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19th July 2007 Archive

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  • Salesforce.com names Apex ship date amid growth concerns

    Class libraries in, execs out

    Salesforce.com will next month release its Apex programming language to developers hungry to mash-up web-based business applications with its "platform in the sky" and to reassure investors anxious about growth. Silicon Valley's software-as-services (SaaS) poster child said it will launch the highly anticipated, Java-like meta …

    Applications 19 Jul 2007, 01:11

  • Private equity firms flirt with 3Com

    Money men gone fishing

    Rumor has it that private equity firms are interested in taking born-again telecom equipment maker 3Com off the market. A Wall Street Journal blog claims that over the last few months, private equity firms including Silver Lake Partners and Bain Capital have approached 3Com about a possible purchase. Rival telecom equipment …

    Data Networking 19 Jul 2007, 01:26

  • The Beeb cuts off premium rate phone-in lines

    Inform, educate and rip off

    The BBC has suspended all phone-in competitions across its television, radio, internet and interactive services following a damning internal inquiry into editorial failures. The Beeb also admitted to six new cases where its production staff had passed themselves off as viewers or listeners. It said that faked phone-ins took …

    Music and Media 19 Jul 2007, 07:44

  • The IBM ThinkPad: 15 years old today

    Forgotten Tech The iconic black laptop celebrates its birthday

    The ThinkPad is 15 today. Sort of. Launched by IBM and now made by Lenovo, the black-clad laptop family quickly established itself as an icon, in many ways re-establishing Big Blue's reputation as a PC maker after years in the shadow of the clone manufacturers. IBM's ThinkPad 700C The first two clamshell-styled ThinkPads, …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 08:02

  • ICO creates IT forensics team

    But keeps Focus for complex cases

    The Information Commissioner's Office has set up its own IT forensics department to support its enforcement activities. The data protection watchdog has established the inhouse unit to cover 80 per cent of the more standard cases, as it is more cost-effective than using an external organisation and helps with the continuity of …

    Public Sector 19 Jul 2007, 09:04

  • Wall Street forks over Intel's future

    How gross were the margins?

    Intel told the best possible second quarter story, and few investors listened. Wall Street pushed Intel shares down almost five per cent during Wednesday's trading. Investors seemed most concerned with the lackluster gross margins Intel reported. Meanwhile, the analyst crowd actually appeared to side with Intel's spin on the …

    Financial News 19 Jul 2007, 09:12

  • AmAze hopes to amaze with free mobile route planning

    Sponsored directions and mapping

    AmAze put itself on the map today with the UK launch of a service providing GPS-integrated route planning and directions, as well as satellite imagery and worldwide maps. It is funded entirely by advertising and sponsorship. Run by LocatioNet, the service uses a Java application to display maps and photographs on a wide …

    Mobile 19 Jul 2007, 09:12

  • Firms unsure of liability for staff net use

    Prosecuted? Really?

    Almost two-thirds of companies don't realise their legal responsibilities regarding their employees and electronic communications, a new survey has revealed. The Chambers Ireland eBusiness Survey 2007 found that only 37 per cent of companies are aware that they are liable for their employees' online activities, and can risk …

    Business 19 Jul 2007, 09:17

  • Sony to tune slimline PSP into Japanese TV

    Final Fantasy anniversary handheld coming too

    If you're already annoyed that Japan gets most of the good gadgets first, then Sony's announcement that a TV tuner for the upcoming, slimmed down 'PSP 2' will only appear there is likely to enrage you further still. Sony's PSP TV tuner: Japan only The 17g TV Tuner was announced this week, following last week's unveiling of …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 09:17

  • Apple reclaims US' third biggest PC seller spot

    Tied with Gateway

    Apple is now once again holding third place in the US PC market, sales figures from market watcher IDC have revealed. A return to form? Not quite, since its 5.6 per cent share is well below the double-digit share Apple commanded in the 1980s and early 1990s. Apple was also tied for third place with Gateway, which likewise …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 09:35

  • Mobile websites fail to satisfy users

    If you can't buy stuff, is it really m-commerce?

