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16th March 2010 Archive

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  • DWP upped IT development spend by a third

    Everyone needs £303m

    The Department for Work and Pensions increased its IT development budget from £224m in 2006-07 to £303m in 2008-09 to introduce online services. According to a parliamentary written answer published on 10 March 2010, the DWP spent the money "to improve customer service and streamline processes". A DWP spokesperson told GC …

    Government 16 Mar 07:02

  • Intel pushes workhorse Xeons to six cores

    Go Westmere, young man

    The first volley in the volume x64 server price war was officially fired today, with Intel rolling out its "Westmere-EP" Xeon 5600 processor. Rival Advanced Micro Devices is widely expected to counter with its "Magny-Cours" Opteron 6100 processors on March 29, to be followed by the long-awaited launch of Intel's "Nehalem-EX" …

    Servers 16 Mar 07:02

  • Opera unleashes final Opera Mini 5 and Opera Mobile 10

    Yes, Jesus Phone Mini still in limbo

    Opera has released final versions of its Opera Mini 5 browser for Java-based phones and BlackBerries and its Opera Mobile 10 browser for Symbian S60-based devices and Windows Mobile phones. Opera Mini is the Norwegian outfit's low-bandwidth mobile browser - a lightweight Opera incarnation that taps into proxy servers that …

    Mobile 16 Mar 07:02

  • Sony Bloggie

    Review YouTuber cam with 360° imaging, anyone?

    With our lives increasingly being played out on Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and Youtube, the market is awash with pocketable camcorders from the likes of Flip, Kodak and Creative to satisfy this on-line craving. Indeed, just about all the players in this game have released revitalised HD versions recently, with Sony’s Bloggie …

    Reg Hardware 16 Mar 08:02

  • ID cards have three databases, says minister

    Biometrics, passport data and in-betweenies

    Identity minister Meg Hillier says that the Identity and Passport Service has "custom built" its own database for the identity card scheme. Following reports that the IPS had scrapped plans to store biographical information on the Department for Work and Pensions' database, Hillier said that the controversial scheme has three …

    Government 16 Mar 08:49

  • Sheffielders must retune their Freeview boxes tomorrow

    BBC channels move to make way for HD

    Readers in the Sheffield area will tomorrow need to retune their Freeview boxes if they want to carry on watching BBC channels. Freeview said the change will have been implemented by 6am on the morning of 17 March, after which set-tops and tellies will need to be retuned. The channels are moving to make room for the …

    Reg Hardware 16 Mar 09:02

  • PC sales are back in the black

    Second half improvement

    After a miserable six months PC sales got back into positive territory in the second half of 2009. Figures from IDC showed a yearly growth rate of 2.9 per cent, pushed mainly by laptops and net books. Consumer sales of portable computers grew 38.5 per cent in 2009 compared to 2008. Business sales showed almost one per cent …

    Channel Register 16 Mar 09:06

  • Windows Phone 7 - what's in and what's out

    Mix10 MS says everything's in. Just not in this release

    "In this release, our focus is on phones purchased by consumers," said Microsoft’s Charlie Kindel, describing the Windows Phone 7 developer platform to attendees at the Mix conference in Las Vegas on Monday. "In this release" turns out to be a constant refrain, as he answers questions, usually in the negative. Is there a …

    Mobile 16 Mar 09:19

  • LibDems drop net blocking, blame activists

    Mandybill Ministerial superpowers back on the table

    LibDem peers agreed to drop their controversial net-blocking clause from the Digital Economy Bill after the government advised that the proposal would be legally unenforceable. It means the Bill now heads for the Commons with one of the key copyright infringement countermeasures up in the air, although it's likely to be a return …

    Government 16 Mar 09:29

  • Small biz suffocated by employment red tape

    Not waving but drowning

    Britain's small businesses are struggling with the constant flow of employment red tape emitted by Westminster. Complex regulations are restricting companies' ability to innovate and compete and will also hit future job creation, according to the British Chambers of Commerce. UK unemployment figures are due for release …

