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23rd July 2007 Archive

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  • VMware learns to measure itself

    Births benchmark for AMD, Intel and the server crowd

    Not afraid to help itself while it helps others, VMware today rolled out a public version of its homegrown virtual server benchmarking tool. VMware has been shopping VMmark in beta form since last year and now feels confident enough to set the test suite free. Server makers and end users are expected to use VMmark as a way of …

    Servers 23 Jul 2007, 04:45

  • Culture matters: Why i-mode failed

    Opinion Top execs get blinded by shiny technology too

    M-commerce service i-mode has been dropped by UK operator O2 and Australia's Telstra. So how did a service, which promised to bring mobile commerce to everyone, and which raked in more than 40 million customers, fail so badly outside its home market, Japan? i-mode seemed able to deliver the mobile revolution back when WAP was …

    Mobile 23 Jul 2007, 06:02

  • Hitachi goes global with vein recognition biometric

    Buster Bloodvessel

    Retinal scans, finger prints or facial recognition get most of the attention but developers across the world are quietly labouring away at alternative types of biometrics. Recognition by the way someone walks (their gait) or the rhythm they make when they type and others have each been tried as potential biometrics. Hitachi is …

    Security 23 Jul 2007, 07:02

  • AMD admits no 'substantial' Phenom output in '07

    Preparing Athlon 6400+ to fill the gap?

    AMD is gearing up to launch its fastest dual-core Athlon 64 processor yet, it has been claimed. Such a product would be handy: last week, the chip maker admitted its Phenom won't appear in significant volumes until Q1 2008, later than previously thought. According to Taiwan-based industry moles cited by local newssite …

    Hardware 23 Jul 2007, 08:23

  • MS: Zune 2.0 to arrive in time for Xmas

    Jingle bells

    Microsoft has confirmed it will detail its second-generation Zune media players in time for the Christmas sales season. Speculation as to what the software giant will announce currently centres on a higher capacity hard drive model and a cheaper, Flash-based Zune. According to blog Whizbyte, an MS representative emailed it to …

    Hardware 23 Jul 2007, 08:43

  • Bradshaw assumes NPfIT minister's mantle

    Replaces Lord Hunt

    Ben Bradshaw MP is the new minister of state in charge of the NHS IT programme. His role as minister of state for health services was announced by the Department of Health (DoH) on 20 July. It sees him take over responsibility for Connecting for Health and the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) from Lord Philip Hunt, who moved …

    Government 23 Jul 2007, 09:04

  • Novatel Wireless preps 'smallest' HSUPA modem

    Five times the upload speed of HSDPA

    Data-over-cellular specialist Novatel Wireless last week unveiled what it claims is the "world's smallest" USB-connected HSUPA modem, a slimline stick that allows a computer to connect to next-gen 3G phone networks. Novatel's Ovation MC950D: HSUPA by USB The Ovation MC950D looks like a large USB Flash drive or a USB TV …

    Broadband 23 Jul 2007, 09:11

  • Conservapedia too pinko? Try Metapedia

    Aryans battle 'Cultural Marxism'

    Those among you who feel that Conservapedia - the "conservative encyclopedia you can trust" dedicated to countering liberal bias - is not sufficiently tough on Marxist-Leninist dogma are directed forthwith to Metapedia, the "alternative encyclopedia dedicated to the pro-European cultural struggle". Metapedia sets out its stall …

    Bootnotes 23 Jul 2007, 09:13

  • Web radio firms cry foul over DRM proposal

    Cap offer comes with anti-piracy strings

    Internet radio broadcasters have claimed that a last-minute record company deal offered to them is a ruse to force them to use digital rights management (DRM) technology. The webcasters' industry association has called the demands "unreasonable [and] unworkable" in a dispute that internet radio companies claim could put them …

    Law 23 Jul 2007, 09:14

  • Take a secure hotspot home with you

    Roaming service lets company IT manage your home broadband

    For anyone fed up with support calls from users trying to connect into the corporate network from home, or set up security on their home wireless router, roaming specialist iPass reckons it has a solution. The company is bringing its managed home-office service to Europe, offering to put broadband and a managed wireless …

    Small Biz 23 Jul 2007, 09:17

  • Brainless civil servant amazes doctors

    Frenchman's skull a 'huge fluid-filled chamber'

