The Week in Summary

1. Friday, 05 December 2008

   Electric car seller hits brakes as UK EV sales plunge

   'Leccy Tech Shock for fans

   Electric cars sales have tanked in the UK. A mere 156 EVs were sold between January and October 2008, compared to 347 in the same period in 2007 - a drop of 58 per cent. To deepen the gloom, the Nice Car Company has gone into administration. Nobody was answering the phones at Nice this morning when Reg Hardware tried to seek …

   Reg Hardware 5 Dec 11:33

   Second Firefox 3.1 beta under starters order

   As Firefox 2.x disrobes anti-phishing and heads for retirement

   A second beta release of Firefox 3.1 is on the starting blocks, with the publication of an almost ready version of the latest edition of the open source browser due in days. A third beta is expected before Mozilla ships a final version of the software next year. Beta 2 of Firefox 3.1 includes a "web workers" feature that …

   The Register 5 Dec 11:25

   Microsoft hires Yahoo! search boss

   Buying the company person by person

   Microsoft has hired a senior ex-Yahooer to run its loss-making internet search and advertising business. Dr Qi Lu joins Microsoft in January as president of its Online Services Group. Lu used to be executive vice president of engineering at Yahoo's search and advertising technology group - he left the firm in August after ten …

   The Register 5 Dec 11:19

   MIT boffins crack fusion plasma snag

   Chance of success at French megaproject enhanced

   Boffins at MIT say they have cracked some tricky problems in the design of power stations running on nuclear fusion, though they hasten to add that many more hurdles remain before fusion energy becomes a reality. "There's been a lot of progress," says Earl Marmar, head of the Alcator Project at the MIT Plasma Science and …

   The Register 5 Dec 11:13

   WIN a BlackBerry Storm!

   Competition The season's hottest handset could be yours

   Samsung Omina? 'Orrible! Apple iPhone? I don't think so! No, Research in Motion's BlackBerry Storm is the touchscreen mobile to go for this season, says Vodafone, and it's putting its money where its mouth is to give three lucky Register Hardware readers one of the in-demand handsets. The Storm - aka the 9500 - sports a 3. …

   Reg Hardware 5 Dec 10:58

   Logitech launches real wood guitar at virtual-axe Heroes

   Guitar Hero here we come...

   Logitech has shat all over those plastic Guitar Hero frets with the launch of a gaming axe that looks and handles like the real thing - because most of it actually is. Logitech's Wireless Guitar Controller The Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller’s body is solid, thanks to its real wood neck and rosewood fingerboard. The …

   Reg Hardware 5 Dec 10:42

   HP boxes Mother Earth into submission

   Aboxalypse now Further packaging outrages menace planet

   Forget global warming - HP is well on its way to thoroughly trashing the planet by dispatching kit in the biggest box it can lay its hands on, as witnessed by our previous shock coverage of packaging outrages here, here and here. Well, there's more. The chaps down at EduGeek last week took delivery of a fuser kit for an HP …

   The Register 5 Dec 10:40

   Atlantis Hubble mission set for 12 May

   Final servicing gig

   NASA has announced that the space shuttle Atlantis's STS-125 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope will finally blast off on 12 May next year. This final servicing jaunt to the venerable eye in the sky was delayed by the failure back in September of Hubble's operational data handling unit. NASA booted up a redundant back-up, …

   The Register 5 Dec 10:04

   Powerline Ethernet and ring mains

   Q&A Q&A

   I don't like wireless in my house with kids around. Powerline Ethernet sounds like a very good alternative, but I have a couple of questions I hope Register Hardware readers can answer... Do the units communicate with each other even when they'reon separate ring mains, ie. a ring main for upstairs and ring main for downstairs …

   Reg Hardware 5 Dec 10:02

   Customs warns of killer consoles

   Dodgy Nintendo DSs

   Customs is warning shoppers looking for bargains this Christmas not to be fooled into buying fake Nintendo DS and DS Lite machines. HMRC has seized hundreds of dodgy machines at freight depots around the country. Nintendo has confirmed the machines are counterfeit and that the power supplies had not been tested and were …

   The Register 5 Dec 09:11

   Sony Ericsson Walkman W902 mobile phone

   Review Image-conscious Walkman phone gets a snappier snapper

   Is there any real reason why a Walkman phone shouldn’t have a top spec camera like a Cyber-shot phone? With the W902, its first 5-megapixel camera-packing Walkman mobile, Sony Ericsson is attempting to address this often-asked question. While Sony Ericsson’s Walkman line-up have been consistently high quality music performers …

   Reg Hardware 5 Dec 09:02

   Government grants itself even more data sharing power

   But ever so quietly

   The government's proposals to increase data sharing between departments will be buried in the Coroners and Justice Bill - which is expected to be presented to the House of Commons today. The bill is expected to include measures covering the government's response to the Data Handling Review, which we covered here. In essence …

   The Register 5 Dec 08:02

   HP claims market-topping 2.5-inch storage

   Our 300GB is bigger than your 300GB

   HP is shortly to launch a 300GB 2.5-inch hard drive claiming it will have "more storage capacity than any other SFF drive in the market." Both Fujitsu and Seagate's have 300GB 2.5-inch drives already. What's going on? El Reg was pointed to HP's Reality Check: Server Insights blog and found this: "Have you been waiting for …

   The Register 5 Dec 06:25

   IDC sees virtual desktops in corporate future

   Cost reduction cosh

   Corporates under the cost-reduction cosh and facing ever-rising PC costs will increasing turn to desktop virtualisation says IDC, which has a report on the subject to sell. By shipping virtual desktops to PCs, notebooks, thin clients, and other possible end-point devices corporates can drastically reduce the costs of …

   The Register 5 Dec 06:16

   What the heck is an IT Architect anyway?

   We really want to know...

   According to the dictionary on my computer, the origin of the word ‘architect’ is from the Greek: specifically, from arkhi, which means ‘chief’ and tektōn, which means ‘builder’. That sounds like a pretty good start for understanding the role of the architect in IT; the trouble is, in practice things appear to unravel pretty …

   The Register 5 Dec 06:10

   STEC director 'creative' with CV

   Non-existent qualifications result in Broadcom boot

   Vahid Manian, a board director of SSD supplier STEC, has been sacked by employer Broadcom after it was found that he may have conjured academic qualifications out of thin air. STEC's website lists him as a senior VP of Broadcom. That corporation has him listed as a senior VP of global manufacturing operations. The site's …

   The Register 5 Dec 06:09

   Green Hills spins out military Integrity for masses

   An OS that secures OSes

   The military has always had better security than we can get on our computers, and Green Hills Software, a provider of a real-time, secure operating system called Integrity, wants to change that. To that end, the company has spun its Integrity operating system into a wholly owned subsidiary called Integrity Global Security and …

   The Register 5 Dec 06:04

   NASA delays Mars tank launch until 2011

   Budget grows another $400m

   NASA will delay the launch of its nuclear-powered robotic tank to the surface of Mars by two years because of unresolved technical issues. The space agency is now aiming for a 2011 lift-off date for the Mars Science Laboratory. The delay will add $400m to the already over-budgeted Mars rover and likely force NASA to delay …

   The Register 5 Dec 05:54

2. Thursday, 04 December 2008

   ARSes crush Novell profits

   Could be worse

   Software maker Novell has reported financial results for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2008 ending October 31, and the meager profits that the reorganized company was able to eek out were mostly wiped out by an impairment charge related to its investment in auction rate securities. ARSes, for short. Sales in the quarter came to …

   The Register 4 Dec 23:54

   American 'football' goes 3D

   Multidimensional Rugby-like game

   Three select - and well-connected - audiences in Los Angeles, New York, and Boston were scheduled Thursday night to watch the first 3D broadcast of an American "football" game, according to Dvice. The technology behind this demonstration event will be provided by 3ality Digital, a California company whose chairman, David …

   The Register 4 Dec 23:23

   Microsoft preps IE 8 for the web-challenged

   Hipsters not allowed

   Internet Explorer 8 will feature a user-generated list of "compatible" web sites, after trials found many ordinary surfers and major web sites can't work with Microsoft's next browser. The browser's planned list will be targeted at users that Microsoft considers not "web savvy". By opting to use the list with IE 8, they'll …

   The Register 4 Dec 22:57

   Apple prepping $99 Wal-Mart iPhone?

