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2nd May 2008 Archive

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  • Intel sales chief promises Atom bombing

    Will satiate chip-starved OEMs

    Intel's sales and marketing boss Sean Maloney has vowed to fix the Atom mobile processor supply issues - only he won't commit to a time line. It's still very early days for the Atom chip that's going into so-called NetTop and NetBook computers, along with other consumer electronics devices. Vendors who like to live on the …

    Hardware 2 May 2008, 00:47

  • Vodafone bundles mobile data

    You can't give it away these days

    Vodafone has decided to bundle net access with its monthly service packages, whether the punters want it or not. Like most operators Vodafone has mucked about with data charges, including per-byte charging and walled gardens (some with gates in them). Most recently the company has adopted the flat-but-capped rate that seems to …

    Mobile 2 May 2008, 07:02

  • YouTube rolls out Scientology double standard

    XenuTV vs. Anonymous Hate Crimes

    It seems that YouTube has one set of rules for The Church of Scientology and another set for Scientology's critics. Two weeks ago, YouTube vaporized a 10,000-subscriber-strong channel run by well-known Scientology critic Mark Bunker. His "Xenutv1" deserved to die, the YouTubers said, because they had already axed an earlier …

    Media 2 May 2008, 07:02

  • Swiss start-up re-broadcasting UK TV channels

    'We're not doing anything illegal'

    An internet start-up is re-broadcasting UK television from Switzerland without the stations' permission. It is re-broadcasting all five UK terrestrial channels online, but claims it is not breaking the law. One legal expert, though, said the company's re-broadcasting could be short-lived, and that the Government could close …

    Media 2 May 2008, 08:45

  • Microsoft to punt pensioner-proof PC

    Slippers, pipe not included

    Miss Daisy will soon be able to drive herself around a PC, because Microsoft has announced plans to build a senior-citizen friendly PC. Microsoft's US arm already sells the so-called “SeniorPC", which is an “HP computer that comes equipped with user-friendly software specifically geared to senior living”. It isn’t clear if …

    Hardware 2 May 2008, 08:50

  • Mag-lev flywheel UPS firm says shipments speeding up

    Spins composite whirly-power as wave of future

    A company making magnetically-levitated composite fibre flywheels spinning in vacuum bottles at 50,000 rpm claims it has just shipped its 500th unit. Pentadyne Power Corp also announced proudly that a mag-lev whirlywheel it sold to NASA in March 2004 - one of its first deals - has now racked up 35,000 hours operational. "These …

    Servers 2 May 2008, 09:07

  • Creative settles MP3 player capacity clash

    When is a gigabyte not a gigabyte?

    Creative has been successfully brought to book over the way it previously calculated hard drive-based MP3 player storage capacities. The company was accused of misrepresenting the storage capacity of its players by two punters, Vibhu Talwar and Patrick Finkelstein, who fomalised their complaint at the US District Court of …

    Hardware 2 May 2008, 09:41

  • Motorola partners with Kodak on cameraphone

    Watch out, Cyber-shot

    Images have emerged of what's claimed to be an upcoming Motorola handset which features a five-megapixel camera from photography heavyweight Kodak. Motorola's ZN5: 5Mp Kodak snapper included Image courtesy Keysj.com The phone’s rumoured to be called the Motozine ZN5, Chinese-language site Keysj claims, and it’ll no doubt …

    Phones 2 May 2008, 09:54

  • Is the earth getting warmer, or cooler?

