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24th April 2009 Archive

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  • Microsoft records first ever revenue drop

    Netbooks a mixed blessing

    Microsoft's reported its first ever drop in year-on-year revenue thanks to a combination of deteriorating PC sales and increased uptake of cheap netbooks. Revenue for its third fiscal quarter fell six per cent to $13.65bn, the company said Thursday, while net income plummeted 32 per cent to $2.98 bn. Earnings per share dropped …

    Financial News 24 Apr 2009, 00:29

  • Google Android 'five weeks' from MIPS port

    Embedded Linux 'standard'

    Motorola has denied putting Android on a set-top box. But it's only matter of time before someone else does the set-top thing with Google's, um, mobile OS. As it announced Thursday, Embedded Alley is porting Google's Android stack to the MIPS microprocessor architecture, widely used in set-top boxes, HDTVs, and other devices …

    Hardware 24 Apr 2009, 01:56

  • Security maven sics 'special ops' on botnet gangs

    RSA League of net justice

    Sometimes fighting botnets, spam, and other online crime is like raking leaves on a windy day. Bag one operation and almost overnight there are a half-dozen more that take its place. It's a story that's all too familiar to Joe Stewart, director with SecureWorks' Counter Threat unit. Now, he's proposing members of the security …

    Security 24 Apr 2009, 04:00

  • Steve Jobs: 'I wanted respect, not backdated options'

    SEC deposition outed

    Steve Jobs says he just wanted to feel appreciated when he asked Apple's board of directors for some additional stock options back in 2001 — but then things got all probey with US regulators. Forbes has managed to get its mitts on the Apple CEO's deposition with the US Securities and Exchange Commission conducted in the wake …

    Financial News 24 Apr 2009, 04:06

  • IBMware priced 40% higher on Nehalem

    More power to you. More money to Big Blue

    If you are thinking about running IBM's systems, database, or middleware software on one of Intel's new "Nehalem EP" Xeon 3500 or 5000 series chips, brace yourself for some price increases. For nearly three years, IBM has been selling selected software from its Software Group on various server platforms on a quasi-performance- …

    Servers 24 Apr 2009, 04:19

  • Sun mates MySQL with more iron

    Non-Oracle appliance

    With the preview of the MySQL 5.4 database coming out this week at the MySQL Conference and Expo in Santa Clara, you would have expected Sun Microsystems to be talking up the integration of its systems, storage, operating system, and database even if Oracle hadn't come along to buy the company on Monday. This week, Sun …

    Servers 24 Apr 2009, 04:43

  • Her Majesty's CIO braces US for Obama HIT

    Health Info Tech? Good luck

    Her Majesty's Government Chief Information Officer, John Suffolk, says the US can expect a tough slog as it implements Barack Obama's Health Information Technology scheme. Speaking this afternoon at a public-sector technology forum hosted by Wyse Technology in San José, California, Suffolk drew on his experience in setting up …

    Government 24 Apr 2009, 05:04

  • Self-replicating machine replicates

    Destroy industry and money and make us all wealthy? Sweet

    Next month will see a new version of the self-replicating RepRap machine, but owners of the existing model won't need to buy a replacement - they'll just be able to just print themselves an upgraded version. RepRap was developed by a team led by Adrian Bowyer from Bath University, who makes rather audacious claims for his baby …

    Science 24 Apr 2009, 07:02

  • Gov figures show IT jobs crisis

    Some skills still needed

    IT and telecoms jobs are starting to feel the pinch of the recession. Although the total number of people working in IT and telecoms is the highest for seven years and demand is up compared to last quarter, there has been a big fall in advertised positions. Permanent job adverts are down 24 per cent and ads for contractor …

