29th June 2009 Archive

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Tesla's first UK showroom opens for business

Leccy Tech Roadster Sport debuts

Tesla Motors has thrown open the doors of its London showroom – the firm’s first outlet outside of North America. Tesla unveiled the Roadster Sport (above) during the opening of its London showroom During the opening of its Kensington showroom, the company announced that it has already secured a dozen UK orders for its left …

Reg Hardware 29 Jun 07:02
Samsung ML-1640

Review No-brainer budget buy

There are a good few people who run two printers; an inkjet for all the colour and photo work and a mono laser for quicker, cheaper, sharper black print. Samsung is looking at the home and one-per-desk customer with its ML-1640 mono laser. With a street price around £50, it’s close to being an impulse purchase and puts itself in …

Reg Hardware 29 Jun 08:02
~~Transformers~~ MacBooks, robots in disguise

Apple laptop turns flying spaceship

A video has been leaked online of what some may hope is Apple’s next addition to its laptop line: a transforming MacBook. Ok, so the advert’s not really a leak from Apple’s HQ, but it’s cool. Why? As you’ll see, the video shows an Apple MacBook that’s able to transform itself from a laptop into a pint-sized spaceship. Can' …

Reg Hardware 29 Jun 09:02
Vodafone said to be mulling T-Mobile UK bid

Auf wiedersehen?

Vodafone is mulling a multibillion-pound swoop for T-Mobile UK, according to a report. T-Mobile UK's German owner Deutsche Telekom has appointed JPMorgan to advise on how to offload the business, The Financial Times reports. Talk of a Teutonic retreat from the British mobile market intensified last month when T-Mobile UK's …

Mobile 29 Jun 09:04
Think tank rumbles over gov data-hogging

We want our stuff back

A conservative think tank has proposed an alternative model for managing personal data used in public services. It's ours: Why we, not government, must own our data, published by the Centre for Policy Studies and written by Liam Maxwell, says people should be able to choose a repository for their personal data and make it …

Government 29 Jun 09:08
Oracle hits DoJ roadblock on Sun deal

In a lather over Java

Oracle is still gunning to wrap up its Sun Micro purchase by the end of summer, despite the US Department of Justice refusing to give the deal fast-track approval. It emerged on Friday that the DoJ has extended its investigation of the $7.4bn deal, which would unite enterprise software power house Oracle with Java creator and …

Financial News 29 Jun 09:39
JustGiving CEO pledges refund over upgrade cockup

Fundraisers slam dot com era 'amateurism'

JustGiving.com’s CEO has apologised to users of the company’s online charity donation service, following a clumsy upgrade that has plagued the system since going live over a week ago. The firm is offering cheesed-off users, who struggled to access fundraising pages and logon to the system after the relaunch of the JustGiving …

IT Director 29 Jun 09:39
EMC forced to extend Data Domain offer

Barely any takers so far

EMC has lengthened the offer period for its $30/share bid for Data Domain by 11 days, after attracting a derisory level of acceptance for the bid. It says this is to provide "additional time to satisfy closing conditions". EMC chairman and CEO Joe Tucci referred to the Federal Trade Commission's regulatory review of the bid in …

Storage 29 Jun 10:04
Toyota in 'real time brainwave driver control' success

Handsfree driving only on wheelchairs for now

Japanese-headquartered motor globocorp Toyota says it has achieved and tested working "driver brain wave control". So far, however, it envisages the handsfree driving tech being used only in wheelchairs, rather than its roadworthy vehicles. According to Toyota, their Brain Machine Interface (BMI) kit is better than others' …

Biology 29 Jun 10:07
Britney Spears ~~dead~~ hacked

TwitPic exploit suspected in celeb fake obit assault

Britney Spears's Twitter account has been hacked again - this time around the fake microblogging update falsely reported that the troubled warbler was dead. The counterfeit update was posted via the TwitPic service, which re-posts "captions" associated with uploaded pictures to the associated Twitter account. Net security firm …

ID 29 Jun 10:14
Humberside koi carp rustlers trawl Google Earth

Ponds targeted from space, police believe

Humberside Police reckon a gang of koi carp rustlers are using Google Earth to identify garden ponds from which they subsequently fish their booty. East Hull has in the last three weeks suffered 12 nighttime raids, during which expensive carp and pond equipment have been lifted, according to the Hull Daily Mail. Police …

Bootnotes 29 Jun 10:30
NASA reacquires original Moon landing footage

Tapes discovered in Oz, agency confirms

NASA has seemingly confirmed that the original taped recordings of the first Moon landing have turned up in Australia - almost three years after the agency admitted it had carelessly mislaid them. The Parkes Observatory in Australia captured the 1969 live images straight from the lunar surface to magnetic tape. What the US …

