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18th July 2007 Archive

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  • Microsoft Windows patent will spy for advertisers

    The computer is impersonal again

    If you thought adverts on the web have become more offensive and more intrusive than ever before, then it might be time to find alternatives to using software from Microsoft. Microsoft has filed a patent (here) that threatens to breathe life into Bill Gates' and Ray Ozzie's Frankenstein-like Windows Live "vision", unveiled in …

    Applications 18 Jul 2007, 00:11

  • Expand gives Oracle a boost

    Claims big speed-up for apps over WANs

    Expand Networks has developed an Oracle-specific software module for its Compass WAN acceleration gear, and claims that beta testers and its own labs are reporting anything from five to 65 times performance gain as a result. It said that the speed boost is partly down to its ability to accelerate the underlying network …

    Applications 18 Jul 2007, 07:50

  • North Wales Police gets unified IP comms

    Gives a whole new meaning to 'copper networking'

    North Wales Police is going all-IP with a new network that'll put unified communications - including videoconferencing and IP telephony - into all 75 of its cop-shops. Famed for its speeding-obsessed chief constable Richard Brunstrom - dubbed the "Mad Mullah of the Traffic Taleban" by The Sun - the force says it should save £ …

    Data Networking 18 Jul 2007, 07:54

  • Leaked 'PSP Slim' manual reveals fresh tweaks

    PSP-2000 details emerge

    With a month to go before Sony's slimmed down second-generation PSP hits the shops, reports have already begun circulating about less cosmetic changes to the console's design, including a battery adjustment among other tweaks. A manual purportedly covering Sony's new PSP - aka the PSP-2000 - shows that the console's WLAN …

    Reg Hardware 18 Jul 2007, 08:02

  • Terror-cops get realtime Congestion Charge database link

    Updated Home Office gives dunce-bombers a victory after all

    British terror-plods will be given real-time access to the massive camera network operated in London to support the Congestion Charge, it has been reported. The city transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), uses 1,500 cameras and Automatic Numberplate Recognition technology (ANPR) to record the number and location of …

    Law 18 Jul 2007, 08:02

  • PAC slams exclusive DoH deal

    Where was the tender process?

    The Department of Health ignored procurement guidelines and pursued a back room deal with an informatics company, according to a committee of MPs. Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has criticised the Department of Health for agreeing a joint venture with health informatics company Dr Foster without putting the deal …

    Public Sector 18 Jul 2007, 08:48

  • AMD goes after AppleTV

    iTV Con Calls for Canadian curling channel

    Questioning whether Apple TV has what it takes to bring internet television to mainstream consumers, chip-maker AMD continues to call for a less-fascist internet-to-television setup based on the good ol' personal computer. As the company points out, this "Active TV" initiative is part of a shameless scheme to sell more chips …

    PCs & Chips 18 Jul 2007, 08:50

  • Survey lays bare people's phone habits

    25% of Brits will answer the phone while on the toilet

    The use of smartphones and other communications technology by senior managers and CEOs is driving a more flexible approach to working, a new survey has revealed. Survey respondents reported that they often participated in conference calls from home, sent or received emails while attending meetings, or used their smartphone to …

    Mobile 18 Jul 2007, 08:53

  • Burned by a MacBook

    First Person In more ways than one

    Can you run a business using a MacBook? No, is my answer. My experience with a new MacBook, which turned out to be a complete and utter lemon, and my battle with Apple's derisory customer service nearly sent me bananas, lost me thousands of pounds worth of freelance journalism and consultancy work, and left me with a burn mark …

    PCs & Chips 18 Jul 2007, 09:01

  • Oracle signs Symantec to ULN

    Big trio

    Oracle's Unbreakable Linux Network (ULN) has landed its third big partner since a launch nine months ago that had Wall St predicting Red Hat's impending death. The market's number-one database vendor announced on Tuesday that Symantec has certified its datacenter software with Oracle's Enterprise Linux alternative to Red Hat. …

    Developer 18 Jul 2007, 09:04

  • Non-SMS revenues top £10bn

    While SMS traffic increases too

    Mobile operators have reported increased revenue from services other than SMS in the first quarter of 2007 when compared with the same period last year. Global mobile data revenues from services other than SMS (short message services, or text messaging) exceeded $10bn in the first three months of the year, according to Informa' …

