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28th September 2007 Archive

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  • Disney immobilizes Disney Mobile

    Family Center = Bambi's mum

    First it killed Bambi's mother. And now it's decided to kill a fourteen-month-old wireless service. Today, the Walt Disney Company said it will soon shut down Disney Mobile, the US-based wireless service it offers on bandwidth rented from Sprint Nextel. Unhappy with life as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), the company …

    Mobile 28 Sep 2007, 00:17

  • IBM helps Chicago keep an eye on its citizens

    Big Blue software to monitor thousands of surveillance cams

    Next time you're in Chicago, say cheese. Chances are good your likeness will be captured on a futuristic video surveillance system the city is rolling out with the help of IBM and several other tech companies. Today, officials from Chicago and IBM announced the initial phase of Operation Virtual Shield, which they're …

    Government 28 Sep 2007, 00:21

  • Jack Thompson might go down in gay porn shocker

    Anti-gaming crusader falls foul of Judge

    "This is the best thing to happen to me in a long, long time. Check my filings, sweetie." Gaming-crazed attorney Jack Thompson may be best known for suing 2 Live Crew and the makers of the Bully video game, but, as the good folks at GamePolitics noted yesterday, this tough-as-nails litigator still finds the time to cruise gay …

    Law 28 Sep 2007, 07:10

  • UK users spending more time online

    Nearly all browse for six hours a week

    Almost 90 per cent of home internet users in the UK now spend six hours or more online each week, according to new research. Analysis from Point Topic's most recent broadband consumer survey indicates that 86.6 per cent of residential internet users spend at least six hours online every week, up from 83 per cent at the end of …

    IT Director 28 Sep 2007, 09:07

  • That HP iPaq syncing feeling

    Q&A

    I don't know whether Register Hardware or its readers can help me. I'm having trouble synchronising my iPaq with my laptop. The error messages that come up are as follows... On my laptop is code 80070057 On my iPaq the code is 0x80070008

    Reg Hardware 28 Sep 2007, 09:17

  • My new laptop is sooo vvvveeeerrrryyyy sssslllloooowwww

    Q&A

    I bought a new brand Asus laptop. It takes me about an hour to actually sit and carry out any operation in the computer. Sometimes while surfing the internet, it freezes and it stays like that for about half an hour.

    Reg Hardware 28 Sep 2007, 09:20

  • Apple posts iPhone update, bricks unlocked handsets

    Minor update?

    Apple has posted the anticipated iPhone 1.1.1 update. The release, which adds support for the Wi-Fi connect iTunes Music Store, does indeed, as expected, returns unlocked handsets back to their AT&T-only status. And then some: even re-inserted AT&T SIMs appear not to be accepted by an updated iPhone, preventing users …

    Reg Hardware 28 Sep 2007, 09:51

  • O2 goes flat on data

    Unmetered access, capped at 200MB

    O2 is launching a flat-rate tariff on 1 October - sort of. Costing £7.50 a month, the bolt-on is being called unlimited, but in fact is capped at just 200MB. The launch was widely predicted, but the low cap comes as something of a surprise when the competition (3 UK) is offering a 1GB cap for £5 a month, though it is better …

    Mobile 28 Sep 2007, 09:53

  • NSA writes more potent malware than hacker

    Spooky project plots zero day defences

    A project aimed at developing defences against malware that attacks unpatched vulnerabilities involved tests on samples developed by the NSA. The ultra-secretive US spy agency supplied network testing firm Iometrix with eight worms as part of its plans to develop what it describes as the industry's first Zero-day Attack Test …

    Malware 28 Sep 2007, 09:57

  • So, what's the first rule of Reg Club?

    Is this your first night? You have to fight

    The regulars among you will have noticed that our cunning comments on stories plan has proved somewhat popular - at least as an arena for fanboy versus windows apologist slugfests, transcendental musings from amanfromMars and poor-quality quippery inevitably resulting in coat>door>taxi. Well, among the insanity there are from …

    Bootnotes 28 Sep 2007, 10:02

  • Gadget leads faithful to prayer, music fans to good tunes

    Device offers A2DP and Muslim prayer times

    Manufacturer Mavizen has created a pendant-style Bluetooth music pick-up with a very unique selling point: it also includes a Muslim prayer alert. Mavizen's BluQ: able to keep you entertained and tell you when it's time for prayers The BluQ hasn't yet gone into production, but Mavizen told Register Hardware that it will …

