cent or four per cent like for like. John Clare, group chief executive of DSG, said he was pleased with progress during a …

    Hardware 17 May 2007, 11:28

  • Met staffer arrested over Al Qaeda terror report leak

    JTAC report 'passed to newspaper'

    A civilian member of Metropolitan Police Service staff, Thomas Lund-Lack, was arrested last night in connection with the leaking of information to a reporter. Lund-Lack is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court today, charged with breaches of the Official Secrets Act and misconduct. He is claimed to have passed an …

    Security 17 May 2007, 11:31

  • Alba outs ultra-budget Freeview DVD recorder

    Why take a DVD recorder and a Freeview set-top box into the living room, when you need only take one? And Alba's DVD382STB will only set you back sixty quid, too. The bugdet consumer electronics company's slimline machine handles all the usual CD and DVD formats for recording and playback, and it's got an on-board digital …

    Hardware 17 May 2007, 11:36

  • Microsoft tries to hit jackpot with patents FUD but do the numbers add up?

    To subscribe to Channel Register's weekly newsletter - seven days of channel news in a single hit - click here.

    This was a week for figures, at least if you were Microsoft that is. The first figure Microsoft pulled out of its big monopolist's hat was 235. This was the number of its patents the software behemoth claimed open source software infringed against. In an interview with Fortune magazine, licensing boss Horacio Gutierrez …

    The Channel 17 May 2007, 13:52

  • Dell plans channel shake-up

    CEO gives indirect biz green light

    After decades shunning the indirect market, struggling computer maker Dell has said it will slip into bed with resellers in the hope of shifting more boxes. The computer giant has in the past been reluctant to work with third party vendors for the core of its business, making much of its strategy of selling direct to …

    Hardware 17 May 2007, 13:59

  • Updated LG takes a Shine to touchy-feely music player

    LG will next month bring its Shine-like digital music player, the Touch Me, to UK consumers looking for an iPod alternative. The name comes from the gagdet's 2.4in touch-sensitive display. The player packs in 2 or 4GB of Flash storage ready for MP3, WMA and Ogg tracks; JPEG piccies; and MPEG 4 and WMV 9 videos - all played …

    Hardware 17 May 2007, 13:59

  • BMW helps nail 105mph V-sign biker

    Registration database black ops

    A 45-year-old biker who thought it was a bright idea to give speed cameras the two-finger treatment while travelling at up to 105mph, on the grounds that his visor was obscuring his face and he had no registration plate on the front of his BMW, has been banned for a year, The Telegraph reports. Bus driver Philip Coffey appeared …

    Bootnotes 17 May 2007, 14:04

  • Salesforce.com continues rise

    Claims fastest expansion

    CRM provider Salesforce.com announced a 55 per cent sales boost today, bagging revenues of $162.4m for its record Q1 2008. Salesforce beat its own predictions, and reiterated the full-year outlook for profit of $0.07 to $0.09 per share. The software as a service outfit raised its full year revenue projections from between $ …

    Business 17 May 2007, 14:10

  • Government clears road for human hybrid embryos

    Spiderman, anyone?

    The UK government has nixed a proposed ban on the creation of human-animal hybrids, clearing the way for embryologists to create hybrid embryos for stem cell research. It has instead proposed a draft bill - the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill - that would allow the creation of embryos composed of 99.9 per cent human, 0.1 per cent …

    Science 17 May 2007, 14:17

  • O2 high speed broadband stuck in the garage

    Bungled bundle

    O2 has been forced to delay integrating its ISP business into a bundle package again, this time until at least September. The mobile operator said it was still not ready to roll out a converged bundle. It missed its last launch date for broadband in January, saying June would be the target. O2 paid £50m for Be* last year. The …

    Networks 17 May 2007, 14:21

  • Feeling left out? Get your PC infected today!

    Spoof malware campaign racks in the hits

    A spoof ad campaign offering surfers the chance to infect their PCs with malware has drawn plenty of interest. In an experiment, a security researcher bought a Google ad campaign to promote a site ostensibly offering to infest visitors' Windows PCs with computer viruses. The "click here to be infected" campaign was displayed …

    Security 17 May 2007, 14:23

  • Scientist says nerve gas nastier than you thought

    US troops may have been accidentally gassed in Gulf War

    A new academic study has suggested that US troops may have been physiologically affected by exposure to low levels of sarin nerve gas in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War. It is believed that US soldiers occupying an Iraqi munitions depot at Khamisiyah mistakenly blew up a stockpile of gas rockets in March 1991, believing them …

    Science 17 May 2007, 14:31

  • RealNetworks bags Sony NetServices

    Musical convergence

    RealNetworks, the firm behind the Real media player and Rhapsody download site, made a significant move yesterday when it bought Sony NetServices, the Japanese giant's European mobile music outfit. The deal only ran to $9m cash, but is a statement of intent from Real. Sony NetServices' frontline application is StreamMan, a …

