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11th September 2007 Archive

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  • Yahoo feeds Trojan-laced ads to MySpace and PhotoBucket users

    'High risk creative' on out of control web

    A Yahoo-owned advertising network became the unwitting ally of cyber crooks after it spewed millions of Trojan-laced banner ads on MySpace, PhotoBucket and other websites. The banner ads, which were brokered by Right Media, were served an estimated 12 million times over a three-week period starting in early August, according …

    Malware 11 Sep 2007, 00:30

  • Discovery of musician on YouTube triggers loss of faith in American Dream and interests

    You can't play in our gang, our gang, our gang

    Bloggers have expressed outrage after a singer-songwriter who won fame through YouTube turned out to be professionally backed. Marié Digby filmed herself singing cover versions on a guitar in her bedroom and posted them to YouTube and MySpace, where she described herself as an unsigned artist. But, wait - stop the internets! …

    Music and Media 11 Sep 2007, 00:51

  • Public rejoices at new 'green' nukes

    Time for that nuke ferry across the Mersey

    The initial results of the government's consultation on the future of nuclear power are in, and broadly supportive of the government's position - to revive the moribund nuclear industry because it's now "green". The consultation asked more than 1,000 people around the country to answer the following question: "In the context …

    Science 11 Sep 2007, 07:02

  • Britannia triumphs over Johnny Metric

    Pints all round as EU crumples before imperial forces

    The EU will abandon all pretentions to enforce its filthy metric system on Britain, thereby guaranteeing once-and-for-all an Englishman's right to sup ale in pints, buy spuds by the pound, and measure the distance between the greengrocer and the boozer in miles. That's according to the BBC, which says the European Commission …

    Government 11 Sep 2007, 09:22

  • Computacenter jumps on good interims

    Revenues and profits up - except in UK

    Computacenter shares jumped over five per cent this morning after the reseller posted better than expected interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2007. Revenues were up 4.1 per cent to £1.16bn and operating profits up 12.1 per cent to £12.8m. However, pre-tax profits were down 11.8 per cent at £12.8m. Computacenter …

    Channel Register 11 Sep 2007, 09:31

  • DVD Forum gives three-layer, 51GB HD DVD the thumbs up

    Format's fans must buy new players?

    The DVD Forum, the organisation that oversees DVD and HD DVD technology, has approved Toshiba's proposed triple-layer, 51GB disc structure. The move paves the way to exceed - for now, at least - the 50GB capacity of a two-layer Blu-ray Disc. Toshiba's 51GB HD DVD Toshiba revealed the three-layer disc back in January 2007 …

    Reg Hardware 11 Sep 2007, 09:33

  • Retailer reveals new Palm is the Treo 500v

    Vodafone will launch it tomorrow

    Palm's new Euro-centric smartphone, due to be announced tomorrow, is indeed based on the design that's been doing the rounds of the rumour sites since June. It will be released by Vodafone, under the Treo 500v moniker. The confirmation comes courtesy of Dutch handset retailer The Phone House, which posted details in a …

    Reg Hardware 11 Sep 2007, 10:00

  • Open source suppliers offer SaaS challenge

    Talend joins SugarCRM, OpSource joins Boomi

    Open-source software suppliers are gearing up their Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings with last week seeing announcements from four key players. SugarCRM has signed a deal with data integration specialist Talend and OpSource has signed up on-demand integration provider Boomi. Both deals aim to simplify the integration of …

    Developer 11 Sep 2007, 10:01

  • Hitachi scales Universal Storage Platform for the midmarket

    HDS Virtual storage gets thin provisioning

    Hitachi Data Systems is scaling down its Universal Storage Platform V system to target the virtualization needs of the mid-range market. The company announced yesterday the Universal Storage Platform VM - a slimmer storage device that still boasts a feature set such as thin provisioning, heterogeneous virtualization, tiered …

    Storage 11 Sep 2007, 10:02

  • Serena banks on Microsoft workplace challenge

    Pay to play

    Serena Software has laid out a roadmap founded on Web 2.0 representing the software industry's latest attempt to chip away at Microsoft's Office development base. The company has released an early version of its Serena Mashup Composer, previously codenamed Veil, which Serena promised would provide point-and-click creation of …

    Developer 11 Sep 2007, 10:05

  • Fujitsu unveils palm-reading security mouse

    Vein pattern scanned for authentication

    Fujitsu has introduced what it claims is the world's first mouse capable of scanning the pattern of veins in the user's hand. The reason? To use the pattern to authenticate the user for access to the host computer. Fujitsu's PalmSecure system is not itself new - the company has been equipping ATMs and other systems in Japan …

