24th November 2010 Archive

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HTC inks patent pact with Myhrvold's Intellectual Ventures

AKA Intellectual Vultures

Mobile handset manufacturer and Google pal HTC has announced a licensing deal that gives it access to the more than 30,000 patents owned by Intellectual Ventures (IV), the IP-gathering outfit founded by former Microsoft chief technology officer Nathan Myhrvold. A joint press release from HTC and IV says that HTC will use the …

Business 24 Nov 2010, 00:03
SAP ordered to pay Oracle $1.3bn

Drop-your-pants time (again)

In a final act of ritual humiliation, SAP has been ordered to pay Oracle $1.3bn over stolen intellectual property. A US court has told the world's largest business software company to pay up after Oracle had sought damages for theft of its IP by defunct SAP subsidiary TomorrowNow. Oracle had been gunning for $1.7bn in damages …

Software 24 Nov 2010, 00:28
Woman admits she helped sell bogus chips for military gear

China inside

A Florida woman has admitted she helped sell millions of dollars worth of counterfeit computer chips for use by the US military. Stephanie A. McCloskey, 38, of Clearwater, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy for her role in the scheme, which netted $15.9 million over three years. The chips, which …

Security 24 Nov 2010, 04:00
Numascale brings big iron SMP to the masses

SC10 The NUMA NUMA song

If you want big server iron but you have midrange server budgets, Numascale has an adapter card that it wants to sell to you. The NumaConnect SMP card turns a cluster of Opteron servers into a shared memory system, and in the not-too-distant future, probably Xeon-based machines, too. The clustering of cheap server nodes to …

HPC 24 Nov 2010, 05:00
Apache open sourcers welcome Google's unwanted Wave

Mountain View orphan finds home

Google's "clever" but misunderstood Wave is getting a fresh shot at life with open-sourcers at the Apache Software Foundation (ASF). The Mountain View Chocolate Factory, Novell, and a handful of others have submitted client and server code to ASF for what's now called Wave in a Box (WIAB). The code is available as an …

Software 24 Nov 2010, 06:00
Nokia X3 Touch and Type

Review Candybar sweetener

If you think candybar handsets should have touchscreens then Touch and Type should be right up your street. This is Nokia's attempt to breathe new life into the rusty trusty S40 platform by adapting it for a touchscreen interface. The first two T&T handsets to be released in the UK are the X3-02 and C3-01 and it's the former I …

Phones 24 Nov 2010, 07:00
Fujitsu in deal with Northern Ireland beaks

£37.4m for five years' NI courts ICT service

Fujitsu will provide a managed ICT and telecommunications service for the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service for the next five years. The services included in the contract, awarded by the Department of Finance and Personnel on behalf of the courts and tribunals service, are infrastructure and software support, …

The Channel 24 Nov 2010, 07:00
Giffgaff shudders to a halt

The people's network cuts off the people

Customers of the "people's network", Giffgaff, found themselves disconnected from the people when the entire network went down for three hours. The network's billing system started throwing up errors just before five on Tuesday, and the entire network - closely followed by the company's website - was down for the next three …

Mobile 24 Nov 2010, 08:54
Project delivery for modern PMs

Webcast The end of IT project failures?

Today at 1pm we have a studio full of Project Management experts talking about the new dawn of project delivery. Reg reader Terry Dewhurst, who's also the IT director of transformation at lastminute.com, is with us to talk about his significant experiences and he's joined by Dale Vile from Freeform Dynamics and Bob Walker, an …

Project Management 24 Nov 2010, 08:59
Android flaw poses drive-by data slurp risk

There's no patch for it, so users should take care

A security officer has stumbled across a serious vulnerability in the built-in browser of Android smartphones that might allow hackers to lift data from SD cards in the Google handsets. Thomas Cannon discovered the JavaScript-related vulnerability outside his normal job as a corporate security officer. The hole would allow …

Security 24 Nov 2010, 09:34
Isilon may stay on Seattle scene

Opinion EMC plans to run it as an 'arm's length' division (allegedly)

