6th November 2007 Archive

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QuickTime update fixes code-execution holes

Install it now

Once again, there's a new version of QuickTime media player, and if you know what's good for you, you'll install it soon, whether you use Windows or OS X. Apple issued QuickTime 7.3 on Monday to nix seven bugs that left users vulnerable to online miscreants. Six of the flaws made it possible for attackers to remotely run …

Security 6 Nov 2007, 00:15
Harold and Kumar go to Comcastle

Comment Save the Internet contests Laws of Physics

The coalition of the frustrated who comprise Save the Internet! have filed a multi-trillion dollar complaint with the FCC regarding Comcast's blatant exercise of, um, reasonable network management. The key fact seems to be this: if you live in a dream world of secret manipulative forces, evil wizards, fire-breathing dragons, …

Telecoms 6 Nov 2007, 00:18
RapidMind takes multi-threaded magic to x86 realm

It's ~~hip~~ profitable to be square

Start-up RapidMind has gone mainstream by supporting x86 chips from Intel and AMD with the latest release of its flagship product that makes it easier to get more performance out of multi-core CPUs. Come Dec., RapidMind will release Version 3.0 of the RapidMind Multi-core Development Platform - or RMMcDP for those keeping …

Servers 6 Nov 2007, 00:22
3Par does logical partitioning

Vulcan approved, 7824.7 to one

3Par is releasing new software today for dividing an InServ array into separate virtual devices. Instead of relying on physical and manual separation of storage resources, 3Par's new Virtual Domains software uses logical partitioning. The technology allows each domain to be dynamically resized, while keeping each section safely …

Storage 6 Nov 2007, 00:50
Police dismantle global child porn network

92 people from 19 countries arrested

Police have dismantled an international child pornography ring that used the internet to produce and distribute tailor-made videos to some 2,500 customers in 19 countries. In all, 92 arrests have been made and 23 victims aged 9 to 16 have been identified. The videos allegedly contained heinous content, including one in which a …

Crime 6 Nov 2007, 01:47
Google OpenSocial: after the hype, the holes

Google API too sociable by half

Open standards always cause security problems and Google's OpenSocial API introduced last week is no exception. Not only was an early application based on the standard hacked within minutes, it quickly became evident that OpenSocial is vulnerable and offers an open door to anyone who wants to put a little effort into pushing it …

Security 6 Nov 2007, 01:50
Microsoft hawks Home Server

Buy now. Get it sometime soon.

Microsoft wants you to know that you can now purchase a home server loaded with its very own Windows Home Server operating system. Today, several big-name web retailers unveiled a machine from Hewlett-Packard, which helped develop the new OS, and a second is on sale straight from pint-sized hardware manufacturer Velocity Micro …

PCs & Chips 6 Nov 2007, 01:57
Cray's Barcelona moment arrives with XT5 systems

Processors for all seasons

Cray has taken a supercomputer-sized step toward its goal of providing multiple processor types in a single system with the introduction of its new XT5 line. Customers will soon find Cray selling the XT5 MPP (massively parallel processor) system and the XT5h or hybrid system. The standard XT5 systems are built around 8-socket …

Servers 6 Nov 2007, 05:57
SiCortex does desktop supercomputer

Cluster Catapult

Supercomputing youngster SiCortex has done the inevitable by popping out a pint-sized version of its cluster in a container. The new SC072 - code-named "Catapult" - fits 72 processors into a deskside unit that starts at less than $15,000. The system is a no brainer for SiCortex since it provides a more a digestible option for …

Servers 6 Nov 2007, 06:03
Companies still clueless about their software spend

Boards missing software's hidden value

Businesses need to radically shake up their attitudes about how they value information technology assets, according to new research released yesterday. The Paris-based business school Insead, which carried out the study, said it found that far from understanding IT assets as a core business need, many firms instead wrote …

Small Biz 6 Nov 2007, 08:02
Googlewhack trick used to slip junk mail past spam filters