    Management 24 Apr 2009, 08:11

  • Toshiba Tecra M10 14in notebook

    Review Modern internals, old-fashioned looks

    Some manufacturers, like Dell, believe laptop users, even supposedly non-frivolous business folk, prefer svelte, stylish notebooks. Not so Toshiba, at least if the the Tecra M10 is anything to go by. Toshiba's Tecra M10: the laptop that time forgot? Carry one around, and anyone who sees it will think you've been nursing the …

    Laptops 24 Apr 2009, 09:02

  • WD makes more profit than expected

    Profits still way down on last year, though

    Number 2 disk manufacturer Western Digital saw revenues down 25 per cent year-on-year but still made a profit in its third fiscal 2009 quarter (Q3 fy09). This was 82 per cent less than a year ago, but still exceeded Wall Street expectations. The company had revenues of $1.6bn in Q3 fy09 ($2.11bn in Q3 fy08) and net income of $ …

    Storage 24 Apr 2009, 09:04

  • Isilon reworks channels to drag itself out of the mire

    Recession, write-downs, redundancies

    Isilon is battening down its hatches to ride out the recessionary storm and come out strong enough to grow again after first quarter losses. The maker of clustered NAS products reported first quarter 2009 (Q1 09) revenues of $26.9m, a gratifying increase of 11 per cent on Q1 08's $24.1m but 15 per cent down on the previous (Q4 …

    The Channel 24 Apr 2009, 09:08

  • What on earth do you think you are doing, Darling?

    Comment Speeding up company busts and pummelling the poor

    Well, wasn't that a wonderful little budget? We're broke, borrowing the entire output of many a small nation, and this as a result of the policies from the man who promised to abolish boom and bust. But it's not all bad news. Some of it is worse. Take, as a minor example, the increase in statutory redundancy pay announced. …

    Small Biz 24 Apr 2009, 09:45

  • Crunch will fuel outsourcing

    Recession-hit councils look to outside suppliers

    Local government expert Tony Travers has predicted that the recession will lead to much more outsourcing, in some cases involving all services provided by organisations. "There will be a major move to outsource services to save money," the director of the LSE London research centre told the Society of IT Management's national …

    Government 24 Apr 2009, 10:26

  • Data Domain revs up but profits crash

    Sees sales rise in next quarter

    Data deduplication array vendor Data Domain reported revenues 50 per cent up year-on-year for its first fiscal 09 quarter, contrasting strongly with recession/redundancy/write-off news from suppliers around the industry. Q1 fy09 revenues were $79m ($52.6m in Q1 fy08), 7 per cent higher than the preceding quarter. Net income …

    Storage 24 Apr 2009, 10:39

  • Scaled Composites refutes WhiteKnightTwo rudder rumours

    Mothership bottom-smack smackdown

    Aircraft design firm Scaled Composites, engaged in building a fleet of space-joyride craft for Richard Branson, has strongly denied speculation that its new WhiteKnightTwo launch plane might need a rudder redesign. Virgin Mother Ship Eve during her maiden first flight. In a statement released today, the company said that a …

    Science 24 Apr 2009, 11:03

  • Private ID scans leave fetish club-goers feeling exposed

    If you don't go on the list, you're not coming in

    A security clampdown at a London club provides a troubling glimpse of the extent of privatised monitoring brought about by government policy. A Reg reader drew our attention to complaints that visitors to fetish club Torture Garden must now hand over personal details before they are allowed to enter. Our follow-up …

    Law 24 Apr 2009, 11:05

  • Orange unpeels UK's 'smallest, lightest' touchscreen talker

    The Johnny Vegas

    Orange has taken the wraps off what it’s claimed is the smallest, lightest and cheapest touchscreen mobile currently available in Blighty. Orange's Vegas: small, light and cheap Named “Vegas” – presumably after the US city rather than the comedian – the phone measures 52 x 16 x 93mm and weighs in at 84g. Sold as a pay-as- …