    Reg Hardware 11 Sep 2007, 10:27

  • Oyster card evolves into OnePulse

    Teams up with Visa and Barclaycard

    Transport for London has launched a version of its smart card that can be used to pay for items other than travel. TfL, in partnership with TranSys and Barclaycard, has released a three-in-one card that combines the ability to pay in advance for travel with credit card and cashless payment facilities. Named the OnePulse card, …

    Public Sector 11 Sep 2007, 10:37

  • Home PC users at risk: CA

    Need to be wary of online threats

    Home PC users need to be wary of security vulnerabilities when they go online, according to software firm CA. The 'CA Mid-Year Internet Threat Outlook Report' found that the exposure of home PC users is growing as the PC becomes the family communications and entertainment hub. "Everyone using the internet should be aware of …

    Security 11 Sep 2007, 10:39

  • Connoisseurs go mad for £1,000 ham

    Pure Iberian porker's leg at a price you can't afford

    Aficionados of pure Iberian ham are apparently fighting to get their laughing gear round one of the few legs of 2006 Alba Quercus Reserve - a jamón ibérico puro hewn from acorn-fed* porkers and cured for two years - which goes on sale next year at a reserve price of £1,000 a leg. For those of you not au fait with Spanish ham, …

    Biology 11 Sep 2007, 10:40

  • Met Office plans next five years in climate science

    An aide to policy makers, no less

    The UK Met Office has launched a five-year programme of climate change research, aimed at developing better understanding of the regional effects of climate change, and to provide policy makers with the tools they need to tackle climate change both in the UK and internationally. Dubbed the Integrated Climate Programme (ICP), …

    Science 11 Sep 2007, 10:41

  • Fancy an invisible dog that dances on stilts?

    eBay can oblige, and then some

    We're very much obliged to reader Euan Webster for alerting us to the possibility of being rendered completely invisible, while teaching our dog to walk and dance on stilts and while gaining "2 – 4 INCHES of intimate length" in the trouser department - and all for just $24.95: Yup, it's a once-in-a-lifetime offer down at eBay …

    Bootnotes 11 Sep 2007, 10:43

  • DLO HomeDock Music Remote wireless iPod dock

    Review The answer to the iPod owner's hi-fi dreams?

    On paper, Digital Lifestyle Outfitters' HomeDock Music Remote is an iPod owner's dreams come true. It allows you to control your iPod's playback through your hi-fi via a remote control. Sounds good, and DLO got it 95 per cent right. But that last five per cent makes all the difference and will have you tearing your hair out and …

    Reg Hardware 11 Sep 2007, 11:02

  • Nokia enhances free-to-download satnav app

    Software 'streamlined'

    Nokia has updated its free satnav application, Nokia Maps, rolling in a range of tweaks designed, the Finnish phone giant claimed, to "streamline" the user experience. It's also integrating the software into its Ovi online portal. The new Maps features a user interface that's less cluttered than before, Nokia said, and better …

    Reg Hardware 11 Sep 2007, 11:08

  • Juggle those connections

    Mobile Workshop It’s a multi-protocol world

    It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were debating whether Wi-Fi would make 3G redundant. Well it didn’t happen, and with the “son of 3G”, HSDPA, now a mainstream option for business connectivity, and driving rapid uptake, it seems less likely than ever that cellular data options are going to go away. In fact, in a recent …

    Workshop 11 Sep 2007, 11:16

  • IBM signs-in to OpenOffice.org

    Waves software sabre at Microsoft

    IBM is joining the OpenOffice.org development community, kicking off its participation by donating code it has developed for its Lotus Notes project and promising to contribute to improving the "feature richness and code quality" of OpenOffice.org. IBM also said it will include the software in its own suite of products, a …

    Applications 11 Sep 2007, 11:24

  • Nokia Portal: A Force For Good, or Finnish Folly?

    Letters A mobile mailbag, no less

    Remember the Reg mailbag? For younger readers, the Mailbag was like Comments, but with the good bits highlighted, and all the crap taken out. Except the crap that was completely insane or libelous - which we gave a special award to. Well, we have letters. Here's something to cheer up Nokia executives. Some readers, and even …

    Mobile 11 Sep 2007, 11:42

  • Skype worm blows bubbles at victims

    Lithuanians and Jacko's chimp top suspects

    Miscreants have created a worm that uses the chat function built into Skype to spread. The malware - variously known as either Ramex, Skipi or Pykspa - sends a short message containing a link to a seemingly benign jpeg file to contacts of users with infected Windows PCs. Users who click on the link are prompted to download …

    Malware 11 Sep 2007, 11:51

  • Kingston: nobody else wants to provide broadband round here

    Fiefdom upon Hull?

