The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

18th December 2008 Archive

Browse by publication date, or search the site.

  • Google China under fire for medical scam ads

    Baidu media campaign take two?

    Beijing appears to be expanding its recent crackdown on search engines running medical scam ads to implicating Google China and Yahoo China. Or it's possibly simply spreading the heat recently placed solely on Baidu, the country's top search engine. A TV report by the top state-controlled channel, China Central Television, …

    Music and Media 18 Dec 01:02

  • Wikipedia self-flagellates over vanishing 'farmsex'

    Updated The missing Zoophilia edits

    After the international brouhaha over Wikipedia's sudden appearance on Britain's anti-child-porn blacklist, things have returned to normal at "the free encyclopedia anyone can edit." The site's cult-like inner circle is threatening to eat itself after an über-admin vaporized some Zoophilia chatter laid down by a member of the …

    Music and Media 18 Dec 01:10

  • Sony's Super AIT - a fall from grace

    Comment Reorg slices through tape format's future

    Sony is reeling, with 16,000 job losses and restructuring looming for its sprawling electronics division. Super AIT tape comes out of that sprawl, and its time may be drawing to a close, squeezed out by LTO much as AIT was squeezed out by DAT. Back in 2004 the first generation Super AIT (SAIT) tape, the half-inch format big …

    Storage 18 Dec 08:02

  • Tesla takes Top Gear test to task

    'Leccy Tech Good TV but bad review?

    Did one of the two Tesla Roadsters tested by BBC TV's Top Gear really die on the track and need to be pushed into the studio garage by hand? That's the question that has been exercising minds since Jeremy Clarkson tossed his orb on the Californian 'leccy sports car on Sunday night. The Top Gear segment gave the distinct …

    Reg Hardware 18 Dec 08:57

  • Western Digital WD TV HDD-to-HDTV adaptor

    Review Connect your telly to your USB HDD

    Streaming media players were all the rage a couple of years ago. They were a nice idea, allowing you to stream music and video files stored on your computer over your home network to a TV or music system. However, most of them were expensive and fiddly to set up, so they never really caught on. The next step was the ‘ …

    Reg Hardware 18 Dec 09:02

  • Correction and apology

    Bob Gilbert and Nominet governance

    On 21 November we published an article headed "Nominet chairman embroiled in governance row: sits on own salary committee". Contrary to that article, we wish to make it clear that Mr Gilbert, the chairman of Nominet, does not sit on a committee which determines his remuneration. We apologise to Mr Gilbert for any embarrassment …

    Telecoms 18 Dec 10:21

  • Sky demonstrates 3D telly vision

    Future of broadcasting from the 50s

    BSkyB yesterday demonstrated 3D broadcasts using an ordinary Sky+HD box and a TV made by Hyundai. Viewers will need to wear special glasses and Sky made clear it was not planning a product launch. The demo included clips of a Ricky Hatton fight, football and rugby clips. The boxing was most impressive, although the glasses …

    Telecoms 18 Dec 10:22

  • EU threatens vendors with smartphone tax

    Quick, play dumb

    The European Commission has proposed reclassifying smartphones as "multi-function devices", which would see them attracting up to 14 per cent in tax at a time when the industry is already under pressure to cut prices. The proposed reclassification, which was sent out to member states last week for comment and is reported by …

    Mobile 18 Dec 10:25

  • Satyam investors blow roof off building firm takeover bid

    Investors freak, shares fall

    IT services giant Satyam has abandoned the takeover of two Indian building groups after investors reacted with horror to the proposal. Satyam shares fell over 30 per cent on the Indian stock exchange and more than 50 per cent in New York after it said it would pay $1.6bn for 100 per cent of Maytas Properties, which develops …

    Channel Register 18 Dec 10:27

  • US Navy's robot stealth carrier plane unveiled

    Pic Mav and Iceman headed for the dole queue

    US aerospace'n'killware goliath Northrop Grumman yesterday took the wraps off one of the most advanced robot aircraft in the world, the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS). The X-47B is intended to operate from the flight deck of US Navy aircraft carriers, carrying out entire missions including air-to-air refuelling without …

    Science 18 Dec 10:37

  • Tosh touts world's first half-terabyte laptop SSD

    Guinness World Record anyone?

    Toshiba has developed what it claims is the world’s first 512GB 2.5in solid-state drive. The firm said its high-capacity SSD is destined for notebooks, gaming PCs and home entertainment systems. Toshiba's 512GB SSD: capacious Toshiba’s drive has a 3Gb/s SATA interface and a maximum sequential read speed of 240Mb/s. Its …

    Reg Hardware 18 Dec 10:55

  • US nuclear bomb lab develops 'self-warming' hand cream

    Local owner-operator delighted

    A New Mexico cosmetics entrepreneur has collaborated with a US government nuclear weapons lab to deal with one of the great scourges threatening society today, that of chilly handcream fresh from the jar. The solution: high-tech "personal care lotion" which warms itself up as it is "gently rubbed" on. According to the Sandia …

    Science 18 Dec 11:05

  • US delays Royal Navy satellite comms project

    Only 31 months late

    A Royal Navy communications project is 31 months late because development of components at the US Department of Defense is behind schedule. A National Audit Office (NAO) report on major Ministry of Defence (MoD) projects says the Naval Extremely High Frequency/Super High Frequency Satellite Communications Terminals programme …

    Data Networking 18 Dec 11:14

  • UK will save its 48-hour opt-out, says employment lawyer

    Haven't you got homes to go to?