Spammers feel lucky

Advanced features in Google's search engine are being used by spammers to disguise the URLs of spamvertised sites. Hackers have been using Google search functions to hunt for vulnerabilities. Now their peers in the junk mail business are getting into the act, Symantec reports. Google supports a variety of advanced query words …

Spam 6 Nov 2007, 08:02
Government acts on Land Registry fears

Downloads reduced on fraudster fears

The government is stopping downloads of some documents from the Land Registry website following newspaper reports that the site was being exploited by fraudsters. The Mail on Sunday reported criminal gangs have stolen £12m by downloading documents from the site and using them to commit mortgage frauds. From midnight tonight …

Government 6 Nov 2007, 08:02
BBC tech chief: You Freetards don't matter

And no one gives a toss about DRM. So there

As the BBC's New Media technology chief, Ashley Highfield has some tough questions to answer. What is the 4,000 strong division really doing? How did the BBC manage to burn through £100m - what a Silicon Valley start-up can spend in ten years [*] - to develop a single piece of client software? As he went on a PR offensive last …

Music and Media 6 Nov 2007, 09:02
Kylie Minogue launches social networking site

KylieKonnect - for all your Oz songbird needs

Poptastic Oz songbird Kylie Minogue last week launched her own social networking site, kunningly kalled KylieKonnect. The initiative lets fans create their own profiles, chew the fat on essential Kylie-related topics and generally worship at the altar of the Down Under warbler. One piece of news which will doubtless have …

Entertainment 6 Nov 2007, 09:41
Seagoing Missile Defence tests this week

US cruiser to stand off attack from Hawaii

The US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) claims further success with test interceptions by its mobile land-based protective system, and plans a more complex trial of its seagoing component. At the end of last month, the Theatre High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system successfully shot down (pdf) a non-separating target described …

Science 6 Nov 2007, 09:47
Amazon Prime comes to Blighty

All your deliveries for £50

Amazon is going for your Christmas quids by extending its "Amazon Prime" service to the UK. For an annual one-off payment of £49 punters get "free" next day delivery to mainland UK addresses on their orders for a wide range of items. A similar service already runs in the US and Japan. There are no order minimums either - you …

Bootnotes 6 Nov 2007, 09:52
Hardcore Dalek builders plan galactic domination

Project Dalek - be afraid

The Doctor Who fans among you who fancy a bit of mass extermination and galactic domination are directed forthwith to Project Dalek - a rather splendid website offering everything you need to build your very own trundling pepper pot. And these "hardcore" Dalek builders don't muck about, either, as you can see from the photos …

Entertainment 6 Nov 2007, 10:02
Croydon unleashes cyberwar on barking dogs

Yelping mutts beware Web 0.2

The good burghers of Croydon will be able to sleep sounder in their beds in future, thanks to the local council's sensational online Report a Barking dog service: Yes, that's right - you can either enter the location of the yelping mutt, or click on the map to select the source of the canine noise pollution. You're then …

Public Sector 6 Nov 2007, 10:11
Northgate details election business manifesto

Cast your votes

Public sector services firm Northgate is eying up the election business, kit and caboodle. A senior executive told The Register this week that the firm is looking at becoming "the whole package" for electronic voting. Russell Osbourne, MD of land and property, said the company is exploring how it might expand its involvement …

Public Sector 6 Nov 2007, 10:16
UK iPhone customers to get fairer usage

But some usage is more fair than others

O2 has decided that iPhone users on its network won't be limited by their "fair usage" policy, and really will get "unlimited" access to the internet. But other customers signed up for "unlimited" contracts will have to wait and see if O2 decides all their usage is fair too. UK punters signing up for an iPhone, exclusively on …

Mobile 6 Nov 2007, 10:23
Ireland still good for foreign investment

Emerald Isle a golden opportunity for multinationals

A new report published by ICT Ireland* claims Ireland is still an attractive location for foreign direct investment. The study, which was released by the IBEC group on Monday, sets out why many major foreign investors believe Ireland is an attractive location in which to do business. The report, entitled Why Ireland should be …