   Boy Genius cranks rumor mill

   Every December, the rumor mills begin to churn with speculation about what Apple will reveal at January's Macworld Expo. The first scintillating scuttlebutt of this year's rumor season, however, focuses not on Steve's traditional "And one more thing..." but instead on Wal-Mart's possible revival of the 4GB iPhone. The Boy …

   The Register 4 Dec 21:25

   Python 3.0 appears, strangles 2.x compatibility

   No more snake jokes. We promise

   Python 3.0 is out now. The latest version makes some major changes to the popular programming language, and it's incompatible with version 2.x releases. Ouroboros jokes don't count. It's the first Python intentionally made to break compatibility, according to project founder Guido van Rossum. He describes in the release …

   The Register 4 Dec 21:14

   How to customise the Acer Aspire One GUI

   Get the look you want

   We like the Acer Aspire One netbook's out-of-the-box UI. It's like Mac OS X's Dock writ large: a way of giving you easy access to key apps, but right in front of you, not tucked down at the bottom of the screen. However, you really should be presented with the apps you want, not what Acer believes you should have. Customising …

   Reg Hardware 4 Dec 20:36

   Blu-ray backers highlight rising demand

   Player shortages, consumer fears exaggerated, it's claimed

   The Blu-ray Disc Alliance (BDA) has pooh-pooh'd claims that demand for the format is slowing under the recessionary pressures. It even forecast "Blu-ray will enter the mainstream" in Q1 2009. Still, it's circumspect about releasing real numbers. The best it offered this week was the news that Brits bought 462,500 BDs in …

   Reg Hardware 4 Dec 19:37

   Third ex-NASA Ames worker jailed for child porn

   Yes, third

   A third former worker at the NASA Ames Research Center in California was sentenced Wednesday to federal prison for using a government computer to download child pornography. Ernst John Rohde, 64, pleaded guilty in February to two counts of receiving materials relating to the sexual exploitation of minors while working at the …

   The Register 4 Dec 19:28

   Angel spots CherryPal cloud chimera

   It's small and it's real

   Though some claimed it didn't exist, the CherryPal cloud PC chimera has been spotted in the wild. Max Seybold's new-age thin client/ultimate buzzword mash-up first went on sale in late July, but it wasn't until yesterday that someone outside the mystery company actually laid their eyes on a shipping system. Over the summer, …

   The Register 4 Dec 19:20

   Apple eyes (yet another) multi-touch patent

   Give your UI the finger

   Ever since Jeff Han's deservedly famous demo of a multi-touch interface at the TED conference in February of 2006, gestural-display developments have continued to appear, from Apple's mega-successful iPhone to Microsoft's micro-market Surface computer. In an application filing published today by the US Patent Office and …

   The Register 4 Dec 19:19

   Microsoft to embed RSA data cop in Windows

   Rights management deal

   Microsoft is adopting technology from EMC's RSA security division for Windows to police data and prevent loss and theft of information. The companies announced Thursday Microsoft will license RSA's data loss prevention (DLP) engine for future versions of Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, and "similar" products. Microsoft …

   The Register 4 Dec 18:02

   Leaked Met letter questions Speaker's version of police raid

   When powerful interests attack

   The senior policeman in charge of the Whitehall leak investigation has given an account of how consent was obtained that calls the Speaker of the House's version of events into question. In a letter (pdf) to Jacqui Smith yesterday, leaked to Wikileaks today, Met assistant commissioner Robert Quick wrote: "The officers [ …

   The Register 4 Dec 17:11

   Microsoft warns customers against bogus 'Blue Edition' Office

   Which you can buy on MSN?

   Microsoft has today filed 63 lawsuits against online auctioneers in 12 countries who allegedly sold pirated copies of MS software on sites including its own MSN shopping network. The company said the number of counterfeit Microsoft goods sold online was getting out of hand. “Dishonest auctioneers are too often using these …

   The Register 4 Dec 16:50

   AMD chip sales crashed in Q4

   Shanghai'd by the meltdown

   Chip maker Advanced Micro Devices will be disappointing Wall Street once again. But, then again, Wall Street has been particularly disappointing for the past several months itself. AMD this morning issued a terse two-line statement explaining the situation. The first sentence explained that for the quarter ending December 27 …

   The Register 4 Dec 16:38

   Booby-trapped emails fly back into fashion

   Trojan assault wave takes many guises

   Malicious email attachments disguised as airline ticket receipts are being spammed across the internet as part of a new attack. The assault is the latest in a series of booby-trapped email attachments, which have seemingly become fashionable among VXers again, after many months of playing second-fiddle to website attacks. The …

   The Register 4 Dec 16:21

   Interflora sues M&S over Google keywords

   Could be trade mark test case

   The world's largest flower delivery firm has sued Marks and Spencer at the High Court in London for sponsoring the word 'Interflora' as a search engine keyword. The case could be an important test of how UK trade mark laws apply to keyword advertising. Michigan-based Interflora and its UK trading arm are seeking an unspecified …

   The Register 4 Dec 16:11

   VoIP is coming to the iPod Touch

   Is there nothing an Apple can't do?

   VoIP provider Truphone has ported its VoIP client to the iPod Touch, enabling the music player to make free phone calls over Wi-Fi networks, but only to other Truphone users for the moment. Truphone's iPhone application has been around for a while, enabling VoIP calls over Wi-Fi connections, but the application deliberately …

   The Register 4 Dec 15:55

   Lapland New Forest website suffers 'unusual technical problems'

   'Scam' Xmas attraction hit by 'bizarre machine fault'

   The website of Lapland New Forest - the winter wonderland described in less than flattering terms by enraged punters who'd stumped £25-£30 for an unforgettable Yule experience - went off air earlier today amid reports that the attraction has been shut down. According to the BBC, Lapland New Forest is no more. Trading Standards …

   The Register 4 Dec 15:54

   Networked multipack cruise missiles in successful test

   Could make tanks & artillery obsolete

   Development continues on the US Forces' network-controlled, crewless homing missile system. The Non Line of Sight Launch System (NLOS-LS), aka "Netfires", has had a successful test firing, and is now being fitted aboard the US Navy's new inshore warships. The NLOS-LS comes in the form of a large box about 1.5m tall and light …

   The Register 4 Dec 15:15

   AT&T will slash 12,000 from workforce

   Telco cuts off 4% of workers

   AT&T is laying off 12,000 staff and putting the blame on the economy and "a changing business mix". The cuts amount to roughly four per cent of the US telecoms giant's total workforce. The telco said it was moving to a more streamlined structure and would cut capital expenditure in 2009 - it is finalising budgets now and will …

   The Register 4 Dec 14:56

   Nokia trims expectations again

   Palm to cut costs by 20%

   Nokia has cut expectations of the mobile-phone market for the third time in as many months, while Palm is planning to cut costs by 20 per cent following a halving of sales. Less than a month ago Nokia predicted 330 million phones would ship in the last quarter of 2008, a prediction the company now thinks was optimistic - …

   The Register 4 Dec 14:50

   UK ramps up health über-database

   We take part (voluntarily) in Biobank UK

   Napoleon called the British a nation of shopkeepers, but we'll be nation of statistics if UK Biobank has its way. It's a scheme backed by the Government and the NHS, and by major medical NGOs and charities, including the Wellcome Trust and the British Heart Foundation. Its aim is to evaluate the lifestyles of half-a-million …

   The Register 4 Dec 14:35

   Apple more closed than Microsoft

   Reg Tech Panel Choice cut from Reg Barometer Survey

   Bashing Microsoft for being closed and proprietary has been a popular pastime in the media and the IT industry for many years, and there is no doubt that much of this has been well deserved. After having its wings clipped on several occasions by regulators, however, the Microsoft of today, while not totally reformed, is a lot …

   The Register 4 Dec 14:30

   US WMD report: Dirty bombs, chem weapons are bunk

   But the bioterrorists will strike by 2013! Aiee!

   A US congressional investigation into terrorists and WMDs has concluded that there will be a WMD attack within five years unless prompt international action is taken. The report also effectively says that the only kinds of WMD worth worrying about are atomic bombs and biological weapons. Bob Graham and Jim Talent, both former …

   The Register 4 Dec 14:06

   Plod punishes PC-reliant businesses

   Innocent or not, you deserve to suffer

   As police begin the tedious task of sifting through Tory frontbench spokesman Damien Green’s computer effects, politicians and professionals have expressed concern that computer investigations are becoming a source of serious injustice, in need of reform and regulation. If you are suspected of an offence that involves the use …

   The Register 4 Dec 13:46

   Israeli Linux fan squeezes Windows refund out of Dell

   Settles out of court over EULA dispute

   A Dell customer has struck an out of court settlement with the computer giant after being refused a refund apparently guaranteed under the terms of Microsoft’s Windows licensing agreement. According to Ynetnews.com, Ziv Devir from Haifa, Israel, sued Dell in the small claims court for the cost of the Windows operating system …

   The Register 4 Dec 13:41

   Oz MPs 'could be breathalysed'

   Major blow for New South Wales politicos

   New South Wales MPs "could be breathalysed before voting" following a series of incidents which have led to suspicions that the state's politicos are sometimes less sober than their jobs demand. According to the BBC, the idea gained much favour earlier this week when National Party MP Andrew Fraser - who'd earlier enjoyed the …

   The Register 4 Dec 13:29

   Jacqui Smith denies any knowledge of police search

   And Speaker's 'speedy' enquiry goes slow

   Home Secretary Jacqui Smith told the House of Commons she had no prior knowledge of the police investigation into Tory shadow minister Damian Green. She said she did not know an MP was the likely target of the investigation and that it would have been inappropriate for her to be involved. Theresa May, shadow Commons leader, …

   The Register 4 Dec 13:12

   Tell Santa to bring more assault rifles

   America tools up for the inauguration

   It's guns and ammo for the holiday season if you read the news following Black Friday, the time annually reserved for the great annual shopping spasm in the US. "Panic at Gunfire in Toy Store," blared the November 29th frontpage headline in the Los Angeles Times, reporting a uniquely American muzzle flash. "Instead of the …

