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24th October 2012 Archive

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  • While sea ice grows, Antarctica sheds land ice

    The airstrip is MELLLLTING!

    A new satellite survey of Antarctica suggests that some of the continent’s contribution to sea-level rise may be overestimated. However, the land ice melt on the frozen continent is still sufficient to put Australia’s multi-million dollar airstrip at risk. However the University of Tasmania-led study, based on GRACE (Gravity …

    Science 24 Oct 00:12

  • Facebook beats analyst estimates, talks up mobile plans

    Zuck: 'We'll make more on mobile than on the desktop'

    Mobile was the big topic for Facebook during its second quarter as a public company, and execs spent much of their Q3 earnings call on Tuesday trying to convince analysts and investors that the social network has a strong future beyond the desktop. "I think our opportunity on mobile is the most misunderstood aspect of Facebook …

    Financial News 24 Oct 00:21

  • Apple unsheathes MacBook 13-incher

    Thinner, lighter, pricier, more pixelicous, less optically inclined

    When Apple released the inelegantly named 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display this June, every Cupertino-watcher knew that it was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped and its 13-inch sibling got the same retinal treatment – and on Tuesday it did. No surprise. The 13-inch version was first rumored mere days …

    Hardware 24 Oct 00:31

  • Speech systems lawsuit sours Apple's day

    What does prior art mean, Siri?

    While the world glued itself to its iPad Mini press conference and complained that being an early adopter isn’t what it used to be, a Texas company filed a patent infringement complaint against Cupertino over Siri. Dynamic Advances alleges patents from the venerable Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York – to which …

    Law 24 Oct 01:20

  • Huawei says US stance is 'protectionism'

    Australian Chair says security debate “distorted” by trade war

    The Chairman of Huawei's Australian operations, John Lord, has proposed the nation create a national “cyber security evaluation centre” at which “all equipment implemented into major or critical Australian networks can be subjected to the same thorough security assessment.” Lord said such a centre would mirror the UK's Cyber …

    Policy 24 Oct 01:31

  • Lenovo snaps up ex-Moto staff in mobile push

    Scores defect to Chinese PC giant

    In a sign of its growing ambition in the mobile device space, Lenovo has recruited scores of ex-Motorola employees made redundant after Google’s decision to close down the firm’s R&D plant in Nanjing. The Beijing News reported that the Chinese PC giant – which this month jumped to number one in the world rankings according to …

    Business 24 Oct 05:14

  • Oh dear: Apple kicks out South Korea boss

    Dominique Oh gets the push as iPhone struggles

    Apple kicked out its head honcho for South Korea just days before the grand unveiling of the much-anticipated iPad Mini and despite the upcoming launch of the iPhone 5 in the country, according to local reports. General manager Dominique Oh was abruptly relieved of his duties last week, spokesman Steve Park told The Korea …

    Business 24 Oct 06:50

  • Dell flashes more hints about flashy servers

    Virtual SANS also on the agenda

    Dell has dropped more hints about just what it will produce as a result of its June 2011 acquisition of RNA networks, again saying server-based flash goodies will enter its storage lineup during 2013. Speaking at the Dell Storage Forum in Sydney today, Dell's general manager and executive director for PowerVault Data …

    Datacenter 24 Oct 06:56

  • How to get your bust in good shape

    Feature Got a 3D printer – now what?

    A 3D printer is a great toy, but only if you have something to print. If you want to address the big issue of “yes, but what can you do”, then just downloading models isn’t any more personal than buying the finished thing online. The bust is back in vogue You need to make your own. To this end I looked at 3D scanning. This …

    reghardware 24 Oct 07:00

  • Gaping network port with easy-to-guess password? You ARE the 79%

    Nearly all 2011 hack victims selected themselves

    High-profile, sophisticated hackers stealing industrial secrets tend to hog the headlines but opportunistic hackers searching for routine vulnerabilities can create a world of hurt for victims, often small businesses. Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report found that 79 per cent of attacks during 2011 were classified as ‘ …

    Security 24 Oct 07:28

  • Big Data? There's an App Store for that

    Open ... and Shut No data scientist? No problem

    A few months back Cloudera chief executive Mike Olson speculated that the real power of Hadoop "will be delivered through cloud apps vendors." This week Datameer brought Olson's vision to life, releasing a marketplace for buying and selling Big Data analytic applications. While a great deal of work remains for making Hadoop and …

    Datacenter 24 Oct 07:57

  • Microsoft has no plans for a second Windows 7 Service Pack

    Exclusive You don't like it? Hey - had you thought of Windows 8?

