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The Week in Summary

  1. Friday, 10 July 2009

    Orange UK drops DRM

    Music wants to be free 79p

    Orange UK is jumping on the anti-DRM bandwagon as the centerpiece of a "major refresh" of its Music Portal's Orange Music Store. The de-DRM-ing will begin with 700,000 tracks, and will be "enhanced in the coming months," according to a statement on the company's website. The new pricing plan was secured through deals with …

    The Register 10 Jul 23:19

    Serena Software to pick over Borland's remains

    Plays the old switcheroo

    Serena Software appears to have woken from its dreamy web 2.0 mash-up hiatus and begun circling over the remains of ALM competitor Borland Software. While the soon-to-be-acquired Borland awaits digestion by MicroFocus, Serena intends to poach some customers during the process. The company has launched a promotion where …

    The Register 10 Jul 22:19

    Apple celebrates first year of App Store hijinks

    Happy birthday, fartmonger!

    One year ago Friday, Apple launched its iTunes App Store. And it's been one hell of a wild - if famously flatulent - ride ever since. Love it or hate it, the iPhone has been a runaway success, and the App Store has been a major contributor to its inarguable megahit status. In the beginning, the App Store's original 800 …

    The Register 10 Jul 21:59

    Net sleuth calls eBay on carpet over shill bidding

    Thrashed with a feather

    How can you be sure the price of your latest eBay buy wasn't shamelessly inflated by some faceless shill bidder? Well, there's always the ad hoc investigative skills of Australian retiree Philip Cohen. Cohen recently posted a nearly 8,000-word shill-bidding case study to the online forums at AuctionBytes, as part of a, shall …

    The Register 10 Jul 21:01

    'Secure' Wyse thin clients vulnerable to remote exploit bugs

    More secure As susceptible as PCs

    A popular brand of thin client device used by nuclear labs, military contractors and Fortune 100 companies is susceptible to exploits that put entire fleets of the machines in the control of online attackers. Wyse Technologies, maker of the slimmed-down computing devices, touts them as being as secure, "or better" than PCs …

    The Register 10 Jul 20:41

    Silverlight 3: closer to what client-side .NET should have been

    Review Microsoft cranks it against Adobe

    Microsoft has released Silverlight 3, less than four months after unveiling the product and just nine months after finalizing Silverlight 2.0. The pace of development is remarkable, reminiscent of the browser wars in the 1990s, with Adobe System's Flash now playing the competitor role. Why the urgency? It is a fascinating …

    The Register 10 Jul 20:08

    Jaspersoft punts 'unlimited' licenses

    Business Intelligence grab bag

    Open source business intelligence software maker Jaspersoft has begun pitching "unlimited use" subscriptions to new customers worldwide. Under the deal, new subscribers get one-year pass to the entire JasperSoft Professional Edition BI suite with no limits on the number of applications, users, or systems, the company said. But …

    The Register 10 Jul 20:06

    Intel cozying up to Google Chrome OS

    'Privy to the project'

    It's official: Intel is working with Google on the development of the Mountain View ad broker's new netbook operating system, Google Chrome OS. Word of the world's largest processor manufacturer's involvement with the world's largest internet searcher's purportedly virus-free OS first came by way of a comment by an Asia- …

    The Register 10 Jul 18:47

    Rosetta Stone rocks Google with trademark lawsuit

    Parlez-vous legalese?

    Rosetta Stone, maker of language-learning software, is joining a growing crowd of companies suing Google for letting third-parties buy permission to use other people's trademarks on AdWords. Rosetta filed the lawsuit today in US District Court in Virginia, where the company is headquartered. The complaint fingers Google's …

    The Register 10 Jul 18:23

    RIP tennis gal's DD jubs

    Simona Halep goes under the knife

    Fans of the finer points of women's tennis are today mourning the loss of Romanian racket-botherer Simona Halep's DD chesticles - cut down in their prime by the surgeon's knife. As diehard aficionados of bouncy Centre Court action will recall, 17-year-old Ms Halep recently said of her assets: "This fall I'll have a breast …

    The Register 10 Jul 16:57

    Citrix gives away more virtual goodies

    And partners with Fujitsu, Arista Networks

    At Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference on Monday, server-virtualisation challenger Citrix Systems will up the ante - or more precisely, lower the price-barrier to entry - for virtualisation tools to manage virtual Windows machines. It will launch a freebie version of its Citrix Essentials virtualisation tool set that …

    The Register 10 Jul 16:46

    Hijacked Twitter accounts spread Koobface worm

    Micro-blogging site suspends compromised accounts

    The Koobface worm, which previously infected users of Facebook and MySpace, is spreading among users of micro-blogging website Twitter. The scale of the attack is unclear but serious enough for Twitter to issue a warning on Friday morning, via the service's status page. Koobface-related activity has been detected on Twitter …

    The Register 10 Jul 16:02

    Sprint to outsource network operations

    But only for the old network

    Sprint has confirmed it will outsource the running of its US CDMA network to Ericsson, but is keeping WiMAX to itself while admitting that all its PDA-class devices will be able to fall back on Wi-Fi when all else fails. The outsourcing agreement involves transferring 6,000 staff to Ericsson, who will take responsibility for …

    The Register 10 Jul 15:57

    Two jailed for online racism after US turned down asylum bid

    Freedom of speech claim denied

    Two British men who tried to claim political asylum in the US were jailed today for using the internet to incite racial hatred. Simon Sheppard, 51 of Selby, North Yorkshire got four years and 10 months while Stephen Whittle, 42 of Preston got two years and four months. They were found guilty of 11 charges but the jury could …

    The Register 10 Jul 15:48

    Pig flu promises holidays for all

    Two weeks off for pig sick lazy swines

    The Department of Health is actively considering doubling the time people are allowed to sign themselves off sick as a response to swine flu - officially now a pandemic. Currently you are allowed to sign yourself off sick for paltry seven days, but the DoH thinks this should be increased to a tasty two weeks. Given that many …

    The Register 10 Jul 14:44

    NHS hospitals struggle to hold back the malware tide

    Still ill

    Malware infection problems at NHS hospitals are a more serious problem than isolated reports of infestation might suggest, according to an investigation by More4 News. Last November an infection by the MyTob worm created huge administrative headaches at three London hospitals - Barts, the Royal London and the London Chest …

    The Register 10 Jul 14:11

    Jaguar opens up about future e-car plans

    Leccy Tech As Elle Macpherson helps shift latest XJ

    At the recent launch of the new and - let’s be honest - gorgeous new Jaguar XJ, Register Hardware won some time to probe the firm about its future e-car projects. Jaguar's 2010 XJ: outside... Michael Mohan, Jaguar's Director of Programmes, let slip that the company’s working “on a range of future technologies”, including “ …

    Reg Hardware 10 Jul 14:10

    The comic-book guide to SIM hacking

    Read stored numbers quicker than a speeding bullet

    The Citizen Engineer project has released its first publication: a comic book guide to building a SIM reader and then hacking your SIM for fun and profit. Citizen Engineer is intended to encourage everyone to have a go at hacking stuff - in the old sense of the word - and is dedicated to releasing accessible videos and …

    The Register 10 Jul 14:08

    Google filters image problem

    But you still have to do the work

    Mountain View has added a filter to its Google Images to allow users to sift through photos to determine the usage rights of the image. New options are now available via Google's image search tool that include a selection of licensing methods, such as Creative Commons and GNU Free Documentation, for the reuse of photographs. …

    The Register 10 Jul 13:59

    Internet Heroes and Villains named by ISPs

    ISPA calls for file-sharing reasonableness

    Is ISPA on the side of the file-sharers when it comes to IP and copyright? A close reading of the 11th Annual UK Internet Industry Awards – dished out yesterday evening - suggests that they might not be as hostile as some other trade bodies. Last night, Vulture Central hacks toddled along to Grosvenor Square to sit through 14 …

    The Register 10 Jul 13:57

    Calvin Klein puts storage in the shade

    4GB sunglasses

    Specs specialist Oakley has already produced sunglasses with integrated storage, MP3 playback and detachable headphones, but now it seems that others are set to follow with hi-tech eyewear. Calvin Klein's USB sunglasses Upmarket clothing brand Calvin Klein has designed a pair of sunglasses with a detachable arm concealing …

    Reg Hardware 10 Jul 13:28

    WhipTail promises no bull 6TB SSD

    A 2U whopper

    Start-up WhipTail Technologies has announced a whopping 6TB solid state drive (SSD). This fits into a 2U rack enclosure, WhipTail says, making it the highest-capacity SSD appliance available to mid- to large-sized enterprises, with this footprint. You can use the 2U case for 1.5TB, 3TB or 6TB of flash, multi-level cell (MLC) …

    The Register 10 Jul 13:08

    Mel Gibson to put hand up Jodie Foster's Beaver

    Movie project delights El Reg headline bureau

    To cap a triumphant week at the El Reg elite headline-writing bureau, we're delighted to report today that Mel Gibson will star alongside Jodie Foster in The Beaver - the improbable tale of "a depressed man who finds solace in wearing a beaver hand-puppet". According to Variety, Ms Foster will direct the movie, as well as …

    The Register 10 Jul 13:00

    Phorm: How it went down

    Analysis What could possibly go wrong?

    For a company without customers, users or revenues it's pretty extraordinary that Phorm achieved the dubious distinction of being the biggest UK technology story of the past 18 months. It couldn't have done it on it's own, of course. As it slinks away from the UK market this week, investors can thank BT executives, alongside …

    The Register 10 Jul 12:53

    Sony Cybershot DSC-HX1

    Review Super zoom camera with Full HD video, sort of

    These days you’re rather spoilt for choice when it comes to super zoom compacts, and so it’s simply not enough to offer a camera sporting an extra-long zoom; you’ve got to make it stand out in the crowd. Sony reckons the DSC-HX1 offers something special beyond a 20x optical zoom, to tempt the super zoom customer, including a …

    Reg Hardware 10 Jul 12:47

    Police decline to reopen mobile phone hacking case

    'Nothing to hear, move along' says Yates of the Yard

    The UK Police have said no further investigation is needed into the News of the World phone tapping scandal. The paper's former royal correspondent, Clive Goodman, and a private detective accomplice Glen Mulcaire, were jailed over the illegal wiretapping of the mobile phones of royal aides in 2007. The scandal was re-opened on …

    The Register 10 Jul 12:27

    Did the Vatican suppress hidden 'Galileo Cryptogram'?