    Phones 24 Apr 2009, 11:05

  • Games trade group blasts budget

    Failed to back the games industry, apparently

    The head of games developer trade organisation Tiga has slammed the government’s latest budget, labelling it a missed opportunity to support the UK’s gaming industry. Richard Wilson, Tiga’s CEO, said it’s “disappointing that while Alistair Darling plans to spend £671bn over the coming financial year, he could not find the £ …

    Games 24 Apr 2009, 11:08

  • London cops trial 'leccy patrol cars

    'Leccy Tech Guilty as charged

    'Scarper, lads, it's the e-filf...' Knacker of the Yard today announced that half of the Metropolitan Police Service's cars could – and we note the use of the word 'could' - be electrically powered within four years. The Met's fleet currently numbers around 5000 vehicles - both marked and unmarked – including a large number …

    Science 24 Apr 2009, 11:08

  • Morse signals tough times

    Shares slump after Q3 loss

    Morse shares fell by almost a quarter today after the technology consultancy announced lower profits for the nine months ended 31 March 2009 and a dispute over one of its contracts. The company said it made an operating loss of £400,000 in the three months ended 31 March. In the last nine months it made revenues of £156.9m, …

    The Channel 24 Apr 2009, 11:11

  • Street View nod prompts call for privacy watchdog reform

    Updated ICO under fire

    Frustrated by years of alleged intransigence in dealing with complaints about privacy-infringing new technologies, activists have called for politicians to investigate and reform the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). London-based pressure group Privacy International (PI) said the ICO's response this week to complaints …

    Policy 24 Apr 2009, 11:13

  • Go, Brown, go!

    Leave! Depart! Pick a window! Etc.

    It's easy to mock this government's bumbling attempts to get political mileage out of Web-2-point-twattery - fun, too. But we should also celebrate the brave new world of interactive communication our overlords have opened up. Although our esteemed leader still has no public email account, and his YouTube videos make children …

    Government 24 Apr 2009, 12:01

  • Supersonic stealth jumpjet passes hover thrust test

    Pic Lockheed produces unprecedented amount of hot air

    The F-35B supersonic stealth jumpjet which will replace the famous Harrier in the British and US forces has successfully completed "hover pit" testing, according to lead maker Lockheed. The company says that the plane is able to generate 550 pounds more vertical thrust than was required. The big fliptop lid is the lift-fan …

    Science 24 Apr 2009, 12:08

  • 3PAR revs CTO office for major changes

    Comment Two founders to share CTO job

    It starts innocuously enough, but follow this thread and the implications start building up. 3PAR has a new engineering VP. He is Peter Slocum, and he's got an impressive background with ViVOtech and Brocade in his CV, plus earlier stints at Silicon Graphics, MIPS Computer Systems, and Hewlett Packard. So far, so ho hum. But …

    Storage 24 Apr 2009, 12:33

  • Number 10 doubles as 'House of Flying Nokias'

    PM also handy with pens and printers, aides claim

    Gordon Brown earned a place alongside the likes of Naomi Campbell today, when a financial newswire claimed that the PM likes to vent his frustration on pieces of personal technology. The report on Bloomberg claims that the PM's current travails - worst recession since the war, smeary email scandal, sinking poll numbers - have …

    Bootnotes 24 Apr 2009, 12:46

  • UK.gov cautious on EU cyberwar effort

    Others not ready, officials warn

    Security chiefs are considering joining an EU wargame to help guard critical internet infrastructure against attacks from enemy states or criminals, but Whitehall officials are concerned other members of the bloc are not ready. A recently-circulated Brussels strategy paper called for a European cyberwar exercise by the end of …

    Government 24 Apr 2009, 13:22

  • Duracell and Belkin in USB car charger race

    Power for the long road ahead

    Hooking your laptop into your car’s battery for a little on-the-road juice isn’t the safest of options. So battery business Duracell and IT peripherals firm Belkin have launched competing in-car USB chargers. Duracell's USB Charger glows blue when ready Duracell’s USB Charger is described as one of the smallest and simplest …

