27th February 2008 Archive

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Bitlocker hack is easily prevented, Microsoft says

Restoring Vista disk crypto's good name

A disk encryption system built into Windows Vista remains a viable way to protect sensitive files, according to Microsoft. In a blog posting, Russ Humphries, senior product manager for Windows Vista Security, outlined simple steps that users can take to prevent an attack laid out last week in a high-profile research report. He …

Channel Register 27 Feb 2008, 00:27
PSI takes a bigger swing at IBM's mainframe biz

Open mainframe server line scales up

Upstart mainframe house Platform Solutions is adding a bigger box to its lineup of Itanium-based servers that have been such a burr under IBM's saddle. PSI specializes in open server boxes that can run concurrent versions of z/OS, VSE, Windows Server and Linux. That ability to run mainframe software has put the startup under …

Servers 27 Feb 2008, 00:44
Quake rocks Britain

Global warming to blame?

Houses shook across much of Britain as the country experienced its biggest earthquake for thirty years early this morning. Impressively, within ten minutes of the tremors, CSEM (EMSC), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, revealed the cause: a 5.4 magnitude quake with an epicentre 10 miles north east of Lincoln, in …

Science 27 Feb 2008, 02:39
New York subpoenas Comcast 'reasonable network management' records

Rescues 20,000 souls

Let it be said that the state of New York cares for oppressed minorities. Word arrives from The AP that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has come to the rescue of the state's Comcast subscribers, though they account for less than half of one per cent of all cable-connected New York broadbanders. In the wake of the FCC's …

Telecoms 27 Feb 2008, 04:31
Watchdog sues US Justice Department over Google chatter

When privacy czars defect

The Electronic Frontier Foundation thinks it's mighty suspicious that Jayne Horvath left the US Department of Justice for a privacy gig at Google. On Tuesday, the net-minded public watchdog filed suit (PDF) against the DoJ, demanding records of conversations that took place between Horvath and Google before she defected to the …

Law 27 Feb 2008, 06:07
Cut to the Web Server Core: Windows Server 2008

Review Apache not served

Windows Server 2008, due for its official launch today, is a major upgrade for Microsoft's server platform, the first for around five years. Requiring a graphical user interface (GUI) on a server operating system always seemed odd, even back in 1993 when Microsoft released Windows NT 3.1. It has taken Microsoft until now to …

Operating Systems 27 Feb 2008, 07:02
Dell shows world its web services face

Your local office data center admin in Guadalajara

After a year chock-full of software acquisitions, Dell is ready to go public on its plans for flogging web-hosted services. At a San Francisco press gig on Tuesday, Dell president of global services Steve Schuckenbrock said the company will move into web-hosted IT monitoring and tech support. Not unexpected in the slightest, …

Channel Register 27 Feb 2008, 07:02
Why Yahoo!'s Stalker 2.0 service is a turn-off

Mobile creepware

While Yahoo! presses on with OneConnect, its creepy "Mobile Web 2.0" service, wiser heads in the mobile industry make a strong case why it's doomed to fail. When OneConnect was launched at Mobile World Congress a fortnight ago, I described it as the best thing to happen to stalkers since the invention of the dirty raincoat. …

Mobile 27 Feb 2008, 09:02
Disintegrating wind turbine caught on camera

Spectacular Danish brake failure

YouTubers have been enjoying some spectacular footage of the disintegration of a Danish wind turbine which ended up a bit broken after its brakes failed: The suicidal turbine was located at Hornslet near Aarhus. According to the Telegraph, the 60m-high structure was ten years old and manufactured by Vestas. Engineers who …

Environment 27 Feb 2008, 09:25
Should P2P filesharers be paid for filesharing?

