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23rd January 2009 Archive

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  • Ballmer resets recession, preps for 100,000 troops

    Microsoft's right-hand/left-hand moment

    The economy is not in recession - it's just experiencing a "resetting" of spending. And Microsoft won't retrench after years of huge expansion; it'll just apply the brakes until things get better. At least, that's what Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said while announcing 5,000 planned layoffs and second-quarter …

    Financial News 23 Jan 2009, 00:47

  • AMD losses top $3bn in 2008

    Present "crummy," future "murky"

    AMD has released its financial report for the fourth quarter of 2008, along with totals for the full year. The numbers aren't pretty, but the company seems reasonably confident about its future. That confidence was expressed during a conference call this afternoon with analysts and journalists - though the company's …

    Financial News 23 Jan 2009, 01:20

  • AMD claims Intel sowing 'uncertainty' over fab spin-off

    Cross-licensing spat heats up (again)

    AMD said today that Intel wants to throw a wrench into the company's plans to spin-off its debt-dependent chip-manufacturing business to cause "uncertainty" as the deal nears its close. AMD disclosed amidst its fourth quarter earnings today that the company received a letter from Intel on January 20 that requested a meeting to …

    Financial News 23 Jan 2009, 01:26

  • Open source and Java feel first Sun cuts

    Strap in

    Sun Microsystems axed 1,300 employees on Thursday, the first wave in a series of planned redundancies intended to cut head count by almost a fifth. The company said in a statement it had cut workers across all levels, including employees in vice president and director positions. It did not say who'd been cut, but The Reg has …

    Financial News 23 Jan 2009, 01:36

  • Microsoft cuts 5,000 jobs - but Ballmer's hiring

    Analysis Redmond treads water

    Microsoft just announced the first job cuts in its history. You know things are bad. But how bad? Thanks to the tanking PC market, Redmond undershot its own expectations for the normally lucrative second-quarter by nearly $1bn. With Windows revenue dipping eight per cent to $4bn, Microsoft blamed consumers for not buying a …

    Financial News 23 Jan 2009, 01:44

  • UK's top IT volunteers named

    Doing it for charidee

    IT4Communities, which links charities with IT professionals who volunteer time and expertise to help organisations sort out technology projects, or start new projects, has released the shortlist for its 2008 awards. There are three finalists in four different categories: Best IT volunteer; the project which showed best impact …

    Bootnotes 23 Jan 2009, 08:02

  • Rover 75 to be reborn as hybrid

    'Leccy Tech UK's last mass-produced car back, sort of

    The Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) has announced that it intends to start mass-producing its first hybrid before the end of 2010. Should we give a hoot? Well, probably because the car in question will be the Roewe 750, itself a revised version of the Rover 75, Britain's last, best mass-produced car. Initial …

    Science 23 Jan 2009, 08:02

  • HTC S740 Qwerty keyboard smartphone

    Review An HTC for touchscreen-phobes

    At first glance, HTC's S740 looks like a revamped version of the slim'n'sexy Touch Diamond, but with a numeric keypad and a pull-out Qwerty keyboard. Even the angled back is similar to the Diamond's. But when you pick it up, it soon becomes clear that the differences go much deeper. HTC's S740: not a Diamond rehash The …

    Phones 23 Jan 2009, 09:02

  • DABetamax shop boosters 'could break the law'

    Consumer woes ahead for radio relays?

    The DAB lobby's latest attempt to make digital radios more attractive could fall foul of consumer legislation. Ofcom this week gave regulatory approval to in-store relays which boost the signal of digital radios in outlets like Currys and John Lewis - two chains who have been trialling the boosters over the past year. The …

    Media 23 Jan 2009, 09:02

  • Sun to be eclipsed by Red Hat?

    Market capitalisation trends suggest a spell in the shade

    Silicon Valley's punditocracy are quite exercised by the fact that Red Hat could soon be worth more than Sun in market capitalisation terms - the latter's market value is trending down while the former's is trending up. A chart (below) of January market capitalisation values shows this. At the moment Sun is capitalised at $2. …

    Data Center 23 Jan 2009, 10:02

  • Stylish earphones promise superior sound

    "WHAT?!"

