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29th May 2009 Archive

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  • Sky dishes up iPlayer-style service for Xbox 360

    Pay to view Sky content

    Microsoft has signed a deal with Sky that’ll see the broadcaster’s programmes available on your Xbox 360. Sky Player brings the broadcaster's TV shows, movies and sports coverage to your Xbox 360 Described as the world’s first service enabling “premium live television to be watched through a games console”, the deal will …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 00:02

  • Microsoft's Silverlight 3 due in July?

    Launch event, not a launch event

    The next version of Microsoft's browser-based media player - and challenger to Adobe Systems' Flash - could be coming in just two months. Microsoft on Thursday announced what it calls a launch event for Silverlight 3, and it's set for July 10. The company has also promised version three of its Expression Studio content and …

    Developer 29 May 2009, 00:18

  • Wikipedia bans Church of Scientology

    Exclusive Wikioperating Thetan Level Zero

    In an unprecedented effort to crack down on self-serving edits, the Wikipedia supreme court has banned contributions from all IP addresses owned or operated by the Church of Scientology and its associates. Closing out the longest-running court case in Wikiland history, the site’s Arbitration Committee voted 10 to 0 (with one …

    Music and Media 29 May 2009, 00:23

  • KOffice 2.0 available for early adopters

    Integration cranked

    KOffice, the often overlooked challenger in a productivity suite rivalry championed by Microsoft Office and OpenOffice, rolled out version 2.0 Thursday. The release is intended for developers, testers and early adopters the development team warns, and shouldn't be used in production. While it adds a sizable pack of …

    Applications 29 May 2009, 01:01

  • Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm

    Review Finger-friendly phone for senior-citizen service

    Swedish firm Doro's basic handsets for elderly or disabled users have been around since 2007. With the latest range of PhoneEasy handsets, the company raises the bar from its original sackcloth and ashes models in terms of build, style and functionality. Doro's PhoneEasy 345gsm Unlike its super-basic cousin, the PhoneEasy …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 08:02

  • Russian blows off ex-boyf's todger with firecrackers

    Hard time likely for perp - even harder time guaranteed for victim

    A spurned Russian woman whose boyfriend declined to take her hand in marriage responded by blowing off his penis with firecrackers, Mosnews reports. Victim Alik D. had been shacked up with Kira V. for about two years when she began to suggest that they should tie the knot. Mr D declined, and indicated he'd rather go back to …

    Bootnotes 29 May 2009, 09:17

  • Blog homeopathy horror hammers hippy herbalists

    Graun abandons Q&A after subject hides under bed

    So there you are, harnessing the power of community and innovative new editorial formats, spreading enlightenment by putting the customers together with the vendors, and what happens? Lynchmob, vendor megasulk, blog meltdown 2.0. It all started on Tuesday when the Guardian's Ethical Living Blog unveiled Neal's Yard Remedies as …

    Bootnotes 29 May 2009, 09:49

  • Scotland welcomes back wild beaver

    Wolves, mammoths, velociraptors watching with interest

    Scotland is today one animal species richer following the release into the wild of three beaver families - the first examples to enjoy the Caledonian habitat since the animal was driven to extinction in the 16th Century. The release at sites in Knapdale Forest, Mid-Argyll, follows years of lobbying by beaver aficionados and …

    Biology 29 May 2009, 09:53

  • MS hits 30m Xbox 360 sales total

    Well behind Wii

    Microsoft has sold more than 30m Xbox 360s, the company announced last night. That's more than the number of PlayStation 3s Sony has shipped to date, but less than the number of Nintendo Wiis out in folks' homes: around 22m and 50m, respectively. Bear in mind that Microsoft had year's sales lead on both of these consoles. …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 10:01

  • Palm Pré plays nicely with iTunes

    How do you like them, Apple?

    More details of the Palm Pré's functionality have emerged at the D:All Things Digital conference in San Diego, including iTunes integration and a Twitter client, not to mention promises of a GSM version suitable for an 2009 European launch. The fact that the device still isn't on the shelves didn't stop Palm's Jon Rubinstein …

    Applications 29 May 2009, 10:22

  • Shifty study proclaims Brits a nation of freetards

    Seven million downloading illegal content shocker

    An estimated seven million Brits are involved in illegal downloads of music, movies, software or games. This digital piracy is resulting in "huge economic losses" and confusion about copyright law, according to a study by UK government advisers published on Friday. The 85-page study, commissioned by the Strategic Advisory …

    Government 29 May 2009, 10:32

  • Nokia's Ovi can't fail - must fail

    Comment Rip it up and start again

    It must be frustrating to sketch out a long-term technology roadmap in great depth, and see it come to fruition... only to goof on your own execution. But to do so repeatedly - as Nokia has - points to something seriously wrong. Nokia spent more than a decade preparing for Tuesday this week, when it finally launched its own …

