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13th September 2007 Archive

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  • Cisco and VMware buddy up for VFrame Data Center

    You want to put my hypervisor where?

    Cisco put some flesh onto its scrawny "Data Center 3.0" virtualization initiative at VMworld today, by announcing the union of its VFrame Data Center provisioning appliance with VMware's Virtual Infrastructure 3. Using VMware ESX Server capacity on demand, Cisco aims to give the provisioning of physical resources a kick in …

    Storage 13 Sep 2007, 00:11

  • Canonical and VMware team on mini-Ubuntu

    VMworld It's JeOSy

    Canonical has busted out yet another version of Ubuntu – this time taking aim at the much hyped and loved virtualization market. In the coming weeks, ISVs and OEMs will gain access to Ubuntu JeOS – pronounced Juice. The acronym stands for Just Enough Operating System, since the Ubuntu folks have ripped out a variety of general …

    Servers 13 Sep 2007, 00:13

  • eBay glitch sends packages to wrong addresses

    Promises fix soon

    eBay has acknowledged a bug on its site that's causing some sellers to send items to the wrong address. The flaw, which in certain cases causes eBay to transmit incorrect mailing instructions to sellers, is expected to be fixed soon, an eBay official said today. "This recent issue is limited to a very small number of eBay …

    Small Biz 13 Sep 2007, 00:27

  • Apple iPod Classic

    Review In a metal mood

    The iPod Classic marks the most widespread update Apple has ever made to the 'standard' hard drive-based iPod range. The name's been tweaked, the user interface given a radical overhaul, and while the new model may look like the previous version, it's actually quite different. Apple's iPod Classic: black metal The iPod …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 07:24

  • Nvidia fills out Quadro DirectX 10 line-up

    Entry-level and mid-range cards added

    Nvidia has expanded its line of workstation and business-oriented graphics products with a quartet of cards designed to fill out its low-end and mid-range product grid. Moving up the line, the Quadro FX 370 augments the existing FX 350 with DirectX 10 support and a pair of dual-link DVI ports in place of one DVI and one VGA …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 08:59

  • World's smallest economy dives into web scrum

    Tiny Pacific islands target TinyURL territory

    Imagine you're a dignitary from a tiny, isolated, rugby-obsessive Pacific island group. Wouldn't it be marvellous if the UK launch of your new internet economy could be scheduled during the Rugby World Cup in France? "It's a happy coincidence I think," said the publicist for Dot TK on Wednesday. The company aims to capitalise …

    Telecoms 13 Sep 2007, 09:13

  • Report backs mobile IT for police

    Could cut red tape

    Mobile data solutions and inter-force IT have a big part to play in cutting police red tape, says a major report. An interim report on the Independent Review of Policing in England and Wales, published on 12 September 2007, calls for police to be given more freedom from unnecessary bureaucracy and paperwork, and suggests …

    Government 13 Sep 2007, 09:22

  • EDS shows one in four staff the door

    Early retirement for 12,000 US staff

    EDS is offering a quarter of its US staff early retirement as it seeks to move more and more of its operations to cheaper territories. The outsourcing specialist is offering 12,000 people extra benefits if they take early retirement. Staff have until 30 October to accept or decline the offer. EDS shares fell just over two …

    Channel Register 13 Sep 2007, 09:24

  • IT overruns costing business €375m a year

    A quarter run 50% over budget

    Budget overruns on IT projects are costing Irish and UK businesses more than €375m(£256m) a year, new research has revealed. The study, conducted by research firm Loudhouse on behalf of software company CA, found that one-third of IT projects end up over budget each year, due to poor forecasting, project scope creep and a lack …

    IT Director 13 Sep 2007, 10:03

  • Belkin, SanDisk launch charity kit

    SanDisk and Belkin both want your money - but this time it's for good causes, justifying the bring purple and pink colours schemes. Both companies have launched products and pledged to donate a percentage of the price to charity. Sansdisk's purple Cruzer Micro and Ultra II SD SanDisk yesterday announced a 2GB Ultra II SD …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 10:05

