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30th December 2011 Archive

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  • Kaspersky claims ‘smoking code’ linking Stuxnet and Duqu

    Warns of three other unknown variants

    Researchers at Kaspersky Lab are claiming to have found proof that the writers of the Stuxnet and Duqu malware are one and the same, and are warning of at least three new families of advanced malware potentially in circulation. Security experts have been debating if the two code groups are by the same authors, but the evidence …

    Security 30 Dec 00:54

  • EFF appeal win reopens NSA dragnet spying case

    San Francisco spying room will be investigated

    The Electric Frontier Foundation (EFF) has won its appeal to continue a case into massive warrantless wiretapping by the National Security Agency (NSA) using facilities within commercial exchanges. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the case of Jewel v NSA, which claims that after the 2001 terrorist attacks the NSA …

    Law 30 Dec 01:23

  • Sony NEX-C3 compact system camera

    Review Mirrorless marvel

    For years, early adopters have been saying that the mirrorless camera will see off the budget DSLR. Even Nikon, maker of the superb D3100, has entered the fray with the J1 and V1 compacts Arguably, it wasn’t until Sony’s NEX series appeared over a year ago that the somewhat DSLR-resistant mainstream consumer began to see the …

    reghardware 30 Dec 07:00

  • UK's solar 'leccy cash slash ruled unlawful

    Govt goes back to drawing board on feed-in tariff cuts

    Campaigning organisations and the solar industry have won their legal challenge to the Government's decision to reduce subsidies to businesses and homes which use solar panels to generate their own energy. Environmental pressure group Friends of the Earth, which had sought judicial review of the Government's timescale for …

    Government 30 Dec 09:02

  • The secret to getting rich in 2012: Open APIs

    Open ... and Shut Developers need to know the right lingo

    If the last decade was all about open source, the next decade will be about open APIs. However, as with open source, APIs aren't necessarily a guarantee of billions in the bank. They're simply the ante for playing the technology game at scale. That scale will be determined by who gives developers the best access to data, and …

    Developer 30 Dec 09:31

  • Well, burn my atomic-clock-powered new human renaissance platform

    Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow! It's Quotes of the Year 2011

    "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions," Proverbs 18:2 tells us. So thank goodness the Internet was invented. Here's our annual selection of barmy and brilliant things said in 2011 - this year's selection leans heavily towards the barmy. "We've made a bunch of mistakes" Mark …

    Bootnotes 30 Dec 10:01

  • Apple to appeal Italian warranty fine

    Cupertino PR may be fired for speaking to el Reg, though

    Apple will appeal against the fine imposed by the Italian regulator for failing to respect the legal warranty requirements, and (astonishingly) we know this because Apple told us. The fruitchomp firm reckons that despite the regulator's ruling it is complying with Italian law, and will be appealing against the decision by the …

    Financial News 30 Dec 10:21

  • Stephen Hawking seeks geek to maintain his unique wheelchair

    £25k for gadgeteer to keep custom robovoice ride rolling

    Could you repair and tweak superstar physicist Stephen Hawking's robot voice box and gadget-laden wheelchair? If you reckon yes, then the celebrated author and cosmologist wants to hear from you. He has a technical assistant job going, with a modest graduate salary, and it involves maintaining the electronic systems that allow …

    Bootnotes 30 Dec 10:57

  • New Chinese space plans are all about security and strategy on Earth

    Analysis Nothing much to do with manned or deep space exploring

    Chinese officials have published a new white paper detailing China's aspirations in space for coming years. Most media have chosen to focus on Beijing's vague aspirations toward deep-space and manned exploration, but in fact the concrete details given all point toward a primary emphasis on strategic advantage for China here on …

    Space 30 Dec 11:26

  • Boffins drill into human language by terrifying chimps with vipers

    Primates holler only if friends are unaware of snakes

    Chimps don't just blurt out whatever is on their mind - they consider who's listening, says an article published in Current Biology that could reveal an important stage in the development of language. In a test with 33 chimpanzees and plastic models of vipers, the research team, led by Catherine Crockford from the School of …

    Biology 30 Dec 12:29

  • Playboy model's complaints against HP chief Hurd laid bare by court

    'Awkward' dinners, bank balance ATM boasts alleged

    The dossier detailing sexual harassment allegations that sparked the exit of HP boss Mark Hurd has finally been published after a court ruled that it was only "mildly embarrassing". The letter, readable here in pdf courtesy of the New York Times, contains alleged painful details of Hurd's flirtation with HP hostess Jodie …

    Business 30 Dec 13:32

  • Will TWO next-gen iPads be unveiled at January's iWorld?

    Rumour mill predicts high-end iPad 3 and mid-range twin

    Apple will unveil not one but two iPad 3s on 23 January at the iWorld conference, according to a somewhat unlikely rumour breathlessly reported by gossip pumpers Digitimes. According to moles within the Apple supply chain, one of the next-generation fondleslabs will be higher specced than the other - carving out new product …

    Hardware 30 Dec 14:28

  • UK cops disciplined, sacked, quit over Facebook misdeeds

    Plods boasted of thumping rioters, harassed exes

    English and Welsh police are no more sensible than anyone else when it comes to being web2.0sluts, according to reports. Some 150 officers from forces south of the Scottish border have been disciplined for their antics on Facebook in the past four years, at least two were sacked, and a further seven are known to have resigned …

    Policing 30 Dec 15:29

  • Apple’s Siri gets sweary with British child

    Shut the f*** up, you ugly t***

    The mother of a 10-year-old boy in Coventry has been expressing her shock after a demonstration model of Apple’s iPhone 4S swore at her son. Kim Le Quesne told the Coventry Telegraph that her son Charlie was out shopping with his father in a local branch of Tesco, saw the handset in a display and asked the Siri personal …

    Mobile 30 Dec 17:28

  • Samoa takes day off to skip International Date Line

    Islands look to Asia for future growth

    Samoans have lost a day overnight, as the country jumped straight to 31 December by shifting to the opposite side of the International Date Line. The Independent State of Samoa, decided to skip the day in order to align its clock more closely with that of its main trading neighbors: Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The time …

    Odds and Sods 30 Dec 21:47

  • Verizon retreats on ‘convenience fee’ for online bill payment

    Public outcry causes backpedaling in 24 hours

    Verizon Wireless has dropped plans to institute a $2 convenience fee for subscribers who pay their bills online or via phone calls. Yesterday the company quietly announced the fee would be started on 15 January, and it said was “designed to address costs incurred by us for only those customers who choose to make single bill …

    Mobile 30 Dec 22:20