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10th February 2009 Archive

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  • Kaspersky: no personal information lifted during web hack

    Vows independent audit by security expert

    Anti-virus provider Kaspersky Lab on Monday moved to reassure customers that none of their personal information was accessed during a 10-day security lapse that exposed a database used to run a support site for its US users. The company also apologized for the blunder and said it was bringing in database security expert David …

    Security 10 Feb 2009, 00:35

  • Delayed Debian plans Valentine's weekend arrival

    Android phones, prepare to get hacked

    The next version of Debian - the basis of Ubuntu - could arrive this weekend, five months late and just as it's been hacked into phones running Google's Android. The weekend of February 14 has been penciled in as a "tentative target" for the long-awaited Lenny release of Debian, the project team has said. Coming in the wake …

    Operating Systems 10 Feb 2009, 00:36

  • Ex-eBay CEO to bid for Schwarzenegger's California job

    What, no 'buy it now' option?

    Former eBay boss Meg Whitman plans on running for governor of California when Arnold Schwarzenegger leaves the high-profile executive gig in 2010. The billionaire Republican businesswoman confirmed speculation on her bid today by announcing she's forming an exploratory committee for the race. "Exploratory" is a bit of an …

    Government 10 Feb 2009, 00:45

  • Deconstructing and rebuilding IBM's server sales

    Up is not always up, and neither is down

    It's that time, once again, to play Guess How Much Server Revenues Big Blue Had. Get out your stack of quarterly reports from IBM, your thinking cap, your fuzzy dice, and your spreadsheet program of choice, and let's see if you can come up with better numbers than I did. As previously reported, IBM's worldwide sales in the …

    Servers 10 Feb 2009, 01:19

  • Red Hat updates real-time Linux

    Fedora 11 goes alpha, too

    Red Hat has announced that it has begun shipping the second rev and the first fully functional version of its Enterprise MRG real-time Linux. The Fedora Project, which is sponsored by Red Hat, has also put the alpha of its Fedora 11 development release in the field on time. Enterprise MRG is a variant of the Red Hat Enterprise …

    Storage 10 Feb 2009, 01:31

  • XSS bug crawls all over PayPal page

    'Fugitif' strikes again

    Online payments site PayPal has been bitten by yet another cross-site scripting (XSS) bug that could be exploited by black hats to phish user passwords or possibly steal authentication cookies. At time of writing, opening the link revealed a tainted page that opened a javascript window that read: "Fugitif was here another time …

    Security 10 Feb 2009, 02:10

  • Google beds Microsoft for mobile sync service

    Who's the big dog now?

    Microsoft has - once again - leveraged its muscle in collaboration and email for mobile services to bring one of its biggest rivals to heel. Online-ads and search powerhouse Google has licensed Microsoft’s Exchange ActiveSync so users running Microsoft Outlook email, calendar, and contacts can work with its Google Sync service …

    Software 10 Feb 2009, 02:24

  • Intel releases eight-headed* beast

    ISSCC * - misbehaving heads may be severed

    Intel offered only a few new details about its latest processor offerings at the International Solid-State Circuit Conference (ISSCC) today, even though it essentially had the stage to itself. AMD, IBM, and Sun chose to sit out the Microprocessor Technologies session, forcing the hundreds of engineers hungry for CPU info to …

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 04:35

  • Big Blue boasts cloud drag-and-drop

    Private fluff meets public fluff

    In IBM's world, some clouds are public, and others are private. There's blue sky between them, but high-flying IBM engineers believe they can bring the two together. Inside its Silicon Valley Lab, an hour south of San Francisco, Big Blue is running a so-called "cloud management console" designed to seamlessly move application …

    Servers 10 Feb 2009, 05:02

  • Europe gets first petaflops super

    Gauss Genes, anyone?

