13th May 2008 Archive

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TJX credit card heist suspect, 2 others, accused of new scam

Dave and Busted

Three men - one of them suspected of playing a role in the heist of 45.6 million credit cards from retailer TJX Companies - have been accused of hacking into cash register terminals belonging to a restaurant chain and installing software that sniffed credit card numbers. According to a 27-count indictment unsealed Monday, the …

Crime 13 May 2008, 00:48
Intel said to feed Google solid state drives

SSD shortage coming?

Intel is working its close ties to Google for solid state storage drive sales, according to a report. Sources have told Digitimes that Google plans to test out SSD storage in an effort to lower power consumption at its vast data centers. The ad broker-cum-search engine will turn to Intel for the SSD gear. And, if true, that's …

Channel Register 13 May 2008, 01:10
Japan's ciggie machines to sniff out buyer's age

All smoke and mirrors?

Most people wouldn’t welcome the onset of wrinkles and crow’s feet, but Japanese smokers could soon need some if they’re to buy smokes from the country’s cigarette machines. Japan’s legal smoking age is 20, but the country already has around 570,000 vending machines that dispense packs at whim. However, new regulations come …

Reg Hardware 13 May 2008, 07:02
USB 2.0 - or not?

Q&A

Is it me, or do the USB 2.0 ports on my laptop seem too slow? I copied some files from a friend onto a USB stick, and they copied quickly. But transferring them onto my machine was very different. It's a new machine, so it's not like they're USB 1.1 ports, but the speed definitely doesn't seem to be up to USB 2.0 par. Bad …

Reg Hardware 13 May 2008, 08:02
NetBeans extension makes simple work of PHP

Preview in review

Arriving with the NetBeans 6.1 release last week was the NetBeans IDE Early Access for PHP. This provides a complete PHP integrated development environment hosted in NetBeans, re-using the infrastructure NetBeans has already employed for Java and Ruby. Having walked through the main NetBeans IDE, I thought it worth looking …

Developer 13 May 2008, 08:44
UK's tallest bovine soars to 6ft 6in

An awful lot of bullock

A Friesian bullock who measures a towering 6ft 6in at the shoulder is expected to claim the Guinness World Record for the UK's tallest bovine, the Times reports. Chard Chilli and his twin sister Jubilee were abandoned at Ferne Animal Sanctuary nine years ago, when they were just a few days old. Manager Naomi Clarke explained …

Biology 13 May 2008, 08:45
Computer Misuse Act changes are delayed further

DoS attacks not criminal till October

Denial of service attacks will not be criminalised in England and Wales for another six months despite measures lying unused in existing laws since 2006. Changes to the Computer Misuse Act will not be activated until October. The Home Office confirmed to OUT-LAW.COM that the long-awaited changes will not happen now as planned …

Law 13 May 2008, 08:54
Kiwi airliners converted into giant iPod docks

'Your aircraft becomes an authorised Apple accessory'

A generation of unprecedentedly large and fast iPod docks is now on offer, and it has now been announced that firm customer orders have been placed. Air New Zealand will equip eighteen of its airliners with in-flight entertainment rigs allowing iPod users to play their video on seatback screens, listen to audio through the …

Entertainment 13 May 2008, 09:20
Oz driver sticks seatbelt on slab of beer

Do I buckle up the tinnies, or the 5-year-old kid?

Oz police have described themselves as "shocked and appalled" after pulling a driver near Alice Springs to discover he'd lovingly strapped in his slab of beer while leaving a five-year-old boy next to it without the benefit of a seatbelt. According to news.com.au, the driver of the car stopped on the Ross Highway last weekend …

Bootnotes 13 May 2008, 09:35
Tiscali crosses Carphone Warehouse from bidders list

Dance card amended

Tiscali has written up a wish list of companies it would like to sell itself to, and Carphone Warehouse has not made the cut. The Italian ISP held a board meeting yesterday and drew up a list of would-be bidders, but CPW was dropped because its offer was considered too low. Tiscali's market cap is just over €1.4bn and CPW last …

Telecoms 13 May 2008, 09:39
AMD to hire TSMC to fab 'Fusion' CPUs?

