25th February 2008 Archive

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How much does a data breach cost UK companies?

Financial services suffer most

Data breaches cost UK companies an average of £47 for every record lost. This means the average cost to a company which suffers a data breach is £1.4m. The Ponemon Institute isn't pulling these figures out of the ether - it talked to 21 UK companies about how much actual data breaches cost them. From a total of £47 per record …

Business 25 Feb 2008, 07:02
Newcomer punts miniature 'pub phone'

Perfect for pocketing?

It’s small, it’s shiny and it’s perfect for the pub, apparently. Electronics company Onyx has designed a miniature mobile phone that’s intended to be used in addition to your primary handset. Onyx's Liscio: a mobile down-time Dubbed Liscio, the tri-band GSM handset measures just 91 x 35 x 18mm and weighs a mere 60g. Onyx, …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 08:02
MS axes Xbox 360 HD DVD drive

After Toshiba, after the studios...

Microsoft is dropping its HD DVD add-on drive from its list of Xbox 360 add-ons, the software giant revealed this past weekend. The blame was placed firmly on "recent decisions made by Toshiba, Hollywood studios, and retailers", but whoever's responsible, MS will "no longer manufacture new HD DVD players for the Xbox 360". …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 08:41
Doctor Who and the moody Dane

Stob Hey non nonny, nonny

Perhaps motivated by the desire to avoid type-casting, David Tennant is to take time off from television, to lead the RSC's forthcoming production of Hamlet. Your correspondent sneaked into early rehearsals. Episode I. Elsinore. The guard-platform of the Castle. Enter HAMLET, HORATIO and MARCELLUS. Hamlet The air bites …

Bootnotes 25 Feb 2008, 09:02
Lindsay Lohan sweeps Razzies

Eight gongs for I Know Who Killed Me

Lindsay Lohan has been honoured for her contribution to cinema with no less than three Razzies - two worst actress gongs and a worst screen couple award for her twin roles in I Know Who Killed Me - on a night when the film broke the all-time record for Golden Raspberries. The Lohan vehicle also picked up trophies for Worst …

Entertainment 25 Feb 2008, 09:46
Airline pilot sacked for 777 Top Gun stunt

Wheels-up flypast, 30ft above runway

A senior pilot with Cathay Pacific Airways has been sacked for an "unauthorised low-level flypast" of a new Boeing 777-300ER in Seattle last month, Flight International reports. Ian Wilkinson had just taken delivery of the aircraft on 30 January and, after take-off from Everett Airport en route to Hong Kong with about 50 to 60 …

Bootnotes 25 Feb 2008, 09:54
Sarko verbal spat proves YouTube hit

'Get lost, you stupid b*stard', prez tells voter

French prez Nicolas Sarkozy has reinforced his reputation as a man to be reckoned with after telling a disgruntled voter to get stuffed at an agricultural fair in Paris on Saturday. The banter has become a huge YouTube hit. Sarko got a bit stroppy when said pleb refused to shake his hand and insisted: "Oh no, don't touch me." …

Bootnotes 25 Feb 2008, 09:55
Pakistan blocks YouTube

Updated: And world loses access for an hour

Pakistan became the latest nation to block access to YouTube, although much of the country has now had access restored. The plug was pulled late last week by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, but mistakes over the weekend meant the site was blocked worldwide for more than an hour on Sunday, the BBC reports. Reports …

Telecoms 25 Feb 2008, 09:56
Morocco jails Facebook faker

Prince impersonator gets three years

A Moroccan IT engineer has been jailed for three years for setting up a fake Facebook profile impersonating a member of the country's royal family. The jail time was handed down on Friday by a court in Casablanca, which had found Fouad Mourtada guilty of "usurping the identity of HRH Prince Moulay Rachid". The 26-year-old was …

Music and Media 25 Feb 2008, 09:57
Krell touts top-rank iPod dock

Sounds good

There are plenty of iPod docking stations available right now, but if you demand nothing but the best for your Apple player - and have the cash to get it - then high-end stereo manufacturer Krell reckons it has the perfect dock for you. Krell's KID iPod dock: expensive Its KID iPod dock is being marketed with that bold …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 10:27
Neterion's NICs are virtually there

