13th November 2008 Archive
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Dell CTO Kevin Kettler to step down in January
'A personal decision,' claims company
Dell has confirmed its chief technology officer Kevin Kettler plans to step down soon, although the PC vendor is adamant his retirement is not a part of Dell's recent layoffs and cutbacks. Cnet first reported Kettler's imminent departure, which is expected to be announced officially by Dell within the next few days. He's …
PCs & Chips 13 Nov 2008, 00:29
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Maradona rubbed from Yahoo! web by Argentinian judge
World Cup cheat unsearchable
Following a judge's temporary restraining order, Yahoo! Argentina has blocked all web searches for the country's most famous son: notorious football cheat Diego Maradona. Maradona is known the world over for his, shall we say, sleight of hand in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal between England and Argentina. And he now manages …
Music and Media 13 Nov 2008, 00:57
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MS dreams big as IE 6 for Windows Mobile nears
Steve, don't do it!
Microsoft is prepping developers for the latest version of Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile, while trying to lock America's biggest wireless carrier into an internet search deal. The company has released emulators for Internet Explorer 6, even though it's preparing to release version 8 for PCs. Despite the version lag, …
Mobile 13 Nov 2008, 01:18
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AMD buys (a little) breathing room with Shanghai
Quad-core Opterons just in time for IT recession
Today, x64 chip maker Advanced Micro Devices will launch its "Shanghai" quad-core Opteron processors for servers and workstations, concurrent with its annual financial analyst day meeting and ahead of schedule by AMD's reckoning. The new chip - which offers more computing power, less heat dissipation, and better bang for the …
PCs & Chips 13 Nov 2008, 05:02
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ICANN to terminate notorious registrar's credentials after all
ICANN, I might, I did
After a brief delay, the non-profit group that oversees the internet's address system has decided to proceed with plans to revoke the credentials of EstDomains, a domain name registrar with a reputation for catering to cyber criminals. In a notice posted Wednesday, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers said …
Security 13 Nov 2008, 05:04
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Apple bans iPhone app for changing version number
Censorship needs no logic
Apple has banned version 1.3 of return7's CastCatcher internet radio service from the iPhone App Store, complaining that it's "transferring excessive volumes of data over the cellular network." But you can still buy version 1.2, which transfers exactly the same amount of data over the network. In fact, when Apple complains …
Mobile 13 Nov 2008, 06:10
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Shure SE102 sound-isolating earphones
Review Shure quality without breaking the bank
Using cheap earphones on your expensive MP3 player is as pointless as spending all your money on a triple SLI graphics set-up and using a 14in CRT to watch it all on. You can argue that to enjoy music, you just need to be able to hear it – and the number of people still using the standard earphones that came with their iPods …
Reg Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 09:02
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BT waves goodbye to 10,000 temps and permies
Global Services blamed
BT is to cut 10,000 permanent and contractor jobs before the end of the financial year in March. The telco, which has 160,000 staff, said 4,000 people have already left. Contractors and offshore workers are expected to bear the brunt of the cuts. The news comes as BT posted results today for the second quarter ended 30 …
Financial News 13 Nov 2008, 09:32
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Intel shocks with profit warning
Ask not for whom the bellwether tolls
A month ago Intel CEO Paul Otellini didn't know "what impact the financial crisis will have on end customer demand". He does now and it's not good. Intel has cut fourth quarter revenue guidance by ten per cent, citing weakening global demand and PC supply chain inventory reduction. Instead of earning $10.1bn - $10.9bn in its …
Channel Register 13 Nov 2008, 09:53
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CBI calls for UK lo-carb tech spend 'equal to weapons'
Nuclear power stations, not nuclear bombs
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called for the British government to give development of low-carbon technology the same emphasis as it does that of weaponry. At present, around £250m of government funding goes into low-carbon tech annually, while the Ministry of Defence spends on the order of £2.5bn on the …
Government 13 Nov 2008, 10:00
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MoJ cancels tender for prison mobe detectors
Fails to find suitable provider
The Ministry of Justice has cancelled a tender for mobile telephone detection equipment in prisons, having failed to find a suitable vendor. The ministry advertised a framework contract in June 2007, planned to last four years and estimated to be worth £400,000, to provide "mobile phone detectors to detect the use of all …
Policing 13 Nov 2008, 10:11
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Texas cop tasers himself
Law enforcement fail caught on camera
This is short and sweet - big time law enforcement fail in Texas, courtesy of FAIL Blog: A good effort, but for the all-time classic try this 2004 gun safety lecture in which a Drug Enforcement Agency operative demonstrates why you really shouldn't play with a Glock 40: And before you start crying foul, here's Snopes' …
Bootnotes 13 Nov 2008, 10:15
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Carbon Fibre MacBook Air to waft in soon?
