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22nd October 2007 Archive

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  • Finger-chopping jihadis derail MPs scanner system, claims MoS

    As opposed to cost, complexity, unfeasibility...

    Plans to use fingerprint scanners to control access to the House of Commons have been abandoned "over fears that terrorists could cut off an MP's finger to get inside," claims the Mail on Sunday, citing a recent episode of Spooks and "Commons security experts." The Register is however not entirely convinced that there were ever …

    Government 22 Oct 2007, 07:05

  • New tune for Microsoft software design?

    Stop milking same old cow

    Advice from Microsoft on designing useful and uncomplicated software? Now, there's a novel idea. Turns out, though, Microsoft Research principal researcher Bill Buxton - a trained musician with extensive experience outside of Microsoft who joined relatively recently - might be on to something, and Microsoft might be listening …

    Software 22 Oct 2007, 08:02

  • MDX: Why it will matter to application developers

    That's Multi-Dimensional eXpressions to you, guv

    Since when did application developers need to know about an analytical querying language like MDX? Since February 27th, next year. That’s when Microsoft will launch SQL Server 2008. Of course, you’ll still have breathing space because, as we are painfully aware, launching and actually delivering products are, in Microsoft’s …

    Developer 22 Oct 2007, 08:02

  • SanDisk launches Flash video player for TVs

    Online content source too

    SanDisk is taking the fight to the Apple TV and the iTunes Music Store, launching this past Friday a video playback device that's connected to a telly, and a onlince content source to feed it with US TV programming. SanDisk's Sansa TakeTV: remotely controlled... The gadget is the Sansa TakeTV, a Flash-based unit with a …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 08:45

  • Hampshire copper in bus flash outrage

    Boy in Blue unzipped

    We're very much obliged today to Hampshire's finest for demonstrating that when knocking up ads for the backs of buses you really need to consider just exactly where the exhaust will sit: Ahem. Mercifully, the vehicle in question boasts a rather modest pipe, although we're sure it isn't a true reflection of the average …

    Bootnotes 22 Oct 2007, 09:05

  • Delhi's deputy mayor killed by monkeys

    Wild animals do for SS Bajwa

    Delhi's deputy mayor SS Bajwa died yesterday as a result of "serious head injuries" after falling from his first-floor terrace while attempting to fight off a pack of wild monkeys, the BBC reports. The unfortunate incident on Saturday highlights Delhi's ongoing battle against the monkey hordes which "invade government complexes …

    Biology 22 Oct 2007, 09:10

  • Intel previews integrated DirectX 10 graphics core

    GMA X4500 promised to deliver 3x 3DMark06 performance

    Intel has unveiled the next version of its GMA integrated graphics engine family, a part it claimed will deliver three times the 3DMark06 performance of its predecessors, today's GMA 3100. Of course, the 3100 isn't Intel's top-performing integrated GPU - that award goes to the GMA X3500 that's built into the company's G35 …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 09:14

  • Skype mobile phone on its way?

    VoIP calls while you walk

    Skype and 3G network provider 3 are rumoured to be on the verge of releasing a mobile phone allowing users to make VoIP calls while you're out and about. A spokeswoman at 3 told the Sydney Morning Herald that it’s working with an unnamed internet communications company to develop a “product to make free internet calls …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 09:18

  • Safe drinking guidelines 'plucked out of the air'

    But stick to them anyway, alright?

    The UK government's guidelines on how much it is safe to drink are based on numbers "plucked out of the air" by a committee that met in 1987. According to The Times newspaper, the limits are not based on any science whatsoever, rather "a feeling that you had to say something" about what would be a safe drinking level. This is …

    Biology 22 Oct 2007, 09:22

  • L1NUX number plate roars onto eBay

    Well, ambles really

    The Linux users among you who've been putting aside all the lovely cash you've saved by not shelling out for the Satanic Software of Redmond™ might like to consider blowing it on the ultimate open source boy racer accessory: the one and only L1NUX number plate. It has to be said, the auction has hardly set eBay alight, with …

    Bootnotes 22 Oct 2007, 09:27

  • Identity and Passport Service announces ID supplier shortlist

    Eight make the cut

    Eight companies have got through the first stage of the Identity Card Scheme procurement process. Accenture, BAE Systems, CSC, EDS, Fujitsu, IBM, Steria and Thales have been given the go ahead to enter a competitive dialogue with the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) for places on the National Identity Scheme Strategic …

    Public Sector 22 Oct 2007, 09:38

  • Asus to offer Eee PCs pre-loaded with Windows

    MS readies pared-back Vista?