Major foundry deal in the offing, moles claim

AMD is said to be planning to add chip foundry TSMC's name to its (short) list of processor production partners later this year. TSMC's alleged role: to fab AMD's upcoming 'Fusion' CPU. So say unnamed industry sources cited by DigiTimes, and the notion isn't without merit or precedent. AMD already uses Singapore's Chartered …

Reg Hardware 13 May 2008, 09:52
Sony OLED TV longevity claim challenged

Quoted lifespan not realistic, claims analyst

Sony has downplayed allegations that its state-of-the-art OLED TV, the XEL-1, has a fraction of the longevity the manufacturer claims it has. Sony told Register Hardware that it stands by its statement that the XEL-1's brightness drops to 50 per cent after 30,000 hours of usage, despite independent tests that showed the set’s …

Reg Hardware 13 May 2008, 10:18
Airbus revises A380 delivery schedule

Further delays

Airbus has confirmed it's cutting the number of A380s due to be delivered in 2008 and 2009 - from 13 to 12 and 25 to 21, respectively. The company explains: "Airbus has completed the A380 programme review and is now informing customers about changes to its delivery schedule. The review assessed the programme status at the …

Science 13 May 2008, 10:19
MS whips lens cap off WorldWide Telescope

To reveal? The inexorable blackness of space

Microsoft yesterday whipped the lens cap off the public beta of its much-anticipated WorldWide Telescope - a "rich Web application that brings together imagery from the best ground- and space-based observatories across the world". Bill Gates duly trumpeted: "The WorldWide Telescope is a powerful tool for science and education …

Applications 13 May 2008, 10:20
LapDome Planet Business laptop bag and shade

Review Now you can type and tan

Thankfully, the typical English weather recently relented and gave us a few sunny days in which we rushed outside to test some summer kit. This curious laptop case was one such item. This barmy bag first caught our attention back in January, at which point we knew we had to have a closer look. We requested the professional …

Reg Hardware 13 May 2008, 10:51
Grand Theft Auto IV sales drop fails to shake title's pole position

UK sales more than halve

GTA IV remained the UK's best-selling videogame during its second week on shop shelves, despite the number of copies shifted in Blighty falling by more than 50 per cent. According to Chart-Track data, the videogame’s UK sales declined by 77 per cent for the week ended 10 May. But the must-have title still managed to hold onto …

Reg Hardware 13 May 2008, 11:14
Lewis Hamilton and friend targeted in computer blackmail plot

Unwiped disc palaver

An unemployed man who tried to sell a computer disc that used to belong to the best mate of F1 star Lewis Hamilton has been arrested in Germany. The man known only as "Dieter" faces blackmail charges after trying to flog a hard disc that was used by Force India F1 driver Adrian Sutil to a German motorsport magazine Bild …

Crime 13 May 2008, 11:15
Brits favour ASBOs for unruly mobile users

A step too far?

Asbos are usually reserved for rowdy town-centre teens, but one in ten Brits think the anti-social behaviour orders should be handed out inconsiderate mobile phone users. Price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com questioned 2000 UK adults about what they hate most about mobile phone usage. While the number one abhorrence …

Reg Hardware 13 May 2008, 11:25
UK punters love Nokia, hate McDonalds

Still buying more burgers than phones though

The annual "Brands We Love, Brands We Hate" survey shows Nokia topping the charts as most loved brand in the UK, while McDonalds, AOL and The Sun are the most hated. The survey is run by Marketing magazine and Joshua G2, who polled a thousand people around the UK. Nokia tops the charts as the fave brand of the people, with the …

Mobile 13 May 2008, 11:31
HomePlug retakes lead in powerline Ethernet standards race

Once more unto the vote, dear friends

The HomePlug Alliance (HPA) has once again beaten rival powerline Ethernet organisation the Universal Powerline Association (UPA) to become the lead candidate for the IEEE's powerline networking standard. But it won't know it's won for sure until July. Last month, the IEEE P1901 working group voted 41:13 in favour of the HPA's …

Reg Hardware 13 May 2008, 11:31
Taser rolls out taser-on-a-roll, new military zapbomb deal

Stunning new technology

Everyone's favourite flying-cattleprod maker, Taser International, has won a new contract with the US military. The firm also announced a new "peel and stick" conversion kit for police riot shields, allowing their outer face to function like a sort of portable electric fence. Under the new military contract, the Pentagon's …

Government 13 May 2008, 11:33
Ofcom sharpens cutlasses for pirate radio assault

Internal docs expose plans for fines, surveillance

Ofcom, the UK regulator of all things communicative, is considering everything from ASBOs to covert surveillance to shut down pirate radio stations, according to documents obtained by The Register under the Freedom of Information Act. The documents present research carried out by Ofcom, trying to explain why pirate radio …

Government 13 May 2008, 11:34
Microsoft slams OEMs over XP SP3 install cock-up

Suffers serious image problem

Microsoft has blamed computer makers for the Windows XP service pack three (SP3) install debacle that has wreaked havoc on PCs. The firm said today that the endless reboot cock-up reported by many XP customers after installing SP3 was not a new issue. In fact, Microsoft first identified the problem when Windows XP SP2 was …

Channel Register 13 May 2008, 12:00
HP pays $13.9bn for EDS

Updated Silicon Valley opens a branch in Texas

Hewlett Packard has bought EDS for $13.9bn, doubling its services business at a stroke. The Silicon Valley giant will pay $25 a share for Texas-based EDS, over 25 per cent more than the services firm's shares were trading at when news of the deal first leaked yesterday. It will finance the deal through a combination of cash …

Financial News 13 May 2008, 12:00
Heathrow 777 crash: Siberian cold to blame?