Small Biz 6 Nov 2007, 10:33
Biostar unwraps AMD 770 chipset mobo

First MSI, then Asus, now Biostar has become the latest mobo maker to pre-announce one of AMD's upcoming RD790-based chipsets by stating it'll be used on a new motherboard. Today, Biostar emailed us about the TA770 A2+, based on AMD's as-yet-unannounced 770 chipset. The 770 connects to the processor across a 5200 million …

Reg Hardware 6 Nov 2007, 10:42
Biologist 'discovers' scentless giant peccary

Pecari maximus, or 'Caitetu Munde' to his mates

Dutch biologist Marc van Roosmalen has expanded the list of known peccary species to four following his "discovery" of the giant peccary, aka Pecari maximus, in the basin of the Rio Aripuanã in the south eastern Amazon. According to the Telegraph, van Roosmalen came across the world's largest peccary during "routine field …

Biology 6 Nov 2007, 10:51
Symantec gobbles up Vontu

Joins the DLP jamboree

Software security vendor Symantec is to snap up data loss prevention (DLP) firm Vontu for $350m in a combined cash and options deal. It's the latest in a number of recent acquisitions in the DLP market, with EMC and Websense already having dipped their toes into that sector as businesses increasingly look for ways of preventing …

Storage 6 Nov 2007, 10:58
American Radiohead fans are 73% more irrational - survey

And 99% of downloaders lie to pollsters?

Radiohead last month let punters "set the price" for the digital download of their new album It's Raining In Rainbows, which is coming out on CD shortly. Since people could download it for free - how much did they really pay? Estimates to date have relied on self-selecting opinion poll data. This one, ComScore reminds us, is …

Music and Media 6 Nov 2007, 11:05
RIM focuses on really small business

Five can now go BlackBerry picking

Research In Motion (RIM) has launched its BlackBerry Professional Software, for deployment in firms where between 5 and 30 people feel bereft if separated from their email. The package incorporates all the core features of RIM's Enterprise Server, but is designed to run on the same computer as the local email server rather …

Small Biz 6 Nov 2007, 11:20
UK anti-piracy group gets new flag waver

FAST Lovelock love-in

IP theft and corporate compliance organisation the Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) has installed John Lovelock as its new chief executive. Lovelock, who joined FAST in 2002 and previously held the position of director general, said he hoped to focus on "upholding" software asset management and compliance standards. …

Channel Register 6 Nov 2007, 11:29
'PlayStation-deprived' teen admits part in plot to pop parents

Allegedly offered dad's truck in payment

A teenager from St Mary’s County, Maryland last week admitted his part in a plot to hire a hitman to murder his mother and stepfather after the pair prevented him spending time with his PlayStation. Corey Ryder, 17, told the local juvenile court he had been involved in attempting to persuade a man he believed to be a contract …

Reg Hardware 6 Nov 2007, 11:32
China goes lunar

Brief Satellite arrives, all looking good

China's lunar probe has arrived in orbit around the moon after a twelve day journey. It slotted into place yesterday, after receiving orders to slow down some 200km from its destination. It will spend the next year scanning the surface and reporting back, with images and data, to mission control. The satellite, dubbed Chang'e …

Space 6 Nov 2007, 11:42
EU unveils air passenger 'risk profiling' plan

A terror-scoring machine just like George's...

The European Union is set to emulate the US by adopting the wholesale screening and profiling of air passengers. In a proposed Framework Decision being put forward today, the European Commission calls for the collection of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data for all flights into and out of the EU, together with a "risk assessment" …

Government 6 Nov 2007, 11:46
Brain gene map: a route to Alzheimer's cure?