Spring kicks off with virtual migrations

10Gig Ethernet specialist Neterion is announcing its third generation of virtualisation-aware network adapters at VMworld Europe this week, with a claim that these NICs will greatly speed up network-intensive tasks such as migrating virtual machines (VMs) from one server to another. The cards offload work normally done in the …

Data Networking 25 Feb 2008, 11:00
Judge greenlights lawsuit against Microsoft

Sticky issue of deceptive 'Vista Capable' labels

A US judge has given the go-ahead for consumers to file a class action lawsuit against Microsoft for providing misleading information about Windows XP computers being able to run Vista. Redmond’s “Windows Vista Capable” labels first appeared on computers in April 2006, even though the firm’s latest operating system didn’t get a …

Channel Register 25 Feb 2008, 11:04
Scotland Yard careers website defaced

Hot Fuzz

Unknown hackers defaced the Metropolitan Police's careers website over the weekend. Digital graffiti on metpolicecareers.co.uk featured a picture of a greenish cuddly monster (vaguely resembling Sulley from Monsters Inc) and a message mocking Scotland Yard's anti-terrorism unit. The offending message has since been purged …

Enterprise Security 25 Feb 2008, 11:04
Nokia unwraps bendy nanotech phone

Roll with it

Nokia and the University of Cambridge jointly designed a concept mobile phone that allows users to mould the handset into different shapes. Nokia's Morph: formed from shape-altering substances Dubbed Morph, the handset has been designed to demonstrate the possible future benefits of nanotechnology for mobile devices. Morph …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 11:17
Microsoft emails its staff to reassure Yahoos

!!!!! Hey guys, it's all about you

Microsoft exec Kevin Johnson has emailed all Microsoft staff to reassure them about the Yahoo! acquistion. The mail, which was publicly released, seems to be as much for Yahoo! staff as for existing Microsofters. For instance, the mail reassures west coasters that Microsoft intends to keep Yahoo!'s Silicon Valley offices and …

Channel Register 25 Feb 2008, 11:38
Toshiba Portégé R500 slimline laptop

Review Not as sleek as the Air, but packs more features

Take this boy out of the box and the first thing you’re going to say — we guarantee it — is “strewth, that’s light”. We did. After years of carrying around small notebooks that were still big in weight, picking up this featherlight laptop was a real surprise. OK, something as small as, say, the Asus Eee you expect not to weigh …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 12:02
The evolution of Crystal Reports

White paper special

While databases have proved adept at holding vast sums of really useful information, they have lagged when it comes to serving up data in a way suited to human consumption. Two changes, though, have come to the rescue. The first was Online-Analytical Processing (OLAP), which let users slice and dice data in all kinds of …

Applications 25 Feb 2008, 12:02
Time to balance WS-* and REST

Relative needs

The WS-* stack was conceived and driven forward by IBM and Microsoft, with other vendors cooperating on specifications where they had relevant expertise (Verisign on Security, BEA Systems on transactions and so on). The design philosophy was for a relatively simple and efficient basic mode of operation, with optional features …

Software 25 Feb 2008, 12:02
Samsung laptop battery burns

Pillow-as-desk usage to blame?

A Samsung laptop's battery caught fire yesterday, setting light to the bed it had been left on, South Korean firefighters have revealed. The P10 laptop overheated, causing the bedclothes to smoulder and burn. No one was hurt in the incident, Reuters reports, which took place in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, South Korea. Details are …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 12:10
Fujitsu preps 500GB laptop HDD

Me too

Fujitsu has become the latest hard drive maker to spin up a 2.5in laptop hard drive capable of holding up to half a terabyte of data. Fujitsu's MHZ2 BT: half a terabyte in laptop-friendly form Its MHZ2 BT family connects to the host over a 3Gb/s SATA link. Each drive has 8MB of cache on board, and consumes up to 1.8W when …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 12:32
Virgin exhibits coconut-powered flying jumbo

Scum-nourished flight a Vulture-only trick for now

Bearded biz kingpin Richard Branson oversaw a successful trial of a Virgin 747 partially powered by biofuel blends yesterday, but was forced to admit that the fuel used on this occasion probably couldn't offer a clean green future for airlines. As had been anticipated, the joint trial by Boeing and Virgin on Sunday saw a jumbo …

Science 25 Feb 2008, 12:39
Sony claims home cinema kit helps movie buffs keep the noise down

