27th December 2007 Archive

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Feel the burn: in the aftermath of year's biggest hype

Connected, pumped, and conceptual

Every year, companies and individuals in the IT industry - mostly CEOs and those in marketing - spew vast quantities of unmitigated hype. In line with this year's rise in global temperatures, the past 12 months saw a spike in recorded levels of hot air. Reg Dev hung about after the initial hype had passed to discover what …

Software 27 Dec 2007, 00:02
How to copyright Michelangelo

From the Borgias to Bill Gates

Some of the world's greatest artworks are turning into copyrighted properties.Five hundred years ago, Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Today, those images are copyrighted. How can ancient cultural icons become commercial properties, centuries after they fall into the public domain? How this happened is a story …

Media 27 Dec 2007, 08:02
Cloudy outlook for climate models

More aerosols - the solution to global warming?

Climate models appear to be missing an atmospheric ingredient, a new study suggests. December's issue of the International Journal of Climatology from the Royal Meteorlogical Society contains a study of computer models used in climate forecasting. The study is by joint authors Douglass, Christy, Pearson, and Singer - of whom …

Science 27 Dec 2007, 08:02
Outsourcing overruns cost UK taxpayers £9bn

No surprise, there

A think tank has called for 'root and branch change' in public services, following its damning report on ICT outsourcing Research by the European Services Strategy Unit shows that 105 outsourced public sector ICT contracts have significant cost overruns, delays and terminations. The unit examined large outsourcing contracts, …

Policy 27 Dec 2007, 08:02
Apple and Fox to offer rental downloads

Brief iTunes 'limited time' deal

Apple is to make Fox's latest DVD releases available for "rental" through the former's iTunes, Reuters reports. The deal will allow users to download movies for a "limited time", according to the Financial Times, although no exact details are forthcoming. Representatives from both companies were "not immediately available for …

Media 27 Dec 2007, 10:26
Amazon claims amazing Christmas

Credit crunched

Amazon.co.uk is claiming this Christmas was its best ever with sales peaking on 10 December. The UK version of the site also sold more than ever before. In its busiest 24 hours the UK site sold 700, 000 items. The busiest day, 10 December, was a week later than last year which Amazon claimed showed an increased faith in its …

The Channel 27 Dec 2007, 11:03
UK charity backs tags for dementia sufferers

Keeping tabs on granny

The UK's Alzheimer's Society has backed the electronic tagging of dementia sufferers to "empower patients by allowing them to wander", the Telegraph reports. The charity says that many of Britain's 700,000 victims of dementia "feel compelled" to go walkabout - 60 per cent "may wander" and 40 per cent "have got lost at some …

Policy 27 Dec 2007, 11:18
New Year's Eve greetings disguise Storm Worm attacks

Happy New malware

The Storm Worm gang are spreading seasonal ill-will. Security watchers have spotted New Year greeting spam runs that attempt to direct recipients to a malicious web site called uhavepostcard.com. Anti-virus firm F-Secure warns that although the site remains free of exploits (for now) the spam run is likely to be a prelude for a …

Security 27 Dec 2007, 11:28
Dotcom-era tycoon dies in Panama plane crash

'Whizz kid' and daughter killed on pleasure trip

Former eGroups CEO Michael Klein, his 13-year-old daughter and their pilot were killed when their light aircraft crashed in Panama. Francesca Lewis, a 12-year-old family friend was rescued yesterday after surviving more than two days on the side of a volcano. According to reports Klein, 37, planned to photograph the crater of …

Applications 27 Dec 2007, 11:47
Radiohead prep New Year's Eve net gig

Whole of In Rainbows plus 'other bits'

Radiohead will perform the whole of their latest album In Rainbows plus some "other bits" at 12am EST on 31 December on Current.com, Reuters reports. The prerecorded session will then be repeated three times throughout New Year's Day, for the benefit of those who prefer to pass midnight with their faces firmly glued to a beer …

Media 27 Dec 2007, 11:49
Tesco Mobile complains to Ofcom

Virtual operator, real complaint

Tesco Mobile, and O2 which provides its network, has complained to Ofcom that changes to spectrum allocation could drive the supermarket's mobile offering out of business. Tesco has realised that when O2 loses half its 900MHz spectrum in 2009 it will be Tesco Mobile customers who suffer, as the virtual operator camps on O2's 2G …