    Swedish company Jays has launched its latest line of earphones, designed to pump out the bass and cut out the noise. Jays' S-Jay earphones The firm claimed that the tubeless round armature of its S-Jays cans is unlike that of any other earphones. The result, it said, is an “impressive audio range” that combines precision …

    Hardware 23 Jan 2009, 10:28

  • Rockstar prices up GTA download

    Microsoft points at the ready

    Rockstar has finally announced how much a download of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto add-on will cost when it’s released next month. Called The Lost and Damned, the Xbox 360-exclusive mini-game will sell for 1600 Microsoft points, which roughly translates into just under £14 ($19/€14.80). The game will be available for …

    Games 23 Jan 2009, 10:29

  • Payback time for Ofcom on incoming call charges

    Mobile Termination Rates II: The Slashening

    The UK's competition commission has ruled that regulator Ofcom got the termination rates for mobile calls wrong, while the Competition Appeals Tribunal has decided that such mistakes should be acknowledged retrospectively. Ofcom caps the average rate that mobile operators charge for incoming phone calls - the termination rate …

    Mobile 23 Jan 2009, 10:48

  • Home Office promises better personal data guards

    ICO orders tightening of loose lips

    The Home Office has promised privacy regulator the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) that it will handle citizens' personal data securely in the future, after the ICO found it in breach of the Data Protection Act. A contractor to the Home Office, PA Consulting, lost an unencrypted memory stick containing the sensitive …

    Government 23 Jan 2009, 10:51

  • Seagate's complacency blasted away - what now?

    Navigating the tanker through treacherous waters

    During 2008 Seagate became a technology follower. Business results at the end of the year tore the veils from its executives' eyes as they looked a half billion dollar loss in the face. Now there is a new CEO, and a determination to get a strong grip back on the business. Seagate sold $3.42bn worth of hard drives, 50m units, …

    The Channel 23 Jan 2009, 11:00

  • Obama insists on FOI

    iPrez tells gov agencies to spill

    New US president Barack Obama has ordered government agencies to release more information under that country's Freedom of Information Act, reversing the previous administration's policy of withholding information. The US president has ordered government departments and agencies to presume that information should be released to …

    Government 23 Jan 2009, 11:00

  • Acer intros 10in Aspire One netbook

    Updated Don't mention the 'L' word...

    Acer has formally unwrapped the 10in Aspire One, which it said it'll equip with a six-cell battery for a claimed seven-hour runtime. Acer's new Aspire One: now with 10in screen The new AA1 packs in the customary 1024 x 600 display, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Intel Atom processor. Acer didn't detail the CPU specs, but it said the AA1 …

    Hardware 23 Jan 2009, 11:15

  • Unravelling PC form factors

    Workshop One size does not fit all

    What difference does the form factor of a PC make? The most critical consideration when buying a business computing device is function: does the device support any necessary applications and software packages in a secure manner, at an acceptable base price and with a reasonable rate of maintenance and IT support. In practice …

    Notebooks 23 Jan 2009, 11:23

  • IT manager sorts Italian Job cliffhanger

    Wins 3 nights in Turin with his 3.2 tons of gold

    A Surrey IT manager has won three nights in Turin for sorting The Italian Job's cliffhanger ending, having successfully forged a cunning, highly practical plan to save the gold. Michael Caine's Charlie Croker and his gang are left in a bit of a tight spot at the film's finale, as their bus teeters over a ravine and they have …

    Science 23 Jan 2009, 11:25

  • BOFH: A safe bet

    Episode 1 Bet your ass they wish to proceed

    "It's a Christmas miracle!" the PFY gasps, opening the safe door after our extended Christmas break to find... nothing. "Hardly," I say, reaching down to the floor of the safe to retrieve a business card from amongst the coins and cards than no doubt fell out of the Boss's wallet. "Secure Safe Services. Protected Storage …

