31st July 2007 Archive

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eBay 'Buy It Now' button survives latest attack

But the troll is still lurking

Rest easy, eBay addicts. You can still log on to the world's most famous auction site and "Buy It Now." MercExchange, that pugnacious patent holder in Great Lakes, Virginia, has failed in its latest attempt to shut down the nifty little eBay button that lets you purchase items before an auction plays itself out. Last month, …

Law 31 Jul 2007, 00:12
F5 gets symmetrical, symmetrical gets F5

In brief See what we did there?

Traffic management outfit F5 Networks is ramping up its Big-IP gear with an update to WebAccelerator that lights a fire under application traffic on both ends of an internet link. While previous incarnations of the device boosted the performance of internet traffic at a central sight, F5 is rolling out a "symmetric" version …

Data Networking 31 Jul 2007, 00:13
Half of European calls to be mobile by 2008

Already knocking 75% in Finland

Mobile calls are replacing fixed-line usage across Europe, according to a new report from Analysys, but people aren't talking more, they're just using fixed-lines less. The change has been most stark in Finland, where 2006 saw another 10 per cent of calls migrate onto mobile networks; bringing the total to 74.6 per cent at the …

Mobile 31 Jul 2007, 07:02
BSkyB buys Amstrad

Sugar turns to Murdoch

BSkyB is paying £125m for Amstrad - Sir Alan Sugar's set-top box manufacturing firm. Sky is offering 150 pence for each Amstrad share, which is 23 per cent more than the shares were fetching on the open market last night. On the London Stock Exchange Amstrad shares have jumped almost 20 per cent to 145p on the news. Amstrad …

Financial News 31 Jul 2007, 08:08
Nurses express doubts about patient e-records

Lack of PCs and training still put system at risk

Nurses have strong reservations about the benefits of electronic patient records, a survey for the Royal College of Nursing has found. Although the survey, carried out by Medix, found that two thirds of nurses welcome the introduction of electronic patient records (EPRs), fewer than one in two felt they would improve patient …

Public Sector 31 Jul 2007, 08:47
Boffins unmask hidden galactic cores

Swift helps ID new class of AGNs

Astronomers using NASA's Swift satellite and the Japanese/US Suzaku X-ray observatory have discovered a totally new kind of active galactic nuclei (AGN). The new class is relatively common, the researchers say, but because the galactic cores are almost entirely shrouded in gas and dust, they are hard to spot. "This is an …

Space 31 Jul 2007, 08:51
Local councils give thumbs up to e-gov

Promise more cash

Local government spending on e-government will remain strong despite the end of incentives from Whitehall, according to new research by Kable. The research, commissioned by e-government solutions provider EzGov Europe, shows that UK local authorities' spending on the relevant services will total about £1.4bn over the next two …

Public Sector 31 Jul 2007, 09:15
SMEs embrace wireless broadband

Mobile pretty popular too

Wireless broadband services are proving popular with Irish SMEs, according to new research from Vodafone Ireland. The study found that a third of small and medium sized enterprises are using services other than fixed lines as their main connection to the internet. According to the report, new services such as mobile broadband …

Small Biz 31 Jul 2007, 09:17
The hunt for water on Mars goes nanoscale

Small packages on Phoenix

If space, as Douglas Adams said, is mind-bogglingly big and the nanoscale is mind-bogglingly small, it seems incongruous to hear that Swiss scientists are going to use the latter, in the form of atomic force microscopy, to explore the former. Yet that's exactly what the team, led by Urs Staufer, an associate professor at the …

Space 31 Jul 2007, 10:17
McKinnon earns Lords appeal

Pentagon hacker in legal victory

Gary McKinnon, the British hacker facing extradition over allegations he broke into US Military and NASA sites, has earned the right to take his case to the House of Lords. The law Lords agreed to hear arguments that US authorities acted in an "oppressive" and "arbitrary" manner during plea bargaining negotiations, for …

Law 31 Jul 2007, 10:30
Tossfest 2007: are you a hardened open sourcer?

Bangkok's seminal open source event

South East Asia's premier open source software event, the Thailand Open Source Software Festival - or Tossfest 2007 - splashes down in Bangkok this week. The seventh Tossfest starts on Thusday, and is already sending waves of excitement up the spine of the open source community. No words... The first Tossfest was an …

Software 31 Jul 2007, 10:31
Scientists uncover lefty gene

Also linked to psychotic illness

Researchers at the University of Oxford have identified a gene that increases the likelihood of its carrier being left-handed. The gene plays a role in developing brain symmetry and is also associated with an elevated risk of developing mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Called LRRTM1, the gene is involved in allocating …

Biology 31 Jul 2007, 10:35
Xansa falls to Steria for £472m

Shareholders say ooh la la

French IT services outfit Groupe Steria has agreed terms to acquire Xansa following a proposed cash-only offer of £472m for the rival Reading-based firm. Shares in Xansa leapt by more than a fifth following the outsourcing group's recommendation of the 130 pence a share offer from Steria. That figure represents a shareholder …

