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17th July 2009 Archive

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  • DHS chief accused of using no-fly list for political payback

    State treasurer suspects airport blackballing

    Arizona's state treasurer is not-so-subtly accusing President Obama's Homeland Security chief of abusing America's "no-fly" list to satisfy a personal vendetta against him. State Treasurer Dean Martin told Arizona CBS affiliate KPHO that his name suddenly appeared on the government's list of those banned from US commercial …

    Government 17 Jul 00:19

  • Bus-Tech downsizes VTL for small mainframes

    Sub-10TB market beckons

    Bus-Tech says small and medium businesses with mainframes, who can't afford IBM or Sun StorageTek prices, can buy its down-sized virtual tape library (VTL). Apparently there are lots of mainframes operated by SMBs, typically hospitals, universities and local government organisations. They often have less than 10TB of data, and …

    Servers 17 Jul 07:02

  • STEC on a roll for enterprise SSDs

    $120m SSD supply to an array supplier

    STEC is trumpeting a $120m supply deal to a large enterprise storage customer - EMC, HP or IBM, we reckon - emphasising it's virtually the only solid state disk supplier in town for enterprise hard drive arrays. STEC expects that revenue from the sale of its ZeusIOPS hard disk drive replacement SSDS will exceed $220m in 2009. …

    Storage 17 Jul 08:02

  • Sony Ericsson C903

    Review Mobile for cost-conscious photo fanatics

    We recently took a look at the jewel in Sony Ericsson's 'C' for camera range, the 8Mp C905 Plus, and so the arrival of the C903 marks an exercise in cost cutting. Yet, this mid-range model with a 5Mp camera retains many of the features to be found in its higher priced and higher spec’d cousin. Sony Ericsson's C903 camphone …

    Reg Hardware 17 Jul 08:02

  • Isilon makes grab at NAS performance crown

    SPEC claims drowned out by bickering

    Isilon's claimed SPEC benchmark score has shown just how good Exanet systems are - says Isilon. Isilon, which provides scale-out NAS clusters, has published the results of a Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC) sfs2008 NFS benchmark for its IQ 5400S product. A 10-node 5400S cluster delivered 46,635 IOPS, with a …

    Storage 17 Jul 09:00

  • Microhoo! deal! back! on!

    Again?

    Microsoft and Yahoo! are close to finalising a deal on search and display advertising. The deal which just won't die isn't over yet, but senior executives have flown from Redmond to Silicon Valley for final discussions. If the fine print can be settled, a deal could be announced within a week, All Things Digital reports. So …

    Financial News 17 Jul 09:08

  • Cost of seconding workers to the UK could soar

    These foreigners come over here, pay our taxes...

    The cost of seconding employees from overseas could rise by almost 25% when tax changes are made next year, an expert has warned. Though planning could reduce the exposure, employers will face increased wage bills, he said. Tax changes affecting all UK employees will hit firms which second workers hard, because they are often …

    IT Director 17 Jul 09:25

  • HP offers EDS staff unpaid leave, cuts in hours

    Inventive redundancy alternatives

    HP has emailed EDS staff offering unpaid leave and temporary cuts in hours and wages in an attempt to cut costs. Before the end of October staff can take either unpaid leave or a reduction in working hours. All breaks need to be negotiated with managers and there is a minimum take-up of five days. Workers can either take a …

    Channel Register 17 Jul 09:29

  • Oz cops turn to wardriving to fight Wi-Fi 'jackers

    Fuzz logic

    Police in the Australian state of Queensland are to go on the hunt for unsecured wireless networks. Claiming that "the crooks are out there driving around trying to identify these [open] networks", Queensland Police Detective Superintendent Brian Hay told local site ITnews that the Boys in Blue will now do the same. Folk …

    Reg Hardware 17 Jul 09:34

  • Government cancels Scope 2

    'Failing' secure intelligence plan drops off 'scope

    The Cabinet Office has cancelled the second phase of work on the development of a secure intelligence network. It confirmed that it has ended the project, following an announcement in July of last year that it had suspended the work. This followed reports of technological problems and escalating costs. A spokesperson for the …

