30th July 2008 Archive
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'Series of tubes' senator indicted for false statements
Claims innocence
Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the US Senate, was indicted today for making false statements to federal prosecutors. These statements do not include his claim that the internet is "a series of tubes." As the Associated Press reports, Stevens is accused of falsifying his annual Senate financial disclosure …
Law 30 Jul 2008, 00:19
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Citizens's panel demands policing for DNA database
But not by the police
A "Citizens' Inquiry" into the Forensic Use of DNA and National DNA Database is calling for proper public debate into the issues raised by the database, education of the public about their rights and an independent body to oversee the development of the database. The Citizens' Inquiry was made up of 30 people drafted in to …
Policing 30 Jul 2008, 01:02
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Neosploit hack-by-numbers kit euthanized
Victim of its own success
The distributors of Neosploit, one of the most noxious infection kits available on the internet, are retiring the product, citing support costs that didn't justify the expense. Like MPack, Icepack and others, Neosploit was the hacking equivalent of a paint-by-numbers kit. Miscreants who didn't have the time or skills to …
Security 30 Jul 2008, 04:54
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Siemens flogs chunk of telco unit
US buys into German firm
Siemens has finally found a buyer, or at least part-buyer, for its corporate telecoms business. Siemens Enterprise Communications is now 51 per cent owned by Alec Gores and the Gores Group. It will be combined with Enterasys and SER Communications. Enterasys was originally the enterprise arm of Cabletron before going private …
Data Networking 30 Jul 2008, 08:51
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Plods say it's OK for them give out your DNA
But not theirs
The National Police Improvement Agency has defended allowing companies access to the national DNA database. A spokesperson for the NPIA told GC News that there are "stringent guidelines" surrounding each request for profiles from the National DNA Database, including scrutiny by a newly formed ethics board. "After approval by …
Policing 30 Jul 2008, 09:02
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Is Apple readying a MacBook redesign?
Insiders talk of Air-like MacBook
The web’s rife with rumour that Apple is readying the release of a redesigned MacBook, which could be renamed the MacBook Touch and sport more of an Air feel about it. The MacBook may undergo a diet and shape change According to a Computerworld report, unnamed “insiders” from within the world of MacBook have let slip with “ …
Reg Hardware 30 Jul 2008, 09:18
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Alcoholic Malaysian shrews cast doubt on UK booze panic
Research: Being drunk all the time is viable lifestyle
In a shock development offering hope for the cohesion of British society - not to mention the finances of the British government and the operating model of the Reg - boffins have discovered that it is possible to live almost entirely on booze and yet remain fully functional. At the moment, according to the latest research, the …
Biology 30 Jul 2008, 09:46
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Nintendo left sweating over dodgy chargers
DS, DS Lite and GameBoy all fingered
Only last week Trading Standards warned UK punters that dangerous third-party chargers were flooding the market. But now the problem’s afflicting Nintendo and the videogame giant’s issued a warning. Nintendo's warned gamers of dodgy third-party console chargers The company’s UK division has warned that “several blocks of …
Reg Hardware 30 Jul 2008, 09:50
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Alicia Keys croons Bond theme
Duets with Jack White on Another Way to Die
Forthcoming Bond outing Quantum of Solace will feature a theme song performed by Alicia Keys and Jack White - the first time 007 has been honoured with a duet According to the BBC, White also wrote and produced Another Way to Die, as well as contributing on the drums. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson offered …
Entertainment 30 Jul 2008, 09:52
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McKinnon loses Lords appeal
Updated Pentagon hacker takes fight to Europe
Accused Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon has lost his appeal in the House of Lords against extradition to the USA, but his lawyers have vowed to take the fight on to the European Court of Human Rights. In a ruling this morning, Five Law Lords rejected arguments that the strong-arm tactics adopted by US authorities during plea …
Law 30 Jul 2008, 09:54
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Sony updates PS3 firmware, again
Not 2.40, not 2.41, but 2.42
Sony clearly hopes it's able to put the recent PlayStation 3 firmware fiasco behind it, and so it's issued yet another update for the console. Before you go getting too excited though, the latest version – which is called 2.42 - doesn’t sound as though it adds any juicy features, like in-game XMB menu access. A short and …
Reg Hardware 30 Jul 2008, 10:12
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Click here to save Bletchley Park
Downing Street e-petition demands action
Those among you who feel strongly that the government should intervene to save Bletchley Park for the nation are invited to sign an e-petition aimed at prompting just such action. The petition states: "Please do not allow this crucial piece of both British and World culture to disappear. If ever an example were needed of …
Bootnotes 30 Jul 2008, 10:20
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More dodgy phone-ins cost BBC £400,000
Staff know not to rip the public off now
