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9th December 2011 Archive

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  • Samsung gets a few days of Christmas

    Breaking: High Court nixes Apple appeal, Galaxy 10.1 in stores Monday

    Australia’s High Court has refused Apple’s application for special leave to appeal in the ongoing Apple-Samsung case. Readers will recall that after the Federal Court in Sydney lifted the injunction that had kept the Galaxy 10.1 off the shelves, Apple immediately requested a stay on the orders so it could seek leave to appeal …

    Law 9 Dec 00:38

  • Microsoft and HP sign four-year cloud cooperation pact

    Three flavors of cloud by end of year

    Microsoft and HP have signed a deal to offer joint cloud hardware and software configurations for sale over the next four years. Under the terms of the deal the slightly dynamic duo will offer three types of setup to resellers and direct sales: Private, hybrid and public. The first tranche of packages will go on sale in the US …

    Cloud Business 9 Dec 01:03

  • OnLive Game System cloud gaming console

    Review Server-ance play

    The OnLive cloud gaming service was launched in the UK in September, and I was impressed by the fact that it allowed me to play a wide range of PC games on my Mac – without requiring Boot Camp and a copy of Windows, or any virtualisation trickery. The USB ports are for charging wireless controllers That’s possible because …

    reghardware 9 Dec 07:00

  • US judge: Ad-pushers may be liable for 'facilitating' website piracy

    Chitika gets off, but others may not be so lucky – court rules

    Advertising networks can be found liable for contributing to copyright infringement on websites if they facilitate that infringement, a US court has suggested. It ruled that the ad network in question was not liable, but suggested that others could be in other situations. A district court judge in Massachusetts said that ad …

    Law 9 Dec 08:33

  • Post Office wins contract to take snaps of foreigners

    Checks on non-Brit residents to include online service for employers

    The Post Office has won a contract to take photographs and fingerprints of foreign nationals seeking biometric residence permits (BRPs). Immigration minister Damian Green announced the plan as part of a package of measures, also including an online checking service for employers, aimed at reducing the number of illegal workers …

    Government 9 Dec 09:03

  • Cops bust den of text-spam spewers

    ICO survey: Spam texts give us the sads

    Police have raided a UK office they suspect was a front for spam texters and are eyeing up other hotspots of SMS spam in a crackdown announced today by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The police action comes after an ICO campaign to eradicate the practice which they say is distressing to recipients. In a survey …

    Spam 9 Dec 09:21

  • Leaked EU data protection draft SHALL. NOT. PASS.

    Analysis Doubtful Commission's proposals will be enacted in this form

    The first impression of this leaked text is that this version of the Regulation is more prescriptive than Directive 95/46/EC and will get up most data controllers and governmental noses. I think the text makes far too many fundamental changes than can be reasonably done via a "Regulation" (which has three times as many Articles …

    Law 9 Dec 09:42

  • Griffin iTrip Dual Connect car kit for iPhone

    Accessory of the Week Tune in, trip out

    Sending audio from your iPod or iPhone to your car stereo over FM is all very well, but it has some nasty drawbacks. There’s the lack of available frequencies in urban areas, for starters. And even when you’ve found a free one at the start of a journey, there’s no guarantee it will remain usable throughout your trip. Then …

    reghardware 9 Dec 10:00

  • NASA slammed for losing hundreds of moon rocks

    Chaos at space agency's lunar lump lending library

    Butter-fingered admin work at NASA HQ has meant that hundreds of moon rocks, meteorites and cosmic dust samples have gone missing since the 1980s. A 4bn year old meteorite, currently still in NASA's possession Poor back-office work was blamed for the mishaps in a report by NASA's Audit Office that recorded that 516 pieces …

    Space 9 Dec 10:20

  • Six cuffed in £1m student readies phishing probe

    That's a lot of beer money nicked from bank accounts

    Scotland Yard's cybercrime crackdown squad has cuffed suspected crims accused of masterminding a phishing scam that netted more than £1m in cash from hundreds of unsuspecting students. The Met's Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) began an investigation in August after a tip-off that students signed up to a government loan …

    Crime 9 Dec 10:42

  • Survey: Apprenticeships will fix IT skills gap

    Get the kids into the office, ASAP

    Get kids into apprenticeships. This was the message from British IT pros asked how to fix the tech skills gap in the UK. Over 60 per cent of IT workers questioned by by recruitment site CW Jobs believe that there is currently a skills shortage in the UK IT sector. Richard Nott, CW's website director, says that the lack of …

    Developer 9 Dec 11:02

  • Twitter redesign seeks to monetise user base

    'Bringing you closer to everything you care about'!