    Channel Register 17 Jul 10:00

  • Xbox 360 reverses plunging console sales trend

    Poor month for rivals

    Games console sales in the US fell 38 per cent last month when compared to June 2008, market watcher NPD's latest numbers show. Microsoft alone can take some solace. It was the only console maker to shift more units in June 2009 than in June 2008. Back then, it sold 219,000 Xbox 360s. In June 2009, some 240,600 were sold. …

    Reg Hardware 17 Jul 10:04

  • Firefox update fixes zero-day JavaScript flaw

    Just-in-Time vuln fixed in nick of time

    Mozilla has released an update version of Firefox that addresses a previously unpatched flaw that has become the target of hacking attacks over recent days. Firefox 3.5.1, released on Thursday, resolves a Just-in-Time (JIT) JavaScript compiler flaw in version 3.5 of the popular open source browser software, as explained in …

    Applications 17 Jul 10:18

  • Would you leave your child alone with a cabinet minister?

    Govt says kids safer with politicians than authors

    When it comes to vetting adults who may come into contact with children, there is yet again one rule for politicians, another for the rest of us. There is much fuss in this morning’s papers over a statement by Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials trilogy, that once the government’s new vetting system is in place, he …

    Government 17 Jul 10:28

  • Dell sets date for Vostro all-in-one UK debut

    iMac-like biz machine for cramped office desks

    Dell brings its new iMac-alike business desktop, the Vostro All In One, to the UK next month, the PC giant said this week. Dell's Vostro All In One: a laptop without the hinge and battery? Said to be the firm's first all-in-one desktop computer designed exclusively for small businesses, the Vostro may have a wider appeal …

    Reg Hardware 17 Jul 10:31

  • Spooks' favourite IT firm tells Reg readers to grow up

    Time for mature chat on privacy

    Detica managing director Martin Sutherland wants to have a privacy debate with you, but reckons you need to grow up a bit first. As boss of the UK intelligence establishment's favourite IT contractor - now part of the UK defence establishment's favourite megacorp, BAE Systems - he's well aware of the tension between what's …

    Government 17 Jul 11:03

  • Opera slams Microsoft's Windows 7 E move - again

    Hokey-cokey IE8 option not good for rivals

    Microsoft is continuing to insist it has gone to great lengths in recent months to appease European antitrust watchdogs by saying it will “respect the user choice of the default browser” in Windows. However, rival browser maker Opera, which brought the original complaint about Microsoft tying its browser to its operating …

    Software 17 Jul 11:34

  • Iran blocks Wikileaks

    Site condemns their 'Berlin Wall moment'

    Iran has blocked access to whistleblowers' site WikiLeaks, ahead of today's expected protests. The site complains that it carries very little content about Iran and much of that shows the machinations of US intelligence-funded efforts to destabilise the country. A statement from WikiLeaks seems to have some sympathy with Iran …

    Government 17 Jul 11:36

  • Wikipedia's Gallery guy hung up to dry?

    Exclusive Facing up to National Portrait Gallery

    Wikimedia Foundation says it's standing behind Wikipedia contributor Derrick Coetzee in his defence against legal threats from the National Portrait Gallery. But Coetzee has been stripped of administrator privileges, which leaves him unable to comply with the Gallery's request, El Reg has learned. This leaves Coetzee directly …

    Music and Media 17 Jul 11:39

  • Boffin calculates cash value of memories

    Brits would rather have the money

    Some people may consider memories to be priceless, but one British boffin has devised a way to place a precise Sterling value on every reminiscence. Dr David Lewis, a self-styled "neuromarketing pioneer", has come up with the following formula, which factors in a memory's perceived importance, the kind of memory it is, how …

    Reg Hardware 17 Jul 11:51

  • App dev security – where are the risks?

