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16th January 2012 Archive

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  • Hospital gopher fined for prying into ex's family records

    Court dishes out £1,500 bill for data breach

    A former healthcare assistant at Royal Liverpool university hospital has been fined £500 and been ordered to pay £1,000 towards prosecution costs after she unlawfully accessed the medical records of five members of her ex-husband's family. Juliah Kechil accessed the records of the five individuals between July and November …

    Law 16 Jan 08:02

  • Flash drive meltdown fingered in Swedish IT blackout

    Tieto's EMC VNX5700 array sparked 5-day disarray - new claim

    Tieto's five-day outage disaster started with multiple failures of its EMC VNX5700 array's FAST Cache, according to a Finnish source close to the matter. Tieto is a major IT services organisation across Scandinavia and the Nordic region – although it also provides services globally – and pulls in net sales of SEK17bn (£1.59bn …

    The Channel 16 Jan 09:01

  • Golden booty-shakin' bug named after pop diva Beyoncé

    Hot pic That ass is fly

    American popular music luminary Beyoncé has had a species of horse fly named after her in honour of the one-time Destiny Child singer's celebrated bottom. Bryan Lessard, a boffin at Australia's science research institute CSIRO, said that the Scaptia (Plinthina) beyonceae paid tribute to Beyoncé's divine derriere. According to …

    Science 16 Jan 09:32

  • MS, Intel challenged over Windows 8 tablet prices

    Manufacturer moles fling FUD

    The message from Taiwan's computer manufacturers: lower the price of Windows 8 tablet components and software or the devices will be so expensive that consumers won't want them. Claiming that both Microsoft and Intel have rejected calls to drop their prices, Asian moles say that means Windows 8 tablets could cost as much as $ …

    reghardware 16 Jan 09:53

  • Zappos coughs to HUGE data breach

    Up to 24 million users zappwn3d

    Online shoe and apparel outlet Zappos.com has apologised over a massive data breach that exposed the personal details of millions. Up to 24 million customers of the Amazon subsidiary may have been affected by the breach, which exposed names, email addresses, addresses, phone numbers, and password hashes. Zappos stressed that …

    Security 16 Jan 10:06

  • Apple touts touch-free perspective-powered 3D tech

    Patent potential

    Apple patents aren't always an indicator of the tech just around the corner, but it doesn't stop the rumour mill latching onto them as evidence of such. The latest report to spring up is Apple's apparent plans to introduce motion sensor gesture controls into future iOS devices and redesign the way a user interacts with a 3D …

    reghardware 16 Jan 10:11

  • Pollution-gobbling molecules in global warming SMACKDOWN

    Boffins: Newly observed particles scrub our filthy air

    Elusive pollution-busting molecules are scrubbing our planet's atmosphere at a much faster rate than first imagined, according to gas-bothering boffins. Reactions by the cleaning agents, known as Criegee intermediates, are also emitting a by-product that forms solar radiation-reflecting clouds that could help cool Earth and …

    Science 16 Jan 10:17

  • Google MORTIFIED by Mocality's 'scalped data' claims

    Says soz to Kenyan startup

    Google issued an apology to Mocality late on Friday after the startup's CEO uncovered evidence that employees working for Mountain View had lied about their biz relationship with the Kenyan biz. "We were mortified to learn that a team of people working on a Google project improperly used Mocality’s data and misrepresented our …

    Small Biz 16 Jan 10:43

  • Big Data in Context

    Beyond the relational database

    Big Data is an ‘umbrella’ term that is commonly used to refer to a number of advanced data storage, access and analytics technologies aimed at handling high volume and/or fast moving data in a variety of scenarios. These typically involve low signal-to-noise ratios, such as social media sentiment monitoring, or log file analysis …

    CIO 16 Jan 11:00

  • Apple iPad 3 to sport LTE '4G'