    Inquisition Neptune conspiracy vs Copernican Heresy

    An Australian boffin says that the planet Neptune may have actually been discovered 234 years earlier than had been thought, by the famed Renaissance Italian astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei - who was persecuted by the Inquisition for his "heretical" astronomy research. Professor David Jamieson of Melbourne Uni says that …

    The Register 10 Jul 12:22

    Coming soon: clothes that take photographs

    MIT boffins stitch together photo fabric

    One day your clothes could take photographs, according to MIT scientists who have made a fabric that can capture images of a smiley face. A team at MIT's Department of Materials Science and Engineering has developed an optical-fibre mesh that can detect an image projected onto it. “This is the first time that anyone has …

    Reg Hardware 10 Jul 12:21

    Music biz should do more - Top Eurocrat

    Viviane Reding gives industry a kick up the bum

    The EU Commissioner for Telecoms and Media Viviane Reding has called for the music business to offer much better services to recapture a 'lost generation'. Her speech gave no encouragement to parts of the music business looking for the European superstate to toughen enforcement. It didn't mention legal P2P, but it's hard to …

    The Register 10 Jul 12:19

    Connecticut man misses dental appointment

    Turns up at clinic five days late, naked, but with 'a good tan'

    A 41-year-old Connecticut man was cuffed after turning up five days late for a dental appointment in his birthday suit, the Connecticut Post reports. Christopher Hoff earlier this week arrived at the Stratford clinic stark bollock naked, provoking a fit of the screaming abdabs in the female receptionist. He then legged it, …

    The Register 10 Jul 12:12

    The practical guide to patch management

    Paper trail Get back in there and build me a proper business case

    You may have noticed how often these days IT vendors talk about "building a business case". They want to furnish you, the IT pro, with the info to persuade sceptical business unit managers, or B.U.M.s as they are sometimes known, to buy their stuff for the good of mankind. Let us put to one side the notion that this is perhaps …

    The Register 10 Jul 12:07

    Home Office gets another ad agency for ID cards

    Tell a lie big enough, and keep repeating it

    The Identity and Passport Office has appointed another advertising agency to persuade the public of the apparent benefits of ID cards. The IPS has chosen Proximity after also hearing pitches from EHS Brann, Tequila and TMW. The firm will deal with "below the line" marketing - typically PR and promotions rather than billboard …

    The Register 10 Jul 11:57

    Endeavour set for Saturday launch

    'All systems are in excellent shape'

    Space shuttle Endeavour is in "excellent shape" to launch tomorrow on its delayed STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. The 16-day mission will feature five space walks to fit the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo lab. NASA has released a fine "Right Stuff" style snap of the crew …

    The Register 10 Jul 11:18

    Microsoft throws Bing into Hotmail mix

    Hunting down the clicks

    Microsoft has integrated Bing with Hotmail, a month on from the release of its fancy new search engine. The company announced the new feature yesterday, which allows users to add Bing image and video search results directly into Hotmail messages. Redmond had been piloting its “Quick Add” feature in Windows Live search. The …

    The Register 10 Jul 11:16

    iPod fingered in car inferno

    Saab torched, Apple roasted

    Swedish Saab operatives are eyeing with suspicion an iPod Nano which may have been responsible for the fiery destruction of an unoccupied Saab, the Hallandsposten reports. The 9-3 station wagon was "parked and its engine was cold when it suddenly caught fire", the paper explains. The owner just had time to rescue the family …

    The Register 10 Jul 11:08

    Datawind breezes into netbooks

    From PocketSurfer to UbiSurfer

    Datawind, the company behind the PocketSurfer web browsing palmtop - reviewed here - has upped its game with the launch of its first netbook. Datawind's UbiSurfer netbook: just a larger PocketSurfer? UbiSurfer’s main sales pitch isn’t its 7in, 800 x 480 display or 1GB SSD, but the 30 hours of free airtime that Datawind …

    Reg Hardware 10 Jul 10:47

    Sony confirms second-gen Vaio netbook

    Taking the P to new heights?

    Sony has let slip that a second incarnation of its Vaio P mini laptop line is in the works. The first P was only officially launched back in January at CES in Las Vegas, but the Japanese electronics giant has now let slip that the Vaio P 2 will be launched in October or November this year. A Sony representative also told …

    Reg Hardware 10 Jul 10:46

    ESA to develop cargo-lander space podule

    UK's Major Tim may not be space hitchhiker forever

    The European Space Agency (ESA) is to build a space capsule capable of bringing cargoes down safely from orbit as well as taking them up, according to reports. A development of the current "Jules Verne" unmanned cargo module used to supply the International Space Station, the planned Advanced Reentry Vehicle (ARV) could lead in …

    The Register 10 Jul 10:34

    Infosys says outlook bad despite profit boost

    No recovery this year

    Indian outsourcer Infosys managed a small increase in profits for the first quarter but warned that the outlook for the full year is still bad. For the first quarter ended 30 June 2009 India's second largest outsourcer made revenues of $1.122bn compared to $1.155bn in the same quarter last year. But net profit was up slightly …

    Channel Register 10 Jul 10:34

    Whining serial commentard bemoans Reg bullying

    'Do not harrass me online'

    It appears serial commentard Aaron Kempf doesn't much like the taste of his own bitter medicine, and has written to "request that you do not harrass [sic] me online". It was a crisp October morn last year when Kempf savagely laid into Reg hack Chris "Fucking pansy" Williams with a couple of unholy turdspurts about this piece …

    The Register 10 Jul 10:17

    Police may have had a duty to notify phone-hacking victims

    Make sure no-one's listening in when you do, though

    The Metropolitan Police knew that numerous mobile phones had been illegally hacked by private investigators but failed to alert the phones' owners, according to The Guardian newspaper. If so, the victims should have been told, a privacy expert has said. The Guardian alleged this week that Rupert Murdoch's News Group newspapers …

    The Register 10 Jul 10:12

    Rogue CA update bricks Win XP systems

    Sky not really falling

    A rogue security definition update to anti-virus software from CA hobbled Windows systems earlier this week, sparking howls of protests from users. The update, issued on Wednesday, falsely labeled important Windows system files as potentially malign, dispatching them into quarantine. The action prevents Windows XP systems from …

    The Register 10 Jul 09:42

    Written material saved from censor's big black pen - for now

    Lords suicide debate saves the day

    Censorship of written material is off the agenda – for now: and for that we may need to thank Lord Falconer’s intense interest in suicide. This week in the House of Lords, an amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill, put forward by Baroness O’Cathain, was withdrawn at the last minute. This amendment was designed to make …

    The Register 10 Jul 09:25

    Intel seeks Android-on-Atom MID deal with Google?

    Daft not to

    Intel is wooing Google to port the Android operating system to Atom, according to noises coming out of Taiwan. The claim comes from Taiwanese makers of handheld internet tablets - what Intel calls Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs). Atom is Intel's smallest and lowest processor family, designed for MIDs. Intel has long been keen …

    Reg Hardware 10 Jul 09:19

    NetApp tried to buy Snap NAS business in 2004

    Just not snappy enough when it comes to buy-outs

    Here's a fascinating bit of history: NetApp tried to buy the Snap network-attached storage (NAS) business back in 2004, according to people with knowledge of the events. In November 2003 NetApp announced it was buying Spinnaker Networks and the acquisition completed in February 2004 at a cost of $300m to $330m. Then Snap was …

    The Register 10 Jul 09:09

    Has Spare Backup had a Carphone Warehouse boost?

    Vastly expanded agreement

    Cloud backup service provider Spare Backup has just got a big business boost from a UK partner, thought to be Carphone Warehouse. Spare Backup has an June 24, 2009 SEC filing that says is has agreed" "... a vastly expanded scope of work to be added as an addendum to their (November 8, 2008 Master Services Agreement) (and) will …

    Channel Register 10 Jul 08:02

    Steve Jobs snubs LSD daddy

    What a long, cheap trip it's been

    In February of 2007, Albert Hofmann - the discoverer of LSD who died last year at an alert 102 - sent a letter to Steve Jobs, asking for the Apple CEO's help in funding research into psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. This revelation comes from a book excerpt published today by The Huffington Post, which also includes a …

    The Register 10 Jul 01:08

    Symbian frees security source code

    Open kernel on horizon

    The Symbian Foundation has started open-sourcing its mobile operating system, announcing the release of the Symbian OS security package source code under the Eclipse Public License. Last summer, after swallowing the last of the old Symbian Ltd., Nokia told the world it would open source the company's entire mobile platform, …

    The Register 10 Jul 01:03

  2. Thursday, 09 July 2009

    Teen cuffed for bomb threat webcam pay-per-view

    The SWAT channel

    A North Carolina teenager has been arrested and accused of phoning in bomb threats to schools and universities so he could charge admission for people to watch in real time over webcams as police responded. Ashton C. Lundeby, 16, of Oxford, North Carolina took part in a group that used VoIP, or voice over IP, software and …

    The Register 9 Jul 23:54

    Optimism down as priorities shift in mid-market IT

    You can't postpone mission critical

    With a sharply declining server market this year and relative stagnation expected for the few, according to a long range forecast released by IDC and a shorter-term one from Gartner, you can bet server resellers are trying to get a bead on what things midrange shops want and need to spend money on. Which is the main reason why …

    The Register 9 Jul 23:40

    iSuppli chops semi, electronics forecasts

    The chips were down in first half

    With the global economy still on the skids - despite over $5 trillion in stimulus spending committed worldwide - market researchers are all revising their forecasts for sub-sectors of the IT economy. It was iSuppli's turn, and it has tweaked its prognostications downward for the chip and electronic sectors for 2009. Back in …

    The Register 9 Jul 23:31

    Google Moon to go 3D

    40th lunar anniversary with added terrain

    Google is likely to announce a new 3D view of the Moon in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing on July 20. The Mountain View Chocolate Factory announced plans to hold a press conference that day in Washington, DC to discuss "a very special announcement about the newest addition to Google Earth." …

    The Register 9 Jul 23:18

    Microsoft's Flash-challenger Silverlight 3 hits web

    Ready to "light up" online Office apps

    The next version of Microsoft's Flash-challenger media player has hit the web, ahead of Friday's official launch. The final Silverlight 3 runtime for users and software development kit (SDK) for programmers have been published to the web and were available for download as of Thursday afternoon. You can get the SDK here and …

    The Register 9 Jul 21:38

    Lenovo punts Nehalem server quartet

    A little slow on the uptake

    If Chinese PC vendor Lenovo wants to be a contender in the global server racket, it is going to have to pick up the pace a little bit. Which it's doing. A little. Intel launched their Nehalem EP Xeon 5500 processors back in March, and all of the key tier-one server makers had at least some gear using the new chips ready to …

    The Register 9 Jul 21:30

    Apple preps iPhone face recognition

    Channels Oprah

    The US Patent and Trademark Office published 33 new Apple patent applications on Thursday, bringing the total filed in July to 55 - and we're not even a third of the way through the month. Today's cluster of creativity ranged from flexible cabling to scrolling lyrics, but the bulk of the filings described new powers for the …

    The Register 9 Jul 20:43

    Retailers prepped for Windows 7 family pack

    October launch offer expected

    Microsoft can't admit it's got a Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack in the works. But its partners can. A salesman for online retailer Expercom contacted by The Reg on the phone Thursday morning confirmed Microsoft had sent information to distributors on a planned Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack. The Reg contacted Expercom …

    Channel Register 9 Jul 20:27

    Three 'critical' Windows fixes due on Patch Tuesday

    Relief for what ails you

    Microsoft on Tuesday plans to release updates patching three critical Windows security vulnerabilities, two of which are already under attack. One of the updates plugs a hole in an Internet Explorer component that handles online video. Hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of websites - mostly catering to Chinese- …

    The Register 9 Jul 20:21

    Easter Island dirt may hold key to longer life

    Anti-fungal agent gives mice more birthdays

    A group of US scientists believe that an anti-fungal agent found in the soil of Easter Island may have life-extending properties. When the compound rapamycin was fed to middle-aged mice, life expectancy is claimed to have been raised by 28 per cent in males and 38 per cent in females. The findings published in the journal …

    The Register 9 Jul 19:56

    Yahoo!'s web-wide query language learns to write

    Missing SQL verbs no longer missing

    Yahoo!'s SQL-like web query language just learned to write. Wednesday, the web giant added a trio of previously absent SQL verbs to its nine-month-old Yahoo! Query Language (YQL), an umbrella API that lets app developers query, filter, and join data across disparate web services offered up by Yahoo! and the web at large. With …

    The Register 9 Jul 19:37

    Cisco taps chief strategy officer

    Mergers and acquisitions man

    Networking giant and server wannabe Cisco Systems has elevated Ned Hooper - currently its senior vice president of corporate development and consumer - to the expanded role of chief strategy officer. Hooper has been at Cisco for the past eleven years and came to the company when Cisco acquired Lightspeed International in …

    The Register 9 Jul 17:02

    Samsung N310 netbook

    Review Style over substance

    Samsung has never been a supplier of cheap and cheerful netbooks, and the consumer-oriented N310, which expands the range beyond the more seriously styled NC10, NC20 and N120, still comes in with a suggested price of a pound under £400. For that, you’d expect something very special. The N310: you'd never guess is was a …