Keep listening

If you’ve recently been served with an ASBO for making too much noise, then Sony’s lined-up a home cinema range that should help, because its latest speaker and player combo range automatically limits sudden loud sound effects. Sony's DAV-DZ: suppresses sudden sound bursts All three models in the Bravia DAV-DZ home cinema …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 13:03
Trend Micro snaps up UK-based email crypto firm

Scrambling for safety

Trend Micro, the security firm best known for its PC-cillin anti-virus software, has acquired UK-based email encryption firm Identum. Terms of the deal, announced Monday, were undisclosed. Identum's email encryption technology will be rolled into Trend's existing portfolio of content and web-security products under the Trend …

Enterprise Security 25 Feb 2008, 13:06
Canon eyes biometric photo tagging

Eyes front

If you’re sick of other folk claiming the kudos for your well-framed shots then Canon may have the answer. The company has filed a patent application for a technology that allows each camera snap to be embedded with a digital watermark of your iris. Canon’s camera would incorporate an infra-red sensor to capture the …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 13:07
Eye-o-Sauron™ man-tracker masts now fully online, says DHS

Chertoff: Scan-tech will be 'every place on border'

US security overlord Michael Chertoff has announced that the troubled, delayed "virtual fence" pilot project developed in Arizona for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has finally been accepted into government service. Reuters reports that Chertoff revealed formal acceptance of the "Project 28" pilot scheme on Friday …

Government 25 Feb 2008, 13:13
ISP data deal with former 'spyware' boss triggers privacy fears

Don't worry, 'that was a long time ago'

More than ten million customers of the UK's three largest ISPs will have their browsing habits sold to a company with roots in the murky world of spyware. The deal has sparked fears over privacy, but today Phorm, the firm behind the new advertising system, strongly rejected such concerns. BT, Virgin Media, and Carphone …

Telecoms 25 Feb 2008, 13:57
Powerline Ethernet specialist preps 400Mb/s unit

First public demos next month

Powerline networking specialist Devolo will next month demo an Ethernet-over-the-mains prototype capable of delivering up to 400Mb/s bandwidth. Devolo's keeping mum about the details until it shows the kit off at the CeBIT show in Hannover. We suspect the unit essentially comprises two separate 200Mb/s HomePlug AV that sit …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 15:08
Pioneer passes up petite plasma production

Company will only produce 50in and above

Pioneer is reportedly planning to stop making 42in plasma displays, outsourcing manufacture to a third party so it can focus its own manufacturing efforts on screens that are 50in or bigger. The report, which has appeared in Japanese newspaper Asahi and was later picked-up by Reuters, gives no official reason for the move. It …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 15:14
Taliban demand night-time cell tower shutdown

Anti-Wi-Fi fatwa feared

Reports out of Afghanistan say that the Taliban have threatened attacks on mobile phone companies unless "signals" are "stopped" at night. Reportedly the hardline Islamic militia believes that cell towers are being used to locate and track Taliban gunmen. The BBC quotes Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujaheed as saying: "If those …

Mobile 25 Feb 2008, 15:35
DivX shutters also-ran cat piano video site

User-generated costs

Media player and format licensing outfit DivX has announced it will close down Stage6.com, its effort at a YouTube-style user-generated video site featuring cats playing piano, dogs on skateboards and mid-Western teenagers miming to Linkin Park. The firm said it plans to cut the power on 28 February. That gradient is bad …

Music and Media 25 Feb 2008, 15:44
WMG remixes digital execs

Zubillaga paves way for Nash (no, not Kate)

Warner Music Group (WMG) today confirmed that Michael Nash will replace Alejandro Zubillaga as the firm’s new digital strategy and business development VP. The leadership shake-up was agreed by mutual consent, with Zubillaga - who is WMG chairman and CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr's brother-in-law - expected to step down on 1 June to …

Music and Media 25 Feb 2008, 15:57
Dicota Take.Off Control iPod and laptop bag

Unwired Video Review A bag. With integrated iPod controls

This laptop messenger bag from Dicota is called the ‘Take.Off Control’, and it’s got iPod buttons built right into the strap, meaning you don’t have to fiddle with your audio player to change tracks or volume. It fits laptops up to 15.4in widescreen. It’s well built, but costs £75 - is it worth the money? Can't see the …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 16:36
Sony talks up titanium-clad shooter

Tough enough?