Aluminium alternative?
Apple's next MacBook Air may be made out of carbon fibre, sources close to the company have claimed. Apple's MacBook Air: aluminium base today, carbon fibre tomorrow If Apple gives an Air overhaul the go-ahead, the machine’s “lower aluminium case, or bottom cover” would be replace with carbon fibre, according to an Apple …
Reg Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 10:19
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Mobe number middleman turns old sims into gold
Pulls cash from the back of your drawers
A new mobile number sales middleman has sprung up, calling itself Numbuz. The company aims to facilitate sales of memorable mobe numbers, while taking a cut for its services. The really popular numbers, dubbed "golden", are held back by the network operators for their own key staff or promotional purposes. But that leaves …
Mobile 13 Nov 2008, 10:50
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Brits allowed in to OLPC's 'give one, get one' scheme
XO donation scheme to restart next week
The One Laptop Per Child buy one, give one scheme kicks off again next week, and this time the offer's open to Europeans. OLPC's programme - dubbed "G1G1", for 'give one, get one' - allows wealthy Westerners to buy a pair of the Linux-based laptops but only receive one of them. The other is sent to a school in the developing …
Reg Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 10:51
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Ancient Rome rises on Google Earth
3D model travels back to 320AD
Google Earth has hooked up with the University of Virginia to produce a 3D rendition of Rome in the year 320AD featuring 250 "highly detailed" and 5000+ other buildings: According to the BBC, the new feature was unveiled at an event in the Italian capital, at which the current mayor Gianni Alemanno enthused: "It's an …
Applications 13 Nov 2008, 10:52
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Firefox update fixes four critical flaws
Laggard 2.x users urged to upgrade
Users of Firefox need to update their browser software again following the publication of patches by Mozilla on Wednesday. Both supported versions of Firefox need patching but the 2.x version of the popular open source browser is most in need of a retool. Firefox 2.0.0.18 addresses 11 security vulnerabilities, six of which are …
Applications 13 Nov 2008, 11:32
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HTC unwraps 'world's first' WiMax, Wi-Fi phone in Russia
Max 4G on Yota debuts
HTC has taken the wraps off its rumoured "4G" phone - the world's first handset to integrate WiMax, Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity. The HTC Max 4G packs in 8021.11b/g, tri-band GSM/GPRS/Edge and mobile WiMax in the 2.5-2.7GHz band. Bluetooth 2.0+EDR completes the handset's wireless capabilities, and it has GPS and on board …
Reg Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 11:41
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Distrust means cop databases suffer arrested development
EU and Lords highlight hurdles
Police data sharing across the Atlantic and within European is being stymied by technical hurdles and caution over privacy and operational security. This morning, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) issued an opinion on a joint EU-US report aimed at setting up improved transatlantic police cooperation, which was …
Policing 13 Nov 2008, 11:43
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NetApp peers into the economic gloom
Foggy vision
NetApp is refusing to give guidance for the next quarter. You can guess why. CEO Dan Warmenhoven today passed on a forecast for Q3'09. "It is very difficult to predict the depth and duration of the downturn," he said "The uncertainty around customer IT spending intentions reduces our confidence in the validity of our pipeline …
Storage 13 Nov 2008, 11:45
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Euro court blocks Lego trademark bid
Just a bunch of stupid bricks...