    Reg Hardware 9 Jul 16:14

    Google Oompa-Loompas dream of virus-free OS

    Everlasting gobstopper

    Google has rather rashly claimed its plans to develop an operating system promise an end to security woes. The search giant said Google Chrome OS, due to debut in the second half of next year and initially targeted at netbooks, will be based on open source code and offer unprecedented security. Sundar Pichai, VP of product …

    The Register 9 Jul 16:05

    Java to offer Carbonite capture to users

    Cloud storage firm in download distribution agreement

    Sun customers downloading the latest version of Java will get a free 30-day trial of Carbonite Online Backup. Carbonite reckons this will get it access to millions of Java users. Carbonite Online Backup installs in a few clicks and runs automatically in the background, continually backing up the files on the computer, sending …

    The Register 9 Jul 15:47

    OLED TV sales to soar, says market watcher

    But won't match plasma - let alone LCD - until 2017

    Sales of OLED TVs will skyrocket between now and 2016. The bad news for OLED watchers is that a compound annual growth rate of 140 per cent still leaves the technology behind plasma let alone LCD. The growth forecast comes from market watcher DisplaySearch, which today predicted that, come 2016, OLED TVs will yield revenues …

    Reg Hardware 9 Jul 15:29

    Mobile co fails to stump up for pointless structure

    Good folly, missed lolly

    The largest folly built for a hundred years has just been completed on the Rushmore Estate in Dorset, despite the lack of mobile-phone operator to pay for it. The folly was driven by the need for better Airwave coverage - the mobile network used by the UK's emergency services - and the requirement to hide the 17m masts needed …

    The Register 9 Jul 15:27

    Broadcom turns away after Emulex rejects it again

    Gets coat, wonders what to buy now

    Emulex has looked at Broadcom's increased offer to take it over, sniffed, and said it undervalues the company again. Broadcom is dropping its bid. It's the same Emulex response as before, pretty much. The bid undervalues Emulex' long-term prospects and it's not in the best interests of Emulex' shareholders. Executive chairman …

    The Register 9 Jul 15:08

    Toshiba's TG01 smartphone turns Orange

    Winging its way into stores from tomorrow

    If you’re desperate to snare yourself Toshiba’s upcoming TG01 then get yourself down to an Orange store, where the network operator will begin dishing out the smartphone from tomorrow. Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com The TG01 will be free to customers prepared to sign up to a £39.15 ($63/€45) per …

    Reg Hardware 9 Jul 15:01

    Edinburgh Fringe website suffers logon wobbles

    But doesn't fall down

    Edinburgh Festival Fringe organisers have reassured customers that its ticketing system and website are robust enough to cope with demand following last year’s chaotic box office snafu. However, a small number of people have complained that the online service for booking tickets still isn’t entirely up to scratch. Some have …

    The Register 9 Jul 15:00

    The new (MP3) Pirates of the Caribbean

    Peculiar trade squabble allows Zookz to set sail

    Antigua, once rife with traditional high seas piracy, has given birth to a pirate download service. Only this is one you pay for. Zookz claims to host 1,500 movies and 50,000 tracks for subscribers who trust it with $9.99 a month. Creators won't see a penny, however, because of an unusual exemption claimed by the island. …

    The Register 9 Jul 14:55

    Nokia fesses up to 3720 toughphone

    Handle without care

    After weeks of leaked pictures and demonstration videos, Nokia has confirmed what the tech world had already guessed: that the 3720 Classic is the company's latest rugged phone. Nokia's 3720: the firm's most rugged phone to date The phone features IP-54 toughness certification concerning dust resistance, protection from …

    Reg Hardware 9 Jul 14:24

    US docs claim world record musical-kidneys game

    Eight-way, four-hospital transcontinental organ swap

    Topflight doctors in America have claimed a world record for "the first eight-way, multihospital, domino kidney transplant". The multiple organ-swap involved four hospitals, almost a hundred medical personnel, eight donors, eight recipients and sixteen different kidneys - many of which latter made transcontinental journeys …

    The Register 9 Jul 14:15

    Designers conjure up wacky 'car of the future'

    Leccy Tech Forward thinking or yeast logic?

    The Mike & Maaike design studio is well known for its work on HTC’s G1 Android-based phone and the Xbox 360. Now it has turned its attention to thinking how the car of tomorrow will look and operate. M&M's ATNMBL: the car of tomorrow? The ATNMBL - short for Autonomobile, apparently, though it seems more like a TXTer's …

    Reg Hardware 9 Jul 14:14

    UK data breach incidents on the rise

    Security measures compromised by human dimwittery

    Seven in ten UK organisations experienced a data breach incident over the last year, up from 60 per cent in the previous year. The third edition of an annual survey by the Ponemon Institute, sponsored by PGP, also found that 12 per cent of 615 public and private sector organisations probed were hit by five data loss incidents …

    The Register 9 Jul 13:15

    Web application security: It's scary out there!

    Regcast Fight them on the breaches

    Web applications are a daunting challenge for IT security professionals. So many application development software programs to take account of, so many frameworks to support, so many complex platforms to consider, so many more attack possibilities. What could possibly go wrong? This is the topic of our upcoming webcast: Jump …

    The Register 9 Jul 13:02

    Met warns officers off photographers

    The return of copper plate photography?

    The Metropolitan Police has issued guidance to its officers to remind them that using a camera in public is not in itself a terrorist offence. There has been increasing concern in recent months that police have been over-using terrorism laws and public order legislation to harass professional and amateur photographers. The …

    The Register 9 Jul 12:59

    NHS Direct gets to be number one, one, one

    Proposal for those unable to look up a phone number

    UK regulator Ofcom has proposed allocating the number 111 for non-emergency medical advice, arguing that no-one can remember the number for NHS Direct. The proposal runs to 61 pages (pdf), but boils down to the idea that people dialling "111" anywhere in England should be connected to NHS Direct. Scotland should follow soon, …

    The Register 9 Jul 12:43

    Russian snatches world's strongest 'intimate muscles' crown

    NSFW As well as having 14kg glass balls

    A 42-year-old Russian woman has snatched the world's strongest vagina crown after using her "intimate muscles" to lift a 14kg glass ball. Tatiata Kozhevnikova has apparently been training her privates for 15 years in order to support improbable weights. She explained to Life.ru: “After I had a child, my intimate muscles got …

    The Register 9 Jul 12:27

    UK tabloid in phone hacking probe

    Wapping breaks out the brown trousers

    Newspapers owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch have been accused of secretly paying over £1m to settle three cases involving the alleged use of illegal phone tapping against celebrities. News Group reporters allegedly hired unscrupulous private investigators to gain access to mobile messages, as well as bank statements and tax …

    The Register 9 Jul 12:25

    Robot land-steamers to consume all life on Earth as fuel

    Autonom-nom-nom-nomous technology

    News has emerged of a milestone reached on the road towards a potentially world-changing piece of technology. We speak, of course, of US military plans to introduce roving steam-powered robots which would fuel themselves by harvesting everything alive and cramming it into their insatiable blazing furnaces. The scheme is …

    The Register 9 Jul 12:06

    Amazon cuts cost of Kindle

    Cheaper e-book reader

    If you’re yet to make the jump from paper books to electronic displays Amazon has an incentive: a Kindle price cut. The online retailer has reduced the device’s price by $60 (£37/€42) to $299 (£185/€214). Sadly, Amazon hasn’t trimmed the fee of its other, newer Kindle model, the DX, which remains a pricier $489 (£302/€350). A …

    Reg Hardware 9 Jul 12:02

    KIlling ID cards and the NIR - the Tory and LibDem plans

    Analysis This week the parties opened up on how they'll go about it

    A future Tory government will cancel the ID Card Scheme - but, as The Register has asked several times, what does that mean? A broad commitment to abandon ID cards, even to cancel the National Identity Register database, leaves a certain amount of wiggle-room, particularly if - as is Tory policy - you're likely to be keeping …

    The Register 9 Jul 11:52

    A Geeks Guide2 ...Microsoft Training Kits

    40% discount at Reg Books

    Geeks Guide2 You don't have to look far to see that IT jobs are disappearing right, left and centre. For those still in employment it's becoming more important than ever to show your diverse set of skills. For those looking for employment, re-skilling or certifying is a possible route to securing a new job. This week's GG2 is a …

    The Register 9 Jul 11:37

    EMC plus Data Domain equals what exactly?

    Comment And what will NetApp do about it?

    Okay, it's over. The rotund female has started singing and EMC is buying Data Domain. But what happens next? Firstly, Data Domain becomes a product division within EMC, as stated in Joe Tucci's letter to Data Domain employees. Secondly, EMC will pump Data Domain's products through its sales channel, and this should greatly …

    Channel Register 9 Jul 11:22

    Mozilla Labs issues 'major' Ubiquity upgrade

    No more 'English-centric assumptions'

    Mozilla Labs released an update to Ubiquity - its in-browser command line utility - yesterday. The open source browser maker described the release of version 0.5 as a “major upgrade” that makes the instructions you give to Ubiquity feel more natural and human. The latest version of the experimental plug-in, that has …

    The Register 9 Jul 11:21

    Orange introduces mini-SIM

    Exactly the same size as a normal SIM

    Orange claims to be the first European operator to introduce mini SIM cards, though it's actually talking about the thing that holds the SIM rather than the SIM itself. Touting the development as an environmental step Orange points out that 11,600 tonnes of SIM are shipped each year, 90 per cent of which is unused plastic that …

    The Register 9 Jul 11:13

    Samsung i8910 Omnia HD

    Review HD recording camphone, anyone?

    The Samsung i8910 Omnia HD comes with a weight of expectation upon it. As the first cameraphone claiming to be capable of recording HD video, it sets itself up to be challenged. Fortunately, for the most part it comes through. With its stonking 8Mp camera and huge OLED screen, this smartphone has what it takes to be an iPhone …

    Reg Hardware 9 Jul 11:11

    BT names more exchanges for early fibre upgrades

    Who wants some?

    BT has published a further list of 69 exchanges it will upgrade to offer faster broadband by running fibre to streetside cabinets by summer next year. The list represents the second wave of BT's network upgrade, which is now scheduled to cover 1.5 million premises by early summer next year. The first wave of 29 exchanges is …

    The Register 9 Jul 10:59

    Gamer pays £10k for golden game

    Rare Nintendo cartridge makes eBay history

    Buying used games through eBay is nothing new. But one gaming fanatic’s desire to own a piece of gaming history has seen him pay over £10,000 ($16,100/€11,500) for a rare Nintendo cartridge. Winners of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships received golden NES cartridges The man splashed out £10,800 to secure himself the …

    Reg Hardware 9 Jul 10:58

    A woman spends 287 days choosing what to wear

    Although it feels like longer

    The average woman will - between the ages of 16 and 60 - spend 287 days deciding what to wear. That's according to Matalan, which polled 2,491 females and found that this essential activity accounts for an average 16 minutes on weekday mornings, 14 minutes after getting up at weekends and up to 20 minutes bothering the …

    The Register 9 Jul 10:52

    Berlusconi snoops on G8

    'Don't tell anyone, or they will all want it'

    The G8 summit is meant to be an informal and secret meeting between heads of states assisted by one official known as a sherpa. Throughout the event's history this privacy has been respected - no notes are taken and proceedings are not recorded. Except this year. A secret audio link is relaying the conversations between the …

    The Register 9 Jul 10:32

    NASA tests rocket-disaster escape rocket

    Firing oneself out of the frying pan

    NASA has announced a successful test of its "Max Launch Abort System" (MLAS), essentially a rocket ejector seat writ large and applied to an entire space capsule. The system is designed to let astronauts escape and parachute to safety in the event of a launcher stack crackup. That's just the ejector seat. Wait till you see …

    The Register 9 Jul 10:21

    Morse expects second half revenue dip

    'A difficult year' says services firm

    Morse expects to report a slight dip in revenues from continuing operations in its second half compared to its first half of the year, the company announced in a trading update this morning. The services group said its margins on that revenue would reflect the benefit of its cost cutting program through the year and the …

    Channel Register 9 Jul 10:14

    Stargazers spot oldest supernova yet

    'I remember when it was all hydrogen around here...'