    Waiting for a second Windows 7 Service Pack? Keep waiting – it doesn't sound like Microsoft will be releasing one. Sources close to Microsoft's sustained engineering team, which builds and releases service packs, have told The Register there are no plans for a second Windows 7 SP – breaking precedent on the normal cycle of …

    Windows 8 24 Oct 08:04

  • BYOD for our own staff? That would be 'embarrassing' – HP exec

    Exclusive Candid Cador may not be alone there

    HP will not offer a BYOD programme internally, presumably because it can't take the ignominy of employees potentially turning up with shiny Apple kit: or devices from any other vendor for that matter. The US tech monster, which continues to stagger, has a raft of "BYOD solutions", including security and storage solutions, but …

    The Channel 24 Oct 08:53

  • Ailing French memory maker Dane-Elec granted bankruptcy protection

    We shall totally reorganise within two months - bosses

    French memory manufacturer and distributor Dane-Elec has bought itself some time to plot a turnaround strategy after being granted bankruptcy protection by a court in its native country. The firm was spooked by a string of nasty half year results and entered the "safeguard procedure" on 17 October, which gives it six months to …

    The Channel 24 Oct 08:57

  • Amazon quietly un-wipes remotely wiped Kindle

    But no apology or explanation for account suspension

    Never let it be said posting your woes on the internet doesn’t yield results. After Linn Nygaard allowed Norwegian blogger Martin Bekkelund to reveal that Amazon had not only wiped her Kindle without warning but had refused to explain precisely why it had done so, the online retail giant has grudgingly relented and re-instated …

    reghardware 24 Oct 09:11

  • Windows 8: Is Microsoft's new OS too odd to handle?

    Not ready installing on drive C: abort, retry or fail?

    The big question. You are happily trundling along with Windows 7 and everything is fine. Should you upgrade to Windows 8, at Microsoft's tempting price of £24.99, or $39.99, for a downloadable copy? There is always the safe option of leaving well alone, but tell that to anyone who regretted installing Windows Vista and had to …

    Windows 8 24 Oct 09:30

  • Publicity Stunt of the Week: Ten bizarre phone insurance claims

    How did it get there?!?

    Here, apparently, are the UK’s ten oddest insurance claims made regarding mobile phones. We offer them without comment on their veracity, though the mobile phone insurance go-between that sent them to us in the hope of some free publicity* insists the claims “were investigated fully”, presumably by the insurer it represents. …

    reghardware 24 Oct 09:33

  • Hackers get 10 MONTHS to pwn victims with 0-days before world+dog finds out

    Tell no one, compromise everyone

    Hackers exploit security vulnerabilities in software for 10 months on average before details of the holes surface in public, according to a new study. Researchers from Symantec reckon that these zero-day attacks, so called because they are launched well before vendors are even aware of the vulnerabilities, are more prevalent …

    Security 24 Oct 09:45

  • Speaking in Tech: What's it LIKE to be snarfed by Microsoft?

    Podcast Plus: When lightning actually strikes, UPS is kind of bullshit

    This week on Speaking in Tech, there's something for everyone: from electronics, storage and OpenStack playas to tape-heads and enterprise biz types. Tune in to hear Ed Saipetch, fresh from Structure Europe 2012, and Greg Knieriemen with another of El Reg's enterprise tech-casts. This week, Sarah Vela is playing away, so Greg …

    Datacenter 24 Oct 10:00

  • Noisy whales made FAR MORE oceanic racket than humans do

    Early 19th-C Atlantic was a cetacean 'rock concert'

    Interesting news today on the whale/ocean-noise beat, as boffins have calculated that back when the oceans were full of whales they were hugely noisier than they are today. Rising levels of human-caused noise in the oceans, which have long been theorised to be a source of distress for cetaceans, are very quiet by comparison to …

    Science 24 Oct 10:19

  • Can a 'one-trick' software firm survive in era of converged engorgement?