    BOFH 23 Jan 2009, 12:02

  • Sony Ericsson cameraphone spied online

    Pretty as a peach

    A Sony Ericsson surprise announcement planned for Mobile World Congress (MWC) next month may have been rumbled, because pictures of one of the firm’s upcoming cameraphones has been leaked online. Sony Ericsson's C901 Thought to be codenamed 'Filippa' and officially called the Cyber-shot C901, various online sources have …

    Phones 23 Jan 2009, 12:16

  • US couple leg it with 'gift from God' bank error

    Take the divine $175k and run

    A Pennsylvania man is languishing in county jail after he and his wife withdrew more than $175,000 erroneously credited to their bank account and legged it to Florida, AP reports. Randy Pratt, 50, and missus Melissa, 36, of Bloomsburg, received the unexpected windfall when a $1,772.50 deposit into their FNB Bank account …

    Bootnotes 23 Jan 2009, 12:25

  • Belgium wants in on European web blocklist

    When in Bruges, do as the [censored] do

    In a brave attempt to generate some international interest in its internal affairs, Belgium declared last week that it intends to join the ranks of European nations operating a hidden list of blocked websites. The move is controversial, as it would build on existing powers to block websites – but essentially hand jurisdiction …

    Law 23 Jan 2009, 12:32

  • World's smallest working fuel cell developed

    Tiny cell creates tiny power

    The world’s smallest working fuel cell has been created. It measures a paltry 3mm across. Generates 1mA of current A researcher at the University of Illinois, where the 3 x 3 x 1mm hydrogen-fuelled “micro fuel cell” was developed, said it’s able to generate power without consuming any itself, according to a New Scientist …

    Hardware 23 Jan 2009, 12:38

  • Countdown to Conficker activation begins

    A superbotnet will rise

    Security watchers are bracing themselves to respond to the activitation of the huge botnet created by the Conficker superworm. The malware has created a network of infected PCs under its control estimated at 9m or even more, according to the latest estimates — dwarfing the zombie army created by the infamous Storm worm, which …

    Security 23 Jan 2009, 12:40

  • Killer robots to get silent-running whisper mode

    Watch the skies. Don't listen

    Georgia-based researchers have announced plans to eliminate one of the last remaining weaknesses of the deadly robotic aerial kill flotillas now poised to end humanity's dominance over planet Earth. The airborne machine spies and automated assassins are now to receive whisper mode, and prowl the skies in eerie silence. "With …

    Science 23 Jan 2009, 12:46

  • Police seize Indymedia server (again)

    Linked to animal rights extremism case?

    Kent Police yesterday seized a server hosted by by Manchester-based hosting firm UK Grid and rented by the independent news collective Indymedia UK. In a statement, the force said: "Kent Police has seized computer equipment from a company in Manchester. The company are fully co-operating as Kent Police continues with an …

    Law 23 Jan 2009, 12:54

  • The role of IT in enabling business performance

    Regcast Findings teased from Reg tech panel research

    The Reg expert panel discusses findings from recent reader research on sentiments of IT pros toward the Credit Crunch, in an hour-long webcast on 29 January at 2PM GMT. The team also tackle the role of IT in enabling business performance. What can I expect to learn? Thoughts and opinions from the Reg community on the impact …

    Tech Panel 23 Jan 2009, 12:57

  • LG X110 netbook

    Review Sexiest rebadged MSI Wind yet

    The X110 may mark LG's first foray into the netbook market, but it's really an LG-branded version of the well-established MSI Wind, this time with an HSDPA 3G modem added. And it's that add-on that really makes this netbook stand out, since it means you can slip in a SIM card and access the internet from virtually anywhere. …

    Laptops 23 Jan 2009, 13:02

  • EMC paints go-faster stripes on Celerra

    De-duplication, flash and SSD, oh my

    EMC will announce a souped-up Celerra product line with capacity upgrades, file-level de-duplication and flash solid state drive (SSD) options later this quarter in a direct charge at NetApp's FAS3000 line. Celerra, originally a NAS filer, is EMC's unified storage range offering Fibre Channel and iSCSI block-level access, NFS …

    Storage 23 Jan 2009, 13:04

  • Qimonda goes titsup

    Chips are down for German firm

    German chip maker Qimonda has filed for insolvency after it failed to nail down a rescue package amid a huge drop in memory chip prices. The Munich-based DRAM vendor had attempted to secure €325m following an agreement it inked in late 2008 with the German state of Saxony, an unnamed bank in Portugal and parent company …

    The Channel 23 Jan 2009, 13:06

  • Boffin: Lost Stradivarius violin tech reverse-engineered

    Now I shall clone Anne-Sophie Mutter. Mmm...

