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21st September 2009 Archive

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  • Adobe speeds Flash to Tweekbook, mobiles

    Roll up and roll out service

    Adobe Systems is rolling out services to ease deployment of Flash-based games, media, and apps on various social networks and mobile phones. The company will usher in the first of its Adobe Flash Platform services with a distribution manager that pumps Flash content and applications to more than 70 social networks, such as …

    Developer 21 Sep 04:02

  • AMD grows very own Opteron chipsets

    Niche play. For now

    Advanced Micro Devices has delivered its first server chipsets derived from its acquisition of ATI Technologies. The Fiorano platform that launches today will have three different chipsets, not the one pairing of the I/O hub and southbridge that we had been lead to expect when AMD sped up its Opteron chip roll out in April, …

    Channel Register 21 Sep 05:09

  • Service management: A million jobs or a job with a million parts?

    Workshop Just because they can doesn't mean they are

    Not so long ago there was the stuff that IT folk did, and there was stuff that non-IT folk did. The business was run by business people, and the IT department was run by IT people. Of course it made sense for the two sides to interact. To the outsider, it may have looked like the IT folk needed some business sense to help them …

    Service Management 21 Sep 07:38

  • 3D tech-agnostic set-top box designed

    Displays 3D on any type of 3D TV, claim manufacturers

    A standard way of displaying 3D content on a TV screen has yet to emerge, with manufacturers currently developing 3D-capable sets using a handful of different technologies. The Sagem/Sensio STB works with any type of 3D TV, the makers claim For broadcasters, such as Sky, this creates a problem. Transmitting one programme in …

    Reg Hardware 21 Sep 09:18

  • Palm getting heavy over non-O2 Pré sales?

    Pre-order retailer claims Palm lawyer drop-in

    Palm has allegedly called in the lawyers to ensure that O2’s UK exclusivity on the Pré smartphone isn’t broken. A retailer listing the GSM Pré on pre-order has claimed that lawyers acting on Palm’s behalf have requested that the page be taken down, according to a report by website MyPre. Last week Register Hardware published …

    Reg Hardware 21 Sep 09:21

  • Skype founders sue former Joost boss

    Trade secrets spat goes public

    The founders of Skype are suing Michael Volpi, the ex-chairman of Joost, for allegedly stealing trade secrets relating to the peer-to-peer technology shared by Skype and the web TV firm. The two, Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, have already taken legal action against eBay through their company Joltid, which they say owns the …

    Law 21 Sep 09:22

  • Dot Hill starts Software RAID

    AMD links up via Southbridge

    Disk array subsystem supplier Dot Hill is selling a software RAID product to run on multi-core processors. In keeping with its selling of disk array products to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) Dot Hill is supplying its Virtual RAID Adapter (VRA) software in its RAIDCore line to OEMs as well. In fact, AMD has signed up …

    Channel Register 21 Sep 09:36

  • Rambus threads DDR3 memory

    Weaves a solution for multi-core hosts

    Rambus has devised a way of making DDR3 memory multi-threaded, so that it can better support multi-core servers. It has worked with Kingston Technology to build a threaded module prototype using DDR3 DRAM technology. The two say early results show an improvement in data throughput of "up to 50 per cent, while reducing power …

    PCs & Chips 21 Sep 09:41

  • Time for a change on the desktop?

    Reg Reader Studies Insights from Reg readers

    A combination of the economic downturn and lack of appetite for Vista means that many have deferred desktop upgrade activity over the past year or two. If the stories of economic green shoots and the virtues of Windows 7 are to be believed, however, we are likely to see desktop modernisation coming into focus again as we look …

    Tech Panel 21 Sep 10:02

  • Facebook app flaws create Trojan download risk

    Anti-social networking

    Grey-hat hacker Unu has discovered cross-site scripting vulnerabilities involving Facebook applications, of a type that might be used to distribute Trojan horse malware or launch other hacking attacks. The Romanian hacker - well known for identifying security flaws in the websites of banks, security firms and the UK parliament …

    ID 21 Sep 10:05

  • British troops snapping up e-book viewers?

