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11th December 2007 Archive

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  • 'Extortionist' turns Wi-Fi thief to cover tracks

    Oz police set a trap

    An Australian man arrested in an undercover sting has been charged for allegedly tapping into home wireless networks so he could anonymously send threatening emails. Police say the 22 year-old from Rockhampton, Queensland had sent threatening emails to various individuals since August. To avoid detection, he connected to …

    Security 11 Dec 2007, 01:35

  • Ofcom offers more spectrum

    Auction ahoy

    Another week, another spectrum auction. This time, Ofcom is parcelling up 16 lots of 1.7 MHz each in the 1452-1479.5 MHz band, and one prize chunk of 12.5 MHz in the same band. The details are here. The licenses run for 15 years, and are tradeable. Last week, Ofcom announced the availability of super-high frequency microwave …

    Networks 11 Dec 2007, 09:55

  • NASA Mars droid in ET life discovery shock

    Possible habitat for Martian microbe-men. If any

    NASA boffins believe the space agency's solar-powered Martian droid rovers have found something interesting. They believe their discovery points to an increased likelihood of life on the Red Planet. "We're really excited about this," said NASA Mars-droid honcho Steve Squyres, according to the BBC. There's one! Grab him, …

    Science 11 Dec 2007, 10:28

  • Steve McClaren secures 2007 Foot in Mouth award

    The only trophy he's ever likely to lift

    Lenny Henry will tonight present the Plain English Campaign's 28th annual awards (pdf) for obfuscation or clarity in our beloved mother tongue. Former England "coach" Steve McClaren has deservedly secured this year's "Foot in Mouth" trophy for the following insightful analysis of Wayne Rooney: "He is inexperienced, but he's …

    Bootnotes 11 Dec 2007, 10:36

  • Researcher: 'Second wave' HD adopters favour HD DVD

    But rather a lot of people couldn't care less

    More people thinking of buying an HD TV in the next six months are also thinking of buying an HD DVD player than those who are thinking of buying a Blu-ray Disc machine. The claim comes from market watcher The Diffusion Group (TDG) by way of the HD DVD Promotional Group. It's based on research conducted with US consumers, 1500 …

    Hardware 11 Dec 2007, 11:11

  • Sat nav fingered in shock Arsenal defeat

    Wrong turn

    Sat nav technology has been blamed for many wrongdoings - from lorries turning sleepy villages into scenes of HGV chaos, to directing owners of prestige vehicles into rivers. But an apparent lack of sat nav technology, or conceivably another example of its misuse, led to the late arrival of Premiership leaders Arsenal for a …

    Bootnotes 11 Dec 2007, 11:14

  • Citizens Advice coughs to laptop loss

    60,000 records go astray

    A laptop containing client information has been stolen from the car of an employee of Citizens Advice in Northern Ireland. Up to 60,000 client records are held on the computer, which was stolen in the early hours of 5 December 2007. According to Citizens Advice in Northern Ireland, the data stored relates to people from the …

    Security 11 Dec 2007, 11:40

  • Wii buyers follow French Connection for consoles

    How much? Sacre bleu...

    If you’re after a Nintendo Wii this Christmas then you’d better get your credit card out - and maybe start brushing up your French too. A report by the Daily Mirror claims that British shoppers are donning their best French accents and sailing over to Calais, where the console’s reportedly ready to be had for just £150 (€210/$ …

    Games 11 Dec 2007, 11:41

  • Info chief calls for data safeguards in wake of HMRC debacle

    You gotta protect your personal data

    Organisations and individuals must step up the fight against identity fraud, the Information Commissioner's Office will say today. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will say the data security problems at HM Revenue and Customs were a watershed and call for organisations to implement new safeguards to help protect …

    Policy 11 Dec 2007, 12:01

  • Solwise Simple Connect powerline Ethernet adaptor

    Review Can protecting a network really be this easy

    How important is security for a powerline Ethernet network? It's a lot less of an issue than it is with wireless networking, that's for sure. Most powerline connections are shielded by all the gubbins at the meter, but folk in buildings with many dwellings or offices and only one feed to the outside world will need to tweak the …

    Broadband 11 Dec 2007, 12:02

  • Netsuite goes Dutch on IPO

    What credit crisis?

