18th June 2007 Archive

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NHS IT boss quits

Richard Granger is off

The boss of the National Programme for IT (NPfIT), the huge government project to improve technology use within the National Health Service, is to leave his post in October. Richard Granger, the UK's highest paid civil servant, said the decision was a personal one, but that he left as the foundations for the project are in …

Channel Register 18 Jun 2007, 08:36
Humans, not tech, are the greatest security risk

You are the weakest link

The Department of Trade and Industry has made £4m available for four research projects aimed at reducing the IT risk created by human error. The programme, which is part of its Network Security Innovation Platform, reflects the fact that human error is by far the biggest risk to network security, the DTI said. It cited the …

Security 18 Jun 2007, 08:58
Mobile internet set for take-off?

Take-up increasing, but progress is slow

The mobile internet is more toll road than superhighway, but the logjam could clear up. On the face of things there is little reason to be confident that mobile internet will ever fully catch on with consumers. It's expensive, awkward to use, and lacks the content and functionality of a traditional PC-based browser. While …

Mobile 18 Jun 2007, 09:15
DARPA scramjet nudges Mach 10

Successful Oz launch of HyCAUSE

Australia's Woomera Test Facility last Friday hosted the successful launch and firing of a scramjet engine which reached speeds of "up to Mach 10", the country's Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) has announced. The HyCAUSE vehicle - a joint project between DSTO, the US's Defense Advanced Research Projects …

Science 18 Jun 2007, 09:26
HP hails Print 2.0

Bridging the gap between paper and the net

At Hewlett-Packard's annual Imaging and Printing Conference recently, the company unveiled "Print 2.0" and described how it would seek to capture a significant share of the 53 trillion digital pages estimated to be printed in 2010, an opportunity valued at more than $296+ billion. The three key focus areas of the Print 2.0 …

Hardware 18 Jun 2007, 09:40
Anti-hacking laws 'can hobble net security'

Good Samaritans discouraged by threat of prosecution

Jeremiah Grossman has long stopped looking for vulnerabilities in specific websites, and even if he suspects a site to have a critical flaw that could be compromised by an attacker, he's decided to keep quiet. The silence weighs heavily on the web security researcher. While ideally he would like to find flaws, and help …

Security 18 Jun 2007, 09:52
Queen honours civil liberties and astro-boffins

Oh, and that bloke who invented the web

Shami Chakrabarti, director of human rights group Liberty, has been nominated for a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in the Queen's birthday honours list. She is being recognised for her services to human rights. It is always fun to try to read things into the birthday honours list: to use it as a lens to peer into the …

Government 18 Jun 2007, 10:10
Anam introduces SMS payments

The cheque will never be in the post again

Anam Mobile and TR2 Communications have launched a service allowing cash payments over SMS, but you'll have to wait until network operators implement it before chucking the cheques. The system is certainly simple: the user just sends a text message in the form "#cash xxx.xx" to the person they want to send money to. The SMSC ( …

Mobile 18 Jun 2007, 10:12
Sony apologies over virtual cathedral firefight

Murder in the Cathedral will continue, however

Sony has gone down upon penitent knee and apologised to the Church of England for including Manchester Cathedral as a location for a brutal gun battle in its Resistance: Fall of Man video game. In a letter sent to the Dean of the cathedral last week, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe wrote: "It was not our intention to cause …

Reg Hardware 18 Jun 2007, 10:26
Microsoft versus BlackBerry versus, er, BlackBerry?

How do you select the right mobile email solution?

The results of our latest Reg panel survey (completed last week) confirm that many organisations have already selected a solution for mobile email. As we can see from this graphic, however, there are still quite a few people that are at the "considering or planning" stage – even some that are reconsidering their original …

Workshop 18 Jun 2007, 10:30
ISPs accuse TalkTalk of hijacking customers

Slamming mis-selling

PlusNet has called on Ofcom to investigate claims that the BT-owned ISP’s customers are being unwittingly switched to TalkTalk services in violation of industry codes. Several other ISPs are reporting the same "slamming" behaviour from TalkTalk, part of the Carphone Warehouse group. In a post on its community site, PlusNet …

Telecoms 18 Jun 2007, 10:58
Atlantis readies for departure after ISS computer repairs

Records galore for astronaut Williams

The computers on the International Space Station (ISS) are all fixed, and the crew of the shuttle Atlantis have completed their final spacewalk and are now preparing for the journey home. The guidance system is due for a final test today. The astronauts had a busy weekend, completing two spacewalks as well as reviving the …

