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3rd July 2008 Archive

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  • Dell buys into Dell for $100m

    He's a believer in pocket change

    Dell's rebirth as a technology juggernaut is well underway. Just ask Michael Dell. The company founder and CEO has purchased $100m worth of Dell stock. He acquired the shares via three transactions, buying a total of 4.5m fresh shares. The mainstream press informs us that this indicates bullish optimism about Dell on Dell's …

    Financial News 3 Jul 2008, 00:29

  • Nvidia throws itself under the bus with chip defect, delays and lost sales

    The $200m laptop failure surprise

    Nvidia issued some somber news for shareholders today, revealing a financial forecast cut short due to slowing sales, a delayed ramp for new product, and a hefty payout due to faulty laptop chips. The graphics giant said it expects to pay between $150m and $200m to cover warranty, repair, return, replacement and other costs …

    PCs & Chips 3 Jul 2008, 00:56

  • OMTP says mobile Web 2.0 is a beach

    Now to get everyone to agree what that means

    Operator talking shop the Open Mobile Terminal Alliance has embarked on an ambitious plan to bring Web 2.0 to mobile phones, called Bondi to reflect the joy of surfing. There is general agreement that AJAX-style applications would be a good thing on a mobile phone, both in terms of applications embedded in web pages and …

    Mobile 3 Jul 2008, 07:02

  • Virgin warns 800 punters for file-sharing

    'Important. If you don't read this, your broadband could be disconnected'

    The BPI has written to 800 Virgin Media customers warning them to stop sharing music files or risk losing their broadband connection. The letters came in an envelope marked: "Important. If you don't read this, your broadband could be disconnected." But Virgin told Radio 1's Newsbeat that the phrase was a mistake and the …

    Law 3 Jul 2008, 08:10

  • AMD's dual-GPU Radeon HD 4870 X2 less than a month away

    Mid-August debut

    AMD will follow up last week's launch of the Radeon HD 4870 graphics card with the anticipated two-chip version in August, Asian sites have claimed. The 4870 X2, like its predecessor, the 3870 X2, essentially sports a pair of GPUs, each with its own memory bank, and operating co-operatively using AMD's CrossFire technology. …

    reghardware 3 Jul 2008, 09:15

  • Moody's to fix sub-prime computer error

    CCC rating (That's Credit crunch computer cock-up)

    Moody's, the ratings agency, is reviewing its computer models and setting up a central monitoring system after admitting that a bug led it to incorrectly grade several European mortgage debt instruments. The agency admits that it incorrectly gave its highest AAA rating to about $1bn worth of European "constant proportion debt …

    Applications 3 Jul 2008, 09:20

  • Sony pulls PlayStation 3 software update

    Version 2.40 messing with gamers' consoles

    Sony has been forced to withdraw the anticipated 2.4 PS3 firmware just a few hours after the update became available, because the new code has apparently been playing havoc with consoles. Patrick Seybold, Sony's public relations bigwig, last night posted a message on the official PS3 blog admitting that the consumer …

    reghardware 3 Jul 2008, 09:22

  • Openmoko to release Linux handset tomorrow

    Open Source calling

    Anyone fond of creating their own applications within a open source environment will soon be able to get mobile. Openmoko has finally announced the launch date of its Neo FreeRunner open-source phone. Openmoko's Neo FreeRunner runs on Linux The Neo FreeRunner handset has been talked about since January, when the firm …

    reghardware 3 Jul 2008, 09:57

  • Tories pledge to flush away eco slums

    Contemplating stools for Gaia

    Who would have guessed that in 2008, a pledge to give British people flushing toilets would be a shock vote winner? The Conservatives this week promised to scrap the Government's plans for 15 "eco towns" which will potentially house 100,000 people. These have been heralded as a new era in design, but you need to take a closer …

    Government 3 Jul 2008, 10:01

  • Research: Wind power pricier, emits more CO2 than thought

    'Windfarm output is never zero. Sometimes it's less'

    Fresh contenders have entered the UK wind power debate, as a turbines expert funded by the Renewable Energy Foundation publishes an investigation into a hotly-disputed subject - the variability in output to be expected of a large UK windfarm base. In a just-released article for the journal Energy Policy, titled Will British …

    Environment 3 Jul 2008, 10:02

  • Is LG prepping an 8Mp phone?