   The Register 4 Dec 13:07

   Fujifilm FinePix S100 FS digital camera

   Review A bridge camera that offers bags of DSLR features

   Who wants a bridge camera these days? After all, you can always opt for a super-zoom compact or an entry-level digital SLR. Well, according to Fujifilm, the FinePix S100 FS “provides the manual controls and functionality of a DSLR without the bulk, hassle and expense of additional lenses”. At first glance, you’d be forgiven …

   Reg Hardware 4 Dec 13:02

   Sun and VMWare updates keep sysadmins busy

   Patched quilt

   Security updates from Sun and VMware make it a busy day for patching on Thursday. Sun Java 6.0 Update 11 addresses multiple security and performance bugs in Java Runtime Environment and Java SE Development software, as explained in release notes from Sun here. The one-line descriptions of the 18 bugs addressed by the update, …

   The Register 4 Dec 12:49

   Microsoft wants to get under your skin

   HealthVault links up with VeriMed RFID chips

   Microsoft's HealthVault, the medical records database, is to be integrated with VeriMed's human-embedded RFID tags, allowing doctors to access the medical records of unconscious patients with a quick scan of the arm. VeriMed consists of an RFID tag that is embedded in the arm of a hopefully willing participant, and responds …

   The Register 4 Dec 12:48

   US space outfit promises The Right Stuff experience

   Sub-orbital jaunt for $95k

   Brave souls looking for "The Right Stuff experience" can now buy tickets for a sub-orbital jaunt aboard the XCOR Lynx for a modest $95,000. XCOR has inked a deal with Arizona-based RocketShip Tours, which will handle Lynx bookings and has already taken a $20k deposit from its first customer - Danish investment banker Per …

   The Register 4 Dec 12:46

   A last hurrah: Matching info challenges with functional capabilities

   What about the stuff we’re not so good at?

   Over the last few articles, we’ve talked about the pain of getting information to the people that need it, and discovered that most of you don’t consider information or data management/delivery capabilities as a high priority when thinking about components to include in an application platform. Many of the comments to the …

   The Register 4 Dec 12:45

   IBM takes on VMware virtual desktop

   Big Blue's view different from VMware View

   IBM is taking on VMware's virtual desktop infrastructure with its own Linux and Lotus-based virtual desktop. VMware's VDI, recently re-launched as View, ships a virtual Windows or Linux desktop to desktops, notebooks and thin client devices, and is built from a golden master file and linked clones, stored on a VMware ESX …

   The Register 4 Dec 12:17

   Reding prods Germans on termination rates info

   C'mon, regulator - spill

   EU Commissioner Viviane Reding, has written an open letter to the German telecoms regulator to request information about termination rates charged by local operators - information the regulator has so far refused to share. The regulator, BNetzA, has refused to include termination rates in the last two analyses of the …

   The Register 4 Dec 12:12

   CSC orders staff home in cost-cutting shutdown

   'It's OK, you can use up next year's holiday!'

   Outsourcing firm CSC has joined other IT giants by ordering staff to take extra holiday over Christmas in a bid to cut costs. Managers in CSC's Global Outsourcing Services (GOS) division have been told to identify critical areas that need to be staffed by a skeleton crew during the festive period, according to an internal …

   The Register 4 Dec 12:01

   Adobe axes 600 jobs, lowers sales outlook

   Recession bites

   Adobe will slash 600 jobs after it lowered its revenue outlook yesterday, citing the economic slowdown for less-than-impressive sales in the last quarter. Stock tumbled seven per cent in extended trading on Nasdaq following Adobe’s announcement. "The global economic crisis significantly impacted our revenue during the fourth …

   The Register 4 Dec 11:51

   130,000 inflatable jubs missing at sea

   Oz mag issues floating chesticle alert

   An Australian men's mag has asked beachcombers to keep a sharp eye out for inflatable breasts after 130,000 pneumatic chesticles went awol en route from Beijing to Sydney. Ralph had intended to to distribute the tits free with its January issue, but while the AU$200,000 cargo apparently left China a couple of weeks back, when …

   The Register 4 Dec 11:03

   Human rights court rules UK DNA grab illegal

   Updated Jacqui Smith: Law to remain while judgment 'carefully considered'

   The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that it is illegal for the government to retain DNA profiles and fingerprints belonging to two men never convicted of any crime. The landmark decision could mean the more than 570,000 DNA profiles in the National DNA Database belonging to innocent individuals will have to be deleted …

   The Register 4 Dec 11:02

   Lego terrorist threatens democracy

   Religious leaders slam 'Toy Taliban'

   Religious leaders have united to express their dismay at a custom range of Lego figures - including a "Toy Taliban" armed to the teeth with C96 broomhandle Mauser pistol, AK Assault Rifle and M67 frag grenades. The offending terrorist - made by US firm BrickArms and punted for £9.50 to impressionable UK kiddies here - didn't …

   The Register 4 Dec 10:40

   Firefox plug-in Trojan harvests logins

   Spy on the wire

   Virus writers have latched onto the popularity of Firefox with a new variant on the established practice of stealing online banking passwords. A password pinching Trojan that poses as a Firefox Plugin is doing the rounds, Romanian security firm BitDefender warns. ChromeInject-A is typically downloaded onto Windows PCs already …

   The Register 4 Dec 10:35

   MPs demand investigation into unlawful police action

   Comment PC Power grab put on hold

   Today’s revelation that the police raid on the offices of Damian Green, MP, had been carried out without a full warrant may yet return to haunt the police officers who authorised it. Critics of the police are asking whether this was simple oversight, or part of a broader pattern of police setting out to ignore restraints placed …

   The Register 4 Dec 10:33

   Panasonic steers out of satnav street

   Panasonic is pulling out of the satnav business in Europe on the back of tumbling prices. With High Street auto-accessory chain Halfords knocking 50 per cent off the price of all the satnavs it stocks, we're not at all surprised. Indeed, as one industry source dejectedly put it: "The UK satnav market's in the crapper." That …

   Reg Hardware 4 Dec 10:28

   Pirates pee on Amazon's MP3 parade

   Hijack MP3 announcement

   Amazon.co.uk yesterday trumpeted the launch of its MP3 download service, but a group of upstart coders chose the same day to blow their own horn about a Firefox plugin linking the e-tailer's service to The Pirate Bay. The Amazon service is flogging albums from £3 and individual songs from 59p. However, the 'Pirates of the …

   The Register 4 Dec 10:04

   Aussies to get first Googlephone January 2009

   Kogan Agora delayed a month

   Over here, we get the T-Mobile G1 as our first phone based on Google's Android platform. Down Under, they get the BlackBerry-like Kogan Agora. Kogan's Agora: no Wi-Fi and camera-less Well, next year they will - the Agora's not due to go on sale until 2009, the company now admits. Last month, it claimed its AU$199 ($128/£87 …

   Reg Hardware 4 Dec 09:47

   Logitech PureFi Mobile portable Bluetooth speaker set

   Review A multi-purpose on-the-move system

   This versatile product is a combination of a Bluetooth speaker phone and a powered speaker rig that can be hooked up to any A2DP-capable device, or one with a USB cable or 3.5mm audio cable. Like most kit coming from Logitech these days, the PureFi Mobile is a very well built device. Though black and silver plastics abound, …

   Reg Hardware 4 Dec 09:02

   Novell grooms NetWare-Linux lovechild

   Real-server tools meet fake-server tools

   While Novell may be the second largest commercial Linux distributor, it still gets the bulk of its sales off of NetWare and related products. The Open Enterprise Server hybrid, which puts NetWare services on top of SUSE Enterprise Linux, bridges the gap for Novell, and today, OES got a service pack to make it more appealing. …

   The Register 4 Dec 07:24

   Irish govt powers up electric vehicle drive

   'Leccy Tech But is €1m enough?