    Astounded that Asus' tiny Eee PC will ship with Linux, Microsoft has agreed to provide the Taiwanese vendor with a version of Windows Vista that can be pre-installed on the diminutive notebook, Asus has revealed. Asus has always stressed the Eee PC's compatibility with Windows, despite the machine's limited storage space - 2- …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 10:18

  • LG launches 'world's smallest' plasma TV

    32in model coming to UK next month

    LG will bring what it claims is the world's first 32in plasma HD TV to space-restricted living rooms in the UK next month after debuting the diminutive flat panel in Brazil this week. To date, the smallest plasma TVs available in the UK have been 37in models, but for many consumers keen to embrace the flat-panel revolution, …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 10:55

  • LaCie Golden Disk 500GB external hard drive

    Review Shiny shiny

    LaCie has been making a selling point out of designer external hard-drives for years, but as many of its rivals have adopted a similar strategy - those not slugging it out on price, that is - the French company been forced to up the ante with ever more outlandish products. For every stylish Porsche-designed Firewire unit or …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 11:02

  • Sheet music site forced offline

    Cease and desist for scores

    A Canadian website which offered versions of sheet music - mostly from long dead composers - has been forced to close after receiving a cease and desist letter from lawyers representing a German music publisher. The International Music Score Library Project was taken offline by its founder Feldmahler. In a posting on the site …

    Law 22 Oct 2007, 11:04

  • Mobile tech: Crystal ball gazing

    Reg Technology Panel Tell us what you want, what you really really want

    You, the readers, have told us on numerous occasions over the past few months how much you are into mobile technology and starting to use it seriously within the business. In the interests of keeping it grounded, so far we’ve focused mostly on the here and now. In our last mobile survey in the current series, we want to look a …

    Tech Panel 22 Oct 2007, 11:05

  • Toshiba to field HD DVD-equipped Xbox 360?

    Could even be integrated into an HD TV

    Toshiba may be gearing up release an own-brand Xbox 360 with a built-in HD DVD drive, a senior executive from the company has apparently claimed. The staffer allegedly told Australian mag Smarthouse last week that Microsoft and Toshiba are working together on an Xbox 360 with built in HD DVD drive. However, he also claimed …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 11:06

  • Northern ocean filling up with CO2

    Joining the south in carbon un-sinking

    A decade-long study of the oceans has shown they are soaking up less and less carbon dioxide. The oceans' ability to absorb the greenhouse gas halved between the mid 90s and the first five years of this century, scientists said. The team of researchers, based at the University of East Anglia, carried out the study using …

    Science 22 Oct 2007, 11:10

  • Science facing funding crisis, MPs warn

    VAT discounts could help

    Educational science centres are facing a funding crisis, a group of MPs has warned in a new report. The Science and Technology Select Committee (STSC) is calling on the government to intervene and provide centres with a short-term cash boost to keep them going. It also suggests that "steps are taken" to reduce the tax burden …

    Government 22 Oct 2007, 11:14

  • Samsung shows 1cm-thick 40in LCD TV

    Samsung has taken the wraps off a 1080p LCD TV that's a mere 1cm thick - and that includes the plastic surround. Samsung's 1cm-thick LCD TV: skinny The 40in display has a bezel that's just 1.5cm, down from the 3cm typical of today's similarly sized LCD TVs, Samsung said. Very flat panel The screen is backlit by LED, …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 11:34

  • ISP blows the whistle on router chip 'fault'

    Exclusive: Market-leading hardware doubted

    One of the UK's best-respected broadband providers has raised concerns about the reliability of the world's most popular ADSL chip. Zen Internet has uncovered a potential problem with the Texas Instruments AR7. The chip is at the heart of about a third of routers in use worldwide today - including Linksys and Netgear kit. …

    PCs & Chips 22 Oct 2007, 11:42

  • Dealer debuts campest MacBook Pro in the universe

    Gold Blend

    Money no object? Then how about a 24-carat gold-plated MacBook Pro for your next laptop computer? US Mac dealer Powermax has begun offering just that. The machine is Apple's 15.4in model with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, which would customarily set you back $2499 - less than half what Powermax is asking to disassemble it …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 11:51

  • Microsoft cuts Xbox 360 prices in Japan

    Microsoft has performed an about-face on an earlier statement that it had no plans to cut the Xbox’s price in Japan, and lowered the Core console’s cost to ¥27,800 (£120/€172/$244). It's also cut the standard model's cost from ¥39,795 to ¥34,800 (£150/€215/$306), with all new prices taking effect from 1 November. In July, a …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 12:40

  • BT battens down Home Hub backdoor

    Lockdown shuts out pwners

    BT has sealed a critical security hole in the Home Hub that offered hackers full control of the router, which is in about two million UK homes. The firm's latest update has kneecapped part of the router's firmware called Remote Assistance, which gives customer support staff admin rights to investigate problems. A BT …

    Data Networking 22 Oct 2007, 12:42

  • Orange UK's chief exec gets shuffled

    Has ex-CEO been tangoed?