    Tackling bigger and better idiots

    Thanks for some great comments from the article about making applications more secure. One of my favourites was, “It's all very well trying to make your software idiot proof, but the problem is that the world keeps creating bigger and better idiots.” How true this often appears. Meanwhile, from secure applications we can turn …

    Applications 17 Jul 12:02

  • MS sues ringtone firm over smut-punting IM spam scam

    SPIM phishers feel the wrath of Redmond's lawyers

    Microsoft has set its legal attack dogs on a Hong Kong distributor of mobile ringtones, over allegations that it has flooded Microsoft Live Messenger users with deceptive, fraudulent IM spam messages ultimately aimed at promoting online smut. Funmobile has allegedly sent thousands of spam messages via instant messages (SPIM) …

    Spam 17 Jul 12:09

  • What's happening with XIV?

    Comment IBM's stealthy storage machine

    It's eighteen months since IBM bought Moshe Yanai's XIV business in January 2008, with much subsequent puzzlement from industry commentators and trashing-by-blog from competitors. Some people reckoned it was a failure. That seems to be the wrong view. IBM chief financial officer Mark Loughridge has said that IBM has gained …

    Channel Register 17 Jul 12:12

  • Google Docs to get 'shiny new' interface

    Pieces o' silver, perhaps?

    Mountain View has the builders in over at Google Docs, where the company is working on a new interface for the online office app. While the work is taking place, Google is warning users that ongoing tweaks might be noticeable during the “next few weeks” while it applies the facelift to Docs. It’s hardly surprising to see …

    Applications 17 Jul 12:26

  • Swedish devil girls fingered on Street View

    Shock sequence captures cyclist molestation

    Our shock exposé yesterday of the tattooed Swedish devil girls who jumped a cyclist, deprived him of his trousers and underpants and made merry with his wedding tackle had some commenters demanding photographic evidence of the outrage. Well, by an amazing coincidence, El Reg had its roving snapper on the streets of Örebro on 8 …

    Bootnotes 17 Jul 12:31

  • Ministry of Justice issues digital preservation code

    It certainly worked for the DNA database

    The Ministry of Justice is recommending that public bodies do more to preserve digital records, and is extending FoI to more organisations. Announcing the updated guidance, justice minister Michael Wills said the new recommendations will help ensure that digital records stored by public sector organisations can be accessed and …

    Government 17 Jul 13:31

  • HP hoovers up IBRIX

    Monster buys alien

    HP is buying IBRIX and its parallelised, scale-out file-serving software for an undisclosed amount. Privately-held IBRIX is a competitor in the clustered NAS space alongside Exanet, Isilon, NetApp, with ONTAP GX, and Panasas. It was founded in 2000 by ex-Yale University maths professor Steven Orszag. The idea was to speed I/O …

    Storage 17 Jul 13:51

  • Guns N' Roses blogger dodges time in slammer

    Under house arrest with anti-piracy ad to follow

    A Los Angeles man who pleaded guilty to illegally uploading nine Gun N' Roses songs onto his music site has dodged jail time. Earlier this week a federal judge sentenced Kevin Cogill to a year's probation. He will also serve two month's confinement, have his computer activity monitored by the government, and record a public …

    Music and Media 17 Jul 13:53

  • Nikon D5000 digital SLR

    Review Satisfying stills with HD thrown in

    You’ve got to hand it to those marketing bods who are constantly on the lookout for a gap in the market. Not so long ago, digital SLRs were neatly divided into high-end/entry-level models, but now, consumer DSLRs come in a variety of specifications aimed at specific groups of users. Nikon’s D5000 is a good example. It’s …

    Reg Hardware 17 Jul 13:54

  • SpinVox offers pounds of own flesh to staff

    In lieu of actual spendy pounds

    Voicemail transcription service SpinVox is offering staff share options over the summer instead of boring old wages - though the company is keen to emphasise this is about shared ownership rather than running out of money. The offer came in a mail sent out to employees and is cited as a reaction to the credit crunch. No one is …

    Mobile 17 Jul 14:38

  • Accenture saddles up Symbian development

    Apple et al quake in terror

    Accenture has bought Nokia's Symbian Professional Services unit, and will be responsible for helping device manufacturers get version ^2 onto their handsets. Neither party is saying how much Accenture (the artist formerly known as Andersen Consulting) has paid for the unit, but the deal includes 165 staff who'll be transferred …

