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16th December 2011 Archive

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  • Judge dismisses charges against accused Twitter stalker

    Offensive tweets protected by US Constitution

    A federal judge has dismissed a criminal case against a man charged with stalking a religious leader on Twitter on the grounds that the more than 8,000 messages he posted, some predicting her violent death, were protected by the US constitution. Thursday's ruling by US District Judge Roger W. Titus of Maryland was among the …

    Law 16 Dec 2011, 01:13

  • Nikon 1 V1 interchangeable lens compact camera

    Review The 1 worth having

    The V1 is the flagship model of Nikon’s newborn mirrorless, interchangeable lenses camera system simply called 1 that currently has only two models, the cheapest, being the smaller and less sophisticated J1 reviewed recently. Yet having entered the Compact System Camera’s (CSC) scene with some considerable delay, can Nikon …

    Hardware 16 Dec 2011, 07:00

  • Nvidia ditches homegrown C/C++ compiler for LLVM

    Revs CUDA tools to 4.1

    Graphics processor and SoC chip maker Nvidia is hosting its GTC Asia conference in Beijing this week, and with the next-generation Kepler GPUs being pushed out to early next year, there isn't any new chippery to salivate over. But Nvidia has some new compilers and a revved up CUDA development kit to make things interesting just …

    Developer 16 Dec 2011, 08:01

  • Jedi light-sabre beats Taser in Oregon parking-lot fracas

    Mumbo-jumbo mystic impervious to cops' electric blasters

    For those of you who've ever wondered, like you do, whether the Jedi lightsabre or the Taser is the more effective weapon, we're delighted to report that the electric dispenser of justice is no match for Obi-Wan Kenobi's mighty glowing tool. For proof, look no further than the case of David A. Canterbury (pictured), who …

    Bootnotes 16 Dec 2011, 08:28

  • Seagate matches and raises WD disk warranty cuts

    'We're just being consistent with the industry'

    Seagate is cutting most Barracuda and Momentus warranty periods down to one year with others moving from five-year warranties to three. Following on from Western Digital cutting some of its warranty periods to two years, we learn that Seagate is going further. In a letter to its authorised distributors, dated 6 December 2011, …

    Storage 16 Dec 2011, 08:55

  • Google+ gets group vid, Nokia still has a Pulse

    Social networks for people who don't like people

    Google+ is adding group video to its hangouts on Android, while Nokia Pulse gets updated for those who like their social networking a little less social. Both networks are very mobile-orientated, but Nokia Pulse is primarily about geotagging content for sharing with groups of cloud-based friends while Google+ has bigger fish …

    Applications 16 Dec 2011, 09:14

  • UK.gov imposes broadband deadline for councils

    Mmmm. Get your chops around juicy pork barrel goodness

    It's been a week since the Countryside Alliance made a noise about the lack of activity around the rollout of a broadband network in rural areas. That came after a Freedom of Information request from the pro-fox hunting group revealed that councils were bumbling along with the fibre upgrade process. Now, perhaps in response to …

    Broadband 16 Dec 2011, 09:29

  • The Google Review: Now Speak Your Brains

    Opt-in for your rights

    The Business Department BiS has launched a copyright consultation, inviting views on the recommendations raised in the "Google Review", as the "Hargreaves Review into IP and Growth" became known. Hargreaves was tasked with looking for changes in UK IP law that could stimulate economic growth. Ian Hargreaves' review featured …

    Developer 16 Dec 2011, 09:44

  • Marmitek Gigaview GV820 wireless HDMI sender

    Accessory of the Week Give me stream

    When it comes to HDMI senders, it’s the quality of transmission and ease of set up which generally sets one apart from another. The smart-looking Marmitek Gigaview - yes, it does sound like the name of an Austin Powers villain - does well on both counts. The TX/RX pair sport a curvaceous glossy design and are supplied with …

    Hardware 16 Dec 2011, 10:00

  • Asus pushes Prime pre-orders

    Ask for Ice Cream Sarnie, Tegra 3 tablet now

    Asus has said some 16 UK retailers are now taking advance orders for its Nvidia Tegra 3-based Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet-netbook combo, the Eee Pad Transformer Prime. The list of sellers includes all the familiar names, including Amazon, Argos, Asda, Comet, Currys, eBuyer, John Lewis, PC World and Tesco. The price …