    Small Biz 16 Mar 09:34

  • US Marine robot supply skyhook compo: Enter the A160T

    Lid remains firmly on whup-ass can, however

    Mighty aerospace mammoth Boeing has made a late entry in the contest to supply the US Marines with robot helicopter supply skyhooks, able to move stuff in and out of isolated forward bases in Afghanistan without input from human operators. Don't worry lads, we've got the incredibly heavy disc right here At first sight, it …

    Physics 16 Mar 10:01

  • LSI's SAS DAS SAN

    SAN in a rack with no network

    LSI is announcing a 6Gbit/s SAS switch that enables servers in a rack to share direct-attached storage, turning DAS into a rack SAN. It comes either as a half-width 2U product, the SAS6160, or a full-width 1U product, the SAS6161. The maximum cable length with active copper wire is 25m and so this is for single or dual rack …

    Storage 16 Mar 10:12

  • Twitter seeks to embed self in everything

    Web2.0rhea 'anywhere'

    Twitter has unveiled a new set of tools for embedding its Web2.0rhea service in third-party websites. Dubbed "@anywhere," these JavaScript-based frameworks were announced yesterday with a company blog post and an apparently soporific keynote from CEO Evan Williams that sent half his audience for the exit doors within an half …

    Applications 16 Mar 10:13

  • Reality star Pratt shuns showbiz to be cybercrime superhero

    A right tool for the job

    A star from the The Hills reality show has announced his supposed intention to take a break from his lucrative TV career in order to fight cybercrime. Spencer Pratt, who recently appeared with drastically-enhanced wife and Hills co-star Heidi Montag in the US version of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, reportedly hopes to …

    Enterprise Security 16 Mar 10:23

  • Sony announces pre-announced netbook revamp

    Vaio M debuts

    Sony has launched the Vaio M netbook that retailers began including on their websites a couple of weeks ago. Sony's Vaio M: bog-standard netbook spec? As expected, the machine - the M11M1E, to give it its full model number - is based around a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor and a 10.1in, 1024 x 600 display. The specs are …

    Reg Hardware 16 Mar 11:09

  • LSI and Seagate take on Fusion-io with flash

    Muscling in with PCIe flash product sampling

    LSI and Seagate are sampling an LSI-branded server bus flash card, taking on Fusion-io which has been running away with this kind of product. LSI's SSS6200 has six Seagate Pulsar SSDs (solid state drives) with up to 300GB of capacity and uses the X8 PCIe 2.0 interface. PCIe and SAS connectivity have been provided by LSI. …

    Storage 16 Mar 11:29

  • Google fails to grab Nexus name

    It's nothing new

    Google has demonstrated that it too can name a phone without waiting until it owns the name: its attempt to get Nexus One recognised as a trade mark has been rejected. Google filed for a trademark on "Nexus One" in December, but the rejection of that filing was noted up by Why The Lucky - though an appeal is likely on the …

    Mobile 16 Mar 11:38

  • Google vows to delete Chrome's unique client ID

    After it's installed on your PC

    Google is changing the way it handles the unique identifier that accompanies each installation of its Chrome browser. As noticed by H-Online, a Google white paper (pdf) says the company will now delete the unique ID after the browser updates itself for the first time. Google has confirmed with The Reg that the change will be …

    ID 16 Mar 11:40

  • Street View plays spot the army numberplate

    Royal Artillery thwart Google blurring tech

    We reckon Google has done a pretty good job with its Street View blurring tech, protecting innocent UK numberplates from public scrutiny, and it's fair to say that the army only has itself to blame for the military's insistence on using a different format to the civvy world: Well, that's the Royal Artillery barracks on …

    Bootnotes 16 Mar 11:42

  • After Sony PSP phone, a 3G Nintendo DS?