    Mobile 18 Jul 2007, 09:15

  • Intel roadmaps laptop-friendly 45nm CPUs

    LV, ULV versions coming too

    Intel's 45nm 'Penryn' processor architecture gets ever closer, and as we near the release of the first CPUs based upon it, chip-by-chip details are beginning to leak out. The latest: Intel's plans for mobile processors. Four laptop-oriented Core 2 Duos are coming in Q1 2008, all operating on an 800MHz frontside bus and …

    Reg Hardware 18 Jul 2007, 09:17

  • 'World's most capacious' mobile HDDs come to UK

    US storage specialist WiebeTech has created what it claims are the world's largest capacity portable external hard drives, offered in 200GB and 250GB versions. The ToughTech Mini: small drive, big capacity The 200GB drive has a 7200rpm, while its larger 250GB cousin spins at 5400rpm. Both are distributed in the UK by AM …

    Reg Hardware 18 Jul 2007, 09:32

  • Second Life gets its first copyright law suit

    Sex bed tussle leads to court

    A dispute over a sex bed has become the first copyright law suit within online alternative reality game Second Life. The lawyer behind the suit told weekly podcast OUT-LAW Radio that the nature of the game should not change the issues at stake. Eros is a company founded by ex-plumber Kevin Alderman to make and sell digital …

    Law 18 Jul 2007, 09:35

  • UK planespotters to battle al-Qaeda

    Anoraks man front line in WOT

    Police have formulated a cunning plan to protect Durham Tees Valley Airport from al-Qaeda kamikaze attack - crack teams of vigilante planespotting anoraks, the Telegraph reports. Local cops have convened a meeting with "aircraft enthusiasts" aimed at recruiting them as the "eyes and ears" of the War on Terror™. Durham police's …

    Bootnotes 18 Jul 2007, 09:38

  • Web 2.0 shows its data muscle

    Building mashups gets faster

    Mashups are, of course, the "new black" in the world of web services, but building them does mean getting access to data on different databases and services - and that can sometimes be a bit of a problem. So a web server that is aimed at making that task a great deal easier may be worth a look. That is one of the main claims …

    Developer 18 Jul 2007, 09:41

  • Moving mobile numbers should be instant

    Ofcom calls for mass debate on central database

    Ofcom has issued a second document on number portability, recommending that customers be able to instantly move their fixed and mobile numbers between networks. Number portability, the ability to take your phone number with you when you change networks, increases churn - and thus competition - wherever it's been introduced. But …

    Mobile 18 Jul 2007, 09:57

  • How green is my V-word?

    Does virtualisation = energy savings?

    No, not "valley" as in John Ford's 1941 classic movie based on Richard Llewellyn's 1939 best-seller about a close-knit, hard-working Welsh coal-mining family at the turn of the twentieth century. Nor "vampires" as in the somewhat less classic episode from the Masters of Horror TV series that introduced the "V-word" concept. It's …

    Servers 18 Jul 2007, 09:58

  • Derbyshire cops get into deep water

    Van + flood = YouTube smash

    Derbyshire's finest have been entertaining netizens recently with a world-class demonstration of why vans and floodwater don't mix: According to internal police sources, the aquaplod in question were "Special" constables, aka "Play Cops", and are "now all in deep water" as a result of their mishap. As the Blogger in Blue …

    Law 18 Jul 2007, 10:03

  • Tomato ripens dinky digital device

    Tomatoes are often mistaken for vegetables and so this fruit-branded vendor will be hoping its latest tiny portable video player, dubbed simply Video, doesn't get mistaken for something else, like a credit-card, a pack of ciggies or a matchbox. Tomato's Video: not as tasty as the real thing? This tiny 6.6 x 5.1 x 1cm …

    Reg Hardware 18 Jul 2007, 10:06

  • Official: BlackBerry gets Wi-Fi, VoIP

    32GB memory card support too

    The rumours were true. Research In Motion (RIM) has officially confirmed its development of the BlackBerry 8820, the first handset in its history to feature built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. It also supports Micro SDHC memory cards. RIM's 8820: the first BlackBerry with Wi-Fi Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) capability is also …