    Hardware 24 Apr 2009, 13:27

  • Sheep ad not cruel, bleats Samsung

    Telly maker thinks PETA's claims are plain baa-my

    Samsung has shorn off criticism from animal rights group PETA that its latest TV advert is cruel to sheep. Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com The ad for Samsung LED TVs saw sheep fitted with nets of “Smart LEDs” – as used in the TVs – and then herded around a field, in the usual way. But PETA’s …

    Hardware 24 Apr 2009, 13:32

  • Apple slices retail staff as sales slide

    Geniuses barred

    Apple has cut the number of full-time retail staff it employs from 15,600 to 14,000 as sales growth slowed in the second quarter of 2009. According to an SEC filing Apple's retail sales grew by $20m, or one per cent, in the second quarter of fiscal 2009 compared to the same period of 2008. iPhone and Macbook sales made up most …

    The Channel 24 Apr 2009, 13:33

  • Baby Shakergate: Apple officially sorry

    'Deeply offensive' content banned, all world's woes vanish

    In a statement Apple has apologised for allowing Baby Shaker into the iTunes store, on the basis that "deeply offensive" content shouldn't be allowed. The short statement, sent to every news outlet except El Reg, reads: "This application was deeply offensive and should not have been approved for distribution on the App Store …

    Mobile 24 Apr 2009, 13:44

  • Acer Ubuntu nettop to get quiet storage switch

    First units with SSD, rest with HDD

    Acer's Nvidia Ion-based micro desktop PC, Revo, will go on sale in the UK on 5 May, with Ubuntu Linux among the available operating systems. Open source software fans shouldn't rush to the shops, though - Acer expects to tweak the Ubuntu machine's spec very shortly after release. Acer's Revo: SSD on board... for now The £ …

    Hardware 24 Apr 2009, 13:57

  • GeoCities demolished

    Yahoo! says! bye! to! $4bn! dotcom! relic!

    Yahoo! plans to close GeoCities, the dot com era build-your-own-website operation it paid $4.6bn in stock for in 1999. In a posting to its help pages yesterday, Yahoo! said it would stop accepting new GeoCities members immediately, then turn off the lights "later this year." "We have decided to discontinue the process of …

    Media 24 Apr 2009, 14:29

  • Facebook wins Zimbabwe election on T&Cs

    Oh, well done chaps!

    Facebook is claiming a victory in a vote to decide on changes to its terms and conditions, even though only 0.03 per cent of users voted on changes. A big row broke out in February when Facebook tried to change its terms and conditions to give the company licenses over all content posted on the site for ever. Outrage from …

    Media 24 Apr 2009, 14:34

  • Sockets, cores and threads, oh my

    Intel's silicon brick roadmap

    Intel gave us lucky hacks a post-Nehalem launch briefing to outline aspects of its near-term processor roadmap. Here's a fast-paced tour through the briefing content. Intel reassured us that it could see Moore's Law progression being maintained for another ten or so years with the process shrinks and other developments in its …

    Hardware 24 Apr 2009, 15:15

  • T-Mobile lays ground for embedded SIMs

    Wanna change networks, sunshine? Not on my watch

    T-Mobile USA has announced plans to use embedded SIM chips in devices making use of its GSM network, preventing punters from using them on other networks by switching the SIM. Network locking isn't the motivation behind the move - apparently it's all about getting the SIM smaller and more robust, and to remove the complexity …

    Mobile 24 Apr 2009, 15:23

  • Apple fined $19m in 'Predictive Snooping' case

    Had hoped case would only cost it $270,000

    Apple has been ordered to pay $19m (£12.9m/€14.3m) in damages after losing a patent infringement case which its lawyers hoped might only cost the firm $270,000. In 2007, Opti, a technology holding company, brought the case against Apple, alleging that the Mac maker makes and sells products incorporating three “Predictive …

    Hardware 24 Apr 2009, 15:34

  • Gadget charger harnesses sunlight and wind power

    Hydro-electricity not supported... yet

    Much has been written about solar-powered gadgets and chargers, but what if there isn’t much sunlight around when your iPod runs flat? Well, according to one manufacturer, a little wind’s all you need. The K3 generates power from sunlight and from wind Kinesis Industries’ K3 is a gadget charger able to collect juice from …

    Hardware 24 Apr 2009, 15:37

  • Canon PowerShot SX200 IS compact camera

    Review Compact-plus?

