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7th November 2007 Archive

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  • Microsoft de-betas (part of) Windows Live

    We think

    Microsoft has officially announced "the next generation of Windows Live." Whatever that means. We think it means that Microsoft has removed the beta tag from a group of Redmond-built tools you may or may not be interested in using. This includes a suite of free applications you can install on your Windows PC, including …

    Applications 7 Nov 2007, 01:18

  • Thousands snared by malware warning from big-name websites

    Attack of the tainted banner ads

    Thousands of PC users have been duped into surrendering sensitive information and installing malicious software after falling victim to a complex scam that continues to plague well-known websites, a researcher warns. The scam is the latest to piggyback on banner ads that are fed to high-traffic destinations. Malicious code …

    Channel Register 7 Nov 2007, 01:21

  • Microsoft fires CIO for 'violation' of policy

    Hello highway

    Microsoft has fired its chief information officer (CIO) barely two years after he was appointed to the post. Stuart Scott was cut loose following an investigation into a "violation of company policies". Microsoft is not saying anything more on the matter. Scott joined Microsoft in July 2005, reporting to chief operating …

    IT Director 7 Nov 2007, 01:27

  • Aussies developing power-generating jacket

    It'll keep you warm too

    The nightmare of a dying mobile phone or iPod battery while miles from a power socket could soon become history. Australia's national science agency has received AUD4.4m (£2m/€2.8m/USD4m) to develop a jacket that powers electronic gadgets. CSIRO's jacket: clothing of the future? The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial …

    Reg Hardware 7 Nov 2007, 05:02

  • UK lags Europe on PC sales

    HP takes top UK spot from Dell

    The United Kingdom had one of the slowest growing PC markets in Europe in the three months ended 30 September. In total, Western Europe bought 13.8 million computers, up 17.7 per cent on last year and mainly driven by the consumer market and "back-to-school" purchases. UK PC sales grew 13.6 per cent to 2.9 million in the …

    Channel Register 7 Nov 2007, 07:02

  • Telecoms regulation encourages investment

    Who'd have thought it

    The presence of strong regulators in the telecoms market encourages investment, according to a report by the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA). The study found that annual investment in the Irish telecoms sector rose from $639m to $684m between 2003 and 2005, which the Association of Licenced Telecom …

    Telecoms 7 Nov 2007, 08:02

  • 3 expands payment options

    Credit card, Switch or Major Airline accepted

    3 UK customers looking for alternative ways of paying their bills are in luck, as the firm's website is now accepting Delta as a payment option: the airline rather than Visa's debit system. While the site only shows the Delta Airlines logo, we're confident that any major airline would be accepted to cover all but the most …

    Mobile 7 Nov 2007, 08:02

  • Which fanless graphics card?

    Q&A

    At present I have a 256MB Avanhard Radeon 9550, and my system restarts randomly if I use it for more than 6-7 hours, and if I play graphics intensive games like Half-life 2, that drops to 2-3 hours. I'm thinking about buying an Nvidia GeForce 7600-based card, specifically this one. So I'm wondering, do you think the restarts …

    Reg Hardware 7 Nov 2007, 08:13

  • i-mate SPL and TomTom GPS fix needed

    Q&A

    I have an i-mate SPL - reviewed by Reg Hardware here - that I have linked to a Holux slim 240 GPS receiver via Bluetooth and have TomTom 6 running. The problem is that the TomTom software doesn’t seem to see the GPS receiver. Any help fixing this would be appreciated.

    Reg Hardware 7 Nov 2007, 08:18

  • Ted Baker launches pret-a-porter HTC handset

    Another designer mobile

    Ted Baker’s Needle handset has been released by Carphone Warehouse, following the phone retailer’s leak of the first pictures in September. The Needle (right) and HTC Touch look almost identical Unfortunately, few of the handset’s detailed specifications are mentioned. However, Carphone Warehouse has at least confirmed that …

    Reg Hardware 7 Nov 2007, 08:29

  • Sony serves up PSP storage and game bundle pack

    4GB or 8GB with your backhand

    If you want a 4GB or 8GB Memory Stick Pro Duo for your PSP, then you’ll have to play ball. Or, more specifically, Smash Court Tennis 3. Sony's Memory Stick Pro Duo and game bundle pack The company’s European Recording Media and Energy Division has unveiled bundle packs containing either capacity card, which both have minimum …

