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29th May 2007 Archive

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  • Employee data sans frontières...not in France, Tyco told

    US multinational fined for laissez-faire approach

    The French data protection authority has fined a subsidiary of US firm Tyco Healthcare over the transfer of employee information across borders and inadequate data safeguards. Tyco Healthcare France was fined €30,000. It is believed to be the first time that a US-based multinational has been fined for unauthorised overseas …

    IT Director 29 May 2007, 00:00

  • UK firms contest 'absurd' software patent ruling

    Conflicts with European law, they say

    A group of small British businesses has mounted a challenge to changes made by the Intellectual Property Office's (formerly known as the Patent Office) to the scope of the monopoly a patent holder can be granted for a software patent. They are objecting, specifically, to paragraph 14 in the IPO's recent November guidance on …

    Law 29 May 2007, 07:02

  • Sanyo results hint at financial recovery

    Battered but unbowed by scandal

    Scandal-hit electronics firm Sanyo showed signs it may be on the road to recovery despite posting net losses of ¥45bn (€275m) in its annual results. The results, for the year ending 31 March 2007, showed the Osaka-based firm had sales of ¥2,215bn (€13.5bn), down 7.6 per cent from the previous year. Sanyo saw its operating …

    Financial News 29 May 2007, 09:13

  • Bloggers risk the sack, says survey

    Employers should act to minimise risk

    More than a third of employees who keep personal blogs are posting information about their employer, workplace, or colleagues and risk dismissal, according to new research. Human resources firm Croner commissioned YouGov to ask employees if they kept a personal blog and, if so, what information they post. Of those who keep a …

    Business 29 May 2007, 09:26

  • Poland probes gay Teletubbies

    Tinky Winky's handbag suspected of 'homosexual propaganda'

    Poland's government is investigating the possibility that one or more of the Teletubbies may be covert Friends of Dorothy, Reuters reports. Ewa Sowinska, the "government-appointed children rights watchdog", has told local press she would ask psychologists to investigate whether the kids' show "promoted homosexuality", …

    Entertainment 29 May 2007, 09:45

  • The enterprise data warehouse vision

    Realistic, or just a stick to beat vendors?

    Traditionally, enterprise data warehouses (EDWs) were regarded as systems of record. Thought of simplistically, queries were either run directly off the EDW or from a data mart that referred back to the EDW as and when necessary (hence its status as a system of record). However, it is now clear that that definition of an EDW no …

    Developer 29 May 2007, 10:00

  • Panasonic premieres 12.2 megapixel compact

    Holy high-resolution

    Panasonic has announced a brand new compact digital camera boasting a massive 12.2 megapixel resolution plus the ability to record high-definition video. Called the Lumix DMC- FX100, it can take photos in 4:3 mode, plus there are four 16:9 widescreen modes offering a quite impressive 4000 x 2248 pixel image resolution - …

    Reg Hardware 29 May 2007, 10:07

  • Blog your way to the dole queue

    In cyberspace, no one can hear you scream

    Blogging is a risky business which could interfere with your greasy climb up the company ladder, according to a not-so-revelatory study. It found that over a third of employees surveyed had written blog posts about their employers, of which some 39 per cent admitted revealing details that "could be potentially sensitive or …

    IT Director 29 May 2007, 10:23

  • UK regulator urges caution on data sharing

    Tells gov: think before you act

    The Information Commissioner has published some advice for government bodies that want to share information but think data protection laws prevent them from doing so. The advice note gives a rough idea of the mindfulness public bodies ought to have for human sensibilities when they start shunting data between computer systems …

    Law 29 May 2007, 10:26

  • French newspaper gets e-edition

    Les Echoes goes portable in Euro first

    French daily Les Echos will be published electronically on the iLiad, a portable device that lets you read and write as you do on paper. It is the first official European newspaper deal for iRex Technologies, a spin-off from Royal Philips Electronics. Last year, Belgian daily De Tijd was distributed electronically as part of …

    Music and Media 29 May 2007, 10:29

  • No charges for webcam suicide audience

    CPS cites lack of evidence

    Chatroom users who watched a man hang himself live via webcam in March will not face any charges, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has confirmed. The BBC reports that police evidence handed to prosecutors did not amount to a criminal offence in the suicide of Kevin Whitrick, 42, from Wellington, Shropshire. Mr Whitrick had …

    Law 29 May 2007, 10:31

  • Endemol in 'win a kidney' TV show rumpus

    Big Brother creator under fire

    Dutch TV station BNN is rejecting calls to axe a TV programme in which a terminally-ill woman will choose one of three contestants to receive her kidney, the BBC reports. The Big Donor Show - spawn of Big Brother creator Endemol - is due to screen this Friday. The 37-year-old organ benefactor, known only as Lisa, will select …

    Entertainment 29 May 2007, 10:37

  • Sony Ericsson W880i slim phone

    Review No compromise on functionality?

