23rd February 2009 Archive

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Citrix undercuts VMware with XenServer giveaway

Repeat Redmond pact

IT vendors like to try to steal each other's thunder when they know their rival is making announcements. But Citrix Systems today might have stole some lightening too as it revamps its XenServer stack and announces a deep partnership with Microsoft concerned with server virtualization. Tomorrow, VMware will open up the VMworld …

Virtualization 23 Feb 2009, 07:01
Ten of the best... noise-isolating earphones

Round-up Can't hear you...

One of the reasons that noise-cancelling headphones tend to be so expensive is that they use sophisticated electronics to generate their own sound waves that can cancel out background noise such as the drone of an aircraft engine. Noise-isolating earphones take a much more low-tech approach. They simply use rubber or foam …

reghardware 23 Feb 2009, 09:02
Spooks and techies to be vetted for their online networks

Who exactly is this smiley character?

Be careful who your online friends are, as they could well damage your career. That is the slightly chilling warning sent to us this week by a reader who works at a senior level providing IT support on a range of Government projects. He writes: "I'm not clear on what the official line is on Facebook regarding vetting but we …

Government 23 Feb 2009, 09:02
Paris Hilton scoops triple Razzie dishonour

Heiress hits pits as Slumdog conquers Hollywood

Paris Hilton has made movie history by scooping the worst actress and worst supporting actress gongs in the Golden Raspberries. The celebrity airhead scored the dishonour of being voted the worst actress in Hollywood for her performances in The Hottie and the Nottie and Repo! The Genetic Opera. Completing a notable hat trick …

Entertainment 23 Feb 2009, 09:58
Nexsan unparks iSCSI attack on EMC and NetApp

Spinning vitualised storage down

Nexsan has introduced SAN support with the iSeries, a virtualising iSCSI head sitting on top of its SATA and SAS arrays, which include AutoMAID spin-down technology. Nexsan is most well-known for its power-saving SATABeast arrays offering up to 42TB of capacity in a 4U box. There is also the smaller SATABoy (14TB in 3U). The …

Channel Register 23 Feb 2009, 10:18
EMC to serve up fresh Celerras today

EMC's filer upgrades

Reports are emerging that EMC is going to announce its upgraded Celerra range today, as foreshadowed here. Late surprises include coming 400GB flash drives and an expanded role for Iomega NAS below the Celerra NX4 entry-level product. To recap, the Celerra range will consist of the NX4 entry-point, the 120TB NS-120, the 480TB …

Storage 23 Feb 2009, 11:06
NASA postpones Discovery ISS jaunt

Ponders pesky hydrogen flow control valve

NASA has postponed the Discovery STS-119 mission to the International Space Station while it ponders a possibly troublesome hydrogen flow control valve. The agency explains that the shuttles have "three flow control valves that channel gaseous hydrogen from the main engines to the external fuel tank" - one of which was damaged …

Space 23 Feb 2009, 11:08
Boffins to unveil gesture-controlled 3D TV

Never worry about losing the remote again

A 3D TV with incorporated gesture-based controls is set to be unveiled in Germany next month. The iPoint: boasts a 3D display with gesture controls The futuristic iPoint 3D TV allows people to interact with the display through simple non-contact gestures. They don't have to wear those silly specs either, according to maker …

reghardware 23 Feb 2009, 11:09
Yahoo! boss warns of reorg ahead

'Get well-rested, because next week’s a biggie'

Yahoo!'s new CEO Carol Bartz is to announce a major reorganisation at the firm she took control of in January. Bartz, earning her nickname of "Hurricane Carol", rather ominously warned staff in a weekly email on Friday: "Get well-rested, because next week’s a biggie." The official announcement is expected on Wednesday and …

Financial News 23 Feb 2009, 11:10
Woolies Pic'n'Mix goes for £14,500

Last bag of sugary goodness benefits charity

The last bag of Woolworths Pic'n'Mix has sold for a cool £14,500.10 down at the world's favourite tat bazaar. The 800g bag of sugary goodness was sold off by the former manager of Woolies Petts Wood branch, Ed Adams, who snapped it up just before he pulled down the shutters on the store for the last time. The proceeds of the …

Bootnotes 23 Feb 2009, 11:11
5Mp Moto pictures spied online

Kodak optics make a comeback

Images of a previously unseen Motorola touchscreen handset have made their way onto the web. The mystery Motorola: Android or Windows Mobile on board? Images courtesy of Engadget Although the talker’s name hasn’t been leaked, the shots show that the cameraphone has a 5Mp Kodak snapper integrated into its back. It’s worth …

reghardware 23 Feb 2009, 11:39
Blunkett and ex-CPS chief turn on Home Office

Dr Frankenstein attacks monster

David Blunkett, who as Home Secretary led the government's push for compulsory ID cards, will tomorrow call for the scheme to be curtailed, according to a report. Instead he will propose that only foreigners be made to hold an ID card. UK nationals should only be required to hold a passport, Blunkett will argue. He will make …

Government 23 Feb 2009, 11:42
No writing on the wall is bad news for the GSMA

Comment Great booths up, attendance down. And as for next year....