    Reg Hardware 28 Sep 2007, 10:18

  • iPod Shuffle keyring aids music fans, boozers

    Bring a bottle

    Music and alcohol are like peas in a pod. The Bevy, from manufacturer Mophie, fuses both by combining an iPod Shuffle keyring-style carry case with a bottle opener, ensuring that the tunes and the drinks are always flowing. Mophie's Bevy: Shuffle carry case-cum-bottle opener On the one hand, The Bevy's a protective plastic …

    Reg Hardware 28 Sep 2007, 10:27

  • Junta downs Burma's only ISP

    Silencing campaign escalates

    The desperate Burmese dictatorship has shut down public internet access in the country today in an attempt to cut off reports of the violent crackdown on democracy campaigners. Footage and eyewitness accounts have fuelled the international outcry and piled pressure on the regime to stand down. The UN has sent special envoy …

    Government 28 Sep 2007, 10:29

  • South Korea cracks down on draft-dodger advice sites

    Robots can't do it all, say generals

    The South Korean defence ministry has cracked down on web-assisted draft dodging, according to reports. The country's military depends heavily on conscript manpower, but service is unpopular and there are various loopholes through which young men can avoid it. According to an AFP report yesterday, South Korean defence officials …

    Government 28 Sep 2007, 10:39

  • Palm punts consumer-friendly Centro phone

    Cut down Treo

    Palm has, as expected, announced its Centro smartphone with US carrier Sprint, though the new-design handset won't go on sale until the middle of October. Palm's Centro: cut-down and consumer friendly The Centro - codenamed 'Gryphon' - is visually the same handset as the Treo 500v - aka 'Otto' - Palm launched over here …

    Reg Hardware 28 Sep 2007, 10:45

  • BOFH: You think you know a guy...

    Episode 33 But...he seemed so normal!

    "He seemed..." the PFY says, gazing out the window sadly. "...So normal." "I know," I respond. "But you never can tell what's going on in someone's head." "But he was such a good bloke!" "I know," I say again. "You think you know someone, then something like this happens..." "Something like what?" the Boss asks, entering …

    BOFH 28 Sep 2007, 11:02

  • Dell fires up physics-friendly gaming laptop

    Dell's latest gaming laptop has blasted off to the sound of the manufacturer's yells that the XPS M1730 is the first notebook with an integrated physics processing chip. The PPU in question is Ageia's PhysX 100M, a co-processor designed to handle complex maths that might otherwise slow down the host CPU. Working out the …

    Reg Hardware 28 Sep 2007, 11:30

  • Microsoft shouts 'Long Live XP'

    Extends XP sales as market snubs Vista

    Microsoft’s dream of a Vista only world moved farther out on the horizon yesterday as the software firm admitted it would extend sales of Windows XP by another five months. XP was supposed to be off the vendor’s price list by the end of January 2008. Now it will stick around until the end of the second quarter. The cut down …

    IT Director 28 Sep 2007, 11:33

  • Foundations laid for Galileo ground station

    Italian wine lake swapped for satellite nav

    Construction of the Italian ground control station for planned European sat nav constellation Galileo is underway, despite the controversy surrounding the project. The Italian station will be located in the central district of Fucino, and will work alongside a German facility to be built in Munich. Galileo has until lately …

    Space 28 Sep 2007, 11:34

  • VXers exploit Burma protest to punt Trojan

    Dalai Lama backdoor

    Miscreants are taking advantage of the international attention focused on protests in Burma to spread malware. Emails claiming to be a message of support for monks and other protesters in Burma from the Dalai Lama contain a malicious attachment that attempts to use software exploits to install malware onto victims' PCs. A …

    Security 28 Sep 2007, 12:25

  • US Coastguard 'cutters' could offer network vuln

    Admiral insists his backdoor can't be sniffed

    The US Coast Guard has stoutly denied that its new National Security Cutters, currently under development, will be leaky - leaky in a wireless-security sense, that is. The US Coast Guard, a seagoing paramilitary organisation with rescue and enforcement responsibilities, is comparable in size to many medium-sized world navies. …

    Government 28 Sep 2007, 12:27

  • Fundy dunderheads make monkey of monkey man

    Richard Dawkins is not amused

    Evolution's evangelist Richard Dawkins was left steaming after creationist filmmakers used interviews with him and other prominent atheists in a film promoting intelligent design. According to reports, Dawkins and the others were invited to appear in a documentary called Crossroads, which was to be a debate about creationism vs …

    Science 28 Sep 2007, 12:33

  • Mystery radio bursts from the depths of the universe

    Black holes collide?