    Kingston Communications, the UK's only remaining independent local phone company, has hit back at suggestions from an MEP that Hull's businesses and consumers are "held to ransom" by lack of competition in broadband. The Independent carried a story today that Diana Wallis, Liberal Democrat MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, has …

    Telecoms 11 Sep 2007, 11:55

  • TomTom tunes Toyota into integrated GPS car stereo

    'Why should I buy a GPS?' someone asked us recently - 'they'll all be built in eventually.' Sooner than you think - TomTom today showed off a satnav system designed to be built into an in-car hi-fi. Toyata's new Yaris is going to have it on board. TomTom's embedded GPS in a Toyota Yaris The idea's simple: put the guts of …

    Reg Hardware 11 Sep 2007, 13:03

  • London council to use lie detectors to finger benefit cheats

    Calling call centres is stressful already

    Lambeth Council has done a deal with KPMG Capita* to use voice recognition software to finger cheats contacting call centres to sort out benefits. Everyone contacting the centre will be told they are being scanned and will then be asked 19 questions."Voice Risk Analysis" will then finger voices it considers suspicious. The …

    Bootnotes 11 Sep 2007, 13:15

  • Premium rate Virgin Media cuts tech support jobs

    Exclusive 'Let's right-size our associate headcount!'

    Virgin Media's recent decision to slap a premium rate charge on its technical support line seems to have had the desired off-putting effect on callers, as dozens of redundancies have been announced at its IBM-run call centre. Sources say about 90 workers and managers have been informed they're for the chop at the site in …

    Networks 11 Sep 2007, 13:25

  • Colombian armed robber targets karate school

    Not a very bright idea, as it turns out

    A Colombian armed robber evidently not au fait with martial arts is recovering in hospital after ill-advisedly targeting a karate school, Reuters reports. The attempted blag took place in the nothwestern town Bucaramanga, and local police commander Colonel Julio Cesar Santoyo simply told Caracol radio: "An individual entered a …

    Bootnotes 11 Sep 2007, 13:44

  • AMD's tier one partners sing homage to Barcelona

    Analysis It's history, perched on a fence

    Vendors, vendors everywhere: Yep, all the major players turned up in Barcelona at the EMEA launch of AMD's so-called "native" quad-core Opteron processor chip. Well okay, nearly all. Perhaps significantly, Microsoft was missing from the European arm of the jamboree that some observers have described as an incredibly important …

    Servers 11 Sep 2007, 14:08

  • NHS trust deploys target-meeting software

    Come in number 8, it's time to cut you up

    A London NHS trust has got itself a new shiny IT system that it hopes will help it meet government targets on patient referral-to-treatment times. The University College London Hospital (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust is rolling out a patient tracking system from long-time IT partner LogicaCMG. The software is designed to keep …

    Channel Register 11 Sep 2007, 14:45

  • HP inks deal for micro-needle skin patch

    Now it's not just HP's prices that'll get under your skin

    HP has come up with a new use for its inkjet technology: you can use it to give people inkjections (see what we did there?). The firm has signed a deal with Irish medical firm Crospon to develop a "skin patch" complete with teeny-tiny needles for controlled, and painless, delivery of a variety of drugs. They say that a …

    Hardware 11 Sep 2007, 14:55

  • Typo-squatting grifter faces the slammer

    Bogus attorney pleads guilty to domain scam

    A cybersquatter who posed as a high-powered lawyer in a bid to trick rightful owners into handing over their domain names faces a possible prison term after confessing to the scam. David Scali, of Las Vegas, threatened to launch $100,000 trademark infringement lawsuits unless the proprietors of various internet sites gave up …

    ID 11 Sep 2007, 15:49

  • At the Toyshop of Doom

    Pictures DSEi - toys for the homicidal boy

    Today sees the opening of DSEi, the UK's biggest weapons and kill-tech trade show. The whole ExCel centre in the Docklands is full of exhibitors showing off their guns and gadgetry. The place is packed with generals and admirals looking to snap up the latest must-have piece of kit. You like guns? We have many. Also, portable …

    Science 11 Sep 2007, 16:12

  • VMware consumes Dunes

    VMworld Not a tool

    Buoyed by investor capital, VMware has struck out on the acquisition war path, taking Swiss virtualization company Dunes. We can't claim any familiarity with Dunes' wares. Public information, however, characterizes the Dunes software as an abstraction layer for managing virtual machines. Apparently such software falls under the …

    Servers 11 Sep 2007, 16:31

  • Dell's 'Veso' appliance runs on four-core Opterons and thin VMware

    VMworld Two minutes to ESX Server

    The mysterious Dell virtualization server appliance – code-named Veso – will ship at the end of November, leading the charge for systems with embedded hypervisors. VMware CEO Diane Greene and Dell CMO Mark Jarvis revealed technical details about Veso during a speech today at the VMworld conference. The Veso box will ship as a …