    The European Parliament has voted to end the UK's opt-out of laws banning people from working for more than 48 hours a week, but a leading employment lawyer has said that the opt-out is likely to remain in place. "My message to businesses is: don't panic," said Tom Flanagan, an employment law expert at Pinsent Masons, the law …

    Small Biz 18 Dec 11:18

  • Novell ditches 2009's recession-bitten BrainShare tradeshow

    No more rubbing in Salt Lake City

    Novell has cancelled its annual BrainShare trade shindig that was supposed to be taking place in Salt Lake City in March 2009. The tech giant’s decision was announced by the firm yesterday and follows Apple’s declaration that it would permanently withdraw from the annual MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. Novell, which has held …

    Data Networking 18 Dec 11:23

  • Accy software vendor adds debtor auto hassle

    Auto-chasing of late payers

    Small business accountancy provider KashFlow is extending its platform with Getting-Paid, an online service which automatically chases slow payers. It sends reminders to customers which gradually increase in severity until the invoice is paid. KashFlow founder Duane Jackson said: Almost everybody is concerned about the …

    Small Biz 18 Dec 11:28

  • Under-fire Ofcom maps out emergency systems

    Calls for calm consideration

    Ofcom has updated the schedule for the introduction of Administered Incentive Pricing for radio spectrum used by a variety of services, including the RNLI and mountain-rescue services, having received a deluge of comments on the original proposal. By the end of October, when the consultation ended, Ofcom had accumulated an …

    Mobile 18 Dec 11:32

  • More execs quit Phorm

    CFO and UK CEO out

    When half of Phorm's board quit earlier this month, it was spun as a strategy disagreement between the US and UK operations. But now the firm's London-based UK chief executive has quit too, along with its chief beancounter. UK CEO Hugo Drayton will leave Phorm "by mutual agreement" at the end of this year and continue to act …

    Telecoms 18 Dec 11:38

  • Supporting the application platform

    Better the devil you know?

    As our discussion around the role of the application platform continues, a quick look back shows us that the Reg reader jury is still out when it comes to deciding on the capabilities which deserve or need to be included in one. The other side of the coin to ‘what’, is perhaps unsurprisingly, ‘how’. If you are going to develop …

    Systems 18 Dec 11:50

  • ecademy exposes customer emails to world+dog

    Snafu with a side of spam

    ecademy - the business-orientated social networking site - left supposedly private support emails sent through the site publicly viewable as the result of a programming snafu earlier this week. Correspondence between the site and its members was left viewable by simple URL manipulation. The class of vulnerability has hit …

    Enterprise Security 18 Dec 11:56

  • Microsoft settles lawsuit against Taiwanese mouse maker

    When mice ruled the world...

    Microsoft has settled a patent infringement case that it brought against Taiwanese computer peripherals vendor Primax Electronics Ltd in July this year. The software company said yesterday that Primax has entered into a “non-exclusive licensing agreement covering Microsoft’s patents for U2 and Tilt Wheel technology”. Past and …

    Channel Register 18 Dec 11:57

  • Royal laptop theft 'will expose picture'

    Fergie fails on password security

    Security experts said it would be child's play for thieves to access sensitive data on the Duchess of York's stolen laptop, despite the use of password protection. Fergie's computer, swiped during a break in to a photography studio last Thursday, reportedly revealed Manchester United's January transfer window targets …

    Enterprise Security 18 Dec 12:19

  • NASA will give away old Shuttles for free

    Just a $42m shipping charge, sir

    NASA has announced plans for disposal of the Space Shuttle fleet and spare main engines. The space agency intends to donate one orbiter to the Smithsonian museum, and give the others to "educational institutions, science museums, and other appropriate organizations". The proud new owners will need to stump up an estimated $ …

    Space 18 Dec 12:23

  • It's Sadville: The Movie!

    Flying penises, 30ft high

    It's natural in Hollywood that if you have a big hit as a director, you pretty much get to make whatever you want, but this is one artistic conceit too far. Pirates of the Caribbean helmsman Gore Verbinski has reportedly acquired the rights to make a film about a Second Life obsessive who "cheats" on his wife. Sadville: The …

    Entertainment 18 Dec 12:26

  • Microsoft moves to dampen Xbox 360 scratch fears

    'Less than 1 per cent of gamers affected'

    Microsoft has already admitted that the Xbox 360 may scratch discs if the console’s tilted while the drive's in operation. But it's now trying to downplay fears by claiming that the problem only affects a small minority of gamers. A Microsoft spokesperson told Edge magazine that, although some users have contacted it with …

    Reg Hardware 18 Dec 12:28

  • Adobe brings AIR to Linux

    Three distros, more due?