    Rumour mill

    Mobile gaming lies at the heart of all the best smartphone rumors this quarter, so it's no surprise that talk of a Nintendo handset have resurfaced. The Japanese firm is reported to be preparing a complete revamp of its DS handheld console for launch at June's E3 show, which would come with embedded 3G and ship in time for the …

    Reg Hardware 16 Mar 11:45

  • EMC's big DaaDy box

    Comment You gotta havva box to make this sucka fly

    EMC's super-duper globally federating Data-at-a-Distance scheme requires a box to do the work. No box - no federation. So what has Tucci got up his sleeve? In EMC Global Marketing Chief Technology Officer Chuck Hollis' blog about EMC's DAaD ideas, he writes about storage federation: "It's easy to imagine this being delivered …

    Servers 16 Mar 11:46

  • Pirate Bay blocking row silenced in Norway

    Copyright holders lick wounds

    The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and a pro-copyright group have given up their fight to get telecoms outfit Telenor to block access to The Pirate Bay in Norway. The rights' holders have twice failed to convince Telenor to comply with its demands to cut off the BitTorrent tracker decentralised …

    Law 16 Mar 11:56

  • US Army considered attack on Wikileaks

    Mole hunt mulled

    It is claimed that leaked documents show the US Army felt sufficiently threatened by security breaches on Wikileaks that it considered ways it might wreck the site. A 2008 report by the Army Counterintelligence Center, classified Secret, calls for a mole hunt and prosecutions to undermine potential sources' trust in Wikileaks …

    Government 16 Mar 12:08

  • Twitterati swarm on malaria campaign

    Status: itchy

    The UN Special Envoy for Malaria has released the names of his Social Media Group who have promised to do their bit to keep malaria prevention programmes in the public eye. Joining the group shouldn't be too much of a burden - members are asked to send one malaria-relevant tweet, or Facebook entry, every month for a year. …

    Music and Media 16 Mar 12:15

  • Manchester's on fire for ID cards, claims ID minister

    Support doubles to hit magic 10k mark... allegedly

    Home Office Identity Minister Meg Hillier is now pitching ID cards as a weapon against social exclusion, and has mysteriously truffled-up nearly 6,000 extra ID card enthusiasts, meaning enrolments will hit 10,000 next week. Was it not just last week she said they'd only had 4,307 applications? Yes it was. Furthermore, says …

    Government 16 Mar 12:32

  • China tells Google to obey law even if it's leaving

    No exit papers received

    China has warned Google that it must obey government rules even if it decides to exit the country. On Tuesday, Reuters reports, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce said that among other things, Google must report to the ministry if it intends to shutter its Chinese operations. As it stands, the ministry has not …

    Government 16 Mar 12:37

  • Five loses Freeview HD bandwidth

    Capacity handed to BBC instead

    Five will not appear on Freeview HD before 2012 after the channel failed to satisfy broadcasting watchdog Ofcom that it is fully committed to HD. The capacity earmarked for the channel will likely go to the BBC, paving the way for an expansion of the Corporation's BBC HD channel. This week, it emerged the Ofcom recently …

    Reg Hardware 16 Mar 12:52

  • Anti-virus suites still can't block Google China attack

    Analysis Protection layer flunks independent tests

    The vast majority of consumer anti-virus products are still failing to block the Operation Aurora exploits used in the high profile attack against Google and other blue-chip firms last December, according to independent tests. NSS Labs evaluated the effectiveness of seven popular consumer endpoint security products to see …

    Malware 16 Mar 12:52

  • Jobcentre ejects Jedi Knight

    Refuses to dehood, stormtroopers intervene

    A Southend Jedi Knight who refused to dehood in his local Jobcentre was escorted from the premises by security stormtroopers, the Sun reports. Chris Jarvis, 31, is described as a Star Wars fan and member of the International Church of Jediism. Said church's intergalactic hoodie uniform is at odds with the strict doctrine of …

    Bootnotes 16 Mar 12:53

  • 'The LHC will implode the Moon or PUT OUT THE SUN'

    Tinfoil Tuesday Proton-billiards miscue might pocket the black (hole)

