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23rd May 2007 Archive

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  • IBM, HP dominate server market

    Sales lull has ended

    IBM squeaked by Hewlett-Packard to maintain its top position in worldwide server revenue during the first quarter this year, according to a new report. Technology research firm Gartner said today, while both companies relied on an x86 server sales rebound from the fourth quarter of 2006, IBM enjoyed a 14.3 per cent boost of …

    Servers 23 May 2007, 02:44

  • Microsoft and Juniper pledge to simplify NAC

    Network Access Control made easier

    Juniper Networks and Microsoft want to ease the burden on the tired souls tasked with deploying network access control in the enterprise, announcing plans to make Juniper's Unified Access Control (UAC) interoperate with Microsoft's Network Access Protection (NAP). Under an alliance announced at the Interop trade show in Las …

    Data Networking 23 May 2007, 06:34

  • NHS completes London roll out of Pacs

    A tonic for sickly NPfIT

    Digital x-ray archiving is live across London's hospitals and will cover the rest of England by next year. The Department of Health has announced that the digital Picture Archiving and Communications System (Pacs), a key part of the NHS National Programme for IT, has gone live in every hospital trust in London and will be …

    Public Sector 23 May 2007, 08:50

  • Google's search dominance continues to grow

    Clocks up 3.8 billion searches in April

    Google accounted for 55 per cent of all search queries carried out in the US in the month of April, according to Nielsen/NetRatings data released Tuesday. Nearly 3.8 billion Google searches were carried out in the period, a 42 per cent increase on last year's results. Main rival Yahoo! Search came in a distant second with just …

    IT Director 23 May 2007, 09:12

  • Dell deploys overclocked, liquid-cooled gaming PC

    Superior firepower?

    Dell's latest gaming system has moved out from under cover brandishing an Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 processor overclocked from 2.66GHz to 3.46GHz, a freshly designed liquid cooling system and a Blu-ray Disc drive. Dell XPS 720: out of the shadows Superior firepower? It'd better be for the $5999 Dell wants for the XPS 720 …

    Reg Hardware 23 May 2007, 09:23

  • Deutsche Telekom eyes Orange Netherlands

    Merger with T-Mobile on the cards?

    Deutsche Telekom is close to making a €1.6bn ($2.2bn) bid for mobile operator Orange Netherlands - owned by France Telecom. Though Orange won't confirm the report, one source told Reuters the deal is "very nearly there". Orange Netherlands has been for sale since February. Both ABN Amro Capital and a private equity consortium …

    Mobile 23 May 2007, 09:44

  • Grappling with eels - second wriggle

    Planning: (mostly) harmless

    Rottweilers like Harry are rife in IT. They're resistant to change, and you'll often hear them thundering pithy retorts like "Don't give me problems, give me solutions!" It's easy to put this attitude down to their rigid, no-nonsense nature, or even to regard them as ignorant dinosaurs from a bygone era. But in reality, they …

    Developer 23 May 2007, 09:52

  • Aquarium chips fish

    Finding Nemo via RFID

    Singapore's Underwater World aquarium has installed what it describes as the world's first RFID fish-tagging system - not to prevent piscine Nemo-style mass breakouts, but rather to help visitors effortlessly identify species. According to Reuters, when any of the 20 chipped fish swims past a sensor, its name, species, and …

    Biology 23 May 2007, 09:55

  • BT, Sony to turn PSP into a phone

    Ringing the changes

    And you thought Sony's PlayStation Portable was just a games machine? Tell that to BT - it wants to transmute the handheld console into an "advanced communcations" tool. Or, as we call them in the trade, a phone. Sony PSP handheld gaming... er... telephone The telco and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced a …

    Reg Hardware 23 May 2007, 09:57

  • Microsoft's Somasegar shares his vision for Visual Studio

    Beyond Orcas

    Whatever you think of Microsoft, it's clear that it produces excellent developer tools, which are extremely popular with its customers. We're talking about Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) here, and its next two incarnations, codenamed Orcas and Rosario (see Gavin Clarke's article here). However, Microsoft is sometimes …

