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31st January 2008 Archive

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  • Dell torches US kiosks

    Direct Stores scorned for retail relationships

    Dell is shutting down its 140 US store kiosks, made obsolete by the company's decision to jump into bed with retailers. The kiosks, called Dell Direct stores, punt the company's PCs, printers and other electronics in shopping malls and airports. Shoppers can see, touch, fiddle with, scorn or moan longingly at Dell merchandise …

    The Channel 31 Jan 2008, 00:10

  • Polished NetBeans means Ruby

    NetBeans and Ruby, part 1 Eclipse beater?

    Let's be honest, the rise of the Eclipse development platform is the best thing to ever happen to Sun Microsystems' NetBeans integrated development environment (IDE). Eclipse rolled out a solid platform, with good performance, high levels of extensibility and a rapidly expanding ecosystem of commercial and open source plug ins …

    Applications 31 Jan 2008, 00:36

  • Tech support gets religion

    Monk and his IT junk

    What you really get on those Microsoft, Novell and Cisco courses... Copyright © Jason Slater. Originally published at Monk and his IT junk.

    Software 31 Jan 2008, 00:59

  • Online advertiser pays $200,000 for deceptive claims

    When 'free' isn't free

    An online advertiser that falsely claimed consumers had won free prizes has agreed to pay a $200,000 penalty to the Federal Trade Commission, which says the outfit failed to disclose that people had to spend money first. Member Source Media, which operated under names such as ConsumerGain-dot-com, PremiumPerks-dot-com and …

    Security 31 Jan 2008, 04:40

  • Top secret UK data network goes live two years late

    And promptly loses 'operational data'

    A system to link a secure communications network used by UK intelligence agencies with other government departments and posts overseas has finally swung into operation, two years later than originally expected. The slow progress of the SCOPE project drew a rebuke in the annual Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee …

    Policy 31 Jan 2008, 05:02

  • Second-gen O2 XDA Orbit goes on sale

    Company sends phone into orbit

    True to its word, network operator O2 has confirmed that its XDA Orbit 2 PDA phone is available to UK customers from today. XDA Orbit 2: now available from O2 The HTC-made handset was originally unveiled by O2 back in November 2007, but at the time the carrier would only said that the Orbit 2 would be available in the UK …

    Mobile 31 Jan 2008, 07:02

  • EU data ruling slaps filesharers with red herring

    Analysis BPI: You don't have to show us any stinkin' personal data

    Internet users in the UK can safely ignore this week's EU Courts of Justice ruling on data protection for filesharing: it's already irrelevant. On top of that, the judgement covers an ISP belief system that's being rapidly eroded by governments and rights holders behind closed doors. Neither fact has stopped the judgement …

    Law 31 Jan 2008, 08:02

  • Transport Dept. IT: 23 years late, £100m over-budget

    And that's a successful one...

    The Liberal Democrats have got their calculator out again and added up all the cost over-runs and delays at the myriad IT projects at the Department for Transport. Taken together, all the DfT's various IT projects are 23 years late and more than £100m over budget. This sounds bad until you realise that one project, the Shared …

    Management 31 Jan 2008, 09:51

  • Vodafone takes Ofcom to court over number porting

    And hits 3Q targets

    Vodafone is mounting a legal challenge to Ofcom's call for mobile operators to allow their customers to shift their number to another network within two hours. It is already possible to take your number with you when you shift network but it takes a few days. Ofcom said in July last year that it wanted the process speeded up …

    Mobile 31 Jan 2008, 10:05

  • Dell developing Google Android handset, moles claim

    Mobile World Congress outing?

    Dell will unveil a smartphone based on Google's Android platform and it'll do so at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) show in Barcelona next month. At least, that's what unnamed "senior industry sources" cited by UK trade paper Marketing Week claim. It also admitted Google insiders say that there's no near-future announcement …

    Mobile 31 Jan 2008, 10:32

  • Consult the Oracle for great book savings

    Site offer 40% off a range of Oracle 11g titles

    IDC reports that Oracle now has a 44.4 per cent market share and the latest release of Oracle 11g carries forward their vision for the database market. The titles below provide comprehensive coverage of this latest release and nearly all are 40 per cent off* on Register Books now. Oracle Database 11g New Features: Maximise …

    Site News 31 Jan 2008, 11:01

  • Samsung PS42Q97HDX 42in plasma HD TV

    Living Room Review Out of the lab and into the living room; Samsung's plasma in the real world

    You know how it is - you're sitting one day in front of your trusty CRT watching Apocalypse Now when you're suddenly struck by the feeling that you really aren't getting the full-fat cinematic experience. Fast forward two weeks, and some poor delivery bloke is heaving an enormous box out the back of a lorry, the contents of …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2008, 11:02