    Applications 29 May 2009, 10:38

  • Sharp creates true-hue five-colours-per-pixel LCD

    Shows objects the way you see them

    Sharp has developed a full HD LCD panel that mixes the hue of each pixel from a palette of five colours rather than the usual three. The result, the company claimed, is the ability to render faithfully the colour space of the unaided human eye. Sharp's prototype display measures 60.5in (1.5m) in the diagonal and has a 1920 x …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 10:40

  • Sony Ericsson rolls out Wii-style gaming phone

    And another with PS3 support

    Sony Ericsson has unwrapped a gaming-focused phone with Wii-like motion-sensing technology. It also introduced a second handset, with PlayStation 3 support. Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com Yari’s been described as the first "gesture gaming" handset available outside of Japan. Based on …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 10:47

  • Audi working on electric R8?

    Leccy Tech The battery-powered supercar

    The latest e-car buzz is that Audi is set to demo a battery-powered version of its R8 supercar at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Audi's R8: battery-powered version on its way? Unfortunately, the rumour – which cropped up in the German magazine Auto Motor and Sport and the French title L'Automobile — hasn’t yet led to the …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 10:54

  • Ingram sore over Belgian warehouse burglary

    Customers told: SQUEAL OR FACE LEGAL ACTION!

    Ingram Micro has told customers to be on the lookout for laptops stolen in a recent raid on its Belgian warehouse, and pointedly warned them that it plans legal action against those who fail to report offers of hooky kit. In an ALL CAPS email yesterday, the super distributor's legal department said a "large quantity" of HP …

    Channel Register 29 May 2009, 10:54

  • BOFH: Snout, meet trough

    Episode 7 Dirty rotten swindling swine

    "How can you be broke?" I ask the PFY as I carry our lunch back to the table in several pint glasses. "I dunno." "But you were only paid yesterday!" "Yes, but I had expenses!" the PFY sniffs. "What could you possibly blow a month's cash on in a day?" "A Home Theatre PC ensemble," the PFY responds defensively. "Ah. OK, I …

    BOFH 29 May 2009, 11:02

  • Smart-map battle network for footsoldiers gets $12m demo

    Covert special-ops smartphone version also offered

    Weaponry globocorp Raytheon has announced the inking of a $12m deal with the US Army, under which the firm and its subcontractors will demonstrate nifty networked smart-map computers for use by American footsoldiers in combat. Troops will be able to see enemies and each other on the digital maps even where GPS satnav is …

    Data Networking 29 May 2009, 11:13

  • SanDisk and Samsung end flash row

    Flash! A-ah! It'll save every one of us!

    Flash chip supplier Samsung and flash memory product supplier SanDisk have kissed and made up. They are renewing an existing cross-licensing agreement for another seven years from August 14th this year. An existing agreement terminates on that date. The renewed agreement includes rights to each supplier’s patents covering …

    Storage 29 May 2009, 11:21

  • EU backs advanced network tech to boost resilience

    IPv6 and DNSSec to bolster backbone

    An EU security agency is calling for greater use of advanced networking technologies - specifically IPv6, DNSSec and MPLS - to improve the resilience of communication networks. The European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) argues that these advanced technologies have the potential to improve the security and …

    Telecoms 29 May 2009, 12:16

  • Toshiba suing Imation

    Issues alleged patent infringers with sharp slap

    Toshiba is suing Imation and other companies, claiming that they are infringing its recordable DVD patents. According to reports, Toshiba has identified several distributors and suppliers of recordable DVDs in its suit filed with the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. These are Imation and three other …

    Storage 29 May 2009, 12:21

  • Google nukes Norks

    Peninsula cartographically cleansed of commies

    We're not quite sure what's going on down at Google Maps, but the search monolith's cartographical service has decided that the world would be a better place if North Korea were one big blank: Satellite imagery is still available, and a search for Pyongyang works fine... ...but if you want a map detailing Nork's delights …

    Bootnotes 29 May 2009, 12:23

  • Samsung WB500

    Review World's widest angle compact camera?