I've been trying to work out what GSMA does – apart from Mobile World Congress, that is. The list is rather impressive: it does a lot of very wonderful things. The trouble is, all of those splendid projects seem to depend on MWC being a financial success. I can't see much else that makes money for the GSMA. I can see a lot, …

Mobile 23 Feb 2009, 11:55
Making IT security matter

Tech Panel Not just an end in itself

Last year, Freeform Dynamics surveyed the attitudes of tech professionals into IT security. We found that IT security’s most important raison d'etre was to assure day-to-day operations – that is, keeping the business running (Figure 1). Many organisations do not practice entirely what they preach, however. While nearly …

State of Security 23 Feb 2009, 12:02
Microsoft asks laid-off staff to refund overpaid redundo cash

Holds up out hand after cock-up

Microsoft has asked some former employees it recently laid off to return a wad of their severance pay after the software giant made an embarrassing accounting cock-up. The blunder was picked up by TechCrunch, which obtained a copy of a letter Redmond had sent out to an undisclosed number of ex-employees. Microsoft has since …

Financial News 23 Feb 2009, 12:19
Father of ID cards moots compulsory passports instead

Comment Downplay the cards, boost the database?

Former Home Secretary and career ID-card enthusiast David Blunkett is to switch horses to passports, in what The Independent claims is a "U-turn." But it looks distinctly more like a cunning plan to get everyone onto the ID database faster - by making passports compulsory. Or, indeed, to save the core of the UK ID scheme in …

Government 23 Feb 2009, 12:25
Nikon DLSRs to get more expensive - again

Firm announces year's second price increase

If you’re thinking of buying a top-end Nikon camera then you’d be wise to buy before Sunday. The firm has announced it'll put up its UK prices on that day. The rise – which kicks in on 1 March – will affect the firm’s imaging and optics products. Its famous Coolpix compact camera range won’t become more expensive this weekend …

reghardware 23 Feb 2009, 12:41
Italian media firm grabs French shop site

First Excite Europe and now...

Italian network GoAdv is buying French comparison site LeGuide.com for about €50m in cash and shares. GoAdv owns Excite Europe; for younger readers, Excite was a poster child for Bubble1.0. It was briefly worth several billion dollars and spent almost as much on its European launch party in London's fashionable Leicester …

Financial News 23 Feb 2009, 12:54
Gadget-buying Taliban 5th column in Blighty - shock!

Comment And, why Maplins is not a terrorist bomb bazaar of DEATH

Widespread media reports suggest Taliban bomb-makers in Afghanistan use electronics sourced in the UK - perhaps bought by British or British-resident Muslim sympathisers. These stories are based on a report by the Telegraph, covering a briefing given to UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband by the commander and staff of 3 …

Government 23 Feb 2009, 12:55
War, Web 2.0 and the Fail Loop

Cyburbia From Hezbollah to Twitter

The Twitterings of Web 2.0 may seem a million miles from battlefield skirmishes in Lebanon, but they both have something in common. Both illustrate perils of continuous electronic feedback loops. To most of us, the idea of being in the loop means no more than being "in the know", privy to information known only to those in a …

Music and Media 23 Feb 2009, 12:56
Life hands Sun steaming sack of...

Fail and You Lacking lemons, Schwartz makes JavaFX

"When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." The chorus of a person who gives just enough of a shit about your problems to console you, but not enough to actually help. Lately, somebody has been consoling Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz, but nobody is helping. When Schwartz took over for Scott McNealy in 2006, he inherited the Java ME …

Developer 23 Feb 2009, 13:02
Devolo dLAN AVEasy Wireless G

Review The reach of powerline networking, the flexibility of Wi-Fi

Expanding its portfolio of powerline networking devices, Devolo’s new dLAN 200 AV Wireless G Starter Kit is designed to cover the parts other gear cannot reach. Relying on the HomePlug AV 2.0 standard, the kit uses domestic mains wiring to pump internet, IPTV and VoIP connectivity to any room in the home. The additional Wi-Fi …

reghardware 23 Feb 2009, 13:02
Conficker variant dispenses with need to phone home

Stealth variant Sidesteps MS-led takedown effort

Virus authors have released a new variant of the infamous Conficker (Downadup) worm with enhanced auto-update features. The changes in the new strain of the malware, dubbed Conficker B++, make it possible for malware authors to push out new code without publishing it on pre-programmed sites, as with earlier variants. The …

Malware 23 Feb 2009, 13:16
Hitler ordered Luftwaffe to spare Blackpool

Oh we do like to be beside the Sieg Heil!