  • L'Oreal sues eBay over counterfeit goods

    Says tat bazaar is not doing enough

    eBay is being sued across Europe by the world's biggest cosmetics firm for not trying hard enough to battle counterfeiting. L'Oreal is taking the action in five European countries, including the UK. The cosmetics giant claims that eBay is profiting from the sale of counterfeit goods and is not doing enough to combat fakes. eBay …

    Law 13 Sep 2007, 10:16

  • Fujitsu Services ends union dispute

    Responds to union's demands

    Fujitsu Services said yesterday that it has settled its long-running row with Manchester-based employees over redundancy rights, union recognition and better pay. According to Unite, the union that represents Fujitsu workers, its members voted 99.6 per cent on an 89.2 per cent turnout in favour of ending the dispute. This …

    Business 13 Sep 2007, 10:23

  • Religious hatred a crime from October, but exemptions are wide

    Closes one loophole but opens others

    The Racial and Religious Hatred Act comes into force in October, carrying a threat of prison terms for a person who tries to stir up religious hatred. However, its free speech exemptions are so wide that convictions could be difficult, a lawyer said. The new law creates an offence of using threatening words or behaviour to stir …

    Law 13 Sep 2007, 10:31

  • Virtualization standards becoming a reality

    Virtual reality, oh ho ho

    As the virtualization market continues to expand, concerns over incompatibility between virtual machines from VMware, XenSource and Microsoft are unsurprisingly growing with it. That's why several key players in the industry are collaborating to help stamp out yet another proprietary hydra, before it reaches an apex of …

    Software 13 Sep 2007, 10:37

  • Enraged bee bursts Taiwanese woman's breast implant

    Swarm in a B cup

    A Taiwanese woman was sporting a brand spanking new breast implant this week after her previous joy bag was punctured in a freak bee stinging incident. The apine dive bomber attacked the 31 year old last month as she was riding her motorcycle while wearing a low cut dress, Ananova reports. Despite the fact that saline implants …

    Bootnotes 13 Sep 2007, 10:42

  • Ofcom fails to prevent release of cell locations

    But operators might not play ball

    Ofcom has failed in its appeal against last September's ruling that information on cellphone base stations must be available to the public, in database form, though it remains to be seen if up-to-date information does become available. Last year the Information Commissioner ruled that in addition to the searchable map, …

    Networks 13 Sep 2007, 10:51

  • Shuttle debuts 'deluxe, glamorous' SFF PC

    Shuttle has brought Intel's G33 integrated chipset to its XPC line of barebone small form-factor PCs, this one using the company's "glamorous" G6 casing and due to hit the shelves with 'Deluxe' appended to its name. Shuttle's G6 'Glamour': ready for top-of-the-line Intel chippery Officially, the new machine is the XPC …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 10:52

  • Reference kilo shows mysterious weight loss

    First Lindsay, then Nicole, now the standard unit of mass

    French scientists have been offered a welcome distraction from their country’s dismal rugby performance with the news that the much-loved “reference” kilo is mysteriously losing weight. AP reports that the 118 year old “reference” kilo, which like many an inbred French aristo is kept locked up in a Chateau southwest of Paris, …

    Physics 13 Sep 2007, 10:55

  • Sony to roll out four Blu-ray recorders

    Strategy to cement the format's popularity

    The Sony Blu-ray Disc wagon shows no signs of slowing, with the company unveiling four forthcoming recorders based on the format. The top-of-the-range model incorporates a massive 500GB hard drive, enough for about 160 hours of HD content, while the whole range also provides 1080p 'full HD' resolution. Sony's BDZ-X90: all- …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 11:26

  • Motorola transmits dual Walkie Talkie range

    Come in Whisky, err, Vodka, Baileys, foxtrot, over

    Mobile phones just don't cut it in some situations, such as police stakeouts and mountaineering expeditions, owing to dodgy reception levels, connection times and number punching. So Motorola has unveiled two stylish walkie-talkies that offer a range of handy features for Alpha Bravo Charlies everywhere. Motorola's TLKR T3 …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 11:36