    Camera manufacturers are always looking for some unique selling proposition. In the case of the Samsung WB500, it’s been marketed as world’s first compact with the equivalent of a 24mm, ultra wide optical 10x zoom. But with a few other models, such as Panasonic’s DMC-TZ6 and DMC-TZ7, already equipped with a 25mm lens, this isn’t …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 12:25

  • Colour Kindle in development, says Amazon

    Launch a long way off, though

    Amazon has designed a colour version of its Kindle e-book reader, but this week warned that customers shouldn’t hold their breath while they wait for a launch. The online retailer’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, said that a colour version of the Kindle isn’t imminent. “I known it’s multiple years [away],” he told news agency AFP. “I don’t …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 13:02

  • UK2 brings support back to Blighty, culls execs

    Call centres coming home, bosses going home

    Hosting provider UK2 has shut its overseas call centres in favour of a UK support team and this week culled executives as part of a major reorganisation. About 40 jobs went in India and about 35 in Ukraine when the firm made the switch. Managing director Ditlev Bredahl said: "We actually think that the overall changes we've …

    CIO 29 May 2009, 13:19

  • HP confirms job cuts will hit research labs

    Not just factories closing

    HP has confirmed that yesterday's announcement of UK job cuts will not just hit its manufacturing plant in Scotland, but also HP's research laboratories in Bristol. The firm will not detail exactly what is happening, but emails from Register readers suggest as many as half its Bristol research staff could be laid off. A Reg …

    Servers 29 May 2009, 13:26

  • World's first electric jet ski surfaces

    Leccy Tech Test drive? Back of the line, mate!

    US company EcoWatercraft has sailed out what it’s claimed is the world's first electric jet ski. Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com Many exact technical specifications about the firm’s "zero emissions" e-jet ski are still thin on the water ground, but EcoWatercraft’s promised that it’ll hit 50mph on …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 13:41

  • Revealed: Full specs on SEAL Team Six multimedia setup

    Clandestine commandos insisted on iPod/iPhone dock

    Updated to Add This piece from 2009 seemed worth presenting again given the now worldwide fame achieved by the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (aka SEAL Team Six) following the killing of Osama bin Laden. The lavish multimedia/computer briefing rig described below will surely have been used in planning Operation Neptune …

    Music and Media 29 May 2009, 13:57

  • Novell cuts ERP outsource deal

    Inks partnership with ACS

    Novell, having reported its second quarter financial results yesterday after Wall Street closed, said it had inked a deal with Dallas-based Affiliated Computer Services to have that outsourcer take over its ERP systems and related data center in Provo, Utah. While the operating system supplier is headquartered back in Waltham …

    Servers 29 May 2009, 14:20

  • Beeb names new Who companion

    'I can't quite believe it', gushes fresh Dalek-bait

    The BBC has announced that 21-year-old Karen Gillan will be Matt Smith's new companion for his first outing in Doctor Who, scheduled to hit the small screen next year. Gillan (pictured) previously appeared as a soothsayer in The Fires Of Pompeii. The Inverness lass enthused in traditional Doctor Who announcement style: "I am …

    Entertainment 29 May 2009, 14:21

  • EqualLogic excelling

    Virtualised storage bucks 'worst quarter in years'

    Dell's financial first quarter 2010 results saw revenues and profits down, but within the falling revenues there was a storage bright spot. Dell's total storage revenues in the quarter were $534m, 24 per cent down from the previous quarter's $703m and 17 per cent less than the $644m reported in the first quarter of fiscal 2009 …

    Storage 29 May 2009, 14:32

  • TV's Breaking Bad: could it help save chemistry?

    Meth crime drama great for kids, actually

    Educators seem to have decided that chemistry is unteachable, and our children are too stupid to learn it. Perhaps it's just as well that a hit TV drama has done so much to raise the profile of the subject. If you're in the UK, chances are you haven't seen Breaking Bad, which ends its second series on cable channel AMC in the …

    Entertainment 29 May 2009, 14:35

  • Orange intros PAYG BlackBerry 8900

    A UK first, apparently

    Orange has gone one-up on T-Mobile’s recent BlackBerry 8110 pay-as-you-go package by becoming the first UK operator to offer the Curve 8900 on PAYG. RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8900: now on Orange PAYG But the firm’s deal doesn’t come cheap: you’ll have to stump up a whopping £250 ($401/€286) in order to get the phone without …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 14:40

  • Fans decry tennis gal's breast-slash plan

    New jubs please

    Rising Romanian tennis star Simona Halep is facing popular opposition to her plan to reduce her breasts, which she describes as an "uncomfortable" impediment to optimum performance on the court. The 17-year-old junior French Open champ - whose vital stats are: height 5ft 5in; world ranking 264; cup size 34DD - confirmed: "This …

    Bootnotes 29 May 2009, 14:53

  • Sky shoots Swan Lake in 3D

    Ballerina blitz

    Broadcaster Sky has continued its research into the potential of 3D TV by filming snippets of the famous ballet Swan Lake in 3D. Sky's 3D dual-lens cameras glided around the dancers At a recent event in London, 32 of the English National Ballet’s dancers were filmed gliding around by several dual-lens HD cameras which …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 15:02

