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5th September 2007 Archive

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  • Warez land man 30 months in prison

    Just because your friends distribute 20,000 copyrighted works...

    An Illinois man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his part in an organized online software distribution conspiracy, the US Department of Justice announced late last week. That's warez, if you don't prefer the grandiose. After serving his time, El will get an additional three years of supervision by District Judge Ellen …

    Channel Register 5 Sep 2007, 00:08

  • Palm drowns Foleo at birth

    Let's work on core stability, first

    "Foleo is the most exciting product I have ever worked on," Palm founder Jeff Hawkins, May 2007 Palm today killed the Foleo, a sub-notebook or "mobile companion", before shipping one unit to the public. In a blog entry on the corporate website, Palm boss Ed Colligan said the company must concentrate all efforts on "our next …

    Mobile 5 Sep 2007, 01:07

  • Google launches US wireless crusade

    Third time's the charm?

    Google is flirting with yet another effort to offer unfettered internet access over American airwaves, and as usual, it's facing endless back-and-forth with the FCC. Last Thursday, the world's largest search engine sent a note to the good ol' Federal Communications Commission, expressing its interest in a wireless internet …

    Telecoms 5 Sep 2007, 01:09

  • Steve Fossett missing in Nevada

    Teams search for adventurer's aircraft

    Rescue teams are scouring tracts of Nevada in the hope of locating missing millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett, who took off on Monday in a single-engined aircraft to scout possible locations for a planned attempt on the world land-speed record, AP reports. Fosset took off at 8.45am on Monday from hotelier Barron Hilton's …

    Science 5 Sep 2007, 06:51

  • BMA call to halt e-record rollout

    Until a review has taken place

    An open letter to government from the doctors' association calls for a halt to the roll out of summary care records until a review has taken place. The British Medical Association's (BMA) chair, Dr Hamish Meldrum, has called for a halt to further implementation of the NHS summary care record, beyond six early adopter sites, …

    Government 5 Sep 2007, 09:11

  • Microsoft spins standards defeat into victory

    Fast track to nowhere

    Microsoft's PR machine is spinning a major setback into a minor victory for ratification of its proposed OOXML specification as an international standard. The software giant has been left to draw comfort from the high level of voter turnout by standards aficionados across the globe, rather than applaud the hoped for, speeded up …

    Developer 5 Sep 2007, 09:18

  • Nepal fixes Boeing 757 with goat sacrifice

    Hindu sky god duly remedies electrical fault

    Nepal Airlines has apparently fixed an electrical fault on one of its Boeing 757s by sacrificing two goats in appeasement of Hindu sky god Akash Bhairab, Reuters reports. The airline boasts two Boeings, and one was reportedly giving it a certain amount of grief leading to suspension of services over the past few weeks. However …

    Bootnotes 5 Sep 2007, 09:31

  • O2 starts charging for calls to non-places

    Contract get-out clause activated

    Last week O2 sent notifications to its subscribers informing them that calls to 0845, 0870 and 0800 (non-geographic) numbers would no longer be included in bundled minutes. The company has now admitted that this change to its billing is significant and therefore enables customers to get out of their existing contracts. O2 was …

    Mobile 5 Sep 2007, 09:34

  • Top judge: put everyone in UK on the DNA database

    Wiggy jurist wants a more inclusive society

    One of the UK's top judges has thrown a grenade into the smouldering debate around the national DNA database, saying that everyone in the UK - including visitors from overseas - should be on file. Lord Justice Sedley, a senior appeals court beak, said the current situation was "indefensible." At the moment the database …

    Law 5 Sep 2007, 10:09

  • Asus announce 'first ever' Socket AM2+ mobo

    Fails to mention what it does, when it'll ship

    Asus has announced what it claims are the world's first AMD Socket AM2+ motherboards, though the boast rang a little hollow when the company failed to say when the products will be made available. All it would say was that the boards, part of the existing M2A-VM series, will go on sale "in the near future". It didn't say much …

    Reg Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 10:09

  • Packard Bell pitches UMPC-like laptop

    Why lug a big notebook around?