   The Irish Government has been bitten by the 'leccy car bug. Last week, it announced that it wants ten per cent of the cars running on Ireland's roads to be powered by electricity. That means 250,000 of them humming around the Emerald Isle by 2020. A national task force will be set up to put flesh on the bones of this ambitious …

   Reg Hardware 4 Dec 07:02

   Sun sneaks JavaFX Mobile into desktop FX

   Any RIA in a storm

   Sun Microsystems, it is generally felt, lost the desktop to Microsoft a long time ago. Aware of this, Sun in recent years evangelized mobile as Java's habitat - mobile is, after all, where Microsoft's at its weakest. Such was Sun's buy-in to this idea the annual JavaOne in 2007 was dominated by mobile, and Web 2.0, while the …

   The Register 4 Dec 05:02

   'Faith-based' investment firm fingers holiday's most sinful games

   Holy @&$#

   Buying video games as holiday gifts can be pretty intimidating when you've got a major deity looking over your shoulder. Fortunately, if you subscribe to the same flavor of US "conservative Christian" values as the Florida investment firm The Timothy Plan, this year your soul may conveniently be spared from the ever-lasting …

   The Register 4 Dec 00:49

   FCC boss spices Puritan wireless plan

   The threat of unlicensed spectrum

   FCC chairman Kevin Martin has added some kick to his plan for a free nationwide wireless network, flirting with the possibility of dropping at least a portion of the zero-cost spectrum straight into the hands of mobile developers. As we reported earlier this week, the FCC is set to vote on Martin's plan at its December 18 …

   The Register 4 Dec 00:45

   Bot-wielding hackers crash eBay holiday giveaway

   eBay cares not

   eBay users are howling in protest after discovering hackers are using automated scripts to win hundreds of steeply discounted auctions as part of a holiday season contest designed to draw visitors to the site. Auctions for pricey items including a Green Life electric scooter and an Oscar de la Renta evening gown, which had …

   The Register 4 Dec 00:38

3. Wednesday, 03 December 2008

   EFF seeks shelter for iPhone mobile 'jailbreakers'

   Freedom to tinker

   Yesterday, the Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) - that 18-year digital-freedom superhero - filed a pair of petitions with the United States Copyright Office, seeking to protect mobile-phone jailbreakers, unlockers, and digital-media masher-uppers from the slings and arrows of outrageous lawsuits. According to a statement by …

   The Register 3 Dec 23:20

   Agassi drives 'lectric car empire across Pacific

   Hawaii captured

   After conquering San Francisco, Shai Agassi has bounded across the Pacific, expanding his electric car empire onto the islands of Hawaii. Yesterday, the Better Place CEO joined Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle in claiming that the company's mobile-phone inspired 'leccy-vehicle network would be up and running in the fiftieth state …

   The Register 3 Dec 23:14

   VMware and SpringSource integrate on virtual Java roadmap

   Ubuntu in the frame

   VMware has expanded its relationship with SpringSource to support an unfolding virtual appliance roadmap utilizing Linux and open-source Java. SpringSource said Wednesday it's developing a series of appliance images for developers building and testing open-source Java apps for VMware's ESX hypervisor and its recently launched …

   The Register 3 Dec 21:23

   AMD tweaks 2009 chipset roadmap

   Sets Shanghai loose on Shanghai

   AMD updated its chipset schedule for 2009, adding plans for a new low-end, integrated graphics processor chipset based on the 780G architecture catering to budget DirectX 10 gaming. The new IGP chipset, dubbed 760G, will debut in January 2009, according to Japan's Digitimes. It will support DirectX 10 and Shader Model 4.0 — …

   The Register 3 Dec 20:45

   Appletops may get juice pump

   Liquids predict toasty future

   The latest Apple patent to surface points out that the upcoming mobile round of Intel's Nehalem chips may require more cooling mojo than the current Penryn line. On November 27, the United States Patent and Trademark Office published patent application number 20080291629, originally filed by Apple on May 22 of last year and …

   The Register 3 Dec 20:41

   IDC: Q3 server sales were crap

   But not as crap as 2001

   When you are very sick and you are trying to find out what is wrong, you get a second opinion from another doctor - and so it is with the quarterly market statistics tracking server shipments and sales. Gartner usually comes first, and then IDC follows in quick succession with a slightly different set of public stats. Together, …

   The Register 3 Dec 19:43

   SonicWALL licensing snafu short-circuits protection

   Reset to FAIL

   SonicWALL has apologised for a license server outage that left some customers without firewall or email filtering protection for hours yesterday. The snafu affected enterise users of SonicWALL UTM Firewall, Email Security, Content Security appliances and meant that content filter, intrusion prevention and antivirus protection …

   The Register 3 Dec 19:32

   HP, EDS slash internal spending

   Says leaked memo

   HP owes EDS more than a little thanks for its respectable fourth quarter. But that hasn't stopped the IT giant from putting the financial squeeze on its new acquisition. In a recent internal memo leaked to The Reg, EDS CEO Ron Rittenmeyer lays down "a series of corporate-wide actions to reduce discretionary spending." …

   The Register 3 Dec 19:26

   Windows 7 first beta due January 2009

   Christmas confusion clarified

   Microsoft has dashed hopes of a December release for Windows 7's first beta, having created initial confusion on this important code drop. January 2009 now looks set to become the month when Windows testers will get their hands on the first-full pre-release build of Microsoft's next client operating system. In particular, …

   The Register 3 Dec 19:24

   Berlusconi plans to use G8 presidency to 'regulate the internet'

   Forza Italia?

   Italian president and media baron Silvio Berlusconi said today that he would use his country's imminent presidency of the G8 group to push for an international agreement to "regulate the internet". Speaking to Italian postal workers, Reuters reports Berlusconi said: "The G8 has as its task the regulation of financial markets …

   The Register 3 Dec 16:59

   DARPA seeks Hitchhikers Deep Thought program

   Only one choice on interface peripherals, obviously

   Pentagon boffinry chiefs are seeking to develop radical AI software capable of boiling down information from the news, overhead spy planes, wiretaps and so on "into a form that is more suitable for human consumption". Specifically, this means using the data to produce "a cohesive story that is germane to the goals of a decision- …

   The Register 3 Dec 16:41

   Microsoft opens arms to Firefox with OXML plug-in release

   Rival browser enjoys interoperability love-in

   Microsoft has today released a plug-in for Firefox that allows Open XML documents to be viewed within the popular open source browser. The software giant said that its new Open XML Document Viewer works within Firefox and can be used on Windows and Linux platforms without needing a local installation of MS Office. Microsoft …

   The Register 3 Dec 16:39

   Making project management work

   The three principles of getting the job done

   Every now and then we run a poll with the Reg audience, and we know we’ve hit a nerve. On this occasion it was a simple set of questions about what tools and practices you had in place to support tasking and reporting of activities. There’s plenty of sometimes-great project management theory out there, but the tendency can be to …

   The Register 3 Dec 16:35

   FCC plan for mobile contingency fails

   No power to the people's network

   An FCC plan that would see every US mobile-phone base station equipped with eight hours of backup power has been rejected by the White House, on the grounds that the regulator failed to consult properly on the proposal. The Federal Communications Commission proposed the mandatory backup power following the collapse of …

   The Register 3 Dec 16:32

   Windows patching abysmal, and getting worse

   98% of cats insecure

   Fewer than one in 50 Windows PCs are fully patched, according to stats from users of Secunia's new patching tool, which suggest surfers are becoming even more slipshod with applying patches over the last year. The final version of Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) was released last week after 17 months in development. …

   The Register 3 Dec 16:26

   Speaker distances himself from police raids on MP

   I nevver dun it

   The Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin has confirmed that he was not asked for permission for the Metropolitan Police, who had no search warrant, to raid Tory shadow minister Damian Green's office in the House. Passing the buck deftly Martin blamed his deputy - the Serjeant at Arms Jill Pay. Martin said: "I regret …

   The Register 3 Dec 16:21

   Sage turns in solid '08, cautious on future

   Waits for acquisition targets to get sensible on prices

   Sage had to restrain itself from sounding too optimistic today as it announced full year results that showed revenues and profits up on the year. The Newcastle-based accounting software vendor said it had produced solid results in a "difficult" market, and while remaining cautious, ventured that it would "weather these …

   Channel Register 3 Dec 16:20

   Budget airlines break new rules on opt-in website pricing

   Easyjet and Ryanair investigated

   Budget airlines Ryanair and easyJet are failing to comply with European laws that ban pre-checked boxes on websites that sell flight tickets. New rules provide that optional price supplements must be accepted on an 'opt-in' basis. The European Commission announced this week that it is stepping up pressure on airlines to ensure …

   The Register 3 Dec 16:15

   Inverness to host UK's most eco-friendly datacentre

   Highland snow provides welcome relief

   Highland data hosting outfit Alchemy Plus is planning to use the Scottish winters to cool servers at a new datacentre in Inverness, piping the heat to nearby offices, shops and a hotel, while utilising the green energy that abounds north of the border. The proposal is part of the regeneration of Inverness Harbour, and will …

   The Register 3 Dec 15:19

   Japanese first to mass-produce tiny 'safe' lithium battery

   No electrolyte to leak or explode, it's claimed

   Japan's Ulvac has become the first company to put solid-state thin-film lithium batteries into mass production, it claimed this week. Ulvac's pitching the power source as an alternative to today's lithium-ion rechargeables, specifically by stressing that its design contains no liquid electrolyte and therefore is incapable of …

   Reg Hardware 3 Dec 14:44

   There's gold in green: profiting from climate change

   The double standards of our eco accountants

   Imagine an unpopular, impotent, and fragile UK Government, trying to make political capital out of a looming crisis. To avoid being embarrassed by criticism of its shallow policies, it appoints an independent panel of experts, to which it defers controversial decisions. Now imagine that the panel proposes measures from which its …

   The Register 3 Dec 14:30

   New .tel domains bid to be world's phone book

   HELLO? I'm in the DNS! No, it's rubbish

   The latest top level domain extension - .tel - opens for business today with a new twist on the DNS. Rather than merely act as a memorable address for a website, a .tel domain is designed to serve as a repository for contact data. By listing phone numbers, websites, Google keywords, physical addresses and email addresses in …

   The Register 3 Dec 14:05

   Apple anti-virus advice was nothing new

   Mac malware meme put in its place

   One of the more famous Get a Mac ads boasted that Apple systems, unlike Windows boxes, didn't need anti-virus software. So when an article on an Apple support site encouraged the use of anti-virus software on Macs it seemed like news. In truth the article reiterated long-standing, though little publicised, advice from Apple. …