All about the proteins

A new catalogue of genes, and the proteins they trigger in the brain, could help scientists develop new treatments for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's. The database has been created by researchers at UCL and the University of Miami, who have spent years mapping the expression of genes in the brain. Professor John …

Biology 6 Nov 2007, 11:54
Alibaba.com soars on magic carpet

IPOpen sesame

Faith in the promised Chinese internet boom went fanatical today, with speculators sending new shares in ecommerce portal Alibaba.com rocketing almost 200 per cent in its first day of trading. The stock on offer opened in Hong Kong at $1.74, and closed at $5.15, having debuted 257 times oversubscribed. That makes for a market …

Financial News 6 Nov 2007, 12:01
Leopard data loss glitch uncovered

Moved to tears

A blogger has uncovered what he claims is a "massive" bug in Apple's Mac OS X 10.5 Finder app that could result in the loss of data when folders are moved from a Mac to directly- or network-connected storage. According to Tom Karpik, the bug manifests itself when an attempt to move - rather than copy - a folder from the Mac is …

Operating Systems 6 Nov 2007, 12:08
Sony unveils third-gen 'portable' PS2

Less baggage

Sony has confirmed rumours of a PS2 redesign and said that the lighter, third-generation model will be released in Japan later this month. Sony's new PS2: in black, white or sliver The new model is almost exactly the same size as the current model - it's a mere 1mm shorter - but it weighs a lot less: 720g to the current …

Reg Hardware 6 Nov 2007, 12:23
Canon Ixus 860 IS compact camera

Review Another hit from Canon?

Behavioural scientists reckon that, within ten seconds of meeting someone for the first time, we’ve already decided whether we like them or not. Well, if the Canon Ixus 860 IS was a person, we would have liked them from the moment we first clapped eyes on them. It’s a handsome thing, with smooth curves, a two-tone silver and …

Reg Hardware 6 Nov 2007, 12:44
LG to take on iPhone with 'super 3G' tablet

Prada lookalike

With so many handsets already available, it’s inevitable that some will look a little similar. But, LG’s new KS20 handset looks like the recently separated twin of the manker's existing Prada handset. LG's KS20: 3.6Mb/s HSDPA and a 2.8in touchscreen Cunningly released just a few days before the iPhone goes on sale in the UK …

Reg Hardware 6 Nov 2007, 12:50
Macrovision update plugs zero-day DRM exploit

The one that got away

Macrovision has published a patch defending against a security vulnerability in its SafeDisc copy protection software that has become the target of a hacker attack. The Macrovision update comes 20 days after the security vulnerability was discussed in non-specific terms on Symantec's Security Response Weblog. The flaw, though …

Security 6 Nov 2007, 12:55
Japanese cook up cancer-busting synthicurry

Promising results from curcumin 'analogues'

Japanese scientists have cooked up two synthetic versions of curcumin - the component of turmeric reputed to bring beneficial effects to those who like a quick Ruby. As we previously reported, curcumin (the principal curcuminoid - a polyphenolic compound - in turmeric) may help to prevent the formation of tumours and combat …

Biology 6 Nov 2007, 13:22
TV Controller says goodbye, and hello

Signs off controversial blog, reveals who he is

A controversial blog supposedly written by a fictional TV controller is signing off, but the writer behind it has revealed who he is. The Secret Blog of a TV Controller (aged 33 and 3/4) launched in April and took pleasure in parodying the overblown management and marketing speak of TV execs. The blog was widely seen as an …

Entertainment 6 Nov 2007, 13:29
German law smites Warhammer fan flick

Damnatus damned to eternal darkness

German copyright law appears to have done for "one of the most ambitious fan films ever made" - a 110 minute spin-off of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 game, lovingly crafted by German fans and enticingly entitled Damnatus. According to the BBC, the epic cost more than €10k, took months to film, features 11 principal actors …

Law 6 Nov 2007, 13:38
US doesn't need orbital battlefleet - pundit

1900s style space-dreadnought arms race would be Bad

A heavyweight Washington thinktank has issued a report which says that it makes no sense for the USA to build an enormous, horribly beweaponed space battle fleet in the immediate future. Normally, one might say "duh, thanks for the tip", or similar, but in fact there are a fair number of people in and around the US capital who …

