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16th July 2008 Archive

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  • Maven founder proposes Eclipse marriage

    Membership has its advantages

    The team that founded Apache's Maven project has joined Eclipse to marry their popular framework and repository with the Eclipse platform and projects. Engineers from Sonatype, the corporate backers of Maven, have also joined the Eclipse board, where they'll play a part in the open-source group's architectural direction. …

    Developer 16 Jul 2008, 00:52

  • Apple has that syncing feeling over MobileMe

    When we say push, we really mean shove

    Apple has rewritten marketing bumf for its MobileMe service after it emerged the "push" service actually needed customers to do their own share of shoving when it came to updating desktop apps. MobileMe, or "Exchange for the rest of us" as Apple bills it, is supposed to push data between online storage, which Apple calls "The …

    Mobile 16 Jul 2008, 07:02

  • Falling pound brings iTunes UK into line with Europe

    Apple UK escapes price cuts

    Apple no longer needs to lower the price of songs on iTunes UK in order to achieve pricing parity with the rest of Europe - fluctuating exchange rates have done the job for it. Back in January, Apple pledged to unify the cost of dowloads across Europe in order to head of the possibility that it might be forced to do so by …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 07:02

  • Attack of the Italian space pod parachute babes

    Farnborough Orbital foam-dive project has models signed up

    So far at Farnborough, we've brought you news on all the mainstream, humdrum pieces of sky-tech: stealth superfighters, supersonic jumpjets, tiltrotor plane-copters for the rooftop penthouse dwelling billionaire in your life. By now, many of you will have been saying to yourselves, "That's all very well, but it's a bit …

    Science 16 Jul 2008, 09:03

  • Man hacks Mac OS X onto MSI Wind

    From Air to Wind

    Fancy a 10in MacBook, anyone? We've seen Mac OS X installed and run on Asus' original Eee PC, and now someone's done the same on the MSI Wind, aka the Advent 4211. To be fair, hardware hacker Paul O'Brien admits there's plenty of bits that don't work once Leopard's up and running - most notably Wi-Fi and putting the machine …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 09:57

  • Grand Theft Auto coming to the DS

    The first stylus-based slash-'em-up?

    Campaigners against violent videogames may soon begin complaining that the Nintendo DS’ stylus could become a weapon. That’s because a Grand Theft Auto spin-off is being created for the handheld console. GTA: China Town Wars will be based in Liberty City, rather than just off London's Leicester Square, and is described as an " …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 09:58

  • Government halts work on Scope intelligence network

    For undisclosed reasons at an undisclosed cost

    Ministers have frozen the development of the Scope project, a secure computer network providing key officials with speedy access to secret intelligence on terrorism and other threats. The government has refused to disclose the cost of Scope, but it has been described by parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) as …

    Government 16 Jul 2008, 09:59

  • AOL spammer jailed for 30 months

    One minute behind bars for every junk mail

    A New Yorker was jailed for 30 months on Tuesday after being convicted for spamming 1.2 million AOL members with junk mail. Adam Vitale, 27 and of Brooklyn, was also ordered to pay $180,000 to AOL in restitution for bombarding subscribers to the service with emails punting a "computer security" product. Vitale pleaded guilty ( …

    Spam 16 Jul 2008, 10:03

  • Sony to sell 80GB PS3 at 40GB price

    Backward compatibility to go for good?

    Sony is to leave its 40GB PlayStation 3 by the wayside, in favour of a cheaper 80GB model. That’s despite only recently stating that it has no plans to fiddle with the console’s prices. The firm yesterday announced at the E3 gaming conference in Los Angeles that from September it will sell an 80GB model in the US for $399 (£ …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 10:09

  • Cisco takes us back to the future

    Like the crash (before this one) never happened

    Cisco has been showing journalists its vision of the future, which bears a remarkable resemblance to the past. It's somewhere around 1998 by our reckoning, only this time in high definition. The publicity drive comes with the refurbishment of its Innovation Centre, at its Feltham offices, which has been rebuilt to show how …

    Data Networking 16 Jul 2008, 10:18

  • EU dumps more anti-trust charges on Intel

    Antitrust probe embiggened

    Chipmaker Intel is facing more EU competition charges relating to allegations that it abused its dominant position to keep computers with AMD chips out of European shops. Intel has been under European Commission investigation since 2001. Along with Dixons Store Group it had its offices raided by investigators in 2005, with a …

    Channel Register 16 Jul 2008, 10:34

  • Sierra Wireless Compass 885 HSUPA 3G modem

    First Review aka the O2 Business Modem

    Britain's mobile phone networks haven't been slow to punt mobile broadband to their customers, but the arrival of simple plug-and-play USB modems has made their task easier. The latest to arrive is Sierra Wireless' Compass 885, first offered by O2 as the Business USB Modem and now also available untied to a network. Like …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 11:02