    Developer 23 May 2007, 10:02

  • Frag Fatal1ty and win big, kit makers pledge

    Want to win one and a half grand? Course you do, but to stand a chance of taking the big cash prize offered by graphics card maker PowerColor, mobo manufacturer Universal Abit and cooler company Cooler Master, you'll have to beat professional games player Jonathan Wendel. Oh, and you'll have to fly out to Taipei early next …

    Reg Hardware 23 May 2007, 10:27

  • Greenland zinc mine warms to retreating ice

    The economic benefits of global warming

    Pessimists convinced that global warming will eventually bring about the destruction of humanity should take note that there's one piece of cheering news to come from the inexorable retreat of the polar ice caps: we won't be short of top-quality zinc as we all go to hell in a handcart. That's according to mining company Angus …

    Physics 23 May 2007, 10:42

  • Symbian signing is no protection from spyware

    One man's Trojan is another's legitimate app

    Spyware for Symbian version 9 is now available signed and verified through the Symbian Signed process, according to anti-malware specialist F-Secure. Though such applications track what the user is doing and automatically upload that information to a remote server, at least one application is carrying a Symbian Signed …

    Mobile 23 May 2007, 10:46

  • Torrent overflows Opera

    Browser maker lances file download bug

    Opera has fixed a flawed involving how its browser handles Torrent files that allowed hackers to attack vulnerable systems. A boundary error in handling certain types of Torrent files exposed version 9.x of the browser to a stack-based buffer overflow, providing a user right-clicks a malicious Torrent entry in the transfer …

    Malware 23 May 2007, 10:49

  • USB Mini Fridge drink chiller battles booze?

    Hot and bothered in the office? Then you need Hong Kong-based gadget seller Brando's latest: the USB Mini Fridge: a single-can cooler that's there for the lager in your life. USB Mini Fridge: chill, dude Or perhaps not. This device may actually be a secret weapon in the temperance war on liquor: while the Mini Fridge looks …

    Reg Hardware 23 May 2007, 10:53

  • iLuv 9200 iPod-friendly four-disc CD player

    Review Sonic stunner

    Amplified iPod speakers sets are ten a penny these days, but most of them assume your MP3 player is your only sound source. iLuv's 9200 is very different. It embraces the CD, packing in four disc spindles in addition to the iPod dock. But is the 9200 nothing more than a cut-price B&O wannabe - or does it deliver a quality audio …

    Reg Hardware 23 May 2007, 11:02

  • Ireland gets wireless broadband

    Well Belfast anyway...

    Personal Broadband is to build a mobile broadband network across Ireland based on the iBurst technology, making use of its two radio-spectrum licenses. The network, which will be available for corporate customers, will be capable of 1MB/sec. Personal Broadband's licenses both cover a 20MHz band between 1785 and 1850MHz. One …

    Networks 23 May 2007, 11:10

  • German cops will track G8 crusties by their smell

    Public stink over 'scent profiling'

    German police are compiling a Stasi-style "scent bank" database of potentially violent crusty protesters against global capitalism, according to reports. An article in today's Guardian, dated from Berlin, reports that federal prosecutors confirmed German media reports of the polizei B.O. files yesterday. Reportedly, the German …

    Bootnotes 23 May 2007, 11:20

  • Europe votes to restrict police data sharing

    Data protection reinstated

    The European Parliament voted on Monday night to reinstate the principles of data protection in legislation that would allow police across Europe to routinely share data about their activities. As the Parliament has no authority in the third pillar (the EU's jurisdiction for police and judicial matters), the amendments it …

    Government 23 May 2007, 11:24

  • Sony Ericsson beams in 'iTrip-equipped' Walkman phone

    Sony Ericsson yesterday launched a Walkman-branded music phone with an iTrip-style FM radio transmitter built in to beam songs to nearby car stereos and hi-fi units. The snag: the stylish W525 is only available in Japan.   Sony Ericsson's W525: curvy The W525 is a curvacious slider with 2GB of on-board memory, a two- …

