13th June 2007 Archive

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Yahoo! shareholders shun protest vote

Semel keeps $71.7 million comp package

Yahoo! shareholders today re-elected the company’s directors and rejected calls to restructure compensation for senior executives. Three advisory firms had called on shareholders to vote at Yahoo!’s annual meeting in Santa Clara, California against several board members as a way of protesting the $71.7 million compensation …

Financial News 13 Jun 2007, 01:26
Microsoft recruits latest open source expert

If you can't beat em...

Tom Hanrahan has left the Linux Foundation, where he was director of engineering, to work for Microsoft instead. His job as director of Linux Interoperability is to to get Windows working with Novell. That means directing work marrying up Windows and SuSE Linux in virtualization, Active Directory and eDirectory on directory …

Operating Systems 13 Jun 2007, 01:37
Symantec promises unified storage for managers

Vision 2007 Soccer balls and tears for journalists

Symantec continues to rally 'round its Network United banner with Data Center software Prez Kris Hagerman's keynote at the Symantec Vision conference at Las Vegas. If one can measure a company's enthusiasm for a project by velocity and gusto in which it lobs soccer balls into the audience — it's clear this is serious business. …

Storage 13 Jun 2007, 01:42
Google throws a bone to privacy watchdogs

Will keep your data for 18 months

Google is cutting back the time it holds user-identifying data - a little. But will this be enough to placate privacy advocates? The search giant is to scrub personally identifying information after 18 months, compared with the limit of 18 months to two years it set out in March. Google's Global Privacy Counsel Peter …

Telecoms 13 Jun 2007, 02:10
EFF lawyer is smokin' on Google Street View

Wants out, Google gives him a grilling

Google's Street View service is barely two weeks old and it's already attracted plenty of criticism from privacy advocates. Photographing people up close and without warning as they go about their daily routines and then publishing those images for all the world to see may tread just a teensy bit over the line, they say. …

Applications 13 Jun 2007, 02:33
BPEL, business process management, SOA and you

Will 'coding in the large' replace what we do now?

Over the last few columns we have looked at how Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) based systems can be built using the Service Component Architecture (SCA) and Service Data Objects (SDO). A system built using these frameworks can be formed by explicitly integrating services built using these elements. However, what we have …

Developer 13 Jun 2007, 08:43
Nvidia clocks up GeForce 8600M for 8700M GT

New top-of-the-line mobile GPU

Nvidia is about to announce its new top-of-the-line GeForce 8-class mobile GPU, the 8700M GT, after briefing the Japanese media today. Nvidia's GeForce 8700M GT: the 8600M GT overclocked? The new chip is essentially a higher-clocked 8600M GT: both GPUs contain 32 unified shader engines - Nvidia calls them Stream processors …

Reg Hardware 13 Jun 2007, 08:56
HP challenges staff to help it go green

Sets 'carbon footprint challenge' for employees

Hewlett-Packard announced Tuesday that it would be setting a "carbon footprint challenge" for its 4,000 employees in Ireland to help make the company greener. The challenge is part of a company-wide effort to reduce energy usage by 20 per cent before 2010. "Energy efficiency is a key priority for HP and we know that …

Business 13 Jun 2007, 09:03
Privacy chief warns EU on terror laws

Security over privacy 'becoming a mantra'

Europe's data protection chief has warned Portuguese ministers that fundamental rights to freedom are being abused in the name of security. Portugal takes over the rotating EU Presidency on 1st July. The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has told the Portuguese ministers for justice and the interior that anti-terror …

Law 13 Jun 2007, 09:17
Koreans offered first 70in LCD TVs consumers can buy

Want to own the world's first 70in LCD TV that's actually available for consumers to buy? Then hurry over to South Korea and visit the Lotte Department store. You'd better be quick: it only has 100 of them to sell. The first ever 70in LCD TV you can actually buy? You'll also need a very capacious wallet. According to local …

Reg Hardware 13 Jun 2007, 09:25
Sony claims more than a million PAL PS3s purchased

Fastest Sony console sales ramp

Sony has sold more than a million PlayStation 3 consoles in Europe, Australia and other territories that use the PAL TV standard, the head of the company's European entertainment operation, David Reeves, has claimed. Sony's PS3: more than a million PAL consoles purchased In an interview with trade paper MCV, Reeves said …

Reg Hardware 13 Jun 2007, 09:47
10 reasons why the Black Hats have us outgunned

So, you want to be a hacker? It's as easy as...

