1st July 2010 Archive

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Mozilla submits browserless Firefox to Jobsian app police

Give our Home a home, please

Mozilla has submitted its browserless Firefox application to the Apple App Store. The open source outfit has no intention of submitting Firefox itself. It doesn't want to take the browser where it's not wanted. But it has built an iPhone version of Firefox Sync, the browser bookmark-syncing service formerly known as Weave, and …

Mobile 1 Jul 00:35
Korg NanoKey MIDI controller

Review Compact keyboard of the musical variety

The Korg NanoKey is one of the smallest musical keyboards you can buy. At just 320 x 83 x 14mm, it’s almost exactly the same width as a 13in laptop. Small enough to slip into a briefcase or laptop bag, the tiny form factor nonetheless features a two-octave, 25-note keyboard. Korg's NanoKey: worth making a note of? Because …

reghardware 1 Jul 07:02
Beeb sacks teaboy, hires Press Association

Updated Television Centre photo debacle continues

The BBC Television Centre stock photo saga has taken a new, dramatic twist this morning, with the news that the Press Association has been called in to provide the definitive snap of Auntie's own building. On Tuesday, this piece by business editor Robert Peston was illustrated with a stock photo from Getty Images, something …

Music and Media 1 Jul 07:18
EMC cans Atmos Online service

No longer for production use

Cloud storage booster EMC has canned its own Atmos Online cloud storage service, referring customers to its three "world-class service providers". EMC launched the Atmos Online service in May, 2009. Fourteen months later this has been downgraded to a development resource. A note on EMC's Atmos Online web site says: We are no …

Storage 1 Jul 08:31
Colorado vampire drives woman into canal

SUV takes a dip in Nosferatu chiller

An unnamed Colorado woman whose SUV ended up in a canal blamed the mishap on a vampire, 9news.com reports. The chilling Nosferatu incident happened on a dirt road in Mesa County, west of Denver. The driver told Colorado State Patrol operatives "she saw the vampire in front of her car so she put her SUV into reverse and went …

Bootnotes 1 Jul 08:36
Amazon buys wacky retailer

Woot the fook?

Etail monster Amazon has bought Woot.com - the community and wacky one-a-day gadget website. In the words of its own blog: "Woot to be acquired by Amazon, then left to amuse ourselves." The company will operate as an independent subsidiary of Amazon and remain in its Texas HQ. The company, which hopes in its FAQs to hit …

Financial News 1 Jul 08:38
Naomi Campbell to appear in war crimes trial

As a witness, we hasten to add

Supermodel Naomi Campbell will be summonsed to a war crimes trial in The Hague, the Telegraph reports. Mercifully for fans of the battling Streatham clotheshorse, she is not accused of committing terrible atrocities on unarmed civilians with a PDA, but rather will appear as a witness in the trial of former Liberian president …

Bootnotes 1 Jul 09:19
eBay sticks sell-as-you-go on mobile app

Insta-tat-flog at your fingertips

eBay is adding the ability to sell on the move, for those of us (mostly Brits) who find impulse buying isn't enough. UK shoppers conducted 65 per cent of the mobile business done through eBay in Europe last year, spending a total of £64m. Now that's going to get even easier with new apps for Android and BlackBerry devices, as …

Mobile 1 Jul 09:28
ECJ sorts FOI v data protection brewery beef

Have a beer and forget we ever asked you

The European Commission was right to blank out the names of five people who attended a vital brewing industry meeting on data protection grounds because a beer maker had not justified its request for the names, an EU court has ruled. The European Court of Justice (ECJ), the European Union's highest court, has overturned a …

Law 1 Jul 09:33
Sony releases 3D shooting update for NEX

Pictures for your 3D TV - if you have one

Sony has release a firmware update that brings 3D photography to its NEX interchangeable lens cameras. The update allows the camera to quickly snap two slightly different pictures of the same subject. These are then stitched together by the NEX's electronics to create a stereoscopic 3D photo ready to show on a 3D TV, if you …

reghardware 1 Jul 09:59
Sony turns a profit on PS3, so why cut prices?