    The Germans will have bragging rights to the floppiest supercomputer in Europe today as the Forschungszentrum Juelich (FZJ) is upgrading its Power-based massively parallel supercomputers to break through the petaflops barrier. IBM is on a BlueGene/P kick lately, and today, it will announce that the German Ministry of Research …

    Servers 10 Feb 2009, 05:02

  • New-age cyber-attack inflicts major damage with modest means

    Ladyboydolls.com and the new DDoS

    A sustained cyber-attack against a handful of niche pornography sites has demonstrated a novel way to inflict major damage on hardened targets using a modest amount of data, a security researcher has warned. The technique - which tricks the net's authoritative name servers into bombarding innocent victims with more data than …

    Security 10 Feb 2009, 05:07

  • Nokia N85 smartphone

    Review Puts in a big-hitting performance

    While there’s been much talk of touchscreen operation coming to its N series, Nokia continues to roll out conventional additions to its high-end smartphone range that don’t demand the spotlight but which still put in a big-stage feature performance. The N85 slots into the N line-up just below the flagship N96, and there’s a …

    Phones 10 Feb 2009, 09:02

  • No Intel mobile price cuts coming until June, say moles

    Recession delays new-tech introductions too

    Intel has told notebook makers it won't be reducing what it charges for mobile processors and chipsets until well into Q2, at the earliest. Market moles cited by DigiTimes say cuts could come in June, with reductions of 13-40 per cent planned by the chip maker. That will undoubtedly see the launch of 'Calpella', the next …

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 09:53

  • MPs confirm new information commissioner

    Ask him anything

    A House of Commons Committee has given its seal of approval to the Ministry of Justice's choice to be the new Information Commissioner, clearing the way for the appointment of Christopher Graham to the post. Current Commissioner Richard Thomas retires in June and the Ministry of Justice previously announced Advertising …

    Government 10 Feb 2009, 09:54

  • Tories search Google for economic policy

    Gentleman bankers and Schmidt solve credit crisis

    The Conservative Party is getting Google boss Eric Schmidt to fill a seat on its Economic Recovery Committee. The group will meet fortnightly, we are told, although we're betting Mr Schmidt might not be around quite so often. The Committee will be chaired by party leader David Cameron or, in his absence, by shadow chancellor …

    Government 10 Feb 2009, 09:59

  • AMD 'confirms' unannounced mobile, desktop GPUs

    Driver support now in place

    AMD hasn't announced the 'RV740' desktop graphics chip and M97 mobile GPU but it has revealed their existence in its driver release notes. The Catalyst chip ID table lists a stack of GPUs that the AMD driver package supports. Among them are a small number of generic "ATI Radeon Graphics Processor" parts, along with their …

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 10:14

  • 3G BlackBerry Curve said to be in the works

    'Gemini' has revamped keypad too

    Word’s broken through that RIM has designed a new 3G BlackBerry, to be called the Gemini. The Gemini – which will also be known as the 9300 – should be thought of as a 3G model of the existing BlackBerry Curve, according to an account from Boy Genius Report. This statement leads us to believe that the Gemini looks very …

    Phones 10 Feb 2009, 10:23

  • Amazon: Kindle 2 to sell internationally

    We just don't know when

    Amazon has confirmed that the Kindle 2 will be launched internationally - at some, unannounced point. Amazon's Kindle 2: coming to the UK... er... at some point A spokesperson for the online retailer told Register Hardware today that it has inked plans to sell the device outside of North America. “The ambition is for an …

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 10:25

  • US Navy SEALs buy twin-screen laptops, refuse Vista

    Blu-Ray drive essential military kit, seemingly

    You know how it is. You're a power user, an alpha nerd. You just aren't happy without multiple screens - a puny one-screen desktop isn't enough for the multiple video feeds, apps and so forth that are essential to your working life. But that's too bad, because you are also a deadly US Navy SEAL supertrooper. Your video feeds …

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 10:39

  • Scotland to battle grey squirrel invaders

    £1.3m investment to save the native red

    Scotland's native red squirrel population is to benefit from a £1.3m investment aimed at preventing it falling to the invading forces of its North American grey cousin. According to the BBC, the country boasts around 121,000 reds - representing 75 per cent of the UK total. The species is under increaing pressure from the …