Here they are: The Black Hats form a well integrated community that shares knowledge effectively. Should you, after months of research and effort, create an exploit that allows you to hack Windows or any other frequently used software product, you can auction the exploit on the internet in a well organised manner. Yes, the …

Security 13 Jun 2007, 09:52
SSL bug stars in MS June patch batch

'Black Tuesday' brings four critical fixes

Microsoft's June Patch Tuesday brought six security updates - four of which earn the dreaded rating of critical. The critical fixes are designed to address flaws in Windows' Schannel security package, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, and a Windows library file flaw. All four create a means for hackers to inject malicious …

Enterprise Security 13 Jun 2007, 09:56
Fujitsu Siemens waxes up mini mainframe

BS2000 servers sparc up

Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC) has launched two new business servers in its B2000 range. The SX100-D is aimed at entry-level mainframe users while the SX160 is intended for medium performance apps. Both servers are based on sparc64 processor technology, which is already used in the firm's high-end Unix servers. FSC said …

Servers 13 Jun 2007, 10:07
Truphone enhances its presence

And adds SMS and 3G

Truphone, the VoIP provider for Nokia Series 60 devices with decent connectivity, has added presence to its offering, as well as making it work over 3G networks - where the operator allows it, of course. Truphone has been one of the most voracious critics of network operators trying to exclude VoIP from their data services, or …

Mobile 13 Jun 2007, 10:08
Fujitsu results: good mid-table performance

Needs bigger offshore presence

Fujitsu Services posted a good increase in revenue profits and claimed a record forward order book of £6.6bn, up from £6.5bn last year. For the year ended 31 March 2007, Fujitsu made a profit before tax of £172m, up 11.5 per cent on last year, and increased turnover by 7.5 per cent to £2,465m. CEO David Courtley said the …

Financial News 13 Jun 2007, 10:19
China runs out of surnames

93 million Wangs and rising

China has been forced to mull the possibility of allowing double-barrelled surnames - a break with the ancient tradition that citizens adopt one of a hundred single character surnames. The majority of Chinese take their surnames from the list, considered "part of the country's cultural heritage", the Telegraph explains. So …

Bootnotes 13 Jun 2007, 10:22
Macs are more secure: official

World's most annoying adverts cleared

Apple's recent campaign claiming its machines were more secure and less likely to crash or pick up a virus than Windows PCs has been cleared by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). No word on whether the smugness of comedians Mitchell and Webb is likely to break acceptable bounds though. A national press campaign …

Anti-Virus 13 Jun 2007, 10:26
Embedded problems: exploiting NULL pointer dereferences

Interview Your device could be at risk

Barnaby Jack developed a method for exploiting certain NULL pointer dereferences on the ARM and XScale architectures (and likely PowerPC). This method affects a lot of devices since most mobile phones and PDA are ARM based, and high-end routers often use the XScale architecture. Could you introduce yourself? Barnaby Jack: I' …

Security 13 Jun 2007, 10:31
Toshiba slashes HD DVD hardware sales forecast

Promotion Group's numbers not so rosy either

Toshiba has taken an axe to its HD DVD player sales forecast, despite claims from the HD DVD Promotion Group (PG) that the company's "latest promotional efforts are clearly resonating with consumers and showing that price is king when it comes to hardware". Toshiba yesterday said it new expects to sell 1m HD DVD devices in …

Reg Hardware 13 Jun 2007, 10:31
Fancy an earful? Click here for tech support

'Pain in the butt' customer gets email short shrift

If you're at a loose end this afternoon and fancy copping a bit of an email earful, try throwing a query over to technical support at CCTV outfit Gadspot.com.* The reply is likely to surprise and delight, as one Reg reader found out: Hi Would like to download latest firmware for a GS1600. Your website not clear on how to find …

Bootnotes 13 Jun 2007, 11:14
Japanese offered USB bum-cooling cushion

Universal Serial Butt?

