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9th November 2007 Archive

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  • Seagate sells R&D group to Xiotech

    Swap meet for Compaq and DEC exes

    Seagate is selling its Advanced Storage Architecture (ASA) research and development group to SAN vendor Xiotech in a rather secretive deal. According to Xiotech, they bought "certain assets" of the business and acquired a license to the associated technology. No details are being offered about what exactly that technology …

    Storage 9 Nov 2007, 01:00

  • HP goes octal with workstations

    Packing Xeon heat

    In the bad old days, you had to plod along with a workstation running on a creaky 400MHz chip. Now companies like HP are cramming up to 8 cores worth of speedy Xeons into a single desktop. In mid-December, HP should start shipping the xw6600 and HP xw8600. Both systems will run on Intel's upcoming line of 45nm dual-core and …

    Channel Register 9 Nov 2007, 01:08

  • Microsoft invades 'city of friendly people'

    $500m data center adds to good cheer

    No desperate city is safe from the data center builders employed by Microsoft and Google. Microsoft has announced plans for another $500m server and storage farm - this time in the Chicago suburb Northlake, the "city of friendly people." The US data center complements a $500m plant going up in Dublin and others already in place …

    Servers 9 Nov 2007, 01:14

  • Prosecutor concludes opening in Reiser trial

    'Single reason explains it all, and that's that this man killed her'

    The prosecutor in the Hans Reiser murder trial wrapped up more than two days of opening arguments Thursday by telling jurors a mound of evidence shows the well-known Linux developer killed his wife. "One single reason explains it all, and that's that this man killed her," said Alameda County district attorney Paul Hora as he …

    Crime 9 Nov 2007, 01:24

  • Fat or thin: an insider's view on Java's destiny

    QCon Evolution, not revolution

    I was fortunate to be a member of this week's QCon panel billed as the event where "influential leaders of the software development community" would debate Java's future. I see Java's evolution more in terms of the overall platform, not just the language. The platform improvements that I look forward to most include …

    Software 9 Nov 2007, 02:10

  • 16,000 namesakes cry foul over US terror watch list

    TSA dedupers are slower than a slow thing in slow town

    You may put 'em on the list — you may put 'em on the list; And they'll none of 'em be missed — they'll none of 'em be missed! - The Mikado In the last eight months, more than 16,000 US travelers have complained that the FBI's "terrorist watch" list has mistakenly delayed their travel plans. In February, the Transportation …

    Government 9 Nov 2007, 03:16

  • 15 years ago: the first mass-produced GSM phone

    Forgotten Tech Happy Birthday, Nokia 1011 (almost)

    Fifteen years ago tomorrow, ladies and gentlemen, Nokia launched the world's first commercially available GSM digital phone, the Nokia 1011, the model number coming from the launch date: 10 November 1992. Nokia's 1011: GSM first The 475g 1011 was rather heavier than today's slimline models. A lot of the weight came from the …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 08:02

  • BT Vision misses customer targets (by a shedload)

    We call shenanigans on IPTV numbers

    BT Vision, our national telco's IPTV service, which launched at the end of 2006, will miss its targets by tens of thousands of customers. In its third quarter financial results announcement yesterday, BT said the 60,000 punters it had attracted by the end of October to the service BT Vision was "in line with expectations". …

    Telecoms 9 Nov 2007, 08:02

  • Trading Standards comes a calling on Cardiff's software sellers

    Pulls a FAST one

    Trading Standards and the Federation Against Software Theft teamed up for the first time today to start cold calling on software resellers in Cardiff to check their stock. Trading Standards will use its powers under the Trademark Act to check if software offered for sale is legit. The Federation will be doing its bit by …

    Channel Register 9 Nov 2007, 08:02

  • Government postpones company law reforms

    But some parts may still arrive October 2008

    The date when significant parts of the Companies Act come into force has been put back a year. It will now be 1 October 2009 instead of 1 October 2008, according to the UK Government. Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Competitiveness, made a written statement to Parliament today detailing changes to the Companies Act …