    Astronomers from the University of California have spied a supernova which lit up the early universe 10.7 billion years ago - 1.5 billion years before the previous record holder and just 3 billions years after the big bang. A team led by Jeff Cooke spotted the event - a "type II"* supernova provoked by the core collapse of a …

    The Register 9 Jul 10:03

    Samsung spins up 250GB micro hard drive

    The 1.8in HDD with integrated USB

    Samsung has introduced a 1.8in hard drive with a whopping - relatively speaking, of course - 250GB capacity. So much, perhaps, for claims the South Korean giant is getting out of the 1.8in HDD business to focus instead on solid-state drives. The Spinpoint N3U is aimed primarily at external hard drives rather than devices like …

    Reg Hardware 9 Jul 10:00

    LG reveals Louvre - its first 12Mp cameraphone

    Museum quality masterpiece?

    LG has been talking up its plans to join the 12Mp cameraphone race for months. Now the firm has finally shown off its first offering, sort of. Called the GC990 - or the Louvre - the co-called super-shooter unveiled the handset at a recent event in Warsaw is just a prototype, website GSM Arena reports. So it’s unclear if …

    Reg Hardware 9 Jul 09:28

    Data protection fee to cost bigger orgs £500 a year

    Don't pretend you can't afford it

    Organisations with a turnover of £25.9 million or more and 250 or more staff will be required to pay the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) an annual notification fee of £500 with effect from 1st October. The current fee is just £35. Notification is a requirement for 'data controllers' under the Data Protection Act. Every …

    The Register 9 Jul 09:17

    Computacenter injects a bit of predictability into revenue mix

    Obliging contracts

    Computacenter saw shares climb this morning as it updated investors on a successful first half of the year. For the six months ended 30 June 2009 profits were ahead of expectations, ignoring one-off items, thanks to a ten per cent increase in contractual services revenue. Elsewhere the recession is hitting the business - …

    Channel Register 9 Jul 08:30

    Asus F70SL

    Review The world's first 17.3in notebook?

    In recent years, Asus has become a key player in the netbook revolution. Yet with the F70SL, the company is looking to appeal to a totally different audience. Touted as the world's first notebook with a 17.3in display, this bulky, 4kg desktop replacement, offers a 16:9 aspect ratio screen at a resolution of 1600 x 900. Asus' …

    Reg Hardware 9 Jul 08:02

    Microsoft knew of nasty IE bug a year before attacks

    Security delayed or security denied?

    Microsoft was aware of a critical vulnerability in an Internet Explorer component at least 12 months before attackers started targeting it in lethal exploits that take full control of end-users' PCs, a member of its security team said Wednesday. The disclosure comes as attacks targeting the MSVidCtl ActiveX control …

    The Register 9 Jul 07:02

    Acronis jumps on the dedupe bandwagon

    Dedupe, dupe, dupe, dupe unfurled

    On the day that Symantec said it will add deduplication to its NetBackup and Backup Exec, Acronis has added deduplication to its Backup and Recovery 10.0 product, and increased its upwards scalability at the same time. Acronis Backup & Recovery (ABR) is the next and rebranded version of True Image. Previous versions of the …

    The Register 9 Jul 07:02

    Google uncloaks Chrome OS hardware pals

    Whither Dell?

    Google has revealed at least some of the hardware manufacturers it's working with to design and build devices that run the much-discussed Google Chrome Operating System. With a post to the official Chrome blog Wednesday afternoon, the Mountain View Chocolate Factory said its hardware partners include Acer, Asus, Freescale, …

    The Register 9 Jul 06:46

    Microsoft rejigger judges Window 7 a success

    Now, if only people buy it

    Windows 7 is not yet for sale - or even officially finished - but it's already been judged a success. At least, that's what we're lead to believe by Microsoft's latest corporate re-organization. Senior vice president Steven Sinofsky has been named president of the new Windows division, putting him in charge of the engineering …

    The Register 9 Jul 05:58

    TechCrunch dubs Linux a 'big ol’ bag of drivers'

    Fail and Googasm If you add an OS to Chrome, it's an OS

    Google has announced the Google Chrome Operating System, which is the Chrome browser bundled with a Linux kernel and a handful of hardware drivers, targeted at netbooks. Yes, this time it's actually an operating system, but don't cream yourself. Yet again, there is a severe case of the media not knowing what the fuck it's …

    The Register 9 Jul 05:12

    NASA data shows 'dramatically' thinned Arctic ice

    Seasonal ice dominates for first time (on record)

    Nearly half of the Arctic's thick sea ice diminished between the winters of 2004 and 2008, replaced by thinner ice more likely to melt in summer months, NASA's ice-sheet monitoring satellite has shown. With what they call the most comprehensive survey to date, boffins from NASA and the University of Washington say that thin …

    The Register 9 Jul 01:24

  3. Wednesday, 08 July 2009

    Samsung smartphone keyboard takes wing

    Patent woos three-handed people

    Samsung has filed a patent for a handheld device that trumps both the Palm Pre's too-tiny keyboard and the screen-hogging soft keyboard of Apple's iPhone. The Korean company's solution is a two-piece keyboard that folds out from either side of the device. The application, entitled Mobile Terminal Having Rear Keypad, envisions …

    The Register 8 Jul 23:34

    EMC stakes claim in IT management

    Five years in the buying

    EMC wants to sell you disks. And it wants you to buy VMware products to virtualize your servers. And now it wants to manage your servers, storage, and networks with a line of tools called Ionix. When EMC bought Data General back in August 1999 for $1.1bn to keep the low-end Clariion disk array business from falling into the …

    The Register 8 Jul 23:10

    Apple punts Safari update

    Updated Anti-crash course?

    Apple today upgraded is Safari browser to version 4.0.2, promising improved stability of its Nitro JavaScript engine. Whether this update will solve the pesky crashing problems reported here and elsewhere remains to be seen. We've been running it for a couple of hours with no problems - but intermittent crashes have an …

    The Register 8 Jul 22:36

    Neon revs cost-cutting mainframeware

    zPrime risks Big Blue ire

    A small mainframe software tool developer called Neon Enterprise Software has opened up a can of worms - and quite possibly several cans of Big Blue whoop-ass - by launching a new tool that will allow customers to shift a larger percentage of their workloads from standard (and expensive) mainframe engines to the cheaper …

    The Register 8 Jul 22:25

    EMC wins Data Domain with $2.1bn offer

    NetApp blinks

    NetApp can't beat what EMC is offering for Data Domain. The company said on Wednesday it will not revise its proposal to purchase Data Domain to outdo EMC's new uprated bid. Data Domain said it coughed up a $57m termination fee to NetApp under the terms of its previous merger agreement, ending a six-week bidding war over the …

    The Register 8 Jul 22:19

    Orange UK exiles Firefox from call centres

    £250 threat sends rogue reps back to IE6

    Yes, the corporate world is taking its sweet time upgrading from Microsoft's eight-year-old Internet Explorer 6, a patently insecure web browser that lacks even a tabbed interface. Take, for example, the mobile and broadband giant Orange UK. According to a support technician working in the company's Bristol call centre - who …

    The Register 8 Jul 21:37

    Fujitsu chases SMBs with entry tower

    Protecting EMEA x64 server turf

    Fujitsu announced a new entry-level server on Wednesday that aims to tighten the company's grip on that chunk of the market in Europe. While US-based server makers HP and Dell talk about their prowess selling small x64 boxes to small and medium businesses, they mumble a bit and look at their shoes when you talk about Europe, …

    The Register 8 Jul 21:11

    SEC extends Jobsian health probe

    What did the board know?

    Steve Jobs may be back at work as Apple's CEO - part-time, at least - but his troubles aren't over. And this time, they're not health-related. A Wednesday report from Bloomberg cites the eternally loquacious "person familiar with the matter" as saying that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is proceeding with its …

    The Register 8 Jul 20:35

    HTML5's Flash and Silverlight 'killer' potential chopped

    Web media oneness postponed

    Much has been made of how HTML5 will "kill" proprietary media tools and players from Adobe Systems and Microsoft. The idea has been partly predicated on the fact those working on HTML5 would enshrine a baseline spec for audio and video codecs everybody could agree on, buy into, and support. It's been helped along by …

    The Register 8 Jul 20:26

    MyDoom dabs spotted on mega cyberassault

    Traces of guilt

    An updated version of the MyDoom worm is blamed for ongoing denial of service attack against high-profile US and South Korean websites, according to preliminary analysis. Korean anti-virus firm AhnLab reckons that cyberattacks against the US Department of the Treasury and Federal Trade Commission (among others) stem from an …

    The Register 8 Jul 18:23

    US judge prunes damages from YouTube copyright suit

    Foreign vids need not apply

    YouTube won a small victory this week in the website's everlasting campaign not to have its pants sued off by copyright owners. A US federal judge has dismissed some damages brought by a lengthy roster of sports and music copyright holders, led by the UK-based Football Association Premier League. US District Judge Luis …

    The Register 8 Jul 18:20

    Google's vanity OS is Microsoft's dream

    Snug as two bugs in an antitrust rug

    No one will be happier than Microsoft about Google's vanity venture to market computers with a Google-brand OS. It gives us the illusion of competition without seriously troubling either business, although both will obligingly huff and puff about how serious they are about this new, phoney OS war. Since both of these giants are …

    The Register 8 Jul 16:20

    Enertia e-bike wheeled into shops

    Leccy Tech Electric two-wheeler available to buy

    US firm Brammo has finally put its Enertia e-bike on general sale. Brammo's Enertia: available to US buyers for $11,995 Although currently only available in Brammo’s native North America, the e-bike carries a price tag of $11,995 (£7,400/€8,600). US buyers will be able to deduct $1,199 (£740/€860) from the price, though, …

    Reg Hardware 8 Jul 16:02

    Predicting floods through mobile telephony

    Flood warnings? There's an app for that

    Researchers in Tel Aviv have established that variations in microwave transmissions, specifically those used to connect up cell towers, can be used to measure humidity and thus predict flooding. The research, which is published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (pdf) used historical data to demonstrate that variations in …

    The Register 8 Jul 15:53

    New boffinry: North Atlantic could be massive CO2 sink

    Icelandic phytoplankton starved of iron, seemingly

    British oceanographers say they have found evidence that phytoplankton growth in the north Atlantic is sharply limited by the availability of iron. The seagoing boffins suggest that their research could have important implications for efforts to fight climate change, as phytoplankton can absorb large amounts of CO2 from the …

    The Register 8 Jul 15:40

    Phorm confirms TalkTalk fail

    Agreement terminated

    Phorm confirmed today that TalkTalk has terminated its commercial agreement with the web monitoring and ad profiling firm. The company's shares fell another 16 per cent to day to 201.9p. This follows drops of 11.5 per cent yesterday and 25 per cent on Monday. Phorm said it was concentrating on faster moving markets outside …

    The Register 8 Jul 15:32

    Vulture Central unleashes RegPad™

    Redefining the web-surf Linux tablet paradigm

    We at Vulture Central were a mite surprised to learn recently of the TechCrunch "CrunchPad", which has got the technosphere into a bit of a tizz with its promise of couch computing delivered via an 18mm aluminium chassis, Linux and "Webkit based browser". Actually, surprised isn't the half of it, because Vulture Central's …

    The Register 8 Jul 14:58

    OpenSSH exploit rumours swarm

    As milw0rm shuts up shop

    Rumours are circulating about the active exploitation of systems running older versions of OpenSSH, the open source remote administration utility. Security watchers at the SANS Institute's Internet Storm Centre report circumstantial evidence of a mischief, including a log ostensibly showing an attack in progress, posted last …

    The Register 8 Jul 14:57

    Plod to get computer forensics 'breathalyser' next year

    Commercial offerings fail forensic tests

    UK police may be forced to develop a bespoke digital forensics device for seized computers after testing of market offerings failed to meet price, technical and speed standards. A special Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) group has been working on a national rollout of what's been dubbed a "digital breathalyser" for …

    The Register 8 Jul 14:50

    LG's first Blu-ray player with Freeview+ uncloaked

    Record telly, watch HD films

    LG has launched its first Blu-ray player with integrated Freeview+ support. LG's HR400: can pause, play and review Freeview telly The sleek HR400 unit is able to receive over 40 Freeview channels, LG said, each of which you’ll be able to pause, play and rewind at will. The gadget’s 160GB hard drive also means you can …

    Reg Hardware 8 Jul 14:35

    iPhone hackers update jailbreak, unlock tools for 3GS

    Quick, before Apple updates its code...