    A retired Texas university professor says he has successfully reverse-engineered the long lost violin-making technology of Antonio Stradivari, the legendary 17h-century builder whose instruments are still considered the finest ever made - and which command prices of $5m apiece. Joseph Nagyvary, emeritus biochemistry prof at …

    Science 23 Jan 2009, 13:52

  • Eidos launches downloadable Laura Croft mini-games

    Featuring six new outfits for Croft

    Many gamers are currently waiting for Grand Theft Auto’s downloadable content (DLC), The Lost and Damned, to be released. But publisher Eidos has also jumped on the DLC bandwagon by unveiling two Tomb Raider: Underworld extras. Beneath the Ashes: Carlsbad Caverns it ain't Only Xbox 360 fans will be able to get their hands …

    Games 23 Jan 2009, 14:03

  • Judges grant McKinnon extradition review

    Gimme shelter

    Judges have granted a review of the Home Secretary's decision to continue with extradition proceedings against Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon. The decision - by Lord Justice Maurice Key and Mr Justice Simon - places a judicial block on attempts to haul McKinnon over to the US on hacking offences, irrespective of whether UK …

    Law 23 Jan 2009, 14:29

  • BT price rises go down well

    Line rental jumps up

    BT is raising the cost of monthly line rental from £11.50 to £12.50 and increasing daytime call charges. If you don't have a bundled call package then per minute charges go up to 4.5p from 1 April. The company won praise here earlier this month for cutting costs of 0870 and 0845 numbers. James Parker, broadband manager at …

    Broadband 23 Jan 2009, 14:34

  • Saaspoint takes on role of Google Apps middleman

    Me love you long time

    Saaspoint has inked an enterprise partner programme deal with Google to use the web kingpin’s online Apps product to deliver desktop and mobile applications to corporate and SMB customers. The company already deploys and integrates Salesforce.com, which is hardly surprising given that original founders of the EMEA wing of Marc …

    The Channel 23 Jan 2009, 14:36

  • Facebook-based privacy campaign to spam Wacky Jacqui

    10 for effort, 0 for irony appreciation

    More than 3,000 people have agreed to protest against the privacy threat from the government's forthcoming consultation on communications data... by joining a Facebook group. Participants in "CC all your emails to Jacqui Smith Day" plan to bombard the Home Secretary's inbox with their daily trivia to register opposition to …

    Government 23 Jan 2009, 14:36

  • Virgin puts 'legal P2P' plans on ice

    Exclusive Historic deal consigned to history

    Big label pressure has forced British cable ISP Virgin Media to suspend plans to introduce a legal music sharing service for its subscribers, just weeks ahead of its launch, The Register has learned. The radical initiative, tentatively branded as "Virgin Music Unlimited", represented a major investment for the ISP, and would …

    Media 23 Jan 2009, 15:02

  • Robot 'Spider-man' casts net to nab burglars

    Updated Catches thieves just like flies...

    If we brought you news of a new web robot then you’d probably think we meant a some form of online android, right? But a Japanese firm’s developed the mechanical equivalent of Spider-man. The T-34 is a four-wheeled security droid that fires a net at anyone who breaks into its patrol zone. The Spider-man style weapon envelops …

    Hardware 23 Jan 2009, 15:28

  • Credit crunch bites into handset shipments

    Tough times ahead?

    Global mobile phone shipments fell ten per cent during the final quarter of 2008, and 2009’s overall shipments won’t be very good either, a market analyst has forecast. Despite 295m mobiles being shipped during Q4 2008, Strategy Analytics (SA) said the figure was well down on the 329m handsets shipped during the same period in …

    Phones 23 Jan 2009, 15:58

  • Samsung Android to land within months?