    Twitter has injected some new features into the micro-blogging site in an effort to lure more developers, partners and - most importantly - users to the service. The privately-held company said in a blog post yesterday that it had "simplified the design" of Twitter. In fact, the firm appears to be morphing the service into …

    Cloud Business 9 Dec 11:16

  • Android, BlackBerry phone owners favour Apple tablet

    OS brand loyalty, they've heard of it

    Now the Fandroids are not going to like this, and are advised to look away lest they suffer an apoplectic fit and shower their keyboards in even more drool than usual. US market watcher Maritz Research asked 2500 North American smartphone owners which tablet they would like to get. Many said they'd like an iPad, Forbes reports …

    reghardware 9 Dec 11:24

  • Duqu vuln fix stars in bumper Patch Tuesday

    Microsoft's Xmas gift to sysadmins: 14 security updates

    Microsoft plans to deliver a festive hamper of 14 security updates next week, three of which are designed to tackle critical remote code execution flaws. The critical updates plug serious holes in Windows XP, Vista, and (to a lesser extent) Windows 7. On the server side, both Windows 2003 and Windows 2008 are vulnerable, but …

    Channel Register 9 Dec 11:31

  • Royal Mail double-dip billing bug enrages stocking-filling biz

    Not the best time for postage screw-ups, admit bosses

    Royal Mail apologised on Thursday for the resurgence of technical problems that have bedevilled the website over recent weeks. The SmartStamp and Online Postage applications are both playing up at the worst possible time of year as business customers rush to get Christmas mail out the door. About 600 of the 30,000 SmartStamp …

    Small Biz 9 Dec 11:43

  • Northamber money boss Lee resigns after seven months

    Finance director 'fell out with chairman'

    Northamber has split with director of finance Nick Lee just seven months after he stepped into the role, The Register can confirm. Lee joined Chessington-based distie Northamber in June after parting with former employer Avnet Tehcnology Solutions where he was chief UK bean counter. Prior to that he was CFO at Bell …

    Channel Register 9 Dec 12:01

  • Carol singers rejoice at pay-by-tap credit card donations

    O Come All Ye NFC Faithful

    Carol singers in Covent Garden aren't taking cash donations this morning - instead they're accepting tap-to-pay credit cards, but by a lucky coincidence BarclayCard has staff handing them out nearby. The winter warblers are from the London Community Gospel Choir, and the donated money will go to the Help a Capital Child fund, …

    Small Biz 9 Dec 12:02

  • Red Cross: 600m videogamers may be war criminals

    Modern games flagrantly violate humanitarian law. Apparently.

    Move aside, Milosevic. Out of the way, al-Bashir. It's the world's videogamers who should be hauled up on war crimes charges, some members of the Red Cross seem to think. During the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which took place in Geneva last week, attendees were asked to consider what …

    reghardware 9 Dec 12:05

  • El Reg takes man for romantic weekend for two at Intel chip factory

    Fab trip to Intel Fab

    So what do you get when you enter a competition on the Reg? The leftovers from the Cash and Carrion bin? Whatever unboxed review kit we’ve managed to hide from the courier? Or a cracking weekend for two in a luxury hotel in one of the world’s liveliest cities, with a trip to Europe’s most advanced chip factory thrown in. For …

    Enterprise Tech 9 Dec 12:14

  • Hackers jimmy Android Marketplace onto PlayBooks

    RIM App Planet bypass blow

    Hackers have managed to get Google's Android Marketplace running on the RIM PlayBook, potentially bypassing RIM's App Planet though the mod is far from mainstream. The hack follows the successful rooting of the PlayBook, but isn't for the fainthearted. The process involves installing a beta version of the OS formerly known as …

    Developer 9 Dec 12:19

  • 2011's Best... Premium Tablets

    Xmas Gift Guide Fondleslabs for the festive season

    Now, we're going to annoy some of you with this one. Choosing the year's best tablet is easy. Picking one that'll appeal to the more vocal Reg readers is easy too. Selecting a different one because you think it's right is another matter, however. But let's say from the outset: all of the five tablets that follow are ones we'd …

    reghardware 9 Dec 12:29

  • Blighty's bumpkins bemoan bold broadband bluster

    Analysis Rural superfast net rollout 'very underwhelming'

    A picture is slowly emerging that suggests that the UK's incumbent telco - BT - has a perceived stranglehold on the rollout of a faster broadband network in hard to reach parts of the UK. That's despite the fact that BT recently revised its duct and pole pricing plan for rivals wanting to gain access to the company's physical …

