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17th May 2012 Archive

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  • Roman roads get the web maps treatment

    M-III traffic means Londinium to Venta (Winchester) takes 3.7 days

    Classical scholars at Stanford University have created a “Geospatial network model of the Roman world” which offers the chance to calculate journey times along Roman roads in much the same way as is possible on Google Maps and other online mapping services. ORBIS, as the model is known, can calculate journey times between 751 …

    Networks 17 May 00:03

  • Vixie warns: DNS Changer ‘blackouts’ inevitable

    Father of BIND fears ISP crisis in July

    Ridding the world of the DNS Changer is proving a long, slow process that won’t be accomplished by July 9, when the court orders granted to the FBI expire and infected users suffer their inevitable blackout. That’s the bleak warning given by BIND father and ISC founder and chair Paul Vixie to the AusCERT security conference on …

    Security 17 May 00:36

  • AWS CISO needs permission to visit his data centres

    He doesn't mind and you shouldn't either because they're not that interesting

    Amazon Web Services' General Manager and Chief Information Security Officer Stephen E. Schmidt is not allowed to make unannounced visits to the company's data centres. Speaking at the AWS Summit 2012 in Sydney today, Schmidt explained that he has to ask for permission from the relevant Vice-President before visiting a data …

    Cloud 17 May 01:46

  • Asia leads global BYOD race

    IT managers jump on the bandwagon

    Asian IT professionals are racing ahead of their global rivals when it comes to implementing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies in their organisations, according to new research from BT. The telecoms giant interviewed 2,000 IT users and managers in 11 countries and found that those in the region were the most forward …

    Hardware 17 May 04:15

  • GPS rival Beidou will cover Asia Pac by end of the year

    Chinese satnav project could go global as early as 2014

    China will expand its home grown GPS rival Beidou by launching three global positioning satellites that it hopes will make it possible to have the service up and running in Asia Pacific by the end of the year. Beidou, which translates as “Big Dipper”, will be able to provide a high quality positioning, navigation and time …

    Science 17 May 04:25

  • Sony NEX-7 24.3Mp APS-C compact system camera

    Review DSLR worrier?

    Sony’s NEX-7 is its flagship Compact System Camera that’s been graced with advanced features to justify the high-end price tag for a pocketable interchangeable lens model. Indeed this 24.3Mp APS-C shooter with a built-in OLED electronic viewfinder plus tilting LCD and full manual control, is certainly going to give some DSLRs a …

    reghardware 17 May 06:00

  • Wild excitement over terahertz wireless demo

    It’s not the messiah, just a very fast modulation

    Japanese researchers have demonstrated a 3Gbps transmission on a 542GHz carrier. It’s interesting, even exciting, in its own right: at the very least, it’s certain to be surpassed before such technologies become part of the commercial product landscape. Operating radiocomms in the 300GHz – 3THz band poses a host of challenges …

    Networks 17 May 06:02

  • Hong Kong CERT wants bigger team to tackle cyber threats

    Region's multinationals a big target for hackers

    Hong Kong’s Computer Emergency Response Team (HKCERT) has called for more resources to help it step up attempts to proactively monitor and deal with attacks on organisations in the special administrative region (SAR) of China. Speaking to The Register, centre manager Roy Ko argued that the nature of the threats facing …

    Security 17 May 06:06

  • Child support IT fail: Deadbeat mums 'n' dads off the hook

    NAO: Child maintenance computers unable to keep tabs on payments

    Problems with IT systems at the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) have left it unable to report payment arrears properly, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. CMEC, which took over responsibility for statutory child maintenance schemes in November 2008, inherited two primary child support IT systems - …

    Government 17 May 07:03

  • Dell to cut UK workforce

    Box shifter 'grows business' by trimming headcount

    Dell has threatened staff in the UK with redundancy, Channel Register can reveal. The cost-cutting measure was revealed yesterday by bosses at one-time direct-selling purist Dell, who sought to play down the size of the headcount reduction. "Dell has shared with the teams that with regret we need to make some very limited …