    A French man whose skull was mostly occupied by a "huge fluid-filled chamber" was able to operate perfectly well as a civil servant - despite having "little more than a thin sheet of actual brain tissue", Reuters reports. The 44-year-old's condition was revealed when he went to hospital suffering from mild weakness in his left …

    Science 23 Jul 2007, 09:21

  • Chinese tuck into Texas turtles

    Export trade threatens snappers, conservationists claim

    Conservation groups have warned that Texas's unprotected turtle species are at risk from unrestricted collection of snappers destined for Chinese gourmets, Reuters reports. According to figures from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), "an average of 94,442 turtles per year are taken by dealers" - mostly for export …

    Science 23 Jul 2007, 09:25

  • Belgian ISP will appeal order to block file-sharing

    Claims ecommerce directive trumps copyright directive

    Belgian ISP Scarlet has appealed against a surprise court ruling forcing it to filter customers' traffic for unlawful file sharing. The Belgian ISP Association says the trial judge did not examine the law closely enough. Scarlet, formerly a wing of Italy's Tiscali, was ordered earlier this month to use Audible Magic software to …

    Law 23 Jul 2007, 09:38

  • Samsung spotlights 'first' five-megapixel camera phone

    Samsung has rolled out its first five-megapixel, autofocus camera phone, a 1.5cm-thick slider that also packs in a large, 2.2in, 320 x 240, 16m-colour display and a TV connector. Samsung's G600: firm's first five-megapixel phone The SGH-G600 also has an FM radio on board, along with the obligatory multi-format music and …

    Phones 23 Jul 2007, 09:59

  • Read about the last British computer company - in the bath

    Psion special goes binary

    Last month, we published something unusual for us: a long feature about the consumer electronics pioneer Psion. It's full of previously untold stories: the plucky outfit could have been the British Sony. But we know that reading long pieces on the web is a pain. So as promised, we're making it available as a PDF download. Our …

    Small Biz 23 Jul 2007, 10:00

  • Add a dash of Wi-Fi and sprinkle with data services

    How do you concoct the right mobile services mix?

    With such a range of potential options in terms of devices and functions, one could say we are spoilt for choice. Or is it a Hobson's choice – plenty of options, but none really cut the mustard? When we asked you this question in our recent survey, the jury looked very much to be out, with responses equally spread across the …

    Mobile 23 Jul 2007, 10:10

  • Spammers dump images, switch to PDF files

    Cat-and-mouse

    Foiled by increasingly accurate corporate spam filters, spammers have dumped pictures for PDFs in their bulk emailings, according to the latest data from security firms. Image spam, which at the beginning of the year accounted for nearly 60 per cent of all junk email, has plummeted and now accounts for only about 15 per cent of …

    Security 23 Jul 2007, 10:10

  • US service personnel at risk of ID theft

    Half a million people's records sent unencrypted

    Personal details of over half a million US service personnel and their relatives may have been compromised by a Pentagon contractor. Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a Fortune 500 tech-services provider, announced on Friday that: "Personal information of certain uniformed service members, family members …

    Security 23 Jul 2007, 10:17

  • LG spins 6x speed Blu-ray Disc burner

    BD/HD DVD combo drive too

    LG is preparing a internal optical drive capable of reading both Blu-ray Discs and HD DVD media, it has been claimed. The South Korean giant is also readying a BD writer capable of 6x burn speeds. Although we've seen no official announcement from LG itself, a number of websites have claimed the company last week unveiled its …

    Hardware 23 Jul 2007, 10:24

  • Transformers, MP3 players in disguise

    The phrase ‘milking it’ comes to mind, but we weren’t really that surprised to hear that the Transformers characters, about to morph themselves onto the big-screen, have been reborn by a selection of vendors as MP3 players and accessories. Transformers: watch out iPod... Although technical specs are a little scarce, …

    Hardware 23 Jul 2007, 10:30

  • The search for alien life

    How do you look for something if you don't know what it looks like?