    Tablets 16 Dec 2011, 10:07

  • Google's Siri-a-like to be named 'Majel' after Trek actress

    Software that acts human named after human acting like software

    Google are working on a voice-recognising Siri-beater say the blogs, and it's going to be called Majel. Google phones have had voice control for donkey's years but the Majel app will be better than the old stuff says a Google insider quoted on AndroidandMe. According to blog's unnamed source, the new app will sauce up Google's …

    Applications 16 Dec 2011, 10:16

  • Brit PhD student excels in Pentagon digi-forensics challenge

    Makes global top ten, heads UK rankings

    A computer science student from Lancaster University has become the UK winner of the digital forensics challenge, a global competition designed and hosted by the US Department of Defense. Christopher Richardson (AKA Ikarus) came first in the UK and ninth internationally among 1,791 competitors from 52 countries. The challenge …

    Developer 16 Dec 2011, 10:29

  • Apple 7in iPad not out until Q3 2012

    LG doing the display, moles claim

    Keenly hoping Apple will bring out the 7in iPad of rumours past? You'll get your wish next year, apparently. To be precise, it'll be a 7.85in job, Chinese supply chain chat maintains, but it won't be out until Q3 2012 at the earliest, DigiTimes jotted down today. The 7in panels will be coming from LG, and the moles reckon the …

    Tablets 16 Dec 2011, 10:37

  • 'Android malware must be kind of thrilling for Microsoft'

    QuotW Plus: 'Young people are fed up with iPhones'

    This was the week when in a rather ironic about-turn, peer-to-peer veterans decided to start a suit against companies like Google, Amazon, Dropbox and VMWare for using their intellectual property to make their cloud and virtualisation offerings. While the US discovered that one of the devices it uses in critical infrastructures …

    Software 16 Dec 2011, 10:44

  • Doctor Who girl Amy Pond axed in 'heartbreaking' exit

    Sidekick search starts as companion couple leave next series

    Doctor Who is in the market for a brand new sidekick, as current companions Amy and Rory Pond will leave the show during the next series in a "heartbreaking" fashion. Alex Kingston, Arthur Darvill, Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. Credit: BBC The show's head honcho Steven Moffatt broke the news after a screening at BBC TV …

    Hardware 16 Dec 2011, 11:06

  • Adobe startles Wall St with Q4 sales climb

    Time to pump more money from cloud

    Just one month after Adobe confirmed it was axing around 7 per cent of its global workforce and backing away from its Flash Player software on mobile gadgets, the company has reported final quarter results that surprised Wall Street. It pulled in revenue of $1.1bn (£0.7bn) for the three months ended 2 December, up 14 per cent …

    Software 16 Dec 2011, 11:21

  • Pop teen beats Steve Jobs in Google's 2011 popularity contest

    Zeitgeist admits Apple is popular, no sign of Android

    Google has acknowledged the global dominance of arch-rivals Apple as the Chocolate Factory's 2011 Zeitgeist chart shows Apple placed not just once but three times in the internet popularity contest. Measuring the fastest rising search terms by popularity, the Zeitgeist charts track topics that got Google's global users into …

    Business 16 Dec 2011, 11:41

  • Xmas heralds bumper tablet shipments

    Q3 sales down, Q4 to make up and then some

    Is fondleslab fever fading? They might be if you're IDC, a market watcher, which had to admit that its forecast for Q3 2011 tablet shipments was almost six per cent off mark. IDC had predicted world tablet shipments of 19.2m units for Q3, but the total actually came to 18.1m units. Still, it said, strong demand in Q4 will …

    Tablets 16 Dec 2011, 12:01

  • Fanbois locked out of iTunes store, iCloud in Apple outage

    Updated Fury as Cupertino's login servers fall over

    A number of Apple fanbois have been shut out of their iTunes store and iCloud accounts since last night as their login details fail to work as expected. Attempts to access the services are thwarted with either a 'fatal internal error occurred' message being shown or the software simply saying that the password hasn't been …

