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28th February 2008 Archive

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  • Boffin stacks 16 PS3s to simulate black hole collisions

    Consoles for cosmology

    When most of us arrived home with our newly purchased PS3, we couldn't wait to start annihilating aliens in Resistance: Fall of Man or kicking butt kung fu-style in Virtua Fighter 5. Not astrophysicist Gaurav Khanna - he used his to build a supercomputer. Khanna now owns a total of 16 PS3 consoles, all linked together to …

    Reg Hardware 28 Feb 2008, 00:02

  • Agile lands role in games and business software

    Stranger in a strange land

    The recent Game Developer Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, California, is a surreal experience. You'll see cyberpunks rubbing elbows with marketing execs, artistes drinking lattes with engineers, Battlestar Galactica T-shirts stretched over round bellies beside leather pants slung over slim hips. It's colorful, it's noisy, …

    Software 28 Feb 2008, 06:02

  • Ofcom scuppered 61 pirate broadcasters in 2007

    Updated: Plus one Rubber Duck and half a dozen dodgy radios

    Sixty-one people were prosecuted for illegally broadcasting in the UK during the 2006/7 financial year, according to Ofcom's latest figures. One of those got off the charges, with the rest copping fines of about £7,000 between them plus £21,000 in costs. Six convictions for dodgy CE marking brought in another £11,500 in fines, …

    Policing 28 Feb 2008, 07:02

  • HMV blames rival for PS3 PlayTV pre-order puzzle

    Not our fault, guv

    HMV has blamed a rival retailer for its decision to post a webpage letting gamers pre-order the PlayStation 3 (PS3) DVR add-on, PlayTV - a page it yesterday yanked. HMV's PlayTV webpage: no more pre-orders The page allowed gamers to pre-order the £100 (€135/$200) PlayTV unit, said to be due for release on 28 March, even …

    Reg Hardware 28 Feb 2008, 08:02

  • Filesharers petition Downing Street on 'three strikes'

    Comment BPI, government and ISPA should be first to sign

    A petition urging the Prime Minister not to introduce "three strikes" legislation against illegal filesharing has made its debut on the 10 Downing Street website. In their campaign for digital freedoms, peer to peer users are demanding that the government doesn't force the issue. But ironically, they are inadvertently wishing …

    Law 28 Feb 2008, 08:02

  • VMware opens its products to security apps

    Come on in, the hypervisor's fine

    VMware has announced a way to better protect its products against malware by allowing third-party security programs to access key parts of a virtualised environment. VMsafe is the name the company has given to a set of application program interfaces (APIs) that security vendors can use to integrate their products into the …

    Channel Register 28 Feb 2008, 09:05

  • Swisscom chills to the sound of whalesong

    LogoWatch Joss-sticks inspire a 'sense of closeness'

    We're pretty disappointed to learn that Swisscom has disproved the theory that the Swiss are largely immune to rebranding madness, preferring to eschew the advances of the Strategy Boutique in favour of avoiding armed conflicts and counting other people's money. Sadly, the company has evidently answered the hypnotic siren song …

    Bootnotes 28 Feb 2008, 09:07

  • Google enters underwater cable business

    Readies $300m cable from US to Japan

    Apparently, Google has stopped somewhere short of setting up its very own wireless network. But its very own Verizon-battling underwater comms cable is good to go. In September, when we reported that Google was preparing to drag a multi-terabit communications cable under the Pacific Ocean, the world's largest search engine …

    Data Networking 28 Feb 2008, 09:22

  • Software company seeks 'Senior BJ assistant'

    NSFW An IT job that really sucks

    Those among you who are a bit down on your luck and don't mind getting your hands dirty to bring in a few bucks are directed to this tempting post down at Greek software outfit Fortytwo: The blurb is, admittedly, somewhat incoherent, and we assume "asdfasdf" is the successful applicant's reply to the MD asking: "So, how are …

    Bootnotes 28 Feb 2008, 09:23

  • Terminator Salvation is go for May 2009 release

    New Mexico to host 'post-apocalyptic future'

    The fourth Terminator movie - Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins - will hit cinemas on 22 May 2009, the makers have announced. Shooting on the McG-helmed film, which stars Christian Bale as rebel leader John Connor, will begin in May at Albuquerque Studios in New Mexico. It's the first of a planned trilogy which promises …

    Entertainment 28 Feb 2008, 09:28

  • NASA reveals Moon's rugged south pole

    Hi-res images capture mountainous terrain

    NASA has revealed "the highest resolution terrain mapping to date" of the Moon's south pole, revealing that it's "much more rugged than previously understood". Scientists at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena used* the Goldstone Solar System Radar in the Mojave Desert to capture the 20 metres per pixel data - …

