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11th January 2008 Archive

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  • AT&T to crush copyrighted network packets

    'Eat our dust, Comcast'

    AT&T says it's time to start filtering copyrighted content at the network level. During a panel discussion at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), The New York Times reports, the communications giant joined Microsoft and NBC Universal in arguing that internet service providers - like AT&T itself - should be …

    Broadband 11 Jan 2008, 01:00

  • Light reading for XML with Groovy

    Hands on, part 2 Intuitive, naturally

    Groovy, unlike Java, provides a relatively streamlined way to read and write XML documents. In the first part of my two-piece tutorial, I looked at how you can use Groovy's flexible strings, closures and iterators to quickly create XML fragments and files. The emphasis was on making the most of Groovy as a scripting language …

    Applications 11 Jan 2008, 01:01

  • DARPA whirly-wing jet gyrocraft hits noise snags

    Pentagon retrocopter sent back to drawing board

    DARPA*, the Pentagon warboffinry outfit for whom the only field worthwhile is the left one, is having some problems with its "Heliplane" programme. The Heliplane is essentially a modified autogyro (aka gyrocopter or gyroplane), an aircraft that gets its lift from a rotor disc outwardly resembling that of a helicopter. However …

    Science 11 Jan 2008, 01:26

  • Microsoft's Raikes leaves

    Office software exec will retire in September

    Jeff Raikes, head of Microsoft's Office software business is stepping down after 26 years with the company. The long-standing executive behind Microsoft Business Division plans to call it quits in September. His role will be filled by Juniper Networks chief operating officer Stephen Elop, who resigned from his post at the …

    Applications 11 Jan 2008, 01:39

  • Knock, knock: Cisco is banging at your door

    Will you let it in?

    The average person regards the Cisco brand much as they do intestinal bacteria: blissfully unaware of its presence. Certainly Cisco is an omnipresent force in electronic equipment. Yet a person can live a perfectly rich and fulfilling life as an electronics consumer and never so much as glimpse a product with the Cisco logo. …

    The Channel 11 Jan 2008, 03:56

  • The MP3 speaker jacket

    No headphones here

    The New Year brings about resolutions to get fit and lose weight. So, if you’re still struggling to get up of the sofa, a jacket with built-in MP3 capabilities could be the motivation you need. MP3 Smart Jacket: like jogging with a ghetto blaster Although jackets integrating MP3 players are nothing new, this is the first we …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 08:02

  • Best wireless VoIP phone?

    Q&A

    I work on a diving vessel (oil related) and I'm looking to purchase a portable phone which can work on a wireless network. If possible I would prefer if the phone was not LAN connected, and that the actual phone could pick up the wireless signal. The portable phones will be used in a compressed chamber to give the divers …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 09:02

  • WowWee wheels in Tribot

    CES on Video Your plastic pal who's fun to be with

    Your plastic pal who's fun to be with. WowWee's Tribot is a 'cartoon character come to life...' Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com CES on Video WowWee wheels in Tribot DisplayLink demos multi-monitor USB dongle Guitar Hero gets true air axe WowWee demos FemiSapien robotrix Eye-Fi pitches camera- …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 09:02

  • Sir Edmund Hillary dies at 88

    RIP conqueror of Everest

    Sir Edmund Hillary, the NZ climber who in 1953 conquered Mount Everest and subsequently did much to improve the lot of Nepal's Sherpa people has died aged 88. Hillary passed away on Friday morning at Auckland City Hospital as a result of pneumonia, local media reported. NZ prime minister Helen Clark said: "The legendary …

    Science 11 Jan 2008, 11:00

  • Samsung YP-P2 personal media player

    Review iPod Touch beater?

    Believe it or not, 'yepp peetoo' is Samsung's preferred pronunciation of the name of their new media player. Thankfully a coterie of Yepp Girls were on hand at the launch of the peetoo a month or so back and they had such lovely thighs, sorry, smiles, that we instantly forgave Samsung its assault on the English language. …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 11:06

  • Atlantis to blast off on 7 Feb

    All being well

    NASA has announced that space shuttle Atlantis will carry Europe's Columbus laboratory to the ISS on 7 February. The new launch date is conditional on the rescheduling of a planned Russian cargo ship flight to the station on the same day, since both vessels can't dock at the same time. It's not, however, dependent on solving …

    Science 11 Jan 2008, 11:27

  • ODF vs OOXML - views from the coal face

    Mini-Poll Standards wars?

