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12th August 2011 Archive

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  • Equinix opens 3rd data centre in Sydney

    More clouds to gather in Melbourne, Japan, India and China

    Data centre specialist Equinix has invested $65 million in its third Sydney based data centre, SY3. The SY3 provides 1,000 cabinet equivalents of capacity, which will be expanded to 3,000 in its next phase of development. Looking towards future growth the company said that its key priorities in the Asia Pacific are now …

    Cloud 12 Aug 2011, 00:01

  • DARPA drops another HTV-2

    To lose one is unfortunate, two looks like carelessness

    Whether or not the truth is out there somewhere, a couple of American hypersonic aircraft certainly are. A little over a year after DARPA (motto: "Creating and preventing strategic surprise") lost the wow-that’s-fast Falcon HTV-2 on its first test flight, it’s managed to replicate the experiment perfectly, losing the second …

    Science 12 Aug 2011, 00:01

  • University rats on Sydney suburb

    Rodent reintroduction reverses ratbags' rampage

    Mosman Council in Sydney, along with Sydney University and Taronga Zoo, hopes to drive out rats with more rats. The native “bush rat” – Rattus fuscipes to scientists, the Bogul rat to its friends – is being reintroduced to bushland areas in the harbourside suburb, in the hope that it will displace a pest that arrived with …

    Science 12 Aug 2011, 01:00

  • MacBook Pro turns to golden Apple

    24-carat upgrade

    Bling-centric ruffians and aspiring Del Boys will be pleased to know the Apple Macbook Pro is now available in 24-carat gold. Check out this MBP from customisation specialist Computer Choppers. The case has been plated in 24ct gold with a clear coating to make it scratch proof, and even though the keyboard and trackpad are …

    Laptops 12 Aug 2011, 04:50

  • The IBM PC is 30

    On 12 August 1981, the world changed

    IBM announced its new machine, the 5150, on 12 August 1981. It was no ordinary launch: the 5150 wasn't the 'big iron' typical of Big Blue - it was a personal computer. Here's the original 1981 announcement (PDF). IBM's Personal Computer: the 5150 Source: IBM IBM came late to the party. Through the 1960s and 1970s, it had …

    Vintage 12 Aug 2011, 06:00

  • Software maker fingered in Korean hackocalypse

    ESTsoft flub spawns nation's worst breach

    A devastating attack that exposed the personal information of 35 million South Koreans was perpetrated after hackers breached the security of popular software provider ESTsoft and planted malicious code on one of its update servers, it was widely reported Thursday. Attackers with Chinese IP addresses uploaded malware to a …

    Security 12 Aug 2011, 06:18

  • Google lands patent for, um, estimating shipment time

    'Telling a customer when their goodies will arrive? We own that'

    Four months and nine days after April Fools' Day, Google was granted a patent for telling a customer when a product shipment will arrive. The patent, entitled "Electronic shipping notifications" and awarded this Tuesday, covers the calculation of the estimated time of a shipment's arrival based on an order's status and "other …

    Media 12 Aug 2011, 06:19

  • National police procurement hub goes live

    Best laid plans of mice and NPIA

    The National Police Procurement Hub goes live today with coppers in Lincolnshire the first to implement the "Amazon" styled e-commerce platform. The portal set up by ProcServe with the backing of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), allows fuzz to buy IT, body armour and vehicles from 500 suppliers – though it was …

    Law 12 Aug 2011, 08:00

  • Traumatic scenes for car geeks as forum falls over

    Man made cake, spoke to wife

    There were fears of further outbreaks of violence on the streets yesterday when the UK's busiest motoring forum site, PistonHeads.com, disappeared offline. Desperate car geeks were forced to work, make a Victoria sponge and even talk to the wives, or so they claimed once the forum was back up and running. The Reg was …

    Security 12 Aug 2011, 08:59

  • Android respawn horror: Hacker says hackers' phones hacked

    Defcon visitors see handsets being scoped

    Claims that both CDMA and 4G networks were compromised at the recent Defcon security event in Las Vegas have raised little surprise, but the vulnerability of handsets is hotly debated. The claim was made by coderman, a stalwart of security conferences, who reports that he witnessed an advanced man-in-the-middle attack …

    Operating Systems 12 Aug 2011, 09:17

  • Joe Public invited to hunt God particle

    CERN needs your PC to help nail Higgs boson

    The atom-smashers down at CERN have invited Joe Public to lend some computing power to the search for the elusive Higgs boson – the "God particle" which theoretically gives mass to all other particles, but has to date proved elusive. Scientists are hoping that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will finally nail the Higgs boson, …