    Reg Hardware 18 Jul 2007, 10:27

  • Wave goodbye to your TV... literally

    Out goes the remote, in comes gesturing tech

    Losing a remote control down the back of the sofa could soon become a thing of the past, thanks to two Australian boffins' development of a TV controller system operated entirely by hand signals. The system combines a webcam, a gesture processing unit and a universal remote control. The webcam captures the hand signal, which …

    Reg Hardware 18 Jul 2007, 10:57

  • Logica reports revenue slump

    Looking for new CEO

    Computer services firm LogicaCMG reported a decline in its first half revenues, ended 30 June 2007, but expects the full year to be back on track. Revenues in the UK fell nine per cent due to "anticipated weakness" in the commerical sector - half this was due to the loss of one contract. The Anglo-Dutch firm had issued a …

    Networks 18 Jul 2007, 11:04

  • Firefox lances IE bug

    Pass the parcel bug binned

    Mozilla has pushed out a new version of Firefox that fixes a number of security bugs, including a high-profile bug involving launching Firefox from Internet Explorer. Firefox version 2.0.0.5 also fixes a number of memory corruption and privilege escalation flaws, as explained in Mozilla's release notes here. The release - …

    Enterprise Security 18 Jul 2007, 11:05

  • Cyborg-style 'iLimb' hand a big hit with Iraq veterans

    'Soldiers love the robotic look'

    A Scottish prosthetics company engaged in publicising its new bionic hand claims to have achieved significant advances in its field - and says servicemen injured in combat "love the more robotic look" of its technology. Touch Bionics, based in Livingston, also seems set for a potentially lucrative lawsuit scuffle in future. …

    Hardware 18 Jul 2007, 11:24

  • An embedded XML Database: Oracle Berkeley DB XML

    Tutorial There is more to life than RDBMS

    Storing an XML document in a relational database has its limitations. XML’s hierarchical structures do not map well to relational database structures. That’s where an embeddable (non-relational) XML database has advantages over a relational database. Oracle database (since Oracle 9i database R2) provides the Oracle XML DB …

    Developer 18 Jul 2007, 11:31

  • Warner Music Group waves goodbye to EMI

    Terra Firma deal in the bag?

    Warner Music Group (WMG) has said it will not be making an offer to buy-out its rival EMI. In a dance-off that puts Jane Fonda in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? to shame, Warner had been holding in there for several years to bid for the struggling music firm. But it hasn't been alone in its attempts to woo EMI into its …

    Music and Media 18 Jul 2007, 11:38

  • Indians slip on tobacco-flavoured condom

    Fancy a chew on my betel nuts?

    An Indian company has released a "paan-flavoured" condom aimed at the country's prostitutes who apparently like nothing more than chewing on the pungent mix of betel nut and spices wrapped in tobacco leaves, Reuters reports. Hindustan Latex Ltd developed the tasty prophylactic in association with public health organisation …

    Bootnotes 18 Jul 2007, 11:41

  • Pirate pitches DVDs to Trading Standards

    Porn flick cock-up

    A 20-something Chinese woman made a creditable pitch for the world's thickest DVD pirate title when she attempted to flog her wares to West Yorkshire Trading Standards, the Evening Standard reports. The unnamed comedy bootlegger explained to "bemused" workers at the Leeds office that she'd only been in Blighty for a couple of …

    Law 18 Jul 2007, 12:21

  • EU officially endorses DVB-H

    But who asked for their opinion?

    The European Commission (EC) has formally endorsed DVB-H as the preferred standard for digital TV signals to be broadcast to mobile phones, though the business model for broadcast TV is still open to debate. The Commission makes much of its decision to mandate GSM as a mobile phone technology back in the 1980s, and the …

    Mobile 18 Jul 2007, 12:24

  • German hurls computer from apartment block

    'Who hasn't felt like doing that?' admit police

    A German chap who demonstrated his frustration with his PC by throwing it out of the window escaped a fine when police oficers decided they rather sympathised with his actions. According to the Evening Standard, Hanover cops were alerted in the middle of night by neighbours who reported a "loud crash" outside their apartment …