    The iPhone Dev Team has formally announced that it has posted versions of its unlocking and jailbreaking tools that work with the iPhone 3GS. The group of handset hackers had been holding off such a release, fearing it would force Apple's coders to clog the hole the jailbreaking utility, redsn0w, uses. However, last week …

    Reg Hardware 8 Jul 14:29

    Google fear? BCS shrinks away from Tories

    Sideways shuffle on NHS IT review

    The British Computing Society has moved to distance itself from the Tory Party's review of NHS IT. Last August the Conservative Party said it was reviewing the National Programme for IT with the help of Glyn Hayes from the BCS. This led to several reports (here, here and here) suggesting the BCS was behind the review. But …

    The Register 8 Jul 14:07

    The 3G map Ofcom didn't want you to see

    Exclusive Regulator goes to great lengths to stymie useful info

    Want to know 3G coverage in your area? After weeks of refusing to do so, telco quango Ofcom published a coverage map today. That's what it's supposed to do, you'd think. Cell operators are obliged to provide information to the regulator, and know the signal strength down to a few feet. But we can reveal that for weeks, Ofcom's …

    The Register 8 Jul 14:02

    Short URLs in spam skyrocket

    The Twitter effect

    Incidents of shortened URLs in spam messages have skyrocketed since the start of this week. Email filtering service MessageLabs reports that more than 2.25 per cent of junk mail messages feature spamvertised links laundered through URL redirection services. URL redirection services map between lengthy web addresses and …

    The Register 8 Jul 13:59

    Google reinvents network computing

    Where Netscape feared to tread

    Google has launched itself into the network computing debate by announcing its own operating system, proposing that the browser is the platform and the network is the computer. We've been here before, several times, most notably during the first dot com boom, when Netscape (the first commercial browser developer) was seriously …

    The Register 8 Jul 13:24

    Cops to step up use of phone and net records

    Hello hello hello

    Detectives will be required to consider accessing telephone and internet records during every investigation under new plans to increase police use of communications data. The policy is likely to significantly increase the number of requests for data received by ISPs and telephone operators. Just as every investigation …

    The Register 8 Jul 13:20

    Deal inked in US Navy 'R2-D2' raygun robo-turret plan

    Boat-blaster also wearable by (frigate-sized) sharks

    One of the most critical questions in the world of seagoing death-ray technology today - that is, who would be selected to develop swivelling "R2-D2" robotic laser blaster gun turrets for US Navy warships - has now been answered. American weaponry megacorp Northrop Grumman, makers of the first electric solid-state "battle …

    The Register 8 Jul 13:18

    Shell issues 12% pay cut ultimatum to IT contractors

    More double bubble trouble

    Royal Dutch Shell has reportedly told its UK-based IT contractors they will be asked to quit if they fail to accept a 12 per cent pay cut. According to Contractor UK, the multinational company wrote to its IT contractors last month, informing them of its plan to slash rates as part of a cost-cutting exercise. It warned IT …

    The Register 8 Jul 13:15

    Reg Mobile and Wireless newsletter is go! go! go!

    Site news Email-tasm

    May we draw your attention to our latest email text-only newsletter, a weekly corral of all our Mobile and Wireless News and reviews. Every week The Register and our sister pub Reg Hardware publishes upwards of 30 articles covering various aspects of the mobile and wireless world. For the newsletter, we have gone a little …

    The Register 8 Jul 12:34

    Patriot Torqx 128GB SSD

    Review The new solid-state speed champ

    Patriot’s first stab at a solid-state drive went by the name of Warp and used the oft-derided JMicron 602 controller. By contrast, the new Torqx series of SSDs makes the switch to the Indilinx Barefoot controller that so impressed us when we reviewed the OCZ Vertex. Patriot's Torqx: based on Indilinx' nippy new controller …

    Reg Hardware 8 Jul 11:50

    Freecom adds RFID to HDD

    Innovative feature or unnecessary security?

    Freecom has launched an external HDD that will only grant you access to its data if you’re the bearer of the keycard. Freecom's Hard Drive Secure: controlled using an RFID card Admission to the Hard Drive Secure is controlled by an RFID card which you swipe once over the HDD to lock it and again to unlock it. Entry is …

    Reg Hardware 8 Jul 11:48

    Cops swoop on e-crime gangs after banks pool intelligence

    Early success for new task force

    Two London-based cybercrime gangs have been busted, following an agreement by banks and credit card companies to share intelligence on network attacks and malware. Early success for the new "virtual task force", which is set for public launch next week, comes after years of pressure from investigators frustrated at the lack of …

    The Register 8 Jul 11:45

    Moderatrix to gain even more sinister powers

    Cyberbullies quail as online reputation software launches

    A new system to improve the behaviour of visitors to internet sites, by granting more draconian exclusion powers to moderators, is launching this week in the UK. The ReputationShare technology was launched in the US in April of this year by LOOKBOTHWAYS Inc, a US-based company that has already developed a number of systems …

    The Register 8 Jul 11:43

    Overland branches out

    Adds replication and CDP product

    Joining the likes of Double-Take and Neverfail, Overland Storage is adding server protection to its product line with replication and continuous data protection. The REO Business Continuity Appliance (BCA) is a rackmount Intel server plus embedded software and SATA Drives, attached by a LAN link to a small number of …

    The Register 8 Jul 11:40

    Happiness Index: Don't move to Vanuatu

    The bogus logic of 'sustainability'

    Did you know people in Haiti, Burma and Armenia are all better off than in Britain? And the Congo is happier than the USA? That's what the London think-tank New Economic Foundation reckons in its second "Happy Planet" rankings. But even NEF admits that its "happiness" rating or HPI doesn't really measure human happiness, and …

    The Register 8 Jul 11:21

    Spam tool developer faces six years in chokey

    Ralsky cohort cops a plea

    A US software writer has pleaded guilty to developing a botnet-based spamming tool used by notorious spammer Alan Ralsky. David S Patton, 49, of Centreville, Virginia, faces up to six years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting breaches of the US CAN-SPAM Act in concert with Ralsky and others. Patton agreed to …

    The Register 8 Jul 11:12

    'Metal muscle' memory-alloy robot flapper bat shown off

    Can droid chiropterthopter get off the ground?

    Boffins in North Carolina have announced that they are hard at work on a robotic bat which will have a skeleton made of "shape-memory alloy" and flap its wings using electrically powered "metal muscles". The palm-sized robothopter is intended for use as a military surveillance platform, or Micro Air Vehicle (MAV). What all …

    The Register 8 Jul 10:41

    Ofcom coughs 3G coverage maps

    Tells stunned world that hills may affect signal

    The UK regulator has finally released nationwide maps of the 3G coverage available, and it will come as no surprise that anyone planning to take a dongle to the Highlands will be out of luck. It's not just the Highlands though, users will struggle anywhere with an interesting landscape - the maps overlap well with …

    The Register 8 Jul 10:38

    Symantec eliminates dedupe disparities

    NetBackup and Backup Exec to be given same toys

    Symantec is to add deduplication to the backup clients and media servers for NetBackup and Backup Exec. This will allow Backup Exec customers equality of deduplication with NetBackup customers. These moves were first reported last month. Currently, NetBackup users can manage third-party deduplication appliances from Data …

    The Register 8 Jul 10:35

    Sony intros three-way anti-shake camcorder

    Super-sturdy shooting for wobbly hands

    Sony has launched what it claims is the world’s first camcorder able to reduce the effects of camera shake, rattle and roll from three directions. Sony's Handycam HDR-CX520VE: perfect for pitch, roll and yaw The flagship shooter’s “three-way shake-cancelling optical SteadyShot” technology reduces the effect of horizontal …

    Reg Hardware 8 Jul 10:26

    Microsoft talks turkey in Brussels

    Last orders in the last chance saloon

    Microsoft and the European Commission are back in talks aimed at ending anti-trust investigations against the company. The most advanced probe is the Competition Commission's investigation into the browser market sparked by complaints from Opera, but the Commission is also looking at word processing and spreadsheets. …

    The Register 8 Jul 09:14

    Gartner cuts 2009 IT spending forecasts

    Stops just short of predicting a plague of locusts

    The growing consensus among the IT market researchers is that 2009 is going to stink in terms of sales, and that whatever rebound happens in 2010 will not get us back to the revenue levels of 2008. Now the prognosticators at Gartner have followed up Forrester Research and IDC, which put out revised forecasts on general IT and …

    Channel Register 8 Jul 09:05

    Google polishes Chrome into netbook OS

    The sound of Ballmer hurling a thousand chairs

    Google is releasing an operating system for laptops and desktops, in a direct challenge to Microsoft's money-making core business. The company will also encourage developers to get on board by allowing them to use ordinary web development tools with the OS rather than a specialised development kit. Much of the success of the …

    The Register 8 Jul 08:50

    ECB Cricket 1.0

    iPhone App Review Play with matches and end up with the Ashes

    The England and Wales Cricket Board hasn’t had a great deal to shout about lately, what with the Stanford debacle and the recent rather tasteless photoluv shootout of Sir Flintoff of Flanders. But here, at last, is something it can be proud of, the ECB iPhone app has arrived just in time for the biggest cricket event of the year …

    Reg Hardware 8 Jul 08:02

    US websites buckle under sustained DDoS attacks

    South Korea, too

    Websites belonging to the federal government, regulatory agencies and private companies have been struggling against sustained online attacks that began on the Independence Day holiday, according to multiple published reports. At time of writing, most of the targets appeared to be afloat. Nonetheless, several targets have …

    The Register 8 Jul 06:33

    China cuts internet to quell ethnic riots

    Snipping 'overseas opposition forces'

    China has blocked internet access in parts of Urumqi - the capital of the northwestern Xinjiang province - after violent clashes between the minority Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese reportedly left 156 dead and more than 1,000 injured. "We cut Internet connection in some areas of Urumqi in order to quench the riot quickly and …

    The Register 8 Jul 04:31

    Yahoo! takes notes on your searches

    Self-scribbling Search Pad

    Yahoo! has equipped its primary search engine with what you might call an automated note taker. Known as Search Pad, this integrated applet is meant to facilitate web research. As you browse the net, it automatically records visited websites and their thumbnail images on a kind of digital notepad built directly into Yahoo!'s …

    The Register 8 Jul 03:44

  4. Tuesday, 07 July 2009

    Royalties deal lets internet radio play on

    Copyright compromise reached

    An agreement has been reached to help ensure the future of internet radio by warding off potentially devastating copyright-royalty rate hikes. The deal is between SoundExchange, a nonprofit royalty collection and distribution organization associated with the Recording Industry Association of America, and three small internet- …

    The Register 7 Jul 23:34

    PostgreSQL trumpets 8.4 release

    More junk in the trunk

    The open source project behind the PostgreSQL relational database is blowing its nose trumpeting the availability of PostgresSQL 8.4, a rev that includes 293 new or improved features that make the database easier to administer and more useful to programmers and end users. The new code, which is available for download here, was …

    The Register 7 Jul 23:30

    Jammie Thomas calls for file-sharing trial #3

    $1.92m fine 'excessive, shocking, and monstrous'

    Faced with a $1.92 million fine, convicted file-sharer Jammie Thomas-Rasset's is seeking to undergo a third trial or have the "excessive, shocking, and monstrous" verdict against her reduced. The Minnesota mom of four was found guilty of copyright infringement last month for downloading and sharing 24 songs through the Kazaa …

    The Register 7 Jul 23:27

    Linux patch sidesteps Microsoft's TomTom patent

    VFAT gets trimmed

    A Linux patch has been released to circumvent a Microsoft patent that landed Linux user TomTom in hot water. The patch avoids the need to create both short - 8.3 - and long filenames, the crux of Microsoft's patent dispute with TomTom. Instead, you create one or the other. Microsoft holds the patent on the Virtual File …

    The Register 7 Jul 23:14

    VMware courts jilted Virtual Iron shops

    Why wait for Oracle?