    Small Biz 9 Nov 2007, 08:49

  • Dublin designer branches out with 'tree' PC

    Cultivates award

    An innovative tree-shaped PC that allows users to upgrade parts of the computer separately when required, has won a major design award. Laura Caulwell (22), a graduate of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) took home the Dyson Ireland Student Design Award on Wednesday for her invention entitled "Cultivate - the …

    IT Director 9 Nov 2007, 08:50

  • Resellers get shirty over FixITlocal

    'This is a local job for local dealers'

    FixITlocal received a mixed reception at the Professional Computing Association's (PCA) annual conference, with IT channel resellers questioning how they could sell the new service to customers. The firm, created by BT reseller DMSL, is the latest in a long line of companies taking on the tricky computer repair business. It …

    Channel Register 9 Nov 2007, 09:02

  • Tech spending fears hit Qualcomm shares

    Profits up but shares fall

    Qualcomm made revenues of $2.31bn in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, ended 30 September, 15 per cent more than the same three months of last year. Net income was $1.13bn, a leap of 84 per cent on last year. For the fiscal year 2007, Qualcomm made revenues of $8.87bn, up 18 per cent, and net income was up 34 per cent to $3. …

    Financial News 9 Nov 2007, 09:58

  • Living brain in powerful robot body tech goes live

    For moths

    In a development offering hope to slain hero cops everywhere, Arizona boffins have wired up sensors to a living brain, then connected the hookups to a machine body hugely more powerful than the brain's own. The moth in its enhanced machine body. We're not quite talking Robocop yet, however. Rather than using a brain from …

    Science 9 Nov 2007, 10:01

  • The Government wants to copyright my thoughts!

    Hive Mind Healthwatch No.1 All that is solid melts into air

    "They're coming to take me away - ha haa!" - Napoleon XIV The Patient Robert Soave writing in The Michigan, the student paper at the University of Michigan. Clinical Symptoms "The idea that information can be owned is quite terrifying," trembles Soave. Once something is digitally encoded, all rights vanish, according the …

    Music and Media 9 Nov 2007, 10:02

  • Chinese boffins in copper nanotubes acronym outrage

    What a bunch of...

    We're awarding today a much-coveted Vulture Vulgar Acronym trophy (VULVA) to China's Dachi Yang, Guowen Meng, Shuyuan Zhang, Yufeng Hao, Xiaohong An, Qing Wei, Min Yeab, and Lide Zhanga for a truly breathtaking contribution to the genre in their snappily-titled Electrochemical synthesis of metal and semimetal nanotube–nanowire …

    Science 9 Nov 2007, 10:16

  • Sony CEO: format war in 'stalemate'

    We were winning until Paramount got off the fence...

    The two next-gen optical disc formats - Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD - are running neck and neck, Sony CEO Howard Stringer has conceded. And he admitted yesterday that Paramount's move to favour HD DVD has hindered Blu-ray's pitch. "We were trying to win on the merits, which we were doing for a while, until Paramount changed sides …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 10:21

  • Blank media levy breaches should be criminal, say authors

    Report tries to stop EU scrapping levy

    Breaches of the European copyright levy system on blank media should be criminalised, a report by an authors' group says. The report is an attempt to convince the European Commission not to scrap the levy. The levy is a small additional charge on blank CDs, MP3 players and other media which is used to compensate artists for the …

    Law 9 Nov 2007, 10:30

  • Queues start a day ahead of UK iPhone arrival

    Two for a pand...show us ya money

    Despite utterly miserable conditions last night in London, die-hard umbrella-armed iPhone aficionados began lining up outside Apple's flagship store on Regent Street yesterday morning. Graham Gilbert, a 22-year-old computing student, braved the rain and bagged the honour of being the first in the UK iPhone queue. Graham …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 10:40