Space 18 Jun 2007, 11:04
PatchLink snaps up whitelist firm SecureWave

Patchwork quilt security

Vulnerability management firm PatchLink has agreed a deal to acquire endpoint security firm SecureWave. Subject to the approval SecureWave shareholders, the all stock merger is expected to complete within a month. Financial terms of the deal, announced Monday, were not released. SecureWave's "whitelisting" technology offers …

Enterprise Security 18 Jun 2007, 11:15
Beyond the valley of the drolls

Stob Please quote me on this

There's another of those lists of supposedly amusing/sage/cute adages going around, bouncing from blog to email, accumulating fresh contributions and occasional edits and doing all the meme-ish things that memes do. This one differs from all the others that you have deleted irritably from your email inbox in that it includes a …

Verity Stob 18 Jun 2007, 11:27
Nokia pitches 3G at the mainstream

Nokia has introduced a pair of mid-range 3G handsets - a clamshell and a candybar - it hopes will drive mainstream interest in video-calling and faster downloads. It also launched a third hansdet, this time a budget 2.5G model. Nokia's 3500 Classic The 3500 Classic may be cheep - €135 ($181/£91) unsubsidised - but it …

Reg Hardware 18 Jun 2007, 11:35
Mugabe gets email snooping green light

DISPotic

Zimbabwean despot "laughing" Bob Mugabe's government has rubber-stamped new laws granting his cronies free reign to snoop on communications in the impoverished state. The Harare harlequin's "Interception of Communications Bill", which was proposed last year, was waved through by his parliament last week. It hands the …

Law 18 Jun 2007, 11:35
CSC opens gate to iSoft takeover

Staff moving across

CSC is no longer blocking the takeover of iSoft by Aussie firm IBA Health. CSC is the main contractor using iSoft's products and therefore had a right to object to management changes. iSoft is struggling with an investigation into alleged accountancy problems, which was making its financial backers nervous. The takeover by …

Channel Register 18 Jun 2007, 11:41
New regs for US tech export to China now online

Protection or protectionism?

Draft texts of the new US rules for export of technology to China are now available online. They will be officially published in the Federal Register this week. The new "Final Rule", which will form the basis of US regulations in future, is available here (large, technical pdf). There is a Q&A, suitable for those familiar with …

Government 18 Jun 2007, 11:48
Chip tech holder sues Nintendo

Wii affected?

Super Mario and friends are facing legal action from a US-based semiconductor intellectual property company over an alleged patent infringement - potentially within the Wii games console. Texas-based Lonestar Inventions filed the suit earlier this month in which it alleged that Nintendo's US division has violated a patent it …

Reg Hardware 18 Jun 2007, 11:49
YouTube offers online editing

Happy slapping with subtitles?

YouTube users can now edit and improve their clips using an online tool from Adobe. The tool, called Remixer, is based on Adobe's Premiere product. It allows users to upload video, add clips together, add subtitles, captions and music, and include clip-art. After basic editing the clip can then be published on YouTube. …

Applications 18 Jun 2007, 11:49
Fancy some hot buttered storage?

Competition Bringing new meaning to pop-ups

It is a Monday, and we're all looking at another five days of miserable toil before the glory of the weekend beckons once more. We can't do much about that, but how's this for a way to ease the pain of a new week? Reg reader Alan Howlett sent us word of a very silly tech prank, and we've decided to turn it into a competition. …

Storage 18 Jun 2007, 12:00
German Flickr censorship causes web outcry

Stricter legislation

Flickr's introduction of content filters in Germany last week has provoked protests in blogs and web forums globally. While in most countries the photo sharing site's "SafeSearch" function can be turned off by users interested in seeing all the photos available on Flickr, that option has been axed in Germany due to "stricter …

Law 18 Jun 2007, 12:18
Ladybird speakers set to wow Beatles fans?