    Any time one vendor gets acquired by another, it's an opportunity for a third party to come in and steal some of the accounts unhappy with that acquisition. Oracle has made VMware's job of stealing away customers using Virtual Iron's enterprise-grade Xen hypervisor for server virtualization a whole lot easier by killing off the …

    The Register 7 Jul 21:57

    Open-source .NET splits for extra Microsoft protection

    Boycott Debian and Ubuntu calls silenced?

    A community implementation of .NET is splitting in two, hoping to protect Linux and open-source against potential patent claims from Microsoft. The Mono Project plans to split between a core set of APIs that are based on ECMA specifications of Microsoft's C# and Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) and a stack that implements …

    The Register 7 Jul 21:45

    IBM UK snuffs 'final salary' pensions

    Bow to the 'Productivity objective'

    IBM UK has shelved its "final salary" pension plan, pulling this prime benefit out from under about 28 per cent of its workforce. With an email sent to employees at about 5:30pm UK time - after most employees had likely gone home for the day - IBM UK and Ireland general manager Brendon Riley announced the end of the company's …

    The Register 7 Jul 21:39

    Music labels take (more) Irish ISPs to court

    Bow like Eircom or else

    The Big Four music labels want every ISP in Ireland to adopt a "three strikes" policy against repeated illegal file-sharers, and they intend to sue until they get their way. With Ireland's top internet provider, Eircom, having already bowed to the music industry's demands to cut off service to accused offenders, the labels are …

    The Register 7 Jul 19:00

    Google laying off more 'second class citizens'?

    Contractor cuts rumored

    Google is laying off contractors as well as full-time employees in multiple offices across the US, according to a new report. Citing multiple anonymous sources, Silicon Valley WebGuild reports that the company is laying off a "large number" of sub-contracted employees and full-time employees who manage such contractors. …

    The Register 7 Jul 18:57

    SUSE 11 takes off faster than 10

    Novell still cool to KVM

    Novell kicked out its SUSE Linux 11 release at the end of March, so it's now time to ask how it's doing. The answer: better than SUSE Linux 10. But still not enough to close the substantial installed base and revenue gap that exists between number one Red Hat Enterprise Linux and number two SUSE Linux Enterprise Server in the …

    The Register 7 Jul 18:48

    Sprint punts 99¢ netbook

    There's a catch, natch

    If you're jonesing for a netbook and you live in the States, Sprint and Best Buy will sell you one for the low, low price of 99¢. But you'll still have to fork out around $1,500. The catch is that the netbook - a Compaq Mini 110c-1040DX - must be purchased with a two-year Sprint 3G wireless-broadband service contract that …

    The Register 7 Jul 18:09

    LG to release second-gen Chocolate

    Tasty technical talker inbound?

    In an attempt to cash in on the success of its 2006 Chocolate mobile phone, LG has announced plans to launch a second-generation Choccy handset. LG's second-gen Chocolate The original model – also known as the KG800 – was, LG said, the company’s “most successful mobile handset to date”. But can the firm repeat the success a …

    Reg Hardware 7 Jul 16:29

    Google strips beta wrapper from Gmail, Docs et al

    Prays for Microsoft, IBM slap down

    Google has slipped the beta tag from its Gmail, Calendar, Docs and Talk apps in an effort to lure more businesses out of Microsoft and IBM’s clutches. The company, which launched the Google Apps suite two years ago, announced the decision today. Mountain View justified the move away from beta by pointing out that Google Apps …

    Channel Register 7 Jul 16:20

    Schneier says he was 'probably wrong' on masked passwords

    Security guru gets a bit carried away by the moment

    Security expert Bruce Schneier has said that he probably made a mistake when he backed a usability expert's plea to website operators to stop masking passwords as users type because it does not improve security and makes sites harder to use. Usability guru Jakob Nielsen said last month that sites should show most passwords in …

    The Register 7 Jul 16:10

    US edges towards mobile antitrust case

    Another senator joins the baying voices

    Calls for an investigation into monopolistic practices by US mobile operators have been answered with a review by the Justice Department that could quickly turn into an investigation. On Monday the chair of the Senate antitrust subcommittee, Herb Kohl, wrote to the FCC and the Justice Department, regarding operators abusing …

    The Register 7 Jul 15:52

    $1m for seethrough vidspecs in DARPA VR war-graffiti plan

    Plus gesture, voice and 'tactile' input devices

    Brobdingnagian arms company Lockheed yesterday passed on a million of its government greenbacks in a subcontract aimed at helping it achieve a new standard in interface tech. The cash goes to Washington-based Microvision Inc to develop "daylight-readable, see-through, low-profile, ergonomic" colour video specs. Herat, 2015. …

    The Register 7 Jul 15:33

    VW confirms e-car plans

    Leccy Tech As firm's Chairman warns of 'electric vehicle hype'

    Volkswagen has announced plans to launch a small electric car in 2013. But the firm’s Chairman has warned the market to be cautious against premature e-car hype. Speaking at a recent energy conference in Munich, Martin Winterkorn said that his firm’s first e-car will be based on its Up! urban vehicle concept. By 2019 VW also …

    Reg Hardware 7 Jul 15:17

    Sony launches quick-boot Vaio notebook

    Browse without entering Vista

    Sony has expanded it Vaio laptop line with an eco-focused “Quick Web Access” model. Sony's Vaio NW: The range only consists of one machine so far: the 15in VGN-NW11Z. But that hasn’t stopped Sony from talking up the machine’s dedicated web button, which supposedly provides quick access to the “bespoke super-fast internet …

    Reg Hardware 7 Jul 15:12

    Counter terror cops prep for recession funding squeeze

    First time for everything

    The UK's top counter terror cop is preparing to make cuts for the first time, as the recession hits the public sector, he revealed today. Assistant commisioner John Yates, head of the Met's counter terror command, said he didn't think even the most high profile police work will escape the knife after 2011 when the current …

    The Register 7 Jul 14:40

    Too thick to boil an egg? Buy 'em preboiled

    And shelled, naturally

    Having been relieved of the burden of having to make a jam sandwich, those without either the time or the intellectual capacity for basic culinary tasks can now avail themselves of the latest word in labour-saving foodstuffs: Preboiled free range eggs. Yup, the Happy Egg Company will, for just 89p for two or £1.49 for four, …

    The Register 7 Jul 14:32

    Phorm phading phast

    Can Virgin and the foreigns save it?

    Phorm shares continue to fall today, dropping another 11.5 per cent on top of the 25 per cent they fell yesterday, as another partner distanced itself from the technology. CarphoneWarehouse's ISP TalkTalk played down its links to the ad tech developer a day after BT's announcement that it was abandoning trials. Charles …

    The Register 7 Jul 14:29

    Magno stimulation makes brain learn skills better - boffins

    Bonce-bothering breakthrough in British Columbia

    Canadian brainbox brainboxes have found that cunningly targeted "magnetic stimulation" of the brain can help test subjects to learn manual skills. Thinks: Soon I shall be INVINCIBLE Lara Boyd and Meghan Linsdell of the University of British Columbia have published the results of their research into the brain's dorsal …

    The Register 7 Jul 13:26

    Mozilla Labs canvases developers for web tools directory

    Space/time continuum - discuss

    Mozilla Labs has launched a central tools index to help simplify the lives of web developers across the globe. The open source browser maker’s experimental team announced the Open Web Tools Directory yesterday. “We’ve come to the opinion that in addition to creating new tools, one of the best things we could do is help …

    The Register 7 Jul 13:00

    Mandy promises end to illegal staff blacklists

    You can't get me if I'm part of the union

    Lord Mandelson has opened a consultation on banning the use of union blacklists by employers. The listening period starts today and runs till 18 August - shorter than usual because Mandy wants to introduce legislation in the autumn. The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills also said the shorter period was justified …

    The Register 7 Jul 12:24

    Ten of the best... Core i7 CPU coolers

    Round-up So your processor doesn't lose its cool

    Intel’s standard CPU cooler for the Core i7 family looks like a slightly bigger version of the cooler that we're used to seeing on LGA775 Pentium D and Core 2 chips. It works well at the standard speed but lets the side down when you start overclocking. After-market coolers for Core i7 come in two distinct flavours. Some …

    Reg Hardware 7 Jul 12:02

    IPO gives 'reputable' web pages prior art status

    Computing website details considered gospel

    An online news story that described a bank's method for authenticating website visitors was valid evidence of prior art, the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has ruled. The date on the web page could be taken at face value, it said. The date and contents of internet disclosures should be assessed on the balance of …

    The Register 7 Jul 11:45

    Opera CEO: Unite not a security risk

    Au contraire!

    Opera has been defending its Unite product, claiming that far from causing security problems it actually increases the security for users who would otherwise be dependent on the cloud. In an interview reported by NetworkWorld, Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner claimed that putting servers into every copy of Opera would increase the …

    The Register 7 Jul 11:41

    Becta snuggles up to MS on UK schools licensing shake-up

    Pilot scheme launches

    The UK government’s technology agency has given Microsoft’s launch of the new Subscription Enrolment Schools Pilot (SESP) the thumbs up. Becta said in a statement that the scheme would help improve choice for schools that were mulling subscription agreements with the software giant. SESP builds on Microsoft’s existing School …

    Channel Register 7 Jul 11:37

    Ofcom foresees an entertaining 2028

    If they haven't been axed by the Tories by then

    Ofcom has been busy crystal-ball gazing again, this time plotting out what we'll be doing for entertainment in the year 2028, and how much radio spectrum we'll need to do it. Besides the fun of futurology, Ofcom's predictions are used to establish policy. Last time it was health and transport, this year it's entertainment - …

    The Register 7 Jul 11:22

    Dot Hill hops the 2TB train

    2U 24TB RAID Array coming

    Dot Hill has qualified Western Digital's 2TB drives and is going to launch a 24TB RAID array taking up just 2U of rack space. It reckons this will be the first generally-available such device. The drives are WD RE4-GP or green power drives, boasting 500GB/platter areal density, and Dot Hill says a 24TB tray of them is up to 60 …

    The Register 7 Jul 11:18

    BCC calls recession bottom

    But gov could still stuff it up

    The British Chambers of Commerce has called the bottom of the recession. In its latest survey of 5,600 companies the BCC found some confidence returning, but warned it was early days to talk of real recovery. But the lobby firm warns that the government needs to act to protect their view that "the worst is over". The group …

    The Register 7 Jul 11:05

    Orange calls up LG watchphone

    UK sales to start next month

    Following months of Dick Tracy jokes and speculation over its launch, LG has finally confirmed that its watchphone will be available in the UK next month. LG's GD910: in the UK next month The LG Touchscreen Watch Phone – also know as the GD910 – will be sold by Orange in the UK, but only for a “limited time period”. Orange …

    Reg Hardware 7 Jul 11:03

    Plasma rocket in new test with Brit supermagnet fitted

    Nuclear/solar space electro-drive doing well

    A radical electrically-powered space rocket which has the potential to cut months or years off travel times to other planets has achieved a further successful test today. The new milestone for the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) was achieved with the aid of a crucial new component - a superconducting …

    The Register 7 Jul 11:02

    Fusion-io: It's off to work we go

    Unveiling combined single and multi-level cell flash?