  • Apple delays Apple TV movie rental update two more weeks

    Haven't finished it on time

    Apple has delayed its major Apple TV software update "a week or two", the company annnounced last night. Admitting that the update, which should have gone live by now according to the schedule stated by CEO Steve Jobs during his Macworld Expo keynote, was "not quite finished" will be ready for the set-top box's Software Update …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2008, 11:10

  • SAS extends fingerprint ID system for domestic flights

    All voluntary - for now

    Swedish airline SAS is extending a biometric security program on national flights from Stockholm and Gothenburg and will roll it out to international flights in the near future. Approximately 50 per cent of all passengers on SAS's domestic flights travel will be able to use the biometric solution, the company announced this …

    Security 31 Jan 2008, 11:11

  • Apple ships Air

    Love it or hate it, it's here

    Apple has begun shipping its skinny MacBook Air laptop, a product that's managed to generate more controversy than even the iPhone has. Apple's MacBook Air: slim... The notebook is between 4mm and 19mm thick. It has a length of 32cm, a width of 22.7cm and weighs in at just 1.36kg. It has an LED-backlit 13.3in display and a …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2008, 11:33

  • Premium rate watchdog launches 'Am I being ripped off?' text line

    Probably

    PhonepayPlus, the daftly-named regulator formerly known as Icstis, has set itself the tall task of rebuilding trust in the premium rate industry. A new text service for consumers will check whether a top rate line is dodgy or not. The watchdog already provides a similar service through its website, where you can query hefty …

    Mobile 31 Jan 2008, 11:39

  • Lenovo builds up profits in Q3

    Lets go of mobile division

    Computer maker Lenovo is getting out of the mobile business after seeing handset sales slide in the third quarter. The vendor increased overall sales 15 per cent to $4.6bn in the third quarter ended 31 December 2007. Earnings before Interest Tax, Depreciation and Amortization, excluding restructuring costs, grew 91 per cent to …

    The Channel 31 Jan 2008, 11:44

  • KCom undermined by managed IT services business

    Show me the money

    Telecoms group KCom has blamed its ailing integration and managed IT services unit for the firm's lower than expected earnings in the last quarter. KCom, previously Kingston Communications, said in an interim management statement that the firm's results for its integration and managed services businesses had come in at the low …

    The Channel 31 Jan 2008, 11:49

  • Veggies a 'perversion of nature': Official

    NSFW Also suffer from 'low boiling point', claims Pravda

    We know how you lot like your scientific analysis: adequately researched, well-balanced and backed with solid evidence. You'll doubtless enjoy this piece down at Pravda, then, which confirms what the nutritionally-savvy among us have known all along: that vegetarianism isn't actually an informed lifestyle choice, but rather a …

    Bootnotes 31 Jan 2008, 11:52

  • Garmin takes on iPhone with satnav mobile

    Make calls, plan routes

    Is it a satnav, or is it a mobile phone? Garmin’s hoping you’ll think its latest device is both, because the Nüvifone lets you find locations and make calls through a fancy touchscreen UI. Garmin's Nüvifone: a mobile phone and GPS combined The Nüvifone combines 3.5G cellular connectivity with Garmin’s established GPS …

    Science 31 Jan 2008, 11:54

  • How to lose $7.2bn with just a few Basic skills

    Special report SocGen: it could've happened anywhere - and still might

    As I swept through Kent and Calais on a Eurostar last week, the financial markets again threw some entertainment my way in the shape of the SocGen debacle. My last Reg piece explained that the credit crunch was partly fuelled by VBA and that is what appears to have happened again. However, Eurostar trains don't have Wi-Fi, …

    Management 31 Jan 2008, 12:01

  • Panasonic punts HD printer

    Snap, pause and print

    It may look like a Nintendo DS that's missing its bottom screen, but the Panasonic KX-PX30 is actually a miniature printer that’s able to print still images from a High Definition video source. Panasonic's KX-PX30: prints images from an HD source Designed to replace Panasonic's existing KX-PX20 printer, which was unveiled …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2008, 12:02

  • Russian FSB 'protecting' Storm Worm gang

    Prosecution on ice

    The creators of the Storm Worm botnet are known to US authorities but a lack of co-operation from their counterparts in St. Petersburg, Russia, is preventing action being taken. St. Petersburg was the centre of the infamous Russian Business Network. It's also reckoned by some to be the city the Storm Worm (more properly Trojan …

    Security 31 Jan 2008, 12:05

  • Who’s got the buzz?

