16th April 2003 Archive

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Intel sales flatter than a pancake

A little better than expected

Intel saw its first fiscal quarter revenue beat out expectations even as chip and memory sales remained relatively cool. For the period ending in March, Intel pulled in $915 million in net income, which is 2 percent less than the same quarter last year. The company posted total revenue of $6.75 billion, equating to 14 cents EPS …

Channel 16 Apr 2003, 00:44
IBM chip sales and margins static

Existing operations make up for divested ones

IBM Microelectronics performed as well as expected during its first quarter of fiscal 2003, showing flat revenue growth over the same period last year. For the three months to 31 March, IBM's chip operation notched up sales of $5.8 billion, just a single percentage point below last year's $5.9 billion. It said the decrease was …

Channel 16 Apr 2003, 07:10
SiS licenses Intel's 800MHz FSB

But will now face 'legitimate' VIA P4 chipsets

Intel has granted SiS a Pentium 4 800MHz bus licence, a move the chipset maker last week announced it expected "soon". The deal is an extension of SiS' existing P4 bus licence, allowing the company to offer products that compete with Intel's i875P chipset, formerly known as Canterwood, and the upcoming Springdale part. The …

Channel 16 Apr 2003, 07:23
Intel readies 11 May 30 per cent Pentium 4 price cut – report

Slashing 533MHz FSB prices before 800MHz parts arrive on 21 May

Intel will cut how much it charges for 533MHz frontside bus Pentium 4 processors by up to 30 per cent on 11 May, ahead of the introduction of 800MHz FSB equivalents ten days later, the company has told its distributors. The new pricing structure, according to X-bit Labs, will see the 2.8GHz P4 fall in price from $375 to $262, a …

Channel 16 Apr 2003, 07:44
AMD: the 64-bit battle

Optimism

AMD's ambitions for Opteron have been widely broadcast. It hopes the chip will secure its entry to the lucrative corporate market, in servers and high-performance computers. Few debutantes would want to want to make their entry on to the world stage at such an uncertain time. If a struggling IT market and sluggish economy wasn' …

Servers 16 Apr 2003, 07:49
PS2 refresh hits Japan in May

Missed opportunity?

Sony has announced details of the first major hardware overhaul to the PlayStation 2 since its release, which will add new functionality to the DVD playback element of the console and remove the iLink port. The revised console, which will bear the part number SCPH-50000 and will arrive in Japan on May 15th, will be exactly the …

Personal 16 Apr 2003, 07:59
Handspring to develop smartphones for Orange

Good deal

Handspring, the USA PDA maker, is to develop smartphones for Orange. The idea is to make handsets which will tie "seamlessly into Orange back-end network systems to make wireless data applications easy to use right out of the box". Orange was, of course, the world's first network operator to tout a smartphone using MS software …

Mobile 16 Apr 2003, 08:23
R U Txting Enuf?

What France and the US have in common

Recent research from both sides of the Atlantic might explain much about national traits, and give some idea why SMS revenues continue to climb, and an insight into what the future may hold for 3G. World-wide more than a billion messages per day text from one mobile to another. On average that's one message per day for each …

Mobile 16 Apr 2003, 09:29
Microsoft sees flat IT biz, issues SARS warning

Servers, services up

Although Microsoft saw income rise in the past quarter, it downplayed any expectations of growth in the PC business. Redmond reported income of $7,835,000,000 last quarter, down on the $8,541,000.000 it reported in the previous quarter but up on the $7,245,000,000 that poured into the coffers in the corresponding quarter last …

Software 16 Apr 2003, 09:31
Motorola chip unit slides into red

Reverses upward trend of past few quarters

Motorola's semiconductor business is back in the red, after turning a profit for its last few quarters. The company posted a loss of $121 million for the first quarter of 2003, compared to income of $18 million and $13 million for Q4 and Q3 of 2002, respectively. It lost $238 million in Q1 2002. Motorola recorded sales of $1.2 …

Channel 16 Apr 2003, 09:33
Sun joins the collaboration fray

Scaling up

On Monday, 9 April, Sun announced the Sun ONE (Open Net Environment) Collaborative Business Platform. This will compete in the increasingly active market for enterprise-level collaboration software. IBM with Lotus Sametime (Lotus Web Conferencing and Lotus Instant Messaging), Microsoft with its forthcoming release of Greenwich …

Hardware 16 Apr 2003, 09:36
Semico forecasts another gloomy year for chip biz

Statistical model points to weakness

The flat or declining sales seen by some of the world's leading chip companies during the first three months of the year could be the first sign that 2003 isn't going to be a good year for the semiconductor industry. That's certainly what market researcher Semico believes, based on its statistic modelling of the business. The …