    Science 12 Aug 2011, 09:37

  • MySpace site glitch mistaken for hack attack

    OMG! Must've been Anonymous. LOL

    An error message on once dominant but now almost defunct social networking site MySpace early on Friday has been confused with a hack. Surfers visiting the Myspace.com home page were confronted with a title bar saying "All is wrong :(" where "MySpace" would normally appear and a message about puppies and kittens (extract below …

    Security 12 Aug 2011, 09:39

  • LinkedIn U-turns to appease peeved users

    But privacy policy stays the same

    LinkedIn has admitted that it screwed up with its latest tweak to the social-network-for-suits, after the company started using names and photos in third-party advertising. "Our core guiding value is Members First. And, with regards to the social ads we've been testing, we're listening to our members. We could have …

    Small Biz 12 Aug 2011, 09:54

  • Amazon web services back up and running

    But reasons for outage still being investigated

    Amazon has finally resolved the lingering issues from the outage last weekend, but the root cause of the power failure has yet to be determined by energy provider ESB Networks. The web giant said at the time that lightning had struck a transformer in Dublin on Sunday, which knocked out all power provision including the back-up …

    Cloud 12 Aug 2011, 09:57

  • Mango release rumours leave Nokia behind

    1 September release looking international

    It might not be just the Japanese who get to use Windows Phone 7.5, codenamed Mango, next month, as an international rollout is now being rumoured. Pocket-lint reckons "multiple trusted sources" have told it that on 1 September, Microsoft will start rolling out the new version of its mobile OS to existing, as well as new, …

    Developer 12 Aug 2011, 10:33

  • Apple shines light on iOS projector tech

    Illuminating patents discovery

    Apple has considered including a projector as part of an iOS device, with blueprints discovered through a recent patent filing. The patent, titled "Projected display shared workspaces" was dug up by UnwiredView this week. It shows various Apple products with small pico-projectors onboard. The plans document multitouch …

    Tablets 12 Aug 2011, 10:42

  • Neighbours cop an earful from screaming Swedish w*nker

    Malmö onanist 'moans louder than an animal'

    A Malmö man with a penchant for vociferous five-knuckle shuffling may have to put a sock in it after his traumatised neighbours reported him for really giving it some stick when cracking one off. The shouty onanist apparently had previous form for watching the telly late at night with the volume cranked up, but his vocal solo …

    Bootnotes 12 Aug 2011, 10:52

  • Jeff Bezos patents retro jets, and airbags, for telephones

    Amazon man protecting your pocket tech

    A patent filed by Jeff Bezos and Amazon VP Greg Heart suggests using a phone's accelerometer to detect when it is falling, and deploying tiny airbags to cushion the impact. The patent application was filed in February, but only just made public and remains some way off from being awarded. It was noticed by Geekwire, who …

    Mobile 12 Aug 2011, 10:55

  • Samsung plops out waterproof smartphone

    Touch and flow

    In preparation for a wet autumn, or perhaps to cater for those escaping the Blighty weather for sandy shores, Samsung has unveiled a waterproof smartphone with touchscreen capabilities. The Samsung Galaxy Xcover runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread with an 800MHz processor. It packs a 3.6in reinforced touchscreen display made from …

    Phones 12 Aug 2011, 11:00

  • Hey dumbo, Facebook isn't sharing telephone numbers

    Publish and be damned... bitch

    Facebook has been forced to stamp out a silly rumour doing the rounds on, well, Facebook, that wrongly suggests the company will share any user's telephone list with their contacts on the social network. Wrong, wrong, wrong, said the Mark Zuckerberg-run firm. "Rumors claiming that your phone contacts are visible to everyone …

    Security 12 Aug 2011, 11:02

  • Bytes hungry for more buys

    Looking at storage and virtualisation

    Bytes Technology group has signalled its intent to continue acquiring to fill out the holes in its portfolio. The Surrey-based Microsoft and Xerox house last week signed off the purchase of Security Partnerships (SP) for an undisclosed sum following a three-year break from acquisitions. But group MD Neil Murphy told The Reg …