Space 29 Jun 11:02
Girls Aloud net obscenity case falls at first hurdle

Prosecution offers no evidence

A landmark case, which could have led to draconian new restrictions on what UK authors may publish on the internet – and elsewhere – has been dismissed. Prosecution counsel were due today to open their case against Civil Servant Darryn Walker, aged 35, of South Shields, who was accused of publishing an allegedly obscene story …

Law 29 Jun 11:22
HSBC online banking hits another wall

Trouble at t'mill

HSBC customers are still struggling to access the banks' online service after we reported on Friday that the company was having technical trouble with its system. The Register has heard from plenty of disgruntled users of HSBC’s online banking system this morning, who find themselves still locked out of the service. El Reg …

IT Director 29 Jun 11:31
Intel to double SSD capacity

Roadmap brought forward by a quarter

Intel is expected to bring forward the projected doubling of its SSD capacities to as early as next month. The current X18-M and X25-M solid-state drives (SSDs) use a 50nm process and have 80GB and 160GB capacities with 2-bit multi-level cell (MLC) technology. A single level cell (SLC) X25-E has faster I/O rates and comes in …

Storage 29 Jun 11:36
Chaps: Give up, you'll never understand women

Pointless even to try, indicates new research

Further scientific evidence emerged today that a commonly-held viewpoint is actually true. At least in some respects, women as a group simply don't agree on what they want: it's fairly useless therefore for men seeking female companionship to strive towards an ideal of attractiveness. By contrast, male psychology is simple and …

Biology 29 Jun 11:43
Sony building design team for assault on iPhone?

PSP Phone rumour update

Rumours that Sony is planning to launch a PlayStation Portable phone have been doing the rounds for years. But now it has emerged that the firm may indeed be about take on the Apple iPhone with a hybrid gaming-cum-phone device. Respected Japanese website Nikkei has said that Sony plans to create a project team that will …

Reg Hardware 29 Jun 11:43
The bogus FM switch-off: Will you budge?

Andrew's Mailbag Don't touch that dial

So contrary to reports, we're not going to have an "Analogue Switchoff" - and 150m good radios won't stop working overnight (or merely be able to tune into static, plus a very local low-power FM station). It was all just a dream. Just a quick comment - can't see there being a switch off - well to DAB at least - I'm sure it …

Music and Media 29 Jun 11:52
Win a Samsung C6625!

Reg Lucky Draw Windows Mobile handsets up for grabs

The Register has teamed up with Microsoft to give two readers the chance to get their hands on the Samsung C6625 equipped with Windows Mobile 6.1. The handset features a 2.6” 262k tft screen, GSM Tri-band, HSDPA 3.6 MBPS connectivit for keeping in touch, a 2.0 megapixel camera with digital zoom, Assisted – GPS, 100MB of on- …

Mobile 29 Jun 11:53
Samsung premiers Blu-ray laptop

With anti-bacterial keyboard for germ-o-phobes

Combine a 16in HD display with a Blu-ray drive and assorted components, and what have you got? Samsung’s latest laptop, which the firm claimed is perfect for mobile movie moguls. Samsung's R620: sports an 16:9 16in, 1920 x 1080 display The R620 has a 16:9 aspect ratio full HD widescreen to ensure that those annoying black …

Reg Hardware 29 Jun 11:55
Dell Inspiron Mini 10v netbook

Review The Small, Cheap Computer is back. Hurrah!

In the 18 months since Asus rocked up with its Eee PC 701 and kicked off the whole netbook malarkey, we've seen the number and types of devices that are nominally included in the category expand almost exponentially. As Ms Streisand so appositely noted, it was all so simple then. Dell's Inspiron Mini 10v: a true Small, Cheap …

Reg Hardware 29 Jun 12:02
Firefox 3.5 set to land tomorrow

It's got a touch of Tuesday Weld

Mozilla is expected to spin out a complete version of Firefox 3.5 tomorrow, more than six months on from when it had originally planned to release the browser. A company rep confirmed on Friday that 30 June had been earmarked for the day Firefox 3.5 would be shipped. Firefox 3.1 morphed into 3.5 earlier this year. Mozilla …

Applications 29 Jun 12:06
Cyber security minister ridiculed over s'kiddie hire plan

'Naughty boys' nonsense

Security experts have strongly criticised suggestions by a government minister that former hackers might play a key role in Britain's newly announced cybersecurity strategy. Lord West, the Home Office security minster, made the controversial suggestion that the government had recruited former hackers to work in its new Cyber …

