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7th July 2010 Archive

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  • Cowon iAudio J3 personal media player

    Review A great PMP, remixed

    When Cowon's iAudio S9 media player landed on my desk back at the end of 2008, it made a favourable impression. While it wasn't a multi-function whizz kid like the iPod Touch, its superb screen and excellent sound quality knocked the Apple into a cocked hat. Cowon's iAudio J3: new life for an old PMP Now Cowon has given the …

    reghardware 7 Jul 07:02

  • Blizzard exposes real names on WoW forums

    Kill all the Trolls!

    World of Warcraft forums are "where flame wars, trolling, and other unpleasantness run wild", says Blizzard, the publisher of the mega-online game. And it thinks it knows how to get everyone to behave more nicely. With the next iteration of its Battle.net forum, the company is to publish users' real names in full on official …

    reghardware 7 Jul 07:14

  • Renault DeZir: 'leccy sex machine

    'Warm, stimulating design'

    Renault has released more information — and a series of teaser images — of its DeZir concept car, set to debut at October's Paris Motor Show. The Renault DeZir, inspired by 'liquid sensation, wave-like movement and contrasts in light' The all-electric two seater, Renault claims, will accelerate from a standstill to 100kph ( …

    Odds and Sods 7 Jul 08:02

  • EMC plucks Greenplum

    Charges into data warehousing & BI

    EMC is getting into the data warehousing / business intelligence (DW/BI) area by buying Greenplum. This takes it into direct competition with Oracle and its Exadata product line. Greenplum has about 100 customers, including the New York Stock Exchange and T-Mobile USA. And it is to be the foundation of a new data computing …

    Virtualization 7 Jul 08:36

  • Lindsay Lohan goes down for 90 days

    Beats her previous 84-minute record

    Bespeckled thespiatrix Lindsay Lohan has been sentenced to 90 days' jail for repeatedly violating her 2007 probation for two drink driving raps. The "stunned" actress turned on the waterworks as Beverly Hills Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel slapped her with some proper hard time. In 2007, Lohan served a gruelling 84 minutes …

    Bootnotes 7 Jul 08:49

  • All gov jobs to go online

    Black day for Graun and local papers

    Civil service jobs will in future be advertised in a standard format online, rather than in national newspapers. Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles said adverts in a national could cost as much as £10,000. Some advertising in local papers could continue, however, for as long as the digital divide keeps some people offline …

    Government 7 Jul 09:15

  • Trojan skewers security software with Windows

    Bogus malware update commandeers systems

    Security watchers have discovered a Trojan that uses built-in Windows functionality to overwrite security software and compromise systems. The malware - which poses as an antivirus update - uses Windows input method editor (IME) to inject a system, technology that normally creates a means for users to enter characters not …

    Malware 7 Jul 09:32

  • New 3D displays use falling water drops as 'voxels'

    'We were actually trying to make better car headlights'

    Robotics boffins in the States say they have developed a brilliant three-dimensional holographic projection system - ideal, for instance, for playing 3D Tetris - which is based on falling droplets of water. Here's a vid of a prototype system: It seems that the boffins were actually trying to develop a headlight system for …

    Science 7 Jul 09:51

  • Laptop makers 'open' to universal AC adaptor spec

    But will the brands follow?

    Taiwanese notebook manufacturers - who, let's face it, are responsible for producing 99.9 per cent of the world's laptops, big and small - are apparently open to the notion that they should back a single standard for notebook power supplies. Now, don't get your hopes up that you'll see a universal laptop power unit any time …

    reghardware 7 Jul 10:00

  • The enterprise storage buyer: Why I stick with the big guys

    Known knowns better than known unknowns

    Enterprise storage suppliers are a picky bunch and will buy storage from outsiders only if they build a better mousetrap than their current suppliers. That's the view of "Mike", a senior storage strategy guy in a European enterprise, a Fortune 500-type company, with more than 10PB of storage capacity, I spoke to recently. And …

    Blocks and Files 7 Jul 10:02

  • Feed curry to sheep, boffins suggest

    Lamb pasanda to cut methane emissions?