    Bernard Ghillebaert, chief executive of Orange UK, is to step down from his post after a management shake-up by parent firm France Telecom. France Telecom announced today that Tom Alexander, a Brit from outside the group, will take over. Ghillebaert meanwhile will "be fulfilling a new group level role as executive vice …

    Mobile 22 Oct 2007, 13:47

  • Beeb confirms Davison-Tennant Who hook-up

    Moffat-penned sketch for Children in Need

    The BBC has confirmed that David Tennant's tenth Doctor Who will meet Peter Davison's fifth incarnation of the Time Lord for a Children in Need special on Friday, 16 November. Peter Davison (left) and David Tennant. Details are thin on the ground, apart from the fact the scene is called Time Crash, and was penned by Steven …

    Entertainment 22 Oct 2007, 14:06

  • Sensory jacket deals body blow to gamers

    Ow, stoppit

    Experiencing the sensations of being shot, stabbed or blown-up has never really appealed to us. However, one US company hopes it will to some, because it’s developed an interactive PC gaming jacket that delivers such sensory pleasures during gameplay. 3rd Space FPS Vest: have you got that stabbin' feelin'? The 3rd Space …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 14:11

  • Schoolkid chipping trial 'a success'

    A big brother for every pupil

    A school in Doncaster is piloting a monitoring system designed to keep tabs on pupils by tracking radio chips in their uniforms. According to the Doncaster Free Press, Hungerhill School is testing RFID tracking and data collection on 10 pupils within the school. It's been developed by local company Darnbro Ltd, which says it is …

    Law 22 Oct 2007, 14:15

  • Best powerline Ethernet products?

    Q&A

    I'm sick of Wi-Fi not reaching certain parts of my house, and I want to network devices that don't have wireless on board. So I'm going to roll out powerline Ethernet. But what's the best type? I mean, there's DS2's version - supported by Netgear and D-Link - and the HomePlug AV version - supported by Devolo (good write-ups …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 14:18

  • Siemens buddies up with SMEs

    All your comms in one bundle

    Siemens Communications is offering a bundle of communications applications for small and medium sized businesses. HiPath OpenOffice ME is for companies with between 20 and 150 staff. It includes presence awareness for routing calls to desk or mobile phones. Other features include conferencing, an Outlook plug-in, call journal …

    Small Biz 22 Oct 2007, 14:20

  • Cops and Home Office plot uber-CCTV network

    Tracking all of the people, all of the time

    You know in the movies or on the telly, where the sinister (Bourne) or perhaps heroic (Spooks) government agents are thinking about a problem somewhere? The person in charge often barks something like "Is there any CCTV?" Some kind of minion - perhaps dressed and coiffured like a tramp to indicate technical competence - …

    Law 22 Oct 2007, 14:26

  • Microsoft will not appeal EU monopoly fine

    Towel thrown in

    Microsoft has finally blinked in its three-year stare-out contest with the European Commission. Today the firm said it would not launch another appeal against the landmark €497m anti-trust fine slapped on it in 2004. The vanquished vendor will not attempt to overturn the European Court of First Instance's September verdict. …

    Channel Register 22 Oct 2007, 15:00

  • Cops pull plugs on TV-links, claim 'facilitation of infringement'

    Copyright or copy-ridiculous?

    Last week's arrest of a 26-year-old Cheltenham man, and the related closure of the TV-links website, has prompted a flurry of speculation that the very foundations of the internet (linking to stuff) might be under threat. Although this might be a worry too far, legal eagles at Pinsent Masons say that it could be an important …

    Crime 22 Oct 2007, 15:10

  • Audi drives into mobile phone production

    All-in-one car key and phone

    Audi will unveil a concept car-control-unit-cum-mobile-phone at the Tokyo Motor Show on Wednesday, the company has told Register Hardware. Audi's gizmo: make calls, unlock your motor The unnamed device is essentially a car control system and 3G mobile phone combined. An Audi spokesman said that it’s designed to operate the …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 15:14

  • Chiltern Railways completes mobile phone ticketing circle

    NFC, what's that for then?

    Passengers on Chiltern Railways will soon be able to buy their tickets through their mobile phone, as opposed to just storing them there as they already do. The latest development means that a passenger can buy the ticket, receive it as a message (displaying a bar code) onto their phone and then flash the handset at the …

    Mobile 22 Oct 2007, 15:30

  • SAS man makes phone-based publicity lunge

    McNab in booky attention grab

    Ex-SAS man and action author Andy McNab's latest book is going to be promoted with a short-code that responds with a link to the first chapter of the book, free to your mobile phone - but unlike previous promotions of this type the chapter is also available in spoken form. Giving away the chapter of a book for reading on …

    Mobile 22 Oct 2007, 15:36

  • Guardian launches Web 2.0 fix for Africa's problems

    15 million readers, one Ugandan village. That'll work...