    Channel Register 17 May 07:32

  • Google offers up new mobile usage interface to attract ad loot

    Just the thing to bulk out any business pitch

    The Mobile Marketing Association and Google have again gathered smartphone usage, from 40 countries this time, and provided a snazzy interface capable of generating comparison charts of XLS files on demand. The Our Mobile Planet data follows on from the work the companies did in 2011, but adds another 10 countries as well as …

    Business 17 May 08:02

  • Boffins smash 3Gbps speed barrier with 542GHz T-Rays

    Sky's the limit in terahertz territory

    Japanese geniuses have maintained a 3Gbit/s radio link at 542GHz, opening up more of the electromagnetic spectrum to the voracious appetite of wireless data. Not that the research will lead to super-Wi-Fi any time soon - but if the proof-of-concept tech built by the Tokyo Institute of Technology can be commoditised then it …

    Data Networking 17 May 08:19

  • Mobile net filters block legit content too – campaign group

    It even bins age-appropriate stuff

    Mobile operators currently provide filter systems that enable parents to stop children accessing websites deemed to contain content suitable for individuals aged 18 or over. However, the Open Rights Group (ORG) said there are "a number of serious problems" with how those systems work. "At present the filtering systems are too …

    Mobile 17 May 08:38

  • LOHAN starts to feel the barometric pressure

    Mulls spaceplane rocket motor trigger

    As the design of our Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator (LOHAN) Vulture 2 spaceplane continues apace, we've been considering just how to fire the aircraft's solid rocket motor at a predetermined altitude. We haven't yet revealed exactly which mighty unit will eventually power the Vulture 2 heavenwards, and still have to …

    SPB 17 May 09:03

  • Soyuz hooks up with Space Station, delivers new 'nauts

    Vid Full crew to be ready for Dragon arrival

    The Soyuz spacecraft carrying three new members of Expedition 31 hooked up with the International Space Station this morning without a hitch at 4.36am GMT. Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin and NASA astronaut Joe Acaba blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan two days ago. After safely berthing …

    Space 17 May 09:19

  • Crooks sell skint fanbois potatoes instead of iPhones

    'I wanted an Apple, not a vegetable'

    Greater Manchester police are appealing for help after a number of people who thought they were laying hands on a shiny new iPhone ended up with a sack of spuds instead. The conmen approached people in car-parks and on the street to ask them if they fancied buying laptops or iPhones, but actually gave them some totally random …

    PCs & Chips 17 May 09:44

  • Compare The Market can't touch web filth extension - simples

    First biz to lose .xxx cybersquat dispute

    Price comparison biz Compare The Market has lost its bid to seize the domain name comparethemarket.xxx. BGL Group, which owns the Compare The Market brand, has the unpleasant distinction of being the first company to lose a cybersquatting case in the new adults-only .xxx extension. The owner of the domain, listed in the Whois …

    Hosting 17 May 09:59

  • Off-the-shelf forensics tool slurps iPhone data via iCloud

    Cops don't need your actual phone any more

    ElcomSoft has updated its mobile forensics software to include the ability to retrieve online backups from Apple iCloud storage. The enhancement to Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker adds the capability to retrieve user data associated with iPhones from Apple's iCloud online backup service. Backups to multiple devices registered …

    Security 17 May 10:18

  • UK.gov IT slasher axes himself - after 5 months in new job

    Ian Watmore follows horde of civil servants streaming out the door

    Former tech-spending axeman Ian Watmore is leaving the civil service just five months after taking up a new role as the permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office. He had previously headed up the reform and efficiency group, the unit tasked with cutting waste from the Whitehall budget. The Cabinet Office explained that Watmore …

    Public Sector 17 May 10:37

  • SoundBrush

    iOS App of the Week Paint me a tune

    After happily tapping away with Figure just recently, I decided to try and find some other simple apps that might be fun for musically challenged people like me. SoundBrush is well named, as its clever interface allows you to doodle with sound in the same way that you would sketch with a simple painting app. Tap and swipe to …

    reghardware 17 May 11:00

  • Distie business: Lines get blurry for channel big boys

    What can we learn from J Arthur Rank?

