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20th August 2009 Archive

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  • Indictment scuttled alleged credit-card hacker’s plea

    Angry Gonzalez attorney speaks

    Alleged hacker Albert "Segvec" Gonzalez was close to signing off on a comprehensive plea agreement that would have settled all pending charges when he was indicted on new counts Monday, according to a published report that cited his lawyer. Gonzalez, who was already awaiting trial on charges he stole data for hundreds of …

    Security 20 Aug 2009, 00:03

  • Online minor marketing law marked web's 'worst'

    Dubious legislative process

    A US law stopping online firms selling to minors has made number-one in a top-ten list of "the worst internet laws in America". The law in question is 10 MRSA c.1055 and was passed by the Maine legislature at the end of its session this June. This local legislation has gone to the top of a debut list of the web's worst …

    Media 20 Aug 2009, 00:53

  • OFT to probe online advertising, pricing tactics

    Which is the best price comparison site, anyway?

    Consumer protection watchdog the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) will investigate online pricing tactics and internet advertising techniques that mislead consumers, it has said. It will also probe price comparison sites and behavioural advertising. The OFT, which polices the behaviour of businesses on behalf of consumers, may …

    The Channel 20 Aug 2009, 09:21

  • Devon force divulges ANPR towns online

    TV promo website spills the beans

    Devon and Cornwall Police has published the location of some of its road surveillance cameras on its website, despite these normally being secret. The webpage, which publicised the force's appearance in Crimefighters, a fly on the wall ITV1 series, says the force has Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems running in …

    Law 20 Aug 2009, 09:32

  • ProStor makes new money from old data

    Analysis Removable disk tech lights up the archives

    Archiving is no big bucks bonanza. Look at the declining tape business, the collapse of Plasmon, and Copan struggling to survive. Yet in this harsh environment, startup ProStor, with its removable disk technology, appears to be booming. ProStor is a tape cartridge replacement play. A fundamental difference from tape is that …

    Storage 20 Aug 2009, 09:45

  • Samsung's second Android spied online

    InstinctQ pictured

    Images of Samsung’s second Android-based smartphone have cropped up online. Samsung's second Android phone: InstinctQ While the Galaxy i7500 sports a smart and streamlined body, the firm’s second Android device – InstinctQ – is a slider with physical Qwerty thumbpad – which may explain the use of the letter ‘Q’ in the phone …

    Phones 20 Aug 2009, 09:53

  • Anti-virus forgetfulness fubars Fox forecast

    Whither the weather?

    Measured and non-partisan US TV channel Fox was left looking rather silly after it forgot to renew the anti-virus subscription on an on-air PC. Attempts to switch to a weather forecast were interrupted after the PC concerned displayed a prominent warning that its Norton AntiVirus had expired. The presenter concerned didn't …

    Security 20 Aug 2009, 10:18

  • Sony to make rechargeable batteries last 4x longer

    No more exploding handsets?

    To read the Sony press release, you’d think that it had virtually invented the Lithium Ion battery in the first place, but now it has come up with a breakthrough next step – with a battery that will survive far more charges and discharges without its performance decaying. Sony says it has come up with a battery which will have …

    Hardware 20 Aug 2009, 10:35

  • BlackBerry to get Adobe Flash support?

    Microsoft's Silverlight too, it's claimed

    Research in Motion (Rim) would probably describe every BlackBerry as flash, but now the firm’s phones look set to become even more so: rumours are circulating that full Adobe Flash support is on its way to the range. Sources told BoyGeniusReport that full Flash integration will probably be made available for BlackBerry devices …

    Phones 20 Aug 2009, 10:37

  • A quarter of Brits packing multiple mobiles

    Hands and ears are only limit

    One in four Brits admit to owning at least two mobile phones, with respondents citing privacy, contracts and handset subsidy as motivation. The study was carried out by Opinium Research for moneysupermarket.com and involved asking 2002 people if they owned more than one phone and, if so, why. Eight per cent reckoned a second …

    Mobile 20 Aug 2009, 10:49

  • Beer drinking model to get caned in Malaysia

    Religious police call time on beach party

    A Malaysian model faces six lashes of the cane for drinking beer at a beach resort in the mainly Muslim country. Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 32, was busted last year at a hotel nightclub at Cherating in Pahang state, during a raid by the state's religious department, The Telegraph reports. She 'fessed up to drinking beer, …