    Netsuite is going ahead with its auction IPO with the help of Credit Suisse Securities. The "modified Dutch auction" - a similar set-up to Google's launch of its initial public offering - runs until Wednesday 19 December. The online software company is releasing 6.2m shares of common stock - underwriters also get a 30-day …

    Small Biz 11 Dec 2007, 12:04

  • Smut vid outfit sues PornoTube

    'Profiting from piracy'

    A major producer of adult videos yesterday filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court against YouTube clone PornoTube for "allowing its users to post videos that include copyrighted material". Vivid Entertainment Group claims that PornoTube - a subsidiary of Data Conversions Inc, which trades in Charlotte, NC, as AEBN Inc - …

    Law 11 Dec 2007, 12:07

  • Microsoft fires broadside of writs at China pirates

    Genuine disadvantage

    Microsoft has fired off more than 50 lawsuits in its ongoing fight against counterfeit software. The firm said yesterday that it had targeted global online auction sites in its latest punch-up with pirates who flog dodgy copies of Microsoft apps. It filed 52 lawsuits and referred 22 cases to local cop shops in 22 countries …

    The Channel 11 Dec 2007, 12:13

  • Santa putting children's information at risk, warn experts

    Kriss Kringle failing to comply with data protection laws

    Santa Claus could be breaking privacy laws in his collection and use of data about British children, experts have warned. Yuletide cheer-bringer Claus could be putting the personal data of millions of children at risk. Data protection laws lay down strict conditions for the use of personal data and there is no evidence that …

    Security 11 Dec 2007, 12:16

  • LiPS Forum completes mobile Linux spec

    Everybody's API nowadays

    A group looking to establish interoperability standards to make it easier to develop applications for Linux-based mobiles has released the first cut of its specs. The Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum announced completion of the LiPS Release 1.0 specifications on Monday. LiPS said the standards will allow industry to achieve …

    Mobile 11 Dec 2007, 12:49

  • Ofcom tells BT to buck up on unbundling

    Good progress but Openreach could do better

    Ofcom all but congratulated BT yesterday for progress the telco has made since 2005, but said it still had more work to do with Openreach - the division which wholesales BT lines for comms providers. The regulator was reporting back on BT's performance since signing a statement of undertakings in 2005. The regulator welcomed a …

    Broadband 11 Dec 2007, 12:51

  • Boeing announces 'Laser Gunship' completion

    'Tactical' raygun weighs only 20 tonnes

    Airliners'n'deathware behemoth Boeing announced yesterday that it had fitted a high-energy laser cannon aboard a C-130 Hercules military cargo plane, creating a "Laser Gunship". The company expects to commence blasting "mission representative" test targets next year, firing deadly energy bolts from a "rotating turret that …

    Science 11 Dec 2007, 12:53

  • HP plots path to server accelerator madness in '08

    Radical conservatism

    Let's be clear right up front. HP refuses to confirm or deny much of anything in this story. But, if we read the non-answers provided by HP high performance computing (HPC) manager Ed Turkel right, then HP has a heck of a lot of goodies prepared for its high-end server customers next year. In our estimation, HP has led all of …

    Servers 11 Dec 2007, 12:54

  • C2000 hires storage Crew

    Climb aboard

    IT distie Computer 2000 (C2000) has beefed up its storage biz unit by hiring Jonathan Crew as business manager. The firm reckoned Crew's appointment will help strengthen its business. He has worked for ten years in a number of roles punting storage goods to the channel. Crew previously worked at Aventi, Micro P, AGP and …

    The Channel 11 Dec 2007, 12:55

  • Manhunt 2 UK release edges closer

    Post a plea to Santa

    UK gamers may yet find copies of controversial videogame Manhunt 2 underneath the Christmas tree this year, following a decision by the Video Appeals Committee (VAC) to overturn the British Board of Film Classification decision to effectively ban on the game. Manhunt 2: will you be playing it this Christmas? Developer …

