10th July 2008 Archive

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Ballmer hails services death and glory for partners

Failure ~~not~~ an option!

Steve Ballmer has told Microsoft partners not to fear a future where software is delivered as a service, even though some will end up as road kill in the migration online. The chief executive told a worldwide partner conference in Houston, Texas that Microsoft can't give competitors the edge in cloud services. He said business …

The Channel 10 Jul 2008, 00:19
File system killer Reiser rejected 3-year sentence

Sickepedians mourn ReiserFS

A judge said today that prominent Linux developer and convicted murderer Hans Reiser rejected a plea deal that would have sent him to prison for only three years for killing his wife, Nina Reiser. During what was supposed to have been Reiser's sentencing today, Judge Larry Goodman of Alameda County Superior Court revealed that …

Law 10 Jul 2008, 00:36
The highs and lows of former-Borland's Dumbledore

Magic of application factories

You'd be hard pressed to find anyone in the software tools business who has seen more changes in programming than David Intersimone. Not all of them welcome. Best known as "David I," he worked for more than two decades at Borland Software, the company regarded by many as having invented the integrated development environment ( …

Developer 10 Jul 2008, 05:02
EU emissions trading to include airlines

Brussels goes after airlines and your telly

The European Commission has welcomed the positive second vote in the European Parliament in favour of including airline emissions in the EU Emissions Trading System. From 2012 all flights within, to or from the EU will be included in the trading scheme. So airlines will either be able to sell their allowances if they do not …

Science 10 Jul 2008, 06:02
iPhone 3G to lure pre-payers to contracts - survey

20 per cent of Brits want a Jesus Phone

One in five Brits would like to buy a 3G iPhone, but more would put down their hard-earned if O2's tariffs were less pricey. So claims market watcher GfK NOP on the back of an online survey carried out over the past weekend. It talked to 750 people, and the results were "weighted to give a nationally representative sample of …

Phones 10 Jul 2008, 07:02
Three-quarters of EU radio equipment is non-compliant

Self-certification works...for some

It may have been self-certified as compliant, but 76 per cent of radio equipment tested in 2003 failed to come up to EU spec. The figure rose to 88 per cent in 2006 - not surprisingly, a serious rethink of the legislation is imminent. Since the introduction of the Radio & Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) directive …

Networks 10 Jul 2008, 07:02
Belkin prices up delayed wireless HDMI box

Belkin's anticipated wireless HDMI box, FlyWire, will finally hit shop shelves in October, the accessory maker has said. That's later than expected - and it'll cost more too. Belkin previewed FlyWire at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Back then, the company said it was looking forward to a summer release. Belkin's …

Broadband 10 Jul 2008, 08:43
Lords kick anon leukaemia stats back to Scots ICO

Updated Don't let the Barnards grind you down

The House of Lords has overturned decisions of the Court of Session and the Scottish Information Commissioner and required the Commissioner to re-examine a request for access to medical statistics. The Commissioner, with the support of the Court of Session, had decided that, as a matter of fact, a set of anonymised medical …

Law 10 Jul 2008, 09:27
Yahoo! opens search to all

Looking for ideas in the Google cache

Yahoo! said yesterday it will open up access to external developers to its search engine, something Google did six years ago. Developers will get access to an API allowing them to run versions of Yahoo!'s search engine on their own websites. Yahoo! will sell adverts on any applications that attract users. The hope is that …

Applications 10 Jul 2008, 09:52
Nominet changes 'fail to cut main cost of domain name disputes'

Asserting rights still expensive, says expert

The body in charge of the .uk internet domain has announced changes to its dispute resolution policies that will make it cheaper to win unopposed disputes but will not address the high cost of preparing cases. Nominet has published the policy changes that have resulted from two consultations. One of the main changes allows …

Broadband 10 Jul 2008, 09:59
Report fingers prints as ID scheme's point of failure

Over 75? Show us your retinas instead

Yet more trouble assails the government’s £4.4bn National Identity Scheme (NIS), as an official report puts the boot into the preferred scheme for “exception handling” – and a bunch of techies show how the recommended system can be beaten. Official trouble comes in the form of the latest annual report (pdf) from the Biometrics …