The reason Hitler didn't do the decent thing and order his Luftwaffe to reduce Blackpool to smouldering rubble has now been revealed: The Fuhrer wanted the resort as his "personal playground", as the Daily Mail puts it. Adolf's chilling plan to watch triumphant troops goosestep down the Golden Mile before hoisting a swastika …

Bootnotes 23 Feb 2009, 13:27
UK's best IT volunteers named, not shamed

Good work people

The United Kingdom's best IT volunteers of 2009 have been chosen by the Information Technologists' Company. IT4Communities, supported by the ITC, helps put volunteers with technical skills in contact with charities which need help - either for specific projects or for more general support. Best IT volunteer was judged to be …

Site News 23 Feb 2009, 13:43
Trimble touts tough Vista UMPC

With two geo-tagging cameras

Trimble has bashed out a ruggedised Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) running not the customary Windows XP but Vista. The firm claimed the machine will let you take your desktop into the harshest of outdoor environments. Trimble's Yuma: protected against water and dust The 225 x 137.5 x 22 x 50mm Yuma weighs in at 1179g. It has a 7in …

reghardware 23 Feb 2009, 13:51
KTM: electric dirt-bike out next year

'Leccy Tech Last one down the gravel pit's a...

The race to get the first mass-produced electric motorbike onto the road is revving up. Renowned mud-pluggers KTM has announced it will have a race-ready dual sport machine, the KTM Electro Enduro, in production sometime during 2010. It being a good 12 months before the Electro rolls off the production line, exact technical …

reghardware 23 Feb 2009, 14:15
Xbox 360 killer gets life

Teen stabs teen for not returning console

A teenager’s been sentenced to life behind bars for killing another boy in a row over an Xbox 360. Shane Boyd, 16, stabbed Conor Black, also 16, to death with a kitchen knife at a house party in Manchester last August. Why? Although reports differ on this point, the general consensus seems to be that Black failed to return …

reghardware 23 Feb 2009, 14:17
Axe poised to swing at Vodafone

Hundreds to go tomorrow?

Vodafone UK will tomorrow announce plans to cut hundreds of UK jobs, according to reports on Bloomberg. The cuts will be part of the ongoing cost reduction intended to reduce expenses by a billion pounds over the next 14 months. The cuts, if cuts there are, aren't entirely unexpected - Vodafone has been warning that 2008 …

Mobile 23 Feb 2009, 14:53
Hurlable 360° cam-grenades used by IDF in Gaza

UK MoD expects to have Wheel-2.0 operational soon

Israeli war-tech boffins appear to have stolen a march on those of Blighty in the matter of the long-sought 360° wireless camera grenade, which can be hurled or shot through a door, window etc and so give combat troops a picture of what lies beyond. To mild media fanfare, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced last …

Government 23 Feb 2009, 14:58
Channel veteran off to Avaya

Bye-bye Bell, ahoy Avaya

Jan Lawford is joining Avaya to head up its Europe, Middle East and Africa channel programme. Lawford is joining from distie Bell Micro where she was European Commercial Director. Her official title at Avaya is senior director of Europe, Middle East and Africa channels. She has previously worked at CHS, Merisel and RSA …

Channel Register 23 Feb 2009, 15:10
Dell introduces 10in netbook

XP for now - Linux 'later in the year'

Dell has formally rolled out its latest Inspiron Mini netbook - the 10in model that popped up on shopping channel QVC a week or so back. Dell's Inspiron Mini 10: out this week Here in the UK, the Mini 10 will go on sale on Thursday, and while the company did reveal that it will offer a version of the machine with Linux pre- …

reghardware 23 Feb 2009, 15:10
Chicago Bears fan hit for thirty grand for a bit of Slingbox

And you thought your roaming charges were high

A hapless Slingbox user managed to run up a data bill of $28,067.31 watching a game of American football, despite being aboard a docked cruise liner and having an unlimited data tariff, thanks to a technical hitch or two. The story comes from the Chicago Sun-Times, who have managed to get AT&T to credit Wayne Burdick with most …

Mobile 23 Feb 2009, 16:12
Comet Lulin poses for NASA's Swift

Faint 'fuzzball' visible over next couple of days

Comet Lulin will over the next couple of nights be visible to the naked eye as it approaches to within 38m miles of Earth, although sky gazers shouldn't expect to see more than a "fuzzball". NASA's Swift Gamma-ray Explorer satellite has been keeping an eye on the object, discovered in 2007 by Ye Quanzhi and Lin Chi-Sheng from …