    Here on the Reg Large Hadron Collider (LHC) desk, where we follow the rollercoaster triumphs and disasters which occur at the world's mightiest particle-thrasher, there are occasional quiet spells. Right now, for instance, the titanic machine is shut down for a couple of days' technical tweaks. On such days we cast about us …

    Physics 16 Mar 12:58

  • SNCF website announces major train disaster

    TGV 'explosion' leaves 102 dead, operator claims

    French railway operator SNCF has apologised after its website earlier today announced a major disaster involving a TGV, which left 102 dead and 380 injured. According to French media, the alert just before noon fingered "an explosion of unknown origin today on board TGV 1234, close to Mâcon". SNCF now admits "this never …

    Bootnotes 16 Mar 13:16

  • Sky to pack pubs with 3D TVs

    Broadcaster buys 15,000 LG tellies

    Sky has bought 15,000 3D TVs from LG and will install them in pubs... er... "public venues" the length and breadth of the land. Sky's 3D TV service is due to launch in April following a preview event held in January when nine UK pubs screened the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United. Do not …

    Reg Hardware 16 Mar 13:21

  • Panorama unleashes Torrents of Web2.0rhea

    Pick a character

    BBC1's flagship current affairs program was devoted to file sharing last night, and contained something to piss off a range of lobbyists. Usually when this happens, BBC producers often conclude "they're doing something right", and pour themselves a large, congratulatory drink. They shouldn't, because while the program succeeded …

    Music and Media 16 Mar 13:39

  • O2 gets exclusive on Samsung Jet Ultra Edition touchphone

    Gangster giveaway to promote iPlayer handset

    O2 has won the exclusive rights to sell Samsung's BBC iPlayer-enabled Jet Ultra Edition touchscreen handset. The Jet Ultra Edition - aka the GT-S8000 - is a dual-band 3G, quad-band GSM Edge phone with a 3.1in, 800 x 480 OLED display, 5Mp camera, Wi-Fi and TV output. Samsung's Jet Ultra Edition: BBC iPlayer on board …

    Reg Hardware 16 Mar 13:43

  • Home Office, EHRC rap top cop knuckles

    Over-enthusiastic plodding alienates public

    The age-old dilemma of whether the police need more powers in order to carry out their job effectively was back in the public arena this week. First, there was the publication of advice to police chiefs by Home Office Minister David Hanson warning in no uncertain terms that police over-enthusiasm to use Terror laws to clamp …

    Government 16 Mar 14:00

  • Shuttle gets a handle on all-in-one touchscreen PCs

    Takeaway nettop launched

    Shuttle has revamped its Atom-based all-in-one touchscreen PC design, equipping the DIY computer with a skinny, 36mm-thick case and a handle to carry it around. The X50V2 currently ships in a "barebone" configuration, which means it lacks storage, memory and an operating system. Shuttle's X50V2: pret a porter? That said, …

    Reg Hardware 16 Mar 14:04

  • Googlephone sales top, um, 135,000

    Only 865,000 behind the Jesus Phone

    Google has sold a mere 135,000 Nexus One phones since the smartphone's much-ballyhooed launch on 5 January, according to the latest numbers from mobile analytics outfit Flurry. The estimate covers the handset's first 74 days of existence. By comparison, the inaugural Apple iPhone reached a million sales in its first 74 days. …

    Mobile 16 Mar 14:19

  • PayPal says sorry to Cryptome

    No you're not

    PayPal's chief of legal affairs has apologised to Cryptome after the eBay-owned payment service confiscated its funds without explanation. John Muller, ultimately responsible for setting PayPal's guidelines, says the payment company made a mistake. He adds that he was a fan and former donor to Cryptome. Operator John Young …

    ID 16 Mar 14:37

  • Pliant's SSDs are awesome, says Pliant

    You said. So?