  • Morse snaps up consultancy firm

    Goes after financial services X factor with Xayce

    Morse has swallowed up Manchester-based consultancy firm Xayce plc for £3.6m in a majority cash deal. The professional services firm said it had paid £2.35m in cash and £1.25m in shares to secure the acquisition. An extra £2.5m consideration payable in shares has also been earmarked by Morse, depending on future company …

    Channel Register 13 Sep 2007, 11:40

  • Trojan planted on US Consulate website

    Russian roulette

    Webpages of the US Consulate General in St. Petersburg, Russia, were infected by malware earlier this week. The US consulate site was caught up in a much larger hack attack and is not thought to have been targeted as such. The infected pages have since been cleaned up, reports net security firm Sophos which monitored results …

    Security 13 Sep 2007, 11:43

  • If you think the IT industry is grey and colourless, wait until you get a load of this

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

    Some people complain that the IT industry can be a bit colourless and grey, but we can't agree. There's quite a bit of colour around. Let's start with Orange. Nice colour on the whole, unless you happen to be Jem Telecom, a Lancashire-based reseller specialising in BlackBerrys, which went into the red and administration, blaming …

    Channel Register 13 Sep 2007, 12:34

  • Apple invite brings UK hacks out in iPhone fever

    Not us, sob

    UK hacks have begun receiving invites to an Apple event scheduled to be held at the Mac maker's Regent Street, London store on 18 September. Headed "Mum is no longer the word", the email has already got journos forecasting the UK debut of the iPhone. Not that we've had one, of course. Apple's policy of not engaging with …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 12:36

  • Bebo fingers Yahoo! for display ads

    Hey! Kids! Buy! This!

    "Marketing is essentially about feeding poop back to the diners fast enough to make them think they're getting real food." - Generation X, Douglas Coupland Bebo, the most kiddie-centric of the leading social networks, has cut a deal with Yahoo! to match profiles with targeted display advertising. The deal covers Bebo's …

    Software 13 Sep 2007, 13:02

  • Led Zeppelin reunion opens with Communication Breakdown

    Website goes down like a...oh

    The clamour for tickets for Led Zeppelin's reunion gig at the O2 in London in November has overloaded the registration website, frustrating thousands. It's been down all morning and at time of writing we can't access the site. Organisers are appealing for patience and say fans have until midday on Monday to be in with a shot …

    Servers 13 Sep 2007, 13:12

  • Keeping a Hawk-Eye on those miserable Wii kids

    Column Technology is bad, m'kay

    The idea that Britain is the worst place in the developed world to be a child has been popping up in comment pieces ever since February this year, when The Children's Society announced its new website. This month for the first time, computer games were added to the list of demons tormenting British youth. Most technology- …

    Entertainment 13 Sep 2007, 13:15

  • US allows import of Qualcomm chips

    As long as they're in someone else's phone

    A US Court of Appeal has granted permission for phones incorporating Qualcomm chips to be imported into the US, but the chips themselves remain banned. The stay to the original ban, which included handsets containing Qualcomm chips, was granted on the basis that it was unfair to punish the manufacturers for Qualcomm's …

    Mobile 13 Sep 2007, 13:18

  • Wii becomes best-selling next-gen console

    Early forecast confirmed

    Welcome back to the top of the world games console totem pole, Nintendo - for next-gen machines at the very least. Sales data suggests that to date 9m Wiis have been bought, to 8.9m Xbox 360s and 3.7m PS3s. The figures comes from the Financial Times and echo the claim made last month by little known market watcher VG Chartz …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 13:25

  • Blind Judo master floors tobacco stealing skinhead

    Hairless, brainless and still ciggie-less

    A German skinhead got a far right going over this week when he tried to nick a pack of cigarettes from a blind man, who just happened be a world-class judo champion. Michael Esser had just bought the pack of tabs, according to Ananova, when the 17 year old yob shouted “Hand them over Stevie”, thought to be a reference to Stevie …

    Bootnotes 13 Sep 2007, 13:29

  • Surge protection for Powerline Ethernet products?

    Q&A

    I read that Powerline Ethernet adaptors can't be plugged into surge protectors. Is that true? If it doesn't work if it's connected to a surge protector then will there be damage done to these Powerline Ethernet adaptors if there's a surge?

