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28th August 2008 Archive

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  • Judah 'Visual Voicemail' Klausner sues Google, Verizon, Citrix...

    Rent due again?

    Suing communication providers over alleged patent infringements has worked pretty well for Judah Klausner. The inventor, who owns the company Klausner Technologies, has already reached lucrative settlements and subsequent licensing deals with AOL, AT&T, eBay, Comcast, and others. This round Klausner is gunning for six more …

    Law 28 Aug 2008, 00:03

  • Google stretching underwater comms cable?

    To Guam and beyond

    It looks like Google is prepping another underwater comms cable. In February, the search giant finally admitted it was partnering with five Far Eastern outfits to stretch a cable from the US to Japan. And now, says a comms-happy research outfit dubbed TeleGeography, Eric Schmidt and crew are planning a second cable system that …

    Telecoms 28 Aug 2008, 00:03

  • Dabs.com courier goes titsup

    BT insists orders will be delivered

    Online retailer Dabs.com has told customers to hang fire for a few days while orders due to be delivered by Amtrak are reassigned to another courier. Netfold Ltd, trading as Amtrak, went into administration last Friday (22 August). It’s the second time in two years that the company has ceased trading. The Aldridge, West …

    Channel Register 28 Aug 2008, 06:02

  • Acorn alumni to toast tech pioneer's 30th anniversary

    Reunion bash planned

    Some 400 staffers from that flag bearer of the 1980s UK home computing revolution, Acorn, are to gather next month to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the firm's foundation. The original Acorn no longer exists, of course, but the company it ultimately evolved into, ARM, is hosting the gig, which will take place in Cambridge, …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 06:43

  • Tosh on top for laptop reliability

    Our survey says...

    Which?, the UK consumer organisation, has ranked the UK's most reliable laptops. Top of the reliability list is Sony and Toshiba with 93 per cent of Which? members surveyed saying their laptop had not needed repair. Fujitsu-Siemens got 91 per cent and Apple and Dell scored 87 per cent. Next were Acer and HP with 84 per cent, …

    PCs & Chips 28 Aug 2008, 07:02

  • Computacenter down on falling profits

    Interims disappoint

    Computacenter shares are down more than seven per cent this morning after the firm reported a 14 per cent fall in profits in the first six months of the year. Interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2008 showed the reseller increased revenues by 7.8 per cent to £1.25bn, thanks mainly to currency movements. But profit …

    Channel Register 28 Aug 2008, 08:21

  • Europe's Tesla will be first with full performance

    British-built model gets full fat transmission

    Tesla Motors, darling of the electric vehicle industry, has confirmed that it will produce a European "special edition" of the famous Roadster sports car. European buyers will be the first to get Roadsters with full-performance transmissions - early US cars now being delivered have "intermediate" lower-performance machinery …

    Environment 28 Aug 2008, 09:05

  • Panasonic to bring IPTV into the mainstream

    IFA Telly integration

    Panasonic today pledged to bring IPTV to the masses: it's going to build net-delivered video right into its HD TVs. Dubbed VieraCast, the system's an on-screen menu page that presents Panasonic partners' content that can be selected and set to play straight from the TV's remote control. Think of an AppleTV built into a TV. …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 09:09

  • Best Buy removes craplets for $30

    PC makers

    Best Buy, America's biggest electronics retailer, will remove the preloaded rubbish software installed with new PCs, for $30. Best Buy sells billions of dollars of PCs a year, so this could be a game changer. Margins in the the PC industry are skinny, and fees from software makers for pre-installing craplets on consumer-" …

    Channel Register 28 Aug 2008, 09:18

  • McKinnon heads for the last chance saloon

    Pentagon hacker's final appeal

    Accused Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon is approaching his own D-Day, with his fate due to be sealed in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The Court represents McKinnon's last chance of avoiding extradition to the US to face charges of hacking into military and NASA systems, following the rejection of his appeal …

    Law 28 Aug 2008, 09:52

  • BBC fixes BT Home Hub auto-vomit bug

    Olympic delay for iPlayer tweak

    BBC engineers have solved a mysterious, long-running bug that has meant iPlayer and live TV streams have frequently prompted the BT Home Hub, UK's most common router, to reset itself. The source of the problem has been identified after a lengthy, "tricky" search and a fix is currently working its way through the BBC's back-end …

    Telecoms 28 Aug 2008, 09:59

  • LG prices up HSDPA-equipped mini laptop

    IFA Autumn debut

    LG's not going be left out of the Small, Cheap Computer arena - it'll be releasing its own would-be Eee beater, the 3G-integrated X110, in October. LG's X110: 3G built in Built-in HSDPA costs, and the SCC is set to be priced at €399 ($589/£320), an LG spokesman said. That also buys you Windows XP SP3 and 160GB of hard drive …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 10:03

  • Coming soon: Facebook - The Movie!