    Long, long ago, in an industry far, far away, a number of large companies struggled to decide whether to adopt a document interchange format as a global standard. Debate was heated, not least because the format, OOXML, had been proposed by a single vendor, which already occupied an incumbent position. Some others claimed OOXML …

    Tech Panel 11 Jan 2008, 11:33

  • Intel to revise mobile CPU naming scheme

    'Montevina' adjustment

    Intel will revise its naming scheme for mobile processors in Q2, a move that will see the old LV and ULV labels dropped in favour of new processor class prefixes to go with the ones already applied to Core 2 Duo chips. Intel currently prefixes some mobile processor model numbers with X, T, L and U. To that it's going to add P …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 11:35

  • NASA's Messenger closes on Mercury

    Arrives Monday for a first fly-by

    NASA's MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft (Messenger) will on Monday make a close pass of Mercury, marking the first spacecraft visit to the world in 33 years since Mariner 10 dropped by in 1975. In the first of three encounters with Mercury before settling into orbit around the planet in …

    Science 11 Jan 2008, 11:42

  • Facebook checks for Cambridge applicants

    Good lord, you can just type their names in!

    Somewhat behind the rush, it seems that at least some Oxbridge academics are getting wise to the Facebook phenomenon. The Guardian reports today that Dr Richard Barnes, admissions tutor at Cambridge's Emmanuel College, recently admitted as much. "This has been the year in which I joined Facebook," commented Barnes, speaking …

    Bootnotes 11 Jan 2008, 11:52

  • Europe to probe state funding of new media

    Keeping skewed markets on an even keel

    The European Commission will investigate public service broadcasting's use of new media to determine whether state aid to broadcasters is unfair to commercial competitors. The commission has said it will look into a 2001 set of rules on what subsidies countries are allowed to give to public sector broadcasters. It said an …

    Policy 11 Jan 2008, 11:55

  • Polish teen derails tram after hacking train network

    Turns city network into Hornby set

    A Polish teenager allegedly turned the tram system in the city of Lodz into his own personal train set, triggering chaos and derailing four vehicles in the process. Twelve people were injured in one of the incidents. The 14-year-old modified a TV remote control so that it could be used to change track points, The Telegraph …

    Security 11 Jan 2008, 11:56

  • Samsung rolls out Croix-based F490

    CES The F700's younger brother

    Samsung has waited until the end of this year’s CES show in Las Vegas to secure plenty of attention for its latest mobile phone, the Croix UI-based F490. Samsung F490: touch-operated Croix UI Looking deceptively similar to the existing Samsung F700, the F490 marries quad-band GSM connectivity with HSDPA for downloads up to …

    Phones 11 Jan 2008, 12:13

  • Intel readies low-end 'Penryn' Core 2 Duos

    Dual-core Celeron E1000 series too

    With Intel's 45nm Core 2 Duo E8000 series now launched, the first mainstream desktop 'Penryn' processors are on their way. Lesser versions are due in Q2, as the Core 2 Duo E7000 series. Range topping dual-core Celerons will be coming sooner. The E7000 CPUs - the first is expected to be the E7200, according to a report at …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 12:13

  • Micro SD spy gadgets spied on web

    MI6 storage

    Flash storage has already seen numerous gadgets shrink in size. But it’s now shrinking the consumer spy gadget market with the development of a belt-buckle spy camera for snooping on your pals. Who'd ever know? The belt-buckle DVR secretes a hidden camera that records content in 3GP format at a resolution of 176 x 144 …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 12:16

  • Becta excludes Vista, Office - again

    Shouldn't be running in our classrooms

    Microsoft’s hopes of getting Vista into British classrooms have been held back at least another year after Becta issued a scathing report on the operating system and its equally fresh-faced twin, Office 2007. The UK's education technology agency concluded there are very few situations where it is worthwhile for schools and …

    Software 11 Jan 2008, 12:28

  • Microsoft demos Surface multi-touch user interface

    CES on Video iPhone UI clone

    Bill Gates demos Surface, Microsoft's multi-touch finger-controlled UI that sports some rather iPhone-like gesture controls... Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com CES on Video WowWee wheels in Tribot DisplayLink demos multi-monitor USB dongle Guitar Hero gets true air axe WowWee demos FemiSapien …

    Operating Systems 11 Jan 2008, 12:43

  • Casio readies launch of 'world's fastest-shooting' digicam

    CES But scales back 300fps mode

    Casio finally looks set to launch its fastest snapper yet, the Exilim EX-F1. However, it has cut back on the camera's movie frame rate since unveiling a prototype model at the IFA show in Berlin last year. Casio's EX-F1: 300fps shooter It was originally thought that the EX-F1 would support 300 frames per second (fps) at a …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 12:51

  • RIAA 'to disappear'?