    Space 28 Feb 2008, 10:37

  • Asus Eee PC gives Sony the willies

    If Elfin laptop pulls in punters, it'll pull down prices

    It's official: Sony fears the Asus Eee PC. It worries the elfin notebook's low price, low spec approach could cut the bottom out of the laptop business. "If [Asus' Eee PC] starts to do well, we are all in trouble," Mike Abary, a senior VP with Sony US' IT products operation, told Cnet. "That's just a race to the bottom... if …

    Reg Hardware 28 Feb 2008, 10:47

  • Cool Rules for the FCC: In the Lions's Den

    Opinion Bennett goes to Boston

    Testifying as an expert witness on bandwidth management at the FCC's field hearing in snowy Cambridge this Monday was a heady experience. The hearing took place in a cramped corner of the Harvard Law School, a building that was already decorated with pickets, banners, and reporters when I arrived. Gingerly stepping through the …

    Telecoms 28 Feb 2008, 11:00

  • Security can come cheaply

    Get ahead of the curve

    Security has always been a major factor in IT and continues to grow in importance. Recent government data slip-ups have only served to emphasise that security is key, whether on your home PC or in a large scale corporate system. There is little room for error and the damage can be irreparable if your systems are breached, so …

    Site News 28 Feb 2008, 11:02

  • US gov now says Eye-o-Sauron™ border masts are crap

    Plan to buy new, better Eye-o-Sauron™ 2.0

    After revealing last week that a pilot installation of controversial, buggy border-security scanner towers had finally been accepted into service, the US government has now admitted that the project is a technical failure. Plans to build a so-called "virtual fence" along the Mexican border will proceed, but there will be long …

    Policing 28 Feb 2008, 11:05

  • Apple optimistic it will sell 10 million iPhones by year's end

    Updated Irish debut, announced today, will help

    Apple is "really confident" it will sell 10m iPhones by the end of the year, the company's COO, Tim Cook, said yesterday. Today, O2 announced the phone's launch in Ireland. Cook was speaking at a Goldman Sachs investment conference and his comments came on the day Apple invited analysts to a meeting to be held next week at …

    Reg Hardware 28 Feb 2008, 11:27

  • Tablet users jump for joy over K-Sketch

    Animation app euphoria

    K-Sketch, a new application for the Tablet PC platform, allows animations to be created from sketches just by dragging them around the screen. Tablet PC users were teased with a video of the platform two years ago. Most Tablet users never get round to twisting their keyboards under their screens, and truly keyboard-less …

    Applications 28 Feb 2008, 11:32

  • Phishers clean up at online casinos

    Poker faced fraud

    Email fraudsters are increasingly targeting customers of online casinos with phishing attacks. A wave of assaults against punters betting in casinos run from Antigua and the Dutch Antilles shows that attackers are extending their range beyond targets such as online banks and eBay. The trend was picked up by security firm …

    Crime 28 Feb 2008, 11:38

  • Nintendo DS linked to LCD price-fixing scandal

    Sharp and Hitachi probed

    Japan’s Fair Trade Commission has raided the offices of Sharp and Hitachi over allegations that they've been illegally fixing the price of LCD screens said to have been bought by Nintendo for its DS handheld console. Nintendo's DS Lite: price set to fall? According to Japanese law, Sharp and Hitachi could each be fined up …

    Reg Hardware 28 Feb 2008, 11:41

  • Information wants to be free... except at UK Customs

    Joined up e-govt in action

    Millions has been spent on consultants helping implement e-government. But has it ever been spent more effectively than this example? Over at HM Customs (HMRC), inspectors can find an online version of the National Insurance Manual. Let's take a look. Now what if you're a compliance officer who suspects that there's fraud …

    Public Sector 28 Feb 2008, 11:41

  • Canon Digital Ixus 70 compact camera

    Review Minimalist masterpiece

    Apple has the iPod - Canon has the Ixus. And like Apple, Canon is continually revising and refreshing its Ixus brand. So, is the Digital Ixus 70 a case of a radical product overhaul or just the same chocolates in a different box? First impressions are that the Ixus 70 isn't the most exciting camera to look at. It’s basically a …

    Reg Hardware 28 Feb 2008, 12:02

  • Confidential Home Office data turns up in laptop on eBay

    But encrypted this time

    Yet more confidential UK government files may have been mislaid by public servants. However, in a sign that Whitehall may be raising its game slightly, this time the data was encrypted - and the copies originally lost have been recovered. The Guardian reports today that a small IT-repair firm near Bolton received a laptop on …

    Public Sector 28 Feb 2008, 12:24

  • Many Xbox 360s fail within three months

    SquareTrade stats uncover more faults

    Electronics warranty firm SquareTrade has already claimed that the Xbox 360 has a 16.4 per cent of breaking down, but more stats released by the firm show that the console is most likely to fail during its first three months of use. The figures are based on its recent study into Xbox 360 failures, which examined 1040 …