    Astronomers searching the skies for pulsars instead found a mysterious burst of radio activity, nothing like anything any of them had seen before. According to Reuters, the researchers were trawling through a back catalogue of data from the Parkes telescope in Australia when they came across the signal. It was five milliseconds …

    Space 28 Sep 2007, 12:37

  • Microsoft winks as Facebook hangs head in security shame

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

    Selling out? It is, we said, like watching your dad try to dance at the prom. Yes, we're talking about the much hyped stories that Microsoft is thinking about taking a stake in Facebook. Rumours are that Redmond might take five per cent of Facebook for "roughly $300m to $500m". Standback as everyone tries to work out the value …

    Business 28 Sep 2007, 13:02

  • Apple iPod Nano third-generation

    Review Is video a feature too far...

    Earlier this month, Apple announced the newest embodiments of various iPod lines. The new iPod, the Classic, doesn't look substantially different from its predecessor. The new Nano, which supersedes the second generation product is - on the other hand - a complete revamp. What you'll notice straight away is its shape: it's a …

    Reg Hardware 28 Sep 2007, 13:10

  • Ted Baker Needle to sew up designer phone market?

    Carphone Warehouse has leaked pictures of an upcoming handset re-branded by UK designer Ted Baker. The phone appears to be HTC's Touch, but offered in a selection of mode-of-the-moment colours. HTC's Touch (left) and Ted Baker's phone: by any chance related? Dubbed the Ted Baker Needle, supplier Carphone Warehouse …

    Reg Hardware 28 Sep 2007, 13:59

  • Post-Bush US preparing stemcell brain drain

    Governator needs replacement flesh envelope

    Blighty is in danger of losing all its best stem cell boffins to America once George Bush departs from power, according to an official in charge of dishing out UK gov science cash. At the moment, top stem cell brainboxes flock to the sceptred isle so as to avoid the American president's chokeoff of federal boffinry greenbacks, …

    Biology 28 Sep 2007, 14:13

  • Dell trips up over laptop components

    Delays aplenty

    Dell customers hoping to bag an XPS M1710 laptop may find themselves twiddling their fingers for a very long time as they sit at home waiting for the doorbell to ring. The direct PC box shifter has been struggling to turn around its production line quickly enough to deliver a range of new laptops within a reasonable timeframe …

    Channel Register 28 Sep 2007, 14:26

  • 3Com finally sells out to China

    Could've been a contender

    Networking gear nearly man 3Com has agreed to a $2.2bn buyout by an investment outfit backed by its former Chinese manufacturing partner Huawei Technologies. The move, fronted by Bain Capital Partners, will take 3Com into private ownership and shareholders will bag a 44 per cent premium on the stocks' current $3.68 listing. …

    Data Networking 28 Sep 2007, 15:05

  • Orange and Apple still arguing iPhone details

    Deal not going so smoothie?

    Orange's exclusive deal to distribute the iPhone in France may not be as solid as claimed, with the handset strangely absent at the Apple Expo in Paris, and a French newspaper reporting that the revenue share details are still under discussion. The Challenges website reports (in French) that Orange's exclusive is far from a …

    Mobile 28 Sep 2007, 15:06

  • Mammoth wool gives up genetic secrets

    Are you taking a sample?

    A new technique has allowed researchers to extract genetic information from the hair shafts of ancient woolly mammoths. The team behind the breakthrough, based at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, says the method should also work on other well-preserved mammal specimens, the BBC reports. It is well known to all watchers …

    Biology 28 Sep 2007, 15:07

  • Kerching! Halo 3 rakes in 'record' takings

    Master chief beats up on Spider-man, Harry Potter

    Halo 3 achieved record US sales of $170m (£83.6m/€119.8) within its first 24 hours on sale, Microsoft claimed today, boasting the figure makes its game the "biggest entertainment launch in history", eclipsing records set by the Spider-man 3 and Harry Potter movies. Bill Gates, software sales assistant, Seattle The company …