Bot too hot? Then you need the USB cheek chiller, a PC-powered cooling seat cushion now on offer from those crazy folks at Japanese gadget specialist Thanko. Yes! It's the USB arse cooler How does it work? A built-in fan pulls in cool air from down near the base of your chair and pumps it up and out through holes in the …

Reg Hardware 13 Jun 2007, 11:29
Babelgum touts indie credentials

P2P telly gets arty

Bablegum, the P2P internet TV platform which is set to go head to head with Joost this summer, has signed up a raft of new independent content providers. The new deals with indie producers include documentaries, short films, and music footage. Bablegum says minnows will get the same billing as mainstream media conglomerates. …

Music and Media 13 Jun 2007, 12:01
AOL phisher nets six years' imprisonment

Snared

A California fraudster who posed as a rep from AOL's billing department in order to trick users into handing over financial details was jailed for 70 months (five years and 10 months) on Monday, Information Week reports. Jeffrey Brett Goodin, 45, of Azusa, California, was found guilty in January of sending thousands of bogus …

Crime 13 Jun 2007, 12:03
Iran approves death penalty for pornographers

'Corruptors of the world' beware

Iran's parliament today approved the death penalty for "persons convicted of working in the production of pornographic movies", AP reports. The vote was an overwhelming 148 to five in favour of the move, which declared that "producers of pornographic works and main elements in their production are considered corruptors of the …

Law 13 Jun 2007, 12:04
Pipex plotting carve-up for Tiscali deal

Exclusive Sale to be announced in weeks

The breakup of Pipex and sale of its residential broadband customer base to Tiscali is looking increasingly certain. Insiders at the takeover target say the terms of the deal will be announced in four to eight weeks. In the meantime, managers are working out the personnel carve-up, with employees destinations in the split …

Networks 13 Jun 2007, 12:15
UK security industry pleads for closer goverment ties

What am I bid for these shiny new handcuffs?

The hi-tech civil security industry has said it needs a cosier relationship with government if the UK is to stay ahead in the "war on terror". Terrorists are finding new and frightening ways of subverting security, the industry warned today, and said companies that operate within it would not be able to keep up with the rapidly …

Government 13 Jun 2007, 12:24
Creative Live! Cam Optia AF webcam

Review Any which way you cam...

The Optia AF is Creative's 13th webcam branded under its Live! banner, but the first to feature both an auto-focus lens and a two-megapixel image sensor. Aesthetically, the Optia AF is a handsome piece of kit. The webcam's main body is jet-black with a multi-axis swivel that allows it to be tilted up and down by up to 270 …

Reg Hardware 13 Jun 2007, 12:27
Tao Group throws in the towel

Software firm 'in administration'

Entertainment software platform maker Tao Group Ltd went into administration on 31 May it has emerged. According to sources, the Reading-based firm's IP portfolio was sold in a private auction last week to venture capitalists Cross Atlantic Capital Partners. Companies House currently lists the status of Tao Group Ltd, which …

Mobile 13 Jun 2007, 12:59
Apple's Safari lacks bold vision

Half of the web just disappeared

Another issue has cropped up with Apple's newly released beta of Safari for Windows. This time, the browser is having trouble seeing bold text on web pages. Headlines (including those of The Register) have mysteriously disappeared. Half of the web in Safari is practically invisible. As reported yesterday, international …