Socking it to The Man

Take that, pigopolists! A novel idea has been proposed to take the fight to the RIAA and the BPI. Since P2P filesharing has a discovery element which permits people to discover new music at no cost - why shouldn't filesharers be compensated for filesharing? The idea was floated on the Open Rights Group discussion list earlier …

Music and Media 27 Feb 2008, 10:02
Google takes a swipe at OOXML

Updated Danish Unix group complains to EU

Google has slammed Microsoft’s Office Open XML (OOXML) format as being “insufficient and unnecessary”. The internet giant’s open source programs manager Zaheda Bhorat said yesterday on Google’s official blog that Redmond’s attempts to convince the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) to adopt OOXML as the …

Software 27 Feb 2008, 10:08
Sun will swallow Earth: Official

No escape from star's clutches

Two scientists from the University of Sussex and Mexico's University of Guanajuato appear to have confirmed that if we're still around in 7.6 billion years, global warming will be the least of our worries, since our beloved Mother Earth will be drawn inexorably towards the Sun and snuffed from existence. Sussex Uni's Robert …

Space 27 Feb 2008, 10:09
RIM opens executive lounge for all

No riff-raff please

When the BlackBerry first appeared in 1999 it may have helped strengthen your case for entry into Heathrow’s First Class lounge. But now that almost everyone owns one, manufacturer RIM has had to create an exclusive Owners Lounge instead. The online lounge, RIM claims, provides a “VIP experience” for owners and will help jet- …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 10:27
Hard drive replacement sparks singed disk situation

Flash. Bang. Wallop

Big data transfers can sometimes be painfully slow, but they shouldn’t cause you physical harm. Yet one Register Hardware reader feared he could have ended up in A&E after his new hard drive appeared to catch fire. Karl Sorrenson told us that he’d just finished transferring data from a Seagate hard drive onto a four-day-old …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 10:58
Intel fills green software gap

Who ya gonna call?

Everyone agrees that green computing is a great idea. Well, everyone but software makers. Last month, OpenEco's Energy Camp 2008 focused on traditional environmental issues - such as sustainable energy - it also touched on the role of IT. Concern about the carbon emissions of power stations powering Second Life servers was …

Software 27 Feb 2008, 11:02
Minister defends National ID Register security

'No risk of discs flying around'

The National Identity Register will have very limited access, stringent security and no risk of 'discs flying around', MPs have been told. Home Office minister Meg Hillier defended the government's plans for its controversial National Identity Scheme, as she faced questions about data security from a committee of MPs. Hillier …

Government 27 Feb 2008, 11:09
Sony talks up Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3

Red limited edition PSP too

To coincide with the US launch of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots in late Q2, Sony is introducing a PS3 bundle, which will include an 80GB console, MGS 4 and a DualShock 3 wireless controller for $499. Whether or not the MSG4 PS3 will be coloured or in any way branded - like the very, very cool Halo 3 Xbox 360 remains …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 11:10
AI prof: The robot terrorists are coming! Aiee!

Noel Sharkey issues another robopocalypse warning

Noted Brit media prof Noel Sharkey - perhaps most famous as a judge on TV's Robot Wars - has warned (again) of the coming danger to humanity posed by killer robots. But this time, rather than military deathdroids or homicidal mechanoid nurses (see below), Sharkey is flagging up the threat from killbots directed by sinister …

Science 27 Feb 2008, 11:17
O2 falls short of 3G target

Promises to do better

UK regulator Ofcom has ruled that O2 isn't rolling out its 3G network fast enough. The network operator reached only 76 per cent of the population by the end of 2007, rather than the 80 per cent required by its 3G licence. The length of the firm's licence could be cut unless O2 reaches its target. O2 said while the other four …

Mobile 27 Feb 2008, 11:23
Tiscali boss faces board showdown as sell-off rumours swirl

Make him an offer he can't refuse

The boss of Italian telecoms firm Tiscali, which has about two million UK broadband subscribers, is expected to quit the firm today. The firm's board will meet this afternoon to decide Tommaso Pompei's future and, it's reported, set the scene for a sell-off of the group's ISP businesses. The crunch confab follows speculation …

Telecoms 27 Feb 2008, 11:24
Dell debuts mid-range gaming box

XPS line extended

Dell has rolled out its latest gaming PC, the XPS 630, which should tick most of the boxes for the target audience. Dell's XPS 630: case lighting effects for boy racers The system's based on Nvidia's nForce 650 SLI chipset, so it's ready to be configured with a range of Intel CPUs - including overclock-friendly ones like …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 11:34
Logica admits outlook uncertain

Shaky start for new CEO

IT services group LogicaCMG admitted today that its outlook for 2008 remains uncertain as it posted full year results that were below market expectations. Pre-tax profit tumbled more than a quarter from £116.6m in 2006 to £84.1m for the year ended 31 December 2007. Adjusted operating profit was up two per cent to £207.6m …

Channel Register 27 Feb 2008, 11:54
InfoJack Trojan burrows into Windows CE machines

China syndrome - for now

Miscreants have created a Trojan capable of infecting mobile devices running Windows CE. The InfoJack Trojan spreads by either tricking mobile users into installing seemingly legitimate application installation files or if punters inadvertently use an infected memory card on vulnerable devices. The malware has been spotted …

Malware 27 Feb 2008, 12:01
Acer Aspire 2920 budget laptop

Review The notebook for your kids?