    Tests by scientists from the University of Newcastle have suggested that spices commonly used in curry could cut methane emissions from flatulent sheep. Research student Mohammad Mehedi Hasan and Dr Abdul Shakoor Chaudhry probed the possible beneficial effects on ovine guts of cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin and turmeric. …

    Biology 7 Jul 10:04

  • Union damns HP job cuts

    1,000 jobs gone - not on

    The Unite union has damned HP for cutting close to a thousand jobs from its UK workforce. The union said the loss of 934 jobs contradicted the government's recent claims that public sector job losses would be offset by gains in the private sector. Unite predicted HP would cut another 1,000 UK jobs in the next financial as …

    Financial News 7 Jul 10:25

  • Facebook investigates email notification snafu

    Users feeling terribly unloved

    Facebook has confirmed it is investigating a problem that means that some users are failing to receive notification when a contact sends them a private message through the site. Normally a copy of a message is sent to a user's registered email address. However over recent weeks some users have noticed this was not happening, …

    Applications 7 Jul 10:32

  • Mozilla stokes Firefox 4 with first beta build

    New look tabs get Windows-only view on world for now

    Mozilla has released a first beta of Firefox 4, which comes loaded with lots of fresh features and a distinctive new look. In January the open source browser maker nixed Firefox 3.7 and jumped instead to Firefox 4 in a move to reflect the number of changes it was making to the popular surfing tool. The current iteration of …

    Applications 7 Jul 10:33

  • Hitachi intros external HDD/Flash key combo

    The Thunderbird 2 of storage?

    Hitachi has taken the wraps off what it reckons is a revolutionary new concept in external HDD design: a plug-in USB Flash drive. The drives, which will be marketed under the LifeStudio brand and come in desktop and mobile versions - the former is the LifeStudio Desk, which makes for an abbreviation to toy with - have a clip- …

    reghardware 7 Jul 10:46

  • Apple reckons light shines between iPhone customers' ears

    Q-tip use will cut off calls

    Apple has reportedly advised iPhone 4 customers to leave off the q-tips and matches if they want to prevent the device's proximity sensor nixing their phone calls. The shocking auricular hygiene advice was apparently given to the Unofficial Apple Weblog's Aron Trimble. He had gone to his local genius bar, after noting the …

    Mobile 7 Jul 11:01

  • Hitachi GST tries to redefine external drives with LifeStudio

    Cloud backup & eye candy

    Hitachi GST is trying to redefine the consumer external hard drive with its LifeStudio products, which include local and cloud backup, document and multimedia content management, a 3D wall eye-candy interface and an attached USB stick. Hitachi GST has decided that consumers don't just want as much capacity as possible - they …

    Storage 7 Jul 11:23

  • Microsoft set to make small job cuts, says report

    Will next of KIN be informed?

    Microsoft is reportedly set to lay off more staff, although the number of people expected to be shown the door is relatively conservative given the size of the company. According to Todd Bishop over at TechFlash, the software vendor could announce the job cuts later today. Redmond, which currently employs 88,596 workers, will …

    Software 7 Jul 11:24

  • Why mobile data quality matters

    Workshop And why you're not getting it

    We've been tolerant of mobile operator service problems because our expectations are low; no one expects a voice call made over mobile to be high quality, for example. But if operators plan to be more than just a voice and data provider to businesses, the pressure is on to provide more than just a so-so service. Historically, …

    Mobile Workshop 7 Jul 11:34

  • Bluetooth formally adopts low power standard

    Starts certification for Version 4.0

    The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has formally adopted the standard's Core Specification Version 4.0, which targets very low power networks, potentially vying with other systems like ZigBee. The new spec, originally released in January, is targeted at markets such as sensors for healthcare, and security and home networks. …

    Mobile 7 Jul 11:35

  • iPad not hindering Mac sales

    Quite the reverse

    Apple's other product line - you remember the Mac, don't you? - is apparently doing rather well, despite the fact that the iPad and iPhone 4 are getting all the attention at the moment. So says long-time Apple watcher Gene Munster, of investment company Piper Jaffray, after taking a look at retail sales data from market …

    reghardware 7 Jul 11:37

  • Acer Aspire 1825PT 11.6in touchscreen notebook

    Review At last, a Tablet PC done right?