    Reg Hardware 7 Nov 2007, 09:02

  • Fans beseige Shilpa Shetty's mobe

    Number emailed to world+dog

    Bollywood babe Shilpa Shetty has described herself as "extremely perturbed" after a Indian fan got hold of her mobile number and emailed it to all and sundry, with inevitable results. According to AP, the 32-year-old thespo "was swamped with hundreds of calls" and SMS messages following the leak. Her publicist Dale Bhagwagar …

    Mobile 7 Nov 2007, 09:41

  • Topless Liverpudlians confined to tropical fish stores

    Britain's absurdest laws wow the crowd

    A survey to determine which of Britain's laws merits the "most absurd" crown has named a ban on popping your clogs in the Houses of Parliament as worthy winner. Second up was the rarely-enforced legislation which makes sticking a stamp bearing Her Maj Liz II's head upside down on an envelope an act of treason, closely followed …

    Bootnotes 7 Nov 2007, 09:45

  • Carphone Warehouse to pitch Irish broadband

    Talking 'bout TalkTalk

    Carphone Warehouse is set to step into the Irish broadband market with the launch of three packages under its TalkTalk service. The mobile phone retailer expects to unveil its TalkTalk Broadband products before Christmas. "The plan is to have TalkTalk Broadband available by the end of the year and it will be available to both …

    Telecoms 7 Nov 2007, 10:00

  • Paris Hilton exits missionary position to save Universe

    Reader challenge result Administers Rwandan blow - job with Japanese babes

    Well, as you can see here, our big Paris Hilton headline competition provoked a bit of a stampede among Reg commentators keen to contribute their bit to the advancement of Vulture Central's award-winning non-IT-related coverage. For the record, the headline and intro you now see are a composite of the best on offer as chosen …

    Entertainment 7 Nov 2007, 10:02

  • Nine-second delay sinks unfair dismissal claim

    Electronic transfer delay blamed

    A case of unfair dismissal was not heard by an Employment Tribunal because the application was received nine seconds too late. The late submission was made by a law student charging £120 per hour. The case was dismissed by the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) and details of the then-student's …

    Law 7 Nov 2007, 10:06

  • Real F-15 joins massively multiplayer virtual war

    US jet aces join sim wingman in VR combat

    Aerospace behemoth Boeing has announced a possibly worrying new breakthrough in simulators, revealing yesterday that company boffins have linked real combat aircraft into virtual training wargames. According to Boeing, this is an "industry first". Apparently, a real F-15E Strike Eagle jet - one of America's most potent …

    Science 7 Nov 2007, 10:22

  • Sony quits 32nm chip production project

    Wants to focus on products not processes

    Sony is to leave the development of 32nm chip-making technology to its PlayStation 3 processor partners IBM and Toshiba, it said today. The move is the latest step in the Japanese giant's attempt to narrow the focus of its chip business. So while it's not going to working on ways to make 32nm chips, it will be designing …

    Reg Hardware 7 Nov 2007, 10:26

  • Astronomers spy fifth planet orbiting nearby star

    Largest extrasolar system to date

    Astronomers have spotted a fifth planet orbiting 55 Cancri, making the (relatively) nearby star the centre of the most populous extrasolar system to date, New Scientist reports. 55 Cancri lies 41 light years from Earth, and is "slightly cooler and dimmer than our own Sun". It was already known to boast four planets, three …

    Space 7 Nov 2007, 10:30

  • Striking writers target Desperate Housewives

    Eva Longoria hands pizza to starving pensmiths

    Striking writers who earlier this week forced The Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to air reruns, while reducing the presenters of Dancing With The Stars to traumatic improvisation, have upped the ante by descending on the LA set of Desperate Housewives. According to the BBC, Seinfeld luminary …

    Entertainment 7 Nov 2007, 10:49

  • Google petrol pumps debut next month

    The GLav can't be far off

    Google, the company that pits bot against bot in the lucrative eyeball-herding range wars of adland, has extended its reach yet further. Not content with hogging browsers and phones, the search colossus will soon appear on the humble petrol pump. According to AP, new pumps made by Gilbarco Veeder-Root are about to be deployed …

