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4th November 2008 Archive

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  • Forcefields will guard Mars ships from solar ion storms

    Boffins crack portable particle-squall brolly tech

    A team of top boffins believe that they have cracked one of the main problems of interplanetary travel - that of surviving deadly solar radiation storms. The physicists say they have come up with an idea for a crafty forcefield which could stand off the protoplasm-punishing particle squalls of deep space. There's plenty of …

    Space 4 Nov 2008, 00:02

  • Illegal pharmaceutical ads infiltrate gov, edu sites (again)

    Princeton punts penis enlargement

    Hundreds of thousands of webpages belonging to businesses, government agencies, and schools have been infiltrated by scammers pushing Viagra, Tadalafil, and other drugs. The towns of Birmingham and Horwich in the UK and Princeton University in the US are among those who have been hacked. Yahoo searches here, here, and here …

    Security 4 Nov 2008, 00:06

  • Goohoo! rejiggers monopoly expansion pact

    Anything but government oversight

    In an effort to win the approval of the Department of Justice, Google and Yahoo! have (apparently) sent regulators a revised version of their monopoly-expanding search advertising pact. Over the weekend, according sources speaking to The Wall Street Journal, the search market's number one and number two players submitted new …

    Government 4 Nov 2008, 01:07

  • Cloud idealist turns realist on platform portability

    Dreamforce 2008 If only there was a scheduling app

    In the vexed world of interoperability, Salesforce.com is treading a line between pragmatism and idealism. Chief executive Marc Benioff said he'd love to see a standard for interoperability on moving packages between applications in rival clouds and for remote procedure calls (RPCs). That could allow more applications hosted …

    Developer 4 Nov 2008, 01:10

  • America's second largest ethanol producer goes titsup

    Bill Gates was right, cornsarnit!

    VeraSun Energy, the second-largest producer of corn-based ethanol in the United States has run out of money and filed for bankruptcy protection. The South Dakota-based company said in a court filing on Monday that it wouldn't be able to make this week's payroll without help and also needs money to buy corn, natural gas, and …

    Science 4 Nov 2008, 01:13

  • Man cops to $1m phony bar code shoplifting scheme

    TJTMiss's stellar eBay rating

    An Ohio man has admitted heading a conspiracy that netted more than $1m by using phony Universal Product Code labels to acquire store merchandise and then selling the booty on eBay. Tommy Joe Tidwell, 35, of Dayton, Ohio, pleaded guilty to three felony counts, including conspiracy to use unauthorized access devices, use of …

    Crime 4 Nov 2008, 01:27

  • Rackable swings to loss on lower sales

    Prays for cloudy skies

    Server maker Rackable Systems reported its financial results for the third quarter on Monday, saying that sales had dropped by 25.2 per cent to $65.3m. The company reported a minuscule profit in the year ago quarter ($5,000, to be precise, thanks to a tax benefit that wiped out its losses), but this time around, it had a loss …

    Financial News 4 Nov 2008, 05:18

  • Is EMC's Maui another Invista?

    Comment Biting off more than it can chew

    It was different a year ago - full of confidence, EMC head honcho Joe Tucci blithely told analysts about a slew of oncoming EMC products with codenames. Among them were Hulk and Maui, hardware and software to produce a new kind of clusterable storage system, a global repository scaling up to multiple petabytes in size. The hint …

    Storage 4 Nov 2008, 08:02

  • DNA tests lay Steve Fossett to rest

    'The coroner's case is closed'

    Tests on DNA taken from remains found close to the wreckage of Steve Fossett's aircraft have finally laid the missing adventurer to rest. The genetic material was extracted from two bones discovered last week at the site of the crashed Bellanca Citabria Super Decathlon, which disappeared on 3 September last year after taking …