    Reg Hardware 23 May 2007, 11:26

  • Abbey online banking takes 24-hour lie down

    Money marooned

    Abbey, the banking group, has been having problems with its website, which has left customers unable to administer their accounts for more than 24 hours. An Abbey spokeswoman told The Register that the problems were not security-related, and had been caused by maintenance and upgrade work. The bank sent us this statement: We …

    Enterprise Security 23 May 2007, 13:13

  • Ofcom fills Local Loop Unbundling loophole

    One regulator to rule us all

    Punters who get their phone and internet services from an unbundled provider will now get the same protection from regulators as those on BT lines. Ofcom has extended its rules protecting consumers from mis-selling to Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) voice and broadband service providers. Under new regulations the …

    Telecoms 23 May 2007, 13:26

  • US Army funds Prius-style hybrid battlewagon

    'Aggressor' could ease US forces' thirst for fuel

    The US Army is funding the development of a prototype military hybrid vehicle operating on similar principles to the groundbreaking Toyota Prius. Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Inc of California announced it had won the contract in a release on Monday. Under the $4.88m deal, Quantum will develop a diesel hybrid version of …

    Physics 23 May 2007, 13:33

  • Belgian bj politico reneges on election pledge

    NSFW Sends Japanese assistant to pleasure voters

    We should have known: Tania Derveaux, the Belgian senate hopeful who offered to blow 40,000 voters as as a "response to incredible claims that were made by other parties in Belgium", has reneged on her election pledge. Sadly. those who signed up for this tempting offer in the hope of some oral luuurv didn't get a hot, five- …

    Bootnotes 23 May 2007, 13:52

  • Sin City director to remake Barbarella

    Hollywood finally run out of ideas?

    Sin City director Robert Rodriguez is to remake sci-fi cult classic Barbarella, the BBC reports. Rodriguez, currently in Cannes with Quentin Tarentino to punt the horror double-bill Grindhouse, will work with the 1968 film's original producer Dino De Laurentis to "introduce Barbarella to a new generation of moviegoers", as the …

    Entertainment 23 May 2007, 13:54

  • Half of Wi-Fi hotspot money is wasted

    Wireless Event Rip-off Britain goes wireless

    Wireless hotspot usage is climbing, but more than half of the money spent on ad-hoc hotspot access is wasted, according to a survey by Wi-Fi roaming company Trustive. The company said its research showed that half of the users surveyed were connected for 30 minutes or less per session, and more than a quarter of sessions were …

    Networks 23 May 2007, 13:58

  • Brit makes world's highest mobile call

    I'm on Everest...no Everest!

    Brit climber Rod Baber has succeeded in making the world's highest mobile phone call - a 40-second chat from the top of Everest, news agencies report. The call, made on a Motorola Z8, officially took place at 8,848 metres in temperatures of -30°C. Baber admitted: "It's cold. It's amazing. The Himalayas are everywhere. I can't …

    Mobile 23 May 2007, 14:04

  • Antigua calls for pirates to return to Caribbean

    House of Cards If US ignores our laws can we ignore theirs?

    Antigua and Barbuda - a nation of 70,000 in an area roughly half the size of San Francisco - has formally requested that the WTO allow it to suspend its intellectual property obligations to the United States, AP reports. Although many in the US have mocked tiny Antigua'a case against the US with a shrug of the shoulders, the …

    Law 23 May 2007, 14:13

  • Another ISP throttles bandwidth

    Updated Nildram applies the brakes

    Pipex-owned ISP Nildram has joined the ranks of providers who are interfering with traffic to reduce the bandwidth burden from peer-to-peer networks and other "non-interactive" traffic. The firm applied bandwidth throttling on Monday, restricting P2P and newsgroup traffic to as slow as a snail's pace 64Kbit/s. Customers, …