One for the summer, this - and perhaps for the more horticulturally inclined iPod owner. It's a ladybird-alike* speaker ready to bring your music to lazy sunny afternoons in the garden, picnics etc. Ladybird speakers: not for squashing Available in red or green, each 6.9 x 5.2 x 3.4cm bug incorporates a speaker and a …

Reg Hardware 18 Jun 2007, 12:24
MySpace to make friends with eBay

Spammers get T-shirt bazaar

MySpace founder Chris DeWolfe has hinted the Murdoch-owned social network will bring in eBay to provide it with ecommerce features. The Telegraph reports DeWolfe said: "If you're on your site and you have a line of T-shirts you have designed and you want to sell them to your friends, we want to be able to provide you with the …

Financial News 18 Jun 2007, 13:37
Texas arrests seven MySpace sex offenders

Parole violations

Just weeks after social network MySpace asked for advice on how to legally hand over information about sex offenders using its pages, law enforcement authorities have started to make arrests. In Texas, a total of seven convicted sex offenders have been taken into custody. Six were registered sex offenders, arrested for parole …

Law 18 Jun 2007, 13:44
Rocket hiccup puts US spy sats in wrong orbit

Cockup rather than conspiracy at NRO

In an expensive technical mishap, a brace of top-secret American spy satellites was fired into incorrect orbits last Friday. According to a report in Aviation Week and Space Technology, the two spacecraft in question were ultra-classified ocean surveillance jobs, described as "critical to tracking ships that may conceal al …

Space 18 Jun 2007, 13:53
US and allies lay global foundation for biometric border checks

UK lays down...proposals

The UK has proposed a transatlantic arrangement for sharing biometric data about travellers as US coalition countries in the "war on terror" push for a global system to control migration. The initiative officially lays the first brick in a concerted effort to establish a common border. Launching the UK's borders and …

Government 18 Jun 2007, 14:26
World's 'first' solar-powered mobile phone unveiled

Danny Boyle's film Sunshine informed us earlier this year that "if the sun dies, so do we". And now that palpable statement could also ring true for your mobile - should you live in China, that is. Chinese manufacturer HiTech Wealth (HTW) has unveiled what it’s claiming is the world’s first solar-powered mobile phone, …

Reg Hardware 18 Jun 2007, 14:33
Special-forces robot whisper-copter enters flight test

DARPA shocks with non-black colour scheme

Flight tests of a revolutionary new robot helicopter have begun, according to the maker, US Aerospace giant Boeing. Of course, robot helicopters are nothing new. Remotely-piloted types have been possible for decades, and in recent years various craft have emerged which can fly pre-planned routes and even land themselves without …

Science 18 Jun 2007, 14:47
Malware targets computer forensics tool

WinHex spell fails to take

Virus writers have created a proof-of-concept virus that targets a widely-used computer forensics tool. Vred-A infects WinHex scripts, preventing these additions to forensics and data recovery tools from doing anything except infecting other scripts. The virus has not been seen in the wild, and probably never will be. Only …

Anti-Virus 18 Jun 2007, 14:53
Blockbuster puts its money on Blu-ray

Blu-ray Disc adoption took a leap forward today following video and games rental chain Blockbuster's decision to roll out the format to 1,700 of its US stores from July. The rental firm's decision to stock the HD DVD rival is based on "growing demand for high definition DVDs", it said, adding that rental figures of Blu-ray …

Reg Hardware 18 Jun 2007, 14:55
Cops smash paedophile ring

700 suspects, 200 in UK

A detailed investigation by British police has led to the collapse of a paedophile ring involving 700 people, 200 of them in the UK. The 10 month investigation involved police forces in 35 countries. Investigators have already rescued 31 children from abuse. Police investigations continue against 200 British suspects. Timothy …

Law 18 Jun 2007, 15:01
Dell audit probe almost over

Talks to SEC

Computer maker Dell told the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) late last week that it has nearly completed its internal accounts probe. Dell faces investigation from the SEC over alleged accounting problems. It has delayed filing results for the last quarter until it can be certain the figures are correct. The company …

Channel Register 18 Jun 2007, 15:02
T-Mobile terminates Truphone

Mobile operator, or not?

T-Mobile has stopped connecting its customers when they call someone using Truphone, saying the VoIP operator is overcharging for interconnection. Instead, T-Mobile customers get a recorded announcement saying they must have misdialed. T-Mobile says its objection is that the termination rate Truphone is asking for is about the …

Mobile 18 Jun 2007, 15:08
Not quite got to grips with Agile?

