25th August 2008 Archive

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Other smart phones are people too, says ex-Apple team

Delivers media browser for all

A team of former Apple engineers are promising to bring TV-like simplicity and some iPhone touches to the task of finding and consuming media on any smart phone. Their company, Kinoma, is today launching a smart media browser and player - Kinoma Play - to search video, photos, music, radio and podcasts on your phone and online …

Applications 25 Aug 2008, 05:02
Advent 4211 mini notebook

Review Dixons tempts with cut-price Wind

OK, so the Advent 4211 is MSI's Wind, sold under a different name, in this case DSG's in-house PC brand. But it's worth a look because of a couple of differences, most importantly the price. As the original notion of the Small, Cheap Computer, as embodied in the Asus Eee PC 701, has grown to take in bigger screens, better …

Hardware 25 Aug 2008, 08:02
Suicide squirrel knocks out Swiss TV

And the radio, and some trams

TV and radio were knocked out for a couple of hours in Switzerland on Sunday - after a squirrel got itself electrocuted. The trams stopped running too for a short time in Zurich, the venue for the squirrel-short circuit action. Swiss TV's emergency power back-up was too puny to cope with demand - and many Swiss sports fans …

Bootnotes 25 Aug 2008, 08:06
Aussie school trials use of gadgets in exams

I don't know the answer - can I phone a friend?

Using notes during exams - aka cheating - usually gets you an instant 'F'. But at one Australian school the pupils can now use mobiles, iPods and the internet during their exams. Presbyterian Ladies' College in Sydney is running a trial among year nine English students, allowing them to access information from the net, speak …

Hardware 25 Aug 2008, 10:46
Cloud computing: A catchphrase in puberty

Fail and You How Google and Amazon will take your money and step on your dreams

It's been called a lot of things: utility computing, grid computing, distributed computing, and now cloud computing. You can come up with any CTO-friendly name you like, but they all mean the same shit: Renting your quickly depreciating physical assets out because your software company is out of ideas for computer programs. …

Developer 25 Aug 2008, 13:02
Dancing Baby v. Universal: Baby wins!

Assess fair use first, US court warns copyright holders

Copyright holders must assess whether material has been used fairly before they demand that it be taken off the internet, a US court has ruled. The case involved a YouTube video clip of a baby dancing to a Prince song. Rights holders who demand that material be taken offline without such an assessment risk paying out damages …

Law 25 Aug 2008, 18:37
gOS - a ~~Google~~ good OS for your Mum

Review Mac-like Linux serves the Windows crowd

What's free, looks like Mac OS X, just works and is actually Linux? The answer is gOS, which recently launched a new beta that builds on the distro's initial success and adds new tools like integrated Google Gadgets for Linux. When it launched onto the scene late last year, gOS (which stands for good OS) made quite a splash …

Operating Systems 25 Aug 2008, 19:06
AMD offloads TV chip unit on Broadcom for $193m

You ought not to be in pictures

As AMD struggles to gain altitude against Intel, the distant second rival chip maker is tossing excess weight where it can. Today, AMD said it intends to sell its digital television business to Broadcom for $192.8m cash. AMD's chief Dirk Meyer said the sale will help the company focus on its primary market of PC processors. " …

Hardware 25 Aug 2008, 19:13
San Jose decides it's 'Visual Computing Week'

And just where does that leave National Bowling Week?

The heat rising from San Jose isn't merely an effect of a convention center full of GTX 280 cards being flipped on at once. Nvidia's decision to host its inaugural computing conference, Nvision 08, this week in the company's home town has fanned the flames of passion inside city officials. Mayor Chuck Reed along with the San …

Hardware 25 Aug 2008, 20:24
Facebook summarily denies undeniable user-menacing security hole

Exclusive 'It doesn't exist...bitch'

Facebook's hip new application platform contains a gaping hole that allows attackers to run malicious javascript on unsuspecting users' machines, a developer has demonstrated. Proof of concept code examined by El Reg shows how the platform can be used to steal Facebook user's session identification cookies, deliver pop-up …

Security 25 Aug 2008, 20:48
Newegg plays chicken with New York 'Amazon Tax'

Out-Byrnes Patrick Byrne

Defying New York lawmakers, "egg-cellent" electronics etailer Newegg.com has suddenly ceased collecting sales tax from the Empire State's online shoppers. Under Governor David Patterson's new $122bn budget, online retailers with New York-based affiliate marketers are considered to have a "physical presence" in the state, and …

The Channel 25 Aug 2008, 22:09