28th December 2007 Archive

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Space shuttle launch knocked back again

Pesky fuel sensor woes continue

Pesky fuel sensors have forced NASA to put back the launch of space shuttle Atlantis beyond the current target date of 10 January, Reuters reports. The offending sensors - which monitor liquid hydrogen levels in the vessel's fuel tank - have twice caused cancelled lift-offs. Of the first incident in early December, NASA …

Space 28 Dec 2007, 10:54
Bhutto murder used to spread malware

Malicious JavaScript pushes Trojan

Virus writers are exploiting morbid curiosity about the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's to spread malware. Surfers searching for video footage of the suicide attack that killed Bhutto and at least 21 others on Thursday are liable to find malware posing as video clips that attempts to trick …

Security 28 Dec 2007, 11:21
The protection's off, as Warner commits to Amazon

DRM-free MP3s from music label to be sold on US website

Warner Music Group is making its music available for download from Amazon without Digital Rights Management (DRM) copy protection, enabling consumers more freedom in how they listen to and transfer digital music. All tracks on Amazon are compatible with iTunes and Windows Media Player Amazon.com's download store is a major …

Reg Hardware 28 Dec 2007, 11:30
Barron Hilton donates fortune to charity

Paris to work for a living?

There looks to be a possibility that highly-talented heiress Paris Hilton might one day have to work for a living following the announcement by her grandad Barron that he intends to donate 97 per cent of his $2.3bn fortune to charity. The cash will benefit the Conrad N Hilton Foundation, which "supports projects that provide …

Bootnotes 28 Dec 2007, 11:41
Antarctic base staff in drunken Xmas punch-up

Two airlifted from polar station

Two men were airlifted from the US-run Amundsen-Scott South Pole station after what is described as a "drunken Christmas punch-up". According to the Guardian, one of the men suffered a suspected broken jaw during the scrap. The pair were flown by US Air Force Hercules to the headquarters of the US Antarctic Programme - McMurdo …

Crime 28 Dec 2007, 11:45
BOFH: Beancounter bashing

Episode 44 And the PFY gets his bonus revenge

"You know what your probblim is?" one of the Beancounters slurs, using the ISO certified phrase to indicate that the speaker's had too much to drink "...you're out of touch!" "Really?" the PFY says, tipping back his drink with one hand while setting his modified cattle prod to 'stir-fry' with the other. "How's that then …

BOFH 28 Dec 2007, 12:02
Two accused of selling counterfeit Cisco kit

Sell it to the Marines, boys

Two US brothers have been charged with various crimes after they allegedly sold counterfeit Cisco equipment to several government agencies including the FBI, the Federal Aviation Authority and the Marine Corps. Other agencies which fell for the scam included the US Air Force, Department of Energy and various federal prisons. …

Channel Register 28 Dec 2007, 12:06
Rent Fox films via iTunes

Blockbuster for your iPod

More details are emerging of the deal to make Fox films and TV shows available for rent through Apple's iTunes service. The deal will mean you can rent digital copies of the latest Fox releases for a limited time. Apple has reportedly spent months trying to get Hollywood studios to back the rental plan but only Rupert Murdoch …

Music and Media 28 Dec 2007, 12:08
US.gov paints gloomy picture of overseas threats

Kidnapping, IP fraud and cyberterror blight trading landscape

It's being a difficult year for US businesses operating overseas. Targeted computer attacks in Europe, intellectual property thefts in Asia, natural disasters in Latin America, and terrorism just about everywhere were among the varied threats faced by US firms in 2007, according to a year-end analysis by the US State Department' …

Security 28 Dec 2007, 12:13
Wal-Mart cans video download service

Quiet death

Visitors to Wal-Mart's video download site are being greeted with the message "The Wal-Mart Video Downloads Service closed on 12/21/07" after the retail giant quietly canned the service because "Hewlett Packard discontinued the technology that powered it". According to Reuters, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Amy Colella added that the …

Music and Media 28 Dec 2007, 12:15
Byrne puts fake ID frighteners on illegal employers

Analysis Another no-change rule change?

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne is to celebrate the first wave of the ID card rollout next year with a scary ad campaign threatening employers of illegal immigrants with fines of £10,000 per offence and up to two years in prison. But even by the low standards of the Home Office, "the biggest shake-up of the immigration system …

Government 28 Dec 2007, 12:16
New Jersey bans sex offenders from the web

Stay offline or face 18 months in jail, $10,000 fine

Convicted sex offenders who used websites to help them commit their crimes are to be banned from using the internet under a tough new measure signed into New Jersey law yesterday. The bill, which was signed by the state's acting governor Richard J. Codey, will apply to offenders who used email or other electronic messages in …

Law 28 Dec 2007, 13:31
Celeb spills beans on new Apple notebook

Hip hop star confirms machine to be announced at Macworld

Rumours abound that hip hop star Just Blaze has told all about Apple's much talked-about sub-notebook, after he was promised one for performing at a recent Apple Christmas party. The mystery machine is allegedly to be announced at Macworld in January... Speculation about the sub-notebook itself isn't new, we reported on the …

Reg Hardware 28 Dec 2007, 13:42
Gmail exploit aids domain hijack

Web designer holds out against extortion

Web designer David Airey has succeeded in recovering his domain after hackers exploited flaws in Gmail to trick his hosts into authorising a fraudulent transfer. Airey's woes began when he took his girlfriend for a month-long holiday to India on 21 November, a trip he mentioned in his blog. The holiday was a break from work …

Security 28 Dec 2007, 13:43
Google borrows Facebook's privacy manual

What's behind the latest cockup?

Google can count itself fortunate that a serious privacy storm it caused took place in the run up to Christmas - when world+dog was otherwise occupied. By altering the behaviour of one of its web-services, Google ran foul of its own Privacy guarantee - and continues to violate it. Here's what happened. In 2005 Google …

ID 28 Dec 2007, 14:08
IBM to make massive Ubuntu server play?

Radio Reg It's Red Hat's worst nightmare

Forget wasting time with open source software minutiae. Episode 8 of Open Season dives right into the real things that matter - like food. Mulesource CEO Dave Rosenberg, Alfresco exec Matt Asay and I fired up our mouths to discuss Tamarind, the only Michelin starred curry house going. It's a delicious spot in London's Mayfair …

Open Season 28 Dec 2007, 20:22