    In the early '70s to mid-'80s, Rank Audio Visual – a division of the Rank Organisation – was a large distributor of audio visual and photographic equipment, theatre lighting and 8, 16 and 35mm film. It later progressed to the distribution of pre-recorded video cassettes. But what does a man with a gong have to do with the …

    Channel Register 17 May 11:09

  • HP frogmarches new Xeon, Opteron chips into ProLiants

    Wants world+dog to know that it's also using E5-2400 two-socketeers

    In the wake of Intel's launch of the entry Xeon E5-2400 processors for two-socket servers earlier this week, X86 server juggernaut Hewlett-Packard wants to keep its name in the mind of customers who might be shopping for systems from rivals Dell, IBM or Fujitsu. The four new ProLiant Gen8 systems using the Xeon E5-2400s won't …

    Servers 17 May 11:21

  • Microsoft books stall at Appule - the Mac expo stiffed by Apple

    Redmond to flog Office at UK fanboi gathering

    Microsoft has signed up for the Appule Personal and Professional User Live Expo, which Apple has so far snubbed. The London-based trade show was to be called AppleExpo, until the organiser Indigo Media received legal letters from Apple about potential trademark infringement. The name of the two-day show, which runs at the …

    Channel Register 17 May 11:42

  • UK man to spend year in the clink for Facebook account hack

    21-year-old admitted breaking into US victim's profile

    A British man has been jailed for a year after hacking into the Facebook account of a US citizen. Gareth Crosskey, 21, of Avon Close, Lancing, in West Sussex, hacked into his unnamed victim's profile on 12 January 2011, gaining access to an e-mail account in the process. The breach was reported to the FBI, which traced the …

    Crime 17 May 12:02

  • Steve Jobs' death clears way for rumoured 4in 'iPhone 5' screen

    Apple places order for large display, claim sources

    The next Apple iPhone will have an enlarged 4-inch screen, according to well-placed anonymous sources. The iPhone screen has measured 3.5-inches diagonally since the fruity tech titan's co-founder Steve Jobs brought out the first Jesus mobe in 2007. But Apple is now scaling up the size of its pocket fondleslab, moles told …

    Hardware 17 May 12:18

  • Watchdog tells Greenpeace to stop 'encouraging anti-social behaviour'

    Hippies told to stop asking for money to fund vandalism

    The UK's advertising watchdog has upheld a complaint against advertising by hippy collective Greenpeace, which solicited money to help in such things as breaking into power stations and defacing property. The ad in question explicitly stated that gifts to Greenpeace would be used for "direct action" efforts such as painting …

    Energy 17 May 12:42

  • Pinterest valued at $1.5 BILLION, bags $100m in funding

    Next stop: Japan

    Cupcake and kitten-laden photo site Pinterest has bagged $100m in funding from a bunch of investors led by Japanese online retailer Rakuten. Rakuten said today that it was heading up the multimillion-dollar handout with help from existing Pinterest investors Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners and FirstMark Capital …

    Small Biz 17 May 13:02

  • Team up or miss out: Why the channel needs partners

    Your sales depend on making friends ...