It’s the size of the Aspire 2920 that first catches your eye. Measuring in at 304 x 223 x 32mm, it’s not exactly a sub-notebook or MacBook Air, but the Acer is certainly on the smaller end of the scale. The 2.04kg weight suggests that the 2920 might find a home in your hand luggage when you go travelling. The shiny black lid …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 12:02
EC jacks up Microsoft fine by €899m

First company ever fined for failure to comply

The European Commission has added another €899m ($1.35bn) to the fine Microsoft must pay for failing to comply with the original anti-trust ruling in 2004. The fine covers the period from the 2004 decision to 22 October, 2007. The decision found that Microsoft was charging competitors too much for interoperability information …

Software 27 Feb 2008, 12:04
Apple posts iPhone 1.1.4 update

But jailbreak coder says don't upgrade yet

Zibri, the coder behind the latest iPhone jailbreaking and unlocking app, ZiPhone, has warned handset owners not to upgrade to the newly released version 1.1.4 firmware until the tool has been fully tested with the update. Apple posted the iPhone OS update last night. So far, all it's said about the new version is that the …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 12:18
Sony to bolster Sharp LCD deal with fresh Samsung pact?

LCDs? We got 'em

Sony's decision to team-up with Sharp to produce tenth-generation LCD panels may soon be followed by a second such deal, this time with Samsung. Sony and Samsung already have a partnership, S-LCD, formed in 2004. Sony currently gets all its LCD panels, used primarily in its Bravia TV range, from S-LCD. The deal with Sharp …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 12:37
Shrek studio looks to Toshiba to untie HD DVD bond

DWA admits it was 'well compensated' to back format

DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has confirmed the rumours: the company was "well-compensated" for its decision to offer movies only on HD DVD - a format it will continue to back, despite Toshiba's decision to abandon it. Katzenberg, speaking to news agency Reuters, didn't reveal how much money his company had …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 13:11
Gov boffins to carry out simulated London dirty bombing

Will carry official toxic-attack-expert IDs

The UK Home Office has warned passersby in London's Marylebone district not to panic if they should notice individuals releasing colourless, odourless gases into the crowded urban streets. Rather than evil terrorist mad-scientists carrying out a deadly nerve gas attack, these are responsible government-funded scientists carrying …

Government 27 Feb 2008, 13:19
BT pimped customer web data to advertisers last summer

Exclusive Denied secret relationship with Phorm, blamed malware

BT’s servers were secretly passing data on subscribers to its "new" advertising partner as long ago as last summer, though the companies refused to acknowledge any relationship at the time. BT - the UK's number one internet provider - finally revealed the plan earlier this month along with Virgin Media and Talk Talk, which …

Telecoms 27 Feb 2008, 13:29
Japanese joggers to get exercise earphones with attitude

'Get off your fat arse, you lazy good-for-nothing...'

Not everyone can afford a personal trainer, so Japanese company Sega Toys has come up with the next best thing: a pair of headphones that nag you to exercise more. Sega Toys' Body Trainer headphones monitor your exercise The Body Trainer cans look like a pair of standard sporty headphones, but include a small clip that …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 13:33
Sony clocks onto iPhone docks

Dock 'n' roll

Sony has unveiled an iPhone-compatible clock radio. It's also taken the wraps of its first ever DAB clock radio too. Sony's ICF-ClipMK2: welcome, iPhone The iPhone clock radio, dubbed the ICF-ClipMK2, comes with a wireless remote for controlling all the iPhone’s audio functions. The dock also accepts iPods, if you haven’t …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 15:32
Go!Messenger VoIP for 'fat' PSPs coming on Friday

Skype? Pah!