    Telecoms 23 May 2007, 14:37

  • NetSuite goes pocket-sized

    PDAs could have a real use after all

    Though "BlackBerry Man" is a common sight these days, there is still some doubt about the real usefulness of such mobile devices to business users. They are certainly fine for functions such as calendars and keeping an eye on email, but they still have some way to go as a real replacement for laptop PCs. Part of the reason …

    Developer 23 May 2007, 14:57

  • Home Office moots 'Precrime' agency for future serial killers

    Analysis But wacko ideas don't fix dud IT systems

    Home Office proposals on "multi-agency information sharing", leaked to the Times this week, say that council, NHS and care staff should be given a statutory obligation to pass on information about anyone they think might commit violent crimes in the future. According to the Times, the report proposes that a preliminary risk …

    Law 23 May 2007, 15:02

  • EU approves roaming tariffs

    Just in time for summer hols

    The EU has given the thumbs up to the Euro tariff for mobile phone roaming. Joachim Wuermeling, speaking on behalf of the German EU Presidency, said legislation should be in place by 29 June. Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding said that she wants to see it even sooner. The proposal is that wholesale …

    Mobile 23 May 2007, 15:05

  • Evesham eyes Vaio with Zieo monster laptop

    According to Evesham, the Zieo N500-HD's designer, the new 17in desktop replacement machine is the "ultimate gaming platform" and a "mobile work horse". Evesham's Zieo N500-HD: got any desktops that need replacing? Hyperbole? Certainly, but the N500-HD has an impressive spec: 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo T7500 processor; 2GB of …

    Reg Hardware 23 May 2007, 15:14

  • Minister goes mad for Web 2.0

    Comment Miliband drinks the Kool Aid

    David Miliband, the environment minister tipped to be the next Labour Party leader by a friendly Westminster press, says "a new spirit" is afoot in the UK, brought about by Web 2.0. Miliband said the web had polarised debate into competing extremities, where the truth was decided by whoever shouted the loudest. Traditional …

    Government 23 May 2007, 15:15

  • Premium-rate scams prompt licensing proposal

    ICSTIS moves to clean up industry

    TV and radio programmes that can be editorially altered by premium-rate calls or texts will need to be licensed under proposals from UK premium-rate regulator ICSTIS. The regulator is seeking feedback on its consultation document that comes in the wake of various scandals involving premium-rate-driven broadcasting. ICSTIS' …

    Networks 23 May 2007, 15:27

  • Madchester 2.0

    But will Tony Wilson reform a virtual New Order?

    The city of Manchester has been virtually recreated in Second Life presumably complete with grey, rainy skies and baggy-jeaned locals. Manchester legend Tony Wilson has joined in to help promote the city web 2.0 stylie and will be hosting the first ever awards ceremony in Sadville. Lucky him. Wilson, who was portrayed by Steve …

    Music and Media 23 May 2007, 15:33

  • Police database delayed indefinitely

    Response to Soham murders canned

    The Police National Database has been scaled back because of budget over-runs and technical problems. The commitment to a full implementation of the Police National Database (PND) by 2010 appears to have been dropped. Full implementation of the PND could only now be managed if the budget was allowed to over-run by up to £186.3m …

    Government 23 May 2007, 16:08

  • Siemens to resell Wi-Fi locator tech

    WLANs can track laptops, PDAs...