  • Nvidia doubles profits as sales exceed $1bn

    Outpacing arch-rival

    Nvidia last night reported record revenues - for the first time it passed the $1bn mark - when it announced its third-quarter financials. The graphics chip maker's profits were up more than double what they were in the year-ago quarter. The three months to 28 October 2007 - Q3 FY2008 - yielded the company a net income of $235. …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 11:00

  • O2 relaunches XDA Orbit smartphone

    Orbit 2 faster, adds 'super 3G'

    O2 has announced the XDA Orbit 2 PDA phone, a year after it launched the original handset. O2's XDA Orbit 2: upgraded with Windows Mobile 6 The O2 XDA Orbit 2 runs Windows Mobile 6 Professional, instead of version 5, while the phone’s 200MHz Texas Instruments OMAP 850 processor has been replaced with a 400MHz Qualcomm …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 11:23

  • BitTorrent site Demonoid.com downed by Canadian record industry

    'Your move freeloaders, eh?'

    Popular BitTorrent site Demonoid.com has been taken offline after legal threats to its webhost by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). A message on the Demonoid front page reads: "The CRIA threatened the company renting the servers to us, and because of this it is not possible to keep the site online. Sorry for …

    Law 9 Nov 2007, 11:36

  • Six-month hangover for 60-pint Scotsman

    Ow ow owww my head

    A 30-year-old Glaswegian has suffered what may go down in history as the greatest hangover west of the Mississippi - a six-month headache induced by sinking 60 pints over four days. According to The Lancet, the unnamed man presented himself in a Glasgow A&E last October complaining of "wavy" vision and a relentless headache he …

    Biology 9 Nov 2007, 11:40

  • Apple hit with another class action

    iTunes gains another enemy

    Apple is facing another class action suit, this one from a man in Florida who alleges Apple is trying to create a monopoly in digital music by illegally tying iPods to its iTunes music service. The case is brought on behalf of all Florida residents who have bought an iPod or music from iTunes. The case will now be heard by a …

    Financial News 9 Nov 2007, 11:41

  • Asus to launch desktop Eee PC next year

    Laptop replacement?

    Asustek is developing a desktop version of its ultra-compact Linux-based laptop, the Eee PC, the company's marketing chief has said. It wants to get the mini machine into shops sometime next year. Jonathan Tseng, Asus' President of Marketing, told Taiwanese site Digitimes that the desktop will not incorporate a display. So …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 11:42

  • Bacteria to blame for global warming?

    Nifty little hoax doing the rounds

    Researchers from the University of Arizona's Department of Climatology, and the Department of Atmospheric Physics at Gothenburg University have published research they believe will overturn the consensus view that man's activities are causing global warming. They also make some rather astonishing claims that they had been …

    Biology 9 Nov 2007, 11:55

  • Sapphire unwraps entry-level AMD 2900 GPU

    2900 GT to supplant 2900 Pro?

    AMD has quietly rolled out the ATI Radeon HD 2900 GT, a mid-range card that sits right at the bottom of the 2900 series, displacing from that position the 2900 Pro, which was launched only a month ago. Sapphire's Radeon HD 2900 GT In fact, the GT isn't even visible on AMD's ATI website, though website DailyTech claims to …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 12:17

  • UK anti-fraud firms pool resources

    3rd Man takes Early Warning to the checkout

    Surrey-based anti-fraud firm the 3rd Man Group has bought merchant-focused anti-fraud firm Early Warning as part of a plan to offer a more comprehensive service to tackle internet fraudsters. Terms of the deal, announced Thursday, were undisclosed. By adding Early Warning's CardAware database to the 3rd Man's SuperSearch …

    Crime 9 Nov 2007, 12:20

  • Mandelson tells US to change online gambling laws

    Stop discriminating

    EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson told the US it needs to change anti-gambling laws which discriminate against European companies. Mandelson, on a visit to Washington DC. said: "What we need to see is a change in US legislation that removes discrimination against EU operators. It's not in the interest of American consumers …