   The Register 3 Dec 13:57

   High-end Eee Box to gain HDMI, standalone GPU

   Media centre buffs rejoice

   So first we hear about Asus Eee Box desktops using Celeron rather than Atom processors. Now comes word the company's preparing a high-end model with a standalone GPU. And an HDMI port for all you media centre buffs. The two new models are the B204 and B206 - the original Eee Box was the B200. According to a spec sheet posted …

   Reg Hardware 3 Dec 13:53

   Fraunhofer boffins: Laser printers safe after all

   About as dangerous as making toast, seemingly

   Scientists from Germany's renowned Fraunhofer institutes have concluded that the much-hyped issue of laser printers emitting deadly toxic clouds of toner particles is essentially bunk. Printers do emit small amounts of volatile organic chemicals, but so do toasters. Various researchers had theorised that laser printers might …

   The Register 3 Dec 13:43

   LG FA163DAB 160W iDock micro hi-fi system

   Review Surprisingly above-average sound quality

   Once a real power-player in the world of hi-fi micro systems, LG's standing has suffered as portable players have grown in popularity. In a spirit of 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em', LG is now looking to unite the world of portable MP3 and the micro. Perhaps not a company immediately associated with high-quality sound, LG …

   Reg Hardware 3 Dec 13:17

   Queen's speech targets bankers, unemployed, and immigrants

   Welfare to work plan for UK.plc

   The government put overhauling the financial sector and underpinning the British economy at the top of the agenda in the Queen's speech today. As expected, legislation to support the development of the government's massive comms database was iced - not that this will affect the state's development of the technology. The Queen …

   The Register 3 Dec 13:10

   Supersonic fighters could snuff out hurricanes

   Russians patent shockwave storm-squelch scheme

   A Russian professor at an Ohio university has applied to patent a method for snuffing out hurricanes by flying jet fighters around the eye of the storm at supersonic speeds. Professor Arkadii Leonov and his collaborator Atanas Gagov, both of Akron Uni, actually filed their patent application "Hurricane Suppression by …

   The Register 3 Dec 13:01

   Business ISP blunders on BNP list

   Google Maps mashup rides again

   Zen Internet has apologised for including a link in its latest newsletter to a website hosting a "find your nearest BNP member" search box. The business ISP sent its members the newsletter yesterday with a link to a Google maps mashup which allowed you to search for the nearest BNP member to a specific postcode. Although not …

   The Register 3 Dec 12:57

   Merseyside plant to punch out Chevy Volt

   'Leccy Tech Mandelson keen, apparently

   The Chevy Volt looks set to be made in the UK at the Vauxhall production line at Ellesmere Port, it has been claimed. If the plan goes ahead, Volts could be flowing off the Merseyside production line early in 2011, Autocar magazine reports. GM's Chevy Volt: set to ship under Vauxhall flag? Moles from General Motors - …

   Reg Hardware 3 Dec 12:49

   Thought-operated game controller delayed

   Epoc not working as planned

   Launch of a headset that lets gamers control videogames using their brainwaves has been delayed, because the device doesn’t... er... work as planned. Emotiv Systems' Epoc neuroheadset: delayed until next year Emotiv Systems’ Epoc neuroheadset was paraded before drooling journalists in August this year at the Intel …

   Reg Hardware 3 Dec 12:48

   Iomega intros external drive for bondage buffs

   Two more stylish drives

   If you’ve got a bucket-load of PC files that could land you in hot water in the wrong hands, then Iomega has the cure: a portable HDD able to password-protect itself. Iomega's secure eGo Encrypt HDD When the eGo Encrypt HDD’s connected to your PC over USB 2.0, it’ll let you freely access its documents. But the second …

   Reg Hardware 3 Dec 12:21

   MS claims US weekend sales victory in console war

   Sold three times as many machines as Sony did, apparently

   Is Sony regretting its decision to keep the PlayStation 3's price where it is? The latest sales data from the States suggests it might well be. The stats centre on sales made this past weekend and Friday - the three days after the US Thanksgiving celebration. Microsoft said 25 per cent more Xbox 360s were purchased during the …

   Reg Hardware 3 Dec 12:17

   Windows Live Web 2.0 facelift is go

   Microsoft's flabby skin still on display though

   Microsoft climbed on board the wobbly social networking bandwagon yesterday when it began rolling out changes to it Windows Live services worldwide. The company said last month it would give Windows Live a Web 2.0-stylie makeover, essentially in an effort to be down-wid-the-kidz in the Google online world. Or, as the software …

   The Register 3 Dec 12:14

   What's wrong with tape backup?

   Three papers about storage

   Another week, another rummage through Reg Whitepapers. This time we delve into enterprise storage for your delectation. Let's kick-off with an ideological onslaught against tape backup for multi-branch operations. The case against Tape backup and the evolution of branch office data This paper from Double Take Software …

   The Register 3 Dec 12:13

   McKinnon gets date for final showdown

   Last chance saloon

   A judicial review of the Gary McKinnon extradition case is being scheduled for 20 January, the same day Barack Obama assumes the US presidency. McKinnon's hopes of avoiding extradition to the US on hacking charges rest on persuading a judge that the Home Secretary's decision to disregard the former sysadmin's recent diagnosis …

   The Register 3 Dec 12:06

   Competition watchdog bounces BBC, ITV and C4's web TV plan

   Projectile Kangaroo

   A plan by the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 to offer their shows in one location on demand on the web received a major blow today when the Competition Commission said the plan would "restrict competition". Releasing the preliminary findings of an investigation into Project Kangaroo, the regulator asked the broadcasters to comment on …

   The Register 3 Dec 12:01

   Microsoft opens Vista SP2 testing window

   Beta now widely available

   Microsoft has unfurled a test version of Windows Vista Service Pack 2, intended for hardcore tech developers and fans only. The announcement follows reports earlier this week that appeared to reveal when MS plans to release Vista SP2 to manufacturers. Windows management veep Mike Nash said on the corporate Vista blog …

   The Register 3 Dec 11:10

   Credit Suisse and HSBC announce job cuts

   Back-office and IT staff suffer

   Back-office and IT staff are among those leaving Credit Suisse and HSBC after the banks announced job cuts yesterday. Credit Suisse is cutting 10 per cent, or 650 positions. HSBC will cut headcount by 500. Many banks are now in their second or third round of cuts and some have also taken action by cutting contractor rates - …

   The Register 3 Dec 11:04

   S60 knows where you're at

   Location-aware alarm-app for the chronically lost

   A new application for S60 phones opens the possibility of making every application location-aware, in a very primitive form, and promises to demonstrate the potential of today's GPS-enabled devices. Satellite navigation in a phone is a very nice thing to have, if you get lost a lot, but other than finding your way around and …

   The Register 3 Dec 10:31

   EU flags up wrinkly nuke-boffin knowhow loss threat

   Even non-nuclear nations must train replacements

   The assembled member states of the European Union have warned that the continent's nuclear boffins are getting old, and not being replaced fast enough. The EU says this problem should be addressed by all nations - even those that don't fancy nuclear power - training more specialists and allowing them to move about more freely, …

   The Register 3 Dec 10:21

   Dell opens up on NAS gateways

   File access to EqualLogic block arrays

   Dell is to produce a NAS gateway for its EqualLogic PS iSCSI-attach block storage arrays. At a Dell Enterprise Vision day event this week, Joe Joseph, Dell's VP for EqualLogic storage marketing, said: "A NAS gateway sitting on top of EqualLogic is probable." File-level access can be obtained at the moment by running Microsoft …

   The Register 3 Dec 10:19

   Micron becomes Fusion follower

   UPDATE Maybe even Fusion over-taker

   Micron is developing a PCIe-connected solid state storage card four times faster than Intel's X25-E. This is the first competitor to Fusion-io's PCI-e-connected ioDrive. In a demonstration viewable on YouTube, Joe Jeddeloh, the director of Micron's Advanced Storage Technology centre, shows Iometer testing of a dual quadcore …

   The Register 3 Dec 10:14

   Is there any good external HDD encryption software?

   Q&A Q&A

   I have a Seagate 750GB external hard drive. All the data on it isn't secure. How do I ensure that, if I lose the drive and somebody 'finds' it, they can't access my files? Is there any low-cost or free software to create encrypted, password-protected archives?

