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6th August 2008 Archive

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  • Cisco's Q4 sails over US economic slump

    Networker's net rises 4.4%

    "Despite" is clearly the golden word for financial reports of major US tech corporations. If a company is massive enough, it's got tendrils wrapped outside the sluggish domestic market. Investors demand growth — and desired numbers presently lie abroad in emerging markets such as China and India. Cisco, often used as a …

    Financial News 6 Aug 2008, 00:00

  • American man too fat for execution

    'My veins are hard to find'

    An American death row inmate claims he's too fat for execution. With a lawsuit filed in federal court on Friday, the Associated Press reports, attorneys for the 5-feet-7-inch, 267-pound Richard Cooey say the executioner's needle would have trouble finding his veins. And even if it did find his veins, they insist, his heft …

    Odds and Sods 6 Aug 2008, 00:20

  • MySpace elbows into the Cloud

    Social netvomit now available wirelessly

    MySpace has teamed up with The Cloud to offer UK social networkers free access to Wi-fi hotspots, so they can keep up with what their pretend friends are up to while out socialising. The deal runs until October, and allows access to MySpace.com without charge from any of The Cloud's 7000 wi-fi hotspots. Anyone logging on to …

    Mobile 6 Aug 2008, 06:02

  • Supercomputer to improve UK weather

    Well, it's been a rubbish summer

    The Met Office, home of UK weather forecasting, is getting a shiny new supercomputer from IBM. The £33m contract with IBM, which covers maintenance, support and a mid-life upgrade, will run until 2013. The machine should have total peak performance of 1 Petaflop by 2011 - some 30 times more powerful than the Met's current …

    Servers 6 Aug 2008, 06:02

  • Feds charge 11 in TJX ID fraud case

    Nine companies, 40m card accounts hacked

    Federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday that they had indicted eleven people in the largest case of identity theft and hacking ever prosecuted by the US Department of Justice. The eleven suspects, including three US citizens, allegedly took part in stealing more than 40 million credit and debit card accounts from nine major …

    Crime 6 Aug 2008, 09:15

  • IBM opens supercomputer tools for ordinary rocket scientists

    LinuxWorld Power6 to the people

    IBM has marked the tenth anniversary of its commitment to Linux by going nuclear on high-performance computing. A decade after the computing giant released its first compiler for Linux, a seemingly minor move back then that led to a major strategic endorsement down the line, IBM has released its first package of open-source …

    Developer 6 Aug 2008, 09:16

  • NASA: Mars is good habitat for Terry Pratchett dragons

    That's the gist, anyway

    In a development which may untwist a few knickers around the internet, NASA scientists have now explained just what their Phoenix robot lander has found in the soil of Mars - and what the implications are for possible discovery of life on the Red Planet. Following news that the White House had received secret briefings in …

    Space 6 Aug 2008, 09:33

  • Motorola's rockin' Rokr trio

    Rokr-roll all day and every night

    Motorola has refreshed its Rokr music mobile range with the launch of three additional handsets. Motorola's Rokr EM30 has a light-up keypad The MotoRokr EM30 is a candybar phone, whilst the Rokr EM28 opens as a clamshell and the Rokr EM25 sports a slider design. EM30 fans get a keypad that lights up red when the phone’s in …

    Reg Hardware 6 Aug 2008, 09:49

  • Home wireless without the power trip

    Battery lives should be measured in years

    A new generation of low-power radio technologies is creeping into our homes, in the form of wireless light switches and remote-controlled plug sockets. But the next generation of home-automation kit is all going to communicate every which way, assuming a common language can be agreed upon. Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth Low …

    Data Networking 6 Aug 2008, 10:02

  • UK.gov dishes out £19m for comms snoop data silos

    Rising cash outlay opens telco doors for plod, spooks

    The UK government has given communications providers almost £19m in the last four years under anti-terror laws to pay for access to huge compulsory databases of customer information. The annual level of grants under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (ATCSA) and the EU Data Retention Directive 2007 (EUDRD) has …

    Government 6 Aug 2008, 10:05

  • Sony Ericsson's Nunchuck mobile

    World's first mobile with a handheld joystick?