    Science 10 Feb 2009, 11:04

  • Intel advances 32nm mobile CPU+GPU rollout to Q1 2010

    45nm version dropped from roadmap

    Expect a big shift away from today's Core 2 architecture when Intel finally released mobile processors based on its 'Nehalem' chip design - particularly come Q1 2010 and the debut of 32nm mobile CPUs. Mobile Nehalems - in the form of the four-core 'Clarksfield' processor' are due to debut late in Q3 2009 - probably in …

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 11:05

  • DSA looks at 3D animated driving tests

    Theory tests to get souped-up

    The Driving Standards Agency is considering the use of three-dimensional animation in the driving theory test's hazard perception section. Since 2002, theory tests – a precursor to a practical driving test – have included 14 videos, during which candidates have to click on a mouse when they see a developing hazard. Higher …

    Government 10 Feb 2009, 11:06

  • Sony Ericsson unwraps entertainment duo

    One for photography fans, the other for music buffs

    Sony Ericsson has unveiled two phones at different ends of the entertainment spectrum. One’s a relatively high-end cameraphone and the other’s a music-oriented device with lower quality snapper. Sony Ericsson's C903: 5Mp camera on board Despite its 5Mp camera not quite meeting the requirements of a top-of-the-range …

    Phones 10 Feb 2009, 11:13

  • How can I get a Creative Zen to work with a Mac?

    I've just purchase a Creative Zen and found that the CD doesn't have Mac-compatible drivers, manual etc. What do I need to do to get the Zen to appear on the desktop?

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 11:21

  • Canadian boffins develop mindreader headband

    'We can prove we think it works'

    Canadian boffins say they have developed a headset which can read the wearer's mind by shining infrared light into the brain. "Preference is the basis for everyday decisions," says Sheena Luu of the University of Toronto. "This is the first system that decodes preference naturally from spontaneous thoughts. If we limit the …

    Science 10 Feb 2009, 11:31

  • IBM's winter storage blast

    Blizzard of announcements

    As part of its Dynamic Infrastructure announcement IBM has announced a deduplication appliance, encrypting high-end DS8000 arrays and low-end XIV storage products. The TS7650 ProtecTIER Deduplication Appliance (PDA?) is, of course, based on last year's Diligent acquisition. It offers fast sub-file level deduplication and there …

    Storage 10 Feb 2009, 11:40

  • Which wireless technologies will get credit crunched?

    Goodnight, lemmings

    The last few years have seen an explosion in ways of going wireless - in everything from light switches to battery chargers, wires are starting to look distinctly 20th century. But leaner times will force wireless technologies to prove their value, and not all of them are going to make it. There is an argument that an economic …

    Networks 10 Feb 2009, 12:02

  • UK cybercrime unit to meet IT leaders

    Cleaning up the mean online streets

    The newly-established Police Central e-crime unit (PCeU) has scheduled a meeting with UK business later this month. Around 150 members of The Corporate IT Forum will get a chance to quiz cybercops on the role and strategy of the PCeU at a meeting in Reading set for 24 February. Based in Scotland Yard, the cybercrime unit has …

    Law 10 Feb 2009, 12:12

  • Wacky Jacqui Smith says whole country crusading against CCTV

    Impales self on own negative, and boosts Tories

    Home Secretary Wacky Jacqui Smith has conceded that there is zero support for CCTV cameras in UK communities. In a shock letter to the Guardian, she claims massed phalanxes of irate burghers are poised to join a Tory march on Whitehall to overthrow the hated devices. Apparently... Jacqui herself still seems massively …

    Government 10 Feb 2009, 12:55

  • Morse sells loss-making consultancy

    Navigant steps in

    Morse Plc has agreed to sell its UK and Jersey investment management consultancy business after it notched up an operating loss of £44,000 in the six months ended 31 December 2008. The UK IT consultancy group confirmed the dramatic move yesterday afternoon. It sold the biz to Navigant Consulting, which is a European subsidiary …

