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8th August 2011 Archive

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  • Antimatter close to home

    An anomaly in the south Atlantic, apparently

    As anyone who follows big physics knows, the best way to trap anti-matter is with a magnetic field: that way, you can prevent the mutual annihilation that results from interactions with normal matter. Usually, you need a particle accelerator and a big magnet to grab hold of antimatter, even for a fraction of a second. However …

    Space 8 Aug 00:30

  • Telstra sets date, but not speeds, for 4G LTE release

    Mobile fans hold their breath

    Telstra is bringing forward its first LTE-based service, from the end-of-year launch promised in February, to the end of this month. The carrier, which is taking registrations from interested customers now, will be kicked off with a shipment of 2,000 modems, according to newswires. Australia’s mobile carriers started testing …

    Mobile 8 Aug 03:12

  • Fujitsu CTO: Flash is just a stopgap

    Necessary, but not the final destination

    Flash is a necessary waystation as we travel to a single in-memory storage architecture. That's the view from a Fujitsu chief technology officer's office. Dr Joseph Reger, CTO at Fujitsu Technology Solutions, is that office-holder, and – according to him – flash is beset with problems that will become unsolvable. He says we …

    Storage 8 Aug 04:00

  • Beware of Macs in enterprise, security consultants say

    Black Hat OS X in the age of espionage malware

    Apple may have built its most secure Mac operating system yet, but a prominent security consultancy is advising enterprise clients to steer clear of adopting large numbers of the machines. At a talk last week at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, researchers from iSec Partners said large fleets of Macs are in many …

    Enterprise Security 8 Aug 05:02

  • Ofcom report: Mobile operators feel the squeeze

    They build the networks. Facebook takes the revenue

    Ofcom's annual assessment of communication industry shows that mobile revenue is still way down on 2008, but usage is way up, forcing operators to find new ways to cut costs and increase revenues. Users are more attached to their handset than ever, with around half of smartphone owners counting themselves "addicted", but …

    Mobile 8 Aug 05:21

  • Cray CTO Scott departs

    'Taking senior position' at Cray tech partner

    Steve Scott, the long-time chief technology officer at supercomputer maker Cray, gave his two weeks' notice last week. Actually, it was more like 11 days, which is not exactly a lot of warning for a company like Cray. But it looks like Scott was presented with an offer he just could not pass up, and tongues are wagging about …

    CIO 8 Aug 08:57

  • HP industrial action starts today

    PCS members plan disruptions to offshoring process

    Unionised HP staff working on the Department for Work and Pensions Adam 2 contract are today starting industrial action over proposals to offshore their jobs to India amid government pressure on IT suppliers to cut costs. Support staff from India set to take over some of the functions next year are due to arrive in Blighty as …

    Government 8 Aug 09:18

  • Chip makers to strut their stuff at Hot Chips 23

    Many-cored versus monoliths

    The Hot Chips 23 symposium on high-performance chips kicks off at Stanford University next week. The makers of processors for smartphones, desktops, servers, and networking gear are polishing up their powerpoints to amaze and daze each other from August 17 through 19. On the traditional server front, Intel is on deck to talk …

    PCs & Chips 8 Aug 09:27

  • Anonymous and LulzSec spew out largest ever police data dump

    Hacktivists run wild in global revenge hacks

    Hacktivists have released a huge cache of stolen data from US law enforcement agencies as revenge for the arrest of alleged members of LulzSec and Anonymous. The 10GB data dump covered personal information, email addresses, social security numbers, and credit card details swiped from an online sheriff's store. The batch also …

    Policing 8 Aug 10:16

  • Google fights to hide incriminating emails

    You said what? To whom?