    PCs & Chips 18 Jul 2007, 12:27

  • PS3 outsold Xbox 360 2:1 in Japan

    And Wii sales micturate on both

    For all ex-Microsoft, now EA Sports man Peter Moore's claim that the PS3 isn't doing too well in Japan, the latest sales figures from that country show the Sony has shifted a darn sight more next-gen consoles than Moore managed. According to Japanese games magazine publisher Enterbrain - by way of the Reuters news agency - …

    Reg Hardware 18 Jul 2007, 12:42

  • Blu-ray drive maker slashes burner price by €100

    Blue-laser diode famine over

    Lite-On is to knock 15 per cent off the price of its internal Blu-ray Disc writer, the LH-2B1S, in a bid to boost the popularity of the next-gen optical disc format in Europe. Right now, the drive retails in Europe for around €649 ($895/£437), Lite-On said. But it expects that to fall €100 to €539 ($757/£370), "in the near …

    Reg Hardware 18 Jul 2007, 13:08

  • Oracle drops litter of summer patches

    Forty-five fixes out. One missing in action

    Oracle released 45 security patches on Tuesday as part of its latest quarterly patch update, one less than expected. The updates cover various flaws in products including Oracle Database, Application Server, and E-Business Suite, among others. Some of the patches cover flaws in multiple products. The dropped update covered …

    Enterprise Security 18 Jul 2007, 13:25

  • User panel says US should scrap GPS off switch

    Sat nav industry reckons degrading sat nav is bad

    American and international sat nav stakeholders have advised that the US government should never again degrade the civilian Global Positioning System (GPS) signal. GPS is the satellite constellation used by the vast majority of the world's sat nav receivers. It is run by the US Air Force and paid for by the Pentagon. The …

    Science 18 Jul 2007, 13:44

  • US cons attempt copyright-based prison break

    FBI thwarts audacious criminal masterplan

    Four inmates of Oklahoma's El Reno federal prison were yesterday indicted for what must rate as the most audicious prison break scheme in history, the Washington Post reports. Clayton Heath Albers, Carl Ervin Batts, Barry Dean Bischof and Russell Dean Landers are alleged to have copyrighted their names then "demanded millions …

    Law 18 Jul 2007, 14:01

  • Ion mixes it up with second-gen USB turntables

    Fresh from its first USB turntable, Ion has expanded its single-model set by adding two additional turntables into the mix, each offering new looks and improved feature sets. Ion's iTTUSB05: plug-and-play vinyl recording Both models are suitable for plug-and-play use and ship with the EZ Vinyl Converter software, which …

    Reg Hardware 18 Jul 2007, 14:12

  • eBayer mails UK lad £44k

    Got more than the PS2 he was expecting

    A 16-year-old Norfolk lad got more than he bargained for when he successfully bid £95 for a PS2 on eBay - the console plus €65,400 (£44k) in cash, the BBC reports. Police are currently holding the wonga - which arrived with the games console at the teen's Norfolk home back in March and was reported by his parents - under the …

    Bootnotes 18 Jul 2007, 14:29

  • LG Touch Me FM37 MP3 player

    Review ...sounds like a one-hit wonder from the 80s

    The personal multi-media category is a crowded one and has risen to a very high point in terms of consumer awareness. However, it is still relatively young and product feature development is coming thick and fast. A bit of fresh thinking can go along way. And LG are as fresh as they come. At 5.15 x 0.9 x 1.04cm and 63g, it' …

    Reg Hardware 18 Jul 2007, 14:47

  • BT to drag T-Mobile onto 21st Century

    Network that is

    T-Mobile has dodged a massive investment in telco kit ahead of the launch of mobile TV and other bandwidth sucking services by striking a five year managed network deal with BT. The deal, worth several hundred million pounds over the five years, will mean BT takes responsibility for connect the mobile firm’s base stations to …

    Data Networking 18 Jul 2007, 15:22

  • PC World, Orange, and Pipex sneeze out broadband offers

    Hardly Christmas come early, though...