    Bootnotes 20 Aug 2009, 10:51

  • 'Dragon's Egg' hurlable weeble-cams for US digi-troopers

    Land Warrior back, too. UK still working on Wheels 2.0

    US forces have become the latest to adopt a throwable camera system, intended to let combat troops see inside rooms, around corners and so on without exposing themselves to danger. Israeli forces have also used such equipment: the UK's MoD, by contrast, has chosen to fund British firms to develop a homegrown alternative. The …

    Science 20 Aug 2009, 11:01

  • MySpace shoehorns its way into Facebook with iLike buy

    That's the way, iLike it

    MySpace has gained control of social music technology used on Facebook and other rival sites by acquiring iLike in a deal reported to be valued at $20m. “The iLike acquisition advances our relentless pursuit of innovation and the need to create new distributed social experiences in music and beyond,” said MySpace CEO Owen Van …

    Media 20 Aug 2009, 11:22

  • 'Postpone Kyoto successor', urges climate boffin

    Doing nothing is better than doing something stupid in Copenhagen

    The chances of an international climate agreement being made at Copenhagen in December were already looking unlikely - but Japanese scientist Dr Syun Akasofu thinks we may as well call it off completely. The Copenhagen Conference is where the successor to the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty to reduce CO2 emissions, is due to be …

    Science 20 Aug 2009, 11:28

  • Orange prices up LG 3G watchphone for UK

    'Limited' launch next week

    Orange has finally posted a UK price for LG’s watchphone, the GD910. LG's GD910: £500 from Orange Despite previously stating that the video call-capable wristwatch could carry a UK price of up to £1000, Orange has now confirmed that the must-have gadget will only cost £500 ($827/€580) when it launches on 27 August – next …

    Phones 20 Aug 2009, 11:30

  • Police drag feet following DNA law change

    Green's off - 850,000 to go

    The Met has agreed to destroy DNA and fingerprints taken from Tory Immigration spokesman Damian Green last December - and they will delete other police records too. This follows a four-month battle, much foot-dragging, and a statement by ACPO that sounds suspiciously like yet more "off the cuff" law-making by the Police. The …

    Law 20 Aug 2009, 11:49

  • Georgens bags top NetApp job

    Warmenhoven steps aside after 15 years

    All change at NetApp as dominating long-term CEO Dan Warmenhoven steps aside and hands the CEO spot to his well-groomed successor, Tom Georgens. Dan Warmenhoven became NetApp CEO in 1994. As NetApp co-founder Dave Hitz tells it on his blog: "When he joined NetApp in 1994, we had forty-five employees and less than $10m a year …

    Storage 20 Aug 2009, 11:54

  • T-Mobile and AT&T stung in $22m handset scam

    Eight indicted in elaborate dealer fraud

    Eight people have been indicted by a Brooklyn court for running a scam that involved dealers using customer details to order handsets, in a fraud worth $22m. The charges allege that two of the defendants, who ran cellular dealerships in New York and Florida, picked up customer details from the network's databases, then used …

    Mobile 20 Aug 2009, 12:00

  • Samsung S8000 Jet

    Review Pokey processor eclipsed by user friendliness?

    The main selling point for the Samsung S8000 Jet isn't its OLED screen, or its 5Mp camera, or even its sleek and compact good looks. For this model, Samsung is highlighting a major element of the modern multimedia phone that often gets overlooked – the processor. The Samsung S8000 Jet comes with an industry-leading 800MHz …

    Phones 20 Aug 2009, 12:03

  • Canon slashes megapixels from next-gen PowerShot

    From the 14MP G10 to the 10Mp G11

    Canon has introduced its latest PowerShot camera: the G11, which replaces the existing G10. The first thing to note about the G11 is that Canon’s significantly reduced the number of megapixels between the two models. Whereas the G10 featured a 14.7Mp CCD sensor, the G11 is actually only a 10Mp camera. That's no bad thing. The …

    Hardware 20 Aug 2009, 12:20

  • Canon unveils pro- and family-oriented HD camcorder pair

    Two Legrias to stand on

    Still images bore some people to tears, so Canon has unwrapped two HD-capable Legria camcorders for them. Canon's Legria HF21 (left) and HF S11 camcorders The HF S11 and HF21 can both capture full 1920 x 1080p HD video, but Canon has positioned the S11 as a “pro-level” flagship camcorder and the less feature-rich HF21 as a …

