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27th July 2007 Archive

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  • Virtual narcs boot Second Life casinos off the island

    When random number generators attack

    The coding gnomes responsible for the virtual sanity environment known as Second Life pulled the plug yesterday on some of the most popular destinations in the virtual reality space – namely, the casinos that provide something to do other than swap sexes or species or indulge in bizarre sexual adventures. Praise Jesus they’ve …

    Music and Media 27 Jul 2007, 00:56

  • OSI evacuation begins over 'badgeware' license

    OSCON The few and the furious

    It took no more than five minutes for a controversy to emerge once the Open Source Initiative (OSI) revealed that it had rushed a new attribution-style license through for approval. The OSI yesterday confirmed that fluffy, Web 2.0 company Socialtext received the go ahead to use its Common Public Attribution License (CPAL) – or …

    Servers 27 Jul 2007, 04:01

  • NASA: Space station computer sabotaged

    Meddling miscreant snips wire in space member box

    NASA officials revealed last night that a computer destined to become part of the International Space Station had been intentionally sabotaged. Space officials announced that NASA had been alerted to the possible sabotage early last week by an unnamed subcontracting company. An employee of the company had apparently …

    Space 27 Jul 2007, 08:37

  • Man still top dog at poker

    Man vs Machine redux

    The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) wrapped up its Man vs Machine Poker Challenge yesterday, and, as we had suspected, the human element won out, although the margin of victory was not overly large. Poker is a tricky game to teach a machine. Computers are inherently deterministic and …

    Hardware 27 Jul 2007, 08:57

  • Reader succumbs to apostrophe apoplexy

    FoTW Misplaced punctuation outrage

    Our stateside correspondent Cade Metz had until this week managed to avoid attracting reader ire and thereby becoming a fully-fledged Reg hack via the usual FoTW baptism of fire. Well, we're delighted to welcome Cade to the Vulture Central elite, whose membership he has deservedly earned by the following apostrophe outrage: …

    Letters 27 Jul 2007, 09:02

  • Google leaps into new Sprint portal

    Apps for WiMAX

    Who says wireless carriers can't play nice with Google? As it prepares to introduce a new WiMAX broadband wireless network in a handful of major American cities, Sprint has announced that Google will supply several applications for a mobile portal it's building specifically for the network's customers. When Sprint WiMAX debut, …

    Networks 27 Jul 2007, 09:07

  • Is more bandwidth really the answer?

    Money can't fix everything

    A former university lecturer used to say, "any problem can be beaten to death with pound notes". Many network managers looking at the impact of voice over IP on their networks might be thinking along similar lines, but is more bandwidth the answer to the performance and quality issues they are currently, or soon to be, suffering …

    Small Biz 27 Jul 2007, 09:07

  • Jerry Garcia's jacuzzi washes onto eBay

    Deadheads click here for rock bathroom memorabilia

    Deadheads will undoubtedly be flocking in their thousands to an eBay auction which will next month offer diehard fans the chance to snap up exciting Jerry Garcia memorabilia including his stereo speakers, jacuzzi and yes, the Grateful Dead guitar botherer's kitchen sink. According to Reuters, Henry Koltys, 55, of Marin County, …

    Bootnotes 27 Jul 2007, 09:16

  • IT pros give thumbs up to online communities

    'It solves problems and it's accurate'

    It may come as a shock, but online communities or forums for IT professionals do actually work - in the US at any rate. A survey of over 200 US-based IT professionals, published this week by King Research, shows that 100 per cent of those who participate in online communities say they get professional benefits from the …

    Business 27 Jul 2007, 09:23

  • Fort Bragg grunt in gay porn vid shocker

    Marching orders for latest grumble flick scandal

    A grunt from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, has been discharged for performing in a gay video on a "military-themed gay pornography website", the Fayetteville Observer reports. The unnamed member of the the 1st Battalion of the 321st Field Artillery Regiment was given his marching orders for starring in Active Duty (NSFW, natch), …

    Bootnotes 27 Jul 2007, 10:22

  • DHS working on pocket puke-ray

    'Light-sabre' to battle alien hordes

    The US Department of Homeland Security is working on a torch-like "light-sabre" weapon, designed to leave aliens (illegal ones, that is) stumbling and puking helplessly. S&T Snapshots, an inhouse journal of the DHS Science and Technology arm, reports that the S&T Directorate's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) office …

    Small Biz 27 Jul 2007, 10:50

  • UK phone records to be kept for a year

    But internet activity let off the hook

    UK telecoms companies will have to keep phone call logs for a year under a new law, which comes into force in October. The law does not apply to records of internet activity, such as web surfing, email, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone calls. The Data Retention (EC) Regulations (draft; the final Regulations were …

    Networks 27 Jul 2007, 10:56

  • Only 'major' EU countries to be in second iPhone rollout

    Is your country 'major' enough?