    Applications 7 Nov 2007, 10:55

  • Salesforce.com gone phishing

    Customer list laid bare

    Salesforce.com has been caught with its pants down after phishers persuaded an employee to hand over customer contact details. In a letter to customers yesterday the, er, customer relationship management (CRM) software vendor admitted that it had been hit by a number of dodgy phishing and malware attacks. Salesforce said that …

    Crime 7 Nov 2007, 11:05

  • Facebook mounts Tupperware-style ads push

    Braced for privacy backlash

    Facebook is bracing itself for a user backlash after it launched a bid to turn hype into profit, when it punted a trio of new advertiser features at New York marketeers overnight. The attack marks the first joined-up effort to make the cold, cold heart of web 2.0 start pumping cash. There are three prongs. First, companies …

    Applications 7 Nov 2007, 11:18

  • Bluetooth opts for Wi-Fi while waiting

    Still holding for UWB

    The Bluetooth special interest group (SIG) is prepared to embrace Wi-Fi as a high-speed connection option while it waits for Ultra Wide Band (UWB) to become available on phone handsets, according to presentations by SIG chair John Barr. Bluetooth has long been looking for a high-speed channel for transferring large files or …

    Data Networking 7 Nov 2007, 11:56

  • Garmin vs TomTom bid battle for Tele Atlas hots up

    Fighting for virtual territory

    In sat nav, as in other forms of consumer technology, content is king. Or at least navigation hardware providers Garmin and TomTom believe so - the bell rings today for round two of their fight to acquire map-data firm Tele Atlas. Garmin topped TomTom's initial offer last week, but now the Financial Times reports that the …

    Financial News 7 Nov 2007, 12:28

  • Do androids dream of an open OS?

    FCC welcomes, Nokia interested, Ericsson turns down

    As the reality of Google's Android mobile phone operating system starts to sink in, the industry is asking those not involved in the Open Handset Alliance why they decided to stay away. FCC chairman Kevin Martin threw his support behind Android yesterday, saying in a statement: "I continue to believe that more openness, at the …

    Mobile 7 Nov 2007, 12:31

  • Virgin Media stops the rot

    Punters coming back to cable

    Virgin Media has confirmed a turnaround in its fortunes today with news it has reversed the flow of customers away from it following its embarrassing public defeat over TV rights by Sky. For the three months to 30 September across broadband, TV and home phone, the group added 13,000 net new punters. In the previous quarter, …

    Telecoms 7 Nov 2007, 12:45

  • 'We can't lock them up forever' - top cops join terror debate

    Not exactly forever...

    Hearteningly, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has accepted that it shouldn't lock people up forever. Which is nice to know, but as a contribution to the current debate on the length of pre-trial detention for terror suspects, it perhaps leaves something to be desired, and skips over a little history. In …

    Government 7 Nov 2007, 12:47

  • Flying cow destroys minivan

    Bovine 200ft death plunge shocker

    A US couple had a lucky escape when a 600lb cow unexpectedly landed on the bonnet of their minivan, unsurprisingly causing "heavy damage". According to AP, Michigan-based Charles and Linda Everson were visiting the area around Lake Chelan, Washington, to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. On their way back to the hotel …

    Bootnotes 7 Nov 2007, 13:14

  • China denies 'space station in 2020' stories

    Will get one, won't say when

    The Chinese government has moved to damp speculation that it will establish a manned space station by 2020. The BBC and AFP report this morning that rocket designer Long Lehao (of the People's Republic space programme) told the China Daily of plans to orbit a "a small-scale 20-tonne workshop" by 2020. This was headlined "China …

    Space 7 Nov 2007, 13:18

  • Prince stomps on unofficial websites

    Gett Off my copyright, Sexy Mofo

    Prince Rogers Nelson has threatened to throw a sue ball at a number of unofficial websites that carry images, lyrics and album covers of the preened, pint-sized 1980s star. The artist formerly known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince formerly known as a wonky symbol has been stomping around making all kinds of legal noises …