  • MySQL 5.1 servers take early bath

    Database firm breaks download tool database

    People clambering to get their hands on the latest candidate release of MySQL 5.1 were yesterday locked out of Sun Microsystems' download servers for several hours. Sun’s latest version of the popular open source database was supposed to land at the end of last month after its original pencilled-in first quarter release was …

    Applications 16 Jul 2008, 11:03

  • San Francisco's 'rogue' sysadmin still being paid while in jail

    Mayor says bricked IT system won't affect ability to govern

    San Francisco’s officials were squirming with embarrassment today as it emerged that they are still paying the salary of the banged-up sysadmin accused of locking down the city’s IT network and refusing to divulge the password. The City has been forced to call in help from Silicon Valley, including engineers from Cisco, to …

    IT Director 16 Jul 2008, 11:20

  • Global warming to stone US kidneys

    Rising temps = more kidney stones, scientists predict

    The US must brace itself for an increase in cases of kidney stones provoked by rising temperatures, scientists this week warned. Said stones are caused by salts crystallising in the kidneys, something often provoked by dehydration, especially in warmer climes. Accordingly, southeastern US states - the so-called kidney stone " …

    Environment 16 Jul 2008, 11:20

  • eBay UK pimps users' privacy for targeted ads

    Updated: When opt out means locked out

    eBay users in the UK will start seeing adverts targeting them based on the kind of items they view and bid for while browsing the online tat-house. And if they don't want their info being used to target ads, their only option seems to be to leave the online marketplace altogether, according to an email announcing the changes …

    Small Biz 16 Jul 2008, 11:46

  • Phorm protestors picket BT AGM

    Walking the streets to protest against data pimping

    Attendees at BT's Annual General Meeting today will have to run the gauntlet of an anti-Phorm protest outside the event at the Barbican, London. Protestors will hear from Baroness Miller, who is tomorrow meeting the Home Office to outline her objections to BT's trial of the snooping technology without informing users. BT …

    Telecoms 16 Jul 2008, 11:54

  • BAE 'skips a generation' in killer robot tech

    Farnborough The one where it was cheap, to be exact

    UK-headquartered arms globocorp BAE Systems plc has shown off a raft of new robotic concepts this week at the Farnborough Air Show. But the newest and biggest kid on the BAE droidplane block is the Mantis, a large and powerful twin-engined technology demonstrator project whose wraps came off on Monday for the ceremonial inking …

    Science 16 Jul 2008, 12:01

  • HP's white trash data center is up for anything

    Your POD or mine?

    Hewlett-Packard has finally found its way into the data center trailer park. It took a while, but the hardware vendor is introducing its own scheme for selling chunks of data centers in pre-packaged containers. HP joins the likes of Sun, IBM, Rackable, and Verari with similar White Trash Data Center programs. HP calls its …

    Servers 16 Jul 2008, 12:04

  • Vodafone presents punter with £500k phone bill

    Updated 'Yes, of course I have the keypad locked'

    A Vodafone customer from Norwich has pitched his claim for the largest ever single-person phone bill after getting a demand from Vodafone for £588,198, and fifteen pence. James Abdale, who posted the details on the Vodafone forum, was initially quite jovial about what was so obviously a clerical error, though after two hours …

    Mobile 16 Jul 2008, 12:14

  • ISS expands parking capacity

    Spacewalk preps installation of new berths

    International Space Station crew members Oleg Kononenko and Sergei Volkov yesterday carried out a five-hour, 54-minute spacewalk (see pic) to install a docking target on the station's Zvezda service module as part of a programme to expand the station's parking capacity. This expansion is in anticipation of augmenting the ISS's …

    Space 16 Jul 2008, 12:21

  • Call for reform as UK data protection rules turn 10

    Time for info law to grow some...teeth

    The UK's Data Protection Act turned ten years old on Wednesday amid calls to either update the legislation or enforce the rules it established. The DPA was created in 1998 as a means to impose checks on how business and government handles personal information. Widespread data loss by organisations, most graphically illustrated …

    Law 16 Jul 2008, 13:06

  • Grissom bows out of CSI

    William Petersen hangs up his lab coat

    William Petersen has decided to hang up his lab coat down at CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, marking the end of eight years of Gil Grissom's contribution to criminal forensics. According to the BBC, Petersen's final episode will air early next year during the show's 10th series, after which he will simply "make guest …