    Law 9 Nov 2007, 12:22

  • RIM sues LG over Chocolate, Shine brand

    'Black Label' too close to 'BlackBerry', firm claims

    Research in Motion (RIM) has begun legal proceedings in the US against LG, claiming the South Korean company's Black Label brand is too close to its own BlackBerry trademark, Bloomberg reports. RIM - colloquially called 'Lawsuits in Motion' - has form. In December 2006, it sent Samsung a similar lawsuit, this time complaining …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 12:57

  • Wave power prototype sinks after seven weeks

    AquaBuOY 2.0 'highly successful', says developer

    A prototype wave power installation has sunk off the Oregon coast. The company which designed the equipment described the project as "highly successful". The prototype before it successfully sank. The patented $2m "AquaBuOY 2.0", a massive 72-foot-tall floating vertical cylinder built by Oregon Iron works, was moored two …

    Science 9 Nov 2007, 13:02

  • UK gov offers £100m for innovation

    Political points make prizes

    John Denham, Secretary of State at the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills, yesterday launched a £100m fund for research and innovation. Businesses can bid for cash in eight categories. To help fight climate change there are categories for new materials to improve energy production, for lower energy lighting and …

    Small Biz 9 Nov 2007, 13:10

  • The iPhone: Everything you needed to know

    The tears, the laughter, the previous coverage

    It's just a few hours to go till Apple, O2 and Carphone Warehouse throw open their doors to anyone wanting to buy an iPhone. While you're waiting, you might want to take a virtual walk down memory lane, so we've pulled together six months' worth of iPhone coverage in one easy link fest. You don't have to believe the hype, but …

    Mobile 9 Nov 2007, 13:11

  • Lily Allen gets 'social networking' TV show

    'An important voice of her generation'

    In news that makes us want to sob gently, some bright spark over at yoof TV channel BBC Three has decided to give faux-reggae pop strumpet Lily Allen a load of cash and her own TV show. Based on social networking. According to The Times, the groundbreaking broadcast will "pay homage" to MySpace and Facebook. "Viewers will be …

    Entertainment 9 Nov 2007, 13:18

  • Vodafone dials up 7.2Mb/s HSDPA USB dongle

    On contract and PAYG

    Vodafone has rolled out Pebble - the nickname by which it's latest HSDPA modem is known. Officially the USB Modem 7.2, the Pebble provides 'super 3G' connectivity for PCs and Macs at up to 7.2Mb/s. Vodafone's USB Modem 7.2: super 3G add-on That's the maximum download speed - uploads are expected to run to 384Kb/s. Vodafone …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 13:57

  • Warner Brothers snaps up UK gaming firm

    TT Games joins the big league

    Warner Brothers is buying TT Games, the owner of Traveller's Tales, the UK company behind LEGO Star Wars. TT Games was formed after the merger of Traveller's Tales and Giant Interactive Entertainment in 2005. The company, based in Knutsford, Cheshire, but with offices in Ireland and Serbia, both develops and publishes games. …

    Financial News 9 Nov 2007, 14:01

  • Only the iPhone can save mankind

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

    Identify yourself, on the cheap The cost of the UK government's planned ID card scheme has dropped to a bargain £5.6bn the government's latest six monthly report into the project's progress reveals. The newly slashed figure covers the total cost of providing ID cards and biometric passports to UK and resident Irish citizens, …

    Business 9 Nov 2007, 14:02

  • Second Skynet satellite to launch tonight

    Pay-as-you-go satcomms for the UK forces

    The second Skynet 5 UK military communications satellite is to launch today at 2204 GMT from Kourou in French Guiana, aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. It will share the ride with a Brazilian telecomms bird. With Skynet 5B online, joining the Skynet 5A sat already in space, the Skynet 5 system will be fully operational; however an on …

    Space 9 Nov 2007, 14:04

  • Zero-day bug hangs over Oracle database

    Forget about it

    Security researchers warn that Oracle 10g databases may be open to attack as a result of an unpatched vulnerability. A buffer-overflow flaw in the XDB.XDB_PITRIG_PKG.PITRIG_DROPMETADATA procedure allows hackers to load malware onto targeted systems. The vulnerability is reported to affect Oracle database version 10g Release 2 …

    Enterprise Security 9 Nov 2007, 14:33

  • iPhone 'killers' stand up and be counted

    Samsung? LG? HTC? Who'll crucify the Jesus Phone?