Science 6 Nov 2007, 13:44
Batten down hatches, analyst tells IT bosses

Two sets of books are better than one

Gartner has said business leaders should create two IT budgets for the coming year, as it warned of ongoing economic doom and gloom. The tech analyst firm reckoned that, given the fall out from the recent credit crunch that has continued to shake the financial world, it was important for firms to have a back-up plan in place …

IT Director 6 Nov 2007, 13:52
Freedom of speech 'safe' as Europe tackles the terror web

Crackdown on 'virtual training camps'

The EU has unveiled a further crack-down on 'Internet terrorism', intended to tackle what it claims is the increasing exploitation of the web by terrorists. It is being used, says the Commission, as a "virtual training camp", to spread propaganda and act as a recruitment tool, and to provide online manuals and bomb construction …

Government 6 Nov 2007, 13:57
IBM lines up blade, AIX updates

AIX 6, Power 6, Uh-ho, now I'm scared...

IBM will sprinkle more greenery around its big computing offerings this week as it launches long-awaited updates to AIX and its Power-based server line. The new OS and chip duo will be complemented by virtualisation software that will slot into the vendor's server consolidation – and by definition eco-conscious - pitch. Big …

Servers 6 Nov 2007, 14:01
Brown reveals road pricing, emissions plans

Queen: 'One will be charging to use one's Highways'

The UK will be the first country in the world to have legally binding emissions targets under the Climate Change Bill announced today in the Queen's Speech. The bill sets out plans to reduce carbon emissions in the UK by 60 per cent by 2050. It also has an interim target of at least 26 per cent by 2020, and will allow five- …

Government 6 Nov 2007, 14:08
Microsoft Search Server 2008 takes on Google Mini, promotes SharePoint

Have a taste, get hooked

Microsoft has announced Search Server 2008, a search engine based on SharePoint Server and SQL Server. There are two editions, a free Express version and a paid for variant (price not yet determined) which supports high availability and load balancing on a server farm. They will be released in the first half of 2008, and a …

Developer 6 Nov 2007, 14:09
BT and Virgin Media to report broadband slowdown

Analysis Investment or cuts? Whaddya reckon?

Newspaper and City knives are being sharpened for the UK's two biggest internet providers this week. Our major infrastructure owners, BT and Virgin Media, are set to release disappointing results at a watershed moment for broadband. Virgin will be put in the stocks first, on Wednesday. It's expected to reveal more customer …

Telecoms 6 Nov 2007, 14:15
Femtocells get a bit bigger

Operators sign up to promotional forum

The Femto Forum has managed to bag some network operators and infrastructure providers, adding 40 companies to its roster and looking a lot less like a club for femtocell manufacturers. The forum was launched back in July, but was almost entirely made up of those making femtocells who have something of a vested interest. The …

Networks 6 Nov 2007, 14:18
Apocalypse Postponed: Google's dog didn't bark

The view from the LiMo window

What a pity Andy Rubin's charming Welsh Terrier can't talk. But that makes "Alex" Rubin the perfect spokesperson for Google's phone software. In two videos on the new Open Handset Alliance site, the dog had as much information to impart as anyone else - which is to say, not very much at all. The other video features kids …

Mobile 6 Nov 2007, 14:23
Pentagon: Our new robot army will be controlled by malware

Open-source hax0r IP-deathware apocalypse imminent

A US defence department advisory board has warned of the danger that American war robots scheduled for delivery within a decade might be riddled with malicious code. The kill machines will use software largely written overseas, and it is feared that sinister forces might meddle with it in production, thus gaining control of the …

Enterprise Security 6 Nov 2007, 14:36
Writers' strike hits US talk shows hard

You mean they actually script that crap?