    Playing videogames on your mobile could soon become lots more user-friendly, because Sony Ericsson (SE) is to bundle a Wii Nunchuck-esque controller with an upcoming handset. Zeemote's Jsi 'Nunchuck' controls games on Sony Ericsson's W760i phone SE will launch the W760i later this year, but it’ll be the first to feature …

    Reg Hardware 6 Aug 2008, 10:22

  • Researcher gives Elvis and bin Laden fake e-passports

    Claims they'll fool e-readers. Uh huh huh

    The 'fraud-proof' e-passport can be copied and altered, a Dutch security researcher has demonstrated. In tests conducted for the Times, Jeroen van Beek of the University of Amsterdam changed the chip data in a normal UK e-passport to contain a picture of Osama bin Laden. The paper also reports that van Beek has contrived to have …

    ID 6 Aug 2008, 10:39

  • EU grabs 30MHz of spectrum for talking cars

    My other car's a right nag

    The EU has agreed to reserve 30MHz of spectrum (around 5.9GHz) for cars that want to talk to each other, in the belief that doing so will save lives rather than add more driver-distracting gadgets. The idea is that cars driving along a road will be able to spot hazards, such as a slippery surface, and will decide - presumably …

    Mobile 6 Aug 2008, 10:54

  • Too much money? Bling your iPhone with the $1000 app

    Red sparkly thing only a grand to you

    iPhone users can now buy themselves a picture of a red gem to display on their handsets, purely to demonstrate they've got enough money to throw $999.99 at such a pointless gesture. The application - subtly entitled "I am rich" - is available through Apple's Application Store, though we're not clear if anyone has bought a copy …

    Mobile 6 Aug 2008, 10:58

  • Physical USB security

    Keep your data under lock and key

    Keeping information stored on Flash drives is vital, but if you’re not convinced that software encryption’s secure enough then a physical option’s now available. Thanko's USB padlock Quirky Japanese retailer Thanko has launched a combination padlock for Flash drives that slides onto the USB connection and enables you to set …

    Reg Hardware 6 Aug 2008, 11:10

  • Fedora 10 alpha code is go

    Calling all testers

    The Red Hat-sponsored open source team behind Fedora has released an alpha version of Fedora 10 (Cambridge) with better security features and audio support. The operating system is suitable for testing but not for running on any critical systems. Along with bug fixes Fedora promises better audio support, a graphical security …

    Operating Systems 6 Aug 2008, 11:11

  • Bill Gates exposed as closet Yorkshireman

    White Rose to Windows in 11 generations

    Bill Gates has been revealed as an honest-to-goodness, Hovis-munching, hardworking Yorkshireman by the same Halifax-based geneaologist who previously claimed that George Bush and John Kerry are both secret Emmerdale watchers. I'm from Halifax? That's a threp in't steans Gates’ tykey heritage was uncovered by David Glover, …

    Bootnotes 6 Aug 2008, 11:20

  • Gordon Brown's secret life as network admin

    10 Downing Street systems crash without him

    Gordon Brown is known as a bit of a micro-manager, but who knew he also took so much personal responsibility for keeping Downing Street IT systems up and running? How else to explain why his email account is still out of action and the e-petitions service - suggested as an alternative way to talk to him - is out of action …

    Government 6 Aug 2008, 11:44

  • ColorWare's colourful iPhone 3G

    Grab yourself a multi-tone phone

    Almost everyone owns an iPhone 3G now, or so it seems sometimes. So if you want to stand out from the Apple crowd, but aren’t willing to give up the phone, why not have your handset custom hued? ColorWare can colour the phone's back, frame, button and SIM tray individually Gadget painting specialist ColorWare can now paint …

    Reg Hardware 6 Aug 2008, 11:56

  • NASA chief: ISS tests for super plasma space drive

    Nuclear-powered Mars ships on drawing board

    In non-Mars-lander NASA news, it has been reported that the space agency will soon set out concrete plans to test a revolutionary new drive system aboard the International Space Station. The propulsion tech in question is a plasma engine known as Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR). According to Flight …

    Space 6 Aug 2008, 12:31

  • 'Ringleader' of retail hacking ring was Fed informant

    Bust exposes retail security shortcomings

    The alleged ringleader of a retail hacking ring was working for the Feds as an informant at the same time he was allegedly masterminding an even bigger racket. Albert "Segvec" Gonzalez of Miami has been charged, along with ten other suspects, with hacking into nine of the networks of nine major US retailers and lifting 40 …

