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20th May 2009 Archive

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  • HP chops away sales slump in Q2

    Loss of hands helps firm land on feet

    Hewlett-Packard's profits fell 17 per cent during the second quarter this year, thanks to slumping sales of PCs, printers, servers, and storage. Sales were essentially down everywhere except in HP's services biz, where the EDS acquisition is inflating figures quite nicely. The company also announced another round of layoffs. …

    Financial News 20 May 00:03

  • Hitachi gung-ho for Nehalem EP blades

    Mum on Itanium

    Hitachi Server Group today rolled out its BladeSymphony blade servers based on Intel's Nehalem EP Xeon 5500 quad-core processors. The Server Group, which sells servers in North America, has updated its existing entry-level BladeSymphony 320 machines to adopt the Nehalem chips, and debuted a new high-end blade server, the …

    Servers 20 May 00:30

  • Yahoo! murders unborn Java smartphone app

    What is Yahoo! Mobile?

    Just three months ago, Yahoo! unveiled a Java-based uber-app for myriad smartphones not called the iPhone. But now, even before it exits beta testing, the company is killing the poor thing. As reported/mangled by TechCrunch, Yahoo! recently sent a letter to those interested in beta testing its Yahoo! Mobile smartphone app, …

    Mobile 20 May 01:27

  • Rumor rubberizes iPhone 3.0

    Third Coming due July 17?

    The next iPhone will have an OLED display, double the processing power, a 50 per cent improvment in battery life, and a rubber-backed body with a light-up Apple logo on the back. That is, if a Tuesday article by Apple iPhone Apps is to be believed. According to "a source who is closely connected to Apple's hardware …

    Mobile 20 May 01:33

  • Philips SPC1330NC

    Review 90f/s webcam anyone?

    With every tuppenny-ha'penny laptop and netbook coming with a built-in web cam, and laptops taking an ever larger chunk of the computer market, it’s probably fair to say business ain't want it used to be when it comes to flogging external webcams. So has Philips' new SPC1330NC Webcam Pro got what it takes to make it a worthwhile …

    Reg Hardware 20 May 08:02

  • Google News stumbles again

    World stops happening for 15 whole minutes

    Google's news aggregation and search site had another little lie down yesterday, for the second time this week. On Monday afternoon the news page was briefly unavailable from the UK and it went down for another 15 minutes yesterday. Google UK did not comment on Monday's problems. But Computerworld had more luck - Google said …

    Applications 20 May 08:51

  • Government rejects Lords' surveillance criticism

    Puts fingers in ears and goes "la la la"

    The Government has rejected claims that it is conducting too much surveillance on citizens and has said that it has got the balance between surveillance and liberty right. It has rejected many recommendations recently made by the House of Lords. The House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution issued a stinging rebuke …

    Government 20 May 08:55

  • Atmos cloud wafts up at EMC World

    Federate this

    More storage clouds are drifting into view - EMC has launched Atmos onLine, its Storage-as-a-Service offering based on its own Atmos storage products. Cloud storage can be seen as a potentially inexhaustible logical disk with access on a pay-as-you-go basis over the internet. Atmos is EMC software that stores billions of …

    Storage 20 May 09:17

  • Western Digital debuts 2TB power sipping drive

    New GreenPower unit for video and surveillance storage

    Western Digital has introduced a high-capacity drive to provide near-silent green storage for the video recorder and surveillance markets. Its WD AV-GP is a 2TB capacity GreenPower drive. WD says it consumes up to 40 per cent less power than the drives of its competitors. It is targeted towards digital video recorders, media …

    Storage 20 May 09:44

  • The Sun points bazookas at MoD killjoys

    Boobies to Big Brother

    The Sun has finally weighed in with great righteousness on the matter of state censorship - albeit in characteristically colourful, boob-augmented fashion. The paper has proclaimed its indignation over how the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been blocking internet traffic for our brave lads overseas through the time-honoured …

    Bootnotes 20 May 09:59

  • World's smallest, lighest camcorders unveiled

    Three camcorders, two manufacturers

    A world’s first in the camcorder market’s pretty rare, but today two have come along at once. Panasonic’s launched what it’s claimed are the world’s lightest full HD camcorders, while a separate firm’s unveiled the world’s smallest. Panasonic's SD10 and TM10: shoot to SDHC Panasonic’s HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 both weigh 227g, …