    Today may be iPhone Day across the UK, but Apple’s must-have handset isn’t the only cutting-edge touchscreen beauty available in Blighty. Whilst many love the iPhone for its ease of use and style, some have criticised it for the network provider lockdown, lack of 3G connectivity and high cost. So, what other handsets could you …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 14:41

  • Black holes blamed for super-charged cosmic rays

    That's 'active galactic nuclei' to you, sonny

    You've always suspected it*, and now some properly clever boffins think they've found the data to prove it. Yes, a rare breed of supermassive black hole, otherwise known as active galactic nuclei, are the most likely source of the super-charged cosmic rays that batter our tiny planet from time to time. The particles zip …

    Space 9 Nov 2007, 15:06

  • Iomega eGo 160GB external hard drive

    Review Hard drive meets hip-flask

    News of this...er, "designer" hard drive first appeared on Register Hardware back in June , and it’s the latest product in a growing trend of making once ordinary-looking hard drives a little more interesting – the LaCie Golden Disk is another great example. The aesthetics alone were always going to spark interest for external …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 15:19

  • Synergy gone mad - travel agents to enrol for £100 ID card?

    Ideal if you're planning a getaway...

    The estimated cost of the UK national ID card scheme continues to climb, with the combined card-&-biometric-passport price now passing £100. And IPS chief executive James Hall suggests that Post Offices and travel agents may be recruited to enrol people to the scheme. The IPS (slogan: "Everyone's unique. Let us keep it that …

    Government 9 Nov 2007, 15:29

  • Nintendo confirms Wii DVD support coming

    But not in time for Christmas

    Any gamers hoping to cosy-up on the sofa this Christmas and watch films with their Wii are set to be disappointed. Nintendo has confirmed that DVD playback won’t be added to the console this year. Nintendo claims it’s postponing the release due to a need to secure enough production units in time for the Christmas rush. It …

    Reg Hardware 9 Nov 2007, 15:35

  • AMD hit by birth defects lawsuit

    Ex-employee alleges chemical exposure damaged son

    Chip giant AMD was yesterday slapped with a lawsuit from a former worker who claims that exposure to hazardous chemicals during pregnancy had caused multiple birth defects in her son. Maria Ruiz worked in AMD's "Fab 14" clean room from 1988 to 2002 where she claims in the lawsuit, which was filed at the Travis County District …

    Channel Register 9 Nov 2007, 15:43

  • BOFH: How dangerous are your users?

    BOFH Userometer Click here to find out

    Simon is resting this week. So we are republishing a quiz from 2004, this time with added interactive mojo. An online sysadmins resource Sure, your users may look about as likely to rebel as the pack of mindless sheep that they are - but can they be trusted? Are your users reading forbidden literature? Are they trying to …

    BOFH 9 Nov 2007, 16:06

  • Orbital tourism industry holds spacewear fashion show

    Space crumpet Client base chiefly comprising scantily-clad babes, seemingly

    In the airless vacuum of space, fashion choices are limited. But the California Space Authority - an industry body - was having none of that this week, as it hosted a fashion show at its annual conference. Many of the outfits modelled seemed more suitable for somewhere more hospitable than actual space, though perhaps quite warm …

    Space 9 Nov 2007, 16:11

  • Christmas Doctor Who exhibition at UK Space Centre

    Diary marker Inner children jump up and down

    The Tardis is set to land at the National Space Centre in Leicester next week for a Doctor Who exhibition that will run from November 13 to January 6. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see characters and props from the series, including the truly terrifying Screaming Angels ("whatever you do, don't close your eyes …