    West Wing creator to pen epic internet tale

    Be afraid, be very afraid - Sony has asked West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin to write a movie about how internet superphenomenon Facebook was spawned, and by way of research he's waded straight in with a group page down at the social networking website. Sorkin admits the page was actually created by his researcher "because my …

    Entertainment 28 Aug 2008, 10:24

  • French train tickets go USB

    We don't need no stinkin' ISO7816

    The French National Railway Company is trialling contactless tickets with USB connections, replacing the ubiquitous ISO7816 for online top-ups and data storage. The trial, which involves 1,000 tickets, is to start in the autumn in four as-yet-undisclosed regions of France, reports the RFID Journal. SNCF already uses …

    Enterprise Security 28 Aug 2008, 10:51

  • 'Googlebomb' blows up in Daily Mail hack's face

    'Julie Moult is an idiot'

    A hapless Daily Mail hack's failure to understand Googlebombing has led to her becoming victim of her own twisted definition of the mischief-making practice. In her piece last Friday, "Blears falls prey to 'Google Bomb' Attack Of The 50-inch Woman", Julie Moult hung a tissue-thin story about an alleged "Googlebombing" of Hazel …

    Bootnotes 28 Aug 2008, 10:58

  • Panasonic intros 'world's slimmest' Blu-ray players

    IFA Europe's first BD Recorder too

    Panasonic today punted what it claimed is the world's lowest-profile Blu-ray Disc player. It also unveiled Europe's first BD recorder. The skinny model's the DMP-BD55 and it's about half the height of the chunky BD players that have been launched to date: 85mm down to 49mm, compared to Panasonic's current models. Panasonic's …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 11:01

  • Roberts Stream 202 DAB/FM/net radio

    Review Full stream ahead or does this digital radio run out of puff?

    In what Roberts claims to be a world first, this unit delivers DAB, FM as well as Wi-Fi connected internet radio and music streaming all in a traditional kitchen-style portable. A more modern look than perhaps Roberts is known for greeted us when we opened the box. The exterior is attractive enough, with a metallic grille and …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 11:02

  • Microsoft, Nikon release shutter on patents

    Darkroom Knight

    Microsoft has inked a cross-licensing patent deal with camera maker Nikon. Under the agreement, the two companies get access to the other’s patents. It covers Nikon digital cameras and other consumer products both firms manufacture and sell. However, Microsoft and Nikon haven’t announced which products and features would …

    Law 28 Aug 2008, 11:13

  • Sikorsky announces first flight of 'X2' triplex supercopter

    Talk about a spin machine

    The X2 prototype superhelicopter had a successful first flight yesterday, according to its makers Sikorsky. The revolutionary (cough) aircraft hovered and manoeuvred using its twin main rotors without problems, but trials of its tail propulsor will take place on a future flight. “Today’s achievement is the result of dedicated …

    Physics 28 Aug 2008, 11:14

  • McKinnon loses extradition fight

    European court clears injunction, washes hands of hacker case

    The European Court of Human Rights has refused to intervene in preventing the US extradition of accused Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon. The ruling by the seven judge court, made Thursday, kills off McKinnon's last hope to avoid extradition to the US to face charges of hacking into US military and NASA systems, following the …

    Law 28 Aug 2008, 11:35

  • Toshiba unveils SD-to-HD resolution revolution

    IFA Upscale everything

    Toshiba has launched the first TV that incorporates its own image upscaling system. Toshiba's ZF set will upscale SD automatically Dubbed Resolution Plus, the technology features in the firm’s new Regza ZF series of screens and allows the 40in and 46in tellies to enhance the quality of standard definition content to “near …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 12:02

  • Password pants-off at Lloyds Bank

    Updated: Rogue staffer tinkers with login trousers

    Set yourself a rude password at Lloyds TSB, and it is just possible that you might find it changed to something politer. That was the experience of Lloyds customer Steve Jetley, who attempted to set "Lloyds is pants" as his telephone banking password. According to Mr Jetley, this was then changed by a member of staff to "no it …

    Bootnotes 28 Aug 2008, 12:08

  • Sony launches 200Hz telly technology

    IFA 100Hz? Pah!