    Quad-core CPU too

    Apple's upcoming iPad 3 will incorporate LTE connectivity, it has been claimed. If correct - and since it comes from news agency Bloomberg, quite possibly through a managed leak; common with large, influential US news outlets - it will mark a big step up in the tablet's ability to access data services on the move. Bloomberg's …

    reghardware 16 Jan 11:04

  • Five things that knocked CES 2012 for six

    The bits of gear you'll be hearing about this year

    And now, after worn-out CES 2012 attendees and exhibitors have stumbled off home in a daze, Wireless Watch presents the five themes that stood out at the week-long celebration of consumerism that you ought to know about. 1. Ultrabooks CES would not be complete without a new form factor to address the 'post-PC' age, but this …

    The Channel 16 Jan 11:17

  • Sony reveals old hardware still sells well

    Retail details

    Sony announced sales figures for the Christmas period last week, and while the PS3 console was a popular choice among consumers, the PS Vita continued its sluggish start, shifting three times fewer units than its predecessor, the PSP. Gamers snapped up Sony's flagship hardware over the Christmas break, with PlayStation 3 sales …

    reghardware 16 Jan 11:31

  • Angry Brides lob stilettos in dowry shakedown takedown

    Bad boy bridegrooms battered in game against banned tradition

    Indian matchmaking service Shaadi.com has launched a new game based on the immensely popular Angry Birds that aims to highlight the unfair and illegal practice of demanding dowries in South Asian countries. Angry Brides is hosted on Shaadi.com's Facebook pages, and features a red-clad eight-armed woman, presumably styled on …

    Media 16 Jan 11:32

  • Flog secondhand MP3s at your peril - law guru

    Opinion Upstart startup sued for reselling music files

    Redigi, an American startup company, has found itself in trouble for selling legally downloaded digital music tracks secondhand. Last week it was on the receiving end of a copyright infringement suit in the US. The arguments that will run in the US court are similar to those that would be used here in the UK, and it is clear …

    Law 16 Jan 11:44

  • HTC Explorer budget smartphone

    Review The Android for noobs

    The latest from startlingly prolific smart phone manufacturer HTC won’t be top of the list for mobile aficionados. It’s a basic entry-level Android with middling specs though these are still probably a cut above its bog-standard price. But for smartphone newbies, what it offers may prove to be more than enough. Raising the …

    reghardware 16 Jan 12:00

  • Skype is coming to Windows Phone - really

    And the XBox. And Win 8. Telcos, start your griping

    Skype has again promised to slip its eponymous telephony application into Windows Phone handsets real soon - while integrating with Facebook and working out what people might actually pay for. The pledge emerged from last week's consumerism carnival (CES 2012) after a sycophantic interviewer buttered up Skype's VP of Products …

    reghardware 16 Jan 12:14

  • Lovefilm lengthens UK content collection

    ABC TV shows brought to Blighty

    Amazon struck a deal with Disney this week that'll see ABC TV content available on demand to Lovefilm subscribers. Starting this month, folk paying for Lovefilm's streaming service will be able to access series such as Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy and all six-seasons of Lost. Lovefilm customers can get Lost As soon …

    reghardware 16 Jan 12:23

  • Virgin Media takes itself in hand after punter-package tickle whoopsie

    Updated Apologises for 'gremlins', promises doubles all round

    An email that arrived in the inboxes of an unspecified number of Virgin Media customers on Friday that promised "faster broadband, for less" was embarrassingly pulled by the telco just hours later. The company had initially sent a message boasting about Virgin Media "tickles", which apparently the ISP gives to "people we know …

    Broadband 16 Jan 12:32

  • Keeping score in the public sector

    Share and share alike people

    Hardly a day goes by without news coverage around whether some public sector organisation or other is delivering against expectations, making the best use of funding, or otherwise performing adequately. This is something we are exploring in our latest reader survey. Apart from enlightening the rest of us as taxpayers, there is …

    Policy 16 Jan 12:44

  • The Sons of Khan and the Pascal Spring

    Stob How Embarcadero made Delphi as groovy as a Lumia phone. Um...