    Science 4 Nov 2008, 08:35

  • Taurid meteors promise Guy Fawkes fireball show

    'Unusually good' display expected on 5 Nov

    Aficionados of meteor showers should cast their eyes heavenwards on 5 and 12 November for what are expected to be "unusually good" displays from the Taurids, possibly including fireball-inducing larger meteors colliding terminally with Earth's atmosphere. The Taurid meteors - so named because they appear to emanate from the …

    Space 4 Nov 2008, 08:38

  • Official Bluetooth compatibility guide launched

    Know what works and what doesn't

    If you’re planning to buy your better half a Bluetooth gadget this Christmas, but are confused about compatibility then a new, official website could help put the advice of all those “trained in-store sales professionals” to shame. The official Bluetooth Gadget Guide The online Bluetooth Gadget Guide’s been designed by the …

    Reg Hardware 4 Nov 2008, 08:40

  • How do I install fonts on my Linux Acer Aspire One?

    Q&A

    How do I install fonts on the Linux version of the Acer Aspire One? I've got the font I want on a USB Flash drive, and I've found the Fonts folders on the Acer. But I can't seem to cut and paste the font file into the folder! Do you have any idea why this might be, or how one should install a new font?

    Reg Hardware 4 Nov 2008, 08:58

  • Zoombak Universal portable A-GPS locator

    Review You need never lose anything ever again

    The Zoombak personal GPS locator is designed to be used for a wide range of applications, whether it’s keeping an eye on an elderly relative, a teenage driver, a bike or even your dog. Zoombak comes in three different flavours: there’s a dog locator, complete with a pouch that clips onto the dog collar; a car locator that …

    Reg Hardware 4 Nov 2008, 09:02

  • Apple scotches pre-Xmas Mac desktop revamp rumour

    No more updates in 2008, says spokesman

    Apple has confirmed it has now refreshed all the product lines it's going to revamp this year. The Mac maker doesn't usually comment on rumours, but this week a spokesman broke ranks and told Macworld magazine that the iMac and Mac Mini will not be updated between now and the end of the year, contradicting speculation to the …

    Reg Hardware 4 Nov 2008, 09:21

  • The True Confessions of an Election Official

    USA '08 Inside the machinery of the 2008 vote

    I am a PEO, a Precinct Election Official in Iowa, working on the 2008 General Election. Iowa is the first Caucus in the US Presidential Election. It's considered a bellwether state and provided the first upset victory for Barack Obama. Although I've been working with Information Technology for 25 years, the IT mechanics of our …

    Government 4 Nov 2008, 09:38

  • RM kisses wannabe American cousin

    Scoops up Computrac

    RM has bought US-based education technology provider Computrac for £8m. The firm said in a statement today that the company will be integrated with the RM Educational Software Inc arm of the biz, which is the group’s US subsidiary. Computrac designs, supplies and installs interactive classroom tech products including …

    Channel Register 4 Nov 2008, 09:53

  • Sacking suspected ageist not ageism, EAT rules

    Appeal tribunal finds for management

    If an employer dismisses an employee on suspicion of age discrimination, that in itself is not age discrimination, an Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) has ruled. A front-of-house manager at the Bristol Hippodrome Theatre was dismissed and won his case for unfair dismissal because statutory dismissal procedures had not been …

    Small Biz 4 Nov 2008, 10:13

  • It's official: Siemens sells out to Fujitsu

    Joint venture splits, CEO quits

    Siemens is selling its 50 per cent stake in Fujitsu-Siemens Computers to Fujitsu. Fujitsu is paying €450m for the half share, and the deal is expected to close 1 April 2009. During negotiations FSC's president and CEO Bernd Bischoff resigned for personal reasons - he will be replaced by current CFO Kai Flore. The deal will …

    Channel Register 4 Nov 2008, 10:15

  • Ofcom tries to launch satellite plans again

    EU holds the upper hand (literally)

    UK regulator Ofcom is consulting, again, on proposals to allow satellite broadcasters to use terrestrial transmitters, but won't be drawn on the most important issue of all - price. The EU is planning to license a satellite operator to use 60MHz of spectrum around 2GHz for two-way data services, but said operator will want to …