The never-ending TV and radio phone-in scandal prompted more embarrassment at the BBC today, as Ofcom hit the corporation with fines totalling £400,000. More than half a dozen shows are included in the latest round of wrist-slapping, including the charity fundraising drives Comic Relief and Children in Need. Broadcasting …
Music and Media 30 Jul 2008, 10:22
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Dell to launch MP3 player, claims mole
PC manufacturer back onstage with another DJ Ditty
Watch out Apple, because Dell is poised to unveil an MP3 player and music downloads service, according to company insiders. The Wall Street Journal has it on good authority from a mole within Dell that the PC manufacturer has already designed and tested its own MP3 player. The gadget’s thought to feature a small iPod Nano- …
Reg Hardware 30 Jul 2008, 10:59
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It's official: The Home Office is listening
And will officially ignore anything you say
The last week has seen the appearance of two carefully-modulated Yes Minister-style statements, defending the government’s approach to data and surveillance and explaining why we have nothing to worry about. The first comes in the form of a podcast by allegedly fictitious government blogging supremo and Technology Outreach …
Government 30 Jul 2008, 11:02
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Russians withdraw Lake Baikal record claim
Hit bottom short of deepest freshwater submersion
The Russians have withdrawn their claim to have made the deepest freshwater submersion in Siberia's Lake Baikal after hitting bottom at just 1,580 metres (5,180 feet) - short of their planned touch-down at 1,680 metres (5,510 feet). According to Reuters, the mission led by scientist and Kremlin-backed Russian MP Artur …
Science 30 Jul 2008, 11:08
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EC proposes overhaul of patents and industrial rights
Wants to get biz involved in rights protection
The European Commission has proposed creating a single strategy for the protection of industrial property rights in Europe. The Commission wants to integrate its strategy for industrial property rights and encourage smaller businesses to protect rights. Patents and trade marks are the most well-known industrial property rights …
Law 30 Jul 2008, 11:30
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Extra-heavy minicopter 'Jetpack' astounds world+dog
Not a jet: and certainly not a pack, either
The big story on the gadget beat this week is undoubtedly the Kiwi ducted-fan "jetpack", now on show at the AirVenture expo in Wisconsin. The Martin Jetpack, decades in development by NZ garage inventor Glenn Martin, has suddenly achieved worldwide fame largely due to the fact that a New York Times scribe had a bit of a hover …
Science 30 Jul 2008, 11:34
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Chinese to censor Olympic press net access
Sensitive sites blocked, despite previous assurances
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has admitted cutting a deal with the Chinese to allow the blocking of press access to some sensitive websites during the forthcoming Beijing games - despite previous assurances there would be no such censorship. The IOC's press chief, Kevan Gosper, had said "internet access for the 21, …
Law 30 Jul 2008, 11:38
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PNY unveils GeForce 9500 GT
Offload tasks from the CPU for smoother video
PNY has unveiled its latest graphics card, which is designed to offload tasks from the CPU to provide more realistic gaming and smoother video replay. PNY's GeForce 9500 GT The GeForce 9500 GT is marketed as the “perfect graphics card for multimedia and gaming users," with Blu-ray central to PNY’s message. The firm claims …
Reg Hardware 30 Jul 2008, 11:53
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Sovereign immunity blocks DMCA suit against Air Force
It's good to be king
Federal software contractors take note: A federal appeals court in the US recently ruled that a software owner couldn't sue the government for copyright infringement and anti-circumvention violations after the US Air Force refused to pay for a software license and cracked controls built into the software to control unauthorized …
Law 30 Jul 2008, 12:02
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Nokia E66 smartphone
Review Better connected than a Kolkata call centre
The next-gen version of the E65 slider is longer, but slimmer, and packs in a 3.2 megapixel camera, push email, HSDPA, AGPS, more memory and better battery life – all in a good-looking package. It’s slimmer by a couple of millimetres, though it's also longer by the same amount and slightly heavier. But it's that slimness that …
Reg Hardware 30 Jul 2008, 12:07
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Driving some value into Google's Street View
The Reg calls on Google to open Street View
So Googlers are driving their cars around the UK at the moment snapping pictures of every bit of every road and everyone and everything around them - and causing a bit of a privacy hoopla. Perhaps Google should pay some penance for its evil. As luck would have it, we’ve got a lovely idea for how it can redeem itself. But …
Developer 30 Jul 2008, 12:26
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iPhone 3G not compatible with existing accessories
Reader Experience Questions asked over Apple's (lack of) customer consideration
"I've just fallen foul of the fact that the new iPhone 3G is no longer compatible with a countless number of my existing iPod accessories." "The problem is that, whilst it may work after a fashion in some, it won't take a charge. "The cause of this problem apparently lies in the fact that the iPhone 3G, unlike its predecessor …
Reg Hardware 30 Jul 2008, 13:01
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Microsoft to kill Windows with 'web-centric' Midori?