    Media 17 May 2007, 14:34

  • BT: we need fibre, not share buybacks

    Analysis The short-term thinking that's holding back UK plc

    Fibre to every home and business (FTTH) in the UK is desperately needed if the UK is to keep its long-term economic competitiveness. It's extremely disappointing that BT today announced a £2.5bn share buy back programme. We'd all be better off in the long-term - BT shareholders included - if BT invested that in deploying …

    Networks 17 May 2007, 15:04

  • Galileo is military, EC admits

    Wants extra taxpayer cash for satnav independent of US

    Galileo, the planned European sat-nav system, has been acknowledged as having a military role by the European Commission. EC Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot said yesterday that Galileo will be "civilian controlled...but there will be military users". Under original plans, Galileo was to be more than half funded by …

    Policy 17 May 2007, 15:24

  • NASA blows whistle on Antarctic Y2K (+5) meltdown

    Continent swaps snow for ice

    The summer of 2005 saw enough snow to cover the whole of California melt from the face of our coldest continent. According to NASA, this was the first widespread Antarctic melting ever spotted with its QuikSat satellite. Researchers checked through data for snow accumulation and melt starting in 1999, through to 2005 [looking …

    Science 17 May 2007, 15:29

  • Metal Gear Solid 4 delayed until 2008?

    No Snake in the grass this year

    Arguably the game that the PlayStation was made for and certainly the most eagerly-awaited game for the PS3, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has apparently had it's release date pushed back to next year. Reports allegedly from major US games retailer EB Games have now indicated a March 2008 release. That claim comes …

    Games 17 May 2007, 15:40

  • Microsoft pushes for SaaS

    SMBs the target, partners and ISVs the weapon

    Microsoft is pulling out as many stops as it can to position itself as a leading contender in the burgeoning Software as a Service (SaaS) marketplace, not least with events such as the latest Architects Forum held this week in its Reading fastness. The Small to Medium-sized Business (SMB) sector is very much in the company's …

    Developer 17 May 2007, 15:47

  • 100,000 'erroneous' records on DNA database

    Load failures of 26,000 are part of the problem

    The complex relationship between the police, the National DNA Database Unit and the forensic service has left the UK's DNA database with at least 100,000 erroneous records, The Register can reveal. Which makes the NDNAD Unit's admission in its annual report today that between 1995 and 2005 it failed to load 26,200 records to …

    Law 17 May 2007, 16:25

  • Judge in tech trial says he 'doesn't know what a website is'

    As news breaks of beaks nabbed surfing smut at work

    Evidence has emerged today that British judges exhibit wildly differing levels of IT competence. One beak at least is almost unbelievably ignorant. Judge Peter Openshaw reportedly told prosecutors at Woolwich Crown Court, South East London: “The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a …

    Law 17 May 2007, 16:30

  • Fujitsu LifeBook FMV-U8240 ultra-mobile PC

    Hands-on preview Miniaturisation gone mad?

    Japan continues to live up to its reputation for miniaturisation. This week, Fujitsu unveiled a family of small PCs, sized only slightly larger than a hefty PDA, known as the U Series, where the U is taken from Ultra-mobile PC. Aimed at the corporate user on the go, the unhandily named FMV-U8240 features a desktop operating …

    Hardware 17 May 2007, 16:32

  • Gates predicts death of the office phone

    Video for Office users

    Bill Gates has been banging the communications convergence and new media drum for business leaders, telling chief executives the PC is the phone of the future. Opening his company's annual CEO Summit at the Redmond, Washington, campus Gates envisioned the death of the desktop phone, as PCs take on phone-like functionality and …

    Hardware 17 May 2007, 19:29

  • Trade Commission probes HP-Acer patent spat

    ITC wants the poop on suit

    The US International Trade Commission said today it will investigate allegations that Taiwan-based computer vendor Acer has violated Hewlett-Packard patents. The commission stated that no decisions have been made on the merits of the case, and will sick administrative law judge Paul Luckern on the feudsters to hold an …

    The Channel 17 May 2007, 19:39

  • Grifters find rich pickings on social networking sites

    Phishermans' friend

    Social networking sites are creating a means for hackers and conmen to worm their way into the confidence of users. Sites such as LinkedIn can be used to create a veneer of trust that leaves internet users and business at a greater risk of attack, according to a study by Danish security firm CSIS. Dennis Rand, a security …

    Security 17 May 2007, 19:52

  • EMC to hang fire on VMWare stock sales for two years (or more)

    Will retain its Pac-Man shaped percentage after IPO

    EMC is to retain a 90 per cent stake in VMWare for at least two years after the subsidiary's IPO in late 2007. EMC CEO David Goulden today told the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit in New York the company will assess the situation later, but is "looking at at least a couple of years time horizon." Plans …

    Servers 17 May 2007, 23:22