Probe into 'reduced fuel flow' considers possible freezing

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) yesterday issued a further update (pdf) on its investigation into the 17 January crash-landing of a Boeing 777 at Heathrow following an otherwise uneventful long-haul flight from Beijing. Initial speculation into the cause of the accident, which saw BA038 (G-YMMM) suffer reduced …

Science 13 May 2008, 12:04
HP buys EDS: What are they thinking?

Analysis Backward looking forward statements

Mark Hurd must know what happens to HP bosses who strike a legacy-defining deal. He’s the man who took over from Carly Fiorina, shortly after her takeover of Compaq turned out to be not quite such a big idea after all. The Compaq integration was managed to death – and yet you’d be hard pressed to point at much of what remains …

Financial News 13 May 2008, 12:07
Gizmondo console revamp 'on track' for Q4 launch, claims boss

Only here for the Freer

Gizmondo chief Carl Freer has apparently told fans of the failed handheld games console that the gadget will be back on the market and is "on target for a Q4 2008" launch... er... relaunch. Freer first expressed his desire to revive Gizmondo back in November 2007. At the time, he forecast that the would-be PSP and DS Lite …

Reg Hardware 13 May 2008, 12:27
Vendor touts notebook as ~~desktop~~ server replacement

Marvel at its quad-core processor! Gasp at its one-hour battery life!

We've all heard of laptop computers that have been designed to replace desktop PCs, but this is the first time we've come across one that's intended a server replacement. Notebook specialist Eurocom this week unwrapped the Phantom-X, a machine equipped with an quad-core, 95W, 12MB of L2 cache Intel Xeon X3360 processor running …

Reg Hardware 13 May 2008, 13:01
Olympus mounts 10Mp DLSR challenge

DSLR range expanded

Olympus has extended its old-school E-500 snapper series, with the creation of another 10-megapixel digital SLR (DSLR) model. Olympus' E-520 is its latest 10-megapixel camera The E-520 sports a sizeable 2.7in LCD screen which is designed to provide a broad colour gamut and better viewing in extreme lighting conditions, …

Reg Hardware 13 May 2008, 13:23
Becta asks EC to probe Microsoft school deals

Unfair licensing for non-interoperable products

Microsoft’s plans to get Office 2007 into British classrooms suffered a fresh blow yesterday when Becta confirmed that it has referred an interoperability complaint to the European Commission (EC). The latest move from the UK’s education technology agency follows its complaint to the Office of Fair Trading in October last year …

Government 13 May 2008, 13:25
SOCA denies ditching crime boss hunt

Still seeking Mr Big

The UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) has denied reports that it has abandoned a hunt for crime barons in favour of a broader sweep against 500 criminal organisations involving 15,000 suspected crooks. The Times reported this morning that the agency had gone back to the drawing board after failing to prosecute more …

Policing 13 May 2008, 13:46
Korean DMZ droids 'unfit for combat'

Fleshy troops hand tin soldiers a can of whup-ass

The South Korean armed forces have announced that a year-long trial of robotic guard systems versus human troops has been judged a failure for the mechanoids. South Korea remains committed to significant automation of its defences, but intends to move forward with different kit - possibly with overseas involvement. Defense …

Policing 13 May 2008, 13:50
Son of 419 victim contacts El Reg

Dad taken for $70k, pondering suicide

It's sad to report that amid all the merriment to be had at the expense of Nigerian 419 fraudsters and their improbable tales of MARIAM ABACHA, Congolese banks stuffed with illicit loot and other entertaining yarns concerning riches beyond the wildest dreams of avarice, there are all too real people ready and willing to believe …

Bootnotes 13 May 2008, 13:54
Welsh Darth Vader dodges jail

'The drink is strong in this one'

A Welsh man, Arwel Wynn Hughes, from Holyhead has avoided jail for attacking two would-be Jedis with a crutch while disguised as Darth Vader. Hughes, whose attack was captured on video, was sentenced to two months in prison suspended for 12 months. Two keen Welsh Jedis were filming themselves having a pretend light sabre …

Bootnotes 13 May 2008, 13:59
Dallas kids tracked for their own good

No more playing by the ol' water hole

Tracking children from dawn to dusk might seem extreme, but in Dallas, Texas, it seems to be working to reduce truancy and get more kids graduating. The New York Times reports on one child who has seen his life turned around by the truancy-court-imposed tracking order, which was imposed as an alternative to detention. Since …