    EMI forces IFPI merger discussions - report

    Prepare to peel off your bumper stickers - the Recording Industry Ass. of America (RIAA) may disappear in a merger of trade groups, Variety reports. According to the Hollywood trade paper, EMI has formally filed to leave the global trade body that represents sound recording owners, the IFPI (International Federation of …

    Media 11 Jan 2008, 12:55

  • US-Iranian naval clash: Radio trolls probably to blame

    Analysis 'Filipino Monkey' strikes again

    Those readers who follow the non-IT'n'Paris news will be aware that in recent days a group of US warships almost fired on fast boats operated by Iranian Revolutionary Guards. This was after hearing radio transmissions in which the Iranians appeared to threaten some form of attack. A heavily-accented voice speaking in English …

    Science 11 Jan 2008, 13:09

  • BOFH: Memory short circuit

    Episode 1 And my password is... damn it

    There must be something in the water. I've got a shocking case of nominal amnesia which I can't shake and the PFY just isn't helping. True, being locked in a lift for several hours (until I'd fed sufficient pound notes through the doors to the PFY) just prior to the holidays didn't help, but I'm never really any good at …

    BOFH 11 Jan 2008, 13:11

  • Colombian ID thief coughs

    Hotel keystroke-log scam financed luxury lifestyle

    A Colombian citizen has pleaded guilty to ripping off as many as 600 people after planting keystroke-logging software on the PCs of hotels. Mario Simbaqueba Bonilla, 40, used his illicit income to finance trips to exotic locations (including Hong Kong, Italy, and the Caribbean) and expensive electronics. He carried out his …

    Security 11 Jan 2008, 13:29

  • Junkie sues pusher over heart attack

    Crystal meth → coma → lawsuit

    A Canadian former drug addict has successfully sued the dealer who supplied the crystal methamphetamine that triggered a heart attack and put her in a coma for 11 days, the Times reports. Sandra Bergen, 23, of Biggar, Saskatchewan, alleged that "her nursery-school classmate Clinton Davey got her addicted to crystal …

    Bootnotes 11 Jan 2008, 13:35

  • Toshiba demos Cell-equipped HDTV

    CES What it's doing with the PS3 processor

    Toshiba used the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to explain why it plans to incorporate the PlayStation 3's Cell processor into future LCD TV products. Tucked away in one corner of Toshiba's cavernous CES stand was a prototype Cell-equipped telly running a range of image processing demos. The Japanese giant showed two key apps …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 13:43

  • The future's bright for Virgin executives

    Jobs for the boys at Orange

    Less than a month into the job and Orange boss Tom Alexander has lured three of his old muckers from Virgin to help him turn Orange UK into a competitive business. Andrew Ralston, Gerry McQuade, and Steven Day all used to work for Alexander at Virgin's MVNO, but have now switched to Orange with responsibility for operations, …

    Mobile 11 Jan 2008, 14:08

  • Bed maker constructs cot for gadget lovers

    Never sleep again

    If you’re always searching for a reason for 'just an extra five minutes' in the mornings, then here it is: a hi-tech bed that combines all the latest gadgetry. The Starry Night Tech Bed The Starry Night Sleep Technology Bed includes wireless internet connectivity, an iPod docking station and a plethora of surround sound …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 14:11

  • DRM now dead, as Amazon snags Sony

    It's the end of an era

    Amazon.com has now secured the right to sell DRM-free music from all four major labels, snagging Sony BMG. On Monday, Sony BMG announced it was lifting DRM from its digital music, but only through a gift card service called Platinum MusicPass, which was available through bricks and mortar retail channels. Amazon wouldn't have …

    Media 11 Jan 2008, 14:13

  • OpenMoko preps Linux phone prototype

    CES on Video Wi-Fi, GPS on board

    OpenMoko's open source phone software is on its way, and now there's a handset to go with it, ready for budding coders to begin creating apps for the platform. Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com CES 2008 on Video Microsoft demos Surface multi-touch user interface WowWee wheels in Tribot DisplayLink …

    Phones 11 Jan 2008, 14:32

  • Dublin's free Wi-Fi falls foul of competition law

    Private companies only

    Dublin has abandoned its plan to blanket the city with free Wi-Fi as it thinks it might breach EU law on state aid, and they haven't got the €27m it's going to cost anyway. The opposition Labour Party, who originally proposed the plan, are claiming the council has been nobbled by telcoms companies who don't want to see free …

    Broadband 11 Jan 2008, 14:52

  • Former Cisco UK chief steps into the channel

    Watkins buys Teksys

    Former Cisco UK boss Alan Watkins has jumped the fence into the channel with the buyout of Teksys, a Microsoft LAR (large account reseller). The buy could set off a wave of consolidation in the Microsoft channel, as Watkins and his business partner Kevin Lewis look to buy further Microsoft specialists. Microsoft itself has …

    The Channel 11 Jan 2008, 15:27

  • Bill kills Bill, UK gov goes nuclear and IT contractors shed tears

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

    Chipzilla suffers monster new year hangover, plink fizz Intel finally filed its response to the European Commission’s formal anti-competitive charges this week only to find the state of New York adding its squawky voice to the row. The office of New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said both Intel and AMD, which last year …