A strike by script writers demanding higher residuals has claimed its first two high-profile scalps: The Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno were both forced to air re-runs in the absence of coruscatingly witty, freshly topical pre-penned banter. Terrifyingly, Dancing With The Stars managed to …

Entertainment 6 Nov 2007, 14:41
P2P ID thief cops a plea

From LimeWire to behind the wire

A Seattle man has admitted using file-sharing programs to pinch personal information on 50 people in an ID theft scam. Gregory Kopiloff, 35, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, computer hacking and aggravated identity theft offences at a hearing before the US District Court in Seattle on Monday, UPI reports. As part of a plea …

Crime 6 Nov 2007, 14:51
Sony sees red over PSP

Sony has refreshed its PSP line-up for the Christmas rush. It's releasing the handheld console in a seasonal red shade and with two accompanying bundle packs. Sony's red PSP: available with a TV tuner Dubbed the Deep Red PSP, gamers will be offered the unit in either a Value Pack or a Seg Pack – so called because it includes …

Reg Hardware 6 Nov 2007, 15:15
iPhone to solve UK unemployment

Is there anything it can't do?

Not content with redefining the mobile phone and computer industries, the iPhone can now take credit for creating new jobs and saving the UK economy, apparently. The news comes from O2, which is recruiting more than 1,400 new bods to help punters understand just how radically cool their new phone is, once it's launched on …

Mobile 6 Nov 2007, 15:24
Nicked DVLA documents used to sell stolen cars

Don't buy white vans or Beemers in pub carparks

The UK's top-cop alliance, ACPO*, is warning that buyers of secondhand vehicles are being duped using genuine V5C ownership logbooks stolen from the government motor licencing authority. "It is believed that there are hundreds of stolen V5Cs currently in circulation," says a statement issued today by the ACPO Vehicle Crime …

Crime 6 Nov 2007, 15:27
Florida cops issue shock 'Butthash' warning

Fermented excrement, aka 'Jenkem', menaces schoolkids

Cops from Florida's Collier County have created a bit of a shitstorm stir by declaring that local high school kids are getting high on fermented "fecal matter and urine", known as "Jenkem", or "Butthash" According to The Smoking Gun, the memo itself - issued by Lieutenant Al Ganich - is real enough, and a shocking read it …

Bootnotes 6 Nov 2007, 15:30
Brown moots register for terrorists, DNA rights for MI5

Counter-terror Bill trailed...

Anti-terrorism proposals outlined by the Government today will include a sex-offenders style register for those convicted of terrorism offences, and will allow MI5 to access the UK's large and fast-growing DNA database. These measures come on top of the anticipated bid to increase the length of pre-charge questioning time for …

Government 6 Nov 2007, 16:19
BBC.com begins commercial push

Auntie pimped to foreigners

The BBC has already begun serving advertising to overseas visitors to its website, after its governing body agreed to the move last month. The rollout is being run by the Beeb's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide. It's starting with a gradual launch of European and North American campaigns ahead of a "full deployment" in January, a …

Music and Media 6 Nov 2007, 17:03
Firm claims fake spy rock plane drop prize

Smart minichutes also do 'passports, money, satphones'

A ten-person Arizona based start-up has claimed victory in the annual US Army precision airdrop competition, claiming to have hurled disguised spy sensors from a plane flying at 10,000 feet. The "five pound fake rocks" landed "within ten, seven and three metres" of their intended touchdown points more than two miles away. The …

Small Biz 6 Nov 2007, 17:17
Symbian licences up 56 per cent

Good revenues too...