    Analysis A tale of two thermometers

    A paper published in scientific journal Nature this week has reignited the debate about Global Warming, by predicting that the earth won't be getting any warmer until 2015. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences have factored in cyclical oceanic into their climate model, and produced a different forecast to the …

    Science 2 May 2008, 10:02

  • HSBC foils '£70m fraud'

    Police called in over 'improper' transfer

    An HSBC worker has been charged after police were called in to investigate an alleged attempt to defraud the bank out of a whopping £70m. City of London police have charged Jagmeet Channa, a 25-year-old from Ilford in Essex, with conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and abusing a position of trust. Three other men have …

    Security 2 May 2008, 10:39

  • Blu-ray-for-Xbox 360 rumours restoked

    Redmond keeping mum

    The Xbox 360 rumour mill is churning again thanks to fresh claims that the Microsoft has placed orders for consoles with Blu-ray Disc drives, allegedly in partnership with a subsidiary of PC manufacturer Asus. According to a report on Taiwanese Chinese-language newssite UDN, Pegatron Technology will assemble Xbox 360s equipped …

    Games 2 May 2008, 10:42

  • Legal blow to secret government lobbying

    Government told 'show us the menus'

    The Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has lost an appeal to keep secret its meetings with business lobbying group the Confederation of British Industry. The case has dragged on for three years and originally concerned secret meetings between the CBI and BERR, which was formerly known as the …

    Government 2 May 2008, 11:01

  • BOFH: The Boss gets Grandpa Simpson syndrome

    Episode 16 So he's an old computer buff, apparently

    "...And we used to do pretty much everything from the switches on the front panel – bootstrapping, diagnostics, machine code reprogramming – all on toggle switches!" the Boss burbles happily "...those were the days!" "I'm sure they were," the PFY says dryly, rolling his eyes out of the Boss' view. "Oh, that was just the tip …

    BOFH 2 May 2008, 11:02

  • Lenovo ThinkPad X300 sub-notebook

    Review Skinny, light and utterly desirable

    The launch of the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 attracted plenty of comment from Register Hardware readers. ‘Pah,' you said, ‘who cares how thin a laptop is?’ ‘Why would anyone pay two grand for a Lenovo when the HP 2510p is available for about £1500?’ you asked, and ‘What is the 13in screen all about?’ There was a common view that …

    Hardware 2 May 2008, 11:02

  • Frustration and joy - Microsoft's CTP in action

    Project Watch: Microsoft 2008 Thank God for file streaming

    OK, so choosing and installing the hardware - that was easy. I wish I could say the same for the software. On the face of it all I had to do was install the beta version of Windows Server 2008, the production version of Visual Studio 2008 and the beta SQL Server 2008. Sorry, by beta of course I mean community technology preview …

    Applications 2 May 2008, 11:02

  • Robot aircraft 'sense and avoid' gear in flight tests

    Auto-safety kit good for droids - and flying cars

    US aerospace titan Northrop Grumman has commenced flight tests of new "sense and avoid" technology which could be fitted to existing and future unmanned aircraft - or indeed to the long-awaited flying cars - allowing them to fly routinely in civilian airspace. At present, planes which don't carry qualified pilots are subject to …

    Science 2 May 2008, 11:04

  • Dell revamps liquid-cooled gaming rig

    XPS 730 H2C debuts

    Dell has rolled out its latest XPS gaming desktop - much to the chagrin of its Alienware subsidiary, we expect, which we're sure would prefer it's parent would leave the gaming stuff to the specialist. Whatever, the XPS 730 H2C is a "premier gaming desktop" and "one of the most advanced gaming platforms on the planet", Dell …

    Hardware 2 May 2008, 11:11

  • Liven up poker games - with storage!

    This time the house won't win

    Next time you’re playing poker over a few beers with the boys, you may want to look more closely at the chips. Because a USB flash drive has been invented that hides itself within a poker chip. Poker Mate: the high capacity poker chip Although the Poker Mate isn’t likely to give you much of an upper hand in a game of Texas …

    Hardware 2 May 2008, 11:13

  • EDS sharpens axe for another 90 UK staff

    What have you done for me lately?