    Telecoms 9 Dec 12:47

  • Download.com sorry for bundling Nmap with crapware

    Open source freed from toolbar

    Download.com has apologised for bundling open-source packages, including Namp and VLC, with crudware toolbar installers. But Sean Murphy, the vice-president and general manager of CNet's Download.com, defended the policy of bundling more generally and fell short of endorsing an opt-in policy for software extras. A row kicked …

    Developer 9 Dec 13:04

  • RED MOON to GO DARK tonight in Pacific eclipse

    Prisoner of an ignorant tribe? Now's your chance

    The last lunar eclipse of the year, and the last total one until 2014, will turn the Moon red for some lucky viewers. The eclipse will kick off as the Moon passes though the shadow of the planet at 14:06:16 UT on 10 December. Viewers in the Western US and Hawaii will get a glimpse just before moonset, but the best views will …

    Space 9 Dec 13:16

  • Win8 beta to surface in Feb 2012 - Microsoft exec

    Attention ARM users: no desktop apps for you

    The Windows 8 beta is coming in February, if a Microsoft exec launching the Windows 8 Store is to be believed. Antoine Leblond, vice-president of Windows web services, gave the date at the end of a preview of the app store in San Francisco, California, this week and after pitching market opportunities available to devs who get …

    Developer 9 Dec 13:34

  • Next Dr Who game to leave Xboxers in the cold

    PS3 fans are Eternity Clock-a-hoop

    The BBC is to release a new Doctor Who game next year, but if you're an Xbox owner you won't be able to enjoy it. Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock will be released for the PlayStation 3, Sony's PS Vita handheld and PCs. The Corporation promises the game will feature "photo-real graphics, television quality scenes and highly …

    reghardware 9 Dec 13:41

  • Chrome is the most secured browser - new study

    Firefox finishes last in 3 browser security race

    Google Chrome offers more protection against online attacks than any other mainstream browser, according to an evaluation that compares exploit mitigations, malicious link detection, and other safety features offered in Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox. The 102-page report, prepared by researchers from security firm …

    Malware 9 Dec 13:45

  • Microsoft arms Win8 store apps with remote self-destruct

    The power to make problems disappear

    Microsoft has added a kill switch to the Windows Store that’ll let Redmond remove apps from Windows 8 beta machines. Mention of the kill switch is buried deep within the text of the terms-of-use for the Windows Store for Windows 8, which were published this week. According to Microsoft’s red tape, here: In cases where your …

    Developer 9 Dec 14:01

  • Busty Ohio mannequin survives assassination attempt

    Plastic mayoral candidate in drive-by shooting shocker

    A busty Ohio mannequin with political pretensions has survived a terrifying assassination attempt, local new outlets report. BarBe Q (in all her mamtasic glory, above) is the big up front for KT's Barbecue in Reading, and recently ran for mayor of the town, after diner owner Kenny Tessel evidently threw a strop at the local …

    Bootnotes 9 Dec 14:22

  • Google's Schmidt strikes Carrier IQ off Xmas card list

    'Appears to be software that's not very good for you'

    Google chairman Eric Schmidt has criticised Carrier IQ and added that the company doesn't work with the controversial software maker. "Android is an open platform, so it's possible for people to build software that's actually not very good for you, and this appears to be one," Schmidt said, according to Reuters. Late last …

    Developer 9 Dec 14:41

  • Channel Survey: Last call to all resellers and integrators

    Here is YOUR chance to have YOUR voice heard

    Channel Register was flooded with responses from resellers eager to share their experiences in the market this year - but the deadline to fill in our survey is looming for anyone else wanting to voice an opinion anonymously. So what impact is the tough trading environment wielding on your business? Which parts of the market …

    Channel Register 9 Dec 15:01

  • Is Bill Gates mulling a return to Microsoft throne?