Bleeding into the black

Sony is no longer "bleeding" on the Playstation 3, and is making a small profit for the first time on sales of the console. The company is keen to defend a $299 retail price point and as PS3 stocks are low, and demand is high, it has no need to drop prices just yet. That's what Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony's Worldwide …

reghardware 1 Jul 10:06
Animated CAPTCHA tech aims to fox spambots

Wiggly words will weduce web wexation

Replacing text puzzles featuring distorted letters with videos as a roadblock against the automated creation of web accounts can reduce user frustration while offering improved security, according to a Canadian start-up. CAPTCHAs (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) have been used for …

Enterprise Security 1 Jul 10:11
Pixel Qi releases sunlight-readable netbook screen

Upgrade kit for netbooks now available

Pixel Qi - the 'Qi' is pronounced 'chee' - the company behind a type of e-paper that's not only colour and able to cope with video but is also claimed to be fully readable in bright sunlight, has begun shipping its promised netbook conversion kits. The display panel on offer is a 10.1in job. Pixel Qi doesn't say what the …

reghardware 1 Jul 10:19
Nokia snaffles user data on the down-low

Both N900 owners in uproar

Users of Nokia's N900 tablet are outraged at the news that the latest OS update automatically collects details and signs them up to services, without the option to opt out or cancel. The initiation into the MyNokia service comes at the end of the installation of the latest update – PR1.2. Once the user has downloaded and …

Mobile 1 Jul 10:28
The challenges of mobile billing

Workshop The devil's in the detail

Managing mobile costs is one of those meaty issues that most people can share more than a few stories about. Whether it is the PA in HR who was running up bills of £500 a month calling her aunty in Australia, or the guy in sales who though it was OK to download a few episodes of Top Gear to pass some time while he was trying to …

Mobile Workshop 1 Jul 10:53
One third of Brits are gamers

Blame Farmville

Blame Farmville, blame iPhone apps, blame mini-shockwave games, but we are all gamers now. Or to be a precise, a third of us - those British men (34 per cent) and women (31 per cent) who say they are gamers. This is the finding of the 2010 survey into European gaming attitudes, compiled by the ISFE and ELSPA, two trade bodies …

reghardware 1 Jul 10:54
Google plays waiting game on China ICP licence renewal

Application submitted, fate unknown

The operator of Google.cn submitted an Internet Content Provider (ICP) licence renewal request yesterday on behalf of Mountain View. Xinhua news agency reported that Guxiang Information Technology Co. Ltd, which runs Google’s China website, applied for the licence and vowed to “abide by the Chinese law”. The application was …

Government 1 Jul 10:56
Former CIO returns to Cabinet Office

Watmore gets efficient

Ian Watmore, the government's first chief information officer, has taken up a new position at the Cabinet Office. He is to become the chief operating officer at the head of the new Efficiency and Reform Group, an appointment at permanent secretary level. The Cabinet Office said Watmore will work closely with its senior …

IT Director 1 Jul 10:58
Health minister outlines tech spending

Which consultants screw the most out of the NHS?

Tory MP for Hove Mike Weatherley has been bombarding the Ministry of Health with questions on its technology spending, but he's having mixed success. The first effort on Tuesday asked for a percentage of NHS IT spending which went on online services, a percentage of spending on technology which could only be maintained by its …

Government 1 Jul 11:00
New surveillance-CSI method: Beverage hair-isotope trail

Gloves? Check. False numberplates? Check. Perrier...?