    Google is fighting to hide an email in which it seems to admit to knowingly infringing the Java patents, but with the text already public it will be a hard fight to win. Both companies have filed their arguments, with Oracle putting the case for exposing the email, while Google argues that it is privileged communication. The …

    Developer 8 Aug 10:18

  • The Ethernet traffic mix-up

    Expert Clinic Ethernet communications convergence conumdrum

    The possibility of converging storage traffic, with its restrictive profile, on to general messy Ethernet LAN traffic is now a distinct possibility. What are the underlying problems and how are they being dealt with and countered? Given that they have been dealt with how should you think about convergence and what general …

    Network Fabric 8 Aug 10:31

  • Audio Pro WF100 wireless streamer

    Geek Treat of the Week Dongle up your hi-fi

    Anyone who’s tried wireless tech over the years knows how tricky and expensive it can be to get superior sounding audio around the home without wires. Step forth Swedish hi-fi brand Audio Pro, that has come up with a user friendly package that gives you a wireless transmitter/receiver duo. Plug 'n' Play: Audio Pro's WF100 …

    reghardware 8 Aug 10:33

  • Vblocks bleed out EMC money

    VCE = virtual cash erosion

    VCE – the Cisco-EMC-VMware Vblock company – appears to be experiencing virtual cash erosion, with EMC reporting $132m of accumulated losses. Vblocks are converged IT stacks composed of EMC storage, Cisco UCS servers and networking, and VMware server virtualisation software. The VCE concern was set up by Cisco, EMC and VMware …

    Virtualization 8 Aug 10:35

  • iPad racketeers' high wire exploits falter

    Jobs on the line

    Chinese smugglers have been caught transporting a host of Apple goods over a zip-line into Hong Kong in a bid to profit from tax differences. Using a crossbow, the perpetrators fired a fishing line from a skyscraper in Shenzhen over the Sha Tau Kok river and into a small house in Hong Kong. The team then filled nylon bags …

    reghardware 8 Aug 10:49

  • Lightning strikes cloud: Amazon, MS downed

    Down and still out in Dublin

    Microsoft has been left reeling again after another BPOS crash but at least on this occasion it was not alone, as Amazon's EC2 web services were also downed by the same act of God in Europe. A bolt of lightning struck a transformer at a power utility provider in Dublin, causing an explosion that took down the back-systems last …

    Infrastructure 8 Aug 10:58

  • BBC bigs up iPlayer for TVs and consoles

    PS3 gets first look

    The BBC has tweaked its iPlayer for TVs and set-top boxes, launching the "custom-built for the living room" redesign through Sony's PlayStation 3. The look was designed specifically for big screens and comes with a host of fresh features and personalisation options. These include an improved search engine, the ability to …

    reghardware 8 Aug 11:05

  • School caned for losing 20K details

    How much?

    A Hampshire school has been criticised for losing nearly 20,000 people's personal details. Back in March, Bay House School lost personal details, names, addresses, photographs and some medical information on 7,600 pupils along with details of teachers and parents. In total just under 20,000 people were hit. An administrator …

    Law 8 Aug 11:49

  • BBC testing fix for iPlayer on iPad ... 6 months later

    Beeb: Too technical to explain to you folks

    The BBC is testing a fix for problems experienced by iPad users when using the iPlayer app. The fix is eagerly awaited by many iPad users, some of whom reported not being able to watch programmes when the app was launched back in February. Problems reported include: programmes playing for a few minutes only; programmes playing …

    Applications 8 Aug 11:52

  • 10-year old hacker finds flaw in mobile games

    Feeling old?