    Squaddies succumb to E-Ink

    Bookworms and tech fans aren't the only ones buying e-book viewers, it seems. A British Army source has reportedly claimed that soldiers based in Afghanistan are lapping up the gadgets. E-book viewers, such as Sony’s PRS-505 and imported versions of Amazon’s Kindle, are the most popular Christmas present request amongst …

    Reg Hardware 21 Sep 10:05

  • Microsoft adopts Say-on-Pay measure for shareholders

    Hands 4% pay rise to Big Steve

    Microsoft jacked up CEO Steve Ballmer’s salary by four per cent for the company’s bumpy 2009 financial year, which ended in June. Redmond paid Ballmer $665,833 compared to his 2008 salary of $640,833, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission regulatory filing. The Microsoft boss, who at the start of this year …

    Financial News 21 Sep 10:29

  • Britons warned of plague of the 'supercats'

    Ferocious feline chimeras menace dogs, children

    Britain is at risk from being overrun by ferocious "supercats", as domestic moggies interbreed with fierce wildcats increasingly being imported by extreme pet owners. The stark warning comes in both the Daily Mail and the Telegraph. Each paper informed its pussy-loving readers this week of warnings from animal welfare groups …

    Biology 21 Sep 10:58

  • MSI adds to slim, light notebook clan

    Two X400 models launched

    MSI has expanded the super-thin, super-lightweight notebook category with the launch of its latest model – the X400. MSI's latest slim and portable notebook: the X400 The notebook’s 1500g weight – which includes a four-cell battery – and 9mm thickness make the X400 “one of” the slimmest and most stylish notebooks available …

    Reg Hardware 21 Sep 10:58

  • Environment Agency goes to High Court for right to spy

    A RIPA idea

    Government officials investigating illegal dumping will go to the High Court in attempt to win similar intrusive surveillance powers to MI5. The Environment Agency wants its investigators to be able to trespass on private land and bug vehicles. "They are a useful tool," a spokeswoman said. The agency today blamed dodgy …

    Policing 21 Sep 11:26

  • Word handling bug shoots down StarOffice

    Starstruck

    Sun last week pushed out a set of updates designed to fix a flaw in its StarOffice and StarSuite office software packages. Problems in handling Microsoft Word documents by Sun's open source alternatives created a code injection risk. Users induced into opening malformed documents could wind up with pwned Windows PCs because of …

    Enterprise Security 21 Sep 11:28

  • Citroën redesigns the 2CV

    Leccy Tech "A lively performer with strong acceleration", apparently

    Citroën has joined VW in proclaiming the redesign of an iconic model as a leccy concept for tomorrow, which - in this case – is the 2CV. Citroën's Revolte harks back to 2CV days The hybrid Revolte e-car is powered by “a small-capacity conventional combustion engine combined with an electric motor and a battery re-charging …

    Reg Hardware 21 Sep 11:43

  • Suicide bum-blast bombing startles Saudi prince

    Anal-ysis Fundamentalist fundament mentalist strikes

    It has emerged that a fanatical al-Qaeda suicide terrorist attempted to kill a Saudi interior minister last month by concealing a bomb up his bottom (the terrorist's, not the minister's). The strategy backfired, so to speak, as the bum-bomber's own body muffled the deadly arse-blast and his target escaped with only minor …

    Science 21 Sep 11:59

  • Packard Bell dot m/a netbook

    Review A realistic rival for Intel's Atom

    Packard Bell may not a name you immediately associate with the latest word in netbooks, but now that it's part of Acer, all that may be about to change. Acer has big plans for the Packard Bell brand: it intends to develop PB into the very acme of trendy tech desirability. Apparently. Packard Bell's dot m/a: rarely, a netbook …

    Reg Hardware 21 Sep 12:02

  • Bureaucrat behind bars for creating 1,400 fake kids

    There's tax fraud, then there's taking the piss

    A civil servant and his accomplice are both behind bars today after being found guilty of a massive identity and tax credit fraud. John Brian Agdomar, 42, of Hackney, East London, got four and a half years for tax credit fraud, relating to the creation of identities for 1,400 imaginary children and the claiming of £1.2m in tax …

    Law 21 Sep 12:03

  • Women spending more time at work - but less time working

    Numbers don't add up

    A performance analysis software vendor has risked inflaming the battle of the sexes by declaring that "women work hard, but not quite as hard as men". OfficeMetrics claimed that its research showed that over the last nine months, UK office workers were tending to spend more time in the office, as they seek to impress their …