    Sony Ericsson C905 rival

    Sony Ericsson’s C905 8Mp handset isn’t even out yet, but it’s already set the bar for cameraphone quality. It’s rumoured LG could be the third manufacturer to release an equally high-quality snapper phone. SE’s recent announcement was quickly overshadowed by rumours of an 8Mp phone from Motorola, thought to be codenamed ' …

    reghardware 3 Jul 2008, 10:34

  • Built-in browser expiry proposed to fight botnet menace

    45% fail to update surfing software, report finds

    Nearly half (45.2 per cent) of all internet surfers neglect to regularly update their browser software. Slackness in applying updates in a timely fashion leaves an estimated 637 million surfers vulnerable to drive-by download attacks, according to a new survey. Figures in the survey come from a study of user-agent data …

    Enterprise Security 3 Jul 2008, 10:53

  • America wakes up to the surveillance society

    Who watches the watchmen's mobile phone?

    Civil liberties groups in the US are demanding that the Department of Justice cough details of its use of mobile phone tracking - particularly how often it's done so without probable cause of a crime being committed. A federal court action has been filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier …

    Government 3 Jul 2008, 10:55

  • Pay-by-phone commerce coming closer

    Talk, text and pay

    The global trade body for the mobile industry and a European monetary organisation have signed a pact to speed up the deployment of handset payment services in Europe. The GSM Association (GSMA) and the European Payments Council (EPC), which represents 8000 banks in the EU, will now jointly co-ordinate efforts to get phones …

    Mobile 3 Jul 2008, 11:38

  • Brit carrier deals inked at last

    Comment We should be happy - but we aren't

    The UK media this morning is alive with "giant carrier" headlines, as the long-awaited contracts for the Royal Navy's new carriers are signed at last. In fact, as some news sources reported at the time, the deals were effectively confirmed six weeks ago, but today is the public announcement. The general take from most of the …

    Government 3 Jul 2008, 11:40

  • Firefox 3 makes up world record to set world record

    Oh-oh, dedication download's what you need

    The Mozilla Foundation has officially set a previously non-existent Guinness World Record for the largest number of software downloads in a day. Firefox 3 clocked 8,002,530 downloads on the popular web browser’s launch day (18 June), according to GWR judges who confirmed the figure yesterday. It tallied up the numbers after …

    Applications 3 Jul 2008, 11:50

  • ISO certifies Adobe's PDF

    Standard delivers, albeit at leisurely pace

    The International Standardisation Organisation has ratified Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) as an official international standard, though it won't make PDF documents load any faster. Adobe handed PDF to the Association for Information and Image Management about 18 months ago, which started the standardisation process. …

    Applications 3 Jul 2008, 11:54

  • Logitech Pure Fi Anywhere iPod speakers

    Review If this were a school report, it would read "must try harder"

    An almost infinite number of iPod speaker sets are now available, but one manufacturer that's kept up a consistent quality with its music-player peripherals is Logitech. Measuring 335 x 90 x 40mm, and weighing 726g, these are not the most portable of portable speakers. They're too big to fall under the go-anywhere travel- …

    reghardware 3 Jul 2008, 11:55

  • What powers a solar-powered snail, kids?

    Dumb and dumber science exams

    Boffins have slammed examiners in England for setting school children seriously dumb questions. The Royal Chemistry Society said that the science exams for 14 year olds includes questions such as, "What powers a solar-powered snail?" The Society's chief executive Dr Richard Pike told us that while the syllabus and text books …

    Science 3 Jul 2008, 12:06

  • Scareware runs amok on PlayStation site

    Sony gamed by hackers

    Gamers visiting the US Sony PlayStation website risk malware infection after the site was hit by hackers. SQL injection vulnerabilities on the site were used by miscreants to load malicious code on pages showcasing the PlayStation games SingStar Pop and God of War, net security firm Sophos reports. The code promotes scareware …

    Enterprise Security 3 Jul 2008, 12:20

  • Linspire CEO defends Xandros buy-out

    Hopes Linux will 'touch more people'

    The CEO of Linux distributor Linspire has confirmed that rival desktop Linux maker Xandros Inc has acquired the firm. Michael Robertson said in a blog post on his website yesterday that he was “excited to see the Linspire, Freespire and CNR [Click 'n' Run] technology go to a worthy competitor.” He added: “Linux is going …

    Channel Register 3 Jul 2008, 12:26

  • Transatlantic data sharing talks stumble over access to justice

    Sharing is caring, says EU

    High-level transatlantic talks on data sharing have hit a snag over EU citizens' right to defend their privacy in US court, the European Commission said in Brussels yesterday. The US Privacy Act only offers redress to US citizens and residents, while the EU guarantees citizens the right to protect their data worldwide. …

    Government 3 Jul 2008, 12:58

  • Boozers rejoice - it's the USB wine tap!