    Reg Hardware 20 May 10:20

  • Obama embarks on car emissions cutback

    Leccy Tech Regulation aims for 30 per cent reduction by 2016

    President Barack Obama has proposed tough new rules for vehicle emissions, which could see a 30 per cent reduction in individual passenger car emissions by 2016. Obama and friends unveil CAFE from the White House Rose Garden The new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards also decree that car manufacturers must …

    Reg Hardware 20 May 10:22

  • Apple touts tips to sidestep iPod earphone electric shocks

    Spark keeper

    Sales of Apple earbuds to joggers, Australians, desert dwellers and... er... anyone with dry skin look set to slide. Why? Because Apple’s warned that its headphones can give off shocks of static electricity. The firm has posted a warning on its website admitting that “it’s possible to receive a small and quick electrical ( …

    Reg Hardware 20 May 10:30

  • Billy Bragg: Three-strikes lobbying is 'shameful'

    Says FAC off to fan-punishing labels

    Record labels have given up on copyright law and are trying to make internet service providers (ISPs) fight their battles for them in a "shameful attempt to pass [on] responsibility", singer-songwriter Billy Bragg has said. Bragg is one of the main figures in a new performers' pressure group, the Featured Artists' Coalition ( …

    Music and Media 20 May 10:39

  • Taxpayer coughs for AOL Connie's flat

    Well connected

    Readers hungry for an IT angle to the unfolding MPs' expenses scandal will be cheered by today's news that taxpayers have been paying thousands of pounds to tart up a flat occupied by AOL Connie, the star turn in a famed series of dotcom-era TV ads punting dial-up internet access. Connie was played by model/actress Rachel …

    Government 20 May 10:42

  • Another 0.03% of Blighty goes wind powered

    The very fact this is news shows it isn't happening

    The largest onshore windfarm in Europe goes fully on line today, and a massive offshore scheme in the Thames Estuary will now move ahead. But experts have warned that many hundreds more such projects will be required - at massive cost to electricity users - if the UK is to shake its dependence on fossil fuels. The onshore …

    Environment 20 May 10:48

  • Croats flock to support openly corrupt politician

    'All for me, nothing for you' message a hit with voters

    A Croatian politician is close to becoming the mayor of the town Prolozac - despite promising to be corrupt and to treat the town "like our family business". Voters have flocked to the campaign, which runs under the slogan "All for me, nothing for you". Josko Risa polled 27.89 per cent of the vote in the first round of voting …

    Bootnotes 20 May 11:17

  • Nokia's next-gen tablet OS uncovered?

    Maemo mole talks of 2010 release

    A screenshot has popped up online that’s claimed to detail part of an upcoming Nokia operating system for internet tablets. Apparently this UI could feature on a Nokia tablet next year Called “Maemo Harmattan”, the image reveals a vertically scrollable display of the OS’ “Organizer” menu and – according to a source that …

    Reg Hardware 20 May 11:33

  • 3 has no place Like Home

    Tariff was 'promotional', you silly

    3, recently heard shouting that it wants to see termination fees cut, is quietly dropping its 3 Like Home tariff, which offered international roaming with no additional fees. The tariff will cease to exist at the end of June, though punters who recently renewed on the basis of the service, and have made use of it, should be …

    Mobile 20 May 11:34

  • More doubts on ID card readers

    Pointless project has no flicking point

    The Home Office has confirmed there is still no timetable for the rollout of ID card readers, without which carrying out effective ID checks is impossible. So even though the government is continuing to foist the cards on foreigners, airside workers at City of London and Manchester airports and pilots, there is no way to check …

    Government 20 May 11:38

  • HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 Wireless

    Review Colour laser killer?

    HP has a difficult game to play. It wants to increase usage of its inkjet printers and all-in-ones by selling them small business, but in doing so it risks hitting the colour laser printer market, in which it’s the major player. The OfficeJet Pro 8500 Wireless is a case in point. It's a fast, high-capacity inkjet all-in-one …

    Reg Hardware 20 May 12:02

  • Europe, Russia discuss 'orbital shipyard' plans

    ISS to be replaced by Mars-ship docking facility?