    When a manufacturer unveils a computer with a 7in display but with practically notebook-class capabilities, most observers might assume it's a UMPC. However, Packard Bell claims the latest addition to its EasyNote range really is a notebook - it just happens to runs on a UMPC chipset. Packard Bell's EasyNote XS: is a 7in …

    Reg Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 10:37

  • Toshiba to tempt Matrix buffs with freebie HD DVD player

    Turn up at the right shop, at the right time

    Buy a copy of the HD DVD Complete Matrix Trilogy box set from HMV's 150 Oxford Street, London store next Monday morning and you could walk away with a freebie Toshiba HD-E1 HD DVD player too. Buy this HD DVD, get this HD DVD player (sort of) In what might be seen as a desperate attempt to boost take-up of the next-gen …

    Reg Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 10:51

  • Yahoo! swallows! BlueLithium!

    Ads chemical romance

    Search engine behemoth Yahoo! has ramped up its service for advertisers by acquiring privately held global ad network BlueLithium for $300m. San Francisco-based BlueLithium was founded in 2004 and offers web usage matchmaker technology that marries ads with an individual's lifestyle choices and interests. Yahoo! has been on an …

    Financial News 5 Sep 2007, 11:05

  • Virgin fills Warehouse with media

    Carphone expands Virgin offering

    From this morning customers at Carphone Warehouse will be able to buy Virgin broadband, digital TV and phones from a special in-store services area showcasing the company. Virgin claims the in-store services area will operate as a "one-stop shop for all [the customer's] communication needs", which is what we thought a Carphone …

    Mobile 5 Sep 2007, 11:08

  • NASA boffins resist intrusive security probe

    Space brainboxes in sex-snoop vetting lawsuit

    A group of cheesed-off American space boffins are resisting new security procedures, implemented in the wake of 9/11, which require them to submit to background checks. Recent reports indicate that a group of 28 employees at NASA's famous Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)* have mounted a lawsuit intended to prevent NASA from …

    Security 5 Sep 2007, 11:23

  • Germans plan 578m-high überpyramid

    Mass mausoleum for paying customers

    A German consortium has announced its plan to build the world's largest structure - a 578m-high "Giant Pyramid", designed to offer paying customers the chance to "outlast personal physical existence", as the group's website puts it. The plan is pretty simple: build a big pyramid where anyone willing to stump up about €700 can …

    Bootnotes 5 Sep 2007, 11:33

  • IronKey 1GB secure USB Flash drive

    Review Cast-iron data security?

    What do you give the data security nut who has everything? IronKey may have the answer: what it claims is an almost totally secure, steely USB Flash drive that doesn't simply encrypt the data kept on it but protects your applications and online activities. IronKey's IronKey: data vault So no more worrying your missus might …

    Reg Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 11:40

  • C2000 gives credit where its due

    Opens arms to SME channel resellers

    Computer 2000 (C2000) is pumping £4m of additional credit into the channel. Despite a collective denial within the European tech channel that the US credit crunch is starting to bite hard, C2000's handout will probably be seen as a welcome cash injection for 800 of its smaller reseller customers. C2000, which is the UK …

    Channel Register 5 Sep 2007, 11:52

  • IFA 2007: all the stories, all the best kit

    Register Hardware was there at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin to same the latest technologies, the newest gadgets and the hottest products coming soon to a store near you. Blu-ray vs HD DVD Battle of the stats: Blu-ray beats HD DVD UK CE firm preps sub-£200 HD DVD player Pioneer, Philips revamp Blu-ray players …

    Reg Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 13:38

  • Zune price slashed to under $200

    Pre-Apple announcement

    Microsoft has cut the price of its Zune 30GB wireless portable media player by $50 (£25/€38) in the US. The announcement came a day before Apple is expected to announce revamped iPods and iPod Nanos. MS' Zune: not yet the consumers' fave The Microsoft announcement appeared on the Zune development team's blog and stated …