    Hardware 20 Aug 2009, 12:29

  • HP strikes back on charges for 'free' Windows 7 upgrade

    'Don't look at us,' says Microsoft

    Hewlett-Packard has refuted complaints that it isn't fulfilling a promise of a "free" Windows 7 upgrade on PCs and laptops saying it had never made any such offer in the first place. "The UK communication regarding the Windows 7 upgrade from HP has never stated that this was available for free," a company spokeswoman told The …

    Operating Systems 20 Aug 2009, 12:53

  • Getting down and dirty with desktop virtualization

    Reader Workshop Drilling down on real world practicalities

    As discussed earlier this week there is growing interest in desktop virtualization, despite many IT professionals having limited detailed knowledge of the technologies in this area. The chart below, for example, taken from a Reg Tech Panel survey, indicates a good awareness of the potential benefits across all sizes of …

    Software 20 Aug 2009, 13:02

  • Orbital skydives to follow inflatable heatshield success?

    NASA steals march on Italian space-pod parachute babes

    NASA has announced a successful live test of a prototype inflatable heat shield for re-entry to a planet's atmosphere. The blow-up shield could have important implications for future missions to Mars - and also, perhaps, for the nascent field of orbital spacesuit skydiving. The test unit is known as the Inflatable Re- …

    Science 20 Aug 2009, 13:37

  • IEEE group aims to forge malware sharing standard

    Rebel Alliance forms to fight black-hatted evil empire

    The IEEE has brought together an alliance of anti-virus vendors in an industry group that aims to improve and better organise collaboration, with an initial focus on better standards for malware sample sharing. Vendors including AVG, McAfee, Microsoft, Sophos, Symantec and Trend Micro have signed up to the newly newly-formed …

    Security 20 Aug 2009, 13:47

  • Twitter profile image spam touts smut

    Racy rogue followers hunt sheep

    A Twitter spam campaign launched over Thursday night has seen many users of the micro-blogging site gaining new followers with racy profile images, inviting prospective marks to connect via MSN. The ruse follows the creation of hundreds of bogus profiles, each of which have latched onto numerous potential targets as followers …

    Security 20 Aug 2009, 14:34

  • Nokia innovation award sees little innovation

    Especially if snipers are thin on the ground

    Nokia's Calling All Innovators competition is listing finalists again, but while last time saw dancing games and Fair Trade guides, this year we've got sniper-safe routing and home automation. This time around the competition saw 1700 entries, which have been whittled down to 12 finalists looking for a share of the additional …

    Mobile 20 Aug 2009, 14:46

  • Bose updates high-end headphones

    Less distraction, more music

    Headphone manufacturer Bose has upped the ante in disturbance elimination, launching what it claims are its best performing and quietest cans to date. Bose's QuietComfort 15 cans: loud, proud and very comfy The QuietComfort (QC) 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones surpass Bose’s previous models by, the firm said, …

    Hardware 20 Aug 2009, 14:51

  • YouTube injects cash into US F1 team

    Chad Hurley hopes to be all-American hero

    YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley has joined the US Formula One team as its primary investor. The boss of Google's online video-sharing empire hopes to see the US F1 team, led by Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor, win in the motorsporting world's Grand Prix tournament in 2010 and beyond. Hurley will pump money into the US …

    Bootnotes 20 Aug 2009, 15:25

  • US Navy aims to make jetfuel from seawater uranium

    Analysis Vampire-lust tales will rot your brain

    Coverage of recent US Navy research into producing jet fuel from CO2 and hydrogen has been widely reported under headlines such as "making jet fuel from seawater". The coverage illustrates not only declining modern understanding of science and technology, but also the sad eclipse of proper science fiction by vampire-lust …

    Science 20 Aug 2009, 15:49

  • Amazon limits PS3 Slim sales

    One per household in the US; maybe here too

    Gamers hoping to shed some excess weight should act fast, Amazon has warned. The online retailer’s PlayStation 3 Slim stocks look set to sell out quickly, it reckons. The 120GB console – launched earlier this week – will be released in North America and Europe on 1 September, but Amazon’s US arm has already advised customers …