    Networks 4 Nov 2008, 10:31

  • Place your bets on the next US President

    USA '08 American polls still mobile

    If you want to know who is going to win the US presidential elections today (or to be precise, in the early hours of tomorrow morning), a quick look at the bookmakers' odds might be more informative than the latest polls. Depending on which polling organisation you believe, Obama’s lead is narrowing to as little as four per …

    Government 4 Nov 2008, 11:02

  • Tesla Roadster safe after Musk-promised money arrives

    Model S everyman 'leccycar - don't hold your breath

    Tesla Motors, the troubled California firm behind the famous "Roadster" battery supercar, says it now has finance in place which will carry it to the point of positive cash flow - though it remains coy as to who put up the money. The firm also insists that some development work is proceeding on its next model, the broader-appeal …

    Environment 4 Nov 2008, 11:09

  • NFC Forum offering cash for killer application

    Still wondering what technology is for

    The NFC Forum has launched a competition to try and find an application for NFC technology that might make someone want the feature on its handset, and this time it's offering cash prizes - though it won't say how much. Last year's competition generated some interesting ideas, but no killer application that will have punters …

    Mobile 4 Nov 2008, 11:30

  • Windows RPC exploit spawns bots and worms

    An evil spell

    Miscreants are taking advantage of slowness in patching systems with an emergency Windows security fix issued late last month to spread malware. Exploit toolkits for the MS08-067 are dropping bots that turn compromised machines into drones in a DDoS attack network, among other attacks. The attack code, thought to originate in …

    Enterprise Security 4 Nov 2008, 11:32

  • Analyst predicts iPhone decline

    But not everyone's convinced

    Apple will cut iPhone production by roughly 40 per cent during the current Q4, a market analyst has predicted. Craig Berger, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets, said in a report that, compared to the previous calendar quarter, a series of “new checks” have enabled him to arrive at the 40 per cent reduction figure for Q4, which …

    Reg Hardware 4 Nov 2008, 11:33

  • The US election, live online from er... London

    USA '08 Roll up for Operation Snark County

    It's a momentous day for America and the world as the next US President is finally chosen. And who better to whisper electiony nothings to you all night long (or all day, depending on your hemisphere) than a couple of Reg hacks, some hand-picked commentators and a gaggle of other chancers? 24 Hours in America will be reporting …

    Bootnotes 4 Nov 2008, 12:02

  • OpenOffice 3.0 - the only option for masochistic Linux users

    Review And linear optimizing Mactards

    In a brilliant execution of public relations, OpenOffice.org 3.0 was released without enough capacity to handle the demand for downloads. Servers buckled under the traffic, and some of us in the media took the bait: Shit, this thing must be hot. Are people really getting that excited over an open source productivity suite? …

    Applications 4 Nov 2008, 12:02

  • Apple iPod, iPhone wonk: iQuit?

    Updated Tony Fadell reportedly exits stage left

    A senior Apple veep who oversaw the development of the iPod is reportedly leaving the company. Key iPod brainbox shuffles away from Apple? According to the Wall Street Journal, Tony Fadell, who was also involved in the development of the iPhone and reports directly to Steve Jobs, is understood to be stepping down from his …

    Mobile 4 Nov 2008, 12:15

  • Ledger zombie pizza promo pulled

    Mmm, tasteful

    A bunch of New Zealand pizza-peddlers have nixed an animated email ad campaign showing three dead celebs dancing to Halloween evergreen Thriller. The Beeb reports that the sensitive and subtle promotion featured cartoon-corpse representations of Sir Edmund Hillary, the Queen Mother and Batman actor Heath Ledger having a little …