    The Channel 12 Aug 2011, 11:13

  • Twitter 'Stalker app' just a phishing scam

    A stalker, a phisher, a stealer o' beef

    A "Stalkers app" doing the rounds on Twitter is actually a phishing scam, security watchers warn. The Stalkers app, which purports to be officially sanctioned and to track people who are "stalking your Twitter", is promoted via messages linking to the application, which does nothing except coax victims into handing over their …

    Security 12 Aug 2011, 11:56

  • German court bans sale of Galaxy Tab 10.1, says Apple

    Temporary ban on the sale of Samsung tablet in all but one EU country

    A German court has issued a temporary ban on the sale of a Samsung digital product in every single EU member state with the exception of the Netherlands, according to media reports. Apple was successfully granted the injunction against the sale of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the UK and every other EU member state apart from …

    Hardware 12 Aug 2011, 11:58

  • Star Wars fans offered Blu-ray deals and previews

    Panasonic uses 'the force' to sell format

    The force was strong at London’s O2 Arena this morning, with the first public preview of Star Wars in high definition on Blu-ray. The eagerly awaited discs, collected together as Star Wars: The Complete Saga, will go on sale September 12th, but visitors to this weekend’s Empire Big Screen film festival have a chance to see(3PO) …

    Hardware 12 Aug 2011, 12:23

  • Icebergs measured in Manhattans: Official

    Antarctic tsunami event spawns new standard

    It's a well-known fact that volumes of water are described in terms of Olympic-sized swimming pools, while running H2O is quantified in elephants per second, but have you ever wondered just what is the official standard for large bodies of ice? Well wonder no more, because ScienceDaily has the answer. According to this report …

    Bootnotes 12 Aug 2011, 12:38

  • Gary McKinnon support website defaced

    Serial graffiti splasher TurkGuvenligi strikes again

    A support blog for alleged Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon had its domain name hijacked on Friday morning. Serial defacer TurkGuvenligi posted an image of an old fella spinning a plate (which looks a bit like a flying saucer) on his finger on the FreeGary support blog. An image of the domain hack can be found here. We notified …

    Security 12 Aug 2011, 12:39

  • Essex police charge BlackBerry user over inciting violent disorder

    BBM lets England shake

    Essex police have charged an 18-year-old woman from Clacton, after she allegedly sent a message via her BlackBerry device using its BBM service to incite others to commit thuggery during the England riots that gripped the country for four days. The cops cited the Serious Crime Act 2007 on the unnamed woman's charge sheet. …

    Law 12 Aug 2011, 12:41

  • Bloody Moon stuffs the Perseids

    Annual meteor shower set to be a wash-out

    Tonight is the night for the best view of the Perseids – the annual meteor shower caused by the debris trail of comet Swift-Tuttle. Or rather it would be if it weren't for the bloody Moon, which has timed its near-fullness to perfection to "interfere significantly" with the chances of copping a decent view of the lightshow. …

    Science 12 Aug 2011, 12:50

  • iLuv iPad 2 case and Bluetooth keyboard

    Accessory of the Week Winning combination?

    If you have an Apple iPad, the chances are you'll have some kind of accessory to protect it. While a Jiffy bag would do, you'll probably be inclined to consider something more enduring. Typing on a piece of glass has a few shortcomings too – not only the lack of tactile responsiveness but the fact that the virtual keyboard …

    Tablets 12 Aug 2011, 13:04

  • Counter-Strike sequel aims for 2012 target

    Back with a bang

    FPS fans will no doubt be shooting off in excitement today after news broke that Valve is readying a new Counter-Strike game. Speculation has been rife across t'interweb boards, after witnesses came forth claiming to have spent the day at the Valve HQ, having cast their eyes on the developer's next title - Counter Strike: …

    Games 12 Aug 2011, 13:20

  • iPhone 5 less than a month away

    Apple event hints at handset

    Apple fanbois and those sick of the constant updates will be pleased to know the Cupertino company is likely to end the perennial iPhone 5 speculation at its annual media event in less than a month. According to Japanese site Kodawarisan, Apple's event is set for 7 September and while it is traditionally used to launch …

    Phones 12 Aug 2011, 13:32

  • Fujitsu staff vote on strikes

    Government contracts could be hit

    Unionised workers at Fujitsu are being balloted for strike action after they were refused below inflation pay rises. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union is testing the appetite for industrial action among 750 IT support staff at the integration arm of the Japanese giant working on government contracts across the UK …

    Government 12 Aug 2011, 15:03

  • LightSquared blasts GPS naysayers in FCC letter

    Is GPS too important to be restricted by law?