Channel 16 Apr 2003, 09:53
Intersil triples 802.11g data rates

Where 802.11b drags 802.11g down

WLAN chipset maker Intersil yesterday revealed technology to improve 802.11g throughput by as much as 300 per cent. The technology, Nitro, is fully compatible with the latest draft specification for 802.11g, Intersil claimed. Nitro uses prioritisation algorithms and an enhancement of the protection mechanisms built into 802.11g …

Wireless 16 Apr 2003, 10:39
RIP: Texas Instruments founder, Manchester lad

From oil to chips

The British-born founder of Texas Instruments, Sir Cecil Green, died last week aged 102. Green's career traces a path from pioneer-era mineral excavation to modern semiconductors, in a fascinating story that the newswire releases have surely failed to capture. Green joined a Texan oil exploration firm Geophysical Service in the …

Channel 16 Apr 2003, 10:50
Another Welsh dotcom spotted

Blush Flush

The Register last week referred to Acequote "as the only Welsh dotcom we had ever heard of, in a piece on the closure of its e-marketplace to new subscribers. This provoked an enormous emailbag: from the valleys of South Wales to the Druid redoubts of Anglesey in the North-West and the Liverpool overspills of Wrexham and Rhyl …

Music and Media 16 Apr 2003, 10:54
MS settles Florida class suit with $202m pay-off

Bonus for schools

Microsoft has squared a class action suit which accused the company of violating Florida's antitrust and unfair competition laws with a pay-off of up to $202m. This will be distributed in the form of vouchers to class action members which they redeem for computer hardware, software and training - from any supplier. MS says it …

Software 16 Apr 2003, 11:40
Novell embraces open source

But will developers embrace Novell?

Novell has made its strongest commitment to date to open source technologies in announcements made at its BrainShare user conference this week. NetWare 6.5, the latest version of Novell's flagship operating system, will include the MySQL database and Apache Web server, allowing applications designed for these components to run …

Software 16 Apr 2003, 11:45
iRiver offers ‘Toblerone’ 512MB MP3 player

Reg Kit Watch Plus NEC's Centrino-style S800, VIA's latest mini-ITX board and more

MP3 Player iRiver has launched what it claims is the "first MP3 player with 512MB internal storage in the world", the iFP-195TC. Rather a large number of iPod and other hard drive-based users will dispute that claim - their players all have 512MB, and then some - but we assume iRiver means solid state internal storage, so we'll …

Personal 16 Apr 2003, 12:10
Vivendi director confirms Apple interest in Universal

Jobs' $6 billion offer il n'est pas assez grand

Vivendi Universal has confirmed Apple's interest in buying its Universal Music Group (UMG) subsidiary, but it isn't the only potential bidder and it may have to cough up more cash if it wants the acquisition to succeed. News that the Mac maker might buy UMG broke last week in the LA Times. The paper claimed the two companies …

Mac Channel 16 Apr 2003, 12:47
Signalling probs cause Orange outage

Congestion no-charge

Signalling problems temporarily threw "hundreds of thousands" of Orange subscribers off its network last night, the company said today. In a statement, Orange confirmed that a large percentage of Orange customers were unable to make or receive calls on its mobile network yesterday evening. "At 5.30 pm a fault caused signalling …

Mobile 16 Apr 2003, 13:34
Why Pocket PC isn't WinCE – Microsoft

Untwist those licensing knickers

When is Windows CE not Windows CE? When it's part of Pocket PC, it seems. Last week we wrote about Microsoft's move to allow WinCE licensees not only access to the operating system's source code, but modify that code and release the changes in commercial products (see Microsoft licenses WinCE source code for commercial use) As …

Software 16 Apr 2003, 13:46
Handsets up, China down for Motorola

Maintains profit run

Motorola has posted a net profit for a third consecutive quarter, but earnings projections for the full year have been cut. The Chicago-based company reported a first quarter net profit of USD169 million, or USD0.07 a share, compared with a loss of USD449 million, or USD0.20 a share, a year earlier. This is the third straight …

Business 16 Apr 2003, 14:37
Bastard's got a Brand New Laptop

Episode 6 Heavyweight

BOFH 2003: Episode 6 "New Laptop?" The PFY asks looking up as he detects a stirring in the force. "Yes, it's rather good isn't it?" I respond, pulling it out of its patent leather carry bag and flashing it at him. "An ultra thin! How the hell did you talk The Boss into getting you one of those - AND the fancy carry bag?" " …