    [We last heard from the Sons of Khan in 2010. The scriptures continue - Ed.] The woes of Techdom And it came to pass that the seasons rose and fell, and financial crisis waned while new financial crisis waxed, and the Kimjongilia flower did wither and fade on the vine. But misfortune struck the code cutters of Java, who …

    Verity Stob 16 Jan 13:02

  • Stop this energy smart meter 'fiasco', UK.gov urged

    Miliband's mandatory kill switches criticised

    So-called 'smart meters' are under renewed attack – this time from MPs and Which? magazine, which has recommended a halt to the programme. Later in the week the Public Accounts Committee is expected to be critical of the ambitious scheme, which comes at a high (£11bn+) cost to consumers, and which critics say is based on shaky …

    Government 16 Jan 13:22

  • Formula 1 revs engines through Virgin Media

    Smiles for Sky Sports subscribers

    Virgin Media has announced that Sky Sports' new Formula 1 channel will be available this March for those subscribed to the Sky Sports package already offered. Sky Sports F1 is set to be a dedicated racing channel, showing live coverage of every Formula 1 race, practice and qualifying session. BSkyB upset millions of racing …

    Media 16 Jan 13:41

  • Groupon: IPO rumble mutated us into Wolverine

    Vid X-Men wannabe CEO explains SEC showdown on telly

    Groupon's 31-year-old CEO and founder Andrew Mason went on CBS chat show 60 Minutes to explain why Groupon misreported its profits in the months before its flotation on the stock exchange. Groupon was rapped by regulators after it was found that the company had used a controversial accounting metric, which meant it subtracted …

    Financial News 16 Jan 13:43

  • Nokia flogs 350 vital mobile phone patents

    Buyer Sisvel is throwing a 4G patent pool party - all invited

    Patent licensing outfit Sisvel has acquired 450 patents from Nokia, 350 of which are essential for mobile telephony, but despite appearances this is no desperate attempt to borrow cash from the future. The patents include 350 which are considered "essential", in that it is impossible to create mobile phones conforming to 2G, …

    Mobile 16 Jan 14:01

  • Amazon floats free Windows Server clouds

    Compute and storage honey for .NET bees

    Amazon is giving Windows shops a taste of Microsoft's Windows server for free in the cloud. The Amazon Web Service (AWS) Free Usage Tier now includes up to 750 hours of Windows Server 2008 R2 without having to pay the hard-to-catch cloud-fluffer anything. Amazon is targeting developers – especially .NET heads – starting up …

    Cloud 16 Jan 14:32

  • Sony teases DotSwitch multi-screen tech

    Flip instantly from telly to tablet?

    Sony left fans drooling today with a video-clip that teases an upcoming feature called "Dot Switch". The 30-second clip shows a pair of hands use an Xperia handset to trigger various devices. The video is typically cryptic, linking to a website which highlights Dot Switch as "New entertainment from Sony". Yes, we are just as …

    reghardware 16 Jan 14:54

  • Experts: We're stuck with passwords – and maybe they're best

    20 years of alternatives have failed

    Late last year IBM reckoned biometrics would finally replace the password within the next five years. The prediction was part of a series that also speculated that the digital divide would cease to exist and that mind-reading technology would become a possibility. But, at least on the subject of passwords, new research from …

    The Channel 16 Jan 15:02

  • SOPA bins DNS blocking after White House wades in

    Come up with something better, Obama's three czars plead

    The sponsor of the anti-piracy bill SOPA has agreed to drop DNS blocking of websites from the proposed legislation after a joint statement from leading White House officials. Rep. Lamar Smith said in a statement that: After consultation with industry groups across the country, I feel we should remove Domain Name System …

    Media 16 Jan 15:32

  • Child labour, lost wages uncloaked by Apple factories audit

    $3.3m handed out to underpaid iMakers

    Apple has for the first time released a complete list of its suppliers [PDF], publishing the names of 156 companies who make the parts for everything from Macbook screens to iPad covers. The list includes well-publicised contracts, such as Apple's mega deals with Samsung and LG, as well as more obscure deals with smaller …

    The Channel 16 Jan 16:01

  • Tape lives on: Sony to squeeze out LTO-6

    CES 2012 Storage world still loves the reels

    Tape is not dead: Sony, which has stopped developing its proprietary AIT/Super AIT tape media, has signed up for an LTO-6 licence agreement. Sony's Storage Media Division has decided there is life in tape yet and is licensing LTO-6 media manufacturing rights from the Linear Tape Open (LTO) consortium of HP, IBM and Quantum, …