    Servers 11 Sep 2007, 17:23

  • General Dynamics offers rugged UMPC

    Laughs off nerve gas and even coffee

    After a slow start, the UMPC concept seems to be gaining momentum in recent months. The latest entrant to the field is US arms colossus General Dynamics, which launched its GoBook MR-1 rugged UMPC at the DSEi military tech fair today. The MR-1: is that all you've got? The MR-1 is properly ruggedised, passing the American MIL …

    PCs & Chips 11 Sep 2007, 17:36

  • Google-hating Aussie watchdog smacked by confused judge

    Sponsored-links attack 'incomprehensible'

    After accusing Google of misleading web users with its money-making sponsored links, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has been accused of saying things that don't make sense. The ACCC showed up in Australian federal court yesterday, two months after bringing legal action against Google, and Judge James …

    Music and Media 11 Sep 2007, 18:52

  • MS threatens to ship new hypervisor preview

    VMworld While it smooches Citrix

    Like the bloated engine that could, Microsoft today tried its best to garner some attention at the VMworld conference with a couple of newsish tid-bits. First off, Microsoft did the inevitable by confirming that its new hypervisor – code-named Viridian and formally named Windows Server virtualization – will ship in Community …

    Servers 11 Sep 2007, 18:54

  • South Korea chucks antitrust charges at Intel

    Joins worldwide crusade

    South Korean officials have issued antitrust charges against Intel, in a move that caps a two-year investigation and creates one more headache for lawyers at the world's biggest chip maker. The Korean Federal Trade Commission (KFTC) issued a so-called statement of objection against Intel, company spokesman Chuck Mulloy said. He …

    Law 11 Sep 2007, 19:16

  • Trojans besiege online gamers

    It's warcraft out there

    Online games have become a major target for fraud in recent years. A study from Kaspersky Labs, published today, dissects the techniques and targets used by hackers to make "easy money" by selling stolen login credentials of users or in-game items on the black market. Online games and fraud: using games as bait by Sergey …

    Malware 11 Sep 2007, 19:32

  • Sun Solaris upgrade snuggles with Linux

    Turns desktops into thin clients

    Sun Microsystems upgraded the Solaris 10 operating system today, most notably enabling its OS to run Linux and its applications on x86 systems. The company has also announced virtual desktop software that can transform desktops and laptops into thin client devices. With the Solaris 10 8/07 update, Sun accommodates for the …

    Operating Systems 11 Sep 2007, 20:29

  • Microsoft serves light fare on Patch Tuesday

    No critical patches for most Windows users

    Microsoft served comparatively modest fare for its monthly patch release on Tuesday, issuing only four security-related updates, only one of which carried its top severity rating of critical. It plugged a hole in a Windows 2000 component, while the other updates fixed vulnerabilities rated as important in instant messenger …

    Security 11 Sep 2007, 22:00

  • VMware's 'Calista Flockhart' hypervisor may or may not change the world

    VMworld Thin, bony and mean

    This piece on VMware's new ESX 3i hypervisor arrives with great sadness. How – we wonder – could our dear readers at VMware, IBM, HP, Dell, Sun Microsystems and others have kept this technology a secret? Why did we get little more than hints here and there? We can hear it now. "Play your violin somewhere else, hack. Type …

    Servers 11 Sep 2007, 22:38

  • BEA: meet the new platform - same as the old platform

    BEAWorld Looks like a duck

    Two years after encouraging us to "think liquid" and cooking up the "AquaLogic" brand, and 12 months after "SOA360" and the "microServices Architecture (mSA)", BEA Systems has a new vision, platform, buzzword: Genesis. Announced today, Genesis "converges" BEA's existing AquaLogic SOA products, for business process management …

    Developer 11 Sep 2007, 23:09

  • Adobe and BEA team on RIAs

    BEAWorld Java package

    BEA Systems is teaming up with Adobe to help developers build and serve up rich internet applications (RIA). The Java middleware provider will bundle Adobe's Flex Builder 2 with the BEA Workshop Studio programming environment, while Adobe will distribute evaluation licenses of BEA's WebLogic Server with the Adobe LifeCycle …

    Developer 11 Sep 2007, 23:40

  • Patent law passed in US, but Presidential veto could follow

    House of Reps. approve smaller fines in copyright spats

    A new US law which would reduce the damages to be paid out for patent infringement has been passed by one half of the US legislature. The proposed law was backed by large technology firms and banks but opposed by smaller tech companies and drug companies. The Patent Reform Act was passed by the House of Representatives on …

    Law 11 Sep 2007, 23:43

  • Apple restricts ringtone rights

    'You'll pay twice. And you'll like it'

    Yes, it seems unjust that Apple can charge you twice for an iPhone ringtone. But that's the way the fair-use cookie crumbles. As Apple supremo Steve Jobs announced last week, iTunes is now offering roughly a million ringtones for the iPhone - a $399 handheld that debuted little more than two months ago at $599 - and …

    Mobile 11 Sep 2007, 23:54