    Games 11 Dec 2007, 13:16

  • Geek gifts for Christmas

    Site offer Part 3: This is the end, my geeky friend

    The final installment in our Christmas Gifts promotion is here with another eight titles. We hope you've found something in one of our "Geeks Gifts for Christmas" articles that suits one of your friends or family. We'd also like to thank all of our loyal customers throughout 2007. We will be looking to branch out with another …

    Site News 11 Dec 2007, 13:26

  • UK claims millions saved by scrapping redundant regs

    Issues redundant report on the redundant regulations

    The government claimed today that its red tape reduction drive is already saving UK businesses £800m a year. The savings were detailed in a report which claimed the government is on the way to saving businesses and the third sector £3.5bn per year in admin costs by 2010. It details ways the government is cutting the burden on …

    Small Biz 11 Dec 2007, 13:37

  • US HD hardware sales 3:1 in Blu-ray's favour by year end

    But HD DVD wins on players

    US households will together own 948,000 HD DVD playback devices and almost 3m Blu-ray Disc-capable machines come the end of 2007, market watcher DisplaySearch has estimated. Breaking those numbers down, we get 2.5m PlayStation 3s, 678,000 HD DVD players, 461,000 Blu-ray Disc players and 270,000 Xbox 360 add-on drives, …

    Hardware 11 Dec 2007, 14:03

  • Japan launches parent-proof phone

    Know where your kids are, always

    Japanese network operator NTT DoCoMo today unveiled the ultimate mobile phone for over-protective parents. DoCoMo's Foma 801i: head-splitting alarms, bright LEDs and it's waterproof The Foma F801i clamshell contains numerous child safety features, most notably a 100 decibel alarm that produces two ear-piercing tones when …

    Phones 11 Dec 2007, 14:08

  • Nokia develops eco phone concept

    Would you buy it?

    Nokia is challenging traditional mobile phone concepts and seeking to help the environment in one go, with the unveiling of its Eco Sensor Concept handset design. The Finnish phone giant claims it designed the handset not only to be capable of making calls, but also to provide individual and ecological benefits. While the Eco …

    Phones 11 Dec 2007, 14:14

  • Daring Register raid snatches key government URL

    Updated May swap for bag of crisps or similar

    On Friday the UK government announced a joint industry-government marketing strategy designed to promote the UK's expertise in Information Communication Technology (ICT). The strategy, said Trade & Investment Minister Lord Digby Jones, "is a catalyst to stimulate discussion amongst Government and business about how we sell the …

    Government 11 Dec 2007, 14:55

  • EMC and VMware perform virtualization upgrade together

    ESX Server and Invista get tuned

    EMC and wealthy chum VMware celebrated the glories of virtualization together this week. We'll start with Vmware, since it's the virtualization darling but do promise that EMC has some new virtual tweaks of its own to flog. A couple of months ago, we told you about VMware's planned release of ESX Server 3.5 and VirtualCenter 2 …

    Storage 11 Dec 2007, 15:33

  • Windows Service Pack refuseniks offered temporary respite

    Testing time

    Microsoft has released a tool that allows enterprises to side-step a wave of upcoming Windows service packs. SPBlockerTools toolkit will temporarily defer the installation of Windows XP SP3 and Vista SP1 to allow testing for up to a year following the release of the updates. Windows XP SP3 is due sometime in the first half of …

    Management 11 Dec 2007, 15:39

  • Frenchman calculates 13th root of 200-digit number

    In a record-breaking 70.2 seconds

    Frenchman Alexis Lemaire yesterday broke his own record for calculating the 13th root of a randomly-generated 200-digit number, pulling off the impressive mental feat in just 70.2 seconds. The 27-year-old "mathlete", who's doing an artificial intelligence PhD at the University of Reims, indulged in a "great deal of brow- …

    Science 11 Dec 2007, 15:45

  • Boffins slashed in big-science budget blunder bloodbath

    Enormous magnetic doughnut devours physicists

    Unforeseen increases in the running costs of flagship science projects may result in hundreds of top UK physics brains losing their jobs, boffins have warned. The government has reportedly agreed to consider extra funding, but offers no guarantees. The BBC reports today that the funding problems lie within the budget of the …