    Reg Hardware 28 Feb 2008, 13:16

  • BT preps 2000 per cent evening call price hike

    Someone's got to pay for free weekend calls

    BT is in the middle of a massive marketing campaign for its new "Unlimited Weekends" calls package, which will offer free calls on Saturdays and Sundays. There's a doozy of a catch, however: weekday evening call charges will rocket to more than 2000 per cent of their current cost. Unlimited Weekends will replace BT Together …

    Telecoms 28 Feb 2008, 14:08

  • MacBook Air not snazzy enough? Get it crystalised

    More bling for your buck

    Established bling merchant Crystal Icing has already added glass-made sparklies to many gadgets, so it was probably just a matter of time before it turned its glue-gun onto Apple’s MacBook Air. Crystal Ice's Air: would you do this to your MacBook? The service is available to all, but the company told Register Hardware that …

    Reg Hardware 28 Feb 2008, 14:31

  • Elon Musk delays SpaceX launch until 2009

    'Off the shelf' rocket suffering technical hiccups

    Visionary PayPal multi-millionaire Elon Musk has revealed setbacks in his plans to develop cheaper access to space. It now appears that the inaugural flight of Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher and Dragon capsule will be put back from early Q4 this year to late Q1 2009. Speaking to Flight International, Musk blamed the delay on …

    Space 28 Feb 2008, 14:52

  • Malware removes rival rootkits

    Worm wars get stealthy

    Miscreants have created a strain of malware capable of removing rootkits from compromised PCs, only to install almost undetectable backdoor code of its own. The Pandex Trojan stops previously installed rootkits from working by removing their hooks into system calls. Pandex then installs its own rootkit component, detected by …

    Channel Register 28 Feb 2008, 15:05

  • Nokia wins another round in Qualcomm battle

    Trade body stands by US import ruling

    Nokia has won another round in its ongoing spat with Qualcomm, as the US International Trade Commission stood by its decision to allow Nokia to import handsets into the USA. Qualcomm had hoped that an investigation into the 12 December ruling would result in a review and subsequent ban on Nokia importing its handsets into the …

    Mobile 28 Feb 2008, 15:41

  • Wipe the floor with Space Invaders

    Set phasers to fun

    Governments may have been denying the existence of aliens for decades, but Register Hardware knows they exist because they’ve landed on our doormat - quite literally. Space Invaders are back Yes, if you’re a devoted retro-gamer sick of all the talk about Wii-this, PS3-that and Xbox-t'other then a Space Invaders doormat is …

    Reg Hardware 28 Feb 2008, 15:49

  • Sony drives at Ion with own-brand USB turntable

    Rippin' and clubbin'

    Vinyl record fans with a love for the PC no longer have to rely on manufacturer Ion for USB turntables, because Sony has stepped up to the mic and spun out a USB model of its own. The PS-LX300USB isn’t particularly stylish, but then how many turntables are? Nonetheless, an up-and-coming Fat Boy Slim can scratch to their heart’ …

    Reg Hardware 28 Feb 2008, 15:58

  • Court must reconsider Microsoft Excel patent damages

    Show me the reason, and we'll show you the money

    A US appeals court has ordered a reconsideration of the damages that Microsoft must pay to a Guatemalan inventor who successfully sued it for patent infringement. Carlos Armando Amado won a case in 2006 against the software giant. The court accepted that Microsoft had infringed a patent he held for software that connects …

    Channel Register 28 Feb 2008, 17:16

  • Elonex £99 Eee PC rival to arrive in June

    Pay £10 to get to the front of the queue

    Elonex has rolled out its sub-£100 Linux-based laptop, the One, but it looks like it's going to prove harder get hold of than Asus Eee PC has been. Elonex One: reserve yours now Elonex today unveiled black, pink, green, white and silver Ones to whet buyers' appetites. However, it admitted that the initial batch with …

    Reg Hardware 28 Feb 2008, 17:54

  • Start-up boost planned for Windows Vista applications

    Cold start heats up

    Microsoft is planning updates to the .NET Framework 3.5 later this year to improve installation and performance of applications running on Windows Vista. This summer will see changes to the setup framework, the Common Language Runtime (CLR), and Windows Programming Framework (WPF). It's hoped that these changes will speed …

    Operating Systems 28 Feb 2008, 19:17

  • Steve Ballmer lies to my mother

    Hotmail and Messenger still dead

    Steve Ballmer isn't above lying to my mother. Early Tuesday morning, California time, word arrived from Reg readers on both sides of the Atlantic that Hotmail and other Windows Live/MSN services, including Windows Live Messenger, were on the fritz. And within a few hours, it was clear that the outage hit users across the globe …

    Applications 28 Feb 2008, 19:51

  • Sun throws a quicker tape parade

    Mid-sized library, new cartridges, and an Infinite Archive

    Sun Microsystems is today shrinking the gear in its heftiest StorageTek modular tape library system for a new machine more palatable to the mid-range set. The company is also punting a new tape cartridge, an upgrade to its key management system, and a data archiving rack system to boot. Crank that library to medium The …

    Storage 28 Feb 2008, 22:08