    Space bigwigs in Russia and Europe are working on ambitious plans for an international space shipyard in orbit above the Earth, according to reports. The orbital shipyard would be used to assemble manned spacecraft capable of travelling to the Moon or Mars. Despite the problem with the champagne at the launch ceremony, the …

    Space 20 May 12:07

  • Ofcom freezes pay

    Could be worse

    Ofcom, UK regulator of all things communicative, has announced a pay freeze. But with inflation running into the negative according to some measures, things could be worse. The Remuneration Committee apparently allowed for the current negative range of inflation when deciding on the freeze, which surely results in a real-terms …

    Government 20 May 12:27

  • Vatican declares 'the internet is blessed'

    As Scots Bish says online relationships 'Profoundly sad'

    The Catholic Church could be headed for a virtual schism as the Vatican embraces Web 2.0 and declares "the internet is blessed", while a Scottish Bishop warns his flock against the "inane chatter" found online. Father Fredrico Lombardi, SJ, the Vatican's head of communications, marked the Church's upcoming Communications Day …

    Bootnotes 20 May 12:31

  • Blu-ray brains create 3D taskforce

    Uniform 3D Blu-ray standard incoming

    The Blu-Ray Disc Association (BDA) has created a taskforce to ease the “integration of 3D technology into the Blu-ray Disc format”. Its ultimate aim is to define a standard for stereoscopic 3D content on a Blu-ray Disc, but nothing’s yet been mentioned about how this will be achieved or when such a standard could come into …

    Reg Hardware 20 May 12:40

  • BT and 3 unite to fight mobile rate

    Unions, small biz reps and care workers pile on

    BT and 3 have roped in unions, small business representatives and care workers to back a campaign to scrap the mobile termination rate today. "So who sets the mobile termination rate?" the man from the Telegraph asked, in the Q&A session that followed. Surely the question on everyone's lips. We can reveal that it's the UK …

    Mobile 20 May 13:04

  • ESA chooses British army officer as astronaut

    French space boss: 'A good man, even if he is a Brit'

    In an unexpected move, the European Space Agency (ESA) has selected a British army officer as one of its second-ever batch of astronauts. Major Timothy Peake, an Apache attack-helicopter pilot in the Army Air Corps, could fly to the International Space Station as soon as 2013. “We are at a turning point in ESA’s human …

    Space 20 May 13:09

  • Google: Let us keep search data or die

    You're all doomed

    Google's lobbying to avoid restrictions on its ability to retain search data took a rather sinister turn this week, with co-founder Larry Page claiming such moves mean the "more likely we all are to die". Privacy advisers to the European Commission have suggested that search data should be wiped after six months. But if you …

    Biology 20 May 13:14

  • 'Chief whip' tweet suggests early general election

    Excites credulous blogosphere regardless of veracity

    A sensational tweet from a Labour chief whip has spilled the beans on the next election - except that it probably hasn't at all. A message sent from a Twitter account registered in the name of New Labour chief whip Nick Brown on Wednesday morning suggested "the new speaker will have only have a few weeks to get settled in …

    ID 20 May 15:00

  • Ex-NebuAd staff target behavioural data via websites

    Titsup Phormalike UK team try again

    As NebuAd dismantles itself in the US, the team who had hoped to launch its Phorm-like web monitoring and profiling system in the UK are preparing another behavioural targeting venture. Insight Ready Limited was incorporated on March 25 by Paul Goad, the man who had been NebuAd's UK boss. According to a source close to the …

    Telecoms 20 May 15:08

  • Win an HTC Touch Diamond2!

    Reg Lucky Draw Get your mitts on the best iPhone botherer yet

    Win an HTC Touch Diamond2! Get your mitts on the best iPhone botherer yet The Register has teamed up with our retail partner eXpansys to give one lucky reader the chance to get his or her hands on HTC's best handset yet, the Touch Diamond2. The Touch Diamond2 features a lovely 3.2-inch, 480 X 800 touch sensitive screen and …

    Site News 20 May 15:16

  • Asus France dooms 'flagship' Eee PC

    1000HE to be replaced by new machines

    Asus' French operation has confirmed that the Eee PC 1000HE - the company's popular netbook and provider of a nine-hour runtime - is to be phased out after the arrival of a new, yet-to-be announced machine. French-language site Blogeee.net today wrote: "After the announcement [by Register Hardware] a few days ago [of] a …

    Reg Hardware 20 May 15:21

  • Dell designs 10in netbook for Bash Street

    Whizz For Atoms

    Dell has rolled out a 10in netbook for schools - handy, that, because we don't think too many consumers will fancy its boxy looks. Dell's Latitude L2100: standard netbook spec The Latitude 2100 provides a bog-standard netbook spec based around Intel's 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor. Safe from grubby mitts? Schoolboys are …

    Reg Hardware 20 May 15:21

  • HP's servers and storage hit a wall in Q2

    Global economy, legal entanglements to blame

    Hewlett-Packard reported its second quarter financial results for fiscal 2009 ended in April. Like other IT players, HP's server and storage sales were slammed by the economic downturn and intense price competition that is the result of the poor economy. The company's Enterprise Storage and Server group, which is trying to …