    Law 7 Nov 2007, 14:06

  • Kirsty Wark's husband investigated over data theft allegation

    Strathclyde police examining email claims

    Strathclyde Police have confirmed they are investigating a complaint made against Alan Clements, the husband of TV presenter Kirsty Wark, for alleged data theft. The police said they have received a complaint and are investigating. Clements is in the midst of a court battle over his job. He wants to move from TV producers RDF …

    Law 7 Nov 2007, 14:07

  • Russians to get broadband by spy plane

    SpySky net

    Russian high-altitude spy planes may be given a new lease of life as platforms for telecoms services, if an audacious (and rather improbable) scheme ever gets off the ground. Myasishchev M-55 were initially designed to intercept spy balloons after the US U-2 program was shut down. After the end of the Cold War, a modified …

    Telecoms 7 Nov 2007, 14:10

  • Instant messaging without a PC

    Network connection not included

    If the thought of booting up your PC to send instant messages (IM) is too exhausting, how does the a dedicated IM handheld strike you? US-based Zipit Wireless has launched exactly that, and it’s called the Z2. Zipit's Z2: IM without a computer Although it measures about 95 x 76 x 23mm and looks like a shrunken laptop, the Z2 …

    Reg Hardware 7 Nov 2007, 15:10

  • Motorola readies Bluetooth headset for metalheads

    Poser alert

    If you can’t afford a Vertu phone, then hide your humdrum handset and create the poser’s allure by hooking a diamond-cut metal hands-free kit around your ear. Motorola’s created the MotoPure H12 Bluetooth headset, endorsed by - of all people – David Beckham. Motorol's MotoPure H12: Bluetooth connectivity Motorola said the …

    Reg Hardware 7 Nov 2007, 15:17

  • MIT sues architect for crap computing-dept campus

    Boffins sick of krazy-klown Picasso themepark

    Frank Gehry, a member of the artistic school perhaps best described as Architects Renowned for their Startling Edifices, is being sued by MIT. A $300m building he designed for the famous technical university is allegedly faulty. Gehry, feted among his fellow picture'n'model-mongers worldwide for eyecatching building designs …

    Science 7 Nov 2007, 15:25

  • Extend your phone's camera - with a telescope

    Focus on this

    Mobile phone cameras and digital zooms are becoming more powerful, but sometimes they just don’t cut it when trying to take pictures of, say, the girl next door. So, online retailer Brando has launched an attachable telescope for mobile phones to solve all your distance-viewing problems. No video? You'll need to download …

    Reg Hardware 7 Nov 2007, 15:50

  • iPhone auction fakes swindle the impatient

    Caveat emptor for unwary bidders

    Buyers unable to wait until Friday are looking to hundreds of eBay auctions to get their hands on Apple's latest Newton-a-like - but many of the auctions are fakes and scams, prompting eBay to tighten its restrictions on sales of the much-desired handset. O2 staff are already able to buy the phone at the Bath Street office, …

    Mobile 7 Nov 2007, 16:00

  • Lenovo lays out European plans

    All-out assault on EMEA in 2008

    Lenovo is continuing to blaze a trail across the PC market as it plans an expansion into the consumer market in Europe. The company is planning an all-out assault on the EMEA region in the coming year, with new products and a new focus on the consumer market set to take shape. In Europe, France will be the first country to …

    Channel Register 7 Nov 2007, 16:01

  • Microsoft calls in the builders for Dublin data centre

    Keeps staff costs low, automated, even

    Microsoft is shelling out $500m on a new European data centre in Ireland to support its growing online business. There will be tens of thousands of servers pumping out web-based apps to internet fanciers all over the world, the company says. But it only needs to hire between 15 and 20 staff to run the behemoth's first Windows …

    Servers 7 Nov 2007, 16:35

  • Finnish school gunman posted warning on YouTube

    Manifesto video left online

    A pupil at a Finnish high school reportedly posted a video manifesto onto YouTube before killing seven people and injuring several others this morning. The incident happened 50km north of Helsinki and the alleged gunman was a pupil at the school, the BBC reports. The 18-year-old alleged gunman was arrested following a siege at …

    Law 7 Nov 2007, 16:36

  • Does Dell scorn EMC with EqualLogic buy?