   Reg Hardware 3 Dec 10:02

   Logitech Digital Video Security System

   Review The webcam, reborn

   We’ve seen a number of PC-based home security systems in the past, but they all tend to share one common – and fundamental – flaw. The standard approach is to use motion-detection software running on a PC to tell the camera to record video footage of anyone that’s sniffing around your home or office without your permission. …

   Reg Hardware 3 Dec 09:02

   Stratus fault tolerants embrace cut-rate VMware

   Hyper-V? Maybe next year

   Fault tolerant server maker Stratus Technologies today said it is now supporting VMware's entry Infrastructure 3 Foundation and midrange Standard editions running in conjunction with its ftServer boxes. Stratus is one of the pioneers - along with Tandem (now part of Hewlett-Packard) - in fault tolerant servers. With fault …

   The Register 3 Dec 06:13

   White space debate comes to Blighty

   Less space, more debate

   While the FCC is happy to let consumers in the USA make use of the space between TV channels, in the UK the debate is only just beginning. Once analogue TV transmissions are switched off the digital network will still leave regional gaps, known as white spaces, where some believe low-powered devices should be allowed to hang …

   The Register 3 Dec 06:02

   Online payment site hijacked by notorious crime gang

   Updated Your good name, our rogue servers

   Online payment service CheckFree lost control of at least two of its domains on Tuesday in an attack that sent customers to servers run by a notorious crime gang believed to be based in Eastern Europe. Reg reader Richard D. reported receiving a bogus secure sockets layer certificate when attempting to log in to his Mycheckfree …

   The Register 3 Dec 05:43

   Overstock's Byrne deciphers Economic Meltdown Civilization Deleveraging

   Radio Reg Wall Street as post-coitus behavorial psychology

   Patrick Byrne doesn't call it an economic meltdown. He calls it "the de-leveraging of a civilization." When the ever-quotable Overstock.com CEO last sat down with Radio Reg, the world still pegged him as a tin hat–wearing crackpot. But now that Wall Street has buckled under its own excess, he's been recast as an financial …

   The Register 3 Dec 04:29

   Red Hat and SpringSource square up on Tomcat

   Enterprise-tough

   Red Hat and SpringSource are squaring up on enterprise Servlet containers, both pressing Apache's Tomcat into action. SpringSource Tuesday announced its tc Server, billed as a version of Tomcat "hardened" for enterprise use and coupled with mission-critical operational capacities and support. SpringSource tc Server is the …

   The Register 3 Dec 02:23

   Former! AOL! chief! reportedly! mulling! Yahoo! bid!

   Miller raising $30bn

   Former AOL chief Jonathan Miller is reportedly trying to raise cash to buy Yahoo!, giving the search engine's beleaguered shares a shot in the arm late Tuesday. Miller has been wooing private investors and sovereign-wealth funds "for months" in order to raise between $28bn and $30bn for the deal, according to The Wall Street …

   The Register 3 Dec 01:13

   Watchdog eyes copyright safety for iPhones, YouTube

   And recycling

   A landmark exemption to US copyright law allowing Americans to unlock their cell phones should be strengthened to prevent trampling on the right of companies that recycle and refurbish handsets, their attorney told the Librarian of Congress Tuesday. The exemption would apply to a provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright …

   The Register 3 Dec 00:43

   Eclipse bets on Vista rivalry and cloud wave

   Roadmap to "retain" Web 2.0 crowd

   The Eclipse Foundation has published a roadmap putting a strong emphasis on Web 2.0, cloud computing, and rivalry with Windows — particularly Vista. New projects must be consistent with the roadmap, Eclipse said. "This does not mean that every new project must be explicitly envisaged by the roadmap," it said, but "It does mean …

   The Register 3 Dec 00:42

   Intel, Lenovo to foil laptop thieves

   Absolute security

   Chip maker Intel, computer manufacturer Lenovo, and security-software publisher Absolute Software today announced a joint program to equip select Lenovo laptops with anti-theft technology. Intel's Anti-Theft PC Protection hardware, part of the vPro Technology component of the Centrino 2 platform, will enable IT staffers to …

   The Register 3 Dec 00:37

   Tories release MP office raid footage

   Counter-terror police vid

   Video footage of counter-terrorism police searching the parliamentary offices of MP Damian Green has been released on the Tory party's WebCameron website today. The vid shows MP Andrew Mackay confronting officers as they prepare to search Green's confidential Commons documents. "This is currently a scene we're going to search …

   The Register 3 Dec 00:31

4. Tuesday, 02 December 2008

   Battlestar Galactica prequel shuns space, spaceships

   Kinder, gentler Cylons

   Battlestar Galactica, the hit sci-fi thriller about humans searching the galaxy for a planet to call home, will be spun off into a prequel that is set 50 years before androids rebelled against their makers and destroyed civilization as it was known. Caprica, which is scheduled to air in early 2010, will focus on the events …

   The Register 2 Dec 22:20

   Intel denies Core i7 glitch

   Bug rumors greatly exaggerated

   Intel was tilting at the internet rumor mill this morning as word circulated that its newly-launched Core i7 chips suffer from a technical glitch similar to the one that previously dogged AMD's Phenom and Opteron cores. A recent Core i7 software programmer's manual update seems to indicate the chips have some Translation …

   The Register 2 Dec 21:51

   New York serves AMD free Foundry lunch

   Empire State fab a go

   As state and local governments across the U.S. starve for revenue during the ongoing financial meltdown, AMD and its Abu Dhabi-based partner, Advanced Technology Investment Co., were yesterday unanimously voted $1.2bn in tax and cash incentives from New York's Empire State Development Corp., according to a report published in …

   The Register 2 Dec 21:47

   Oracle, Emulex grant Linux data integrity

   A cure for silent corruption

   Database maker Oracle and host bus adapter maker Emulex today announced that they have contributed code to eliminate silent data corruption to the open source Linux operating system. The two also said this code has been accepted in the 2.6.27 kernel, which is the latest stable release. Back in April 2007, Oracle, Emulex, disk …

   The Register 2 Dec 21:39

   Web 2.0rhea outbreak bought, killed

   Pownce no more

   Blogging software maven Six Apart has acquired and killed a minor outbreak of Web 2.0rhea. In announcing its purchase of the Twitter-like Pownce, Six Apart also announced that the micro-bogging app would disappear in thirteen days. "As of today, Pownce will no longer be accepting new users," read an email sent to Web2.0rhea …

   The Register 2 Dec 21:21

   Tesla exec quits as rival clocks up major deals

   'Leccy Tech Sparks, Fisker fly

   More signs that all is not well at Tesla, maker of the leccy Roadster. Posting on his own blog Tesla Senior VP Darryl Siry has revealed he is parting company with the Silicon Valley-based car company immediately “due to some disagreements in strategy”. Coming on top of nasty little war of words between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 20:44

   gOS intros OS cloud for netbooks

   Light-weight web 2.0 gumbo

   Another browser-based operating system is joining the netbook gold strike. On Monday, Good OS — maker of the Google gadget–heavy gOS — unveiled a new quick-starting cloud OS at the World Netbook Forum in Paris. Rather unimaginatively dubbed "Cloud," the OS will first arrive pre-installed alongside Windows in Gigabyte Touch …

   The Register 2 Dec 20:33

   Apple unleashes not-crap iPhone iPod earbuds

   No mic for Jesus

   Three months after they were said to be on the horizon, Apple today announced availability of the dual-driver in-ear headphones with remote and mic ($79) and single-driver earphones with remote and mic ($29). "Availability," however, is a wee bit of a squishy term: Apple's web store says that the higher-end model will ship in …

   The Register 2 Dec 19:45

   IT exec accused of $10m backup tape theft

   800,000 virtual wallets

   A former IT executive for a Canadian marketing firm has been accused of taking a computer backup tape containing personal information of 3.2 million customers that could net as much as $10m on the black market, according to court records. Nick Belmonte, who earned $150,000 as vice president of IT for Vancouver-based C-W …

   The Register 2 Dec 19:06

   IDC sees 2009 European IT slowdown

   Global sluggishness

   Only a few weeks ago, we told you how the analysts at IDC had trimmed their forecasts for global IT spending. Well, now IDC is providing a little more detail about the IT spending situation across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, and the news is not exactly good. Blame the economic meltdown, which started off with …

   The Register 2 Dec 18:46

   Adobe adopts Alchemy for Microsoft .NET mindshare

   Adobe MAX Europe Feel the burn

   Adobe Systems has provided more details on a research project that converts and compiles C and C++ to ActionScript and brings raw speed to the Flash virtual machine. Alchemy enables re-use of existing C libraries within the Flash runtime. Examples shown here at MAX Europe include OpenSSL encryption code, code to generate image …

   The Register 2 Dec 18:32

   Malware authors play Mario on Daily Mail website

   Updated Cue the outrage

   Tainted banner ads are being served up onto the Daily Mail's website. We passed on a reader tip about a possible infection on DailyMail.co.uk to anti-virus firm Sophos, which confirmed that script served up through the site was redirecting surfers to a server linked to the spread of the strain of the Mario family of worms. …

   The Register 2 Dec 18:26

   Cell supers rule the Green 500 HPC rankings

   Just don't ask what the price would be for a petaflops

   Back in November, at the annual Supercomputing event that was held in Austin, Texas this time around, a bunch of supercomputing researchers released the semi-annual Top 500 rankings of the fastest supercomputers in the world. Now, another set of nerds has added power metrics to the list and done a sort on how efficiently the …

   The Register 2 Dec 16:51

   Plod pioneers painless data collection

   But poor back-up could blow breathalyser testing

   The Department for Transport (DfT) this week gave police, and motorists, an early Christmas present in the form of new equipment and software to support the annual drink drive campaign. The new kit will both improve the quality of roadside statistics and reduce the amount of time required to gather them. Unlike other database …

   The Register 2 Dec 16:34

   Danish IT chief 'on the run', suspected of fraud

   Mystery over brutal attack on business partner

   Interpol is seeking the missing boss of a bankrupt Danish IBM reseller IT Factory, who is suspected of frauds totalling $85m. Local police are also investigating a brutal attack on a reported business partner of Stein Bagger days before his disappearance. Danish daily Berlingske Tidende reports that Bagger left his wife last …

   The Register 2 Dec 15:30

   Code generator card fights fraud

   Plastic power

   A new hi-tech credit card from CryptoCard bundles two-factor authentication onto the plastic in a bid to clamp down on phishing and other forms of banking fraud. The CD-1 Credit Card Display token, launched on Tuesday, is designed to combat fraud in online and telephone banking. Looking further ahead, CryptoCard hopes to use …

   The Register 2 Dec 15:21

   Boffins build omelette-making android

   Egg-citing development in robotics?