    Reg Tech Panel The IT industry winners and losers, as voted by you

    As we all know, cold logic and due diligence are only part of the story when it comes to buying and deploying technology. For a myriad of reasons, we are all subject to ‘the buzz’ – that is, the swirling clouds of fact, opinion and hearsay that accompany IT vendors wherever they go. To separate the leaders from the laggards, …

    Tech Panel 31 Jan 2008, 13:12

  • Swedish plods cuff remote-access robbery ring

    Virtual villains unplugged in foiled bank blag

    Swedish crooks almost managed to rob a bank using remote access gear attached to a computer, according to reports. The movie-style* ploy was foiled only at the last minute by an alert employee unplugging the kit, according to local prosecutors and cops. According to AP the attempted digital blag took place in August last year …

    Security 31 Jan 2008, 13:14

  • Nokia pledges eco-friendly AC adaptors

    Chargers to use less power

    Nokia is building on recent pledges to sell more eco-friendly handsets, by promising to halve the power consumption of its battery chargers. The Finnish phone company hopes to cut the average amount of energy used by its AC adaptors when in no-load mode - the time they spend plugged in but not charging a phone - by 50 per cent …

    Phones 31 Jan 2008, 13:15

  • NASA uses vertical treadmill to simulate zero-G jogging

    Astronauts driven up the wall

    NASA boffins have developed a curious new method of simulating the effects of exercise on astronauts in weightless conditions. They plan to conduct Earth-based trials on human test subjects suspended horizontally in mid-air while running on a vertical treadmill. "These studies are a key component of our research into how we …

    Science 31 Jan 2008, 13:22

  • Reg readers bring down HMRC website

    You deadline-dodging rotters

    Today is the last day for filing UK self-assessment tax returns, and believe it or not Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs website is struggling to keep up with demand. Many people are getting 404 errors rather than the log-in page. A spokeswoman for HMRC told the Reg: "The self-assessment website is temporarily unavailable for …

    Government 31 Jan 2008, 13:58

  • Pirate Bay slapped with copyright charges

    Claims business as usual

    The Pirate Bay said it will live on no matter what the outcome of a case brought by a Swedish prosecutor who charged four men involved with the running of the torrent tracker site today. A blog post on the outfit's website declares: "In case we lose the pending trial (yeah right) there will still not be any changes to the site …

    Law 31 Jan 2008, 14:08

  • Spyware another weapon for domestic abuse

    Remote controlling spouses

    Spyware is becoming a tool of domestic abuse, according to security researchers. Privacy-invading software packages are most commonly associated with surreptitiously snooping on victims to find out the passwords they use for online banking sites or bombarding them with invasive pop-up ads. But spyware can also be used as a …

    Security 31 Jan 2008, 14:37

  • UK military faces spectrum sell off

    Forces rely on air power to pay the bills

    The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) may sell off some of its reserved radio spectrum, potentially for large sums. Guidelines for sale of military frequencies are being drawn up by the communications regulator, Ofcom. “Public bodies and the MoD in particular hold some of the most valuable and sought-after radio spectrum," said …

    Networks 31 Jan 2008, 14:38

  • B&O reveals self-calibrating robo TV

    The set that watches itself

    HD TV manufacturers often claim their TVs provide a 1080p resolution, but how can you actually check it's delivering the best picture it can? Bang & Olufsen (B&O) has the answer: a robotic arm with a camera on the end. B&O's BeoVision 4 HD TV has a robotic arm for colour management Its BeoVision 4 Ppasma telly has a 1920 x …

    Hardware 31 Jan 2008, 15:05

  • Writing ‘Green IT’ at the top of the business agenda

    Reg Tech Panel Are we all pulling in the same direction?

    The level of importance placed on ‘green IT’ when it comes to choosing new kit and looking at different IT vendors isn’t that great, as 1,300 readers recently told us. It will be soon though, as the same survey revealed that while only about one in 20 say green related selection criteria are weighted highly in the procurement …

    Tech Panel 31 Jan 2008, 15:10

  • 'Facebook fatigue' kicks in as people tire of social networks

    Updated Seven Two year itch poke

    Shhh! Can you hear a hiss? That's the sound of naughty facts deflating the social networking balloon a tad. Whisper it, but numbers from web analytics outfit comScore have confirmed what the chatter in bars and cafes has been saying for months - people are, just, well, bored of social networks. The average length of time …

    Applications 31 Jan 2008, 15:19

  • Sony begins tracking customers' movements

    If you want them to, of course

    We’ve all looked through our photographs sometimes without any recollection of where they were taken. Thankfully, Sony’s developed a handy GPS widget that makes forgotten memories a thing of the past. Sony's GPS: tracks your position and logs your snap locations Using a process often dubbed GPS tagging, the GPS-CS1KASP unit …

    Science 31 Jan 2008, 15:40

  • Sarko Killer and Bruni sue Ryanair

    Better run run run run run run awaaaay....