    Analysis With partnerships like this, who needs competition?

    On Monday, Dell said it will acquire iSCSI storage vendor EqualLogic for $1.4bn. That's no small chunk of change even for a company with Dell's deep pockets. And the price is even more significant when you consider Dell's historic aversions to meaty acquisitions. The purchase not only illustrates Dell's fevered blitz for …

    Storage 7 Nov 2007, 16:57

  • Bugs targets Linux devices

    Self assembly

    Open source is moving beyond the real worlds of business and consumer systems into the more experimental sphere of personal gadgetry. Start-up Bugs Labs has said it plans to base the software element of its forthcoming range of "plug-together" hardware modules on Linux with Java and OSGi used further up the software stack. …

    Rise of the Machines 7 Nov 2007, 17:35

  • Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail strike out Iran

    Exclusive Sanctions bite, but not at Gmail

    Yahoo! and Microsoft have removed Iran from the country lists of their webmail services as stronger US sanctions against the Islamic republic begin to bite. Google has kept Iran as an option on the Gmail registration page, however. The US administration stepped up economic pressure on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's eccentric …

    Telecoms 7 Nov 2007, 17:50

  • Microsoft spoils Christmas with Xbox 360 locking feature

    Another excuse for the kids to hire a hitman

    An upcoming Xbox 360 dashboard update in early December will add a "Family Timer" feature that lets parents set a limit on gaming time. Merry Christmas, Billy! You have exactly two hours to enjoy your present. Similar to the Windows Vista counterpart, the timer can restrict gaming on a per-day or per-week basis. When the …

    Reg Hardware 7 Nov 2007, 20:06

  • Red Hat has massive Linux fluidity moment

    Grabs hold of Amazon and appliances

    Red Hat has answered the virtualization bandwagon's call in a major way by ushering in a new era that could be described as "Linux on the move." A cavalcade of company officials held a press conference today to detail various plans for letting customers run the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) operating system in a more fluid …

    Servers 7 Nov 2007, 20:09

  • Bond buffs offered World's smallest spycam

    Copyright Q Division

    It may look like Nokia’s 7380 handset, but the CAM-700 is actually claimed to be the world’s smallest commercial spycam. The CAM-700: watch what you say The James Bond-esque gadget measures just 73 x 22 x 13mm and, online retailer CScout Japan claims, is small enough to fit into a packet of cigarettes - and still leave room …

    Reg Hardware 7 Nov 2007, 21:14

  • Microsoft hopes to patent 'automatic goodbye messages'

    But still wants patent reform

    Microsoft is trying to patent automatic goodbye messages, including "Have a great afternoon!" and "Ciao, Harry!" Last week, the Redmond software giant tossed an application at the US Patent Office that demands the exclusive rights to a tool that lets you "automatically send a goodbye message when ending a conversation" over IM …

    Mobile 7 Nov 2007, 21:29

  • Ballmer nails Founder to Windows mast

    'China', 'rampant piracy', etcetera, etcetera

    Founder Technology, China's second biggest PC maker, after Lenovo, is to pre-install Windows Vista on business lines and laptops. Previously, it put Windows only on consumer desktops as a matter of course - about 30 per cent of overall shipments. It looks like Microsoft will plough much of the OEM cash straight back into …

    Channel Register 7 Nov 2007, 21:36

  • Nosing around IBM's Power6 blade

    Six years coming

    IBM has teased with scant details of its long-awaited updates to AIX and its Power6-based blade server line — but today the specs have dribbled out of Big Blue at last. The first blade running on the dual core Power6 is named JS22 Express. Let's poke around: Form factor: A single-wide blade for BladeCenter S, BladeCenter H or …

    Servers 7 Nov 2007, 21:45

  • Babbling net software sparks international incident

    Updated Translation engine insults Dutch Consulate

    A word of advice: Never use an online translation engine to communicate with the Dutch Foreign Minister. Last weekend, a group of Israeli journalists used a translation engine in sending an email message to the Dutch Consulate in Tel Aviv. They wanted to discuss an upcoming visit to The Netherlands for a seminar on Dutch …

    Applications 7 Nov 2007, 22:47