    A 10-year-old hacker has won the admiration of her adult peers for finding a previously unknown vulnerability in games on iOS and Android devices. The young girl, who has adopted the hacker handle CyFi, discovered the timing related bug after she got bored with the slow progress of a FarmVille-style games. For example, crops …

    Enterprise Security 8 Aug 11:56

  • TelecityGroup swallows Data Electronics

    Data centre provider coughs up £87.6m for rival

    TelecityGroup has splashed £87.6m in cash on Irish-based fellow co-location data centre provider Data Electronics in what promises to be the first of many acquisitions. The firm, which also today outlined a bumper set of numbers for the six months ended 30 June, has a £300m war chest to fund further buys. Commenting on the …

    Cloud Business 8 Aug 12:42

  • HP Envy 17 3D Core i7 laptop

    Review Tasty 3D take away

    After years of computer journalists telling me – erroneously, I hasten to add – that my next desktop PC will be a laptop, it’s pleasing to see manufacturers such as HP trying to make it happen. Viewing spectacle: the Envy 17 3D is a big beast but HP has managed to keep it looking clean and stylish What do I hate about …

    reghardware 8 Aug 12:45

  • Home Office farms out tech deal worth £40m

    4-year contract for border cops' Employers' Checking Service

    The Home Office has tendered for a range of services worth £40m as part of the Employers' Checking Service (ECS), including a web-based interface, data storage, biometric chip reading technology and related support services. The ECS is run by the UK Border Agency to enable employers to check the status of individuals to work …

    Government 8 Aug 13:34

  • Use found for Twitter and Liz Jones

    Teasing twit raises twenty grand

    Hats off to "DMReporter" who created a spoof Twitter feed for Liz Jones's trip to Somalia to cover the famine. For those not conversant with Jones' unique brand of self-obsessed, humanity-hating columns suffice to say that even Daily Mail readers occasionally feel the columnist needs medical help. Her recent work detailing her …

    Music and Media 8 Aug 13:35

  • Gordon Ramsay sues father-in-law over alleged spyware plot

    Cooking up trouble

    Sweary celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is suing members of his wife's family, alleging they used malware to gain illicit access to his business and personal email accounts. Among other accusations against his wife's family filed in a 42-page court document with the High Court in London, he accuses Chris Hutcheson – father of …

    Malware 8 Aug 14:52

  • GE brings holographic storage back from the dead

    Format might erupt in the sector

    The dormant holographic storage volcano has rumbled, reminding us that it's not extinct and may yet erupt. As a reminder, this optical storage format came hot on the heels of previous storage successes: compact disks, magneto-optical drives, DVDs, and then Blu-ray. Blu-ray never reached the same relative scale of popularity as …

    Storage 8 Aug 15:01

  • Finding the black-spots in service delivery

    And what to do when you clock them

    Today at 17:00BST/ 9:00PDT Reg Editor Tim Phillips is hosting a live event with Freeform Dynamics’ analyst Andy (ding ding) Buss and CA Technologies’ Patrick Ancipink. Together they'll try and help you spot, diagnose and fix the service black-spots in your business. IT nowadays is so complex that even the best systems, operated …

    Service Assurance 8 Aug 15:13

  • Apple delivers Orange aid

    iTunes movies in cellco giveaway

    Orange is again rewarding its customers with film content after teaming up with iTunes to offer a free movie download every week. The company's new service Film to Go lets Orange customers grab one free film every Thursday to watch on their PC, laptop or iOS device. As with other rentals over iTunes, content will only be …

    reghardware 8 Aug 15:30

  • RIM to turn in BlackBerry-using looters after London riots

    Empathetic RIM plans to help police

    BlackBerry UK has broken silence over the role its devices played in helping disaffected London yoof co-ordinate riots in Tottenham, Brixton, Enfield and Walthamstow this weekend. The smash 'n' burn attacks on High Street stores and vehicles on Saturday and yesterday came days after the death of Mark Duggan, who was killed in …

    Policing 8 Aug 15:42

  • EMC trundles out deduping mainframe VTL

    Bus-Tech allied to Data Domain

    EMC is bringing out a mainframe virtual tape library to cover both primary and backup data needs. It is an update of the Bus-Tech MDL-100v, an intermediate box sitting between a mainframe and open systems virtual tape libraries (VTL) such as EMC's Disk Library, a FalconStore software VTL, a Quantum DXi array or a Sepaton array …