   A robot’s been cooking up a storm in Japan, where its maker – Yaskawa Technology – has taught the drone to bake the perfect Japanese omelette. What do you mean it tastes machine made? Images courtesy of AFP BB News The firm’s MotoMan SDA10 robot was shown cooking an Okonomiyaki cake in front of crowds at a recent robot …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 15:15

   Gov beta test for grid-friendly, carbon-saving smart fridges

   'Dynamic demand' could save you several pounds a year!

   Dynamic demand technology, in which domestic appliances adjust their drain on the national grid so as to smooth out collective spikes and dips, is to get a widespread UK trial next year. The Guardian, reporting on the new initiative from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, says that three thousand intelligent demand- …

   The Register 2 Dec 15:06

   Frame turns prints into digital artwork

   Frame with integrated scanner

   If you’ve got a stack of photographs at home and not enough wall space to hang them from, then check out this digital photo frame with integrated picture scanner. Skyla's frame lets you scan in physical photographs Skyla, manufactured by storage firm LiteOn, has a built-in scanner that lets pictures measuring up to 4 x 6in …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 15:05

   An information delivery pipedream

   Is delivery at the point of need a step too far?

   According to the findings from our recent Platform and Operations monster survey, most organisations told us they ‘get’ the notion of an application platform. Around a quarter of respondents told us they have formally adopted one, and over a third said that they had adopted one in the sense of having a natural tendency to re-use …

   The Register 2 Dec 14:34

   What have we learned about managing outsourcing?

   Keeping the balance of power in-house

   A few years ago, I was talking to a quite senior chap in a well known IT outsourcing firm. “Trouble we have,” he said, “is that we’ve got all the good people.” Seeing the flummoxed expression on my face, he went on to explain. “It meant there was nobody left inside the organization to work with, who had any clue what we were …

   The Register 2 Dec 14:31

   Triple data centre capacity without new servers

   Recycle what you've got for cheap, green fun

   The trick to avoiding spending millions of dollars on new data centres is to make do and mend the existing ones, according to Dell. Dell reckons there is a huge amount of fixed cost in IT that can be recovered by running data centres more efficiently. Optimising existing data centres can be so beneficial that customers would …

   The Register 2 Dec 14:19

   Which is the best mainstream gaming GPU?

   Q&A Q&A

   I'm planning to buy a graphic card, but I'm really confused on which one to buy. I've come up with two choices: the Nvidia GeForce 8600 GT and the AMD ATI Radeon HD 4670. I'm planning to play games like Farcry 2, Fallout 3, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Crysis: Warhead and GTA IV. My PC's an Acer desktop with a 2.2GHz Intel …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 13:56

   Game Group growth slows

   Fewer customers through console door

   Game Group saw sales growth slow to 11.4 per cent in the 44 weeks ended 29 November, down from 44.1 per cent in the same period last year but recent trading has been substantially worse - for the last 18 weeks of the period like-for-like sales fell to just 1.5 per cent. Game's international sales were even worse with like-for- …

   The Register 2 Dec 13:45

   Asus: $200 netbooks next year

   OLPC rival?

   Asus is to take on the $199 OLPC XO laptop with a $200 Small, Cheap Computer for the developing world. The company's keeping mum about the details of the machine, saying only that it'll debut in Q1 2009 for $200 (£134/€159). Asus Eee PC and friend: even cheaper next year Asus is scheduled to once again host a big launch …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 13:21

   French courts tighten iPod tax loophole

   Un peu

   A French court has ruled that foreign retailers must warn consumers to pay the country's so-called "iPod tax" copyright levy on MP3 players ordered online. The levy, designed to compensate rights holders for digital copying, means that an iPod bought from a French seller is about €40 more expensive than from an websites based …

   The Register 2 Dec 13:19

   BT sees Wi-Fi usage double

   Who needs a mobile network anyway?

   BT is trumpeting figures that show Wi-Fi usage has doubled since last year, with users clocking up more than a million minutes a day during September - but all is not quite what it seems. Access to BT's wireless network topped 10m minutes on one day during September, and average figures for the month are twice what they were …

   The Register 2 Dec 13:16

   Red Hat searches for mainstreet in the City of London

   Desperately seeking salesmen

   Red Hat's CEO said the firm has put together a five-year strategic plan for the first time in its history, which will see it jack up its sales management as it looks to expand beyond its traditional markets. Jim Whitehurst is currently doing the rounds in Europe, as the firm gets ready to close on its fourth quarter and round …

   The Register 2 Dec 13:15

   Nintendo in profit on each Wii sold

   Its rivals aren't

   Every Wii nets Nintendo $6, but the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 don’t produce any profit for Sony and Microsoft, a market analyst has claimed. David Gibson from Macquarie Securities said in a Forbes magazine report that – unlike its competitors – Nintendo has “figured out how to make money from its console sales”. That's …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 12:54

   Samsung Pixon M8800 8Mp cameraphone

   Review Worth a ponder if imaging performance is a priority

   Samsung is getting serious with its cameraphones. Having recently landed its first eight-megapixel phone in the UK, the i8510, it's now doubled its tally with the Pixon M8800, its debut 8Mp touchscreen phone. Jostling for position among a small but growing band of eight-megapixel new-wavers, including the Sony Ericsson C905 …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 12:45

   IAEA calls for mutated supercrops to feed world's hungry

   A Triffid a day keeps starvation away

   The UN nuke agency has called for the world to make greater efforts to feed its starving millions, by increased efforts to produce enhanced, mutant super-crops developed using gamma rays. “The global nature of the food crisis is unprecedented. Families all around the world are struggling to feed themselves,” says Mohamed …

   The Register 2 Dec 12:31

   Nokia seeks Control Center cronies

   No place like home hub

   Nokia wants applications for its smart home box, but it's also sniffing around for companies interested in selling the Linux-based home-automation gateway with their own branding. The Nokia Home Control Center (NHCC) is a Linux-based box incorporating a swath of wireless technologies, with room to add more, in the hope of …

   The Register 2 Dec 12:24

   Hands-free kits make drivers even more dangerous

   But having a meatshield passenger reduces the risk

   Another study coming out of the University of Utah Applied Cognition Lab has concluded that driving while talking on the phone is a really bad idea, even if using hand-free kit. The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology (PDF), concludes that driving while talking on the phone is significantly worse than …

   The Register 2 Dec 12:21

   PS3 prices slashed by Sony SonyStyle

   Franchise model results in lower prices

   PlayStation 3 price cuts have appeared on SonyStyle’s UK website, but Sony Europe has denied that it’s not responsible for the move because the website is a franchise. David Wilson, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's spokesman-in-chief, told gaming website Spong that SonyStyle is free to “independently choose its own …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 11:48

   Nokia! won't! buy! Yahoo!

   Doesn't need the aggro

   Nokia has enough on its hands without acquiring a basket-case internet company. CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo ruled out a purchase of Yahoo! here in Barcelona today, saying Nokia can do just as badly in web services on its own, with its Ovi strategy. Of course, he didn't quite put it like that. "We have not articulated a number as …

   The Register 2 Dec 11:38

   Apple tells Mac users: Get anti-virus

   Bragging rights diminish by 12% in face of growing threat

   For the first time, Apple is recommending the use of anti-virus tools to protect Mac systems. Long something of a phantom menace, strains of malware capable of infecting Mac machines have gradually been increasing in prevalence over recent months. In addition, VXers are making more use of web-based attack and applications …

   The Register 2 Dec 11:33

   Manufacturers recall fire-risk projectors

   Old kit no longer safe

   Panasonic, JVC and Sharp have asked Japanese punters to return 16,500-odd LCD projectors in case the machines catch fire. Apparently, one did, and to prevent anyone being caught in a future projector pyrotechnics, the three companies today told owners to unplug the machines and contact them for a replacement. How many will …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 11:30

   Hands on with Nokia's iPhone killer

   Updated Widget fiddlers rejoice

   Nokia's iPhone rival for 2009 will have a familiar feel to it - the phone giant is borrowing designs first brought to market by rivals such as HTC with its N97, announced in Barcelona today. However, Nokia's superior engineering means that it's considerably smaller than devices from its Asian competitors, weighing in at 150g and …

   The Register 2 Dec 11:08

   Top transport plod to probe Tory leaker's arrest

   'Erm, whose idea was this?'