    Business 11 Jan 2008, 15:33

  • Toshiba quietly shows fuel-cell fitted UMPC

    CES Methanol-powered processing

    Toshiba didn't make much of a fuss about its UMPC, claiming the smooth-cornered handheld PC was intended to demo technologies the company develops to potential manufacturer customers. One such technology: fuel cells. Toshiba's fuel cell-fitted UMPC Toshiba didn't want to say what the unit's specification was, but we can say …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 16:14

  • Bluetooth's coming home

    Footy fans to get pushed advertising

    Footy fans at a number of clubs will soon be able to enjoy adverts downloaded direct to their mobile phones over a Bluetooth connection, courtesy of promotional company Bluepod. Fans at Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, West Ham, Portsmouth, Wigan Athletic, Wolves, and Celtic will be able to opt in to receive transmissions, …

    Mobile 11 Jan 2008, 16:30

  • Showa Denko ships 40GB 1.3in HDD

    Tiny

    Japan's Showa Denko (SDK) has begun mass producing a phone-friendly 1.3in hard drive that can hold 40GB of data - the most capacious product of its kind, the company claimed. Seagate, for one, has 1in drives out there, but they only run to 8GB. Samsung is working on 1.3in HDDs, but hasn't shipped one yet. SDK didn't go into …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 16:45

  • MP3sparks.com downed by links to Russian cybercrime gang

    Exclusive iTuneski jumps in bed with spammy host

    The popular Russian digital music retailer MP3sparks.com has scored an own goal by doing business with a web host that has been linked to an infamous cybercrime syndicate. Many UK users have been frozen out of the site as a result. Access to the site for customers of major UK ISPs including Virgin Media, Plusnet and Zen has …

    Law 11 Jan 2008, 17:17

  • Panasonic previews monster 150in plasma

    CES 4x HD

    Panasonic demo'd what must be the world's biggest TV, let alone the world's largest HD plasma screen. Its 150in display crams in a whopping 4096 x 2160 pixels more than four times 1080p's 1920 x 1080. Panasonic's 150in TV: monster It's a prototype, of course, but if the one-time gimmick 103in model can become a TV consumers …

    Hardware 11 Jan 2008, 17:40

  • Countdown for IBM Project Zero

    Giver turns taker

    Over the years, Microsoft's taken a lot of flack for attempting to undermine open source. Despite giving away code snippets and working with vendors like Zend and MySQL, what really sticks in the mind are attempts to shore up its market share by spooking people on IP and by playing hardball. Microsoft's position contrasts …

    Applications 11 Jan 2008, 19:14

  • Mobe snap murderers face justice

    Posed with victim after bloody stabbing

    A Glasgow man who murdered a 24-year-old by stabbing him 80 times with a knife and then "went on to pose for a mobile phone picture alongside the victim's body" will be sentenced next month. Stephen Price, 20, admitted murdering 24-year-old Scott Burgess, "with a knife in his home in Glen Street, Paisley, between August and …

    Security 11 Jan 2008, 19:24

  • Hackers graft Google Android onto hardware

    As first prototype surfaces

    Mobile phone handsets based on Google's Android platform are due to appear some time in the second half of this year but hackers have already got a cut-down version of the software running on devices. By combining an Android Software Development kit with an emulator and a Poky Linux kernel, a hacker called Cortez has created …

    Mobile 11 Jan 2008, 19:46

  • Malware hitches a ride on digital devices

    In the frame

    It's time to add digital picture frames to the group of consumer products that could carry computer viruses and Trojan horse programs. In the past month, at least three consumers have reported that photo frames - small flat-panel displays for displaying digital images - received over the holidays attempted to install malicious …

    Security 11 Jan 2008, 20:45

  • VMware catches Foedus

    Symptoms include red blotches and services

    Foedus? Yeah, we wondered the same thing. You might not have heard of this small virtualization shop, but VMware thought enough of the outfit to buy it. VMware polished off the acquisition earlier this month, grabbing Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based Foedus and 30 employees for an undisclosed sum. Maybe you're very …

    Virtualization 11 Jan 2008, 22:04

  • Intel launches modular server platform for SMBs

    Some assembly required

    Intel is punting a new modular server kit that's based on standardized parts for system builders and OEMs who cater to small and mid-sized businesses. The platform, dubbed Intel Modular Server, uses blade server specifications announced by the Server Systems Infrastructure (SSI) organization last July. The gist is, when …

    The Channel 11 Jan 2008, 22:27

  • Mass web infection leaves researcher scratching her head

    Issues call to arms

    Security maven Mary Landesman is in the midst of piecing together a who-done-it involving the infection of hundreds of websites that are generating an enormous amount of traffic. Or maybe it's a how-done-it. Either way, she's mostly drawing blanks. Landesman is a researcher for ScanSafe, a company that monitors the web surfing …

    Security 11 Jan 2008, 23:33