    Mobile 17 Jul 14:50

  • Memory-hogging bug offers universal browser crash exploit

    DOM and dumber

    Security researchers have published details of a security flaw that can crash multiple browsers across multiple platforms. There are many more flaws out there that are more serious, but the security shortcomings in JavaScript's DOM (Document Object Model) are nonetheless noteworthy because the issue affects Firefox, Safari, …

    Mobile 17 Jul 15:08

  • Google not liable for defamatory search snippets

    High Court heads off flood of cases from world + dog

    Google is not the publisher of defamatory words that appear in its search results, the High Court ruled yesterday. Even when Google had been told that its results contained libellous words, it was not liable as a publisher, said Mr Justice Eady. The search giant's US and UK operations were sued in England by a London-based …

    Law 17 Jul 15:44

  • Lexus unveils hybrid

    Leccy Tech Prius' big brother

    Lexus has launched its first dedicated hybrid. Called the HS250h, it is the first model in the Lexus line-up that will be available exclusively as a hybrid. Think of it as the Toyota Prius' posh big brother. In US spec, the HS250h is powered by a 2.4l four-cylinder petrol engine that pumps out 147bhp but it also has an …

    Reg Hardware 17 Jul 16:02

  • IBM peddles FCoE switches from Brocade and, yes, Cisco

    Sleeping with the enemy

    IBM this week threw its support behind Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) switches, saying that it would be reselling one of the FCoE converged data center switches from new server rival Cisco Systems as well as putting another switch in the field from Brocade Communications. The launch of the Converged Switch B32 from IBM …

    Data Networking 17 Jul 17:26

  • Riot police raid birthday barbecue for 'all-night' Facebook tag

    Four cars, van, helicopter storm 15-guest cookout

    Riot police stormed a man's 30th birthday barbecue for 15 guests because it was advertised as an "all-night" party on Facebook. Four police cars, a riot van, and a force helicopter were dispatched to a privately-owned field in a small village near Sowton, Devon in the UK on Saturday, ordering the party shut down or everyone …

    Odds and Sods 17 Jul 17:44

  • Copan chief walks the plank

    MAID man no more

    MAID storage array supplier Copan Systems has parted company with CEO Mark Ward. The departure is abrupt, and there is no replacement CEO. Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Chris Santilli said "I can confirm that Mr Ward is no longer CEO of Copan Systems. It was a sad time to see him go." Copan supplies MAID (Massive …

    Storage 17 Jul 20:48

  • Verizon plays handset exclusivity games with US Congress

    Pares pacts to 6 months - if you're irrelevant

    In a predictable attempt to deflect government scrutiny with a near meaningless policy change, Verizon Wireless has announced that its handset-exclusively deals will expire after six months for all wireless carriers serving fewer than 500,000 users. To wit, Verizon handset pacts will still prevent its three largest competitors …

    Wireless 17 Jul 20:56

  • Apple, Microsoft sued over iPod, Zune controls

    Texas touchpad trouble

    Apple, LG, Microsoft, and 20 other companies are being sued for patent infringement by a Texas firm that claims to have invented the touchpad. Tsera LLC, a Texas business that's apparently named after a defunct Native American tribe, filed the suit on Wednesday in the US District Court, Eastern Texas Division. According to …

    Music and Media 17 Jul 20:57

  • NASA orbiter returns first shots of Apollo moon sites

    Bigger, better pics to come

    NASA's lunar orbiter has returned its first pictures of the Apollo moon landing sites. The images — showing the missions' lunar module descent stages accented by their shadows from a low sun angle — may at least prove to die-hard conspiracy theorists that NASA went to considerable lengths to relocate its secret movie studio in …

    Space 17 Jul 21:50

  • Clever attack exploits fully-patched Linux kernel

    'NULL pointer' bug plagues even super max versions

    A recently published attack exploiting newer versions of the Linux kernel is getting plenty of notice because it works even when security enhancements are running and the bug is virtually impossible to detect in source code reviews. The exploit code was released Friday by Brad Spengler of grsecurity, a developer of …

    Security 17 Jul 22:32