International master criminals, spies, investigative journos, subversives, rebels and others who may find government agencies trying to monitor your movements: take note. You already, of course, make sure never to travel in a vehicle whose numberplate can be linked to you, for fear of generating a trace in the ANPR traffic-cam …

Biology 1 Jul 11:03
Apple iPad 3G 32GB

Review Wandering star

The problem of choice when buying an iPad is compounded not just by the size of the storage, but the issue of whether or not to shell out an additional hundred quid for the 3G version. It's not as simple as the choice between an iPod Touch and an iPhone, since the iPad 3G doesn't include phone capabilities: it all depends on …

reghardware 1 Jul 12:02
The cloud's impact on security?

Workshop Don't panic - for now

We tried to get through this workshop without using the five letter C-word, but we could not quite make it to the end. There are good reasons for considering whether cloud will have an impact on security - not least because it is being discussed so much that you need to know if there is any substance behind the hype. What's …

Security that Fits 1 Jul 12:03
US authorities shutdown websites accused of movie piracy

'Sheriff, this is no time to panic'

US feds and customs officials shut down seven websites yesterday, for allegedly hosting pirated copies of popular Hollywood films and TV shows. The net seizures came just one week after the White House announced its enforcement plan for confronting theft of intellectual property. US authorities have accused (pdf) the sites of …

Policing 1 Jul 12:05
Euro mobile data best buys

Product Round-up As new rules come in, we compare the carriers

From today, European carriers will not be able to charge you more than €50 a month for data you've sent and received over their networks while travelling abroad, unless you've agreed otherwise with your service provider. The move is the result of legislation enacted in 2009 to prevent mobile phone users receiving horrendous …

reghardware 1 Jul 12:09
Regional banking Trojans sneak past security defences

Under the radar

Cybercrooks have developed regionally-targeted banking Trojans that are more likely to slip under the radar of anti-virus defences. Detection rates for regional malware vary between zero and 20 per cent, according to a study by transaction security firm Trusteer. This company markets browser security add-ons to banks, which …

Crime 1 Jul 12:16
Meryl Streep to tackle Margaret Thatcher

Coming soon: Falklands: The Musical!

The French Lieutenant's Woman is poised to tackle the Iron Lady in a dramatisation of the 17 days leading up to the 1982 Falklands War, the Hollywood Reporter suggests. Meryl Streep is "in talks" to play Margaret Thatcher in the Film4/Pathe* collaboration, dubbed Thatcher, with Jim Broadbent also discussing the possibility of …

Entertainment 1 Jul 12:43
Sagem boots up Puma phone

Famous sports brand's first handset inbound

Sagem today launched its Puma-branded handset in Europe, lauding not only the mobile's famous sports brand but also its built-in solar panel. The other side of the handset is home to 2.8in, 320 x 240 touchscreen and 0.3Mp camera for video calls. There's a 3.2Mp camera on the back, alongside said solar panel. The Puma has GPS …

reghardware 1 Jul 12:57
Amazon hails 'beautiful' new Kindle DX screen

Compare and contrast

Amazon has improved the Kindle DX screen with a 50 per cent boost in contrast and darker fonts to make for easier reading. At the same time the company is slashing the price to $379, down from $489. By most accounts, the Kindle DX with its 9.7in screen is the best e-reader around - the screen upgrade will help Amazon defend …

reghardware 1 Jul 13:12
Seoul police crack down on Holy Water filter prof

For you sir? Sparkling or Holy?

A South Korean professor's claims that his range of digital water filters could turn regular tap water into genuine Holy Water from Lourdes have brought an icy response from Seoul's police. According to local reports, one Professor Kim - said to work at a "prestigious medical school" - had sold the devices to almost 5,000 …

Bootnotes 1 Jul 13:39
Government lunatic magnet goes live

Commentards of Clegg's Britain have their say. Democracy is reborn. Yay

Anyone wondering exactly what Nick Clegg has been up to since not being elected David Cameron's fag deputy need wonder no more - he's been busy setting up yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk. The site is supposedly an attempt to find out what useless and unnecessary laws the public would like to see removed from the statute book. Plenty of …