    IT outsourcing giant EDS will axe up to 90 UK-based jobs by the end of this month as part of its "ongoing restructuring and re-skilling programme". Workers at the firm were told yesterday that EDS has pinpointed some 700 jobs, where staff can apply for voluntary redundancy. This includes 333 at its business management unit. …

    The Channel 2 May 2008, 11:20

  • No-fly list grounds US Air Marshals

    Bureaucrat's memo takes on blacklist madness

    One aspect of the American response to air safety in the year after the September 11 attacks that generated relatively little controversy was welcome expansion of the Federal Air Marshal program - other than some concerns about what kind of weapons could be used safely within a pressurized cabin, really, who could complain about …

    Law 2 May 2008, 12:02

  • The battle of Lesbos: Exclusive combat pic

    Lesbians lick Lesbians in dramatic beach landing

    The Battle of Lesbos - a bitter struggle between practitioners of the Sapphic arts and true Lesbians for the right to bear the name of the sun-kissed Aegean island - took a dramatic turn earlier this week as militant lesbians attempted a beach landing at the lightly-defended resort of Eressos, in the process outflanking militant …

    Bootnotes 2 May 2008, 12:02

  • Japanese council worker in 750k smut site pornathon

    20 grumble pages per minute over nine months

    A Japanese council employee has set what is likely to remain an unbreakable record for surfing porn at work, after visiting an impressive 750,000 smut websites in just nine months at the rate of 20 pages for each minute he was sat at his desk. According to the BBC, the unnamed 57-year-old "works" for the city of Kinokawa in …

    Bootnotes 2 May 2008, 12:35

  • Customers give Dell the finger over keyboard screw-up

    Does this machine look shifty to you?

    Dell has left customers shaking their fists this week after shipping an unspecified number of its Vostro 1310 and 1510 laptops in Europe with the wrong keyboard layout. The embarrassing cock-up forces the Z key, which should sit beneath the A and S keys, along the row in Vostro laptops affected by the problem. Subsequent keys …

    Hardware 2 May 2008, 13:04

  • Phorm in phormulaic logo phorm storm

    LogoWatch Sheffield design company cries foul

    It's come to our attention that "pimp my data" outfit Phorm may not have been as ground-breakingly creative as we'd have expected when knocking together its logo. Compare if you will the logo of Sheffield-based Phorm Design (top) with that of the world's favourite adware company. Quite spooky, we're sure you'll agree. Well, …

    Bootnotes 2 May 2008, 13:12

  • Oz cops sound iPod road cross death warning

    'I'm on a highway to hell...'

    We didn’t realise it, but an MP3 player can kill you. According to Australian police, that is, who have launched a series of hard-hitting posters designed to stop people crossing roads while changing tracks. New South Wales MP3 death poster Created on behalf of New South Wales (NSW) traffic cops, the ads show lifeless …

    Hardware 2 May 2008, 13:25

  • Nominet critic wins boardroom seat

    Executive fails on Special Resolution 6

    Nominet members have elected one of its leadership's sharpest critics to the board in a divisive election that some feared could jeopardise the not-for-profit UK domain registry's future in its current form. The results will again raise serious questions over Nominet structure. Some members have been calling for the way it …

    Broadband 2 May 2008, 13:45

  • Stamping on the spam or wading through it?

    See what else is on the El Reg menu

    It's messy, slippery and gets everywhere, particularly the high-quality stuff. Spam is still the scourge of the unwary company, and if you don't know your whitelists from your blacklists, you might want to check out our new primer for some spam management pointers. As far as external business and IT annoyances go, spam is …

    Tech Panel 2 May 2008, 14:43

  • Big Blue, Intel chat up little guys online

    I'm feeling bored today - wanna buy some software?

    Intel and IBM are trying to drum up more trade in the small and mid-sized (SMB) market by separately launching online offerings that they hope will lure the little people. IBM yesterday outlined its plans to create the Global Applications Marketplace – a portal for small biz firms to browse and purchase apps from a potential …

    Small Biz 2 May 2008, 15:28

  • Carphone Warehouse cleared out of 8GB iPhones

    16GB version gone too

    Carphone Warehouse has rid itself of the 16GB iPhone, having sold out of the 8GB model last week. So did O2, which is now said to be down to its last few 16GB iPhones. CW's website was today showed the 16GB iPhone to be unavailable. When the site last week said the same of the 8GB version, the company quickly confirmed that …