    Some years ago, I made a fool of myself by describing Microsoft's ultimately doomed Tablet PC concept as a good idea. My saving grace was that I wasn't as dim as all the Tablet PC manufacturers, who chose to overprice their own products out of existence. Acer's Aspire 1825PT: if only Tablet PCs had always been specced like …

    reghardware 7 Jul 12:02

  • Japan gets unlocked phones and 42Mbps HSPA

    DoCoMo hopes advanced network keeps customers loyal

    NTT DoCoMo of Japan, renowned for its tight control of its handset experience, is taking a major step towards open access, and promises to offer all its phones unlocked. From next April, the operator will allow customers to switch handsets and take their devices to other carriers, by inserting a new SIM card, and will include …

    Mobile 7 Jul 12:02

  • HP heading for HPC top ten?

    Blog Makes some hefty deals

    We checked in with Hewlett-Packard’s HPC folks recently for an interesting conversation about their strategy and new products, and got a glimpse of their futures. One of the most noteworthy tidbits is the deal that they are working on with NEC for the Tsubame system, which will find a home at the Tokyo Institute of Technology …

    HPC Blog 7 Jul 12:09

  • Women would rather be on Facebook than on the toilet

    And sleep with their PDAs

    A third of young women will check their Facebook account first thing in the morning, leaving having a pee and brushing their teeth till after they'd watered their Farmville crops. The frightening statistic came in a survey by lady-oriented US network Oxygen. The survey of 1600 18-35-year-old social media users - who have " …

    Bootnotes 7 Jul 12:12

  • Apple bans fraudulent developer from iTunes

    400 compromised accounts linked to scam

    Apple has confirmed that iTunes accounts were compromised to make fraudulent purchases, and has banned the developer at the centre of the scam. Thuat Nguyen managed to briefly push 42 of his releases into the top 50 book apps in the US iTunes Store last week, triggering suspicions of foul play. After earlier suspending the …

    Crime 7 Jul 12:24

  • Data regulator issues guidance for online data

    Best practise, as long as you've got Flash

    The Information Commissioner's Office has issued what it calls new rules for the processing of information online. They're not actually new rules, however - it's just a new 44-page pdf. The leaflet is also available in ebook format. The failing regulator - facing court action for not meeting minimum European data protection …

    Law 7 Jul 12:39

  • Professor warns Aus firewall is undemocratic

    Conroy 'doesn't understand the internet'

    The proposed great Australian firewall is bad law and bad policy on every level, according to Professor Catharine Lumby speaking at the first conference of new international academic network Onscenity in London on Monday. Professor Lumby, Director of the Journalism and Media Research Centre at the University of New South Wales …

    Government 7 Jul 13:01

  • Fanbois love sex toys: Official

    iPad users whip Windows lusers

    UK smut accessorymonger LoveHoney (NSFW) has confirmed what the fanbois out there knew all along: when they're not polishing their iPads, worshippers at the altar of Jobs are likely to be lovingly fondling other toys, with explosive results. LoveHoney deployed Google Analytics to demonstrate that "iPad users have the highest …

    Bootnotes 7 Jul 13:30

  • Demon's Souls

    Review Impossible is nothing, you haven't tried Demon's Souls yet!

    Just a few hours into From Software's already infamous RPG and I couldn't stop thinking of Lemarchand's Configuration. It's dangerous round the block For those unfamiliar with the name, Lemarchand's Configuration was the puzzle box in Clive Barker's Hellraiser. Legend had it that those who solved the puzzle were rewarded …

    reghardware 7 Jul 14:02

  • Climategate report: 'Campaign to win hearts and minds' needed

    But what's it mean for the bloke on the bus?