    E-commerce sites are putting their future success at risk by failing to offer users the ability to buy through their mobile websites, a new study has revealed. The Strategy Analytics Wireless Media Lab looked at e-commerce sites eBay, lastminute.com, and Odeon Cinema and the mobile offerings they put forward. It found that …

    Mobile 19 Jul 2007, 09:40

  • Retailers price up Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite

    The first UK retail prices for Microsoft's much anticipated Xbox 360 Elite console have begun to appear, with retailers positioning it at around £50 more than the Elite's Premium predecessor and around £95 cheaper than Sony's PS3. Microsoft itself has remained tight-lipped about the retail price of its pending top-of-the- …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 09:50

  • Daily Mail slammed for online bingo hypocrisy

    Bonkers for bingo

    Could bingo really move out of the smoky back rooms of decrepit church halls and onto the internet? The Daily Mail apparently thought so. The Mail had licensed its corporate brand to an online gaming developer, before taking the site down after receiving a firestorm of criticism this Sunday from a rival over its marketing of …

    Bootnotes 19 Jul 2007, 10:03

  • LMH and InfoSec Sellout unmasked?

    Month of Apple Bugs kingpin comes clean

    The equivalent of a virtual nuke has just been set off in the field of vulnerability research and disclosure. The identities behind two of the noms de guerre that have elicited some of the most heated vitriol over the last 12 months appear to have been disclosed. In a post to the Fuzzing mailing list, a "Lance M Havok" (LMH) …

    Security 19 Jul 2007, 10:03

  • Neteller reaches supergrass agreement with DOJ

    US customers to get money back no later than 30 July

    Neteller has reached an agreement with American authorities concerning its financial transactions with American internet gambling customers. The agreement, coming barely a week after two of its former founders reached plea agreements with the Department of Justice (DoJ), requires a forfeiture of $136m to the American government …

    Law 19 Jul 2007, 10:10

  • European court protects file sharers

    ISPs not obliged to hand over subscriber info

    European telcos and ISPs do not have to hand over subscriber information to record labels which are trying to find file sharers. Advocate General Juliane Kokott, adviser to the European Court, reckons European internet service providers are not obliged to hand over subscriber information when approached by record labels …

    Music and Media 19 Jul 2007, 10:14

  • Security conferences versus practical knowledge

    There needs to be a middle ground

    Since computers became mainstream in the early to mid-nineties, a whole ecosystem has developed around them. The various parts of that ecosystem range from the companies who make computers to the software companies who program for them. In between those two linchpins, though, are many other components which have now become a …

    Security 19 Jul 2007, 10:22

  • Toshiba asks for more batteries back

    Another laptop goes foom

    Toshiba Japan today expanded its notebook-battery recall programme, adding half-a-dozen more models to the list of laptops it wants owners to use only on mains power until new batteries can be sent out to them. Toshiba said the extension to the recall programme, which it instigated in September 2006, was prompted by an …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 10:51

  • EU says roaming case is soooo last month

    Vodafone, O2, and T-Mobile escape anti-trust fines

    Vodafone, O2, and T-Mobile will likely breathe a sigh of relief today after European Union anti-trust authorities decided to close their long-running investigation into alleged excessive charges for international calls. The European commission confirmed yesterday that it will take no further action over formal charges it issued …

    Mobile 19 Jul 2007, 11:01

  • Bush to gong top US boffins of 2006

    Five leaders who have, um...led the way

    The winners of the 2006 US National Medals of Technology have been announced. The laureates will be honoured by President Bush in a joint ceremony with the 2005 medallists at the White House on 27 July. The US National Medal of Technology was instituted by Congress in 1980 to "recognise the significant contributions that …

    Science 19 Jul 2007, 11:04

  • Vodafone figures show jump in 3G devices

    Joy at data revenues leap

    Vodafone stuck to its outlook guns this morning when it released a trading statement that showed data revenue growth far outstripping the increase in dreary old voice. The UK-based mobile telco said revenues for the quarter ending 30 June were £8.25bn, up 7.5 per cent, or four per cent organically. Voice revenue was £5.9bn, up …