    Reg Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 13:51

  • O2 XDA Denim unzipped on web

    US FCC spills beans

    The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website has revealed some technical specs for an upcoming O2 XDA handset, the Denim. The 3G slider is manufactured by Gigabyte and, despite the absence of a Levis red tab, incorporates a 2.6in touchscreen and two-megapixel main camera. O2's XDA Denim: dummy version The handset …

    Reg Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 14:06

  • Virgin rocket-ship terminal revealed

    Pictures of the coach station to the stars

    The Branson biz empire's suborbital-tourism-for-the-wealthy operation, Virgin Galactic, yesterday unveiled the architectural designs for its rocket-ship terminal at Spaceport America, the nascent commercial space base in New Mexico. A cutaway view of the futuristic cowpat-styled terminal. The designs chosen were put together …

    Space 5 Sep 2007, 14:21

  • Ada suppliers court Microsoft

    Vista and .Net are platform for embedded apps

    Two of the leading Ada language tool suppliers have Microsoft Windows firmly in their sights for a renewed push into the application development market. Adacore announced Vista support for its Gnat Pro development environment at the end of July and is expected to follow this up with full .Net support next week. Meanwhile, its …

    Developer 5 Sep 2007, 14:40

  • BBC cans Planet Relief special

    'Concept might breach impartiality guidelines'

    The BBC has decided to can a planned Planet Relief TV special on climate change following senior executives concerns that it "might breach impartiality guidelines". According to Auntie, the concept surfaced about 18 months back as a "climate change counterpart to programmes such as Live8", and was pencilled for a January 2008 …

    Science 5 Sep 2007, 14:41

  • Raygun 747 test will be delayed, hints Boeing

    Budget cuts for pork-scoffing jumbo

    Arms'n'airliners colossus Boeing says that its nuke-frying, raygun-packing jumbo jet project might suffer further delays if politicos on Capitol Hill cut funding. The beam-cannon 747, formally titled the Airborne Laser (ABL), is intended to cruise near rogue states such as Iran or North Korea. Should the pariah government in …

    Physics 5 Sep 2007, 15:24

  • Gateway sells professional biz unit to MPC

    Hopes to milk consumer channels worldwide

    Gateway is to sell its education, government and SMB arm of the business to MPC Corporation in a deal valued at about $90m. The US-based computer maker, which just last week was bought out by Acer for $710m, will be given close to a 20 per cent stake in MPC stock - worth about $20m - once the deal is completed. In a marked …

    Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 15:27

  • NEC fills PC with water for silent running

    NEC could be looking to bring water-cooled electronics into the mainstream, at least in Japan that is, with the launch of its Valuestar W liquid-cooled all-in-one PC range. The manufacturer said water cools down the system more effectively than fans alone can. NEC's Valuestar W: water-cooled The range is available with …

    Reg Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 15:29

  • It's Open Season on open source

    Meat Cast Three kings tackle MS, Google, MySQL, Web 2.0 and freedom

    The market heard your late-night cries so full of despair and longing. Then, the market responded. Welcome to Episode 1 of Open Season - the freshest of Meat Casts dedicated to open source software and related technology. With Open Season, you get a nasally but passionate host - me - and some guys who actually know what they're …

    Open Season 5 Sep 2007, 15:31

  • Facebook to show profiles to search engines

    Get those photos cleaned up...

    Facebook users may no longer be able to hide after the website announced it is launching a service that enables anyone to view member profiles. In a major move, the social networking site said on Wednesday that it intends to make a limited public listing service available to people who are not logged in to Facebook, meaning …

    Applications 5 Sep 2007, 15:33

  • Continuous Integration: Improving Software Quality and Reducing Risk

    There's more to continuous integration than you might think.