    Sony has gone one better than 100Hz motion display, and launched a TV with exactly double that frame rate. Sony's Z4500 with 200Hz Motion Plus: the difference is visible in real life, honest Sony's Z4500 TV with "200Hz Motion Plus" technology will, the company claied, yield the “smoothest and crispest LCD image ever”. …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 12:13

  • Sharp previews 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio LCD TV

    IFA Stunner

    The future of LCD TV technology is a contrast ratio of one million to one - so Sharp reckons, at least. It announced two such tellies today in an attempt to prove it. The Aquos XS1 full HD screens are 52in and 65in jobs - that's the actually viewing size, Sharp said - and both feature three-colour LED backlighting to generate …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 13:04

  • Toshiba cooks up kitchen-ready HD TV/DVD combo

    IFA Together again

    Toshiba has unveiled a range of HD LCD TVs with integrated DVD players. Toshiba's DV series TV/DVD combo The DV series is said to be suitable for the bedroom or the kitchen, which explains why Toshiba only offers 19in and 22in models. Full HD fans will be disappointed by the DV series’ 720p resolution, but the integrated …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 13:10

  • Philips unveils 38mm-thick HD TV

    IFA Essence of skinny?

    Measuring a super-slim 38mm at its thinnest point, the Essence HD LCD TV boasts a refresh rate of just 2ms and a full 1080p resolution. It also offers three HDMI ports, a DLNA network streaming link, a, removable 2x 15W sound bar and sleek-looking remote control. Philips' Essence: free of cable clutter Along with the …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 13:11

  • Philips pitches black with monster contrast LED backlight

    IFA More black than black is our motto

    In move to take on the likes of the Pioneer Kuro and Panasonic's Viera, Philips has announced the 42PFL9803 TV with black-enhancing LED backlight technology. The 42in display features what Philips calls "2D dimming control" covering 128 individual areas, enabling the LCD TV to compete with the best plasmas TV sets, the company …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 13:25

  • Bloomberg kills Steve Jobs

    Apple big cheese obit cock-up

    Bloomberg yesterday dispatched Apple supremo Steve Jobs to the hereafter with a 17-page obit inadvertently published during an apparent update, Gawker reports. The short-lived homage - quickly pulled - contained a heartwarming tribute from Bill Gates who described Jobs as the best inspirational leader he'd ever met, while the …

    Bootnotes 28 Aug 2008, 13:46

  • Acer H1 revs jump but profits slump

    Market share up

    Acer increased sales in the first half of 2008 by 31 per cent to $8.14bn. Operating income was up 39 per cent to $175.85m but profit after tax was $189.98m - down 23 per cent on the same time last year. In July Acer said it had increased market share in Europe and Asia. For the second quarter of 2008 Acer grew group revenue …

    Financial News 28 Aug 2008, 13:59

  • DARPA develops zap-bomb electropulse countermeasures

    First, get pulse bombs to work

    US military boffins are preparing highly sophisticated technical defences against the dreaded electromagnetic pulse bomb, a weapon which has long been anticipated but never successfully built. We know about the counter-electropulse defence technology because the company which will develop it - HRL Labs of Malibu, California - …

    Government 28 Aug 2008, 14:12

  • Larry Ellison gets huge pay rise

    What else can you give California's richest man?