Crime 29 Jun 12:36
A Google monopoly today means packet snooping tomorrow

A plan to protect our privacy

Now that America’s lawmakers have repaired the world economy, they can turn their attention to more mundane matters, such as saving the Internet. There’s an inherent conflict between traditional notions of personal privacy and the Internet’s emerging goldmine, targeted advertising. Other than the subscription fees that …

Telecoms 29 Jun 13:11
Stop ID cards, says Scottish minister

Nae mair o'that

The Scottish government has reiterated its opposition to Whitehall's plan for national identity cards. Minister for community safety Fergus Ewing has written to the new UK home secretary Alan Johnson asking for the scheme to be cancelled. He has disputed claims by UK immigration minister Phil Woolas that the scheme would …

Government 29 Jun 13:26
Owners say iPhone 3GS is a scorcher

Don't put it under your pillow...

Owners of Apple’s latest iPhone, the 3GS, have begun letting off steam online with claims that the smartphone gets hot enough to cause itself and its owners physical harm. This 3GS' owner claimed his super-hot phone caused burn marks on the back 3GS owners from around the globe have posted pictures and descriptions in …

Reg Hardware 29 Jun 14:01
EU plays catch up on mobile single charger standard

Only 18 months after agreement reached

The EU Commission has welcomed the mobile industry's commitment to using a single charging standard, only 18 months after the industry agreed it and two years after the Chinese government mandated it. This time it's a Memorandum of Understanding to use Micro-USB signed by Apple, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, RIM, Samsung …

Mobile 29 Jun 14:07
The human factor in laptop encryption

Lock down the business managers!

Hardly a day goes by without news of some laptop containing sensitive information about customers or staff getting lost or stolen. The latest high profile example is the Bord Gais burglary in Dublin in which an unencrypted laptop containing the bank details of 75,000 electricity customers was stolen. Hilariously, Bord Gais told …

Enterprise Security 29 Jun 14:09
DARPA hands BBN $30m in evil 'Machine Reading' plan

Satanic devil project to automate low-rent journalism

Famed techsploration company BBN - renowned for inventing forerunner internet kit, and for giving the world the "@" symbol in email addresses - has received a hefty wedge of green from the US military to automate out of business everyone who uses the internet for a living. The spinoff cartoon series should be interesting, at …

Science 29 Jun 14:45
Broadcom ready to raise Emulex bid

Can't we at least just sit down and talk?

Broadcom could be about to raise its $9.25/share bid for Emulex and so get the FCoE firm to at least sit down and talk, if sources are to be believed. Ethernet switch and chip supplier Broadcom is trying to buy Emulex in the face of determined Emulex board-level objections. Emulex has Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) …

Storage 29 Jun 15:13
Court reinstates ID theft charges in email hack case

Malicious gossip connected to suicide

US judges are grappling with the implications of a workplace email hacking case that led to the suicide of a local official. Christopher Baron, 33, an emergency medical technician from Wisconsin, allegedly hacked into the email account of EMS Director Mark Fisher back in August 2006. Messages suggesting Fisher was engaged in …

Crime 29 Jun 15:20
Firefox's little cousin pops out of den

Fennec for all (at least those running Windows Mobile)

The mobile version of Firefox, Fennec, has gone into general release with a version available for Windows Mobile 6 devices - though anyone hoping to replace their existing browser might want to hold off for a while. The release is officially versioned "alpha 2" and is designed to gain more feedback on both the browser and, …

Mobile 29 Jun 15:24
StorageWorks goes Citrix and Hyper-V virtual

HP cosies up to Citrix

HP is automating the provisioning and virtualisation of its storage arrays with Citrix and Microsoft server virtualisation. It's supporting Citrix's StorageLink interface to enable its EVA, MSA and LeftHand arrays to be used to better effect in Citrix XenServer and Microsoft Hyper-V environments. Virtual server, desktop and …

Virtualization 29 Jun 15:35
Bull waves red flag at HPC with blade supers

Never mind the bullx

Having seen its partner Sun Microsystems get the bulk of the 200 teraflops Juropa supercomputer blade cluster deal at Forschungszentrum Jülich, French server maker Bull is trying to position itself as the European favorite for future deals at places such as FZJ with a new line of Xeon-based blade supers called bullx. Yes, they …

HPC 29 Jun 15:54
Yes! It's the air-powered car!

Leccy Tech Just a load of the proverbial?