The gossip around the water coolers of the storage world is that EMC is going to run Isilon like VMware, as a separate business unit. This is unverified, but my source is quite respectable. The guy who told me heard it from the office cleaner who emptied the waste paper bin of an EMC exec so close to Pat Gelsinger that they …

Storage 24 Nov 2010, 09:55
Immigration caps won't touch tech transfers

£40k+ out-of-towners can stay for 5 years

Home Secretary Theresa May's announcement of restrictions to immigration have met a mixed response - because intra-company transfers, well used by technology companies, are excluded from the deal. The minimum salary for those entering the UK under intra-company transfers has been raised to £40,000 and their stay will be …

Small Biz 24 Nov 2010, 10:03
HMRC excise tracking to go online

Paper ditched in attempt to thwart fraud

HM Revenue and Customs is to switch from paper to a new online Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS) in January. The department said the new system has been designed to reduce excise fraud. Before the paper system is halted on the 31 December, traders will be able to try out dispatching goods on EMCS. To use it, traders …

Small Biz 24 Nov 2010, 10:08
Now Oz to ban online cigarette ads

Or to ban internet deals for cheap smokes ... we're not sure

Once a government has become used to the idea of banning things, it can be a hard habit to give up – as Australian voters who still enjoy the occasional cigarette are likely to soon find out. This time last week, Down Under's Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, stood up in the Australian parliament and introduced a …

Government 24 Nov 2010, 10:27
MP wants age verification for net smut

Are you 18? Well, fine, but you're still a mucky little pup

A Tory MP has proposed that all UK-based ISPs should implement an opt-in age verification system to gain access to internet porn. Claire Perry, Tory MP for the Devizes Constituency, put the proposal to the House of Commons during an adjournment debate last night. It will undoubtedly be music to the ears of newly-formed charity …

Government 24 Nov 2010, 10:29
Rogue apps 'worst Facebook feed malware baddies'

Bonus extras will eff up your feed

Stats from social networking safety apps suggest that one in five items on the news feeds of Facebook users lead to malicious content. More than three in five (60 per cent) of these attacks come from notifications generated by malicious third-party applications on Facebook's developer platform, according to Romanian-based net …

Security 24 Nov 2010, 10:48
Apple I goes for twice the price of an Enigma

Turing papers still going begging

An Apple I sold yesterday for £133,250 while a three-rotor Enigma box went for £67,250. Woz: "Apple I was an important step but I didn't realise it at the time." The Apple I, number 82, came in its original box and was "in remarkably fresh condition". It was bought by an Italian fanboi to add to his collection. He told …

Vintage 24 Nov 2010, 10:52
Dell Duo to debut in December

Netbook-cum-tablet UK launch date posted

There's no word on UK pricing yet, but Dell's Inspiron Duo - the PC giant's netbook-to-tablet convertible - will go on sale here on 2 December. Dell formally launched the machine last night following the netbook's debut on Microsoft's online store. The Duo's US price, Dell said, is $550. That's minus sales tax, so you're …

Laptops 24 Nov 2010, 11:04
Sex abuse fax leak costs council £100k

Information Commissioner flexes new powers

A council that accidentally faxed details of a child sex abuse case to a member of the public was fined £100,000 by the Information Commissioner today, in the first use of his new powers to punish data breaches. Hertfordshire County Council intended to send the fax to barristers in June this year. Once officials realised …

Law 24 Nov 2010, 11:06
YES! It's the twists-in-midair FALLING GECKO ROBOT!