BOFH 16 Apr 2003, 14:50
Office 2k bug strikes DO NOT POST

TBC

The Register has received reports that Windows 2000 PCs running a specific version of Office 2000 have been hit by sudden, unexpected requests to register the software with Microsoft. The glitch could leave thousands of Office users unable to continue using their software. The problem appears to centre on the Select - ie. non- …

Business 16 Apr 2003, 15:04
Sega brings console classic to Palm Tungsten

Bleep-bleep-woooooh

Sonic the Hedgehog has rolled onto the Palm platform, as Sega today began officering five "classic" - old, in other words - console games for Palm's Tungsten-T PDA. The games - Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Shinobi, Super Columns and Shining Force II: The Sword of Hajya - are all available for "select" …

Personal 16 Apr 2003, 15:41
Intel launches Centrino-beating 2.5GHz Pentium 4-M

But it does seems to have its MobileMark figures in a twist

Intel today rolled out a trio of speed-stepped mobile processors at the top end of its Pentium 4 and Celeron lines. So, in comes the 2.5GHz Mobile Pentium 4-M, and 2.4GHz and 1.26GHz Mobile Celerons. Prices for the three parts are $562, $149 and $107, respectively, in batches of 1000 processors. The arrival of the 2.5GHz P4-M …

Channel 16 Apr 2003, 16:02
Office 2000 SR-1 registration bug strikes corporates

Exclusive Licensees forced to re-register... and re-register... and...

Microsoft has confirmed reports received by The Register that Windows 2000 PCs running a specific version of Office 2000 have been hit by sudden, unexpected requests to continually register the software with Microsoft. The glitch could leave thousands of Office users unable to continue using their software. The problem appears …

Software 16 Apr 2003, 17:14
EMC back in the black

Services boost

EMC lifted its first quarter revenue higher with the help of an ongoing cost-cutting program and the release of new product. The storage maker posted revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter ended in March. This total marks a 6 percent rise over the same quarter last year when EMC reported revenue of $1.30 billion. Net income …

Business 16 Apr 2003, 18:42
Phone porn can boost 3G

Stimulating growth

How keen will consumers be on watching videos on 3G mobile phones? That's the question Finland's National Consumer Research Centre tried to answer through looking at the experience of a small number of trialists in the Nordic country. Video on mobile phone have been available in Finland since the back end of last year, albeit …

Mobile 16 Apr 2003, 18:53
Vivendi executive denies spilling beans over Apple

More than my job's worth, mate

Vivendi Universal director Claude Bebear didn't express his views on the merger talks between Vivendi's Universal Music Group (UMG) and Apple. So, at least, a Vivendi spokesman claims in a Reuters article. Bebear's comments were originally reported by Bloomberg, a Reuters rival. Said the spokesman: "Regarding a report by …

Mac Channel 16 Apr 2003, 19:09
Freeserve and Oftel both claim victory in key competition dispute

Spin City

The Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT) - the UK's highest specialist competition law court - today issued a ruling on a closely watched dispute between Freeserve and telecoms regulator Oftel. Both sides are claiming victory. The long-awaited ruling follows an appeal by Freeserve to CAT last year after Oftel dismissed a …

Telecoms 16 Apr 2003, 19:32
RIAA Naval academy bust: 85 rapped

But who is robbing who?

The U.S Naval Academy dolled out a relatively mild punishment to 85 of its midshipmen busted for using government provided internet connections to swap copyrighted music files, The Baltimore Sun reports. These are the same midshipmen who had their computers seized in a Nov. 21 raid, egged on by a call from the music label- …

Music and Media 16 Apr 2003, 19:33
Liberation abroad, repression at home – a student's tale

Letter of the Week Don't drink and share music

Re: RIAA attacks the future of America The RIAA's attack on the youth of the USA, demanding $97 trillion from four students for sharing music, provoked this missive from a college student and Register reader. To: ashlee.vance@theregister.co.uk Subject: RIAA antics and the societal need to get drunk Hello, I found this …

Letters 16 Apr 2003, 19:55
Sun back in the black – just

Analysts grumble

Sun Microsystems returned to profitability in its third fiscal quarter despite a decline in revenue. The hardware maker posted revenue of $2.79 billion, which is a ten percent drop from the $3.11 billion posted in the same quarter a year ago. Sun managed to squeeze out a profit of $4 million versus a $37 million loss last year …

Business 16 Apr 2003, 23:01