Government 10 Jul 2008, 10:02
Buffalo bullish over solar keyboard eco credentials

Eco-friendly typing

Solar-powered gadgets are coming off of production lines thick and fast nowadays, and the latest one to hit the desktop is a sun-lovin’ keyboard. Buffalo's keyboard is solar or (if cloudy) battery powered Manufacturer Buffalo states that the 4in solar panel integrated above the board's numerical pad can be adjusted to …

Hardware 10 Jul 2008, 10:46
Computacenter picks up steam after grim Q1

Customers have to buy something after all

Computacenter issued a not entirely depressing trading statement this morning, saying business had picked up after a grim start to its financial year. The systems integrator issued a profit warning for its first quarter back in May. But this morning it said organic growth in the first was its “strongest for a number of years …

The Channel 10 Jul 2008, 10:58
Tag Heuer teases with more Meridiist phone-cum-watch features

A clock that can make and take calls

Details about Tag Heuer’s first foray into the mobile phone arena have been sketchy, but they’re slightly clearer now as the watchmaker’s revealed more details about the upcoming phone-cum-watch. Tag Heuer's Meridiist: So many clock modes Now we know what you’re thinking. “My phone already has a clock, why would I want to …

Phones 10 Jul 2008, 11:01
Fixing the UK's broadband crisis

Jam tomorrow?

If you throw a rock in the air in London on any day of the working week, chances are it will land on a New Media conference. These are primarily social gatherings for the same group of academics and media hangers-on, and you can bet they'll be Twittering. (I'm often invited - usually it's because they think I'll oblige them by …

Broadband 10 Jul 2008, 11:02
Thieves take out Cable & Wireless centre

Updated Locals claim scrap metal hunters crush websites

Cable and Wireless's Watford network site went offline at 1am this morning, after thieves apparently stole vital equipment. Several Reg readers emailed us to report the outage when websites hosted at the Watford centre suddenly went kaput. They were told robbery or vandalism caused the downtime. The outage has been blamed for …

Broadband 10 Jul 2008, 11:13
Sony PS3 sub-£300 Blu-ray Disc player

Video Review It's not just a games console, you know

For the final part of our cheapie Blu-ray group test, we’re looking at the Sony PS3. It’s at the top of the price range - at £299 - but given that you get a high-end games console as well, it’s a decent deal. Can't see the video? Download FlashPlayer from Adobe.com Related Video Reviews Sharp BDHP20H Blu-ray Disc player …

Hardware 10 Jul 2008, 11:19
Japan to fund creation of 40W, 40in OLED TV

Tackle climate change and stick one to the Koreans into the bargain

Sony, Sharp, Toshiba and other Japanese consumer electronics giants are to get government cash to help fund the development of big-screen OLED TVs. In total, ¥700m ($6.6m/£3.3m/€4.2m) will be made available to the companies, all of it from NEDO, a Japanese government agency that fuels the development of emerging technologies. …

Hardware 10 Jul 2008, 11:57
Carphone Warehouse now taking iPhone 3G orders

Buy now, get it tomorrow

Carphone Warehouse has begun taking orders from the genral public for the 8GB and 16GB 3G iPhone, a day ahead of the second-generation Apple handset's formal release. CW's website today began taking orders for both models - albeit only black ones, not white - on O2's £30, £35, £45 and £75 per month airtime packages. Contracts …

Mobile 10 Jul 2008, 12:16
Li-titanate storage balances Indianapolis power grid

Battery stack shacks to back renewables?

Battery-tech firm Altairnano, best known to Reg readers as the developer of kit which might soon drive genuinely practical electric cars, has now produced a really big battery pack for use by power companies. This week Altairnano announced its first sale of the mega-battery gear, to power giant AES. The lithium-titanate …

Science 10 Jul 2008, 12:17
Ofcom tightens complaints procedure

Facilitatin' your operator disputatin'

Ofcom is reviewing the Alternative Dispute Resolution - mainly because no one seems to have heard of it - and will be asking operators to make complaining easier in future. Ofcom reckons most complaints are dealt with satisfactorily, but that it is unnecessarily complicated for every company to have their own code of conduct. …