    The promised Linux edition of Adobe Systems' AIR 1.5 rich internet application (RIA) play is due to hit Linux today. AIR 1.5 for Linux follows versions for Windows and the Mac, and has been built for Ubuntu version 7.10 and above, the Fedora core 8.0 and above, and openSuSE 10.3 and above. AIR 1.5 will run on Linux distros …

    Applications 18 Dec 12:30

  • Jacqui calls Vodafone man to run massive snoop database

    Exclusive Parachuted in to Whitehall bunfight

    A senior Vodafone network architecture specialist has been appointed by Jacqui Smith to draw up proposals for a multibillion pound central silo of communications data, amid a Whitehall row about the future of the project, The Register has learned. The Home Office team responsible for the Interception Modernisation Programme ( …

    Government 18 Dec 12:36

  • More Moto models uncovered

    Tasty talking trio

    Images of three more upcoming Motorola handsets have been leaked online. Motorola's Niagra The first of the trio – unearthed by website BGR – is said to be called 'Niagra'. Although its looks won’t make hearts race like dropping over a 167ft waterfall in a barrel, the phone sports a sharp edged design akin to the existing …

    Reg Hardware 18 Dec 12:37

  • Taking control of desktop TCO

    Regcast Reduce your PC management costs by 30 per cent

    When: January 8, 2009 2pm GMT Why Traditional desktop IT architectures require significant maintenance and integration investment, yet add little real value. In a challenging economic climate, organizations must consider emerging technologies that enable IT to achieve its objectives, without harming the experience of the end …

    PCs & Chips 18 Dec 12:45

  • Satnav head-to-head: Navman S100 vs TomTom Go 540 Live

    Review The biggest names' top-of-the-line satnavs slug it out

    Want more than simple A-to-B navigation? We put two top-end models from TomTom and Navman - respectively, the Go 540 Live and the S100 - head to head to see how they match up. Line them up: Navman S100 and TomTom Go 540 Live Going by looks alone, the TomTom wins hands-down. With smooth, curved edges and a solid feel, it …

    Reg Hardware 18 Dec 13:02

  • Nvidia offers Intel-thrashing netbook GPU tech

    GeForce 9400M to make SCCs Small, Cheap Gaming Computers

    Nvidia is clearly in with Intel: it's announced a netbook integrated-graphics chipset designed to work with the Atom CPU. Enter the GeForce 9400 - codenamed 'Ion' - which essentially knocks the socks off the Intel integrated graphics Atom-based netbooks have thus far shipped with. For instance, Nvidia touted its part's …

    Reg Hardware 18 Dec 18:00

  • Sun revs VirtualBox desktop virtualization

    Put your chip in a (virtual) box

    Over the years, the server virtualization strategy at Sun Microsystems has been spotty, but recently it has been evolving to include a variety of new techniques. Dynamic domains, Solaris containers, logical domains, and on x64 iron, support for Xen and ESX Server hypervisors are all part of the fare now. Sun bought its way into …

    Virtualization 18 Dec 19:18

  • MontaVista's new ARM11 Linux goodies

    Big (endian) deal

    Even if you're a seasoned ARMy brat, you're to be forgiven for having seen MontaVista Software's recent announcement that it was offering Linux support for the ARM1176JZ-S and ARM1176JZF-S, and asking "So what?" After all, ARM announced those two cores (the JZF-S with an integrated floating-point processor) way back on October …

    PCs & Chips 18 Dec 19:54

  • Red Hat extends RHEL release support

    Keeping older software longer saves money

    Commercial Linux distributors have an advantage over proprietary operating system makers in that they are only interested in securing a single-year or multi-year support contract from a customer. They are not looking to sell an upgrade to a new version or release, since the support contract already covers them. But every Linux …

    Servers 18 Dec 20:17

  • Chinese spy scare sours Australia's plans for nationwide broadband

    Huawei's alleged ties to PLA under fire again

    Possible involvement of the Chinese networking firm Huawei Technologies in building Australia's national broadband network has security agencies fearing red espionage. A report Tuesday by The Australian said the country's security officials plan to "closely examine" a frontrunner bid to build the network from Australia's …

    Telecoms 18 Dec 20:41

  • Apple signals its mobile-graphics future

    Cupertino's $4.8m hint

    Word surfaced today in a "Listing of shares" announcement by British SoC developer Imagination Technologies that "Apple Inc. is subscribing for 8,200,000 new shares of Imagination Technologies Group plc." Apple is shelling out around $4.8m for that 3.6 per cent stake in the graphics and video chip designer. In a week when the …

    PCs & Chips 18 Dec 22:22

  • Rackable servers goin' mobile

    Watch the police and the tax man miss IT

    The joke with containerized data centers - putting racks of servers, storage, and networking into shipping containers instead of into brick-and-mortar data centers - is that if you put them in the corporate parking lot, as some vendors have suggested, you only make it easier for thieves to walk off with - well, drive off with - …

    Servers 18 Dec 22:58