    Mobile 19 Jul 2007, 11:05

  • Bye bye SaaS, hello PaaS

    Salesforce.com repackages Apex code as developer 'platform'

    Software as a Service (SaaS) isn't dead, but it could soon be overtaken by Platform as a Service (PaaS), according to SaaS pioneer Salesforce.com. With this week's launch of its re-packaged Apex Code platform under the oddly-named Summer '07, Salesforce.com claims this is the next step in the expansion of service-based …

    Developer 19 Jul 2007, 11:06

  • Ducati storage leaves the starting grid

    SanDisk has ripped open the throttle to speed to market a series of memory cards and more as part of a tie-up with Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. SanDisk's Ducati 4GB SDHC/USB stick combo First out of the starting grid is the SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition SD Plus card, a 4GB SDHC model with snap-open connector …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 11:24

  • Nokia offers assistance for unresponsive GPS phones

    Urban canyon? What urban canyon?

    Nokia has tacitly admitted the GPS units it builds into a small number of its mobile phones are having problems quickly calculating their locations and has fallen back on data sent over the mobile phone network to mitigate the issue. But wait a minute - it's not a bug, it's a feature. Nokia is spinning the approach as a "new …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 12:07

  • Logic3 i-Station IS10 iPod alarm clock

    Review It's totally iTune-tastic. Mate.

    At first glance, Logic3's i-Station IS10 may seem like just another one of the infinite number of iPod accessories currently available. But actually, when you think about it, the IS10 offers the forgotten freedom of waking up to music of your chosing. Logic3's i-Station: comes in a nice shade of white... Let it sink in for …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 12:34

  • Wikipedia clarifies steam pipe menace

    'They sometimes explode'

    Wikipedia moved with its customary lightning speed this morning to bring netizens the very latest in-depth information on steam pipes, one of which yesterday gave New Yorkers a nasty fright: Mercifully, this entry has now been amended to remove any reference to steam pipes' explosive capability - thereby denying al-Qaeda any …

    Bootnotes 19 Jul 2007, 12:41

  • Mobile phones are in the toilet, but no one's complaining

    To subscribe to Channel Register's weekly newsletter - seven days of channel news in a single hit - click here.

    It's fair to say that it's been an interesting week for mobile phones. To start with, two separate surveys demonstrated the impact mobile phones and smartphones were having on people's working and personal lives. Among the disturbing statistics, a quarter of people in the UK admitted to answering their mobile while on the …

    Channel Register 19 Jul 2007, 12:41

  • CD-meets-DVD launched

    Hollywood Records is attempting to breathe new life into an ailing musical format, the CD. It has unveiled the CDVU+ format, which it hopes will appeal to those looking for something more than currently offered by the standard 12cm audio disc. According to HR's Kent Bunt, the format is designed to give consumers the content …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 12:58

  • Sainsbury's to hold Medion notebook launch

    Ask most people where to go for the launch of a 17in dual-core notebook and we're pretty certain that most wouldn't pick supermarket chain Sainsbury's. But this is where Medion has chosen to unveil its MD96327 laptop later this month. Medion's MD 96327: appearing in a Sainsbury's trolley near you soon One of the MD96327's …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 13:05

  • Avnet takes HP and IBM chunk out of distie Magirus

    Today Europe, tomorrow, the world...