    Like unit testing and automated builds, continuous integration is one of those development best practices that everyone can agree on, from the most extreme programmers to the most dogmatic of RUPistas. System integration – the moment when all of the different components of an application come together to produce a harmonious and …

    Developer 5 Sep 2007, 15:40

  • Apple rings in changes with iPod Touch

    iPhone iNspired

    Yes, it's here... the iPhone iPod Touch, Apple's first dedicated digital media player with wireless networking, Mac OS X and the Apple handset's user interface on board. Apple's iPod Touch: iPhone inspired All this doesn't come cheap, mind: $399 for a model with just 16GB of Flash memory - the same price Apple is now …

    Reg Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 18:58

  • Original iPod revived as iPod Classic

    Apple didn't ditch it's old, faithful iPod today - it just renamed it the Classic, boosted its storage capacity, an LED-backlit display and gave it a more curvy casing than it's had before. Apple's iPod Classic: the hard drive line continues The 10.4 x 6.2 x 1.1cm player now comes with a choice of 80GB and 160GB hard …

    Reg Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 19:17

  • Widescreen iPod Nano debuts... as described

    Apple's widescreen iPod Nano debut today, almost entirely as expected: widescreen display, video capability and a range of new, more autumnal colours. But Apple did throw in a couple of surprises. Apple's iPod Nano: now video friendly That 2in, 320 x 240 display, for instance, has an LED backlight, like the screen on the …

    Reg Hardware 5 Sep 2007, 19:38

  • NetApp sues Sun over ZFS claims

    Passive-Aggressive behavior

    Network Appliance is suing Sun Microsystems in an intellectual property spat over - you guessed it - file systems. The company seeks to halt Sun's sales and development of ZFS technology and asks for unspecified damages. NetApp filed the complaint in US district court in Texas. In a conference call today, NetApp veep Dave …

    Storage 5 Sep 2007, 19:38

  • Apple unveils larger nanos

    Dabbles in paradox

    This morning, at a San Francisco press event The Reg wasn't invited to, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled several new iPods, including a nano that handles videos and games from an expanded display. He also trumpeted the arrival of iPhone ringtones, and sadly, we have no idea whether he kept a straight face. While this El Reg hack …

    Mobile 5 Sep 2007, 19:54

  • XenSource dishes embedded hypervisor to OEMs

    XenExpress OEM Edition for servers

    The hype for virtualization may be reaching a fever pitch, but market penetration remains at a high-ball figure of only about 7 per cent. The aim now falls squarely on selling in volume, so it's not a surprise to see the market eyeballing OEM vendors. Rumors have blown about virtualization leader VMware prepping a "light" …

    Servers 5 Sep 2007, 21:53

  • Finally, a Xeon MP with four cores and modern blueprint

    Intel bids adieu to aging NetBurst microarchitecture

    Intel has at last brought its high-end Xeon processor out of the stone age, replacing its geriatric microarchitecture and doubling the number of cores to four. The chip maker on Wednesday officially christened the Xeon 7300 series, a lineup of six quad-core processors that are built on the Core microarchitecture. Careful …

    Servers 5 Sep 2007, 23:16

  • NBC leaves Apple for Amazon

    From one less-than-ultimate experience to another

    After ending its relationship with Apple, NBC has jumped in bed with Amazon. Late last week, NBC Universal all but pulled its TV shows from iTunes, unhappy with the $1.99 price tag Apple slaps on new episodes. But the media behemoth has now agreed to sell many of the same shows over Amazon's Unbox service - at exactly the same …

    Music and Media 5 Sep 2007, 23:17

  • Novell fills Microsoft Silverlight hole

    Officially official

    Microsoft has extended its controversial partnership with Novell to make the Silverlight cross-platform, cross-browser media player run on Linux desktops. The companies are formalizing the unofficial work of a number of Novell-backed engineers and hackers that put Silverlight on Linux and Unix using pre-release code. Members …

    Applications 5 Sep 2007, 23:20