    The parachutes deploy perfectly, and gradually, swinging gently through the tenuous atmosphere, the little probe falls to the ground. Minutes later it jerks slightly as it unfurls its solar panels. Like a butterfly newly emerged from a chrysalis, it soaks in the rays of the sun. Now its sensors switch on and start to take in …

    Science 23 Jul 2007, 10:37

  • Facebook buys Firefox startup

    Firefox co-founders get networking

    Facebook, the ubiquitous, in-your-face social [cough] networking website, has acquired Parakey, a startup run by the co-founders of Mozilla Firefox. Financial terms of the deal, which was announced on 19 July, were not disclosed. It's the first acquisition made by California-based Facebook since it launched in 2004. …

    Small Biz 23 Jul 2007, 10:52

  • MPack developer on automated infection kit

    Interview 'We are just a factory producing ammunition'

    In June 2006, three Russian programmers started testing a collection of PHP scripts and exploit code to automate the compromise of computers that visit malicious websites. A year later, the MPack kit has become an increasingly popular tool, allowing data thieves and bot masters to take control of victims' systems and steal …

    Security 23 Jul 2007, 10:58

  • Dubai claims world's tallest building title

    Dubai Tower hits 512.1m

    Dubai declared on Saturday it now boasts the world's tallest building, with the Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower) scraping the sky at 512.1m (1,680ft) a year before its slated completion. The Burj Dubai, built by South Korea's Samsung, now stands at 141 storeys, outstripping Taiwan's Taipei 101 which rises a modest 508m (1,667ft). …

    Bootnotes 23 Jul 2007, 11:21

  • OLPC project goes into production

    First machines being made

    The One Laptop per Child project has started production, with the first children in the developing world expected to receive their computers in October this year. The ultimate aim is to get the device down to $100, though the initial run will cost $176, according to the BBC, which is providing a breakdown of costs. This …

    Hardware 23 Jul 2007, 11:27

  • Fasthosts hit by severe floods

    Updated Unlucky web host firm suffers second downtime in a week

    Fasthosts, which last week suffered a major system outage, saw its woes continue today, with its headquarters hit by the floods in Gloucester. Several Fasthosts customers contacted El Reg alerting us to the downtime, with the service, for some, remaining unavailable for the entire morning. One customer, who has since seen …

    Data Center 23 Jul 2007, 13:01

  • Boffins build miniature robot Jesus

    Walks on water; but can't turn it to wine

    American boffins report that they have developed the necessary technology for robots which can walk on water. A team from Carnegie Mellon University, led by assistant prof Metin Sitti, took for their inspiration the well known water-strider insect, or "Jesus Bug", which makes use of surface tension to stand and walk on water …

    Science 23 Jul 2007, 13:12

  • ICSTIS tells sex lines to clean up their act

    Warns on warnings

    UK premium-rate regulator ICSTIS has told sex lines to clean up their act by 31 August or face sanction. The warning comes in response to complaints from the public that some services are launching directly into salacious content, without the required warnings, while others are leaving frustrated punters on hold. Recorded sex …

    Law 23 Jul 2007, 13:19

  • Autonomy reports big jump in pre-tax profits

    Revenue up 18 per cent

    Cambridge-based business software firm Autonomy said it has seen its pre-tax profits rocket by 89 per cent for the first half of the year. The unaudited pre-tax profit results for the six months to June were said to be up from $21.3m in the same period last year to $40.3m. The firm, which creates software that is used to …

    Business 23 Jul 2007, 13:32

  • PHP takes aim at Radar

    Zend pitches PHP to the enterprise

    PHP is wildly popular in the open source community, but less so in the enterprise. These things are hard to measure, but one indicator is job vacancies. According to ITjobswatch, there are nearly four times as many jobs for ASP.NET developers as for PHP, and even more for Java. PHP sponsor Zend Technologies wants to change that …

    Business 23 Jul 2007, 13:36

  • Amp'd shuts up shop

    Last one to leave please turn down the volume

    Amp'd, the US mobile virtual network operator, is shutting up shop tomorrow having failed to find a buyer to take on its urban-early-adopter demographic. Assuming there's no last-minute buyout, customers will be cut off tomorrow, after which there will be no customer services or, indeed, network. However, the company's FAQ …

    Mobile 23 Jul 2007, 13:43

  • Laser-sight gun grip targets Wii gamers

    Bang, bang

    Wii warriors awaiting the arrival of Nintendo's Wii Zapper gun-style Remote holder don't need to go into virtual combat unarmed. US retailer DealExtreme is offering a pair of products designed to give players a more realistic experience. The Light Gun for Wii: stick 'em up First up, the Light Gun with Laser Sight, a pistol …

    Games 23 Jul 2007, 13:53

  • NASA seeks inflight comms for sky marshals

    'Don't call me at work love, I'm undercover'