    So, you’re off on your travels and you’re wondering what type of camera to pack along with the suntan lotion and the insect repellent. A digital SLR takes great photos, but it’s a bit on the bulky side. A compact is highly pocketable but there are compromises when it comes to performance, while a hybrid doesn’t save you a great …

    Hardware 24 Apr 2009, 16:59

  • Apple medical leave halts Jobsian jet-setting

    But cult head still 'deeply involved'

    Steve Jobs has become quite the homebody. His private jet has remained grounded during his absence from day-to-day duties at Apple. This bit of news was buried in a footnote to Apple's 58-page Form 10-Q quarterly report that was filed with the US Securities and Exchange commission on Thursday. According to the footnote, Apple …

    Financial News 24 Apr 2009, 17:35

  • Joost puts self in shop window

    Slightly-used net TV

    Joost - the financially fang-less internet TV service created by the founders of Skype and Kazaa - is reportedly shopping itself around to satellite and cable providers. According to Cnet, which cites unnamed sources close to the deal, US media conglom Time Warner Cable is among those the online video shop is courting. The …

    Financial News 24 Apr 2009, 19:07

  • Yelp (half-)answers 'Extortion 2.0' claim

    User-generated damage control

    In an effort to deflect criticism of its business model - which one paper has called 'Extortion 2.0' - Yelp has added a public forum to its new-age city guide where business owners can publicly respond to reviews from the site's hipper-than-thou users. As we reported in August, several San Francisco Bay Area business owners …

    Media 24 Apr 2009, 19:24

  • Windows 7 and the Linux lesson

    Just wait for the RC. And keep waiting...

    You may love Linux or hate it, but when a distribution is complete, there's very little hesitation by commercial operators when it comes to getting the completed operating system out there. The Ubuntu 9.04 release candidate was posted on April 16 with final code promised for seven days later on April 23. The final Ubuntu 9.04 …

    Operating Systems 24 Apr 2009, 21:23

  • MySpace taps Facebook vet as CEO

    Mood: usurp-ish

    MySpace is tapping former Facebook executive Owen Van Natta as its new chief executive, replacing the social networking site's co-founder Chris DeWolfe. News-Corp-owned MySpace shook up its executive stable earlier this week announcing that DeWolfe was stepping down to become a "strategic adviser" on the board. MySpace …

    Media 24 Apr 2009, 21:35

  • US Congress inspects deep packet inspection

    Return to Phorm

    The dust-up over internet privacy has returned to Capitol Hill. The centerpiece of Thursday's hearing of the US House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet was - as it has been in the past - deep packet inspection (DPI), i.e. looking inside an internet packet to determine its contents …

    Government 24 Apr 2009, 23:21

  • Security experts rate the world's most dangerous exploits

    Pass the hash...

    Criminal hackers continue to penetrate many more company networks than most administrators care to admit, according to two security experts who offered a list of the most effective exploits used to gain entry. Topping the list is an attack dubbed super-flexible pivoting. It abuses Linux machines connected to a network's DMZ, …

    Security 24 Apr 2009, 23:24

  • After mass security lapse, RBS Worldpay gets IRS contract

    No bad deed goes unrewarded

    RBS Worldpay - the electronic payment processor that admitted it exposed sensitive financial records for millions of customers - has been awarded a contract by the Internal Revenue Service to process tax return payments next year. The company, which is a division of the Royal Bank of Scotland, will begin processing taxpayers' …

    Security 24 Apr 2009, 23:31