The PlayStation Portable’s (PSP) Go!Messenger service will finally go live on Friday, bringing VoIP and IM to owners of the first-gen PSP left in the cold by the recent Skype release. A teaser icon for Go!Messenger appeared last month alongside the launch of Skype for the PSP, but until today gamers only knew that Go!Messenger …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 15:37
Public don't want internet filters, MS tells MPs

Filters understood, but ignored

The Select Committee looking at harmful content on the internet and in video games was told yesterday that forcing companies to include "internet filters" on equipment was unrealistic. The Culture, Media, and Sport Committee heard evidence from lobby groups like the Children's Charities Coalition and Childnet International. …

Telecoms 27 Feb 2008, 16:16
Boffin: Coconut jumbo is millstone in disguise

Top chemist slams bio and synth fuels, says CO₂ offsets 'bogus'

The Royal Society of Chemistry, Europe's biggest stinks association, has weighed into the biofuel debate. RSC chief Dr Richard Pike, in a statement issued today, criticised current and near-future alternative fuel technologies and characterised carbon offsetting schemes as "bogus". "Where spin takes precedence over hard facts …

Environment 27 Feb 2008, 16:22
Nintendo works out UK Wii Fit price

Not long to wait now

Nintendo has set Wii owners' pulses racing by finally announcing that Wii Fit will set buyers back £70 in the UK, and €90 across the rest of Europe, this coming April. Nintendo's Wii Fit: wasn't Wii Sports exercise enough? The company’s had gamers sweating buckets over recent months by releasing information about the game …

Reg Hardware 27 Feb 2008, 16:52
Paper clip attack skewers Chip and PIN

Updated Tapping up

UK researchers have uncovered a serious flaw in the Chip and PIN machines that authenticate debit and credit card transactions. Two of the most popular PIN entry devices (PED) in the UK — the Ingenico i3300 and Dione Xtreme — are vulnerable to a "tapping attack", using nothing more sophisticated than a paper clip, a needle and …

Enterprise Security 27 Feb 2008, 17:05
Linux goes Wii

Brew you own?

Those enterprising folks at Game Cube Linux (GC Linux) claim to have developed a proof of concept version of Linux running natively on the best-selling Nintendo Wii games console. The software exploits the Twilight Hack, a quirk in some versions of the Zelda game that lets external software to be loaded without performing …

Applications 27 Feb 2008, 18:40
Comcast pays Americans to oppose net neutrality

Sleeping meat puppets

Comcast is now paying Americans to believe in deceptive ISPs. On Monday, when the US Federal Communication Commission hosted a public hearing that examined Comcast's penchant for throttling BitTorrent traffic, the big-name internet service provider paid "dozens of people" to attend the meeting on its behalf. According to …

Telecoms 27 Feb 2008, 19:56
User-friendly black hats debut Crimeware as a Service (CAAS)

'Instantly infect your favorite Fortune 500 company'

Security researchers have uncovered a new web-based service containing security credentials for more than 8,700 websites belonging to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. It allows miscreants to infect some of the internet's most popular destinations with a few clicks of the mouse. According to security provider …

Crime 27 Feb 2008, 20:04
Microsoft's LAMP answer arrives in pieces

Don't mention the Apache trip

Last summer, Microsoft said that February 27, 2008 would be the single biggest day of releases in its 30-year history, promising major updates to its server operating system, developer tools and database. After some fancy work fine-tuning PHP, MySQL and other open source code to Windows, Microsoft should have been ready to …

Applications 27 Feb 2008, 21:15
German high court throttles government net snooping

Surveillance law is verboten

Germany's highest court set tough new restrictions on the government's ability to intercept internet communications in a landmark ruling that said data stored on computers was covered under constitutional guarantees to personal privacy. "Collecting such data directly encroaches on a citizen's rights, given that fear of being …

Law 27 Feb 2008, 22:24
Can Microsoft teach tots digital-age virtue?

Analysis Conflict of counterfeit interest

Earlier this month, word got out that Microsoft was funding its own intellectual property rights curriculum in schools. The reaction was understandably negative. The basis of Redmond's pitch was a small survey they sponsored where nearly half of the kids polled said they were unfamiliar with the rules and guidelines of using …

Law 27 Feb 2008, 23:30