    Cloud computing is growing at a stratospheric rate. IDC Enterprise recently reported that businesses are earmarking as much as one-third of their IT budgets for cloud computing products and services. By the end of the decade, global cloud computing spending is expected to top $200bn annually. With cloud budgets increasing as …

    Channel Register 17 May 13:09

  • Council fined £70k after burglars nick vulnerable kids' files

    Second data law breach in two years

    The UK's privacy watchdog has fined the London Borough of Barnet £70k ($111k) after the local authority lost extremely sensitive information about young children for the second time in two years. The latest loss occurred when a social worker took paper records home to work on them out of office hours. The staffer’s home was …

    Security 17 May 13:32

  • Adobe sucks on Oracle brain drain for HTML5 game gain

    Java VM experts exit en masse

    Adobe seems to be juicing its software gaming credentials against HTML5 by grabbing some hard-core Sun Microsystems talent as they slip out Oracle's back door. Four senior and respected members of the old Sun Hotspot Java Virtual Machine team jumped clear of Oracle during March and April, and all four have landed at Adobe. …

    Developer 17 May 14:04

  • Google, French watchdog to hook up over privacy

    Last encounter left CNIL unsatisfied

    Google will meet CNIL next week to chat about the French regulator's ongoing concerns over the web giant's revamped privacy policy. The Commission Nationale de l'Informatique (CNIL) is looking into the Chocolate Factory's newly streamlined privacy policy because it has said it is unsure if it conforms to EU laws on data …

    Cloud Business 17 May 14:28

  • Google Knowledge Graph straddles semantic web and Star Trek

    Beyond Bing-blocking and screen-fiddling

    Google’s battle to retain search supremacy is seeing it roll something it claims will take us closer to the "computers of Star Trek". Google has unveiled The Knowledge Graph, which it claims will give you the answers you really want, we presume instead of a bunch of useless blogs, blue links or message fragments from Wikipedia …

    Developer 17 May 14:34

  • Pre-Pet Commodore micro up for grabs on eBay

    Kim-1 could be yours

    Readers, you now have 12 hours or so to bid for a slice of computing history: a Kim-1 single-board computer, released some 36 years ago by the company that would become a key part of Commodore. Kim stood for Keyboard Input Monitor, and the device, based on the MOS 6502, was the equivalent of the Sinclair MK14 or the Acorn …

    reghardware 17 May 14:48

  • Nvidia drops veil on game-changing might of VGX

    HPC blog VDI'ing Your BYODs

    What’s a “holy crap” moment? For me, it’s when I see or hear (or do) something that has far-reaching and previously unforeseen consequences. I’ve had at least two of these moments (so far) at the GTC 2012 conference. The first was when Jen-Hsun Huang, in his keynote presentation, tossed up a slide about Kepler and this new thing …

    HPC Blog 17 May 15:02

  • BBC shrinks Red Button: Loses 8 channels after the Olympics

    Extra 24 live HD streams during the Games

    The BBC will be dropping eight of its Red Button channels after an Olympic splurge, focusing on IPTV content instead of the alternative electronic programme guide that the Red Button had become. The changes were proposed last year, but have now been confirmed by the BBC Trust as picked up by the a516 blog. Freeview has been …

    Wireless 17 May 15:19

  • Finally a real use for NFC: Heart monitor in a credit card

    Vid Pay-by-bonk becomes bleeding-edge tech

    We've seen heart monitors built into mobile phones and puck-sized Bluetooth kit, but now iMPak Health has got one down to the size of a credit card and used wireless technology to transfer the data. The RhythmTrak is a functioning electrocardiograph: when a person presses his or her thumbs onto the pads, rather than display …

    PCs & Chips 17 May 15:41

  • SGI skips future Xeon E7s, lobs E5-4600s into UV2 supers

    Adds Xeon E5s, Tesla K10 GPU coprocessors to rackable boxes

    Supercomputer and cluster maker Silicon Graphics has fallen hard for Intel's new "Sandy Bridge-EP" Xeon E5-4600 processors for four-socket servers. So hard in fact that with its next generation UV2 shared memory supercomputers, due later this year, SGI is not supporting the future Xeon E7 processors that are the obvious kickers …

    Servers 17 May 16:03

  • Acronis creates new roles for biz and M&A hotshots

    Could be poised to snap up some juicy prospects

    Data protection software supplier Acronis has created two new roles on its executive team: senior vice president in corporate development and SVP in global business development. The move suggests the firm is anticipating a spike in growth and is preparing itself to make a few acquisitions, or even positioning itself to be …