    Staff-owned software SAN appliance firm DataCore on why it's the last man standing

    Why is DataCore the only dedicated software SAN virtualisation appliance vendor left standing? The answer lies in a skewed revenue geographic model, staff majority ownership of the company and a fair amount of luck. It's also down to a solid product, though other companies with great products have failed where DataCore did not …

    Storage 24 Oct 10:43

  • Facebook donates cash seized from spammers to cyber CSI lab

    Ill-gotten $250k for Koobface, GhostClick takedown team

    Facebook has donated $250k it seized from spammers to an academic centre of excellence in the fight against cybercrime. The University of Alabama at Birmingham's Center for Information Assurance and Joint Forensics Research will use the cash to build an expanded version of the faculty, due to open next year. The centre helped …

    Security 24 Oct 11:04

  • Apple slips bomb into ITC filing: Samsung being PROBED by US gov

    Korean firm under investigation over use of standards-essential patents

    The United States government is investigating whether Samsung is misusing the standards-essential patents that it holds, rival Apple said in a document it filed with the International Trade Commission on Monday. Samsung holds several standards-essential patents covering data transmission from mobile devices, which it is under …

    Hardware 24 Oct 11:27

  • Panel production problems may stop iPad Minis getting into fans' mitts

    Researcher warns of supply chain strains

    Woe to you, Apple fanboy, you may not be able to get your hands on a shiny new iPad Mini because Apple may not be able to ship enough of them to go round. So says DisplaySearch, a market watcher, which reckons supply will be constrained by LCD panel makers’ inability to sent enough 8.9in, 1024 x 768 screens to Apple. Screen …

    reghardware 24 Oct 11:28

  • How Bodyform's farting 'CEO' became a viral sensation

    Man complaining over non-skydiving ladies was REAL

    Our story last week on just how the "CEO" of sanitary towel firm Bodyform set one traumatised man straight on the truth about women's periods raised a few eyebrows among cynical Reg commentards. Just how, they wondered, did the company manage to respond to Richard Neill's Facebook post of 8 October... Hi, as a man I must ask …

    Media 24 Oct 11:59

  • Raspberry Pi SoC drivers now fully open source

    World first

    The Raspberry Pi is now host to the “first ARM-based multimedia SoC with fully-functional, vendor-provided fully open-source drivers”, the organisation behind the credit-card sized computer said today. The little PC uses the Broadcom BCM2835 SoC and the RaspberryPi Foundation’s lead Linux developer, Alex Bradbury, praised the …

    reghardware 24 Oct 12:07

  • Adobe plugs up buffer overflow holes in Shockwave update

    Nobody using them yet - but they will be now

    Adobe released a patch for its Shockwave Player software on Tuesday, addressing six security vulnerabilities that might easily lend themselves to malware-pushing exploits. Shockwave Player 11.6.7.637 and earlier versions on both Windows and Mac need updating to the latest version: Shockwave Player 11.6.8.638. Adobe said it …

    Security 24 Oct 12:27

  • Cloudera's Project Impala rides herd with Hadoop elephant in real-time

    Hadoop World Life's no longer a batch

    There are a lot of gripes about the Hadoop Big Data muncher, and one of them is that it was designed as a batch-oriented system. A number of different add-ons to Hadoop have been created to try to make it more like more familiar relational databases (such as HBase) and their SQL query languages (Hive). But even these do not …

    Software 24 Oct 13:03

  • EC: Microsoft didn't honour browser-choice commitment

    Millions weren't offered chance to bin IE in Windows 7, says commission

    Microsoft has failed to comply with its commitments to offer people the chance to ditch Internet Explorer, the European Commission has said in a preliminary Statement of Objections that it has fired off to Microsoft HQ. From 2009, Microsoft has been legally obliged to show EU Windows users a "choice screen" so they can decide …

    Operating Systems 24 Oct 13:11

  • Live Chat: Windows 8 and Surface unboxed at last!