    Bootnotes 4 Nov 2008, 12:21

  • Fisker prevails in Tesla tech theft claim fight

    'Leccy Tech CEO didn't steal electric car firm's technology, arbitrator rules

    It may lack the romance of Jarndyce vs Jarndyce, but it seems that first blood in the nasty little California 'leccy car legal spat has gone to Fisker. Back in April, Tesla sued Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker alleging he had nicked Tesla technology and incorporated it into the forthcoming $80,000 Fisker Karma four-door hybrid über- …

    Reg Hardware 4 Nov 2008, 12:28

  • China trumpets 'human rights action plan'

    More democracy, sometime soon

    China has declared that it will instigate a "human rights action plan" over the next two years designed in part to "expand democracy and strengthen rule of law". According to Xinhua, the document will be formulated with contributions from the courts, parliament and non-government groups. Wang Chen of the government's PR …

    Government 4 Nov 2008, 12:32

  • Alienware unveils multi AMD GPU laptop

    The latest Alienware gaming laptop has crash landed onto Earth with a promise that it’ll “push gaming performance limits through state-of-the-art technology”. Alienware's M17 The Area-51 M17 is Alienware’s first notebook to incrporate ATI's CrossFireX multi-GPU technology, and the machine can be specced up with a pair of …

    Reg Hardware 4 Nov 2008, 12:43

  • Wacky Wii-style PS3 controller in the works

    We’ve already seen numerous designs for weird and wonderful console controllers, but Sony’s latest, for a 3D, ultrasonic PS3 controller, really takes the cake. Sony's patent PS3 controller: ultrasonic Sony Computer Entertainment America’s patent application is entitled: “Determination of controller three-dimensional …

    Reg Hardware 4 Nov 2008, 12:47

  • Group Test: electronic book readers

    Round-up Take your library with you when you travel

    As Sony's decision to finally release its PRS-505 Reader in the UK and its associated tie-up with Waterstones has served to raise the consumer profile of the ebook reader as a breed - and with Christmas thundering towards us - we thought we'd see how the Sony stacks up against the competition. Sony's PRS-505 Reader: winner of …

    Reg Hardware 4 Nov 2008, 13:02

  • Jezza Clarkson cops flak for 'truckers murder strumpets' gag

    Warning: No US election angle

    A quip from Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson suggesting that lorry drivers kill prostitutes has attracted 188 complaints to the BBC. Clarkson was "taking part in a lorry-driving task" on Sunday's pre-watershed show when he said: "Change gear, change gear, check mirror, murder a prostitute, change gear, change gear, murder. …

    Bootnotes 4 Nov 2008, 13:05

  • Barclays and Goldman Sachs squeeeeze IT staff

    Lloyds swings even bigger axe

    Goldman Sachs is demanding UK contractors take a compulsory 15 per cent cut in day rates, and staff have been told by agencies that this was a "take-it-or-leave-it" offer without room for negotiation. The cuts begin this week, and there are expected to be some job cuts too. Goldman Sachs has previously announced a ten per cent …

    Financial News 4 Nov 2008, 13:14

  • Mid-line FAS 3000 from NetApp

    FAS 3160 is the third man

    NetApp is introducing a FAS 3160 in the middle of its mid-range FAS 3000 storage array line. As rumoured back in September the FAS 3160 fits between the entry-level FAS 3140 and high-end 3170 products. The previous 3020 entry-level machine is being 'end-of-lifed', leaving just the two 3100 products. Competing Clariion and AMS …

    Storage 4 Nov 2008, 13:34

  • Adobe patches Reader flaw

    PDF flaw affects affect older, infirm package

    Security watchers are warning of a critical flaw affecting older versions of Adobe Reader. Hackers might be able to exploit the bug using specially crafted pdf files with JavaScript content, Core Security warns. Ivan Arce, CTO at Core Security, said the security bug was discovered while investigating a previously disclosed …

    Malware 4 Nov 2008, 13:58

  • US kicks off secure hash competition

    Gentlemen, choose your algorithms

    Dozens of amateur and professional cryptographers signed up last week for the United States' first open competition to create a secure algorithm for generating hashes - the digital fingerprints widely used in a variety of security functions. The contest, run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), seeks …