    In a flurry of broadband selling activity, several firms are gunning for your brand loyalty. If PC World customers tie themselves into a two-year broadband contract with Orange, the computer retailer has said it will give away a "free" laptop worth over £300. Elsewhere, Pipex is punting what it described as "broadband for …

    Channel Register 18 Jul 2007, 15:25

  • Google's Lemon squeezes out web app bugs

    Hot Fuzz

    Google is developing an automated tool for finding common web application vulnerabilities. The tool, dubbed Lemon, is still in development by the ad-brokering giant's security researchers but is already been used internally. It's unclear whether or not Google will release the vulnerability testing tool more generally. Free …

    Security 18 Jul 2007, 15:30

  • iPass layers on security for laptops

    Online security service adapts as you roam

    Roaming internet access specialist iPass is getting into device security via a deal with Symantec. It is integrating Symantec's Sygate Enterprise Protection software into its client package - this includes USB lock-down, device health-checks, policy enforcement, application authorisation, and other features. IT managers will …

    Enterprise Security 18 Jul 2007, 15:37

  • Sharks in the soup, says conservation group

    Extinction looms as consumption booms

    A conservation group has warned that sharks could be extinct within a generation unless people lose their appetite for shark fin soup, Reuters reports. WildAid today called on the Chinese government to act to protect several at-risk species - including Basking, Great White, and Hammerhead - which face increasing pressure as the …

    Biology 18 Jul 2007, 15:40

  • Yahoo! buys Indian ad firm

    Yes, there's still money to spend

    Yahoo!'s first quarter financial results may have been a tad disappointing, but that hasn't stopped Jerry Yang and the gang from acquiring a hefty stake in Indian internet advertising company Tyroo Media. The move comes less than a week after Yahoo! finalized its purchase of U.S.-based ad firm RightMedia, part of an ongoing …

    Applications 18 Jul 2007, 17:28

  • Whole Foods CEO sorry for message board trolling

    SEC investigates grocery store fanboy

    Whole Foods chief John Mackey ate organic humble pie Tuesday, as he apologized to shareholders for making anonymous posts about his company on Yahoo's financial message board. Mackey's mea culpa comes as company directors announced they have formed a special committee to conduct an internal investigation into the postings. But …

    Financial News 18 Jul 2007, 20:24

  • Oracle buys fraud detection software firm

    Identity management

    Oracle is bulking up its system security capabilities through the acquisition of privately held Bharosa for an undisclosed sum. Bharosa software will control and secure access to systems built with Oracle applications and middleware. Set up in 2003, Santa Clara, Calif. based Barosa claims 25 million end-users for its fraud …

    Developer 18 Jul 2007, 22:02

  • iPhones grease eBay's quarter

    That's two days of iPhone sales

    eBay today reported a 50 per cent increase in net profit, with its Marketplace, PayPal, and Skype businesses all showing growth. For the quarter ending June 30, the auction king's Marketplace revenues totaled $1.29bn, representing a growth rate of 26 per cent, while PayPal revenues reached $454m, a 34 per cent increase. And …

    Financial News 18 Jul 2007, 22:53

  • Juniper Networks gets its Q2 profit back

    Shrubs off last year's loss

    Juniper Networks swung to a profit during the second quarter of 2007, spurred by an increase of product and service sales as companies buy more equipment to handle internet traffic. The company reported a $86.2m profit for the second quarter of 2007, compared to a $1.21bn loss in the same period last year. The network …

    Data Networking 18 Jul 2007, 23:19

  • Microsoft rigs Live Search traffic

    The power of Dingbats

    Microsoft has successfully rigged its search traffic. The company recently introduced several online games than shamelessly bribe people to query its moribund Live Search Engine, and according to web research firm comScore, these games gave the engine a significant traffic boost last month. In June, comScore says, Microsoft's …

    Applications 18 Jul 2007, 23:27

  • Software team codes IBM higher in Q2

    Expenses surge

    Every quarter IBM orders investors to pay attention to a particular product group as the driver of its success. For this year's second quarter, IBM has promoted the software division as its savior. That's software - not services. Got it? IBM sold a lot of stuff during Q2. In fact, it sold $23.8bn worth of goods and services, …

    Servers 18 Jul 2007, 23:27

  • Dell buys SilverBack on road to recovery

    Managing managed services

    Dell is bolstering its managed services business with the purchase of privately held SilverBack Technologies. The deal is expected to expand Dell's presence in the managed services game - configuring and running remote systems - and comes just a week after chief executive Michael Dell said acquisitions are a part of the company …

    Servers 18 Jul 2007, 23:38