    Games 20 Aug 2009, 16:15

  • Platform shared with CUDA in software bundle deal

    Computing management software firm shares the load

    Grid and cluster computing management software company Platform Computing has inked a distribution agreement with graphics chip maker nVidia. It will see the HPC expert bundle nVidia's CUDA programming environment with its cluster management tools and integrate it into those tools. The move will allow Platform Computing's Load …

    HPC 20 Aug 2009, 16:44

  • Scientists ponder rules and ethics of robo helpers

    ROTM Anticipating mechanical cock-ups

    Futurists generally agree that autonomous robots will one day helm mankind's vehicles - largely due to the idea being totally awesome, but also because jet packs and rocket cars are terribly out of fashion within the profession. Do you trust your designated driver? But turning the wheel over to J.E.E.V.E.S. mk. II raises …

    Science 20 Aug 2009, 18:46

  • Palm rejected Jobs's 'no poaching' Applers offer

    Legality questioned

    Two years ago, Apple chief exec Steve Jobs suggested to Palm's then-CEO Ed Colligan that the two companies agree not to hire each other's employees. Colligan reportedly refused, saying such a deal would be "likely illegal". These revelations come in a report by Bloomberg on Thursday, less than two weeks after a similar …

    Business 20 Aug 2009, 18:57

  • Interoperability eludes Office and OpenOfffice

    OOXML-to-ODF results may vary

    The simple task of opening a Microsoft Word document in OpenOffice using Open Document Format (ODF) and moving it back without jeopardizing your hard work continues to prove elusive. Researchers have found a continued lack of interoperability between Office Open XML (OOXML), used in Word 2003 and 2007, and ODF more than a year …

    Applications 20 Aug 2009, 19:40

  • Chip makers to flex their bits at Hot Chips

    Eight-core ante for CPUs

    Next week, the IEEE's annual Hot Chips conference will be take place at California's Stanford University, and it looks like there's an eight-core ante for any microprocessor vendor who wants to make a presentation. On August 24, AMD kicks off Hot Chips 21 with a discussion on blade servers based on the future 12-core Magny- …

    HPC 20 Aug 2009, 21:20

  • Security bugs crawl all over financial giant’s website

    Ameriprise let flaws fester for five months

    For the past five months, a website for investment services giant Ameriprise Financial contained bugs that allowed even low-level criminals to inject malicious content into official company webpages and steal user's cookies, according to a web security expert. The XSS, or cross-site scripting, flaws made it possible for …

    Security 20 Aug 2009, 21:57

  • Oracle's Sun acquisition passes US anti-trust test

    Wanting closure

    The $5.6bn takeover of Sun Microsystems by Oracle moved another step toward closing as the US Department of Justice has given the acquisition its nod. Specifically, the DoJ terminated the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, according to a terse statement from Oracle, which reminded everyone that Sun's shareholders …

    Business 20 Aug 2009, 22:14

  • Internet junkie detox center claims US first

    Track addicts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

    A dedicated internet and gaming addiction recovery program has opened shop in Fall City, Washington, which claims to be the first of its kind in the US. The center, called reStart, is a 45-day anti-internet detox program located at the soothingly-named rural Heavensfield Retreat Center located some 20 minutes away from …

    Media 20 Aug 2009, 23:02

  • Music downloads greener than buying CDs

    iTunes = three billion miles saved

    Downloading digital music is better for the environment than buying physical CDs from a retail store or online etailer, according to a trio of researchers. Their study (PDF), entitled The Energy and Climate Change Impacts of Different Music Delivery Methods and sponsored by Microsoft and Intel, details an exhaustive …

    Media 20 Aug 2009, 23:23

  • Linux chief challenges Microsoft to pony up on patents

    No-fly-zone for operating systems

    Microsoft's earned the respect of certain sections of the open-source community for its engineering work around open-source and Linux. Specifically, its support for MySQL, PHP and JBoss on Windows and its involvement with Eclipse and Apache have been welcomed by developers and various community leaders in and around these …

    Software 20 Aug 2009, 23:47

  • OpenSUSE defaults to KDE

    Promises ongoing GNOME lovin'

    OpenSUSE is defaulting to the KDE desktop in the installation process beginning with the next release and onwards. An announcement of the switch was made Thursday via a mailing list posting by product manager Michael Löffler. Although SUSE Linux has historically been a major backer of KDE, the desktop environment was given …

    Operating Systems 20 Aug 2009, 23:56