    Entertainment 16 Jul 2008, 13:06

  • Samsung goes HD with compact flagship

    Featuring beauty mode, for slightly less ugly photos

    The camera giant’s expanded its NV compact range with the launch of the NV100HD, which also sports the world’s only 28mm wide angle lens with 14.7 megapixels. Samsung's NV100HD: the only 28mm wide angle snapper with 14.7Mp The NV100HD becomes the flagship model in Samsung’s NV compact camera series and users navigate around …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 13:07

  • World's smallest iPod music beamer debuts

    Ditching cabled headphones for a pair of wireless cans is a must, but not if you need a chunky transmitter. Brando has launched what it claims to be the world’s smallest Bluetooth A2DP transmitter. The INFINXX AP23 is compatible with the iPhone and all dockable iPods, including the Touch. Plug the transmitter into your gadget' …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 13:11

  • Samsung L201 offers cut-price, basic snapping

    Samsung has unveiled the latest addition to its L series of compact cameras. And although the L201 lacks any unique features, it includes everything you’d want from a basic shooter. Samsung's L201: sports 10.2 megapixels The 10.2-megapixel compact camera has a reasonably sized 2.7in LCD display that Samsung states sits …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 13:14

  • Sony PS3 movie downloads are go

    Films and TV at the touch of a DualShock 3

    Sony has finally broken its silence over the long awaited PlayStation 3 video downloads service and launched it onto the PlayStation Network. The electronics giant has partnered with numerous content providers for the service, including Fox, MGM, Lionsgate, Warner, Disney and Paramount. Available content - in the US only, alas …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 13:34

  • UK boffins roll out video periodic table

    Sodium: The (explosive) motion picture

    A group of boffins from Nottingham Uni is about to launch an entertaining short video guide to the periodic table - apparently designed to give them the chance to chuck sodium into water with unrestrained glee: The chap with the exemplary boffin's barnet is professor Martyn Poliakoff, who told El Reg that the site should be …

    Science 16 Jul 2008, 13:43

  • Sony pitches 'unique' 16in, 16:9 HD Vaio at movie buffs

    Sony has just taken the wraps off its new consumer-oriented laptop, a machine that promises true movie-friendly 16:9 aspect ratio viewing thanks to a "unique" 16.4in, 1600 x 900 display. The Vaio FW series is based on Intel's Centrino 2 platform - aka 'Montevina' - but then so are dozens of laptops being launched this week. …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 14:09

  • ETS apologises for online marking blunders – again

    Sorry seems to be the hardest word

    ETS Europe, the school exam contractor, has been slammed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) following revelations of marking delays brought on in part by technical cock-ups at the firm. QCA boss Ken Boston, speaking on the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme this morning, said he was “bitterly disappointed” after …

    Government 16 Jul 2008, 14:20

  • Sony builds hot-swap GPU tech into ultra-portable laptop

    Vaio Z debuts

    Sony's second key laptop introduction of the week is its 13in Vaio Z - not only a low-weight boy for business but also one of the first notebooks with seen with hot-switch graphics chips. Like the Vaio FW, which was also launched this week, the Z series is based on Intel's Centrino 2 - the foundation for a raft of new …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 14:34

  • HMRC disc losers still getting paid

    Carry this can, and this sack of money

    The payouts received by the civil servants who took the blame for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs losing the child benefit database have been revealed. Paul Gray departed from his job in November 2007 as the the child benefit database loss story broke and took a lump sum of £137,591. He also receives monthly payments …

    Government 16 Jul 2008, 15:16

  • Hamilton Rentals regains independence

    £10m MBO for rent-a-server outfit

    Management at Hamilton Rentals has carried a £10m MBO from the rental outfit’s parent, 2e2. The Hamilton Rentals name has a long history in the channel before being absorbed by Compel in 1996. The Hamilton Rentals brand continued at veteran reseller Compel, which was itself absorbed by 2e2 last year. The management at the …

    Channel Register 16 Jul 2008, 15:20

  • Copyright gets 'Use It Or Lose It' clause

    EC ties strings to term extension

    The European Commission today approved an extension to the life of sound recording copyright, from 50 to 90 years - but with a twist. The EC has insisted on a "use it or lose it" clause, which allows the recordings to revert to the performer if the producer or record company has no desire to market the recording. It's designed …

    Music and Media 16 Jul 2008, 15:37

  • Sensitive Wii maker snubs developers

    Nintendo keeps development kit to itself

    Nintendo may have announced a new enhancement to the Wii controller, but don't expect many titles to take advantage of the new accuracy. Many in the development community only found out about the Wii MotionPlus yesterday - the same time as the rest of us. Developers normally expect to get early access to peripherals, so they …