Applications 13 Jun 2007, 13:25
Orange rapped for 'unlimited' broadband

But ads watchdog rubber stamps 'fair use' again

Orange was cut down by advertising watchdogs today for claiming its broadband and home phone service is "unlimited" without mentioning its fair use policy. In an adjudication over a complaint by T-Mobile, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said Orange had broken its code of practice in a magazine ad. It neglected to …

Telecoms 13 Jun 2007, 13:33
3GSM morphs into Mobile World Show

New name, same old show

The 3GSM World Congress has renamed itself the Mobile World Show, hoping to attract a more sexy media crowd than the middle-aged telecoms executives who usually frequent the place. 3GSM World Congress Asia also gets renamed Mobile Asia Congress, to maintain the connection between the two shows. In February 1995, 1,400 mobile …

Mobile 13 Jun 2007, 13:39
EC dampens fears over IT tax

Trade body claims ITA changes are afoot

The European Commission has brushed aside claims that tariff duties could be re-introduced on IT products. According to IT trade body Comptia, changes could be made to the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) that, if implemented, could have far-reaching consequences for the IT industry in Europe. It reckoned that "back- …

Hardware 13 Jun 2007, 13:57
It's business not technology

Editor's blog Anyone got a taxonomy map?

A recent chat with Peter Dragunas, HP's director of network domain solutions, has highlighted the way business models are now assuming greater importance than technology in the development of service-based environments. His own area of responsibility, HP's telecommunications service provider customers, are proving to be a good …

Developer 13 Jun 2007, 14:06
Ofcom's Nathan Barley quango slammed by public

Letter of the week, via the telco regulator...

Ofcom has published the public consultation responses to its PSP concept. And they don't make comfortable reading for the regulator. The PSP, or Public Service Publisher, is a new quango that would cost taxpayers between £100m than £150m a year - handing out money to new media types for interactive websites, and other "user …

Law 13 Jun 2007, 14:27
Cornish separatists menace Jamie Oliver

Serious email threat against unwelcome 'incomer'

Celebrity chefs Rick Stein and Jamie Oliver have received an email threat from the "Cornwall National Liberation Army" (CNLA) saying the separatist group will "strike at the heart" of their restaurants at Padstow and nearby Watergate Bay. According to the Western Morning News, police are taking "very seriously" the organisation …

Bootnotes 13 Jun 2007, 14:42
Techies of Leeds unite

It's GeekUp night, get your best T-shirt on

Next Wednesday sees the inaugural evening meeting for the Leeds chapter of GeekUp - the techie social night that is taking the north-west of England by storm. GeekUp is a monthly techy meet-up held in Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool. Leeds' first event will be held at the Cross Keys pub, in Water Lane, next to the Round …

Software 13 Jun 2007, 15:29
Creative tunes laptop-friendly X-Fi audio enhancer to UK

Creative announced its X-Fi ExpressCard laptop sound module in Japan more than a month ago, but it's now confirmed the add-on is coming to the UK. Creative's SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio... Dubbed the SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook, the add-in has analogue and digital optical 3.5mm input and output ports, and a …

Reg Hardware 13 Jun 2007, 15:35
US harvests anti-terror research

Cameras watch for face twitchers

The US will redirect the bulk of its investment in civil surveillance technology next year into the production of devices it can deploy in its war on terror. The US will have increased its investment in product development by three quarters, suggesting a four-year programme of investment in civil surveillance and counter-terror …

Law 13 Jun 2007, 15:36
MS polishes UK dialect dictionaries

Last call for vocab, me old china plates

Microsoft is calling for final contributions to its UK dialect dictionaries - due for free release in July. The plan is to prevent its spellcheckers picking out non-Redmond terminology, the BBC reports, thereby eliminating the wtf? redlining of un-American vocab. The idea was spawned in Oz, and later adopted in Blighty. MS UK …

Bootnotes 13 Jun 2007, 15:40
George Bush's watch clocked on eBay

On its way to Oz via Kazakhstan

It didn't take long for George Bush's wristwatch - allegedly swiped on Sunday by Albanian former godless Commies - to pop up on eBay. Sadly, there's no photo at present to back up the sale, but the vendor does give a very good reason: I bought this watch from an Albanian friend, he claims to have "borrowed" it from George …