    Crime 6 Aug 2008, 12:41

  • GTA: Chinatown Wars' features leaked online

    Rockstar survey hints at DS game contents

    Rockstar has been somewhat cagey about the features of its upcoming Grand Theft Auto videogame for the Nintendo DS. But some of the title’s qualities have since been leaked online. Does this survey hint at the game's features? That’s if you believe a somewhat sketchy transcription of a customer survey, supposedly put out by …

    Reg Hardware 6 Aug 2008, 13:37

  • Mash it up with online gods at reMix08

    It’s in the reMix, baby

    Microsoft’s reMix08 lands on the golden beaches of Brighton next month and The Register can help you get there on the cheap. We’ve barracked the Microsoft marketing bods into giving Reg readers a tasty discount for the event. It normally costs £349 (including VAT), but by using the following claims code you and all of your …

    Site News 6 Aug 2008, 14:07

  • Asus confirms Eee Stick controllers

    Motion controlled gaming for your PC

    Asus has finally officially launched its Wii-style controllers, which hit headlines earlier this year. Called the Eee Stick, the wireless controller allows users to play games in the same way as on the Wii console. Asus' Eee Stick: a Wii look-alike? The Eee Stick is made up of a seven button “Activation stick” and a “ …

    Reg Hardware 6 Aug 2008, 14:20

  • Email hacker banged up for exposing boss's sex life

    Spanish miscreant pulls two-year stretch

    A Spanish office worker has been jailed for two years after hacking into his former manager's account and distributing personal and private emails to all and sundry. Some of the offending messages provided insights into the manager's sex life, The Guardian reports. Recipients of the messages included the supervisor's ex-missus …

    Enterprise Security 6 Aug 2008, 14:35

  • AMD spits out chipset for 'performance-loving' gamers

    Launches hot chip in Iceland

    AMD has finally thrown its 790GX chipset at the “performance” gaming crowd. It integrates ATI Radeon HD 3300 graphics with Phenom CPUs and can clock speeds of up to 3.2GHz, AMD claims. Previously PC gamers wanting a beefier performance from their processors could overclock them up to a 3.0GHz limit, said AMD chipset marketing …

    PCs & Chips 6 Aug 2008, 14:45

  • Congestion charge means less traffic, more congestion

    Confused?

    Transport for London has published its sixth annual report into the impact of the congestion charge on the city's traffic, with the surprise finding that fewer cars are entering the zone but congestion is as bad as it was before the charge was introduced. The number of cars entering the original congestion zone is down 21 per …

    Government 6 Aug 2008, 14:51

  • ASA rules against citing 'hits' in ads

    Not a measure of true popularity

    An advert that claimed a website received over five million 'hits' every month has been banned because the metric is likely to mislead readers. The UK's advertising watchdog said that 'hits' is an unreliable measure of website popularity. The national press advert for London-based diamond dealer CoolDiamonds.com stated: "With …

    Applications 6 Aug 2008, 14:54

  • Yahoo! recounts! votes!

    Yang! even! less! popular! than! thought!

    Yahoo! miscounted the shareholder votes at its general meeting last week, it has admitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. To be fair, the miscount was blamed on Broadridge Financial Services which acts as a proxy for institutional shareholders and mucked up the votes. Broadbridge blamed "a truncation error [which] …

    Software 6 Aug 2008, 15:35

  • Killer Satnavs amok in 'Utah Polyhedron' phenomenon

    Windscreen-licking Belgians barely escape GPS of Doom

    Here at Vulture Central we are connoisseurs of the hilarious near-death satnav blunder, which is to news as deep-fried jetwash poultry giblo-nuggets are to nutrition - disgusting, unsatisfying, the bane of society and yet snorked up in moments even by those who should know better. Today the wires bring us what may very well be …

    Bootnotes 6 Aug 2008, 15:38

  • Paris Hilton - the compromised candidate

    'See you at the debates, bitches'

    Paris Hilton got astride the hustings in the US presidential election today, and redrew the boundaries on the previous front runners’ energy policies. Hilton was dragged into the election when Republican contender John McCain, in a campaign ad, referred to his Democratic rival Barack Obama as lightweight celebrity like Paris …

    Bootnotes 6 Aug 2008, 15:46

  • NebuAd jettisons PR firm, employees

    Exclusive Can the American Phorm survive?