Space 23 Feb 2009, 16:15
Samsung showcases PMP camera

Part camera, part iPod

Samsung has unveiled a “multimedia camera” for photography enthusiasts and amateurs alike. Samsung's PL10: for photography and film fans The 9Mp PL10 is described as being part camera, part Personal Media Player because in addition to supporting MP3 audio files, Samsung said the camera’s 2.7in LCD can be used to watch …

reghardware 23 Feb 2009, 16:32
LG wristphone reportedly priced at £1000

Rumoured price for Dick Tracy watch

LG’s wristphone could cost upwards of £1000 ($1458/€1140) when launched later this year, it has emerged. LG's GD910: could cost a grand According to a report by website Mobile Today, network operator Orange has signed a deal with LG to sell the GD910 across Europe. It’s already been reported that the phone will be …

reghardware 23 Feb 2009, 16:37
Homesourcing: cutting costs or cutting corners?

Two white papers about tech support

Two papers from the Reg Library about housing Tech Support teams and getting the best out of them. The Virtual Support Centre: delivering support anytime, anywhere So here’s the pitch, from an outfit called SupportIndustry.com (and sponsored by Citrix). Virtual Support Centres (VSC) are tech support centres and IT help desks …

Tech Panel 23 Feb 2009, 18:56
Eircom to block Pirate Bay

'Automatic' music label salute

Eircom, Ireland's biggest internet provider, has agreed to block access to any website the music industry says is responsible for illegal music-swapping. In a letter sent to ISPs across the country last week, the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) disclosed the deal and warned others to follow suit or face legal action. …

Music and Media 23 Feb 2009, 18:57
Proxy server bug exposes websites' private parts

Updated By the dozen

Computer networks that use proxy servers to automatically redirect browser connections should be on the lookout for a serious architectural flaw that could allow attackers to remotely access intranets and other website resources that are normally off limits, security experts are warning. At least four proxy server vendors, …

Security 23 Feb 2009, 19:45
Last.fm denies data handover to RIAA

'Whole story made up,' claims co-founder

Last.fm has hit out at an uncorroborated report that alleged the music streaming website passed user data over to the Recording Industry Ass. of America (RIAA). The CBS-owned outfit responded angrily to a report posted late Friday by TechCrunch that cited an unsourced rumour, which claimed Last.fm handed over a “giant dump of …

Music and Media 23 Feb 2009, 19:52
Feds forge gold standard for cybersecurity

Modest revolution

A consortium of US federal agencies have drawn up a list of critical security controls they hope will serve as a gold standard for cybersecurity. The Consensus Audit Guidelines (CAG) list is part of larger plans to apply the CSIS Commission report on cybersecurity as a blueprint for making information security systems more …

Security 23 Feb 2009, 20:02
Former staff swipe confidential company data

Scruples? They've heard of them

More than half - 59 per cent - of US workers made redundant or who left their job last year admitted swiping confidential corporate data, such as customer list, before they left, a new study claims. A web-based survey of 1,000 workers who lost or walked out of their jobs in 2008 by the Ponemon Institute and Symantec found the …

Enterprise Security 23 Feb 2009, 20:10
Red Hat cranks virtualization power play

Move aside, Microsoft, Citrix, VMware...

Red Hat is a player in operating systems and middleware, and it wants to be a player in server virtualization - at least more of a player than it has been since it parked the Xen hypervisor inside its Enterprise Linux 5 distro back in March 2007. The company has been dropping hints about its plans for server and desktop …

Virtualization 23 Feb 2009, 20:50
Supremes reject Rambus 'patent ambush' case

End of line for FTC appeals

US regulators have run out of higher courts to appeal their long-standing case that memory maker Rambus tricked industry groups into an anticompetitive "patent ambush." The Supreme Court rejected the US Federal Trade Commission's request to resurrect antitrust accusations the District of Columbia Circuit tossed out in April …

Law 23 Feb 2009, 23:05
'Full' SQL Server planned for Microsoft's Azure cloud

MSDN Developer Conference Partners demand it

Microsoft plans to make a full version of its popular SQL Server database available in the cloud in response to pressure from partners. The company told The Reg it's working to add as many features as possible from SQL Server to its fledgling Azure Services Platform cloud as quickly as possible, following feedback. General …

Developer 23 Feb 2009, 23:50
Universal taps iPhone App Store for tunes sales

Free music apps worth every penny

A division of the mega-music multinational Universal Music Group (UMG) has introduced a new way to seduce music lovers into spending more on digital-music downloads. This latest attempt of UMG to tap into the digital-music money machine comes close on the heels of the recent shutdown of Total Music, a subscription-based music …

Music and Media 23 Feb 2009, 23:56