    The University of East Anglia's enquiry into the conduct of its own staff at its Climatic Research Unit has highlighted criticisms of the department and staff conduct - but clears the path for the individuals concerned to carry on. The CRU played an important role in writing the UN's IPCC summaries on climate science, so the …

    Environment 7 Jul 14:43

  • Amazon.co.uk takes on Tesco

    Mmmm... beer and books

    Amazon's UK tentacle is upping its range of goods for sale to include thousands of grocery and food items and lashings of lovely booze. The site, famous for books and DVDs, already had a wide range of products including gadgets, computers, clothes and car stuff. There will be 22,000 items from brands including Kraft, Nestle, …

    Music and Media 7 Jul 14:58

  • AT&T iPad 'hacker' breaks gag order to rant at cops

    Double standards damned by purported scapegoatse

    A member of the group that publicised the recent AT&T iPad security breach has violated a gag order to protest his treatment by the authorities. Andrew Auernheimer, 24 (aka Weev), claims he has been thrown into a Kafkaesque nightmare after he helped publicise an AT&T/iPad security flaw that left 114,000 private email addresses …

    Mobile 7 Jul 15:01

  • Phorm issues shares to raise cash

    £2m fast funding

    Phorm told the Stock Exchange today that it will issue a million shares to institutional investors in order to bolster its dwindling cash reserves. The company is currently concentrating on Brazil and China. It is still under police investigation in the UK for failing to inform BT customers that it was snooping on their …

    Financial News 7 Jul 15:16

  • Google preps tablet-friendly Chrome that knows 'what's up'

    Orientation-oriented OS

    As part of its effort to graduate its Chrome browser to the upcoming Chrome OS, Google is working to add device orientation to the browser's capabilities. Not that orientation — the ability for an app or OS to know that up is up and down is down — is all that revolutionary of a breakthrough. Developers have been tapping to …

    Applications 7 Jul 15:46

  • Android spanks Apple’s iOS 4 in JavaScript race

    Firefox 4 sticks to slow lane

    The JavaScript engine in Google's Android 2.2 running on a Nexus One phone soundly spanks Apple's iOS 4 incarnation running on an iPhone 4. Also, This Just In: Firefox is Still Slow. The Android versus iOS test results were announced by Ars Technica, while the snarky-but-credible verdict on the just released beta of Firefox 4 …

    Applications 7 Jul 18:30

  • Big decisions take data not gut instinct

    Blog Learn to trust what matters

    What’s the best way to make important decisions? Hunches? Intuition? Magic 8 Ball? Or relying on data analysis to reveal the best choice? It’s kind of a stupid question; most anyone answering it seriously will say: “Yeah, of course you want to use data to figure out what to do, you dumbass.” While everyone says that using …

    HPC Blog 7 Jul 18:51

  • EU examines Google antitrust complaints 'very carefully'

    Top prober gets to grips

    The European Commission turned its Google-investigation heat up another notch Wednesday with a few well-chosen words from its top antitrust official. "The work is at an early stage, but given the importance of search to a competitive online marketplace, I am looking at the allegations very carefully," EU commissioner Joaquin …

    Music and Media 7 Jul 20:44

  • FLYING CAR, full hover, fairly quiet, offered to US Marines

    Nippy VTOL hatchback gets 19 mpg in flight

    Who remembers the "Transformer TX" flying-car project, intended to equip the US Marines with a small four-seat vehicle able to drive about on the ground like a jeep, hover like a helicopter, or fly like a plane? The first team to publicly offer a contending design has now stepped forward. Is it a car? Is it a plane? Is it a …

    Science 7 Jul 21:57

  • Dell cuddles Canonical for big Ubuntu fluffer love

    Credibility marathon

    Dell is working with Canonical to help customers float Ubuntu-powered open-source clouds while also cozying up to developers. The hardware maker, better known for flogging PCs and servers running Linux's chief OS rival Windows, is working with Canonical on plans to take the sweat out of setting up Ubuntu clouds on its data- …

    Developer 7 Jul 21:59

  • Bad software blamed for AT&T iPhone upload choke

    We're big, but we're not evil

    The hue and cry over AT&T's supposed "throttling" of iPhone 4 uploads turns out to have been premature — that is, if AT&T's explanation is to be believed. AT&T Wednesday issued a statement that said the upload slow-downs stemmed from software problems in their Alcatel-Lucent HSUPA equipment. The statement came after the …

    Mobile 7 Jul 23:33