    The Channel 10 Feb 2009, 13:08

  • Rogue admin faces court delay

    SF scallywag cooling boots til Friday

    Terry Childs, the rogue San Francisco administrator, must wait until Friday for his day in court. Childs is accused of locking city officials out of their own network after a dispute. He only relented and handed over the passwords when visited in prison by city mayor Gavin Newsom. He appeared briefly in court yesterday but …

    Bootnotes 10 Feb 2009, 13:12

  • Dell streamlines channel biz exec team

    Reasserts commitment to partners

    Dell has insisted it is committed to its British channel policy amidst confusion as to whether it will replace its just departed UK channel director Andy Dow. The computer vendor reiterated that it has simply rejigged its indirect sales management team and insisted it remains fully “committed” to its channel partners. “We …

    The Channel 10 Feb 2009, 13:17

  • Joker must retire, insist Heath Ledger fans

    'Any other performance will be below expectations'

    Fans of the late Heath Ledger have launched a net campaign aimed at ensuring that his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight remains the ultimate and definitive outing for the character. That's according to website The Ultimate Joker, which is pressuring Hollywood to retire the Joker on the grounds that Ledger's …

    Bootnotes 10 Feb 2009, 13:20

  • New ISS piss-extractor drinks unit to go up on Discovery

    A watershed for space exploration

    Contrary to earlier reports, it now appears that troublesome equipment recently installed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to reprocess astronaut urine into drinkable water is still not working. Worried NASA chiefs intend to rush replacement golden-beverage equipment into space on the next shuttle flight. Not …

    Science 10 Feb 2009, 13:43

  • Large Hadron Timewaster

    No collisions till October at earliest

    The CERNocrats have decided it will be another few months before they can restart the world's biggest scientific money-smashing machine, the Large Hadron Collider. The 17-mile underground money pit on the Swiss-French frontier will restart in September with a few Hadrons colliding in October, after which a Christmas shutdown …

    Science 10 Feb 2009, 13:58

  • Archos announces Android web tablet

    HD playback supported

    Archos has jumped onto the Android OS bandwagon and announced a slimline internet tablet that also functions as a phone. Archos' Android-based IMT has a 5in display and 7.2Mb/s HSDPA The firm’s Internet Media Tablet (IMT) has apparently been designed to provide all the functionalities of a premium smartphone alongside a …

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 14:07

  • Retailer posts unannounced Nokia phone's spec

    E75 detailed

    Online retailer Expansys has published the specifications of Nokia’s upcoming E75 handset. Nokia's E75: lands next month The phone has a 320 x 240 display and is based on the S60 platform. It supports just about every connection type you could hope for, including 3.6Mb/s HSDPA 3G, quad-band GSM and Wi-Fi. There's Assisted …

    Phones 10 Feb 2009, 14:22

  • Anonymous digs ahead of more assaults on Scientology

    'Time to finish what was started'

    The Anonymous collective is moving on from the first anniversary of its protests against the Church of Scientology with a round of further demonstrations. The next round of global protests will span several weekends. Anonymous claims its campaign has scored a number of successes over the last 12 months, since indignation at …

    Law 10 Feb 2009, 14:45

  • Brum laid bare on OpenStreetMap

    First UK city with full-fat coverage

    Birmingham has joined Berlin, Canberra, Paris and Vienna in falling in its entirety to the cartographical skills of locals who've "completely digitally remapped" the city - in the process elevating it to the first British location to enjoy full-fat coverage on OpenStreetMap. The press release explains that the map was created …

    Developer 10 Feb 2009, 14:50

  • Police bail sysadmin in animal rights extremism probe

    Colo contract prompts Serious Crime Act arrest

    A Sheffield man has been released on police bail after being questioned in connection with comments posted to the activist news website Indymedia, which included the personal details of a prominent High Court judge. The man, in his 40s and thought to work as a systems administrator, was arrested on Monday and questioned for …

    Law 10 Feb 2009, 15:01

  • O2 saunters into laptop market

    Just little ones though

    Telefonica-owned brand O2 has launched into the subsidised-laptop market, and is giving away a couple of models of Samsung netbook mini-laptop with £30 and £40 contracts. The mini-laptops are nice enough: the Samsung NC10 and basic-comfiguration R510 are free if you sign up to pay 30 quid a month for 3GB of data, while a …