    Fusion-io is claiming to have developed a new type of flash memory combining single and multi-level cell (MLC) attributes. It will announce full details of the new development later today. Single-level cell (SLC) flash has speed and reliability advantages over MLC. The latter has 2 or 3 bits per cell and wears out faster, but …

    Channel Register 7 Jul 10:57

    Anti-smut Baroness sent to solitary

    But is government turned on to her ideas?

    The likelihood that possession of extreme pornographic writings is about to become a crime dipped yesterday, as the Conservative Party officially distanced itself from a notion floated by one of its own peers. This is a rebuff for Conservative peer Baroness O’Cathain, who thought up the idea – but anti-censorship campaigners …

    The Register 7 Jul 10:30

    Sony preps hi-res Atom N netbook

    Has Intel relaxed its rules?

    Sony launched its first netbook, the Vaio P, back in February. The P's high price undoubtedly put plenty of punters off, so the consumer electronics giant is having another go, this time with a more standard notebook spec. Sony's Vaio W: hi-res netbook display Well kind of. The Vaio W has a 10.1in screen, but it sports a …

    Reg Hardware 7 Jul 10:26

    BBC pulling back from the DAByss?

    Set the dial to spin

    Simply because Tim Davie, the BBC's new radio chief, has a background in advertising and marketing, that isn't a reason to assume everything he says is a lie. It's more charitable to say he's well practiced in the dark acts of spinning, having learnt the trade at Pepsi and Proctor and Gamble. And so you might want to take the …

    The Register 7 Jul 10:05

    UK Palm Pré carrier confirmed

    Well, it's not Vodafone...

    Blighty’s exclusive Palm Pré carrier has finally been revealed. And the winner is, unsurprisingly, O2. The smartphone will be “launched in Europe in time for the Winter holidays”, said O2’s parent company, Telefónica, which has also secured exclusive rights to sell the Pré in Spain, Ireland and Germany. O2 hasn’t said how …

    Reg Hardware 7 Jul 09:48

    Ukraine slaps ban on all porn

    Opinion Unless you're sick: Then it's OK

    Porn is now illegal in the Ukraine, unless used for medicinal purposes. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko last week signed off on new legislation joining the Ukraine to an ever-lengthening list of countries that have decided to move the censorship goalposts over the last few years, from publication of porn on to simple …

    The Register 7 Jul 09:31

    NASA fires up the 'interplanetary internet'

    ISS hosts first 'Delay Tolerant Networking' node

    The International Space Station has become home to the first node in the "interplanetary internet". The Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) system uses "store-and-forward techniques within the network in order to compensate for intermittent link connectivity". As NASA explained during ground-based simulation tests last year, DTN " …

    The Register 7 Jul 09:09

    NetApp ponders getting off the pot, or...

    Comment Warmenhoven's carefully constructed holding position

    What do you make of this? "In response to EMC’s revised, unsolicited offer, the NetApp Board of Directors will carefully weigh its options, keeping in mind both its fiduciary duty to its stockholders and its disciplined acquisition strategy. We will provide an update shortly." The statement maker is NetApp's chairman and CEO, …

    The Register 7 Jul 09:08

    Blears sackee nothing to do with TheyWorkForYou

    Civil servant reveals paper-less trail of doom

    The civil servant sacked for being slightly rude about Hazel Blears did not post any comment on TheyWorkForYou: she only used the site to find Blears' personal website. Lisa Greenwood used Google to find a contact for Hazel Blears. This took her to Hazel Blears' page on TheyWorkForYou, and from there she clicked through to …

    The Register 7 Jul 08:59

    Michael Jackson manifests in California tree stump

    'He meant more to us than Jesus'

    The case for the beatification of Michael Jackson has been strengthened by the pop legend's appearance in a California tree stump - the first reported Jesus-like simulacrum of the Man Who Changed the Face of Music Forever™. Felix Garcia spotted the uncanny likeness of the Man Who Touched the Lives of Millions™ in a birch stump …

    The Register 7 Jul 08:54

    LG HS102 Ultra Mobile projector

    Review No bigger than an office phone

    Smaller, lighter, cheaper, less power-hungry: that's the road we want digital projector manufacturers to take. Indeed, LG does its best to satisfy our craving with a highly compact and thoroughly usable short-throw projector with minimal ongoing costs. LG's HS102 Ultra Mobile projector The HS102 falls into the 'ultra …

    Reg Hardware 7 Jul 08:02

    Microsoft promises no patent prosecution of open-source .NET

    Ubuntu joins Debian Mono denials

    Microsoft is promising not to pursue patent claims against Linux and open-source software using the open-source implementation of .NET, Project Mono. The company has said that third party implementations of its C# and the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) - a language runtime - will be made available under its Community …

    The Register 7 Jul 04:19

    CompuServe signs off

    AOL shutters classic dial-up provider

    CompuServe, the first commercially successful online and email provider in America, has been shut down by AOL after 30 years of service. The original CompuServe — later renamed CompuServe Classic — was laid to rest July 1, 2009. In a message sent to its remaining subscribers, AOL urged customers sticking with cheap dial-up to …

    The Register 7 Jul 00:27

    Boffins guess social security numbers via public data

    Success rate as high as 90%

    Predicting a person's social security number is a lot easier than previously thought, according to new scientific research that has important implications for identity theft. Armed with publicly available information about where and when an individual was born, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University were able to guess the …

    The Register 7 Jul 00:21

    IBM finances vSphere-x64 server bundles

    Banking on sales

    IBM has certified VMware's ESX Server 4.0 hypervisor and its vSphere 4.0 virtualization management stack on its System x rack and tower servers and on its BladeCenter blade servers. And the company is now shipping the vSphere stack on its x64 boxes. Having no hypervisor of its own for x64-based servers, IBM is free to endorse …

    The Register 7 Jul 00:10

  5. Monday, 06 July 2009

    DoJ probes reviews US telecom powers

    Anti-competitive practices?

    The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has begun looking into whether US telecom giants are abusing their growing market powers. According to a report published Monday by The Wall Street Journal, the inquiry is merely a preliminary review, falling short of a full-fledged investigation into anti-competitive practices. The review …

    The Register 6 Jul 23:58

    Register.com in seven day mail Fail

    No relation

    Register.com says it completed an upgrade to its email system more than a week ago. But for some of its small-business customers, the upgrade is better described as a downgrade. On June 29, after spending several months migrating users to a new email system, the well-known domain name registrar and net services outfit …

    The Register 6 Jul 23:47

    Warner Bros. nabs Mortal Kombat maker for $33m

    'Get over here!'

    Warner Bros. has walked away with most of Mortal Kombat maker Midway Games for the cut-rate price of $33 million (£20m). The deal gives the US movie studio rights to the majority of Midway's intellectual property, including Mortal Kombat, Rampage, Spy Hunter, and Joust. A Delaware bankruptcy court judge approved a settlement …

    The Register 6 Jul 23:41

    HP and Dell claim energy efficiency server firsts

    Power test pass with a catch

    Getting IT vendors to agree to any standard, even one that they have a big hand in shaping, is almost impossible. And so it is with the new Energy Star specification for servers, supposedly embraced by server makers to show the energy efficiency of their metal. The Energy Star specification for servers, which debuted in May, …

    The Register 6 Jul 20:40

    iPods get digicam rumor upgrade

    'Everything but the Shuffle'

    Apple may soon add video-capture capability to its ubiquitous iPods, if rumors that surfaced Monday are to be believed. According to a report from TechCrunch, "sources in Asia" say that Apple has placed a "massive" order for camera modules, an order so large that "Everything but the Shuffle may have a camera in it soon." Of …

    The Register 6 Jul 20:26

    Amazon may plug in-book advertising into Kindle

    On-demand paperbacks too

    Amazon may embed advertising in e-books for the Kindle as well as paperbacks sold through its on-demand book publishing service. A pair of US patent applications point to the online retailer's vision of plugging modern tat through classic lit with advertisements custom-tailored to the content. The patents are titled "On- …

    The Register 6 Jul 20:21

    Programmer charged with stealing Wall Street-ware

    Code worth 'many millions'

    A former Goldman Sachs software designer has been arrested and charged with stealing proprietary software used for the firm's high-speed trading platform. Sergey Aleynikov, a naturalized US citizen who emigrated from Russia, was arrested on Friday night as he arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport and charged with …

    The Register 6 Jul 20:13

    Google remaps interwebs real estate listings

    Craigslist bypassed Down Under

    Google has juiced its efforts to bypass Craigslist and other real estate classifieds sites, adding a new property-listings search contraption to Google Maps. This morning, with a down-under blog post, Google announced the addition of direct real estate listings to the Australian incarnation of Google Maps, and a similar …

    The Register 6 Jul 20:09

    Microsoft takes Gazelle secure browser on road trip

    About that performance...

    Microsoft will next month present its browser-as-operating-system project to an international symposium of computer and security experts. The Microsoft Research team behind Gazelle plans to discuss the architecture and principles behind their baby at the Usenix Security Symposium in Montreal, Canada. Gazelle is designed to …

    Channel Register 6 Jul 18:58

    Windows users ambushed by attack on fresh IE flaw

    More DirectShow danger

    Thousands of websites have been hit by fast-moving exploit code that installs a cocktail of nasty malware on visitors' computers by targeting a previously unknown vulnerability in some versions of Internet Explorer. The compromised websites link to a series of servers that exploit a zero-day vulnerability in an IE component …

    The Register 6 Jul 18:50

    Projector-phones due by Christmas?

    Report tags Apple, Nokia, Samsung

    Viewing videos on your smartphone's tiny display may soon be a thing of the past, replaced by your phone's ability to project that video onto a screen, wall, or even a friend's shirt. According to a report on Monday by Taiwan-based market-watcher DigiTimes, mobile-technology-and-more manufacturer Foxlink has begun …

    The Register 6 Jul 18:05

    Boffin predicts pee-powered cars

    Leccy Tech Wee are not taking the piss

    Forget chicken-powered cars - a researcher has discovered that the key to hydrogen-powered transportation lies in taking the piss - quite literally. Dr Gerardine Botte, an Associate Professor from the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at Ohio University, has discovered that hydrogen can be extracted from urine …

    Reg Hardware 6 Jul 16:10

    Radiopaq slips out sound-boosting iPod Nano sleeve

    Up MP3 quality using 'Intelligent Audio technology'

    Poor iPod performance getting you down? Then boost its audio accuracy with Sound Jacket which, manufacturer Radiopaq claims, significantly improves the sound quality of MP3 music tracks. Radiopaq's Sound Jacket: improves MP3 audio Compatible with the fourth-generation iPod Nano, Radio Jacket apparently employs the internet …

    Reg Hardware 6 Jul 15:52

    Niagara Falls to power next Yahoo! data centre

    San Andreas fault, Mount St Helens possible future sites

    In one of the brighter moments of New York governor David Patterson's unanticipated and beleaguered administration, Yahoo! has announced that it will plunk down its next data centre just east of Buffalo, New York, so it can tap the carbon-free hydroelectric power generated by Niagara Falls. When - not if - New York City has a …

    The Register 6 Jul 15:43

    Nokia staffers kick rugged phone into touch

    Videos confirm 3720 tough-phone's existence

    Nokia has confirmed recent rumours that it has designed a rugged mobile phone. Last month, a picture appeared online of a device thought to be the firm’s first rugged phone with an IP-54 toughness classification. Aside from a possible moniker, the 3720, the leaked picture was all we had to go by. Now Nokia has posted two …

    Reg Hardware 6 Jul 15:20

    Apple moves to patent fingerprint-controlled gadgets

    Biometric playlists?