    Exec hints at pre-July launch

    Samsung has already confirmed that it'll launch a phone based on Google’s Android OS this year, but the launch date may be closer than anticipated. The firm said this week that it’s currently “accelerating the development process for Google phones”. But Chi Youngcho, Head of Digital Media and Communications at Samsung, has …

    Phones 23 Jan 2009, 16:07

  • TJX closes book on infamous security breach with sale

    Everything must go

    TJX, the discount retailer that was the target of one of the largest information security breaches on record, rewarded customers with a a special sale offering 15 per cent discounts in all its US and Canadian stores on Thursday. The one-day "Customer Appreciation" sale was billed as the firm's way of expressing its …

    Security 23 Jan 2009, 16:19

  • R2-D2 robots with frikkin lasers on them in development

    Finally, an answer to the raygun-packing shark

    Momentous news from the world of rayguns today. While the keenly anticipated hat-mounted laser cannon for pool sharks has yet to hit the consumer market, the Reg can reveal that the US military is working on a deadly beam weapon mounted on an R2-D2 robot. Not all that much like R2-D2, really. Hurrah! Enough to delight the …

    Government 23 Jan 2009, 16:35

  • World's fastest production car to gain electric twin

    'Leccy Tech Ten-minute charge to yield 200-mile range, developer claims

    Shelby Super Cars has announced details of the Ultimate Aero EV, the 'leccy brother to its $620,000, 1287bhp, 257mph production car world speed record holder. SSC reckons the Aero EV will be the fastest electric car ever when it hits the road later this year. The Aero will be driven by SSC's electric powertrain package called …

    Science 23 Jan 2009, 17:09

  • US to postpone analog TV death

    June D-Day

    The US Senate is poised to pass a bill delaying the country's transition to digital TV. The digital leap is currently scheduled for February 17, but the new bill would allow stations to continue analog broadcasting until June 12, according to high-ranking Senators chatting with Dow Jones Newswires. Senate Commerce Committee …

    Media 23 Jan 2009, 19:01

  • Intel chairman Craig Barrett retires

    Timing is everything

    Intel had announced that its chairman, Craig Barrett, will retire at the company's annual stockholders' meeting this May. No reason was given for the retirement. The Reg has contacted Intel for clarification, but has not immediately received a response. We'll update you when we do. Barrett's announcement comes just two days …

    Financial News 23 Jan 2009, 20:17

  • Paramount deal paves digital cinema roll-out

    Lights, 3-D projector, action

    Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures announced a direct-to-exhibitors digital movie deal on Thursday in what it claimed marked an industry first. The move, which applies only to the US and Canada, is designed to speed the roll-out of digital and 3-D projection systems in cinema theatres. Instead of working through integrators …

    Media 23 Jan 2009, 20:20

  • BOFH-loving botmaster wants life as security consultant

    Feds want him in prison

    An American security consultant who stole hundreds of thousands of online bank passwords by employing a massive botnet that he often administered from work deserves at least five years in prison, prosecutors have told a federal judge. The request for a minimum 60-month sentence, followed by five years of supervised release, …

    Security 23 Jan 2009, 20:48

  • Most Americans without broadband don't want it

    Get yer wires off ma yard, Obama!

    While the US government is considering spending $6bn to expand broadband access to under-served areas as part of a wider economic stimulus package, a new survey suggests most American high-speed internet holdouts simply aren't interested in broadband. The study released yesterday by the research firm Pew Internet & American …

    Networks 23 Jan 2009, 20:59

  • Citrix resurrects King George as hypervisor

    XenServer revolution

    As it preps the next release of its XenServer virtual machine hypervisor, Citrix is reliving the American Revolution. The company's XenServer dev team - on the move from Britain to Boston - is putting the finishing touches on a new version code-name "George," after King George III. And the next release is dubbed "Midnight Ride …

    Virtualization 23 Jan 2009, 21:21