Lego has failed in its bid to register the shape of its play bricks as trade marks. A European court said that the brick shape was functional and that it had to be that shape to operate as it did, so could not be registered as a trade mark. The Court of First Instance (CFI) of the European Communities backed a 2004 decision of …
Law 13 Nov 2008, 11:54
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Tragic Twitterers tweet goodbye to family life
New Media: It's in your ear
Here's a conundrum. Top Media People want to come out of the shadows and get "closer to their listeners" - it's what the Web 2.0 people urge them to do. BBC people in particular are obsessed with being seen to be bossy or "out-of-touch" - especially since three out of four license payers have a gripe with the corporation. But …
Music and Media 13 Nov 2008, 12:02
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Express Scripts posts $1m reward to net cyber-extortionists
Prescription processing firm wants posse
A US-based prescription processing and benefits firm has taken the unusual step of offering a $1m bounty for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of an unknown group which targeted it in a cyber-extortion scam. Express Scripts went public last week with news that it received personal details on 75 end users …
Enterprise Security 13 Nov 2008, 12:02
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Microsoft gives Windows Live launch a Web 2.0 scrub-up
Wants to sync with customers' digital lives
Microsoft is giving its Windows Live services a social networking makeover in the hope of being a contender in the ulcerative Web 2.0 world. The firm gave its somewhat unwieldy Windows Live services the red carpet treatment late yesterday, placing a big emphasis on how it plans to make its online offerings more “in sync” with …
Applications 13 Nov 2008, 12:16
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ARM to fuel netbook, internet gadget drive with Ubuntu
Canonical to port its Linux to ARMv7
Chip maker ARM is to get Ubuntu Linux up and running on its ARMv7 processor architcture, part of its plan to get its chips into netbooks and handheld internet devices. It's all about taking the fight to Intel's Atom, of course. The chip giant's processor has become the de facto standard for small, cheap computers. But the …
Reg Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 12:23
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Nominet director quits over boardroom rift
Players square up in battle for .uk
One of Nominet's four non-executive directors has resigned amid accusation and counter accusation of wrongdoing at the not-for-profit company that runs the .uk registry. Angus Hanton, a self-described domainer*, was elected to the board in May 2007. In his resignation letter to fellow directors on Wednesday he said he was …
Telecoms 13 Nov 2008, 12:31
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CRB database wrongly labels thousands as criminals
Criminal records four times worse than thought
More than 12,000 people have been wrongly branded criminals due to mistakes on their criminal records, the government has revealed. A Parliamentary answer reveals that 12,225 people have disputed the results of a criminal record check and had their complaint upheld in the last five years. The number of complaints upheld has …
Government 13 Nov 2008, 12:34
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Royal Society of Chemistry defines perfect Yorkshire pud
Distraught cooks offered recipe for success
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has ordained that a Yorkshire pudding is not in fact a Yorkshire pudding if it's less than four inches tall, and has issued the definitive recipe for the traditional pud so aficionados can bake 'em up just like granny used to. The judgement came in response to an SOS from Brit expat Ian …
Science 13 Nov 2008, 12:47
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Qualcomm pitches 'PC alternative' nettop, netbook reference design
Kayak is Atom alternative too
It's not just ARM that wants a piece of Intel's Atom action - Qualcomm does to. It's launched a "new PC alternative" reference design based on its 3G technology in a bid to win over netbook makers. Dubbed Kayak, the system is based on Qualcomm's Mobile Station Modem (MSM) 7000-series chipsets, but the company said it may …
Reg Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 12:55
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Sony Walkman NWZ-E436F music and video player
Review Budget iPod Nano beater
With the release of the A-series Walkman, Sony finally bid a probably less-than-fond farewell to its ATRAC and SonicStage past. Now with the release of the B-, E- and S-class Walkman players, Sony is fleshing out the range. At the bottom of the pile sits the stick-style B series with either 1GB or 2GB of storage. Next comes …
Reg Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 13:02
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Telecoms switchers baffled by pricing info, say MPs
In the dark over true costs
British punters are getting short-changed by telecoms companies because they struggle to get enough information to properly decide which tariff or deal to accept. The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee found that removing price controls has made life worse for fixed line telecoms and utility customers. Ofcom removed …
Telecoms 13 Nov 2008, 13:04
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McLaren teams up with chip firm for F1 hybrid tech
One KERS
McLaren Electronic Systems has partnered chip maker Freescale to not only improve the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) in sibling company McLaren Racing's 2011 Formula 1 challenger but also of seeing smaller, lighter, more efficient hybrid systems trickle down to the average motorist. The 2009 F1 regulations permit the …
Reg Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 13:21
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Retro piracy - Should the Royal Navy kick arse?