    Storage 8 Aug 15:51

  • Spec set for 3D specs tech

    About bloody time

    A handful of leading 3D TV manufacturers have today announced their intent to work together on standardising active 3D glasses technology. Panasonic Corp, Samsung Electronics, Sony Corp and X6D Limited (Xpand 3D) have all agreed to collaborate on the development and licensing of RF system 3D active glasses tech. In other words …

    reghardware 8 Aug 17:22

  • Hackers breach chocolate recipe on Hershey website

    Possible data theft

    Hackers breached the security of a website operated by US confectionery giant Hershey Company and may have made off with customers' names, birthdates, street and email addresses, and site passwords. In an email sent to customers last week, Hershey said an unauthorized individual accessed the site and changed a baking recipe for …

    ID 8 Aug 18:00

  • Apple sued over Mac OS X 'quick boot'

    Battle of the, um, CONFIG.SYS

    A lawsuit has accused Apple of violating a patent describing a means of "quickly booting a computer system". Late last week, an outfit calling itself Operating Systems Solutions filed suit in the Middle District of Florida, claiming that Apple infringes its patent with Mac OS X. As pointed out by Patently Apple, the patent in …

    Operating Systems 8 Aug 18:37

  • IBM yanks chain on 'Blue Waters' super

    Power7 petaflops behemoth gets flushed

    IBM has pulled the plug on the "Blue Waters" petaflops-class, Power7-based supercomputer that it was contracted to build for the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois. In a statement released today by IBM and NCSA, the two parties said that Big Blue terminated the Blue Waters contract …

    HPC 8 Aug 18:51

  • AMD slips into desktop RAM biz

    Memory gets its Radeon

    AMD is entering the desktop RAM market, according to a new page on its website. A new "Systems Memory" page on the AMD website indicates that the company will soon be offering DDR3 modules under the existing Radeon brand, which it acquired with the purchase of ATI in 2006 and previously used for GPUs. "AMD Radeon DDR3 System …

    Channel Register 8 Aug 20:29

  • India cracks down on the Blackberry

    Gov can’t hack it so might be banned

    The use of the humble Blackberry may be outlawed in India if Research in Motion fails to comply with the government’s strict security demands. India’s Department of Telecommunications is under parliamentary pressure to force Blackberry maker RIM to stop offering services in a highly encrypted format. Security agencies have …

    Security 8 Aug 22:05

  • Mass WordPress hijack poisons Google Image well

    Mystery doorway planted in 4000+ sites

    Hackers are abusing thousands of independent WordPress sites to litter Google Image search results with code that redirects users to servers that attempt to infect them with malware. According to a report posted Friday, Russian researcher Denis Sinegubko identified 4,358 WordPress blogs that combined popular images from other …

    Security 8 Aug 22:27

  • Adaptive Computing spins up Moab 6.1 control freak

    Company 'fired up' about 'explosive growth'

    Adaptive Computing – formerly known as Cluster Resources – thinks it's now in the IT sweet spot. As virtualized cloudy infrastructure becomes the norm in the data center, the company says, outfits encounter the same kind of complex job scheduling issues that supercomputer clusters have had for decades on physical infrastructure …

    Cloud 8 Aug 22:59

  • ABC shaves tech crew

    20% of staff set to go

    Rampant rationalization hitting Australia public broadcaster, the ABC, has extended to the technical ranks. The Australian reports that Aunty’s executive bean counters have 20 percent of its technical support staff in the firing line. The newspaper says it has seen documents attributing the proposed restructure of technical …

    Business 8 Aug 23:00

  • Facebook password reset coming to phone near you

    At some point in the future

    Facebook said it plans to add a new security feature that will allow mobile device users to reset their password so they can regain access to their accounts. Mobile password reset, which was announced Monday, will give mobile users the ability to identify their accounts and and choose which email addresses should receive …

    Security 8 Aug 23:21