    Software 16 Dec 2011, 12:11

  • Farmville maker Zynga raises $1bn for IPO

    Offering is biggest since Google

    An online games company that derives most of its revenue from privately-held Facebook has raised $1bn in its initial public offering. That figure is second only to Google's IPO in 2004, when the world's largest ad broker got a $1.9bn leg-up. Zynga, which was founded in 2007 and develops games such as Farmville and Alec …

    Applications 16 Dec 2011, 12:24

  • E-book reader sales to boom as prices plunge

    Rivals follow Amazon and cut

    World shipments of e-book readers with electronic ink screens topped 6.5m in Q3 2011, market watcher IDC has said. That represents quarter-on-quarter growth of 27 per cent, and an increase of 165.9 per cent on Q3 2010's total. Expect even greater increases this quarter, IDC said, as the gadgets get cheaper. Not only did …

    Tablets 16 Dec 2011, 12:31

  • Sony to update Tablet S for PS3 controller gaming

    Skype video calling on the Tablet P

    Sony has begun pushing out a firmware update for its Tablet S and P fondleslabs which allows the latter to do Skype video calling and lets the S use PlayStation 3 wireless controllers for gaming. According to Sony Japan, the update takes the tablets to "Android 3.2.1 Release 2", as the company puts it. The first version of 3.2 …

    Tablets 16 Dec 2011, 12:32

  • Shed Xmas flab and debug code with treadmill laptop contraption

    For fatties who can't leave their keyboards

    No self-respecting techie would ever be seen dead in a gym. If you want to get fit, just put down the doughnut and go for a walk. However for those of you who do submit to treadmill workouts but don't want to miss a minute's coding time, this might interest you. Brainy old Reg friend Bill Softky has come up with an ingenious …

    Developer 16 Dec 2011, 12:44

  • Met to push rape warnings over Wi-Fi to Xmas partygoers

    Capital's nightspot hotspots to emit safety alerts

    London police are turning to Wi-Fi to beam alerts to revellers in the capital, warning them of the danger of rape while out partying and drinking over Christmas. Wi-Fi hotspots near popular clubs in central parts of London, such as Ministry of Sound, Proud Galleries and the Trocadero Centre, are being targeted by Scotland Yard …

    Security 16 Dec 2011, 13:01

  • RIM's top bosses slash salaries to $1 a year

    Shake-up promised at floundering BlackBerry biz

    Troubled BlackBerry maker RIM appears to have been listening to its irate shareholders - promising a "comprehensive review" of the company while top shareholders and CEO-cum-chairmen Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis cut their wages to a dollar a year. "To demonstrate our passion, alignment and commitment to RIM's long-term …

    Financial News 16 Dec 2011, 13:21

  • 2011's Best... DSLRs

    Xmas Gift Guide Get snappy and improve your image this Christmas

    While few would argue that a DSLR offers the best combination of features, performance and image quality, 2011 didn’t really set the world alight with new models. For the most part manufacturers patched holes in their respective ranges, to provide a full spectrum of models to suit both budgets and ability. A couple of years ago …

    Hardware 16 Dec 2011, 13:27

  • 'Self-aware' bank account robbing code unleashed by hacker

    'XSS on steroids' crafted to highlight web security holes

    A hacker has published code for potent cross-site scripting attacks that he claims go beyond the usual cookie stealing and phishing for users' private details. Cross-site scripting (XSS) flaws allow attackers to present content under their control in the context of a vulnerable yet trusted site, thus tricking marks into …

    Security 16 Dec 2011, 13:48

  • Dell flees netbook market, dumps Minis

    Long live the ultrabook, right?

    Dell has pulled out of the netbook market in a move that pretty much seals the fate of the pint-sized form factor. The Dell Mini range is no longer available on the website and the tech titan's US office has confirmed that the product line is dead. First announced in 2008, Dell Minis had 7in or 10in screens, were powered by …

    Laptops 16 Dec 2011, 14:12

  • Duff Mars probe's flaming shards to rain down mid-January

    Up to 30 bits of Phobos-Grunt to hit Earth

    The remains of dud Martian probe Phobos-Grunt will fall to Earth next month, the Russian space agency announced. Roscosmos said that the exact time or place couldn't be forecast until a few days before it falls, but "according to expert estimations", it would hit the ground sometime between January 6 and January 19. "Between …