    Enterprise Security 4 Nov 2008, 14:02

  • Morning voting in America

    USA '08 Queuing up like Brits, and maybe voting that way, too

    The polls opened at 6am here in New York City, and the lines were expected to be long all across the city thanks (and I really mean thanks, because I like democracy) to very high voter turnout. Since my wife has been away stumping for Barack Obama in the rich suburbs of Pittsburgh for the past five days, being able to get to …

    Government 4 Nov 2008, 14:13

  • Berlin bans handy iPhone metro app

    Dutch Rail not happy either

    Berlin public transportation company BVG has banned a popular iPhone application which helps to navigate the city's vast metro system with over 170 stations. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands Dutch Rail is threatening a student who developed a nifty train timetable for the iPhone. Both BVG and Dutch Rail claim the apps violate …

    Applications 4 Nov 2008, 14:19

  • Washington postpones historic vote

    FCC needs fewer options

    Kevin Martin, chair of the The Federal Communication Commission, has conceded that proposals on universal service and intercarrier compensation should receive public scrutiny before they're voted on, delaying the vote until December at least. Not content with choosing a new leader of the free world on Tuesday, America is also …

    Networks 4 Nov 2008, 14:54

  • Sky channels return to cable

    Virgin Media drops legal handbag

    A contract feud between Virgin Media and Sky has ended today with a new deal that will see the return of Sky's basic channels to cable. The agreement begins on November 13 and will run until June 2011. Negotiations between the pair acrimoniously collapsed in March 2007, when Virgin Media customers trying to watch Sky One were …

    Music and Media 4 Nov 2008, 15:26

  • Debian discord over de-classified developer proposal

    Elite in charge?

    Members of the Debian community are up in arms following a surprise announcement over the way project participants are vetted and organized. The announcement, posted by Debian developer and administrator Joerg Jaspert, proposed - among other things - that a new class of non-technical Debian contributor be introduced. This …

    Developer 4 Nov 2008, 16:02

  • Fujitsu intros satnav notebook and touch-sensitive netbook

    Fujitsu has launched a laptop with an integrated touch-sensitive panel and unveiled of a miniature notebook-cum-satnav. Fujitsu's N7010: touch-sensitive 4in sub-display on board The N7010 sits in the firm’s LifeBook series and is said to be the industry’s first full-size notebook that incorporates a 4in “Touch Zone” display …

    Reg Hardware 4 Nov 2008, 16:15

  • LaCie offers white-as-a-cloud net storage box

    We've heard of white goods, but this is ridiculous. Storage specialist LaCie has launched the ultimate white box, a blank-faced unit that turns out to be an internet-connectable network hard drive. The Internet Space packs in a choice of 500GB or 1TB of raw storage capacity. There's an Ethernet port on the back for LAN linkage …

    Reg Hardware 4 Nov 2008, 16:45

  • McCain pulls ahead in pharmaceutical spam

    USA '08 Taking the political temperature through the medium of penis-enlargement promises

    Barack Obama is ahead not only in the polls but where it counts the most - in spam messages. However, his presidential rival John McCain can claim his own guaranteed enlarged small victory. The Democrat candidate is the topic of 70 per cent more junk mail messages than his Republican counterpart overall. But McCain edges ahead …

    Spam 4 Nov 2008, 16:52

  • Donkeys refuse fodder as US election tension rises

    USA '08 Dreaming of a better life under Obama

    It's official: US election fever has finally infected the remote Spanish outpost which houses El Reg's Iberian Bureau. Here amid the ruined stone buildings nestled between oak-clad mountains, where the silence is broken only by the occasional hack swearing furiously at the broadband connection's daily siesta, local comment on …