    Live Chat Readers speak their brains on remote desktop, Metro apps, boot times, durability and more

    This Thursday Microsoft officially tried to become just a little bit more like Apple. For nearly three decades, support for a wide range of hardware and the freedom to install whatever software you want helped Windows to dominate on PCs. But, stung by Apple’s success with the iPhone and iPad, Microsoft has decided on a new …

    Windows 8 24 Oct 13:30

  • SAP happy enough, despite lack of massive lawsuit win this year

    McDermott boasts of huge bulge into the cloud

    German software maker SAP reported a massive plunge in Q3 profits but an operational slip was not to blame, just a one-off gain from its lawsuit with Oracle a year ago. This still left the vendor with a bottom line of €618m, albeit 51 per cent lower than the €1.25bn ($1.62bn) it banked 12 months ago when earnings were boosted …

    The Channel 24 Oct 13:58

  • Wonder why you live longer than a chimp? Thank your MOTHER IN LAW

    And your mum, other grandmas. Grandads not mentioned

    Grandmothers are the secret behind humans' living such long lives compared to our near relatives the apes, a computer simulation has revealed. “Grandmothering was the initial step toward making us who we are,” says Kristen Hawkes, anthropology prof at Utah uni. Hawkes and colleagues of hers have long sought to advance their …

    Science 24 Oct 14:22

  • Equanet asks Propaganda firm to help it shed box-shifter tag

    'We don't just sell tin you know'

    Mid-market reseller Equanet has charged brand consultancy Propaganda with helping to shake off its box-shifter image. The Dixons Retail-owned business recently underwent a change at the top, with Phil Birbeck becoming chief of the group's ailing web shop PIXMANIA and biz development head Felix Stauber replacing him. A "brand …

    The Channel 24 Oct 14:23

  • Apple retail boss Browett bags $1.74m of shares

    First wave of signing bonus - now another $59.2m to come

    The allure of leading Apple's store strategy, coupled with a generous restricted stock package of 100,000 shares, currently valued at $623 a unit, saw Browett flee the CEO's office at Dixons Retail in January. In the SEC document, Apple revealed the Brit received 5,000 shares but 2,159 were sold for tax withholding purposes. …

    The Channel 24 Oct 15:06

  • Unisys tastes red ink in mouth after pension chop-slap

    Tough out there in Services Land

    Mainframe and services provider Unisys has spent years cleaning up its finances, getting its debt reduced and costs in line with sales so it can show Wall Street some profits. And in the third quarter, weaker demand for short-term services engagements and continuing softness in business with the US federal government held down …

    Datacenter 24 Oct 15:22

  • Judge GIVES APPLE THE FINGER in multitouch iDevice patent case

    Or more accurately, lets Samsung give Cupertino two

    Samsung is allowed to make phones that enable users to use two fingers on the screen at once, ruled a Dutch judge today, kicking out Apple's infringement claim over its multitouch patent. Apple's claim was dismissed and it was ordered to pay Samsung's litigation costs this morning by Judge Peter Blok and two other judges at …

    Hardware 24 Oct 15:54

  • Latest PS3 hack hits Sony with massive migraine

    Master key leaked, pirates rejoice

    News that the PlayStation 3 has been jailbroken, again, is hardly a shocker. However, the latest hack makes Sony's battle against piracy a very tricky task, experts claim. While fresh custom firmware hit the web earlier this week, it's the leak of the so-called LV0 decryption keys which leaves Sony with a serious headache. …

    reghardware 24 Oct 15:58

  • EMC flat-lining as economy continues to circle drain

    You may find your sales rep is more willing to deal ...