Long awaited squamato-tumblewrithe tech debuts at last

Grumbling taxpayers concerned that much so-called academic "research" actually consists of boffins basically mucking about at public expense can calm down. Today brings news of university researchers maintaining a laser-like focus and toiling hard on projects which deliver immediate and obvious betterment to a suffering humanity …

Science 24 Nov 2010, 11:11
Geeks Guide₂ Christmas 2010

GG₂ Christmas Savings at Reg Books

Welcome to the first part of our trilogy of Christmas 2010 goodies. Over the next few weeks we'll have up to 40 per cent savings on a range of books from Smartphones to Lego, Cameras to The Godfather, and even Cheese. Cracking. Wallace & Gromit Cracking Contraptions Manual First up are the residents of 62 West Wallaby Street …

Site News 24 Nov 2010, 11:30
Location-based advertising grows up

Analysis Shooting the mobile messenger

Mobile advertising is huge, and only getting bigger; but can advertisers gather information without appearing creepy ... and should they bother when customers are so willing to share? Last month O2 started delivering adverts to opted-in customers based on their location - supplementing information volunteered by customers with …

Mobile 24 Nov 2010, 11:36
Kids want Santa to bring iPads not consoles

Teenagers more discerning

Reg readers may be grizzled old gits who have no truck with all that shiny fluff that Jobs bloke puts out, but younger generations are in love with the stuff. According to market watcher Nielsen, US kids aged between six and 12 are more likely to nag their parents for an iPad this Christmas than any games console, be it fixed …

Hardware 24 Nov 2010, 11:41
Of Kuwait and DSLR cameras

The ban that wasn't

The Kuwait Times, our source for the story first published as Kuwait bars DSLR cameras in public places, has retracted the claims on which the story was based. This means we were wrong too. We apologise. FYI - here is the Kuwait Times's retraction, published on Saturday, 27th November. Our story is published below this. …

Hardware 24 Nov 2010, 11:44
Qualcomm Mirasol color e-ink set for CES demo

Video-friendly e-book screen's first public showing

Qualcomm's colour e-ink display, Mirasol, will indeed be demo'd in public early next year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), one of the company's device partners has let slip. E-book reader specialist PocketBook last night put out a statement saying it will show off a device also called Mirasol at the Las Vegas industry …

Hardware 24 Nov 2010, 12:10
Parent-thwarting bypass tool takes kids to internet badlands

Myfatherisonline.com a doorway to survey scams and other nasties

Cybercrooks have developed a new ruse primarily designed to expose kids to malware and survey scams. A fraudulent proxy server service that offers a supposed mechanism to bypass parental control (censorware) restrictions actually leads to an "affiliate site loaded with malcode, links to cellphone subscription scams and other …

Security 24 Nov 2010, 12:17
Where is Compellent's technology going?

Primary dedupe and synchronous Live Volume, it seems

Compellent's latest controllers are over-powered for their work and form the basis for a series of developments to help it to scale out its storage more and improve its efficiency. That's the scenario painted by people telling us they are familiar with the themes of Compellent's roadmap. Currently a Storage Centre tops out at …

Storage 24 Nov 2010, 12:38
Fugitive tech CEO settles backdating case with SEC for $53m

Now can I come home from Namibia?

A former tech firm CEO has finally settled a stock backdating case with the Feds, almost five years after skipping the US and heading to the South West African bolthole of Namibia. Jacob "Kobi" Alexander, co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Comverse, will pay the SEC $47.6m in disgorgement and prejudgment interest and a …

Financial News 24 Nov 2010, 12:39
Sony qicks off Qriocity streaming service

Qnnection to internet recuired

God save us from the branding 'specialists' who came up with "Qriocity", the name Sony has selected for its movie streaming service, which is now live in the UK. Qriocity is, of course, intended to be pronounced 'curiosity', which is a daft enough name for a video-on-demand service even when it's spelled correctly. It's a word …

Media 24 Nov 2010, 12:40
Toyota Auris hybrid e-car

Review Town and out in a Prius-powered hatchback

It's hard not to feel a little sorry for Toyota. Over the years the Prius – reviewed here – has not only been a healthy sales success, but the name has become synonymous with hybrid motoring technology. Hybrid hatch: Toyota's Auris  Yet still, the hard-of-thinking and loud-of-mouth insist on telling anyone listening that …

Science 24 Nov 2010, 13:00
Boris bikes for all from next week

Casual cyclists are go...