    Reg Hardware 28 Sep 2007, 15:15

  • Oxygen pollution began earlier than we ever thought

    Climate change for the anaerobes

    Earth's atmosphere had oxygen in it 50-100m years earlier than anyone ever thought, according to new research from NASA. The scientists were studying kilometre long core samples from Western Australia, in a bid to understand conditions on our planet before the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere, known as the Great Oxidation Event …

    Science 28 Sep 2007, 15:23

  • SkypeIn goes out

    Users unobtainable

    SkypeIn users are complaining of calls not coming in, with callers getting an unobtainable tone. The scale of the problem, and how long it's going to persist, isn't know, but users are reporting calls not being connected with no explanation and little response to on-line fault reports. It seems the lessons of previous outages …

    VoIP 28 Sep 2007, 15:49

  • iRobot offers crawling Wi-Fi spy-n-chat housebot

    Now grandma can have a sticky-beak whenever she likes

    Robo-vac and wardroid manufacturer iRobot has debuted a brace of new products today, in a move keenly anticipated among bot-lovers. Sad to say, the robot butler or Heinlein-style* Hired Girl™ mechanical scullery maid has yet to appear. The most interesting of the new iRobot offerings is the ConnectR, which is a refinement on …

    Science 28 Sep 2007, 15:56

  • Editors' Farewell

    So long and thanks for all the phish

    Well, from the start of October, we hand over Reg Developer to Gavin Clarke, who's a Register employee (we were freelance) and works from California, where he sits at the development tools coalface and gets first crack at the news. Be kind to him. It's been fun; we have immense respect for the team writing we built up for Reg …

    Developer 28 Sep 2007, 17:30

  • HP releases new quad-core Intel servers

    Xeon zip

    HP has released new servers based on the new Quad-Core Intel Xeon 7300 processor series, targeted at customers running data-intensive business applications such as databases, business intelligence, ERP, and large mail and messaging platforms in virtualized environments. The rack-based HP ProLiant DL580 G5 is a four-processor …

    Servers 28 Sep 2007, 20:49

  • Former NetApp exec accused of embezzlement

    Johnny's tuition on company card

    A former executive at NetApp has been charged with wire fraud for allegedly embezzling more than $90,000 for personal expenses. Bernadette Escue, 41, the former global transportation manager at Sunnyvale-based Network Appliance is accused of pinching from the company coffers between 2001 and 2003. Escue allegedly ran up the …

    Channel Register 28 Sep 2007, 20:49

  • Data for 800,000 job applicants stolen

    Mind the Gap

    A laptop containing unencrypted personal information for 800,000 people who applied for jobs with clothing retailer Gap Inc. has been stolen. The computer contained social security numbers and other sensitive information belonging to residents of the US and Puerto Rico who applied online or by phone for jobs from July 2006 to …

    Enterprise Security 28 Sep 2007, 20:59

  • NEC and Sun team for US mid-market HPC services

    Very specific demographic gets power of two

    NEC and Sun Microsystems are buddying up to attack the high-performance computing market in the US. The two companies said they inked the deal targeting mid-range HPC customers by leveraging Sun's factory integration expertise with NEC's software prowess in areas such as computational fluid dynamics, structural mechanics and …

    Servers 28 Sep 2007, 22:34

  • Google to save mankind through DoubleClick deal

    More blogs, more ads, more freedom

    Google and Microsoft went toe-to-toe yesterday on Capitol Hill, jawing over Google's proposed $3.1bn merger with online ad firm DoubleClick. Speaking before a Senate subcommittee that handles antitrust issues, Microsoft said that the merger would hinder competition in the online ad market and endanger the privacy of people …

    Applications 28 Sep 2007, 22:43

  • Chip dandy Tilera grabs new CEO

    Coring ahead

    Extra fancy chip start-up Tilera has tapped a new CEO just a few weeks after emerging from semi-stealth mode. The company grabbed Omid Tahernia as CEO and President. Tahernia replaces Devesh Garg, who has returned to Bessemer Venture Partners to get his venture capitalist vibe going again. Tahernia arrives at Tilera from FPGA …

    PCs & Chips 28 Sep 2007, 22:54

  • VMware opens certification program to storage vendors

    Everyone into the shared pool

    VMware has expanded its hardware certification program to include virtual storage devices. The company said it will let storage hardware makers get the green light with VMware Infrastructure to expand their customers choice of vendors. So far, EMC, Hitachi Data Systems, HP, IBM and NetApp have signed on to be certified later …

    Virtualization 28 Sep 2007, 23:18