    Avnet is to acquire the European enterprise infrastructure division (EID) of HP and IBM distributor Magirus Group. Financial terms were undisclosed, but the deal will see Avnet, which dishes out electronic components to resellers, grow to being one of the largest disties in Europe. The firm said Magirus EID will be …

    Channel Register 19 Jul 2007, 13:37

  • 'Mac worm' hacker in death threat farce

    Much ado about malware

    Claims by an anonymous author that he was paid to create a worm targeting Mac OS X systems are turning into a soap opera-style farce. Infosec Sellout said his 'Rape-OSX' worm uses an undisclosed vulnerability in the mDNSResponder component of Mac OS X to spread. Low-threat malware targeting Mac OS X systems is unusual, but …

    Security 19 Jul 2007, 13:49

  • Motorola discovers cheaper phones lead to lower profits

    Slips to number three in phone rankings

    Motorola has announced its second loss-making quarter, pushing the beleaguered manufacturer into third place behind Nokia and Samsung. Motorola made a loss of $28m this quarter, compared to a $1.38bn profit in the same period last year. Handset sales slipped 30 per cent, and income from sales of handsets dropped 40 per cent, …

    Mobile 19 Jul 2007, 13:51

  • eBayer offers a further Enigma

    Brisk bidding for German code machine

    Those of you who didn't have sufficiently deep pockets to bid for the Enigma machine which last year sold on eBay for a cool €55k might be interested in another example that's currently going for $16,200 (€11,700). Details on this example are pretty thin on the ground, but the seller does note it's "in mint conditon, all …

    Bootnotes 19 Jul 2007, 14:04

  • Arcam aims high-end music server at audiophiles

    It's the most expensive music centre we've seen and we're sure there are countless hardware geeks who could build a box that does the same thing for a fraction of the £3000 Arcam wants, but there's no doubt the FMJ MS250 has the look. Arcam's FMJ MS250: 400GB of song storage And the capacity: there's a 400GB hard drive on …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 14:56

  • Voodoo's Envy H:171 is more than witchcraft

    Gaming PC specialist and HP subsidiary Voodoo PC has unveiled its latest laptop offering, a brightly coloured and tattooed 17in beast, understandably named the Envy H:171. Voodoo PC's Envy H:171: blood red The widescreen model offers gamers the opportunity to customise the machine with colours, tattoos and the hardware …

    Reg Hardware 19 Jul 2007, 15:18

  • Use case style means handbags at 30 paces

    Style is all that matters

    In February, I wrote a Reg Developer article which caused some consternation. The article's message distils down to: Don't write vague use cases, write concrete, specific use cases that leave nothing to the imagination instead. Controversial stuff. Matt Stephens. It turns out, I believe, that use case style hides a miasma …

    Developer 19 Jul 2007, 15:30

  • BT feels the need for 50Mb speed

    Telco weighs up broadband options

    BT is considering speeding up its broadband service by pushing it to a blink-and-you'll-miss-it 50Mb download per second for its customers. BT chairman Sir Christopher Bland told the Financial Times the firm is looking at the possibility of beefing up its fibre optic cable by extending it as far as the street kerb. The …

    Telecoms 19 Jul 2007, 15:34

  • Digicel seeks legal redress in Caribbean

    Takes Cable & Wireless to UK's High Court

    Digicel has accused rival telco Cable & Wireless of engaging in illegal and uncompetitive practices which delayed Digicel's expansion into Caribbean markets and cost the company hundreds of millions of pounds. Cable & Wireless enjoyed a virtual monopoly in the Caribbean until Digicel's audacious capture of the Jamaican mobile …

    Mobile 19 Jul 2007, 15:47

  • DARPA robo-bug to start bugging once bugs are worked out

    Harvard droid prof's flies undone

    Harvard boffins have achieved a significant milestone in their quest to build robot flies which could be used by the government to really bug people. MIT's Technology Review reports that a team of brainboxes led by Professor Robert Wood, one of America's top artificial-insect men, has achieved the first flight of a "life-size" …

    Science 19 Jul 2007, 15:51

  • Tesco beefs up under 20 quid software offering

    Sausages: check, milk: check, word-processing app: check

    Tesco is upping the ante in the software market by widening the availability of its own-brand applications off the back of what it described as a hugely successful initial roll-out. According to reports, the supermarket giant is to begin selling it six software titles, which were developed by Formjet, in 200 more stores …

    Channel Register 19 Jul 2007, 15:54

  • The return of the ransom-ware Trojan

    Malware with menaces

    Virus writers are revisiting the tactic of holding data on compromised machines to ransom with a new strain of so-called "ransom-ware" Trojan. Gpcode-AI (AKA Sinowal-FY) encrypts data on compromised machines before demanding money from users to decrypt it. The malware also include backdoor key-logging features designed to …

    Malware 19 Jul 2007, 15:58

  • Dell paddles 'blade everything' HP

    Jealousy or simplicity?