    Music and Media 16 Jul 2008, 15:49

  • EMC accused of stifling discrimination claims while battling class-action

    Denies alleged sexist ways

    EMC ignored internal discrimination claims from female employees whilst fighting a class action lawsuit filed by other female employees. That is the claim made by ex-EMC VP Paul Goetz in papers filed with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It …

    Storage 16 Jul 2008, 17:15

  • App Store clean-up follows allegations

    What a difference a space makes

    Members of Apple's brand-new App Store have cleaned up their act after accusations of unprofessionalism and queue jumping to get their software noticed by iPhone users. Apple iPhone School first highlighted the fact some developers were inserting special characters - spaces, quotes and numbers - in front of their applications …

    Developer 16 Jul 2008, 17:17

  • Blinkx bestows video search on world+dog

    White Red label play

    Blinkx is now offering a white label version of its transatlantic video search engine. But it prefers the name Red Label. "The Blinkx 'B' has always been red," CEO and founder Suranga Chandratillake tells The Reg. With Blinkx Red Label, third-parties large and small can add video search to their own sites and, if they like, …

    Music and Media 16 Jul 2008, 18:01

  • iPhone 3G unlocked in Brazil

    Coders to the rescue?

    The iPhone 3G only went on sale last week, but a Brazilian group already claims to have hacked the phone, allowing owners to use the device on any network. Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com DesbloqueioBr is thought to be one of the first groups to have successfully unlocked the iPhone 3G. It has …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 18:06

  • EU tells UK to deal with Phorm - or else

    The pre-warning letter

    The European Commission has sent a message to the British government, and it reads something like this: "If you don't deal with Phorm, we will." Earlier this month, according to Dow Jones, the European Union commissioner for information society and media sent a "pre-warning letter" to UK authorities, voicing her concern over …

    Telecoms 16 Jul 2008, 19:05

  • Former Samsung boss receives suspended jail term

    Avoids prison for corruption charges

    The former chairman of the Samsung Group and one of South Korea's most powerful business leaders was given a stiff fine and sent on his way for corruption allegations. Lee Kun-hee was sentenced to three-years in jail, suspended for five years, for tax evasion while being cleared of more serious charges. The court fined Lee …

    Financial News 16 Jul 2008, 19:34

  • Acer Aspire One: the new sub-laptop to beat?

    A quick play with it and we're hooked

    Early reviews of Acer's £220 Aspire One were none too complementary about the Small, Cheap Computer's build quality, but have spent a brief time with a unit that's not a pre-production model, we'd say Eee PC creator Asus has a real challenge on its hands. We've not had time to conduct a full review - our unit's on the way, …

    Reg Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 19:58

  • Congress spotlights another American data pimper

    Barks at Embarq

    Congressman Ed Markey - chair of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet - has called out another American ISP for pimping user data to NebuAd, the Phorm-like behavioral ad targeter. Yesterday, Markey and fellow Congressional big-wigs John D. Dingell (chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce …

    Telecoms 16 Jul 2008, 20:52

  • Fastscale sends Windows Server to Weight Watchers

    De-bloating Bill's code

    Fastscale is bringing its unique brand of software shrinking to Windows Server. The start-up this week unleashed - if you can use such a word for a company with 15 paying corporate customers - a shiny new version of Fastscale Composer Suite. Up to this point, the code has been locked down to Red Hat servers and applications, …

    Servers 16 Jul 2008, 20:53

  • Dell and Wal-Mart team on TV installations

    Don't worry. Only Dallas affected

    Good idea? Bad idea? Not even Wal-Mart and Dell are sure. The two "low-cost providers" have teamed to experiment on Dallas natives with a range of technology services. Customers visiting local Wal-Marts will find "Solution Stations by Dell" where they can get help with "home television installation, PC set-up, wireless network …

    Hardware 16 Jul 2008, 22:15

  • Seagate CEO cops to sloppy floppy in Q4

    More tidiness planned

    Seagate says the storage market is chugging along just fine, but the company's late-mover position in notebook and nearline markets made for a disappointing fourth quarter. "The real issue here is we've been sloppy on product execution," said Seagate CEO Bill Watkins, during an earnings conference call. "We've been sloppy on …

    Storage 16 Jul 2008, 22:34

  • Mono man accuses Mac Gtk+ fans of jeopardizing Linux desktop

    Trading hard ISV gains for the easy compile

    Miguel de Icaza has criticized plans for the next GNU Gnome cross-platform environment that risks damaging the Linux desktop ISV ecosystem by focusing on the Mac. De Icaza, leading the Mono and Moonlight cross-platform .NET projects at Novell, has warned a "new crop" of developers pushing plans for Gtk+ 3 risk "throwing away …

    Operating Systems 16 Jul 2008, 23:40