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 15:15

  • Mexican phone firms to fingerprint new customers

    If they have any fingers left, that is

    Buying a mobile phone in Mexico will soon be a biometric affair. The country’s set to introduce a law requiring all new phone buyers to be fingerprinted. The law, according to a report by Reuters, comes into force this April and has been designed as a way of matching calls and text messages to the specific owner of a specific …

    Phones 10 Feb 2009, 15:17

  • Freeway-averse Peapod runabout to go on sale in April

    'Leccy Tech Your chance to buy the self-propelled iPod dock

    Back in September we reported the development of Chrysler's Peapod neighbourhood electric vehicle-cum-self propelled iPhone dock. Good news, everyone - come Earth Day, 22 April, you can buy one. Providing you live in the US and have $12,500 (£8,424/€9,635) in spare cash, that is. Chrysler's Peapod's Peapod: born to run (for …

    Science 10 Feb 2009, 15:44

  • Norfolk town's schools first to be heated by burning cattle

    Should schools have to offer vegetarian heating?

    A "trailblazing" Norfolk town has begun heating many of its buildings - including the schools - by burning oil made from melted-down cow and pig carcasses. The strategy is described as "equal or lower in carbon footprint than natural gas". News of the 12-month biofuelled heating trial comes courtesy of the University of East …

    Science 10 Feb 2009, 15:45

  • Ticketmaster and Live Nation forge unholy alliance

    Because concert-going still isn't quite pricey enough for us

    Concert scalper Ticketmaster and concert promoter Live Nation have agreed to merge. Live Nation started life as a promoter of big concerts - Coldplay, Madonna, U2, Jay-Z are all signed to Live Nation. It does some business as a more traditional music label as well as running stadium gigs. Ticketmaster scrapes a living by …

    Media 10 Feb 2009, 16:09

  • Phorm: BT system 'most definitely' online by end of 2009

    BT: Umm... err... yeah?

    Phorm CEO Kent Ertugrul has announced his firm's ISP-level adware system will "most definitely" be live across the BT broadband network by the end of 2009. BT seems less sure. In an interview with the financial newswire Dow Jones, Ertugrul said: "We're not able to comment on specific timings but our work with BT is the most …

    Broadband 10 Feb 2009, 16:12

  • You did what? The trials of supporting remote users

    Reg Reader Workshop It's a dirty job, but...

    IT support, as we know, is that job function in the technical ecosystem that takes the flack for any problem affecting a user. These can range from the straightforward if annoying forgotten password requests and slightly cryptic ‘my-laptop-isn't-working-anymore’ complaints, through to the more serious ‘accidentally deleted’ …

    Notebooks 10 Feb 2009, 16:22

  • Intel to spend $7bn to upgrade US factories

    Setting an investment example for Washington

    Intel's president and chief executive officer, Paul Otellini, was at the Economic Club in Washington DC this morning as the Senate, the House, and the White House are arguing about what kinds of investments to make in the US economy. Otellini announced that despite Intel's economic woes as the PC and server businesses slow, it …

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 16:40

  • UFO ruled out of wind farm prang

    Mechanical failure did for Lincolnshire turbine

    An examination of the turbine at Conisholme wind farm in Lincolnshire which last month shed one of its blades has disappointingly revealed no extraterrestrial involvement in the incident. According to the Telegraph, turbine manufacturer Enercon's interim report says bolts holding the blade to the hub failed, and it's now " …

    Bootnotes 10 Feb 2009, 16:55

  • Flash mem maker Spansion Japan files for bankruptcy

    Sale in the works?

    Spansion Inc. - one of the world's largest flash memory makers - says its Japanese unit has filed for bankruptcy protection. With $810m in liabilities, Spansion Japan voluntarily sought protection from creditors as it attempts to restructure itself according to its parent company. The parent company does not expect the …

    Financial News 10 Feb 2009, 18:49

  • BitDefender distances self from gaping BitDefender.pt breach

    Comment Can you trust the gatekeeper?