    The richest boss in tech just got a little bit richer, and this time it's not his customers squeaking. Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison, California's richest man, has been awarded a 38 per cent pay rise, taking his salary to an estimated $72m. The award makes Ellison the second-highest paid CEO of a US public company, …

    Financial News 28 Aug 2008, 14:29

  • DSGi sharpens axe for 50 staff

    'Challenging times'

    Struggling electrical retail giant DSGi has told around 50 employees working at its business unit that they could lose their jobs. The company informed staff based at three sites in Borehamwood, Bury and Surbiton that the axe is hovering over workers at the reseller due to "challenging market conditions". "DSGi Business is …

    Channel Register 28 Aug 2008, 15:39

  • Data watchdogs did not want to see eBay bank server

    Watching the watchmen

    The man who paid £35 for a server stuffed full of Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest customer details has been left less than impressed with the reaction of UK data regulators. Andrew Chapman's story hit the news after he bought a server on eBay which contained over a million customer details including full account details, …

    Law 28 Aug 2008, 15:48

  • Samsung unwraps MacBook Air beater

    IFA Thin'n'light... and very stylish

    Samsung promised its X360 "premium" laptop would be "lighter than Air" - it isn't, but it's a smartly spec'd thin'n'light notebook nonetheless. Based on Intel's Centrino 2 technology, the 16.7-30.9mm-thick X360 will come with a range of Core 2 Duo ultra-low voltage processors, one to four gigs of Ram and integrated graphics …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 15:51

  • IFA 2008 Complete Coverage

    All the stories from this year's IFA in Berlin Laptops and SCCs Acer: Aspire One HSDPA support is imminent Hands on with Fujtisu Siemens' Amilo netbook Samsung unwraps MacBook Air beater LG prices up HSDPA-equipped mini laptop HD TV Daewoo divided over display Samsung tries to snatch 'world's first 200Hz TV' title from …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 16:09

  • Blu Christmas coming, format fans forecast

    IFA But DVD is very far from defunct

    Christmas is going to be a truly festive season for Blu-ray Disc, the organisation behind the optical disc standard forecast today. But it's going to be some time before the format ousts DVD in European consumers' affections. The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) based its rosy prediction on numbers put out by local market …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 17:35

  • Engineer accidentally deletes cloud

    Off-demand computing - First Amazon, now FlexiScale

    Another large cloud is on the fritz. Following last month's much-discussed Amazon S3 outage, most (if not all) of XCalibre's FlexiScale cloud went dark on Tuesday, and nearly two days later, the UK-based hosting outfit has yet to restore service. According to XCalibre CEO Tony Lucas, the outage has affected "a vast majority" …

    Storage 28 Aug 2008, 18:05

  • TomTom launches road-savvy satnav series

    IFA Can predict when you'll get jammed

    TomTom has rolled out a trio of satnavs that continuously adapt the directions they give you based on changing road conditions, ensuring you always get from A to B by the fastest route. TomTom's Go 940 Live: knows the lay of the land The TomTom Go x40 Live range consists of the Go 540, 740 and flagship 940. All three models …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 18:20

  • Logitech beefs up Squeezebox line - and then some

    IFA Boombox

    Logitech has introduced its second Squeezebox music streamer since it took over Slim Devices almost two years ago. After the compact Duet comes the more mighty Boom. Logitech's Squeezebox Boom: a Mighty Wind? As the name suggests, it's a Squeezebox with a monster set of speakers - two 1.9cm tweeters and a pair of 7.6cm " …

    Reg Hardware 28 Aug 2008, 18:46

  • McAfee SiteAdvisor sued over 'spyware' tag

    If 7Search wins, you lose

    In a case that could tie the hands of companies trying to protect their customers from internet threats, a website owner with past ties to a notorious piece of spyware has filed a lawsuit claiming it is being unfairly maligned by warnings from McAfee that the site poses a risk to its customers. 7Search.com filed the complaint …

    Malware 28 Aug 2008, 19:45

  • GooTube cheers online gay porn ruling

    Court boots Veoh suit, steels DMCA

    Much to Google's delight, a federal judge has dismissed a porn infringement suit brought against online video site Veoh.com. Adult entertainment outfit Io Group sued Veoh in 2006, after noticing the site was streaming ten of its flicks. The YouTube-esque Veoh hosts videos uploaded by other people. But, like so many other old …

    Music and Media 28 Aug 2008, 21:36

  • Dell profits sink 17% as revenues rise

    Bad Day at Round Rock

    Dell posted a surprise 17 per cent drop in profits for its fiscal second quarter, even though its revenues handily beat Wall Street estimates. Round Rock said the earnings squeeze was a result of technology spending slowdowns and its expansion into Europe and Asia. Net income was $616m in the quarter, down 17 per cent from a …

    Financial News 28 Aug 2008, 22:23