    One final belated repeat of a Jobs move maybe on cards

    Bill Gates is mulling a return to Microsoft according to a well-placed source. The mole told Fortune that the tycoon may consider clasping the reins of the company he co-founded and replacing Steve Ballmer as CEO. The remarks came from "a prominent chief executive", according to the site. Gates left Microsoft to focus on …

    Financial News 9 Dec 15:20

  • Motorola parks tanks on Apple's German lawn

    We're not FRANDs any more, argue MotoMobe

    Motorola Mobility has gained an injunction against Apple sales in Germany, through careful application of owed royalties on previous infringements, but enforcing it will cost Motorola €100m in bond money. That money has to be lodged with the court in case a later ruling overrides this decision. It's a lot less than the €2bn …

    reghardware 9 Dec 15:36

  • Senators: Globo-domains could mean consumer chaos

    ICANN gold rush could devastate web biz

    US senators have called on web address overseer ICANN to rein in its imminent generic top-level domains programme over fears that it may lead to cybersquatting and consumer confusion. The ICANN new gTLD programme, which will open for applications in January, came under scrutiny at a lacklustre hearing of the Senate Committee …

    Channel Register 9 Dec 15:58

  • Integrator GlassHouse kicks IPO plans into touch again

    'Volatile' economic conditions ground 2nd takeoff attempt

    GlassHouseTechnologies has for the second time shelved plans for an initial public offering (IPO) in the US due to the uncertain economic outlook. The virtualisation, security and data centre integrator will withdraw its registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC in 2010, it had been seeking to raise $75m. “ …

    Channel Register 9 Dec 16:29

  • Yahoo! may! never! see! a! penny! of! $610m! anti-spam! win!

    Court rules against lotto scammers, whoever they are

    Yahoo! has been awarded a $610 million default judgment against spammers who abusing its brand to run a lottery scam. Marks received email supposedly from Yahoo! telling them they had won a lottery. Funds weren't just handed over at once, of course, instead those hooked via the scam would have been tricked into handing over …

    Spam 9 Dec 17:02

  • Skype founder to offer FREE mobile broadband for all

    Head in the clouds with satellite network

    Niklas Zennstrom's FreedomPop has signed a mind-boggling deal with LightSquared to provide free broadband to everyone in America. FreedomPop only exists as a landing page where one can register an interest in having free mobile broadband, and if it weren't for the involvement of one of Skype's founders it could easily be …

    Mobile 9 Dec 17:34

  • Private investor pays $1.3bn to don Blue Coat

    Suits you, sir

    Web security and WAN optimisation appliance firm Blue Coat Systems has been acquired by private equity investment outfit Thoma Bravo in a deal valued at about $1.3 billion. Under the terms of the deal, shareholders will receive $25.81 in cash for each share of Blue Coat common stock they hold, a premium of around 48 per cent …

    Enterprise Security 9 Dec 19:51

  • PC sales forecast slashed on back of disk drive crisis

    Global economy and fondleslab fever also to blame

    IHS has slashed PC sales forecasts for 2012 because of weakening demand and an ongoing disk drive crisis. HDD shortages triggered by the Thai floods will lead to a 3.8 million unit shortfall in PC shipments for Q1 compared to the beancounter's previous forecast, dragging down expectations for the whole year. “The PC supply …

    Channel Register 9 Dec 19:58

  • HP throws WebOS to open source community

    WebOS wobbles and it does fall down

    HP will bite the bullet and dump the WebOS operating system on the open source community. The company made the announcement, as expected, that it would no longer sell the software and instead will transfer the source code, along with the ENYO application framework for WebOS and the remaining components of the user space, to …

    Operating Systems 9 Dec 20:07

  • Apple stores getting close to overload

    Getting staff to do more for less

    A study of traffic and productivity in Apple’s retail arm makes worrying reading for Cupertino, according to a new analysis by Asymco. In an age when traditional retailers are complaining about online traders stealing their customers, Apple has a different set of problems – too many people. While Apple has some of the most …

    Channel Register 9 Dec 22:11

  • Four Romanians charged with hacking 150 Subway shops

    Point-of-sale breach reaps millions in ill-gotten gains

    Four Romanian nationals were charged with pocketing millions of dollars by hacking into the credit card processing systems of more than 200 businesses. The men remotely accessed point-of-sale systems of 150 Subway sandwich shops and 50 unnamed retailers and stealing credit card data for more than 80,000 customers, according to …

    Crime 9 Dec 22:52

  • Telstra shutters customer self-service site after security blunder

    Passwords? We’ve heard of them

    Several sharp-eyed readers have pointed El Register to the latest corporate security howler in Australia: Telstra’s customer self-service site has had to be shut down after it sprayed sensitive customer data to the world at large. First reported on the Australian broadband discussion site Whirlpool (original post here) and …

    Security 9 Dec 23:11

  • Windows Defender Offline: For PCs too hosed to go online

    In beta now

    Microsoft has released a beta version of its Windows Defender antivirus tool that works even when computers are so badly infected that they are unable to fully access the internet. The program allows users to boot their sick machines from a CD, DVD or USB flash drive and use the most up-to-date definitions to fight the …

    Malware 9 Dec 23:51