    LightSquared, the US operator hoping to camp beside the GPS frequencies, has written to the FCC accusing the GPS industry of failing to comply with the Department of Defence standards. The letter is in response to the industry complaints that LightSquared is putting lives and property at risk by insisting on setting up a 4G …

    Mobile 12 Aug 2011, 15:04

  • IPCC probes alleged Milly Dowler/NotW leak

    Independent investigation is go

    The Independent Police Complaints Commission has opened an investigation into allegations that a Surrey cop leaked information about the probe into Milly Dowler's murder in 2002 to the News of the World. "An IPCC Deputy Senior Investigator has been over at Surrey Police this morning to get more information about the case and …

    Law 12 Aug 2011, 15:16

  • Layar gets a Vision, and a revenue stream

    We could make some money!

    Augmented reality poster child Layar has found a way to make money, by recognising 3D objects and linking them to content which can be dropped into its altered version of reality. Layar has launched Vision, an enhancement which can recognise 3D, or 2D, objects and offer the user an interactive experience when they're spotted. …

    Developer 12 Aug 2011, 15:28

  • IBM PC daddy: 'The PC era is over'

    Chucks own invention into vinyl record bin

    One of the dozen engineers who designed the original IBM PC, which celebrates its 30th anniversary on Friday, says that the reign of the personal computer is coming to an end. "They're going the way of the vacuum tube, typewriter, vinyl records, CRT and incandescent light bulbs," writes IBM's Middle East and Africa CTO Mark …

    Hardware 12 Aug 2011, 16:39

  • Google Chrome beta turns on native code machine

    Native Client in the chute

    With its latest Chrome beta, Google has turned on Native Client, its rather bold effort to securely run native applications inside the browser. This means that Native Client is slated to make its official debut with Chrome 14 in September. In a recent interview with The Register, Google vice president of engineering Linus …

    Developer 12 Aug 2011, 17:58

  • iPad accessorizer gets into Bernie Madoff's pants

    Own a bit of butt-hugging history

    Wealth and villainy are notorious aphrodisiacs, and a New York company is making it possible for you to get into the pants of one of the 21st century's highest-flying criminals. Well, not you, exactly – your iPad. The financial felon with the ironic last name Fashonista iPad casemaker Frederick James is offering a pair of …

    Media 12 Aug 2011, 18:06

  • Man admits to running $800,000 carder ring

    Cops to aggravated identity theft

    A Brooklyn man has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft for his role in an operation that defrauded credit card issuers of almost $800,000 in bogus charges. Jonathan Oliveras, 26, also pleaded guilty to wire fraud and admitted to managing scheme to purchase stolen credit card information from people in Russia and then …

    Security 12 Aug 2011, 18:17

  • Police kill mobile phone service to squelch protest

    San Francisco shutdown

    In response to a threatened protest in its subway system, San Francisco authorities temporarily shut down mobile phone service in the underground stations of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, known locally as BART. "A civil disturbance during commute times at busy downtown San Francisco stations could lead to platform …

    Mobile 12 Aug 2011, 22:41

  • Mozilla to auto-block unwanted Firefox add-ons

    Revenge of the force-fed browser users

    Mozilla's Firefox will soon start blocking browser add-ons installed by other programs until users explicitly approve them, a move that's designed to give people more control over their web surfing experience. The feature will debut next week in the Firefox Aurora prebeta, Justin Scott a Mozilla product manager for add-ons said …

    Security 12 Aug 2011, 22:44

  • Dell puts gun to Streak 5 tablet, pulls trigger

    Five-inch experiment dead

    Dell has discontinued its five-inch Dell Streak, a neither-fish-nor-fowl item that never quite caused consumers' pulses to pound. The death of the Streak 5 was announced on Dell's website on Thursday, along with the suggestion that streakers "Check out our other innovative Dell tablets and smartphones," including the Android 2 …

    Tablets 12 Aug 2011, 22:50

  • Stars Wars icons join Queen Elizabeth on Pacific Island coin

    R2D2 meets QEII

    In this time of economic upheaval and fiscal brinksmanship, it heartening to hear of one government that's approaching budget enhancement with fresh, creative thinking. The most captivating croissants in the Alliance That'd be the Polynesian paradise of Niue Island, which is padding its coffers by issuing legal-tender $2 …

    Bootnotes 12 Aug 2011, 23:59