    Apple has plans to implement biometric controls into its gadgets, if techniques outlined in its latest patent application are taken to their logical conclusion. The firm’s filing ith the US Patent and Trademark Office, entitled "Control of electronic device by using a person's fingerprints", describes how users could control …

    Reg Hardware 6 Jul 15:15

    Sir Alan Sugar hits eject button at Viglen

    New biz Enterprise Champ exits firm

    Sir Alan Sugar resigned as chairman at Viglen on 1 July, hard on the heels of his appointment as the government’s Enterprise Champion, a Companies House document has revealed. He became a director of the UK computer maker in 2002, after buying it back in the 1990s. However, Sugar's sudden decision to hang up his boots at …

    Channel Register 6 Jul 15:01

    MySociety denies role in Blears sacking

    TheyNeverDoneIt

    Politico website MySociety has denied any role in a chain of events which reportedly led to the sacking of a civil servant for criticising boat rocking ex-Cabinet Minister Hazel Blears. This morning we reported on the apparent sacking of civil servant Lisa Greenwood for posting comments to TheyWorkForYou.com which were rude …

    The Register 6 Jul 14:49

    Ofcom top of Tory deathlist

    Quangogeddon

    Ofcom would be scrapped and regulators stripped of policy-making responsibilities by a Tory government, David Cameron said today. Singled out for criticism in a speech proposing cutbacks to the myriad quangos administering various policy areas, the communications regulator's successor should only have technical …

    The Register 6 Jul 14:25

    EMC whacks up Data Domain bid

    NetApp elbowed out?

    EMC has raised its Data Domain bid from $30/share to $33.50/share, giving the company a $2.1bn valuation and potentially knocking NetApp out of the running. EMC is trying to buy Data Domain in competition with NetApp which has made a part-cash, part-stock bid, also worth $30/share. Both EMC and NetApp want to bring Data Domain …

    The Register 6 Jul 14:23

    Smut downloads pound Japan's 3G network

    Data traffic swelled by filth

    Japan's 3G network is taking a pounding from porn-hungry users, who are eagerly slurping up capacity to the point that service providers have been obliged to impose limits on abusers of "unlimited" net access packages. According to Bloomberg, DoCoMo and KDDI Corp are feeling the heat, especially around midnight when “heavy …

    The Register 6 Jul 13:33

    Police headcams burst into flames

    Exclusive Burning helmets leave heat feeling blue

    The news that Metropolitan police officers patrolling the nation's capital may soon carry GPS tracking equipment has been overshadowed by shock revelations that uniform-mounted video cams have "caught fire" in use. The news comes courtesy of the Metropolitan Police Federation, the equivalent of a union for the lowest four …

    The Register 6 Jul 13:20

    Olympics bosses probe mobile tracking tech

    'Geo fences' could protect east London

    Security officials preparing counter-terror measures for the 2012 Olympics are considering deploying technology that can continuously pinpoint the location of mobile phones. Civil servants have held meetings with TruePosition, a US mobile location firm trying to break into the UK telecoms market. Its technology can be used to …

    The Register 6 Jul 12:56

    BT offers staff time on hold

    The job you have selected is unavailable

    BT is offering its staff sabbaticals on reduced pay, as well as various other flexitime working options, in order to cut costs. The telco is also holding down executive pay, as detailed in its annual report. The company is piloting various other ways to control costs. Staff are being offered special leave on part pay, …

    The Register 6 Jul 12:08

    MacBook June 2009 release

    Review Tweak time

    Pay attention now, because there’ll be a test on this at the end. This time last year, Apple’s laptop range consisted of two main product lines. The mainstream, consumer model for home users and the education market was the highly popular MacBook, with its 13in screen, white plastic casing and a price tag of around £700. …

    Reg Hardware 6 Jul 12:02

    Web browser makers line up battleships

    IE 8 to beat Firefox 3.5? Don't count on it

    Microsoft has seen its grip on the global browser market share loosened by nearly 12 per cent since March, according to one web monitoring firm. Statcounter spun out the latest results over the weekend. It found that Microsoft’s combined market share of Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8 had slipped, even as the software giant’s …

    The Register 6 Jul 12:01

    Top British judge suggests ban on 'cruel' killer roboplanes

    Manned bomber slaughter apparently OK

    A retired top-ranking British judge has suggested that unmanned aircraft are "so cruel as to be beyond the pale of human tolerance", and should be banned. Lord Bingham, retired last year as senior law lord - in other words top judge in Britain's highest court - and made his remarks to the British Institute of International and …

    The Register 6 Jul 11:47

    Documents uncover PSP Go's true CPU speed

    The 333MHz 480MHz handheld

    The upcoming PlayStation Portable Go is slightly more powerful than previously thought, technical documents filed by maker Sony have revealed. An extract from Sony's FCC filing reveals the true spec of the PSP Go - aka the PSP-N1001 When the PSP Go was officially unveiled at the E3 videogames show back in June, it was …

    Reg Hardware 6 Jul 11:30

    Johnson presses for haste on foreigner IDs

    Why, oh why, will this dead horse not go faster?

    Home secretary Alan Johnson has asked the UK Border Agency to look at speeding up the issuing of identity cards to foreign nationals. As part of the change of plans for the National Identity Scheme, Johnson has asked the agency to review its implementation programme. It has already issued 50,000 cards to people legally working …

    The Register 6 Jul 11:28

    Office admin sacked for Blears abuse

    Updated Anon comment = P45

    An office administrator at the Department of Children, Schools and Families has been sacked for posting an anonymous comment about Hazel Blears on TheyWorkForYou - the government-funded* website which aims to increase political engagement. Lisa Greenwood, a £16,000 a year administrator, was sacked in May after an anonymous …

    The Register 6 Jul 11:26

    Toyota preps plug-in Prius for mass production

    Leccy Tech First models to appear in 2011

    Mass production of a plug-in Toyota Prius could start within two years, it’s been reported. The first Toyota Prius PHEVs should appear in 2011 The first production Prius PHEV cars will appear in 2011, according to the Japanese newspaper Nikkei, with Toyota expecting to shift between 20,000 and 30,000 of the vehicles within …

    Reg Hardware 6 Jul 11:22

    NZ lad punts nude mum snaps on net

    NSFW Trade Me unimpressed by parental display

    A NZ teenager has the honour of being local net tat bazaar Trade Me's first seller to offer "photos of a mother in underwear", the New Zealand Herald reports. Auckland student Michael was under mum's orders to clear out the garage and dispose of any unwanted items on the internet auction site. He duly obliged, punting "5 naked …

    The Register 6 Jul 11:21

    BlueArc fires Mercury at the mid-range

    Quick silver NAS coming

    Super-NAS supplier BlueArc will announce tomorrow it is moving down into the mid-range with a Mercury product line, using its high-end, HW-accelerated design ideas. BlueArc's Titan uses Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) to accelerate its network-attached storage (NAS) processing and deliver faster I/O performance. The …

    The Register 6 Jul 10:49

    Tory Lady tries to give bodice-rippers the snip

    Stealing a leaf from New Labour's morality handbook

    First there was the Dangerous Pictures Act, and then there was the Dangerous Cartoons Law. Now, courtesy of the Conservative Party, we could be in for new laws on "Dangerous Writings". If you thought Tories were not quite so censorious as New Labour, then this is a salutary reminder that they can be every bit as righteously …

    The Register 6 Jul 10:28

    Nokia to launch Android smartphone?

    Updated 'No truth'

    Nokia is "months away" from launching its first mobile phone based on Google’s Android operating system, according to reports. The Finnish mobile phone firm is supposedly ready to unveil the mystery touchscreen talker at the Nokia World conference in Germany in early September,“industry insiders” quoted byThe Guardian, say. …

    Reg Hardware 6 Jul 10:21

    Reg reader tickled by Acer's Easy Lai

    Shanghai operative promises full compliance

    We're obliged this fine summer morn to Reg reader Jon Andrews, who's just been tickled by Acer's Easy Lai - the man who assures customers that his company's kit conforms to all the required standards. Jon caught sight of Easy Lai on the documentation for a Revo Nettop, but Mr Lai has been putting it about quite a bit, as this …

    The Register 6 Jul 10:16

    Tory plan for MS, Google, others to hold NHS records floated

    Cameroon Google-love suddenly becomes a disadvantage?

    The Conservative Party has declined to comment on claims by the Times that under a future Tory government, UK health records "could be transferred to Google or Microsoft." This is described by the paper as "the first concrete proposal to emerge from the Tories' 'post-bureaucratic age' agenda." The proposal, however, is less …

    The Register 6 Jul 09:55

    Lunar orbiter beams back first Moon snaps

    Mare Nubium poses for the camera

    NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has beamed back its first snaps of the Moon - images from the Mare Nubium region captured by the spacecraft's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, aka LROC: LROC Principal Investigator Mark Robinson of Arizona State University explained: "Our first images were taken along the moon's …

    The Register 6 Jul 09:45

    Open-source handset sales to soar

    Android to lead the pack?

    Shipments of smartphones running an open-source operating system will grow by more than 100m units a year over the next few years, Juniper Research forecasts. Sales of devices such as the HTC Hero – a handset based on Google's Android OS - will increase from 106m units in 2009 to a whopping 223m per year by 2014, according to …

    Reg Hardware 6 Jul 09:28

    BT abandons Phorm

    Not looking good for ad tech

    BT has abandoned plans to roll out Phorm's controversial web monitoring and profiling system across its broadband network, claiming it needs to concentrate resources on network upgrades. Privacy activists have greeted the news as a victory for their campaign against the firm, which was sparked by revelations in The Register …

    The Register 6 Jul 09:27

    Panasonic recycles CRTs using frickin’ lasers

    Separates out parts in no time

    Panasonic claims to have upped the efficiency of its CRT TV recycling operating by turning to, of all things, laser beams. CRT sets contain different types of glass in the front panel and back funnel, which the human production line at Panasonic Eco Technology Centre in Japan currently separate using an electrically heated …

    Reg Hardware 6 Jul 09:23

    Ash Ashutosh fires up another storage startup

    It's good to keep ActiFio

    The founder of AppIQ - the storage resource management software firm bought by HP a few years ago - looks to be leading a stealthy storage startup, ActiFio. A July 1 SEC filing reveals that ActiFio raised $4m of a planned $8m Series A funding round. The company is based in Weston, Massachusetts, and is led by Ash Ashutosh. He …

    The Register 6 Jul 09:12

    Spy boss poked by Facebook

    We all saw yer, Sawers

    The Foreign Office has defended spy boss Sir John Sawers after his wife posted private information about the family on Facebook. Sawers takes over as head of the Secret Intelligence Service in November. His wife's Facebook profile failed to use any privacy protection and included home addresses, family photographs and holiday …

    The Register 6 Jul 09:04

    Elgato Video Capture

    Review Mac-up your dusty VHS collection

    The usage is clear: you have a stack of old VHS tapes and you'd like to get the content they hold in a more convenient, digital form for viewing on an iPod or burning to DVD. Elgato's meant-for-Mac Video Capture comes late to the party - people have been digitising VHS tapes for ages, either using a TV tuner or a standalone …

    Reg Hardware 6 Jul 08:02

    Google code cloud punts on-demand embarrassment

    Fail and You Mountain View's Sarah Palin moment

    Last week, users of Google App Engine - Google's application hosting platform - discovered a new feature in the product: downtime. App Engine was offline for roughly six hours, and for much of that time, even the status page which tells users about downtime was unavailable. Now that's a strong way to send a message. As a …

    The Register 6 Jul 04:51

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