Mobile 27 Dec 2007, 12:13
Xbox gamers urged don't get smashed

Scottish Government drives home anti-drink message in racing games

The Scottish Government is to spend £10,000 on a trial scheme to place anti-drink adverts directly into Xbox 360 games across Scotland. The adverts will be seen by gamers playing the online versions of titles including Need for Speed: Carbon, Project Gotham Racing 4 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008. The Scottish Government hopes …

Games 27 Dec 2007, 12:32
German police hunt 12,000 strong child abuse ring

Shadowy network identified after ISP tip-off

German investigators are attempting to identifying participants in a massive online child sex abuse network reckoned to have involved 12,000 people. The investigation into what's thought to be the largest such network centered on Germany has also identified suspects in approximately 70 other countries. The suspects include 300 …

Security 27 Dec 2007, 12:33
Tote to punt online casino from the Channel

Government bookie doesn't want to pay government tax

UK government-owned gambling outfit the Tote is shipping its online casino off to the the Channel Islands to avoid paying tax to, er, the UK government. New laws that came into force in September aimed to liberalise gambling regulations in a bid by the government to attract the booming online sector to the UK, which is …

Government 27 Dec 2007, 12:42
Google suffers patent blow

Hyperphrase case rumbles on

Google has been hit by a setback in a patent row with Hyperphrase Technologies, LLC. A federal appeals court in Wisconsin yesterday rejected part of a summary judgment that could have worked to Google's advantage in the case. In June last year the search engine giant was slapped with a lawsuit in which Madison-based software …

Law 27 Dec 2007, 12:43
BitTorrenters seek sanctuary in Pirate Bay

Legal takedowns boost traffic

Despite a series of law enforcement and other attacks on illegal file-sharing this year the number of people using the anti-copyright BitTorrent tracker Pirate Bay has almost doubled. TorrentFreak reports that Pirate Bay has leapt from about 4.3 million users at the end of 2006 to more than 8 million at the end of this year. …

Servers 27 Dec 2007, 13:05
Intel and STMicro Flash venture delayed by cash problems

Loan cutbacks put dent in Numonyx

Intel and STMicroelectronics NV have been forced to delay the merger of their cash-starved flash memory units because of "significant turmoil" in the financial markets. The giant memory chip firms confirmed yesterday in separate statements that the planned partnership, dubbed Numonyx, has been pushed back to 28 March next year …

Hardware 27 Dec 2007, 13:21
MasterCard's Maestro struggles to cope with Xmas

As website wobbles too

The MasterCard website struggled to cope with Christmas shopping demand that left it unreachable for nearly five hours in the run-up to Christmas. More seriously MasterCard's Maestro system also experienced glitches in the immediate run-up to Xmas. The extent of the problem with the debit card system remains unclear. According …

Servers 27 Dec 2007, 13:22
EMC buys doc mgt firm for all-in-one completeness

It's rich, it's sophisticated

EMC is buying a document management software firm for $85m. Based in Carlsbad California, Document Sciences, claims a roster of 500 customers, 60 of which are Fortune 500 companies. With Document Sciences under its belt, EMC thinks it will be the first company to deliver an all-in-one complete suite of "high-value …

The Channel 27 Dec 2007, 17:58
Capgemini ‘not talking to Wipro’

Shares take a tumble

Capgemini shares fell sharply on the Paris bourse, after the company said it was not in takeover talks with Indian rival Wipro. Shares in the computer services firm ended the day down 3.2 per cent to €43.57, while Wipro shares edged up 2.5 per cent to close at 549.3 rupees ($13.93) on the Bombay Stock Exchange, Bloomberg …

The Channel 27 Dec 2007, 18:35
Nokia and InterDigital both win patent case

The spirit of Christmas enters UK court

Nokia's pre-emptive strike against InterDigital's 3G-covering patent portfolio has reached a ruling by the English High Court, reducing an initial pile of 31 patents down to four: one of which has been ruled essential for 3G technology, and three which could, but might not be infringed by a 3G handset. Nokia launched its …

Mobile 27 Dec 2007, 18:49
Man uses mobe as modem, rings up £27k phone bill

Stop the mobile data madness

We are indebted to The Mirror for the latest example of mobile data charging madness, this time in England. Ian Simpson, a factory worker from Darlington, downloaded TV programmes onto his laptop using his mobile phone as a modem - and racked up charges of £27,322 in just one month. He says he may go bankrupt unless Vodafone " …

Broadband 27 Dec 2007, 22:13