    The newspaper editor described (by his own newspaper, at least) as being "at the forefront of the digital revolution" has launched a three year programme that will connect "the ideas, goodwill, resources and expert knowledge of 15 million readers around the world" and focus them on lifting an African village "out of the Middle …

    Public Sector 22 Oct 2007, 15:38

  • EU, US plan 'clear to fly' checks for visa waiver revamp

    US 'modernises' visa waivers, Frattini wants to join in

    The Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), which allows EU citizens visa-free entry to the United States, is to be 'modernised' into virtual oblivion, and replaced by far more invasive 'pre-authorisation' systems on both sides of the Atlantic. This is revealed in an exchange of letters between EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom (sic) & …

    Government 22 Oct 2007, 15:53

  • WiMAX? You mean 4G

    WiMAX gets welcomed into IMT-2000 specification

    The International Telecommunications Union has decided WiMAX should be included in its IMT-2000 protocol, a decision which could enable 4G licensees to deploy the technology into 2.5GHz when the frequency becomes available. Auctions for 2.5GHz are coming up in several European countries, including Norway in November, to be …

    Data Networking 22 Oct 2007, 15:58

  • Nanotubes offer self-mending aircraft wings, golf clubs

    Teeny pipes. Is there anything they can't do?

    Aerospace boffins in America have come up with yet another use for carbon nanotubes - to build a self-healing layer into composite structures such as aircraft wings. Structural components made out of polymer composites are just great, as everyone knows. They can be lighter and tougher than metal alloys, allowing aircraft - or …

    Physics 22 Oct 2007, 16:08

  • Virgin Media pins hopes on the broadband donkey

    No-brainer

    Virgin Media went on a PR offensive this weekend. Now that the global credit crunch has put the kibosh on a lusted-after sellout to private equity, boss Neil Berkett was deployed to tell several newspapers about his plan to steady the listing cable firm. Kiwi Berkett has been installed at the top of the firm as successor to …

    Telecoms 22 Oct 2007, 16:19

  • Citrix kicks off XenSource era by going bandwagon mad

    Virtualization, compliance, green IT and VoIP. What's left?

    Citrix will try to impress customers with a healthy dose of the new and old at its iForum conference taking place this week in Las Vegas. Predictably, the new bits stem from Citrix's plans with the freshly acquired XenSource software, while most of the "old" bits concern additions to the venerable Presentation Server. The first …

    Virtualization 22 Oct 2007, 16:58

  • HP buys Arab channel biz

    Oil, gas, SAP

    HP is buying the Atos Origin Middle East Group (AOME), to pump up its consulting business in the Arab world. Terms are undisclosed. AOME dubs itself the "leading Business Consulting and Systems Integration Partner in the region", covering 16 countries in five countries. The business is headquartered in Bahrain and has offices in …

    Channel Register 22 Oct 2007, 17:39

  • EU stretches Google-DoubleClick inquiry

    The wait continues

    The European Commission has decided to drag out its investigation of Google's proposed DoubleClick purchase. Today, according to Reuters, the EU regulator extended the inquiry's deadline from October 26 all the way to November 13. So it's time to edit your calendars. Google agreed to purchase the online ad firm in April for $3 …

    Law 22 Oct 2007, 17:41

  • Don't unit test GUIs

    Part I A different viewpoint

    It can be dangerous to make sweeping "Don't" statements. In Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture, agile guru Martin Fowler coined his now-infamous first law of distributed object design: Don't distribute your objects. This is good advice to an extent but is also an overly simplistic viewpoint. The reader is left to …

    Developer 22 Oct 2007, 18:20

  • Dell PCs added to Staples diet

    Retail presence fastened

    Dell is hammering yet another nail into the coffin of its original direct-only business model — or to be trite, Stapling it in. The world's second largest PC vendor said today it is adding another retailer to the picture by flogging products at 1,400 US Staples stores. The launch, pencilled for November 11, starts with a …

    Channel Register 22 Oct 2007, 18:49

  • AT&T embraces let's-sue-Vonage fad

    'Sprint and Verizon got nothin' on us'

    Yet another big-name telco has sued Vonage for patent infringement. This time, it's AT&T putting the screws to the plucky voice over IP provider. The erstwhile Ma Bell filed suit last week in a Wisconsin-based federal court, insisting that Vonage is violating its patent for a "wide-area packet telephony system." The new suit …

    VoIP 22 Oct 2007, 20:44

  • Manhunt 2 leaked by Sony Europe employee

    Eye-gouging warez edition an inside job

    A Sony Entertainment Europe employee has been fingered for the warez leak of Manhunt 2. The as-yet-unreleased ultra-gorey game is the source of the latest fracas over violence in video games — a media cycle which more often than not transforms otherwise unmemorable titles into best sellers under the sheer weight of public …

    Reg Hardware 22 Oct 2007, 21:11