Transport for London's Boris bikes will be available for tourists and other casual users from next week. From next Friday you will be able to hire a Boris bike without being a registered member of the scheme. You'll need to swipe a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card at any of the central London docking stations. The …

Government 24 Nov 2010, 13:20
Pentagon braces for Wikileaks' diplomatic dump

Mass of classified comms expected

The Pentagon expects Wikileaks to expose a huge cache of classified diplomatic communications by as soon as Friday, it has warned politicians. An official told the Senate and House Armed Services Committees the whistleblowing site is working with its regular press partners, The New York Times, The Guardian and Der Spiegel on …

Government 24 Nov 2010, 13:23
Unarmed Royal Navy T45 destroyer breaks down mid-Atlantic

'Always a few snags in early ~~days~~ years'

The Royal Navy's new Type 45 destroyers continue to suffer from technical mishaps, with first ship of the class HMS Daring arriving a week late in Portsmouth on Saturday following emergency propulsion repairs in Canada. The £1.1bn+ ship had previously broken down in mid-Atlantic. The News of Portsmouth reported on the …

Government 24 Nov 2010, 13:29
The Reg launches enterprise storage newsletter

Blocks and Files

This week, The Register launches "Blocks and Files" (sign-up), a weekly enterprise storage newsletter. Blocks and Files contains the headlines and links of all our storage articles - typically 20 a week or more. it goes out as a text-only email on Wednesdays. For people who like their narrowcasting in other formats, you can …

Storage 24 Nov 2010, 13:32
Pumpkin pie could prompt Thanksgiving sexual free-for-all

Black licorice, doughnuts also fingered as sexual stimulants

The US will become a seething mass of unbridled passion tomorrow, as millions of American men succumb to the penile enlargening properties of that traditional Thanksgiving dish pumpkin pie. A US academic has disclosed that in a study of the effects of assorted fragrances on "male sexual response" the smell of warm, smooth, …

Bootnotes 24 Nov 2010, 13:33
How I used Space Shuttle tech to insulate the living room

Radical DIY with space gel

Now that the Space Shuttle is being decommissioned, what are we to do with all that lovely high-performance insulation that protects it from the heat of re-entry? Silica aerogel is an amazing material: a solid foam consisting of over 95 per cent air, about the least material and the most 'hole' per unit volume and thus the …

Science 24 Nov 2010, 13:42
My lost Cobol years: Integrating legacy management

Workshop When does management itself become the problem?

Nearly a quarter of a century ago, I went for a job interview with ICL. “What do you think of COBOL?” they asked. “It’s a dinosaur, won’t last, should be put out of its misery,” I remember saying. The two grey suits looked at each other and turned back to me. “We’re a COBOL shop,” said one, before the interview very swiftly …

Service Assurance 24 Nov 2010, 14:18
Privacy-protecting social network opens up

Facebook for humans - by invitation only

Diaspora, the open-source based social network touted as a privacy-conscious alternative to Facebook, has opened up for business. For now, stepping aboard the alpha-version of the decentralised service is strictly on an invitation-only basis. Although anyone can request to join the alpha test, the numbers are limited. The …

Applications 24 Nov 2010, 14:43
App maker asks $600 for BlackBerry bling

Shine on, you crazy diamond

Affluent BlackBerry users can spread their smugness further with a pointless $600 (£379) app that shows they aren't just stupidly rich but also rich in stupidity. Fortunatus, from developer Sander Stall, dazzles displays with an image of a diamond and offers an exclusive chat room to mingle with other plump-pocketed pea-brains …

Phones 24 Nov 2010, 15:06
iPads improve image of IT industry

Gawd help us all

The IT industry is seen as a more desirable place to work, thanks to the likes of Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg and fondleslabs like the iPad. Actually it's not quite so clear cut - 46 per cent of respondents to a recent survey believe the IT industry is seen as more attractive now than five years ago. Some 40 per cent …