    Apple will unleash its iPhone into the European market during the fourth quarter of 2007. But, it seems not all European consumers will be granted access to the so-called must-have gadget this side of Christmas. The handset, which launched in the US on 29 June, will initially appear in a few "major" European countries, but …

    Reg Hardware 27 Jul 2007, 10:57

  • Stripogram councillor rocks Devon Lib Dems

    Click here for 'multi-talented' politico

    Three Devon councillors have quit the Liberal Democrats after discovering that a fellow party member is offering herself as a £75 a pop topless stripogram, the Telegraph reports. Myrna Bushell, 34, secured a seat on Bideford council in May, along with hubby Mel. Voters were probably unaware, however, that she leads a double …

    Entertainment 27 Jul 2007, 10:59

  • Muffy Mount voted ultimate 'nom de sex'

    Poll result Coming soon on a screen near you?

    It's official: Muffy Mount is the ultimate nom de sex pour femme, while the splendid Hardy Woodman ran away with the pour homme title. To recap, we asked readers to submit a pornname based on the name of their first pet and the first street they lived on. Thousands of you answered the call, and we offered up 100 candidates for …

    Bootnotes 27 Jul 2007, 11:01

  • BOFH: Moving faster than blame

    Episode 26 It's got to be somebody's fault

    >clickety< >clickety< >tip< >tap< “ >clickety< >tap< >clickety< >clickety< >tap< >clic..< >tap< >tap!< >TAP< >TAP!< >TAP!< "Financials server's not responding again!" the PFY says, looking up from his monitor. "Hmmm. >click< ping test says it's up - must be just the app." >clickety< >tap< >clickety< >tap< "Yep, I can …

    BOFH 27 Jul 2007, 11:31

  • El Reg issues Satan word alert

    'Mobisode'? WTF is a 'mobisode'?

    El Reg's lexicographical soviet this morning ramped up to Defcon Red after our Mephistophelean terminology radar detected a potentially-fatal neologism hidden in an otherwise innocent Reuters report. The piece in question concerns something about TV smash Lost spin-offs. Hardly earth-shattering stuff, but try this quote from …

    Entertainment 27 Jul 2007, 11:34

  • Microsoft goes Google, Google goes shopping, and Apple loves its Macs

    To subscribe to The Register's weekly newsletter - seven days of IT in a single hit - click here

    Hardware worth waiting for? Microsoft has confirmed it will detail its second generation Zune media players in time for the Christmas sales season, and the One Laptop per Child has started production, with the first children in the developing world expected to receive their computers in October this year. Who is buying whom? …

    Business 27 Jul 2007, 11:40

  • Sony Vaio reborn for the living room

    More than just a white box manufacturer

    If you don’t want a laptop or desktop PC cluttering up your living room, but miss the emotional tech attachment, then Sony may hold the key. It has designed a PC specifically for the living room, but one so, well, un-PC that it’s sure to put bums on sofas. First announced at the Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas in January …

    Reg Hardware 27 Jul 2007, 12:44

  • Magirus says Avnet deal is 'win-win' for all

    Solution to channel growth is all about solutions

    Magirus, which last week sold its European IBM and HP unit to Avnet, has said it plans to build up the rest of its own business by focusing more heavily on solutions. Explaining the rationale behind the sale, vice president and marketing and operations COO Christian Magirus said: "We had the impression that we had two …

    Channel Register 27 Jul 2007, 12:56

  • Fatal explosion hits Virgin space programme

    Three workers killed, three injured at Mojave spaceport

    Three employees of a pioneering spaceship company were killed and another three badly hurt when a propellant system blew up during testing in California yesterday. The explosion happened at Mojave Air and Space Port at about 2:30pm local time. It is believed to have involved a tank of nitrous oxide, to be used as fuel in the …

