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4th April 2008 Archive

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  • Creative climbs down over home brew Vista drivers

    Daniel-K slams 'arrogant and sarcastic' company

    A Brazilian developer threatened with legal action by Creative for making its soundcards work better with Vista has had his work reinstated on the company's website. Daniel Kawakami, better known by the moniker Daniel_K, modified a range of Creative's drivers to make the company's soundcards work smoothly with Windows Vista. …

    PCs & Chips 4 Apr 2008, 00:03

  • Sun sues NetApp, take three

    NetApp needs a c-c-c-combo breaker!

    Sun Microsystems continues to sick its legal squad on NetApp, waving another fresh batch of patents the Java king feels have been unjustly violated. This time at issue is NetApp's storage management software that it acquired with the purchase of Onaro in January. Sun claims NetApp's Onaro SANscreen and NAS Insight software …

    Storage 4 Apr 2008, 00:42

  • People say Google will buy Skype and Expedia and, and, and, and

    The Reg plays telephone

    If you believe the rumor mill, Google is on the verge of gobbling both Skype and Expedia. On Tuesday, Michael TechCrunch Arrington decided that the world's largest search engine had an eye on Skype - which hasn't exactly meshed with eBay - and apparently, this was not an April Fools joke. "Something big is brewing between …

    Financial News 4 Apr 2008, 00:44

  • BlackBerry rival Visto pushes job cuts

    A third of London office gets the chop

    Visto, the Silicon Valley push email developer, told London staff on Thursday that about one third are for the chop, because financial backers are demanding a profit this year. The London round of cuts is described by sources as "large scale", affecting senior IT staff, development, product services and pre-sales workers. A …

    Mobile 4 Apr 2008, 07:02

  • New banking code cracks down on out-of-date software

    Customers liable for losses

    The banking industry has re-affirmed a policy that makes online banking customers responsible for losses if they have out of date anti-virus or anti-phishing protection. New Banking Codes for consumers and businesses took effect on Monday. The Banking Code produced by the British Bankers' Association (BBA), and followed by …

    ID 4 Apr 2008, 07:02

  • Blue Dasher seeks customers for street-level photographs

    CTIA '08 Technology looking for application?

    On Tuesday Blue Dasher announced it had accumulated complete street-level photography of every road in San Francisco, South Florida and Las Vegas. Today we sat down with the company in CTIA, who told us why. The technology that Miami-based Blue Dasher uses is impressive enough: its cars, complete with little periscope sticking …

    Mobile 4 Apr 2008, 08:02

  • UK.gov password protects Aryan Governance Summit site

    Updated 'Promoting Prosperity' through National Socialism

    The powers that be yesterday blocked unauthorised access to the website of the Progressive Governance Summit following our discovery that it was, in lieu of "Promoting Prosperity", actually promoting National Socialism. The chilling proof of UK.gov's plans for a blond-haired, blue-eyed future comes in the form of the logo, as …

    Bootnotes 4 Apr 2008, 08:54

  • Business rival makes highest ever online libel payout

    £119,000 in damages - costs to be decided

    A company and its chief executive will be paid the highest damages yet awarded for libel on the internet in the UK. Peter Walls and Gentoo will be paid £119,000 by rival firm owner John Finn. Finn initially denied posting a series of defamatory and abusive comments but changed his position during a trial last year and has …

    Law 4 Apr 2008, 09:26

  • US teen cuffed for disposable camera 'Taser'

    Felony charges over 'homemade weapon' shocker

    A 14-year-old Connecticut student was on Wednesday charged with "possession of a weapon at school, breach of peace and attempted assault" after turning up at his Clinton classroom with a "homemade weapon" fashioned from a disposable camera. According to Connecticut's WFSB, the Morgan High School student had opened up said …

    Bootnotes 4 Apr 2008, 09:27

  • Carphone Warehouse stares down BPI and UK.gov on three strikes

    'File-sharing is a right, not a privilege'

    Carphone Warehouse has called the government's bluff by stating that it will not cooperate with the record industry to clamp down on copyright infringement over peer-to-peer networks. In a statement today, CEO Charles Dunstone said: "Our position is very clear, we are the conduit* that gives users access to the Internet, we do …

    Telecoms 4 Apr 2008, 09:43

  • Brown ignores scientists and pushes pot reclassification

    Papers? What scientific papers?