    IT Director 21 Sep 12:25

  • Dell to buy Perot Systems for $3.9bn

    Michael finally gets into services big-time

    Michael Dell has finally gained a place at the IT services top table by buying Perot Systems for $3.9bn. Dell will pay $30 a share for Perot Systems - its stock is currently trading at $17.91, giving a premium of 67.5 per cent. Perot Systems' chairman, Ross Perot Jr, becoming a Dell board candidate. Perot Systems will become …

    Channel Register 21 Sep 12:33

  • Mozilla extends WebGL support to Minefield

    3D goggles await

    Mozilla has added WebGL support to its Firefox trunk. It's the browser outfit's latest attempt to improve 3D graphics handling capabilities in Firefox. Developer Vladimir Vukićević said Mozilla had been experimenting with WebGL for several years now and has already used it in projects such as Canvas 3D, which allows users to …

    Applications 21 Sep 12:39

  • Intel used rebates to freeze out AMD, EC docs show

    Email evidence behind billion euro fine

    The European Competition Commission has released more of the evidence that lay behind its decision to fine Intel over a billion euros for abusing its market position and undermining competion in the chip market. The Commission quoted emails from Dell executives which made clear that its rebates from Intel were conditional on …

    Channel Register 21 Sep 12:50

  • World's first motion-controlled headphones outed

    SensMe tech makes comeback

    Taking calls and listening to music through your mobile phone is now easier than ever, Sony Ericsson (SE) has claimed, following its launch of motion-activated headphones. Sony Ericsson's MH907 cans use SensMe tech to monitor motion Supposedly a world’s first, the MH907 cans activate and end phone functions based on you …

    Reg Hardware 21 Sep 13:14

  • Blue Shield provokes fresh China censorware row

    ISPs 'forced' to apply proxy surfer blocker

    China is reportedly pushing local ISPs to apply a censorware filter that's even more onerous than Green Dam, the PC software add-on that provoked an international privacy and censorship row this summer. Landun (or Blue Shield) is even "more powerful than its problematic predecessor Green Dam", according to Reporters Without …

    Telecoms 21 Sep 13:40

  • Cosmic flashbulb effect caused by 'black-hole invaders'

    Whirly star-gobble intrusions to blame, seemingly

    Boffins at Leeds Uni say they have come up with a new explanation for the mysterious astronomical phenomena known as "gamma ray bursts" (GRBs) because they consist of bursts of gamma rays. GRBs, originally noted by US military spy sats looking for evidence of surreptitious commie nuke tests, are puzzling because of their …

    Space 21 Sep 13:59

  • Noel Edmonds brings Cosmic Order to the iPhone

    You too could be presenting Deal or No Deal

    iPhone users searching for meaning and direction in their sad and unfulfilled lives can rest easy, thanks to Noel Edmonds and his Cosmic Ordering application. Cosmic Ordering is the latest name for deciding what you want and then trying to achieve it, this time thanks to the awesome power of the cosmos as channelled through …

    Mobile 21 Sep 14:02

  • UK university embraces iPhone

    Creates app for students

    A British university has written an iPhone application to help its freshers find their way to pubs and cash machines lectures and the library. UCLan's iPhone app should help students with daily life The University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) iPhone app apparently lets students keep up with the latest news and events …

    Reg Hardware 21 Sep 14:03

  • HP bundles up services for data centres

    Stop this DIY nonsense, please

    If buying servers and storage are a daunting experience for small and medium businesses, then trying to figure out what services they might need - and might even be able to afford - from their platform providers is a nearly impossible task. And that, says Hewlett-Packard, is one of the reasons why SMB shops don't buy as many …

    Channel Register 21 Sep 14:29

  • Ofcom enacts Ultrawide Band

    To a thunderous round of indifference

    UK regulator Ofcom has set out the regulations under which Ultrawide Band radio connections can be used, despite the fact that no-one seems very interested in deploying UWB right now. Ofcom's considered response is in stark contrast to the initial legalisation, which was rushed through against the fear of grey imports flooding …

    Wireless 21 Sep 15:06

  • New Wii by 2011, claims gaming exec

    Updated controller also forecast

    Nintendo could launch a next generation Wii within two years, a leading videogames publisher has forecast. Yoichi Wada, Chief Executive of Square Enix, said he believes that Nintendo will release a “new Wii” by 2011, boasting functionality on a par with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 or Sony’s PlayStation 3. Wada also told the …