Government 1 Jul 13:56
Airline passenger videos Atlanta maggot horror

Plane evacuated amid 'beyond disgusting' scenes

A shaken passenger has recounted how a US Airways flight from Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina, was temporarily grounded on Monday by maggots. Donna Adamo explained that fellow flyer Desiree Harrell noticed said creatures falling from an overhead locker, and declined to take her seat. Adamo, though, did park her arse and " …

Bootnotes 1 Jul 13:57
Two infosec blunders that betrayed the Russian spy ring

Password: KGBmoscow2010

Everyone is having fun this week speculating on all aspects of the alleged Russian spy ring busted in the US on Monday. How were they initially detected? Are they just a decoy to hide the real spies? Why did the US go public now? Has anyone got any more pictures of Anna Chapman for the front pages? From what little we do know …

Government 1 Jul 14:01
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11

On course for more swinging

“Golf is like an 18-year-old girl with big boobs. You know it's wrong, but you can't keep away from her.” Of all the golfing quotes, this one from Val Doonican (of all people) resonates most when considering Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11. Despite the name, you can't cheat in this game If you think that's a cheap shot at Tiger …

reghardware 1 Jul 14:02
Yahoo! releases! Android! apps!

Renovates iOS clients

Yahoo has released a couple of native Android applications tied to its services and sprinkled some HTML 5 dust over its iOS offerings. Those who want Google's platform, but also access to Yahoo's servers, can now have both with a dedicated application thanks to Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Messenger going native on Android. …

Applications 1 Jul 14:31
IBM declares undying love for Mozilla's Firefox

But what browser did it tell its 400,000 staff to drop?

Big Blue has ditched an unnamed browser in favour of Mozilla’s Firefox, the company’s Bob Sutor confirmed in a blog post today. IBM’s open source and Linux veep didn’t reveal which surfing tool the firm had dropped, but Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Google’s Chrome, Apple’s Safari and Opera Software’s Opera were all …

Applications 1 Jul 14:33
Poll finds falling freetard support

Leechers unloved

UK public sympathy for copyright leechers is falling, according to a new poll this week. This one's by Ipsos Mori, but it too provides evidence that pirates aren't exactly the most popular people in the pub. The earlier survey for lawyers Wiggin also showed support for creators' rights. In the poll by Ipsos Mori, over half (52 …

Law 1 Jul 14:41
ISP condemns new BT backbone

'Simply cannot cope'

Business ISP Andrews and Arnold has strongly criticised BT's new 21CN network backbone as unable to cope with current bandwidth demands. The small firm runs a network status blog for its customers, and this morning came out with some harsh words for BT. "It is quite clear to us that BT's 21CN network simply cannot cope with …

Data Networking 1 Jul 14:42
Online crims not just 'speccy geeks', researchers warn

They're normal and they're after your mother's maiden name

Misconceptions about the nature of cybercrime are affecting the fight against online economic skulduggery. Widespread beliefs that e-crooks are likely to be either "geeks with glasses" or digital pranksters are well wide of the mark, according to researchers from Trend Micro, which reckons the majority of cybercrooks would be …

Crime 1 Jul 15:08
Everything Everywhere now something somewhere

Orange and T-Mobile begin legal coagulation

Orange and T-Mobile have legally merged into Everything Everywhere, though you wouldn't know it as we're still in the paper-shuffling stage. So everyone who worked for Orange and everyone who worked for T-Mobile now works for Everything Everywhere, but (for the moment at least) both brands will continue to exist and the two …

Mobile 1 Jul 15:42
Big Blue buys BigFix

Patching and security is big biz

IBM continued today with its strategy of making relatively small but strategic acquisitions in software and services as it picked up BigFix, which makes a slew of management and security tools for the data center. Some of BigFix's products, particularly in power management, asset discovery, and server provisioning, overlap …