    Ultra-slim phones are a gimmick, right? Yes, they're mere millimetres from front to back, but in shaving off around half the thickness of a standard candybar, the phone makers must have compromised on the skinny handset's feature set, surely? Sony Ericsson's Walkman-branded W880 is now readily available - we look at how well it …

    Reg Hardware 29 May 2007, 11:02

  • Nokia says patent dispute hurts 3G

    Won't somebody think of the industry?

    The success of 3G phone technology is being put at risk by a patent dispute between Nokia and Qualcomm, Nokia said today. According to Reuters, the handset maker argues that uptake of the technology is threatened because of the legal battle between itself and chip maker Qualcomm. Chief technology officer Tero Ojanpera said: " …

    Mobile 29 May 2007, 11:17

  • NASA says goodbye to love triangle astronaut

    You've done enough, thanks

    Astronaut Bill Oefelein, who you may remember from the tale of nappy-wearing astronaut Lisa Nowak, is leaving NASA, the space agency said on Friday. Nowak, who now faces charges of attempted kidnapping, drove almost 1,000 miles wearing an astronauts nappy, and disguised in a trenchcoat and wig, to confront a woman she believed …

    Space 29 May 2007, 11:19

  • 'Dettol Man' cleans himself to death

    Obsession with cleanliness kills Manchester recluse

    A coroner has recorded a verdict of death by misadventure on a reclusive Manchester man whose obsession with cleanliness led local children to dub him "Dettol Man". Jacques Niemand, 42, of Didsbury, died of "an inadequate supply of oxygen to his vital organs" provoked by over-exposure to Dettol, the Telegraph reports. The …

    Science 29 May 2007, 11:21

  • iSoft rescue package in jeopardy

    CSC objects to takeover

    Sickly NHS provider iSoft was predicted to make a full recovery - thanks to a takeover bid from Aussie company IBA Health. But CSC, the main contractor company responsible for getting iSoft products running in the NHS, has objected to the deal. iSoft and CSC have a memorandum of understanding that gives CSC the right to veto …

    Channel Register 29 May 2007, 11:22

  • Bulldog fingers sacked employee for credit card scam

    Pakistani call centres swindle customers

    Cable and Wireless, the former owner of ISP Bulldog, has blamed a sacked employee for the illegal use of a database containing 100,000 customer details. The firm has taken out a High Court injunction against the woman, named by the BBC as Seemab Zafar, who was canned by Bulldog in 2005 after failing to return as planned from a …

    Law 29 May 2007, 11:49

  • Google faces multiple privacy probes

    Pledges 'constructive' dialogue with Europe

    Google is reported to be facing a fresh regulatory investigation: this time in the US, and into its acquisition of ad serving firm DoubleClick. According to The New York Times, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has opened an investigation into the planned $3.1bn deal. Quoting an unnamed source, the paper says an agreement was …

    Law 29 May 2007, 11:51

  • Creationists open biblical history museum

    Pet dinosaurs visit free

    The science desk here at El Reg has long held that creationism belongs in a museum. Now it seems that the creationists agree with us, as they have opened just such an institution. All right, it is in Kentucky, but at least they're trying. The organisers, Answers in Genesis*, say they expect upwards of 250,000 visitors in the …

    Science 29 May 2007, 12:36

  • Son of Star Wars test aborted

    Target missile doesn't make target

    The latest test of the Pentagon's controversial space ICBM interceptors has been aborted after the target failed to work. The target rocket took off from the launch site in Alaska on Friday, but according to the head of the Missile Defence Agency, it "did not reach sufficient altitude to be deemed a threat, and so the ballistic …

    Physics 29 May 2007, 12:58

  • Vodafone cuts losses

    Europe still a tough nut to crack, though

    Vodafone Group PLC said this morning that it has met expectations for its most recent financial year but conceded that market conditions remained difficult in Europe. The mobile phone giant today posted results for the year ended 31 March 2007, which showed revenues up 6 per cent on the year to £31.1bn. The company managed to …

    Financial News 29 May 2007, 13:01

  • Ofcom's termination cap will hurt profits, 3 UK says

    Everyone else is bigger than us

    3 UK has lodged a complaint with the Competition Appeal Tribunal against Ofcom's capping of termination rates, claiming it will restrict its ability to turn a profit. The termination rate is the amount paid to the receiving operator when a call is made into their network - so when a T-Mobile customer calls a 3 customer, T- …

    Mobile 29 May 2007, 13:52

  • Tiscali rained off in marathon email snafu

    Enraged punters slam ISP

    Tiscali subscribers have been unable to send emails since last Monday, and the ISP has given no word of when it will fix the cockup. The problem has blocked SMTP outgoing mail, though Tiscali's service status message was not updated to reflect the seriousness of the problem until yesterday. The number of complaints on its own …

    Telecoms 29 May 2007, 13:54

  • Brit cuffed for German towel-torching raid

    Coach driver liberates Italian Riviera sun loungers

    A Brit coach driver successfully liberated Italian Riviera sun loungers from foreign occupation by setting fire to the towels traditionally used to denote German territorial sovereignty. Glyn Bowden, 55, was driver for 55 South Wales tourists at at Diano Marina near San Remo. He yesterday recounted how the Germans "put their …

    Bootnotes 29 May 2007, 13:59

  • Ask.com's bogus Information Revolution

    Column Scale means success

    Over the past couple of months, the British public have been subject to a widespread poster campaign, imploring them to join the "Information Revolution". Posters have appeared in train carriages, buses, and restrooms, plastered in self-consciously militant leftist graphics, demanding freedom of expression and choice. Initially …

    Law 29 May 2007, 14:27

  • Sony unveils Vaio TZ notebook range

    Sound good on paper at least...