    Space 27 Jul 2007, 12:58

  • The terrorists I party with

    Part 3 Another round for my friends

    It was a "fuel-air bomb" that would create "a superhot fireball". Anyone care to guess what I'm referring to here? A diabolical new weapon from some DoD skunkworks, perhaps? A metaphorical description of the space shuttle Challenger exploding, maybe? Actually, that was how ABC News's The Blotter with Brian Ross described the …

    Government 27 Jul 2007, 13:36

  • Business intelligence needs business backing

    Reg Technology Panel report Solving the problem of fragmented information

    In a recent Reg Panel study into the state of play with regard to business intelligence, a whole range of issues were highlighted by respondents that were standing in the way of business users getting their hands on the information they need. We heard that users commonly complain about having to access multiple systems when …

    Developer 27 Jul 2007, 13:40

  • Western Digital profit rises on tax benefit

    Revenue up 26 per cent

    Western Digital (WD), the world's second largest hard-disk drive maker, said fourth quarter profit has nearly doubled due to a tax gain and strong sales growth. It reported a significant jump of $113m with Q4 net income of $233m, which represented $1.03 a share. For the same period a year ago the firm saw net income of $120m …

    Storage 27 Jul 2007, 13:42

  • Sky's the limit as firm rakes in 400,000 new customers

    Good times all round

    BSkyB saw revenues grow but profits fall slightly for the year ended 30 June 2007. Turnover was up 10 per cent to £4.55bn, but profits - or at least Ebitda - was down slightly at £1.01bn, compared to £1.02bn last year. Network investment soaked up a lot of cash and Sky also made one exceptional payment of £65m to a channel …

    Mobile 27 Jul 2007, 14:54

  • EU and US agree on high-end sat nav standard

    Pay-to-play compatibility

    The US and EU have reached agreement on a compatibility plan for location signals to be transmitted by new American and European navigation satellites. In a joint press release today, US and EU authorities announced a signal plan to be implemented on the future European Galileo Open Service and the American GPS IIIA new civil …

    Small Biz 27 Jul 2007, 14:54

  • BBC iPlayer launches, but with limited viewer reach

    There must be Heroes, just for 30 days

    The much talked about, Windows XP-only, Internet Explorer 6 or later, BBC iPlayer finally launched today. The iPlayer gives viewers the chance to download the last seven days of BBC television programmes. They can then, at a time of their choosing, delight in the likes of Eastenders and Neighbours for up to 30 days afterwards …

    Music and Media 27 Jul 2007, 14:58

  • Light-feasting bacterium found in Yellowstone

    Yogi's picnic baskets not implicated

    Researchers at Yellowstone Park have discovered a new bacterium that is capable of photosynthesis. The new species, Candidatus chloracidobacterium (Cab for short) thermophillum, was found lurking in microbial mats around three of the park's famous hot springs: Mushroom Spring, Octopus Spring, and Green Finger Pool - not far …

    Biology 27 Jul 2007, 15:06

  • PSP owners to get Lost early 2008

    Sky punts content to Sony

    Sky has announced a deal with Sony to provide video content to UK PSP users, which can be downloaded over Wi-Fi or via their computer. Due to launch early next year, this will be the first official video service for the PSP in Europe. But Sky isn't just promising content from its own channels. Its hope is to manage a video …

    Entertainment 27 Jul 2007, 15:22

  • Sysadmin Day 2007: still time to get the beers in

    Hug a hacker

    Yes, ladies and gentlemen: it is Sysadmin Day. A day when we should all take a moment to give thanks to the glorious sysadmins (and their pimply-faced assistants) who keep our techno-world rolling. Take a moment to give yours a hug. Or, if you really want to show your appreciation, a beer and some pizza. For without …

    Hardware 27 Jul 2007, 15:25

  • Cisco buys a hunk of VMware

    Can't resist

    Another major Silicon Valley player has found itself salivating over the prospect of VMware's initial public offering. Cisco today announced a $150m investment in the virtualization software maker through the purchase of VMware's Class A shares. Should the investment meet the usual closing conditions, it would give Cisco a 1.6 …