    Space 9 Nov 2007, 16:41

  • Alicia Keys hit by MySpace Trojan hack

    Fallin'

    This story was updated on Saturday, 10th November 2007 00:21 GMT to report additional details. Multiple MySpace pages have been hacked in a bid to spread malware. Targeted pages, including the site of R&B star Alicia Keys, have been loaded with links to Trojan horse malware that poses as a fake codec. As well as attempting to …

    Malware 9 Nov 2007, 16:59

  • Battery firm: iPhone could melt your brain

    If only it had a removable battery

    Exradia has launched a range of replacement batteries for popular models of mobile phones which incorporate its special magic circuit to interfere with the bad RF coming from your handset, but iPhone users, with their non-replaceable battery, will just have to suffer. According to the release Exradia are "...surprised Apple …

    Mobile 9 Nov 2007, 17:01

  • Winona Ryder to suckle Spock in Star Trek XI

    Talented thespiatrix confirmed as Vulcan's mum

    The roster of thespos lined up to grace the eleventh celluloid outing of Star Trek now boasts Winona Ryder as a young Spock's mum, the BBC reports. For those of you who aren't up to speed on the casting details for the upcoming trekkie epic, it will feature Karl Urban as Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Eric Bana as villain Nero, John …

    Entertainment 9 Nov 2007, 17:20

  • Analysts talk telephone numbers on mobile games

    Dot-com again

    Mobile and gaming - two platforms touted heavily by vendors and analysts as no brainer-target markets for the enterprising developer. And why not? They represent the perfect storm of developers' own interests of building software, playing games, and shiny new gadgets that also happen play well broadly among consumers who have …

    Mobile 9 Nov 2007, 17:25

  • Oracle hunger fallout: Will Red Hat survive?

    Radio Reg Ex JBoss CEO says IBM might do the eating

    Why let the Oracle/BEA spat die when you can open a hulking can of gasoline and pour fuel over the fire? Open Season Episode 6 does just that with the help of former JBoss chief Marc Fleury. The now very wealthy software maverick joined me, Matt Asay (Alfresco) and Dave Rosenberg (Mulesource) for a deep look at what's going on …

    Open Season 9 Nov 2007, 19:19

  • Ballmerized Nigerian PCs might run Mandriva after all

    Despite $400,000 Microsoft whatchamacallit

    Those Nigerian PCs might run Mandriva after all. Last week, Mandriva CEO François Bancilhon sent an open letter to his counterpart at Microsoft, claiming that Steve Ballmer had somehow convinced the Nigerian government to slap Windows on 17,000 machines already loaded with Mandriva Linux. The Paris-based Linux-vendor had …

    Channel Register 9 Nov 2007, 19:29

  • Botmaster owns up to 250,000 zombie PCs

    He's a security consultant. Jail beckons

    An American computer security consultant on Friday admitted using massive botnets to illegally install software on at least 250,000 machines and steal online banking identities of Windows users by evesdropping on them while they made financial transactions. John Kenneth Schiefer, 26, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to four …

    Crime 9 Nov 2007, 22:49

  • AMD datacenters more loyal but rare

    Intel allegiance a matter of metrics

    Intel chips may power the majority of data center boxes, but the brand doesn't warm the cockles of hearts like it does for the AMD-loyal, according to a recent poll by Gabriel Consulting Group. The firm polled 297 IT managers, architects and admins from the end of 1Q07 through 2Q07. Among the data center queries were some to …

    Servers 9 Nov 2007, 23:17

  • I'm a walking billboard .... bitch

    Don't be bluffed by Facebook's bluster

    On Wednesday, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg boasted that the "next 100 years" of advertising began here. On the face of it, it looked like Web 2.0 had found its "Long Boom" moment. Facebook has yet to turn a profit, so Zuckerberg hardly seems in a position to advise other people how to make money - let alone place himself in a …

    Financial News 9 Nov 2007, 23:32