    This piece was updated to reflect information released by BitDefendor after publication. More than 24 hours after hackers posted partial email addresses and other sensitive details lifted from BitDefender's authorized Portuguese partner website, the security company was still distancing itself from responsibility and declining …

    Security 10 Feb 2009, 19:32

  • Symantec takes on Mozy with cloud backup

    Cumulo Symanticus

    Symantec is to offer a cloud backup storage service for consumers, similar to the Mozy, Carbonite, and Spare Backup services Symantec's consumer cloud storage is available from April 1, according to Janice Chaffin, the president of Symantec's cloud division, as reported by Reuters. Norton 360 users currently get 2GB of online …

    Storage 10 Feb 2009, 19:53

  • Microsoft promises to slash cost of 'high-end' search

    FAST and SharePoint enterprise roadmap outlined

    Microsoft has promised to make enterprise search cost effective under a roadmap outlined today, having splashed out $1.3bn on FAST Search and Transfer a year ago. The company's roadmap will see high-end search from FAST integrated with its SharePoint family, covering portal, content management, and business information. Kirk …

    Applications 10 Feb 2009, 19:57

  • Intel confirms Nehalem Xeons imminent

    Two-socket to me

    Reeling from revenue declines and even steeper drops in profits in the fourth quarter, Intel confirmed today that it will ship its "Nehalem" Xeon EP processors for two-socket servers before the end of this quarter. During a briefing with reporters this morning in San Francisco, the chip maker mentioned its Nehalem plans in …

    Servers 10 Feb 2009, 20:25

  • Intel 'accelerates' 32nm chip launch

    Keeping up with the meres and the dales

    Intel is feeling pretty confident about the ramp of its 32nm processors, set for production in late 2009. In fact, the company says it's "accelerating" the process shrink by skipping 45nm chips that were going to arrive later this year. The upcoming Westmere launch will "de-emphasise*" 45nm Auburndale chips that Intel planned …

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 21:18

  • Hackintosh maker lands Apple punch

    Judge approves Psystar for more fight

    In its on-going legal battle with Apple, upstart clonemaker Psystar has won its first victory in many a month. It was a minor victory, to be sure: a US District Court judge has allowed Psystar to continue copyright - but not monopoly - arguments in its countersuit against Apple. But hope springs eternal for the Doral, Florida …

    Hardware 10 Feb 2009, 21:37

  • Unisys tastes recession red ink

    Who wants a server maker?

    Mainframe and x64 server maker Unisys is struggling, as it does from time to time. In the fourth quarter of 2008, slackening server sales and some tapering off in services revenues moved the company into the red. For the quarter ended in December, Unisys had $162.1m in technology sales, down a staggering 39.5 per cent. The …

    Financial News 10 Feb 2009, 21:51

  • Fraudsters cream opposition in cybercrime wars

    Unsafe Internet Day

    The celebration of Safer Internet Day on Tuesday was marked by warnings that cybercriminals are staying ahead of defenders in their attempts to defraud or otherwise abuse internet users. Safer Internet Day is part of wider efforts to promote the safe and responsible use of the internet and mobile technologies, especially among …

    Security 10 Feb 2009, 21:54

  • Windows Vista man channels Neil Diamond with debut album

    Allchin salves your his soul

    Where do you go after you've given the world Windows Vista? Music, apparently. Former Windows chief Jim Allchin has eschewed the post-Redmond path trodden by other ex-Microsoft executives. He has dumped IT entirely, having capped his 17 years with Microsoft by delivering Windows Vista in 2006. Allchin has done this by …

    Bootnotes 10 Feb 2009, 22:43

  • China preps internet porn snitching awards

    Ceiling cat wants the washer/dryer set

    China's crackdown on internet pornography and "lewd" content on the web has claimed another 276 websites, the government said on Tuesday, bringing the total number of websites closed to 1,911. Although officials say they've made "notable progress" in cleansing the internet of smut and pesky dissenting political voices behind …

    Networks 10 Feb 2009, 23:15