    Electronics behemoth Siemens will partner with Finnish firm Ekahau to resell the Nordic developer's crafty Wi-Fi location technology. Ekahau's trick is to locate a Wi-Fi-enabled PDA, computer, Voice over WLAN (VoWLAN) handset, or tag unit using existing 802.11 WLAN access point antennae. The company claims one metre accuracy …

    Wireless 23 May 2007, 16:19

  • Drive-by Wi-Fi 'thief' heavily fined

    Michigan man busted for failing to buy coffee

    A Michigan man who parked outside a local Wi-Fi cafe every day to check his email has been fined $400 and sentenced to 40 hours' community service. Sam Peterson can consider himself unfortunate since if he'd simply popped into the Re-Union Street Cafe in Sparta, Michigan, for a coffee while checking his email he'd have avoided …

    Crime 23 May 2007, 16:22

  • House taunts Senate with anti-spyware bill

    Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

    The US House of Representatives has passed an anti-spyware bill, but the measure must be passed by the Senate before it becomes law. The Senate does not currently have anti-spyware legislation in front of it. The bill passed by a voice vote in the House this week is a less radical law than some of the alternative proposals …

    Malware 23 May 2007, 16:52

  • Apple's Jobs urges Gore to run for President

    US in ladder building crisis

    Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been trying to push former Vice President Al Gore to take another crack at the presidential race. Jobs revealed his fruitless desires for his fellow Apple board member to don the cap of Commander in Chief within an expose of Gore in Time Magazine. However, one Academy Award and one Nobel Prize …

    Government 23 May 2007, 17:56

  • Network security vulns keep sysadmins busy

    Can't parse that

    Sysadmins can look forward to clocking some overtime this week after Cisco warned of flaws in how its core operating system handles malformed Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) traffic. Several types of SSL messages (such as ClientHello and ChangeCipherSpec), when malformed, can crash vulnerable appliances running IOS, which are …

    Enterprise Security 23 May 2007, 18:02

  • Internet radio stations rebuff pigopolists' 'compromise'

    The future of online radio in jeopardy

    Internet radio stations have rejected a compromise proposal from the US music industry on higher music licence payments. It would allow small stations to keep the old fee structure, but stations claim the deal is designed to stunt net radio's growth. The US Copyright Royalties Board (CRB) will implement higher charges for …

    Music and Media 23 May 2007, 18:52

  • Why we hate the modern mobile phone

    Letters Phone fury (and carrier cringes)

    After my piece lamenting how Nokia's high end phones had lost their ease of use and reliability, we got a letter from reader Brendon McLean. "It's not just Nokia!", wrote Brendon - "but an industry-wide problem". And he encapsulated his complaints very succinctly. So we invited him to expand a little, which he did here yesterday …

    Mobile 23 May 2007, 19:01

  • IBM builds alliance to tackle 32nm design

    Impacted with Chartered and Samsung

    IBM is teaming up with four other chipmakers to develop manufacturing technologies for semiconductors that shrink the average circuit feature to 32 nanometers. The alliance, which is aimed at containing the spiraling cost of building bleeding-edge chips, also involves Chartered Semiconductor, Samsung Electronics, Infineon …

    PCs & Chips 23 May 2007, 19:50

  • Apple moans over sex toy ad

    iGasm gets lawyer's knickers in a twist

    Apple isn't tickled over an Ann Summers sex toy ad that mimics the company's iconic silhouette ipod campaign. News of the World reports Apple lawyers are flushed over sex shops hawking a £30 iGasm peripheral, which plugs into a music player and vibrates to the beat. The ads picture the silhouette of a woman on bended knee …

    Odds and Sods 23 May 2007, 22:00

  • NetApp profits up, forecast down

    Punished by March and investors

    Strong sales led Network Appliance fourth-quarter profits higher 51 per cent over the same period last year. Despite such a solid haul in Q4, the company expects a sales slump to lower revenue sequentially in the current quarter. The network storage supplier reported $89.6m in Q4 income, compared to last year's 59.2m. Sales …

    Storage 23 May 2007, 23:41

  • Cisco and RSA work on recipe for SAN encryption

    Security heaven without all the seams

    Capitalizing on the spate of embarrassing data breaches over the past year, Cisco Systems and RSA/EMC are working together to make it easier for organizations to encrypt confidential information by integrating technologies that currently sold separately. The companies will combine Cisco's Storage Media Encryption, which …

    Data Networking 23 May 2007, 23:48