    Gordon Brown is rolling ahead with plans to reclassify cannabis as a class B drug, after opting to follow the common sense advice of his police chiefs rather than the Home Office’s own scientists. Brown had asked The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, an “independent” body with web and physical addresses at the Home …

    Science 4 Apr 2008, 10:02

  • MS keeps admins busy with critical Vista patches

    QuickTime and Opera updates make for heavy workload

    Microsoft will be putting out eight security patches on 8 April, five of them with the unlovable critical label, in the latest run of its regular update cycle. The critical updates cover a brace of bugs in Internet Explorer, a pair on Windows and one involving Office. All five might lend themselves to remote execution of …

    Enterprise Security 4 Apr 2008, 10:27

  • EC probes OOXML standards-setting process

    It's not over and they're still shouting

    European anti-trust regulators are examining the voting process behind the passing of Microsoft’s Office Open XML (OOXML) file format as an international standard earlier this week. The contentious specification secured official approval on Wednesday, having picked up two-thirds of the vote from delegates representing 87 …

    Applications 4 Apr 2008, 10:42

  • The peroxide and fruit drink plan to down seven airliners

    UK liquid bomb trial begins

    The trial of eight British men accused of plotting to blow up seven airliners using liquid explosives began yesterday at Woolwich Crown Court, where prosecutor Peter Wright QC laid out details of their alleged plan. Using a home made liquid explosive mixture concealed in soft drinks containers the accused intended to set off the …

    Policing 4 Apr 2008, 10:50

  • T-Mobile slashes iPhone cost

    I'll take two!

    T-Mobile, the exclusive network operator for the iPhone in Germany, is to slash its price to €99 (£77/$154) via a new pricing structure for both the handset and the accompanying tariff. The company's offer applies only to the 8GB version of the Jesus Phone, and lasts until 30 June. But consumers must also sign onto T-Mobile’s …

    Reg Hardware 4 Apr 2008, 10:55

  • UK.gov will force paedophiles to register email addresses

    Can anyone spot a flaw in this law?

    "Wacky" Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, will today unveil plans to jail paedophiles who supply police with false email details, or fail to declare new addresses they register. The idea is already being labelled unworkable, but is set to form part of a suite of measures aimed at improving child safety online. The penalty for …

    Policing 4 Apr 2008, 11:00

  • GPS tracking fights teenage trauma

    I was at the sweet shop, honest

    Mobile phones and GPS tracking technology have been combined to track the whereabouts of unruly children, as part of a study into the health risks posed to tech teens. In the study, 15 teenage girls were tracked by their mobile phones for one week. The researchers claim the study wasn’t designed to provide parents with …

    Reg Hardware 4 Apr 2008, 11:21

  • MySpace Music leaves creators cold

    Sing for your supper

    What a pity that while raging against the (dying) major record label, keyboard warriors are content to see them gain more power over creators than ever before. MySpace announced its long-awaited music service yesterday, with barely a peep of protest. MySpace Music has the formal backing of three of the four major labels. The …

    Music and Media 4 Apr 2008, 11:28

  • Microsoft lines up with the good guys on identity tech

    Brands and Cameron pitch the fix for government's Big ID problem

    Early last month Jacqui Smith unveiled the latest revision of the ID card roadmap. On the same day, by happy coincidence, Microsoft bought Credentica's U-Prove assets and hired Dr Stefan Brands. On the one hand, a discredited and failing strategy staggers on under its fourth Home Secretary, while on the other...? In recent …

    Government 4 Apr 2008, 12:01

  • Royal Mail sites hit by downtime cock-up

    Someone's going to get the sack

    Royal Mail’s three main websites have been unavailable since last night, forcing millions of customers to get used to the taste of glue while guessing where their registered post might be. Blighty’s national postal service currently has no online facility. Instead, customers attempting to gain web access to Royal Mail are …

    IT Director 4 Apr 2008, 12:06

  • Boost your iPhone's network coverage

    And protect it's looks too

    Audio peripherals manufacturer Griffin has unveiled a protective case for the iPhone, which the company also claims boosts the handset’s network reception. Griffin's ClearBoost: increase reception and protect your iPhone ClearBoost has a small booster antenna sticking out the top that Griffin states “captures more of the …

    Reg Hardware 4 Apr 2008, 12:08

  • BOFH: The London Underground vending machine conspiracy

    Episode 12 No crisps for you

    >crash!< >stomp< >stomp< >stomp< >stomp< >clump< "Nice trip in then?" I ask the PFY as the Boss looks on warily. "Straight through was it, no stopping every ten seconds then?" "The tube was fine," the PFY snaps back. "Something else the matter then?" I ask. "Did someone get up on the wrong side of the traffic island?" "I …

    BOFH 4 Apr 2008, 12:30

  • How BA handles lost luggage complaints: Shock picture

    T5 enraged passenger suppression caught on camera

    The Register has this afternoon obtained shock photographic evidence of what happens if British Airways mislays your luggage and you decide to kick up a fuss about it: The enraged passenger in question has just been dragged from a BA flight and subdued by armed officers backed by a crack terror-busting dog handler. The …

    Bootnotes 4 Apr 2008, 12:38

  • Top cop: e-crime is the new drugs

    'We need to terrify politicians... appropriately'

    Forget guns, gangs and porn - one of Britain's top cops has said that e-crime is the most significant criminal threat facing the UK, and that the government is failing to respond effectively. Chief Constable Ian Johnston, Head of Crime at the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and boss of the British Transport Police …

    Policing 4 Apr 2008, 13:06

  • Nokia N-Gage goes global

    Mobile-based gaming

    Nokia has launched its N-Gage internet gaming service, allowing videogames to be downloaded directly through Nokia mobile phones. The Finnish handset giant made the announcement through a blog post on the N-Gage website. The post said: “The games, the devices, and the community are all here for you to finally get your teeth …

    Reg Hardware 4 Apr 2008, 13:28

  • Ofcom tempts bidders for 2.6GHz auction

    How much high-speed wireless can you eat?