    Solid state drive startup Pliant has announced a benchmark saying its SSDs rock - as it said back in September. Why is it bothering to tell us? The benchmark is from an independent tester, Oakgate Technology, but it was presumably paid for by Pliant. It claims 16 Pliant 300GB LS 300S SSDS delivered 1.1 million IOPS "with a …

    Storage 16 Mar 15:31

  • Intel wants vintage x64 servers on rubbish heap

    Time to buy Westmere, says Westmere maker

    With the economy on the mend - at least by gross measures that may not mean a hill of beans to people on the street - Intel thinks it is putting its "Westmere-EP" Xeon 5600 processors into the field at precisely the right time. Not only are people more willing to spend money than they were a year ago, but their aged servers are …

    HPC 16 Mar 15:49

  • Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 embraces - yes - HTML5

    Browser preview powers web standards with GPU

    Microsoft is focusing on performance and HTML 5 standards support in Internet Explorer 9, the next version of its web browser. IE is the most widely-used web browser, though its market share is in decline thanks to strong competition from Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and others. At the Mix conference in Las Vegas on …

    Applications 16 Mar 16:31

  • Computer forensics tool for banks aims to trace Trojans

    CSI UK High Street

    Transaction security firm Trusteer has launched a remote forensics service designed to allow banks to diagnose if a client's PC has been infected with malware following incidents of suspected fraud. The Flashlight service is designed to allow strains of malware to be quickly identified without having to physically examine a …

    Security 16 Mar 16:36

  • Waledac botnet 'decimated' by MS takedown

    Up to 90,000 zombies freed

    Communications within the notorious Waledac botnet have been "effectively decimated," thanks to a novel takedown approach that combined court actions with a variety of technical measures, a Microsoft program manager said Tuesday. "Operation b49," as Microsoft dubbed the takedown, has severed as many as 90,000 infected PCs from …

    Malware 16 Mar 17:37

  • SGI punts baby Xeon blade box

    Going back to its Origins

    While a lot of server makers are merely talking up how their existing machines support the new six-core "Westmere-EP" Xeon 5600 processors from Intel, which launched today and which offer some advantages over prior generations of x64 chips, Silicon Graphics is actually putting a new Xeon 5600 machine into the field. That new …

    HPC 16 Mar 19:50

  • Navy, NASA 'committed' to restoring Silicon Valley Colossus

    Hangar One to survive - if funding appears

    The long-running campaign to restore Silicon Valley's beloved 1930s mega-relic, Hangar One, has passed another milestone: the US Navy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have jointly "committed" to reskinning the toxically troublesome edifice. This milestone, however, comes with a weighty millstone …

    Space 16 Mar 19:59

  • Feds use phony MySpace profiles to nab bad guys

    Insert ironic comment here

    Undercover US agents are infiltrating MySpace, Facebook, and other social networking sites with false online profiles in an attempt to nab users under investigation for breaking the law, a Justice Department document reveals. The revelation exposes the Kafkaesque double standard employed by federal prosecutors, who in 2008 …

    Crime 16 Mar 20:02

  • IBM taps Red Hat KVM virt for dev cloud

    VMware can't win them all

    Big Blue wants developers to create and test their code on its IBM Cloud, and it expects them to code for Red Hat's commercial implementation of the open source KVM hypervisor for x64 servers. Last June, IBM booted out the first of its CloudBurst cloudy infrastructure packages of servers, storage and the systems software to …

    Servers 16 Mar 21:18

  • Twitter plans Chinese presence

    But don't hold your breath

    Google may be "99.9 per cent" certain that it will leave China, but Twitter will instead move into the Middle Kingdom. Eventually. Or so Twitter creator Jack Dorsey told a New York gathering sponsored by news site ReadWriteWeb. According to a report in Tuesday's New York Times, Dorsey was asked by Chinese artist and activist …

    Music and Media 16 Mar 22:38

  • Feds sue Russian for stock pump and dump hack

    Hijacked accounts = easy money

    The US Securities and Exchange Commission accused a Russian man of earning more than $255,000 in illegal stock sales by using hijacked brokerage accounts to artificially manipulate the price of shares in more than three dozen companies. Valery Maltsev used a legitimate account to buy positions in 38 thinly traded stocks, and …

    Malware 16 Mar 22:43