    The Channel 16 Jan 16:32

  • Israel's stock exchange site knackered by hackers

    Cyberwar breaks out in the Middle East

    The website of Israel's main stock exchange was floored by a denial-of-service attack on Monday. Israeli airline El Al has also come under attack by hackers, but its website remains running despite the assault. Visitors to the Tel Aviv stock exchange website are confronted with the message "Please try again later. The site is …

    The Channel 16 Jan 17:02

  • Motorola repels US import ban bid by Apple

    No evidence of patent infringement, for now, says ITC

    The US International Trade Commission has been unable to find evidence that Motorola is infringing Apple's patents, so has declined Cupertino's filing for an import ban, though the fight continues. The ruling is an initial determination, and still has to be approved by full commission – after which it will no doubt be appealed …

    Mobile 16 Jan 17:37

  • Former US CIO Kundra joins Salesforce.com

    Cloud champion to head up emerging markets

    Cloudy CRM software supplier Salesforce.com has hired Vivek Kundra, the first CIO for the US government, to be its executive vice president of emerging markets. President Barak Obama wanted more accountability and cost-cutting across myriad US government agencies – that's why he created the US CIO position. Kundra, who was …

    Cloud 16 Jan 17:47

  • Data-digesting cloud colossus touted by Fujitsu

    Gulps chunks of info sniffed from punters, rivals, sensors

    Being online to serve your customers is not enough anymore. You have to spy on your customers and prospective clients, as well as anyone else you can get data on, and mash it all up to do big data analytics to drive more revenues and profits. It's a big job, and not everyone – OK, very few companies – have the skills to get it …

    Cloud 16 Jan 18:11

  • Wikipedia to shut down Wednesday in SOPA protest

    Anger grows against online-piracy bill

    Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has announced that the "encyclopedia anyone can edit" will go dark this Wednesday in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act, aka SOPA, that's dividing Washington DC – not to mention pitting online content providers against ISPs, search-engine sites, civil libertarians, and others. Wales tweeted on …

    Media 16 Jan 21:16

  • News Ltd gets deeper into Arabia

    Snares stake in Middle East media empire Moby

    News Corp has further embedded itself in the Middle East media market taking a strategic stake in Dubai-based media, content and technology player, the Moby Group. Under the deal the Murdoch’s will hand over their 50 percent stake in Dubai-based Broadcast Middle East (BME), which is a joint venture between News Corporation and …

    Business 16 Jan 21:30

  • Red Hat RHEV 3.0 to launch this Wednesday?

    We're virtually sure...

    Commercial Linux and Java development tool distributor Red Hat has big aspirations in the server virtualization and cloud computing arenas, and it looks like the company is getting ready to bust out the 3.0 version of its Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization hypervisor – RHEV for short. Red Hat has cooked up an all-day event for …

    Virtualization 16 Jan 21:57

  • Crossley cops two-year suspension

    Tribunal slaps down ACS:Law pirate-bothering

    Andrew Crossley of bankrupt practice ACS:Law has received a two-year suspension from the Solicitors’ Regulatory Tribunal over the techniques he used to pursue alleged file-sharers. The business model followed by the now-defunct firm was to target individuals it accused of file sharing, sending them invoices payable to ACS:Law …

    Law 16 Jan 22:00

  • Telstra Int adds a German PoP, gets closer to Asia

    All set for trans-Mongolian link

    Telstra International has invested in a new low latency telecommunications route from Europe to Asia in addition to provisioning a new Point-of-Presence (PoP) in Frankfurt. The fresh international infrastructure investment was announced at cable confab PTC in Hawaii. The carrier said that the new international connection …

    Business 16 Jan 22:30

  • NASA study identifies the ‘low hanging fruit’ in climate change

    Rocket scientists say warming reduction isn’t rocket science

    A group led by NASA and Columbia University has published a study claiming that an immediate focus on two non-CO2 pollutants – soot and methane – will help address climate change in the short term while international geopolitics wends its way through the Byzantine politics needed to get a global agreement. Their assertion is …

    Science 16 Jan 23:12