    NASA is looking into a wireless system which would give undercover sky marshals aboard airliners the ability to communicate with colleagues on the ground, according to reports. An article filed last Friday by Flight International magazine says NASA's Glenn Research Centre is investigating comms tech which could be available …

    Data Center 23 Jul 2007, 14:05

  • Thomson DTI 6300-16 TopUp TV Anytime DVR

    Review DVR meets VoD

    Bit of an odd turbot this new TopUP TV service - not a selection of extra Freeview channels like the original TopUp TV offering, nor a full video on-demand system either. Bit of an odd review too, as it's difficult to come to a final conclusion on the hardware without some reference to the associated broadcast service, and that' …

    Hardware 23 Jul 2007, 14:40

  • Western Digital channel in a spin over new green HDD

    'Show the channel more respect'

    Western Digital (WD) has launched a range of "green" 3.5in hard-disk drive (HDD), but has decided not to disclose any speed or cache specifications. At a European channel partner-focused, media-light event in Reykjavik, Iceland, WD said spin speed and disk cache were no longer the key-overriding factors in the storage industry …

    The Channel 23 Jul 2007, 15:03

  • TomTom bids €1.8bn for map provider

    Where maps meet social networking?

    TomTom has put a €1.8bn cash bid on the table for Tele Atlas, the company that supplies map data to the sat nav firm's 10 million GPS devices. The idea is that social-networking type information can be integrated into the mapping data to create a more dynamic service for TomTom users. TomTom chief executive officer Harold …

    Business 23 Jul 2007, 15:17

  • US wants trucks mounted with frikkin' laser beams

    Raygun lorries to beam enemy shells out of the sky

    US arms and aerospace manufacturer Boeing announced on Friday that it had landed a contract to develop truck-mounted laser cannons for the US Army. As part of the Army's High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL TD) project, Boeing will produce a "rugged beam control system", which will be mounted on a monstrous 20 tonne …

    Data Center 23 Jul 2007, 15:43

  • Logitech plugs in 'world's smallest' cordless mouse dongle

    Don't lose it...

    Peripheral manufacturer Logitech has revealed what it claims is the world's smallest USB transceiver for a cordless input device, a tiny unit that sticks less than a centimeter from the edge of the port it's plugged into. Logitech's Nano receiver: the world's dinkiest dongle? That may prove even smaller than Newton …

    Hardware 23 Jul 2007, 16:11

  • HP bids $1.6bn on Opsware, $214m on Neoware

    What did you buy today? A latte? That's cute

    Deep in the bowels of Hewlett-Packard's financial department, the person in charge of the company's checkbook has writer's cramp. The hardware maker has announced today the proposed purchase of not one, but two companies. Grabbing the spotlight is HP's $1.6bn bid on data center software company Opsware, followed by the somewhat …

    Servers 23 Jul 2007, 19:06

  • Microsoft and Yahoo! trumpet anti-Google privacy policies

    Just like Ask.com

    Unable to keep up with Google's market share, the other big search engines are determined to top its privacy policies. Last week, Ask.com announced new software that keeps web searches completely anonymous - a first among major search engines - and now Microsoft and Yahoo! have unveiled their own brand-spanking-new privacy …

    Applications 23 Jul 2007, 19:49

  • San Francisco's proposed Wi-Fi network facing angry mobs

    Pitchforks out for Google, Earthlink, and tech-happy mayor

    The city-wide Wi-Fi network being pushed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom faces two important hearings this week as a motley band of critics mount a series of challenges to the project, which would be jointly operated by Google and Earthlink. The concerns include the health effects of antennas, whether proposed terms would …

    Broadband 23 Jul 2007, 21:05

  • XenSource ropes Symantec into storage OEM deal

    Strength in numbers

    Looking to strengthen its virtualization wares, XenSource has formed an intriguing alliance with Symantec. Announced today, the partnership will see XenSource insert Symantec's Veritas Storage Foundation software into a future version of its core XenEnterprise product. Storage Foundation includes the popular Veritas file system …

    Servers 23 Jul 2007, 21:20

  • Isilon gets thin with phat storage app

    Thin-provisioning. It's all the rage

    Storage vendor Isilon Systems has hopped aboard the thin-provisioning express that's chugging through the industry, adding the sought-after technology to its clustered storage products as a part of today's hardware and software revamp. The new software, called SmartQuotas, combines quota management and thin provisioning into …

    Storage 23 Jul 2007, 23:19