If you’re worried about scratches and knocks affecting the look and performance of your camera, then Sony’s created one that’s as hard as nails, thanks to a titanium shell. Sony's W300: a titanium shell protects the 13.6-megapixel camera The 13.6-megapixel Cyber-shot W300’s coating is, Sony said, around five times tougher …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 16:44
Yes! It's the vacuum cleaner mouse!

It really sucks (you're fired - Ed)

It isn’t often that Register Hardware gets the opportunity to say just how much a product sucks, so this time we’re going to milk it. Japanese gadget specialist Thanko has created a mouse that’s also a minature vacuum cleaner. Thanko's mouse looks pretty normal, until... Built into the 62 x 115 x 40mm mouse is a dinky vac …

Reg Hardware 25 Feb 2008, 16:54
Spammers crack Gmail Captcha

Fresh fruit for rotting vegetables

Spammers, fresh from the success of cracking the Windows Live captcha used by Hotmail, have broken the equivalent system at Gmail. Internet security firm Websense reports that miscreants have created bots which are capable of signing up and creating random Gmail accounts for spamming purposes, defeating Captcha-based defences …

Spam 25 Feb 2008, 17:10
EMC does VTL on mainframe, bumps RecoverPoint to 3.0

zSeries backup, CLR replication, thunder lizards...

EMC will spin into IBM's turf next month by punting a virtual tape library (VTL) system for mainframe backup. The storage firm is also releasing Recoverpoint 3.0 with improved continuous data replication, more Clariion compatibility, and shinier graphics. Mainframe excursion The EMC Disk Library for Mainframe (DLm) is a …

Storage 25 Feb 2008, 17:47
Novell wants PlateSpin for $205m

Canadian virtualization startup consumed

Novell wants to buy the Toronto-based virtualization firm PlateSpin for $205m cash. And you know what, they probably will. The Linux vendor said the to-be-acquired company will continue to operate in its Canadian headquarters, with business cards swapped to the Linux vendor's Systems and Resource Management business unit. The …

Virtualization 25 Feb 2008, 19:51
MetaRAM double stuffs servers with memory

256GB box for ~~$500k~~ $50k

Fred Weber has a good thing going. As CTO of AMD, he spearheaded much of the work around adding 64-bit extensions to x86 processors. Those extensions made it possible for x86 servers to tap vast amounts of memory. Now, Weber, as CEO of start-up MetaRAM, wants to sell you a ton of memory. MetaRAM has rolled out technology that …

Servers 25 Feb 2008, 20:25
Microsoft and Adobe jockey on rich applications

IE 8 hoves into view

Adobe Systems and Microsoft are jockeying for attention with pronouncements on new and planned software for the development of online content, applications and hybrid desktop applications. Adobe on Monday released the highly anticipated first version of its Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) with tools for programmers building …

Applications 25 Feb 2008, 20:47
VMware vuln exposes the perils of virtualization

Container raider

Security researchers have discovered a bug in VMware desktop virtualization applications that allows attackers to take complete control of the underlying PC, including the execution or modification of files on the host operating system. The vulnerability, which was unearthed by researchers from Core Security Technologies, is …

Enterprise Security 25 Feb 2008, 22:03
Intel will flush Xeon line with six-core Dunny

Going native

Rarely the rebel, Intel looks to shake up the processor game with a six-core chip. Some Intel slideware leaked onto the interweb shows the "Dunnington" version of Xeon arriving in the second half of this year with 6 cores. To date, the major chip makers have done two- and four-core processors, while Sun has an eight-core chip …

Servers 25 Feb 2008, 22:47
Subprime PC retailer coughs up $5m fine

BlueHippo tramples on the poor

BlueHippo bills itself as a company that has "helped thousands of Americans with limited financing options purchase computers, flat screen televisions, and other electronic equipment". This may be true. But it's also worth noting that BlueHippo will soon fork over as much as $5m to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that an …

Channel Register 25 Feb 2008, 23:31
eBay boycott results in mixed feedback

A++++ protest! Highly recommended! Would boycott again!

Today marks the end of a week-long boycott of eBay from a semi-organized group of "power sellers" who feel shortchanged over recent pricing changes. eBay announced late last month it would charge auctioneers between 25 and 50 per cent less to list their items on the site — but then take a larger slice of fees when the item …

Small Biz 25 Feb 2008, 23:34