As a private company, Symbian isn't obliged to hang out its financial washing, but nevertheless does so every quarter. Today Symbian reported revenue of $52.4m for the quarter ending 30 September, up from $41.3m six months ago, and $40.3m a year ago. Symbian said it was paid for 20.4 million licenses in the quarter, compared …

Wireless 6 Nov 2007, 17:36
ICANN tweaks root DNS server

Please update your machines. Or not

Attention IT mavens: It's time to update your DNS servers. Last week, ICANN setup a new IP address for one of the thirteen "root name servers" that oversee DNS queries across the net, and it plans on retiring the old address as soon as the late spring. It's a rare change to the internet's domain name system that will likely …

Telecoms 6 Nov 2007, 19:36
Swedes look to join online gambling party

Ruling party explores liberalized regime

The ruling Moderate Party at its annual conference last week voted to abolish the Swedish government-run monopoly in gambling, Poker News reports. Breaking up government monopolies in booze, gambling and pharmaceuticals is an established plank of the Moderate Party's platform, so the move is not overly surprising, but the vote …

Law 6 Nov 2007, 19:40
German court rules internet gambling ban an 'impossibility'

Real politik ruling opens door for Bwin

The the Administrative Court of Appeal in Hessen state today overturned a ruling by a lower court that had prohibited Austrian online gambling operator Bwin from providing gambling services over the internet to German customers. The ruling focused on what the court described as the practical impossibility of enforcing a ban on …

Law 6 Nov 2007, 19:46
Nope, it's not a Gphone

Opinion Memories of Java

Yesterday, Google's announcement of Android headlined the blogosphere, as much for what it was as for what it wasn't. For us, Google's announcement took us a few steps down memory lane, back to an era when software appliances were better known as turnkey systems. Thanks to Moore's Law, it is taken for granted today that the …

Software 6 Nov 2007, 19:50
Phoenix hijacks Windows boot with instant-on

Bios king introduces Hyperspace

If Phoenix Technologies gets its way, we may lose the precious time spent while Windows leisurely ambles from slumber at startup. Those countless minutes, perhaps, we didn't realize we counted on to: wash the dog, mow the lawn, check tire pressure, reject the idea that the most certain and primary reality is rational …

Virtualization 6 Nov 2007, 19:51
Mac OS X firewall blocks Skype and online gamers

You realise, of course, this means Warcraft

The list of problems with the firewall bundled with Mac OS X Leopard operating system is growing. Not only is Leopard's firewall deactivated upon installation it also trips up Skype and online gaming applications. Both German security news service Heise and security blogger Rich Mogull encountered the problem, the latest in a …

Operating Systems 6 Nov 2007, 20:08
Man wrongly detained for 50 days has ISP to thank

I am not that number, I am not a free man

Police in India wrongfully arrested and detained a Bangalore man for 50 days after internet service provider Airtel mis-identified him as the person who posted images on Orkut that insulted a revered historical figure. Lakshmana Kailash K., a 26-year-old techie, was arrested at his home on August 31 and transported to Pune, …

Telecoms 6 Nov 2007, 20:43
IBM fails to ship even the most meager four-core Opteron box

Exclusive Do you know the way to Barcelona?

When the four-core "Barcelona" version of Opteron launched in Sept., IBM shouted louder than any other Tier 1 server vendor about the chip's performance. It touted the 1.9GHz Opteron-based System x 3455 as a marvel, running the box through the SPEC CPU2006 suite. And now, just a few weeks later, IBM has flagged its benchmarks as …

Servers 6 Nov 2007, 22:45
Yahoo! Bows! To! Mum! Of! Jailed! Chinese! Journalist!

'We know we were wrong. But we didn't know it then'

As US lawmakers continue to probe Yahoo!'s role in the jailing of Chinese journalist Shi Tao, CEO Jerry Yang and chief counsel Michael Callahan have bowed to the journalist's mother. And we mean that literally. This morning, Yang and Callahan appeared before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, which is investigating …

Law 6 Nov 2007, 23:22
Supermicro punts 'world's densest blade'

X-Men's Wolverine may dispute claim

Supermicro has launched what it claims to be the "world's densest blade server," as part of its SuperBlade line. A vorpal sword is said to be very dense too Unverified, of course. Guinness doesn't do world records for server blades — but as consolation: the heaviest weight dangled from a swallowed sword is 20.1kg. So let's …

Servers 6 Nov 2007, 23:35