    The "new" Dell apparently includes an ample helping of feistiness. The hardware maker has slung an aggressive attack against HP's blade server strategy via the corporate blog. The latest entry in Dell's "Dear Mr. Hurd" series goes after HP's "blade everything" marketing campaign. Thanks to its c-Class blade chassis, HP has …

    Servers 19 Jul 2007, 16:53

  • Congress sniffing Google-DoubleClick deal

    As FTC probe continues...

    The FTC inquiry was a just a start. In the coming weeks, Google will also face a pair of congressional investigations into its proposed $3.1bn merger with online ad company DoubleClick - one in the House and one in the Senate. Microsoft and Yahoo! will be pleased - up to a point. A Senate subcommittee plans to scrutinize …

    Law 19 Jul 2007, 18:32

  • Citrix kinda' reports Q2 earnings

    Revenue up 21 per cent, use your imagination from there

    Citrix Systems saw second quarter revenue rise 21 per cent, driven by growth in product license revenue, online services and technical services. Revenue for the quarter was $334m, up from $275m in the same quarter last year. The company didn't report earnings due to a recently completed review into its stock options granting …

    Financial News 19 Jul 2007, 20:24

  • When 'God Machines' go back to their maker

    Comment All that glitters doesn't stay sold

    The genius of Apple's strategy for its iPhone is to make a defensive move look like an offensive one. It's a prudent safety measure - like adding a safety bolt to the back door. Only, thanks to an American press corps that longs for escapism, it looks like a Blitzkreig. Imagine if Apple hadn't created this newest addition to …

    Mobile 19 Jul 2007, 20:33

  • Sprint boots 200 American patriots for using their phones

    You're not good enough for our 'best' service, soldiers

    Shortly after they returned home from the war in Iraq, Sprint accused 200 American soldiers of excessive roaming and summarily canceled their wireless service. At least, that's the word from one of these embattled national heroes. According to our war veteran, who recently posted his story to the forum at SprintUsers.com, the …

    Mobile 19 Jul 2007, 22:17

  • AMD parts with profits in Q2

    Must improve

    AMD suffered from the same desktop chip syndrome as rival Intel during its second quarter, as the company handed in another loss. The chip maker's Q2 revenue increased double-digits to $1.4bn. But perfect year-over-year comparisons remain tough to come by, since only part of the acquired ATI's corresponding '06 quarter is …

    PCs & Chips 19 Jul 2007, 22:27

  • Governments' systems used to power phishing push

    As US training firm aids penis pill purveyors

    Lax security controls are allowing conmen to host fraudulent websites on servers run by government organisations and private sector firms. For example, Symantec has detected a number of phishing sites that have been hosted on government URLs over recent months. In June alone, fraudulent sites were identified on sites run by the …

    Enterprise Security 19 Jul 2007, 22:47

  • Seagate income soars with $359m tax break

    Strong and confident about disk

    Seagate posted a boost in fourth quarter income thanks to higher revenue and a one-time tax benefit. Income for the largest US hard-drive manufacturer rose to $541m, compared to $7m a year earlier. Revenue increased about 9 per cent to $2.74bn, up from $2.53bn the same quarter the previous year. Seagate's income rose sharply …

    Storage 19 Jul 2007, 22:55

  • Cheap flash sinks SanDisk's profits

    Misty margin-filled memories

    SanDisk's second quarter profits sunk 71 per cent as the #1 flash memory manufacturer suffered through declining prices, but promised market stabilization is in the cards. Q2 income floundered at $28.5m during the quarter, a far reach from the $95.6m the company earned during the same period last year. According to SanDisk, the …

    Storage 19 Jul 2007, 23:29