Channel Register 31 Jul 2007, 10:46
ICSTIS wants your views on anonymous SMS

Regulating text flirting

UK premium-rate regulator ICSTIS has published a consultation document on anonymous SMS services, and is looking for feedback by 7 September. A few services will, for a fee, send an SMS message anonymously - for the purposes of flirting or practical jokes. ICSTIS said it's only ever had one complaint about misuse of such …

Networks 31 Jul 2007, 11:11
eMusic goes mobile

At a price

eMusic has launched a mobile version of its popular DRM-free music subscription service for mobile phones. AT&T subscribers in the US will be able to snag up to five songs a month for $7.49. Songs downloaded over the air will also be "sideloaded" to the PC. That's a pretty steep premium on mobile convenience: eMusic's "desktop …

Music and Media 31 Jul 2007, 11:14
Firefox update fixes bug brace

Booby trap link bug defused

Mozilla has pushed out a new version of Firefox that fixes a brace of security bugs, barely a fortnight after its last update. Firefox version 2.0.0.6 addresses a critical vulnerability that means unescaped URIs (uniform resource identifiers) are passed to external programs. The serious security flaw, discovered by security …

Security 31 Jul 2007, 11:17
UK gov offers car CO₂ rankings by class

Prius gets ass whupped by supergreen Polo

The UK government has set up a website advising consumers on which cars are the greenest. The new "Best on CO2 Rankings" webpage uses What Car? magazine's system of classification, breaking motors down into the following groups: Supermini, Small family, Family, Estate, MPV, Compact Executive, Executive, Coupe, Open-top, Hot …

Science 31 Jul 2007, 11:31
OECD: broadband is unequal

Report shows big cost and speed differences

There's a great variance around the US in broadband speeds and prices. The differences are even greater when countries are compared. A report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) points out that broadband users in Japan have 100 Mbps connections, which is 10 times faster than the average of the …

Telecoms 31 Jul 2007, 11:43
Apple takes flak as AT&T drops iPhone bomb

Sign-up numbers disappoint

AT&T's declaration that only 146,000 Apple iPhones registered on its network in the first two days it was on the market has led to widespread shock at what is now being seen as the device's failure and a down period for Apple shares, sliding 7.5 per cent over a few days last week, a fall of some $10bn in total market …

Mobile 31 Jul 2007, 11:43
UK gov should move into PC reseller biz, says report

Flogging old kit could bring in £70m per year

The government could become one of the UK’s biggest resellers of used IT kit if recommendations in a National Audit Office report are taken to their logical conclusion. The spending watchdog paints a worrying picture of the public sector’s current approach to disposing of old kit. It found a lack of awareness of environmental …

Channel Register 31 Jul 2007, 12:11
The cold, cold heart of Web 2.0

Column On the people-powered net, you're just another number

Imagine a world in which parents read to their children in the evening, not because it was a pleasurable and meaningful activity, but as an investment in the child's future earning potential. Or consider a close-knit neighbourhood in which people clubbed together on social events not so as to enjoy a sense of community, but so …

Software 31 Jul 2007, 13:13
O2 UK reduces churn, while Europe grows more slowly

Telefonica does well with acquisition

Telefonica-owned mobile operator O2 is showing steady growth in the UK market, with revenues up 10.4 per cent, as it manages to convert customers from pre-paid to contract. However, Telefonica's results for the first half of 2007 show the rest of O2 Europe to be growing more slowly. Telefonica bought O2 early last year, and …

Telecoms 31 Jul 2007, 13:52
The BBC iPlayer 'launch' that wasn't

Works on Vista though

The "open beta" launch of the BBC's on demand service on Friday has left many licence fee-payers frustrated, as downloads of the iPlayer are still strictly limited. The BBC has told would-be users it is taking the action to monitor iPlayer's impact on its own network and on ISPs. News of the rollout shuffleout was buried in the …

Music and Media 31 Jul 2007, 14:12
Panasonic zooms in on HD camcorder market

High definition and highly portable

If you're already besotted with high definition content and have the whole technical set-up, including an HD TV with Sky subscription, then your next step could be an HD camcorder. At least that's what Panasonic is hoping, as it has unveiled two new tiny models. The HDC-SD5 measures 6.6 x 6.6 x 13.4cm and the HDC-SX5 is only …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2007, 14:25
Worm eats music on infected PCs

This MP3 collection will self-destruct after reboot

Virus writers have unleashed a worm that attempts to delete MP3 files from infected machines. The Deletemusic worm spreads via removable devices. As soon as an infected device is accessed the worm will be executed. Thereafter it copies itself onto all drives, including removable devices, and executes whenever Windows is …

Anti-Virus 31 Jul 2007, 14:26
Intelligent Finance upgrade downs web service

IF only... we hadn't been 'taken by surprise'

Intelligent Finance (IF) hit a system upgrade catastrophe on Sunday which left the internet banking service severely disrupted for nearly two days, much to the chagrin of its users. Thousands of people who attempted to access their account via IF's website were greeted with a static message that declared "we are currently …