'I carried a watermelon'
Microsoft is working on a project, codenamed Midori, to create an “internet-centric” operating system to replace Windows. Technical details about Redmond’s alleged Windows successor emerged yesterday. According to a SD Times report, which cites internal Microsoft documents, a team, led by Eric Rudder, has been developing the …
Software 30 Jul 2008, 13:26
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Only 'unlawful threats' would invalidate McKinnon extradition
Analysis Ordinary threats not enough
The Law Lords have published their reasons for rejecting the extradition appeal of accused Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon. In a ruling published on Wednesday morning, five Law Lords turned down an appeal that aggressive tactics adopted by US authorities during negotiations with McKinnon constituted an abuse of the process. In …
Law 30 Jul 2008, 13:57
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Global Wii sales nearing 30m
Nintendo's Q1 profit up 34 per cent
Nintendo has shifted nearly 30m Wii consoles worldwide since releasing the unit in late 2006, the videogame giant’s Q1 financial results have revealed. For the three months ended 30 June 2008, Nintendo sold 5.1m Wii consoles worldwide – up from 3.4m units in the same period last year. In total, the firm's now sold 29.7m Wii …
Reg Hardware 30 Jul 2008, 14:29
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Gmail certificate expiry snafu follows security upgrade
Update Webmail service POP losses its fizzle
Google allowed one of its Gmail SSL certificates to expire days after promising users improved webmail security. Because Google's certificate for IMAP/POP traffic expired on Tuesday users were confronted by a potentially confusing "invalid certificate" warning. In some cases users may also have been left unable to send email. …
Enterprise Security 30 Jul 2008, 15:22
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Parallels gets SaaSy with software vendors
I wanna be your middleman
Parallels yesterday laid out a programme for helping independent software vendors to provide their apps in the SaaS model without having to rehash existing code. The operating system virtualisation outfit claimed that its SaaS FastTrack Program will give ISVs a quick and easy approach for getting their products in front of …
Servers 30 Jul 2008, 15:35
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Next Debian's 'Lenny' frozen
Linux distros get ready
The next version Debian has come a step closer to completion with the freezing of the current testing distribution version codename Lenny. This will form the basis of Debian 5.0, expected in September. The freeze means that package developers who have not uploaded software for inclusion in the Debian 5.0 release have …
Operating Systems 30 Jul 2008, 16:02
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IBM lays the rules down
The logic of ILOG
In the aftermath of IBM’s announcement of intent to buy ILOG, it would be all too easy for us to reflect back on a conversation with ILOG’s chief executive Pierre Haren last winter at its annual user conference covering survival in the software industry. Haren’s description of the typical life of a software vendor is that first …
Applications 30 Jul 2008, 17:02
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Comcast plays New York anti-porn game
Bad news for Usenet
After a legal threat from New York attorney general Andrew Cuomo, Comcast has joined the grandstanding American politician's quixotic crusade against online child pornography. In signing Cuomo's anti-child porn "code of conduct," the country's second largest ISP has agreed to shutdown certain Usenet newsgroups containing " …
Telecoms 30 Jul 2008, 17:19
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K Desktop Environment 4.1 lands
Rejigged for 'casual' types
The Linux K Desktop Environment project yesterday released KDE 4.1 of the desktop suite. The latest version builds on the rejigged code base established in KDE 4.0. That was essentially a stripped-down system using the Qt 4 application development framework after developers scrapped Qt 3, rebuilding the desktop environment …
Applications 30 Jul 2008, 17:24
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Intel feeds Portuguese 500,000 Classmate laptops
Socratic oath defies OLPC
Intel has scored a massive low-cost laptop deal with Portugal's government to provide primary school students with 500,000 computers based on the company's Classmate PC notebook design. Chipzilla plans to deliver the half million machines — which will be manufactured under license in northern Portugal — in the upcoming school …
PCs & Chips 30 Jul 2008, 18:23
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Microsoft claims heart beats in open source
If you ignore Windows
If Microsoft has a beating heart then the senior director of Microsoft platform strategy Sam Ramji reckons he's found it. Where's that heart? Inside Microsoft's open source activities. Ramji believes Microsoft's recruitment of doers from the world of open source and their placement inside its Open Source Software Lab means …
Developer 30 Jul 2008, 19:54
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Amazon launches self-cloning experiment
Invasion of the checkout snatchers
Amazon has officially unveiled its answer to PayPal. Yesterday, the etail giant quietly launched Checkout by Amazon - not to be confused with Google Checkout, Google's answer to PayPal. With this new payment service, you can buy stuff from third-party net merchants using your existing Amazon account, already populated with …
Applications 30 Jul 2008, 19:57
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Beloved websites riddled with crimeware
Web 2.0 malware mash-up madness
Sixty of the 100 most popular websites either hosted malicious content or linked to malicious websites at some point during the first six months of 2008, according to a new study by web security firm Websense. Many of these sites include search engine and social networking sites that are becoming a popular target for attackers …
Security 30 Jul 2008, 20:23
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Apple says MobileMe mail problems 'behind us'
Will users turn the other cheek?
Apple claims to have repaired its MobileMe service to all subscribers that were blocked from using their e-mail accounts for more than a week. The consumer electronics giant also appears to have recovered e-mail messages received between July 16 and July 18, which Apple previously believed had been lost. "We have completed …
Mobile 30 Jul 2008, 20:27
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Dr. Strangevote saves mankind with Luddite voting recipe
Usenix How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Paper Ballot
When it comes to elections, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen opts for blander, more traditional technologies, and that preference is helping her sleep better at night. Speaking Wednesday at the Usenix Security Symposium in San Jose, California, the state's top elections official laid out a decidedly low-tech approach …
Security 30 Jul 2008, 22:03