    Bootnotes 4 Nov 2008, 17:39

  • HP animates sleeping ProLiant power cap

    Integrated Lights Out

    Hewlett-Packard this week is delivering a new power capping technology that has been latent in its ProLiant rack and blade servers for the past several years. The technology - which is implemented in the system management software and service processors inside the servers - is called dynamic power capping, and it will help data …

    Servers 4 Nov 2008, 19:13

  • Seagate heading for the wild west

    A romp with cowboy Bill

    In a storage press event today, Seagate said it was going to produce a network-attached storage (NAS) product for the home and and a hard drive able to plug into a TV and play media content. Its coming enterprise solid state drive will combine single and multi-level cell technology and a second attempt at hybrid drives will be …

    Storage 4 Nov 2008, 19:23

  • Dell: 'Code, baby, code!' - and please buy our servers

    Dreamforce 2008 Their survival depends on your spending

    "Code baby code" and more people buying servers and PCs - Dell servers and PCs, to be precise. That's Michael Dell's secret to surviving the current economic downturn. Dell's chairman and chief executive delivered a Keynesian-style message of investment over budget cuts for customers to position for growth once the economic …

    Developer 4 Nov 2008, 19:55

  • E-voting glitches hamper elections in seven states

    USA '08 Hanging Chad, make room for Folded Crease

    People in at least seven states - six of them considered battleground states - are reporting that bugs and malfunctions with electronic voting machines are hampering their ability to cast votes in a presidential election that is expected to bring out a record number of voters. In Florida, a state that is no stranger to …

    Security 4 Nov 2008, 20:15

  • Google plays safety card against Microsoft Office

    Dreamforce 2008 Apps trainspotter challenge

    Google has stepped up efforts to have business customers dump Microsoft's PC and server-bound productivity and business software for Google Apps. The search giant is trying to overcome lingering reservations big customers might have on the security of the facilities and the personnel behind the scenes of its hosted …

    Applications 4 Nov 2008, 20:35

  • Cocaine addicted IT manager hacks ex-employer's mail servers

    Why change passwords when you've got a baseball bat?

    An IT manager was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for hacking into his former employer's computer system and opening its mail server to the public. Steven Barnes of Mill Valley, California was sentenced on computer intrusion charges against the streaming media firm Blue Falcon Networks, now known as Akimbo Systems. …

    Crime 4 Nov 2008, 21:05

  • AT&T feeds metered internet to American gamblers

    'Bandwidth hogs' and all that

    Following in the footsteps of Time Warner Cable, AT&T is exposing a small collection of American guinea pigs to the metered internet. This month, as it revealed in a recent FCC filing (PDF warning), the country's largest ISP began testing metered broadband in "the Biggest Little City in the World": gambling haven Reno, Nevada …

    Telecoms 4 Nov 2008, 21:40

  • NetApp spins second flash SSD universe

    Welcome to tier zero

    NetApp has abruptly extended its flash solid state drive (SSD) storage strategy by admitting a second use case into its SSD universe, one for specific workload acceleration through a tier zero drive shelf. Previously, it promoted the use of flash for read caching in the controller via its PAM (Performance Acceleration Module) …

    Storage 4 Nov 2008, 21:48

  • Open-Xchange phones home for funding

    Open source independence

    Open source groupware software maker Open-Xchange has reeled in $9m in its second round of venture capital funding. After commercial Linux distributor Xandros bought Scalix, Cisco Systems bought Postpath, and Yahoo bought Zimbra, that left Open-Xchange - formerly of Germany and now of Tarrytown, New York - as one of the few …

    Applications 4 Nov 2008, 22:28

  • Battleground email hoax postpones Election Day

    USA '08 Pardon me, your listserv is showing

    More than 35,000 students, faculty, and staff at George Mason University in Virginia awoke on Tuesday to a find an urgent email purporting to be from their provost. "Please note that election day has been move to November 5th," the message read. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you." Of course, it was a hoax …

    Security 4 Nov 2008, 22:39