    EMC has scraped year-on-year revenue and profit hikes for its third 2012 quarter but reported ever-so-slightly lower numbers than the second quarter, a pattern not seen in the past two years. Quarterly revenues were $5.28bn with net profits of $626m. This revenue was up 6 per cent year-on-year and down 0.56 per cent …

    Storage 24 Oct 16:26

  • Surface tablets snapped up on pre-order, but no camping in the street

    Brits loving it, Americans and Frenchies holding back

    They may not be sleeping on the street in hopes of being the first to get their mitts on it, but Brits do seem enthusiastic about the new Microsoft Surface tablet. Preorders of the device have already sold out in the UK, the Microsoft UK site shows – at least the £399 32GB version. The £599 64GB version is still available. A …

    Windows 8 24 Oct 17:04

  • Super Micro bends metal for Super Hadooper data munchers

    Server sales carry on, but face headwinds

    King of the whiteboxers Super Micro, which is also one of the dominant suppliers of raw system components to other whiteboxers, has launched a line of clusters preconfigured to run the Hadoop big data muncher at the same time that it has reported its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 ended in September. …

    HPC 24 Oct 18:00

  • Dell lends Apache ARM software efforts a hand

    Forges 'Zinc' custom Calxeda ARM server

    The hardware engineers at Dell's Data Center Solutions custom server unit have bent some metal around Calxeda's EnergyCore ARM server processors and donated a box to the Apache Software Foundation so it can tweak and tune the Apache web server as well as the Hadoop data munching stack and the Cassandra NoSQL data store to run on …

    Servers 24 Oct 20:09

  • Microsoft mixes Hortonworks Hadoop with Windows and Azure

    Hadoop World Redmond's Big Data play makes Yahoo money

    After a year of beta testing, Microsoft is rolling out the first preview editions of its Apache Hadoop integration for Windows Server and Azure in a marriage of open source and commercial code. "This lowers the bar in terms of what it takes to set up and manage Hadoop in a Windows and Azure environment," Doug Leland, general …

    Software 24 Oct 20:56

  • Australian volcano starts to blow

    Don't worry: only penguins are in danger as it's in the middle of nowhere

    One of Australia's two active volcanoes seems to be erupting. We say seems because the volcano in question, on Heard Island, is located in the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean, 2000km north of Antarctica and closer to Africa than to Australia. That's about as close to the middle of nowhere as it is possible to be. Heard …

    Science 24 Oct 21:00

  • MYOB users didn't want no steenking cloud

    Let them eat hybrids, says Australian accounting software vendor

    Australian accounting software vendor MYOB* has released the newest version of its much-used small business bean-counting app. Sage fancied MYOB last year, but was beaten to an acquisition by Mitt Romney's old outfit, Bain Capital. The new release, AccountRight Live, lets users run their accounts on a PC or in the cloud. Or …

    Business 24 Oct 21:15

  • US-CERT warns DKIM email open to spoofing

    Mathematician accidentally spots flaw

    US-CERT has issued a warning that DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) verifiers that use low-grade encryption are open to being spoofed and need to be upgraded to combat attackers wielding contemporary quantities of computing power. You might think this is no big deal – after all the value of strong cryptography has been …

    Security 24 Oct 22:14

  • Corruption claims put IT contracting under the spotlight

    Boils lanced in NSW, Victoria

    Two corruption scandals in the Australian tech sector came to a head yesterday, turning a harsh spotlight on how government bodies go about contracting out IT services. Victoria’s Ombudsman released a damning report into that state’s IT body CeniTex, while in NSW, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) released …

    Government 24 Oct 22:20

  • Imation cutting 20 per cent of workforce amid losses

    'Exploring option for CE biz' says CEO Lucas

    Imation is slashing one fifth of its workforce as part of a cost cutting programme and exploring "strategic options" for its consumer electronics biz. The troubled maker of tape, disk and optical media has reported yet another quarter of losses - it hasn't posted a profit since the end of 2009 - and needs to take corrective …

    Storage 24 Oct 22:48