Enterprise Security 1 Jul 16:00
Nokia makes merry with iPhone death-grip

Or as merry as Finns can be, anyway

Nokia has joined Motorola in capitalising on the iPhone 4's notorious antenna problems. Nokia has published a helpful post entitled How Do You Hold Your Nokia? on its corporate blog. The punchline, predictably, being that “you’re free to hold your Nokia device any way you like. And you won’t suffer any signal loss.” Which is …

Mobile 1 Jul 16:06
Apple, AT&T slapped with iPhone 4 lawsuit

Updated 'Willfully, falsely, and knowingly' shipped defective phone

The first lawsuits over the iPhone 4's reception problems have been filed. The most prominent of the batch — which, according to AppleInsider, includes actions brought in California, Maryland, and Texas — is the one filed a few miles and a bridge toll north of Apple's Cupertino headquarters, in the US District Court for the …

Mobile 1 Jul 18:46
Google chief: Nexus One was 'so successful, we killed it'

What a load of Schmidt

Google CEO Eric Schmidt has convinced himself that the company killed its sold-direct-to-netizen Nexus One phone after less than six months because it was "so successful." "The idea a year and a half ago was to do the Nexus One to try to move the phone platform hardware business forward. It clearly did," Schmidt told The …

Mobile 1 Jul 19:07
50 arrested in smartphone spyware dragnet

Cop, judge, and parliamentarian among the suspects

Romanian authorities have arrested 50 individuals accused of using off-the-shelf software to monitor cellphone communications of their spouses, competitors, and others, according to news reports. The Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism also arrested Dan Nicolae Oproiu, a 30-year-old IT …

Malware 1 Jul 19:15
Likewise Open polished with 6.0 release

Making non-Windows boxes friendlier with Active Directory

The open source Likewise authentication tool for meshing Linux, Unix, and Mac OS systems into Windows Active Directory networks has been polished a bit for the Likewise Open 6.0 release. Likewise Open is the open source variant of the tool is freely distributed — and is really a springboard to the money maker, Likewise …

Software 1 Jul 20:25
Adobe auto-launch peril not fully purged, researcher says

'Pwn me'

A security researcher says he can force Adobe Systems' widely used PDF readers to execute potentially malicious commands despite an emergency security fix the company released earlier this week. The update Adobe added to its Reader and Acrobat applications contained a patch designed to prevent attackers from using the apps to …

Malware 1 Jul 20:45
Amazon Kindle DX drops price, improves display

Still twice the price of its little brother

Amazon has revamped and repriced its Kindle DX e-reader, improving its display and dropping its price from $489 to $379. The upgraded 9.7-inch e-ink display on the new DX, big brother to the 6-inch original Kindle, is still monochrome. Color e-ink may be improving, but it's still not ready for prime time. But the new DX's 16- …

Music and Media 1 Jul 20:45
Adobe kills separate mobile Flex under Jobsian Flash attack

Updated One Flex, indivisible

Adobe will not produce a version of the Flash-based Flex framework for smartphones, having decided to add features for mobiles to its Flex for desktops instead. Hero, the next version of Adobe's Flex framework, will add components such as touch and the ability to automatically scale applications on different devices with …

Developer 1 Jul 20:50
Google to buy flight data company for $700m

Part of search giant's world ~~domination~~ improvement plan

Google has agreed to pay $700m to buy flight-information provider ITA Software so that the search giant can provide users with more-comprehensive information about prices, times, and destinations of commercial airline flights. The all-cash deal is the latest attempt by Google to expand beyond its core web-search offerings. …

Financial News 1 Jul 22:46
Low-priced home digital media connections promised

HDBaseT to your PC, Blu-ray and more

HDMI cables used to connect a multitude of every day home audio and video devices may become a thing of the past if a new standard by the HDBaseT Alliance catches on. "HDBaseT technology is poised to become the unrivaled next-generation home networking transport to meet the ever-changing trends in the digital media market," …

Music and Media 1 Jul 23:24