Books Part 2: Hold on and come for the ride

Considering that one of the principles of software agility is "less is more" (as in minimal, low-ceremony software processes), you could spend a lifetime reading about even niche aspects of agility. So here's the second part of our pick of the crop of agile planning books: 1. Agile and Iterative Development Craig Larman; …

Developer 18 Jun 2007, 15:13
Washington backing for Brit arms biz coming unstuck

Corruption? In the arms trade? We're not having that

The US authorities are definitely investigating allegations of corrupt practice by UK-based arms colossus BAE Systems, according to reports. The Guardian, the paper which has probed British arms sales to Saudi Arabia for over a decade, reports that a US investigation into BAE's conduct is imminent - along with the news that …

Law 18 Jun 2007, 15:58
i-mate unveils 'skinny' Windows phone

Windows Mobile handset specialist i-mate is setting the sales forecasts for its new Jama pocket PC almost entirely on physical dimensions, but we can't see what all the fuss is about. i-mate: Rendezvous with Jama The Jama is designed for those looking for the functionality of a big-screen smart phone, without the larger- …

Reg Hardware 18 Jun 2007, 17:05
Dutch police arrest 111 West Africans in 419 clampdown

Life's a Lottery (scam)

Dutch police have arrested 111 suspected 419 scammers. The arrests on Saturday follow the end of a seven-month investigation - dubbed Operation Apollo, AFP reports. Eight of those detained were carrying false papers. Many others among the group of West African (mainly Nigerian) suspects are reckoned to have entered the …

Spam 18 Jun 2007, 17:32
Microsoft looks for Chinese remote control

It's down the back of the sofa...

Seattle-based software behemoth Microsoft has bought a chunk of the Chinese television market in a deal with TV maker Sichuan Changhong Electric said to be worth 94.1m yuan ($12.32m). The firm, which is one of China's biggest electronics manufacturers, said in a statement on Monday that Microsoft had agreed to work closely …

Reg Hardware 18 Jun 2007, 17:46
Kelway CEO reviews future of Elcom staff

Still at mulling stage

Kelway, which acquired the veteran reseller Elcom from administration on 8 June, said the firm is weighing up its strategy and was unable to comment on the future of some 80 workers based at two UK sites. Speaking to The Register from Elcom ITG's headquarters in Basingstoke, Kelway's CEO Phil Doye said: "We're at an early …

Channel Register 18 Jun 2007, 18:59
Apple toughens iPhone screen, boosts battery life

Glass display to hinder scratches?

Apple has upped its claim for the iPhone's battery life, now saying the touchscreen smart phone will offer an eight-hour talk time. It's also decided to ship the machine with a glass front in a bid to beat the scratches spotted by so many early iPod Nano buyers. Apple's iPhone: will it fall on its glass? Both changes …

Reg Hardware 18 Jun 2007, 20:18
Semel resigns as Yahoo! CEO

Frightened by angry stockholders

Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel has resigned in the face of ongoing criticism from stock holders. He will be replaced by Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang, with former CFO Susan Decker taking over as president of the company. Last week, at Yahoo!’s annual meeting, Semel weathered several angry questions from shareholders, but an effort to …

Financial News 18 Jun 2007, 21:34
Cyber crooks hijack 10,000 websites

Bon Jovi, Mother Teresa pages attack end users

More than 10,000 websites have been infected by a sophisticated and fast-acting Trojan downloader that attempts to install malware on visiting PCs. At least one security firm, Trend Micro, is working with the FBI to contain the damage and track down the perpetrators. The attack is noteworthy for the number of sites it has …

Security 18 Jun 2007, 22:51
100Gb/s Ethernet talks break down

When IEEE standard committees attack

The fickle finger of an IEEE committee may be goading along a death rattle for the organization's goal of reaching a 100 Gb/s Ethernet standard. Hackles were raised in the Higher Speed Study Group (HSSG), a committee within the standards organization, over whether a roadmap for 40 Gb/s Ethernet should also be included in …

Data Networking 18 Jun 2007, 22:53
Zwei lawsuits for German ink vendor

HP sues Pelikan again

Hewlett-Packard has filed a second lawsuit against Germany-based Pelikan Hardcopy Deutschland GmbH over an ink cartridge who-dun-it. HP previously sued Pelikan alleging cartridges being sold in Germany as "remanufactured" H06 and H08 color cartridges are, in fact, new products and violate three patents involving HP ink …

Channel Register 18 Jun 2007, 22:59
AT&T sued by poor man's Formula 1

NASCAR prefers Nextel

Eager to promote its re-branded wireless network, AT&T has upped the ante in a legal battle with NASCAR, the American auto racing association inspired by the law-defying exploits of hard-driving whiskey bootleggers. Yesterday, in Atlanta, Georgia, NASCAR filed a $100m suit against AT&T, decrying the company's sponsorship deal …

Wireless 18 Jun 2007, 23:56