    Science 16 Dec 2011, 14:41

  • Salesforce gobbles 'Facebook for the office' startup

    Rypple of excitement among HR suits

    Salesforce has made a bold move into human resources software by buying up Rypple - a social platform for the workplace. Announced yesterday, the sum exchanged is unknown, but the deal should complete by April next year. Rypple, a Toronto-based startup, is a Facebook for offices, used by, er, Facebook to manage its staff. The …

    Applications 16 Dec 2011, 14:52

  • Assange™ wins Supreme Court extradition appeal bid

    WikiLeaker-in-chief to spend another Christmas in Blighty

    Julian Assange has been granted permission to appeal against his extradition to Sweden where he faces allegations of sexual molestation and rape. The Supreme Court confirmed today it will hear his case against deportation in the new year; the WikiLeaker-in-chief was told by High Court judges last week that he could request a …

    Law 16 Dec 2011, 15:08

  • Microsoft will beat Linux clouds at their own game - with open source

    Open... and Shut Developers, developers, developers, developers

    Amazon may dominate public cloud computing, but not amongst the Microsoft groupies. Microsoft has managed to be an end-to-end cradle-to-grave supplier within the data centre, and is attempting to extend this motherly embrace to the cloud with its Azure platform. Cracks have recently begun to show in this strategy, however, as …

    Software 16 Dec 2011, 15:24

  • Euro cops cuff 112 in paedophile network raids

    Terabytes of child abuse video seized from one suspect alone

    Police across Europe have arrested 112 suspected members of a child abuse ring. The suspects allegedly used the net to share depraved images and homemade videos depicting children and even toddlers being sexually abused and raped. A crackdown operation, co-ordinated by European police agency Europol, launched raids in 22 …

    Security 16 Dec 2011, 15:47

  • Swiss-based Balesio takes the knife to PDF files

    Screws them down to less than half the size

    Swiss-based file compressor Balesio has added PDF file compression to its space reduction capabilities for Microsoft Office and image files. Balesio's FILEminimizer Server software, uses a native format optimisation process, effectively recoding how data is stored in PDF target files without altering its format. This means …

    Applications 16 Dec 2011, 16:09

  • Angry Birds maker now aims at Asian IPO

    Rovio and the Hong Kong flock exchange

    Rovio, maker of the incredible phenomenon that is Angry Birds, is mulling the obligatory next step in tech firm domination: an IPO. Having previously hinted at a New York debut in the next two to three years, marketing chief Peter Vesterbacka is now suggesting that Hong Kong could be the market to host Rovio's coming-out party …

    Business 16 Dec 2011, 16:36

  • Manning's lawyer calls for pre-trial officer to quit case

    Alleged Wikileaks source appears in pre-trial hearing

    Alleged Wikileaks cables source Private Bradley Manning will not get an unbiased military trial unless the officer presiding over his case is replaced, said Manning's defence lawyer David Coombs today. The brief was speaking at a preliminary hearing in the military base of Fort Meade, Maryland, according to the Associated …

    Security 16 Dec 2011, 17:14

  • Samsung shifts Apple A5 chip production to Texas

    A $3.6bn $9bn investment

    Apple's A5 chips are now being made in Texas, not Asia as was its predecessor the A4, according to a report from Reuters, citing "people familiar with the operation". The chips that power the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S areproduced by Apple's smartphone competitor Samsung in its huge fab in Austin, capital of the Oil State. Samsung …

    Hardware 16 Dec 2011, 18:27

  • The cure for US job woes: More immigrants

    New pro-business report begs: 'Let 'em in!'

    Radically increasing the number of immigrants – from the highly skilled professional to the seasonal agricultural field hand – is the solution to the US economy's dismal inability to create jobs. That's the conclusion of a new study released not by what one rabid right-wing fulminator dubs "red diaper doper babies", but by the …

    Government 16 Dec 2011, 20:37

  • NASA detects 'heartbeat' of pint-sized star-sucker

    Smallest black hole ever found – and maybe ever will be

    In what is turning out to be one of the best months ever for black-hole fanbois, a team of Dutch, Italian, and US space boffins has detected the "heartbeat" of what appears to be teensiest, weensiest black hole ever discovered. "Just as the heart rate of a mouse is faster than an elephant's, the heartbeat signals from these …

    Science 16 Dec 2011, 23:11