  • Massive ID fraud and cheque scam busted in NYC

    Impersonation scheme sees 18 bank workers pinched

    A corporate identity theft ring that exploited the identities of local corporations, religious institutions, hospitals and even schools to run a cheque fraud scam has been busted in New York. Investigators reckon the gang of 18 suspects made millions by impersonating workers from an estimated 350 New York-based organisations. …

    Crime 29 May 2009, 15:52

  • Greenpeace tackles tech CEOs

    Apple's Steve Jobs oddly absent

    Greenpeace has turned on the CEOs of major tech firms, naming and shaming those who it claims don’t live up to their eco obligations. Microsoft's chief scored seven out of 100 Greenpeace's Cool IT Challenge named Atsutoshi Nishida of Toshiba as the worst performer – scoring just two points out of a possible 100. Samuel …

    reghardware 29 May 2009, 16:57

  • IntelliJ's Maia shapes up against Eclipse

    Open-source frameworks ahoy!

    Web, scripting, and open-source have been boosted in the next version of the ever-popular IntelliJ IDAE, released this week in early access. Codenamed Maia, and due this fall, IDEA 9 wraps in features designed to keep the charged-for Java development environment in the running against free tools based on Eclipse. Maia will …

    Developer 29 May 2009, 18:05

  • AMD cuts Opteron prices pre-Istanbul

    Dual-cores dropped

    Over the Memorial Day holiday, x64 chip designer and seller (but no longer maker) Advanced Micro Devices cut prices for its Opteron line of processors for servers and workstations. The price cuts come as rival Intel is cranking up the pressure with its "Nehalem EP" Xeon 3500s and 5500s for one and two-socket servers and as AMD …

    Channel Register 29 May 2009, 18:22

  • Hackintosher to open US storefront

    Numbers don't add up

    Yet another Mac clone maker has surfaced, but this time with a twist: Quo Computer will sell its hackintoshes in its own bricks-and-mortar retail store in Los Angeles. As reported on Friday by Cnet News, Quo's founder Rashantha De Silva plans to open his storefront on June 1st. Previous hackintoshers such as Florida's recently …

    Channel Register 29 May 2009, 18:35

  • Obama fights cyber threats with new White House post

    Barack's brush with cyber espionage

    US President Barack Obama will create a new White House post that's responsible for protecting the country's critical computer networks, a step he said was crucial to confronting one of the biggest national security challenges. For what is likely the first time ever, the leader of the free world spoke publicly about botnets, …

    Security 29 May 2009, 18:50

  • Cloud power harnessed to dump unwanted Mac apps

    Mac Secrets Five PNGs, one engine

    One of the many cool things about the Mac is the attention to detail that's been put into the user interface. For example, when you drag something out of the Dock, or customize a toolbar by removing an item from it, you'll see a little explosive "poof" animation, accompanied by an appropriately destructive sound. Well, here's …

    Developer 29 May 2009, 19:33

  • ISS stuffed with full staff of six

    Floating room only

    Three more crew members boarded the International Space Station today from a Russian Soyuz capsule, doubling its permanent crew to six for the first time ever. The TMA-15 space capsule carrying flight engineers engineers Roman Romanenko of Russia, Robert Thirsk of Canada, and Frank De Winne of Belgium spent two days in space …

    Space 29 May 2009, 19:35

  • LTE set to spank WiMAX

    5X 4G in 5 years

    The battle between LTE and WiMAX is tilting heavily in LTE's favor, with spending on that 4G mobile-broadband technology projected to be nearly five times that of its Intel-championed competitor by 2014. According to a recent report by the UK's mobile market-watcher, Juniper Research, worldwide revenues from LTE subscribers …

    Wireless 29 May 2009, 20:02

  • Turkish hackers breach US Army servers, says report

    SQL injection strikes again

    US government investigators are probing breaches of two sensitive Army webservers by suspected Turkish hackers, according to a report by InformationWeek. One of the servers, located at the Army's McAlester Ammunition Plant in Oklahoma, was penetrated on January 26, according to the publication, which cited investigative …

    Security 29 May 2009, 22:07

  • Microsoft breaks Windows 7 three-apps netbook handicap

    Still gonna up-sell ya

    Microsoft has made a major concession on Windows 7 for netbooks, saying it'll no longer restrict the number of applications you can run concurrently. Windows 7 Starter Edition will let you run more than three applications at one time, Microsoft's Windows 7 evangelist Brandon LeBlanc blogged Friday afternoon. Late on a Friday …

    Operating Systems 29 May 2009, 23:05