Management 24 Nov 2010, 15:33
SeeSaw offers ads-free catch-up telly

And now a word from our sponsor... NOT

UK IPTV service SeeSaw is to allow punters to prune out the ads with it pads out the programmes it offers. There's a catch, of course: the ad-avoiding offering, which is called SeeSaw NonStop, will cost you £3 a month. SeeSaw said it will only charge you 99p for ad-free for the rest of 2010. SeeSaw offers catch-up TV and old …

Media 24 Nov 2010, 15:43
NHS enables Facebook to track surfers on health info website

Privacy experts say 'ick, germs'

Privacy experts have expressed dismay at a decision by the NHS to allow Facebook and Google to track users on one of its sites. The NHS has integrated its NHS Choices site into the Facebook Connect platform, so that surfers can express an interest ("like") for pages on the site and share content with their friends and contacts …

Security 24 Nov 2010, 16:36
The human router

Project management Rise from your basements sysadmins. We need you up here

Fifteen years ago, raw technical skill was all that was asked of geeks placed in charge of a collection of computers. That has changed. The diversity of devices and software and the complexity of the internet have conspired to move IT beyond the understanding of any individual. The field has become far too diverse for even the …

Project Management 24 Nov 2010, 16:47
USA to bin colour-code terror warning system - report

'There can only be shades of grey' says UK top cop

The widely-derided US system of colour-coded terror warnings may soon be binned, according to reports. The system, brought in eight years ago in the wake of 9/11, ranges from green (low risk of attacks) up through blue, yellow ("significant" risk, the current level for the US as a whole) and orange ("high risk", the current …

Government 24 Nov 2010, 16:51
Boffins bring us one step closer to a quantum network

One small step for storage; one giant leap for mankind

Researchers claim to have demonstrated how it is possible to move quantum information from individual sets of multi-partite entangled atoms to four entangled beams of light (previously they had only managed with two). In simple terms, this a a big step forward in information science because it paves the way toward quantum …

Storage 24 Nov 2010, 17:04
Opera Mobile 10.1 lands 'Carakan' engine on Symbian

As the web's most valuable secret reaches 76 million users

Opera has officially released its Opera Mobile 10.1 browser for Symbian, offering Nokia S60 users the "Carakan" JavaScript engine that drives the Norwegians' latest desktop browser. According to Opera, the new browser outperforms Opera Mobile 10.0 for Symbian by nine times on the Sunspider Javascript benchmark. Opera has also …

Phones 24 Nov 2010, 18:00
Heavenly server kit open sources moist turkey plug-in

Sysadmin Thanksgiving Bacon, oranges, and GitHub

Cloudkick has once again expanded the reach of its web-based infrastructure monitoring service. First, it moved beyond Amazon EC2-like compute clouds and into private data centers. And now, it's pushing into turkey smokers. With a blog post earlier this week, the startup announced that its Cloudkick Hybrid service can now be …

Servers 24 Nov 2010, 18:51
Apple accused of iPhone ban on 'all single-station radio apps'

Update Company claims beef with single developer

Update: This story has been updated with comment from Apple and had been updated in other places to reflect that statement and further conversations with Jim Barcus. Jim Barcus – the president of DJB Radio Apps, an outfit that has long helped build iPhone apps and other mobile apps for radio stations across the country – says …

Phones 24 Nov 2010, 21:13
Windows 0day allows malicious code execution

Potential 'nightmare'

Antimalware provider Prevx has sounded the alarm about a serious vulnerability in fully patched versions of Microsoft Windows. It allows attackers to execute malware, even in versions designed to withstand such exploits. Technical details have already been published on a Chinese forum, leading to speculation that it won't be …

Security 24 Nov 2010, 21:15
Xbox modder can't claim fair use, says judge

'FU' gets new meaning

A California man facing criminal charges for modifying his Xbox 360 will not be allowed to use fair use grounds to defend himself at a trial scheduled for next week, the judge hearing the case said in a ruling that could have profound consequences for other hardware hackers. Matthew Crippen of Anaheim, California, was arrested …

Security 24 Nov 2010, 23:00