Analysis Tackling the freebooters of the 'Gate of Tears'
As everyone knows, runaway piracy is a terrible threat. Unchecked, pirates might destroy the very business models which underpin much of our economy, bringing legitimate commerce to a halt - with devastating consequences both for those who make things and for those who use them. That may or may not be true on the internet: but …
Government 13 Nov 2008, 13:53
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WiMAX gets a handset, but no free ride for evolution
ITU holds timing and frequency to be different things
The WiMAX camp should be celebrating the launch of the first WiMAX/GSM mobile phone, but instead the technology backers are under fire from the ITU for trying to paint a redesign as an evolution. Russian WiMAX operator Scartel has launched a WiMAX handset from HTC that can also operate as a GSM phone, providing wireless …
Mobile 13 Nov 2008, 14:02
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World's first AI birth achieved using frozen rhino sperm
Horny Colchester perissodactyl in Budapest triumph
An alliance of Eastern-European boffins has achieved what they describe as a "landmark technique for AI". The I in this case, however, stands not for Intelligence but Insemination, and the breakthrough is the the world's first live birth achieved using frozen rhinoceros semen. Now that's what we call a (possibly literally) …
Biology 13 Nov 2008, 14:24
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DiData ups revs and profits
Word of warning on future though
Dimension Data grew revenues by 19.5 per cent and net profits by 32.8 per cent in the year ended 30 September 2008. Group revenues were $4.5bn and net profit was $114m, up from $86m last year. Operating profit was $182m, up 38.9 per cent. The results are impressive - especially given DiData's reliance on emerging markets and …
Channel Register 13 Nov 2008, 14:30
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3 launches Facebook phone
"Quentin is on the train"
Network operator 3 has unveiled a handset that’ll make Facebook fans up and down the country jump for joy. 3's INQ1: exclusive The INQ1 is a slider designed with just one thing in mind: social networking. It features access to a whole series of communication apps, including Facebook, Windows Live Messenger and Skype. …
Reg Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 15:00
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'UK workers bear brunt of global HP job losses': Unite
EDS Blighty staff take it on the chin
Unite has hit out at Hewlett-Packard for making more job cuts in Britain - mostly among its EDS staff - than anywhere else in Europe. The UK’s largest union said yesterday that HP’s decision to axe a quarter of its British staff following the takeover of the IT services firm in August was a mistake. "This should be a merger …
Channel Register 13 Nov 2008, 15:09
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Console modders banned from Xbox Live
Thou shalt not unscrew thy Xbox 360
You’d better watch out if you own a modified Xbox 360 and are a fan of Xbox Live - Microsoft has got its eye on you. Major Nelson - aka Xbox Live’s Director of Programming, Larry Hryb - has posted a stern warning on his official blog stating that modification of an Xbox 360 – in order to play pirated games - is “a violation of …
Reg Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 15:09
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Over-feeding phishers struggle to make ends meet
Microsoft duo question easy money 'myth'
Contrary to popular belief, phishers make little or no money, according to a study by two Microsoft researchers. Cormac Herley and Dinei Florencio dispute the conventional wisdom that phishing represents an easy way to make money by analysing the crime in economic terms. They argue that, since each phishing fraudster seeks to …
Spam 13 Nov 2008, 15:19
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Microsoft spreads $1bn R&D love in China
Why make trillions when we can make... BILLIONS?
Microsoft will cough up more than $1bn for research and development projects in China over the next three years. The firm also announced that it has appointed a new chairman and chief executive in the People’s Republic, Simon Leung. He previously worked at Motorola Inc as the firm’s Asia Pacific president. Zhang Yaqin, who is …
Financial News 13 Nov 2008, 15:28
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Endeavour crew set for ISS gig
Shuttle launch tomorrow
The crew of space shuttle Endeavour is set for tomorrow's scheduled launch to the International Space Station on mission STS-126 to equip the outpost with extra kit for its intended expansion to accommodate six full-time residents. Aboard Endeavour for tomorrow's lift-off at 19:55 EST (00:55 GMT on Saturday) from Kennedy …
Space 13 Nov 2008, 15:35
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Advertisers should speak up on where Yahoo assets should be
The problem of anti-trustness
When thinking about the Google Yahoo deal and why we felt it was out and out anti-trust, we were reminded of an old joke. When it was told to us years ago it was about an accountant, but the punchline was the same. In the accounting version of the joke when the successful accountant was asked what one and one made, he replied …
Financial News 13 Nov 2008, 16:02
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Elite server makers open up for Shanghai Opterons
Upgrading is a snap - selling servers, not so easy
In the ramp ahead of the launch of the new "Shanghai" quad-core Opteron processors for servers and workstations, Advanced Micro Devices lined up some niche players in dense rack and blade servers for commercial data centers and high performance computing clusters often used at government and academic supercomputing centers. But …
Servers 13 Nov 2008, 16:58
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Net pharmacies raided in nine countries
Takedown targets unlicensed penis pill pushers
Raids hit suspected internet drug peddling operations in nine countries on Wednesday as part of a international crackdown coordinated by Interpol. Operation Pangea targeted the sales of unlicensed or prescription-only medicines over the net. The drugs on offer claimed to offer relief from treatments ranging from diabetes and …
Crime 13 Nov 2008, 18:44
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DARPA: Self-repairing, learning kill-robot tech is go
Beware, aware 'ware!