    Science 11 Dec 2007, 16:06

  • UK.gov loses driver ID data

    More unencrypted CDs go walkies

    Unencrypted computer discs containing the names and addresses of 6,000 Northern Ireland motorists has gone missing in the post. The material, which was sent from Northern Ireland Driver and Vehicle Agency to the UK's main Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea, is reckoned to gave gone astray in a sorting centre in …

    Security 11 Dec 2007, 16:49

  • BBC's iPlayer launches Christmas Day

    What do you mean you're busy?

    The official launch, or "marketing launch", of the BBC's iPlayer is happening on Christmas Day. A spokeswoman for the Beeb assured us it was a good time to launch because of the all the great content the BBC puts on for Christmas. At least we can all watch the Queen's speech a couple of extra times. The player needs Windows XP …

    Media 11 Dec 2007, 16:51

  • Gartner says offshore work is booming

    Don't put all your eggs in one basket

    India will likely remain the offshore king when it comes to firms farming out IT skills abroad, but businesses are increasingly looking to spread the risk by adopting several locations, according to Gartner. The IT analysts predicted today that in 2008 offshore spending was set to boom by 40 per cent in the US and 60 per cent …

    The Channel 11 Dec 2007, 17:22

  • Merseyside health authority gives away staff data

    Union calls for investigation

    Sefton Primary Care Trust has sent thousands of staff records to four organisations it is refusing to name. Staff details including dates of birth, national insurance numbers, pensions and salary details were sent accidentally to four separate organisations. Sefton PCT will not name the four companies, which were bidding for …

    Government 11 Dec 2007, 17:29

  • Megan's Law snafu fingered in rapist's murder

    Big Brother makes a clerical error

    The stabbing death of a convicted rapist 35 days after he was released from prison may have stemmed from a public database that erroneously described him as a child molester, California police say. Michael A. Dodele was found dead in his run-down mobile home on November 20. The cause of death was puncture wounds to his side …

    Law 11 Dec 2007, 18:59

  • JBoss serves stuffed Eclipse IDE

    New name, old support model

    Red Hat hopes to stand out from other vendors offering Eclipse-based Java tools by not discriminating between "free" and "useful" when it comes to features in its JBoss Developer Studio, released this week. JBoss Developer Studio brings together a broad portfolio of open source tools not just from the Eclipse project but also …

    Applications 11 Dec 2007, 21:01

  • Google flaunts white space wireless magic

    'This is not Russian Roulette'

    Google is running its very own "white space" tests, as it continues to push a master plan to stream high-speed internet access over unused television airwaves. As part of the White Space Coalition, Google is one of the big-name high-tech outfits urging the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve the use of …

    Broadband 11 Dec 2007, 22:13

  • Skype confirms / denies job cuts

    Yoda statement

    Voice over Internet Protocol provider Skype has neither confirmed nor denied it is cutting jobs at its London office. According to GigaOM, Skype is laying off 30 staff in London and Estonia, with most coming from the UK. We thought maybe someone at Skype could give us some more information. The eBay-owned company sent us …

    VoIP 11 Dec 2007, 22:55

  • Rogue servers point users to impostor sites

    'DNS-liars'

    Researchers have uncovered a large network of rogue servers that threatens end users by silently feeding them counterfeit versions of trusted websites. It's the internet equivalent of a telephone directory service intentionally giving an incorrect listing when someone asks for the number for Bank of America. Instead of …

    Security 11 Dec 2007, 22:57

  • Full Oracle Fusion due 2009, beta 2008

    Exclusive Customizations will break

    Oracle will hit its goal of delivering Fusion applications next year in name only, with applications ready for testing but the full suite not due until 2009. Fusion applications will be available during 2008 as an "early adopter beta suite" and the "full suite won't be until 2009", according the Oracle Applications Users Group …

    Applications 11 Dec 2007, 23:04