   The country's top transport police officer has been appointed by the Met to investigate the decisions that led to its arrest of Tory front bencher Damian Green last week for leaking Home Office documents to the media. British Transport Police chief constable and ACPO crime committee chairman Ian Johnston will report interim …

   The Register 2 Dec 11:06

   EC to amend VAT Directive

   Battles 'missing trader' fraud

   The European Commission has proposed (pdf) a series of measures, including changes to the VAT Directive, to prevent and detect VAT fraud. The Commission today adopted a Communication (pdf) presenting a short-term action plan with a list of future legislative measures to enhance the capacity of tax administrations to prevent or …

   The Register 2 Dec 11:03

   Nokia launches latest flagship 'superphone'

   Communicator reborn

   Nokia has unveiled its latest flagship handset: the N97, which it claims is the “world’s most advanced mobile computer”. Nokia's N97: flagship It may look like the old Communicator series, but the N97 is no clamshell. It sports a 3.5in, 16:9 widescreen touch-sensitive display with a slide-out Qwerty keyboard underneath, …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 11:01

   Teen-bothering sonic device now does grownups too

   Liberty: We need an urgent government crackdown

   The controversial "Mosquito" noise device, originally designed to move on groups of tiresome youths by emitting high-pitched sounds only they could hear, has been upgraded. The annoyance machine can now target all ages, and has drawn further protests from concerned groups. The new Mark 4 Mosquito puts out noise "at 100 …

   The Register 2 Dec 10:58

   BSI consults on first British Standard for accessible websites

   Accessibility AND enjoyment

   A British Standard will give business owners and marketing managers new guidance for building and maintaining web content that is accessible to disabled people. A draft version of BS 8878 was released for public comment today. Julie Howell, chair of the cross-industry committee responsible for the draft Standard, said that …

   The Register 2 Dec 10:49

   Hitachi GST to OEM Intel-based SSDs

   Intel bags Japanese disk drive giant

   Intel has won Hitachi Global Storage Technologies as an OEM seller of its flash-based solid state drive technology. The two companies will jointly develop and deliver enterprise-class SAS and Fibre Channel interface products for sale to storage and server suppliers. Up until now STEC has made the running in supplying SSD …

   The Register 2 Dec 10:42

   Road-legal 125mph prototype electric superbike demo'd

   'Leccy Tech Range limited

   An electric motorbike capable of a 125mph top speed has made its debut. Designed and built by British engineers, the TTX01 was commissioned by the organisers of the world's first emissions-free grand Prix for motorbikes, the TTX GP, which will be held on the Isle of Man's TT circuit on 12 June 2009. TTX GP's 'leccy racer: …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 10:40

   Asus to downgrade Eee Box CPU?

   Fancy an Atom-based Asus Eee Box desktop? You'd better hurry - reports coming out of Asia claim the company may be about to ditch the PC's processor for a Celeron CPU. There's no official word yet from Asus, but according to industry insiders allegedly quoting from Asus' own price sheet, the Box is going to get a 1.2GHz …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 10:22

   Mandy writes cheque for UK tech biz

   Funds for small biz

   Lord Mandelson of Foy has announced a £30m fund to invest in small and medium UK technology firms. The money will be managed by TTP Ventures. Development money is available to small and medium-sized IT, electronics and instrumentation firms. The money, part of the Enterprise Capital Funds scheme, is aimed at high-growth firms …

   The Register 2 Dec 09:23

   Orbitsound T3 mobile 3D stereo speaker

   Review Get a 3D music soundscape wherever you go

   Music production has quite an armoury of spatial effects to tease the ears with but, typically, for the best experience, the listener needs to sit in the sweet spot. The Orbitsound range is designed to deliver a spatial soundfield anywhere in the room and now, with the T3 mobile stereo speaker, you can take that soundscape …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 09:02

   Bamboo PC en route to Blighty

   Panda not included

   We’ve had some angry emails from Pandas today, because the Asus bamboo-clad laptop will go on European sale soon, it's emerged. Asus' bamboo laptop First seen back in 2007, the machine will be available to buy for NT$59,900 (£1174/$1802/€1409) in Taiwan next month. A European launch date is expected soon after, according to …

   Reg Hardware 2 Dec 08:02

   Microsoft search bribery machine in Black Friday breakdown

   Apologies, but no shame

   Microsoft's search bribery machine shut down for several hours on Black Friday, continuing to exhibit a unique talent for online comedy. In May, as part of a desperate bid to boost traffic, Microsoft began bribing people to use its second rate search engine. If you use Live Search ads to find and buy certain stuff, Redmond …

   The Register 2 Dec 03:00

   Microsoft's C# to converse with dynamic languages

   COM recycled

   The next version of Microsoft's C# will see interoperability between languages for the enterprise and web, and with Microsoft's legacy COM architecture. C# 4.0, expected with the next version of Visual Studio, will support something called dynamic look up in order to call dynamic languages like JavaScript, Python and …

   The Register 2 Dec 02:28

   Windows internet share drops below 90 per cent

   Thanksgiving blamed

   The number of Windows users surfing the web fell below 90 per cent for the first time, making for Microsoft's biggest market share drop in the past two years, according to new statistics. Net Applications, which compiled the November data based on the sites it monitors, reports systems running Windows during the month was 89. …

   The Register 2 Dec 02:27

   Apple shares mobile display plugs with outside world

   Invests in self

   When Apple gives something away, you can be sure that they're investing in their own best interests. Today, the company announced that it will freely license the specs for their Mini DisplayPort display-connection scheme, which it introduced in the new MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and the updated MacBook Air. By doing so, they …

   The Register 2 Dec 01:32

   Study spanks Adobe Flash for abuses of power

   Think green, block ads

   We've known for years that graphics based on Adobe Flash and other third-party programming software can be clunky, time-consuming affairs that put our security at risk. Now comes new research suggesting they needlessly consume more power too. According to a paper published Monday, content that uses asynchronous javascript and …

   The Register 2 Dec 00:25

   VMware to cut desktop storage by 80 per cent

   The VM that follows you

   VMware is rebranding its Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) technology as VMware View, and having virtual desktops built from a generic golden master and user-specific files that cut VDI storage space by up to 80 per cent. According to Jocelyn Goldfein, VMware's global manager for its desktop business, the vClient initiative …

   The Register 2 Dec 00:02

   Apple swings DMCA at Hackintosh maker

   Copyright one-two punch

   Just two weeks after US District Judge William Alsup threw out wannabe Mac-clone vendor Psystar's countersuit against Apple, the One True Mac-Maker has un-holstered another weapon in its campaign to crush the Florida-based upstart. It was revealed today that Apple has amended its complaint against Psystar, first filed back on …

   The Register 2 Dec 00:01

5. Monday, 01 December 2008

   Big iron sellers grow shipments, shrink revenues

   Server price-lash

   The box counters at Gartner have released their statistics for the worldwide server market in the third quarter of 2008, and the numbers are not good. But if there is an upside as we deal with the economic meltdown, the numbers could have been worse. And maybe they will be in 2009. But let's deal with 2008. In the third …

   The Register 1 Dec 23:24

   Online Black Friday sales better than flat

   Can Cyber Monday® save etail?

   Economic gloom hasn't plundered the stockings of US online retailers nearly as much as some had been expecting. In fact, online sales were up on Black Friday, the traditional start of the US holiday shopping season — but just barely. E-beancounting firm ComScore reports online retail sales on Black Friday were $534m, an …

   Channel Register 1 Dec 22:47

   Amazon beckons world+dog onto database cloud

   Free fluffiness

   Amazon has invited world+dog onto its database in the sky. Today, the e-tailer/cloud builder slapped an unlimited beta tag on its SimpleDB cloud, offering online database processing to any developer unafraid of heights. SimpleDB is meant to play nicely with other Amazon Web Services (AWS) clouds, including Amazon S3 (for …

   The Register 1 Dec 22:38

   Microsoft Live Search goes Kumo?

   The old Venezuelan switcheroo

   Microsoft's confused internet search service could be in for another re-branding, although it faces a potential trademark hurdle. MicrosoftWatch blogger and MicroBite co-host Mary-Jo Foley has reported Microsoft's doubling down on the Kumo name that's been floated as a potential alternative to the current "Live Search" name. …

   The Register 1 Dec 20:51

   HP squeezes 85 data centers into 'six-pack'

   Hurd mentality

   While bonuses are probably a little thin these days in the IT sector, it is a fair bet that Randy Mott, Hewlett-Packard's chief information officer, is going to be getting a pretty big one this year. That's because HP has finished up its three-year revamping of its IT operations more or less on schedule, removing $1bn in costs …

   The Register 1 Dec 20:47

   Biz travelers howl over US gov RFIDs

   Border (in)security

   A travel industry group has called on the US government to halt its use of new machinery that remotely reads government issued identification cards at border crossings until the safety of the new system can be better understood. Monday's call by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) follows similar requests by …

   The Register 1 Dec 20:32

   Grand Theft Auto IV PC debut gets SecuROM sideshow

   Steal in this game. Don't steal this game

   The upcoming PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV will install SecuROM 7 on customers' systems, although the game maker claims its properly de-fanged the detested DRM technology. Rockstar told the gaming si