Once again the observant techbeat watcher finds his or her lower-torso garments endampened by fear, as news emerges that heavyweight US military nerds believe that they have developed IT tech which can "regenerate" autonomously, allowing it to self-repair in the face of shutdown attempts - and even to learn and develop its …
Science 13 Nov 2008, 18:44
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Intel rallies rivals on parallel programming education
Sequential is so over
Intel has enlisted chip rivals to push for making parallel programming a higher priority on computer science courses. Intel will kick-off its campaign at Supercomputing 08 in Austin, Texas next week, during a Monday session called There Is No More Sequential Programming. Why Are We Still Teaching It?. Representatives from AMD …
Developer 13 Nov 2008, 18:47
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Drug dealing sysadmin cops to hacking and burglary offences
Faces six to 12 stretch
A former sysadmin faces six-to-12 years behind bars after admitting using his IT skills to conduct a series of burglaries, computer intrusions, and identity thefts in San Jose, California. Andrew Madrid, 34, pleaded guilty to a string of computer hacking, second degree burglary, and id theft offences last Friday. He also …
Crime 13 Nov 2008, 18:50
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Cisco battles Meltdown with mobile and video
Pushes into wireless
Cisco CEO John Chambers claims to have a ‘playbook’ for coping with recessions, and two of its principles of survival are to prepare for the upturn in order to benefit more than rivals, and to use customers’ own pressures during the bad times to deepen relationships with them. Both of these principles will be tested in the …
Data Networking 13 Nov 2008, 19:03
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IBM employee poaching suit hypes Apple
'The Powermaster must be stopped'
Mark Papermaster is a Power microprocessor God - a Powermaster, if you will - and must not enter Apple's paradise. He could make miracles happen there and screw IBM's competitive positioning. That's the gist of an IBMer's filing in the IBM-Papermaster lawsuit in which IBM is trying to have Papermaster's move to Apple stopped …
Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 19:14
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Google shares plummet past $300, reach three year low
Wall Street ignorant of Mountain View money machine
Google's share price has dipped below $300 for the first time in three years, after some Wall Street guessmen decided the ad broker's revenues are on the wane. After a high of $747.24 on November seventh of last year, the company's stock closed at $291 in Nasdaq trading yesterday, and today, it dropped another two per cent to …
Music and Media 13 Nov 2008, 19:20
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Attorneys for Palin email hacker: 'Don't call him hacker'
The semantics of electronic intrusion
Attorneys for the University of Tennessee student accused of breaking into Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's email account have filed a small forest's worth of court documents in defense of the high-profile suspect. Among them is a motion to prohibit prosecutors from referring to their client as a hacker. The terms "hacker" and " …
Security 13 Nov 2008, 20:00
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Wii whacked with patent infringement claim - again
Remote and Nunchuck at center of row
The Wii’s been hit with yet another patent violation claim, this time by a US firm alleging that the console’s controllers its ‘Human Movement Measurement System’ (HMMS). It’s claimed that Nintendo violated a patent owned by Ohio-based company Motiva for an HMMS involving a “hand-held tracking device in communication with a …
Reg Hardware 13 Nov 2008, 21:07
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Microsoft bets future on search bribery
Explaining the inexplicable
Microsoft wants you to know that its Live Search bribery program has seen "positive traction," claiming that searchified cashback offers have resulted in a significant return on investment for its advertisers. The question is whether Microsoft will ever see ROI for itself. In May, as part of its desperate bid to boost traffic …
Music and Media 13 Nov 2008, 21:19
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Microsoft: 'Patents are gibberish - unless you're a patent lawyer'
Ignorance is bliss
Microsoft's internal advice when you're potentially treading on someone else's patent? "Ignorance is bliss." Microsoft engineer Eric Brechner writes an internal developer best practices blog called Hard Code under the name I.M. Write. Slashdot flagged his most recent entry, which tells Microsoft to completely ignore other …
Law 13 Nov 2008, 22:06