Mobile 10 Jul 2008, 12:20
Lab tech supplier redefines corporate song paradigm

Warning: May provoke uncontrollable laughter

Fans of artistic crimes against humanity foisted on an unsuspecting world by companies who really believe that setting their mission statements to music will result in something other than incredulous laughter will certainly enjoy this product pitch from lab tech supplier Eppendorf International: Once you've checked the vid, …

Bootnotes 10 Jul 2008, 12:21
Gmail uses DomainKeys to lock out eBay phishing attacks

Promises 'dramatic reduction' in scam emails

eBay and PayPal have linked up with Gmail to roll out technology designed to block fraudulent emails and phishing attacks. DomainKeys and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) email authentication technology is being used to prevent the delivery of bogus messages posing as emails from eBay and PayPal into Gmail users' inboxes. …

Security 10 Jul 2008, 12:25
Blears pitches prize draws and online polls at young votes

Sticker chartists swell the electorate

Hazel Blears plans to reinvigorate local democracy and sprinkle some Miracle Gro on the nation’s grass roots by bribing voters with stickers and tickets for prize draws. The Communities Secretary has delivered up a white paper “setting out proposals to deliver a fundamental shift in power, influence and responsibility into the …

Government 10 Jul 2008, 12:29
Nikon D40 entry-level digital SLR

Review Passed your compact proficiency test? Time to take on the DSLR

The D40 is still part of Nikon’s current range. To begin with it was a sub-£500 camera; today it's a sub-£300 model and in our book that makes it worth serious consideration by the DSLR beginner. It's true that to a large extent, you get what you pay for, and in launching a low-cost DSLR, Nikon has had to make some compromises …

Hardware 10 Jul 2008, 12:45
Microsoft urges resellers to play it straight, beef up revs

Whose ~~bottom~~ line is it anyway?

Microsoft has claimed that each dollar it “loses” to software piracy equals $5.50 in “lost opportunities” to the firm’s channel partners. A Microsoft-sponsored white paper (pdf) released by IT analyst house IDC yesterday highlights the effects of copyright infringement on the software ecosystem across the tech industry. The …

The Channel 10 Jul 2008, 13:19
Germans develop submarine-launched UAV

Above us the drones

You have to do something special these days to make your flying robot stand out from the swarm - but remorselessly efficient German designers have done just that. They plan to offer small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) which can be launched and controlled from a submerged submarine. The UAV in question is called VOLANS (coVert …

Science 10 Jul 2008, 14:03
BMA: Shock drinkers with diseased organs

Cirrhosis snaps should supplement your swigging

I'm often puzzled by warnings that the "British way of life is under threat". Both of the so-called "intellectual" monthlies here, Prospect and now Standpoint are obsessed with the idea. The scapegoat is usually some ethnic or social group that minds its own business. But I have a new candidate that's far more threatening. It, …

Science 10 Jul 2008, 14:06
Fears mount over missing Webroot founder

Paranoid man goes walkabout

Fears are growing over the safety of the founder of anti-spyware firm Webroot following his disappearance late last month. Steven Thomas, 36, who has bipolar disorder, was last seen in the early evening of 30 June at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii. Thomas and his wife, Candis, were planning to relocate …

Security 10 Jul 2008, 14:44
iPhone apps hit the racks at the iTunes store

Worth the 18 month wait?

Not only does today see the launch of iPhone v2: This Time It's 3G, but Apple has also flung open the doors of the iTunes Application store, meaning punters disinclined to hack around with their handsets can now purchase legitimate applications. Apple originally intended the iPhone to be restricted to running applications …

Mobile 10 Jul 2008, 14:53
US retailers start pushing $20 Ubuntu

Today fanboys, tomorrow ~~Microsoft~~ the world?