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 13:34

  • PC superstore unhinged by Linux

    'Like buying a BMW and putting a Ford engine in it'

    For all you car aficionados out there, how's this for an operating system analogy from PC World? Installing Linux onto a laptop sold by the computer retail behemoth is like putting a Ford engine into a BMW, apparently. Earlier this week a mysterious PC World customer, known only by the name of Tikka, posted a story to …

    PCs & Chips 13 Sep 2007, 13:48

  • NZ surveillance target attempts to flog tracking kit

    Kiwi 'Keystone Cops' uncloaked

    A New Zealand man under covert electronic surveillance by police turned the tables on his snoopers by attempting to sell tracking kit he found in his car. Ralph Williams, of Cromwell in central Otago, discovered a pair of tracking devices hidden in his daughter's and flatmate's cars after both vehicles were seized by police …

    Security 13 Sep 2007, 14:15

  • You bought into mobile email - what have you got to show for it?

    Mobile Clinic Have mobiles increased productivity?

    Our mobile clinic returns today, this time looking to get some clarity on whether or not we really have become more efficient since the advent of the mobile phone, and if we have, by how much, and why. As before our panel of experts provide their opinion, something which you can do to via the comment forms at the bottom of the …

    Workshop 13 Sep 2007, 14:19

  • Online car tax saves planet from carbon hell

    One stamp at a time...

    Much desperate saving of the planet round at the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) where, we are told, "internet-savvy drivers" have been playing "a vital role in the battle against global warming." This band of heroes has saved sufficient CO2 to fill "81,000 double-decker buses." What this CO2 was doing in 81,000 double …

    Government 13 Sep 2007, 14:22

  • Cassini reveals two faces of Iapetus

    Weird black and white moon

    Cassini has sent back a mountain-load of work for its mission scientists, having shot literally hundreds of pictures of Saturn's moon Iapetus on its fly-by this weekend. The pictures show the stark contrast between the moon's two hemispheres. One is described as being as black as tar, the other as white as freshly fallen snow …

    Space 13 Sep 2007, 14:40

  • Wengé wood inspires Sony's autumn Vaios

    Sony has introduced a laptop with what it calls a "fabric-like natural finish" in place of the usual dull, flat plastic look reserved for nondescript notebooks. Sony's NR10: inspired by an obscure African timber With the true fashionista's flair for the florid, the consumer electronics giant gleefully described the Vaio …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 15:10

  • Sod robots, send people into space: report

    Manned missions will inspire the nation

    People must be at the heart of the UK's space exploration efforts, according to a report published today. The report's authors contradict the UK's long-held policy that robots are where it is at, both scientifically and financially, when it comes to touring the solar system. They argue that it is time for a new vision. "We …

    Space 13 Sep 2007, 15:19

  • RIM colours up BlackBerry Pearl

    Pick a colour, any colour

    Research in Motion (RIM) has introduced its BlackBerry 8100 handset - aka Pearl - in three additional colours and... er... that's about it. The move could either be a way to help Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) sufferers overcome the impending winter blues - or just a method of jazzing up an existing line without too much …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 15:19

  • MPs criticise e-health record progress

    Better planning and more consultation needed

    The Electronic Patient Record project needs better planning, more consultation and a new timetable, say MPs. A report from the Commons Health Select Committee on the e-patient record - a key project in the 10-year NHS national programme for IT - highlights a series of problems with the management, security and timescale of the …

    Government 13 Sep 2007, 15:36

  • Boffins develop Terminator-vision goggles

    Acid trips without the... er... acid

    If you've ever wondered what it's like to trip on acid or experiencing life through the eyes of the Terminator, then a team of Russian inventors may have the gadget for you. The team has created a pair of virtual reality goggles that enables users to experience the world from a completely different perspective. Matrix …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 15:40

  • Symantec launches new SMB partner programme

    Goes after lucrative, 'burgeoning market'

    Software firm Symantec has upped its bid to capture a chunk of the small to medium-sized business (SMB) market by announcing a new global partner programme. The California-based company said it hoped that its SMB Specialisation for Partners program would make it easier for small biz solution providers to take advantage of a …