    Today in London in a somewhat understated fashion, Sony released details of its latest Vaio notebook range: the TZ series, aimed predominately at the higher end of the market. Cast in carbon fibre and sporting an Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 or U7500 processor, the TZ range features a 11.1in WXGA 1366 x 768 screen with a 16:9 …

    Reg Hardware 29 May 2007, 15:04

  • Half of black Britain on track for DNA database

    Libdems raise spectre of racial profiling

    Half of all black British males are destined to become records on the police National DNA Database by 2010, according to an analysis of government figures by the Liberal Democrats. If you count only men of an arrestable age, 68 per cent of them will have been nabbed and dabbed by the police by 2010. Just 14.4 per cent of white …

    Law 29 May 2007, 15:21

  • Logica CEO retires early

    Hopes decision will steady not-so-steady ship

    Logica CMG's CEO Martin Read is to retire after 14 years at the IT services firm. Read said he has hastened his retirement plans in an attempt to quell "unsettling speculation" following Logica CMG's mixed trading results which saw profits grow but shares drop. He will remain in the post while the board's independent …

    Channel Register 29 May 2007, 15:24

  • T-Mobile internet biz buys a slice of VoIP action

    Jajah completes big name backer roster

    Jajah, the Austro-Californian VoIP outfit we profiled last week, has announced that the mystery second investor in its third funding round is Deutsche Telekom (DT). DT's T-Online Venture Fund paid about $5m for a "less than five per cent stake" in Jajah. Intel coughed the rest of the $20m earlier this month. The chip giant …

    VoIP 29 May 2007, 15:26

  • Blazing winds tear through gigantic binary system

    Eta Carinae in a previous life?

    NASA astronomers think they have identified one of the most extreme binary systems ever, containing two extremely massive stars in very tight orbit. The boffins estimate that the larger of the two tips the cosmic scales at 62 solar masses, while its smaller companion can boast 37 solar masses. Located in the Large Magellanic …

    Space 29 May 2007, 15:51

  • Online games turn British man into hero

    Updated Video games not blamed for bravery

    Whenever anyone goes crazy with a gun, the press are usually quick to blame video and computer games for the young person's violence. So we're grateful to one Reg reader for bringing the following to our attention - a man whose brain was so addled by the filth of online, and LAN gaming that he stepped in to try and stop an …

    Law 29 May 2007, 15:57

  • EU defence agency wants open skies for flying robots

    A day late and a lot of dollars short

    The European Union's nascent military ministry, the European Defence Agency, is mounting a push to allow flying robots to operate alongside regular air traffic. As things presently stand, Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) are poorly integrated into civil air-traffic regimes and the laws which underpin them. Few UAVs are certified …

    Science 29 May 2007, 16:00

  • Rackable drives out EVP Ford

    Binge and purge

    The old guard executive purge at Rackable continues at pace. The server maker last week fired EVP Todd Ford, according to a regulatory filing. Ford served in a variety of roles at Rackable since 2002, including President and CFO. His tenure was tied to that of former CEO Tom Barton, who left the company last month. Over the …

    Servers 29 May 2007, 18:03

  • Ex-Altera CEO killed in bike accident

    FPGA pioneer mourned

    Former Altera chief Rodney Smith died last week after being struck by a car. Smith, 67, was riding his bike on the famed Sand Hill Road when he was apparently hit by an 87-year-old driver, according to a report in the Mercury News. Police are investigating the incident and have yet to assign fault to either party. Smith …

    PCs & Chips 29 May 2007, 19:20

  • Google acquires 'sandbox' technology for secure browsing

    Dips toe into security market

    Google is acquiring GreenBorder, a Silicon Valley startup that helps protect web users against malware. Word of the acquisition comes a week after Google inaugurated a blog devoted to online security, indicating the search king's growing interest in fighting the malware scourge. GreenBorder claims to work with both Internet …

    Malware 29 May 2007, 20:12

  • GoDaddy now RegisterFly's daddy, says ICANN

    Even Verisign feeling charitable these days

    The RegisterFly clusterf**ck took a major step towards resolution today with the official announcement by ICANN that GoDaddy will take control of the approximately 850,000 domain names still in the clutches of RegisterFly CEO Kevin Medina. The internet rumors of a GoDaddy takeover turned out to be true, and Medina now can devote …

    Law 29 May 2007, 20:14