Servers 31 Jul 2007, 14:40
3D handset hits streets of Japan

Time to bin those specs you got with Jaws 3

Our mobile phones will be slimmer, 3G-enabled and sporting 3D fascias. That's if your expectations are based on handsets now available in Japan, where NEC has just unveiled the world’s slimmest clamshell handset for the W-CDMA network that features a stereoscopic fascia. The rectangular N704iμ handset, which has just gone on …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2007, 14:45
Reg health roundup: good and bad news today

Laser printers as bad as cigarettes and not as tasty

An astonishing barrage of IT-industry health related stories broke overnight, engendering an emotional rollercoaster of alternating terror and hope here at Vulture Central. First up was the news from Down Under that Australian medical-fear researchers have discovered that laser printers will kill you. According to The Age, …

Hardware 31 Jul 2007, 15:06
Samsung expands snapper series, again

Shutter, not trigger, happy

Samsung shows no signs of slowing down its compact digital camera development schedule. Today in London, the company unveiled three new models under its existing NV series and unveiled the latest addition to its "i" snapper series. The NV8, NV15 and NV20 are described as "premium compact cameras" and feature an 8, 10 and 12- …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2007, 15:07
O2 updates Orbit to WM6

Updated: Oh! No it doesn't

O2 has provided a site where owners of the Xda Orbit can upgrade their device to Windows Mobile 6 (WM6) - at least they could if it worked. Punters attempting to get the upgrade, which has been available in Germany for some time, are told the HTC server is overloaded and they should try again later. However, it's been saying …

Mobile 31 Jul 2007, 15:23
Microsoft comes top of the tech pack

MVP

Microsoft is the most valuable technology brand in the world, according to Business Week magazine's latest ranking of global brands released Tuesday. Microsoft came second to soft drinks giant Coca-Cola in the overall rankings. Third place went to another big Irish technology employer, IBM. Both Microsoft and IBM maintained …

Software 31 Jul 2007, 15:38
Facebook security glitch exposes user in-boxes

Updated Cache glitch chaos forces users to work

Office workers logging into Facebook on Tuesday morning were shocked to discover they were being served up other user's private pages. Information going astray included other user's message inboxes. Fortunately more sensitive information - such as users' contact details - remained off limits to all but a member's friends. …

ID 31 Jul 2007, 15:55
Sony faces case for 'Cell' patent infringement

Updated Tough times ahead?

Sony could be in some hot water over development of the parallel processing Cell CPU, used in several devices including the PS3. A US company is claiming that Sony has infringed on a patent for "synchronized parallel processing with shared memory" and is seeking retribution through the courts. The Parallel Processing …

Reg Hardware 31 Jul 2007, 16:30
Eminem sues Apple - again

Most litigacious candy-coated chocolate ever?

Eminem's music publisher has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Apple over iTunes downloads, alleging the company is violating copyrights by selling the rapper's song online. The lawsuit was filed Monday in US District Court in Detroit by Ferndale-based Eight Mile Style and Eminem's copyright manager, Martin Affiliated …

Law 31 Jul 2007, 18:47
Linkedin spurns bug bounty hunter

Will debug for food - but who will bite?

Earlier this month, employees for LinkedIn, a social network site that caters to business people, received an unusual proposition from a security researcher who had just uncovered a vulnerability that put many of its users at serious risk. "If you are interested in the bug, we would like to give you first right of refusal to …

Enterprise Security 31 Jul 2007, 19:15
Adobe embroiled in War of the Fed-Ex Kinko Button

Printers of America slam PDF madness

America's printing companies aren't too happy about the new FedEx Kinko's button that's turned up on Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader. Well, printing companies other than FedEx Kinko's. In June, Adobe and FedEx Kinko's announced new versions of Acrobat and Reader that include a button for sending PDF docs straight to FedEx Kinko' …

Channel Register 31 Jul 2007, 19:46
Techies sue Universal Media Group for overtime pay

You load sixteen servers, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt

Unpaid overtime is a contentious issue for IT employees, who often wrangle with ill-tempered technology long after everyone else has punched the clock. Universal Media Group is the latest company to stir the ire of data center dwellers feeling short-changed. A group of UMG IT employees has filed a class action lawsuit alleging …

Law 31 Jul 2007, 21:51
eBay rethinks firearms policy

Virginia Tech gunman bought ammo clips online

After learning that items purchased on eBay may have been used in the Virginia Tech shootings this past April, the popular online auction site has revised its policy on firearms, weapons, and knives. On April 16, in Blacksburg, Virginia, a student at Virginia Tech University killed 32 people and wounded 25 before committing …

Applications 31 Jul 2007, 22:22
EnterpriseDB snags information strategist

More than a database

EnterpriseDB has hired a newbie IBM exec as chief technology officer, indicating a possible uplevelling in its strategy as an "information on demand" provider. The three-year-old start-up has named Bob Zurek as CTO to - in EnterpriseDB's words - "help solidify its position as publisher of the World's leading Oracle-compatible …

Applications 31 Jul 2007, 22:26