    Channel Register 13 Sep 2007, 16:15

  • YouTube, Viacom bow to light-sabre wielding defender of online justice

    Jedi Knight saves the world

    The Register's favorite light-sabre-wielding school board candidate has stared down an army of YouTube-hating Viacom lawyers, defending the rights of internet users everywhere. Late last month, as reported by The Reg, Viacom put the screws to Star Wars-loving North Carolinian Christopher Knight for posting his own TV ad to …

    Music and Media 13 Sep 2007, 16:48

  • Navman queues up flagship satnav range

    Relatively little noise has been made by Navman since it was acquired by Mitac in February, but it appears the company hasn't been resting on its expanded assets. Today, it introduced a four-model flagship S series of satnavs. Navman's S90i: sports a simplified UI The S series, which builds upon the manufacturer's existing …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 18:02

  • Asus launches 'first' GPS laptop

    Asus has gone public on what it claims is the world's first mainstream laptop - a machine not intended for specialist use, in other words, with GPS technology on board. The U3S is a 13.3in widescreen machine based on Intel's Centrino Duo platform. It's got a piano black lid, a magnesium alloy chassis, stainless steel trim and …

    Reg Hardware 13 Sep 2007, 18:18

  • Cybersquatter storms the Bastille (Linux)

    Prompts rebrand

    Bastille Linux was forced to switch domain this week after a cybersquatter took control of the Bastille-Linux.org website. Downloads of Bastille Linux have always been offered through SourceForge, with Bastille-linux.org serving more as a store-front than as a primary download location. The change of ownership of the site came …

    Channel Register 13 Sep 2007, 19:13

  • IBM holds 128-thread 'Q7' variant of Power7

    Exclusive 2010 super booster?

    IBM has shelved a top-secret chip project meant to give the company a massively multi-threaded part that could have served as a major disrupter in the Unix world, The Register has learned. According to information obtained by El Reg, IBM's processor boffins have been exploring something known as Q7. This processor was a …

    Servers 13 Sep 2007, 19:24

  • Hypercard tool gets Linux leg up

    Runtime Revolution responds to Linux growth

    Runtime Revolution has released a beta version of its Hypercard-like cross-platform development tool with upgraded Linux support. Version 2.9 of the tool is the first version to offer full Linux support since version 2.6.1 was released in October 2005. Version 2.9 includes 200 enhancements, including a better graphical user …

    Developer 13 Sep 2007, 19:35

  • Artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince attacks internet

    Prince joins The Police to fight mouse pads

    In yet another battle for control of his name, image, and funkadelic music catalog, the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince has launched an attack on the internet. Teaming up with Web Sheriff, the firm currently known as "Europe's leading internet policing specialist," the Minnesota-born pop star has …

    Music and Media 13 Sep 2007, 20:48

  • Canadian police detain Nigerian in alleged 419 scam

    Ghana's greed

    A Nigerian national who had been living in Canada was taken into custody by Winnipeg police in connection with a West African email scam alleged to have bilked an 84-year old man of $30,000. Toluwalade Alonge Owolabi, 36, of Toronto, was charged with fraud in excess of $5,000, fraud of less than $5,000 and five other offenses …

    Crime 13 Sep 2007, 20:53

  • Azul smacks down Reg claims with $40m

    All funded up with somewhere to go

    In an apparent response to our story yesterday, Azul Systems today announced the completion of a $40m funding round. The Java server appliance start-up stressed that "top tier" investors participated in the funding, including Accel Partners, Austin Ventures, ComVentures, Credit Suisse, JVax Investment Group, Meritech Capital …

    Servers 13 Sep 2007, 23:16

  • Lawsuit claims sex-discrimination, bias at EMC

    Flag raised over strip club bonding

    A sex-discrimination lawsuit by two former female EMC employees alleges "locker-room" antics within the firm's sales team in Chicago, detailing company-paid visits to strip clubs, demeaning sexual remarks, and a general failing to hire and promote women. The charges, publicized yesterday by The Wall Street Journal, were filed …

    Channel Register 13 Sep 2007, 23:48