Mobile 13 May 2008, 14:36
AT&T defends 'open' wireless network

Innovation '08 A mixed message

Three years ago, Jason Devitt was speaking at an industry conference when he criticized a mobile application just released by a big-name wireless carrier. And the big-name wireless carrier wasn't happy. It so happens that Devitt was negotiating to get his own mobile app onto the carrier's network, and a week later, he received …

Wireless 13 May 2008, 15:27
Drive-by download attack compromises 500K websites

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum

More than half a million web pages have been compromised with malware as part of a new attack, Trend Micro warns. Badly configured PHP bulletin board applications are being used to plant malicious JavaScript on web forums. The JavaScript is used to push variants of the Zlob Trojan that come disguised as a video codec installer …

Channel Register 13 May 2008, 15:46
Brocade cranks its Fibre switches and HBAs to 8Gb/s

Speedier SAN selection sighted

Brocade is primed to move its 8Gb/s networking gear to a market it entered just one year ago, server bus host adapters (HBAs). It's also giving the 8Gig work-over to its Fibre Channel switch lineup. The hardware refresh is intended to play nice with the vendor's new generation of networking merchandise centered around the DCX …

Data Networking 13 May 2008, 15:55
Windows Server 2008 bundles get first 'public' airing

Taking care of the little guy

Microsoft today announced that it will launch a “public preview” program for two of its first Windows Server 2008-based bundles. The software giant is targeting one package at the small business market, where Microsoft has been heavily foraging, while the other will be aimed at mid-sized firms. Windows Small Business Server …

Channel Register 13 May 2008, 17:52
Google Android winners shun publicity

No, I don't want to be your 'friend'

Mystery surrounds the identity of four winners in Google's $10m Android mobile applications competition, announced last November. The search giant Tuesday named 46 of 50 developers who've won the first round of its challenge to build mobile applications for the yet-to-materialize Android phone. The individuals will each get $ …

Applications 13 May 2008, 17:54
Debian fixes serious crypto bug

Locksmith overtime for sys admins

Debian has warned of a vulnerability in its cryptographic functions that could leave systems open to attack. The use of a cryptographically flawed pseudo random number generator in Debian's implementation of OpenSSL meant that potentially predictable keys were generated. Versions of Debian's OpenSSL packages starting with 0.9. …

Enterprise Security 13 May 2008, 18:23
Next Ubuntu LTS in 2010, unless Linuxes synchronize

Common components

Mark Shuttleworth, head of Canonical and founder of the Ubuntu project, has called on other Linux developers to synchronize releases of new versions of their distros. He also pledged to deliver the next Long Term Support (LTS) release of Ubuntu, version 10.4, in April 2010 - unless, of course, Red Hat, Novell and Debian decide …

Servers 13 May 2008, 19:08
Google and Facebook socialize world+dog

Having faces is not enough

Following quickly in the footsteps of MySpace, both Facebook and Google have announced new-fangled tools that allow social-networking types to shuttle their online data from site to site. Last week, MySpace trumpeted something called MySpace Data Availability, an initiative that will soon give MySpacers the power to …

Applications 13 May 2008, 19:24
Romanian and Turkish scientists turn circuit boards into oil

Biomess goes biomass

Whether through a force of expanding environmental activism or just compliance with government edicts, the IT sector is in a pinch over how to safely recycle defunct computers and equipment. Unfortunately, IT kit is packed with enough environmental hazards to put the Toxic Avenger's codpiece to shame. And with each generation …

Environment 13 May 2008, 19:59
IBM's Cell blade boosted by memory and floating point gains

Now shipping with more relevance

IBM's Cell attack will gain some added muscle next month thanks to a new blade server. The system will run on a refreshed version of the Cell chip that includes better support for mathematical calculations and memory. As a result, the Cell-based blades could tempt a larger set of customers. The QS22 blade serves as a follow on …

Servers 13 May 2008, 20:25
Visual Studio update dents Silverlight development

Back to the time-shifting

Developers building applications for Microsoft's much-ballyhooed Silverlight media player won't be able to use Visual Studio 2008 running the company's latest software update. Microsoft's Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 beta - launched Monday - cannot be used with its tools for coding applications for the second, beta …

Applications 13 May 2008, 22:03
Sun gives servers an Opteron quad job

Three new boxes and a five-pack refresh

Sun has been sluggish to release servers based on AMD's four-core Opteron processors, but today it got around to the quad job. The vendor is releasing three new servers with the latest Opterons, and also fitting the chips into five systems previously announced. Sun trails a gaggle of major server vendors like Fujitsu, Hewlett …

Servers 13 May 2008, 22:08
Microsoft updates squash four critical bugs

Patch Tuesday calls for Windows and Office disinfectant

Microsoft on Tuesday issued updates to plug a half-dozen security holes, four of which were rated critical. The most serious is a bug in Microsoft's Jet Database Engine, a component built into Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 that works with Visual Basic, Access and multiple third-party applications. Attack …

Channel Register 13 May 2008, 22:15