    Now that Congress has put the freeze on its stateside ISP partnerships, NebuAd is slimming down. The Phorm-like behavioral ad targeter has jettisoned its PR agency, and sources tell us the company recently laid off a significant portion of its workforce. Sources also say the company is considering the adoption of an …

    Telecoms 6 Aug 2008, 16:05

  • AOL haunts Time Warner's Q2

    Anyone want to buy a dial-up ISP?

    Ridiculously unwieldy web/telecoms/publishing/TV/music/film production giant Time Warner continues to be tormented by its dial-up Banquo, AOL. The group today posted total profits that were dragged down 26 per cent by declining sales. Group profits were $792m for the second quarter, down from $1.07bn a year ago, but slightly …

    Financial News 6 Aug 2008, 16:11

  • McAfee slaps Trojan warning on MS Office Live

    Friendly fire from update

    McAfee has apologised after an anti-virus update released on Monday night incorrectly identified a plug-in for Microsoft Office Live Meeting as a Trojan. The signature update file mistakingly flagged LMCAPI.exe (a component of Live Update) as a Trojan called Swizzor. As a result the component was incorrectly deleted from …

    Malware 6 Aug 2008, 17:25

  • Google offloads conflict of interest biz

    Performics gone to the Frogs

    True to its word, Google has unloaded the search engine marketing arm of Performics, the business unit it nabbed as part of its much-discussed DoubleClick acquisition. Eric Schmidt and crew just agreed to sell the Chicago-based Performics SEM biz to Publicis Groupe, a French advertising outfit. The deal is expected to close …

    Financial News 6 Aug 2008, 17:36

  • Microsoft dyes hair orange to cheer SQL Server 2008 release

    We nailed another late product

    Microsoft's SQL Server 2008 has finally found its way into the daylight. Redmond said today it has finalized code for the new version of its database software and entered a release to manufacturing phase. SQL Server 2008 was delayed by several months from its intended release date, but Microsoft is still extremely pleased …

    Servers 6 Aug 2008, 19:40

  • Nokia's Trolltech renews Windows mobile vows

    LinuxWorld No Symbian monogamy

    Nokia-owned Trolltech has re-committed its Qt cross-platform application framework and toolkit to Windows. Trolltech's developer tools community manager Knut Yrvin told The Reg deep in the bowels of LinuxWorld it made healthy business sense to continue supporting Microsoft. "It would be unwise not to take Microsoft's mobile …

    Mobile 6 Aug 2008, 21:26

  • Transmeta hooks Nvidia for $25m power payment

    The longest run

    Transmeta - yes, you remember them - has picked up a prominent licensee scalp in the form of Nvidia. Transmeta today revealed that Nvidia will pay a one-time fee of $25m for a license to Long Run and LongRun2 - a pair of power management technologies. Such licensing deals have become Transmeta's main path to revenue - outside …

    PCs & Chips 6 Aug 2008, 22:04

  • Kaminsky (finally) reveals gaping hole in internet

    Black Hat DNS patch averts doomsday scenario

    After a four-week orgy of speculation, recrimination and warnings, Dan Kaminsky's domain-name system vulnerability has finally gone public. And boy, are we glad the net's overlords paid attention. During an 80-minute presentation, Kaminsky for the first time gave a detailed analysis of a bug that threatened to bring chaos to …

    Security 6 Aug 2008, 22:31

  • IBM solves world's 'paper or plastic' crisis

    Patent may save seconds, lives

    Since the dawn of history, mankind has been plagued by an unnecessary burden whilst grocery shopping at their neighborhood supermarket: telling the cashier whether they prefer a paper or plastic bag. Precious moments are squandered. Moments better spent reading the collected works of Spinoza, curing cancer, building shelters …

    Hardware 6 Aug 2008, 23:05

  • Please ignore the net neutrality sideshow haunting Comcast's BitTorrent bust

    Comment Lies, damn lies, and corporate PR

    According to narrow-minded ideologues on both sides of the increasingly childish debate over net neutrality, Comcast's infamous BitTorrent throttling is all about, well, net neutrality. But it's not. It's about Comcast lying to its consumers, the press, the FCC, and everyone else with even a passing interest in getting what they …

    Telecoms 6 Aug 2008, 23:14