    Phones 2 May 2008, 15:38

  • Indian electronics firm has Moto device biz in its sights

    Videocon fancies a bit

    Indian consumer electronics supplier Videocon has been on the blower to Motorola with a view to taking control of the mobe co's devices division for an undisclosed price. The news comes from Business Week, which quotes Videocon chairman Venugopal Dhoot as being serious about the bid, despite the objections of analysts and …

    Mobile 2 May 2008, 15:47

  • Amazon sues New York over Amazon Tax

    No respect for genius

    Amazon has sued New York over an ingenious new law that would force the mega online retailer to collect taxes it doesn't like collecting. Last week, New York Governor David Paterson rubber stamped a $122bn state budget that enshrines what everyone is calling The Amazon Tax. Paterson and his state legislature have decreed that …

    Financial News 2 May 2008, 18:36

  • FISA warrants on a roll - but who needs a warrant?

    Comment A toast to Dick

    The Honorable Richard B. Cheney...Dear Mr. President..... Drum roll, please. It's like the Price is Right for conspiracy theorists, the annual release to Congress of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) statistics. How many this year? Did the court tell the spooks to pound sand even once? The FISC is the secretive …

    Government 2 May 2008, 18:40

  • Apple update trick triples Safari share

    The fruits of subterfuge

    In surreptitiously slipping Safari onto Windows by way of the Apple Updater, Steve Jobs and his minions have tripled the browser's market share. Late last month, Apple debuted Safari version 3.1, and it immediately offered the new browser to Windows users via the software updater that accompanies iTunes and Quicktime. If offer …

    Applications 2 May 2008, 21:22

  • Green data center threat level: Not green

    IBM rolls out measuring tape, and researchers see red

    Data centers are rampaging energy hogs. If you haven't been thoroughly beaten over the head with that fact already — you'll have to give us a tour of the underside of your rock some time. We're sure it's lovely. No doubt there's big money to be sluiced from data center electricity woes. And just about every tech company is …

    Servers 2 May 2008, 21:34

  • DoJ beats up tech firm for H-1B only job ads

    Small fine, humiliation by press release

    A Pittsburgh computer consultancy is paying $45,000 in civil penalties over claims it discriminated against legal US residents by advertising only for developers on H-1B visas. The case was brought against iGate Mastech for placing an ad for 30 programmers between May and June 2006 "that expressly favored H-1B visa holders to …

    Management 2 May 2008, 21:38

  • Microsoft and Yahoo! renew their marriage talks

    Microhoo Ballmer expands dowry

    Microsoft and Yahoo! have pulled their chairs back up to the proverbial negotiating table. Citing an unnamed source, The New York Times insists the two giants are now in "active merger talks." Apparently, Microsoft made that outrageous Yahoo! bid even more outrageous, raising its valuation of Jerry Yang and crew "by several …

    Financial News 2 May 2008, 22:00

  • Open source software is murder

    Radio Reg Just ask Oracle, Sun and Microsoft

    In Russia, they say the only way to untold software riches is to partner with Microsoft. Or at least that's what Microsoft's Russian operatives are telling people these days. Open Season intrepid correspondent Matt Asay just returned from the land of Mayakovsky and Emma Goldman - a beer spills in Silicon Valley for these …

    Open Season 2 May 2008, 22:42

  • Sun stock goes degenerate dwarf

    Not a stellar showing

    Sun Microsystems' shares took a bath today, slipping nearly 23 per cent after the company surprised investors with its worst financial results in over a year. The market reaction sent Sun stock down to its lowest point in nearly six years. Late Thursday, Sun reported it was back in the red with a net loss of $34m for this year …

    Servers 2 May 2008, 22:46

  • Broadcom shrinks Ethernet switching gear to 65nm

    Interop 2008 Smaller chips and green intentions

    Broadcom has refreshed its lineup of Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches, bestowing them with smaller 65nm chips in time to show at Interop in Las Vegas. The merchandise covers 5-, 8-, 16-, and 24-port switch models. There's also a new big switch with 48 ports of 1GbE as well as four 10Gb ports. The company is hoping the …

    Data Networking 2 May 2008, 23:07