Luxembourg-based engineering concern MDI has unveiled a car powered by, of all things, compressed air. The air-powered Airpod car, from firm MDI Well, when we say 'car', what we really mean is a three-wheel, sub-500kg urban run-about, working prototypes of which are currently trundling around France. Called Airpod, the …

Reg Hardware 29 Jun 16:31
FTC settles with scareware scammers on reduced terms

10 cents per victim? We've spent the rest

US consumer watchdogs at the Federal Trade Commission have agreed to settle a lawsuit against rogue security software distributors on reduced terms. James Reno and ByteHosting Internet Services were found responsible for distributing scareware products that used underhanded methods. The scam foisted software of no utility on …

Malware 29 Jun 17:35
Obama: the face of USB Flash storage

Fail to the Chief?

Technology usually ignores politics, but every true American patriot will want Active Media’s latest gadget: a President Obama USB Flash drive. Active Media's Obama Flash drive Despite lacking any White House authenticity, the Obama drive does come pre-loaded with 80MB of free presidential-grade material, including pictures …

Reg Hardware 29 Jun 18:02
Amazon.com dumps North Carolina affiliates

Says ta-ta in anticipation of taxes

Amazon.com was willing to blink for New York state's online taxing plan, but it's not putting up with North Carolina. The online retailer said it's dumping all its North Carolina-based business associates in anticipation of the state passing a law that forces it to collect sales tax on locals. Amazon emailed its North …

Music and Media 29 Jun 18:34
Microsoft to offload digital ads agency?

Madmen not wanted

A French marketing specialist is reportedly the latest beau being targeted by Microsoft for an arranged marriage with its digital advertising pick-up Razorfish. Microsoft has appointed Morgan Stanley to find a buyer for Razorfish, with Publicis thought to be in the running for an acquisition the FT has reported. Razorfish has …

Music and Media 29 Jun 18:50
Steve Jobs finds part-time work

Succession question postponed

Steve Jobs has returned to work a full day before Apple's oft-promised "end of June" deadline. Jobs, though, is not back in a full-time capacity. Apple chief executive and co-founder will instead be a part-timer until further notice. The company refused to say how many days a week Jobs will be putting in. Heck - Apple’s just …

Business 29 Jun 19:34
Mitnick site targeted in DNS attack on webhost

"Mantrained"

A website belonging to security expert Kevin Mitnick was compromised after hackers managed to access a domain name server maintained by the site's webhost and redirect visitors to pages that displayed pornographic images. It was the second time in the past few years that a security lapse at hostedhere.net has allowed hackers …

Security 29 Jun 21:12
US IT staff salaries and benefits shrink

Experience pays - eventually

US Salaries are down across organizations and job titles, but compensation might be holding up better than you'd think - especially if you hang in there - according to Janco Associates' mid-year salary survey. First, let's take a look at the average IT job across all titles and see how that has changed. According to Janco, the …

Business 29 Jun 21:58
Stallman: open-source .NET 'danger' for Debian

Microsoft patent warning

Richard Stallman, founder of the GNU project and a General Public License author, has slammed plans to include Mono in Debian's default install as a "dangerous" risk for the open-source community. In a statement published on the Free Software Foundation site, Stallman says the move is being taken "for the sake of Tomboy which …

Software 29 Jun 22:24
Notorious phone phreaker gets 11 years for swatting

End of the (party) line

A notorious phone phreaker has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison after admitting he took part in a scheme that hacked phone systems to fake emergency 911 calls that sent teams of heavily armed police to the home of unsuspecting victims. Matthew Weigman, 19, of Massachusetts received 135 months for his part in one …

Crime 29 Jun 22:57
HDS spices up mid-range

Things get dense

HDS has added a raft of incremental upgrades to its AMS2000 line of mid-range storage arrays. The standard expansion tray is now accompanied by a high-density tray, a 4U enclosure with 48 drives inside it. The maximum number of drives supported hasn't been raised though, and so array capacity limits are unchanged. HDS has also …

Storage 29 Jun 23:01
Hip-hop site served child porn, police say

Unbeknownst to operator

Police in Switzerland have uncovered a child pornography ring that secretly used a hip-hop website to distribute illegal images to some 2,300 computers in 78 countries. The videos depicting minors engaged in sexual acts were hidden in the unidentified site where the principal content was "perfectly legal," Jean-Christophe …

Crime 29 Jun 23:31
Sun hardens OpenSolaris for EC2

A bunch of different AMIs for the masses

In the wake of the launch of the OpenSolaris 2009.06 release earlier this month, the open source Solaris project has packaged up a bunch of Amazon Machine Image (AMI) virtual machines based on OpenSolaris so they can be deployed on the ECS compute cloud. A few days after the release, the project put out a 32-bit AMI image for …

Servers 29 Jun 23:51