    Servers 27 Jul 2007, 15:30

  • Samsung S1030 and S850 digital cameras

    Review More features than a Sunday newspaper supplement

    The Samsung S1030 and S850 offer huge image sizes at a knockdown price, with plenty of extra features and full 30 fps movie recording with sound. With superior ASR and Wise Shot modes on the S850 you're guaranteed better shots. Just don't forget to buy a few dozen sets of batteries, as these puppies are power hungry. …

    Reg Hardware 27 Jul 2007, 15:41

  • Intel responds to EU's anti-trust statement

    AMD puts the boot in as well

    The European Commission today issued its statement of objections against chip giant Intel, accusing it of anti-competitive behaviour. As we reported earlier, the world's number one maker of processor chips had been awaiting the verdict of a long-running investigation into the firm's alleged anti-trust business practice against …

    PCs & Chips 27 Jul 2007, 15:47

  • Society of Jesus calls missionaries to Second Life

    Saving virtual souls from 'erotic simulation'

    Jesuit missionaries may soon venture into Second Life, intent on saving virtual people from virtual sins. Writing in the Italian Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica, whose contents are approved by the Vatican, Father Antonio Spadaro has told fellow Catholics that they shouldn't be wary of venturing into Second Life's virtual …

    Music and Media 27 Jul 2007, 18:36

  • Isilon narrows losses, but growing pains abound

    Reduced expectations send stock tumbling

    Isilon Systems managed to narrow its losses for the second quarter with a revenue surge, but a lowered sales outlook late Thursday sent its stock price tumbling. The storage systems firm reported a Q2 loss of $3.6m, a 65 per cent improvement from a $5.5m loss in the same quarter of the previous year. Revenue increased 87 per …

    Storage 27 Jul 2007, 18:41

  • Fotango COO quits job during keynote speech

    OSCON Give me free Zimki or give me unemployment

    A splash of drama hit OSCON this morning, as the COO of software maker Fotango resigned from the company during his keynote, protesting a decision not to open source the Zimki utility computing platform. "Zimki was going to be an open source utility computing engine with a JavaScript framework," Simon Wardley, Fotango's now ex- …

    Applications 27 Jul 2007, 19:08

  • Wikia snatches open search software from LookSmart

    OSCON Will deliver Grub to mankind. Or whatever

    Wikia, the latest effort from Wikipedia co-founder Jimbo Wales, has bought the distributed search software Grub from LookSmart for an undisclosed sum and open sourced it. Wales, speaking here at OSCON, announced the move during a morning speech. He pitched Grub as being analogous to Seti@home in that users run the client …

    Music and Media 27 Jul 2007, 19:14

  • Second Life turns on screams of horror tool

    OSCON AKA Project Booming Echo

    You'll soon have the chance to talk directly to flying penises and fire hydrants in the void known as Second Life. Linden Lab CEO Phillip Rosedale revealed that VoIP (voice over IP) will hit the Sadville streets "in a couple of weeks," during a speech here at OSCON. Linden Lab, the maker of Second Life, has been testing the …

    Music and Media 27 Jul 2007, 19:45

  • NASA's drunken astronaut report released

    Says astronauts were drunk

    Poor NASA. They've truly suffered through a woebegone week of bad news. First, the space agency was slammed for losing $94m worth of equipment. Then a space station computer was sabotaged by a subcontracting company. Finally, an internal investigation has found that some astronauts were dangerously drunk during takeoff. Last …

    Space 27 Jul 2007, 20:39

  • Spamford Wallace banished from MySpace

    Flooded site with a million messages

    Sanford Wallace, perhaps the world's most persistent and reviled spammer, has been banished from MySpace by a federal judge who ruled the social networking site is likely to prevail in a lawsuit that claims Wallace flooded MySpace with more than 1m come-ons related to gambling-related sites. US District Judge Audrey B. Collins …

    Spam 27 Jul 2007, 21:30

  • Oracle's got a giant Red Hat fork coming, says spaceman

    OSCON While Microsoft has an 'extortion habit'

    Oracle's assault on Linux looks to take the shape of a fork in the near future, according to Canonical founder and Ubuntu chief Mark Shuttleworth. "They must be on track to fork soon," he told us, during an interview here at OSCON. "They are hiring too many people just to deliver patches. My assumption is that they are on track …

    Servers 27 Jul 2007, 22:11