    Business 17 May 16:26

  • Seeing ads on Wikipedia? Then you're infected

    Click fraudsters are milking you for cash

    Surfers who see ads when they visit Wikipedia are likely infected with malware, the online encyclopedia warns. Wikipedia relies on donations to fund its work, resisting the temptation to put ads on its pages. So internet users who see commercial ads when they visit the encyclopedia are been served content via cybercrime …

    Malware 17 May 17:01

  • Mutant number-crunchers win cluster popularity contest

    HPC blog CUDA you dig it? Yes, you can

    Hybrid computing has come a very long way in a relatively short period of time. My first exposure to hybrids came at SC08 in the lovely city of Austin, Texas. Earlier that year, the Roadrunner system at Los Alamos National Lab had achieved two milestones: 1) It was the first system to break through the petabyte barrier; and 2) …

    HPC Blog 17 May 17:21

  • You can feed 800 VMs off 1 of our boxes, startup brags

    Tintri wraps NetApp up in white paper

    Apparently, just adding a tincture of Tintri to your virtualised server-storage array pathway gets those VMs running like super-charged rockets. The firm says a European customer is running 800 virtual machines off one Tintri box, leaving a NetApp array chastened in the background. The unnamed customer makes things like …

    Virtualization 17 May 18:02

  • Seagate, WD need to get a firm grip on solid disks

    Blocks and Files Pro-tip: They should buy OCZ and STEC

    STEC is touting its great CellCare flash endurance, and it is great, reinforcing a view that it and OCZ make natural flash market buy-in points for Seagate and Western Digital. Whoa, hang on a minute, where did that idea come from? Let's start from the point that the key future flash technology is the ability to lengthen the …

    Storage 17 May 19:09

  • Dell forges GPU-enriched virty rack workstation

    Quadro graphics and Tesla compute tag team

    Like everyone else on the planet, you want a rocketsled to do your work. The faster, the better. But if Dell has its way, it may not be on top of or underneath your desk, but sitting in a rack in a data center. And it may not be a rocketsled as much as a rocketbus, with multiple people using it at the same time. Virtualization …

    Servers 17 May 19:12

  • Whitman said to be planning massive HP job cuts

    25,000 to 35,000 HPers may face extinction

    New(ish) HP CEO Meg Whitman has been at the helm for long enough to come up with a longer-term plan for the company, and according to various rumors, her plan will look eerily familiar to HPers who remember the early years of ex-CEO Mark Hurd: job cuts, predominantly in services. According to a report on CNBC television, HP is …

    Business 17 May 19:53

  • Symantec releases software as Amazon Machine Image

    Getting cloudy with managed services

    Symantec has made its new O3 cloud identity and access control suite available as an Amazon Machine Image (AMIs), the company's first foray into selling software as a hosted virtual machine. AMIs are virtual machines that are listed in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) marketplace and can be deployed to AWS' EC2 cloud computing …

    Cloud 17 May 21:00

  • Hybrid computing just like FLESH-EATING bacteria

    HPC blog A scholarly comparison

    Hybrid computing (using CPUs plus GPUs to accelerate processing speed/throughput) and necrotizing faciitis (a flesh-eating bacterial* infection) have more in common than is typically thought. Both exhibit high growth rates, and both are incredibly difficult to stop once they get started. This story is perhaps best told via …

    HPC Blog 17 May 22:01

  • Governments may hit social networks with cyber attacks

    Arab Spring alerted governments to power of Facebook, Twitter et al

    Social networking operators like Facebook and Twitter need to consider themselves much more vulnerable to attacks – not because they are more vulnerable or more attractive to criminals than previously, but because states are now actors in security threats. According to Phillip Hallam-Barker, vice-president and principal …

    Security 17 May 23:50