    Servers 20 May 15:58

  • Palm Pre to sell like hot cakes, Sprint CEO proclaims

    Best to er, pre-order, says man familiar with the matter

    The Palm Pre is going to sell so well the company will have trouble meeting demand. This is according to impartial observer Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint, the network with an exclusive deal to supply Palm's last-chance handset. Palm is betting the company on the Pre, which is set to launch on the 6 June. What is less well reported …

    Mobile 20 May 16:03

  • Microsoft IIS hole fells university server

    Updated Hackers find zero-day bug irresistible

    This story was updated at 21st May 2009 05:01 GMT to include Microsoft comments refuting the university's claims that the IIS vulnerability was exploited in the attack. It was updated again at 21st May 2009 23:10 GMT to note that University officials have recanted their claims. Please see this updated story. Hackers have wasted …

    Security 20 May 17:17

  • Amazon juices Kindle iPhone app

    Lock and landscape mode

    Amazon continued its drive to make every iPhone user an Amazon customer by releasing an update to its free Kindle for iPhone app on Wednesday. The new Kindle for iPhone 1.1 (iTunes link) adds a few welcome features, but it's notable more as a signal that Amazon is taking ebooks quite seriously indeed. But so is Google. …

    Mobile 20 May 19:11

  • Craigslist sues South Carolina attorney general

    Seeks restraining order for 'erotic services' threat

    Craigslist wants a restraining order barring South Carolina's attorney general Henry McMaster from grandstanding threats of criminal charges over the website's adult listings. The online classified site's chief executive, Jim Buckmaster, said Wednesday that Craigslist has filed a lawsuit against McMaster seeking declaratory …

    Music and Media 20 May 19:15

  • Google accused of selling free clicks

    'Conversion inflation syndication fraud'

    Harvard professor Ben Edelman calls it conversion-inflation syndication fraud. We call it typical Google. In early February, at a net-conscious conference in San Francisco, Edelman exposed one of those online boondoggles that shows you just how much Google overplays the efficiency of its web-dominating ad system. Using a PC …

    Music and Media 20 May 19:35

  • IBM goes live with Smart Cube appliance server

    The modern day AS/400

    After nearly two years of development and more than six months of a beta spin in India - where there are some 35 million small and medium businesses that are looking to computerize their operations - IBM has finally brought its Smart Cube appliance servers and the related application software Smart Market to the United States …

    Servers 20 May 21:04

  • Microsoft consumes Chicago data center

    If the container fits

    Data center operator Ascent, while not exactly a household name, did stir up a little PR when it brought in a high profile customer named Microsoft to its facility located in the Chicago suburb of Northlake. And now, Microsoft is apparently getting set to buy the data center, nicknamed CH1, from Ascent, giving the data center …

    Servers 20 May 21:18

  • Adobe convenes 'Come to Jesus' meeting for buggy Reader app

    Flash left outside the tent

    Over the past year, Adobe software has been pummeled by a steady stream of critical zero-day vulnerabilities. On Wednesday, the software maker outlined new initiatives designed to reduce the threats faced by users of its ubiquitous Reader and Acrobat applications. Chief among the changes is a beefed up program to eradicate …

    Security 20 May 21:34

  • NetApp buys Data Domain for $1.5bn

    Will it dedupe the deduping?

    NetApp announced late Wednesday it will acquire dedupe specialist Data Domain for $1.5 billion in cash and stock. The purchase will effectively spring NetApp to the forefront of vendors selling redundant-data-busting technology when the deal closes in an expected two to four months. NetApp said the company intends to run Data …

    Storage 20 May 22:33

  • NZ Telecom in 'deep' with Apple

    iPhone rumored for XT Mobile

    Kiwis who lust after a new iPhone may soon have a choice of service provider other than Vodafone. According to a report by New Zealand's National Business Review, Telecom New Zealand's retail chief Alan Gourdie said that the company is in "discussions - deep discussions - with Apple." Gourdie's brief disclosure came Wednesday …

    Mobile 20 May 22:40

  • Google turns analytical engine inwards

    Oompa Loompas under the microscope

    Google has turned its famously analytical approach on its own human resources department, applying behavioural analysis to work out which staff might be thinking of jumping ship before they know it themselves. The news comes in a report from the Wall Street Journal which claims the new approach is driven by recent high-profile …

    Developer 20 May 22:43