    French fromage grand Nicolas "Killer" Sarkozy and squeeze Carli Bruni have decided that Ryanair's cut-price ad featuring a snap of the beaming lovers is a publicity stunt too far, and will seek redress in the courts, the BBC reports. The offending advert (see pic), punted in the French press to promote 100,000 cut-price …

    Bootnotes 31 Jan 2008, 16:09

  • Times Online denies knowledge of link spam campaign

    Black sheep at SEO firm

    Times Online has blamed a rogue individual at its search engine optimisation contractor Sitelynx for the link spam campaign that rained digital derision upon the UK's oldest daily national newspaper today. Speaking to The Reg, annoyed-sounding Times Online search editor Drew Broomhall denied that the site had any knowledge of …

    Media 31 Jan 2008, 16:37

  • IT problems force HMRC to extend tax deadline

    Put down your tax return and get down t'pub

    IT problems have forced Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to extend the deadline for filing tax returns to midnight on Friday. The self-assessment website has had problems all day and dozens of Reg readers have been unable to file their tax returns. But if you've been struggling with the website all day then relax. The …

    Small Biz 31 Jan 2008, 16:38

  • O2 may put iPhone on business rates

    And Vodafone rejigs data tariffs

    O2 is considering introducing business tariffs for customers who want to use iPhones at work. At the moment the iPhone is only available on an 18-month consumer contract once you've passed a credit check. The iPhone tariffs are being changed from tomorrow. A spokeswoman for O2 told us: "I can't really say much more to be …

    Mobile 31 Jan 2008, 16:53

  • Email trail from navy man to London 'terror' site goes fuzzy

    Shifty attitude becoming prosecution's main plank

    In pre-trial maneuvering this month the US government's case against ex-Navy signalman Hassan Abu-jihaad became more moth-eaten. Prosecutors filed an interesting brief indicating they had no evidence against the defendant of a terror plot modus operandi. Abu-jihaad has been charged with e-mailing information on the transit of …

    Law 31 Jan 2008, 16:55

  • EU watchdogs probe German and Swedish gambling blockades

    Bookies sans frontières

    German and Sweden are to be hauled over the coals by EU competition regulators for stopping online gaming firms entering their markets. New laws that came into force in Germany this month ban online gambling. The European commission is investigating whether the legislation contravenes EU law on free access to markets. EU …

    Law 31 Jan 2008, 17:05

  • Johnson pours fourth on SpringSource

    Enterprise support and that Sun "take over"

    Since it changed its name from Interface21 towards the end of 2007, open source tools developer SpringSource has been quick to capitalise on its position in open source. The first version of the Rod Johnson-devised Spring Framework was released just four years ago, in March 2004, but since then has quickly attracted an army of …

    Applications 31 Jan 2008, 18:51

  • Secret bidder delivers 'open access' to US airwaves

    And Eric Schmidt will die in 2039

    As the US Federal Communications Commission auctions off the coveted 700-MHz "C Block" - a prime portion of the American airwaves - bidding has topped $4.6bn. And that's a key number. $4.6bn is the "reserve price" for the C Block, and now that the FCC has at least that much in hand, we can be sure this juicy slice of wireless …

    Broadband 31 Jan 2008, 19:21

  • Amazon turns up volume, buys Audible

    Ear ear

    Amazon.com said today that it has agreed to buy digital spoken word audio provider Audible Inc for $11.50 a share. The online retailer valued the transaction at about $300m which includes Audible's cash and short-term investments. Under the deal, Amazon said it will start a cash tender offer to buy all of Audible's remaining …

    Media 31 Jan 2008, 19:29

  • Luddite and paranoid - why the big record labels failed at digital

    Midem Interview Martin Mills

    This is the second of four interviews on the State of Digital Music from this week's Midem event in Cannes. We'll hear from AIM's Alison Wenham next, followed by a view from the songwriters and composers. It's the conventional wisdom amongst some Reg readers that "the evil record labels" are dying, and deservedly so. But such a …

    Media 31 Jan 2008, 19:49

  • RealPlayer dinged by software watchdog group

    RealNetworks promises changes

    A software watchdog group has branded the two most recent versions of the RealPlayer media program "badware" because they don't give users adequate control over software components that are activated during installation. RealNetworks, maker of the program, has pledged to fix the issue relating to its most recent version and …

    Security 31 Jan 2008, 20:08

  • Rackable adds 1/4th busload of servers with quad-core Xeons

    (Load based on the average seating of a Greyhound bus)

    Rackable Systems is willing to cram the Intel 5400 chipset into pretty much any chassis it can get its hands on. Today the server n' storage firm began selling 13 new servers based on Xeon 5000 series quad-core chips. The company's new herd of boxen all have support for Intel's 1600MHz front side bus, and sport sixteen memory …

    Servers 31 Jan 2008, 23:09