    Reg Hardware 21 Sep 15:32

  • Faster Barracuda escapes from Seagate

    Five year warranty for new SATA drive

    Seagate is launching the first 6Gbit/s 2TB drive, the Barracuda XT, and altering the Barracuda naming convention at the same time. Seagate's Barracuda XT features a 2TB capacity Instead of the 'Barracuda 7200.11' and '7200.12', with the suffix signifying the 11th and 12th generations of a drive spinning at 7200rpm, the new …

    Storage 21 Sep 16:05

  • Five-year-mission solar stratocruiser prototype is go

    $155m 'Vulture II' robosunbird gets off drawing board

    The famous Pentagon tech wildcards at DARPA have announced plans to move forward with a flying, full-size prototype "Vulture" strato-wingship able to cruise the upper atmosphere for 5 years without landing. The Vulture programme got underway last year with three competing industry teams carrying out development work on …

    Science 21 Sep 16:08

  • Ubuntu's Lucid Lynx sprays sweet perfume at freeloaders

    Marking out the roadmap

    The founder of Linux distie Ubuntu has outlined plans for the platform’s next release (10.04), which is expected to land in April 2010. Mark Shuttleworth said in a video message to attendees of the open source outfit’s UbuCon Atlanta meeting yesterday, that the next version of the distribution carries the code name Lucid Lynx …

    Operating Systems 21 Sep 16:17

  • FCC boss moves for stiffer net neut rules

    'Smart cop on the beat'

    The head of the US Federal Communication Commission has proposed formal net neutrality rules that would prohibit internet service providers from discriminating against particular content or applications. "Because it is vital that the Internet continue to be an engine of innovation, economic growth, competition and democratic …

    Networks 21 Sep 17:39

  • Dell plus Perot - It's a start

    Analysis But what about the finish?

    Dell's $3.9bn acquisition of Perot Systems comes after two years of sweet talking by Dell chairman and chief executive officer, Michael Dell. While adding the Perot services business to Dell's own will certainly help the PC, server, and storage maker on a number of fronts, the acquisition will almost certainly not be the last …

    Channel Register 21 Sep 17:42

  • Apple seeks cure for iPhone battery woes

    Direct fanboi contact

    Stung by a torrent of complaints about its iPhone 3.1 OS update, Apple has contacted some affected users and asked them for their help in tracking down one of its many problems: poor battery life. As we reported last week, Apple's discussion boards - among other websites - have been alive with posts from users who have …

    Mobile 21 Sep 20:07

  • IBM Linux chief: Chasing desktop Windows a 'dead-end'

    LinuxCon 2009 You won't thrive unless you specialize

    IBM says that battling for desktop market share against Windows is a "dead-end" for Linux. Bob Sutor, IBM's vp of open source and Linux for IBM, opened the inaugural LinuxCon conference held in Portland, Oregon on Monday with predictions for the open source desktop, telling developers they won't thrive unless they specialize. …

    Channel Register 21 Sep 20:20

  • Hardware biz issued trojan-laced drivers, says researcher

    Razer burn

    A maker of hardware for computer gamers has taken its support site offline following a report that it was surreptitiously distributing malware on its downloads section. Carlsbad, California-based Razer took the precautionary move after Rik Ferguson, a senior security adviser in Europe with anti-virus firm Trend Micro, warned …

    Security 21 Sep 21:29

  • Microsoft's Office Web Apps - a long way from here

    Review Inside the (half-baked) tech preview

    The arrival of an online version of Microsoft Office is a significant event, especially after IDC's Melissa Webster reported that nearly 20 per cent of companies already use Google Docs (if not exclusively). Last week, Redmond released an invitation-only Technical Preview of Office Web Apps. But does it have what it takes to …

    Channel Register 21 Sep 21:34

  • Yahoo! to shed open source Exchange rival?

    Zimbra on the block

    Yahoo! may be shedding more mojo. According to All Things Digital, the web giant is looking to offload Zimbra, the open-source email and collaboration outfit it acquired just two years ago for $350m. Sources tell ATD that Comcast and Google are potential buyers. Comcast is a Zimbra user - the open source package powers the …

    Channel Register 21 Sep 23:26

  • USB 3.0 slouches towards Bethlehem

    Everyone wins. Except the eSATA crowd

    An NEC announcement Monday should make it easier to get USB 3.0 products to market, perhaps as soon as this holiday season. NEC's USB 3.0 "design solution" marries the company's new system-on-chip (SoC) IP core with its USB 3.0 µPD720200 host controller released this May and certified by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). …

    Hardware 21 Sep 23:33