    Ofcom has laid out its plans for the largest UK spectrum auction yet, which it said will underpin the rollout of high-speed mobile broadband services. The regulator is releasing 205MHz of spectrum in the 2010-2025MHz and 2500-2690MHz bands. It says this spectrum – dubbed 2.6GHZ - could be used for a number of purposes, but …

    Mobile 4 Apr 2008, 14:03

  • DHS ponders microwave raygun missile defences at airports

    Electropulse blasters will keep skies safe

    The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will consider fitting high-power microwave electropulse rayguns at US airports, in order to defend against the threat of terrorists firing portable anti-aircraft missiles at airliners. American defence heavyweight Raytheon would partner with Israel's Rafael and Kongsberg of Norway …

    Government 4 Apr 2008, 14:06

  • Al Gore's green job bonanza - can we afford it?

    Watch out for the real costs of the benefits

    Al Gore is unleashing the climate campaign you can't ignore, in the shape of www.wecansolveit.org, which will spend $300 million to sign up some millions of people who will march, write letters and like, agitate. In the face of this government and business will be forced - the plan goes - to take climate change seriously. …

    Government 4 Apr 2008, 14:45

  • US cybercrime losses reach $240m

    Auction fraud means record high

    Financial losses from online crime reported to US authorities reached a record high last year, topping nearly $240m. Taking into account unreported crimes the real figure is likely to be much higher. Auction fraud and other forms of cybercrime reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) were up $40m or 20 per cent …

    Crime 4 Apr 2008, 14:46

  • Videogame retailers support Byron Review, says Byron

    BBFC set for classification expansion?

    Psychologist Dr Tanya Byron has told a meeting of videogame publishers that most retailers support the idea of giving the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) a bigger role over game classification. Byron, who last week published her infamous review into the effect of videogames and the internet on children, has …

    Reg Hardware 4 Apr 2008, 15:08

  • IBM back on Federal bid list

    Agreement reached with EPA? That was quick

    IBM has scrambled back on the Federal Government’s list of IT suppliers after being kicked off earlier this week following a dispute with the Environmental Protection Agency. The IT giant said today it struck an agreement with the EPA to end the temporary suspension and would start bidding for new business immediately. At the …

    Channel Register 4 Apr 2008, 15:52

  • HTC Touch Dual smartphone

    Review Good to see HTC back on track

    The folks at HTC must still wonder how they got the original HTC Touch so wrong. Luckily since then they've staged a comeback. The TyTn II was nothing short of superb and now we have the Touch Dual. In the hand the Dual is similar but not identical to the original Touch. At 107 x 55 x 16 it is just a shade taller, narrower and …

    Reg Hardware 4 Apr 2008, 15:59

  • New code strategies to fight side-channel attack

    Car keys, phone, laptop - all hacked

    Keyless entry systems are ubiquitous, from locking your car to accessing the restricted corridors of government and corporate power. It's therefore troubling to learn Wikipedia reading egg heads have cracked the encryption of a device widely used in a variety of keyless entry systems. There goes the girlfriend's VW, you thought …

    Enterprise Security 4 Apr 2008, 16:32

  • Ban using mobiles while crossing street, says US legislator

    Quit your jibber jabber, fool

    UK drivers are banned from talking into mobiles for legitimate reasons, but are walking and talking pedestrians a public health hazard too? One US legislator thinks so, and he’s drawn up a bill banning people from doing that. Republican politician Kenneth Dunkin hopes his bizarre bill will make it illegal to use a mobile phone …

    Reg Hardware 4 Apr 2008, 19:02

  • Google cops to puppeting Great American Wireless Auction

    Verizon slates 4G for 2010

    Google has admitted it toyed with Verizon during The Great American Wireless Auction. Today, the US Federal Communications Commission lifted the gag order it placed on companies that vied for the coveted 700-MHz band, a prime portion of the US airwaves, and the world's largest search engine couldn't help but tell the world …

    Networks 4 Apr 2008, 19:48

  • HP adds encryption gear for storage systems

    Tape and virtual tape get algorithmic

    Hewlett-Packard is delivering a fresh batch of encryption add-ons and products for tape drives and virtual tape libraries. The additions officially rolling out Monday include a fabric switch with encryption and key management, an encryption kit for MSL Tape Libraries, additional compatibility for HP's key manager appliance and …

    Storage 4 Apr 2008, 21:53