    Faucet through

    If a glass of plonk is your limit after a long day at the office, then you’d better not read on, because a tipple at your desk is now much easier, thanks to the fabulous French invention that is the USB Wine Tap. Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com This ingenious device will pour you a perfect …

    reghardware 3 Jul 2008, 13:15

  • The Moderatrix will see you now

    Cue Aunt, cue Agony

    Those among you who are still adrift on the sea of life - despite our resident Agony Aunt's best efforts to guide you to the shores of sanity - will be relieved to learn that the Moderatrix has once again opened the door of her basement boudoir to offer spiritual succour to the needy. So, if you've ever wondered whether time …

    Bootnotes 3 Jul 2008, 13:36

  • UK and US agree biometric heavily vetted trusted traveller deal

    'Built on UK success' - have the yanks lost the plot?

    The UK and US governments are to set up a fast-track scheme for trusted, frequent travellers between the two countries, immigration minister Liam Byrne announced today. So say goodbye to immigration blues? Not so fast - the agreement between the two countries only "sets out the shared determination to develop a swift channel …

    Government 3 Jul 2008, 14:06

  • Wife-slaying Linux guru may have 'developmental disability'

    Lawyers brand Hans Reiser 'mentally incompetent'

    Lawyers for prominent Linux developer Hans Reiser, who was convicted of his wife's murder in April, have written to the trial judge this week to argue that their client may be mentally ill. In the brief filing to California Superior Court, Reiser's defense attorney William DuBois wrote: "I declare under penalty of perjury that …

    Law 3 Jul 2008, 15:27

  • Microsoft touts trustworthy browsing with IE8

    If it asks if you'd like to see some puppies, just say no

    Microsoft has detailed a raft of security improvements due to appear in Internet Explorer 8. The second beta of Redmond's web browser will be packed full of features designed to thwart phishing and drive-by download attacks, Redmond explained on Wednesday. Users need to be running either Vista or Windows XP SP2 to take …

    Enterprise Security 3 Jul 2008, 15:45

  • Are the ice caps melting?

    PBEM Climate science's bipolar disorder

    The headlines last week brought us terrifying news: The North Pole will be ice-free this summer "for the first time in human history," wrote Steve Connor in The Independent. Or so the experts at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado predict. This sounds very frightening, so let's look at the facts …

    Environment 3 Jul 2008, 15:46

  • 'HD TV gas' 17,000 times worse for planet than CO2, claims boffin

    Nitrogen Trifluoride emissions balloon on flat-panel production

    LCD TVs, praised as being greener than old-style tellies because they consume much less power, may actually be speeding climate change, a chemical expert has warned. Michael Prather of the University of California at Irvine has completed a study which claims that atmospheric quantities of the gas Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3) are …

    reghardware 3 Jul 2008, 16:16

  • Microsoft flogs subscriptions to the unwary and confused

    Comment Bad omens

    There's no such thing as a coincidence or a missed opportunity in the world of Microsoft, and this is no ordinary week. Just days before thousands of partners from across the globe descend on Microsoft's annual World Wide Partner Conference in the heat of Texas, Microsoft announced licensing programs clearly intended to whet …

    Applications 3 Jul 2008, 18:58

  • Strange cults, vocal surgery and the quiet man: Inside Microsoft

    Radio Reg Mary-Jo Foley on life after Gates

    Who'd have thought a bad haircut and rocking backwards and forwards in your chair like a child with ADD could pass as must-have traits? Yet, such was the cult of Bill Gates at Microsoft, company employees adopted these to become more like their boss. Then there's ballistic Steve Ballmer, shouting so hard at one event his throat …

    Microbite 3 Jul 2008, 19:05

  • EU still greasing IBM antitrust probe despite PSI withdrawal

    'Your complaint stands'

    IBM may have corked the wails of antitrust outrage coming from the diminutive mainframe vendor Platform Solutions (PSI) by purchasing the upstart, but the European regulator genie has already slipped out the bottle. The rival firm's legal fight in both the US and Europe over Big Blue's mainframe monopoly came to an abrupt …

    Servers 3 Jul 2008, 19:44

  • Nut launches death threats at Debian women

    Exclusive 'You're killing freesource'

    Women working on Debian have been getting death threats from a nut job who believes they're killing free software. A poll by new project leader Steve McIntyre into whether people are happy on Debian revealed one female coder had been getting the threats as thanks for her hard work. Further daggering soon revealed she was not …

    Developer 3 Jul 2008, 19:59

  • Judge grants Viacom 12TB of YouTube user records

    Google's privacy comeuppance

    In the ongoing $1bn legal spat between Google and Viacom, a federal judge has ordered the search giant to turn over all existing records of every video viewed on YouTube. That includes user account names and IP addresses. Yesterday, Judge Louis L. Stanton said Google must provide Viacom with the 12 terabyte "logging database …

    Law 3 Jul 2008, 21:28