Bootnotes 13 Jun 2007, 15:43
SonicWALL tags Aventail

Joins SSL VPN party

Security appliance firm SonicWALL has agreed to buy SSL VPN remote access supplier Aventail in a deal valued at $25m cash. The deal is expect to close in July and to have no bearing on SonicWALL's Q2 revenues, which the firm continues to expect will fall somewhere between $45m and $47m, made up of sales of firewall, UTM, …

Security 13 Jun 2007, 15:47
Shake those pinkies with the USB Dance Mat game

Finger-twistin' fun, it says here

We thought real dance mat games were bad enough, but at least players can argue it keeps 'em fit. Not so the miniature, USB-powered version that's just been released. The USB Dance Mat: why oh why? It's truly a case of let your fingers do the dancin' as you strive to match the mat's sequences of ever-more-complicated, ever …

Reg Hardware 13 Jun 2007, 15:52
New site marries Google, Yahoo!

Search engine split-screen

Ever feel the need to search Google and Yahoo! at the same time? A new site from IdeaLabz and the Toll Free Yellow Pages lets you do just that, delivering search results from Google and Yahoo! in split-screen format. Despite the companies’ claims, SearchBoth.com isn’t the first site to marry the web’s two most popular search …

Applications 13 Jun 2007, 20:29
Torvalds slams Sun over Linux intentions

Hey, let's meet up, says Sun's Schwartz

You can almost hear the ebb of conversation on everything from Linux drivers to closing the information gap over the crackle of a roaring log fire and playful popping of wine corks. Sun's chief executive Jonathan Schwartz has invited Linux creator Linus Torvalds to an evening of home-cooked dinner and fine conversation at his …

Operating Systems 13 Jun 2007, 20:44
Symantec's 'Hamlet' becomes 'Endpoint Protection'

Vision 2007 Corporate antivirus no longer a tragedy?

Symantec is cracking open the lid today on a gumbo of acquired security technologies which will replace its current business security software, Symantec AntiVirus. Endpoint Protection 11.0, formally code-named Hamlet, has entered public beta for users curious to get a whiff of Symantec's latest concoction, expected to be ready …

Enterprise Security 13 Jun 2007, 22:21
Hello, Apple PR. Dr. Freud will see you now

Comment One man's journey from humiliation to hope

I was humiliated recently after purchasing a new Apple notebook. My novelist wife needed a fresh machine to replace her aging iBook. Solid application response times and a smooth web experience will no doubt help her craft a bestseller. In addition, she's not dealing well with the cancellation of Veronica Mars and spent the …

Bootnotes 13 Jun 2007, 22:44
FBI logs its millionth zombie address

Come on over for a little Bot Roast

Federal law enforcement agents targeting botnets recently recorded a grim milestone, identifying the millionth potential zombie victim, the FBI said Wednesday. Operation Bot Roast, as the cyber crime project has come to be known, has now logged more than 1m IP addresses belonging to a botnet. That amounts to plenty of owners, …

Crime 13 Jun 2007, 22:45
Patent holder calls for eBay 'Buy-It-Now' injunction

Widget fidget

That tiny company in Great Lakes, Virginia is re-launching its attack on eBay’s Buy-It-Now button. Four years after a federal jury found that eBay had infringed on its patent, MercExchange LLC has asked the court to shutdown Buy-It-Now, a service that allows eBayers to purchase items at set prices, without bidding at auction. U …

Applications 13 Jun 2007, 22:57
Microsoft clarifies Windows Server virtual licensing

Buy more, get more

The beefier your Windows Server license the less copies you'll need for running Microsoft's operating system in virtualized environments. That's the takeaway of a new Microsoft white paper intended to clarify the company's licensing policy for Windows Server 2003 Release 2 on virtual servers. Microsoft's paper accompanies an …

Channel Register 13 Jun 2007, 23:21