Canonical has begun selling Ubuntu, its free, open source, Linux-based distro through Best Buy and Amazon for around $20 a pop. Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04, which has been packaged by ValuSoft, is being sold online at Amazon.com and Bestbuy.com, and through Best Buy's retail stores. Customers happy to be $19.99 lighter of pocket …

The Channel 10 Jul 2008, 15:01
NebuAd plays cat and mouse with data pimping opt-out

'We don't observe, but we may track'

Though Phorm-like behavioral ad targeter NebuAd has vowed to replace its cookie-based opt-out mechanism with an opt-out that's less crumbly, it appears that neither opt-out would completely opt you out. NebuAd tracks the online search and browsing activity of net surfers using deep packet inspection hardware installed inside …

Broadband 10 Jul 2008, 15:02
Shoot to win - with the PS3 handgun

Wii Remote rip-off

Is this latest PlayStation 3 controller real - or is it a hoax? We don’t know, but one thing’s for sure: it’s a stick-up. The PS3 handgun controller, with USB receiver (circled) Essentially, the system comprises a Wii Remote-like controller - albeit with PS3-style buttons - that slots into a handgun holder and acts like the …

Games 10 Jul 2008, 15:26
Shrinking Sun under the gun

Comment Could Fujitsu unite?

Here, with the stock market melting, we find Sun Microsystems in most uncomfortable territory. It's got a stock market value of $7.7bn, which means that the one-time lord of the servers is a mid-cap company. Our friends on Wall Street warn that Sun needs to maintain at least a $10bn market capitalization to stay in the large …

Servers 10 Jul 2008, 15:29
Fasthosts brings down Edugeek - and leaves it there

That'll learn 'em

Edugeek.net, the support site for, er, geeks who work in education, has been brought down by Fasthosts. The hosting service has launched its infamously glacial technical support into action, but the site has been down since Tuesday morning. Edugeek provides - when it's up anyway - free technical support and forums for admins …

Broadband 10 Jul 2008, 15:40
Show us the money, indies tell Last.fm

Tightwads 2.0

Indie music site Last.fm was basking in the glow of its own moral virtue yesterday, as it expanded its trial scheme to compensate unsigned artists from advertising revenues. "Last.fm Compensates Artists, Unlike Some People We Know," was WiReD's headline. The revenue-sharing program apparently promised "the chance to garner some …

Media 10 Jul 2008, 16:12
Smut pop-up teacher retrial stuck in delay loop

Good name limbo

Substitute teacher turned smut-serving spyware suspect Julie Amero remains stuck in legal limbo, with the case taking a toll on both her health and job prospects, Connecticut paper the Hartford Courant reports. More than a year after Superior Court Judge Hillary Strackbein dismissed a discredited child endangerment conviction …

Security 10 Jul 2008, 16:25
US DoD arms cloud for military duty

Full metal server

The US Department of Defense is sounding a strategic retreat from its current hardware and software licenses and ducking into the cloud for cover. It's inked a deal with Hewlett-Packard, which will supply a cloud computing infrastructure, known as RACE (Rapid Access Computing Environment), allowing the department's Defense …

Servers 10 Jul 2008, 19:52
Levi's suffers profit meltdown in midst of SAP embrace

Exclusive Pants ERP system leaves it without pants

Problems with a massive global enterprise resource planning (ERP) rollout have helped send Levi Strauss' second-quarter results through the floor. The jeans giant reported a 98 per cent drop in net income to $1m and squarely blamed "substantial costs" associated with its new ERP system among other factors for the shocker. …

Applications 10 Jul 2008, 22:07
Seagate first with 1.5TB hard drives

The pitter platter of beasts

One terabyte hard drives still cramping your decadent data storage lifestyle? No more tears. Seagate is rolling out 1.5TB HDDs this August. Seagate's 1.5TB Barracuda 7200.11 will use four platters to cram the scale-tipping new raw capacity into an eleventh generation of its flagship drive. The storage firm points out its the …

Storage 10 Jul 2008, 22:28
Cokeheads slip AI onto Yahoo! front page

NPUC 08 Optimizing Britney

Yahoo! is now using real-time automated algorithms to select news stories on its famous front page, claiming a 25 to 30 per cent increase in click through rate - and millions of dollars in additional yearly revenue. In other words, Yahoo! is making more money than ever from shameless celebrity gossip. Senior research …

Applications 10 Jul 2008, 23:09
DoJ ends Apple backdating probe

Jobs returns to special diet in peace

The US Justice Department has withdrawn its probe into illegal backdated stock options at Apple, and will not bring charges against Steve Jobs and other executives, according to reports. Neither Apple nor the DoJ has yet announced the end of the criminal investigation, but attorneys in the case told Reuters and The Wall Street …

Financial News 10 Jul 2008, 23:45